Public Health England dropped the ball on the pandemic — but the new restructuring offers hope September 7, 2020 Mike Tyson’s infamous line about everyone having a plan until they get punched in the mouth could be the epitaph for Public Health England. The quango made many mistakes in its response to Covid-19, but planning for an influenza epidemic was perhaps the most fatal. PHE had swine flu, rather than the SARS coronavirus, in [...]
‘Major incident’ declared as multiple people stabbed in Birmingham September 6, 2020 Multiple people were stabbed in Birmingham last night in what has been described as a “major incident” by local police. West Midlands Police were called to a first stabbing at 12.30am, before a series of others were also reported. West Midlands mayor Andy Street said the incidents “look to be related”, however police would not [...]
Reluctance to seek medical care risks storing up another public health crisis September 3, 2020 Are people in Britain getting the healthcare they need? The sad answer, after six months of intense pandemic response, is that far too many are not. Some of that is down to the public’s own choice to avoid seeking medical advice. In May, a poll conducted by IPSOS for the Health Foundation showed almost half [...]
Government urges firms to hire under-25s through free ‘kickstart’ scheme September 2, 2020 UK companies can offer six-month work placements to young people – with wages paid entirely by the government – under the “kickstart” scheme launched today. The government urged businesses to sign up and “take advantage of the enormous pool of potential out there”. It warned that young people “could otherwise be left behind as a [...]
The national productivity recovery depends on getting people back to the office September 2, 2020 Office workers continue to display reluctance to return to their workplaces, despite encouragement from the government for them to head back. The immediate consequences for the service jobs in cities which depend on people commuting into the office are apparent, hence the government drive. But is office work a good thing for the workers themselves? [...]
The government needs to take nurseries more seriously as part of its education strategy September 1, 2020 As schools prepare to return, so soon after the A-Level fiasco, there is a huge focus on education. However, one very important part of the education sector, which has been underappreciated for too long, is that of day nurseries, pre-schools and childminders. These early learning providers cater for 2.1m children under the age of five [...]
Supporting young people’s education will create lasting value for London and the UK August 31, 2020 You’d have to be on a desert island to miss the fact that in recent weeks pupils across the capital have received their A-Level and GCSE exam results. This has been a year like no other. Not only has every school had to adapt and find new ways of working following closures forced by the [...]
UK firms must return to the office to revive the economy, says CBI boss August 27, 2020 The head of the CBI has warned of “ghost town Britain” as she calls on UK firms to return to the office to revive the economy. Dame Carolyn Fairbairn has called on the Prime Minister to do more to get office workers back to the office. Writing in the Daily Mail, Fairbairn warned commercial centres [...]
IG employees not required to return to the office until 2021 August 26, 2020 IG is the latest firm to say its employees will not be required to return to the office for the rest of the year. In a memo seen by City A.M., the online trading firm’s chief operating officer Jon Noble told UK employees that they can continue working from home until the end of 2020. [...]
Sweden shows us whether lockdown was worth the economic cost August 26, 2020 Did Sweden get it right in its response to Covid? There is increasing interest in this question. Contrary to widespread belief, the Swedes did introduce a few legally enforceable restrictions on behaviour. For example, public gatherings of more than 50 people were forbidden in March. Private ones were exempt from the ban. But, overall, compared [...]