2020: There is Still Time June 18, 2020 As we were preparing for the unavoidable lockdown, The Economist published the most descriptive cover: picture of the Earth with a “Closed” sign hanging across it. Indeed, it does feel like 2020 shouldn’t have happened. We started with Hong Kong protests, followed by the Australian fires, death of the NBA legend Kobe Bryan, finalization of [...]
With some flexible thinking, the government can help SMEs reopen for business June 18, 2020 As shop doors opened once again this week and queues began to build, we caught a glimpse of what the coming months will be like for “non-essential” shops. Already, it is clear that while Brexit might mean Brexit, reopening certainly does not mean reopening for many businesses across the UK. As the next phase begins, [...]
Brexit: UK ‘won’t hang around’ for a trade deal June 18, 2020 Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has warned the EU that the UK will not wait around for a post-Brexit trade deal and that negotiators are prepared to walk away from talks. Raab told LBC that the UK does not “want to hang around” and will not “wait for this to be dragged out into the autumn [...]
China hawks risk accelerating the outcomes they are trying to avoid June 18, 2020 The Covid-19 pandemic is leading to a clear hardening of western attitudes towards China. The origins of the virus in Wuhan, coupled with suspicions that the Chinese government suppressed awareness of the initial outbreak, have emboldened sino-sceptics and heightened fears of growing Chinese influence. Yet blanket hostility risks accelerating the emergence of the aggressive and [...]
Boris Johnson’s plane paint job to cost taxpayer £900,000 June 17, 2020 The cost of Boris Johnson’s plane’s makeover is set to cost British taxpayers £900,000. The RAF Voyager – which is painted grey currently – will have a red, white and blue repaint so it can match the colours of the Union Jack. The Prime Minister’s spokesman told journalists today that the change was needed to [...]
Brexit: Germany says UK-EU trade talks will enter ‘hot phase’ in September June 17, 2020 The German government is expecting post-Brexit UK-EU trade talks to enter a “hot phase” in September, despite British negotiators claiming they want a deal wrapped up before autumn. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Monday that talks needed “a bit of oomph” and that a deal in July was the aim for UK negotiators. However, [...]
Facebook to allow users to turn off political adverts June 17, 2020 Facebook chief Mark Zuckerberg today announced it will allow users to turn off political adverts in the run-up to the US presidential election, closing what critics have described as a glaring loophole in the firm’s transparency efforts. Writing in American newspaper USA Today, Zuckerberg said the social media giant would let users mute political, electoral [...]
HSBC to cut 35,000 jobs as bank resumes redundancy plan June 17, 2020 HSBC is resuming a massive redundancy plan that had been put on pause after the outbreak of coronavirus, with 35,000 jobs set to be cut. The job cuts will be made over the medium term, while the lender will also freeze almost all external recruitment, said chief executive Noel Quinn in a memo sent to [...]
FTSE 100 closes higher on new coronavirus drug hopes June 16, 2020 The FTSE 100 extended its gains this afternoon closing up nearly three per cent after a major development in an Oxford University clinical trial. London’s blue-chip index climbed to highs of 3.53 per cent in the afternoon, before closing up 2.96 per cent. It erased Monday’s losses when traders were jittery on second wave fears. [...]
Brexit: UK ‘ready to be flexible’ to strike a trade deal in July June 16, 2020 The UK is “ready to be flexible” in post-Brexit trade negotiations with the EU in an attempt to secure a deal by next month, according to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove. Gove, the defacto Brexit minister, told MPs today that there was enough time to “bring a deal home” before the 31 December deadline, despite [...]