Coronavirus deaths rise by 324 to reach 38,161 May 29, 2020 An additional 324 people have died from coronavirus in the UK, chancellor Rishi Sunak said this afternoon, taking the total death toll to 38,161. In total, 131,458 tests were carried out yesterday, and 2,095 people tested positive. Yesterday 377 more deaths were reported, which was down from 412 the day before. The figures represent a [...]
Sunak set to tell employers to contribute to furlough scheme payments May 29, 2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to tell employers today that they will have to start contributing to the government’s massive furlough scheme which is paying the wages of millions of UK workers. Sunak will say companies must pay between 20 per cent and 30 per cent of the costs of the programme – the centrepiece [...]
More than 100 MPs call for extension to self-employed relief package May 29, 2020 A group of 113 MPs have signed a letter urging chancellor Rishi Sunak to extend the £6.8bn coronavirus relief package for self-employed workers. The letter, written by Labour MP Siobhain McDonagh, said people across the country would be “left without work and without support” if the scheme is not extended past its current June end [...]
Shadow chancellor backs long-term UK coronavirus jobs programme May 28, 2020 Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has pushed for the government to back a UK-wide post-coronavirus jobs programme to deal with expected high unemployment. In an interview with City A.M. Dodds said that the government needed to place a greater emphasis on “upskilling and redeployment” in its response to Covid-19 and should look to Gordon Brown’s Future [...]
‘I’ve never been in a faction’: Anneliese Dodds on her plan to unite Labour under a new economic platform May 28, 2020 Labour’s new shadow chancellor had been an MP for just two-and-a-half years, before being handed the second most important job in Her Majesty’s Opposition. Many would assume that an MP with that rapid a rise up the greasy pole of politics would have to be the consummate Westminster schemer – a modern day Harold Wilson [...]
UK firms face ‘difficult decisions’ when furlough scheme winds down May 28, 2020 UK firms have said they will struggle to contribute to furloughed workers’ salaries from August, as the Treasury slowly winds down the job retention scheme. In an Institute of Directors (IoD) survey of almost 700 company directors, a quarter said they could not afford the 20 per cent or more needed to contribute to furloughed [...]
Treasury: Furlough scheme now covers 8.4m workers May 27, 2020 The number of people covered by the government’s job retention furlough scheme has risen to 8.4m, the Treasury revealed today. The new figure marks an increase of 400,000 people on last week’s update, with over 1m companies using the scheme. In addition, the value of such claims has now risen to a total of £15bn, [...]
Small businesses borrow £18bn in three weeks under Bounce Back Loan Scheme May 27, 2020 Small and medium-sized businesses have borrowed more than £18bn under the government’s Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) in its first three weeks of operation. The BBLS was introduced by chancellor Rishi Sunk after criticism that the existing Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) was not being made accessible to many businesses by the banks administering [...]
Boris Johnson’s approval rating plunges following Dominic Cummings scandal May 26, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s approval rating for his handling of the coronavirus crisis has plunged following the revelations about his chief adviser Dominic Cummings, a poll published today found. A poll from Savanta found that Johnson’s approval rating for his handling of the crisis is now below zero (minus one per cent), having dropped 20 [...]
Treasury extends CLBILS loan size to £200m as total support hits £32bn May 26, 2020 The Treasury is extending the CLBILS loan size to £200m after announcing more than £32bn in loans and guarantees have been awarded to UK firms. Chancellor Rishi Sunak today announced that businesses have benefitted from over £32bn in loans and guarantees to support them during the coronavirus crisis. With lockdown restrictions limiting business, Sunak introduced [...]