Boris Johnson tells firms to ‘wait for Budget’ for verdict on business rates holiday extension February 10, 2021 Boris Johnson has said there will be no announcement on a potential extension to the business rates holiday until the 3 March Budget. The Prime Minister told MPs today that the “government is committed to supporting businesses and people’s livelihoods throughout the pandemic” and that UK businesses should “wait for the chancellor’s Budget to explain [...]
UK admits EU’s ban on shellfish exports was ‘correct’ despite complaints February 10, 2021 The UK government has privately accepted the EU’s ban on British shellfish exports is justified, despite publicly declaring otherwise. Environment secretary George Eustice this week wrote to the EU Commissioner for food safety Stella Kyriakides to say that the ban – which applies to oysters, mussels, scallops, cockles and clams – was “legally wrong” and [...]
Ministers in talks with US and Singapore over international vaccine certificate February 10, 2021 Ministers are in discussions with other countries over the creation of an international vaccine certification system that would allow a partial resumption of travel, the transport secretary has said. Grant Shapps told the BBC he has spoken to his counterparts in the US and Singapore about the creation of an internationally recognisable system of proving [...]
Von der Leyen: ‘Mistakes were made’ ahead of EU/UK vaccine debacle February 10, 2021 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has admitted “mistakes were made” ahead of the EU’s brief and disastrous decision to block vaccines travelling to the UK. Speaking this morning, Von der Leyen said the EU Commission would do its “utmost to protect the peace in Northern Ireland.” The EU Commission president admitted the bloc [...]
Ex-Labour MP Chuka Umunna hired by JPMorgan in new ESG role February 10, 2021 Chuka Umunna has been hired by JPMorgan to head up its environmental, social and governance (ESG) work in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The newly created role will pull together all the existing client-facing ESG efforts across the banking business in the region. The appointment was announced within the bank in a memo seen by [...]
Senate votes to go ahead with Trump impeachment trial February 10, 2021 A majority of the U.S. Senate voted to hold a full impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump when they backed Democrats’ argument that the proceeding is allowed under the U.S. Constitution. Trump’s lawyers argued that as a former president, the Senate has no legal standing for holding a trial on the House of Representatives’ impeachment charge [...]
Half of the UK’s exporters facing difficulties due to Brexit February 10, 2021 Just under half of the UK’s exporters are having difficulties with new post-Brexit regulations, according to a new survey. A survey released today from the British Chambers of Commerce showed 49 per cent of British exports “reported issues” with the post-Brexit regime, while 51 per cent of manufacturers also said they were facing difficulties. Three-in-ten out [...]
Government averts Tory rebellion as anti-genocide compromise passes in Parliament February 9, 2021 The government has staved off a Tory rebellion as it squeezed through a compromise deal on blocking trade agreements with countries found to have committed genocide. MPs were denied a straight vote this afternoon on an amendment to the Trade Bill that would have handed powers to determine whether a country has committed genocide over [...]
Airline shares tumble as hotel quarantine spells travel chaos until Easter February 9, 2021 Shares in the UK’s largest airlines tumbled more than three per cent this afternoon as the health secretary’s announcement of new hotel quarantine measures spelt prolonged chaos for the travel industry. Easyjet shares fell more than 4.5 per cent to 788p, while Tui shed 4 per cent and British Airways owner IAG dropped 3.3 per [...]
Hotel quarantine to cost £1,750 per person with flouters facing 10 years in jail February 9, 2021 All passengers returning to the UK and Ireland from “red list” countries from Monday must quarantine at a hotel for 10 days at a cost of £1,750 per person, the health secretary has announced. “Any returning citizens will have to quarantine at an assigned hotel room for 10 days —or for longer if they test [...]