Calls grow louder for government to create green fund for UK’s steel industry March 30, 2021 The government is under growing pressure to bring forward a £250m green fund for the UK’s steel industry to help rescue the ailing industry. The Clean Steel Fund was originally announced in 2019 by the government in a bid to reduce carbon emissions in the sector through new business invesment. However, the fund is not [...]
Uber Boat chosen by TfL to run Hammersmith Bridge ferry service March 30, 2021 Uber Boat has been chosen by Transport for London (TfL) to run a Thames ferry service alongside the closed Hammersmith Bridge. The boat service, operated by Thames Clippers, will take up to 800 cyclists and pedestrians across the river at a time between 6am and 10pm daily. Uber’s ferry service is expected to be up [...]
China tightens grip on Hong Kong as it limits parliament to ‘patriots’ March 30, 2021 China has passed new laws slashing the number of directly-elected politicians to Hong Kong’s parliament, further tightening Beijing’s control over the financial hub. The changes will almost halve the number of representatives who are directly elected and increase the number of Beijing-approved officials. The overhaul is intended to ensure that only “patriots” can rule the [...]
Strong West End recovery vital for City of London’s future, says Khan March 30, 2021 The UK’s financial services sector will be irreversibly damaged if the West End does not have a strong recovery and Frankfurt is left to scoop up City of London jobs, according to Sadiq Khan. Khan today called out the government for not providing targeted funding for central London, which has been adversely affected by Covid-19, [...]
David Cameron ‘did nothing wrong’ in his dealings with Greensill, says Kwasi Kwarteng March 30, 2021 David Cameron “did absolutely nothing wrong” in his dealings with Greensill Capital, according to a senior government minister. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said “everything was above board” with the former prime minister’s connection to the financial services company which collapsed earlier this month. Speaking on Sky News this morning, Kwarteng said that, with Cameron having [...]
One in two people in England estimated to have Covid antibodies March 30, 2021 More than half of people in England are estimated to have Covid antibodies either from past infection or vaccination, according to the latest official figures. The Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) latest infection survey found that 54.7 per cent of England’s population were thought to have some level of immunity against coronavirus in the week [...]
Sadiq Khan pledges ‘Good Work Fund’ to reskill Londoners post-Covid March 30, 2021 Sadiq Khan has today promised to spend £32m on four skills academies that he is calling a “Good Work Fund” if he is re-elected in May. The mayor said his plan would “help coordinate skills, careers and job-related support so there is no wrong door for Londoners seeking employment assistance”. The funding would come from [...]
Sir Lenny Henry leads campaign urging black Britons to get Covid vaccine March 30, 2021 Comedian Sir Lenny Henry has led a fresh campaign urging black Britons to get vaccinated against coronavirus, after new figures revealed huge differences in vaccine uptake between ethnic groups. The BAFTA winner joined celebrities such as actors Chiwetel Ejiofor and Thandie Newton calling for people to “trust the facts about the vaccine, from our own professors, doctors, [...]
UK to focus on vaccinating adults before offering surplus shots, minister says March 30, 2021 Business minister Kwasi Kwarteng has said this morning the UK will focus on vaccinating its adult population before offering surplus doses to neighbouring countries. More than 30m people have been given at least one shot of the vaccine so far in the UK’s largest inoculation programme to date. The UK has aimed to offer all [...]
Boris Johnson joins world leaders calling for treaty for future pandemics March 30, 2021 Boris Johnson has joined a list of more than 20 world leaders calling for a new global treaty to ensure countries are prepared for future pandemics. The Prime Minister added his name to a joint statement from global leaders including French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel warning that the coronavirus crisis has [...]