The Week - UK (2021-02-13)

NEWS 5

Cardiff
Schoolsreturn:YoungerchildreninWaleswillreturntotheir
classroomslaterthismonth,theEducationMinisterKirsty
Williamsannouncedlastweek.Pupilsagedthreetosevenwill
returnfrom 22 February,alongwithsomeolderchildrenon
vocationalcourses.Adateforotherpupilstoreturnisexpected
tobeannouncedon19February.Theseven-daycaseratein
Walesfellto1 11 per1 00 ,0 00 peoplebyWednesday,thelowest
it’s been sinceOctober. TheScottish governmenthas also
announcedaphasedreopeningstarting on 22February. In
England,bycontrast, Boris Johnson hassaid that schoolswill not
openuntil8March at theearliest –which is also the target date
for reopening set by NorthernIreland’s StormontExecutive.

London
Priest attack:Clergyhave rallied tothe
defenceofajunior priestwho received
atorrent ofracist abuseafte rtweeting
that therewas a“cult of White British
Nationalism”surroundingthe lionisation
of Capt. Sir Tom Moore. Jarel Robinson-
Brown,of AllHallows-by-the-Towerin
London, said he’dpray for“the repose
of [Moore’s]kindand generous soul”,
but wouldnot join in a“Nation al Clap”.
He deleted thetweet andapologisedfor
its “insensitive timing”. Butthe diocese
publicly condemnedit,inastatement that 400clergy and lay
members suggested amounted to anattack on freedomofthought.

The UK at aglance

13 February 2021 THE WEEK

Edinburgh
Hotelstay:TravellersflyingintoScotlandfromoverseaswillfrom
nextweekhavetoquarantineinahotelfortendays,thecountry’s
TransportSecretaryMichaelMathesonannouncedthisweek.He
confirmedthatthegovernmentwas“blockbooking” 1 ,
roomsathotelsnearairports,andthattravellerswouldhaveto
bearthe£1,7 50 costofthestay.Theschemeisstricterthanthe
onebeingimposedinEngland,whereonlypeoplearrivingfrom
33 “redlist”countrieswillneedtoquarantine,andMatheson
concededthatpeoplecouldstillflyintoanEnglishairport,then
travelon(illegally)toScotland.However,hesaidhewasworking
withtheUKGovernmenttoseeifsuchindividualscouldbe
obligedtoquarantinewherevertheyarrived.Hesaid1,6 00 people
hadarrivedinScotlandfromoverseasinthelastweekofJanuary,
butthatnumbersfellto 730 inthefirstweekofFebruary.

Sheffield
Buildingconfidence:MosquesandIslamiccentresaroundtheUK
arebeingusedas“pop-up”vaccinationclinicsinaneffortto
boosttake-upofthejabinMuslimcommunities.InSheffield,jabs
havebeengiventovulnerablegroupsandhealthworkersatthe
JamiaMosqueGhausia;inTowerHamlets,hundredsofpeople
werevaccinatedlastweekendattheEastLondonMosque,which
servestheUK’slargestMuslimcommunity.“Wewanttoreassure
thosewhoarehesitantaboutvaccination,”saidDilowarHussein
Khan,adirectorofthemosque.Withlittletimetopromotethe
schemeto localresidents,organisers used the deviceswhichare
normallyused toallow peopletohearthecalltoprayer intheir
homestourgethem tocomeforwardforvaccinations.

Birmingham
Chocolateboost:Cadburyisbringing almost allproduction
of its Dairy Milk chocolate backto thesitein Bournville,
Birmingham,wherethe chocolate was first madein1905.At
present, the factoryat Bournville producesonlyabouttwo-thirds
of allDairy Milk –some 35,000 tonnes,or 234millionbarsper
year–while therest ismadeinfactories inmainlandEurope
ownedbyMondelez, Cadbury’sparent company.However,a
£15minvestmentintheBournvillesitewillallow ittomakean
additional 1 2,000tonnes ofDairyMilk–or 125 milli onbars

• per year.Theincreasedproduction willnotcreatenew jobs,
  buttheunionUnitewelcomedtheinvestmentin thefactoryas
  “avoteofconfidencein the UK workforce”.

Edinburgh

Noshow:AlexSalmondrefused

toappearataninquiryintothe

Scottishgovernment’sbotched

investigationintosexual

harassmentallegationsagainst

himthisweek,afterMSPson

thecommitteevotedtoblockthe

releaseofadossierofevidence

insupportofhiscase.Salmond

–whohasrepeatedlydeniedthecharges,andwhowasacquitted

onallcountsincourtlastyear–saysthatwithoutthedossier,he

cannotsetouthiscaseallegingthatSNPleaderNicolaSturgeon

broketheministerialcodebyissuing“false”statementsto

parliament.Werethatproven,Sturgeonmighthavetoresign.

London

Knifecrime:Twoyoungmen werestabbed to deathlast weekend,

and14more were injured,inaspate of knife attacks acrossthe

capital.The first victimwas namedasLarvaun Witter, 22. He was

killed atablock of flats in Croydon,ataround8.10pm on Friday.

His fathersaidhehad hopedtobecomeacomputerengineer.

Policesaiditwas one offiveknife-crime-relatedincidents they

attended withinatwo-hour periodthateveninginsouth London.

The next day,aspiring lawyer Sven Badzak,22, was stabbedto

deathat5.40pmwhilewaitin goutsideabagelshopinKilburn,

northwestLondon.His mother saidhehad goneouttobuy some

grocerieswith a16-year-old friend,whowas alsostabbed and

critically injured.