Britons travelling to the European Union have been warned they face disruption and potential charges after the Brexit transition period ends on Thursday. Britons have previously been able to rely on free healthcare thanks to their European Health Insurance Card, and to escape roaming charges thanks to a ban on the fees throughout the bloc.
Business
China is set to overtake the US to become the world’s biggest economy five years earlier than previously thought, thanks in part to its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, according to a think tank. The Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) says China will become the world’s major economic force in 2028. In an
The group behind a think-tank that became a vocal advocate of a hard Brexit is in talks to buy a big stake in GB News, a new current affairs broadcaster that wants to challenge long-standing industry players. Sky News has learnt that Legatum, a Dubai-based group founded by Christopher Chandler, a New Zealand-born billionaire, is
Boxing Day sales are expected to fall by more than a quarter compared with last year, despite some shoppers queueing in the early hours in some areas under lighter restrictions. Footfall for the sales is already down 60% in the UK up to 12pm – largely due to non-essential shops being closed across swathes of
The owner of a think-tank that became one of the most vocal advocates of a hard Brexit is in talks to buy a big stake in GB News, a new current affairs broadcaster that wants to challenge long-standing industry players. Sky News has learnt that Legatum, a Dubai-based group founded by Christopher Chandler, a New
A special cargo flight chartered to supply UK supermarkets has landed in Yorkshire with 80 tonnes of fruit and vegetables on board. The delivery was a one-off organised as thousands of trucks remain stranded near Dover after France stopped them crossing over fears about the new coronavirus variant announced last week. The closure has stopped
A Brexit deal ensures that champagne, among other things, will still be available tariff-free come 1 January, but don’t expect many in business to be popping corks. There will be a measure of relief that the agreement has been reached. A deal at least averts the very worst outcome for British businesses and the workers
A long-awaited trade deal between the UK and the EU has been struck just days before the deadline. The treaty will apply from 1 January 2021 and take over from the existing arrangements under the transition period, which has seen the UK continue to follow most EU rules since Brexit day to limit disruption to
The pound has made strong gains against the dollar over hopes of a breakthrough in Brexit talks. Sterling has been further buoyed by France lifting a border blockade aimed at stopping the spread of a fast-spreading new COVID-19 strain. Live coronavirus updates from the UK and around the world Please use Chrome browser for a
More businesses face “insurmountable pressure” after a further 50,000 were forced to shut due to the extension of local lockdowns in England, it has been warned. Moving more areas into the toughest Tier 4 restrictions from Boxing Day to combat a fast-spreading mutant coronavirus strain will take the total number of non-essential shops, hairdressers and
The British Retail Consortium has warned that there could be supply issues for some fresh goods until the backlog of trucks at Dover is cleared. Thousands of trucks have been stranded in Dover after France closed its borders earlier this week in reaction to a new highly-infectious coronavrius variant confirmed in the UK. The closure
The government has made ”good progress” in talks with France over reopening the country’s UK border, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced. More than 2,800 lorries have been left trapped in Kent after France shut its border to UK travellers on Sunday night, following fears over the spread of a new coronavirus variant. France’s transport minister, Jean-Baptiste
Public sector net borrowing is estimated to have been £31.6bn in November – the third-highest for any month since records began in 1993. It means borrowing in the first eight months of the financial year (April to November) is estimated at £240.9bn. This is £188.6bn more than the same point last year, and the highest
Royal Mail has halted deliveries to Europe, except for the Republic of Ireland, due to a UK travel ban triggered by the discovery of a new faster spreading coronavirus strain. The company has also added Canada and Turkey to its “on suspension” list due to delays caused by “severely limited” air capacity. In addition, Royal
Britain’s second biggest supermarket has warned gaps will start to appear on shelves within days after France’s ban on freight from the UK. Sainsbury’s said there would be shortages on products including lettuce, salad leaves and cauliflowers if transport ties with the continent are not restored quickly. However the supermarket said it had “plenty” of
The Port of Dover has halted all exports to France for at least 48 hours, urging freight and passenger customers to stay away. It comes after France joined Ireland and a growing list of European countries to impose travel restrictions on the UK over a new strain of coronavirus. Transport Secretary Grant Schapps warned of