May 29, 2020
You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing. Sign up now to get it by email in the evening.Summer lovin’, happened so fastGovernment exit routes out of the Coronavirus pandemic are an almost impossible balancing act. Boris Johnson knows that the lockdown is squeezing the windpipe of the economy, but he can’t do anything that risks a second wave of infections and deaths. Chancellor Rishi Sunak has an equally difficult task in calibrating how long to keep state support in place and how quickly he should start rebuilding the public finances.
Is Rishi Rushing The End Of State Support For Furloughed Workers?
So far, Sunak has maintained a political consensus with his huge programme of support for workers. Sensibly, he has adjusted the plans as he’s gone along, after consulting trade unions (who’d have thought it?), business and Opposition parties. Today’s ‘flexible furlough’ policy is another example of him listening to calls to allow part-time or short-working as firms gradually get back to business. The extension of the self-employed support was similarly welcomed.
But although Sunak has devised a tapered end to the scheme, there are still plenty of people worried that he is taking too big a gamble with his plan to start pulling the plug in August and September. Not surprisingly, most of the questions at his press conference centred on the risk that firms will start laying people off once asked to foot the bill for their wages, pensions and national insurance.‌
And the tough balancing act was nowhere more stark than in Sunak’s own words. Thanks to some speechwriter who fancies themselves as a cut-price WH Auden, the Chancellor opened with what sounded like a poem titled ‘Bye-Bye Lockdown, Hello Sunshine’. “Office lights will be turned on and windows thrown open/Work clothes and school uniforms will be pulled out of the wardrobe/Shops and factories will start to hum with activity...”
But when it came to the actual Q&A he had to admit that things won’t look so sunny for Job prospects in late summer and early autumn. “There will be hardship ahead for many and that rests heavily on my shoulders, I am very conscious of that,” he said. You have to keep reminding yourself that this is a politician admitting joblessness will rise. “I will work very hard for all of those who do lose their jobs, I’m working as hard as I can get them back into work - and good work - as soon as possible.”
In fact, that task of getting people back into work is the role of the work and pensions secretary (the clue is in the title). Which makes it even more bizarre that Therese Coffey has not led a single one of the No.10 press conferences since they began way back in mid-March. Let me repeat that, not a single one.
This, despite Universal Credit being in demand as never before and DWP having some good news to share for once (the system has withstood the online strain). The PM himself told the liaison committee this week that he wanted more Women at the press briefings, so here’s a free tip: call for Coffey.‌
The biggest problem with Sunak’s plans today however was that they failed to grasp that some sectors really will be hit harder than others. The Resolution Foundation estimates that two million staff working in hospitality are furloughed and it is the prime area for layoffs, with younger workers particularly at risk of the dole.‌
Of course, if the government can find a way to safely reopen hotels, restaurants and pubs, a lot of that economic pain could be avoided. The PM talked this week about possibly relaxing the UK’s 2m rule to perhaps come into line with the 1.5m or 1m elsewhere in Europe. At a stroke that would hugely help some hospitality firms to survive and it’s surprising more urgency isn’t shown on this precise topic.‌
Only today, we learned that Sage had decided to change its mind on face-coverings some 20 days before the official advice was changed. That’s a gap between evidence and action that will dismay some MPs, particularly those who think the 14-day quarantine plan for overseas visitors will damage business as well as tourism. Today, we learned that just seven people had died in London from Covid. By next week, it could be down to zero. But on June 8, anyone who wants to fly into the capital will be required to self-isolate for a fortnight.‌
This feels particularly perverse as the UK is the country most in danger of being the pariah on foreign travel. Only today, Greece listed all the countries it will take visitors from once it reopens for tourism from June 15, and we were not on the list. During Sunak’s press conference, No.10 revealed Johnson had had a phone call with Donald Trump where they discussed the late June G7 summit in Camp David, and “the importance of leaders meeting in the US in person if possible”. If the PM does go, will he and his team face the ignominy of a two-week self-isolation on their return?‌
If that seems surreal, the whole summer may feel surreal for many. A chunk of the population in secure jobs have built up savings during lockdown, but a number have had incomes really squeezed and are teetering on the edge of redundancy. That big divide looks like it will get worse in the autumn and beyond. As we’ve basked in record sunshine this May, most people’s minds have been taken off the gloom. But the weather could well change in more ways than one.‌
Sunak today rolled the dice as he hoped the UK would avoid a severe winter of discontent. For all our sakes, we had better hope he gets lucky.Quote Of The Day“Many of us would prefer to see the incidence [of Covid-19] down to lower levels before we relax measures.”
Professor John Edmunds, member of SageFriday Cheat SheetA total of 38,161 people in the UK have died after testing positive for Covid-19.
The UK’s coronavirus furlough scheme will finish at the end of October, Chancellor Rishi Sunak has confirmed. From August, employers must pay National Insurance and pension contributions, then 10% of pay from September, rising to 20% in October.‌
Only half of people who show coronavirus symptoms have been self-isolating for at least a week, the latest minutes of the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies (Sage) have revealed.
Matt Hancock is facing a second warning from the UK’s statistics watchdog about government figures for daily Covid-19 tests.
Nearly three million people registered as a British national (overseas) in Hong Kong could be eligible for UK citizenship if China presses ahead with a controversial new security law.
The police chief who carried out the investigation into Dominic Cummings is now facing an inquiry over her force’s handling of the matter, after complaints from the public, the Telegraph reported.What I’m ReadingLockdown is damaging lives; stratified shielding could help get us out - BMJ
Why The Cabinet Office Will Be In The Dock Over Covid - ConservativeHomeGot A Tip?Send tips, stories, quotes, pics, plugs or gossip to waugh.zone@huffpost.com. Subscribe To Commons PeopleEach week, the HuffPost UK Politics team unpack the biggest stories from Westminster and beyond. Search for Commons People wherever you listen to podcasts and subscribe.Related... 'Dominic Cummings Must Be Sacked' Petition Gets More Than 1m Signatures Coronavirus Self-Employed Income Support Extended For One Final Payment Will Boris Johnson’s Bread And Circuses Let Him ‘Move On’ In The Covid Crisis?
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'Trump tax': MSNBC host Chris Hayes shows how Trump winning would increase costs
Mar 28, 2024
How much would former President Donald Trump's proposed 10 percent tariff plan actually cost the average American household?The wave of tariffs Trump enacted when he was last president caused chaos, but there are many complexities that muddy this somewhat. However, MSNBC's Chris Hayes took an educated and simple guess at just how badly the country would be hit in the pocketbook under Trump's second-term plans."We don't know exactly how much everything would cost," said Hayes, but "just add 10 percent on the back of the napkin. Here's the cost of living under the Trump Tax."ALSO READ: ‘Don't have enough’: Wealthy Trump allies balk at helping Donald pay legal bills"Start with groceries," he said. "A dozen eggs cost about $3. Once you apply the Trump Tax, that is up to $3.30, with the U.S. importing over 4 million eggs a year, but cost consumers over $1.2 million. If you like oranges, they currently go for about $1.53 per pound. With the Trump Tax, that would be $1.68 per pound, which would cost American consumers almost $71 million for the nearly half a billion pounds of the import. Bananas. We don't really grow them in the U.S., do we? They average about $.63 per pound and going up to $.69 per pound with the Trump Tax, thanks to the U.S. importing more than 10 million pounds per year, that could cost Americans at $609 million and that's a $609 million tax on American consumers. Then there's tomatoes. They go for about $2.13 per pound. Apply the 10 percent Trump Tax. They would be $2.34 per pound, potentially costing Americans $3.5 million thanks to the 6.8 million pounds we import per year. If you are spending $1,200 on groceries, add another $120 to the bill. That's more than the peak of inflation in 2022, which topped off at 9 percent. This is 10 percent."Groceries are just the start, he continued."How about the refrigerator?" said Hayes. "You need to keep the groceries fresh. The average cost of a new fridge is about $1,300. With the Trump Tax, that could go up to $1,430, costing Americans $1.95 billion for the 15 million refrigerators that we import. Again, $1.95 billion of new taxes. What about the car that you need to drive to the grocery store? On average, a new car costs about $48,808 today. With Trump Tax, it costs $53,684, with Americans potentially taking a $66.3 billion hit across the board on the 13 million cars we import. That's not including the 50 percent tariff which would make it another $25,000. Even the smartphone in your pocket cost on average about $940 right now. With Trump Tax, it can go up to $1,034, with Americans potentially paying an extra $13.2 billion for the nearly 141 million smartphones that we import per year.""Everyone hates when you have to pay more for things," he added. "Inflation is one of the biggest liabilities for a sitting president. Yet here is Donald Trump, in the Year of our Lord 2024, running against President Biden, promising to make things more expensive for every American."Watch the video below or click here. Chris Hayes breaks down "Trump Tax" www.youtube.com
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Trump-endorsed candidate says Beyoncé is teaching women 'how to be hyper-sexual'
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North Carolina Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson had yet another group of extremist comments unveiled — this time about legendary singer Beyoncé Knowles-Carter.According to The Root, "During a series of rants spanning multiple years, Robinson —who is Black —insulted Beyoncé’s singing abilities, called her a 'skank,' and said she was teaching 'young women how to be hyper-sexual w----s.'"For example, in 2017, Robinson posted to Facebook, “Person; Beyoncé is a role model!” Me; “The only person that butt shakin’, devil worshipping, skank is a role model to is people who want a fast track to Hell.” This is on top of previous reporting that he referred to her music as sounding like "Satanic chants."ALSO READ: ‘Don't have enough’: Wealthy Trump allies balk at helping Donald pay legal billsThese revelations come at a moment when Beyoncé herself has found herself at the center of some national controversy, having written a country music inspired album known as Cowboy Carter, and some country radio stations refusing to play singles off of it because of her race.Robinson, who is challenging Democratic Attorney General Josh Stein for the governorship of North Carolina, has been put under the spotlight for a number of bizarre and offensive comments throughout the years.Among other things, he has referred to school shooting survivors as "prosti-tots," pushed QAnon and "lizard people" conspiracy theories, questioned the Holocaust, and suggested American politics was better in the era when women couldn't vote.
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'Some prosecutor should be looking into' Trump's latest legal defense scam: expert
Mar 28, 2024
Former President Donald Trump's sprawling network of ostensibly independent political groups raising money for him, much of it in service of paying legal expenses, seems to walk right up to the line of breaking the law, former prosecutor Kristy Greenberg told MSNBC's Alex Wagner — and may in fact cross it."Kristy, how is this legal?" asked Wagner. "How can he keep saying this one thing and doing another?""Well, I think the big question here will be looking behind all of this as to who is coordinating it," said Greenberg. "If Donald Trump is coordinating between his campaign and these PACs that are supposed to be third parties and independent — the Save America PAC is independent, even though he directs it, independent third-party — if there is sufficient coordination, you could prove that, then maybe you would have something to say these expenditures are not purely personal, these are really campaign contributions. And therefore they should be subject to the limits of $5,000 that campaign contributions are subject to."ALSO READ: ‘Don't have enough’: Wealthy Trump allies balk at helping Donald pay legal billsWhat it looks like, Greenberg went on, is that Trump and his allies are "just trying to do an end-run around these various regulations, and it seems so transparent.""[Special counsel] Jack Smith ... had served some subpoenas in connection with that nonexistent, as it turns out, election defense fund," Greenberg said. "He served some subpoenas and then he withdrew them and it was unclear why, because that seemed like such a clear-cut fraud. I questioned why that happened. Perhaps it was optics. Perhaps he thought like he had such strong cases, the January 6 case and the national security case, that he didn't want to seem as though he was trying to drain Trump of the ability to legally defend against those cases. Hard to say. But I questioned it at that time because that seemed like such a clear wire fraud case that it seemed like it should be looked into, but maybe they just had limited resources and didn't like the optics of it.""But I agree with you, this raises a lot of questions," she added. "Someone, somewhere, even if not the special counsel's office, because they are pretty busy — some prosecutors should be looking into this."Watch the video below or at the link. Kristy Greenberg on the legality of Trump's PACs www.youtube.com
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