Parliament has launched an inquiry into fears that the response to the coronavirus crisis could entrench and worsen existing inequalities.
Caroline Nokes MP, the Conservative chairwoman of the Women and Equalities select committee, tells us it has started to look at how “the impact of Covid-19 could be very significant for those with protected characteristics”.
Nokes cited the lockdown’s impact on domestic abuse: “We know that people are trapped in their own homes in close proximity and that not every family is a happy one.” She said of her inquiry: “It gives people who aren’t being listened to and don’t have a voice the chance to feed into Parliament and the scrutiny process.”
In a similar vein, a group called #CharitySoWhite has published a paper, Racial Injustice in the Covid-19 Response, “to communicate with the charity sector our grave concerns about how Covid-19 is going to severely impact Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities”. It argues “it is easy in a crisis to revert to familiar ways of working,” but they risk “not only reinforcing existing structures of racial inequality, but further embedding them”. As well as the health and economic impact, people are clearly worried about the social consequences.
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NIGELLA LAWSON says it’s tough to remain calm at the moment. “Of course it’s impossible not to worry and on top of that, I’m a news junkie,” she tells The Bunker podcast. “All in all, I wouldn’t say it’s possible to be in a zen-like state of peace but I very much try.” She also deserves praise for coining our favourite lockdown phrase: “Fatten the curve.”
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Singer George Ezra has Houseparty anxiety. “Some of our friends have quite dubious friends.” He tells his Phone a Friend podcast, “I know I’m complaining about being alone but there are some peculiar people. I’m happy to spread a bit of love but I don’t want to be spending my evenings with these people.” Harsh but fair.
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SOPHIE WALKER, former Women’s Equality Party leader, tells us she’s applied to join Labour: “The prospect of a feminist chancellor got me over the line.” The question is, will she be accepted?
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NORTH Dorset Tory MP Simon Hoare approves of painting sheep with Stay Home slogans: “We have to ram this message home: No flocking to beauty spots.” Nothing woolly about those puns.
Charli’s isolation album will be all her own work
Charli XCX is making the most of lockdown. “I’m going to make a brand new album from scratch,” the pop star told fans yesterday on a Zoom call. “I’m only going to be able to use the tools I have at my fingertips to create all music, all artwork, all videos … it’ll be very DIY.”
Elsewhere, model Leomie Anderson (above) made the most of the sunshine in her garden yesterday, while Ella Mills aka Deliciously Ella posed this morning with her baby Skye who rocked a pair of pink shades.
