Former chancellor Lord Alistair Darling backs Sunak’s VAT cut plans June 22, 2020 Former chancellor Lord Alistair Darling has backed government plans to cut VAT in a bid to boost the economy, adding that the coronavirus crisis will result in an “even more profound shock” to the UK than the 2008 financial crisis. In a foreword to a new Policy Exchange report, Darling expressed his support for current [...]
Government trials new ‘no-swab’ saliva test for coronavirus June 22, 2020 A new “no-swab” coronavirus test using patients’ saliva is set to be piloted in Southampton starting this week, the government has announced. More than 14,000 GP staff, essential workers and university staff will participate in the first phase of the trial, which they will be able to complete at home using their own saliva, the [...]
Pubs and restaurants may be forced to keep register of all guests June 21, 2020 Bars, pubs and restaurants in the UK may be forced to keep a record of all visitors under new plans to reopen the hospitality industry, the health secretary said this morning. Matt Hancock told Nick Robinson on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show that forcing venues to record customers’ personal details to assist track and trace [...]
Reading stabbings: Police declare incident as terrorist attack June 21, 2020 The killing of three people in a park in Reading yesterday is being treated as a terrorist attack, police have said. Six people were stabbed in Forbury Gardens in Reading last night by a lone attacker. Three people were declared dead and a further three people are currently in a critical condition in the Royal [...]
Coronavirus deaths in the UK rise by 43 June 21, 2020 A further 43 people have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths to 42,632. The increase, announced today by the Department of Health (DoH), includes the number of people who have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in hospitals, care homes and the wider community as of 5pm on [...]
Amazon chief to oversee government website overhaul June 21, 2020 The government has reportedly recruited Amazon’s UK chief executive Doug Gurr to oversee upgrades to the gov.uk website, as millions flock online for support services during the coronavirus crisis. Gurr, who last week announced he is stepping down from Amazon after four years at the helm, will take a temporary role as an adviser to [...]
Sunak mulls VAT cut to boost economy after lockdown June 21, 2020 Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering cutting VAT rates to provide a much-needed boost to the economy after months of lockdown. The chancellor has ordered Treasury officials to draw up plans to reduce the sales tax, including a cut in the headline rate, the Sunday Times reported. Other proposals being considered include cutting employers’ national insurance, [...]
Government to roll out new measures to scrutinise foreign takeovers June 21, 2020 The government is set to introduce new measures to protect UK businesses critical to combating coronavirus from foreign takeovers. The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) today set it will set out changes to the 2002 Enterprise Act tomorrow to allow the government to scrutinise foreign takeovers to ensure they do not threaten [...]
BBC’s first ever Premier League broadcast scores 4m viewers June 21, 2020 The first ever Premier League match to be broadcast on the BBC attracted a peak audience of almost 4m viewers yesterday, as the top-flight football competition returns to TV after months of lockdown. Last night’s match between Bournemouth and Crystal palace on BBC One pulled in 3.9m viewers, making up almost a quarter of the [...]
How do you solve a problem like Wirecard? June 19, 2020 It’s been a wild ride for Wirecard. When the German payments firm premiered on the prestigious blue-chip Dax index just two years ago, shares were priced at €200 apiece. Today, prices hit as low as €20 per share, forcing out chief executive Markus Braun and leaving the future of the digital payments firm in question. [...]
