Displaying items by tag: British Isles

Sainsburys, John Lewis and Waitrose will continue to ask customers in England to wear masks in their shops even though Plan B rules have now ended. Rail operators also said passengers would still be expected to wear masks. Those keeping the policy in place said they would encourage, not force, customers to comply. Plan B rules have been lifted because infections have peaked nationally. But the government is still advising people to wear masks in enclosed or crowded spaces and when meeting strangers. Retailers continue to implement many other existing safety measures such as hand sanitiser and perspex screens. The main purpose of wearing masks is to protect others, though there is some evidence they offer protection to wearers.

The mining of key metals such as cobalt for car batteries has been linked to appalling working conditions amounting to modern slavery in countries such as DRC where much of the world’s cobalt is sourced. Also, environmental damage is caused by lithium extraction in Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia. Responding to news that the Government will be investing £100m in Britishvolt's new 'gigafactory' in Northumberland to boost production of electric car batteries, Amnesty International said although the news is a leap forward for British industry, offering jobs and a very meaningful opportunity for the UK to decarbonise transport in the fight against climate change, it is absolutely crucial that the Government, Britishvolt, and its investors ensure there are diligence systems in place. They must be honest and transparent about the environmental and human rights Britishvolt faces in sourcing cobalt, lithium, nickel, copper and other battery metals. See

Airlines reported nearly 6,000 incidents involving unruly passengers last year and 151 in the first two weeks of this year. Most incidents involved passengers refusing to wear masks. The latest incident, on 20 January, involved an American Airlines passenger who refused to wear a mask on a flight to Heathrow from Miami, which forced the Boeing 777 carrying 129 passengers to return to Florida. The American Airlines statement said the diversion was ‘due to a disruptive customer refusing to comply with the federal mask requirement’. See also

As Boris Johnson battled through question time over parties at Downing Street, at home his baby daughter Romy was battling Covid. Pray for her full recovery and for Boris’s peace of mind. Also pray that Sue Gray will be able to understand about these parties and whether disciplinary action is needed. May her enquiry be led by God’s Spirit as she probes the morals and motives of our politicians. Pray for God’s truth and light to expose hidden deception, spoken or performed, that has invaded Whitehall. Pray for God to clean the corridors of Government from the works of the flesh, greed, folly and personal agendas. May His Spirit flow through every department releasing Kingdom plans. May mercy triumph over judgement as His purposes for this nation are released through the current shaking. On 25 January MPs can attend a lunchtime church service, giving them an opportunity for reflection in the midst of parliamentary life. May they engage with God in worship and hear Him speak.

The Nationality and Borders Bill was proposed by Priti Patel to make provisions for asylum-seekers. However the Bishop of Durham, Paul Butler, said changes to the bill would make the asylum system less fair, not more so. If Patel is successful, those attempting illegal entry could face four years in prison, instead of six months; if they are stopped in the English Channel, they will be returned to France. The bill has already passed through the House of Commons and is currently in the ‘committee stage’ in the House of Lords. If the bill passes through the chamber, amendments will be considered before it is given the Royal Assent. Bishop Paul said, ‘We do not want to see any more people tragically losing their lives in the Channel. In its current form, the bill makes the asylum system more complicated, more cumbersome, and less fair; it provides fewer safe routes and is more expensive.’

After discussions around the Royal Navy working with the Home Office and UK Border Force, it will soon lead operations to limit migrant channel crossings, enabling the Home Office to focus on reforms to the asylum system. Defence select committee chair Tobias Ellwood criticised government plans as ‘rushed’ and a ‘massive distraction’ for the Navy. It is not clear either how the military or other services would be involved or how they could coordinate operations. A source said there was ‘trepidation’ within the MoD about getting involved in such a complex issue. The plans could see Boris Johnson give the Navy authority over government vessels in the channel. Yvette Cooper said we have failed to do the serious and practical work with France that is needed to stop lives being lost and criminal gangs profiting from crossings.

Covid restrictions are easing as scientists believe the surge of Omicron infections ‘has peaked nationally.’ Hospitals in northern England are still struggling with high caseloads, but elsewhere admissions and patients in ICU are stabilising or falling. Covid passes for events have been scrapped. People are no longer being advised to work from home. Some firms are wary about rushing back to offices at a time of high staff absences. However Havas, with 11,500 staff worldwide, will be fully reopening its London office from 24 January. ‘Many of our employees want to come back into the office, but some people are nervous and we don't have a one-size-fits-all approach. We'll be talking to those people individually and finding solutions that work for them.’ The Government wants civil servants back at their desks as an example to other employers. The Chamber of Commerce called for improved access to rapid testing so that firms could confidently bring staff back to workplaces. See also

Macmillan Cancer Support says that there have been nearly 50,000 fewer cancer diagnoses across the UK since the start of the pandemic. This risks an increase in late-stage diagnoses, reducing survival chances. Past surveys have suggested people are reluctant to come forward during surges in Covid cases because they did not want to be a burden to the health service. NHS England cancer director Dame Cally Palmer added it was vital people did not delay now even though hospitals were under huge strain. ‘NHS staff are working hard to ensure that those who are coming forward for checks can be seen quickly so that cancer can be caught at an earlier stage.’ Health minister Maria Caulfield added NHS staff had gone ‘above and beyond’ to keep cancer care going. ‘The NHS is open.’ The plea comes as pressure on hospitals has started to ease a little.

In a paper published on 18 January, the Tony Blair Institute (TBI) said the Government should develop infrastructure to allow it to mobilise new vaccination campaigns within 48 hours. With the likelihood of more Covid variants emerging, a fourth vaccination may soon be needed. TBI says the ability to respond to future outbreaks would depend on a better approach to command and control through a strong, coherent public-health emergency operations centre. Currently governments react, rather than work to ‘stay ahead of the curve. A renewed effort to inoculate 6.2 million still unvaccinated is needed. The unvaccinated are 43% of hospital admissions. TBI suggests using anthropological research and behavioural science to understand why people are not adhering to public health guidance and getting their Covid shots. See

‘Sovereign citizen defence’ uses obsolete ancient law to challenge Covid regulations. They distribute fake legal documents to teachers, parents, and health workers outside schools and hospitals, accusing the Government of ‘vaccine genocide’. ‘Sovereign citizens' and ‘freemen on the land’ wrongly believe they possess legal power to bring politicians, civil servants and scientists before ‘common law courts’, claiming Covid restrictions and vaccinations are illegal. Now a newly-formed group, ‘Alpha Men Assemble’ (AMA), combines anti-vaccine and sovereign citizen beliefs. It trains members in ‘direct action’ in breaking through police lines, marching formations and sparring. They post training sessions online for UK members. Believing they are immune from government rules, they have violently confronted police in Australia and the US. UK’s AMA only started in December, but numbers swelled to 7,000 after a recent training session for recruits.