Greenwich council backs down in government row over school closures December 15, 2020 The leader of a London borough has said he has “no choice” but to reverse a decision to close schools following legal threats from the government. Greenwich council leader Danny Thorpe said he “cannot agree that this is the correct choice for our schools”, but added: “I cannot justify the use of public funds to [...]
Parthe-nope: Travel corridors opened to eight countries but Greece removed November 12, 2020 A raft of new countries have been added to the UK’s travel corridor list, meaning people will not have to self isolate upon returning from them. Iceland, Chile, Cambodia, Qatar, Bahrain, the UAE, Laos, and Turks and Caicos have all been added to the quarantine free travel list. Those arriving from the countries from Saturday [...]
Pubs beg for emergency support for ‘scapegoated’ sector November 25, 2020 Over fifty of the country’s pubs and brewers have written to Boris Johnson to beg for emergency support amid the “darkest of moments” for the sector. They warned that unless the government changed its guidance, or provided extra funding, “the focal point of countless communities in every region of the UK could be lost forever”. [...]
Shakespeare: Walkers’ ad fails to flavour up Christmas amongst new customers November 25, 2020 By the end of November most brands have released their Christmas adverts, and this year is no exception. One brand keen to be known for their festive feature is crisps manufacturer Walkers, whose advert this year features viral YouTuber LadBaby, Gary Lineker and others. The advert sees Christmas carols turned into “Sausage CaROLLs” as a [...]
Scandinavian fund EQT join race for First Group’s US businesses January 7, 2021 A Scandinavian fund has joined the bidding for transport operator First Group’s US assets, which are valued at £2.5bn. Sky News reported that EQT Infrastructure made a $3.7bn bid for the First Transit and First Student in the days leading up to Christmas. The fund, which is run by one of Scandinavia’s most powerful equity [...]
No decline in Covid-19 infections in first days of lockdown January 21, 2021 Infection levels did not slow down, and may have risen instead, during the initial 10 days of the latest national lockdown, scientists tracking the spread of the virus have found. The research, carried out between 6 and 15 January, found one in 63 people were infected across England, and the infection was most prevalent in [...]
Up the chain: Boris and Ursula try to seal a deal before Christmas December 23, 2020 PM Boris Johnson and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen are said to be in “close contact” in a last-ditch bid to secure a post-Brexit trade deal. Talks on the future relationship between the UK and the EU have now dragged on for four and a half years. Read more: One final push but [...]
The Bunglers of Calais: Shapps says “agreement” struck on Channel chaos December 22, 2020 Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has said an “agreement” has been reached with the French Government on travel across the Channel. Some 3,000 lorries are backed up at Dover, with many in a holding area at Manston Airport. Any agreement is likely to require testing for Covid-19 on one or both sides of the border. The [...]
Canary Islands removed from travel corridors list after surge in cases December 10, 2020 Travellers returning from the Canary Islands from Saturday will now have to quarantine after a surge in cases on the archipelago meant its travel corridor has been taken away. Passengers will have to isolate for 14 days if they arrive before Tuesday, but if they arrive after they can opt to buy a private test [...]
Paperchase secures more time in race to avoid collapse January 19, 2021 High street stationary chain Paperchase has secured more time in its race to avoid collapse, after the retailer was forced to line-up administrators due to the negative impact of coronavirus restrictions on sales. The company has filed a second notice of intention to appoint an administrator, giving the firm an additional ten days to negotiate [...]