Scummy idea
Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner called Tories ‘scum’ in a speech to activists at her party’s conference. The word, derived from a 14th-century Dutch word for foam, was first recorded in the sense of an insult in Christopher Marlowe’s play Tamburlaine, written in the late 1580s. Referring to Christian slaves kept by the Turks, Tamburlain says: ‘These are the cruel pirates of Argier, that damned train, the scum of Africa.’ Thereafter, the term tended to be applied to people of low birth rather than people who are of evil or ill intent — which is presumably what Rayner meant.
Who’s had jabs?
Are western countries hoarding vaccines and depriving developing countries? Number of people who have received at least one dose of a Covid vaccine:
India 642m
US 214m
Brazil 150m
Japan 88m
Indonesia 88m
Mexico 64m
Germany 56m
Turkey 54m
UK 49m
Source: Our World in Data
Bond index
The latest Bond film, No Time to Die, was released.
Comments
Join the debate for just $5 for 3 months
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for $5.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just $5 for 3 monthsAlready a subscriber? Log in