Consumer spending in the United Kingdom contracted by over a third last month as a result of retail shops shutting to reduce the impact of the coronavirus on their businesses.
Data from Barclaycard—Britain’s largest credit and debit card provider—showed that consumer spending in April plunged by as much as 36.5% as compared with the same period last year. It was...
Britain suspends sales tax on protective equipment
The UK government is set to scrap sales tax on essential protective equipment as it seeks to help reduce the expenses of non-profit organisations such as care homes, charities, as well as businesses.
On Thursday, the Ministry of Finance said...
Whitehall
British Airways lays off nearly 18K employees
Flag carrier British Airways Public Limited Company is set to lay off thousands of its employees amid the huge drop in air travel demand over fears of the coronavirus...
Whitehall
Small businesses get 100% state-backed guarantees
The UK government is offering government-backed rescue loans to small businesses that took a beating from the global pandemic. The plan came after calls on the government to revamp its...
Whitehall
Coronavirus action plan: Government accused of gambling with lives
After days of anticipation, the government finally announced yesterday that the UK is now in the delay phase. But if you were hoping for severer measures in the government's...
UK 2020 budget summary – what you need to know
28 eight days into his tenure, the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, delivered his UK 2020 budget speech. As expected, he has pledged billions of pounds to help the NHS and business deal with the ongoing...
Top civil servant at Home Office quits to sue government
Sir Philip Rutnam, the top civil servant at the Home Office has quit his post citing a “vicious and orchestrated campaign” against him by the home secretary Priti Patel.
The Home Office permanent secretary –...
UK floods: ministers defend Boris Johnson’s no-show flood response
Boris Johnson's no-show response to the recent UK floods has come in for a barrage of criticism from all sides including Nigel Farrage and Jeremy Corbyn. But his business minister, Nadhim Zahawi, told Sky...
‘Bully’ Patel demanded removal of Home Office top official
Home secretary Priti Patel has been accused of “bullying” and “belittling” officials and “creating an ‘atmosphere of fear’” as it emerged she has tried to get rid of her most senior civil servant “after...
Government’s ‘toxic’ and ‘xenophobic’ immigration plans ‘spell absolute disaster’ for care
The government’s new immigration policy has been condemned as “toxic” and “xenophobic” with business set to be hit hard by plans that "spell absolute disaster” for Britain’s care system.
Home secretary Priti Patel defended the...