Myanmar protestors defy ban on gatherings as demonstrations intensify February 9, 2021 Myanmar’s authorities have today extended areas where gatherings are restricted after protesters confronted police in cities across the country. Gatherings of more than five people are banned, and curfews have been imposed in areas including the commercial hub of Yangon and the capital city of Naypyidaw. The rules come after Myanmar police fired gunshots into [...]
UK Government urges all over-70s to contact NHS for Covid vaccine February 8, 2021 The NHS has changed its messaging to urge all over-70s to book themselves in for a Covid vaccine, the health secretary has announced
‘No reason to believe’ South African variant will become dominant in UK, says Jonathan Van-Tam February 8, 2021 England’s deputy chief medical officer has allayed fears over the spread of a new South African variant of coronavirus, insisting there is “no reason to believe” the mutant strain will become dominant in the UK. Speaking at a Downing Street press conference, Jonathan Van-Tam said the South African variant has now become the dominant strain [...]
Michael Gove slams EU for putting ‘vaccine procurement’ ahead of Northern Ireland peace February 8, 2021 Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove has accused the EU of putting peace in Northern Ireland at risk to try and “salvage” its slow Covid vaccine rollout. Gove told MPs today Brussels “owes its member states is a fuller explanation about why it acted in the way it did” and that the EU’s quickly rescinded call [...]
UK business groups give backing to Bounce Back Loans repayment extension February 8, 2021 The UK’s largest business advocacy groups have backed Rishi Sunak’s move to offer more generous repayment terms on £45bn of emergency Covid Bounce Back Loans. The Treasury announced yesterday that the 1.4m businesses who have taken out a Bounce Back Loan will be able to pay it back over ten years instead of six, make [...]
No hotel quarantine contracts have been signed with just one week to go until launch February 8, 2021 The government has not signed a single contract with any hotel firms despite its mandatory hotel quarantine policy set to come into effect in just one week’s time. All arrivals to the UK from around 30 “red list” countries will be required by law to quarantine for 10 nights at a government-selected hotel from 15 [...]
Labour calls for government to ‘crack down on cronyism’ amid PPE contracts saga February 8, 2021 Labour has urged the government to “crack down on cronyism” as it claims almost £2bn of taxpayer money has been awarded to “friends and donors” of the Conservative party during the pandemic. In an online speech, shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves said the awarding of contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) during the pandemic [...]
What are the UK-EU memorandum of understanding talks on financial services about? February 8, 2021 Last month the UK Treasury began talks with the EU to put in a place a memorandum of understanding for future financial services regulation on each side of the Channel. Much of the media discourse about these talks revolve around whether they will yield extended EU market access for the City of London, however any [...]
UK relaxes repayment terms for Covid Bounce Back Loans February 8, 2021 UK businesses that took out risk-free Covid loans will be given more generous repayment terms, after a recent warning that up to half of the £45bn in borrowing will not be paid back. The Treasury announced today that the 1.4m businesses who have taken out a Bounce Back Loan will be able to pay it [...]
UK supermarket chiefs call for online sales tax on firms like Amazon February 8, 2021 Some of the UK’s largest retailers, including Tesco and Asda, have called for Rishi Sunak to “rebalance the tax base” between online and bricks and mortar retail in an apparent push for a new digital sales levy on firms like Amazon. In a letter to Sunak, 18 chief executives and union bosses said “online retailers [...]