6 NEWS Politics
THE WEEK 28 May 2022Controversy of the week
The big squeeze
We are witnessing “an abject failure of government”, said Ben
Marlow in The Daily Telegraph. Inflation rose to 9% in April,
its highest level since 1982. It is expected to top 10% by
October, when, the regulator Ofgem warns, household energy
bills will jump again, by 42%. Much of the current Cabinet
were “barely in short trousers the last time price spikes this
severe tore through the economy”. Perhaps that’s why few of
them seem to have any sense of the “chaos that is unfolding
before our eyes”. The poorest will bear the brunt, because they
spend such a high proportion of their income on energy and
food. But the effects are already being widely felt: according
to Ipsos Mori, two in three people have turned down their
heating to help manage the squeeze, and one in four have
skipped meals. “We stand ready to help,” the Chancellor Rishi
Sunak keeps repeating. Yet the Government has so far done
practically nothing. It was reported this week that a major package of help for households would
soon be unveiled. Let us hope so. Ministers must confront inflation quickly “or be damned forever”.The Bank of England has seemed equally paralysed, said Oliver Shah in The Sunday Times. Its
governor, Andrew Bailey, warned last week of “apocalyptic” food-price rises, but claims that he is
“helpless” to prevent inflation, which has been triggered by Covid and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
Why, then, does the UK have the worst inflation of the G7 countries? It’s easy to say that something
must be done, said The Times. But “there are no simple answers”. A windfall tax on oil and gas
companies (see page 20) might be popular, but it wouldn’t raise nearly enough: perhaps £2bn,
against fuel price rises of £18bn. Although the economy is slowing, the jobs market is “running red
hot”, creating a risk of a wage-price spiral as employers compete for labour. The danger is that if the
Chancellor accedes to demands for VAT cuts, income tax cuts and increased welfare payments, “he
would be throwing yet more inflationary fuel onto the fire”. This would make it even more likely
that interest rates would need to go higher to rein inflation in, risking “an ever deeper recession”.There’s certainly little that can be done within the prevailing economic orthodoxy, said The
Guardian. “A reckoning with free markets” is needed, with major government interventions into
the energy and housing markets. On a more modest scale, the Government could increase universal
credit to match inflation over the last quarter, said Sebastian Payne in the FT. It’s now widely
accepted that Sunak did not provide enough help for the poorest in March’s Spring Statement. A
13% rise in universal credit would cost £3bn-4bn. That would be “proportionate” (the Government
wrote off £5bn in fraudulent Covid loans). “Politically, Sunak has to act. Economically, a universal
credit rise is plausible. But, crucially, boosting benefits is morally the right thing to do.”Sunak: “no simple answers”Spirit of the age
Good week for:
The Elizabeth Line, which finally welcomed its first passengers,
a week after the Queen herself had officially opened the £20bn
service that runs underground across London. Construction of
the Crossrail line, and its 10 new stations, began in 2009; it was
originally due to open in 2018. This week, enthusiasts queued
overnight to be the first to travel on its 205-metre-long trains.
Doncaster, with news that it is being awarded city status, to
mark the Queen’s platinum jubilee. Other winners of the
competition for city status include Milton Keynes, Colchester,
Wrexham, Dunfermline and Bangor.
Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, who became the first frontline
politician to feature in The Sunday Times Rich List. He and his
wife, Akshata Murty, came 222nd on the UK list with an
estimated combined fortune of £730m.Bad week for:
The BBC, which had to apologise after the words “Manchester
United are rubbish” appeared on a BBC News ticker. Presenters
later told viewers that it was an error, caused by a trainee writing
“random things” while learning how to use the ticker.
Gap years, with the sudden collapse of Raleigh International,
one of the first charities to specialise in sending school leavers to
do voluntary work overseas. Prince William is among its alumni.
Passengers approaching Gatwick, who were panicked by the
sight of a large sign reading “Welcome to Luton”. A YouTube
prankster later admitted to erecting the 60-metre sign in a local
field, and apologised to anyone who was “seriously thrown”.Rail strikes planned
Railway workers represented
by the RMT union have voted
overwhelmingly in favour of
national strikes. Some 70% of
the union’s 40,000 members
took part in the vote, and
89% backed the strike. The
union will now decide on a
timetable of action, starting
in mid-June, which will be
implemented if no settlement
can be reached in the dispute
over pay, conditions and job
losses. RMT workers voted in
favour at 13 train companies,
including Great Western
Railway and LNER; staff at
Network Rail, which hasn’t
taken part in a national strike
since 1994, also backed the
action. Transport Secretary
Grant Shapps said that in the
event of crippling strikes, the
Government would prioritise
the supply of food, goods
and energy.Booster jabs this autumn
The UK’s vaccine advisory
body, the Joint Committee
on Vaccination and
Immunisation, has
recommended that booster
jabs for Covid-19 be offered
this autumn to over-65s; care
home residents and staff;
frontline health and social
care workers; and adults
deemed clinically vulnerable.
The “interim advice” is
designed to enable NHS
and care home staff to begin
advance planning; other
groups could be added
nearer the time.Poll watch
84% of British adults who
started working from home
during the pandemic say
they plan to carry on doing
so for part of the week. 8%
say they plan to return to
the office full-time.
The Times/ONS52% of Republican voters
want GOP candidates in
the midterm elections to
demonstrate their loyalty
to Donald Trump.
CBS News/YouGov82% of Ukrainians say that
Ukraine should not sign
away any of its territories
as part of a peace deal
with Russia, under any
circumstances; 8% were
undecided. Among those
living in Russian-occupied
areas of Ukraine, 77%
thought no territory should
be signed away.
Kyiv International Institute
of Sociology/ReutersThe number of men and
women getting married
has fallen to a new low,
according to the Office for
National Statistics. In 2019,
219,850 couples married in
England and Wales, the
fewest since 1893. Just
one in five couples had
a religious ceremony.
The average age of the
newlyweds reached a record
high, of 32.3 years for
women and 34.3 for men.Contestants on Love Island
will be wearing second-
hand bikinis this year, as the
reality TV show tries to go
green. In the past, it has
been accused of promoting
a throwaway culture by
sourcing the clothes worn
on it from fast-fashion
sponsors. Now, it has
ditched those brands in
favour of eBay, and all the
outfits will be “pre-loved”
items found on that site.Banca do Antfer
Telegram: https://t.me/bancadoantfer
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