Lockdown one week earlier ‘could have halved’ coronavirus death toll June 10, 2020 Imposing lockdown a week earlier could have cut the death toll “by at least half”, a former scientific adviser to the government has said. Addressing the Science and Technology Select Committee, Professor Neil Ferguson told MPs: “The epidemic was doubling every three to four days before lockdown interventions were introduced. So, had we introduced lockdown [...]
Which cafes and restaurants are reopening as the coronavirus lockdown lifts? June 10, 2020 After two months of coronavirus lockdown, Britain’s high streets are waking up again. From Pret to Pizza Express, cafes and restaurants across the country are working out how to restart their businesses. So what chains can customers expect to open up again on Monday, when so-called non-essential businesses are allowed to make their long-awaited return? [...]
Brexit: Michel Barnier says he cannot allow UK to ‘cherry pick’ in negotiations June 10, 2020 Brussels’ chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said he will not allow the UK to “cherry pick” benefits of EU membership in a free trade deal. Barnier told the EU’s Economic and Social Committee today that the UK was asking for “a lot more than Canada, Japan or any of our other free trade agreement [...]
Scottish MP submits bill to block BA’s ‘fire and rehire’ plans June 10, 2020 SNP MP Gavin Newlands has submitted an emergency bill to the House of Commons which would prevent firms using controversial “fire and rehire” tactics on their employees. The decision to bring forward the bill comes after it was claimed that British Airways (BA) was planning on making all 42,000 of its staff redundant and then [...]
Boris Johnson’s approval rating continues to plummet in new poll June 10, 2020 Public confidence in Boris Johnson continues to plummet, as new polling shows his approval rating drop to minus 7 per cent. A new YouGov poll shows that 43 per cent of Britons think the Prime Minister is doing a good job, with 50 per cent saying he is performing poorly. This is down from a [...]
Two metre social distancing rule ‘would leave many small businesses unable to make profit’ June 10, 2020 Many of the country’s small companies will not be viable unless two metre social distancing rules are relaxed, the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has claimed. Ahead of non-essential shops reopening next week, FSB chairman Mike Cherry this afternoon added to pressure on the government to cut the nationwide two metre rule, which has already [...]
US inflation falls for third straight month as coronavirus hammers economy June 10, 2020 US consumer prices fell for a third straight month in May and underlying inflation was weak as demand remained subdued amid the recession caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell 0.1 per cent in May, after decreasing 0.8 per cent in April, new figures from the US Labour Department showed. Read [...]
Why the businesses of the future are honing in on Cornwall June 10, 2020 Six months into a new decade, the working landscape has altered beyond recognition. Businesses around the world have adapted to remote working with a scale and ease beyond wildest expectations. “Working from home” has cast off any of the negative connotations attached to it, with workers in fields ranging from banking to surveying, media to [...]
Premier Inn owner scoops up almost £1bn to bolster against pandemic June 10, 2020 Whitbread investors have agreed to supply more than 90 per cent of its £1bn cash call, the Premier Inn owner announced today, as it attempts to beef up its balance sheet amid the coronavirus crisis. Existing investors scooped up 91 per cent of the discounted 1-2 fundraiser issued by the hotel group in a bid [...]
Boris Johnson confirms pubs and restaurants will not open before 4 July June 10, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that pubs and restaurants will not reopen fully before 4 July. Johnson told MPs today that the government would follow its original plan to open the hospitality sector next month, despite speculation to the contrary. Some pubs and restaurants are still open for limited takeaway orders, however this has [...]