It’s a new week, just like the last one…

2 big stories

Today sees the official launch of what must be one of the biggest spending projects in recent government history, as the Job Retention Scheme goes live. Guaranteeing up to 80% of the salaries of furloughed employees, up to a limit of £2,500 per month for up to four months, I don’t even want to guess how much this will cost. But with possibly as many as nine million employees without work, it’s at least a brave stab as salvaging something from the wreckage. If you’re an employer, the link will take you to the guidance.

Competence appears to be a highly underrated quality sometimes, but without it, a government flounders. As, it seems, the Johnson administration appears to have done, failing to take the pandemic seriously when the opportunity permitted and running to catch up ever since. Whilst the Sunday Times has, somewhat unexpectedly, led the charge, the Guardian has kindly summed up the various failings of a Conservative administration.

2 social media posts

Jonathan Calder reflects on a year in which Change UK came, thrashed about a bit, and then drowned. His conclusion?

The moral is that a new centre party needs a clear appeal to the voters and to offer something the Lib Dems don’t. Change UK failed to do either.

Here’s an interesting idea from Denmark…

Well played Denmark 🇩🇰

The Danish Government has become the first to announce that companies that are registered in tax havens won’t be eligible for Coronavirus crisis bailouts. pic.twitter.com/lAMs0fTQUW

— James Melville 🚜 (@JamesMelville) April 19, 2020

And, after all, if you’ve avoiding paying tax to a government, is it reasonable to expect that government to bail you out?