NHS Test and Trace: Covid app’s sensitivity will not be tweaked as hundreds of thousands of people self-isolate July 19, 2021 The NHS Covid-19 app will not have its sensitivity tweaked, Downing Street has confirmed, despite industries warning of staff shortages as England lifts almost all coronavirus restrictions. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak are among the hundreds of thousands of people currently self-isolating due to being alerted by NHS Test and Trace that [...]
Credit disagreement: the future of the high street depends on how we handle retailers’ Covid debt July 19, 2021 It is a commonplace that the pandemic has devastated the economy. The prospects of recovery may be rosier than we had dared imagine, but businesses have suffered grievously, especially those for whom in-person custom, footfall, is vital. One sector which has been hit particularly hard is independent retail. The death of the high street has [...]
Surging inflation to add £10bn to government’s debt burden July 19, 2021 Surging inflation is likely to add £10bn to the government’s debt burden, putting further pressure on the UK’s public finances. Around a quarter of the government’s stock of debt is linked to the retail price index, meaning the Treasury needs to increase interest payments to savers if prices rise. Read more: UK inflation hits 2.5 [...]
Steak on the menu? Hawksmoor ponder IPO option for continued expansion July 19, 2021 Investors may soon be able to cut into a juicy Hawksmoor steak, according to reports. The high-end restaurant group, renowned for its steak, is working with stockbroker Berenberg to assess demand should it decide to list on the London Stock Exchange. The Times first reported the news. Read more: Government unveils new ‘hospitality strategy’ to [...]
Boris Johnson urges caution on freedom day as he continues self-isolation July 18, 2021 Boris Johnson has urged caution as England today is freed from social distancing restrictions for the first time in 16 months. The Prime Minister also outlined once again his five-point plan for how the country will live with Covid-19, which includes reducing the time between vaccines, keeping the Test and Trace regime in place and [...]
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak at odds over potential health and social care tax July 18, 2021 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are reportedly at loggerheads over the imposition of a new £10bn-a-year tax to cut NHS waiting lists and fix the country’s social care crisis. Johnson and health secretary Sajid Javid are said to be strongly in favour of the new levy, while the chancellor is opposed. The Prime Minister said [...]
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak do quick U-turn and will now self-isolate July 18, 2021 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have been forced to make a U-turn and will now self-isolate after being pinged by the NHS Test and Trace app last night. The pair U-turned just two-and-a-half hours after first saying they were taking a part in a pilot that meant they would not self-isolate, after being in contact [...]
Jenrick warns of coming ‘frustration and disruption’ as hundreds of thousands to be ‘pinged’ by app July 18, 2021 Robert Jenrick has today warned that the next month will be blighted by “frustration and disruption” as hundreds of thousands of people are set to be pinged by the Test and Trace app. The housing secretary also said the government stood by the decision to only exempt double-jabbed people from self-isolating from 16 August as [...]
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak pinged by NHS Test and Trace but no need to isolate July 18, 2021 Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace as contacts of someone who has tested positive for Covid but will be participating in a daily contact testing pilot to allow them to continue to work from Downing Street, No 10 has said. The announcement follows the disclosure on Saturday that [...]
Sunak eyes budget delay to next year July 16, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak could delay the budget until next year to allow him to assess more timely data on the economic impact of ending business support schemes. The news was first reported by The Guardian, which said officials have reportedly told Sunak waiting until the end of spring 2022 may provide him with more time [...]