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In @TheEconomist this week, I look at govt plans to ban social media for children
Starmer is at risk of sending serious mixed messages on Britain's approach to tech - a classic example of his vanilla populism
Hugo Gye
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Hugo Gye
@HugoGye
British political correspondent, @TheEconomist. Chairman of the @housmansoc. Þæs ofereode, þisses swa mæg. Get in touch: [email protected]
- Overheard in Westminster: "When Boris goes they should open up Downing Street to the public so everyone can take a look at the wallpaper. Like the palace of a deposed ruler after the fall of the Soviet Union."
- Rory Stewart on Sky: "Politics is seen too much as a game and not enough as a real vocation, not enough about running the country well."
- Strange stat for you - the number of covid patients on a ventilator in England today fell to its lowest level since 18th October...
- Update on new rules for Hongkongers seeking to live/work in UK: Home Office appears to confirm that if China presses on with security law, *all* 2.9m 'British nationals (overseas)' in Hong Kong will be allowed to come to UK whether or not they *currently* hold a BN(O) passport.
- 873,784 new vaccinations registered in 🇬🇧 yesterday 🏴 686,424 1st doses / 70,449 2nd doses 🏴 59,415 / 13,160 🏴 26,939 / 9,429 NI 4,785 / 3,183
- Brexiteer and ex-Tory leader Michael Howard says in the Lords: "How can we reproach Russia, or China, or Iran when their conduct falls below internationally accepted standards, when we are showing such scant regard for our treaty obligations?"
00:00 - The *head* of the BMA just told Today prog that the govt spent £37bn on a Test and Trace system "that didn't work". 😑
- Liz Truss tells today's Sunday Times: "I am neither surprised, nor not surprised, by anything that happens."
- You will *NEVER* guess what one idea Tony Blair thinks could 'change everything' in a 'once-in-a-generation disruption'...
- There are 608 covid patients in ventilated beds in England, which is the lowest number since 21st July last year (peak last January was 3,736).
- BREAKING MPs on the Intelligence & Security Committee have elected Tory backbencher Julian Lewis to chair the committee - rebelling against No10 which wanted Chris Grayling to get the role.
- Boris Johnson tells No10 press conference: "There will be no compulsory vaccination, that's not the way we do things in this country."
- Keir Starmer asked on Today prog whether Durham Police have been back in touch with him re alleged covid rulebreaking: "There was no party, no rules were broken, that is the long and short of it." Doesn't answer the question despite repeated attempts.
