Calls for rail reform rise as cost of bailout revealed June 23, 2020 Transport secretary Grant Shapps will appear before the transport select committee tomorrow amid growing calls for the government to use its temporary control of the railways to enact reform of the franchise system. In March, the onslaught of the coronavirus crisis prompted ministers to take the UK’s rail firms under emergency measures for six months, [...]
Oil prices recover as Donald Trump says China deal still intact June 23, 2020 Global oil prices pushed higher this morning after US president Donald Trump soothed traders’ nerves by assuring the market that his long-sought trade deal with China was intact. The previous session had seen the market suffer a bout of jitters after White House trade adviser Peter Navarro said that the hard-fought deal was “over”. However, [...]
Londoners back Bailey pledge to reverse congestion charge June 23, 2020 Conservative London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey has today submitted a petition to City Hall calling on Sadiq Khan to reverse the hike to the congestion charge. Bailey also said that he would undo the increase on the first day of his mayoralty, should he be elected next year. The petition, which has been signed by [...]
Japan gives UK just six weeks to secure post-Brexit trade deal June 23, 2020 Japan has given the UK a mere six weeks in which to strike a post-Brexit trade deal, which would be one of the shortest timetables for trade negotiations in history. Tokyo’s chief negotiator Hiroshi Matsuura told the Financial Times that both parties will have to “limit their ambitions” when it comes to agreeing the deal, [...]
Grocery sales surge in lockdown as shoppers go online June 23, 2020 Grocery sales in the UK grew 18.9 per cent in the four weeks up to 14 June, new data has shown, as online shopping and convenience stores continued to attract shoppers through the coronavirus lockdown period. According to data firm Kantar, online sales were the main driver of the rise, increasing 91 per cent over [...]
One in six auto jobs at risk, car industry body warns June 23, 2020 One of every six jobs in the UK automotive sector remains at risk from the coronavirus pandemic, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) warned today, unless the government supplies a dedicated restart package to get the industry going again. Over 6,000 jobs were cut already in June, while a third of all sector [...]
Exclusive: Half of business travel jobs at risk, says BTA boss June 23, 2020 The boss of Britain’s corporate travel industry body has warned that one in every two jobs in the sector is at risk due to the government’s blanket quarantine plans for all incoming travellers, City A.M. can reveal. Speaking at the Business Travel Association’s (BTA) annual conference, which was held virtually, Clive Wratten said: “Our government [...]
FTSE 100 finishes in the red amid second wave concerns June 22, 2020 The FTSE 100 has started the week on the back foot amid growing concern over a second wave of coronavirus infections. As markets opened, the index fell 0.94 per cent to begin the day in the red at 6,233.28 points. However, the FTSE 100 trimmed some of its losses to finish 0.76 per cent down [...]
British Gas owner Centrica plans new digital-only energy brand June 22, 2020 British Gas owner Centrica will attempt to win back the hundreds of thousands of customers it has lost over the last few years by setting up a new low-cost challenger energy brand. Centrica has signed a deal with a low-cost software provider called Ensek to run the new digital-only supplier, which has not yet been [...]
Swansea tidal lagoon backers call for Boris Johnson to greenlight project June 22, 2020 The chief executive of the Swansea Tidal Lagoon has called for Boris Johnson to give the go ahead to the renewable energy project, saying that the UK will need to use “every green project we can” if it is to decarbonise its energy system. Currently, the project is waiting for the Department of Business, Energy [...]
