‘A matter for police’: Hancock ‘speechless’ over Professor Neil Ferguson’s lockdown breach May 6, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has said it is a “matter for the police” over whether they take action over Professor Neil Ferguson’s breach of coronavirus lockdown rules. Hancock said Ferguson made the right decision in resigning last night, after it was revealed that the Imperial College epidemiologist and government advisor had broken lockdown restrictions. The [...]
Nine new lenders approved under coronavirus loan scheme May 6, 2020 Investec is among a group of nine lenders that have today been approved for accreditation under the government’s coronavirus business interruption loan scheme (CBILS). Assetz Capital, Atom bank, Ebury, Fleximize, Investec, Social Investment Business, Tower Leasing, Ultimate Finance and White Oak UK will now be able to provide financial support to small businesses across the [...]
Card Factory opens new distribution centre to cope with surge in online demand May 6, 2020 Card Factory has opened a new distribution centre to keep up with a surge in online orders during the coronavirus lockdown while maintaining safety measures for warehouse staff. The retailer said the Card Factory website saw sales soar 267.5 per cent during lockdown, while its Getting Personal brand reported a 57.5 per cent jump in [...]
Insurer Direct Line set for £44m coronavirus hit to travel claims May 6, 2020 Insurer Direct Line is expecting to take a £44m hit to its travel business from the coronavirus crisis, the company said today, with claims set to fall by 70 per cent. The firm also said it expected to incur £70m in costs from measures to protect its customers, such as providing all NHS workers with [...]
White House to shelve coronavirus task force as Trump targets reopening May 6, 2020 The White House will begin to shut down its coronavirus task force, president Donald Trump confirmed last night, as the country begins to reopen from stringent lockdown measures. Speaking during a visit to a mask factory in Arizona, the president said that responsibility for co-ordinating the US’ response would shift to federal agencies. He praised [...]
Ocado retail sales surge 40 per cent in second quarter on stockpiling May 6, 2020 Ocado retail sales have jumped 40 per cent year on year after ramping up capacity to meet delivery demand amid shopper stockpiling during the coronavirus crisis. The online supermarket, which stopped accepting new customers for its delivery service amid the stockpiling craze at the start of the UK lockdown, today said that trend has now [...]
Coronavirus: UK construction sector grinds to a halt in worst month on record May 6, 2020 UK construction sector activity juddered to a halt in April, survey data has shown, as coronavirus lockdown measures pushed the industry to its worst month on record. The IHS Markit/Cips construction purchasing managers’ index (PMI), a gauge of the health of the sector, plunged to an all-time low of 8.2 in April from 39.3 in [...]
Smith & Nephew revenue slumps as Covid-19 hits elective surgeries May 6, 2020 Medical equipment firm Smith & Nephew saw its revenue almost halve in April as elective surgeries were put on hold due to the coronavirus outbreak. Revenue fell 7.6 per cent to $1.1bn (£885m) in the first quarter as the Covid-19 crisis took its toll in all three of the firm’s global franchises. Smith & Nephew [...]
Metro Bank shares fall despite rise in customer deposits May 6, 2020 Metro Bank experienced a lull in lending over its first quarter but customer deposits jumped by £77m since the end of December, it told investors today. Customers ignored lower interest rates on deposits to store more money with Metro Bank to bring deposits to £14.55bn over the first three months of 2020. Meanwhile, net lending [...]
Eurozone economy crashes at fastest pace on record May 6, 2020 The Eurozone private sector suffered its worst month on record in April as coronavirus lockdown measures caused consumer demand to all but evaporate, survey data has confirmed. The closely watched IHS Markit composite purchasing managers’ index (PMI) plunged to 13.5 in April from 29.7 in March, which was the previous record low. A score of [...]
