Britons are many times more likely to have experienced shortages of food and fuel than people in half a dozen EU member states, according to a poll (The Guardian).
The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is less likely to cause severe disease than the Delta variant, according to two studies published yesterday that offer early support for Boris Johnson’s decision to pause further restrictions (The Times £).
Fear of catching coronavirus has made shoppers and revellers stay away from London’s West End, as footfall was more than a quarter lower than pre-pandemic levels during what should be one of the busiest trading days of the year (The Times £).
’Like a ghost town’: customers desert city centres as Omicron takes hold (The Guardian).
Coronavirus-related staff absence will continue to disrupt UK businesses and public services, despite the government’s move to shorten the Covid self-isolation period, employers have warned (The Financial Times £).
Economic recovery over the summer was slower than previously thought, as officials revised down GDP growth estimates in an update of the figures (The Times £).
The UK and EU have struck a deal on sharing fish stocks in 2022, while a separate dispute with France over access for its boats in British waters continues (The Financial Times £).
Scottish billionaire Sir Tom Hunter has given his backing to THG boss Matt Moulding, calling him the “best entrepreneur disruptor I have come across” after a difficult year for the technology group (The Times £).
Shares in over-60s-focused meals delivery group Parsley Box have fallen sharply today after the company revealed it wants to raise more cash via its investors (The Mail).
Bosses at Brewdog have said there is a “distinct gap” between the perceptions of ex-staff who heavily criticised the brewer and those still with the firm (BBC News).
The Lex column in The Financial Times (£) takes a look at the controversy surrounding the Pret A Manger subscription service, which has received a flood of complaints. “Negative publicity is a reminder of the risks of schemes concocted with little thought of possible liabilities,” the paper writes.
Commercial landlord Landsec has bought a stake in the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent, in a deal that demonstrates how far and fast values for this sort of property have fallen in recent years (The Financial Times £).
Consumers are losing interest in Alexa smart speakers as privacy fears mount and their novelty wears off, internal documents from Amazon have warned (The Telegraph).
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