Coronavirus

Boris Johnson’s non-visit to Perugia in Italy was the peculiar story of the week. An Italian paper reported it as a fact. A categorical No.10 denial followed. Then it emerged that airport staff had actually seen the arrival of Tony Blair and seemingly thought he was still Britain’s prime minister. Many of us wish he were, […]

Nicola Stugeron has announced a ban on household visits across Scotland to help bring coronavirus “back under control”. The new regulations are set to come into effect on Friday, although it is being urged people comply from Wednesday. Speaking at the Scottish parliament, Sturgeon announced further measures to tackle rising Covid-19 cases including all bars and […]

Wetherspoon pubs founder Tim Martin has claimed the government’s 10pm curfew is a ‘PR’ stunt and claimed lockdowns “do not work”.Martin said pubs were not behind the rise in infections and the government was imposing the 10pm shutdown on pubs and restaurants to be seen to be doing something. Martin, a Brexiteer who founded the […]

Donald Trump’s focus on golf – rather than the coronavirus pandemic – has been given the Led By Donkeys treatment after the campaigners used soundbites from the president to make their point. The number of times the US president played golf during the coronavirus pandemic and the total Covid-19 deaths in the United States was projected […]

Boris Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings has been seen flouting coronavirus guidelines once again. Cummings was spotted heading to Downing Street walking side-by-side with his assistant Cleo Watson, ignoring the “one metre plus” rule set by his government. The breach of rules was reported on Good Morning Britain as the footage aired. “Is he off to Barnard […]

With Keir Starmer self-isolating, it was the turn of Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner to face Boris Johnson at the despatch box. It could all have been so different. Had the Labour deputy leadership election gone the Corbynistas’ way, it would have been Richard Burgon facing Boris Johnson at prime minister’s questions today. Richard Burgon, […]

Boris Johnson has refused to say when his government will launch a coronavirus inquiry. The prime minister said it would “not be a good use of official time” to launch an inquiry. Appearing in front of the all-powerful Liaison Committee, Johnson said: “Of course, we will have an inquiry into everything that has gone wrong […]

A Labour MP has pleaded with Boris Johnson to be a ‘real’ prime minister and unite the nation ahead challenges it faces concerning Brexit and the coronavirus. Chris Bryant became emotional when he begun speaking about the hardship his Welsh constituency of Rhondda faced during an appearance on Sky News. Talking to host Kay Burley, […]

Graham Brady, who runs the powerful 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said ministers could face backlash from their own MPs if they do not put new coronavirus restrictions to a vote in parliament. Appearing on BBC4’s Today programme, Brady said ministers had “got into the habit of ruling by decree”. “The British people are not […]

Like many of you, the other day I woke up to read headlines screaming “SCIENTISTS DISCOVER LIFE ON VENUS”. Like, I trust and expect, most of you I did not react to this by leaping to my feet and shouting “OMG LIFE ON VENUS” but rather by clicking on the link in question and saying […]

A radio presenter has warned against blaming England’s top medical expert for the country’s coronavirus woes in a monologue in which he claims the blame actually lays at Boris Johnson’s feet. James O’Brien claims ‘conspiracy theorists and fore-lock tug James O’Brien claimed people were “going after the Chief Medical Officer” out of frustration the nation […]

People should stop their “endless carping” about a lack of Covid-19 tests, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said, as Labour warned that a second spike is likely. Commons leader Rees-Mogg claimed the “phenomenal success” of Britain’s testing system should be celebrated. But after the government announced restrictions in north-east England, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth warned: “It’s […]

Former Tory prime minister David Cameron has come under fire for suggesting his government’s austerity programme prepared Britain for a global pandemic. Cameron claimed that his austerity measures had put Britain in a better position to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. In an updated foreword of his memoirs released on Thursday, Cameron said although claims […]

Boris Johnson has urged the public to help save Christmas from the coronavirus. The PM said people have to be “both confident and cautious” and that it is “crucial” the country does not re-enter “some great lockdown again that stops business from functioning”.He told The Sun: “Christmas we want to protect, and we want everyone […]

A health minister has downplayed suggestions the country could be forced into another lockdown due to the government’s problems with testing. Minister downplays suggestion country could be forced into lockdown due to testing problemsEx-WHO expert Anthony Costello claimed that chief medical officer Chris Whitty is pushing for a two week restriction, despite Boris Johnson ruling […]

Business minister Nadhim Zahawi was forced to back down on his claims after incorrectly quoting the testing capacity figures instead of the actual daily tests carried out. Fiona Bruce calls out minister for ‘fantasy figures’ over nu Zahawai was accused of producing a “fantasy figure” during the fiery debate after giving a number three times […]

Sir Patrick Vallance said the “vast majority of the population remain susceptible” to catching coronavirus and the current situation required swift action to bring the case numbers down. In a televised press conference together with England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick said there was “no doubt” the UK was in a situation […]

Boris Johnson faces a mounting Brexiteer rebellion if the government pushes ahead with plans to extend legislation giving it emergency powers to deal with the coronavirus pandemic. Prominent Brexiteers Peter Bone and Desmond Swayne have warned the prime minister could face significant opposition to extend to his emergency coronavirus legislation. The laws, introduced in April […]

The day before the “rule of six” rule came into force, Carl Heneghan, a professor of evidence-based medicine, and Tom Jefferson, a research fellow, both from the Centre for Evidence-Based Medicine at Oxford University, wrote an opinion piece for the Spectator, calling for the rule to be “binned”. The Daily Telegraph repeated Heneghan and Jefferson’s assertion that “life […]

Had we been asked to predict the top political issues of 2020, few of us would’ve picked clinical tests among them – but these are testing times. An understanding of exactly who has Covid-19 is an essential part of working out how the virus can be controlled and how our society, economy and lives can […]

“Regulations….are not to be regarded as unlawful on the grounds of any incompatibility or inconsistency with any relevant domestic or international law”– Clause 45 (2) (a) on state aid in the Internal Market Bill It already seems an age ago, but when I first heard Boris “Moonshot ” Johnson used the phrase “the rule of […]

A video has emerged of Rory Stewart being ‘proven right’ on claims that Boris Johnson pursued a policy of herd immunity during the initial phases of the coronavirus outbreak. In footage recorded back in March, Stewart said the government had been pursuing a strategy of herd immunity and that it was the wrong decision. “What’s being done in […]

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’, […]

An outspoken Remainer has called for Britain to ‘revisit’ the Brexit referendum after the coronavirus pandemic. Author Phillip Pullman said that politics ‘had to change’ in response to Covid-19, and called on the Labour Party to help re-frame the argument about Brexit. In a blog post, His Dark Materials writer Pullman condemned the government for […]

A leading vaccinologist says it is ‘very difficult to predict’ when a coronavirus vaccine will be ready for the wider population. https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1251791687573176320?s=20 Sarah Gilbert from the University of Oxford appeared on the Andrew Marr show to explain the process of immunising against coronavirus. With the pandemic responsible for 15,464 confirmed deaths in the UK, as […]

Michael Gove has issued a staunch defence of the government’s response to coronavirus. The chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster was questioned by Sophy Ridge on the many perceived failures of government, following the publication of a damning report by the Times which accuses prime minister Boris Johnson of skipping five COBRA meetings as the […]

Boris Johnson has paid tribute to the NHS, saying there is ‘no question’ it saved his life after he contracted coronavirus. The Prime Minister, speaking in a video released shortly after he was discharged from hospital, admitted there was a 48-hour period when things ‘could have gone either way’. Downing Street had insisted the PM […]

‘Life has changed’ says the mayor of London Sadiq Khan, as he admits enforcement measures will be used if necessary to combat the spread of the coronavirus. https://twitter.com/BBCPolitics/status/1241668201316048897?s=20 The mayor was emphatic in his message regarding the coronavirus, as he called these ‘extraordinary times calling for extraordinary measures.’ When challenged by Andrew Marr on the […]

Jeremy Corbyn believes the coronavirus crisis has shone a spotlight on just how damaged the NHS has been by austerity. Corbyn was unrelenting in his criticism of the government, condemning their lack of preparation for, and response to, the pandemic. The leader of the Labour party highlights the current issues — including the shortage of […]