Saga to require holidaymakers to get Covid-19 vaccine before travel January 20, 2021 Over-50’s holiday provider Saga has announced that all customers will be required to have a Covid-19 vaccination travelling on the firm’s cruises or package holidays. The firm said it is preparing to restart its travel business in May – delayed from the planned April date – to allow customers time to receive a jab. Customers [...]
Hospitality sector urges Sunak to extend business rates and VAT support January 20, 2021 Hospitality bosses have again issued an urgent call for the government to extend business rates and VAT support in the March budget as the sector remains closed due to coronavirus restrictions. In a letter to the chancellor, industry body UK Hospitality asked him to extend the VAT cut to five per cent for a further [...]
Jack Pot: Arrests made after huge cannabis farm discovered in Square Mile January 20, 2021 City of London Police have made two arrests after discovering a huge cannabis factory in the basement of a commercial property in the Square Mile. The 826 plant farm was the first cannabis factory ever found in the City, with the unusually quiet streets of the financial district providing a discreet location. However police were [...]
London house prices hit record highs due to impact of stamp duty holiday January 20, 2021 London house prices jumped at the end of last year, with average values breaking the £500,000 threshold for the first time. Average house prices in London rose four per cent between October and November last year, according to the latest official data. The annual price rise of 9.7 per cent took the average property value [...]
DIY firm Grafton reinstates dividend with £30m shareholder payout January 20, 2021 Grafton Group, the owner of Leyland DIY stores, announced this morning that it will reinstate its dividend after the £30m shareholder payout was previously halted to preserve cash during the pandemic. The FTSE 250 builders merchant firm said the previously suspended second interim dividend for 2019 will now be paid on 19 February. The dividend [...]
Janet Yellen urges US senators to ‘act big’ on coronavirus relief package January 19, 2021 Janet Yellen, US President-elect Joe Biden’s nominee for treasury secretary, today urged senators to “act big” on the next coronavirus relief package. Yellen said the benefits of a bold stimulus package will outweigh the costs of a higher debt burden. She told the Senate Finance Committee that her main focus on appointment will be to [...]
Wetherspoon taps investors for £94m as pub chain circles central London acquisitions January 19, 2021 JD Wetherspoon will tap investors for almost £94m as the pub chain is seeking to bolster its balance sheet and swoop on potential central London expansion opportunities. The FTSE 250 firm announced this afternoon that it will launch an equity placing for the second time during the pandemic, which is expected to raise gross proceeds [...]
Paperchase secures more time in race to avoid collapse January 19, 2021 High street stationary chain Paperchase has secured more time in its race to avoid collapse, after the retailer was forced to line-up administrators due to the negative impact of coronavirus restrictions on sales. The company has filed a second notice of intention to appoint an administrator, giving the firm an additional ten days to negotiate [...]
Ex-Greene King boss raises £200m to invest in struggling pub companies January 19, 2021 The former boss of Greene King Rooney Anand has secured £200m in investment to pump into the UK’s struggling pubs sector. Anand, who stepped down as chief executive of Greene King in 2019 after 15 years with the chain, is planning to make a number of acquisitions in the coming months, Sky News reported. The [...]
More than 700 high street jobs axed as Arcadia closes 31 stores January 19, 2021 Administrators to Sir Philip Green’s collapsed retail empire Arcadia are planning to close a further 31 stores by the end of this month, resulting in more than 700 job losses. The majority of the branches set to close are Outfit stores, which sold a range of Arcadia brands including Dorothy Perkins and Miss Selfridge. City [...]
