Michael Gove: Face coverings will not be mandatory in shops July 12, 2020 Face coverings will not be made mandatory inside shops by the government but it is “basic good manners” to wear one, according to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove. Gove said today that he trusted “people’s good sense” to wear face coverings where necessary, without forcing people to do it by law. Pressure has begun to [...]
Late screening: Cineworld pushes back reopening until 31 July after film delays June 30, 2020 Cineworld has pushed back the reopening of its cinemas in the UK and US by three weeks to 31 July. The world’s largest cinema chain has originally planned to reopen its doors on 10 July in the UK, after the government gave venues the green light to start operating again from 4 July. It said [...]
Rishi Sunak’s mini-Budget: Everything the chancellor announced July 8, 2020 Rishi Sunak has announced a wave of sweeping measures to kickstart the UK economy in his mini-Budget – here’s what they are. Announcing his Summer Statement in the Commons today, Sunak pledged to pause stamp duty, boost hiring, slash VAT, and introduce “eating out” vouchers for every person in the UK. “Despite the extraordinary support [...]
Budget 2020: Government will raise living wage and lift floor for National Insurance March 11, 2020 The chancellor Rishi Sunak said today that the government will raise the national living wage to £10.50 by 2024 and will raise the minimum threshold for National Insurance. In his budget speech Sunak announced a goal of raising the national living wage to two thirds of median earnings by 2024 – which would be equivalent [...]
West Yorkshire to enter Tier 3 from midnight on Sunday October 29, 2020 The whole of West Yorkshire will enter the highest level of lockdown from midnight on Sunday following a sharp rise in coronavirus cases. Leeds, Bradford and Huddersfield will all enter Tier 3 restrictions, meaning an extra 1.5m people will be placed under the toughest restrictions in the country, Leeds City council leader Judith Blake confirmed [...]
A third of UK firms plan job cuts by October as furlough scheme ends August 10, 2020 As many as one in three UK firms plan to slash jobs by October as the government winds up its coronavirus furlough scheme, a new survey has revealed. Roughly 33 per cent of companies, charities and public sector bodies said they expected to make redundancies in the third quarter, according to a poll from the [...]
Boxpark chief: Rent crisis could be disastrous for London hospitality June 24, 2020 On a normal, pre-lockdown night just a short walk from Liverpool Street, Boxpark Shoreditch would usually be buzzing with small retailers and rooftop bars packed full. As anybody who has walked through the area recently will know, though, an eerie silence has fallen on that particular corner of Shoreditch – just as it has at [...]
UK mortgage approvals beat expectations as housing market reopens July 29, 2020 UK mortgage approvals beat expectations and rocketed in June as the housing market reopened from the coronavirus lockdown, the latest figures have shown. The number of mortgages approved by UK banks rose to 40,000 in June after May’s record crash to just 9,300, the Bank of England said today. Analysts had predicted a rise to [...]
Watches of Switzerland shares soar as it clocks strong sales during pandemic October 6, 2020 Watches of Switzerland has raised its full-year expectations after the company saw sales jump 20 per cent over the last quarter, sending shares up almost 23 per cent in morning trading. Revenue at the luxury watchmaker beat expectations over the 10 weeks to 25 October, hiking 20.2 per cent year on year to £202.7m. The [...]
The Piano Works and Kerb market bosses among those pushing Rishi Sunak to back hospitality investment November 11, 2020 London hospitality firms including The Piano Works, street food market Kerb and bar operator Lollipop have called on the government to incentivise investors to help rebuild the sector without burdening struggling companies with extra debt.