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Christina Hagan, the Republican challenging nine-term incumbent Tim Ryan, said the Democrat has failed basic representation.

Ryan, D-Howland, said Hagan of Marlboro Township, is out of step with the district. Shes completely out of touch.

The two are facing each other in the race for the 13th Congressional District seat.

Also, Michael Fricke of Kent is on the ballot as a Libertarian but said he expects to get 5 percent to 7 percent of the vote and doesnt plan to raise even $5,000 for his campaign.

Ryan touts his nearly 18 years of experience as a member of Congress and his position on the House Appropriations Committee as putting the district and particularly the Mahoning Valley in a place where it can grow after the closure of Lordstown General Motors.

Between Lordstown Motors Corps all-electric Endurance being built at the former GM plant and Ultium Cells LLC a joint venture between GM and LG Chem under construction nearby as well as a TJX HomeGoods distribution center, weve got a hell of a shot to build an ecosystem and create thousands of jobs, Ryan said.

Were finally diversifying into areas of the economy that are growing, he said. There are a lot of job opportunities out there in our area.

The five-county 13th District includes most of Mahoning and Trumbull counties. The job pays $174,000 annually.

To change representation now, Ryan said, would be the wrong decision.

Ive got a long substantive record, he said. She doesnt live in the district.

Hagan lives about a mile outside the 13th District. She ran and lost in the 2018 Republican primary for the 16th District seat. She doesnt live in that district either.

But Hagan said: Its a gimmick at best to say Im foreign to this district.

If she wins the election, Hagan said she would move into the district and is already starting to look for homes near Alliance.

Hagan said voters are ready for a fresh change. Congressman Tim Ryan has failed basic representation. He was elected as a pro-life, pro-gun candidate, and hes abandoned those positions.

She also said Ryan being on the Appropriations Committee hasnt helped our district. Whether hes in a position of power or not, hes not succeeded.

Ryan said hes brought back more than $4.6 billion in federal funds for the district, largely because of his seat on Appropriations.

Hagan served in the Ohio House from March 2011 to December 2018.

If elected to Congress, Hagan said her priorities would be to revive the regions economy, create a bipartisan infrastructure bill and tackle regulatory reform.

Not enough has been done to bring back manufacturing jobs to our region or train unemployed workers with new skills, Hagan said. These are easy common sense solutions that we can achieve to fix the problem.

Hagan wants to work with President Donald Trump, who supports her candidacy, to make his tax cuts permanent. Ryan says the tax cuts primarily benefited the wealthy.

Hagan also wants to sponsor a bipartisan infrastructure bill to improve roads, rail and internet access. One option to pay for the costs would be to reallocate funds the nation is spending in Afghanistan.

Trump had talked of a major infrastructure bill during his first presidential campaign and the early part of his administration but hasnt introduced a proposal.

Ryan also supports an infrastructure bill and spoke with Trumps team at the 2017 inauguration about putting one together but never heard from anyone again.

Trump had an opportunity because he won traditional Democratic areas, but he missed with infrastructure, Ryan said.

The Ohio Freedom Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based outside special interest group that helped Hagan in the Republican primary, also is working to get her elected in the general election.

The fund spent $97,500 to support Hagan in the primary and is expected to spend at least that much in the general election.

Its a dark money group that has a relationship with her, Ryan said.

Hagan said the fund wants to see new leadership in the district. They see this as a potential pickup seat.

During her failed bid in 2018 for the 16th District seat, the Conservative Leadership Alliance, a dark money group with ties to FirstEnergy, spent more than $100,000 against her.

I have general concerns about dark money, Hagan said. Transparency should be part of it. But I have no control over (the Ohio Freedom Fund). I have no contract with them.

This is Frickes first time running for elected office.

A Libertarian, Fricke acknowledges that hes going to raise little money and wont do well in the election.

Im a realist, he said. Im probably not going to be elected. Libertarians take 5, 6, 7 percent of the vote. Eventually, major party candidates are going to want that 5, 6, 7 percent, and theyll pay attention to us for that. People arent going to vote for me to win but to make a change.

Fricke is campaigning on bringing back troops home and ending the nations involvement in wars in the Middle East, balancing the federal budget and supporting personal freedoms. That includes no restrictions on same-sex marriages and no government censorship or regulation of social media and technology. He also wants to decriminalize marijuana and strongly supports a persons right to bear arms.

Tim Ryan

AGE: 47

POLITICAL PARTY: Democrat

OCCUPATION: Congressman

PREVIOUS ELECTED EXPERIENCE: Nine-term congressman, former Ohio state senator

GOALS: Focus on making the Mahoning Valley an electronic vehicle and battery hub, job growth and improved health and wellness

NOTABLE QUOTE: The plan is to diversify and thats what were doing.

Christina Hagan

AGE: 31

POLITICAL PARTY: Republican

OCCUPATION: Fund development manager for ICU Mobile

PREVIOUS ELECTED EXPERIENCE: State representative from March 2011 to December 2018

GOALS: Revive the economy in Northeast Ohio, support an infrastructure bill and regulatory reform

NOTABLE QUOTE: I would provide a unique voice in Congress.

Michael Fricke

AGE: 46

POLITICAL PARTY: Libertarian

OCCUPATION: Senior scientist at Olon Ricerca Bioscience

PREVIOUS ELECTED EXPERIENCE: None

GOALS: Bring home the military, balance the budget and supporting personal freedoms

NOTABLE QUOTE: I want to give people options.

Oct 4, 2020

Christina Hagan, the Republican challenging nine-term incumbent Tim Ryan, said the Democrat has failed basic representation.

Ryan, D-Howland, said Hagan of Marlboro Township, is out of step with the district. Shes completely out of touch.

The two are facing each other in the race for the 13th Congressional District seat.

Also, Michael Fricke of Kent is on the ballot as a Libertarian but said he expects to get 5 percent to 7 percent of the vote and doesnt plan to raise even $5,000 for his campaign.

Ryan touts his nearly 18 years of experience as a member of Congress and his position on the House Appropriations Committee as putting the district and particularly the Mahoning Valley in a place where it can grow after the closure of Lordstown General Motors.

Between Lordstown Motors Corps all-electric Endurance being built at the former GM plant and Ultium Cells LLC a joint venture between GM and LG Chem under construction nearby as well as a TJX HomeGoods distribution center, weve got a hell of a shot to build an ecosystem and create thousands of jobs, Ryan said.

Were finally diversifying into areas of the economy that are growing, he said. There are a lot of job opportunities out there in our area.

The five-county 13th District includes most of Mahoning and Trumbull counties. The job pays $174,000 annually.

To change representation now, Ryan said, would be the wrong decision.

Ive got a long substantive record, he said. She doesnt live in the district.

Hagan lives about a mile outside the 13th District. She ran and lost in the 2018 Republican primary for the 16th District seat. She doesnt live in that district either.

But Hagan said: Its a gimmick at best to say Im foreign to this district.

If she wins the election, Hagan said she would move into the district and is already starting to look for homes near Alliance.

Hagan said voters are ready for a fresh change. Congressman Tim Ryan has failed basic representation. He was elected as a pro-life, pro-gun candidate, and hes abandoned those positions.

She also said Ryan being on the Appropriations Committee hasnt helped our district. Whether hes in a position of power or not, hes not succeeded.

Ryan said hes brought back more than $4.6 billion in federal funds for the district, largely because of his seat on Appropriations.

Hagan served in the Ohio House from March 2011 to December 2018.

If elected to Congress, Hagan said her priorities would be to revive the regions economy, create a bipartisan infrastructure bill and tackle regulatory reform.

Not enough has been done to bring back manufacturing jobs to our region or train unemployed workers with new skills, Hagan said. These are easy common sense solutions that we can achieve to fix the problem.

Hagan wants to work with President Donald Trump, who supports her candidacy, to make his tax cuts permanent. Ryan says the tax cuts primarily benefited the wealthy.

Hagan also wants to sponsor a bipartisan infrastructure bill to improve roads, rail and internet access. One option to pay for the costs would be to reallocate funds the nation is spending in Afghanistan.

Trump had talked of a major infrastructure bill during his first presidential campaign and the early part of his administration but hasnt introduced a proposal.

Ryan also supports an infrastructure bill and spoke with Trumps team at the 2017 inauguration about putting one together but never heard from anyone again.

Trump had an opportunity because he won traditional Democratic areas, but he missed with infrastructure, Ryan said.

The Ohio Freedom Fund, a Washington, D.C.-based outside special interest group that helped Hagan in the Republican primary, also is working to get her elected in the general election.

The fund spent $97,500 to support Hagan in the primary and is expected to spend at least that much in the general election.

Its a dark money group that has a relationship with her, Ryan said.

Hagan said the fund wants to see new leadership in the district. They see this as a potential pickup seat.

During her failed bid in 2018 for the 16th District seat, the Conservative Leadership Alliance, a dark money group with ties to FirstEnergy, spent more than $100,000 against her.

I have general concerns about dark money, Hagan said. Transparency should be part of it. But I have no control over (the Ohio Freedom Fund). I have no contract with them.

This is Frickes first time running for elected office.

A Libertarian, Fricke acknowledges that hes going to raise little money and wont do well in the election.

Im a realist, he said. Im probably not going to be elected. Libertarians take 5, 6, 7 percent of the vote. Eventually, major party candidates are going to want that 5, 6, 7 percent, and theyll pay attention to us for that. People arent going to vote for me to win but to make a change.

Fricke is campaigning on bringing back troops home and ending the nations involvement in wars in the Middle East, balancing the federal budget and supporting personal freedoms. That includes no restrictions on same-sex marriages and no government censorship or regulation of social media and technology. He also wants to decriminalize marijuana and strongly supports a persons right to bear arms.

dskolnick@tribtoday.com

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Opponents accuse each other of being out of touch - Youngstown Vindicator

On Thursday afternoon, the third-party candidate with arguably the single greatest chance of being labeled a "spoiler" in battle to control the U.S. Senate abruptly dropped out to endorse his embattled competitor, the reliably anti-libertarian Sen. Lindsey Graham (RS.C.).

"President Trump has asked that conservatives stand together and reelect Lindsey Graham in order to help make America great again, and I agree," Constitution Party nominee Bill Bledsoe explained in a statement.

Bledsoe, a veterinarian, ran for Senate in 2016 under both the Constitution Party and Libertarian Party banners, winning 1.8 percent of the vote. He averaged 3.5 percent in the two polls this year on which his name appeared. (Deep-funded Democratic challenger Jamie Harrison averaged 44.5 percent, compared to Graham's 44 percent.) The race is projected by nine of 10 prognosticators to be at least leaning Republican, with the tenth calling it even.

The pressure on nonconformist candidates and voters alike to join the Manichean political war of 2020 is intense, contributing to significantly lower support for independent and third-party candidates over the past two years. While the headline focus in our presidentially obsessed culture is on how this flight from experimentation affects the contest for the White House, the fact is that even after Bledsoe's abdication, several independent and third-party campaigns have the potential to affect one of the most difficult-to-predict political questions in the country right now: Which of the two major parties will have control of the Senate in 2021?

The GOP currently holds a slim 5345 advantage in the upper chamber (with the two independents caucusing with Democrats), but prognosticators unanimously see that margin shrinking or even reversing after the election for 35 seats this November. FiveThirtyEight currently gives Democrats a 63 percent chance of winning a majority.

Eight of the 10 forecasting agencies Wikipedia collects on its Senate elections page project the parties to be either tied or within one seat of each other after the dust from the election settles. With nine individual races at or near "tossup" status, look for a mixture of arm-twisting and backroom sweeteners to persuade potential spoilers to pull a Bledsoe.

Here are five Senate races where third-party candidates are likeliest to receive more votes than the margin between the Democrat and Republican. They are ranked by the percentage-point distance between their own polling numbers and the top-two gap, with the usual caveats that there frequently aren't many polls and that third-party candidates routinely undershoot their pre-election projections.

1) Shannon Bray (L), North Carolina, +0.9.

Field, polling percentages: Cal Cunningham (D), 42.6; Thom Tillis (R, incumbent), 40.5; Bray, 3.0; Kevin Hayes (Constitution), 1.6; other/not voting/undecided, 12.3 (14 polls).

Forecast: Six out of 10 election forecasters classify this race as a tossup; three say leans toward the Democrats; one says it's a likely Dem win. Analyzes Vox's Dylan Scott: "Everybody I spoke to expects an extraordinarily tight Senate race. The outcome could very well decide which party controls the Senate in 2021, going bythe Sabato's Crystal Ball ratings. Assuming Democrats lose in the Alabama Senate race but win in Arizona, Colorado, and Mainewhich forecasters say is a fairly likely scenariothen they just need a win in either North Carolina or Iowa. With one of those toss-up states, by Sabato's reckoning, Democrats can secure 50 Senate seats."

Know your "spoiler": Bray is a Navy vet who currently works in cybersecurity for the Defense Department. He is campaigning on the cybersecurity issue, plus improving health care for veterans and fighting for "equal rights under the law for all American citizens."

2) Shane Hazel (L), Georgia, +0.3.

Field, polling percentages: David Perdue (R, incumbent), 46.0; Jon Ossoff (D, 42.6); Hazel, 3.9; other/not voting/undecided, 7.6 (7 polls).

Forecast: Five of 10 outfits say the race leans toward the Republican; four say it's a tossup. "A sure sign the outcome is in doubt," reported the Athens Banner-Herald on September 18, "is how much the candidates and the national super PACs backing them are spending to bomb the airwaves, to the dismay of political ad-weary TV viewers. Total TV/radio ad spending in the race, including future bookings, is now more than $83.4 million." An important note: Georgia requires runoffs if no candidate wins a majority, which means (as University of Georgia political science professor Charles Bullock told the Banner-Herald), "We may not know which party controls the Senate until January."

Know your "spoiler": Hazel is a former Marine and current podcaster who wants to "#EndTheWars," "#EndTheFed," and "#EndTheEmpire." Mission statement: "[T]o bring people together while preserving the freedom of every individual, regardless of skin color, age, faith, gender, love and every other nuance which make us unique. We must come together and remove the government/corporate cabals from the lives of peaceful people here in the US and around the world."

3) Lisa Savage (i), Maine, 0.0. (Max Linn, another independent, is right behind at -0.6.)

Field, polling percentages: Sara Gideon (D), 44.2; Susan Collins (R, incumbent), 41.6; Savage, 2.6; Linn 2.0; other/not voting/undecided, 9.8 (5 polls).

Forecast: Six out of 10 agencies rate this one a tossup, others are "likely" or "lean" Democrat. BUT THERE'S A TWIST. Maine will at long last this year use ranked choice voting in a federal race, which means that if no candidate wins a plurality, the low man/woman will be tossed out, with his/her votes redistributed based on who those voters listed as their second choice. This process will be repeated for as long as it takes for someone to win a majority.

Know your "spoilers": Savage, a teacher and grandmother from rural Maine, is a Green in everything but name. "I believe we deserve a government that works for us, not the big banks, weapons manufacturers, fossil fuel giants and corporate lobbyists who are calling the shots in Washington," she told Ballotpedia. Linn, an eccentric, Trumpy financial planner who has mounted runs for office previously as a Republican, a Democrat, and a member of the Reform Party, favors a five-year ban on all immigration; he answered a recent debate question about coronavirus policy by theatrically cutting up a mask.

4) Rick Stewart (L), Iowa, -0.3.

Field, polling percentages: Theresa Greenfield (D), 45.7; Joni Ernst (R, incumbent), 43.7; Stewart, 1.7; Suzanne Herzog (i), 1.0; other/not voting/undecided, 7.3 (3 polls).

Forecast: All 10 election prognosticators rate Ernst's re-election bid as a tossup. The Washington Post says: "So far, $155million has beenspentin Iowa on the Senate race alone. The TV is filled with dark messages of political rot. Greenfield, thedaughterof a crop-duster, hasraised more moneythan Ernst. She is wearing well,attracting10percent of voters who supported Trump four years ago."

Know your "spoiler": Stewart, a former cop, retired entrepreneur, and Calvin Coolidge aficionado, ran against Ernst in 2014 as an independent, earning 2.4 percent of the vote to her 52.1 percent. (Libertarian Douglas Butzier got 0.7 percent.) As a Libertarian, he won 26.2 percent of the vote in a losing contest for Linn County sheriff, and he got 3 percent in 2018 when running for secretary of agriculture. He is campaigning to "End all wars" (including "the racist Drug War"), "end all economic nonsense," and "keep government simple."

5) John Wayne Howe (Alaskan Independence Party), Alaska, +/-?

The question mark is there because Howe, a Ron Swansonesque machinist who wants to eliminate taxes, privatize public land, and make government functions voluntary, has not yet been included in any poll against the Republican incumbent Dan Sullivan and the Democrat-backed independent challenger Al Gross.

Alaska is traditionally one of the most third-party-friendly terrains, and non-major-party candidates have received at least 6 percent combined in every election for this Senate seat since 1996. As for the 2020 race, seven out of 10 forecasters rate the headline race a likely Republican win and two say it leans R, but there is a tossup forecast in there too.

And Howe is a real humdinger: "The governmentfederal, state, borough, cityall are thieves. Even when the spending comes from a vote of the people it is stealing, the only difference is those that voted for spending are now also guilty. How do we fund government without theft?"

See the article here:
The 5 (Mostly Libertarian) Candidates Who Might Get Blamed for Tipping Control of the Senate - Reason

Keith MacIntyre has made the cut to stand as an official candidate in the provincial election.

He has surpassed the required number of signatures required ahead of the Oct. 2 deadline with Elections BC for candidates.

MacIntyre is running as a candidate for the BC Libertarian Party, and he is calling on those who dont want to support the larger parties to support him.

We have an opportunity this election to show Victoria that we dont feel heard. If you dont like politics, if you dont vote because its a waste of time, if you feel disheartened by the state of politics, vote Libertarian.

MacIntyre has experience running a tech company for 17 years as owner of Big Bear Software and has seen firsthand the waste in government procurement federally and provincially in the defense, medical and provincial ministries.

The signatures were gathered from citizens across the Penticton riding, including in Peachland, Summerland, and Naramata. It was in conversations with people that MacIntyre came to the decision to run for MLA.

I was inspired by the conversations I had in the riding with people who feel frustrated and angry at the state of politics in B.C., MacIntyre said in a release. Many are frustrated that this election has been called, including myself.

The partys platforms will be announced in the upcoming weeks, with one core principle being the support of peoples personal freedoms.

To report a typo, email: editor@pentictonwesternnews.com.

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Keith MacIntyre recognized as official Libertarian candidate for Penticton - Pentiction Western News

The Libertarian candidate for governor of Indiana had 24 percent support in an early September poll of likely voters and is about to give the sitting Republican governor, Eric Holcomb, a run for his money.

But who is he?

Donald Rainwater, age 56, is a software engineer and IT project manager from Hamilton County, north of Indianapolis. He served eight years in the U.S. Navy and has a wife and grown children. Thats his basic biography.

As with most Libertarians, things get a bit more interesting when they begin to talk.

If we believe in the intent of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States or the constitution of the state of Indiana, then we have to make a decision, Rainwater told InsideSources. Are we going to be a nation of laws, are we going to be a nation of limited government based on constitutional constructs, or are we just not? And I choose to follow the Constitution.

Rainwater was nominated by the state Libertarian Party in March, just weeks before Gov. Holcomb issued a stay-at-home order closing what he deemed non-essential businesses. Opponents of Holcombs actions, many of them Republicans, have rallied around Rainwater in opposition to what they believe is the governors overreach.

I can tell you that I would not have mandated people staying at home, Rainwater said. I would not have mandated shutting businesses down, or creating classes of essential and nonessential, and some businesses are more essential than others so some can stay open and operate normally while others have to operate curbside.

As in many other states, only so-called essential businesses were allowed to remain open in the spring and early summer, which shut down thousands of independently-owned local stores, while national chain stores like Wal-Mart and Target stayed open.

I would not have shut churches down period, and I personally find it offensive that any government official would ever tell churches, Sorry, you cant have in-person services and you cant practice communion unless you do it the way we specify, says Rainwater, I believe that not only violates the First Amendment of the federal Constitution, but I believe it violates the state constitution as well.

And Rainwater says he would not have required masks, in contrast with Holcomb who just extended the statewide mask mandate and recently said masks are a fact of life right now.

I would never mandate masks, Rainwater said, because every time somebody says, Well, we need to follow the science, Well, can you please show me the science? Dont just tell me that youve looked at it, so youre going to tell me what to do. I dont think thats the society were supposed to be living in.

On Sunday, Rainwater addressed a crowd of anti-mask protesters outside the governors mansion in Indianapolis, while state police stood silent and watching from inside the locked gates.

He says what got him up off the couch a few years ago was tax hikes in a state that was supposed to have a small-government, low-tax mentality.

The one that really bugged him was the $2-per-pack cigarette tax, and the plan to use the revenue for road repairs.

I couldnt help but think to myself, Well, you cant do both. Because if people stop smoking, you wont be raising revenue for road repair, because they wont be buying the cigarettes. And if you raise revenue for road repair with an additional cigarette tax, people wont be stopping smoking. So you cant say youre trying to do those two things with this tax. Youre just lying to me, he says.

And the more I looked at the way that things were presented, and the way that the government explained what they were doing or planning to do, the more frustrated I became with the lack of transparency, the diametrically opposed explanations as to why things were being done, and just the general, almost obvious disdain that state government was showing for the citizens of the state Indiana. And the more I looked, the madder I got, the madder I got, the more I wanted to be involved.

And Rainwater doesnt just want no new taxes. He says if elected governor, hell work to scrap the state income tax (personal, not corporate), and also the property tax.

I believe that with the economic crisis that were faced with today, where small-business owners were given a much more difficult burden to bear by the governor than corporations were, this would help them recover. You can never eliminate what was done to them. You cant go back and erase it, Rainwater said. But giving people the knowledge that theyre not going to have to pay individual income tax to the state, I believe that that allows people in todays economic crisis the peace of mind of knowing, I can go out and generate income to pay my bills, take care of my family and I dont have to worry about, Am I gonna have to file taxes on this money?

I believe that were supposed to be able to, as Reagan put it, self-rule, Rainwater said. And if we cant self-rule, how can any of us rule everybody else?

Read the rest here:
The Libertarian Who Could Win the Indiana Governor's Race - InsideSources

Sweden is to the 21st-century right what the Soviet Union was to the 20th-century left. Conservatives have transformed it into a Tory Disneyland where every dream comes true. On the shores of the Baltic lies a country that has no need to curtail civil liberties and wreck the economy to curb Covid-19. I have a dream, a fantasy, sang Abba. To help me through reality. For much of the right, that fantasy is called Sweden.

Let the leader of the Conservative backbenchers stand for the Tory press and innumerable ideologues inside and outside Westminster. Sir Graham Brady ruined a perfectly good argument that parliament must have the power to scrutinise Johnsons emergency decrees by announcing that there was no emergency. We could look to a country that merely had a ban on gatherings of more than 50, restrictions on visiting care homes, a shift to table-only service in bars and see that Sweden today is in a better place than the United Kingdom. Or as the Sun explained on Thursday as Boris Johnson met Anders Tegnell, the Swedish public health mastermind, a do-little strategy has spared Sweden a second wave of Covid-19 infections.

Its not true that Sweden offers an escape from the public health catastrophe. I only wish it did. But, and this is when conservative commentators, politicians and conspiracy theorists look away, Sweden offers an escape from the social catastrophe now engulfing us.

You never hear the Telegraph or the Mail say that we need Swedish levels of sickness benefit to ensure that carriers stay at home and quarantine. Or Swedish levels of housing benefit to ensure that they arent evicted from those same homes. The knights of the suburbs do not insist that the hundreds of thousands who will be thrown on the dole in the coming months need Swedish levels of unemployment benefit and an interventionist Scandinavian state to retrain them.

Covid-19 is exposing the lack of social solidarity in Britain. For a moment when the virus hit we stood together. We locked down voluntarily and applauded the NHS. Millions of people, and not only Conservative voters, were prepared to overlook the dismal truth that we had a comedy prime minister who was tragically unequipped to lead a country in a crisis. The symbolic moment of disintegration historians will remember was Johnsons refusal to sack Dominic Cummings when he broke the rules everyone else believed they had a patriotic duty to obey. But all around us there have been hundreds of thousands of quiet disintegrations as lives were lost and families were forced to beg at food banks. Soon, millions of lives will disintegrate as government support is slashed.

You have to be over 40 to understand the peculiar evil of mass unemployment. I was one of the unemployed of the Thatcher years and learned that behind the jargon about social capital and scarring is a concept that is easier to grasp: your confidence is shot to pieces. The longer you are out of work, the more insecure you become and the harder it becomes for you to convince anyone to employ you. A job can move faster than the comfortable imagine possible from something you cant get to something you cant do. Benefits are a commitment to social solidarity because they are not just protections against hunger, homelessness and want, but because they reflect a societys willingness to work with you as you struggle to hold yourself together.

Take two people: one living in Malm, the other in Manchester. When a Swede loses his or her job they are entitled to up to 80% of their previous salary for the first 200 days of inactivity up to 910 krona (78) a day for the first 100 days dropping to 70% (to a maximum of 760 krona a day) for the next 100 days. Danes who are members of unemployment insurance funds can claim up to 90%. As importantly, Sweden is the best place in the world to lose your job because employers pay a levy to job security councils whose coaches seek you out and match your skills and ambitions with the market.

Rishi Sunak says there is no point in subsidising many of the pre-Covid-19 jobs in the high street and hospitality because they are not coming back. But, like the Tories of the 1980s, he is not offering retraining to prepare the unemployed for the jobs of the future. Once again, unemployment is the responsibility of the unemployed, even though its a stretch to see how they are responsible for a virus jumping species in Wuhan.

As for keeping 80% or indeed 90% of their income, the Resolution Foundation pointed out that under Sunaks plans a single adult homeowner earning 20,000 a year who loses their job also loses more than 70% of their net income. Worse is to come. At the start of the pandemic, Sunak increased tax credits and universal credit by 20 a week (1,040 a year). As things stand, he is preparing to risk mass suffering by withdrawing the rise at the end of March.

The fantasy land of Sweden where sickness never comes is a fairytale. By not locking down in the spring, Sweden had a more protracted outbreak with far more deaths per capita than its neighbours. Admittedly, its death rate was not as bad as Britains. But then no European country had a death rate as bad as Britains because no other European country put the village idiot in charge. Nor did the mastermind Tegnell save the Swedish economy. Spending fell by nearly as much in Sweden, which did not lock down, as in Denmark, which did. As for the claim that Sweden would avoid a second wave, Swedish health officials are now proposing local lockdowns of a type we know too well. Sweden may not have been spared the storm but it has lessons on how to shelter society until the storm passes. However deeply it claims to love Scandinavia, the Conservative party is the last organisation on Earth willing to learn from it.

Nick Cohen is an Observer columnist

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Welcome to libertarian Covid fantasy land thats Sweden to you and me - The Guardian