NEWS
Government is ‘open minded’ about extending furlough scheme
Michael Gove says that high Government spending in response to Covid will continue in order to help the country ‘build back better’. Included in this, he points out that the Government is ‘open minded’ about extending the furlough scheme (again), despite hospitality industry leaders recently calling on ministers to end the scheme to help offset a recruitment crisis, saying that those on furlough would rather stay at home than go to work. Gove’s comments have worried lockdown sceptics, who note that where furlough is extended, lockdown soon follows – Evening Standard
Sage expert warns that ‘awful’ curbs cannot last for ever… and says we must learn to live with Covid mutations – Mail
Summer holidays abroad thrown into doubt after Portugal pulled from green list – Telegraph
Work from home advice could continue beyond June 21 – Telegraph
BBC bosses are to boost efforts to sound less ‘London-centric’ with regional voiceovers featuring local accents – Mail
Peter Cruddas gave Tories £500,000 days after taking seat in Lords – Times
Biden administration to share 25 million Covid vaccine doses with other countries – Epoch Times
COMMENT
Don’t be fooled: Keeping restrictions in place beyond June 21 comes with a hefty price tag – Graham Brady, Telegraph
It’s time to take back control from the boffins… the Nepal Variant arrived in the nick of time for ‘the science’, which has been searching for any excuse to keep the pandemic emergency going – Richard Littlejohn, Mail
Lord Sumption: ‘I have observed that lockdown scepticism goes with high levels of education’ – An interview by Philip Johnston, Telegraph
The new Colston statue display is not impartial, it’s a partisan act – Alastair Sooke, Telegraph
