News and Opinion

Readers have mixed views on the media coverage of Boris Johnson’s handling of the coronavirus. The way much the UK media – not including TNE – has rolled over for Boris and his government has astounded and depressed me. The lack of critical distance, even from the hitherto sensible, is dumbfounding. There seems a desire […]

Opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer will broadcast his response to Boris Johnson’s latest lockdown measures on television and radio, the BBC has confirmed. In a tweet, the broadcaster confirmed that Sir Keir will make his address on BBC Radio 4 at 5.50pm, with a televised version to be aired at 6.55pm on BBC One. They […]

A decade ago, a handful of new Tory MPs wrote a book outlining their criticisms of the country and vision for how to improve it. Now they are in senior roles, putting their proposals into action. SUNA ERDEM revisits the original, troubling tome. Dominic Raab in the House of Commons – Credit: HOC/JESSICA TAYLOR Behold […]

This Morning presenters Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby have joined the criticism of Boris Johnson’s lockdown announcement by suggesting the government had ‘arsed it up’. Schofield appeared on the daytime television programme alongside co-presenter Willoughby to claim that the televised address to the nation had ‘created more questions than answers’. He opened the show saying: […]

Boris Johnson failed to provide a coherent plan for Brexit – is it any surprise he is floundering over the lifting of the coronavirus lockdown? So we are promised a comprehensive plan from the Johnson stable setting out how and when we might eventually come out of lockdown. If memory serves me right, we were […]

Less than a third of people say they know what the government’s new ‘stay alert’ coronavirus message is asking them to do, a poll has found. Researchers also found the public is almost evenly divided on whether they support the partial easing of the lockdown announced by prime minister Boris Johnson. The overwhelming majority of […]

Tory Brexiteer MP Andrew Bridgen has been accused of spreading confusing advice following Boris Johnson’s announcement on the easing of the coronavirus lockdown. Brexiteer MP Andrew Bridgen (right) appearing on Good Morning Britain with Piers Morgan; Twitter – Credit: Archant Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen appeared on Good Morning Britain (GMB) to tell presenter Piers Morgan […]

Boris Johnson is to avoid questions from journalists over his announcement surrounding the easing of the coronavirus lockdown, instead opting to take pre-recorded questions from the public. The government has been accused of ‘mixed messages’ after Johnson addressed the nation on Sunday evening to offer his ‘first sketch of a road map’ for restarting the […]

People should use ‘common sense’ in meeting other people outside, foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said, as the government comes under continued pressure over ‘a lack of clarity’ in its messaging to the public. Raab appeared to add to the uncertainty following Boris Johnson’s announcement by saying people should only go to work from Wednesday. […]

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the new lockdown instructions issued by the prime minister on Sunday were starting to ‘unravel’ after Dominic Raab toured television and radio studios. ‘What I think everybody wanted to hear was something that was pretty clear and a sense of all the countries – England, Scotland, Wales – […]

Cabinet ministers are said to be ‘fuming’ after reports emerged that Downing Street cut them out of discussions on how to ease the country out of coronavirus lockdown restrictions. Several senior cabinet figures told The Telegraph that Boris Johnson’s team failed to brief them on changes to lockdown measures. The paper reported that ministers received […]

Dominic Raab has been told to ‘grow a pair’ by breakfast television presenter Piers Morgan after he dodged an interview with Good Morning Britain. The foreign secretary struggled through interviews with BBC Breakfast, talkRADIO and the Today programme, but avoided Morgan’s programme. It prompted an outburst from the breakfast show broadcaster, in which he said: […]

The newspapers are focused on Boris Johnson’s ‘road map’ out of the coronavirus lockdown, but there have been mixed reviews. The Daily Telegraph, which formerly carried a column from Johnson, has printed an opinion piece suggesting this road map had ‘vague directions’. Camilla Tominey, the paper’s associate editor, writes: ‘For nearly two months, we stayed […]

Actress and comedian Miriam Margolyes has sparked more than 240 complaints after saying she wanted Boris Johnson ‘to die’ from coronavirus. Have your say Send your letters for publication to The New European by emailing letters@theneweuropean.co.uk and pick up an edition each Thursday for more comment and analysis. Find your nearest stockist here or subscribe […]

Scotland’s first minister has criticised the UK government’s new coronavirus slogan, saying that mixed messaging could put lives at risk. Nicola Sturgeon urged people living in Scotland instead insisted those north of the border should continue to stay at home. Appearing on Good Morning Britain (GMB) Sturgeon said progress on beating Covid-19 was too ‘fragile’ […]

A statistician has criticised the methods used by the government’s daily briefings saying to report coronavirus deaths and tests, saying that the public is being fed ‘number theatre’. Professor Sir David Spiegelhalter, chairman of the Winton Centre for Risk and Evidence Communication at the University of Cambridge, sits on the government’s Scientific Advice Group for […]

Leaders of all the devolved nations have rejected Boris Johnson’s new ‘stay alert’ advice in favour of keeping the ‘stay at home’ message in the fight against coronavirus amid criticism that the new slogan is unclear. The prime minister was planning to drop his stricter message as he prepared to unveil his plans to ease […]

TIM WALKER on a man who never lost that childlike need to please and to make people happy. I first met Donald Sinden in the mid-1980s when I showed up too early at his home in Golders Green in north London. He came to the door in his dressing gown and slippers and his hair […]

WILL SELF is left pondering the impact of the coronavirus crisis on his night-time visions. On my night time promenades through south London I often find myself in the purlieu of the Imperial War Museum, close to Waterloo Station. Some might surmise from the pair of 15-inch naval guns set in front of this gaunt, […]

Tory Brexiteer MP David Davis has said that the government’s job is not to ‘follow polls’ as he called for a relaxation of the lockdown. Appearing on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday the former Brexit secretary was asked for his view on the government’s new messaging. Sighing he said: ‘I don’t want to see […]

Shadow health minister Jonathan Ashworth has accused the government of causing the public to flout lockdown rules by briefing newspapers about future plans to ease the measures. Shadow Health Minister Jonathan Ashworth questioned the new coronavirus slogan, labelling it “ambivalent” on the Andrew Marr show today, May 10. Picture: The BBC – Credit: Archant Speaking […]

Communities minister Robert Jenrick has attempted to explain the meaning behind the government’s new coronavirus slogan, as critics have roundly attacked the message. The new government ‘stay alert’ slogan. Photograph: Downing Street/Twitter. – Credit: Archant ‘Stay Alert, Control the Virus, Save Lives’ has replaced the previous slogan of ‘Stay Home, Protect the NHS, Save Lives’, […]

For a time, Krzysztof Kie?lowski was perhaps Europe’s most fashionable director. A timely retrospective reminds us why, as JAMES OLIVER reports. Poster for ‘No End’ (1985). – Credit: Archant Over the years, there’s been many an upset when the Cannes film festival hands out its prizes. But what happened in 1994 was a doozy. That […]

The government should have introduced a 14-day quarantine period for all travellers coming to Britain two months ago, an expert has claimed. The government will reportedly enforce the mandatory quarantine within weeks as part of measures aimed at avoiding a second peak of the coronavirus pandemic. The Times has said prime minister Boris Johnson will […]

The music of the Big Apple is every bit as brash, bold and brilliant as the city itself, says Sophia Deboick. The musical soul of New York is the musical soul of America. The vagaries of 20th century history have rarely dented the confident, even arrogant, spirit of the music from and about the city, […]

Actress and comedian Miriam Margolyes has been criticised for claiming she initially wanted to see the prime minister die from coronavirus after he tested positive for Covid-19. Miriam Margolyes appears on The Last Leg. Photograph: Channel 4. – Credit: Archant The 78-year-old appeared on the new series of The Last Leg to give her thoughts […]

CLAUDIA PRITCHARD on an epic Titian blockbuster exhibition almost 500 years in the making – for which we will now have to wait a little longer. Titian’s ‘Danae’ (1551-53). Picture: Wellington Collection, Apsley House, London – Credit: Archant The memo from the artist Titian to Philip II of Spain just before Christmas in 1574 is […]

Comedian Michael Spicer has torn apart the health secretary’s latest appearance in front of cameras at 10 Downing Street. Matt Hancock’s attempts to answer questions from journalists on a new app designed to help with contact tracing during the coronavirus outbreak became the feature of Spicer’s new video in his series ‘The Room Next Door’. […]

Boris Johnson has invited Russia to play a more integrated role in global efforts to develop a coronavirus vaccine. The prime minister, during a phone call with president Vladimir Putin to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day, suggested Russia take part in a global vaccine summit next month being hosted by the UK. While […]

Britain’s future with Europe remains unclear, but one thing is certain, it needs to request an extension to the Brexit transition period. BARNABY TOWNS explains that unity is strength. Europe Day is celebrated by the European Union on May 9th, commemorating the 1950 Schuman Declaration, signed by France, Germany, Italy and the Benelux nations 70 […]

STEVE ANGLESEY looks at the Brexiteers making the headlines for the wrong reasons this week, including one Tory who wanted to overturn the result of two referendums. DANIEL KAWCZYNSKI Last year the Shropshire MP was ranting about ‘MPs wishing to overturn the will of the British people’ but now he seems willing to overturn the […]

Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to make a decision on how and when the government’s furlough scheme will be phased out this weekend, after an official in Downing Street said people were becoming ‘addicted’ to it. Talks on the future of the costly support programme will be held in advance of prime minister Boris Johnson’s […]