Evening Standard Comment: Anti-vax protestors should be nowhere near school gates

High school pupil Molly Rowe gets her jab at Fernhill community centre in Rutherglen, South Lanarkshire (Andrew Milligan/PA)
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The school gates have long been the venue for gossip and intrigue. Yet as the Standard reveals today, anti-vaccination campaigners have been conducting a widespread campaign in London targeting young people as they get ready to receive their Covid-19 vaccination.

Some in north London have even been accused of filming students as they are handed anti-vaxx propaganda. This behaviour is outrageous, let alone the fact that filming or taking pictures of children without permission is illegal.

Children should not feel intimidated on their way to school. Any unauthorised people hanging outside of school gates must be challenged and the police called if necessary. For those who try to prevent vaccines from being administered, it should be no different.

Scramble for staff

In normal times, the news that a company such as Addison Lee is looking for more workers would be greeted warmly. Yet in these supply chain-hit, labour-market throttled, Covid-recovery times, they are just another company scrambling around for staff.

Today, London businesses have called on the Government to urgently reform its “shortage occupation” list, which currently specifies 30 skilled roles for which workers are in need.

Businesses fear the list is stifling London’s recovery, pointing out that roles including chefs and carpenters do not feature, despite a significant shortfall in domestic supply.

Ahead of the much-touted Global Investment Summit next week, Boris Johnson must surely be aware that investors want to put their money in nations with a deep supply of talent, and ones that welcome foreign labour.

At present they may get the impression that the Prime Minister is not on their side.

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