This morning: Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of Wellcome Trust, says UK could end up with worst coronavirus death rate in Europe.

Also this morning: Coronavirus as culture wars artefact.

Sections of British commentariat seem actively opposed to democratic accountability. https://twitter.com/DPJHodges/status/1249233564278894593

‘The job of the newspaper is to comfort the afflicted and afflict the comfortable’.

Simple question: does the above do this? If not - at a time when so many are afflicted - why is it not doing it?

Meanwhile in Telegraph.

Politicians read these papers. They shape 'received wisdom' and, even unintentionally, political decisions. These same commentators have radically changed Britain: eg Hannan took Brexit from a fringe position to a political reality. This stuff matters

And if "Hannan took Brexit from a fringe position to a political reality" sounds overblown it really isn't. https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/sep/29/daniel-hannan-the-man-who-brought-you-brexit

My new book goes into a lot of detail on Hannan's role in Brexit and its aftermath, too (esp ERG) https://headofzeus.com/books/9781789546026