Budapest Post

Cum Deo pro Patria et Libertate
Budapest, Europe and world news

UK’s Sunday shows round-up: Steve Baker says liberty ‘dies like this’ over Coronavirus Act

UK’s Sunday shows round-up: Steve Baker says liberty ‘dies like this’ over Coronavirus Act

Steve Baker - Liberty 'dies like this' with 'draconian powers' unchecked

The government has come under fire from its own side this morning as it prepares to renew the Coronavirus Act six months after it was first put into effect. Graham Brady, the chair of the influential 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers, is spearheading an amendment to the act which would ensure that Parliament could vote on the emergency measures that ministers wish to take. Steve Baker, the former Brexit minister, gave his reasons for supporting this amendment:


SB: I doubt really anyone understands what [the] law is... We're in an environment where you really can't know whether you're a criminal or not with this much law... Liberty...dies like this, with government exercising draconian powers without parliamentary scrutiny in advance.

'Plenty of MPs' will back our amendment


Baker continued by saying that he was confident that the amendment had enough support on the Conservative benches to pass, if the other opposition parties joined forces with them:


SB: There are plenty of MPs who would vote for this amendment if it is selected... It's really down to Labour, the SNP and the Liberal Democrats if it comes to it... Let's have policy which enjoys our consent.

I'd be 'delighted' to see Dacre at Ofcom and Moore at the BBC


Ridge asked Baker about the rumours that the longstanding former editor of the Daily Mail, Paul Dacre, was being strongly considered as the new chairman of Ofcom, the arms length overseer and regulator for television and other media industries. Baker gave his vote of confidence not only to Dacre, but also to the possibility of the Spectator's own Charles Moore as the new Chairman of the BBC:


SB: I'd be delighted... They're Conservatives, and they might actually start to look at the way that the media functions and ensure there's some impartiality... I forward to them being appointed.

David Lammy - Students have been 'done over' by the government


The government also attracted criticism from the Shadow Justice Secretary David Lammy over the plight faced by this year's batch of university students. Lammy told Andrew Marr that the Education Secretary had a lot of questions to answer:


DL: Students have been done over on their A Levels, they've been done over on Fresher's Week. The government's now threatening to lock them up at university, and... we may be looking at long term youth unemployment... Gavin Williamson needs to come to the House tomorrow and explain what he's going to do to make sure that our young people can receive their education.

Oliver Dowden - Students shouldn't 'have to give up a year of their life'


The Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden defended the government's drive to get students back to university despite the high number of restrictions that have been imposed on them, including the reality of many having to take lectures online only. Dowden said that it was important to ensure that university courses continued throughout the pandemic:


OD: In respect of universities, young people have paid a huge price during this crisis... It's important for students not to have to give up a year of their life by not going to university, and they are going to university and paying the fees accordingly.

'I want students to be able to go home for Christmas'


Dowden was non-committal about the likelihood of students being able to return to spend the Christmas holidays with their families, suggesting that this would hinge strongly on the UK's ability to suppress the virus in the coming months:


OD: Of course, I very much want students to be able to go home at Christmas, and if we all pull together and observe these new rules... then we will be able to get to a point where that should be possible... I'd rather Labour was urging everyone to work together to achieve this outcome.

We're looking for a 'strong, big person' to oversee the BBC


Ridge questioned Dowden about Charles Moore's candidacy for the role of BBC Chairman. It is thought that Moore is the preferred choice of the Prime Minister, but Dowden stressed that a decision had not yet been made:


OD: What we're looking for is a strong, big person who can hold the BBC to account... ensuring that the BBC is up to the challenges of the future [and] ensuring that the BBC represents all part of our nation, not just narrow metropolitan areas.


Ofcom should tackle 'online harms'


Dowden also told Ridge that it was the government's preference that Ofcom should be given the powers to address internet safety for young people, especially to tackle online bullying or radicalisation, and to hold the relevant online companies to account:


OD: This is a very important area of government policy. At a time when we've seen how reliant we are on online... we need to ensure that we... protect the most vulnerable... Ofcom is our preferred regulator and we'll make that decision shortly.

Premier League is ready to help smaller clubs


Ridge asked Dowden about the plight of football clubs, which the government has mandated will not be able to see any supporters taking their seats at the grounds, however socially distanced they may be. With many smaller clubs in jeopardy as a result, Dowden said that help from the larger clubs could be on its way:


 
OD: We have said we stand ready to support clubs... The first thing we need to look to is the Premier League... They're having intensive discussions with the EFL about how they can support those clubs, so they stand ready to play their part.


Jo Stevens - Lack of Covid compliance stems from 'lack of communication'


Labour's Shadow Culture Secretary Jo Stevens criticised the government's messaging on Covid-19 after the revelation from a study by King's College London that fewer than 20% of people with symptoms of the virus opted to self-isolate:


JS: Part of the reason we're not seeing high levels of compliance comes back to the lack of clear communication from the government... It is very confusing. There are lots of people telling me every week... that people aren't clear about what they are not, and they are, allowed to do.

Carolyn Fairbairn - Restrictions hitting businesses 'really hard'


The Director-General of the CBI Carolyn Fairbairn told Ridge that while she understood the reasons for the government's latest wave of virus-related restrictions, the impact was taking its toll the on businesses up and down the country:


CF: The hospitality restrictions, the 10pm curfew, these are all hitting businesses really, really hard. And the instruction for office workers to work from home where they can, that is really affecting our city centres, and the small businesses that depend on the hustle and bustle.

Mark Woolhouse - Lockdown only defers the problem


And finally, Professor Mark Woolhouse of the University of Edinburgh told Marr that he felt that the government had prioritised a lockdown without fully considering the alternatives, and that the current wave of restrictions was a direct result of that:


AM: Did the government model anything other than a lockdown, right at the start?

MW: Basically, no. And that is a worry because when we started modelling this way back in March... it was very apparent... that all a lockdown ever did was defer the problem... It doesn't actually solve the problem in the long term, it doesn't make the virus go away.

AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Vatican hosts first Catholic LGBTQ pilgrimage
Apple Unveils iPhone 17 Series, iPhone Air, Apple Watch 11 and More at 'Awe Dropping' Event
France joins Eurozone’s ‘periphery’ as turmoil deepens, say investors
France Faces New Political Crisis, again, as Prime Minister Bayrou Pushed Out
Nayib Bukele Points Out Belgian Hypocrisy as Brussels Considers Sending Army into the Streets
France, at an Impasse, Heads Toward Another Government Collapse
The Country That Got Too Rich? Public Spending Dominates Norway Election
EU Proposes Phasing Out Russian Oil and Gas by End of 2027 to End Energy Dependence
More Than 150,000 Followers for a Fictional Character: The New Influencers Are AI Creations
EU Prepares for War
Trump Threatens Retaliatory Tariffs After EU Imposes €2.95 Billion Fine on Google
Tesla Board Proposes Unprecedented One-Trillion-Dollar Performance Package for Elon Musk
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Big Tech Executives Laud Trump at White House Dinner, Unveil Massive U.S. Investments
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
‘Looks Like a Wig’: Online Users Express Concern Over Kate Middleton
Florida’s Vaccine Revolution: DeSantis Declares War on Mandates
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
"The Situation Has Never Been This Bad": The Fall of PepsiCo
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
The Fashion Designer Who Became an Italian Symbol: Giorgio Armani Has Died at 91
Putin Celebrates ‘Unprecedentedly High’ Ties with China as Gazprom Seals Power of Siberia-2 Deal
China Unveils New Weapons in Grand Military Parade as Xi Hosts Putin and Kim
Rapper Cardi B Cleared of Liability in Los Angeles Civil Assault Trial
Google Avoids Break-Up in U.S. Antitrust Case as Stocks Rise
Couple celebrates 80th wedding anniversary at assisted living facility in Lancaster
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
The White House on LinkedIn Has Changed Their Profile Picture to Donald Trump
"Insulted the Prophet Muhammad": Woman Burned Alive by Angry Mob in Niger State, Nigeria
Trump Responds to Death Rumors – Announces 'Missile City'
Druzhba Pipeline Incident Sparks Geopolitical Tensions
Cost of Opposition Leader Péter Magyar's Economic Plan Revealed
Germany in Turmoil: Ukrainian Teenage Girl Pushed to Death by Illegal Iraqi Migrant
United Krack down on human rights: Graham Linehan Arrested at Heathrow Over Three X Posts, Hospitalised, Released on Bail with Posting Ban
Asian and Middle Eastern Investors Avoid US Markets
Ray Dalio Warns of US Shift to Autocracy
Eurozone Inflation Rises to 2.1% in August
Russia and China Sign New Gas Pipeline Deal
Von der Leyen's Plane Hit by Suspected Russian GPS Interference in an Incident Believed to Be Caused by Russia or by Pro-Peace or by Anti-Corruption European Activists
China's Robotics Industry Fuels Export Surge
Suntory Chairman Resigns After Police Probe
Gold Price Hits New All-Time Record
UK Fintechs Explore Buying US Banks
Greece Suspends 5% of Schools as Birth Rate Drops
Apollo to Launch $5 Billion Sports Investment Vehicle
Bolsonaro Trial Nears Close Amid US-Brazil Tension
European Banks Push for Lower Cross-Border Barriers
Poland's Offshore Wind Sector Attracts Investors
×