Business

Emergency measures to exempt food supply chain workers from coronavirus self-isolation rules will not be extended to other businesses, Environment Secretary George Eustice has told Sky News. On excluding other sectors such as hospitality, the cabinet minister said he understood it was frustrating, but stressed the need to “dampen the pace and velocity” at which

Supermarkets Sainsbury’s, Iceland and Co-op have revealed they are suffering stock shortages as concerns grow about the impact of the so-called “pingdemic”. Sainsbury’s, Britain’s second biggest supermarket, said it “might not always have” products customers want while Iceland revealed it was also being hit and urged customers not to stockpile. Co-op said it was “running

The Treasury is to sell a further chunk of NatWest in a trading plan over the next 12 months as it further reduces its stake in the bank. NatWest, previously called Royal Bank of Scotland (RBS), was bailed out by the government in a £45.5bn rescue deal during the financial crisis more than a decade

Retailers say they are under “increasing pressure” to keep shelves fully stocked amid staff shortages caused by the “pingdemic”. Industry bosses have warned that supply chains are “starting to fail” due to the number of workers, including lorry drivers and meat-processing staff, getting pinged by the NHS COVID app. Live COVID updates from the UK

MPs have promised a new amendment to help flat owners “trapped” in buildings affected by the cladding crisis. Leaseholders who bought flats in blocks that were later found to be unsafe have seen the value of their homes wiped out while they wait to be told of the scale and cost of repairs. On Wednesday,

The government will not draw up a list of critical jobs that will be exempt from full self-isolation if workers are “pinged”. Instead, employers will have to apply to government departments to allow workers to effectively circumvent the rules. Boris Johnson announced on Monday that critical workers, who have been fully vaccinated for at least

Easyjet has revealed that fewer than half of UK flights for this summer have been booked as customers leave it late to arrange trips. The budget airline said capacity for the usually lucrative July-September period was just 44% sold, down from 69% in the same period in 2019 before the pandemic. It said customers “are

People will need to have proof of full vaccination to enter nightclubs and other “crowded venues” from the end of September, the vaccines minister has announced. Nadhim Zahawi said a negative coronavirus test would soon “no longer be sufficient” proof that a person wasCOVID-safe. Speaking in the Commons on the day England’s nightclubs were allowed

A US special forces veteran and his son have been jailed in Japan for helping former Nissan boss Carlos Ghosn flee to Lebanon. Michael Taylor was given a two-year sentence while his son Peter has handed a term of one year and eight months by a Tokyo court. The men had admitted their roles at

Business leaders have strengthened their calls for an immediate overhaul of self-isolation rules for double-jabbed people ahead of tomorrow’s final lifting of restrictions across England. The Confederation of British Industry has demanded those who have received two doses of a COVID vaccine should not have to self-isolate for 10 days if they are a contact

One of the great puzzles emerging from the last year has been why, in spite of COVID, repeated lockdown, and surging self-isolation, recruitment agencies have seldom been busier. Employment levels are still rising and unemployment has – so far – not become the scourge many anticipated. In theory, such a tight labour market should generate

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), Britain’s biggest accountancy firm, is preparing to unveil record profits following a surge in demand for its services during the pandemic. Sky News has learnt that partners at PwC have been told in recent days that they can expect average pay for the year to June 30 of £818,000 – a 19% increase

Pubs chains including Wetherspoons have said they will do away with mask requirements for customers from next week – but will still require staff to wear face coverings in some cases. Pub giants including Greene King, Mitchell and Butler, and Wetherspoons, who run nearly 6,000 sites between them, have promised that from Monday punters will

The owners of The Daily Telegraph are eyeing a £4bn windfall from a flotation of Very Group, their online shopping empire. Sky News has learnt that the Barclay family has appointed STJ Advisors, which works with companies ahead of public listings, to prepare Very Group for a stock market debut next year. The appointment of

Supermarkets have said they will encourage customers to keep using face masks in stores from next week – but will not bar those who do not. Retailers including Tesco and Asda have followed Sainsbury’s in setting out how they will operate from 19 July when most COVID-19 safety rules will be scrapped in England. Wearing

Factories across the country are on the verge of shutting down due to isolation warnings from the test and trace app, the UK’s manufacturing union Unite has claimed. The union says it has been warned by a number of companies, particularly in the automotive sector, that swathes of staff are being advised to self-isolate by