Foreign aid isn’t charity, it’s an investment in our own prosperity December 15, 2020 When he announced his decision to cut UK foreign aid spending from 0.7 per cent to 0.5 per cent of GDP, chancellor Rishi Sunak, argued that the sum was hard to justify to the British people during a pandemic. In fact, it is not so hard. Aid is not charity, and its benefits are neither [...]
Pubs and restaurants express relief as their lockdown ends June 23, 2020 Hospitality bosses have reacted with cautious optimism after Boris Johnson gave the green light for restaurants and pubs reopening on 4 July. Industry reaction has been largely relieved this afternoon, albeit with warnings that many businesses will still need financial support from the government as they start trading again. The Prime Minister announced this afternoon [...]
McLaren joins industrial push to manufacture 10,000 ventilators March 29, 2020 Supercar maker McLaren is one of a number of firms who have joined forces in a bid to massively increase the production of ventilators to help in the fight against the coronavirus pandemic. Ventilator Challenge UK, as the consortium is known, comprises some of the UK’s largest industrial groups, bringing together companies such as BAE [...]
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 [...]
Corporate travel firms call for business air bridges to avoid quarantine June 10, 2020 The UK’s business travel sector has called on the government to create industry-specific air bridges to European business hubs in order to sidestep the current 14-day quarantine plan. In a letter to home secretary Priti Patel and transport secretary Grant Shapps, Clive Wratten, chief executive of the Business Travel Association, proposed three pilot travel corridors [...]
Pubs may have to shut to keep schools open, hints Number 10 August 3, 2020 Pubs may have to close in order to meet the government’s promise to reopen schools in September, Downing Street hinted today. The government is “planning for all people to return to school from the beginning of the autumn term”, and this may require venues to temporarily close in order to contain local outbreaks, said the [...]
Business on the brink: Airlines, hospitality and train operators in line for state support March 16, 2020 The existential threat to business posed by the Covid-19 pandemic became crystal clear this weekend as a host of industries warned of a potentially fatal cash crunch in the coming weeks. The aviation industry led calls for targeted government support, with train operators struggling with lower passenger numbers and the hospitality industry not far behind. [...]
Coronavirus: Thousands of UK pubs and restaurants at risk of collapse March 30, 2020 Thousands of UK pubs and restaurants could collapse due to coronavirus, as the latest research showed that insolvencies in the sector spiked before the outbreak. The number of restaurant and pub insolvencies jumped 10 per cent last year to 1,452 and 526 respectively, highlighting the weak state of the UK’s leisure sector before the pandemic. [...]
Hix Restaurants appoints administrators amid coronavirus crisis April 14, 2020 Chef Mark Hix has appointed administrators to his restaurant and hotel business due to the financial impact of the coronavirus crisis. Deloitte has been appointed as administrator to WSH and Mark Hix Restaurants, according to the company’s website. All staff have been made redundant and were not able to be paid through the government’s coronavirus [...]
Survive and thrive: Back to the grind stone at a cult coffee favourite June 1, 2020 London’s businesses have been forced to weather a storm they never saw coming, but many have pivoted to new ways of doing business. Today, David Abrahamovitch – founder of coffee brand GRIND – writes for City A.M. on the way he’s changed his business during the pandemic, and the challenges of the ‘new normal’ The week [...]