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Category: Coronavirus

What is Sunak up to?

What is Sunak up to?

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Sunak is seen as a possible successor should Boris decide to spend more time painting buses (assuming he’s not pushed under one first). Little wonder: a fresh face, unflustered, articulate and brilliant at PR, with a friendly nickname already (“Mr Yorkshire Tea”). Importantly, he has been in charge of the one government department which has behaved competently during the Covid crisis. The original plan may not have been adequate but Sunak was able to respond to concerns quickly, alter course…

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Working out Covid-19 and the political classes

Working out Covid-19 and the political classes

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Let’s step outside the Westminster bubble.  What is really exercising people just now?  A good way of judging this is to look at what petitions are being put into Parliament.  And indeed, one petition has caught on this week like wildfire, with 358,000 signatures at the time of writing (10am on Saturday), comfortably the petition with the most signatories. No, it’s not Marcus Rashford’s petition.  It’s a politely-worded request to keep gyms open should Covid-19 cases spike.  To set this in context, it has…

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New polling finds 44% prepared to pay more tax to cover costs of COVID19

New polling finds 44% prepared to pay more tax to cover costs of COVID19

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A wealth tax the most favoured way Given the huge extra government spending to deal with COVID19 and cover things like the billions which have gone on the test and trace system Ipsos-MORI finds 44% saying they are ready to pay more. But when it comes to what form of new taxation the preferred choice is a wealth tax that doesn’t exist at the moment. When asked who should pay a new wealth tax, the most popular is those with…

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In March 92% of CON members thought Johnson was handling the COVID19 crisis well – that’s now down to just 28%

In March 92% of CON members thought Johnson was handling the COVID19 crisis well – that’s now down to just 28%

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CONHome poll blow for Boris The above data comes from the latest monthly survey by Conservative Home and shows a dramatic decline in the assessment of party members of Johnson’s handling of the crisis. From 92% saying he was dealing with it well in March the latest figure is down to just 28%. This, remember, comes from a group that you would expect to be loyal to the man that they elected as leader barely 15 months ago. Even in…

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The pursuit of happiness

The pursuit of happiness

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Have you noticed that people are still having sex? The government would rather they weren’t. The louchest Prime Minister since Lord Rosebery is presiding over a government that is seeking to tightly regulate when and where we have hanky panky.  It’s not just sex. At 10pm, the bars must shut. They can’t play loud music.  Graciously, the government is allowing them to have live bands with vocalists, but customers aren’t allowed to sing along. Since only six people can meet together, orchestral manoeuvres must take…

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Lockdown: Trying to work out what the public will stand for and what it won’t

Lockdown: Trying to work out what the public will stand for and what it won’t

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The above two Tweets set out the debate that is going on about what’s necessary to control the pandemic and what people will put up with. All this, course, against the background of what is happening to the economy. My instinct is to go with Ipsos-MORI boss, Ben Page, who is now one of the elder statesmen of the British polling industry. For me personally the family thing is central and I just long to see my children and their…

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Majority of Brits support the ‘Rule of Six’ but few are ready to be “snitchers”

Majority of Brits support the ‘Rule of Six’ but few are ready to be “snitchers”

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A new survey by Ipsos MORI finds 60% of Britons support that the ‘rule of six’, which makes it illegal for more than 6 people to meet, in order to control the spread of coronavirus. Less than 1 in 5 oppose the new rule (17%). However, despite government requests for people to inform the authorities if they see someone breaking the rule, few believe they are likely to do so. Seven in 10 (70%) say it is unlikely that they…

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