TfL commissioner Andy Byford: Getting the capital moving again September 8, 2020 Andy Byford, London’s transport commissioner, outlines what he has been doing to make TfL services ready for people to use them again. I started my career at London Underground in 1989, and through the last few decades I’ve worked for transport organisations all over the world – America, Australia, Canada. All different, but in each [...]
UK working on reducing quarantine restrictions, says Matt Hancock September 7, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock today said that the government was working on ways to reduce the 14-day quarantine period for travellers from countries with heavy incidences of coronavirus, in a rare glimmer of light for the struggling travel industry. Speaking on LBC radio this morning, Hancock confirmed that ministers were looking at ways to test [...]
15 years that changed the world of journalism and audit September 7, 2020 The world was a very different place 15 Septembers ago. Tony Blair was settling into his final term as Prime Minister after winning Labour’s third consecutive election. England’s cricketers retained the Ashes after the most thrilling series in memory. Oasis topped the singles charts for the very last time. And in September 2005, the UK [...]
Worried about furlough fraud? Now is the time to check your claims September 7, 2020 When Covid-19 struck, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) introduced the furlough scheme at remarkable speed to help people and businesses through the pandemic. But when claims are made in a rush – and under huge pressure – mistakes are inevitable. Also, sadly, when a recession hits the likelihood of fraud tends to increase. That is [...]
We’ve spent months on Zoom, but we mustn’t forget to “zoom out” September 7, 2020 When threatened, human beings automatically focus intently on the danger. This amazing ability to “zoom in” is why you’re here. It kept your ancestors alive while others weren’t so lucky. In hunter-gatherer tribes, threats were short-lived but lethal. When a rival clan runs out from the trees, being focused pays off. However, what kept our [...]
Thousands of job losses expected as furlough scheme ends September 7, 2020 Thousands of workers will be made redundant when the government’s Coronavirus Jobs Retention Scheme scheme ends next month, according to the latest research. In total, 60 per cent of the UK’s medium-sized companies will cut jobs when the furlough scheme – which saw the government cover up to 80 per cent of the wages of [...]
Grant Shapps admits quarantine regime ‘confusing’ for travellers September 4, 2020 Transport secretary Grant Shapps has admitted that the differences to the UK’s quarantine policies across the four nations are creating “confusion” for travellers. Speaking to Sky News this morning, Shapps said that he could only be responsible for the restrictions in England, not Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland. “I do realise it creates confusion for [...]
Navigating the UK’s economic recovery – a sector analysis September 4, 2020 We are living through extraordinary economic times. There is no hiding from the fact that this is a deep recession, and one that provides ample risk for investors. Recent GDP figures paint a gloomy picture and suggest that it will take some time for the economy to fully heal from Covid-19. The good news is [...]
A three-step recovery plan for London’s West End September 4, 2020 Six months since the government first urged employees to work from home, they are now being asked to return. Given their track record of obedience, the government expected workers to be returning to the office in high numbers, but that is not what we have seen this week, with potentially disastrous and well-publicised consequences for [...]
The future of the construction industry is digital September 4, 2020 The double-whammy of a pandemic and a recession has made 2020 one of the most challenging and disrupted years in living memory. But the bright spot, in an otherwise battered economy, is construction, which forms a major part of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s ”Build Back Better” campaign. Britain’s construction industry grew at the fastest rate in almost [...]