What the papers said in the week ending 29 October 2022
The United Kingdom has a new Prime Minister. He is a man of faith – The faith of Ghandi. This must be ground for hope How will Rishi Sunak’s Hinduism inform his premiership? | The Spectator
- Rishi Sunak’s arrival as prime minister is a historic moment for us | Letters | The Guardian
- He has been busy trying to correct errors of judgement made by others, and calming friends and others: Rishi Sunak tells Tories to ‘unite or die’ as he prepares to become PM | Rishi Sunak | The Guardian
- His task includes attention to ethics and practicalities: Rishi Sunak will keep ban on fracking in UK, No 10 confirms | Fracking | The Guardian
- There is no lack of good advice: Rishi Sunak urged to scrap ‘undemocratic’ proposals to axe 2,400 laws | Rishi Sunak | The Guardian
But there is no doubt that there is much which requires change:
- Essential services are not being afforded: UK councils slashing services to meet £3.2bn budget shortfall | Local government | The Guardian
- People wait in pain for hours before an ambulance comes to them: My 91-year-old brother waited hours on the floor for an ambulance | Letters | The Guardian
- Yet a journey by ambulance may end in a queue before access to the hospital is allowed: Patients dying outside A&E, hospital corridors as makeshift wards – and it’s only October | Gaby Hinsliff | The Guardian
- Moving the deckchairs may not be useful: A&E: Move patients to wards regardless of bed capacity, to spread risk, says royal college | The BMJ
- Conditions in places of safety are dreadful: Migrant centre in Kent ‘catastrophically overcrowded’, union says | Immigration and asylum | The Guardian
- Prisoners are required to survive on food costing little more than £2 per day (half the average for the country) Food budget of £2.15 per day is not enough, says IMB – insidetime & insideinformation
Money is not available where it is needed:
Billions in foreign aid never leaves Britain under Sunak rules – analysis | Aid | The Guardian
Windrush compensation scheme beset by slow repayments to victims | Windrush scandal | The Guardian
Meagre state pensions are part of the Tories’ divide-and-rule strategy | Pensions | The Guardian
Seven in 10 NHS trusts in England failing to hit cancer referrals target | NHS | The Guardian
There is room for making better use of the resources that we have, including money.
The wider world:
The climate crisis is with us – we understand it will have effects on human health and wellbeing
- Climate crisis poses ‘growing threat’ to health in UK, says expert | Climate crisis | The Guardian
- World close to ‘irreversible’ climate breakdown, warn major studies | Climate crisis | The Guardian
- The Guardian view on Shell’s profits: enabling climate and inequality emergencies | Editorial | The Guardian
The Russia-Ukraine conflict continues – many lives are lost and damage done: Russia-Ukraine war live: Moscow says draft ‘completed’; UN chief appeals for renewed grain deal (theguardian.com)
Research proceeds to try to reduce the incidence of illness:
- Millions invited to take part in UK scheme to diagnose diseases earlier | Medical research | The Guardian
- Bird and birdsong encounters improve mental health, study finds | Birds | The Guardian
Many other matters deserve attention:
Covid is still with us and respect for its impact on humanity will be given perspective: Emotional debate over UK Covid memorial risks dividing bereaved | Coronavirus | The Guardian
Stamps are to be changed and old stamps declared of no worth: Royal Mail warns there are only 100 days left to use stamps without barcodes | Royal Mail | The Guardian
We are used to the idea that cats cannot be herded – but they are more domesticated and communicative than this would suggest: Communi-cat-ive: cats attentive to owner’s voice, research finds | Cats | The Guardian
Germany is planning to legalise cannabis: Germany announces plan to legalise cannabis for recreational use | Germany | The Guardian
We learn more about our ancestors: UK had at least two genetically distinct human groups at end of last ice age, DNA reveals | Anthropology | The Guardian
History of activities in our lifetime feels to be unbelievable in retrospect, but the lives of people have been changed by disciplines which were believed to be ‘for their own good’ Uncovering Britain’s secret history of bussing ethnic minority children | Race | The Guardian
People are talking more openly about death and the importance of funerals: Funerals should be as varied as life itself | Letters | The Guardian
Charles as Prince and King shares his humanity as he associates himself with the values of crafts and apprenticeships: King Charles criticises lack of vocational education while on The Repair Shop | Vocational education | The Guardian
David Jolley Chair of Christians on Ageing, in a personal capacity. October 2022
