January 2022 – Page 11 – The NEN

Electric Kia EV6 crowned What Car? Car of the Year

Brilliant EV6 voted best car for 2022, offering 328 miles of range, super-fast charging capability, space, refinement and class-leading warranty
Victory marks breakthrough Korean manufacturer’s second overall win at the Awards, known as the UK’s motoring Oscars, in past four years
What Car? Car of the Year Awards 2022 in association with MotorEasy held at Grosvenor House hotel in London’s Mayfair
BMW takes the most class wins with five victories; Ford wins awards for best small SUV and best performance SUV; Tesla Model 3 is best large electric car
To find out more, visit: www.whatcar.com/awards

The Kia EV6 electric car has been crowned What Car? Car of the Year 2022. Its victory was announced at a glittering ceremony at the Grosvenor House Hotel in London, with the awards held in association with MotorEasy.

It is the second time Kia has won the overall What Car? Car of the Year Award – and the second time it has won with a new electric car, having taken its maiden victory in 2019 with the Kia e-Niro.

Underlining the breakthrough progress enjoyed by Kia in the electric era, it is only the third non-European manufacturer to win the top prize at the What Car? Awards, which began in 1978.

The Kia EV6 stood out for setting new benchmarks for electric cars, offering an official range of 328 miles, and managing 224 miles on a charge when What Car?’s testers ran it in near worst-case low temperature conditions. It is also capable of super-fast, 800V charging, with its battery capable of going from 10-80% in as little as 18 minutes.

In addition, the EV6 earned praise from the judges for being hugely spacious, very refined even by electric car standards and for being sold with the reassurance of a standard-setting seven-year warranty.

What Car? editor Steve Huntingford said: “Once again, Kia has set a new benchmark for an electric vehicle. The EV6 is a terrific all-rounder that answers electric car buyers’ questions around range and charging times brilliantly, and which offers terrific space, refinement and value for money.

“Kia’s progress has long been impressive, but it is the way that it has seized the opportunity offered by the transition to electric cars that has made it a leader in the market. Coming hot on the heels of its victory with the e-Niro in 2019, this Car of the Year win cements its position alongside Tesla as one of the most exciting electric car makers on the planet.”

Kia UK President and CEO Paul Philpott added: “It’s a great honour for Kia to win Car of the Year at this year’s What Car? Awards, particularly given the high regard with which they are held by customers across the UK.

“The EV6 is a truly exceptional car and it’s just the beginning of things to come from Kia on our rapid journey to electrification. This is tangible recognition that Kia is fast becoming a true leader in electric vehicles having also won this award with e-Niro in 2019.”

Other big winners on the night included BMW, which recorded an amazing five category victories. It won the prizes for the best Luxury SUV (with the BMW X5), Executive car (BMW 3 Series), Luxury car (BMW 5 Series), Coupé (BMW 4 Series) and Convertible (BMW 4 Series Convertible).

Ford was the next most successful manufacturer, with three category wins: Small SUV, sponsored by Solera cap hpi, (Ford Puma), Sports SUV (Ford Puma ST) and Pick-up (Ford Ranger). Tesla was also a notable winner after recording a record-breaking year for sales, taking the Large Electric Car category, sponsored by Ohme, with its Model 3.

What Car Car of the Year Awards 2022 in association with MotorEasy

OVERALL WINNER
Car of the Year: Kia EV6 RWD GT-Line

CATEGORY WINNERS
Small car: Honda Jazz SR
Family car: Seat Leon 1.5 TSI 130 Evo FR
Small SUV, sponsored by Solera cap hpi: Ford Puma 1.0 Ecoboost Hybrid (mHEV)
Family SUV, sponsored by MotorEasy: Volvo XC40 Recharge T4 Plus (Dark Theme)
Electric SUV: Kia EV6 RWD GT-Line
Large SUV, sponsored by Quotezone: Hyundai Santa Fe 4WD Premium
Luxury SUV: BMW X5 xDrive45e M Sport
Sports SUV: Ford Puma ST 1.5 Ecoboost 200 Performance Pack
Hybrid (plug-in): Lexus NX 450h+ F Sport Premium Plus Pack
Small electric car, sponsored by Ohme: Cupra Born 58kWh V2
Large electric car, sponsored by Ohme: Tesla Model 3 Long Range
Executive car: BMW 3 Series 330e M Sport (M Sport Pro Package)
Luxury car: BMW 5 Series 530e M Sport (M Sport Pro Package)
Estate: Skoda Superb Estate 2.0 TDI 150 SEL
MPV: Volkswagen Touran 1.5 TSI 150 SE
Pick-up: Ford Ranger 2.0L EcoBlue 213PS Wildtrack auto
Hot hatch: Mercedes-AMG A45 S Plus
Performance car: Porsche Taycan Cross Turismo 4S
Coupé: BMW 4 Series 420i M Sport (M Sport Pro Package)
Convertible: BMW 4 Series Convertible 420i (M Sport Pro Package)
Sports car: Porsche Cayman GTS

SPECIAL AWARDS
Reliability Award, in association with MotorEasy: Lexus
True MPG Award: Toyota Yaris Cross 1.5 petrol hybrid
Innovation Award, in association with Thatcham Research: Gridserve
Safety Award, in association with Thatcham Research: Nissan Qashqai
Tow Car Award, in association with the Camping and Caravanning Club: Kia Sorento 2.2 CRDi 3 DCT
Reader Award: Range Rover

Councillors deserve pay increases, says COSLA

Real Living Wage claim for Scotland’s councillors

With the role of the Councillor changing dramatically over the last few years, the time is right to review the job – and its pay, COSLA said this week.

COSLA President Councillor Alison Evison says there has to be a ‘realistic’ review of remuneration for the role, and called for the Scottish Government to look at Councillors’ salaries.

The current offering of £18,604 per year simply ‘does not cut the mustard,’ said Councillor Evison, especially given Councillors work on average, 38.5 hours per week according to our research.

COSLA is now calling for Councillors to be paid the Real Living Wage, as a minimum.

Speaking as she launched the summary findings of a Councillor Remuneration Survey, Councillor Evison said: “The time has come for a realistic look at the remuneration for the role of a Councillor.

“In less than five months, on May 5, Scotland once again goes to the polls to elect the representatives who are the closest to their communities – their local Councillors.

“The Survey we are releasing today is a pivotal opportunity to think about the kind of modern Councillor we want, and about the changes that we need to make to attract candidates who could make a real difference to communities across the country.

“Together with my elected member colleagues, I already passionately believe in local democracy as a real positive force for good within our communities – that is why we stand for election. However to meet the next challenge we need realistic and proper remuneration that better reflects the role of a modern day Councillor.

“All of us within Scottish Local Government want to harness the power of a more locally democratic way of doing things, to enable a more diverse range of voices at the decision-making table, and to overhaul participation in council policy-making across the country – but people need to be properly remunerated to make this rhetoric a reality.”

Councillor Evison continued: “The current salary for a councillor is £18,604 and that quite frankly does not cut the mustard.

“A survey undertaken by COSLA as part of removing barriers to elected office work clearly shows that councillors from all political parties and none feel that the time has arrived for this new, radical and bold approach to Councillors’ remuneration as part of a wider package of action to increase Councillor diversity and address financial barriers to elected office for underrepresented groups.

“We are excited about what can be achieved, but we know that to attract a more diverse range of people to the role of the modern Councillor simply will not happen without a commitment from Scottish Government to look at Councillor remuneration.

“We are not asking for anything too bold, our starting point is that as a minimum, Councillors should be paid the Real Living Wage for hours worked.

“There would rightly be uproar if Councils did not pay their employees the Real Living Wage – therefore why not Councillors, who according to our survey findings work 38.5 hours per week?

“The Real Living Wage would still only put Councillors in the same bracket as the Care/Retail and Hospitality Sectors.”

Finance Committee warns of more pressure on Scotland’s finances

Holyrood’s Finance and Public Administration Committee has warned that Scotland’s public finances are likely to face increased pressure next year and beyond.

While forecasts show increasing optimism that the Scottish economy will return to pre-pandemic levels by mid-2022, emerging evidence suggests that the recovery and economic performance in Scotland is not as strong as in the UK as a whole – primarily due to a reduction in oil and gas activity.

The effect is likely to put more pressure on Scotland’s public finances, according to the committee’s Budget Scrutiny Report.

Furthermore, with UK Government capital grants down by 9.7%, borrowing to the £450 million maximum permitted is required to enable a 1.2% increase in infrastructure expenditure after inflation.

The Scottish Budget is limited by the forecasts of the independent Scottish Fiscal Commission (SFC), beyond which the Finance Secretary cannot go.

In evidence the SFC said: “The overall Scottish Budget in 2022-23 is 2.6% lower than in 2021. After accounting for inflation, the reduction is 5.2%.”

The committee says more work is needed to understand what lies behind these economic and demographic trends and how best they can be addressed.

Today’s report explores the issues in more detail. Next week sees the Stage 1 debate of the government’s Budget Bill.

Finance & Public Administration Committee Convener Kenneth Gibson MSP said:

“The Committee agrees with the Scottish Government that it faces a challenging year, with further decreases in resource expenditure in the two years that follow.

“It’s clear that with UK Government grants continuing to decline, further fiscal flexibility for Scotland must be considered. Borrowing limits are too constrained and are being eroded by inflation. Tax rates remain unchanged but, as in the rest of the UK, inflation will bring more people into higher bands.

“To ensure Scotland’s public finances are placed on a more sustainable footing, productivity, wage growth, demographic change and labour market participation should be a key focus for Scottish Ministers.

“Transparency in the full and timely presentation of figures is also essential, particularly regarding COVID-19 funding, how it is allocated both by the UK Government and subsequently by Scottish Ministers, and the impact of this expenditure.

“As part of the Fiscal Framework review, both the UK and Scottish governments must consider and agree a process by which Barnett consequentials are clearly communicated, to bring greater certainty over what is ‘new’ and what is ‘reprofiled’ money.”

UK landmarks reimagined in glass

Experts reimagine five British landmarks if they were made from glass
Research reveals why glass should be used in architecture in 2022

With structural glass quickly becoming one of the most reliable building materials due to its many applications and low costs, five of the UK’s most iconic landmarks have been given a makeover and reimagined as glass buildings.

Following a 23% increase in interest for the search term ‘glass architecture’¹ and a further 22% jump in searches for ‘sustainability’², leading UK glass manufacturer, Specialist Glass Products, has worked with a final year graphic design student³ to envisage five famous UK landmarks if they were made from glass.

From the House of Parliament to Leeds Corn Exchange, the reincarnations share insight into why the eco-friendly and 100% recyclable material would be suitable for each landmark.

The Houses of Parliament

With the UK Terrorism threat level labelled as substantial, The Houses of Parliament, lying on the north bank of the River Thames, could be a prime target for a terrorist attack.

Andrew Taylor, managing director at Specialist Glass Products, explains, “The use of toughened and bomb-proof glass in the design of The House of Parliament would withstand bomb blast performance requirements and provide greater security from severe weather and durability in elevated temperatures; an essential feature to protect against the UK’s widespread changes in climate.

“In addition, with many confidential conversations taking place, acoustic and white diffuser glass would also need to be heavily integrated into the architectural design to minimise sound and ensure privacy within meeting rooms, and more importantly, the high court.”

Palace of Holyroodhouse

Designed by Sir William Bruce 1671, also known as Holyrood Palace or Holyroodhouse, the Palace of Holyroodhouse is the official home of the British monarch in Scotland.

Every year, Queen Elizabeth II spends one week in residence here at the beginning of each summer.

Andrew reveals, “With July temperatures averaging a daily high of 21 degrees Celsius in the UK, room temperatures can get stuffy and uncomfortable, especially if in direct sunlight.

“By implementing energy-efficient coated glass into the design, you can help keep interiors cool in the hotter months without opening windows or installing air conditioning.

“Using energy-efficient glass would also mean more natural light and less artificial light, which is better for your health, eyesight and can even reduce stress.”

Leeds Corn Exchange

Built between 1861 and 1863 by Cuthbert Brodrick, Leeds Corn Exchange is now a boutique shopping centre for independent retailers.

Retail business owners must attract foot traffic, especially those without digital platforms, as more retail companies sell everything online day by day.

Andrew advises: “Store frontage is integral to keeping retail businesses competitive and current, showcasing what’s inside and, more importantly, who is inside.

“Leeds Corn Exchange would benefit from the use of ‘Clearsight’ glass. This type of glass would ensure a clear view and no reflection thanks to its anti-reflective coating, minimising glare and significantly reducing any light reflection to less than 1%.

“Compared to the 8% on conventional glass, this is a massive difference; any passer-by would see any display items thanks to a crystal clear window.”

Cathedral of Dublin

Christ Church Cathedral was founded in 1030 by Sitric, King of the Dublin Norsemen!

Like many other church buildings, as the building is so old, the cathedral can often be very cold due to heat loss through gaps in the surfaces of the roof, exterior walls, windows, and floor.

Andrew explains, “Renowned for its beauty and architecture if the Cathedral of Dublin installed integrate energy-efficient glass walls, flooring and roofing this would improve indoor comfort, save money on energy bills and reduce mould, leaks and condensation.

“As well as keeping interiors cool, energy-efficient glass units can allow heat and light from the sun to pass through the glass, as well as reflect and contain heat from radiators or fires. The use of toughened glass will also provide visitors with a higher sense of security.”

Conwy Castle

Built by Edward I, during his conquest of Wales, between 1283 and 1289, Conwy Castle is perfectly placed in a picturesque environment.

Andrew reveals: “We can curve glass up to 3200mm x 5000mm, which could easily be used to recreate the great towers of Conwy Castle. Not only could the walls be made of glass, but the internal spiral staircases as well.

“Unlike conventional wooden staircases, the sturdy, toughened glass used to create a glass staircase provides extended durability and a beautiful contemporary look.

“If the castle were built from glass, there would be fantastic views of Snowdonia, the harbour and the narrow streets of Conwy from every corner!”

Andrew adds: “Whilst we have only imagined what famous UK landmarks could potentially look like, glass can be used in the construction of almost every home, office and public building worldwide.

“Due to its functional and decorative qualities, the advantages of using glass do not end at the aesthetics. Allowing natural light to spread through, the material saves money and energy resources, keeping homes and workplaces warm in the winter yet cool in the summer. Therefore, saving energy on heating and air-conditioning.

“Glass is also 100% recyclable, so if it is ever removed or replaced, it can be broken down and transformed into a new product. If you value energy efficiency, sustainability, and security, glass is the material for you.”

Find out more about the uses of glass in architecture and interior design:

https://www.specialistglass.co.uk/famous-uk-landmarks-re-imagined-in-glass/

Scam HMRC phone call reports drop by 97%

Reports of scam HMRC phone calls have fallen by 97% over the last 12 months, latest HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) figures show, which display a downward trend in reports overall throughout the past year.

Reports of scammers impersonating HMRC in phone calls peaked at 79,477 in March 2021 and fell to just 2,491 in December 2021.

The fall in scam call reports to HMRC has also been seen elsewhere with an 92% drop in phishing email reports and a 97% drop in scam text reports over the last year.

These significant results are testament to some of the work of teams across HMRC in tackling these attempts to defraud people, including dedicated customer protection teams and helplines, tools to refer scams, and use of innovative technologies. It also signals that the public is more aware of cyber criminals and the methods they use to trick people, in part thanks to HMRC’s awareness raising efforts, meaning fewer members of the public have been the subject of scammers and attempts to steal their money.

All of HMRC’s work to protect the public and make people aware of scams and the advice available on GOV.UK, has helped move HMRC from third most phished brand globally to outside the top 100.

Mike Fell, HMRC’s Head of Cyber Security Operations, said: “We work incredibly hard to protect the public from these criminals who ruin lives by stealing from people. It’s great news that fewer people are receiving and reporting these attempted frauds, but it is still important they continue to report suspicious contact to us. We will continue to do everything we can to protect the public from these cynical attempts to impersonate HMRC to steal from people.

“Our advice is – never let yourself be rushed. If someone contacts you saying they are from HMRC, wanting you to urgently transfer money or give personal information, be on your guard. HMRC will never ring up threatening arrest, only criminals do that. Contacts like these should set alarm bells ringing, so take your time and check HMRC scams advice on GOV.UK.”

Some HMRC-themed scams originate abroad. HMRC works closely with national and international law enforcement agencies to combat scams, including collaboration with India as a key international partner in tackling the organised crime groups that run these scams.

Work by the Indian authorities last year resulted in multiple arrests and the closure of criminal call centre operations. In June 2021, 51 people were arrested at two call centres in Delhi, India, that were dedicated to facilitating HMRC scams.

HMRC has a dedicated Customer Protection team working on cyber and phone crime around the clock, closing down scams and sharing intelligence with law enforcement agencies. HMRC also deploys innovative technologies to prevent misleading and malicious communications that impersonate its genuine e-mail channels, from ever reaching the public. Since 2017 these technical controls have allowed HMRC to prevent 500 million bogus emails reaching customers.

More recently, new controls have prevented 90% of the most convincing text messages from reaching the public and joint working with industry partners has prevented the spoofing of most of HMRC’s helpline numbers.

In the last year, HMRC has responded to 670,793 referrals of suspicious contact from the public, with 283,157 of these cases offering bogus tax rebates. Others threaten arrest for tax evasion or offer fake financial support.

As part of HMRC’s action to combat voice scams, the department has set up a direct referral route on GOV.UK where people can report HMRC-related telephone phishing.

HMRC also works with the telecoms industry to remove phone numbers being used to commit HMRC-related phone scams. In December 2021, four phone numbers being used to commit HMRC-related phone scams were removed, which is likely to have prevented hundreds of scam calls being made.

HMRC uses a range of modern methods when communicating with its customers. Criminals will often then try to duplicate those methods to take advantage of people. HMRC is doing everything it can to stay one step ahead of the criminals to keep its customers and their information safe.

Search ‘scams’ on GOV.UK for information on how to recognise genuine HMRC contact and how to avoid scams. Forward suspicious texts claiming to be from HMRC to 60599 and emails to phishing@hmrc.gov.uk. Report tax scam phone calls on GOV.UK.

SEPA chief executive resigns

Scottish Environment Protection Agency: Leadership Arrangements

TODAY (Friday, 21st January 2022) Bob Downes, Chairman of the Scottish Environment Protection Agency, has confirmed that following conduct allegations, Terry A’Hearn has stepped down and left his position.

Mr. Downes said: “Following conduct allegations, Terry A’Hearn (above) has stepped down and left his position. SEPA has a clear Code of Conduct and takes conduct allegations very seriously indeed. In order to protect anonymity, SEPA is unable to comment further.”

Mr. Downes confirmed that recruitment for a new Chief Executive would shortly commence and in the interim, Chief Officer Jo Green would be Acting Chief Executive, supported by SEPA’s Agency Management Team.

Scotland to outlaw glue traps

Legislation to end the harmful practice of setting ‘glue traps’ is to be brought forward by the Scottish Government in order to protect animal welfare.

Glue traps are devices, most commonly but not exclusively, used by professional contractors in food premises, where the use of rodenticide poisons are undesirable due to the risk of poison contamination.

The glue boards work by placing them along areas where rats and mice are likely to frequent; once the animal steps onto the board, it is then firmly stuck to it and is unable to free itself. Once an animal is captured the glue trap can be retrieved and the animal dispatched.

The Scottish Animal Welfare Commission (SAWC) undertook a review of the use of glue traps and concluded that there are significant animal welfare issues related to their use, not only for rodents but also for non-target species such as wild birds.

Given this, the Scottish Government intends to implement a full ban and will seek stakeholders’ views through a consultation, before forward bringing legislation during this parliamentary term.

Environment Minister Mairi McAllan said: “We are committed to maintaining the highest welfare standards in Scotland for animals, including wildlife.

“We have carefully considered the Scottish Animal Welfare Commission’s findings, alongside all other relevant evidence, I am pleased to announce in Parliament today that we intend to end the cruel practice of setting glue traps.

“The Commission’s report is clear that there are significant animal welfare issues related to the use of glue traps, not only for rodents but also for other animals such as wild birds. Therefore, we will bring forward legislation to ban glue traps in this parliamentary term.

“Our intention is to ban the sale as well as the use of glue traps. However, there are implications arising from the Internal Market Act which can undermine decisions made by this Parliament, including in devolved climate and environmental policy. We intend to work through these issues.”

‘Bonfire of the Banalities’

Unnecessary train announcements to be binned

UK government to review and remove train announcements that add unnecessary noise and disruption to journeys
the Department for Transport will ensure train operating companies retain important safety messages and work with accessibility groups so that passengers receive the necessary information
announcement follows the publication of the government’s Plan for Rail, which puts passengers back at the heart of the railways

Quieter train journeys are set to become the norm after the government announced it will identify and remove repetitive and unnecessary onboard announcements on trains in England.

The changes mean that passengers will no longer be bombarded with unnecessary ‘tannoy spam’ that distracts from important safety-critical messaging.

Working closely with the Rail Delivery Group, passenger groups including Transport Focus, and train operators, the Department for Transport (DfT) will identify how the vast number of announcements can be cut or reduced while maintaining vital obligations to ensure train travel remains accessible for all. Messages that play a safety critical role, or that ensure the railways are accessible for all, will remain.

The review will take place over the course of this year, with redundant messages identified and starting to be removed in the coming months.

Banal announcements set to be culled include self-evident instructions, such as having your ticket ready when leaving the station and contradictory calls for passengers to keep volume levels low while onboard announcements blare out. There will also be new curbs on the maximum frequency at which remaining announcements will be heard.

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: “Train passengers are all too often plagued by an endless torrent of repeated and unnecessary announcements.

“In line with the passenger improvements, we are rolling out with our Plan for Rail we want to see improvements to the railways for those who use them day in day out.

“That’s why I’m calling for a bonfire of the banalities to bring down the number of announcements passengers are forced to sit through and make their journey that little bit more peaceful.”

As passengers come back to the railways, DfT will continue to ensure journeys are more comfortable to all users and that passengers continue to receive the important information they need about their journey.

Officials will work with accessibility groups to ensure that access for all is maintained.

The Williams-Shapps Plan for Rail, launched last year, ‘puts passengers at the heart of the railway’. To improve the comfort and enjoyment of train travel, customer service will be modernised and upgraded across all stations and, on trains, focused on providing passengers with better communication and a more personalised service.

Anthony Smith, Chief Executive of the independent watchdog Transport Focus, said: “Passengers will welcome a review intended to cut out unnecessary announcements.

“Transport Focus looks forward to helping with the review so passengers get the information they want, including those with additional accessibility needs.

Jacqueline Starr, CEO of the Rail Delivery Group, said: “We know people want the most relevant and timely messages on their journeys and to help with this, train operators are continuing their work to improve customer information, including cutting unnecessary onboard announcements.

“We’re also going further by asking customers what they want to know and using their responses to plan more useful and consistent announcements across the network, helping people have a better experience travelling by train.”

Lack of trust in public figures is linked to COVID vaccine hesitancy, says new research

New research says lack of trust in public sector officials has played a key role in low uptake of COVID-19 vaccinations amongst groups termed “high risk.”

According to research from the Universities of Birmingham and Leeds, vaccine hesitancy was greatest among people from lower socio-economic and/or ethnic minority backgrounds. The researchers recommended that the Government should review public health messaging, with a focus on tailoring health promotion advice to these groups and greater effort in improving trust in public sector and the Government.

The study showed during the period immediately before Britain’s COVID vaccine rollout in December 2020, over 11% of UK adults said they were unwilling to take a COVID vaccine. But this hesitancy wasn’t spread evenly across the population.

It was lowest among white people, with 9% saying they didn’t want a COVID vaccine. In comparison, 50% of Black people said they didn’t want to receive the vaccine, and hesitancy was also high in other non-white groups: 28% of South Asian and 17% of other Asian respondents said they were unwilling to be vaccinated.

Dr Kausik Chaudhuri, Senior Lecturer in Economics, Leeds University Business School and lead author of the study said: “Our study shows that hesitancy is at least partly driven by people feeling disenfranchised by the state or not trusting government personnel.

“When we analysed data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study, we found that participants who agreed or strongly agreed with the statement that “public officials don’t care”, or who felt that they “don’t have a say in what government does”, were least likely to want to get vaccinated.

“It is worth noting that their responses were not based on how the government had been managing the pandemic. Rather, they can be interpreted as a reflection of peoples’ overall faith in public institutions, irrespective of COVID.”

Even though rates of declared vaccine hesitancy have since fallen, the research paper suggests that the general trends have been borne out over the past year across every age group: COVID vaccine uptake has been highest among white people and lowest among Black people, with the difference often a sizable gap of around 20 percentage points.

Among those eligible for the vaccine, the uptake of booster doses has also been low among non-white groups.

The research also showed that:

Clinically-vulnerable respondents were more willing to take a COVID jab.
Self-employed people were less willing to get vaccinated compared to employed people.
Respondents who said that they felt positive about their financial wellbeing were almost three times as likely to be willing to take a vaccine compared to those felt they were just getting by or struggling.

Siddhartha Bandyopadhyay, Professor of Economics from the University of Birmingham and co-author of the study (above) says: “Building trust in the public sector and government are essential to improving uptake amongst groups who are most at risk from COVID.

“Public sector officials along with government need to look at new and innovative ways to engage with citizens as well as be transparent in their communication to refute fake news related to vaccines.

“Similarly, it is imperative that politicians and officials maintain high ethical standards during times of emergency like the pandemic when there is reduced oversight. It hasn’t helped in the UK where we see news of parties being held at Downing Street in the middle of lockdowns along with reports of the government breaking the law in the awarding of PPE contracts which has only lowered public trust in officials.

“During a period when new COVID-19 variants are on the horizon, the focus should be on clear public health messages around vaccination, rather than what is making headlines in this regard.”