Last month Boris Johnson claimed “it’s humanity against the virus – we are in this together”. The path of the pandemic shows we are not. In deprived areas of England and Wales people are dying from Covid-19 at more than twice the rate than in affluent areas. The disease disproportionately infects and kills black and … Read more
Rishi Sunak has indicated the government could soon reduce the 2-metre physical distancing rule as way to help businesses, with the chancellor saying ministers would “actively review” the measure in the coming weeks. “It will be a comprehensive review. It will be conducted very soon,” Sunak told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show, while stressing … Read more
Senior scientists have reported flaws in an influential World Health Organization-commissioned study into the risks of coronavirus infection and say it should not be used as evidence for relaxing the UK’s 2-metre physical distancing rule. Critics of the distancing advice, which states that people should keep at least 2 metres apart, believe it is too … Read more
Artists, cultural leaders and city mayors have called for a national museum to be established to document Britain’s involvement in the transatlantic slave trade and its racist legacy. The Black Lives Matters protests and the toppling of the slaver Edward Colston’s Bristol statue have fuelled demands that Britain face up to the horrors of its … Read more
David Lammy has accused Boris Johnson of inaction over the injustices highlighted by Black Lives Matter protests, saying the prime minister’s focus on the vandalism of statues was a deflection from a lack of real progress. As ministers confirmed they were discussing plans for a new law on damaging war memorials, punishable with jail terms … Read more