What the papers said in the week ending 14 April 2021
In this country we are experiencing planned relaxation of restrictions which have been designed to stop the spread of Covid-19. So far this is being done without a return to more infections. In other parts of the world the nightmare continues out of control and resources to cope with those who are ill are insufficient. Plans to share vaccines with other countries are not being achieved
- The Covid crisis: some people think it’s all over … it isn’t | Economics | The Guardian
- Oxygen runs low during India’s Covid crisis – photo essay | India | The Guardian
- Revealed: big shortfall in Covax Covid vaccine-sharing scheme | Coronavirus | The Guardian
Within this country there are many other matters of concern:
The retiring Chief of Police in Merseyside regrets that poverty and inequality are rife and underpin a culture of crime: Tackle poverty and inequality to reduce crime, says police chief | Police | The Guardian
In Birmingham high death rates amongst babies are concentrated in Pakistani families Birmingham launches taskforce as babies die at twice national rate | Birmingham | The Guardian
Advice on benefits and finances is identified as a major need amongst people with long-term illnesses: GPs to prescribe financial advice to patients with long-term conditions | Health | The Guardian
The nation’s disgrace is most marked in its treatment of people who are not white:
- Floella Benjamin tells the story of her coming to England – in print and now on stage. She survived and is a member of the House of Lords: Floella Benjamin’s childhood memoir to become stage play | Theatre | The Guardian
- Coming to England by Floella Benjamin – 9781529009415 – Pan Macmillan
- Is it possible that Windrush victims will receive recompense? Windrush victims to be offered free legal advice amid low compensation take-up | Windrush scandal | The Guardian
- HIGH COURT FINDS THAT HOME OFFICE’S RESTRICTIVE APPROACH TO WINDRUSH CITIZENSHIP APPLICATIONS IS IRRATIONAL – DPG Law
- Evidence of racism within the churches is painful to know: Church of England clergy ‘paid off to keep quiet about racism’ | Anglicanism | The Guardian
- Church of England must shortlist minority ethnic candidates for bishop roles – report | UK news | The Guardian
- There is further criticism of the Sewell Report: No 10 race report tries to normalise white supremacy, say UN experts | Race | The Guardian
- It is deeply shocking to realise that war graves have not honoured non-white soldiers who died in service of this country on an equal basis with whites: UK inquiry blames ‘pervasive racism’ for unequal commemoration of troops | Military | The Guardian
- PM ‘deeply troubled’ by failures to honour black and Asian war dead | Military | The Guardian
- Racist treatment of black and Asian war dead is acknowledged at last | Military | The Guardian
- This war graves report shows Britain must face its colonial past with honesty | Race | The Guardian
In an attempt to distance itself from a slave-trade sponsor City University has dropped his name and will be renamed after Thomas Bayes – nonconformist minister and mathematician City University reveals new business school name after ditching Cass over slavery links | City University of London | The Guardian
On a wider canvas Amnesty International is also described as hostile to black people: Amnesty International has culture of white privilege, report finds | Amnesty International | The Guardian
There is encouragement in other matters:
The President of the USA is determined to improve the atmosphere: Biden vows to slash US emissions by half to meet ‘existential crisis of our time’ | Biden administration | The Guardian
The Supreme Court has its second female judge: UK supreme court gets second female judge as Lady Justice Rose joins | UK supreme court | The Guardian
A new approach to the biochemistry of depression is thought to show promise of therapy: Psychedelics are transforming the way we understand depression and its treatment | Depression | The Guardian
There is additional learning about the genesis of dementia: advice to adopt a sleep pattern of eight hours per night even when you are working: Middle-aged people who sleep six hours or less at greater risk of dementia, study finds | Dementia | The Guardian
The continued reality of life with dementia and their caring families is recognised: Caring for a loved one with Parkinson’s and Lewy body dementia | Dementia | The Guardian
The dreadful wrong perpetrated on dozens of sub-postmasters and their families by the post office has been addressed by a court ruling: people had been convicted of fraud, false accountings and theft on the evidence of flawed data from a Horizon IT system between 2000 and 2014. Some have spent time in prison, livelihoods, homes and reputations have been lost. Some are bankrupt. Some have died. Under the leadership of Reverend Paula Vennels CBE the post office refused to consider the evidence of honest people against the unquestioned data from the corrupted computer system. A massive lesson to be learned Court clears 39 post office operators convicted due to ‘corrupt data’ | Post Office | The Guardian
There is determination to continue and respect life despite all the difficulties of these times:
Town Criers have competed in silence: British Town Crier Championships to be held in silence due to Covid | UK news | The Guardian
The Queen has celebrated her 95th birthday and thanked people for their good wishes The Queen marks 95th birthday | The Queen | The Guardian
The National Trust with the Arts and Humanities Research Council has sponsored a poem of hope drawn from communications from 400 voices and assembled by Elizabeth-Jane Burnett:
‘A surge of hope’: public helps create poem celebrating coming of spring | Poetry | The Guardian
David Jolley
