Rishi Sunak Summer Statement: All the Chancellor’s spending pledges July 8, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today announced a raft of measures in his Summer Statement in a bid to help the UK economy recover from the worst effects of coronavirus. The Treasury boss revealed massive public spending to bolster the UK economy in what people are calling his mini-Budget. While he did not extend the government’s furlough [...]
Booze misses out on VAT cut, but pubs say glass is half-full July 8, 2020 Britain’s largest pub body has shaken off Rishi Sunak’s decision to not cut VAT on alcohol in his economic summer statement and instead largely praised the mini-Budget. The British Beer and Pub Association (BPPA) said the exemption would provide little help for “those pubs where revenue is more drinks led”, but that most of its [...]
Rishi Sunak’s mini-Budget: Everything the chancellor announced July 8, 2020 Rishi Sunak has announced a wave of sweeping measures to kickstart the UK economy in his mini-Budget – here’s what they are. Announcing his Summer Statement in the Commons today, Sunak pledged to pause stamp duty, boost hiring, slash VAT, and introduce “eating out” vouchers for every person in the UK. “Despite the extraordinary support [...]
Hospitality sector welcomes ‘blaze of sunshine’ from chancellor’s VAT cut July 8, 2020 The hospitality sector has greeted chancellor Rishi Sunak’s announcements of a VAT cut for the hospitality sector and a new Eat Out to Help Out scheme as a “blaze of sunshine” after months of closure during the coronavirus pandemic. Speaking in the Commons today to announce his “mini budget”, Sunak vowed to cut the VAT [...]
Sunak slashes VAT on hospitality and tourism to five per cent July 8, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has slashed VAT on hospitality and tourism from 20 per cent to 5 per cent for six months, as the government seeks to revive the UK economy after months of lockdown. In an unprecedented announcement in the Commons today, Sunak vowed to cut the VAT rate from next Wednesday until 12 January [...]
McDonald’s breakfast menu returns to all but 28 of its restaurants tomorrow July 7, 2020 McDonald’s will bring back its breakfast menu tomorrow to all but 28 of its open restaurants across the UK and Ireland. Last week the fast food chain announced the gradual roll out of its breakfast menu and walk-in takeaway service to more restaurants. The breakfast menu will continue to be a limited menu for now, [...]
Premier Inn owner Whitbread sees tourist demand as hotels reopen July 7, 2020 Premier Inn owner Whitbread this morning reported good demand for bookings in traditional tourism destinations as it revealed that sales dropped 79.4 per cent in the first quarter of the year. Whitbread said it has reopened more than 270 UK hotels and is preparing to open the majority of its estate by the end of [...]
Al fresco Soho bursts into life as summer festival kicks off July 6, 2020 Pubs, bars and restaurants opened in Soho this weekend, with new licensing laws allowing them to spill into the street. Andy Silvester spent Saturday afternoon – and evening – seeing what the new normal looks like As the first drops of rain hit the drinkers sitting at tables in the middle of D’Arblay Street, the [...]
UK coronavirus death toll rises by 22 July 5, 2020 A further 22 people have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus, taking the total number of deaths to 44,220. The increase, announced today by the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC), includes the number of people who have died after testing positive for Covid-19 in hospitals, care homes and the wider community as [...]
Matt Hancock praises behaviour of ‘vast majority’ on ‘super Saturday’ July 5, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has lauded the behaviour of the “vast majority” of people in England who went out to celebrate the reopening of pubs and restaurants yesterday. Scenes of city centres busy with revellers were captured across England yesterday in what was widely dubbed as “super Saturday”. Concerns were raised by some that social [...]