Government risks ‘wasting taxpayer money’ through emergency loan schemes October 26, 2020 The chair of the Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy committee has criticised the government over its management of emergency loans for businesses affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Darren Jones MP warned that unless ministers “learn lessons” from initial rounds of support, they risk “wasting more taxpayer money”. In particular, he raised concerns over the fact [...]
High-flying City figures to be exempt from quarantine rules October 26, 2020 City dealmakers, hedge fund managers and executives flying into the UK are set to be exempt from the current 14-day quarantine period in a bid to “promote global Britain”, according to reports. Fresh guidelines being drawn up by the government would see the fortnight self-isolation period scrapped for senior bankers, hedge fund managers and executives [...]
Consumer confidence edges up on Eat Out to Help Out boost October 25, 2020 Consumer confidence continued to climb over the last three months from a record low at the height of the pandemic, after the government’s Eat Out to Help Out scheme provided a welcome boost to Britain’s ailing high streets. Deloitte’s quarterly Consumer Tracker found British shoppers’ confidence edged up one percentage point to minus 16 in [...]
Heathrow owners told to boost funding or risk nationalisation October 25, 2020 The airline watchdog has warned the owners of Heathrow that the airport may be nationalised if they do not provide fresh funding to help it weather the pandemic. The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has said that without emergency cash from Heathrow’s shareholders, including the sovereign wealth funds of Singapore and Qatar, the airport may face [...]
Astrazeneca and Johnson & Johnson to restart US Covid-19 vaccine trials October 24, 2020 Regulators have given Astrazeneca the green light to resume its US trial of a Covid-19 vaccine, while Johnson & Johnson is preparing to restart next week. Astrazeneca paused its trial on 6 September after reports of a neurological illness, believed to be transverse myelitis, in a participant in the pharmaceutical giant’s UK trial. J&J halted [...]
Anti-lockdown protest: Thousands march in central London October 24, 2020 Thousands of protesters are marching in central London this afternoon over coronavirus lockdown restrictions. The anti-lockdown protest will be the fourth to take place in the capital since the start of the pandemic. London has recently moved into Tier 2 restrictions, which bans people from socialising indoors with people they do not live with. Photos [...]
US Covid-19 cases hit record daily high October 24, 2020 Confirmed cases of coronavirus in the US have reached a record daily high, according to reports. More than 84,000 people were diagnosed with Covid-19 across the US on Friday, according to a Reuters tally. The surge was a record one-day increase in infections during the pandemic as the spread of the virus picks up pace [...]
Canary Islands and Maldives added to quarantine free travel list October 23, 2020 The Canary Islands, the Maldives, Denmark and Mykonos have all been added back on to the UK's travel corridors list, transport secretary Grant Shapps has confirmed.
Criminal gangs steal £2bn through furlough fraud October 23, 2020 Criminal gangs have scooped up almost £2bn of government cash intended for furloughed workers, according to official tax estimates. HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) said that between 5 and 10 per cent of the £39bn sum handed out by chancellor Rishi Sunak to support workers during the pandemic had been claimed fraudulently. A report published [...]
Coronavirus: UK economic recovery stumbles as business growth slips October 23, 2020 The UK economy’s recovery stumbled in October, according to a new survey, with services sector growth slowing considerably amid rising coronavirus cases and new government measures. The IHS Markit/Cips preliminary purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a gauge of the private sector’s health, fell sharply to 52.9 in October from September’s reading of 56.5. A score above [...]