FTSE 100 slips as fears of third Covid wave spark recovery concerns March 24, 2021 London’s FTSE 100 dipped by 0.2 per cent on Wednesday as a jump in Covid cases across Europe sparked concerns about its near-term economic impact. The blue-chip index was edged down by bank stocks including HSBC, Barclays and Lloyds falling between one per cent and 1.5 per cent. British consumer price inflation fell to 0.4 [...]
Coronavirus: How has a year of lockdowns changed the way we shop? March 23, 2021 One year ago today Boris Johnson announced the UK would enter its first coronavirus lockdown, forcing non-essential shops, pubs and restaurants to close in an unprecedented move to slow the spread of Covid-19. The way we shop had changed before the Prime Minister addressed the nation on the evening of 23 March 2020. Images of [...]
Fiery Sri Lankan and 36 other restaurant-in-a-box delivery kits March 19, 2021 Almost a year since the first lockdown, the restaurant world has been forced to change in ways that would have seemed laughable in the pre-Covid times. Top chefs are now launching successful at-home delivery platforms that promise to change the face of fine dining for years to come. We have sampled some of the very [...]
The Friday wine column: Expert’s guide to food matching March 19, 2021 Matching wine with food is often seen as an elite level of wine expertise, something only for the real pros, so why would anyone who doesn’t know much about wine go there? First, there’s the additional joy and pleasure you can bring into your life with just a few small changes to something you’re already [...]
Supreme Court rules care companies do not have to pay sleep-shifts March 19, 2021 The Supreme Court has dismissed appeals this morning to pay hourly for sleep-in shifts, a sigh of relief for care companies and investors but a setback for carers and healthcare staff. The ruling in the Mencap v Tomlinson-Blake case means the time a worker is required to sleep on site does not count towards minimum [...]
Ollie Phillips: Angry France will keep Six Nations in balance by unpicking Wales; England must reproduce last week’s brilliance to win in Ireland March 19, 2021 England’s win over France by the width of a blade of grass last weekend was the best match of this Six Nations by a country mile. The quality and intensity of rugby, especially in the first half, were world class. France were phenomenal, as they have been throughout this tournament, and England finally performed as [...]
Dale Vince interview: Forest Green Rovers chairman and green energy tycoon on climbing the football leagues while saving the planet March 19, 2021 With a large green Union Jack behind him and a casually dishevelled appearance, Dale Vince brings to mind the leader of some rebel republic when he appears on the Zoom call. Being cast as a revolutionary is nothing new to Vince. In business, the former New Age Traveller has turned once-leftfield ideas about green energy [...]
Goldman Sachs junior staff slam bank’s ‘inhumane’ 100-hour working weeks March 18, 2021 Junior bankers at Goldman Sachs claimed they have suffered ‘inhumane’ treatment and workplace abuse, leading to a deterioration in mental health while employed by the US investment bank. A survey circulated on Twitter today that was presented to the bank last month, showed that all of the 13 respondents felt their working hours had negatively [...]
Best of travel: Why Toronto beats New York for a city break March 17, 2021 To tide us over until we’re able to travel again, we’re republishing classic travel stories from our archives. Today we revisit Siobhan Grogan’s trip to the premier North American city break destination: Toronto. ••• As the cab from the airport inched forward in nose to tail traffic towards the distinctive skyline in the distance, I [...]
Uber: What does the workers’ rights U-turn mean for the ride-hailing giant? March 17, 2021 Uber agreed yesterday to give its 70,000 UK drivers holiday pay and pensions following a landmark ruling in the Supreme Court. The court ruled that all UK drivers are employees of the taxi giant — rather than being self-employed — and are therefore eligible to receive holiday pay on a fortnightly basis. Susannah Streeter, senior [...]