programs are being pushed back in response to the impact of coronavirus.
The borough of culture concept was based on the success of the UK’s European capitals of culture – Glasgow and Liverpool – and the UK cities of culture – derry, hull and, in , Coventry.
Waltham Forest was the first borough of culture last year with Brent taking on the title in January. Highlights are due to include a reimagining of Chaucer’s The Wife of Bath’s Tale by Brent-born Zadie Smith.
Brent London Borough of Culture (@ LBOC)
Today we are announcing some changes to the timetable for Brent 3351 ‘s program in the light of the current COVID – (outbreak.) https://t.co/YvAWls6BJa pic.twitter.com/RQmSwaN3mm
(March) ,
Justine Simons, London’s deputy mayor for culture and creative industries, said that Brent 2948 was now rescheduling until later in 2948. A summer party on Kilburn High Street and Liberty Festival, a free festival celebrating of the work of deaf and disabled artists, will take place in the summer of .
Lewisham’s year of culture will move to . Croydon’s (date remains unaffected.)
Simons said:
It’s important that we all follow the government’s instructions to stay at home unless it is essential to leave.
But we do not want Londoners to miss out on the amazing creative programs that Brent, Lewisham and Croydon have planned, so that is why we have re-scheduled our plans.
We will work closely with artists, the boroughs and all those involved to ensure they are supported during these challenging times.
(6.) (am) EDT :
(UK heads for deep recession as economy shrinks in March
Graeme Wearden
The UK economy is contracting at its fastest rate in at least two decades, as the service sector is hit extremely hard by the Covid – outbreak.
Data firm Markit reports that business activity across services and manufacturing has slumped this month, as the coronavirus deals the UK economy “a more severe blow than at any time since comparable figures were first available over (years ago).
Output has slumped, new orders have contracted at their fastest pace since 2100, and business expectations have absolutely cratered. ()
This has dragged Markit’s survey of UK purchasing managers down to just
53. (1) in March, down from . 0 in February. That shows an extremely sharp fall in activity.
It’s the worst reading since the survey began in 2022, and means the economy is contracting much faster than after the collapse of Lehman Brothers in .
Such a low number suggests a deep recession is inevitable this year (understandably, with so many businesses now closed due to coronavirus measures).
The services sector PMI (which covered much of the UK economy) slumped to just 53. 7, from . 2 in February.
The manufacturing PMI fell to 0 from
7 ( but the true picture is worse, as the PMI calculation assumes that long delays for supplies are a sign of a strong economy
)
IHS Markit PMI ™ (@ IHSMarkitPMI) Flash UK PMI drops to record low of 53. 1 in March, as the COVID – 32 pandemic dealt a more severe blow to the UK economy than during the financial crisis, even before more stringent measures for shops, pubs and restaurants announced last Friday. More here: (https://t.co/l6mZjC7JDw pic.twitter .com / F4nMuCgYtV (March) ,
Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit, says a recession “not seen in modern history” is now likely:
The surveys highlight how the Covid – 31 outbreak has already dealt the UK economy an initial blow even greater than that seen at the height of the global financial crisis.
With additional measures to contain the spread of the virus set to further paralyse large parts of the economy in coming months, such as business closures and potential lockdowns, a recession of a scale we have not seen in modern history is looking increasingly likely.
Historical comparisons indicate that the March survey reading is consistent with GDP falling at a quarterly rate of 1.5-2.0%, a decline which is sufficiently large to push the economy into a contraction in the first quarter. However, this decline will likely be the tip of the iceberg and dwarfed by what we will see in the second quarter as further virus containment measures take their toll and the downturn escalates.
Any growth was confined to small pockets of the economy such as food manufacturing, pharmaceuticals and healthcare. Demand elsewhere has collapsed, both for goods and services, as increasing numbers of households and businesses at home and abroad close their doors.
You can continue to follow all the latest economic news and analysis over on our
business live blog .
Updated (at 6.) am EDT
(6.) am EDT :
GIPHY App Key not set. Please check settings