Bloomsbury to offer delivery services to independent bookshops April 8, 2020 Bloomsbury today unveiled plans to support independent bookshops that have been hardest hit by the coronavirus crisis. Indie booksellers across the country have been forced to overhaul their business models as they struggle to meet surging demand sparked by social distancing measures. Bloomsbury will offer its ecommerce platform and delivery services to bookshops whose normal [...]
Firms struggling to access coronavirus loan scheme, says BCC April 8, 2020 Almost two-thirds of British businesses do not have enough cash to last three months as firms continue to struggle to access the government’s coronavirus loan scheme. A British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) survey showed that 57 per cent of businesses polled did not have enough cash to survive past three months and only one per [...]
Prince Andrew’s former private secretary quits troubled Pitch@Palace April 7, 2020 The Duke of York’s former private secretary is said to have quit her role as chief executive of his embattled Pitch@Palace initiative. Amanda Thirsk, who served as Prince Andrew’s aide for 15 years, has resigned to take up an undisclosed role in the private sector, Sky News reported. It comes as the initiative, which offers [...]
Coronavirus loan scheme risks ‘wall of redundancies and defaults’ say critics April 7, 2020 The failure of the coronavirus loan programme to help struggling small and medium-sized businesses risks triggering a “wall of redundancies and defaults” say critics.
Exclusive: Just 2,000 UK firms given coronavirus business loans April 7, 2020 Just 2,022 loans have been made to the UK’s small and medium-sized firms through the government’s coronavirus business lending scheme. There have been around 300,000 enquiries so far, meaning a paltry 0.65 per cent have resulted in coronavirus business loans. The latest figures, which were compiled by industry body UK Finance but obtained independently by [...]
Asos shares soar as retailer orders £200m equity raise April 7, 2020 Shares in Asos rose by a third today after the fashion retailer announced a bumper share sale in a bid to shore up its finances during the coronavirus crisis. Asos unveiled plans for a placing of up to 18.8 per cent of issued share capital to protect against a “prolonged downturn” caused by the pandemic. [...]
Coronavirus: Derby and Guineas Festival fall foul of virus April 7, 2020 The first four Classics of the horse racing season, including the Epsom Derby, will be postponed due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The Jockey Club, which operates the QIPCO Guineas Festival and the Investec Epsom Derby festival, confirmed the news late on Tuesday afternoon but said they were looking for alternative dates later in the season. [...]
Dominic Raab says ‘fighter’ Boris Johnson will beat coronavirus April 7, 2020 Dominic Raab has paid tribute to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, saying “he’s a fighter” and will beat his coronavirus diagnosis. Raab, who is now deputising for Johnson, said at today’s press briefing that the Prime Minister would be “back at the helm” in “short order”. Johnson went into intensive care last night after his coronavirus [...]
FCA business plan faces ‘months’ of delays due to coronavirus April 7, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) today warned its business plan could be delayed for months due to the coronavirus pandemic. The City watchdog said the “unprecedented” public health crisis had sparked huge uncertainty, adding that it might be forced to rewrite its plan in the coming months. The stark warning came as the FCA unveiled [...]
FTSE 100 gains cool despite coronavirus cases starting to fall April 7, 2020 The FTSE 100 finished the day up two per cent after cooling gains in US stocks forced the London index down from a three per cent high. However, it still posted its second day of gains as traders became optimistic that Europe could soon relax its coronavirus lockdowns as the rate of new cases slowed. [...]
