| Dear reader,
Boris Johnson marked a year in office last Friday. Even before Covid-19 reached these shores it had been a tumultuous first few months, but the pandemic piled on immense new challenges. In his column, Fraser Nelson argues that the Prime Minister handled the challenges of Brexit very well, but that he must do the precise opposite of what that success taught him if he is to overcome the coronavirus crisis.
On the same day as that anniversary, the wearing of masks in shops and other enclosed public spaces became compulsory after much toing and froing in Westminster. To find out how the country is feeling about the new rules, our writers collected a number of personal stories. From a Cold War veteran accustomed to full nuclear, biological and chemical suits to a chronic asthmatic who can’t face putting on a mask, they’re all thought-provoking.
Alongside more effective treatment, the major hope for a return to normality is that the world will soon have a number of vaccines effective against Covid-19. Early trial results have raised hopes, but scientists remain wary. In this fascinating long-read, Daniel Capurro explores the bumpy history of vaccines and hears from leading vaccinologists about managing public hopes and fears.
Finally, last week the Office for National Statistics released figures that showed a remarkable shift in the age at which women are having children. Britain’s birth rate continues to fall and the only age group having more babies is the over-40s. Such women, says Zoe Strimpel, often face a hostile reaction but they shouldn’t. There are plenty of good reasons to wait, she argues, not the least of which is that men themselves aren’t ready for fatherhood.
Chris | | |
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My Choices | | "Will Boris Johnson learn the real lesson of his first year in office?" – Read why Fraser Nelson thinks the governing model that delivered Brexit is ill-suited for dealing with Covid-19. |
| | Risk, uncertainty and fear of failure – Find out why scientists aren't celebrating the chances of a coronavirus vaccine just yet. |
| | "In the RAF, we wore face coverings for six hours at a time" – Our writers gathered the stories of those welcoming and worried by the new law on masks. (Free to read) |
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| More and more women in their 40s are having children, but that's as much down to men as it is to women, argues Zoe Strimpel. (Free to read) |
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