Rishi Sunak and the Science and politics of Covid19…

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The Spectator got great publicity for its interview last week with Rishi Sunak.  The Spectator’s lockdown-sceptical editor Fraser Nelson sees his interview with Rishi as a coup being the first, in advance of a public inquiry into Covid19, to suggest that democracy wasn’t working well during Covid19 and that too few unelected scientists were alone in deciding and making policy. Superficially it all sounds as if Rishi was against lockdowns just unable to influence things even though he was the …

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Reflecting on the lockdown diary.

A friend of mine on Instagram recently posted a note from a journal they have been keeping from this time last year which simply said “fed up of hearing about COVID 19.” Little did we know, what was about to hit us. I took a look back at a journal that I started jotting down brief thoughts in since 2019. They are mostly just odd reflections and goals that I want to remind myself of. When I look back to …

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Goodbye January 2021, the month that felt like a year…

So here we are, the last day of January. I bet you are like me and glad to see the back of it. January can be a tough month generally, but throw in a lockdown and you have a recipe for a really grim time. The first lockdown will go down in history a fabled time of everlasting sunshine, but this one will be remembered for harsher conditions. There were some beautiful sunny days at the start of the month, …

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Executive announces new COVID Circuit Breaker.

Last night the Executive announced a two week circuit breaker lockdown. You can read more about the Executive’s measures here along with comments from the relevant ministers.  David McCannDavid McCann holds a PhD in North-South relations from University of Ulster. You can follow him on twitter @dmcbfs

#CargoOfBricks 8: Ruth Dudley Edwards on life in Lockdown London and getting “kettled” outside Downing Street

Episode Eight of #CargoOfBricks is with the Dublin born, London based commentator on both Irish and British politics, and crime writer. Initially, Ruth started as a lockdown sceptic, so I asked how she had managed what was probably the oddest period of disruption in our post-war lives, and what changed during the lockdown, for her and for the rest of us… Powered by RedCircle In a free-flowing conversation, she talks about… Although she began defiantly anti lockdown, ‘when the orders …

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What is the evidence for and cost of lockdown?

Many are doubtlessly bored with protracted and pedantic discussions on the rights and wrongs of lockdown as a tool to mitigate Covid19 deaths. No one is dispassionate; we are either for and resistant to opening up or against and demanding our economy and our grannies back. As England moves to lessen restrictions there are concerns from SAGE advisers that now is too early accompanied by a whiff there might be protest resignations from our academic boffins if their views are …

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Mobility data suggests that Northern Ireland is traveling more than any other region in the UK or Ireland

Data provided by Apple on levels of mobility by Apple Maps users suggests that Northern Ireland has seen less of a drop in motor traffic levels than any other area in the United Kingdom or Ireland. The chart above shows average motor traffic levels by week, compared with the week commencing Sunday the 19th of January, for the regions of the UK, the Republic of Ireland, Italy and Spain. The data suggests that this week motor traffic levels in Northern …

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