More or Less: Behind the Stats Covid, HGV driver shortages and protest costs
Sep 1, 2021
After the lifting of Covid restrictions, predictions of hospitalizations fell drastically short of expectations. The cost of policing climate protests has hit £50 million since 2019, raising questions about resource allocation. A significant driver shortage in the UK, worsened by Brexit, reveals a need for over 100,000 more lorry drivers. Meanwhile, government debt has surged to £2.2 trillion, prompting comparisons to past financial crises. Surprisingly, it seems that even Mr. Spock may not be the logical genius we thought!
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COVID-19 Trends
- UK COVID-19 cases plateaued and then rose again after an initial drop following the Euro 2020 final.
- Cases are now at their highest level in months in Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.
Cost of XR Protests
- Extinction Rebellion (XR) protests in 2019 and 2020 reportedly cost the Metropolitan Police £50 million.
- Dr. Carina O'Reilly suggests this figure is plausible, possibly even an underestimate.
Lorry Driver Shortage
- The Road Haulage Association's claim of a 100,000 lorry driver shortage is based on several factors.
- These factors include pre-existing shortages, EU driver departures, and reduced HGV license tests due to the pandemic.
