Coronavirus

A legal challenge over the decision not to investigate Dominic Cummings for alleged breaches of coronavirus lockdown rules will be heard by the High Court on Tuesday. The prime minister’s chief adviser caused controversy by making a 260-mile drive from London to Durham in March with his wife, journalist Mary Wakefield, and their four-year-old son to […]

Sir Keir Starmer has attacked the chancellor’s decision to block a “circuit breaker” lockdown and claimed the delay would have far-reaching consequences. The leader of opposition said the chancellor’s name was “all over” the decision to delay a nationwide lockdown during an appearance at the Confederation of British Industry conference in London. Sir Keir said Sunak’s decision […]

Boris Johnson has vowed to end the second lockdown on December 2 when the government “intends” to return to a regional tiered system. Johnson guaranteed “without a shred of doubt” that the restrictions would expire on December 2, amid concerns on the Conservative benches that England’s lockdown could be extended. A growing number of senior MPs on […]

Boris Johnson believes MPs should continue travelling from across the UK to Westminster despite the national lockdown coming into effect in England. The prime minister’s spokesperson said Johnson did not agree with arrangements for a virtual parliament which would involve many working from home. Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg later echoed the importance of MPs attending […]

The speaker of the House of Commons has criticised a leak that revealed ministers were about to announce another lockdown in England. Sir Lindsay Hoyle called the leak “unacceptable” and demanded the culprits apologise to parliament if an investigation launched over the weekend finds an MP was behind it. The prime minister was forced to […]

An ex-chief prosecutor has claimed he has new evidence proving Dominic Cummings broke lockdown rules and has submitted it to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). Nazir Afzal, who lost his brother to Covid-19 in April, is fighting to have Cummings prosecuted for breaching lockdown regulations earlier this year. Afzal has claimed his lawyers have found […]

A government adviser has blamed the public for the low level of people being contacted by NHS Test and Trace staff. The official said the public’s reluctance to answer calls from unknown numbers was the reason so few people have been reached by the government’s test and trace team. Data released last week showed that two in […]

James O’Brien has said minsters are “psychologically incapable” of approaching issues without it turning into a fight during a take down of the prime minister’s latest lockdown measures. O’Brien delivered a withering attack on the prime minister’s handling of the national lockdown expected to come into force on Thursday. The prime minister announced a new four-week […]

A software glitch inside the government’s coronavirus app has led to thousands of people not being told to self-isolate when they should have been. They were apparently not contacted because the app has been set to the wrong sensitivity, the government has admitted to the Sunday Times. For more than a month, officials from the Department of Health and […]

Former EDL leader Tommy Robinson appears to have been arrested during a heated rally in London. Images on social media show Robinson in handcuffs as officers tried to clear a path to a police van through a shouting crowd. Robinson, 37, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, co-founded the far-right EDL (English Defence League) in […]

Nigel Farage has been branded a “chancer” for rebranding the Brexit Party into an anti-lockdown party, despite supporting such measures earlier in the year. The Brexiteer has lodged papers with the Electoral Commission to rebrand his old party as “Reform UK”, which he hopes will be the home for lockdown sceptics, despite an attempt from […]

Piers Morgan has launched a scathing attack on Boris Johnson’s decision to introduce a nationwide lockdown over the weekend. Morgan said the government’s announcement had come too late and accused Johnson of having no plan to get the nation out lockdown. The lockdown, expected to come into force on Thursday, will see non-essential shops close and people […]

The leader of the Scottish Conservative has said Boris Johnson made a “mistake” by rejecting calls for a second lockdown and extending furlough. Douglas Ross said that the prime minister should have listened to the scientists on the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) committee. Speaking on the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme, Ross said […]

Brexiteer and health minister Nadine Dorries has claimed that only a “crystal ball” could have predicted the worsening of the coronavirus crisis. that would mean a second lockdown. Dorries, who was the first MP to contract the virus in March, hit out at criticisms that her government had again acted too late on coronavirus. Turning […]

Another Tory minister is self-isolating just one day after he was spotted flouting rules on masks. Brandon Lewis – the Northern Ireland secretary – was witnessed in a chauffeur car without a face mask, despite Downing Street saying tthat they must cover up when travelling in government vehicles, despite a loophole in the rules for chauffer-driven cars. […]

A lawyer has debunked a Tory minister’s accusation that councils were given £63 million to help fund free school meals over the holidays. Housing secretary Robert Jenrick appeared on Sky News Thursday morning where he suggested councils had already been given funding towards free school meals in June. When asked if the government would review its decision […]

The chancellor is borrowing and borrowing to combat the pandemic. Perhaps he should delay paying the bill, writes Bronwen Maddox. The clash between the mayor of Greater Manchester and the chancellor of the Exchequer was the first significant political contest of the age of coronavirus. For the seven long months since the pandemic took hold […]

Labour is demanding an investigation into a leaked dossier which shows hundreds of millions of pounds worth of coronavirus contracts were handed to “VIPs”. Documents leaked by the Good Law Project, an anti-corruption watchdog, allegedly expose special procurement channels that allowed contractors to bid for work without needing to undergo the normal tendering process. The organisation – which has […]

Pret a Manger has distanced itself from founder Julian Metcalfe after he provoked a backlash telling the government not to introduce another lockdown to save a “few thousand lives”. Metcalfe, who sold his remaining stake in the coffee chain last year but still owns the majority of high-street restaurant Itsu, prompted an angry response online after […]

Ministers are having to hire consultants to deal with the Brexit process because government fears it will become overwhelmed by a second wave of Covid-19 cases, leaked documents have revealed. According to the Telegraph, the Cabinet Office has requested consultants help it respond “rapidly to any worsening Covid crisis” until March 2021 as the Brexit […]

Boris Johnson’s handling of the situation over free school meals has been branded a “disaster” after Marcus Rashford’s petition hits one million signatories. The Manchester United star’s mission to ensure no child goes hungry has gripped the nation and caused a major headache for the government who have opposed funding his campaign. Tory peer Gavin Barwell, […]

France and Germany have both taken the decision to go into national lockdowns to last throughout November as part of an attempt to slow the growth of coronavirus. President Emmanuel Macron has confirmed the “stay at home” order which will see non-essential shops, restaurants and bars close from Friday until 1 December with external borders […]

Readers have their say on the furore over the government failure to provide free school meals during the holidays. As many politicians once again demonstrate that they are out of touch with ordinary people by voting against providing free school meals in holidays, is now the time to suggest that all politicians should undertake a […]

A Brexiteer MP has claimed that a 49% drop in positive coronavirus cases in Londonderry was not down to an increase in lockdown restrictions. Appearing on BBC Good Morning Ulster, Sammy Wilson, DUP MP, pointed to a spike in his constituency eight weeks ago which he said was remedied through a targeted intervention at a meat […]

Less than a quarter of UK businesses trust the government on Brexit, new polling has revealed. More than 40% said the coronavirus had derailed their plans to prepare for Brexit, a poll commission by City A.M. had shown. In a separate poll by market research group Opinium, only 11% felt confident that a trade deal […]

The government’s attempts to put sovereignty over cooperation will leave us all worse off from Brexit. As the UK-EU deal or no-deal drama limps on, most attention focuses on the economic consequences of a new trade relationship. But UK health security – in the sense of measures to prevent and mitigate health emergencies such as […]

Politicians from the Liberal Democrats and Labour have called for urgent action from the government over Covid-19 to help “save Christmas”. Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said the government’s failure to use the half-term for a circuit-breaker lockdown means they now need to “do something quickly”. Ashworth said the government have “lost a window of […]

Boris Johnson is under growing pressure to impose heightened coronavirus restrictions as the UK recorded its highest daily Covid-19 death toll since May, as reports claim that chief scientific adviser SIr Patrick Vallance is one of a number lobbying the government to take more action. It comes as fears were raised of the second wave […]

A Conservative MP has been criticised for suggesting “chaotic parents” can be to blame for sending their children to school hungry so they are unable to concentrate. John Penrose, a former minister who is married to NHS Test and Trace chief Baroness Harding, made the remark in a letter to a constituent as he defended […]

Two more Tory MPs who rejected a motion to extend free school meals have been at the receiving end of local protests. Empty plates with messages on them began piling up outside the office of Sutton MP Paul Scully on Monday after it emerged he was one of 322 Tory MP who voted against plans to feed hungry […]

A Tory MP who signed a letter to Boris Johnson over Covid-19 measures in the north of England said he wants to “keep the prime minister honest” and delivering on his promises. Simon Fell, the MP for Barrow and Furness, was one of 55 Conservative MPs calling for a roadmap for Northern constituencies out of […]

Television presenter and campaigner Esther Rantzen has slammed Boris Johnson’s response to the coronavirus, saying the prime minister should not be proud of his support for children in particular. Asked by Julia Hartley-Brewer about the coronavirus support, she said: “In Boris’ place I don’t think I would be proud of my record, I would be […]