All of our cities are at risk this Christmas as they wrestle with Covid uncertainty again December 10, 2021 Boris Johnson has now confirmed our fears: Plan B will be brought in, and with it, more mask rules, Covid passports and work from home advice. It will undoubtedly have a monumental impact on businesses that rely on high footfall in city centres. December was supposed to be the month that saw many nightclubs, bars [...]
Labour’s Rachel Reeves would support cut to UK basic rate of Income Tax December 9, 2021 Rachel Reeves has said she would support a 2p cut to the basic rate of UK Income Tax amid reports that Rishi Sunak is considering the measure. The shadow chancellor told City A.M. in a wide-ranging interview that she “would like to see the chancellor do it”, but described reports of Sunak’s potential tax cuts [...]
Liberal Democrats call for hospitality support amid ‘unprecedented rates’ of Christmas cancellations December 9, 2021 The Liberal Democrats have written to the government requesting urgent support for hospitality firms impacted by plan B measures. Pubs and restaurants in city centres have been concerned about a drop off in trade during what is usually their busiest time of year, following fresh work-from-home guidance. In a letter to the minister for small [...]
UK economic growth to slow as Omicron set to fuel inflation and whack spending December 9, 2021 Weaker spending in pubs, bars and restaurants will weigh down economic growth, according to forecasts by City economists. A reduction in the number of diners driven by a combination of inflation eating into consumers’ real income and concerns about catching coronavirus will hit output in the food and accommodation sectors, according to Pantheon Macroeconomics. The [...]
BBC Dragon’s Den star launches Flight Story: the FTSE 100 guide to TikTok December 9, 2021 BBC Dragon’s Den star Steven Bartlett, has launched Flight Story- a world-first in-house communication and talent platform that provides public companies with the people, process and technology they need to build a resilient retail investor community around their story.
Severe imbalances in jobs market are ‘unsustainable’ for businesses December 9, 2021 Severe imbalances in the UK jobs market are “unsustainable” for businesses and will clamp down on Britain’s recovery from the pandemic, according to a new report released today. Red hot demand for workers is rubbing up against weak supply, causing wages to lift off, research by consultancy KPMG and the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). [...]
Plan B ‘huge blow’ for city centre pubs as night clubs question timing of Covid passports December 8, 2021 Pubs and bars have called the introduction of Plan B Covid restrictions a “huge blow” for the sector, which was hoping to recoup its losses this Christmas. “Make no mistake, this is a huge blow for our sector as it further undermines consumer confidence and is devastating for pubs based near offices and in town [...]
Stagecoach profits rocket as passenger journeys boom December 8, 2021 Stagecoach’s profits have gone up 104.3 per cent in the half year ended 30 October, rocketing to £32.9m compared with £16.1m registered in the same period last year. Earnings per share went up from 0.1p to 2.7p in the same timeframe. The transport giant’s revenues have also hiked from £454.6m to £579.4 as a result [...]
Omicron hit to economy expected: India braces itself for ‘massive’ third Covid wave of Coronavirus infections December 8, 2021 Fears are growing rapidly in India that a massive third wave of Covid infections is building, as coronavirus infections may yet again spiral out of control, largely driven by the new Omicron variant. Last night local time, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) issued a warning to the country’s government that a third wave is inevitable [...]
5G future: 80 per cent of senior leaders plan to deploy private 5G networks within two years December 8, 2021 New research shows that just over half of companies (51 per cent) are planning to deploy a private 5G network will do so within the next six to 24 months to improve security, reliability, and speed, according to NTT, a global technology and business solutions provider.