Across the UK, online, on DAB and on your smart speaker, the Independent Republic of Mike Graham, on Talk Radio.

Good morning and welcome to the Independent Republic of Mike Graham right here on Talker Radio.

The world continues to turn this morning, ladies and gentlemen,

as the economy grinds slowly into life. Yes, there is life after coronavirus.

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is preparing for something of a giveaway budget next week, it would seem,

extending the stamp duty holiday, slashing VAT for the hospitality business, and axing the 5P

fuel duty prize. And with the news that schools are starting up in less than two weeks, music festivals

are back on.

It looks as though something is about to change, doesn't it?

Speaking of schools, it looks like our instincts on parents yesterday were proved to be

entirely correct.

Despite a you-gov poll saying exactly the opposite,

88% of more than 12,000 listeners will not agree to their

children wearing masks all day in the classroom. Now, as if that wasn't bad enough, there's an

even bigger survey that we did on YouTube, in which 55,000 people actually voted. And all of them,

69% of them, said they will not support children being made to wear face masks in school.

So I think as far as that conversation is concerned, it's all over.

Looks like Nick Gibb, the education minister, told Julie Hartley Brewer this morning on breakfast show that neither the wearing of masks or the testing of children will be

mandatory. So I'd still like to hear from your parents today as to what you're going to do

if the school tries to impose it. I don't think they can. We'll kick off this morning with

Brendan Children, our favourite Labour politician, on the way things are going. We might even have a chat

about Brexit, which seems to have disappeared off the radar for the moment. 034449-1000 will be heading north of the border to get the latest on the Salmon Sturgeon debacle.

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