PM says remote working won’t be the new normal February 26, 2021 PM Boris Johnson said Britain is not facing a new age of remote working. In a video message today Johnson said British people would be “consumed again” by wanting to meet people in person once the economy reopens, and that this would have clear benefits for business. He added people will be commuting to city [...]
What will Boris Johnson’s ‘roadmap’ for exiting lockdown look like? February 22, 2021 Boris Johnson has vowed to set out a “roadmap” for lifting lockdown measures this afternoon, as the UK continues to make rapid progress with its vaccine rollout. While the shape of the timeline has yet to be revealed, the Prime Minister has said he will provide dates for lifting specific measures “if we possibly can”. [...]
Key Johnson aide and Dominic Cummings ally quits No 10 February 20, 2021 Oliver Lewis, the head of Boris Johnson’s ‘Union Unit’, has quit just two weeks into the job. Lewis resigned followed claims he had been accused by the Prime Minister and his fiancée of briefing against Michael Gove, the Times reported. The aide was only given his new role two weeks ago. The so-called ‘Union Unit’ [...]
Frost replaces Gove with “more assertive stance” on EU February 19, 2021 PM Boris Johnson replaced Michael Gove as EU relations minister with Lord David Frost, chief negotiator of last year’s Brexit deal, on Wednesday. Downing Street said Frost would have a seat in cabinet and take over all responsibility for dealings with Brussels. The newly-appointed EU relations ministers wants to take a more “hardline” stance on [...]
Surge testing for Covid mutations extended to London commuter areas February 16, 2021 A coronavirus testing blitz will be carried out in Surrey, Southampton and Norfolk following confirmed cases of the South Africa Covid variant in the commuter regions. Surge testing and genomic sequencing will be carried out in the GU22 postcode in Woking, SO15 in central Southampton and IP22 in Diss to tackle the “variant of concern”. [...]
Treasury Committee chair: ‘One-off wealth tax’ could patch the Covid gap in public finances February 15, 2021 The MP who leads the Treasury Committee suggested this morning that Chancellor Rishi Sunak should introduce a one-off wealth tax to help revive the country’s public finances. As the pandemic is tearing its way through public finances, the chair of the UK Treasury Committee, Mel Stride, said a one-off wealth tax may be an effective [...]
Tory MPs urge Prime Minister not to ‘backslide’ as he hesitates over lockdown exit date February 11, 2021 Senior Tory MPs have urged Boris Johnson not to “backslide” on commitments to provide an exit strategy from lockdown measures on 22 February, after the Prime Minister hesitated on a firm date for reopening schools. The PM has repeatedly stated he will provide a “roadmap” on 22 February outlining the government’s plans for exiting England’s [...]
Hotel quarantine: What do the new rules mean for arrivals travelling to London? February 11, 2021 Hotel quarantine: What do the new rules mean for arrivals travelling to the UK border?
No hotel quarantine contracts have been signed with just one week to go until launch February 8, 2021 The government has not signed a single contract with any hotel firms despite its mandatory hotel quarantine policy set to come into effect in just one week’s time. All arrivals to the UK from around 30 “red list” countries will be required by law to quarantine for 10 nights at a government-selected hotel from 15 [...]
Government to invest £40m in helping businesses reduce carbon footprint February 6, 2021 The government is set to invest £40m in helping polluting industries reduce their carbon footprint as the Prime Minister attempts to cozy up to US President Joe Biden’s new green agenda. Businesses in Britain’s energy-intensive sectors, including pharmaceuticals, steel, paper and food and drink, will be able to apply for their share of the cash [...]