Boris Johnson has unveiled the next lifting of lockdown measures but the details have been overshadowed by the continuing furore surrounding his most senior adviser’s breach of lockdown rules. Dominic Cummings claimed “exceptional circumstances” means he behaved “responsibly and legally” and therefore did not breach the rules he helped set, in an extraordinary press conference […]
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Ministers have rallied to support the prime minister’s chief advisor Dominic Cummings as “devastating new claims” emerge about a further breach of the lockdown rules. Boris Johnson’s special advisor (SPAD) has been under fire since news broke last night that Cummings drove 264 miles from London to his parents’ Durham property with his wife and […]
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The health secretary has announced the launch of a contact tracing app for the coronavirus to help the country “get back on its feet.” Matt Hancock said there has been “huge enthusiasm” for the pilot scheme on the Isle of Wight for the app which will alert users if they have been in close proximity […]
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The government’s warning to the BBC that the broadcaster risks losing public confidence amid accusations of political bias during the coronavirus crisis is ringing hollow. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden’s letter to the BBC’s director-general Lord Tony Hall urges him to “uphold the highest standards in relation to integrity and impartiality” while warning “any damage” to […]
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The government has pledged £76m to fund measures to support domestic abuse survivors, children and rough sleepers during the coronavirus crisis. The package includes money to provide safe spaces and fund helplines for “the hidden thousands for whom the current lockdown has been nothing short of an inescapable nightmare,” said the justice secretary Robert Buckland, […]
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The UK must “immediately” start building customs posts for checks on goods to Northern Ireland the EU has said, amid warnings that fishing rights could scupper Brexit talks and lead to their collapse. The European Commission said the “urgent” construction of the facilities must begin now in order to be ready for use on January […]
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Five care home workers who raised concerns about PPE shortages and understaffing have lost their jobs in the last two weeks, according to a charity set up to protect whistleblowers. Compassion in Care founder Eileen Chubb said the five carers are considering legal action having been dismissed from their employment for breaching confidentiality after raising […]
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The UK government is set to scrap sales tax on essential protective equipment as it seeks to help reduce the expenses of non-profit organisations such as care homes, charities, as well as businesses. On Thursday, the Ministry of Finance said the sales tax cut would save more than 100 million pounds for those buying medical […]
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A few short weeks into coronavirus restrictions, people are getting restless. Apart from the devastating economic effect of the lockdown, its impact on mental health, victims of domestic abuse, and people suffering from non-COVID19 illnesses have been devastating. Already, authorities in many European countries have begun easing restrictions, and in the UK, too, experts are […]
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Flag carrier British Airways Public Limited Company is set to lay off thousands of its employees amid the huge drop in air travel demand over fears of the coronavirus outbreak. The company revealed in a letter to the British Airline Pilots Association (BALPA) Union on Tuesday that it would let go of 1,130 flight captains […]
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