UK GDP could fall by 30 per cent in second quarter April 13, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has reportedly told ministers to expect GDP to fall by as much as 30 per cent between April and June. The government’s draconian social distancing measures will be reviewed next week, with an extension considered a formality. The coronavirus lockdown has already begun to bite the UK economy, with activity in the [...]
Exclusive: Sadiq Khan says Londoners neglected by coronavirus self-employed package April 13, 2020 Sadiq Khan has written to chancellor Rishi Sunak to demand more financial help is given to the capital’s self-employed workers amidst findings that one-in-three self-employed Londoners will not receive any assistance. The London mayor’s letter, written to Sunak and business secretary Alok Sharma, claims that up to 290,000 Londoners, 12 per cent of the capital’s [...]
Coronavirus: Rail journeys fall 95 per cent as passengers heed travel restrictions April 7, 2020 New figures revealed today by the Department of Transport show that only a very small proportion of people in the UK are still travelling, suggesting the government’s lockdown measures are in the most part being observed. Speaking at a virtual meeting of the transport select committee, rail minister Chris Heaton-Harris said that rail journeys were [...]
Coronavirus: World leaders express support for Boris Johnson after hospitalisation April 7, 2020 World leaders have expressed their support for Boris Johnson after the Prime Minister was admitted to intensive care last night. Johnson was admitted to St Thomas’ hospital on Sunday evening with persistent symptoms of Covid-19. Downing Street said he was moved to the unit on the advice of his medical team and was receiving “excellent [...]
Sadiq Khan: Still too many people catching public transport April 1, 2020 Sadiq Khan has hit out at Londoners who are not following the government’s social distancing rules, claiming there are still too many people using public transport. Khan told BBC Radio 4 today that some Tube carriages were still over crowded because “clearly too many people not staying at home”. The government has said that only [...]
Coronavirus: Sadiq Khan asks for more immigrants to be eligible for Universal Credit March 30, 2020 Sadiq Khan has urged the Prime Minister to allow more immigrants to access Universal Credit during the coronavirus crisis. The London mayor wrote to Boris Johnson yesterday to ask for those with no recourse to public funds (NRPF), such as most non-EU immigrants, to be allowed to claim benefits while the UK is dealing with [...]
These are difficult times — but London is strong, and the City will get through this March 30, 2020 If this crisis has shown us anything, it is that the Square Mile really can keep calm and carry on in the face of adversity. In just over a week, the majority of the City’s half a million employees have adapted to working at home remarkably quickly, thanks to technology such as video conferencing, and [...]
Coronavirus: EDF to furlough Hinkley Point workers after reducing site numbers March 29, 2020 Hundreds of workers at EDF’s Hinkley Point C nuclear plant are being furloughed after the firm decided to cut the number of workers on site by more than half. In an attempt to cut costs, the Telegraph reported that many of the site’s workers are being moved onto the government’s employee retention scheme, which guarantees [...]
London’s transport is failing the people that need it most March 27, 2020 Imagine being a key worker tomorrow morning. A twenty-minute wait for the next tube — if you manage to get on. A carriage so overcrowded that you’ve got no hope of social distancing. And then a rush to your hospital, your police station, your school. We’re asking key staff to put their health on the [...]
UK coronavirus: Matt Hancock tests positive March 27, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has tested positive for coronavirus, Downing Street has said, just an hour after Prime Minister Boris Johnson also revealed a positive diagnosis. The minister, responsible for coordinating the NHS response to the UK coronavirus outbreak, said he has had only mild symptoms. He will self-isolate until next Thursday, when he will [...]