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While there's light at the end of the tunnel for many British businesses after months of lockdown, there's some familiar favourites that will never return to the High Street. Many businesses have been told they could reopen on April 12 if the government reaches its Covid vaccination target, as part of Boris Johnson's plan to get the country out of restrictions. Hairdressers, salons, clothing outlets and many small, local businesses such as florists will be able to trade again after more than three months of closures. But for many towns and communities, the high street will never be the same again as one by one big chains that have been part of Britain's culture have fallen under the pressure of the pandemic. Some struggling brands will return to the high street but others will now operate online-only. Paperchase is closing 27 stores while Jaeger, John Lewis, Edinburgh Woollen Mill, Bonmarché, Hays Travel and Prezzo will reduce their store counts. Sir Philip Green's … [Read more...] about High street favourites that won’t re-open in April as Covid closes iconic chains forever

Rishi Sunak is expected to confirm a fourth Covid support grant for self-employed workers next week, as he delivers the biggest Budget since the Covid crisis emerged. Amongst stamp duty, the £20 Universal Credit uplift, new minimum wage rates and an update on the future of furlough, the Chancellor is set to deliver news on the next self-employed support grant. But the fourth payment in the Self-Employment Income Support Scheme (SEISS) could prove the last as it may be scrapped by May. The final scheme will be worth up to £7,500 and cover February, March and April, according to The Telegraph . Workers who meet the criteria will be able to claim 80% of their average profits over three months capped at £2,500, and paid as a single lumpsum. But the scheme could either be scrapped or capped at 20% of profits from May when lockdown restrictions are expected to lift and businesses could reopen. Mike Cherry, national chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, said the … [Read more...] about Will there be a fourth SEISS grant? Latest news on self-employed support scheme

The government and private sector should forge a new partnership to fuel a post-pandemic recovery that could include greater financial contributions from businesses to aid policy reforms, some of Britain's leading bosses have told Boris Johnson. Sky News has seen an open letter sent to the prime minister by the COVID Recovery Commission, a group set up last year that is chaired by the Tesco chairman, John Allan, and includes top executives from AstraZeneca, Heathrow Airport, Shell and Vodafone. In it, the executives acknowledge that building a "stronger, fairer and more resilient" economy will involve "a recognition that business's place in the 21st century will be to serve more than just shareholders". The letter will be accompanied by the publication of a report on Friday - Building Back Together - in which the Commission raises the prospect of private sector employers investing more into a more effective apprenticeship scheme than the widely criticised Apprenticeship … [Read more...] about Forge new post-COVID partnership with business, bosses urge Johnson

Nicky Henderson has given the lowdown on his intended team for the 2021 Cheltenham Festival. The top trainer has a number of leading contenders this year, including Champ in the WellChild Gold Cup and reigning champion hurdler Epatante. Shishkin has starred ahead of the Sporting Life Arkle, where he is set to take on another exciting two-miler, the Willie Mullins-trained Energumene. Over four days, from March 16-19, 14 Grade 1 contests are staged – the top level of the sport. Fans are set to watch all of the action from home this year, based on the current coronavirus rules. "We continue to monitor Government guidance and should this change in advance of The Festival supporting WellChild we will act accordingly," a racecourse spokesperson has said. Hear the latest news on Nicky Henderson's 2021 Cheltenham Festival team below... 15:39 Ballymore Novices' Hurdle entries Pipesmoker, Gallyhill, Bothwell Bridge, Patroclus and Captain Morgs are all in the race. … [Read more...] about Cheltenham Festival 2021 LIVE: Nicky Henderson stable tour including Shishkin and Champ

Energy provider Npower has removed its app after stolen login data was used to access customer accounts. The firm, owned by E.ON - one of the UK's big six energy suppliers - has not revealed how many people may have been affected by the cyber attack. It is believed that personal contact details and partial financial information may have been obtained, according to MoneySavingExpert.com , although full account numbers appear not to have been taken. Npower said it has alerted those who may have been affected and "immediately locked" their accounts. "We identified suspicious cyber activity affecting the npower mobile app, where someone has accessed customer accounts using login data stolen from another website. This is known as credential stuffing," the company said in a statement. "We've contacted all affected customers to make them aware of the issue, encouraging them to change their passwords and advice on how to prevent unauthorised access to their online account. "We … [Read more...] about NPower cyber attack – customers warned personal details may have been breached