Get into the festive spirit at El Palace, Barcelona December 15, 2021 THE WEEKEND: Escape December drudgery and head off for a festive city break to kickstart that long-neglected Christmas spirit. Skip the traditional packed Christmas markets of Northern Europe and look south to Spain instead, where Barcelona piles on dazzling decorations, twinkling city-wide lights and chocolate-box markets to tick off the present shopping. It’s also much [...]
PMQs: Starmer slams Prime Minister’s ‘weak’ leadership with party split over Omicron restrictions December 15, 2021 Starmer slammed the Prime Minister as being too weak to lead the country with the Tories deeply split over new Omicron restrictions.
Plan B “little impact” on used car price growth, data reveals December 15, 2021 The UK Government’s plan B has had little impact on either consumer demand and user car price growth. According to data from Auto Trader, between 6 and 12 December prices for used cars went up 28 per cent on a year-on-year and like for like basis – a 26.9 per cent increase compared with the [...]
Christmas wine for your dry bird: How to pick the perfect festive bottle December 15, 2021 It is the festive season, and we will soon be shoving turkeys into ovens to feed the masses, but turkey is a notoriously dry bird and calls for the right wine to help wet our whistles. Though traditionalists may feel the classic Bordeaux is always acceptable beware of drying tannins. A wiser choice if you [...]
Xmas Drinks 2021: The spirits you need on your cabinet over the holidays December 15, 2021 The Botanist Islay Dry Gin is ideal for seasonal cocktails. Made by the experimental Scotch whisky-makers at Bruichladdich, using a rare, salvaged Lomond still, the Botanist combines nine traditional gin botanicals with a further twenty-two ingredients foraged from the island. The resulting spirit is incredibly smooth, enlivened by citrus, mint, and harmonious floral flavours, that make [...]
Tory MPs deliver blow to Boris Johnson as 100 vote against new Covid restrictions December 15, 2021 More than 100 Tory MPs delivered a heavy blow to Boris Johnson last night as they refuse to support the government’s plan to force people to show Covid certificates to enter night clubs and large events. Scores of Tory backbenchers decried the new law in a House of Commons debate, with the measure being described [...]
London needs its watering holes for its global competitiveness December 15, 2021 This all seems very familiar. Just as Brits are preparing to leave their desks behind and embark on the yearly round robin of family visits over the Christmas period, their plans are in jeopardy of being scuppered. Spare a thought for the businesses that make the festive period so enjoyable. Pubs, bars and restaurants are [...]
Keir Starmer’s anti-Brexit frontbench needs to banish their love of Brussels December 15, 2021 There’s at least one Christmas Party the Prime Minister will enjoy remembering. On December 12, 2019, Boris Johnson celebrated in style after wrapping himself in Brexit and securing an election landslide. It’s easy to forget now as the Prime Minister fights for his political life, but just two years ago he handed the Tories an [...]
Christmas Eve will be December’s busiest day of traffic, data shows December 15, 2021 Data from the AA has predicted that 23 and 24 December will be the busiest days of traffic, with 54 per cent of drivers planning to travel. Motorists are also expected to travel further, with an average of 39 miles. Despite Covid regulations allowing families and friends to be reunited, one in five drivers admit [...]
Soho restaurants and cafés hit by Omicron restrictions December 14, 2021 Soho restaurants and cafés have been forced to rip up reservation lists as new Covid-19 restrictions scares punters from the West End.