Why Uruguay should be on the radar of all wine lovers February 27, 2021 What’s the first name that springs to mind when you think about Uruguay? I ran out of steam after Luis Suarez. Well, shame on me, because Fernando De Lucca, Pablo Fallabrino and Santiago Deicas, three of Uruguay’s top winemakers, all deserve to be on that list. Carla Bertelloti is the woman hoping to add them. [...]
A catch-up strategy? How Government can give young Brits a boost in Budget 2021 February 26, 2021 A catch-up strategy? How Government can give young Brits a boost in Budget 2021
Tory rebels prepare to block proposed corporation tax hike February 25, 2021 Conservative rebels are preparing to unite with Labour MPs to block a proposed hike in corporation tax from 19 per cent to 25 per cent, according to reports. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has laid down plans to introduce a “pathway” for hiking corporation tax over the next few months, as he prepares to announce his spring [...]
Chancellor ‘to pay out £7,500 grants’ for self-employed in Budget February 24, 2021 The chancellor will pay out grants of up to £7,500 for self-employed workers in next week’s Budget, though he is considering dropping the scheme from May, according to reports. The fourth round of grants handed out through the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) will cover February, March and April. People who meet the criteria will [...]
Unemployment hikes to 5.1 per cent in biggest leap in a decade February 23, 2021 The UK unemployment rate marked its highest increase in 2020 in more than a decade, according to the latest official statistics, as the labour market continues to feel the weight of months of closures during the pandemic. The annual increase in the unemployment rate last year was the largest jump since the wake of the [...]
What will Boris Johnson’s ‘roadmap’ for exiting lockdown look like? February 22, 2021 Boris Johnson has vowed to set out a “roadmap” for lifting lockdown measures this afternoon, as the UK continues to make rapid progress with its vaccine rollout. While the shape of the timeline has yet to be revealed, the Prime Minister has said he will provide dates for lifting specific measures “if we possibly can”. [...]
London at risk of being ‘levelled down’ by pandemic, leading business groups warn Rishi Sunak February 19, 2021 A coalition of powerful business groups has urged the chancellor to outline stringent support measures for the capital, as they warned London risks being “levelled down” by the pandemic. In a letter to Rishi Sunak, the heads of groups representing more than 6,000 businesses including Heathrow Airport, the Ritz and Fortnum & Mason, said months [...]
Giving students free breakfast isn’t just right – it’s the smart to do February 19, 2021 The Four Horsemen of the Education Apocalypse are galloping towards our children. Lost learning, a mental health crisis, safeguarding hazards and, now, a potential loss in lifetime earnings of £40,000, according to some studies. The National Foundation for Education Research estimates that Year 2 pupils are already two months behind where they should be in [...]
Pandemic set to land SMEs ‘extra £173,000 debt’ each year February 16, 2021 The pandemic will likely land small businesses an additional £173,000 debt pile each year as loans taken out during the coronavirus crisis continue to pile up, according to a new report. Half of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the UK have taken out a Covid-related loan, according to a survey of more than 1,000 [...]
Covid crisis is an opportunity to put digital at the heart of our democracy February 11, 2021 It’s official: the long-awaited climax of the London Mayoral race is scheduled for May 6th, when polling stations across the city will throw open their doors for the first time since the start of the pandemic. But in a world now heavily mediated by online interaction, questions must be asked as to why this opportunity [...]