Exclusive: Sadiq Khan’s PR budget soars by 33 per cent in four years November 19, 2020 Sadiq Khan has increased City Hall spending on public relations by 33 per cent over the course of his term in office, according to newly released figures. Numbers released by City Hall through a freedom of information request show the mayor spent £977,912 on press office costs for 2019/20, compared to £732,537 in 2015/16. Spending [...]
UK manufacturing orders drop as near-term outlook darkens November 19, 2020 Britain’s manufacturers suffered a fall in orders in November as governments tightened coronavirus restrictions in a bid to halt the rapid spread of coronavirus, a survey has shown. The CBI’s monthly measure of manufacturing order books fell to a score of minus 40 in November. It had picked up sharply to minus 34 in October, [...]
Road pricing can level up the nation and take our outdated transport system into the twenty-first century November 19, 2020 If the leaks from the Treasury this week are to be believed, Rishi Sunak has been presented a study on road pricing by his civil servants. He’d be a fool not to take it seriously. Shifting towards a comprehensive system of road pricing would help the chancellor level up the regions, drive down pollution, and [...]
One in seven UK companies at risk of collapse as recovery slows November 19, 2020 Around one in seven UK companies said they were at risk of collapse as the economy faces a tough winter with coronavirus cases still surging and an England-wide lockdown in place. The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said 14 per cent of UK companies reported having “low or no confidence” that they would survive the [...]
TODAY: Boris Johnson to unveil largest military spending increase in decades November 19, 2020 Boris Johnson will today announce he is tripling a planned increase of the country’s military budget in what will be the largest defence investment in decades. The government will spend an extra £16.5bn on the UK’s military over the next four years, which will take the total increase over this time period to about £24.1bn. [...]
Pfizer-Biontech coronavirus vaccine now 95 per cent effective November 18, 2020 Pfizer and Biontech’s coronavirus vaccine has now proved 95 per cent effective and has met the safety criteria needed for emergency authorisation, the companies said today. The two firms last week published preliminary data showing the vaccine offered 90 per cent protection against Covid-19. But the jab has now met the same efficacy rate as [...]
Why the pandemic and the coming economic downturn will accelerate Bitcoin’s adoption November 18, 2020 In October this year, Mode floated on the London Stock Exchange’s Main Market. Two weeks later, we decided to allocate a portion of the money we raised to purchase Bitcoin as part of our treasury strategy. In doing so, we became the first plc in the UK to officially announce the diversification of our reserves [...]
UK inflation picks up despite lockdowns as clothing prices rise November 18, 2020 Prices picked up across the UK economy in October, the latest figures have shown, with clothing pushing inflation higher after disruption to the sector earlier in the year. Consumer price index inflation came in at 0.7 per cent on an annual basis last month, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said. That was up from [...]
Pfizer chief insists company did not delay vaccine results until after US election November 17, 2020 Pfizer’s chief executive has insisted the biotech company “didn’t conspire with anyone” to delay releasing its phase three trial results until after the US presidential election. Speaking at a New York Times conference today, Albert Bourla also said the company has already hit the required safety milestone for phase three trials of the vaccine and [...]
Rishi Sunak refuses to disclose whether he will profit from Moderna vaccine November 17, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has refused to disclose whether he will profit from a surge in Moderna’s share price, after the US biotech firm yesterday announced its coronavirus vaccine proved almost 95 per cent effective in trials. Sunak was a founding partner of London-based hedge fund Theleme Partners — a major investor in Moderna — before [...]