THOUSANDS MARCH THROUGH LONDON TO PROTEST LOCKDOWN
The Guardian reports that thousands of people have marched through central London under a heavy police presence to protest against lockdown measures, and at least 36 were arrested. Demonstrators gathered at Speakers’ Corner by Hyde Park at about midday where the anti-lockdown figurehead Piers Corbyn gave a speech saying he would “never take a vaccine” and falsely claiming that the scale of deaths from Covid was not dissimilar to those from flu each year. As police surrounded him and detained a handful of people as they ordered demonstrators to disperse, the crowd then marched out of the park and through London from Marble Arch. At Saturday’s demonstration, police appeared to apprehend relatively small numbers of people during the afternoon as a helicopter hovered above. But at about 4pm officers began stepping in to separate crowds and continued to urge people to disperse, detaining some. The Metropolitan police said there had been 36 arrests by around that time. The scenes back at Speaker’s Corner at 5pm were increasingly fractious.
COVID THIRD WAVE COULD MEAN NO FOREGN HOLIDAYS
The Guardian reports that a rise in coronavirus cases across Europe could jeopardise the UK’s roadmap out of lockdown and makes foreign holidays extremely unlikely, experts have warned. Several European countries have recorded increases in the number of coronavirus cases in recent weeks, with Italy recording a near-doubling in the past month and Paris entering a new month-long lockdown to curb the spread. Andrew Hayward, a professor of infectious disease epidemiology at University College London and a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said the EU surge showed “the potential for cases to shoot up” in the UK, warning that Britain needed to be careful in easing lockdown measures. He said the increasing rates in Europe could last up to several months, and that it was very worrying to see a possible third wave of the virus while vaccination rates were comparatively low.
COVID FOURTH WAVE POSSIBLE SAYS PROFESSOR
The Mirror reports: A fourth wave of coronavirus in the UK is still likely despite the success of the vaccine programme, a scientist has warned. Prof Andrew Hayward said that if another Covid wave hit the country, it would probably be less deadly due to high levels of vaccination. He added that although the vaccine rollout is “very good”, the risk of another wave of infections is “likely” because some people are still not vaccinated. His comments come as Britain heads towards the easing of lockdown restrictions.
DAVID CAMERON LOBBIED CHANCELLOR FOR FINANCE COMPANY LOAN
The Times reports that former Prime Minister David Cameron sent multiple texts to Chancellor Rishi Sunak lobbying him to grant hundreds of millions of pounds in loans to a controversial company that later went bust. In April last year the former prime minister sent several text messages to Sunak’s private phone urging him to lend to Lex Greensill’s eponymous finance firm. Most went unanswered. At the time, Cameron was an adviser to Greensill and had share options potentially worth up to tens of millions. Cameron, 54, tried to secure loans for the company from the government’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF), a pandemic fund for big, blue chip firms to borrow at low rates.
NOW NICOLA STURGEON SAYS MSP’s SUPPRESSED EVIDENCE
The Times reports that SNP members of the committee looking at the investigation into Alex Salmond have discredited their own inquiry, saying it has been tarnished by the “politics of desperation”. In an unprecedented attack on a Holyrood inquiry Nicola Sturgeon, the Scotland first minister, accused MSPs who ruled that she misled parliament of having “deliberately ignored and suppressed evidence” before their full report was published.
A STATUE ON THE WHITE CLIFFS OF DOVER
The BBC reports that Forces’ sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn will be remembered with a memorial on the white cliffs of Dover. Dame Vera, whose songs helped to raise morale in World War Two, died last year, at the age of 103. Plans for the memorial, set to cost at least £1.5m, are understood to have support from Dover council and fundraising is to begin next week. One of Dame Vera’s most famous songs, The White Cliffs of Dover, immortalises the National Trust site in Kent that looks over the English Channel.
BBC SNEERING ATTITUDE TO THE UNION FLAG
From The Express: THE BBC should be dismantled, according to conservative commentator Alex Deane, who railed against the uproar this week over the broadcaster’s’ sneering attitude towards the union flag. Speaking to TalkRadio, Mr Deane pointed to the recent outrage surrounding BBC Breakfast’s Charlie Stayt and Naga Munchetty. The presenter pair came under fire this week for their dismissive remarks about the flag and a portrait of the Queen at the end of an interview with communities secretary Robert Jenrick.
THE JAB’S THE WAY SAYS HANCOCK
The SUN reports that Matt Hancock said in a video this morning: ‘I’m absolutely delighted to tell you that we have now vaccinated half of all adults in the United Kingdom. It’s a huge success. I want to say many, many thanks to all those involved, including the half of all adults who’ve come forward.’ According to official data, 26,263,732 adults had received their first dose of the vaccine up to March 18, while 2,011,070 had been given their second. It meant another 300,000 more jabs were needed to smash the halfway mark. And in a new Covid vaccine record, the NHS dished out more than 660,000 jabs in a single day on Thursday. The PM tweeted today: More than half the adult population of the UK have now received their first jab.
OUR FRIENDS ACROSS THE CHANNEL NOW SAY JABS ARE SAFE
From The SUN: The UK’S vaccine tsar has labelled Angela Merkel and Emmanuel Macron “completely irresponsible” for undermining the life-saving AstraZeneca vaccine. Kate Bingham, former head of the national vaccine task force, slammed the German chancellor and French president for casting doubt on the effectiveness of the jab. She spoke out amid concerns the shambolic vaccine programme on the other side of the Channel has fuelled a third Covid wave in Europe which could hit the UK. The bloc’s shambolic vaccine rollout, combined with a sharp rise in infections, has seen large swathes of the continent plunged back into lockdown over the past week.
NO CLUES TO WHAT CAUSED SONIC BOOM SAYS MOD
The SUN reports that a Meteor is said to have caused the sonic boom which rocked Dorset, Somerset and Devon – sparking a massive bang which was heard for miles. Hundreds in Devon, Dorset and Somerset reported hearing the mystery blast at around 3pm yesterday. A spokesman for Devon and Cornwall Police said the force had had reports of “a loud bang” and they were “putting it down to a sonic boom”. However, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence told the Sun Online the noise was not an RAF aircraft and they were unable to provide any further clues.
NOW A PEER SAYS GET RID OF SCHOOL UNIFORMS
The Express reports: The Earl of Clancarty told the House of Lords today school uniforms should be scrapped. He said the requirement was an outmoded idea and was part of a wider educational policy working against a child-centred approach to education.He made his comments during a debate on the Education (Guidance About Costs of School Uniform) Bill which aims to make uniforms more affordable in England by legally requiring schools to keep branded items, such as blazers, to a minimum. The peer said: “Better still, get rid of school uniforms. They’re an outmoded idea, ultimately a repressive aspect of the educational system itself, designed to keep children in line and indeed, in effect, part of the wider educational policy working against a child-centred approach to education. No school has to have a school uniform.”
HEREDITARY PEERS SHOULD GO SAY PEERS
The Times writes that Britain’s system of hereditary peerages is outdated and must be abolished, two candidates to be the House of Lord’s next speaker say today. The 85 dukes, earls and barons who sit in the chamber by birthright devalue democracy and can no longer be justified, it is claimed. The intervention by the two peers, who are standing to replace Lord Fowler as speaker, came as a Sunday Times investigation found that the hereditaries cost the taxpayer more and contribute less than life peers. According to the most detailed data analysis of the institution to date, hereditary peers have cost the taxpayer almost £50 million in expense claims since 2001. The average hereditary has spoken in the chamber just 50 times over the last five years
AND FINALLY
From the Independent: A chicken coop in Northern Italy was accidentally blown up by an army tank taking part in military exercises, local police have said. The accident happened on Wednesday evening. The farm owners discovered the damage the following morning. The chicken shed had partially collapsed and a large number of chickens were killed in the accident, which happened on the outskirts of Vivaro, a small town close to an army shooting range. An investigation into the accident has opened up in the nearby town of Pordenone, local media have reported. The town is located north of Venice. The main question raised in the investigation will be to try and answer why the tank had fired in the general direction of the town, rather than the area reserved for shooting.
There has been so much damage done to our political system by all the tinkering that has gone on over the recent decades. The HoL being the subject under discussion here, it seems to suggest that it has been brought into play to ‘bury’ some other ‘news’ that might otherwise draw our attention (such as the third – or is it fourth? – wave of Covid or the naked aggression of purpose contained in the ‘delayed’ counting process for May voting! Delayed counting surely is a euphemism for vote rigging!!!
The protest marches in London should make us all feel proud that there are still those able and willing to put themselves in harms way even braving the machinations of ‘our’ government inciting the Stasi Police to turn on its own citizens!
David Cameron’s lobbying of the Treasury for personal gain merely shows that has-been PMs are becoming more blatant in their attempts to manipulate the old “dont you know who I am’ ploy for personal gain! Bliar did it (and for all I know still does it) but the most public of his money making attempts left him looking ‘seedy’ while the visible blame landed on his fragrant wife and her cronies! He has become very much more subtle since them. ‘Call me Dave’ doesnt do ‘subtle’. But……surely this is something that could attract a legal charge – possibly malfeasance maybe?
Agreed Frederica. Especially about the protest marches.
COVID FOURTH WAVE POSSIBLE SAYS PROFESSOR (see News Review).
A fourth wave of coronavirus in the UK is still likely, a scientist has warned. Prof Andrew Hayward said that “the risk of another wave of infections is likely because some people are still not vaccinated.”
However the NHS website on the Covid vaccines says that “you might still get or spread coronavirus” even if you have the Covid-19 vaccine.
Personally I would rather trust the herededitary Peers over the numpties who were elevated after years of toeing the “Party Line”.
If a chap’s ancestor was awarded a title and a vast estate for services to his country hundreds of years ago, and they had the nous to hang on to them up to the present day, then I would say that they have a pretty good idea of how things work. On top of that they really do have a stake in the nation. They want it to thrive.
If we must pretend to be democratic let the Peers be elected… by the Peers themselves. Set a limit on the number of seats. let EVERY Peer,whether Life or Hereditary be eligible then let them choose and elect who sits. It need not cost the taxpayer a penny beyond publishing a list of all Peers for circulation among the peers themselves.There must be NO interference from members of the HoC and/or Party Whips.
I’m an incurable optimist…
Many years ago the Sunday Times colour supplement ran an article in favour of the Hereditaries. The punch line was to the effect that owing to the laws of genetics every birth had equal chances of genius,or imbecility or mere mediocrity. That made the Hereditary Peers more representitive of the population as a whole than the HoC which is simply stuffed with the corrupt and the ambitious.
Great post Dickatbarn
Yes it is a great comment Frederica.
‘Our friends across the channel’ just who come up with this utter cr*p. Alright, I know Johnson has said it a number of times, but most of know that he is beyond help. If these EU countries and von De Luyen are our friends and partners, who needs enemies. In the present circumstances it is such a stupid and meaningless phrase, that it is hard to stifle a burst of laughter………..
You mean you are still laughing Colin? I just feel angry.
Me too Pauline. That phrase just makes me realise that ‘they’ still think that were too stupid to realise that it’s all a charade and that we are being ‘shafted’ in a big way!
So. The Guardian reports Shock, Horror, mass demonstrations. How Dare We!
Good for you Demonstrators. Thank you for being brave.
Piers Corbyn is saying and doing all the right things nowadays. He wants to be Mayor of London of course. Or does he? Why now? Is it just because he feels liberated by his brother’s retirement? Personally I’d like to see David Kurten become Mayor.
Absolutely. The whole point of the HoL is that it isn’t democratic. Nearly every other institution fom Armed forces to the civil service or the exchequer has already been taken over , over the centuries, by a small number of politicians claiming to be democratic; and now forms the cabinet. And the way things are going and the mania for committees and democracy, Thus effectivally putting all these from the Admiralty, the Law the Justice system,. the public services, Education etc etc,the Navy, in the control of the PM The civil service will go as well.At that point you may as well put the irons on ouselves.
That is how far the political take over has already gone by Aristocratic Conservative committee ( Obscure )
The Prime Minister will then become the Head of state then will have achieved What all politicians want and what everyone sane fears. A Dictator.who may call a rare election ( Putin ) if convenient.
PS That was supposed to be a comment to Matt. Sorry both Matt and Pauline.
Hereditary peers sit by accident of birth. Life peers are created by politicians looking after their mates. Neither system is democratic but you don’t improve democracy by concentrating decisions into the tiny handful of players who are involved in appointing life peers. Strange that more democracy concentrates decision-making to an increasingly small pool of connected ‘talent’. Why make something worse by pretending to fix it? Life-peers with EU pensions claim just as much in expenses as hereditary peers. A culling of life-peers is well overdue.
Brilliant comment Matt up North
Start the cull now, suggest a multi bladed culling knife, I’m sure the Swiss must make one!
Why on earth mess about abolishing hereditary peers. In what way do they cost us money? If they get paid for doing nothing then simply stop paying them while they do nothing. If both lots get paid ‘expenses’ when they do attend consider whether those expenses are reasonable.
As for life peers, that system has been misused for years. Matt up North’s comment is brilliant as Roger says.
How about stopping appointing them now, clamping down on expenses, leaving the hereditary peerage alone, then in years to come look then, at how it is working.
Does anyone still ‘create’ new hereditary peerages?