A return to Tory sleaze?
In the past few weeks, there have been several allegations against the conduct of Boris Johnson and his government. The row started with allegations that ex-PM David Cameron had texted ministers such as Chancellor Rishi Sunak, and had enjoyed ‘private drinks’ with government officials to lobby for Greenshill Capital, a financial services company Cameron owns shares in. Following on from this, more accusations have arisen. Questions have been asked regarding who really paid for No. 10’s refurbishments. Ex-senior advisor Dominic Cummings claimed an inquiry was halted to protect a friend of Johnson’s wife. Johnson reportedly said in October that he would rather see ‘bodies pile high’ than have a second lockdown. Claims like these are redolent of the ‘Tory sleaze’ that plagued Major’s Conservative government in the 90s. This flurry of allegations is especially worrying for the Conservatives as the UK’s local elections fast approach; the perception of a sleazy government could push voters away from the party, turning blue councils turn red.
Covid ravages India
Levels of coronavirus have reached unprecedented highs in India: as of Thursday 29th April, there have been 18.4 million cases and 205,000 deaths. At the beginning of March, it seemed that cases were largely controlled, however in the past few weeks large public gatherings have taken place, such as election rallies and festivals. Events like these have been blamed by the WHO for causing this huge spike in cases. Delhi is currently in lockdown whilst Uttar Pradesh’s has been extended. The situation is grim; oxygen supplied have depleted, hospital beds are full, and thousands of Indians are dying every day. Additionally, it has been claimed that the Indian government is under-reporting COVID-19 figures. The low vaccine rate in India has done the country no favours. Not only is this devastating for the 1.3 billion Indians suffering, but the crisis has international implications; new variants spreading through India are sure to reach the shores of other countries, the UK being no exception.
Count Binface’s mayoral candidacy
A slew of elections is due to take place on May the 6th 2021, including the electing of a London Mayor. Sadiq Khan, the current Labour Mayor of London is expected to come out on top, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t the usual comedic hopefuls putting themselves forward as candidates. Count Binface, a satirical character created by comedian Jon Harvey, will be on the ballot paper next Thursday. Some of the Count’s key policies are: “London to join the EU”, “Piers Corbyn to be banished to the phantom zone” and “London Bridge to be renamed after Phoebe Waller”. His policies “marry fiscal responsibility, social awareness, and not being an anti-vaccine nutjob.” Though Count Binface will not be winning this election, joke candidates such as the Count are often used as a protest vote, to show that the other serious candidates offer no real promise.
