The UK government and European commission have moved to avert a trade war over vaccines by pledging to “create a win-win situation and expand vaccine supply for all”. A joint statement released this evening states: “We are all facing the same pandemic and the third wave makes cooperation between the EU and UK even more […]
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Nicola Sturgeon has come out fighting against calls for her resignation, declaring she stands by “every word” of evidence given to the Alex Salmond committee. Scottish Conservatives have escalated their demands for the first minister to resign after new leaks from the highly critical report emerged on Friday (March 19). The committee’s report is not […]
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The chief medical officer for England has warned “a lot more people will die” if the government lifts lockdown restrictions too soon. Chris Whitty told MPs on Tuesday (March 9) that despite the vaccine roll-out he expected a “significant” and “substantial” surge in Covid infections given there is “nothing to suggest the virus is going […]
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Rishi Sunak delivered his second Budget as chancellor with a further £65 billion boost for businesses and workers hit by the pandemic, but the focus has been on the biggest tax rises for half a century. The Financial Times labels the budget a “spend now, tax later Budget” while the Conservative supporting Telegraph headlines their […]
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Health secretary Mat Hancock has hailed the effectiveness of Covid-19 vaccines which reduces the risk of illness and hospitalisation in older adults by up to 80%. Data released by the government has shown that a single dose of the AstraZeneca or Pfizer vaccine significantly cuts the likelihood of people aged over 70 becoming seriously ill. […]
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Matt Hancock’s blueprint to reform the NHS, better integrate social care and “do away with irksome bureaucracy” will also hand greater power over the NHS to ministers. Conservatives have broadly welcomed Hancock’s shakeup to the health service, laid out today, while Labour has been questioning the health secretary’s priorities and timing given the UK is […]
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Travellers who arrive in the UK and fail to follow new rules to contain the coronavirus will face £10,000 fines and 10 years in prison, the health secretary has told the Commons. Matt Hancock said people arriving from 33 countries on the government’s “red list” will have to pay £1,750 to quarantine for 10 days […]
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The coronavirus rate of infection in the UK is back below 1, figures released today reveal, confirming the epidemic is finally shrinking, a month into England’s third lockdown. Boris Johnson is set to publish the government’s roadmap for lifting the lockdown restrictions in England on February 22, as data confirmed a decrease in positive coronavirus […]
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Matt Hancock has said the UK must “come down hard” on the South African coronavirus variant after community cases were found in eight areas across England. “Surge testing” will be carried out in the eight postcodes where a total of 105 cases of the SA variant – called 501Y.V2 – have been identified. Worryingly, 11 […]
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Boris Johnson has said he takes “full responsibility” for the government’s actions that have led to the UK passing the 100,000 mark for the number of people who have died with coronavirus. A sombre prime minister insisted his government “truly did everything we could” to fight the virus and limit deaths caused by Covid, yet […]
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