News that the Oxford covid vaccine candidate induced strong immune responses has led to renewed hope that we may have a vaccine – either to stem the spread of the virus or reduce the severity of the disease – some time soon. However, as with nearly anything coronavirus-related, there are several issues which are far […]
With the ONS announcing a probable uptick in new cases of coronavirus in the UK last week, the big fear now is of a resurgence in the virus sweeping across the country – as it is already doing in the US and is threatening to do across much of Europe. Just as with the rest […]
Netflix’s Street Food appears at first to just be a series about grilled meat, fresh empanadas and quick bites from food carts around the world. The latest series, set in Latin America, is a reminder though that behind every business is a personal story — overcoming loss, challenging your limits, not accepting the pernicious idea […]
During the corona epidemic, hardworking doctors, nurses and other health staff have saved the lives of millions around the world. But at the same time, the crisis has exposed great inefficiencies – coupled with chronic productivity problems – in the health sectors of European welfare states. Without reform, the way these countries fund their healthcare […]
All of a sudden, the benefits of living in a big, dense, vibrant city are being questioned. After decades of cheering for public transport, having a private car now looks a distinct advantage. With swathes of central London still closed, those paying exorbitant rents for a shoebox in Zone 1 are gazing enviously at those […]
While researchers in universities and private-sector laboratories work round-the-clock for new treatments and vaccines for Covid-19, physicians rely on a broad cabinet of older medicines to help patients through their darkest hour. Unprecedented demand caused by hospitals stockpiling basic medicines such as antibiotics, painkillers, sedatives, and corticosteroids has caused global shortages and surging prices. India’s […]
It turns out that Jacinda Ardern, New Zealand’s pin-up Prime Minister, is human after all. A politician who smiles through earthquakes – literally laughing in the face of adversity – has had to resort to the kind of action normally the preserve of mere-mortal politicians when they encounter a problem they don’t think they can […]
It took four days of almost constant and uninterrupted negotiations, but in the end, a deal was made: EU leaders agreed on a roadmap out of the coronavirus economic crisis in the early hours of this morning, with the package predictably hailed as “historic” by almost all involved. Historic it might be, but that is […]
Boris Johnson has announced an ‘independent inquiry’ into the Government’s handling of Covid-19. Things have not gone well, and the Prime Minister probably had little option but to agree to an inquiry. However, what this will mean in practice is unclear. The UK, unlike some other countries, is very fond of government-funded inquiries. Between 2005 […]
The lacklustre GDP data for May have put a significant dent in hopes of a rapid turnaround in the UK economy. The wide range of scenarios published this week by the Office for Budget Responsibility also illustrated the many uncertainties. But I’m not going to bin my relatively optimistic forecasts just yet – provided the government continues […]
It’s become a bit of a cliché in recent months to say that the situation we are in is ‘unprecedented’ or that we are in ‘uncharted waters’, but the Office for Budget Responsibility’s latest update really does illustrate this in stark terms. The UK’s debt-to-GDP ratio is set to soar well above 100% and be […]
Just over 100 days ago, England’s Deputy Chief Medical Officer Jonathan Van-Tam claimed that “there is no evidence that general wearing of face masks by the public who are well affects the spread of the disease in our society.” In January, Public Health England took a break from failing to scale up testing to declare […]
The Chancellor has set out what he hopes is a realistic roadmap through to the next stage of the worst economic crisis in three centuries. Naturally, the Government’s first concern had been around protecting people and they are now focused on reinvigorating employment. But very soon this too is going to change and the need […]
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is bringing forward a job subsidy scheme for under 25 year-olds. The intention is apparently to ‘create’ up to 350,000 jobs at a time when there is expected to be a huge surge in joblessness as the furlough scheme unwinds. The proposal has been welcomed by the CBI, the TUC and the […]
The Prime Minister made a speech last week. About the economy. In the nadir of the biggest economic shock the country has seen for three centuries. Not long in advance of arguably the most important fiscal event of the pandemic thus far, with a ‘mini-budget’ expected this week. If you detect a hint of irony in my […]
The lockdown from which we are slowly emerging was a shared experience, albeit one experienced very differently by different people. But coming out of lockdown may prove to be a rather more divisive affair. We would all like things to get back to ‘normal’. But disagreements about the pace of easing look sure to emerge […]
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