Coronavirus: Government dithering spikes huge fall in public approval ratings September 17, 2020 The government’s capacity to keep the British public onside over its handling of the coronavirus pandemic has waned significantly, according to a new poll. It comes as the latest figures from YouGov showed public approval of the government’s management of the pandemic throughout the last few months has dropped to its lowest levels yet. The [...]
David Cameron: Too early to consider fixing the UK’s budget deficit September 17, 2020 David Cameron has said the UK economy will need “generous help to reopen” and that Rishi Sunak should not consider measures to fix the budget deficit until an economic recovery is well under way. The former prime minister told Times Radio that “we’re going to have to think about fixing the roof again when the [...]
Government imposes fresh spate of local lockdowns across northern England September 17, 2020 Health secretary Matt Hancock has confirmed a fresh round of local lockdowns across towns in the north of England, alongside a £2.7bn funding boost for the NHS. From today, additional lockdown measures will be imposed in Northumberland, North Tyneside, South Tyneside, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Gateshead, Sunderland and County Durham. These will include: Households only being allowed to [...]
Joe Biden: Northern Ireland peace deal cannot become ‘casualty of Brexit’ September 17, 2020 US Presidential nominee Joe Biden last night waded into the row over the UK’s Brexit negotiations, warning there will be no trade deal unless the UK upholds the Northern Ireland Good Friday Agreement. Trade talks with the EU have ramped up increasingly over the past week, with this latest intervention likely to put Downing Street [...]
Coronavirus: Which English towns are at risk of a local lockdown? September 17, 2020 As the UK braces for the impact of a potential second wave of strict lockdown measures, some regions have been placed under close watch by health officials. A watchlist created by Public Health England, which is updated weekly, showed that 18 regions in England are now being monitored for case spikes, almost halved from 34 [...]
Boris Johnson sees off potential Tory rebellion on Brexit bill September 16, 2020 Boris Johnson has quelled a potential Tory backbench rebellion next week by agreeing to give MPs a final say on a controversial Brexit bill that could breach the Brexit withdrawal agreement. Downing Street put out a statement today to say it would amend its Internal Market Bill, which is going through parliament this week, to [...]
Raab accuses EU of threatening Irish peace in Brexit negotiations September 16, 2020 Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said any threat to the Good Friday Agreement has come from EU negotiators, as he attempts to assuage concerns in the US about a post-Brexit trade deal. Raab is currently visiting US politicians to convince them about the latest developments in Brexit negotiations, appearing today at a press conference alongside [...]
Boris Johnson plan for millions of coronavirus tests each day ‘a long way off’ September 16, 2020 The government’s plan to administer millions of daily tests in a bid to scrap social distancing restrictions is “still a long way off”, according to Boris Johnson. The Prime Minister last week unveiled his plan to eventually have everybody take coronavirus tests, which give a result in under an hour, each morning that show if [...]
Boris Johnson signals that targeted furlough extension is on the cards September 16, 2020 Boris Johnson has given the clearest indication yet that the government is considering extending the furlough scheme for some sectors beyond next month. When asked about an extension of the scheme for sectors unable to function due to coronavirus restrictions, the Prime Minister said today that that the government “will continue to show great creativity [...]
Government extends ban on commercial evictions until end of 2020 September 16, 2020 Businesses cannot be evicted by landlords for getting behind on rent payments until the end of 2020, the government said today, announcing an extension on an earlier policy. The moratorium on commercial tenant evictions may deepen the rift between retailers and landlords, as the high street continues to struggle amid dampened footfall. The government is [...]