Coronavirus inquiry must not be ‘a finger-pointing exercise’ April 30, 2020 A post-coronavirus inquiry should not turn into a politicised “finger-pointing exercise”, according to the chief of the UK’s national academy for humanities and social sciences. Chief executive of the British Academy Hetan Shah told City A.M.‘s daily podcast The City View that an inquiry into the government’s response should be done on a “no-fault basis” [...]
Coronavirus: UK drawing up plans to safely re-open businesses April 30, 2020 The government is set to provide workplace-by-workplace guidance on how businesses will be able to re-open as the UK eases its coronavirus restrictions. Business secretary Alok Sharma will issue a series of instructions for how different sectors will be able to go to work, and how sectors such as hospitality, manufacturing, construction and retail can [...]
UK coronavirus death toll now second-highest in Europe April 29, 2020 The UK now has the second-highest coronavirus death toll in Europe according to updated government figures that show more than 26,000 people have died from the virus. The government’s official figures previously only covered those who had died in hospital from coronavirus. But the government from today is taking into account fatalities in all settings, [...]
Coronavirus: UK pledges £1.65bn to international vaccine alliance April 29, 2020 The UK will donate £1.65bn over the next five years to the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (Gavi) to aid the search for a coronavirus vaccine. Foreign secretary Dominic Raab announced at today’s press briefing that the UK would give £330m a year for the next five years to Gavi. The UK had previously [...]
Brexit Steves face off: Baker slams Barclay’s Treasury committee performance April 29, 2020 Tory backbencher Steve Baker has hit out at Treasury minister Steve Barclay for avoiding questions in a fiery House of Commons committee hearing. Baker, a prominent Eurosceptic, said afterward that Barclay, a former Brexit secretary, “avoided saying anything new or noteworthy” and that the Treasury would be happy as a result of his performance. Barclay [...]
Raab rebuffs calls to release coronavirus lockdown ‘exit strategy’ April 29, 2020 Dominic Raab has said the government will not publish any plans for how the UK will ease the coronavirus lockdown until next week at the earliest. Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today, Raab said the government was still waiting for the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) to give its guidance on how to [...]
Employers call for government to extend furlough scheme to avoid job cuts April 29, 2020 Employers want the government to extend its worker furlough scheme to September and make it more flexible to help avoid a wave of redundancies. A survey by the Chartered Insitute of Personnel and Decelopment (CIPD) found 60 per cent of employers thought extending the furlough scheme to September was the most important labour market policy [...]
Boris Johnson’s fiancee Carrie Symonds gives birth to baby boy April 29, 2020 Boris Johnson’s fiance Carrie Symonds has given birth to a “healthy baby boy” at a London hospital this morning, according to a Downing Street spokesperson. The baby and mother are both said to be doing well. There has been no announcement on what they have named their newborn son, but Coral bookmakers has Alexander as [...]
Renewed calls for change to UK’s post-Brexit immigration system April 28, 2020 There have been fresh calls for the government to amend its post-Brexit immigration proposals in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis. Home secretary Priti Patel laid out the government’s proposal for a post-Brexit EU immigration system in February, which included a requirement for applicants to have a job offer with a wage of £25,560 or [...]
Matt Hancock opens coronavirus testing to all NHS and social care workers April 28, 2020 Coronavirus tests will now be available to all NHS and social care worker staff, along with everyone living in a care home. All NHS patients and all over 65s with coronavirus symptoms will also be eligible to receive a Covid-19 test, health secretary Matt Hancock announced today. Hancock said 43,453 tests were administered yesterday and [...]