End of furlough to induce a job market ‘recalibration’ as Brexit requires reset October 20, 2021 The end of furlough is set to induce a “significant recalibration of the jobs market” according to a restructuring expert. Chris Newell, managing director at business advisory firm Quantuma predicts that, as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has ended, businesses across the country face the prospect of “tough decisions” around redundancies in the coming weeks. [...]
Brexit and pandemic: Number of lorry drivers in UK down by record 53,000 October 20, 2021 New figures have shown that the number of lorry drivers the UK has dropped by 53,000 over the past four years, with the fall the largest among middle-aged hauliers, according to official figures. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said analysis of the annual population survey has revealed an estimated 17% plunge in the number [...]
Boris Johnson says supply chain shortages are due to ‘surging’ global economy October 19, 2021 Boris Johnson has claimed today that the UK’s supply shortages are the result of a “surging” global economy post-Covid and not post-Brexit worker shortages. The UK is suffering from goods shortages in some parts of the country due to shortages of key workers in a number of sectors, including the road haulage and agricultural industries. [...]
Letters: Let’s focus on venture capital October 19, 2021 [Re:Post-Brexit marginal gains will be fuel for City’s future success, 12th October] Hopes of reaching equivalence in financial regulations are dead in the water in the post-Brexit world. There have been numerous calls from the UK Government for input from business, to help guide the UK’s financial structure in this new phase. We’ve heard plenty [...]
Brexit: Drop in UK-EU trade hits smaller businesses as they are forced to shun exports October 19, 2021 A fall in trade between the UK and EU shows UK small and medium sized enterprises are increasingly shunning EU exports. The latest data from the Office for National Statistics shows a second consecutive monthly fall in trade, with the effects of Brexit and the global pandemic resulting in the total exports of goods, excluding [...]
UK trade bodies rebel against ‘cartel-like’ shipping costs October 19, 2021 Make UK, the trade body representing UK manufacturers, has called on the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) to open an investigation into the shipping sector’s “cartel-like practices” when it comes to the increase in prices. Writing a letter to the CMA alongside the British Chamber of Commerce (BCC), Make UK has said that the “increase [...]
Travel rules mean London is ‘very uncompetitive’ tourism prospect October 19, 2021 The government must tweak its international travel rules in order for high-end London hotels to recuperate after the pandemic, according to one trade leader. London is currently “very uncompetitive” in the international tourism market, Joss Croft, boss of trade body UKinbound, told CityA.M. While changes to allow travellers arriving in the UK to test with [...]
Boris Johnson hails £9.7bn in 2021 foreign investment at UK summit October 18, 2021 Boris Johnson will talk up £9.7bn in foreign investment deals the UK has attracted this year as he opens the three-day Global Investment Summit tomorrow. Johnson will open the summit, before having a “fireside chat” with Microsoft founder Bill Gates as the government continues its bid to increase business investment post-Brexit. However, the Prime Minister’s [...]
Clear as mud: EU hints at extension to City’s equivalence deal for euro-clearing October 18, 2021 The EU’s head of financial services yesterday hinted at a possible extension to the post-Brexit carry-over deal which allows banks from the bloc to access clearing houses in the City. Mairead McGuinness told the Financial Times that Brussels was minded to avoid a “cliff edge” situation and avoid market instability. “We have to make sure [...]
Abuse in British politics: MPs open up about death threats following Sir David Amess tragedy October 18, 2021 Dozens of MPs have opened up about the often frightening and bizarre experiences of receiving death threats as they paid tribute to Sir David Amess in the wake of the Conservative backbencher’s murder on Friday. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab spoke of having received at least three threats on “life and limb” in the past two [...]