Skip to content 
Search

Latest Stories

Go back to office so 'young can learn', Sunak tells Brits

Go back to office so 'young can learn', Sunak tells Brits

UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak wants workers to return to the office when coronavirus restrictions are lifted on July 19, media reports claimed.

Saying that he is looking forward to the return, Sunak has insisted there was a benefit of workers being with their colleagues, particularly for the young.


"I think for young people, especially, that ability to be in your office, be in your workplace and learn from others more directly, is something that's really important and I look forward to us slowly getting back to that," he told the Daily Telegraph.

He also added that “Zoom” and “Teams” are "not great" for workers starting out and that in-person interactions were “really valuable”.

In less than two weeks, there will no longer be any official government guidance regarding working arrangements, as a part of the last stage of the UK's roadmap out of lockdown, as the choice has been left to employers.

Sunak said that it wasn’t for the government to “start mandating exactly what people should and shouldn't do in this circumstance”, and insisted that they needed to “get away” from that.

“Ultimately I trust people and businesses to make decisions for themselvesm," he said.

Speaking of the surge in case numbers recently, Sunak declared that it was still the intention to make the easing of restrictions irreversible, saying “even with rising case numbers, the hospitalisation numbers are at a manageable level”.

The longstanding work-from-home order has fueled concerns about the economic impact of people staying at home, with town centre businesses such as cafes suffering from the lack of trade, but with now the final step of the government's lifting of lockdown restrictions in sight, things are expected to pick up again. 

Meanwhile, Trade Union Congress (TUC) on Thursday (8) raised concerns over workers’ safety saying that the government had undermined public confidence by announcing the end of face mask obligations without consultation.

More For You

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

Workers are engaged at their sewing stations in a garment factory in Savar, on the outskirts of Dhaka, on April 9, 2025. (Photo by MUNIR UZ ZAMAN/AFP via Getty Images)

Bangladesh seeks US deal to shield garment industry from tariffs

BANGLADESH, the world's second-biggest garment manufacturer, aims to strike a trade deal with the US before Donald Trump's punishing tariffs kick in next week, said the country's top commerce official.

Dhaka is proposing to buy Boeing planes and boost imports of US wheat, cotton and oil in a bid to reduce the trade deficit, which Trump used as the reason for imposing painful levies in his "Liberation Day" announcement.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Bond yields ease following Starmer’s support for Reeves

THE COST of UK government borrowing fell on Thursday, partially reversing the rise seen after Chancellor Rachel Reeves became emotional during Prime Minister’s Questions.

The yield on 10-year government bonds dropped to 4.55 per cent, down from 4.61 per cent the previous day. The pound also recovered slightly to $1.3668 (around £1.00), though it did not regain all its earlier losses.

Keep ReadingShow less
modi-trump-getty
Modi shakes hands with Trump before a meeting at Hyderabad House in New Delhi on February 25, 2020. (Photo: Getty Images)
Getty Images

Indian exporters watch closely as Trump says trade deal with India likely

THE US could reach a trade deal with India that would help American companies compete more easily in the Indian market and reduce tariff rates, President Donald Trump said on Tuesday. However, he cast doubt on a similar deal with Japan.

Speaking to reporters on Air Force One, Trump said he believed India was ready to lower trade barriers, potentially paving the way for an agreement that would avoid the 26 per cent tariff rate he had announced on April 2 and paused until July 9.

Keep ReadingShow less
Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Kolhapuri sandal sales surge in India post Prada controversy

INDIAN footwear sellers and artisans are tapping into nationalist pride stoked by the Prada 'sandal scandal' in a bid to boost sales of ethnic slippers with history dating back to the 12th century, raising hopes of reviving a struggling craft.

Sales are surging over the past week for the 'Kolhapuri' sandals that have garnered global attention after Prada sparked a controversy by showcasing similar designs in Milan, without initially crediting the footwear's origins.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK business district
The Canary Wharf business district including global financial institutions in London.
Getty Images

Economy grew 0.7 per cent in Q1 2025, fastest in a year

THE UK economy expanded at its fastest pace in a year during the first quarter of 2025, driven by a rise in home purchases ahead of a tax deadline and higher manufacturing output before the introduction of new US import tariffs.

Gross domestic product rose by 0.7 per cent in the January-to-March period, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said, confirming its earlier estimate. This was the strongest quarterly growth since the first quarter of 2024.

Keep ReadingShow less