UK’s public debt pile tops £2 trillion for first time ever August 21, 2020 The UK government’s debt exceeded £2 trillion for the first time in July and is expected to go higher as the Treasury pours unprecedented amounts of stimulus into the economy amid the coronavirus pandemic. The debt – the total amount that the government has borrowed and owes – jumped by an enormous £228bn in the [...]
PwC delays results over coronavirus partner pay uncertainty August 21, 2020 Big Four accountancy firm PwC UK said it is delaying its annual results by four months because the coronavirus slowdown means it is unsure of what to pay partners and what to distribute in staff bonuses. PwC normally announces its results in September but is now planning on releasing its results for the year to [...]
Retail bosses square up in £6.5bn bidding war for Asda August 21, 2020 Two veteran UK retail bosses are set to go head-to-head in a dramatic £6.5bn private equity bidding war for supermarket chain Asda. Former Debenhams chief executive Rob Templeman is said to be working with Apollo Global Management, while Paul Mason, who served as Asda boss 20 years ago, has teamed up with Lone Star Funds. [...]
Alexei Navalny supporters accuse Kremlin of blocking his evacuation to Germany August 21, 2020 Allies of critically ill Russian opposition politician Alexei Navalny accused the Kremlin of thwarting his medical evacuation to Germany today and said the move puts his life in mortal danger because the hospital treating him in Siberia is under equipped. Navalny, a fierce critic of President Vladimir Putin, is in a serious condition after drinking [...]
UK retail sales climb above pre-pandemic levels in July August 21, 2020 UK retail sales climbed 3.6 per cent higher in July compared to June, to beat their pre-pandemic levels, official data showed today. The climb came despite a seven per cent fall in online shopping after digital retail comprised a record 33.3 per cent of all retail sales in May. A sharp 11.9 per cent jump [...]
Trust is at an all-time low, but we need journalism now more than ever August 21, 2020 Last month, a YovGov poll found that over 50 percent of adults in the UK now see the British media as a “force for bad”. This is an alarming statistic. It is the first time the monthly tracker has found that the majority of Brits hold this view, and the speed at which this trend [...]
Offices should be a ‘safe haven’ for suffering staff August 21, 2020 Offices across London are slowly beginning to reopen again after Prime Minister Boris Johnson gave firms “more discretion” from August to bring staff back in after lockdown. One such company is engineering consultancy Arup, which houses half of its 6,000 UK staff in its headquarters on Fitzroy Street in Bloomsbury. Tim Chapman, the firm’s London [...]
Is facial recognition technology finally being seen for the dystopian threat it is? August 21, 2020 In the end, even Silicon Valley has had to admit that there is something a bit sinister about facial recognition technology. Momentum has been building in recent months. Arvind Krishna of IBM was first. He announced in June that his company would no longer offer automatic facial recognition (AFR) software. He also said it would [...]
We are facing a mental health crisis among our young people — one we cannot afford to ignore August 21, 2020 The cost of Covid-19 keeps climbing. So far, the government is forecast to borrow £400bn in this financial year alone. Whether we like it or not, that money will have to be paid back — but the longer social distancing measures remain in place, workers stay furloughed, and consumers save rather than spend, the greater [...]
Inside Missguided: Welcome to a world of celebrities, swearing, and knock-off fast fashion August 21, 2020 What is it about Manchester for producing creativity? The Hollies, The Bee Gees, Simply Red, The Verve – I could fill a whole page with the successful bands that have come out of Manchester. Then there’s Manchester-based brands and retailers: the Co-op, Kellogg’s, Warburtons, Betfred, AO.com. And then of course, there’s fashion. The Very Group, [...]
