So much for the pandemic exodus: Home sellers’ confidence grows while WFH drives suburb popularity June 9, 2021 London has brushed off fears its population plan to leave en-masse, however home working has influenced where workers would like to live in the capital. Much has been made of the ‘London exodus’; the idea being that professionals who are no longer obligated to sit at a desk for five days per week would rather [...]
Guardian chief executive steps down amid reports of boardroom clashes June 9, 2021 The boss of the Guardian is stepping down after just 16 months in the job amid reports of clashes with the newspaper’s editor. Annette Thomas, who took over as chief executive of publisher Guardian Media Group (GMG) last March, will leave the company at the end of June. It comes after the Scott Trust, the [...]
Shakespeare on advertising: BT hit the back of the net with Hope United campaign June 9, 2021 Internet harassment has been a major topic of public conversation in recent months. Nadia Whittome MP recently announced that she would be taking time off work after receiving death threats on social media, and sports stars such as Neal Maupay and Marcus Rashford have spoken out about the barrage of “vile and toxic abuse” they [...]
Time off work for mental health surges during UK coronavirus lockdowns June 9, 2021 The number of fit to work notes issued by doctors for mental health reasons spiked during both UK lockdowns in 2020, according to a new analysis of NHS data. In the midst of the first lockdown in May 2020, 42 per cent of fit notes issued by doctors were for mental health reasons, up from [...]
HMRC set to recover £1bn of fraudulent furlough cash over two years June 9, 2021 Over £1bn of fraudulent or mistakenly claimed furlough cash is set to be recovered over the next two years, HMRC has said. Since the introduction of the furlough scheme in March 2020, more than £60bn has been claimed by employers as it protected over 11m employees. In the March Budget, the government announced the scheme [...]
Wall Street creeps higher as investors await cues on tapering and inflation June 9, 2021 Wall Street’s main indexes edged higher today but a lack of clear catalysts kept trading slow while investors awaited inflation data and an upcoming Fed meeting. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was up 0.1 per cent, while the S&P 500 gained 0.2 per cent at the open. Meanwhile, the tech-heavy Nasdaq rose 0.4 per cent, [...]
Mais Non: EU to drop English for French as ‘working language’ June 9, 2021 French will replace English as the European Union’s official ‘working language’ when France takes over the EU presidency in 2022, according to a senior diplomat. In its first presidency since Brexit, Emmanuel Macron’s government intends to push its native tongue as the “lingua franca” of Brussels, according to Politico. “Even if we admit that English [...]
Harry and Meghan accuse BBC of libel over Lilibet name claims June 9, 2021 The Duke and Duchess of Sussex have issued legal warnings against the BBC over a report that claimed the couple had not asked the Queen’s permission before naming their baby Lilibet. The corporation’s royal correspondent cited a Palace source saying the monarch was “never asked” about the use of her childhood nickname. But the couple [...]
Former Volkswagen and Audi bosses to pay millions in damages over ‘dieselgate’ June 9, 2021 The former bosses of Volkswagen and Audi will pay millions in compensation related to their roles in the “dieselgate scandal”, the German car giant revealed today. The payments will form part of a €288m (£248.5m) deal, of which €270m will come from directors’ and officers’ liability (D&O) insurances. Volkswagen first said that it would seek [...]
Exclusive: Nightclubs ‘may open doors’ on 21 June regardless of rules June 9, 2021 Some UK nightclubs are considering reopening their doors on 21 June even if the government pushes back the date for lifting lockdown restrictions. Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), told City A.M. the sector was “getting to breaking point”, adding that a potential delay to reopening had sparked “panic and [...]
