Fraser Nelson, Author at The Spectator

Sunday

October 25, 2020

Was the NHS overrun by Covid during lockdown?

From our UK edition

The decision to implement lockdown was inspired partly by the appalling scenes from Lombardy, where hospitals were overrun and dying patients left in corridors. In London, ministers were terrified by the prospect of the same happening here. Today's Sunday Times has published a long investigation from its Insight team looking at the Covid disruption in hospitals, which makes for disturbing reading. The NHS, it says, faced "an unmanageable deluge of patients" during lockdown, and it offers several examples of things going badly wrong. As we debate whether the NHS may be overwhelmed now - and what steps are needed to prevent this - it makes sense to ask how close the it come to finding Covid unmanageable the first time?

Friday

October 23, 2020

Fraser Nelson

What will tier three do to the North?

From our UK edition

10 min listen

Tier three restrictions came into force in regions across the UK, including Greater Manchester, today. Blackpool Tower even lit up with an SOS message last night, as businesses warned they could not survive in the face of new measures. John Connolly discusses what the new restrictions will do to the North with Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.

Thursday

October 22, 2020

Fraser Nelson

Kemi Badenoch: The problem with critical race theory

From our UK edition

Even now, months after the event, Labour MPs have not forgiven Kemi Badenoch for saying that Britain is one of the best countries in the world in which to be black. It was during the Black Lives Matter protests and many politicians — including Sir Keir Starmer — were ‘taking the knee’ to show fealty to its cause. Badenoch took a different view, seeing within all this a pernicious ideology that portrays blackness as victimhood and whiteness as oppression. In parliament this week, she went further: this, she said, is ‘critical race theory’ — a new enemy for the Tory party and, as equalities minister, one for her to fight.

Tuesday

October 20, 2020

Fraser Nelson

Will coronavirus overwhelm Manchester’s hospitals?

From our UK edition

12 min listen

While the government has failed to strike a deal with Greater Manchester authorities to put the region into tier three, the Prime Minister is expected to announce an imposition of the restrictions in a press conference later today. But will coronavirus overwhelm Manchester's hospitals? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.

Friday

October 16, 2020

Fraser Nelson

Is the NHS at risk of being overwhelmed by Covid?

From our UK edition

It was never the plan for the NHS to deal with a second wave of Covid. The official strategy, all through the summer, was for the £12 billion Test and Trace system to come along and zap new cases. Decisions for NHS investment this winter were made on the assumption that hospitals would be fine – because Dido Harding's new system would work - this is why the Treasury rejected funding for the rollout of NHS ‘Seacole Centres’ for Covid convalescents. But the expensive system failed and the NHS is back in the hot seat. Whether this is a second wave or (as the WHO has argued) smaller ripples after the end of the first wave, the question is how much of a risk it poses. No.

Fraser Nelson

Are we heading for no-deal again?

From our UK edition

11 min listen

Boris Johnson today told Brits to prepare for a no-deal Brexit, saying the European Union were 'not willing' to offer a Canada-style trade agreement. Is this really the end of the talks, or is progress being made behind the scenes? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.

Wednesday

October 14, 2020

Fraser Nelson

Will Boris be dragged into a second lockdown?

From our UK edition

16 min listen

A paper to be published by Sage scientists today claims that more than 7,000 lives could be saved if the government imposes a two-week 'circuit breaker'. With Keir Starmer today saying the policy would be in the 'national interest', Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth about whether Boris could put Britain into lockdown again.

Monday

October 12, 2020

Fraser Nelson

From our UK edition

For some time now, there has been talk about a challenger television to rival Sky and the BBC. Now it’s official: GB News will launch early next year – under the chairmanship of Andrew Neil, who will be its flagship presenter. He is leaving the BBC and will join a new team of about a hundred journalists, in what is the most important television launch in Britain for a generation. GB News is raising between $55 million and $65 million - and the lead investor is Discovery Inc, which is behind Discovery Channel and Science Channel. It's stumping up about a quarter of the cash. It looks as the fundraising will be oversubscribed, building a pretty big warchest to be spent on journalists.

Thursday

September 24, 2020

Fraser Nelson

The Spectator, the Co-op and cancel culture – a cautionary tale

From our UK edition

Earlier this month, there was a bit of a fuss when the Co-op’s Twitter account said it would not be advertising in The Spectator due to our coverage of transgender issues. This is a pernicious trend in the media and The Spectator has a policy of refusing to deal with corporates who indulge in such cancel culture. It’s a firm principle of ours, but not one I expected to apply to the Co-op – which is one of the few outfits to have explicitly stated its commitment to diversity of opinion. I emailed the Co-op to ask what on earth had happened, and tried (unsuccessfully) to convey how serious this was. As I suspected they had been targeted by a troll farm called Stop Funding Hate which goes after corporates who advertise in publications with which they disagree.

Fraser Nelson

Harold Evans: writer, editor, teacher

From our UK edition

The death of Harold Evans last night will mean tomorrow’s newspapers will be rightly filled with tributes to a pioneering editor. But he left the Sunday Times 40 years ago and did a lot more with his life than his 16 years in the editor's chair. Specifically, he wrote about his trade, to share what he knew with others. The great lie about journalism (and about writing) is that you can’t learn it, that you’re either born with the gift or you’re not. That you either have the connections to get you into the industry, or you don’t.

Saturday

September 19, 2020

Fraser Nelson

What does Europe teach the UK about a Covid second wave?

From our UK edition

21 min listen

As the UK seems to enter a second wave of coronavirus infections, Europe is again the guide on the trajectory of the virus and the best strategy to tackle it. But from Sweden to Belgium, which European country should we follow, and is anyone in government listening? Kate Andrews talks to Fraser Nelson and Swedish economist Fredrik Erixon.

Friday

September 18, 2020

Fraser Nelson

Why Boris Johnson needs to speak to Anders Tegnell

From our UK edition

It’s not hard to understand Boris Johnson’s dilemma. He will hate the idea of a second lockdown, but his scientific advisers tell him it's the best way to fight a second wave. He’s not sure if their fears are exaggerated, but how is he to know? There are not very many expert voices around No10 to challenge the SAGE committee’s assumptions. One idea could be reaching out to Anders Tegnell, Sweden’s chief epidemiologist, who has just been interviewed by Andrew Neil for our new Spectator TV. The Swedes were able to identify the exaggerations in the Imperial College London assumptions first time around - and might be able to check the assumptions No10 is being given this time.

Fraser Nelson

What’s the point of a two-week lockdown?

From our UK edition

13 min listen

The government is reportedly considering the short-term reintroduction of nationwide social restrictions to halt the spread of coronavirus. Will a two-week 'circuit break' make a difference, or simply delay the inevitable? Katy Balls speaks to Fraser Nelson and James Forsyth.

Thursday

September 17, 2020

Fraser Nelson

Where’s Boris? A government at sea

From our UK edition

37 min listen

From Covid to Brexit to even the culture wars, Boris's performance seems to have been lacklustre. Where is the effervescent leader he was promised to be? (00:45) Sweden's violent crime is spiking - and are politicians afraid to say why? (16:45) And on the other side of the world, why are the Japanese so much happier to wear masks? (27:55)With Spectator Editor Fraser Nelson; Director of Political Insight Stewart Jackson; journalist Paulina Neuding; the FT's Nordic Bureau Chief Richard Milne; Professor Jordan Sand; and Spectator Assistant Editor Lara Prendergast.Presented by Cindy Yu.

Fraser Nelson

Where’s Boris?

From our UK edition

At the end of last week, the Prime Minister invited Tory MPs to a massive conference call, a kind of digital fireside chat to lift their spirits. It was a disaster. First the MPs were astonished to learn that he wasn’t taking questions; then his connection failed halfway through — at which point the callers, who had been ‘muted’, became ‘unmuted’ and started talking loudly and all at once. One of them, Michael Fabricant, started singing ‘Rule Britannia’. When the call came to an end, the MPs were all left wondering the same thing. What’s happened to Boris? Where is the man we thought we voted for? Physically, Boris Johnson is still around.