Exclusive: ‘Under Boris, the tail has been wagging the dog way too much’, says Charlie Mullins June 30, 2021 Discussing new health secretary Sajid Javid with London’s best-known plumber, entrepreneur Charlie Mullins, it becomes instantly clear that the founder of Pimlico Plumbers is a big fan. “In 2020, Sajid Javid chose to quit as Chancellor and walk out of Number 11 rather than bow down to Dominic Cummings and the Prime Minister and sack [...]
Pfizer and Moderna vaccine supply limits pace of jab rollout June 30, 2021 There are not enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccines being supplied to reduce the eight week interval between doses, according to analysts. “It appears from the data available that Pfizer and Moderna supplies are the pace-limiting factor,” Matt Linley, an analyst at Airfinity, a data company tracking the vaccine rollout, told The Times. Last month, the [...]
Serco profits set to rise 50 per cent, bolstered by Covid contracts demand June 30, 2021 Outsourcing giant Serco today said it expects profit to reach up to £125m in the first half of the year – up more than 50 per cent from the first half of 2020. Serco, which has outperformed the wider UK outsourcing space, said in a trading update this morning that it expects stronger demand for [...]
Taxpayers could lose billions through pandemic support schemes June 30, 2021 Taxpayers could lose tens of billions of pounds through support schemes set up to limit the impact of Covid-19, the committee that is responsible for overseeing government expenditure has warned in a report published today. A lack of scrutiny within Covid-19 loan schemes has “significantly increased” taxpayer exposure to fraud and error, the Public Accounts [...]
Not two: Third AstraZeneca shot gives strongest immunity, researchers say June 30, 2021 A third “booster” shot of the Oxford-AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine produces the strongest immune response, researchers have found. They did add there was not evidence that such shots were necessary in light of shortages in some countries. Watch the full report.
Unexplained sneezing: Covid symptoms different for fully vaccinated June 29, 2021 Data from the world’s largest ongoing Covid study suggests Covid symptoms may be different for those fully vaccinated, with unexplained sneezing more likely to be an indicator. Research from the ZOE Covid symptom study app, a not-for-profit initiative led by King’s College London, suggests sneezing may be a more common sign of infection for those with [...]
UK’s debt risks soaring by over £100bn due to post-pandemic inflation June 29, 2021 The Bank for International Settlements (BIS) today published its annual report today, suggesting that the UK’s post-pandemic debt could rise by over £100bn due to inflation. In its report, the Swiss-based bank set out its outlook for global recovery from the Covid pandemic. Its primary scenario was one of solid recovery but at uneven rates, [...]
Thousands of businesses to again pay property tax as business rates holiday ends June 29, 2021 Thousands of businesses will soon again face paying property taxes, as the business rates holiday comes to an end later this week. Last April the government paused business rates for the hardest hit retail, leisure and hospitality companies. Some 394,601 businesses benefitted from the rates holiday, which saved them around £13.8bn. But from 1 July, [...]
Restaurant delivery boxes are here to stay: We review 48 of them June 29, 2021 Before the pandemic, most top chefs would have turned their nose up at home delivery services. There’s the lack of control, the logistical nightmare, not to mention the wafer-thin margins. But necessity being the mother of invention has led to dozens of outstanding delivery services, and even with restaurants back open and looking forward to [...]
800,000 London jobs could be done elsewhere post-Covid June 29, 2021 Around two out of five people living and working in inner London could continue their roles remotely after the pandemic, according to new research. London risks losing more than 835,000 jobs as the pandemic sparks a permanent shift to more flexible working patterns, and city dwellers are able to move out of the capital to [...]