Unite union ‘paid £95m to leader’s friend’ for project estimated to cost £7m January 28, 2021 A construction firm owned by the friend of Unite leader Len McCluskey was paid £95m by the union for a project that was originally supposed to cost £7m, according to reports. The Flanagan Group, a Liverpool-based building firm, was paid the money to act as a private contractor on a new national conference centre and [...]
Germany recommends blocking Astrazeneca vaccine for over-65s January 28, 2021 German health authorities have issued a draft recommendation that the Astrazeneca coronavirus vaccine should not be used in over-65s. A statement by the Standing Vaccine Commission at the Robert Koch Institute (RKI) — Germany’s main public health body — said there was “insufficient data currently available to ascertain how effective the vaccination is above 65 [...]
Tory MP slammed after telling anti-vaxxers NHS figures are ‘manipulated’ January 28, 2021 A Conservative MP has faced condemnation from government ministers after he told an anti-vaccination campaign group that NHS statistics are being “manipulated” and that we are living in a “police state”. Sir Desmond Swayne told Save Our Rights UK, which organised the anti-lockdown rally in Trafalgar Square last September, to continue their fight against lockdown [...]
Shaun Bailey campaign in strife as team is whittled down to one press officer January 28, 2021 Shaun Bailey’s mayor of London campaign has been plunged into turmoil, with Conservative party headquarters withdrawing funding for his highly regarded press team. City A.M. understands that the Bailey team is now operating with just one junior press officer and is set to significantly reduce its online campaigning efforts. The mayoral election, which pits [...]
SNP MP admits to travelling 170 miles out of constituency, twice January 28, 2021 An SNP MP has been caught travelling 340 miles during two trips from his second home to his constituency, just days after writing against privileged Covid rule ‘flounters’. East Lothian MP Kenny MacAskill confirmed he has been staying at his second home in Banffshire, 170 miles away from his constituency. With a house in Banffshire [...]
Govt will no longer review workers’ rights post-Brexit, minister says January 28, 2021 A planned review into UK workers’ rights has been halted, with business minister Kwasi Kwarteng saying the government is not looking to dilute employment protections post-Brexit. Last week, Kwarteng rejected rumours that he was planning to end the 48-hour working week, wanted to amend rules around rest breaks, and would exclude overtime pay when calculating [...]
Rishi Sunak tells MPs he wants to raise taxes then cut them before next election January 28, 2021 Rishi Sunak has told a group of Conservative MPs that raising taxes this year will give him scope to cut them in the lead up to the 2024 election. The chancellor told the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers yesterday that he will have to make difficult choices this year to trim the UK’s bulging Budget [...]
Covid cases begin decline as ‘lockdown has worked’ January 28, 2021 Covid cases have begun to decline across the UK, according to the latest government-backed study, after England’s chief scientific adviser said there were early signs “lockdowns have worked”. The latest figures from Imperial College London’s React study showed around 1.57 per cent of people in the UK had the virus between 6 and 22 January — slightly [...]
Exclusive: UK’s next free trade deal set to be with Australia January 28, 2021 The UK’s next free trade deal is set to be with Australia, with the agreement to give Brits greater freedom to live Down Under and provide a major boost for the UK’s telecoms sector. The deal could be completed as soon as March, with UK residents to benefit from cheaper Australian food and wine, while [...]
Lockdown extended until at least 8 March January 27, 2021 England’s third national lockdown will be extended until at least 8 March, the Prime Minister has announced, as ministers ramp up plans to get the nation vaccinated before easing restrictions. Speaking in the Commons, Boris Johnson said schools in England will also stay closed until the spring, rather than mid-February as originally planned. “If we [...]