Mixed Covid-19 messages ‘cannot define this winter’ for business, says London First chief September 14, 2021 The boss of London First has urged the government not to allow mixed messages to define the upcoming winter for businesses, following the health secretary’s Covid-19 plan earlier today. Health secretary Sajid Javid said that the government intends to dodge winter restrictions by allowing booster jabs for those over 50 and vaccinations for 12 to [...]
Vaccine minister: ‘We have a right to cancel’ the 140m Valneva jabs order September 14, 2021 Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi has said that the government had “a right” to quash its Covid-19 vaccine deal with French pharmaceutical firm Valneva. Health secretary Sajid Javid agreed, saying in the government’s Covid-19 autumn and winter plan this afternoon: “There are commercial reasons that we have cancelled the contract. “The vaccine in question would not [...]
Covid-19: Government aims to avoid winter restrictions with booster jabs and teenage vaccinations September 14, 2021 Health Secretary Sajid Javid has said Government intends to avoid a return to Covid-19 restrictions through booster jabs and vaccinations of 12 to 15-year-olds, as he set out an autumn and winter pandemic plan. The Health Secretary said ‘Plan A’ is a series of pharmaceutical interventions, with the objective of avoiding “unsustainable pressure” on the [...]
Global economic activity is pulling away from Europe and the UK must follow, says Truss September 14, 2021 The UK will need to shift its trade focus to Asia, as the centre of global economic activity gravitates away from Europe and towards the east. By the end of this decade, three of the world’s largest four economies will be in the Indo-Pacific region, according to the Department for International Trade (DIT). In a [...]
Johnson: Booster Covid-19 jabs for over 50s ‘going ahead’ September 14, 2021 A third booster jab is to be offered to over 50s in the upcoming months, prime minister Boris Johnson confirmed last night. It is expected that all over 50s will be offered a third Pfizer/BioNTech jab at least six months after their second dose, beginning with those over the age of 70 and the most [...]
City bribery: British American Tobacco accused of arranging Mugabe bribe September 13, 2021 One of the largest tobacco companies in the world has been accused of bribing Robert Mugabe, the former president of Zimbabwe. City-based British American Tobacco (BAT) was part of negotiations to pay between $300,000 and $500,000 to Zanu-PF, Mugabe’s political party in 2013, according to a BBC Panorama investigation, which will be aired this evening. [...]
Vaccines for teens: Covid jabs for 12 to 15-year-olds given the green light September 13, 2021 Covid-19 vaccinations for 12 to 15-year-olds has been given the green light by the government’s chief medical officers. A single dose of the Pfizer vaccine is set to be offered to children over the age of 12 through in-school immunisation programmes as soon as next week. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty and his counterparts agreed [...]
CBI warns of rising taxes and stagnant business investment under Boris Johnson September 13, 2021 One of the UK’s most influential business groups has cautioned Boris Johnson about recent tax rises, warning that he must concentrate more on stoking business investment post-Covid. CBI director-general Tony Danker will tomorrow tell the Alliance Manchester Business School that a “return to business as usual in our economic policy, at this unique moment in [...]
Liz Truss to speak to India commerce minister tomorrow about trade deal September 12, 2021 International trade secretary Liz Truss will meet her Indian counterpart tomorrow to outline the timetable for negotiations for a UK-India trade deal. Truss will meet with India’s minister for commerce and industry Piyush Goyal, after the consultation period for the UK-India deal finished on 31 August. The two sides are hoping to commence negotiations for [...]
Sir Keir Starmer to publish 14,000-word mission statement in leadership reset September 12, 2021 Sir Keir Starmer will publish a 14,000-word mission statement with the Fabian Society to signal a reset of his party leadership to Labour members. The essay, which has been confirmed by the historic Labour think tank, will come out just before the party’s conference at the end of this month and will attempt to silence [...]