Boris Johnson delaying choice on Covid lockdown as rapid testing nears October 18, 2020 Boris Johnson is reportedly delaying any decision on a national lockdown in the hope that new rapid turnaround Covid tests can be deployed before the end of the year. Johnson said last week that 1m “swab in the gob” tests, that give a result in 15 minutes, could be used every day by the end [...]
Tony Blair accused of breaching Covid restrictions after not quarantining October 18, 2020 Tony Blair has been accused of breaking the UK’s Covid restrictions, after being seen out at a restaurant when he should have been quarantining. Photos have emerged today in the Sunday Telegraph of the former prime minister leaving a restaurant in Mayfair last month just 10 days after arriving back from the US. He had [...]
Michael Gove says UK is ‘well prepared’ for no-deal Brexit October 18, 2020 Michael Gove has said the ball is in the EU’s court as to whether trade talks continue and that the UK is “well prepared” for a no-deal Brexit in January. Gove, who has been until now a leading voice in the cabinet against no-deal, said today that it was the EU that “effectively ended” trade [...]
Donald Trump needs to get back to basics on the campaign trail October 15, 2020 Tuesday’s Opinium poll showing Donald Trump trailing Joe Biden by a staggering 17 points will likely be the death knell for the President’s campaign. Even at the nadir of Trump’s 2016 campaign, when a leaked tape showed him bragging about him sexually assaulting women, the President’s poll deficit never dipped below 15 per cent in [...]
Covid: EU chief Ursula von der Leyen forced to self-isolate October 15, 2020 European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has been forced to leave a crunch EU leaders’ meeting to self-isolate, after a member of her front office tested positive for Covid. Von der Leyen said she had tested negative today, however would still self-isolate as a precautionary measure. It comes as the European Council began the [...]
US election: Kamala Harris suspends campaign as aide tests positive for Covid October 15, 2020 Joe Biden’s Vice President candidate Kamala Harris has suspended her campaign, after her communications chief today tested positive for Covid. Harris, a Senator from California, has cancelled campaign events until the end of the week as a precaution. The Democrats have been very cautious during the election campaign, deciding against having the traditional large scale [...]
London Tory MPs call for extra support for businesses facing Tier 2 restrictions October 15, 2020 A growing number of London’s Conservative MPs are calling for the government to extend more financial support to businesses dealing with Tier 2 restrictions as Boris Johnson faces a growing backbench rebellion. The capital will be moved into the Tier 2 Covid category on Saturday, meaning social mixing between households will be banned indoors. The [...]
London lockdown: Khan warns of ‘dark winter ahead’ as city moves to a Tier 2 ban on household mixing October 15, 2020 Mayor Sadiq Khan has sent a stark warning to London, telling people they face a "dark winter" as Tier 2 restrictions are placed on the capital.
Boris Johnson turns his back on today’s Brexit trade deal ‘deadline’ October 15, 2020 Prime Minister Boris Johnson will not walk away from Brexit negotiations today, despite setting a 15 October deadline for reaching an “outline” for a trade deal with the EU. Johnson signaled that he will not decide whether an agreement with the bloc is possible before today’s EU summit in Brussels, following advice from Brexit envoy [...]
Brexit: Portaloos to be set up in Kent for potential lorry queue chaos October 14, 2020 The government will set up temporary portaloos in Kent for drivers waiting in lorry queues, after the UK leaves the EU’s customs union on 31 December. The Cabinet Office has predicted as a worst case scenario that 7,000-long lorry queues could form in Kent if businesses are not prepared for changes at the UK’s ports [...]