Chancellor Rishi Sunak has extended the emergency self-employed bailout scheme for another three months, thereby throwing an £8bn lifeline to millions of self-employed workers. Although the package has been welcomed by campaigners, the cost to the taxpayer of the job support schemes is heading towards £100bn. Mr Sunak stated on Friday last week that workers … Read more

Civil Service chiefs are considering using taxpayer money to create investment of £25bn in a sovereign wealth fund to buy shares in family firms across the UK. Under plans being examined by the Government, the UK could be on course to launch its very own sovereign wealth fund. Officials are believed to be ‘seriously studying’ … Read more

Covid-19 has impacted significantly on self-employed individuals across the UK who have had their means of earning a living severely disrupted. Applications to the self-employment scheme have already exceeded one million, but how easy is it to check if you are eligible? The most recent of the pandemic support measures implemented by the Government is … Read more

PM Boris Johnson has unveiled a ‘conditional plan’ to loosen restrictions which will allow people in England to spend more time outdoors from Wednesday. He also said that people who could not work from home should return to work but avoid public transport. The PM revealed the new message of ‘stay alert, control the virus, … Read more

Chancellor Rishi Sunak appears to have undergone a change of heart regarding his rescue package for the UK’s smallest companies. After doggedly refusing to countenance the idea of providing 100pc loan guarantees for firms, he is now reputed to be assembling a new scheme for Britain’s so-called micro-businesses. The scheme is expected to offer loans … Read more

The Governor of the Bank of England intervened on the day the furlough scheme was extended after data showed that only £1bn had reached small businesses. On Thursday, Andrew Bailey warned that unless the small business emergency loan scheme is boosted immediately the economy could suffer disastrous long-term damage. The Governor instructed the UK’s biggest … Read more