London records highest jump in Covid cases in England as Tier 3 pressure mounts December 11, 2020 London recorded the biggest leap in the proportion of people testing positive for coronavirus in the week to 5 December, cranking up fears of tighter restrictions for the capital ahead of the Christmas period. Figures released today by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) showed the level of Covid in London jumped from around 1 [...]
Tube usage bounces back to October levels as Londoners dash for shops December 10, 2020 Tube and bus usage jumped back to pre-second lockdown levels last week as Londoners rushed back to shops, pubs, and restaurants after a month of restrictions. On 4 December, there were 1.56m journeys made on the London Underground, and 3.6m trips made by bus, data from TfL shows. That’s roughly a third higher than the [...]
City regulator confirms mini-bond marketing ban December 10, 2020 The Financial Conduct Authority has today confirmed its permanent ban on the marketing of mini-bonds to retail investors amid concerns over losses. It comes after a series of scandals involving unregulated bonds, including the collapse of London Capital & Finance (LCF) last year. The confirmation follows a temporary ban introduced in January after the regulator [...]
Revealed: The most in-demand and hardest-hit job roles of 2020 December 9, 2020 Couriers are now the most in-demand job of 2020 with over 188,000 monthly vacancies for the position. This is according to a report by Quadrotech, analysing the UK job market to reveal the most sought-after and worst hit jobs of the year. There is little surprise that couriers take the top-spot, with companies such as [...]
City of London launches gift card to boost spending at Square Mile businesses December 9, 2020 A new gift card for the City of London has been launched to make up for lost spending time during the pandemic.
UK extends commercial tenant eviction ban until March December 9, 2020 The UK’s ban on commercial property eviction has been extended today to March 2021. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick announced that this will be the final extension of the business eviction ban, after it was originally supposed to end in September this year. A statement from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said the [...]
Use furlough scheme to help sick employees isolate, says think tank December 9, 2020 The government should use the furlough scheme to encourage more workers to self-isolate at home, as the current statutory sick pay regime does not go far enough. Self-isolating has continued to be a major factor used to control the spread of the Covid-19 virus throughout the pandemic, with all those with coronavirus symptoms urged to [...]
Placing London in Tier 3 would deliver ‘killer blow’ for hospitality venues December 8, 2020 Placing London in Tier 3 would represent a “killer blow” for the capital’s hospitality venues, the UK’s leading business bodies have told City A.M, amid fears that tougher restrictions lie on the horizon following a rise in infections. Latest data from Public Health England showed that London’s infection rate now stands at 169.6 per 100,000 [...]
Sunday’s shopping surge beats Black Friday to largest shopping day of the year December 8, 2020 In what will be seen as a big boost for retailers, this past weekend has beaten Black Friday to the current crown of busiest shopping day of the year so far. This follows data released by Barlcayard Payments, which processes nearly £1 in every £3 spent in the UK, revealing that this weekend was the [...]
Grocery sales on track for bumper Christmas after reaching record high in November December 8, 2020 November was the largest month ever for the UK’s grocery market as out of home socialising was restricted by a second national lockdown, figures show. Market researcher Kantar said grocery sales rose 11.3 per cent in the 12 months to 29 November and climbed 13.9 per cent year-on-year in the last four weeks. Last month [...]