UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has urged businesses to prepare for the end of the EU Exit transition period, working on the assumption that there will be no trade deal. This represents a significant shift in positioning – previously, government policy assumed that some sort of deal would be achieved, if only a basic “Canada-style” agreement. Other bodies that make forecasts or give a...

The First Minister in Wales has announced a “fire-break” lockdown in Wales to start from 6p.m on Friday 23 October until Monday 9 November. The measures include: People must stay at home, except for limited purposes, such as for exercise People must work from home wherever possible All non-food retail, hospitality businesses, including cafes, restaurants and pubs (unless th...

The European Council met over 15 and 16 October to discuss future relations with the UK, coronavirus, climate change and relations with Africa. In a conclusions document issued during the summit, EU leaders stated that progress so far is not sufficient to conclude a trade deal – they instructed the EU negotiating team to continue talks. However, the EU also called on the UK to “ ...

Your overview of political and economic news with a focus on the food and consumer goods industry, featuring the latest guidance on COVID-19 and planning for the end of the transition period with the EU. Outbreaks in food production facilities A set of principles developed by the cross-government task force to support the management of outbreaks has now been published. The document in...

In IGD’s series of Monthly Economics Webcasts, we cover the key issues affecting the food and consumer goods industry. This month: COVID-19 Naomi Kissman, our Strategy & Corporate Affairs Director, outlines the latest updates from government and industry on COVID-19 4-minute watch EU-Exit As we head towards the end of the EU Exit transition period, our Chief Eco...

The Fisheries Bill 2020 passed its third reading in the House of Commons on 13 October and is now approaching Royal Assent (the Bill began in the Lords). The Bill removes the automatic right of foreign vessels to fish in UK waters without being granted a special license. There are also several environmental measures, although – strangely – the current version of the Bill does not co...

The Agriculture Bill has been debated and amended by the House of Lords and returned to the Commons. The Lords made several changes, including – most significantly – a requirement that any imported foods must be compliant with UK food standards. The Lords’ amendments intended to address concerns over UK food and farming standards in the post-EU period. Several well-known figures e.g....

The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS), working with Citi, has published a new “Green Budget” report, examining the damage done by the coronavirus emergency to the UK economy and public finances. Although the future path of the economy remains unclear, it is expected that the UK economy will remain smaller in four years than it was before coronavirus emerged. Unemployment may reach 8....

The latest ONS data suggests a sharp deterioration in the UK labour market over Summer 2020. Data for July 2020 shows that 1,522,000 people were unemployed, giving an unemployment rate of 4.5% - the highest since March 2017. Young adults were especially likely to be unemployed – the unemployment rate for 18-24’s has risen from 10.7% in February (just before Coronavirus took hold) to 13.1%...

Your overview of political and economic news with a focus on the food and consumer goods industry, featuring the latest guidance on COVID-19 and planning for the end of the transition period with the EU. COVID-19 – Local COVID Alert Levels The government has announced new three-tier Local COVID alert levels for England to suppress rising COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions. The...