Coronavirus: Government poised to impose London-only restrictions March 18, 2020 Boris Johnson has indicated that Londoners should brace themselves for capital-specific restrictions, in the hope of flattening the curve of the coronavirus outbreak. Multiple sources have said measures including restricting travel and shutting all but essential shops and services in line with measures seen in other European capitals, could be brought in as early as [...]
Coronavirus: All Trafalgar Square events cancelled March 17, 2020 All events set to take place at Trafalgar Square have been cancelled by City Hall until further notice. Mayor of London Sadiq Khan took the step today to shut down events at the public square, after further social distancing measures were advised by the government yesterday to combat the spread of Covid-19. This means the [...]
Sterling falls to six-month low as UK tightens virus measures March 17, 2020 Sterling dropped to its lowest level against the dollar in roughly six months today as the UK ramped up its measures to halt the spread of coronavirus. The pound fell as much as 0.6 per cent to $1.219 this morning — its lowest level since early September. Against the euro it edged up 0.2 per [...]
Timing a Token Launch September 11, 2020 It’s March 2020. Countries across Asia are closed for travel and movement. Italy has come under the global spotlight because of its strict and indefinite lockdown period. Spain isn’t far behind. The world is becoming alert to a new, deadly virus and supermarkets are being overrun by panic buyers. Economists are predicting a formidable depression [...]
FTSE 100 slips despite Chancellor’s raft of new stimulus measures July 8, 2020 The FTSE 100 closed lower on Wednesday, even after the Chancellor unveiled a £30bn stimulus package to get consumers spending again. London’s blue-chip index closed down 0.55 per cent at 6,156 points after a muted day of trading. The FTSE 250 index of slightly smaller companies finished the day 0.95 per cent lower. It came [...]
Shareholders approve Greene King takeover deal October 9, 2019 Shareholders have given the green light to the £2.7bn acquisition of British pub chain Greene King by Hong Kong’s richest man. At an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) today, 99.38 per cent of CK Asset Holdings shareholders voted to back the deal, with just 0.61 per cent opposing the takeover. Read more: Beer sales slip at [...]
Coronavirus: Jubilee Line Tube driver tests positive March 13, 2020 A Tube driver on London Underground’s Jubilee Line has tested positive for coronavirus, Transport for London (TfL) confirmed today. It is the first case of coronavirus to be reported among London Underground workers. Transport for London (TfL) said the affected Tube driver is now self-isolating. A TfL spokesperson said: “A train driver on the Jubilee [...]
Al fresco Soho bursts into life as summer festival kicks off July 6, 2020 Pubs, bars and restaurants opened in Soho this weekend, with new licensing laws allowing them to spill into the street. Andy Silvester spent Saturday afternoon – and evening – seeing what the new normal looks like As the first drops of rain hit the drinkers sitting at tables in the middle of D’Arblay Street, the [...]
UK retail sales suffer record decline as online surge fails to offset impact of closed shops May 13, 2020 A sharp rise in online shopping failed to offset plummeting UK retail sales last month, which suffered a record decline in April due to the coronavirus lockdown. Total sales plunged 19.1 per cent in April, against an increase of 2.4 per cent last year, which is the worst decline since records began in 1995. Over [...]
Commercial landlords banned from using ‘aggressive’ rent collection tactics April 23, 2020 UK shops, restaurants and pubs will be protected against aggressive rent recovery action during the coronavirus crisis after the government issued new rules for commercial landlords. The government has temporarily banned the use of statutory demands and winding up orders until at least June following pressure from the retail and hospitality sectors. Many retail, hospitality [...]