Omicron Covid measures show our politicians still don’t know how to take risks Andy Mayer According to the government, the Omicron measures are “proportionate and responsible”. This may be true when compared to the pinnacle of pandemic command-and-control, when scotch eggs were served with every pint, outdoor gyms were taped up, and hikers were pursued across moors with drones. But make no mistake, with these new restrictions the state is [...]
Coronavirus: The government’s job retention scheme needs some more tweaking The government's job retention scheme needs some more tweaking With businesses ordered to close and workers to self-isolate, the government is attempting to protect the wages of those impacted to avoid them breaking quarantine to go job-hunting. The Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme (CJRS), which offers payments to affected workers of 80 per cent of income, capped at £2,500 a month, provides some security, but [...]
The world will never go plastic-free – and nor should we want to The City of London (which I represent as a common councillor for Bishopsgate) has launched a new campaign – “Plastic-Free City” – to reduce waste. Specifically, the aim is reduce the use of single-use plastics in City properties, and more widely, through a public information programme. Reducing waste and encouraging better choices are all good [...]