EU exports to Britain jump as trade surplus widens August 13, 2021 Exports to Britain from the European Union jumped over the last month helping to widen the bloc’s trade surplus, according to official figures released today. Figures from Eurostat, the EU’s official statistics agency, show exports to Britain rose 4.7 per cent in June compared to May, despite the UK leaving the EU’s single market at [...]
Britain 2030: How far will UK foreign policy tilt toward the Asia Pacific? August 13, 2021 Boris Johnson’s victory in dragging the UK out of the EU was supposed to herald a new dawn for the country’s foreign policy, with his “Global Britain” agenda at the fore. It is perhaps unsurprising we are not much clearer about what this phrase means 20 months on, despite the release of a much heralded [...]
Screenshot: Can the City harness the power of the Netflix model? August 13, 2021 This week **Media Moment of the Week: Victoria Derbyshire’s heels hiccup **Can the City harness the power of the Netflix model? **The CMA goes for GIFs Media Moment of the Week: Victoria Derbyshire’s heels hiccup Late on Wednesday evening prolific BBC presenter Victoria Derbyshire tweeted to say she’d be on air three times in a [...]
No place like home: Staycations set to sizzle into 2022 August 11, 2021 Staycations are set to remain the holiday of choice for Brits seeking to avoid the hassle of Covid-19 regulations on international travel. Data from Square indicates almost half of UK holidaymakers plan to continue staycations in the UK instead of travelling abroad until the pandemic is over, or at least until 2022. Cornwall, the Lake [...]
Thousands of UK small businesses ‘can’t repay Covid loans’ August 10, 2021 Thousands of SMEs that received government Covid loans and the furlough scheme can now not make repayments amid limited cash flow, a survey of small businesses out today shows. The survey projected 59 per cent of SMEs in the UK, amounting to around 3.5m businesses, used government loans or furlough schemes during the pandemic. The [...]
Britain 2030: Can the tech success story continue? August 10, 2021 As the pandemic continues to wreak havoc across the UK economy, one plucky industry has continued its upward march unabashed. In an understated but significant milestone last month, the British tech sector welcomed its 100th unicorn — a private company valued at $1bn or more — becoming the first country in Europe to do so. [...]
Motorways and A-roads to benefit from £200m injection amid staycation boom August 9, 2021 The government is set to inject £200m into improving motorways and major A-roads in the southwest of England, so Brits can have smoother rides to see long-missed families. Now domestic travel restrictions have eased, Brits are well on their way to seeing the family and friends they had missed over the previous 15 months of [...]
Opinion: Geronimo cannot be saved without sacrificing the UK’s food standards August 9, 2021 It’s August and an alpaca craze has overtaken British politics. After a chaotic few years banging on about Brexit and Covid, this summertime story has captivated the nation. Officials have ordered Geronimo, an alpaca imported from New Zealand, to be put down after twice testing positive for bovine tuberculosis. But alpaca owner, Helen Macdonald, claims [...]
Vodafone to reintroduce EU roaming charges from January August 9, 2021 Vodafone has joined EE in announcing plans to reintroduce roaming charges for users travelling in Europe in a fresh Brexit blow for British consumers. Vodafone announced today it will launch new European roaming passes across its Europe zone from 6 January. The changes will not affect existing customers. However, new and upgrading customers will be [...]
Britain 2030: High-tech manufacturing set to become a quiet British success story August 9, 2021 When it was first announced that this year’s G7 summit would be held in Cornwall, the decision was met with some raised eyebrows. But for a government which has made the combination of “levelling-up” the UK’s regional inequalities and tackling climate change its foremost priorities, it made perfect sense. In the last few years a [...]