Why has Donald Trump done much better than Europeans expected — again? November 4, 2020 As was the case four years ago, most media outlets in Europe have been predicting a massive victory for the Democrats. Now the election results are much tighter than expected. Why? Well, among lots of Europeans it was the wish for an overwhelming victory for Joe Biden that shaped the narrative. The majority of western [...]
Boris Johnson promises businesses new lockdown will end on 2 December November 4, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson reassured British businesses that the new lockdown in England will end on 2 December during a speech to the CBI today, but later said it would “depend on us all doing our bit”. Johnson announced a new month-long lockdown at the weekend. It will come into place tomorrow and will see [...]
Afternoon update: What we know (and what we don’t) about the US election race November 4, 2020 Afternoon update: What we know about the US election race so far
‘Markets got what they really did not want’: The City reacts to knife-edge US election November 4, 2020 Investors didn’t want this to happen. They had bet on a Joe Biden win in the US presidential election that they hoped would unleash a big stimulus, but found themselves rapidly adjusting their positions as the race became too close to call. Bonds and the dollar rose as investors sought safety. US stocks were volatile, [...]
The curse of the Mail-In Vote: How this contested US election became a horror show November 4, 2020 For a number of months now, good political risk man that I am, I have worried aloud in these pages with increasing dread about the 2020 US presidential election. There are times when you hate being right about making correct political risk calls. The Iraq War debacle was surely such an occasion for me. Sadly, [...]
US election day as it happened: In Pictures November 4, 2020 Pictures captured of people across the US at polling stations at the end of a bitter and unusual campaign. Almost 100m people already voted by mail-in and absentee ballot, which is 70 per cent of the total vote in 2016. Below we bring to you the best pictures on US election day from across the [...]
How ‘following the science’ has let our country down November 4, 2020 If I were to be diagnosed with a malignant tumour, I would expect my doctors to lay out for me the alternative treatment options, how each would affect my quality of life, its impact on survival or potential cure and, as far as is knowable, all the other potential costs and benefits. I would listen [...]
Lockdown 2.0: A creative destruction revolution, or the death knell of innovation? November 4, 2020 So Boris Johnson has failed to follow his own government’s guidelines on cost-benefit appraisal. Study after study by economists show that the costs of lockdown far exceed the benefits. The NHS — the “envy of the world” — has conspicuously failed to develop sufficient capacity to deal with a second wave, despite having had months [...]
Fish Scupper: EU and EU fail to bridge gaps on fisheries November 3, 2020 The UK and European Union have so far failed to reach agreements on the three most contentious issues in their ongoing trade talks, both sides said. The pair have not been able to reach agreements on fisheries, the so-called level playing field, and settling future disputes between Britain and the EU. Read more: CBI deputy: [...]
Realistic to end new England lockdown in December, says Chris Whitty November 3, 2020 The forthcoming national lockdown in England is designed to reduce Covid-19 transmission rates to the extent that it can end as scheduled on 2 December, chief medical officer Chris Witty said. Speaking to MPs, Whitty said the new lockdown, which is due to come into force on Thursday, could reduce the reproduction (R) number for [...]