Sausage shortages?

Meaty delays

Meat production lines might be forced to shut down because they don’t have enough staff, after 1 in 10 of their workforce have been pinged to self-isolate by the NHS Covid app. Customers could start to see shortages of meat products according to the British Meat Processors Association (BMPA).

Debt mountain

Small shopkeepers are struggling under a growing pile of debt, with indie businesses now owing 4 times as much as they did a year ago. Bill Grimsey, ex-boss of Wickes, and Iceland, warns we could see a “tsunami” of closures unless the government steps in. He’s calling for a forgiveness scheme for viable businesses, to write off the state-backed loans they took out during the pandemic.

Addicted to printing money?

The Bank of England risks becoming addicted to quantitative easing (QE), under which it creates new money to buy up government bonds. That’s according to the House of Lords, who want to see the Bank’s plans to wind down its pandemic bond-buying programme. They reckon there’s a risk it could lead to higher inflation and widen the wealth gap by boosting asset prices.

Help for hospitality

Pubs and restaurants are set to get extra help to recruit staff from the government as part of a post-pandemic boost. The plans come amid concerns about staff shortages, as many immigrant workers left the UK during lockdown. They’ll try to get young jobseekers into hospitality jobs as a long-term career option.