Matt Hancock has hailed the approval of the Pfizer/BioNtech coronavirus vaccine as “a day to remember in a year to forget”, describing the jab as a “victory for science”. The health secretary earlier claimed the fast approval of the vaccine – which makes the UK the first country in the world to authorise one – […]
Wales has announced a ban on alcohol sales in bars, restaurants and cafes starting on Friday (December 4), while shops in England will get the go ahead to trade 24-hours-a-day in the run up to Christmas and beyond. Wales’ first minister Mark Drakeford said the rising rate of coronavirus infection in Wales requires new rules, […]
Police have arrested more than 150 anti-lockdown protestors in central London during demonstrations today (Saturday) against Covid restrictions. Hundreds of people marched through Westminster chanting “shame on you” and carrying signs proclaiming “defend freedom, defend humanity”. Police had lined up in a number of streets in the West End and “confronted crowds of protestors in […]
The UK’s R-rate for coronavirus infection has fallen to below 1 for the first time since August – three weeks into England’s second national lockdown. Government scientists have announced the R-number for the UK has dropped to between 0.9 and 1 meaning infections should now decrease. The number of new cases reported today – 16,022 […]
A cabal of Conservative MPs have condemned their government’s new tier-system for post-lockdown England as “authoritarianism at work”. Unveiling the tiers that come into force when lockdown ends on December 2, Matt Hancock told the Commons the tiers for England are “necessary to protect the NHS and keep the virus under control”. The plan puts […]
The chancellor’s plan to combat the UK’s worst recession for 300 years has been attacked for its cuts to international aid spending that one former Tory minister claims will cause “100,000 preventable deaths, mainly among children.” Critics have also hit out at other parts of Rishi Sunak’s historic spending review which will see the government […]
Families will be able to reunite at Christmas across the UK after the leaders of the four nations reach agreement about “bubbling” over the festivities. The rules will allow up to three households to meet-up and mix over five days between December 23-27, with travel restrictions around the whole of the UK relaxed for the […]
England will return to a tighter three-tier system of Covid restrictions next week when the current lockdown ends on December 2. Boris Johnson set out his Winter Covid Plan to the Commons today and said he was “sorry to say that we expect more regions will fall, at least temporarily, into higher [tier] levels than […]
The highly critical National Audit Office report into the government’s awarding of £18 billion in procurement deals has been overshadowed by infighting in the Labour party and the prime minister’s green plan for the UK. The parliamentary watchdog made a number of startling findings including a lack of transparency, failures to explain why certain suppliers […]
Scottish Conservatives are furious about Boris Johnson’s latest gaffe saw him call devolution “a disaster” just months before the Holyrood election. From his self-isolation in Downing Street the prime minister managed to send – via the power of a Zoom meeting with 67 Tory MPs comprising the Northern Research Group – political shock waves across […]