Who gets to shape what comes next? After Covid, power in the UK must be decentralised August 28, 2020 We are all coming to terms with the impact of Covid-19 on our prosperity and life chances. We are relearning how we live, how society functions, and what and who we value most. We are learning how Covid has impacted our communities, and with that has come a realisation of injustices that exist in our [...]
UK records highest number of new coronavirus cases since June August 27, 2020 There were more than 1,500 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in the UK today, the highest daily figure in more than two months. According to new data from the Department of Health and Social Care, 1,522 more people were confirmed to have contracted the disease in the last 24 hours. The new figure represents a [...]
EU to pay Astrazeneca £300m for Oxford coronavirus vaccine August 27, 2020 The European Union will pay €336m (£300m) for 300m doses for a potential coronavirus vaccine being developed by the University of Oxford and drugs giant Astrazeneca. In a statement, the EU said that as well as the initial doses, the deal would give it the chance to purchase an additional 100m doses, which would then [...]
Ministers in talks over London to New York air bridge August 27, 2020 Plans are being made for an air bridge between London and New York so that passengers can travel to the US without needing to quarantine, it was reported today. Although the US remains on the UK’s travel “red list” due to high overall rates of coronavirus infection, ministers are in talks with American counterparts over [...]
Coronavirus: Government to pay low income workers in self-isolation August 27, 2020 People on low incomes who are forced to self-isolate due to coronavirus will receive payments from the government as part of a new scheme. From Tuesday people who claim universal credit or working tax credit and cannot work from home will be entitled to up to £182 — equivalent to £13 per day. The scheme [...]
Service sector employment fell sharply in last quarter as UK entered recession August 27, 2020 Employment fell sharply across the UK services sector in the three months up to August as the coronavirus pandemic sent the country into the deepest recession on record. The service sector dominates the business landscape in this country, making up nearly 80 per cent of the economy. According to a survey conducted by the CBI, [...]
Struggling economies can learn from Cyprus how to deal with the Covid-19 crisis August 27, 2020 International businesses and investors are right now wondering whether governments are really up to the task of handling the fallout from the global shutdown. With real GDP in the EU predicted to shrink by 9.3 per cent in 2020, the message from the European Commission is that the speed at which countries will recover depends [...]
Here’s how out-of-home advertisers are adapting to post-lockdown London August 27, 2020 Lockdown had a huge impact on out-of-home (OOH) advertising as audiences largely disappeared and billboards, bus stops and the underground became a canvas for supportive messages for key workers. Only a handful of astute advertisers continued to spend, with the likes of Tesco recognising the opportunity for memorable community messaging, much of which was widely [...]
UK quarantine list: Which European countries have the worst infection rates? August 26, 2020 Switzerland looks set to be added to the list of countries on the UK’s quarantine list after a surge in the number of coronavirus cases in the country. Scotland has already reimposed self-isolation measures on travellers from the country, with ministers in England due to review its list today. If it is added to the [...]
Six steps to true racial equality in business August 26, 2020 When we look back at 2020, what will have changed in the business world? I don’t mean social distancing and remote working. I mean actual systemic change: accountability, consequences, promotions, and retention. The combination of coronavirus and the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement has raised questions about the tech industry’s problem with Black, Asian, and [...]