Ministers in talks with business leaders over return to work strategy April 28, 2020 Ministers have held talks with business groups and trade unions over plans to kickstart the economy once the coronavirus lockdown has been lifted. Business secretary Alok Sharma has chaired a string of meetings with top industry figures in recent days amid concerns many employees will be reluctant to return to work due to health fears. [...]
UK coronavirus death toll jumps 684 to 3,605 April 3, 2020 The UK’s coronavirus death toll jumped 684 today to 3,605, the Department of Health said. As of 9am today, a total of 173,784 people have been tested of which 38,168 tested positive, the department said. As of 5pm yesterday, 3,605 of those hospitalised who tested positive in the UK for coronavirus have died, the biggest [...]
Retailers pay less than 15 per cent of rent for June quarter as property crisis deepens June 25, 2020 Britain’s retailers paid just 13.8 per cent of their rent for the last quarter, in a sign of how hard the coronavirus pandemic has hit the sector. Rent receipts on 24 June, the day commercial tenants’ payments were due for the quarter, were even lower than those three months ago, according to commercial property management [...]
Sketch: How to communicate effectively (according to the UK government) October 12, 2020 As the government unveils its latest lockdown restrictions through Twitter, James Warrington imagines comms discussions in the heart of Westminster At a time of national crisis, it’s crucial to communicate effectively. Can you imagine if, at the height of a pandemic, the public didn’t know what was going on? Unthinkable, I know, but it’s a [...]
FTSE 100 rises with Europe set to ease coronavirus lockdowns April 6, 2020 The FTSE 100 has risen as investors are cheered by signs that the spread of coronavirus is slowing and as Europe prepares to ease lockdowns. London’s blue-chip index had risen 2.2 per cent to 5,532 points by midday. Last week, the FTSE 100 fell as data releases laid bare the damage coronavirus is causing to [...]
See A Film Out To Help Out: Five ways to save the film industry October 7, 2020 In this uncertain and unnerving year, there seems to be little light at the end of the tunnel, particularly for people working in the UK’s film industry. This week, Cineworld confirmed its plans to place all of its own cinemas and those of its Picturehouse brand in an unprecedented winter hibernation — meaning the loss [...]
Coronavirus: Mercedes-designed ventilator gets approval for NHS use March 30, 2020 Mercedes’ F1 team has designed a ventilator along with engineers and clinicians at University College London (UCL) that has been approved for use by the NHS. Around 100 of the breathing aids, which were designed and produced within 100 hours of engineers’ first meetings, will now be distributed to UCL’s hospital for clinical trials. The [...]
What anti-obesity measures and the National Food Strategy mean for businesses September 17, 2020 A number of studies suggest that people who are overweight or obese are at greater risk of serious illness, even death, as a result of Covid-19. In response, the UK government has set forth a raft of measures aimed at curbing obesity. The National Food Strategy’s first recommendations have also been submitted to government. Both target [...]
London’s nightclubs and casinos slam ‘suicidal’ new coronavirus guidelines June 24, 2020 London’s nightclubs and casinos have slammed Boris Johnson’s decision to exempt them from a list of venues allowed to reopen in July as “suicidal”, and urged the government to provide financial support to prevent further redundancies in the sector. The Prime Minister yesterday announced that pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels, theme parks, galleries and hairdressers will [...]
Live events sector awaits re-start as uncertainty prevails May 29, 2020 ‘Sorry, this event has been postponed – we will let you know when we have a new date confirmed’: business event calendars have been decimated by blanket cancellations and re-arrangements over the past 10 weeks. Uncertainty continues to haunt the events market, particularly for larger gatherings, despite the gradual easing of coronavirus lockdown measures.The UK’s [...]