Government set to write off estimated £31bn of pandemic loans January 29, 2021 An estimate of £31bn of government loans handed out during the pandemic will have to be written off, according to the UK’s spending watchdog. In its latest Covid-19 Cost Tracker, the National Audit Office (NAO) forecast that the total cost of the pandemic for Britain will balloon to £271bn, of which £116bn has been spent [...]
Universal Credit support to be reviewed by govt January 25, 2021 The government plans to review the support those on welfare receive during the pandemic, the work and pensions minister said today. Minister Therese Coffey, when asked whether a boost to Universal Credit would be extended, said that the benefit is being reviewed. “We’re in active discussion with the Treasury, working together to try and make [...]
Millions of Brits still missing out on self-employment grants January 21, 2021 The government has faced mounting calls to increase the number of grants for self-employed workers, after the spending watchdog yesterday warned millions are still missing out on financial support. A survey of more than 6,000 households released today by the Office for National Statistics’ (ONS) found that only 24 per cent of self-employed people had [...]
Sadiq Khan backs CBI’s calls for furlough extension January 19, 2021 The mayor of London has backed calls from the CBI for further financial support for businesses, saying current deadlines create a "financial cliff edge"
Chancellor Rishi Sunak: The City could be set for a post-Brexit Big Bang 2.0 January 11, 2021 Rishi Sunak believes the Square Mile is set for a post-Brexit “Big Bang 2.0” and that the City’s “culture and creativity” will see it to greater, global heights. In a candid interview with Morning Wire, the Chancellor also pushed back against criticism of the UK’s trade deal with the European Union, saying that it should [...]
Rishi Sunak: Working from home will not be the new normal post-Covid January 11, 2021 Widespread full-time working from home will not become a permanent fixture of the UK economy and central London is destined to come back to life post-Covid, according to Rishi Sunak. The chancellor told Morning Wire’s The City View podcast that he’s “desperate” for “the buzz, the vitality and the creativity” that cities generate and that [...]
The City View: Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak January 11, 2021 The City View is back for 2021 with a new format, a new host and a very special guest, with Morning Wire’s Andy Silvester talking to Chancellor of the Exchequer Rishi Sunak. Subscribe to The City View Podcast: Apple / Google / Spotify / RSS The pair discuss the Government’s response to the pandemic, the future of cities and whether the work-from-home [...]
Rishi Sunak to delay tax hikes until after March budget amid mutant virus strain January 9, 2021 The chancellor is reportedly expected to delay plans for tax rises until after his March budget as concerns rise over the huge economic impact of the pandemic, with cases of the new mutant strain of coronavirus spreading across the country. Rishi Sunak has previously warned that government debt built up during the crisis could become [...]
Screenshot: Will Sunak save music festival season? January 8, 2021 A weekly column from Morning Wire bringing you all the biggest stories and trends in technology, media and telecoms This week **Media Moment of the Week: Reporting from the ruins of democracy **A rallying cry to save music festivals **Youtube, Talk Radio and the quagmire of online regulation Media Moment of the Week I usually [...]
Rishi Sunak rolls out more financial support after sinking businesses demand immediate lifeline January 5, 2021 Rishi Sunak has set out plans to offer more financial support to businesses struggling under England’s third nationwide lockdown. Retail, hospitality and leisure businesses are set to receive a one-off grant of up to £9,000 per property to help them survive. Taxpayers will fork out another £4bn for the business grants, which will benefit more [...]