Scotland election: SNP majority hopes on ‘a knife edge’ as Sturgeon pushes for second independence referendum May 8, 2021 Nicola Sturgeon is insisting she will push for an independence referendum after the Scottish election even as the chances of a Scottish National Party (SNP) majority remain “on a knife edge”. The SNP will form the next Scottish government, either with an outright majority or with the help of the Green Party, which also supports [...]
EU looking into reports of rare nerve disorder after Astrazeneca vaccine May 8, 2021 The EU’s medicines regulator is investigating reports of a rare nerve-degenerating disorder in people who have received Astrazeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine, it announced this afternoon. The watchdog has requested more detailed data on the cases from the company. As part of a regular review of safety reports for the vaccine, Vaxzevria, the European Medicines Agency’s (EMA) safety [...]
The turf wars for on-demand delivery won’t be won with a fast and dirty business model May 8, 2021 Getir, Dijia, Weezy, Zapp and Fancy. There is a handful of the new on-demand grocery delivery apps that have flooded London’s streets over the last few months. Behind each of them is a fierce turf war for customers, as they try and capitalise on the now ubiquitous presence of food delivery. The surge of grocery [...]
Square Mile’s largest employers embrace hybrid working, the details May 8, 2021 The majority of the largest employers in the City of London have vowed to continue with some sort of hybrid approach to working, after pandemic-led restrictions forced the biggest home working experiment in history. With Covid-19 cases falling and millions of people successfully vaccinated, staff are trickling back into London’s offices, and companies are turning [...]
One in three Londoners suffer income drop during pandemic, study finds May 8, 2021 Almost one in three Londoners experienced a fall in income during the pandemic, the joint highest of any region in the UK, new data has shown. The income pressure was driven by the disruption inflicted on retail and hospitality throughout the Covid crisis, according to research gathered by consultancy firm Lane Clark & Peacock (LCP). [...]
Travel green list: Brits can go to Portugal and Israel from 17 May May 8, 2021 Brits will be able to travel to destinations including Portugal and Israel from 17 May, transport secretary Grant Shapps has announced. He said that 12 countries, including the two above and as Gibraltar, would be on the government’s travel “green list”. Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Brunei, and Iceland make up the rest of the list, [...]
FTSE 250 closes at record high on recovery hopes May 7, 2021 The FTSE 250 mid-cap index closed at a record high this week as hopes of a stronger economic recovery lifted industrial and consumer discretionary stocks. The FTSE 250 index advanced 1.2 per cent, with industrial stocks, including Easyjet, IMI and Pagegroup, rising between 2.7 and 5.1 per cent. The FTSE 100 meanwhile rose 0.76 per cent, [...]
Scotland election: SNP set for victory but majority ‘a long shot’, says Sturgeon May 7, 2021 Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party (SNP) look set to cruise to another election victory, however the party is playing down its chances of getting a majority in the poll. The Scottish first minister said a majority, which the party has said would give the country a mandate for a second independence referendum, has “always been [...]
Labour’s credibility is hanging by a thread – the defeat in Hartlepool is just the beginning May 7, 2021 When Labour MP Mike Hill resigned his Hartlepool seat in March, many speculated that the by-election would pose a major challenge for Keir Starmer. Few would have believed the Conservatives would manage kind of landslide victory which was announced early on Friday morning. Just for a government to gain a seat in a by-election is [...]
English council elections: Tories make more gains in the Red Wall May 7, 2021 The Conservatives have won control of four councils and almost 100 new seats across the country, with the party making further inroads in traditional Labour areas in local elections in the North and the Midlands. The Conservatives so far have won Harlow Council in Essex, Dudley Council in the West Midlands, Northumberland Council and Nuneaton [...]