In our latest series of leadership quotations, we hear from the culture secretary on the current state of play with sports events, Craig Webster on the ‘attack on the private rental sector’, and Suresh Joshi and Ravi Dev on the future of criminal defence. We also hear from the prime minister and the leader of the opposition.
Oliver Dowden
‘The very clear advice was that at this stage of the disease, we should be imposing restrictions. We are doing things that are positively hateful, but the reason we are doing it is to secure public safety.’ (The culture secretary in response to criticism that sports stadiums remain closed to the public)
The English Football League
‘While we recognise that the UK is facing a significant public health crisis, football and football supporters should be treated fairly.
From the league's position, it seems illogical that socially-distanced events are taking place indoors at arts and music venues when football clubs have been prohibited from doing the same in outdoor stadiums.
‘Football is one of the most heavily regulated areas of crowd management and we know from the successful staging of eight pilot events that clubs are able to introduce appropriate measures that will meet social distancing, rule of six and test and trace requirements.’ (A statement to The Telegraph from after complaints about the inconsistency of allowing large indoor events while prohibiting outdoor ones)
Craig Webster
‘The attack on the private rental sector is constant, with the increase in taxes and costs and the phasing out of mortgage relief over the next four years putting a strain on landlords.
‘Many landlords will suffer financial difficulty because of an increase in repossessions. To combat the increase in costs, there will be a rise in rental prices, leading to an increase in rental payments from local councils or an increase in homelessness. The government, with their sustained attack on the private rental sector, could create a vicious cycle within the housing market.’ (The Tiger Estates Owner on the government’s private rental policies)
Suresh Joshi & Ravi Dev
‘The future for criminal defence, at present, appears very bleak. We have noticed over recent years there’s something of a shortage of newly qualified solicitors entering the profession.
‘If our industry is to survive over the coming years, things must change – we must introduce further incentives for young people to join the profession, and we will inevitably need to alter the public’s perception of the criminal defence sector as it stands.’ (The JD Solictors partners on the the future of criminal defence)
Keir Starmer
‘The proposal we've put on the table at the moment is that it needs to be a nationwide circuit-breaker. Because as the Government's own scientists have admitted, the virus is spreading across the country and the infection rate is going up across all regions of the country. So the proposal we are putting at the moment is that it needs to be nationwide.’ (A spokesman for the Labour leader in response to the government’s policy of regional restrictions)
Boris Johnson
‘I rule out nothing, of course, in combating the virus but we're going to do it with the local, regional approach that can drive down and will drive down the virus if it is properly implemented.’ (The prime minister in response to Labour suggestions, above)
