Technical glitch in UK’s coronavirus testing system fixed, minister says October 5, 2020 A technical problem in England’s coronavirus testing data system has now been fixed and should not happen again, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said this morning. The UK reported a record daily jump of 22,961 Covid-19 cases yesterday after authorities said a technical issue had meant that over 15,000 test results had not been [...]
Coronavirus: Tory MP slams local lockdowns as ‘devastating’ October 5, 2020 A prominent Tory backbencher has slammed the government’s introduction of local lockdowns across the UK as “devastating”, claiming they infringe on the public’s freedom and should be swapped for a “risk-based” approach. Tory MP and former Brexit minister Steve Baker told the Conservative party conference today that local lockdowns “aren’t working”, while dwindling hopes for [...]
Odeon to go ‘weekend only’ at a quarter of its UK cinemas October 5, 2020 Odeon has announced it will shutter a quarter of its sites during the week, marking the latest in a series of shake-ups to the UK’s ailing cinema industry in the wake of the pandemic. Odeon, which owns 120 cinemas in the UK and Ireland, has informed members of its Limitless loyalty scheme that a portion [...]
Wet weather and 10pm curfew dampens high street footfall recovery October 5, 2020 Retail footfall dropped for the second week in a row as the pub and restaurant curfew and wet weather brought further gloom for the embattled UK high street. Footfall across all retail destinations declined 3.5 per cent last week compared the previous week, dragged down by a 7.1 per cent slump in high street shopper [...]
High rents force three in four hospitality businesses to consider restructure or insolvency October 5, 2020 73% of London-based hospitality and leisure operators are considering a restructure or insolvency as a result of the economic impact of the ongoing pandemic. Advisory firm Cedar Dean, which surveyed 230 hospitality and leisure businesses with around 2,000 venues across the UK, found that rental obligations are currently the most pressing issue. 86% of London-based [...]
G-A-Y launches legal challenge against 10pm curfew on hospitality venues October 5, 2020 The owner of London’s G-A-Y nightclub is set to launch a legal challenge against the government’s 10pm hospitality curfew over claims it treats the night-time economy as a “scapegoat” for the spread of coronavirus. Jeremy Joseph, owner of the London club and pub chain, today said he would pursue a potential judicial review on the [...]
London may be empty but community spirit must stay strong October 5, 2020 Just over six months since lockdown restrictions were first imposed, life today is very different for all of us with workplaces in the Square Mile. My workplace – Mansion House – would normally be buzzing with activity, hosting delegations from around the world and major set-piece events. The government’s recently revised guidance on working from [...]
FCA gets green light to take insurance giants to Supreme Court over Corona policies October 5, 2020 A High Court in London approved the FCA’s request to let the Supreme Court decide on the matter in which the market regulator is seeking clarification on the wording of numerous insurance policies in relation to claims filed as a result of the pandemic.
The first presidential debate portends the coming train wreck for American democracy October 5, 2020 The great playwright, George Bernard Shaw, perfectly summed up the dynamic underlying the shambolic first US presidential debate: “Never wrestle with pigs. You both get muddy but the pig likes it.” Instead, the just-concluded first presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden — surely the ugliest in the nation’s history — saw both its [...]
Why a second lockdown could turn the lights out on the UK economy October 5, 2020 We have reached a crucial flexion point in the fight against Covid-19, and with this comes new, tighter rules to curb a possible second wave. There is now rising concern that a second wave may result in a second national lockdown, and businesses are urgently seeking reassurance from the government that they will be able [...]