YOU would think the report card on Boris Johnson’s Brexit issued this week by international ratings agency Moody’s would make embarrassing reading for the Prime Minister and his Government. The “you would think” qualification here is not included because there is any doubt over what is being said by Moody’s. The ratings agency is perfectly clear when it says the UK economy will be “significantly smaller” over the longer term with Brexit. Moody’s declares the “macroeconomic cost” for the UK of losing European Union membership has been confirmed. And it gives its view that the economic provisions of the UK’s deal with the EU (an agreement which was trumpeted so loudly by Mr Johnson on Christmas Eve) are “skewed in favour” of our EU neighbours.
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Home / News / Coronavirus weekly round-up: Boris Johnson ‘deeply sorry’ for Covid deaths; Redditors rile hedge funds with Gamestop buying bonanza
Coronavirus weekly round-up: Boris Johnson ‘deeply sorry’ for Covid deaths; Redditors rile hedge funds with Gamestop buying bonanza
Four investors mull the events shaping portfolios over the past week
Prime minister Boris Johnson said this week he was “deeply sorry for every life that has been lost” as the UK’s official coronavirus death toll exceeded 100,000.
Meanwhile, vaccine manufacturer Astrazeneca and the EU got into a spat over the pharma giant’s agreement to supply the jab to the continent, which is desperately short on doses.
The UK produced fewer than 1m cars as the pandemic meant factories were disrupted by social distancing and lockdown measures. Brexit played a role, as a deal went down to the wire.
28th January 2021 11:22 am 28th January 2021 2:57 pm
UK car output was the ‘worst in a generation’ in 2020 with COVID-19 and Brexit contributing to a 29.3 per cent drop in production.
Output at Nissan Sunderland was down 29.1 per cent to 245, 649 units (Image: Nissan)
The latest figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) show UK car production down 2.3 per cent in December to 71,403 units, and down to 920,928 units for the year.
Factory output was stymied by COVID-related lockdowns and social distancing measures whilst Brexit uncertainty, a factor until Christmas Eve when the EU/UK trade deal was struck, weakened market demand in key export markets.
Coronavirus digest: First Tokyo Olympics event postponed in Japan
The swimming event was scheduled to take place from March 4-7 in Tokyo, but has been postponed to May. Meanwhile, Australia has extended its travel bubble suspension with New Zealand. Follow DW for the latest.
About 80% of Japanese believe the Olympics will not or should not take place as planned
The first event of the Tokyo Olympics has been postponed because of travel restrictions in Japan, the event s organizers said on Thursday. Japan is currently in a state of emergency until at least February 7 following rising cases of the coronavirus.
The artistic swimming event was scheduled to take place from March 4-7 in Tokyo but is now postponed to May. The organizers said the decision was taken to ensure the fairest possible conditions for athletes to participate.