| Dear reader,
This week will be a key moment in Boris Johnson’s plans to overcome and recover from the coronavirus pandemic. Multiple major announcements are planned for the coming days, including significant investment in schools, new infrastructure projects and “air bridges”. You can follow today’s events in our live blog. And remember to check back with us each day for the latest on every development.
Among Mr Johnson’s reform plans is a significant review of the UK’s Armed Forces. Ahead of its publication later this year, the Royal Navy has announced a radical transformation of the Royal Marine Commandos to make it fit to face the future threats across the globe. Dominic Nicholls has all the details on what the Future Commando Force means for the Marines, why it’s happening and whether it can succeed.
The pandemic is not, however, over. The Government is still wrestling with which restrictions to ease, which to keep, and possibly, in the case of Leicester, which to restore. All of this comes at a time when compliance with the lockdown appears to be fraying. Dealing with that rebellion will be essential, says Janet Daley, but, she argues in her column, ministers cannot resort to further enforcement to do so – instead it needs a greater understanding of human relationships.
Finally, the departure of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex from official royal duties earlier this year caused a great furore. But it was nothing compared to the abdication of Edward VIII and his marriage to Wallis Simpson. In an extract from his new book, Alexander Larman tells the inside story of that love affair and how close it came to tearing the Royal family apart.
Chris
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