The week kicked off with some much-needed good news as Boris Johnson confirmed plans to ease Covid restrictions across the UK over Christmas.
Up to three households will be able to mix indoors over the festive period. But in less happy tidings, the prime minister also announced that strict tier restrictions would kick in after lockdown ends on 2 December, and remain in place until spring.
Chancellor Rishi Sunak also dampened the national mood by unveiling a cuts-heavy spending review, amid the biggest contraction of the UK economy in 300 years.
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There was gloom over on the opposition benches too, as newly published figures revealed a drastic decline in Labour Party membership, with the exodus led by supporters of former leader Jeremy Corbyn. Many are angry that despite being reinstated by the party as an MP following his recent suspension in an anti-Semiticism row, Corbyn has yet to have the whip restored.
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Pfizer, Moderna and AstraZeneca-Oxford all confirmed the completion of vaccine trials, with efficacy rates of up to 95%. But doubts have been raised over AstraZeneca’s data after discrepencies between the test groups were revealed.
Across the pond, Donald Trump came as close as he has since election day to formally conceding defeat, and finally gave the General Services Administration the go-ahead to start preparing president-elect Joe Biden to take office.
Back in Europe, foreign ministers from Germany, France and the UK met to discuss how to revive the Iran Nuclear Deal once Biden is in the White House. The agreement was brokered by the victorious Democrat’s former boss Barack Obama, but Donald Trump withdrew the US from the treaty in 2018.
