Service sector confidence hits 12-month high on UK vaccine rollout March 7, 2021 Service sector confidence has risen to a 12-month high amid hopes the UK’s successful vaccine rollout will fuel an end to lockdown measures. The services optimism index, compiled by accountancy firm BDO, surged to 94.13 in February from 86.60 the previous month, marking its highest level since the Covid-19 outbreak last year. The rising index, [...]
The City View with Totaljobs CEO Jon Wilson March 7, 2021 In this episode of The City View, Andy Silvester talks about Rishi Sunak’s budget and the week to come with former BBC Business correspondent Susannah Streeter, before he’s joined by Totaljobs CEO Jon Wilson. Andy and Jon discuss a new report which heralds good news for the capital, the world of recruiting in the middle [...]
Rishi Sunak to rally US to agree to G7 tax on tech giants March 7, 2021 Rishi Sunak will call on his US counterpart Janet Yellen to help coordinate an international tax on tech giants like Amazon at the upcoming G7 summit. Sunak has already said that one of his priorities at the G7 summit, which will be held in Cornwall this year, will be to get the ball rolling on [...]
Review: How socialism became the failed idea that never dies March 6, 2021 German writer and economist Rainer Zettleman looks at a new book on the enduring – and illogical – appeal of socialism Why have socialist ideas once again developed such a strong appeal, even though every single socialist experiment over the past 100 years has failed? British economist Kristian Niemietz provides an answer in his book Socialism: The Failed Idea That Never Dies. He cites over two dozen socialist [...]
Fight for the high street: Sunak’s Budget will stop the bleeding, but we must look long-term March 5, 2021 For London’s struggling retailers and leisure operators, Rishi Sunak’s budget provided some welcome respite. The three month extension to the business rates holiday, the £5 billion Restart Grant scheme and the extension to the furlough initiative should enable some of the brands on the high street to survive, at least until they have the opportunity [...]
House prices edge down last month as market slows March 5, 2021 House prices inched down in February as activity slowed but remain more than five per cent up year-on-year, new data released today showed. According to Halifax’s House Price Index, prices dropped 0.1 per cent last month compared to in January, with the average price now £251,697. However, in the quarter from November to February prices [...]
Shadow Chancellor: For UK to succeed, London has to succeed March 5, 2021 More than 300,000 Londoners have lost their jobs since the pandemic began, and some of the sectors that most define our country’s capital – our theatres, galleries, restaurants, bars, hotels, museums and shops – have been particularly badly hit. The city missed out on £11 billion of tourist spending last year. We need a relentless [...]
City Spirits: Put the G&T to the side for a refined rum revolution March 5, 2021 If you’re after a quick and refreshing sundowner, there are fewer drinks easier to throw together than a gin and tonic. The quintessential afternoon tipple, the humble G&T has been the key vehicle for the phenomenal growth in gin – both in sales and in the sheer variety of bottles available to try – over [...]
Freelance creatives could fall through cracks of Rishi budget March 4, 2021 This week Rishi Sunak announced his investment-led recovery budget, pledging an additional £408m stimulus package for the culture sector. This is fantastic news for a creative sector particularly vulnerable to the impact of the COVID pandemic. The government has divided this relief package into three parts: £300m for the Cultural Recovery Fund (supporting cultural organisations [...]
DEBATE: Is Universal Credit fit for purpose? March 4, 2021 Jonathan Reynolds, Shadow Secretary of State for Work and Pensions says NO Universal Credit has failed on its own terms. It is not offering a route out of hardship instead it is perpetuating a cycle of debt and destitution that is hurting our economy. The system starts people off in debt through the five week-wait, [...]