Naughty or nice: Which businesses pleased or peeved Santa in 2020? December 21, 2020 Which businesses stood out this year for going above and beyond for customers and staff, and which will be remembered less favourably for their pandemic policies? The last year has certainly been one that will not be forgotten. The last 12 months have been widely been touted “the worst ever” by people around the world, [...]
Breaking up Christmas dinner ‘will not be a priority’, says senior police officer December 21, 2020 Eight people having Christmas dinner together will not be a priority for the police on Christmas Day, according to a senior police officer, despite those in Tier 4 being told not to mix at Christmas. Police Federation chair John Apter told Sky News there would not be extra police on shift during Christmas, and that [...]
Businesses’ capacity for altruism came of age during 2020 — but it mustn’t stop now December 21, 2020 Cast your minds back to March, when the world watched as markets tumbled further each day. As the sheer magnitude of the global crisis gradually became apparent, charities were picking up the phone to corporate and private donors, asking them to give urgently. I remember the conversations vividly with our long-term supporters from the business [...]
The End of the Affair: The EU and UK have very different foreign policy destinies December 21, 2020 As the year draws to an end, City A.M. is looking back at the columns that illuminated the world around us. In The End of the Affair (1951), Graham Greene — to my mind the most underrated novelist of the twentieth century — perfectly encapsulates the chaotic feelings lying behind romantic breakup and emotional calamity. [...]
Business confidence surged on vaccines before new lockdowns December 21, 2020 The start of the UK’s coronavirus vaccination programme drove up business confidence to a nine-month high in December, a survey has shown. However, the Lloyds business barometer gave a picture of businesses’ attitudes before the government tightened the lockdown rules over Christmas, bringing new uncertainty to firms. Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Saturday announced London [...]
UK registers record rise in coronavirus cases as Tier 4 comes into force December 20, 2020 The number of coronavirus cases jumped by the most since the start of the pandemic on Sunday, with 35,928 new instances of Covid recorded as of 9am. A further 326 people have died within 28 days of testing positive for coronavirus in the UK, the government said. It was down from the 534 recorded on [...]
Tier 4: What does it mean for travel? December 20, 2020 Londoners may have been plotting to get home and see their families this Christmas, either in the UK or abroad, but those plans have been thrown into chaos by new Tier 4 restrictions. What are the new rules? The Government warns that “you must not leave your home to travel unless for work, education or [...]
Tier 4 lockdown until widespread vaccine rollout, Health Secretary warns December 20, 2020 Matt Hancock has warned that an effective lockdown across London and the South East will continue until a sizable part of the population is vaccinated. Speaking to Sky News this morning, Hancock warned that the new variant of the Covid-19 virus was “out of control.” “Given how fast the variant spreads it is going to [...]
Mayor: The toughest Christmas since the Second World War December 20, 2020 Writing exclusively for City A.M., Mayor of London Sadiq Khan says he can “barely contain his anger at the confusion and chaos” sowed by Downing Street’s Christmas promises The last-minute announcement of tougher restrictions to control the spread of Covid-19 over Christmas is a bitter blow for millions of Londoners. Our city faces the toughest [...]
Mayor blasts “irresponsible promises” from No.10 amid Tier 4 chaos December 19, 2020 Sadiq Khan tonight criticised the Government’s “irresponsible promises” for raising expectations ahead of the Christmas period. In a dramatic afternoon statement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced London would be moving into a lockdown similar to that saw in spring, from midnight tonight. It means that the capital’s residents will no longer be able to meet [...]