Cockney Covid: is it already everywhere?

Cockney Covid: is it already everywhere?

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If it’s not, we should REALLY worry The gods have clearly decided that they’ve not done enough to us yet this year? Christmas? Pah. You develop a vaccine? Here’s a boosted version of the virus – which mutated in the same country that was the first to deploy a vaccine. Coincidence? Well, maybe. But the facts are clear. This new variant of Covid, which first became well-established in the Thames estuary areas and their bordering districts – Cockney Covid for…

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After the weekend’s dramatic Boris U-turn the papers are not good for the PM this morning

After the weekend’s dramatic Boris U-turn the papers are not good for the PM this morning

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The dramatic U-turn by Boris on Saturday and the travel ban that many countries have now imposed on the UK will make uncomfortable reading for the PM and his team at Number 10 this morning. Probably the most powerful is the one linked to in the Tweet above in the Times because it comes from a close aide to Boris who knows him well and highlights what she regards as a central weakness – his desire to be liked and…

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Punters losing confidence that there’ll be a deal before the end of the year

Punters losing confidence that there’ll be a deal before the end of the year

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While everything is so focused on the pandemic punters on the Smarkets betting exchange are becoming less confident that Johnson will be able to reach a deal in the few days that are left. Clearly with all the other distractions and the organisational constraints that COVID leads to it must be a massive challenge for ministers as they move into the EU end game. From the reports we have the big issue remains fishing and the accessibility of EU nations…

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New polling tonight finds 78% saying they’ll comply with the latest lockdown regime

New polling tonight finds 78% saying they’ll comply with the latest lockdown regime

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New polling just published by Savanta ComRes finds that the overwhelming proportion of people in England plan to comply with the latest lockdown regime aimed at stemming the spread of COVID. This is broadly in line with surveys at earlier times during the pandemic. The pollsters hasn’t stated this specifically but it appears to have been carried out after the latest announcement from Johnson.

Boris’s Christmas U-turn ain’t going to be good for his popularity

Boris’s Christmas U-turn ain’t going to be good for his popularity

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The holiday plans of millions are going to be messed up The real political problem with this afternoon’s announcement is that it comes only a few weeks after he had announced a relaxation for five days over Christmas. At the time this was widely criticised and thought by many to be taking too much of a risk. But on the basis of the previous announcement millions of people made their plans accordingly and were looking forward to being with loved…

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The other side of the bet. The ethics of political gambling.

The other side of the bet. The ethics of political gambling.

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Gambling doesn’t exactly have a good reputation.  Most Christian denominations are very chary of  it (my mother’s church had only recently relaxed the ban on church tombolas when we moved to the area in 1978). It is haram for Muslims. Even among agnostics and atheists few would regard it as a laudable activity. Some of these moral objections come from the greed that the lure of large prizes can provoke. Some comes out of the potential impact on losers. We all have…

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Liz Truss moves from a 100/1 shot for next PM to 33/1 in just two weeks

Liz Truss moves from a 100/1 shot for next PM to 33/1 in just two weeks

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One cabinet figure who is getting a lot of attention today is Liz Truss, the International trade Secretary, following a speech she gave setting out her thoughts on elements in modern politics and where the Tories are different. This comes after a successful period for her in negotiating trade deals which will be so important for the UK after Brexit is fully implemented. Two weeks ago I reported here that Truss was once again topping the leader satisfaction ratings for…

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