Scottish independence would be ten times worse than Brexit, warns Sturgeon economic sage September 6, 2021 An influential economic adviser to Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has warned the damage inflicted on the country by independence could be “Brexit times ten”. Mark Blyth, professor of international economics at the Watson Institute of Brown University in Rhode Island, and a member of Sturgeon’s council of economic advisers, said in an interview with [...]
Northern Ireland: UK announces indefinite delay to new border checks September 6, 2021 The UK has announced indefinite delays to the implementation of new post-Brexit checks in Northern Ireland. Defacto Brexit minister Lord David Frost today announced the EU had agreed to an effective “standstill” to the Brexit treaty’s Northern Ireland Protocol, which will mean a delay to checks on things like meat, fish and dairy products going [...]
CBI chief calls for government to act urgently to clear worker shortages September 6, 2021 The chief of the Confederation of British Industry has urged the government to take drastic action to help clear severe worker shortages that have put the British economy in a vice. Tony Danker, director general at the CBI, urged the government to put HGV drivers on a list that exempts them from stricter post-Brexit immigration [...]
Road haulage bosses warn buckling supply chains will trigger soaring prices September 4, 2021 The “perfect storm” of problems scuppering UK supply chains will increase prices sharply for households across the country, road haulage and food bosses have warned. A paucity of HGV drivers, soaring shipping costs, delays in deliveries from Asia and ongoing Covid related problems have compounded to produce severe shortages of products. Soaring demand as economies [...]
Labour urges Boris Johnson to create minister to handle supply chain crisis September 4, 2021 Labour has urged prime minister Boris Johnson to create a fresh ministerial post to handle the intensifying supply chain crisis. Ed Miliband, shadow business secretary, accused the government of “falling asleep at the wheel” over mounting problems of scarcity of materials prompting many sectors of the UK economy to snarl up. The minister would oversee [...]
A fifth of night time venues reduce opening hours amid staff shortages September 3, 2021 The majority of night time venues are facing security staff shortages with 20 per cent planning to close or reduce opening hours as a result. Data from the Night Time Industries Association revealed that a lack of resources is creating a “desperate situation” for businesses, some of which are not allowed to be open unless [...]
Shortages and price hikes: Brexit bravado risks ripping up retailers’ Christmas stockings September 3, 2021 The festive season may be months away, but major retailers usually start stocking up for Christmas in September. This year, however, the government’s “Brexit hubris” means it is refusing to allow EU-based drivers to return and end Britain’s HGV driver shortage, according to David Jinks, head of consumer research at international delivery firm ParcelHero. He told [...]
UK services growth slumps to six-month low despite record hiring rates September 3, 2021 UK services firms hired workers at the fastest pace on record in August to cope with soaring demand, but growth in the industry slumped to a six-month low amid severe shortages, according to a closely watched survey released today. The latest IHS Markit / CIPS UK services PMI survey dropped to 55.0 in August, the [...]
Bin collection delays ongoing amid driver shortage September 3, 2021 At least 18 councils across the UK have confirmed that they are experiencing delays to bin collection services as a result of staff shortages. A deficit of some 100,000 heavy goods vehicle drivers, driven by Brexit and the pandemic, is causing major disruption according to a letter penned to Home Secretary Priti Patel by three [...]
Simply the best: Oxford named best-performing university in the world September 3, 2021 The University of Oxford has been named the best-performing university globally, ahead of California Institute of Technology and Harvard University in the United States, which both took second place. Oxford has become the first institution to retain top place in an international league table for the sixth year in a row. A number of UK [...]