Travel list changes
Next week an updated travel list will be published. The list is expected to contain some new additions to the green list; Malta, Madeira and the Balearic Islands. Good news for Brits looking for some summer sun. Due to an increase in the spread of the Delta variant, Israel is also expected to drop down to the amber list.
There are also rumours that ministers will allow double vaccinated Brits to travel to amber list countries without having to isolate on their return. This comes as the USA and Spain edge towards the amber list.
It is important to remember that none of these changes will matter if the host nations refuse entry to British holiday makers due to our recent spike in infections.
HMS Defender
In an eyebrow raising display of aggression, Russian warplanes fired warning shots at a British warship off the coast of the disputed region of Crimea. As luck would have it the Daily Mail had a reporter onboard who gave an exhilarating report of the action.
Mark Nicol writes: “The angry thud of cannon fire rings out on the port side of HMS Defender as I crouch beside the bridge in my hastily adorned flame retardant gloves and balaclava. We are being pursued furiously by a pair of Russian coastguard vessels while, every couple of minutes, Russian jets pass thunderously overhead. The deafening roar of supersonic aircraft filling my ears is an unsettling, yet enthralling, experience. Then, as part of Defender’s response, her deadly arsenal of Sea Viper missiles are brought to readiness. After a second burst of enemy cannon fire I overhear an update intended for her captain that we have ‘two hard-kill missiles effective’. For a second I wonder just what might happen next. Wars have started over less.”
Many think this is Putin’s way of testing the west’s resolve after recent G7 meetings and talks about Russian aggression.
Births vs. Deaths
For the first time since 1976, 2020 saw more deaths than births registered in the UK. Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic caused a sharp increase to the numbers of deaths being registered, birth rates have been on the decline for a generation. Additionally, whilst the pandemic has caused the deaths of people who would not have otherwise died this year, it has also indirectly kept many alive who otherwise would not have survived. For example, there was a 14% decrease in the number of deaths caused by traffic accidents between June 2019-June 2020 and the previous year. Whilst in isolation, deaths outnumbering births is not a cause for too much concern, it could in the long-term cause labour shortages and an increased pressure on public spending as demand for services like healthcare and pensions rise.
Charlie Souster Senior Account Executive
Benedict Croft Account Executive
Ben has a degree in International Relations and Politics, as well as direct political experience.
