Future of Vauxhall factory up in the air over ‘£40m funding gap’ April 25, 2021 A funding gap of just £40m risks scuppering attempts to ensure Stellantis’ Vauxhall factory at Ellesmere Port in Cheshire remains open. The car giant has been mulling whether to reinvest in the plant, where it makes the Astra vehicle, due to the government’s decision to ban the sale of new petrol and diesel cars from [...]
Regulators mull restricting Astrazeneca jab for under-40s over blood clot fears April 24, 2021 UK scientists are reportedly considering whether under-40s should be advised to have an alternative vaccine to the Astrazeneca jab due to blood clot fears. Earlier this month it was recommended that under-30s should be offered a different jab as the risk of developing a blood clot outweighed the benefits of receiving the vaccine. The risk [...]
Labour calls for independent commission on standards after Cummings slams PM’s integrity April 24, 2021 The Labour Party has called for an independent commission on ethics and standards in government after Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s former top adviser, criticised Boris Johnson’s integrity. On Friday Dominic Cummings, who left Johnson’s staff suddenly late last year having previously been his most influential adviser over Brexit and the 2019 election campaign, denied [...]
Could the UK be headed for a post-pandemic baby boom? April 24, 2021 Normally, social and financial instability can send birth numbers plummeting. But the UK could in fact be heading for another baby boom – even after a year of lockdowns. This could help spur on Britain’s recovery from the pandemic and drive a fresh period of economic prosperity. In May last year there was a dip [...]
Don’t be distracted by bunny hugging, we need to plug the green skills gap to reach bold climate targets April 24, 2021 Earlier this week, Boris Johnson announced a bold new target to slash the UK’s emissions by 78 per cent compared to 1990 levels by 2035. The government now needs show how it will turn this ambition into a reality, and doing so will require overcoming a serious challenge to this agenda: the green skills gap. The PM’s [...]
Boohoo mulls linking bonuses to ESG improvements April 24, 2021 Boohoo is considering linking top bosses’ bonuses to improvements in the fast fashion firm’s environmental, social and governance (ESG) issues, following a scandal surrounding factories used by the retailer’s suppliers. The Environmental Audit Committee (EAC) said that Boohoo had agreed to look into the idea of linking senior executive remuneration incentives to ESG improvements. In [...]
Why don’t I have an EV yet? April 24, 2021 Given all the hype around electric cars, it is sometimes easy to forget just how far off mass adoption of the climate friendly vehicles still is. A recent survey by consumer trends data firm Dynata suggests that as yet just 16 per cent of Brits have bought an electric or hybrid car – way behind [...]
Dom Cummings denies leaking PM’s texts with James Dyson April 23, 2021 Boris Johnson’s former aide Dominic Cummings has this evening denied being the source of the leak of the Prime Minister’s texts to James Dyson. Writing in his blog, Cummings denied being the source of the leaks, saying he was “not directly or indirectly the source”. “I am happy to meet with the Cabinet Secretary and [...]
UK on track for Australia trade deal in June after ‘major breakthroughs’ April 23, 2021 The UK is on track to sign a free trade deal with Australia in June after “major breakthroughs” in this week’s negotiations, international trade secretary Liz Truss has said this afternoon. She added that the remainder of the details would be sorted out in a “sprint” over the next few weeks. “We have made major [...]
London stocks end the week lower despite strong economic data April 23, 2021 London’s blue-chip stocks were little changed on Friday but finished the week lower as growing concerns over a surge in global coronavirus cases eclipsed optimism from recent data pointing to a rapid UK economic rebound. The exporter-heavy index ended the session flat, with a fall in heavyweight energy shares and large dollar earning companies including [...]
