Nearly 9,000 coronavirus-related deaths registered in week to 17 April April 28, 2020 Data released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed 8,758 coronavirus-related deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week to 17 April. This was an increase of 40 per cent on the previous week when 6,213 registered deaths mentioned coronavirus. There were 22,351 deaths registered in England and Wales in the [...]
The City View podcast, from City A.M., with Miles Celic April 28, 2020 In this episode Christian is joined by Miles Celic, chief executive of The City UK – the membership group for financial and professional services, a sector accounting for 10 per cent of the UK’s economic output. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS The sector is also under intense [...]
Coronavirus business loans: Liberal Democrats leader calls for ‘loan marketplace’ April 27, 2020 The Treasury should create a “loan marketplace” to better facilitate the coronavirus business loan scheme, according to Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey. Davey today called for the government to create a website for businesses to browse a wide range of emergency loan options from different banks, similar to websites such as Compare the Market does [...]
Michael Gove: Brexit trade deal by 31 December ‘entirely possible’ April 27, 2020 Michael Gove has said a post-Brexit free trade deal between the UK and EU is “entirely possible” before 31 December and is “better than 2/1” odds to happen. Gove said today that the firm deadline would “concentrate minds” and would not be changed, despite the coronavirus crisis. There has been sustained calls for the 31 [...]
UK ‘on track’ to reach 100,000 coronavirus tests target by Thursday April 27, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has said the UK is on track to reach 100,000 coronavirus tests a day by Thursday, despite only testing 37,000 people yesterday. Speaking at today’s press briefing, Hancock said “we are broadly where we expected to be” on testing. There were 37,024 Covid-19 tests administered yesterday, which was a marked increase [...]
Rishi Sunak unveils 100 per cent state-backed ‘bounce back loans’ for small businesses April 27, 2020 The UK’s smallest businesses will have guaranteed access to loans of up to £50,000 within 24 hours of applying, chancellor Rishi Sunak announced today. The new “bounce back loans” will be 100 per cent guaranteed by the Treasury, meaning the government will take on all the default risk, and will be available from next Monday [...]
Cameron’s ex-adviser: Row over Dominic Cummings attending Sage meetings is ‘bonkers’ April 27, 2020 The recent furore over Dominic Cummings’ attendance at the government’s scientific advisory meetings is “bonkers”, according to a former Downing Street adviser to David Cameron. Daniel Korski told City A.M.’s daily podcast The City View today that it was standard for senior Number 10 advisers to attend high-level meetings. He added it was important Cummings [...]
Boris Johnson: Lifting UK lockdown too early would spell ‘economic disaster’ April 27, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson today warned the UK could face an “economic disaster” if the lockdown ends too early, urging businesses to be patient as he returned to Downing Street. The Prime Minister said the UK was “beginning to turn the tide” on coronavirus. But he cautioned against lifting the coronavirus lockdown restrictions too early, [...]
Boris Johnson set to make Downing Street statement shortly April 27, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to make a statement outside Downing Street upon his return to work after a severe case of coronavirus. Johnson has spent three weeks on the sidelines after contracting coronavirus that led to the PM going into intensive care in hospital. He returned to Downing Street last night after two [...]
Boris Johnson returns to work under pressure to ease UK coronavirus lockdown April 27, 2020 Boris Johnson faces a flurry of meetings about the UK coronavirus lockdown upon his return to Downing Street today after his own severe battle with the infection. The Prime Minister returns to work today after three weeks of fighting off a coronavirus infection that could have killed him. After confirming his positive diagnosis on Twitter [...]