Sunak’s historic spending review will cause ‘100,000 preventable deaths’, claims former minister

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 […]

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NAO report on government’s £18bn Covid contracts; Starmer v Corbyn; and the PM’s green plan for UK

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 […]

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Sunak U-turns on furlough – 3 million workers still excluded; Bank of England’s (extra) £150bn to bolster UK economy

Chancellor Rishi Sunak unveiled his fourth winter economic plan in six weeks by announcing the extension of the furlough scheme until March. It means the government will pay 80% of workers’ wages with companies paying national insurance and pension contributions. Support for self-employed had also been extended and the amount increased from previous Treasury statements. […]

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Priti Patel’s ban on ‘two-or-more’ people protesting will ‘cause a lot of trouble’

Priti Patel wants to ban protests of more than two people during the second lockdown and has briefed senior police officers to enforce coronavirus law banning marches and demonstrations. Chief constables are concerned the home secretary’s move is too oppressive for a liberal democracy while a civil law barrister warned the ban could breach human […]

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PM warns deaths will be ‘twice as bad’ as spring while Farage rebrands as anti-lockdowner

The prime minister will warn MPs that Covid-19 deaths could be “twice as bad” this winter compared to the first wave of the virus in spring. Boris Johnson’s Commons statement today (Monday, 3.30pm) will see the PM say there is “no alternative” to the four-week lockdown being introduced in England on Thursday. Labour leader Keir […]

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Labour set for ‘civil war’ after ‘day of shame’ sees Corbyn suspended and facing expulsion

Sir Keir Starmer has warned Jeremy Corbyn faces expulsion from the Labour party after the former leader was suspended yesterday for saying antisemitism in the party had been “dramatically overstated for political reasons”. Starmer spent this morning conducting media interviews trying to repair the damage that the major UK newspaper front pages are predicting has […]

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Pressure piles on PM as 55 northern Tory MPs demand ‘roadmap out of lockdown’

A coalition of 55 Conservative MPs representing northern constituencies have written to the prime minister demanding a “road map out of lockdown” and a post-Covid economic plan for the north of England. The Northern Research Group (NRG) of Tory MPs delivered their letter to Boris Johnson, expressing fears the coronavirus could send their region “into […]

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