Michael O’Leary slams ‘illegal’ Lufthansa state bailout May 26, 2020 Ryanair’s chief executive Michael O’Leary has this afternoon challenged German carrier Lufthansa’s €9bn state bailout, labelling the rescue package ‘illegal’. In a statement, the low-cost airline’s boss said that the aid would enable Lufthansa to engage in below-cost selling which would “massively distort competition”. He said: “Ryanair will appeal [to the European Commission] against this [...]
Matt Hancock defends Dominic Cummings as lockdown row continues May 26, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock this afternoon defended Dominic Cummings despite growing pressure on the government over Boris Johnson’s chief aide’s decision to drive to Durham despite the lockdown measures. Speaking at the government’s daily press conference, Hancock said that Cummings’ actions had been “within the guidelines”, saying that they allowed for exceptional circumstances such as [...]
IATA chief: Don’t politicise quarantine measures May 26, 2020 The chief executive of global aviation body the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has warned governments not to use quarantine measures for political purposes. Over the Bank Holiday weekend, French authorities announced that all Uk visitors to the country would have to quarantine for 14 days in response to the UK’s decision to apply blanket [...]
John Lewis to phase reopening of department stores from 15 June May 26, 2020 Department store chain John Lewis said it will open its stores on a “phased basis” after the government said non-essential retailers could reopen from 15 June. The retailer did not say how many of its 50 stores would open in mid-June, but said that the reopening would be phased to test in-store changes required to [...]
Nando’s reopens 94 UK restaurants for takeaway and delivery May 26, 2020 Nando’s has reopened 54 restaurants across the country, with a further 40 sites ready to reopen for delivery and click and collect tomorrow. The Peri-Peri chicken chain said it had successfully completed trials at a number of restaurants and was ready to expand its takeaway service across the UK. Nando’s will offer a reduced menu [...]
UK coronavirus deaths top 37,000 after increase of 134 May 26, 2020 The UK’s death toll from coronavirus has risen by 134 to 37,048 according to figures released today by the Department of Health. Yesterday, the Department of Health said 121 people in the UK died with coronavirus, the second-lowest 24-hour death toll since March. However, there is usually a lag in the figures reported at weekends [...]
Sir Patrick McLoughlin appointed as Visit Britain chairman May 26, 2020 Former Conservative Party chairman and transport secretary Sir Patrick McLoughlin has been appointed as chair of the British Tourist Authority. McLoughlin, who was MP from Derbyshire Dales between 1986 and 2019, will chair the Visit Britain tourism board for three years from 1 June, it was announced this morning. He was government chief whip from [...]
UK SMEs see light at the end of the tunnel despite short-term gloom May 26, 2020 The UK’s SMEs are set to see their revenue fall a combined 28 per cent in the second quarter of the year due to the coronavirus pandemic, with almost three-quarters of businesses expecting the disease to have a significant impact for the next three months. According to new data from Barclaycard’s quarterly SME barometer, sentiment [...]
McLaren to cut 1,200 jobs as coronavirus forces group restructuring May 26, 2020 Supercar giant McLaren today announced it would cut 1,200 jobs across all of its operations due to the combination of the coronavirus pandemic and the new F1 price cap. The redundancies, which were first reported by Sky, will account for about a quarter of the Surrey-based firm’s workforce of 4,000. Jobs will be cut across [...]
Retail footfall soars over bank holiday weekend May 26, 2020 Retail footfall soared over the weekend compared to the Easter bank holiday as shoppers made the most of the relaxation of lockdown restrictions in England. High street footfall surged 49 per cent yesterday compared to Easter Monday, while coastal towns saw visitor numbers jump 62 per cent. Footfall at retail parks was up 42 per [...]