Coronavirus 1) Johnson hit by biggest rebel vote yet as tough tier rules passed “Boris Johnson suffered his biggest backbench rebellion since the general election last night as more than 50 Tory MPs voted against the new tiered system of coronavirus restrictions. England returns to a toughened three-tier lockdown system after MPs voted by 291 […]
Coronavirus 1) Extra cash for pubs and restaurants as Prime Minister tries to fend off Tory rebellion “Pubs and restaurants hit by new coronavirus restrictions will be given extra cash to help get them through Christmas, Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to announce as he tries to see off a growing Tory rebellion. The Prime […]
Johnson ‘backs down in face of Tory revolt’ – just a day after Gove said Covid tier measures were essential to prevent NHS collapse “Boris Johnson capitulated to Tory MPs last night, announcing that he would reform his new coronavirus crackdown before Christmas after threats by backbenchers to vote down the government’s plans. In a […]
Gove issues stark warning to rebel MPs “Every hospital in England faces being overwhelmed with Covid-19 cases if MPs fail to back the government’s tough new restrictions, Michael Gove has warned. Amid a growing Conservative backbench rebellion over the tiering system, the Cabinet Office minister is calling on MPs to “take responsibility for difficult decisions” to […]
Rebellion 1) Covid tiers chaos threatens to ‘tear Johnson’s support apart’ “To borrow from Boris Johnson’s beloved cod Latin dictionary, he must have hoped the end of England’s national lockdown would also bring an end to his “mense horribilis”. Alas for the Prime Minister, his terrible month, in which he lost his most trusted aide, got worse on Thursday […]
London and Liverpool hope to dodge Tier 3 Covid restrictions “London and Liverpool are hoping to escape the toughest Tier 3 coronavirus restrictions but only a few rural areas are expected to be placed in Tier 1 when new rules are disclosed today. With a study finding that Tier 1 restrictions failed in almost every area […]
Spending Review 1) Sunak targets Covid-19 jobless with £4.3bn support package “Rishi Sunak is to acknowledge that the coronavirus pandemic will lead to a steep rise in long-term unemployment today when he announces a £4.3 billion package to help the jobless. The economic devastation will be made clear in a series of forecasts published by […]
‘Tis the season to be jolly careful’, PM warns, as he reveals new tiers “Boris Johnson warned on Monday night that Britain is entering “the season to be jolly careful” as he announced new coronavirus restrictions that will last until the end of March. On the day that Oxford University announced successful trials of its […]
Coronavirus 1) Johnson to set out Christmas rules and the return of the tier system… “Boris Johnson is to announce the return of Christmas shopping, gyms and outdoor sport across England as the government prepares to lift lockdown. The prime minister will set out details today of a three-tier system of restrictions to come into […]
Spending rises this week, tax rises next spring. Sunak’s pre-Spending Review week interview. Figures on the state of the economy to be published this week will mean “people will see the scale of the economic shock laid bare”, he said. “Right now, the focus should be on supporting the economy, protecting as many jobs as […]
Coronavirus 1) Restrictions “to be eased over Christmas” “Families will be allowed to meet for up to a week at Christmas – but tough restrictions could remain in place until then under Government plans to be announced early next week. Boris Johnson is preparing to announce a UK-wide relaxation of rules from December 22 to […]
Navy is big winner in Johnson’s £16bn defence spending spree “Boris Johnson has pledged to restore Britain’s status as the “foremost naval power in Europe” and promised significant investment in new warships. In a speech on his vision for the armed forces, the prime minister announced a four-year funding deal, which he said was worth an […]
Johnson pledges £16bn military spending spree “Boris Johnson has pledged to end Britain’s “era of retreat” with the largest investment in the military since the Cold War and plans for a new space command and artificial intelligence agency. The prime minister will reveal a four-year funding settlement for the Ministry of Defence today, worth an additional […]
Jewish groups dismayed after Corbyn is let back into Labour Party “Sir Keir Starmer admitted that yesterday was “another painful day for the Jewish community” as Jeremy Corbyn was readmitted to the Labour Party after a 19-day suspension. The Labour leader now faces a decision over whether to restore his predecessor to the party whip. Last […]
No 10 passes back control of advisers after Cummings “Downing Street is preparing to relinquish day-to-day control over government special advisers in an attempt to improve morale in Whitehall after the departure of Dominic Cummings. One of Mr Cummings’s first acts in Downing Street was to change the contracts of “Spads”, the political appointed special […]