London dwarfs rest of UK for 2020 startup success November 19, 2020 London leads the UK for new business creation in 2020, with more than 130,989 startups created between January and August. The first eight months of the year saw more than 130,000 new businesses created in the capital, up more than 21% on 2019’s figures, according to data from consultancy business SHL. The number of London [...]
Government-backed Covid loans swell to £65.5bn November 19, 2020 The government has given banks guarantees on £65.48bn of lending to businesses hit by the coronavirus via the Bounce Back Loan scheme. According to the latest finance ministry data, the biggest part of the lending was to small businesses, for which banks received a 100% state guarantee on £42.18bn of loans that have been made. [...]
Covid cases in England spike as rapid testing picks up pace November 19, 2020 Coronavirus cases in England hiked 11 per cent in England last week, NHS Test and Trace said today, as the government rolled out rapid Covid tests across the country. Test and Trace reported 167,369 confirmed coronavirus cases between 5 November and 11 November, up 11 per cent on the previous week. London saw an average [...]
Government to set out post-lockdown plan next week November 19, 2020 The government will set out a plan for exiting England’s month-long lockdown next week, the Prime Minister’s spokesperson has said. Boris Johnson has repeatedly vowed the country will return to a “regional tiered approach” when lockdown restrictions are due to expire on 2 December. However, head of Public Health England Dr Susan Hopkins earlier this [...]
UK manufacturing orders drop as near-term outlook darkens November 19, 2020 Britain’s manufacturers suffered a fall in orders in November as governments tightened coronavirus restrictions in a bid to halt the rapid spread of coronavirus, a survey has shown. The CBI’s monthly measure of manufacturing order books fell to a score of minus 40 in November. It had picked up sharply to minus 34 in October, [...]
One in seven UK companies at risk of collapse as recovery slows November 19, 2020 Around one in seven UK companies said they were at risk of collapse as the economy faces a tough winter with coronavirus cases still surging and an England-wide lockdown in place. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 14 per cent of UK companies reported having “low or no confidence” that they would survive the [...]
Brits more likely to get Covid-19 vaccine straight away than French or Americans, survey finds November 19, 2020 Around 39 per cent of Brits said they'd have the Covid-19 vaccine immediately, compared to just 14 per cent in France.
Covid-19 vaccine refusers may face different life insurance policies November 19, 2020 Those who refuse to have the coronavirus vaccine, should one become widely available, could be offered different life insurance terms to those who have had the vaccine. Reassured director of corporate sales Phil Jeynes told City A.M. that the existence of a coronavirus vaccine could mean customers who have had the vaccine are offered different [...]
Increasing virus concerns start to outweigh vaccine optimism November 19, 2020 Yesterday saw markets undergo a period of introspection, as further positive news about the Pfizer vaccine offset concerns about the increasing economic damage set to be caused by further restrictions and lockdowns, as infection and hospitalisation rates continued to rise. While markets in Europe managed to eke out some modest gains close to their recent [...]
Asian stocks mixed as investors weigh ‘virus vs. vaccine’ November 19, 2020 Asian stocks were mixed as investors weighed up rising coronavirus cases and new measures to curb them with hopes that a vaccine could soon be ready. Equities fell in Japan by 0.5 per cent after Tokyo warned about a record rise in daily coronavirus cases. The warning prompted fears that further restrictions could soon be [...]