Calls for a circuit breaker are out of date, misguided, and not grounded in science October 20, 2020 The politicians supporting a circuit breaker lockdown, like the one due to come into effect in Wales on Friday, say they are “following the science”. They appear to be referring to a Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) document dated 21 September. If so, it’s science, Jim, but not as hard as we know it. [...]
From Wigan Warrior to eco-warrior: Let’s make the future electric October 20, 2020 I remember the moment my future went electric. No, it wasn’t as I was sprinting 90m for a try in the 1994 Challenge Cup Final against Leeds. It was when I first took my wife’s second-hand BMW i3 for a drive a couple of years ago. We had bought an electric motor as our second [...]
The world needs a coordinated Covid policy — based on social realities, not just ‘the science’ October 20, 2020 The measures recommended by Victorian epidemiologist Dr John Snow to prevent cholera contain many that we’re now advocating today in response to Covid-19. Dr Snow advised better personal hygiene, checking the health of arrivals from abroad, and getting the homeless off the streets — all strategies taken by the UK government over the past few [...]
Love in a time of Covid: A guide to lockdown dating October 19, 2020 Shakespeare’s assertion that “the course of true love never did run smooth” has never felt quite so true as it has during the pandemic for couples who don’t live together. This has become especially complicated with the introduction of different restriction levels across regional boundaries. From the beginning of lockdown, clarity on how to live [...]
It’s up to the City to drive Britain’s economic recovery October 19, 2020 “The harder yards are ahead of us,” warned Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey recently, as Britain’s households and businesses brace themselves for a bitter winter in the midst of the pandemic. With the UK’s economic recovery already fragile, it is clear we need to identify the engines for growth that can weather the storm [...]
The City can act now to help see London’s creative sector through its darkest hour October 19, 2020 Now that London has moved into tighter local lockdown restrictions, I urge all individuals and businesses across the capital to act responsibly by following the new rules. This is vital to slow the spread of the virus, save lives, and protect the NHS. Londoners must continue to work together in response to the pandemic. I [...]
The end to modern slavery has its roots in the everyday changes October 18, 2020 Today is UK Anti-Slavery Day: a time to acknowledge the scale of this horrific crime and, perhaps most importantly, to deepen our resolve to fight against modern slavery, human trafficking, and human rights violations. Modern slavery is a hidden crime with an estimated 100,000 victims in this country alone. It touches the clothes we buy, [...]
We’re heading from London lockdown to national breakdown October 16, 2020 While London entering Tier 2 lockdown at midnight tomorrow is nowhere near as drastic as the Tier 3 lockdown imposed on the Liverpool City Region, it’s the size and symbolism of the capital that counts. With each day that passes, businesses in the capital, like those around the rest of the country, can feel the [...]
Friday Debate: Is the move to put London under Tier 2 restrictions unjustified? October 16, 2020 Is the move to put London under Tier 2 restrictions unjustified? Join the debate Luke Johnson, entrepreneur and chairman of Risk Capital Partners, says YES. So the lockdown zealots have won, and London is to face yet more onerous restrictions on our civil liberties — even though hospital admissions for Covid-19 are roughly 90 per [...]
The Circuit Breakers should be honest about what they’re asking for: lockdown until Christmas and beyond October 16, 2020 “Circuit breaker lockdown”: sounds cool, doesn’t it? Edgy, effective, high-tech. Circuits involve electricity, electricity is physics, so a circuit breaker must be about science — the kind of science that makes light bulbs flash and powers cutting-edge revolutions that can save a nation from ruin. With pressure building for the government to impose this two-week [...]