Furious Tory MPs have demanded resignations from the Cabinet after Boris Johnson effectively cancelled Christmas for 16million people in England as he imposed tough new restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus. The Prime Minister announced yesterday afternoon that London, the South East and the East of England were being moved into a new Tier … Read more
Last week a dejected Tory MP was sitting in the House of Commons lobby when the Prime Minister appeared. ‘He saw me and said, ‘Don’t worry. Everything will be all right in the end,’ the former Minister recounted, ‘then just ambled off.’ Things are not going to be all right. It was left to Rishi … Read more
The health expert behind Sweden’s no-lockdown Covid-19 strategy has been sidelined by the government as the country’s number of coronavirus deaths continues to rise. Anders Tegnell, the architect of the country’s liberal approach to the outbreak, appeared to have his news briefing edged out on Thursday after it clashed with that of Swedish Prime Minister … Read more
Boris Johnson is facing a growing Tory revolt over coronavirus rules as senior Conservative backbenchers today demanded he set out a strategy to avoid a cycle of national lockdowns. Tory MPs in the so-called Covid Recovery Group (CRG) cautiously welcomed the prospect of the Government loosening restrictions over the Christmas period. But they warned that … Read more
Encouraging the public to visit bars and restaurants and then closing hospitality due to a spike in Covid-19 cases is not a ‘sensible way to run the epidemic’, a Government scientific adviser has said. Professor John Edmunds, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), urged a long-term strategy when it comes to … Read more
Keep calm and carry on. The wartime slogan emblazoned on T-shirts and mugs at the height of the global financial crisis has taken on a new relevance in the second lockdown. Financial experts emphasise the challenges facing the UK economy, including Brexit. The outcome of the US election now seems clear, igniting optimism in Wall … Read more
The director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says the US must immediately develop a testing strategy to find and isolate symptom-free coronavirus cases. In a tweet on Wednesday, Dr Robert Redfield described a meeting he and Dr Deborah Birx, another member of the White House coronavirus task force, had with Utah … Read more
Timeline of the PM’s lockdown decision Friday, 7am: Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab begins a round of broadcast interviews defending the government’s ‘Tiered’ system of local lockdowns. Friday 2.30pm: Sir Patrick Vallance underlines SAGE’s call for a national lockdown at a briefing with reporters, saying it is ‘not too late to save Christmas’. Friday 3pm: Papers are … Read more
Scotland Yard commander behind force’s drugs strategy ‘admits using cannabis – saying it is for medical reasons’ Commander Julian Bennett allegedly informed investigators he uses cannabis Said for ‘medical reasons’ and he had done nothing unlawful, it was reported He leads the Metropolitan Police on criminal justice and has served since 1977 Reports say he was taken … Read more
Scotland Yard commander behind force’s drugs strategy ‘admits using cannabis – saying it is for medical reasons’ Commander Julian Bennett allegedly informed investigators he uses cannabis Said it was for ‘medical reasons’ that were not specified, sources have claimed He leads the Metropolitan Police on criminal justice and has served since 1977 Understood he was taken off … Read more