Voice of the Mirror: Donald Trump a US tragedy, fanning flames lit by George Floyd death
by Voice of the Mirror, https://www.mirror.co.uk/authors/voice-of-the-mirror/America is burning again. The flames were lit by the death of George Floyd in police custody and fanned by the irresponsible actions of Donald Trump.
The President stoked a tense situation with a series of comments that demeaned his office.
Twitter rightly flagged a tweet by Mr Trump for glorifying violence after he warned that when the “looting starts, the shooting starts”.
This racially loaded phrase was first used by a Miami police chief about cracking down on black people.
Few will hold out hope for change when America is led by someone who has regularly picked fights with minorities and been an apologist for white supremacists.
It is America’s tragedy that when it needs a leader who can provide unity it has one who revels in sowing discord.
The US deserves better.
The family of George Floyd, a clear victim of police aggression, deserves better.
Rishi’s test
Rishi Sunak was rightly praised by the trade unions for the speed with which he acted when Covid-19 struck.
The Chancellor must be careful not to squander the goodwill. Employers will have to start paying towards the furlough scheme from August before it is wound up in November.
There is a fear many bosses will use this as an excuse to lay off staff. Those in hospitality, leisure and aviation will be especially worried.
They cannot be abandoned when the economy is set to enter its deepest recession for more than 300 years.
The Chancellor needs to start setting out how he plans to help those made redundant.
He rallied behind Dominic Cummings when he deserved to lose his job. The million people left jobless are the ones who need his support.
Jammy treat
The lockdown has prompted a surge in demand for a traditional cream tea.
They are the perfect comfort food... unless you start arguing about whether jam or cream should go on top. (It’s cream).