theweekuk--2020-10-19--Negative interest rates explained: how your finances could be affected

After cutting interest rates to the current historic low of 0.1 % in March , the Bank of England ( BoE ) has been dropping hints that rates could be set to go negative .
A negative interest rate gives consumers and businesses an “ incentive to spend or invest money rather than leave it in their bank accounts where the value would be eroded by inflation ” , explains the International Monetary Fund .
And the UK economy needs a cash boost as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a heavy financial toll .
Intimations from “ various members @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee suggest that they aren ’ t desperate to go negative ” , however - but “ nor are they ruling it out ” , says MoneyWeek ’ s John Stepek .
On 12 October , the BoE ’ s Prudential Regulation Authority sent a letter to banks and financial firms enquiring about their “ operational readiness ” for a zero or negative bank rate .
With “ more and more people are growing concerned about their savings ” , financial expert Martin Lewis told viewers of ITV ’ s Martin Lewis Money @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ s ‘ if ’ [ rates go negative ] - very much if ” , that likelihood is “ more plausible than it was before ” , the Daily Mirror reports .
But exactly what could that mean for your finances ?
The idea of negative interest rates is to “ encourage banks to increase lending because the Bank of England will charge them to hold their cash ” , says MoneySavingExpert .
But it may also mean “ you , the customer , paying your bank or building society to look @ @ @ @ @ @ @ This is Money .
By contrast , “ borrowers ( again , in theory ) could be paid for having a loan .
In other words : out with prudence and in with financial indulgence.
” For most people , the idea of negative interest rates is like something out of Alice Through The Looking Glass - a world in which everything is weirdly inverted ” , writes the Daily Mail ’ s Dominic Lawson .
Among central bankers , however , it has become a “ very real proposition ” .
MoneyWeek @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rest of us , the notion is “ outlandish and paradoxical and very hard to wrap your head around ” .
He adds : “ When you lend money to someone , you expect to be the one who gets paid interest .
You ’ re the one with the money .
They ’ re the party who needs it .
Why would you be the one who pays them ?
” But “ of course , this is the point , ” Stepek continues .
“ If you get paid to borrow @ @ @ @ @ @ @ save money , then we ’ ll all want to borrow and we won ’ t want to save .
At least , that ’ s the theory the central banks are following.
” Not everyone is convinced by the banks ’ reasoning .
In today ’ s leading article , The Times says that “ the Bank of England hopes that a further rate cut would persuade banks to lend .
This would be a mistaken policy , with long-term economic costs.
” It may seem “ counterintuitive ” to charge a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ but “ it then allows a bank to lend at a negative rate , which rewards borrowers ” , says The Guardian .
“ A negative-rate mortgage means the interest bill is credited to the borrower ’ s account rather than debited , reducing the sum borrowed over time.
” MoneySavingExpert.com founder Lewis cautions that people with mortgages and other debts are unlikely to get paid a negative interest rate , however .
The best-case scenario would probably be for people on tracker mortages to drop to 0 % rates , “ so @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borrowing money on your mortgage ” .
The impact on savers , meanwhile could be “ far more devastating ” , because banks might begin charging them to look after their money .
“ This is all a great big hypothetical balloon right now , ” Lewis continues .
“ What everyone with savings should do certainly is make sure you ’ re maximising your money .
And if you ’ re scared of negative interest rates , go and lock in with a fix , providing you won ’ t need to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Money chief executive David Duffy has also issued a “ stark warning ” that banks could start charging for basic services if interest rates turn negative .
He told The Mail on Sunday that “ there will be no decisions until everyone sees what happens over the next year with Covid , but certainly you have to think about how you are going to provide the service , the technology , the branches and the card .
It can ’ t all be free.
” The paper says that Duffy ’ s comments @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ordinary customers could be hit if interest rates go negative ” , because “ currently , the holders of the vast majority of Britain ’ s 73 million current accounts pay no fees if they are in credit ” .
The Mail ’ s Lawson concludes : “ At this rate , there ’ ll be nowhere left for our savings except under the mattress .
”

After cutting interest rates to the current historic low of 0.1% in March, the Bank of England (BoE) has been dropping hints that rates could be set to go negative.
A negative interest rate gives consumers and businesses an “incentive to spend or invest money rather than leave it in their bank accounts where the value would be eroded by inflation”, explains the International Monetary Fund. And the UK economy needs a cash boost as the coronavirus pandemic continues to take a heavy financial toll.
Intimations from “various members of the central bank’s policy committee suggest that they aren’t desperate to go negative”, however - but “nor are they ruling it out”, says MoneyWeek’s John Stepek.
On 12 October, the BoE’s Prudential Regulation Authority sent a letter to banks and financial firms enquiring about their “operational readiness” for a zero or negative bank rate.
With “more and more people are growing concerned about their savings”, financial expert Martin Lewis told viewers of ITV’s Martin Lewis Money Show last week that while “it’s ‘if’ [rates go negative] - very much if”, that likelihood is “more plausible than it was before”, the Daily Mirror reports.
But exactly what could that mean for your finances?
What are negative rates?
The idea of negative interest rates is to “encourage banks to increase lending because the Bank of England will charge them to hold their cash”, says MoneySavingExpert.
But it may also mean “you, the customer, paying your bank or building society to look after your hard-earned savings”, adds This is Money. By contrast, “borrowers (again, in theory) could be paid for having a loan. In other words: out with prudence and in with financial indulgence.”
‘Outlandish and paradoxical’
For most people, the idea of negative interest rates is like something out of Alice Through The Looking Glass - a world in which everything is weirdly inverted”, writes the Daily Mail’s Dominic Lawson. Among central bankers, however, it has become a “very real proposition”.
MoneyWeek’s Stepek agrees that for the rest of us, the notion is “outlandish and paradoxical and very hard to wrap your head around”. He adds: “When you lend money to someone, you expect to be the one who gets paid interest. You’re the one with the money. They’re the party who needs it. Why would you be the one who pays them?”


theweekuk--2020-10-20--Instant Opinion: Brexit Britain can be built on the ‘Microsoft model’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
1 .
Robert Shrimsley in the Financial Times “ Leaving the EU is a hit to its clout .
But Brexit is now a fact .
As a Nato and UN Security Council member , G7 economy and nuclear power , the UK still matters .
The new role , to be set out in the imminent security and foreign policy review , draws on Brexiters ’ twin belief in UK exceptionalism but also that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ needed to make a sluggish economy more competitive .
In Prime Minister Boris Johnson ’ s words , the UK is ‘ a nation that is now on its mettle ’ .
There is a model for a once-mighty empire , eclipsed by newer powers , finding a way to rise again .
It is not a country , but a company : Microsoft .
Crunched between Apple and Google , Microsoft switched from a failing strategy of desktop domination to services built around customers .
For Brexit Britain , the Microsoft model @ @ @ @ @ @ @ final presidential debate ( still ) might not happen “ In Trump we have the least predictable president ever .
He is a showman and a provocateur first and foremost .
He does things to elicit a reaction .
And that ’ s especially true right now as Trump faces the likelihood that he is going to lose in 15 days .
There is literally nothing that I can ’ t fathom Trump trying between now and November 3 in order to win -- or to make people believe that everything was rigged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ campaign has already attacked the Commission , which is chaired by former Republican National Committee Chairman Frank Fahrenkopf , as ‘ swamp monsters and partisan , anti-Trump [ ers ] .
’ Do you really think , given all we know about Trump and all he and his campaign have said about the debates and the organization that runs them , that him walking away from the debate at the last minute is an impossibility ?
” Austerity is a zombie ideology .
It ’ s time to bury it once and for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ it is vital that government spending is used to prevent normally viable firms from going bust , to avoid the scourge of mass unemployment and its lasting scars , and to support the public sector at a time when its importance has been thrown into sharp relief .
The public and the capital markets all recognise that it is the right thing to do .
Cutting back on expenditure now will not only impose misery on millions but will also mean a longer and slower recovery .
Britain has made that costly mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery after the financial crisis was the slowest return to pre-recession output since the second world war .
We know that austerity is an economic mistake as well as a social disaster .
It is vital that government keeps spending.
” 4 .
Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan in The New York Times on who is watching the election The Real Divide in America Is Between Political Junkies and Everyone Else “ Hard partisans are also more likely to speak out about these political likes and dislikes .
Almost 45 percent of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ frequently share their views on social media — in some cases , daily .
It ’ s only 11 percent for those without a politics habit .
To put this in perspective , a Pew study finds that 10 percent of Twitter users are responsible for 97 percent of all tweets about politics .
This gap between the politically indifferent and hard , loud partisans exacerbates the perception of a hopeless division in American politics because it is the partisans who define what it means to engage in politics .
When a Democrat @ @ @ @ @ @ @ imagining a co-worker who mostly posts cat pictures and happens to vote differently ; she is more likely imagining a co-worker she had to mute on Facebook because the Trump posts became too hard to bear.
” on another cost of lockdown Depriving young people of the great outdoors is an utter tragedy “ Do we actually need to stop young people who are at little risk of serious illness from being out together in the mountains and on the sea ?
And even if we accept there is some risk to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ t we trust them to minimise that risk while maintaining their remarkable work ?
Of course , with the current resurgence of Covid , and the intense debates about local lockdowns and circuit-breakers , opening up this vital sector will not be on the minds of political leaders .
But the day will come soon when there is sufficient confidence in new , quicker tests to allow for people to be told about things they can do rather than always hearing of what they can ’ t .
In the coming weeks , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as a necessary part of keeping schooling going , and be allowed to open up as much as the change of season permits .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. Robert Shrimsley in the Financial Times
on defining the UK’s global role
Brexit Britain adopts the Microsoft model
“Leaving the EU is a hit to its clout. But Brexit is now a fact. As a Nato and UN Security Council member, G7 economy and nuclear power, the UK still matters. The new role, to be set out in the imminent security and foreign policy review, draws on Brexiters’ twin belief in UK exceptionalism but also that leaving the EU was the shock therapy needed to make a sluggish economy more competitive. In Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s words, the UK is ‘a nation that is now on its mettle’. There is a model for a once-mighty empire, eclipsed by newer powers, finding a way to rise again. It is not a country, but a company: Microsoft. Crunched between Apple and Google, Microsoft switched from a failing strategy of desktop domination to services built around customers. For Brexit Britain, the Microsoft model is instructive.”
2. Chris Cillizza on CNN
on the Trump-Biden head-to-head
3 reasons why the final presidential debate (still) might not happen
“In Trump we have the least predictable president ever. He is a showman and a provocateur first and foremost. He does things to elicit a reaction. And that’s especially true right now as Trump faces the likelihood that he is going to lose in 15 days. There is literally nothing that I can’t fathom Trump trying between now and November 3 in order to win -- or to make people believe that everything was rigged against him. And Trump’s campaign has already attacked the Commission, which is chaired by former Republican National Committee Chairman Frank Fahrenkopf, as ‘swamp monsters and partisan, anti-Trump[ers].’ Do you really think, given all we know about Trump and all he and his campaign have said about the debates and the organization that runs them, that him walking away from the debate at the last minute is an impossibility?”
3. Tom Kibasi in The Guardian
on dealing with pandemic debt
Austerity is a zombie ideology. It’s time to bury it once and for all
“Now more than ever, it is vital that government spending is used to prevent normally viable firms from going bust, to avoid the scourge of mass unemployment and its lasting scars, and to support the public sector at a time when its importance has been thrown into sharp relief. The public and the capital markets all recognise that it is the right thing to do. Cutting back on expenditure now will not only impose misery on millions but will also mean a longer and slower recovery. Britain has made that costly mistake once in the past decade: the recovery after the financial crisis was the slowest return to pre-recession output since the second world war. We know that austerity is an economic mistake as well as a social disaster. It is vital that government keeps spending.”
4. Yanna Krupnikov and John Barry Ryan in The New York Times
on who is watching the election
The Real Divide in America Is Between Political Junkies and Everyone Else
“Hard partisans are also more likely to speak out about these political likes and dislikes. Almost 45 percent of people who are deeply involved say they frequently share their views on social media — in some cases, daily. It’s only 11 percent for those without a politics habit. To put this in perspective, a Pew study finds that 10 percent of Twitter users are responsible for 97 percent of all tweets about politics. This gap between the politically indifferent and hard, loud partisans exacerbates the perception of a hopeless division in American politics because it is the partisans who define what it means to engage in politics. When a Democrat imagines a Republican, she is not imagining a co-worker who mostly posts cat pictures and happens to vote differently; she is more likely imagining a co-worker she had to mute on Facebook because the Trump posts became too hard to bear.”
5. William Hague in The Daily Telegraph
on another cost of lockdown
Depriving young people of the great outdoors is an utter tragedy
“Do we actually need to stop young people who are at little risk of serious illness from being out together in the mountains and on the sea? And even if we accept there is some risk to the adults who supervise them, can’t we trust them to minimise that risk while maintaining their remarkable work? Of course, with the current resurgence of Covid, and the intense debates about local lockdowns and circuit-breakers, opening up this vital sector will not be on the minds of political leaders. But the day will come soon when there is sufficient confidence in new, quicker tests to allow for people to be told about things they can do rather than always hearing of what they can’t. In the coming weeks, outdoor education and training should be ranked as a necessary part of keeping schooling going, and be allowed to open up as much as the change of season permits.”


theweekuk--2020-10-20--Premier League pay-per-view: are fans being priced out of football?

It’s been raining goals in the Premier League so far this season, but after 47 games the run finally came to an end - in a match selected to be one of the first pay-per-view fixtures.
With matches still being played behind closed doors, fans have to pay extra to watch top-flight games not selected for TV coverage. On Monday, they included the first nil-nil draw of the season.
Kicking off in the early 5.30pm slot and costing £14.95 to watch live on Sky Sports, West Brom’s gritty stalemate with Burnley at The Hawthorns was not exactly box office viewing.
Speaking after the match West Brom manager Slaven Bilic voiced his concerns that the new pay-per-view fixtures are “pricing fans out of football”, BBC Sport reports.
He said: “Football is not polo or golf. It’s not my money; it’s their money. Football should not be free, but affordable. Football is the sport for masses, a working-class sport, and it should be affordable to everybody.”
‘Charity Not PPV’
It was announced earlier this month that five matches per round - 15 games in total - will be made available to supporters via the BT Sport Box Office and Sky Sports Box Office platforms.
However, many fans have been put off by the £14.95 price tag. The Daily Mail reports that the Premier League is under “increasing pressure” to abandon its controversial scheme.
Large numbers boycotted the first round of games and the supporters’ groups of Newcastle United and Manchester United revealed that many fans donated £14.95 to food banks instead of watching the two teams go head-to-head on Sunday on Sky Sports Box Office.
As part of a “Charity Not PPV” campaign, Newcastle fans raised more than £20,000 for the city’s West End food bank. The campaign has also been replicated by fans of other Premier League clubs, including Tottenham, Burnley, Aston Villa, Leeds United, Liverpool and Everton.
Alex Hurst, chairman of the Newcastle United Supporters’ Trust, told the Mail: “It is wrong for so many reasons. It is far too expensive. The fact it has come from nowhere suggests a total lack of planning from the Premier League, making short-term decisions for short-term gain. There has been no supporter consultation. It just doesn’t sit right.”
‘Out of touch with fans’
A petition to “Stop Pay Per View Football” has also been launched on change.org, with organisers saying it’s “unfair and unreasonable to expect fans to pay again”.


theweekuk--2020-10-20--US election: what will a Trump or Biden presidency mean for the UK?

Four years ago , some Downing Street figures felt they had found an ally in Donald Trump .
Owing to what The New York Times describes as the president ’ s “ full-throated endorsement of Brexit ” , America appeared to be a “ safe harbour ” for UK ambitions abroad - and a safe bet for securing a lucrative trade deal .
But as the 31 December deadline for the Brexit transition period looms , the hoped-for riches of a UK-US deal are yet to materialise , leading some Whitehall insiders to look to Joe Biden to breathe new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
With just two weeks to go until the US presidential election , what exactly could the result mean for Britain ?
The polls do not look great for Trump , with his Democrat rival edging key swing states and holding a commanding lead among voters nationally .
But writing off Trump is never a good idea , as Hillary Clinton ’ s team learned to their cost in 2016 .
Under the electoral college system , Trump could get over the line for a second term without winning the popular vote .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the incumbent certainly wouldn ’ t secure the backing of UK voters , with only 19 % of Brits expressing confidence in the US president .
Indeed , a Trump victory in the 3 November election would “ throw up a particularly acute personal dilemma ” for Boris Johnson , writes The Guardian ’ s diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour .
Johnson “ knows Trump is wildly unpopular with the British electorate ” , but the prime minister has “ invested heavily in his relationship with Jared Kushner , the president ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But that investment of time and energy could be fruitless if Biden edges Trump out of power .
Conversely , a two-term Trump administration could prove valuable to Johnson .
The Tory leader “ staked his career on betting against the EU and won ” , says The Washington Post , which argues that “ the self-proclaimed Mr Brexit ” is likely to secure a better trade deal from his friends in the White House than the UK could extract from more hostile European leaders in the bloc .
However , “ current @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caution that private negotiations are more complex than the public Trump and Johnson bromance would suggest ” , the paper adds .
Ivan Rogers , the former British ambassador to the EU , told The Guardian that Johnson “ is quite Trumpite in method - he was always fascinated by Trump and his strategy to take the other side by surprise and destabilise it ” .
But this approach , when used against each other , could frustrate the future partnership between Johnson ’ s government and a second Trump administration .
“ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ speak with authority across the table with a counterpart , whether a friend , adversary , competitor , because there is no real policy , ” Brett McGurk , the US diplomat who led the fight against Islamic State , told the paper .
“ There is no real policy and the president just shifts on a dime and everybody knows it .
And that makes the basic blocking and tackling – the fundamentals of diplomacy – very hard.
” Kim Darroch , Britain ’ s former ambassador to the US , told @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in September that Johnson ’ s government appeared “ very confident , pre-pandemic , that Trump would win ” .
But powers beyond Trump ’ s control have turned politics on its head - leaving both the president and Downing Street on tenterhooks as polling day approaches .
Unlike Trump , who has previously heaped praise on Johnson , Biden has remained fairly tight-lipped about the PM .
But the Democratic candidate ’ s immediate circle know all about Johnson , who infamously wrote that Biden ’ s close friend and former boss @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the British ” as a result of his “ part-Kenyan ” heritage .
Downing Street “ may have been complacently slow to get alongside Trump ’ s opponent ” , in stark contrast to Johnson ’ s friendly overtures to the Republican incumbent , The Guardian ’ s Wintour writes .
Biden is shaped by his Catholic upbringing and is a proud Irish-American , a background that makes his “ commitment to the Good Friday Agreement a matter of principle , not electoral politics ” , says the New Statesman ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the former vice-president said that “ any trade deal between the US and UK must be contingent upon respect for the agreement and preventing the return of a hard border ” on the island of Ireland - a commitment that should not be dismissed as “ normal politicking ” , Tamkin writes .
“ It would certainly be convenient for a British politician to pretend that a meaningful Irish-American voting bloc exists , ” she adds .
But “ in 2020 when Americans speak of different voting blocs , they rarely speak @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” .
Biden was not playing for votes , but is truly wedded to the deal , repeatedly voicing his commitment to peace in Ireland on the campaign trail and tweeting that the open border can not become a “ casualty of Brexit ” .
That personal connection means Johnson ’ s Internal Markets Bill , which undermines elements of the Withdrawal Agreement relating to Ireland , marked a discordant start to relations with the potential future president .
Meanwhile , if Trump ’ s attraction to the UK post-Brexit was built on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ s focus will be on “ the importance of alliances ” , Wintour says .
“ One of Biden ’ s priorities will be to repair the relationship with Europe .
That will give us less clout , ” former US ambassador Darroch told The Guardian .
This assessment was echoed by Nicholas Burns , a senior diplomat in the Bush and Clinton administrations , who notes that “ Britain will no longer be able to be the great connector between the EU and the US as it was over the past several @ @ @ @ @ @ @ desire to work more closely with Germany , owing to its influence in the EU , and Ireland , due to Biden ’ s heritage , on the European stage .
So with the UK out of the loop on the goings-on in Brussels , the British government could find itself drifting further from the circle of influence in Biden ’ s White House .

However, “current and former officials in Washington and London caution that private negotiations are more complex than the public Trump and Johnson bromance would suggest”, the paper adds.
The Tory leader “staked his career on betting against the EU and won”, says The Washington Post , which argues that “the self-proclaimed Mr Brexit” is likely to secure a better trade deal from his friends in the White House than the UK could extract from more hostile European leaders in the bloc .
But that investment of time and energy could be fruitless if Biden edges Trump out of power. Conversely, a two-term Trump administration could prove valuable to Johnson.
Johnson “knows Trump is wildly unpopular with the British electorate”, but the prime minister has “invested heavily in his relationship with Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law”, according to Wintour.
Indeed, a Trump victory in the 3 November election would “throw up a particularly acute personal dilemma” for Boris Johnson, writes The Guardian ’s diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour.
Under the electoral college system , Trump could get over the line for a second term without winning the popular vote. According to latest Pew Research Center polling , the incumbent certainly wouldn’t secure the backing of UK voters, with only 19% of Brits expressing confidence in the US president.
The polls do not look great for Trump , with his Democrat rival edging key swing states and holding a commanding lead among voters nationally. But writing off Trump is never a good idea, as Hillary Clinton’s team learned to their cost in 2016.
But as the 31 December deadline for the Brexit transition period looms, the hoped-for riches of a UK-US deal are yet to materialise, leading some Whitehall insiders to look to Joe Biden to breathe new life into the “special relationship” . With just two weeks to go until the US presidential election, what exactly could the result mean for Britain?
Owing to what The New York Times describes as the president’s “full-throated endorsement of Brexit”, America appeared to be a “safe harbour” for UK ambitions abroad - and a safe bet for securing a lucrative trade deal.
Four years ago, some Downing Street figures felt they had found an ally in Donald Trump.
Ivan Rogers, the former British ambassador to the EU, told The Guardian that Johnson “is quite Trumpite in method - he was always fascinated by Trump and his strategy to take the other side by surprise and destabilise it”. But this approach, when used against each other, could frustrate the future partnership between Johnson’s government and a second Trump administration.
“No diplomat in the Trump administration can speak with authority across the table with a counterpart, whether a friend, adversary, competitor, because there is no real policy,” Brett McGurk, the US diplomat who led the fight against Islamic State, told the paper.
“There is no real policy and the president just shifts on a dime and everybody knows it. And that makes the basic blocking and tackling – the fundamentals of diplomacy – very hard.”
Kim Darroch, Britain’s former ambassador to the US, told The Washington Post’s Adam Taylor in September that Johnson’s government appeared “very confident, pre-pandemic, that Trump would win”. But powers beyond Trump’s control have turned politics on its head - leaving both the president and Downing Street on tenterhooks as polling day approaches.
Biden his time
Unlike Trump, who has previously heaped praise on Johnson, Biden has remained fairly tight-lipped about the PM. But the Democratic candidate’s immediate circle know all about Johnson, who infamously wrote that Biden’s close friend and former boss Barack Obama had an “ancestral dislike of the British” as a result of his “part-Kenyan” heritage.
Downing Street “may have been complacently slow to get alongside Trump’s opponent”, in stark contrast to Johnson’s friendly overtures to the Republican incumbent, The Guardian’s Wintour writes.
Biden is shaped by his Catholic upbringing and is a proud Irish-American, a background that makes his “commitment to the Good Friday Agreement a matter of principle, not electoral politics”, says the New Statesman’s US editor Emily Tamkin.
In September, the former vice-president said that “any trade deal between the US and UK must be contingent upon respect for the agreement and preventing the return of a hard border” on the island of Ireland - a commitment that should not be dismissed as “normal politicking”, Tamkin writes.
“It would certainly be convenient for a British politician to pretend that a meaningful Irish-American voting bloc exists,” she adds. But “in 2020 when Americans speak of different voting blocs, they rarely speak about the ‘Irish American vote’”.
Biden was not playing for votes, but is truly wedded to the deal, repeatedly voicing his commitment to peace in Ireland on the campaign trail and tweeting that the open border cannot become a “casualty of Brexit”.
That personal connection means Johnson’s Internal Markets Bill, which undermines elements of the Withdrawal Agreement relating to Ireland, marked a discordant start to relations with the potential future president.
Meanwhile, if Trump’s attraction to the UK post-Brexit was built on creating discord in Europe, Biden’s focus will be on “the importance of alliances”, Wintour says.
“One of Biden’s priorities will be to repair the relationship with Europe. That will give us less clout,” former US ambassador Darroch told The Guardian. This assessment was echoed by Nicholas Burns, a senior diplomat in the Bush and Clinton administrations, who notes that “Britain will no longer be able to be the great connector between the EU and the US as it was over the past several decades”.
Democrats have voiced a desire to work more closely with Germany, owing to its influence in the EU, and Ireland, due to Biden’s heritage, on the European stage.
So with the UK out of the loop on the goings-on in Brussels, the British government could find itself drifting further from the circle of influence in Biden’s White House.


theweekuk--2020-10-20--‘Full of hot air’: climate experts exposed as academia’s most frequent flyers

Climate change scientists take more flights more than other academics despite global warming fears , a new study has revealed .
The anonymous survey of more than 1,400 researchers from countries worldwide found that scientists specialising in the climate crisis travelled by air for work around five times a year on average , while researchers in other fields took four flights .
And “ levels of flying rose with job seniority ” , with climate change professors taking around nine flights , compared with eight for their academic peers , according to Cardiff University , which coordinated the study .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ removed from the comparison , climate scientists still flew more than scientists from other disciplines , ” The Times reports .
The study findings , outlined in a paper in the journal Global Environmental Change , show that climate scientists also took an average of three international flights a year for personal reasons , the same as other researchers , even though they had “ higher levels of awareness and concern about the impact of aviation on climate change ” .
But the climate experts were also more likely to take steps to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ flights , according to the results of the survey , which was conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic .
And almost 30 % of climate researchers said they had chosen not to travel to a work event because of the associated carbon footprint , compared with just 5 % of other researchers .
Kevin Anderson , a University of Manchester professor of climate change who was not involved in the study , said the report made for “ uncomfortable ” reading and “ must be a catalyst for rapid change ” .
“ We @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look in the mirror , ” added Anderson , former director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research .
Study leader Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh said the findings were “ unexpected ” but suggest that “ knowledge alone is not enough ” to tackle global warming .
“ Crucially , our research demonstrates the need for policies and ways of working to encourage and enable low-carbon travel and use of virtual alternatives – something which is already happening in light of Covid-19 , ” she noted .
Flying is widely regarded as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some climate campaigners , such as Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg , shunning air travel because of the environmental impact .

Climate change scientists take more flights more than other academics despite global warming fears, a new study has revealed.
The anonymous survey of more than 1,400 researchers from countries worldwide found that scientists specialising in the climate crisis travelled by air for work around five times a year on average, while researchers in other fields took four flights. And “levels of flying rose with job seniority”, with climate change professors taking around nine flights, compared with eight for their academic peers, according to Cardiff University, which coordinated the study.
“Even when trips for fieldwork were removed from the comparison, climate scientists still flew more than scientists from other disciplines,” The Times reports.
The study findings, outlined in a paper in the journal Global Environmental Change, show that climate scientists also took an average of three international flights a year for personal reasons, the same as other researchers, even though they had “higher levels of awareness and concern about the impact of aviation on climate change”.
But the climate experts were also more likely to take steps to reduce or offset the emissions from their flights, according to the results of the survey, which was conducted before the Covid-19 pandemic. And almost 30% of climate researchers said they had chosen not to travel to a work event because of the associated carbon footprint, compared with just 5% of other researchers.
Kevin Anderson, a University of Manchester professor of climate change who was not involved in the study, said the report made for “uncomfortable” reading and “must be a catalyst for rapid change”.
“We need to take a long, hard look in the mirror,” added Anderson, former director of the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research.
Study leader Professor Lorraine Whitmarsh said the findings were “unexpected” but suggest that “knowledge alone is not enough” to tackle global warming.
“Crucially, our research demonstrates the need for policies and ways of working to encourage and enable low-carbon travel and use of virtual alternatives – something which is already happening in light of Covid-19,” she noted.
Flying is widely regarded as the most polluting form of transport, with some climate campaigners, such as Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg, shunning air travel because of the environmental impact.


theweekuk--2020-10-20--Reach for the Moon: Nokia and Nasa to build 4G lunar network

More than 50 years after humans took their first small steps on the Moon , Nokia is set to take a giant leap forward in expanding the telecom industry ’ s reach in space .
The Finnish firm has announced that its US subsidiary has been awarded a $ 14.1m ( £10.8m ) contract by Nasa to deploy an “ ultra-compact , low-power , space-hardened ” wireless 4G network on the lunar surface .
The plan is part of the US space agency ’ s Artemis programme , “ which aims to send the first woman , and next man @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and then establish settlements there , says The Guardian .
Nokia is teaming up with Texas-based spacecraft design company Intuitive Machines to use a lunar hopper to install the network equipment remotely in late 2022 , “ before humans make it back there ” , says Reuters .
The technology should provide connectivity for “ any activity that astronauts need to carry out ” , from “ voice and video communications capabilities ” to “ deployment and control of robotic and sensor payloads ” , according to Nokia .
Sky News reports @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be “ a little different from what it uses on Earth , primarily because the kit itself needs to be able to ‘ withstand the harsh conditions of the launch and lunar landing , and to operate in the extreme conditions of space ’ ” .
“ But , other than that , it will be normal 4G , including a base station , radio antennas , and user equipment , ” says the news site .
And as on Earth , the 4G gear “ can be updated to a super-fast 5G @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The Guardian .

More than 50 years after humans took their first small steps on the Moon, Nokia is set to take a giant leap forward in expanding the telecom industry’s reach in space.
The Finnish firm has announced that its US subsidiary has been awarded a $14.1m (£10.8m) contract by Nasa to deploy an “ultra-compact, low-power, space-hardened” wireless 4G network on the lunar surface.
The plan is part of the US space agency’s Artemis programme, “which aims to send the first woman, and next man, to the Moon by 2024”, and then establish settlements there, says The Guardian.
“Leveraging our rich and successful history in space technologies, from pioneering satellite communication to discovering the cosmic microwave background radiation produced by the Big Bang, we are now building the first ever cellular communications network on the Moon,” Nokia chief technology officer Marcus Weldon said in a statement.
“Reliable, resilient and high-capacity communications networks will be key to supporting sustainable human presence on the lunar surface.”
Nokia is teaming up with Texas-based spacecraft design company Intuitive Machines to use a lunar hopper to install the network equipment remotely in late 2022, “before humans make it back there”, says Reuters.
The technology should provide connectivity for “any activity that astronauts need to carry out”, from “voice and video communications capabilities” to “deployment and control of robotic and sensor payloads”, according to Nokia.
Sky News reports that Nokia’s lunar network will be “a little different from what it uses on Earth, primarily because the kit itself needs to be able to ‘withstand the harsh conditions of the launch and lunar landing, and to operate in the extreme conditions of space’”.
“But, other than that, it will be normal 4G, including a base station, radio antennas, and user equipment,” says the news site.
And as on Earth, the 4G gear “can be updated to a super-fast 5G network in the future”, adds The Guardian.


theweekuk--2020-10-20--Inside the village split by a river into two lockdown tiers

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Perched beside the sea on the edge of the North York Moors, the fishing community of Staithes is a village divided as coronavirus rules draw a stark line through its picturesque streets.
Until the pandemic hit, “the only obvious difference between the cottages” on either side of Roxby Beck, which runs through the village, was “the colour of their wheelie bins”, says The Telegraph. But now, “on the north side of the river, around 40 houses have been stranded in ‘high’ Tier 2 restrictions, meaning they cannot mix with friends and family indoors”.
On the other side of the narrow beck, the majority of villagers sit within Tier 1, “and are free to socialise with neighbours in local pubs and cafes”, the Daily Mail reports.
Most visitors who cross the short bridge over the beck are “blissfully unaware that in doing so they are crossing an invisible municipal boundary”, adds Teesside Live. “While Staithes has a Teesside postcode, the vast majority of it falls under the auspices of Scarborough Borough Council, which is firmly in North Yorkshire.”
Covid 19 also seems to be oblivious of the border. Latest figures on coronavirus cases show “almost identical” levels of infection, which are “relatively low” on both sides, the news site reports.
Residents have greeted the great divide with a mixture of bemusement and resignation.
“I can understand that there’s got to be a boundary, and there will always be anomalies of one sort or another,” Colin Harrison, a retired solicitor, told The Telegraph. “But you’ve got to see some sort of reasoning behind these rules, or people will just think they are ridiculous and refuse to obey them.”
Colin Harvey, a retired chartered surveyor, is among those who regard the rules as “a bit of a joke”.
“A lot of people are totally confused, especially since we all share the same TS13 postcode,” he told the Daily Mail. “But it all comes down to who empties your bins, it seems.”


theweekuk--2020-10-20--Conservatives wargaming to stop second Scottish independence referendum

The Conservative government is plotting to scupper hopes of a second Scottish independence referendum , a leaked memo suggests .
Bloomberg reports that the 21-page document has been circulated to “ a select group of people ” including Michael Gove and outlines tactics to delay and then avoid a referendum if the Scottish National Party ( SNP ) lands a majority in next May ’ s Scottish Parliament elections .
The memo argues that continuing the current strategy of dismissing calls for another independence vote would be “ counterproductive ” and that London should instead consider countermeasures such as handing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ also suggest pressuring Brussels to rule out the idea of Scotland re-joining the EU as an independent nation , as well as advising Scottish Tories to launch “ a hard-hitting , attack-focused ” campaign against First Minister Nicola Sturgeon .
The memo was written by Hanbury Strategy , a political consultancy firm set up by Ameet Gill , David Cameron ’ s one-time director of strategy , and Paul Stephenson , former director of communications for Vote Leave .
A poll published last week by Ipsos Mori in partnership with STV News put @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the highest level ever .
Almost two-thirds ( 64 % ) of more than 1,000 respondents said that Downing Street should allow another independence referendum to be held within the next five years if the SNP wins a majority in 2021 - a vote outcome expected by pundits .
Only a third ( 34 % ) said the UK government should not allow a second vote .
The last time a public opinion poll showed a majority of Scots against independence “ came out at the end of March , with the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a tie ” and ten subsequent surveys all putting Yes in the lead , Politico reports .

The Conservative government is plotting to scupper hopes of a second Scottish independence referendum, a leaked memo suggests.
Bloomberg reports that the 21-page document has been circulated to “a select group of people” including Michael Gove and outlines tactics to delay and then avoid a referendum if the Scottish National Party (SNP) lands a majority in next May’s Scottish Parliament elections.
The memo argues that continuing the current strategy of dismissing calls for another independence vote would be “counterproductive” and that London should instead consider countermeasures such as handing more power to Edinburgh.
The authors also suggest pressuring Brussels to rule out the idea of Scotland re-joining the EU as an independent nation, as well as advising Scottish Tories to launch “a hard-hitting, attack-focused” campaign against First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
The memo was written by Hanbury Strategy, a political consultancy firm set up by Ameet Gill, David Cameron’s one-time director of strategy, and Paul Stephenson, former director of communications for Vote Leave.
A poll published last week by Ipsos Mori in partnership with STV News put support for Scottish independence at 58%, the highest level ever. Almost two-thirds (64%) of more than 1,000 respondents said that Downing Street should allow another independence referendum to be held within the next five years if the SNP wins a majority in 2021 - a vote outcome expected by pundits. Only a third (34%) said the UK government should not allow a second vote.
The last time a public opinion poll showed a majority of Scots against independence “came out at the end of March, with the next poll, in May, showing a tie” and ten subsequent surveys all putting Yes in the lead, Politico reports.


theweekuk--2020-10-20--Michael Gove: UK ‘firmness’ with Brussels paying off in Brexit talks

London ’ s “ firmness ” with Brussels is “ bearing fruit ” in the Brexit negotiations , Michael Gove has claimed .
The Cabinet Office minister ’ s comments came after Michel Barnier , the EU ’ s chief negotiator , seemingly agreed to the government ’ s demands for the resumption of Brexit talks yesterday .
As Gove delivered a statement to the Commons criticising the bloc , Bariner tweeted that he was ready to intensify trade talks “ on all subjects , and based on legal texts ” .
The tweet prompted what The Guardian describes as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ who praised the “ constructive move ” just minutes after declaring that the trade negotiations had “ effectively ended ” .
“ Even while I have been at the dispatch box it has been reported that here has been a constructive move on the part of the EU and I welcome that , ” he told MPs , adding that “ I prefer to look forward in optimism rather than necessarily to look back in anger ” .
A spokesperson said that “ the UK has noted the EU ’ s proposal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ would be expected at this stage in a negotiation ” , but added that No .
10 “ continues to believe there is no basis to resume talks unless there is a fundamental change of approach from the EU ” .
As the BBC ’ s Europe editor Katya Adler notes , “ the last 24 hours have not played out as many a seasoned observer of this by now very , very , very long Brexit process might have imagined ” .
“ Political Twitter is exploding with theories : that Prime @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal in the first place , that the EU threw away its chances to make a deal with missteps at last week 's summit , or that the UK is overplaying its hand , ” Adler reports .

London’s “firmness” with Brussels is “bearing fruit” in the Brexit negotiations, Michael Gove has claimed.
The Cabinet Office minister’s comments came after Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, seemingly agreed to the government’s demands for the resumption of Brexit talks yesterday.
As Gove delivered a statement to the Commons criticising the bloc, Bariner tweeted that he was ready to intensify trade talks “on all subjects, and based on legal texts”.
The tweet prompted what The Guardian describes as a “U-turn” from Gove, who praised the “constructive move” just minutes after declaring that the trade negotiations had “effectively ended”.
“Even while I have been at the dispatch box it has been reported that here has been a constructive move on the part of the EU and I welcome that,” he told MPs, adding that “I prefer to look forward in optimism rather than necessarily to look back in anger”.
Downing Street adopted a less optimistic tone, however.
A spokesperson said that “the UK has noted the EU’s proposal to genuinely intensify talks, which is what would be expected at this stage in a negotiation”, but added that No. 10 “continues to believe there is no basis to resume talks unless there is a fundamental change of approach from the EU”.
As the BBC’s Europe editor Katya Adler notes, “the last 24 hours have not played out as many a seasoned observer of this by now very, very, very long Brexit process might have imagined”.
“Political Twitter is exploding with theories: that Prime Minister Boris Johnson never really wanted a deal in the first place, that the EU threw away its chances to make a deal with missteps at last week's summit, or that the UK is overplaying its hand,” Adler reports.


theweekuk--2020-10-20--Ten Things You Need to Know Today: Tuesday 20 Oct 2020

Just one in seven rape survivors believe they will receive justice by reporting their ordeal , according to a study @ @ @ @ @ .
The research also found that a third of the respondents had not reported what @ @ @ @ @ with 95 % of those saying they feared not being believed by police .
Survivors @ @ @ @ @ hurt and betrayed ” by the criminal justice system .

Study reveals rape victims lack trust in justice
Just one in seven rape survivors believe they will receive justice by reporting their ordeal, according to a study by the victims’ commissioner. The research also found that a third of the respondents had not reported what had happened to them, with 95% of those saying they feared not being believed by police. Survivors described feeling “angry, hurt and betrayed” by the criminal justice system.


theweekuk--2020-10-20--Astrologer who predicted Covid now says what will happen next

In February 2019 , a British astrologer predicted that a “ virus would disrupt the world ” from 10 January – the date of the first death from Covid-19 .
Looking further ahead , Jessica Adams says the world will “ learn to live with ” the virus , that this Christmas will be “ fantastic ” because of Oprah Winfrey and that the climate crisis will be over by 2026 .
Asteroid twice size of Nelson ’ s Column to pass Earth NASA says a giant asteroid double the size of Nelson ’ s Column is set to enter @ @ @ @ @ @ @ agency has named the rock , which is expected to pass the planet on Thursday , 2020 TGI .
NASA astronomers are currently tracking around 2,000 asteroids , comets and other objects that could fly close to Earth .
A man has credited his craving for macaroni and cheese for his $ 200,000 ( £154,501 ) lottery jackpot win .
Marquetton Carraway , who lives in North Carolina , said he only went to the shops to buy ingredients for a mac ‘ n ’ cheese feast .
“ When I got to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ my change , and I was about to walk out the store until something told me to buy a ticket , ” he said .
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Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––

In February 2019, a British astrologer predicted that a “virus would disrupt the world” from 10 January – the date of the first death from Covid-19. Looking further ahead, Jessica Adams says the world will “learn to live with” the virus, that this Christmas will be “fantastic” because of Oprah Winfrey and that the climate crisis will be over by 2026.
Asteroid twice size of Nelson’s Column to pass Earth
NASA says a giant asteroid double the size of Nelson’s Column is set to enter Earth’s orbit. The space agency has named the rock, which is expected to pass the planet on Thursday, 2020 TGI. NASA astronomers are currently tracking around 2,000 asteroids, comets and other objects that could fly close to Earth.
Mac and cheese craving wins man $200k
A man has credited his craving for macaroni and cheese for his $200,000 (£154,501) lottery jackpot win. Marquetton Carraway, who lives in North Carolina, said he only went to the shops to buy ingredients for a mac ‘n’ cheese feast. “When I got to the counter, the man gave me my change, and I was about to walk out the store until something told me to buy a ticket,” he said.
–––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––For a round-up of the most important stories from around the world - and a concise, refreshing and balanced take on the week’s news agenda - try The Week magazine. Start your trial subscription today –––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––


theweekuk--2020-10-19--Design classics: the stories behind the legends

Growing up in 1980s Liverpool , we used to hang out at the house of a school friend whose father was an architect .
To us , he seemed the epitome of bohemian , being the only one of my friends ’ fathers who ( a ) had a beard , ( b ) decanted wine into a carafe to drink with his dinner and , crucially ( c ) let us have some .
A PH 5 lamp illuminated the dinner table as he told us the story behind it over a glass of Beaujolais nouveau .
Since then @ @ @ @ @ @ @ best designs have the best stories .
Here we look at the stories behind seven perennial mid-century design classics that you can still buy today .
Danish designer , journalist and author Poul Henningsen ’ s childhood was illuminated by the gentle glow of oil lamps .
When electric light bulbs came in , their overhead glare offended him .
Riding on trams through the dark Copenhagen evenings , he gazed into homes and was appalled .
“ One shudders to see how gloomy they are , ” he wrote .
“ Furniture @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a home is secondary to the importance of lighting.
” In 1958 , he designed the classic PH 5 , which emits downward and lateral light – in effect , the shade illuminates itself .
As he wrote later : “ The correct illumination of a home does not require money , but insight.
” Today , you ’ ll need quite a bit of money to buy Henningsen ’ s insight , but the classic PH 5 is still available at Louis Poulsen .
‘ I ’ m filming the waves in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ one day ’ Finnish designer Alvar Aalto ’ s work is best defined as exemplifying a harmonious relationship with nature .
Architect Veli Paatela remembers swimming with Aalto off Cape Cod when the designer suddenly stopped , stood up , and looked at the waves .
“ I ’ m filming it in my head , ” he said .
“ I might need this shape some day.
” Waves played a major part in Aalto ’ s success - indeed , “ aalto ” means “ wave ” in Finnish .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sensation at the New York World ’ s Fair , with a dynamic wave-inspired design as fluid as the Finnish lakes that inspired it .
Today , they are still available from Iittala in Finland , still blown by mouth by humans , and still shorthand for classic Scandinavian design .
‘ The extension of the art of dwelling is the art of living ’ If anyone harnessed the power that design can have in elevating our mood , it ’ s Charlotte Perriand .
“ The extension of the art of dwelling @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the art of living.
” In 1927 , the then 24-year-old French designer applied to work with Le Corbusier .
His misogynistic reply : “ We don ’ t embroider cushions here.
” Yet within a year Perriand , Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret had teamed up to produce the definitive chaise longue , the LC4 .
As she said in a 1984 interview in Architectural Review : “ I think the reason Le Corbusier took me on was because I was familiar with current technology , I knew how to use it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had ideas about the uses it could be put to.
” Her designs are still among producer Cassina ’ s biggest sellers .
‘ I still don ’ t know to this day who cooked it up ’ This staple of 1950s American kitchens is attributed to George Nelson , but may not have been all his work .
The design was the result of an alcohol-fuelled sketching session in 1947 involving Nelson and some friends – architect and futurist Buckminster “ Bucky ” Fuller , industrial designer Irving Harper and the Japanese @ @ @ @ @ @ @ book George Nelson : The Design of Modern Design , Stanley Abercrombie relates how a hungover Nelson returned to his office the morning after : “ Next morning I came back , and here was this roll of drafting paper and somewhere in this roll there was the ball clock .
I still don ’ t know to this day who cooked it up… It might have been Irving , but he didn ’ t think so ... We both guessed that Isamu had probably done it because he has a genius for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ extraordinary .
But we never knew.
” An engineer went into his shed in 1929 and emerged in 1932 with the Angelpoise The Anglepoise wasn ’ t designed by a product designer but rather an automotive engineer .
George Carwardine specialised in vehicle suspension systems and springs .
When the car company he worked for went bankrupt in 1929 , in classic English fashion he rolled up his sleeves , disappeared into his shed in Bath and emerged in 1932 with the Anglepoise Lamp .
It wasn ’ t universally loved though – @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC ’ s Variety Department , Michael Standing , banned BBC employees from writing at desks illuminated by an Anglepoise unless an overhead light was also lit .
Standing believed that a man writing at a desk in a confined space illuminated by a single light source would produce “ furtive and degenerate ideas ” .
The Anglepoise was loved by children ’ s author Roald Dahl , however – so much so that the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden , Buckinghamshire , commissioned this giant version , which is still in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ place to recharge my batteries ’ It ’ s tempting to cast the bearded , pipe-smoking Tapio Wirkkala as a backwoods lone wolf , at home in the seclusion of the wastes of northern Lapland .
But he was also a sophisticated world traveller who worked with American product designer Raymond Loewy and Italian designer Gio Ponti .
Wirkkala ’ s three-decade run of designs for the Finlandia vodka bottle ( 1970-2000 ) hints at his commercial acumen .
But he ’ s most famous for his Ultima Thule collection – inspired by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ result of thousands of hours experimenting with glassblowing techniques to perfect its unique texture .
‘ American design has the look and feel of belonging in our homes ’ Imagine Mad Men character Don Draper as a product designer and you ’ ll get Paul McCobb .
As Julie Lasky wrote last year in The New York Times : “ In his time he was as famous as Charles and Ray Eames .
Maybe more so .
In 1957 , Bloomingdale ’ s showed 15 McCobb room settings , stocked with 348 designs.
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ irascible and hard drinking , with an “ America first ” approach to design that Donald Trump would applaud .
“ Contemporary American design is not the Chinese influence , the Swedish or the Italian influence , ” he once said .
“ It is an American influence that has an American look about it and has the feeling of belonging in our homes.
” Wall Mirror , reissued from the 1950s design for Bryce Originals , €644 ( £583 ) ; fritzhansen.com Being a prisoner of war enabled him to learn his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to thank the Germans for in the early 1940s , but the former occupying forces indirectly boosted Mathieu Matégot ’ s career .
The French-Hungarian designer volunteered for the army but was captured and forced as a prisoner of war to work in a factory making metal accessories .
The metal-working skills he picked up there would rise to their zenith with his 1954 design , the Nagasaki Chair .
The three-legged classic design combines metal tubing and perforated sheet metal – a unique formula that he named Rigitulle – and characterises much @ @ @ @ @ @

Home interiors: design trends to look out for in 2021
Growing up in 1980s Liverpool, we used to hang out at the house of a school friend whose father was an architect. To us, he seemed the epitome of bohemian, being the only one of my friends’ fathers who (a) had a beard, (b) decanted wine into a carafe to drink with his dinner and, crucially (c) let us have some. A PH 5 lamp illuminated the dinner table as he told us the story behind it over a glass of Beaujolais nouveau. Since then, I’ve always thought the best designs have the best stories. Here we look at the stories behind seven perennial mid-century design classics that you can still buy today. PH 5 Lamp ‘Correct illumination doesn’t require money, but insight’ Danish designer, journalist and author Poul Henningsen’s childhood was illuminated by the gentle glow of oil lamps. When electric light bulbs came in, their overhead glare offended him. Riding on trams through the dark Copenhagen evenings, he gazed into homes and was appalled. “One shudders to see how gloomy they are,” he wrote. “Furniture, style, carpets – everything in a home is secondary to the importance of lighting.” In 1958, he designed the classic PH 5, which emits downward and lateral light – in effect, the shade illuminates itself. As he wrote later: “The correct illumination of a home does not require money, but insight.” Today, you’ll need quite a bit of money to buy Henningsen’s insight, but the classic PH 5 is still available at Louis Poulsen. PH 5, £685; louispoulsen.com Alvar Aalto Vase ‘I’m filming the waves in my head. I might need them one day’ Finnish designer Alvar Aalto’s work is best defined as exemplifying a harmonious relationship with nature. Architect Veli Paatela remembers swimming with Aalto off Cape Cod when the designer suddenly stopped, stood up, and looked at the waves. “I’m filming it in my head,” he said. “I might need this shape some day.” Waves played a major part in Aalto’s success - indeed, “aalto” means “wave” in Finnish. In 1930, his Savoy Vase caused a sensation at the New York World’s Fair, with a dynamic wave-inspired design as fluid as the Finnish lakes that inspired it. Today, they are still available from Iittala in Finland, still blown by mouth by humans, and still shorthand for classic Scandinavian design. Skip advert
Alvar Aalto Collection, from £61; iittala.com LC4 Chaise Longue ‘The extension of the art of dwelling is the art of living’ If anyone harnessed the power that design can have in elevating our mood, it’s Charlotte Perriand. “The extension of the art of dwelling,” she said, “is the art of living.” In 1927, the then 24-year-old French designer applied to work with Le Corbusier. His misogynistic reply: “We don’t embroider cushions here.” Yet within a year Perriand, Le Corbusier and Pierre Jeanneret had teamed up to produce the definitive chaise longue, the LC4. As she said in a 1984 interview in Architectural Review: “I think the reason Le Corbusier took me on was because I was familiar with current technology, I knew how to use it and, what is more, I had ideas about the uses it could be put to.” Her designs are still among producer Cassina’s biggest sellers. LC4 by Cassina, from £3,925; conranshop.co.uk Ball Clock ‘I still don’t know to this day who cooked it up’ This staple of 1950s American kitchens is attributed to George Nelson, but may not have been all his work. The design was the result of an alcohol-fuelled sketching session in 1947 involving Nelson and some friends – architect and futurist Buckminster “Bucky” Fuller, industrial designer Irving Harper and the Japanese artist Isamu Noguchi. In his excellent book George Nelson: The Design of Modern Design, Stanley Abercrombie relates how a hungover Nelson returned to his office the morning after: “Next morning I came back, and here was this roll of drafting paper and somewhere in this roll there was the ball clock. I still don’t know to this day who cooked it up… It might have been Irving, but he didn’t think so... We both guessed that Isamu had probably done it because he has a genius for doing two stupid things and making something extraordinary. But we never knew.” Ball Clock, from £250; vitra.com Anglepoise Original 1227 (giant version) An engineer went into his shed in 1929 and emerged in 1932 with the Angelpoise The Anglepoise wasn’t designed by a product designer but rather an automotive engineer. George Carwardine specialised in vehicle suspension systems and springs. When the car company he worked for went bankrupt in 1929, in classic English fashion he rolled up his sleeves, disappeared into his shed in Bath and emerged in 1932 with the Anglepoise Lamp. It wasn’t universally loved though – in 1949, the head of the BBC’s Variety Department, Michael Standing, banned BBC employees from writing at desks illuminated by an Anglepoise unless an overhead light was also lit. Standing believed that a man writing at a desk in a confined space illuminated by a single light source would produce “furtive and degenerate ideas”. The Anglepoise was loved by children’s author Roald Dahl, however – so much so that the Roald Dahl Museum in Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, commissioned this giant version, which is still in production today. Skip advert


theweekuk--2020-10-20--Coronavirus: why the Republic of Ireland is going into full national lockdown

Ireland is heading back into a complete lockdown after the government in Dublin rejected calls for the country to attempt @ @ @ @ @ As of Wednesday , non-essential shops will be closed and people will be asked to @ @ @ @ @ the republic closes “ much of its economy and society in a second Covid-19 lockdown @ @ @ @ @ severest restrictions in Europe ” , The Guardian says .
The measures are scheduled to @ @ @ @ @ weeks , but will be reviewed after four and adjusted depending on the severity of @ @ @ @ @ does Ireland compare to the UK ?
The Irish Department of Health yesterday reported 1,031 @ @ @ @ @ total to 50,993 .

Ireland is heading back into a complete lockdown after the government in Dublin rejected calls for the country to attempt to reach herd immunity.
As of Wednesday, non-essential shops will be closed and people will be asked to stay at home, as the republic closes “much of its economy and society in a second Covid-19 lockdown that imposes some of the severest restrictions in Europe”, The Guardian says.
The measures are scheduled to remain in place for six weeks, but will be reviewed after four and adjusted depending on the severity of coronavirus infection rates.
How does Ireland compare to the UK?
The Irish Department of Health yesterday reported 1,031 new cases, taking the total to 50,993. No further coronavirus-related deaths were registered, with the total remaining at 1,852.
The worst-hit areas are “counties bordering Northern Ireland, which has some of the UK’s highest rates”, The Guardian reports. Northern Ireland last week closed pubs and restaurants for four weeks, with schools shutting for two weeks from yesterday, in a bid to curb the outbreaks there.
The UK as a whole recorded 18,804 new cases yesterday, taking the total to 741,000. A further 80 deaths increased the tally of fatalities to 43,726.
According to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Ireland’s 14-day incidence rate per 100,000 sits at 253.7, while 14-day deaths per 100,000 are at 0.9. The respective figures for the UK are 338.6 and 2.
Ireland has its own five-stage plan, published in mid-September, for “living with Covid-19”. The response outlined in the plan ranges from relaxed measures at Level 1 to the most severe restrictions at Level 5.
Dublin’s decision to move Ireland to Level 5 from midnight on Wednesday follows a recommendation from the country’s Public Health Emergency Team, and comes after the coalition government “rejected a similar recommendation less than a fortnight ago”, says the BBC.
‘Grave situation’
In a televised address last night, Taoiseach Michael Martin said that despite having introduced “Europe’s strictest regime”, the restrictions had not been enough to significantly reduce levels of infection in Ireland.
“The evidence of a potentially grave situation arriving in the weeks ahead is too strong,” Martin said. “While we have slowed the spread of the virus, this has not been enough and further action is now required.”


theweekuk--2020-10-21--Instant Opinion: secret government Covid contracts are ‘heaping misery on Britain’

The Week ’ s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media , with excerpts from each .
The government ’ s secretive Covid contracts are heaping misery on Britain “ If you are not incandescent with rage , you haven ’ t grasped the scale of what has been done to us .
The new surge in the coronavirus , and the restrictions and local lockdowns it has triggered , are caused in large part by the catastrophic failure of the test-and-trace system .
Its £12bn budget has been blown , as @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to drive the infection rate below the critical threshold .
Their failure was baked in , caused by the government ’ s ideological commitment to the private sector .
This commitment had three impacts : money that could have saved lives has been diverted into corporate profits ; inexperienced consultants and executives have been appointed over the heads of qualified public servants ; instead of responsive local systems , the government has created a centralised monster.
” on the danger faced by Auntie Our BBC is under existential threat from right-wing , Trumpian @ @ @ @ @ @ @ BBC ’ s decisions and behaviours , its record on diversity and equality , fees paid to stars , its unsustainable commitment to balance and impartiality , its trembling fear of tabloids .
But I still love and respect this great institution and fear it may not survive .
The novelist Nick Hornby wrote this recently : ‘ Heaven help the politicians who try to cut anything anywhere in the NHS .
I would like to think that the BBC ’ s service , its calm intelligence and dedication to our health and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ has thrown at us , might make it similarly untouchable.
’ The illiberal elites in power are gunning for the broadcaster , to paralyse , then finish it off .
Without the BBC , Britishness will be soulless , heartless and mindless .
Is that what you want ?
” on its first ever presidential endorsement “ Biden is well positioned to repair the wreckage Trump has made of the federal government , from the foreign service to the science agencies Trump has tried to politicize .
As vice president in the Obama @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in the last economic recovery and is equipped to handle another one ...
This extraordinary moment in the history of our nation requires an extraordinary response .
With his plans , his personnel picks , his experience and his humanity , Joe Biden can help lead the United States out of this morass and into the future .
Your vote can help make that happen.
” Sexting Has Nothing To Do With Consent “ Receiving an intimate picture doesn ’ t magically render someone incapable of rape , just like sending it doesn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ too long ago ( until 2003 ) we similarly struggled with legally understanding that when a woman said ‘ I do ’ it didn ’ t mean she said ‘ I always will ’ .
It used to be legal for men to rape their wives , too .
As someone who ’ s fought non-consensual image sharing right from the start , I couldn ’ t be happier to see that the new CPS guidelines state that sending an intimate picture isn ’ t a blanket consent to sex or anything else @ @ @ @ @ @ @ necessary to make that explicit in other contexts .
If I wire you five pounds I don ’ t give you permission to empty my bank account .
If I invite you in for a cup of tea , I don ’ t invite you to raid my pantry or burn my house down .
It ’ s time we applied the same simple principle of consent to sex.
” Jeffrey Toobin ’ s alleged indecent Zoom exposure shows some men have learned nothing from # MeToo “ Some people will always be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ‘ Not sure someone getting caught doing something almost everyone does should be a national story , ’ wrote a male reporter for Vox , in a tweet that has since been removed .
( But seriously , does ‘ almost everyone ’ masturbate on Zoom calls ? )
Another male writer tweeted that the reaction to Toobin ’ s situation should be ‘ empathy , politeness & forgiveness… rather than punitive mockery.
’ Oh come on now .
Maybe we ’ d feel that way if the offender was an adolescent boy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ what will become of Jeffrey Toobin ?
My guess is he will take himself off to some sort of treatment for compulsive behavior , resurface after the election and live to Zoom another day .
”

The Week’s daily round-up highlights the five best opinion pieces from across the British and international media, with excerpts from each.
1. George Monbiot in The Guardian
on handing services to corporate executives
The government’s secretive Covid contracts are heaping misery on Britain
“If you are not incandescent with rage, you haven’t grasped the scale of what has been done to us. The new surge in the coronavirus, and the restrictions and local lockdowns it has triggered, are caused in large part by the catastrophic failure of the test-and-trace system. Its £12bn budget has been blown, as those in charge of it have failed to drive the infection rate below the critical threshold. Their failure was baked in, caused by the government’s ideological commitment to the private sector. This commitment had three impacts: money that could have saved lives has been diverted into corporate profits; inexperienced consultants and executives have been appointed over the heads of qualified public servants; instead of responsive local systems, the government has created a centralised monster.”
2. Yasmin Alibhai-Brown in The i
on the danger faced by Auntie
Our BBC is under existential threat from right-wing, Trumpian tactics
“I rail often against the BBC’s decisions and behaviours, its record on diversity and equality, fees paid to stars, its unsustainable commitment to balance and impartiality, its trembling fear of tabloids. But I still love and respect this great institution and fear it may not survive. The novelist Nick Hornby wrote this recently: ‘Heaven help the politicians who try to cut anything anywhere in the NHS. I would like to think that the BBC’s service, its calm intelligence and dedication to our health and our ability to cope with what 2020 has thrown at us, might make it similarly untouchable.’ The illiberal elites in power are gunning for the broadcaster, to paralyse, then finish it off. Without the BBC, Britishness will be soulless, heartless and mindless. Is that what you want?”
3. The editorial board of USA Today
on its first ever presidential endorsement
Elect Joe Biden. Reject Donald Trump.
“Biden is well positioned to repair the wreckage Trump has made of the federal government, from the foreign service to the science agencies Trump has tried to politicize. As vice president in the Obama administration, Biden played a central role in the last economic recovery and is equipped to handle another one... This extraordinary moment in the history of our nation requires an extraordinary response. With his plans, his personnel picks, his experience and his humanity, Joe Biden can help lead the United States out of this morass and into the future. Your vote can help make that happen.”
4. Ann Olivarius on HuffPost
on failures to prosecute rape
Sexting Has Nothing To Do With Consent
“Receiving an intimate picture doesn’t magically render someone incapable of rape, just like sending it doesn’t render someone unrapable. Not too long ago (until 2003) we similarly struggled with legally understanding that when a woman said ‘I do’ it didn’t mean she said ‘I always will’. It used to be legal for men to rape their wives, too. As someone who’s fought non-consensual image sharing right from the start, I couldn’t be happier to see that the new CPS guidelines state that sending an intimate picture isn’t a blanket consent to sex or anything else. The law does not see it necessary to make that explicit in other contexts. If I wire you five pounds I don’t give you permission to empty my bank account. If I invite you in for a cup of tea, I don’t invite you to raid my pantry or burn my house down. It’s time we applied the same simple principle of consent to sex.”
5. Robin Abcarian in the Los Angeles Times
on unlearned lessons
Jeffrey Toobin’s alleged indecent Zoom exposure shows some men have learned nothing from #MeToo
“Some people will always be willing to minimize bad male behavior: ‘Not sure someone getting caught doing something almost everyone does should be a national story,’ wrote a male reporter for Vox, in a tweet that has since been removed. (But seriously, does ‘almost everyone’ masturbate on Zoom calls?) Another male writer tweeted that the reaction to Toobin’s situation should be ‘empathy, politeness & forgiveness… rather than punitive mockery.’ Oh come on now. Maybe we’d feel that way if the offender was an adolescent boy. But a 60-year-old man? So what will become of Jeffrey Toobin? My guess is he will take himself off to some sort of treatment for compulsive behavior, resurface after the election and live to Zoom another day.”


theweekuk--2020-10-21--Why everybody’s talking about Boris Johnson’s battle with Brussels, Burnham and business

Boris Johnson has been accused of “ playing poker ” with people ’ s lives after a gruelling clash with northern leaders over coronavirus lockdown funding .
The prime minister yesterday faced a war on three fronts , with business leaders and the European Union also lining up to attack him as a rebellion in northwest England threatened to spiral .
Bosses from leading UK companies and trade bodies accused Johnson of “ box-ticking ” following a conference call with the PM and Michael Gove that sources told The Telegraph was “ shocking , embarrassing and not constructive ” .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ too , with post-Brexit trade talks hitting another deadlock over the UK ’ s demands for agreeing a future trade deal .
Following failed talks in Brussels last week , Cabinet Office Minister Gove said on Monday that the door to further EU trade negotiations was “ still ajar ” .
And the bloc ’ s chief negotiator Michel Barnier appeared to push that door open , agreeing to “ intensify talks in London on all subjects ” in a “ significant volte-face ” , Euractiv reports .
Barnier said that a deal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the EU27 ’ s willingness to move to “ legal texts ” to appease one of No .
10 ’ s key demands .
But getting back to the negotiating table is just one hurdle in the race to secure an agreement , with European Council President Charles Michel warning that “ time is very short ” to get a deal over the line .
Talks yesterday between Barnier and UK negotiator David Frost “ failed to make a breakthrough ” , the BBC reports .
Frost said the phone call had been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 10 is not backing down from Johnson ’ s warning last week that a “ fundamental change ” in the EU ’ s approach is required to kickstart face-to-face talks .
According to Politico , an EU official “ said the two sides would remain in touch but was unable to give details about the next steps ” , while British officials “ said that without a signal from the EU that it is also ready to make concessions , formal talks ca n't resume ” .
Both sides are still haggling over @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waters , with Johnson ’ s spokesperson saying yesterday that the bloc needed to show that the talks could be a “ genuine negotiation rather than one side being expected to make all of the moves ” .
Barnier appears willing to be flexible , telling the European Parliament in Brussels that “ a deal that will be mutually beneficial to both parties in respect of the autonomy and sovereignty of both sides ” .
His speech to MEPs was clearly “ intended to satisfy ” the UK ’ s demand that “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as well as the UK , to get a deal before negotiations resume ” , says The Telegraph .
While Downing Street ’ s relations with Europe appear to have improved slightly , battles on the home front are intensifying amid a stand-off between No .
10 and northern leaders .
A “ furious blame game has erupted ” between Johnson and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham , with both sides accusing the other of walking away from last-ditch talks about financial support for the region as it heads into Tier 3 lockdown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Condemning the government ’ s “ game of poker ” approach to the negotiations , Burnham told reporters yesterday that a “ winter of hardship ” was ahead if ministers do not agree to provide more financial backing .
The Labour mayor said that Greater Manchester ’ s ten council leaders had asked for £65m “ to prevent poverty , to prevent hardship , to prevent homelessness ” during the shutdown , but accused Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick of walking away from the talks early and refusing to increase the offer of £60m @ @ @ @ @ @ @ version of events , telling the Daily Mail that “ an agreement of £55m was reached , but during a final telephone to rubber-stamp the arrangement Burnham blindsided the Prime Minister and upped his demand to £65m ” .
An insider told the paper that “ Burnham ’ s pride got in the way of a deal ” , while a No .
10 source told The Guardian that “ Burnham was the one who walked away ” from the talks .
“ The government ’ s preferred narrative is clear : a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of public health , ” writes The Times ’ Whitehall editor Chris Smyth .
But while “ there will no doubt be takers for this argument ” , Burnham ’ s defiant stance “ has gone down well ” in Greater Manchester , where “ he is largely seen as standing up for the North against a dismissive Westminster elite ” , Smyth continues .
“ If the government now refuses to hand over the money they were offering , Burnham can accuse them of punishing the region out of spite ; if @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ” And with Keir Starmer tabling a motion on a “ fair one nation deal ” for areas put into Tier 3 - a motion that may win the support of ‘ red wall ’ Tory MPs - Burnham ’ s victory could be the first of two successes for the opposition .
Along with his bruising clashes with Burnham and the EU , Johnson also faced conflict from a traditional ally of the Tory party - big business .
Industry chiefs have blasted the PM after dialling in to discuss Brexit plans @ @ @ @ @ @ @ disastrous ” conference call that lasted little more than 20 minutes , the BBC reports .
Attendees claim the call was simply a “ box-ticking exercise ” and have criticised Johnson for leaving the discussions after 15 minutes .
The Tory leader is reported to have provoked further ire by saying that Covid had created “ too much apathy ” in the business community and that bosses “ needed to get ready ” for Brexit .
Read more about the call here .
And his bid to spearhead an economic revival suffered another @ @ @ @ @ @ @ “ hopes of regaining the political initiative by setting out a three-year spending master plan for the rest of the parliament have been abandoned ” , the Financial Times says .
The Treasury has scrapped the plans due to the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic - a decision that marks a significant setback for Johnson , “ who saw the event as a chance to map out his priorities for a post-Covid world ” , the paper adds .
The decision has also created further tensions between the PM and Chancellor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ about plans for further lockdown restrictions , Sunak is understood to have issued the order to No .
10 to axe the spending plan , instead favouring a one-year package aimed at supporting employment and boosting public services during the health crisis .

Both sides are still haggling over fishing rights for EU boats in British waters , with Johnson’s spokesperson saying yesterday that the bloc needed to show that the talks could be a “genuine negotiation rather than one side being expected to make all of the moves”.
According to Politico , an EU official “said the two sides would remain in touch but was unable to give details about the next steps”, while British officials “said that without a signal from the EU that it is also ready to make concessions, formal talks can't resume”.
Talks yesterday between Barnier and UK negotiator David Frost “failed to make a breakthrough”, the BBC reports. Frost said the phone call had been “constructive”, but No. 10 is not backing down from Johnson’s warning last week that a “fundamental change” in the EU’s approach is required to kickstart face-to-face talks.
Barnier said that a deal was “within reach”, stressing the EU27’s willingness to move to “legal texts” to appease one of No. 10’s key demands. But getting back to the negotiating table is just one hurdle in the race to secure an agreement, with European Council President Charles Michel warning that “time is very short” to get a deal over the line .
Following failed talks in Brussels last week, Cabinet Office Minister Gove said on Monday that the door to further EU trade negotiations was “still ajar” . And the bloc’s chief negotiator Michel Barnier appeared to push that door open, agreeing to “intensify talks in London on all subjects” in a “significant volte-face”, Euractiv reports.
And the spectre of Brexit loomed large too, with post-Brexit trade talks hitting another deadlock over the UK’s demands for agreeing a future trade deal.
Bosses from leading UK companies and trade bodies accused Johnson of “box-ticking” following a conference call with the PM and Michael Gove that sources told The Telegraph was “shocking, embarrassing and not constructive”.
The prime minister yesterday faced a war on three fronts, with business leaders and the European Union also lining up to attack him as a rebellion in northwest England threatened to spiral.
Boris Johnson has been accused of “playing poker” with people’s lives after a gruelling clash with northern leaders over coronavirus lockdown funding.
Barnier appears willing to be flexible, telling the European Parliament in Brussels that “a deal that will be mutually beneficial to both parties in respect of the autonomy and sovereignty of both sides”.
His speech to MEPs was clearly “intended to satisfy” the UK’s demand that “Brussels makes clear it will compromise, as well as the UK, to get a deal before negotiations resume”, says The Telegraph.
Burnham’s poker face
While Downing Street’s relations with Europe appear to have improved slightly, battles on the home front are intensifying amid a stand-off between No. 10 and northern leaders.
A “furious blame game has erupted” between Johnson and Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, with both sides accusing the other of walking away from last-ditch talks about financial support for the region as it heads into Tier 3 lockdown restrictions, the Daily Mail says.
Condemning the government’s “game of poker” approach to the negotiations, Burnham told reporters yesterday that a “winter of hardship” was ahead if ministers do not agree to provide more financial backing.
The Labour mayor said that Greater Manchester’s ten council leaders had asked for £65m “to prevent poverty, to prevent hardship, to prevent homelessness” during the shutdown, but accused Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick of walking away from the talks early and refusing to increase the offer of £60m.
However, Whitehall sources dispute that version of events, telling the Daily Mail that “an agreement of £55m was reached, but during a final telephone to rubber-stamp the arrangement Burnham blindsided the prime minister and upped his demand to £65m”.
An insider told the paper that “Burnham’s pride got in the way of a deal”, while a No. 10 source told The Guardian that the mayor “was the one who walked away” from the talks.
“The government’s preferred narrative is clear: a grandstanding politician puts his own popularity ahead of public health,” writes The Times’ Whitehall editor Chris Smyth.
But while “there will no doubt be takers for this argument”, Burnham’s defiant stance “has gone down well” in Greater Manchester, where “he is largely seen as standing up for the North against a dismissive Westminster elite”, Smyth continues.
“If the government now refuses to hand over the money they were offering, Burnham can accuse them of punishing the region out of spite; if they do, he can claim victory.”
And with Keir Starmer tabling a motion on a “fair one nation deal” for areas put into Tier 3 - a motion that may win the support of ‘red wall’ Tory MPs - Burnham’s possible victory could be the first of two successes for the opposition.
Business blow
Along with his bruising clashes with Burnham and the EU, Johnson also faced conflict from a traditional ally of the Tory party - big business.
Industry chiefs have blasted the PM after dialling in to discuss Brexit plans with him and Gove in a “disastrous” conference call that lasted little more than 20 minutes, the BBC reports. Attendees claim the call was simply a “box-ticking exercise” and have criticised Johnson for leaving the discussions after 15 minutes.
The Tory leader is reported to have provoked further ire by saying that Covid had created “too much apathy” in the business community and that bosses “needed to get ready” for Brexit.
Read more about the call here.
And Johnson’s bid to spearhead an economic revival suffered another blow today, following confirmation that his “hopes of regaining the political initiative by setting out a three-year spending master plan for the rest of the parliament have been abandoned”, the Financial Times says.
The Treasury has scrapped the plans due to the economic disruption caused by the coronavirus pandemic - a decision that marks a significant setback for the PM, “who saw the event as a chance to map out his priorities for a post-Covid world”, the paper adds.
The decision has also created further tensions between Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak.
Having already proved obstructive about plans for further lockdown restrictions, Sunak is understood to have issued the order to No. 10 to axe the spending plan, instead favouring a one-year package aimed at supporting employment and boosting public services during the ongoing health crisis.


theweekuk--2020-10-21--Schools do not spread Covid-19, multiple studies find

The rise in Covid-19 cases following the reopening of schools in September is probably just a coincidence of timing, four new research papers suggest.
The studies “cast doubt on the role of schools in spreading the coronavirus” and indicate that “a renewal of widespread school closures would have a limited effect on curbing Sars-Cov-2, the virus that causes Covid-19”, says the Financial Times.
Previous analysis of raw data from across Europe has painted a confusing and contradictory picture of the potential link between schools and the spread of the coronavirus.
A total of 52 countries, “including France and Spain, actually saw infection rates rise during the holidays”, according to The Telegraph. “Some, such as Croatia, have seen cases fall after reopening schools. Others, like Hungary and Great Britain, have seen a rise.”
However, newly published reports have found no evidence that schools have any significant impact on infection rates. The latest evidence comprises:
a study conducted by the Norwegian National Institute of Public Health which found that infection rarely spreads from child to child, and that “the most common route of transmission to children and pupils is from adults in their household”
a report from Germany’s Institute of Labor Economics, which says that “school re-openings in Germany under strict hygiene measures combined with quarantine and containment measures have not increased the number of newly confirmed Sars-CoV-2 infections”
two reviews of data from countries across the world, conducted by the World Health Organization and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, which both “concluded that most children do not develop symptoms and there is little evidence of transmission in schools”, says the FT.
Nevertheless, says The Guardian, “more than 400,000 children in England were off school last week for coronavirus-related reasons”, and some schools have been forced to close.
Wales and Scotland have also been wrestling with the problem of outbreaks in schools.
The Welsh government has announced that older pupils will not return to classes during the country’s two-week “firebreak” lockdown, which begins on Friday. But “Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has pledged to do everything in her power to keep schools open” north of the border, the BBC reports.


theweekuk--2020-10-21--European Premier League: radical breakaway plot is revealed

The start of the 2020-21 Champions League season has been overshadowed by reports of a new tournament which could replace European football’s top club competition.
Marcus Rashford’s late winner for Manchester United away at Paris Saint-Germain last night would usually take top billing on the back pages of the morning papers, but it’s the “European Premier League” that has stolen many headlines.
Breaking the exclusive story yesterday, Sky News says more than a dozen teams from England, France, Germany, Italy and Spain are in negotiations about becoming founder members of the new Fifa-backed tournament. The Times adds that the breakaway league is “championed” by Real Madrid president Florentino Pérez.
Liverpool and Man Utd are reportedly in talks to join the new league while Arsenal, Chelsea, Man City and Tottenham are among the other candidates.
Sky News has learned that Wall Street banking giant JP Morgan is in talks to provide $6bn (£4.6bn) of debt financing to help launch the European Premier League, with the proceeds repayable from “future broadcast income generated by the tournament”, according to a football executive.
The “bombshell plot” would “reshape the sport’s global landscape”, the broadcaster said.
How would it work?
The creation of a European super league is not a new concept, but following the recent “Project Big Picture” revelations, the latest rumours look to have substance.
The new tournament could “usurp” the Uefa Champions League, Sky says. The format would involve up to 18 teams playing home and away fixtures during the regular European season. Top-placed teams would play in a knockout tournament and a provisional start date could come as early as 2022.
A formal announcement about the plans could be made as soon as the end of October, an industry figure has revealed, but a number of key details are yet to be finalised. It was described by the source as “potentially the most important development in world club football for decades”.
However, a spokesperson for Fifa, world football’s governing body, said it “does not wish to comment and participate in any speculation about topics which come up every now and then and, for which, institutional structures and regulatory frameworks are well in place at national, European and global level”.
Wednesday’s Daily Telegraph sport: Fury at fresh breakaway plot #tomorrowspaperstoday pic.twitter.com/PyryPjUsWr — Helena Wilkinson (@BBCHelena) October 20, 2020
Uefa opposes ‘boring’ plan
In response European football’s governing body Uefa “strongly opposes” the plans and says a European super league or variants would “become boring”, Sky Sports reports.


theweekuk--2020-10-21--Revealed: the best and worst places in the UK to work from home

A winning combination of fast internet speeds , highly rated schools and plentiful green spaces have helped Harrogate secure the top spot in a new ranking of the UK ’ s best place to work from home .
Situated on the outskirts of the Yorkshire Dales , the spa town “ has the most green space compared with more than 100 other areas of the UK , as well as being next to the medieval city of Nidderdale , a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty ” , says The Telegraph .
Other towns and cities that rank high in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Bath and Mendip , both of which are in Somerset , Derry in Northern Ireland and Wigan in Greater Manchester .
At the other end of the scale , the price comparison service has rated Ipswich in Suffolk , Sandwell in the West Midlands , Lancashire ’ s Blackpool , Leicester and Manchester as the least desirable locations for home workers .
London and Birmingham also fail to impress , coming in at 88th and 82nd respectively on the list , which rates a total of 104 towns and cities across the UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ norm for many employees during the coronavirus pandemic .
According to Office for National Statistics data , that the number of people working exclusively from home rose from 21 % to 24 % in the wake of the government ’ s advice in September for staff to stay away from offices .
And a survey earlier this month of 958 company chiefs by the Institute of Directors ( IoD ) found that nearly three-quarters ( 74 % ) planned to continue with increased home-working post-coronavirus .
IoD director of policy Roger Barker said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the most tangible impacts of coronavirus on the economy .
For many , it could be here to stay.
” The UK ’ s top five places to work from home And the worst five places to work from home

A winning combination of fast internet speeds, highly rated schools and plentiful green spaces have helped Harrogate secure the top spot in a new ranking of the UK’s best place to work from home.
Situated on the outskirts of the Yorkshire Dales, the spa town “has the most green space compared with more than 100 other areas of the UK, as well as being next to the medieval city of Nidderdale, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty”, says The Telegraph.
Other towns and cities that rank high in Uswitch’s Remote Working Index include Bath and Mendip, both of which are in Somerset, Derry in Northern Ireland and Wigan in Greater Manchester.
At the other end of the scale, the price comparison service has rated Ipswich in Suffolk, Sandwell in the West Midlands, Lancashire’s Blackpool, Leicester and Manchester as the least desirable locations for home workers. London and Birmingham also fail to impress, coming in at 88th and 82nd respectively on the list, which rates a total of 104 towns and cities across the UK.
Home working has become the new norm for many employees during the coronavirus pandemic. According to Office for National Statistics data, that the number of people working exclusively from home rose from 21% to 24% in the wake of the government’s advice in September for staff to stay away from offices.
And a survey earlier this month of 958 company chiefs by the Institute of Directors (IoD) found that nearly three-quarters (74%) planned to continue with increased home-working post-coronavirus.
IoD director of policy Roger Barker said: “Remote working has been one of the most tangible impacts of coronavirus on the economy. For many, it could be here to stay.”
The UK’s top five places to work from home
Harrogate Bath and North East Somerset Mendip Derry City and Strabane Wigan
And the worst five places to work from home