NO MORE COVID TIERS
The Daily Mail reports that the Covid tiers system could be scrapped after lockdown under plans to ease restrictions on a national basis. Boris Johnson is looking again at whether the country should go back to a system of regional tiers, which was credited with slowing the spread of the virus but ultimately failed to head off a third national lockdown. A return to a national system of restrictions would result in a slower release from lockdown, as areas with low numbers of cases would be forced to wait for others to ‘catch up’ before being allowed to open up. But some ministers believe that, by removing the risk of transmission from Covid hotspots to other areas, it would be likely to prove more sustainable.
SCOTTISH REFERENDUM
From the Independent:The campaign for another Scottish independence referendum is “completely irrelevant” and most people want to focus on beating the pandemic, says Boris Johnson. On a visit north of the border, the prime minister attacked the SNPs failure to give “any clear description of what the constitutional situation will be”, if the party succeeded in breaking up the UK.
WAR FOOTING
The SUN warns that Iran has threatened to blitz two cities if Israel prepares attack plans over Tehran’s bid to make a nuclear bomb. Iranian forces warned they would “level Haifa and Tel Aviv” if Israel plotted military action against them. It came after Israeli defence chief, Lieutenant-General Aviv Kochavi warned that the US returning to a 2015 nuclear deal with Iran would be a “bad thing operationally and strategically”. He said the move would allow the Islamic republic a fast track to building a bomb, something Iranian leadership has always denied it wanted to do.
EDUCATION CATCH-UP COULD LAST FIVE YEARS
The SUN reports: kids could be left scrambling around trying to catch up with their school work for five years because so much time has been lost in lockdown, the Children’s Commissioner has warned. On Wednesday the PM Boris Johnson dashed hopes that kids would be back at their desks after February half-term but indicated that he hoped that would be back in school from March 8th onwards. Anne Longfield the Children’s Commissioner for England had said the Government’s catch-up programme would have to go on for two years but now thinks up to five years support will be needed.
ADDITIONAL FINANCIAL SUPPORT FOR UNIVERSITY STUDENTS
The Guardian reports: A cross-party group of MPs and peers is calling for the government to more than double financial support for university students in England whose education has been disrupted by the pandemic, potentially amounting to £700m. The fund would provide support for students experiencing hardship as a result of lost income from term-time jobs in retail and hospitality. It would also cover rent rebates for accommodation that has not been used due to lockdown measures requiring students to remain at the addresses they returned to over the Christmas break. The Westminster government’s support for the 1.95 million students in England has fallen behind that in Scotland and Wales, where education is devolved.
NO CHANGE TO WORKERS RIGHTS
The Independent reports: In a new government U-turn, business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has called off a controversial review of workers’ rights which could have seen the maximum 48-hour week scrapped after Brexit. The review, launched by Mr Kwarteng’s predecessor Alok Sharma was looking at a comprehensive shake-up of employment protections after the UK was released from EU rules at the end of the transition to Brexit on 1 January. Reports suggested it was focusing on ending the 48-hour week, changing rules on rest breaks and not including overtime when calculating holiday pay entitlements. Despite government insistence that they had no intention of lowering workers’ rights, it sparked fury from unions and Labour.
ARMS TRADE
The Guardian reports that a Change of US policy under President Joe Biden leaves Britain at risk of looking diplomatically isolated. The US decision to freeze arms sales to Saudi Arabia and the Emirates United Arab pending a review has led to renewed calls for the UK, Riyadh’s second largest arms supplier, to reassess its own policy. UK government officials said there were no plans to review sales, but at a minimum the Biden administration’s scepticism about Saudi Arabia’s six-year war in Yemen is going to require the Foreign Office to shift its emphasis or risk looking diplomatically isolated.
JOHNSON VISIT TO SCOTLAND ESSENTIAL
From The Times: the government has defended Boris Johnson’s decision to visit Scotland to highlight UK institutions’ efforts in fighting coronavirus. Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, said the prime minister’s trip was “absolutely essential” after Nicola Sturgeon questioned its wisdom during the pandemic. Ahead of his visit, Boris Johnson said last night that the strength of the Union will be crucial to rebuilding after the pandemic as a French pharmaceutical company announced that it will start mass production of a new coronavirus vaccine there.
GREEN ENERGY
The Times reports that the UK generated more electricity from renewable sources than from fossil fuels for the first time in 2020, according to an analysis. Wind turbines, solar panels, hydro-electric plants and biomass plants together accounted for 42 per cent of electricity generated during the year, the think tank Ember and Agora Energiewende said. That was just ahead of fossil fuels — primarily comprising gas-fired power plants — which accounted for 41 per cent. Nuclear plants generated the remaining 17 per cent. In 2019 renewables made up 37 per cent of domestic generation and fossil fuels 45 per cent. The change was driven by new wind farms which started generating, resulting in a 14 per cent increase in wind power output year-on-year.
FURLOUGH NUMBERS HIGHEST SINCE JULY
The Daily Mail reports that furlough numbers in January have hit the highest level recorded since last July as the latest national lockdown wreaks havoc with businesses and workers. Data published today by the Office for National Statistics showed that the percentage of businesses currently trading has remained relatively consistent in January at 71 per cent. But there has been a spike in the percentage of the UK’s workforce on furlough, from 14 per cent in December to 17 per cent now. Meanwhile, the percentage of firms currently trading in the accommodation and food service industries has dropped to 34 per cent as the national shutdown hammers the hospitality sector.
HOME GROWN PRODUCE
From the Express: British farmers and producers can look forward to a post-Brexit boost this year after a survey revealed most shoppers intend to buy more homegrown produce.Two-thirds said they want to support the economy while six in 10 believe it is the “logical choice” to buy ingredients grown in the UK. Meanwhile, nine in 10 felt it was important for major brands to support UK producers following the country’s exit from the European Union. Over a third of 2,000 adults polled said they were conscious of where their food came from after Brexit, with 30 percent willing to pay 10 percent more for a product made in Britain. A third already source their food locally, with an average of £21 being spent a week on homegrown products.
CORONA VIRUS INTO THE 2030s
The Daily Mirror warns that a leading doctor has estimated people will still be getting infected with Covid 19 into the 2030s and believes test and trace measures could be needed for decades. Dr Richard Harling, director of public health for Staffordshire, said the UK must learn to live with the virus because it might be around forever. He was speaking alongside Greg Fell, his counterpart in Sheffield, at a virtual House of Commons Science and Technology Committee meeting yesterday.
BRITAIN WILL NOT BE LAST TO LEAVE EU
The Express reports that a German MEP has warned Britain will not be the last country to leave the European Union unless Brussels stops serving “corporate interests”. Martin Schirdewan from the Nordic Green Left group in the European Parliament warned the EU needed to change tack to prevent further departure from the bloc. He said: “Britain may be the first, but it may not be the last. Brexit should be the wake-up call that we must finally put people and the planet before profit in Europe.”
AND FINALLY
From the Daily Mail: A pet ferret has made a ‘miraculous’ recovery after going through a full cycle in his owners’ washing machine. Two-year-old Bandit was given a one percent chance of survival after he sneaked into Josh Crosse and Jackie Redfern’s machine and underwent a 100-minute wash. He was taken to Vets4Pets Leeds Colton from his home in Halton, West Yorkshire, where he received emergency treatment. ‘Bandit was in a pretty bad way when he came in, but the team here got to work quickly to try and save his life,’ said veterinary surgeon David Massey. ‘His owners’ quick-thinking upon realising the situation also helped ensure we could prevent a tragedy. Amazingly, within four hours of being admitted he took a few gentle steps, which is when we started to become confident that he would make a good, and miraculous, recovery.’ Bandit suffered a collapsed lung and bruising in the incident, but has since made a full recovery.
BRITAIN WILL NOT BE LAST TO LEAVE EU (Daily Express)
The Daily Express has the story of a German MEP who thinks that Brexit has happened and that Britain is free of the EU. Martin Schirdewan from the Nordic Green Left group in the European Parliament said: “Britain may be the first (to leave), but it may not be the last”. But Martin Schirdewan and any others who think that Brexit has happened are mistaken.
Boris Johnson’s Trade and Close Cooperation Agreement does not give Britain Brexit. Instead it gives Britain associate membership of the EU. There is the joint EU/UK Partnership Council, whose decisions are binding, just like the EU/UK Joint Committee in Mrs May’s misnamed “Withdrawal” Agreement. Then there are about a dozen joint EU/UK Specialised Committees in which agreement has to be reached before Britain can deviate from EU rules. Obviously such agreement will not occur.
Also Boris Johnson has allowed the Protocol on Northern Ireland to continue to partition the United Kingdom’s internal market. When the EU partitions your internal market you do not have self-government and independence.
The purpose of Johnson’s TCA is to keep Britain in close regulatory alignment with the EU so that Britain can smoothly return to full EU membership under a future Labour government.
Ralph. I think BJ is a bit thick, rather than a closet remainer or rejoiner. Still, his ‘deal’ is already causing problems and it has certainly split N.I. from the rest of U.K.
Pauline, I doubt if Boris Johnson is thick. He was a Scholar at Eton College, not an Oppidan.
‘…….a bit thick’. How would you describe those people who voted for him then?
Green Energy. John Redwood today, talks about Biden’s push for Carbon Neutral Green Energy.
J.R. lists all the potential problems U.S. will have to overcome.
Every one of them is relevant to U.K. also; in Boris’ plans. I have pointed that out to J.R. Though maybe he knew that already and was a bit tongue in cheek.
Joe Biden and Boris Johnson are like two peas (I mean buffoons) in a pod. What else needs to be said, apart from we deserve better, Johnson out, and out now
Colin. Indeed they are. They trot out the WEF mantra, Build Back Better, on a regular basis. Plenty about their plan for the Great Reset on weforum.org/great-reset
Nothing Johnson does surprises me – he is the leader of the Tory Party and you can never, ever trust the Tories on Europe just as you cannot trust Labour or Lib Dems.
Green Energy
Reading the Green Energy report by ‘think tank Ember and Agora Energiewende’ (good British name), reminds me of a mucdonald’s report some years back.
This well known green organisation (!) effectively ignores nuclear power to boost subsidised wind and so on figures. Its like the msm says, conservatives had 38 percent of the vote, so most of the population voted against them.
So, what of mucdonalds? Complaints appeared in Lundonstan that there were few native English speakers in mucdonalds restos. Mucdonalds replied saying they employed more Britons than any others (full stop). What they omitted was to say 21 percent Brits, 18 percent Poles, 16 percent Romanians, . . .
The widespread omisions and lies that just keep on giving. . .
Yes. All we hear is about de-commissioning nucleur power stations. Are we building new ones? If not why not. How long will it take?
Funny you say that, I was just wondering if we had a British government anymore what with Kwarteng, Sharma and Patel etc
Her Majesty’s Government is a figment in the imagination of the March Hare in Alice in Wonderland. Is that good enough for you. I am pretty sure that the March Hare could do an infinitely better job than the blond buffoon. He doesn’t know what time of day it is half the time……
It is reported that Boris, with reference to Scottish independence has said ” SNP’s failure to give any clear description of what the constitutional situation will be if the party succeed in breaking up the UK”
This is well said, but equally shouldn’t he be ascertaining from the whole of the UK population
a) whether they wished it to be sundered at all
b). In the light of the Scottish publication of forward plans whether that would be in accordance with the rest of Uk wishes.
I for one would not be happy with any Scottish plan to throw in its lot with what regard is a previous “enemy” organisation in fact I believe the act of placing one’s nation completely, lock stock and barrel of total sovereignty can be regarded as treasonous.and particularly so in this case as the anti democratic conduct of the EU has been so covert. (Think Greece!!!)
Before Scotland be allowed a referendum so should a referendum be carried out in the rest of the U.K. To ascertain if they approve of a UK break up
Oh! And about another Scottish referendum there are many people throughout the UK and Commonwealth of Scottish extraction who should vote in an independence referendum. They must not be denied their birthright
Totally agree Roger Turner.
Also, did it strike you that Boris’ wording ‘failure to give any clear description of – – – ‘ sounds very much like the E.U.’s words about us during ‘deal’ negotiations.
Who is feeding who? Or is Boris actually a parrot.
Pauline…..that is an insult to a Parrot who are very intelligent.
Sorry Polly!
Agreed!
Oh hasn’t Biden done well (not)! Let’s get ‘diplomatically isolated’ from him as far as possible.