See A Film Out To Help Out: Five ways to save the film industry October 7, 2020 In this uncertain and unnerving year, there seems to be little light at the end of the tunnel, particularly for people working in the UK’s film industry. This week, Cineworld confirmed its plans to place all of its own cinemas and those of its Picturehouse brand in an unprecedented winter hibernation — meaning the loss [...]
Reverse new rules on hospitality – or businesses will be lost forever October 5, 2020 David Abrahamovitch is founder and CEO of GRIND The very last thing that the hospitality industry needed was a set of new rules, especially ones that undermine consumer confidence and set the entire sector back even further. It’s incredibly difficult to understand the 10pm curfew and the ‘rule of six’ in the context of the [...]
Technical glitch in UK’s coronavirus testing system fixed, minister says October 5, 2020 A technical problem in England’s coronavirus testing data system has now been fixed and should not happen again, Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said this morning. The UK reported a record daily jump of 22,961 Covid-19 cases yesterday after authorities said a technical issue had meant that over 15,000 test results had not been [...]
Coronavirus: Tory MP slams local lockdowns as ‘devastating’ October 5, 2020 A prominent Tory backbencher has slammed the government’s introduction of local lockdowns across the UK as “devastating”, claiming they infringe on the public’s freedom and should be swapped for a “risk-based” approach. Tory MP and former Brexit minister Steve Baker told the Conservative party conference today that local lockdowns “aren’t working”, while dwindling hopes for [...]
UK PMIs: Business activity slowed less than thought in September October 5, 2020 Britain’s economy proved more resilient than initially thought last month, with business activity continuing to grow despite the introduction of fresh lockdown restrictions and the end of the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, a major survey showed. The IHS Markit/CIPS Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the services sector dropped to 56.1 in September from [...]
Why a second lockdown could turn the lights out on the UK economy October 5, 2020 We have reached a crucial flexion point in the fight against Covid-19, and with this comes new, tighter rules to curb a possible second wave. There is now rising concern that a second wave may result in a second national lockdown, and businesses are urgently seeking reassurance from the government that they will be able [...]
Brexit: Boris Johnson says he does not want a no-deal exit from EU October 4, 2020 Boris Johnson has said he does not want a no-deal Brexit, but that the UK would “more than live with it” if need be. Johnson said today that a deal “was there to be done”, just a day after the UK and EU agreed to extend negotiations a further two weeks, but that gaps remain [...]
Coronavirus: Boris Johnson says it’ll be a bumpy road until Christmas, as new Covid-19 cases top 10,000 October 4, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson this morning said it’ll “be bumpy until Christmas” dealing with the coronavirus outbreak. The PM told the BBC the government was taking a “balanced” approach between saving lives and protecting the economy. “The best thing we can do now for all those who have suffered in the course of this pandemic [...]
Ferrero Group in £250m bid to buy British Fox’s Biscuits September 30, 2020 Italian confectionary giant Ferrero Group is planning a £250m bid to buy British-based Fox’s Biscuits. The owner of brands such as Kinder and Nutella is working on a takeover deal with advisers, according to Sky News. Demand for biscuits has risen since the coronavirus lockdown, halting a downward trend as consumers opt for healthier snacking [...]
Royal Albert Hall to reopen for Christmas concert season September 29, 2020 The Royal Albert Hall will open its doors to reduced audiences this Christmas in what the venue’s chief executive describes as an “investment into our future.” A total of 36,000 tickets will be sold to audience goers, down from more than 120,000 last year, to shows including The Nutcracker, Handel’s Messiah and other staples. Read [...]