Test and Trace to receive extra £15bn, bringing total funding to £37bn March 4, 2021 The Test and Trace scheme is set to receive an extra £15bn, bringing its total funding over two years to £37bn. The contact tracing scheme, which has been awarded £22bn so far, will receive a further £15bn over the next financial year. The new figures were first revealed by the Huffington Post. It also revealed [...]
Coming 2 America: Eddie Murphy sequel is past its best March 4, 2021 COVID may have scuppered many studios’ plans, but Paramount Pictures made the best of unforeseen circumstances, selling many titles to streaming services including comedy sequel Coming 2 America. The follow up to the 1988 Eddie Murphy hit was purchased by Amazon for a reported $125m, believed to be a record for streaming rights. A sequel [...]
Pubs without beer gardens to serve pints in car parks from April March 4, 2021 Pubs without beer gardens will be able to serve takeaway pints in car parks when restrictions are eased in April, the government has confirmed. Licensing rules for pubs, bars, cafes and restaurants were simplified last summer to make it easier for businesses to reopen in line with Covid guidelines after England’s first nationwide lockdown. The Ministry of Housing, [...]
B&M ups earning expectations after strong lockdown trading March 4, 2021 Discount retailer B&M this morning upped its earnings expectations following a strong performance during the latest coronavirus lockdown. The chain said earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) for this financial year will be between £590m to £620m. The latest forecast accounts for the voluntary payment of business rates, amounting to around £80m. It [...]
Before the Bell: Sunak’s Budget aims to boost GDP, the pain comes later March 4, 2021 Although yesterday’s UK Budget was generally well received in the international markets, with the fiscal taps to be left fully open until December, the British Pound did rally. With the major decisions pre-announced earlier this week, a big equity market reaction to the Budget speech was unlikely anyway. In addition to the extension of Covid-19 specific support, [...]
Budget 2021: Pubs, restaurants and retailers toast Sunak’s announcement but warn of gaps in support March 3, 2021 The hospitality and retail sectors have welcomed the Chancellor’s extended support for pubs, restaurants, shops and salons, but said more could be done to encourage consumers back to the high street after lockdown. Rishi Sunak this afternoon announced measures including a business rates holiday extension, new “restart” grants, a VAT cut extension and a beer [...]
Budget 2021: UK launches new Covid-19 business loan scheme March 3, 2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today unveiled a new loan scheme to support businesses hit by the pandemic, replacing previous emergency government funding. The Recovery Loans Scheme will offer loans from £25,000 to £10m up to the end of the year, with the government providing lenders with a 80 per cent guarantee. The programme replaces the Bounce [...]
Budget 2021: Sunak keeps VAT at reduced rate for hospitality and tourism firms March 3, 2021 The five per cent reduced rate of VAT for the hospitality sector will continue for another six months, the Chancellor has announced. As part of a new raft of measures to help the hospitality sector recover from the pandemic Rishi Sunak told the House of Commons the reduced rate would be extended until 30 September. [...]
Budget 2021: The long road to recovery March 2, 2021 With government borrowing set to top £300bn this fiscal year, there have been calls in some parts for Chancellor Rishi Sunak to start looking at measures to try and plug the gap between spending and tax revenue. While this is understandable given the size of the deficit, as well as the increase in national debt, [...]
We asked top chefs for their dream post-Covid meals – find out who ordered the brains! March 2, 2021 As we dare to dream about an end to the culinary purgatory that is Covid, we asked some of our favourite chefs to tell us where they most want to eat when the restaurant world reopens. The answers took us on an incredible gastronomical tour across the world, from the paladars of Cuba to the [...]