Travel industry calls for ‘decisive’ action on airport testing October 14, 2020 The UK travel industry has urged the government to “act decisively” in putting in place airport coronavirus testing in order to save the £60bn industry. Trade body ABTA also called for ministers to provide targeted support for travel companies, many of which have been without any revenue this year. New figures from the association showed [...]
Hargreaves Lansdown founder: Now is a ‘fantastic’ time to start a business October 13, 2020 One of Britain’s richest businessmen has urged people to embrace their entrepreneurial spirit and set up new companies in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic. Peter Hargreaves, the founder of investment firm Hargreaves Lansdown, said that despite the damage done to many firms by the pandemic, it had also created new opportunities. “Right now is [...]
Boris Johnson freezes ministers’ salaries amid MP pay rise backlash October 13, 2020 Boris Johnson has frozen ministerial salaries amid growing unease about the possibility of a £3,000 pay rise for MPs. The PM’s official spokesman said that the decision was “only right” given the current pressure on public services. The move means that ministerial salaries remained frozen at 2010 levels for House of Commons members and at [...]
Cornish Lithium fundraise smashes £4m as Poldark spirit lives on October 13, 2020 A new lithium project in the south-west has attracted more than £4m in investment over the last 24 hours, smashing its target of a £1.5m raise. Cornish Lithium opened up to pre-registered investors yesterday and nearly doubled its original target within three hours. The firm, which is based near Redruth in England’s westernmost county, then [...]
Cineworld could be out of money ‘in weeks’ October 13, 2020 Cineworld could run out of money within weeks, analysts at the Bank of America have warned, with the chain needing to find $500m (£380m) if it is to survive the winter. Last week the chain announced that it would temporarily close all of its screens in the UK and US due to the coronavirus pandemic, [...]
Four ferry firms sign £80m post-Brexit freight deal October 13, 2020 Four ferry firms have signed contracts with the Department for Transport (DfT) worth a combined £77.6m to provide freight services after Brexit. Brittany Ferries, DFDS, P&O and Stena Line will between them provide extra capacity for the equivalent of 3,000 heavy goods vehicles a week. The new contracts will ensure that vital medical supplies and other [...]
Global airlines get nearly £100bn in state aid and bailout funding October 13, 2020 Easyjet last week became the latest airline to indicate that it may need more money from the state to deal with the financial hammering it has taken at the hands of coronavirus. Around the world, governments have already splashed out a whopping £98.7bn on airlines, a figure that could jump by another $25bn (£19.3bn) if [...]
Police stand down security alert at St Thomas’ hospital October 13, 2020 Police are dealing with a security incident at St Thomas’ Hospital on the Southbank, with Westminster Bridge currently closed. Lambeth police said that they would provide further information when it became known. Witnesses said that the hospital had been cordoned off while the surrounding area has been evacuated. The alert has now been stood down, [...]
SSE sells energy from waste plants for £1bn October 13, 2020 SSE today announced that it would sell its stake in two energy from waste plants for £995m as it continues to raise money to invest in low-carbon projects. Shares in the FTSE 100 company rose 3.9 per cent in the morning’s trading. The divestment, which is expected to complete by the end of the year, [...]
Hospitality firms face ‘worst of both worlds’ without more support October 12, 2020 Hospitality firms have warned that pubs and bars in “tier one and two areas” will have “the worst of all worlds” as they will have to keep trading without the financial support available to those businesses forced to close. Today Merseyside was placed under “tier-three” restrictions, which will see pubs and bars shuttered unless they [...]
