It’s time to put the pandemic behind us, and start focusing on the positives that will come after it. Every crisis is followed not only by economic recovery, but economic growth. The 18th century British noble Baron Rothschild said ‘when there’s blood in the streets, that’s when it’s time to buy’. The tragedy of the […]
When polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests became mandatory for international arrivals back in January, aviation leaders hoped the move – in conjunction with the global vaccination programme – would help to restore confidence in foreign travel. But far from ushering in a new era of post-pandemic travel, rip-off PCR tests are deterring thousands of families […]
Although thankfully not all of us have lost a family member in this pandemic, everyone has lost the freedom to choose how to live our lives. Even leaving the house has been subject to state approval – a stricture now removed primarily due to the rollout of vaccines. But given how much of our lives […]
Nicola Sturgeon is now calling for children as young as 12 to be vaccinated against Covid-19, following the approval of jabs for 16 and 17 year olds. This would be an unforgivable waste of vaccines. Make no mistake: vaccines are in limited supply, just not in rich countries like the UK. Instead of wasting jabs […]
Usually it’s only the keenest Westminster watchers who complain about ‘the comms’. Most people take little notice of the content of government announcements, let alone the manner in which they are delivered. But when it comes to travel restrictions, the effect of changes at the border on thousands of families will be immediate and tangible […]
How confused does the NHS have to be to reprimand a patient who can’t breathe for coming to the hospital to save their own lives? This recently happened to a friend of mine who caught Covid-19. With no previous health issues, she is healthy and full of zest. Then, out of nowhere she developed difficulty […]
The moral panic about AstraZeneca vaccines and blood clots has done immense damage. It has undoubtedly increased vaccine hesitancy which reduced uptake, not only in the United Kingdom, but also across Europe and as far-flung as Australia. The result is more cases, hospitalisations and deaths. The restriction of AstraZeneca for younger cohorts has also reduced […]
Government has taken a pickaxe to our freedoms over the course of this pandemic, tirelessly chipping away at our basic liberties with restrictions ranging from the reasonable to the ridiculous. And in response to this creeping authoritarianism the public’s freedom muscle has atrophied to such a degree that even human rights barristers no longer seem […]
Spare a thought for your friends Down Under. When England had its Freedom Day on July 19, half of the Australian population were under strict lockdown orders. While Brits were free to head back to the pub, Victorians had only four reasons for which they could legally leave their home, other than work – and […]
Picture the scene. You’re running a business and have run out of staff because they’ve all been told to self-isolate, either by Test and Trace or the ping-happy Covid app. Help is at hand, however. You are in one of the sectors whose workers may be exempt from the requirement to self-isolate. Hooray! Now, to […]
These are supposed to be the best years of my life. Your late teens to early twenties are meant to be few hangovers, going on spontaneous getaways and frenzied group holidays, making out with strangers, meeting up with friends and just generally enjoying all the freedom of being a young adult. After all, you’re only […]
Boris Johnson is supposed to be one of the great political communicators. He may have scant ideology and little will to govern, the story goes, but he’s got a unique power to connect with people and keep them on side. Likewise, Rishi Sunak is one of the most skilful PR operators in the Cabinet. Like […]
Tomorrow is ‘freedom day’ or, as the Government has rebranded it, ‘personal responsibility day’. For those of us who’ve argued that continued constraints on our freedoms were not justified given the success of the vaccine rollout, the end of legal requirements on masks and social distancing couldn’t come soon enough. So why doesn’t it feel like a […]
More vaccinated people are dying of Covid than unvaccinated people, according to a recent report from Public Health England (PHE). The report shows that 163 of the 257 people (63.4%) who died within 28 days of a positive Covid test between February 1 and June 21, had received at least one dose of the vaccine. […]
Freedom Day is, in theory, less than a week away. After more than a year – which would have seemed absurd, back in the innocent days of early 2020 – something very close to normal life will supposedly be back. Or will it? After the Government cancelled Christmas with a few days’ notice and abandoned […]
When children went back to school on March 8 it was possible to believe it was a return to normality. There was a glimmer of hope that a relentless focus over the summer term might begin to undo some of the damage of lockdown. Gradually, it has become clear that was a false dawn. Beset […]
Watch or listen to CapX’s weekly podcast ‘The Capitalist’ wherever you get your podcasts.
