Tech body calls on government to commit to digital levelling up December 7, 2020 A leading industry body has called on the government to commit to a digital levelling up after the pandemic highlighted stark regional differences. Tech UK, a trade association for the industry, has today launched a report into how to strengthen the UK’s “Local Digital Capital”. Scrutiny on tech and the availability of it has come [...]
A new chapter of UK-EU collaboration — and the City stands ready to help December 7, 2020 After long and tortuous negotiations, the UK and European Union are finally reaching the endgame of the transition period. Whatever the outcome, the current global crisis caused by the pandemic has shone a light on how, even post-Brexit, there will be many areas which will require collaboration on both sides of the Channel. The pandemic has [...]
Britain gets ready for rollout of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine this week December 6, 2020 By Estelle Shirbon and Alistair Smout LONDON (Reuters) – Britain is preparing to become the first country to roll out the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine this week, initially making the shot available at hospitals before distributing stocks to doctors’ clinics, the government said on Sunday. Footage posted by the National Health Service (NHS) showed boxes containing [...]
Covid vaccine: UK’s medicines regulator ‘ready’ for no-deal Brexit December 6, 2020 The UK’s medicines regulator is prepared for the prospect of a no-deal Brexit and is determined it will not affect Covid vaccine distribution, according to its chief. Dr June Raine, chief executive at the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), said the regulator was “prepared forany possible outcome”. Fears that the UK will leave [...]
Scotland’s public spending lead over England and Wales increases December 6, 2020 Scotland’s public spending advantage over England and Wales has extended to record levels, after a raft of new spending announcements by Nicola Sturgeon. Sturgeon recently announced an extension of free school meals and a pay rise for health workers, meaning Scotland now spends £2,000 per person more on public services than England and Wales. This [...]
Eustice: UK has three days to close Brexit deal after talks have gone ‘backwards’ December 6, 2020 Brexit trade talks went “backwards” last week and there are only a few days left to decide if a deal can be struck, according to the UK’s environment secretary. George Eustice said today that the UK will definitively have to walk away from talks in three days if the UK and EU can’t “resolve these [...]
Brexit talks back on: Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen agree to resume trade deal negotiations December 5, 2020 Brexit talks back on: Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen agree to resume trade deal negotiations
EU’s Barnier says still looking for a way to do UK trade deal December 5, 2020 The European Union’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier said earlier today he would continue to look for a way to do a trade deal with Britain, but was non-committal on the chances of bridging the current impasse in the Brexit talks. “We keep calm, as always, and if there is still a way, we will see,” [...]
Bank of England can cut rates below zero, Saunders says December 4, 2020 By William James and William Schomberg LONDON (Reuters) – The Bank of England can probably cut interest rates slightly below zero, and it should be ready to pump more stimulus into the economy quickly if needed to recover from the coronavirus crisis or a Brexit hit, BoE policymaker Michael Saunders said. “In my view, there [...]
High-flying business figures exempted from travel quarantine rules December 4, 2020 Business travellers who arrive back into England will no longer have to self-isolate if they come in from a country not on the government's travel corridor list.