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The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell
Credit: Tessa Bunney
I had hoped to interview the Most Reverend and Right Honourable Stephen Cottrell in person. But this was early March, the kids weren’t back at school and travel restrictions had yet to be lifted. I protested that, as this was official work business, it was entirely possible to do a socially distanced meeting that would stay well within the rules. The Primate of England would not be moved. And so we Zoomed instead.
It’s hard not to see this overzealous interpretation of Covid restrictions as emblematic of the problems the Church of England has got itself into over the past year in its response to the pandemic. When lockdown was first imposed, back in March 2020, communal worship was forbidden, but it was the C of E itself that ruled that clergy too should stay at home: they were not even permitted to go into their churches to conduct virtual services – although the buildings themselves were allowed to stay open f
2 March 2021 • 12:01am
Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, will deliver the next Budget on Wednesday, March 3
Credit: TOLGA AKMEN /AFP
SIR – In the past seven days, deaths with Covid-19 have fallen by more than 33 per cent, and hospital admissions by more than 21 per cent.
Scientists and politicians will attribute this news to the lockdown and vaccination programme, but a build-up of natural immunity, seasonal factors and new treatments may also have played a role. We don’t know.
However, what we do know is that the economy needs rebooting, and fast. Tomorrow’s Budget may be the most important of our lifetimes. Good luck to Rishi Sunak. His numbers will be equally important.