-
Britain’s Covid Checkmate

In July Britain celebrated ‘Freedom Day’ with the dropping of Covid restrictions. The successful development, acquisition and mass roll out of vaccines meant that the population was protected enough to return to normality. ‘Peak Covid’ had passed, or so people thought. The arrival of Omicron signalled a new variant with what scientists described as an “eyewateringly high" infection rate.
Suddenly Britain’s hard-fought freedom from Covid has been plunged into uncertainty by Omicron. Indeed, the country is witnessing the coming together of several different crises into an emerging mega crisis. The first issue is that much is unknown about Omicron. Whilst few can doubt it is far more infectious than its predecessors, there is not yet the data on whether it is more lethal or not and quite how vaccine resistant it is. The time lag between discovering the variant and it raging out of control is what has pushed many scientific advisors to recommend the Government brings back ‘lock down’ policies but that is when Covid crashes into the politics of the day.
The Boris Johnson government has never been as weak as it is at this moment. Behind in the national polling, it recently suffered a historic byelection defeat in North Shropshire. One of the closest advisors to the Prime Minister and the man in charge of negotiating Brexit, Lord Frost, then resigned from the Government arguing he disagreed with the direction Johnson was taking in lieu of Omicron.
That direction was a fairly mild set of ‘Plan B’ policies which saw mask wearing mandatory again in shops and public transport and people told to work from home where they could. More serious restrictions suddenly came into view with Government Ministers reacting to record breaking rates of infection with a reminder that ‘all options’ were being considered. Yet the Government had another problem in the form of a series of damaging leaks and revelations seeming to show that Number 10, the epicentre of British political power, had been home to a series of events that would have been against the lockdown rules of the past 12-months.
Whilst the public was banned from a range of normal life activities, such as attending the funerals of family and friends there were apparently a series of Christmas parties at Number 10, that sparked fury and a rolling avalanche of negative media headlines. Images and video footage of these events kept pouring fuel on the fire and have led some to argue that the Government has no credibility when it comes to imposing new restrictions considering its own adherence to its own rules in the past.
Within Johnson’s Conservative Party there is growing anger against any form of further curtailing of civil liberties. In the parliamentary vote to impose ‘Plan B’ policies 99 of his own MPs voted against the measures, which only thus passed due to the support of the Labour Opposition. Number 10 therefore knows that even if it wanted to push more serious restrictions it would unlikely be able to do so with the support of its own party. This is the checkmate that Johnson finds himself in at present.
The most obvious way out of course is if Omicron proves anywhere as near as bad as some of the projections have shown. This is the bind that surely Johnson is aware of having suffered a life-threatening bout of Covid himself back in 2020. An overwhelmed health care service is a very visceral thing to happen; ambulances backed up unable to unload patients, ICUs full, people being treated in corridors and of course the grim daily drip-drip of deaths.
Already the healthcare service is postponing non-essential operations, adding to a record backlog in people needing treatment. There is even talk of ‘virtual wards’ that will be expanded in a bid to prevent hospitals from being overwhelmed by Omicron, according to the Sunday Times. The measures could see around 15 per cent of Covid patients treated at home, with their oxygen levels monitored remotely.
Interestingly whilst the Government is checkmated, the British public are taking matters into their own hands. There have been mass cancellations of events indoors, holiday plans and the scale of families who come together this Christmas is likely to be far lower than a normal year. In short, a Government that cannot lead doesn’t guarantee a population in limbo, especially one that has lived through such an extended Covid era already.
BY: James Denselow
You May Also Like
Popular Posts
Caricature
BENEFIT AGM approves 10%...
- March 27, 2025
BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).
Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.
opinion
Report
ads
Newsletter
Subscribe to our mailing list to get the new updates!