Bitesized Blighty: March 24, 2017
- EU leaders gather in Rome to mark the 60th anniversary of the signing of the Treaty of Rome, the accord that spawned the European Union. The celebration comes after a rather tumultuous year for the European Union. Out of the attendees, six of the EU’s current members were signatories in 1957, who are joined by 21 newer members. Many are speculative of how the EU will use the celebration to re-establish confidence in the body, with Yiannis Varoufakis, former Greek finance minister claiming “In the collective consciousness of the majority of Europeans, the EU’s legitimacy has died. We are keen to revive it.”
- The new dodecagonal £1 coin will be rolled out on Monday, despite most millennials clutching their phones full of Monzo, Venmo, Revolut and Square Cash apps. The coin will have anti-counterfeit features including micro-lettering and a hologram-like image. Despite the added costs of implementing the coin, retailers have generally welcomed the new coin. Approximately one in 30 of the pound coins now in circulation is a forgery, according to the Royal Mint, and the new coins will be much harder to fake.
- On Wednesday afternoon, a lone terrorist drove into crowds on Westminster bridge before attempting to gain entry to the Houses of Parliament. Police Officer Keith Palmer was mortally wounded before armed officers neutralised the assailant. The attack on the centre of British democracy has claimed 4 lives and left 40 wounded. Less than 24 hours after the attack on Westminster parliament was open led by a defiant Teresa May who stated “Yesterday, an act of terrorism tried to silence our democracy. But today we meet as normal, as generations have done before us and as future generations will continue to do, to deliver a simple message: we are not afraid and our resolve will never waver in the face of terrorism.’ Yesterday evening Londoners gathered in Trafalgar Square for vigil to remember the victims and to express solidarity”.
