Boris Johnson’s plan to tackle obesity must be backed by behavioural science March 15, 2021 The last 12 months have revealed clear links between obesity and Covid-19. As the Government pledges £100m to tackle this next great health challenge, what will it take to reduce our national waistline for life – not just life after lockdown? This month, the Government unveiled a new incentives and rewards approach designed to tackle [...]
The City View: More Spring Statement analysis, and The Macallan’s Master Whisky Maker distills her craft March 24, 2022 Today Andy Silvester chats to Economics and Markets reporter Jack Barnett — they look back on yesterday’s Spring Statement; go through dire IFS figures; and discuss lack of growth in the UK economy. Andy also takes us through the business news: P&O are in even more hot water; and the CEO of convenience store operator [...]
Euro 2020 fuels surge in consumer spending July 13, 2021 Euro 2020, warmer weather and the lifting of Covid restrictions drove consumer spending up sharply in the UK in June, according to new figures released today. Data from Barclaycard shows spending was 11.1 per cent higher last month compared to June 2019, before the arrival of Covid, the sharpest rise since the start of the [...]
75 per cent of nightlife venues face bankruptcy when rent moratorium ends May 13, 2021 There is a £2.5bn pandemic-induced rent crisis brewing in the nightlife industry, according to the Night Time Industries Association (NTIA), which has urged the government today to offer a solution. Rising rent arrears threatens to bankrupt 75 per cent of commercial tenants in the sector, once the government’s rent moratorium ends in July, the nightclubs, [...]
Zooming into a climate crisis October 8, 2021 As I sat on my seventh Zoom call of the day, my mind drifted into thinking about how my working habits have changed over the last year. As we entered lockdown in 2020, there was a palpable enthusiasm as we all began to adopt new behaviours. Not ‘going to work’ became legitimised by the pandemic, [...]
Self-employed get tax reprieve as HMRC delays first late fee on unpaid self-assessment debt February 19, 2021 Self-employed get tax reprieve as HMRC delays first surcharge on unpaid self-assessment debt
Brexit minister hits back at Elton John: ‘He had his first hits before the UK became EU member’ June 29, 2021 Elton John became successful before the UK joined the bloc, Brexit minister Lord Frost said today, as he hit back at criticism from the singer over post-Brexit visa rules for musicians in the EU. Sir Elton has previously warned of a “looming catastrophe” facing the UK music industry because of new travel restrictions on touring [...]
Investing in undervalued care sector is complex and challenging, warns Advinia’s chairman April 21, 2021 Over the past decade, investors and private equity firms have piled into private health and social care, sensing the potential for high returns. However, as the sector is beset with financial stress brought on by the global financial crisis following the pandemic, a range of healthcare providers, including HC-One, the UK’s largest, have started to [...]
Myth-Busting: Money printing must create inflation May 11, 2021 London ranks ninth on the UBS Global Real Estate Bubble Index for residential properties. Like in many other countries, property prices in the United Kingdom reached an all-time high in 2020. A global pandemic with sudden mass unemployment should have forced UK citizens to sell their homes, but the furlough policies, stamp duty holidays, and record-low interest rates [...]
Could the UK be headed for a post-pandemic baby boom? April 24, 2021 Normally, social and financial instability can send birth numbers plummeting. But the UK could in fact be heading for another baby boom – even after a year of lockdowns. This could help spur on Britain’s recovery from the pandemic and drive a fresh period of economic prosperity. In May last year there was a dip [...]