Kate Andrews is deputy editor of The Spectator’s World edition.
The Prime Minister has asked the Home Office to remove NHS workers and social care workers from the immigration health surcharge as soon as possible. As Katy Balls reported earlier today, frustrations were growing within the Tory party that healthcare workers could be clobbered with this fee as they work tirelessly to help British patients get through
It took a trip to the Land of Oz to make Dorothy value her home. For the rest of us, it took a global pandemic. During the past two months, our residence — whether that be a mortgage-free house or shared rental flat — has become our entire world: office, restaurant, cinema, gym and shelter,
A few months ago, Boris Johnson fought a general election saying that there was no ‘magic money tree’ and accusing Jeremy Corbyn of naively believing otherwise. This morning, something strange sprouted from the economic undergrowth, looking very much like a magic money tree. Britain sold its first long term bonds with negative yields: ie, sold
44 min listen
In this week’s episode, the panel discuss the merits of treatment vs vaccine, American red tape, Hong Kong’s fairly relaxed stance on new infections, and Italy running out of money.
The number of people claiming unemployment benefits in Britain rose by over 856,000 to 2.1 million in April, the first full month of the lockdown. Figures from the Office for National Statistics reveal that the number claiming benefits due to unemployment has increased by nearly 70 per cent. This marks an unbelievable u-turn from the start
The R-number has been declared the most important metric in monitoring Covid in Britain. For young children to return to school in June, or for pubs to open in July, it is always linked to the rate of Covid transmissions – the R-number – staying below one. Above one is the danger zone: it means each
Just how bad will the Covid economic hit be? Today’s figures for the first quarter of 2020 show Britain’s economy shrunk by two per cent, but that takes into account just a few days of lockdown (and suggests that the recession started some time before). The March figure is more like it: despite only formally being in lockdown for
12 min listen
Today the Chancellor announced that the furlough scheme will be extended until October. Along with a raft of other tweaks, just how generous is this extension?
44 min listen
In this week’s episode, the Coronomics panel discuss Hong Kong’s reopening, lockdown confusion in the UK, the American unemployment nightmare, and the growing divides between northern and southern Italy.
One of the most generous Covid-19 emergency measures in Europe has been extended until the end of October – with some caveats. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has just told the House of Commons that the furlough scheme – which covers up to 80 per cent of an employees’ wages, with a cap of £2,500 per month
14 min listen
Freddy Gray talks to The Spectator‘s economics correspondent Kate Andrews about the reform of sexual assault guidance for colleges and universities.
Can the UK expect a V-shape recovery? The Bank of England has this morning published data revealing very deep V, suggesting a complete economic recovery in a matter of months: a 25 per cent plunge in growth in Q2, followed by a 14 per cent and 11 per cent boom in Q3 and Q4. That
Just weeks ago, Chancellor Rishi Sunak claimed that widespread use of the furloughing scheme was proof of its success. But it appears the government has over-achieved. The Treasury’s original prediction was that 10 per cent of businesses would use the salary safety net; the figure has turned out to be closer to 70 per cent.
51 min listen
In this week’s episode, the Coronomics panel discuss the confusions of Italy’s lockdown easing; Hong Kong’s large-scale repatriation of residents from South Asia; the potential watershed moment of American news outlets accepting federal funds; and whether China is looking down the barrel of a second wave.
Could we see ‘immunity passports’ in Britain? Ministers are reportedly discussing them as a route out of lockdown. According to today’s Guardian, the UK tech firm Onfido is in discussion with ministers about creating a ‘digital certificate’ that would be issued to those who have already been infected with coronavirus – who are presumably more immune – so
40 min listen
This six-part series is the latest addition to Spectator Radio. Each week, our panellists from around the world each select a story that gives you an inside look at what’s happening outside their windows. In this episode, we take a look at Italy’s route to freedom, Boris’s return to work, intergenerational tensions in New York,
What is the true cost of Covid-19? No one knows – yet. But it’s not going to be cheap. The Treasury has revised its borrowing plans for May to July up to £180 billion, four times what it planned to raise and over £20 billion more than it planned to borrow all year. So how
39 min listen
This six-part series is the latest addition to Spectator Radio. Each week, our panellists from around the world select a story that gives you an inside look at what’s happening outside their windows. In the latest episode, we take a look at Italy’s cautious reopening, the political blame game stateside, and Hong Kong’s second wave worries.
Last week’s report from the Office for Budget Responsibility made waves with its latest economic scenario, estimating a 35 per cent collapse in GDP in the second quarter of the year. But could even that dire prediction have been too optimistic? While the downturn was estimated by the OBR to be sharp, so too was the
14 min listen
Over 140,000 businesses have applied for the government’s employee furlough scheme on its first day of launch. This is a far higher uptake than those in government expected, Kate Andrews says on the podcast, so for how long can the government afford to keep it going?