Business

Foreign holidays as normal this summer “was never going to be the case”, Justice Secretary Robert Buckland has said as he defended the government’s COVID travel policy. Mr Buckland said “significant trade-offs” have had to be made to ensure COVID cases are kept down, with international travel restricted to “prevent inadvertent spread of new variants

One of the world’s biggest buyout firms is weighing a spectacular £5.5bn takeover bid for Wm Morrison, Britain’s fourth-largest supermarket chain by market share. Sky News has learnt that Clayton Dubilier & Rice (CD&R) is in the early stages of evaluating an offer for the grocer, a move that would send fresh shockwaves through the

AstraZeneca and the EU have both claimed victory in a court ruling over the supply of COVID-19 vaccines. The two sides have had a rocky relationship over the past few months, with the European Union accusing the vaccine maker of not producing supplies fast enough. AstraZeneca was contracted to do its best to deliver 300

A sharp fall in demand for groceries, as pubs and restaurants reopened to indoor customers, has driven a decline in retail sales volumes. The Office for National Statistics charted a surprise 1.4% fall in retail sales between April and May. Economists had predicted growth of 1.6% on the back of a 9% surge the previous

The UK’s economy will bounce back to pre-COVID levels by the end of 2021 despite the end of lockdown being delayed, the CBI has forecast – a year earlier than expected. However, the business group has warned of devastation for some still-closed sectors if they are not given more support. The CBI has upgraded its

A deal to resolve a trade dispute over aircraft subsidies for at least five years has been cheered by Scotch whisky producers who were slapped with tariffs under the row. Tariffs were imposed on single malt by the Trump administration in 2019 despite the industry not being part of the historic spat over state support

Four social media influencers have been rebuked by regulators for repeatedly failing to disclose advertising on their accounts. Chloe Ferry, Chloe Khan, Jodie Marsh and Lucy Mecklenburgh are the first to be named by the Advertising Standards Agency on a dedicated webpage. The ASA contacted each of them with a request for assurances that clear

Britain’s product safety regulator has been slow to respond to dangers such as those posed by mini magnets because it lacks the data and intelligence needed to assess risks, a report has found. The Office for Product Safety and Standards (OPSS) received a report about the magnets, which can cause serious injury if swallowed, in

The government is to extend the ban on commercial evictions introduced during the pandemic until 2022, Sky News understands. On Wednesday, ministers are expected to announce that the moratorium for business tenants will not expire at the end of this month as planned and will instead continue for at least the rest of the year,

The number of people in payrolled employment remains 553,000 down on its pre-pandemic level despite a widespread easing in coronavirus restrictions, according to official figures. But the early data from the taxman, published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), showed 197,000 more people were on Pay As You Earn (PAYE) in May compared with

Business groups have reacted with dismay after Boris Johnson confirmed the end of lockdown restrictions would be delayed. It will mean some businesses such as pubs and restaurants still having to operate at limited capacity and others such as nightclubs remaining closed with the roadmap for reopening delayed from 21 June to 19 July. The

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is being urged to dig deep again and maintain taxpayer support for businesses if, as expected, Freedom Day is delayed due to rising coronavirus infection rates. PM Boris Johnson is tipped to confirm on Monday evening that the timing for an end to all COVID-19 restrictions will slip beyond the 21 June

Passenger numbers plummeted by 223 million last year, as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak, new figures show. Only around 74 million people travelled through UK airports in 2020 – less than a quarter of the 297 million from the year before, data from the Civil Aviation Authority reveals. The airport which saw the largest

Aer Lingus has announced a number of regional flights have been cancelled after one of its operators ceased trading. The Irish airline was forced to cancel several flights from Dublin and Belfast City airports to UK cities after Stobart Air collapsed on Friday night. Those who have booked flights are advised not to go to

Sir Richard Branson is in advanced talks about a multibillion dollar merger to take Virgin Orbit, his satellite launch company, on to the US public markets. Sky News can reveal that Virgin Orbit is close to finalising a deal to combine with NextGen Acquisition II, a special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) set up by George

The government should revoke a series of steel quotas on cheap imports despite warnings it will damage domestic producers, trade advisers have recommended. The recommendation, described as a “hammer blow” by industry bodies, was made by the Trade Remedies Authority (TRA), an arms-length body charged with protecting UK industry from unfair competition. It has advised