Today on Coffee House

All the latest analysis of the day's news and stories

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James Forsyth
James Forsyth

Can Matt Hancock meet his 100,000 tests a day target?

The government had a strategy for this evening’s press conference, which differentiated it from several this week. Matt Hancock, who was himself returning from self-isolation, came with a big headline announcement: there would be 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month. He took lots of questions from journalists and allowed follow-ups which made him look like he was being frank and answering the question. It was all fairly basic stuff, but it had been missing yesterday. There is, though, the question of whether this target of 100,000 tests a day can be met — and how far off it is. The 850,000 more claims than usual for universal credit in the past fortnight is a reminder of how long a month is in the current circumstances.

Can Matt Hancock meet his 100,000 tests a day target?
James Forsyth
James Forsyth

Can Matt Hancock meet his 100,000 tests a day target?

The government had a strategy for this evening’s press conference, which differentiated it from several this week. Matt Hancock, who was himself returning from self-isolation, came with a big headline announcement: there would be 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month. He took lots of questions from journalists and allowed follow-ups which made him look like he was being frank and answering the question. It was all fairly basic stuff, but it had been missing yesterday. There is, though, the question of whether this target of 100,000 tests a day can be met — and how far off it is. The 850,000 more claims than usual for universal credit in the past fortnight is a reminder of how long a month is in the current circumstances.

Can Matt Hancock meet his 100,000 tests a day target?
James Forsyth
James Forsyth

Can Matt Hancock meet his 100,000 tests a day target?

The government had a strategy for this evening’s press conference, which differentiated it from several this week. Matt Hancock, who was himself returning from self-isolation, came with a big headline announcement: there would be 100,000 tests a day by the end of this month. He took lots of questions from journalists and allowed follow-ups which made him look like he was being frank and answering the question. It was all fairly basic stuff, but it had been missing yesterday. There is, though, the question of whether this target of 100,000 tests a day can be met — and how far off it is. The 850,000 more claims than usual for universal credit in the past fortnight is a reminder of how long a month is in the current circumstances.

Can Matt Hancock meet his 100,000 tests a day target?
Andrew Doyle

The vocal minority celebrating Boris Johnson’s coronavirus diagnosis

What does it tell us that so many left-leaning individuals took to social media this week in order to celebrate the news that Boris Johnson has tested positive for coronavirus? Others stooped even lower and openly yearned for his death, complete with triumphal emojis and GIFs. It would simply never occur to most of us to revel in the illness of a fellow human creature simply on the grounds that he or she represents a political worldview that we find repellent.

The vocal minority celebrating Boris Johnson’s coronavirus diagnosis
The Spectator

Covid-19 update: UK lockdown sends nearly a million applicants to Universal Credit

The Spectator brings you the latest insight, news and research from the front line. Sign up here to receive this briefing daily by email, and stay abreast of developments both at home and abroad: News and analysis Almost a million people have applied for universal credit in the first two weeks of the government lockdown, nearly ten times the normal number.UK Covid-19 deaths rose by 569 yesterday, bringing the total to 2,921 – the largest daily increase, up six from yesterday’s figures.

Covid-19 update: UK lockdown sends nearly a million applicants to Universal Credit
Katy Balls
Katy Balls

Boris Johnson’s government the most popular in a decade

Another day, another set of dreary headlines for the government over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic. As well as publications that tend to be hostile to the Conservatives, the Telegraph today splashes with criticism of the testing shortage, saying there are 'Questions without answers'. Yet despite all the noise, the polls tell a rather different story.  YouGov's political tracker says that for the first time in nearly a decade, Britain approves of its government.

Boris Johnson’s government the most popular in a decade
Kate Andrews
Kate Andrews

Coronavirus has already caused a huge spike in unemployment

In Britain and America, the employment news is grim. Nearly a million Brits – 850,000 more than usual – have applied for Universal Credit in the last fortnight. While in the United States, unemployment has reached an historic high. As of the end of last week, 6.6 million people claimed for out-of-work benefits. This is the highest increase in adjusted seasonal claims on record and is made even more astonishing when you consider that just four weeks ago fewer than 200,000 people applied for jobless benefits.

Coronavirus has already caused a huge spike in unemployment

Today

2 Apr 2020
Matthew Lynn
Matthew Lynn

Rishi Sunak has badly miscalculated his coronavirus bailout

Ten billion? Twenty billion? Thirty billion? To borrow a phrase from the American senator Everett Dirksen when scrutinising the escalating costs of the military, ‘pretty soon you are talking about real money.’ Chancellor Rishi Sunak has already thrown huge sums of money at rescuing the economy. He may well spend a lot more over the next few weeks. You can argue about the rights and wrongs of that. But one thing is already becoming clear, and the more you pause to think about it the more worrying it becomes. It is already looking like he has hugely miscalculated the cost.  Figures out today suggest that up to half the UK workforce may be furloughed on the Government job retention scheme, under which staff can be paid 80 per cent of their salary up to £2,500 a month and their employer can claim the cost back from the Treasury.

Rishi Sunak has badly miscalculated his coronavirus bailout

Yesterday

1 Apr 2020
James Forsyth
James Forsyth

The worrying surge in Universal Credit claims

Wednesday evening's figures for new claims for Universal Credit are sobering and a reminder of the economic - and moral - consequences of the shuttering of huge swathes of the economy. Despite the government offering to pay 80 per cent of the wages of furloughed workers, 850,000 more people than usual have applied for Universal Credit in the past fortnight. Right now, the shutdown is, I think, justified by the fact that it is the least worst way of preventing hospitals from being overwhelmed and the number of coronavirus deaths increasing to ever more horrific levels. But no one who backs the current policy should pretend that it doesn’t come at its own human cost. These figures also raise the question as to how high the number of people pushed onto benefits would be if this lockdown goes on for - say - four months.

The worrying surge in Universal Credit claims

Tuesday

31 Mar 2020
Katy Balls
Katy Balls

Coronavirus comparisons with Germany are premature, deputy chief medical officer warns

The daily government press conference had a familiar theme today: politicians and advisers struggling to answer questions on the scale of coronavirus testing in the UK. Michael Gove and deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries both spoke of the importance of testing, but struggled to explain what they plan to do to stop the UK lagging behind countries in Asia, as well as Germany, when it comes to testing. Gove suggested there was a shortage of the relevant 'chemical reagents' while Harries said the focus – given current capacity – was rightly on testing of NHS staff. There was good news in terms of the number of ventilators with Gove promising that thousands of new ventilators are to be delivered to the NHS in the next week.

Coronavirus comparisons with Germany are premature, deputy chief medical officer warns
John Keiger

Macron’s updated coronavirus statistics will test French morale

On Saturday night France’s Prime Minister spoke to the French people flanked by the Health Minister, the Director General of Health (DGS) and three epidemiologists, to reassure the public that the government would be more transparent about the spread of coronavirus. Despite President Macron’s increasing media appearances in the ‘war on corona’ a 25 March opinion poll showed 90 per cent of the French public are anxious, 39 points more than on 11 March before the lockdown.

Monday

30 Mar 2020
Katy Balls
Katy Balls

Four graphs that show the effect of social distancing in the UK

Those who tuned into the government's daily press conference were given a glimpse of what will come to pass if Boris Johnson has to take a break from his duties as a result of his coronavirus diagnosis. The government's 'designated survivor' Dominic Raab led the conference – providing an update on Foreign Office efforts to bring Brits stranded abroad back home. A £75 million fund has been set up with the aim of bringing tens of thousands home.  However, the main update came from Chief Scientific Officer Patrick Vallance who gave a presentation on the effect social distancing has had in the UK so far through four graphs. Vallance said there had been promising signs when it comes to slowing transmission of the virus.

Four graphs that show the effect of social distancing in the UK
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