The Week in Review – 10 August
“We have to look forwards” Last week, the Bank of England (BoE) released the minutes of the latest Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting which concluded on 4 August, during which members unanimously voted to maintain the base rate at a historic low of 0.1%. The MPC feel the current rate and monetary policy remain suitable, […]
The Week in Review – 3 August
“Our assessment is that we should now squeeze that brake pedal” At a Downing Street briefing on Friday, the Prime Minister announced that further easing of lockdown restrictions in England was to be postponed for at least two weeks. This was one of several policy changes announced during the week which collectively aim to suppress […]
The Week in Review – 27 July
“We have to strike a balance” Last week, the Prime Minister and his cabinet met in person for the first time since lockdown commenced in March. Opening the meeting, the PM said there will be “difficult months ahead for our people and our country but no-one will be without hope”. He continued, “For the next […]
The Week in Review – 20 July
“We cannot let our progress today lead to complacency tomorrow” As millions of people around the globe went back into lockdown last week, in England confirmation was received that face coverings will be mandatory for shoppers in supermarkets and shops from Friday 24 July. The move aligns England with Scotland and other major European nations […]
The Week in Review – 13 July
“We face profound economic challenges” Last Wednesday, the Chancellor delivered an Economic Update on the government’s plan to rebuild the economy. Rishi Sunak outlined his Plan for Jobs, the second phase of the government’s economic response to the coronavirus pandemic. Before detailing his plan, Rishi Sunak stated that, as a nation “we face profound economic […]
The Week in Review – 6 July
“We’re not out of the woods yet” Last week, as the coronavirus global death toll passed half a million, England was preparing for the next significant step in lockdown easing measures. Businesses including pubs, restaurants and hairdressers, reopened on what was dubbed ‘Super Saturday’ – 4 July. In a press conference on Friday afternoon, the […]
The Week in Review – 29 June
“Our long national hibernation is beginning to come to an end” In a significant step toward the ‘new normal’, the Prime Minister announced the next raft of lockdown easing measures in England, commencing from 4 July, including the re-opening of pubs, restaurants and hairdressers. The two metre social distancing rule will be modified, moving to […]
The Week in Review – 22 June
“There is genuine cause to celebrate a great, British achievement” At Tuesday’s Downing Street briefing, the Prime Minister announced a significant development in the fight against coronavirus. A low-dose, cheap and widely available steroid treatment, dexamethasone, has been found to reduce the risk of death by a third for patients on ventilators and by one-fifth […]
The Week in Review – 15 June
“We must do everything in our power to avoid a second peak of infection” Speaking at the Downing Street briefing last Wednesday, having confirmed the government’s five tests have been successfully satisfied, the Prime Minister announced plans to further ease lockdown restrictions in England. During the briefing he reiterated, “We must do everything in our […]
The Week in Review – 8 June
“Together we rise to fulfil the greatest shared endeavour of our lifetimes” Last week, the UK’s coronavirus death toll surpassed 40,000, a sombre milestone, and only the second country in the world, after the US, to register the grim statistic. Boris Johnson used the UK-hosted Global Vaccine Summit last week to urge world leaders to […]