UK Today in Coronavirus
Stationary chain Paperchase is on the brink of collapse into administration. Sales have been impacted by pandemic store closures. 1,500 jobs are at risk. The chain was already financially struggling since March 2019 but its recovery plan was scupered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Currently as it stands the Prime Minister has said there are now more than one million people in the United Kingdom with COVID-19, which is about 1 in 50, with some of the most infected areas being London and Southeast England. It is warned that the new variant is now picking up outside of these areas.
Today the Prime Minister will recall parliament to confirm the lockdown measures he has put in place for England, which are widely expected to be consented to by MPs as Labour will also be putting their support behind the measures. But there are expected to be a sizeable group of anti-lockdown backbench Tory MPs who will either vote against the government or abstain entirely. The vast majority of MPs will be taking part in the questions and vote remotely with the Speaker Sir Lindsey Hoyle asking MPs to stay away in respect of coronavirus restrictions.
The Prime Minister, who received a grilling from his MPs in a zoom call yesterday over the government u-turn on school closures and the lockdown, also said that he hopes local elections will be able to go ahead in May as things should be much better by then.
Sources have even claimed that two unnamed Tory MPs have submitted letters of no-confidence in Boris Johnson as Prime Minister. Unless internal rules have since changed, 48 letters of no-confidence are needed to trigger a possible party leadership challenge.
The Chief Medical Officer has also said that some coronavirus restrictions may have to be brought back next Winter after any planned relaxations. Chris Whitty also expressed doubt on expectation of the coronavirus disapearing by Spring. He also reiterated in the face of this why it is important to follow current lockdown rules and coronavirus restrictions.
Tokyo’s Olympic Games, which were delayed from last year due to the coronavirus pandemic, is planned to go ahead this Summer, of course pending any possible problems from coronavirus that may again delay it further. To avoid another cancellation a prominent member from the International Olympic Committee has said Olympic Atheletes should get priority access to coronavirus vaccines.
Of course the above can be problematic for athletes in country’s where it will take some time for vaccination to start being rolled out and there will be those that complain such an idea could be at the expense of the elderly and vulnerable, although British Olympic bosses have stressed that this would not be the case.
The IOC are planning for scenarios that include the games being held to all international fans, or only domestic fans or even entirely behind closed doors.
Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Crackdown
Let’s take a look at what’s happening in Hong Kong. With all the news over the year over the coronavirus pandemic many have likely forgotten or at least pushed Hong Kong’s fight against increased Chinese clampdown on its freedoms, democracy and special autonomous status, to the back of their minds. But of course it is all still ongoing in amougst the coronavirus. One of the last significant things we heard about from the whole furore was the widely condemned National Security Law that was brought in.
Many are afriad that such powers will be abused by Beijing to enable authorities to clamp down on pro-Democracy activists within Hong Kong by targeting key individuals and others apart of the movement. So far over 50 pro-democracy figures have been arrested in the latest crackdown, including politicians, journalists, acedemics, lawyers and political analysts. Under the Security Law such people could face life in prison.
Since this law has come in many have also fled Hong Kong to liberal democracies such as the United Kingdom, who have offered them safe haven from the grasp of the crackdowns.
Most who have been arrested are accussed of subverting state power, most of which via the holding of unofficial primaries in July for elections to the Legislative Council in Hong Kong’s parliament. Elections to the parliament have since been postponed. Pro-Democracy figures were aiming to form a majority in Hong Kong’s Council in a bid to block government bills and the budget.
Many have called the latest crackdown undemocratic and unconstitutional under Hong Kong’s Basic Law.
More specifically the clause that these people were arrested under in the National Security Law says that anyone who seriously interfers in, disrupts, or undermines performance of duties and functions in accordance with the law by the body of central power of the People’s Republic of China or of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region can face prosecution. This can of course be widely interpreted due to its vagueness, allowing authorities to cast a wide net against pro-Democracy activists and politicians.
Even if those arrestted have their charges dismissed by courts in Hong Kong, the National Security Law can have those people also put on trial on mainland China, where such people will likely have less of a chance of such charges being dismissed. Pro-Beijing forces in Hong Kong are also pushing for judicial reform in the Special Administrative Region as well.
US Senate – Democrats on track to take Control
Yesterday the two Special Senate elections in the US State of Georgia went ahead that will determine control of the US Senate. Results are still coming in for the elections but as it stands one of the elections has been called for Democrat Raphael Warnock, unseating the GOP incumbent Kelly Loeffler.
The other election between GOP incumbent David Perdue and Democrat challenger John Ossoff is still ongoing without a call yet but it is looking increasingly likely that Ossoff will also flip that seat for the Democrats as well, making it likely that the Democrats will thus take control of the US Senate (with the deciding vote of the Vice-President Kamala Harris) meaning Democrats will have control of Congress for at least the next 2-years under the incoming Biden administration.
Also today Congress will be certifying the Electoral College vote which it is fully expected to do so and secure a certain Biden administratian that will be inaugurated on 20th January. There are expected to be large protests of Trump supporters in the capital Washington D.C today and will be seen if any possible clashes or violence ends up breaking out.
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