Week Ahead: Joe Biden to become President in inauguration like no other

BIDEN’S BIG DAY

Joe Biden will become President of the United States on Wednesday in an inauguration that be unlike any other that has come before thanks to both the Covid pandemic and the behaviour of Donald Trump.

The event normally attracts huge crowds but there will be no mass audience because of coronavirus, while the usual traditions surrounding the ceremony have been upturned by the outgoing President Trump.

The outgoing president and president-elect usually travel together to the ceremony at the Capitol from the White House.

But Mr Trump, who was overwhelmingly defeated in November’s US election, has previously said he will not attend the January 20 ceremony for his successor.

There will be greatly increased security at the inauguration compared to normal times following the clashes at the US Capitol earlier this month when the building was invaded by Trump supporters seeking to overturn the election.

Five people died in the incident, including a police officer who had been struck by a fire extinguisher.

Social media giants Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and Twitter decided to remove Mr Trump’s accounts in the wake of the assault on the US Capitol.

Twitter said it had decided to take action after a review of two of Mr Trump’s tweets found they had violated its glorification of violence policy.

Facebook suspended Mr Trump’s account until the day of Mr Biden’s inauguration, and possibly indefinitely.

Trump then became the first US president to become impeached for a second time after the House found he had encouraged loyalists to “fight like hell” against the election result just before supporters stormed the Capitol.

As America seeks to start a new political chapter, Lady Gaga has been chosen to sing the US national anthem at the inauguration, with other performers including Justin Timberlake, Bon Jovi and Demi Lovato.

TESTING TIMES

New rules requiring people to have a negative Covid test before boarding a flight to the UK will come into force from today having been delayed from last week.  

They were originally due to be imposed on Friday but Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said extra time was needed to draw up a list of acceptable tests.

He told ITV’s Good Morning Britain: “We have just given a small grace period until Monday morning to let people safely return, and not create some sort of repatriation crisis.”

CRUNCH ON CREDIT

A planned £1,000 a year cut to Universal Credit, described as a lifeline for struggling families, will be voted on by MPs on Monday.

Labour will use its opposition day debate in the Commons to force a vote on plans to end the temporary increase to the benefit, which was introduced by Chancellor and Yorkshire MP Rishi Sunak in response to the coronavirus pandemic.

But the increase, worth £20 a week, is due to expire in April – potentially hitting the incomes of six million families.

BARNIER BACKED

On Thursday, the EU’s chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier will deliver a speech likely to create some headlines as he is awarded the European of the Year award by European Movement Ireland in a virtual ceremony.

He is being handed the accolade for “his appreciation of the unique impact of Brexit on the island of Ireland [and] his tireless work to achieve the best possible outcome of the challenges posed by Brexit”.

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