Hopelessness on the home front: The nation needs something to look forward to October 22, 2020 As the pandemic continues to roll through our communities, riding undulating waves of infection “R”, infectious hope does not seem to have followed the same trajectory. In the midst of lockdown, many talked about hope as a protective shield that would see us through to the end of this crazy interlude. My, how we would [...]
Ed Miliband calls on government to extend ‘wrongful trading’ suspension until end of year October 21, 2020 Shadow business secretary Ed Miliband has urged the government to extend the suspension of “wrongful trading” rules to the end of the year or risk a flurry of firms going bankrupt. Back in March, ministers introduced a temporary protection for business directors to protect them from liability if they kept trading despite facing bankruptcy due [...]
Bulmers owner C&C warns over impact of second wave on cider sales October 21, 2020 Bulmers and Magners owner C&C Group today warned that the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic could dent its recovery due to ongoing restrictions in the hospitality sector. For the six months ended 31 August, the company swung from a €64.4m operating profit to a loss of €11.7m, due to the closure of pubs and [...]
Back to Business: How a Dalston cafe-owner stayed afloat October 21, 2020 As coronavirus restrictions continue to squeeze the hospitality sector, we asked Dalston’s Snackbar owner Freddie Janssen how she stayed afloat and got back to business. Who are you and what do you do? I’m Freddie Janssen, owner of Snackbar in Dalston. It’s a bright and buzzy little neighbourhood cafe serving good coffee and quality comfort [...]
The government must take back control of the Covid narrative October 21, 2020 The word “narrative” is usually seen as being a posh way of saying “story”. But the idea of narratives is one which is gaining traction in economics. Last year, for example, Nobel laureate Robert Shiller of Yale published a book entitled “Narrative Economics”. He argued that it is the perception of events and the stories [...]
Rishi Sunak: Circuit breaker would be ‘enormously damaging’ to economy October 20, 2020 A new circuit breaker lockdown would be “enormously damaging” for the economy and the government will continue to pursue a localised Covid approach, according to chancellor Rishi Sunak. Sunak told MPs this morning that a two to three week lockdown, which Labour is recommending, would cause “unnecessary pain and suffering on those in parts of [...]
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. [...]
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 [...]
Boris Johnson delaying choice on Covid lockdown as rapid testing nears October 18, 2020 Boris Johnson is reportedly delaying any decision on a national lockdown in the hope that new rapid turnaround Covid tests can be deployed before the end of the year. Johnson said last week that 1m “swab in the gob” tests, that give a result in 15 minutes, could be used every day by the end [...]