The UK economy grew 4.8% from April to June as coronavirus restrictions eased. The boom was driven by consumer spending on shopping, hotels and restaurants, according to figures from the Office for National Statistics. This growth is roughly what the Bank of England expected, and GDP is now 4.4% below its pre-pandemic size.
From next week, fully jabbed Brits won’t need to self-isolate if they’re pinged by the NHS app - but they will be advised to get a PCR test as soon as possible. The changes will come as a relief to businesses who’ve struggled with staff shortages during the “pingdemic”.
A quarter of workers are not allowed time off work to get their coronavirus jab, according to a new survey by Acas. They also found that some employers were not paying sick pay to people dealing with the jab’s side effects.
The government is spending far more on polluting policies than on climate-friendly measures, according to charity WWF. In the 2021 spring budget, only £145m was earmarked for environmental spending, mostly on a post-Brexit emissions trading scheme for industry. But measures that would increase emissions were worth far more, at £40bn.
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