Easyjet to axe 30 per cent of staff as coronavirus hits airline sector May 28, 2020 Budget airline Easyjet today said it would cut up to 30 per cent of its staff and reduce its fleet in preparation for an expected slowdown in flights in the aftermath of coronavirus. Easyjet said it would launch a consultation with staff in the upcoming days. The airline said it does not expect demand to [...]
GSK plans to make 1bn coronavirus vaccine booster shots May 28, 2020 Drug giant Glaxosmithkline (GSK) today announced that it would aim to produce 1bn vaccine booster shots next year in a bid to improve the efficacy of potential new coronavirus treatments. These booster shots, which are called adjuvants, are a key part of vaccine development as they help patients develop a longer lasting immunity to disease. [...]
UK hiring plummets as Covid-19 crisis hits low-income workers May 28, 2020 UK job vacancies crashed almost 60 per cent this month as the coronavirus pandemic sparked the country’s fastest rise in unemployment since 1947, new data has revealed. Live job vacancies have dropped from 820,000 at the beginning of April to just 373,000 in May as fears of a protracted economic downturn grow. The figures, released [...]
Coronavirus: UK’s test and trace programme launches today May 28, 2020 The UK’s test-and-trace programme, which is intended to drive down the number of coronavirus cases, launches today. Britain abandoned tracing coronavirus cases in March as the virus took hold in the UK and community transmission became widespread. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has promised to deliver a “world class” system of testing, tracking cases and tracing [...]
The City View: ‘End the lockdown now and cut taxes to avoid a depression’ – Dan Hannan May 28, 2020 In this episode Christian is joined by Dan Hannan, former Tory MEP now president of the Initiative for Free Trade. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS Dan is a lockdown-sceptic and he makes a powerful case for reopening the economy and avoiding a crippling collapse in economic activity. In addition, he believes the government must [...]
UK firms face ‘difficult decisions’ when furlough scheme winds down May 28, 2020 UK firms have said they will struggle to contribute to furloughed workers’ salaries from August, as the Treasury slowly winds down the job retention scheme. In an Institute of Directors (IoD) survey of almost 700 company directors, a quarter said they could not afford the 20 per cent or more needed to contribute to furloughed [...]
Coronavirus deaths jump to 412 after bank holiday weekend lag May 27, 2020 Coronavirus-related deaths in the UK jumped to 412 today after falling earlier in the week following the bank holiday. The Department of Health said 37,460 people have died with coronavirus in total as of 5pm on 26 May, up 412 on the previous day. Yesterday, the Department of Health said 134 people had died with [...]
FCA warns banks and brokers over risks of home working May 27, 2020 The financial services watchdog today warned that banks and brokerages are facing increased risks around the handling of sensitive information due to the rise of home working as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. In its weekly bulletin, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) said that “working from home arrangements may raise new, additional risks around [...]
The UK’s long road to Covid-19 recovery May 27, 2020 As the discussion on how the UK navigates its post-lockdown journey continues, it is becoming increasingly clear that the road ahead remains fraught with uncertainty. There is a huge series of steps the government and organisations of all sizes must negotiate before reaching even a sense of life before Covid-19. Assessing the modelling of roadmaps [...]
Treasury: Furlough scheme now covers 8.4m workers May 27, 2020 The number of people covered by the government’s job retention furlough scheme has risen to 8.4m, the Treasury revealed today. The new figure marks an increase of 400,000 people on last week’s update, with over 1m companies using the scheme. In addition, the value of such claims has now risen to a total of £15bn, [...]