Boris Johnson

British Airways gets flighty and Starbucks smells the coffee over coronavirus

The business response to the coronavirus situation, which appears to be developing into a serious crisis, continues apace today. British Airways today announced that it was suspending all flights between the UK and Wuhan, the Chinese city where the virus originally broke out. In a statement it said: “We have…

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Global CEOs and the IMF reckon the UK is about to have a good year

It’s not often there is some incontrovertibly positive news about the economy, but today we’ve had some. Audit and business advisory firm PwC has polled 1,600 chief executives, and found that they think the UK is the fourth most important target in the world for companies looking to make investments. PwC said Britain’s reputation…

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Javid mulls three-year passenger duty holiday for Flybe

Things are not looking rosy for low-cost airline, Flybe, but the chancellor Sajid Javid may have some proposals that save it from complete collapse. It is reported this morning that he is considering cutting air passenger duty on all domestic flights – a big boon for all the other airlines but also…

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As long as WW3 does not kick off, 2020 looks set to be a better year

All eyes on are on the rising tensions between the United States and Iran after president Trump ordered the assassination of Iran’s most powerful general, Qassem Suleimani. The oil price has risen, stocks have fallen this morning, and the threat of war almost always depresses global trade flows. But let’s bask in…

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Finally, a government addressing the business rates fiasco

Regardless of your political colours, small businesses up and down the land will be pleased to hear of at least one policy which looks set to survive the transition from manifesto wish lists to actual policy and legislation, and that is a business rates overhaul. The prime minister, Boris Johnson, yesterday…

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The latest business data is bad news, but the reasons given spell a good omen

This morning there was some bad news for business, but which definitely comes with a silver lining. So, the bad news first: the ‘Flash UK Composite Output Index’ from data firm, Markit, which tracks private sector business activity, found that it shrunk during the month of December. It has dropped…

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The election is over – time for the Tories to deliver for small businesses

It now looks as though political stasis and all the damage that does to business will be lifted in 2020. Boris Johnson’s victory in the election is the Tories’ strongest since the Thatcher era, and gives him great scope to implement bold policies. At this juncture it’s worth taking a look…

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Want to know who will win the election? Watch the pound

In recent years there has been a lot of talk about how badly wrong pollsters can get it. Nobody thought Trump would win, nobody thought Leave would win the referendum, indeed even elections have been too close to call. Though it now feels like a different historical epoch to look…

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Conservatives pledge business rates review

The Conservative Party has pledged a business rates review which aims to “reduce the burden” on UK businesses, as part of its election campaign. It said business rates are one of the “top concerns” of British businesses, and added that a Conservative majority Government will launch a “fundamental review” at…

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Dogs Trust calls on government to ban electric collars in new campaign

Canine charity Dogs Trust has launched its #ShockinglyLegal campaign to help urge the government to ban the sale of electronic shock collars in England. A recent poll revealed that 31 percent of the public believe that shock collars are already illegal in England, although that is not the case. Some…

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