Markus Andrews

First minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged people in Scotland to limit their socialising to three households before and after Christmas in order to curb the spread of the omicron variant of coronavirus.Announcing new measures on Tuesday 14 December, Ms Sturgeon insisted she was “not asking anyone to cancel Christmas”, but advised Scots to rein in their social commitments over the course of the festive season. She stressed it was not a legal requirement but instead strong advice to be considered.Setting out the new guidance north of the border, the Scottish National Party leader insisted that she was not asking Scots to change their plans for Christmas Day, Christmas Eve or Boxing Day. “And we are not proposing limits on the size of household gatherings,” she added.“My key request today is this: before and immediately after Christmas, please minimise your social mixing with other households as much as you can,” the first minister said, characterising the advice as “strong guidance” and warning citizens: “Please do not think of it as optional.”Care home visits are also being limited to two households, with all visitors asked to present a negative Covid test before entering to reduce the risk to vulnerable residents.Businesses are meanwhile being told to encourage their staff to work from home where possible and to implement “a return to the kind of protections in place at the start of the pandemic.This means Scottish shops enforcing social distancing and putting up protective screens and pubs, bars and restaurants all having to implement systems to prevent crowding and make sure customers’ details are taken for contact tracing.Vaccine booster appointments are being made available to all over-18s through online booking as of Wednesday, with the programme being given priority over the flu vaccine and “additional capacity” being made available, Ms Sturgeon assured Holyrood.“Just as vaccines started to win this race, the virus learned to run faster. That means we must deliver boosters even faster,” she told MSPs.“This is all the more important in light of early data telling us that the protection we have against omicron infection with just one or two doses is significantly lower than it is for delta – we need a booster jab to ensure a substantial level of protection against omicron.”Scotland had just recorded a further 110 confirmed omicron cases on the day Ms Sturgeon announced her restrictions, taking the total to 226. It has since more than doubled to 554.Deputy first minister John Swinney warned on BBC Radio Scotland on Wednesday that further coronavirus restrictions may “potentially” be needed before Christmas if the omicron situation worsens.“Potentially that could be the case, but we want to avoid that,” he said.“We hope we have done enough in the announcements that were made yesterday and we hope members of the public and businesses will work with us in a co-operative spirit to make sure we can take these provisions forward.”That came after Professor James Chalmers of Dundee University said the new measures put in place by Ms Sturgeon may slow the spread of omicron but they are not enough in themselves to reverse the rise in infections.“I think the government need to be ready next week, as we get more data on the vaccine protection against severe disease and other gaps that currently need to be filled in terms of our knowledge, to think about what other measures may be required,” Professor Chalmers said.“If this is as bad as we think it is going to be, there may still be other measures required over the Christmas and the new year period.“The modelling looks like in the worst case scenario we could have a really difficult winter, and we can’t allow the health service to be overwhelmed.“We need to be prepared and we need to prepare the public that we may require further restrictions.” More

As tensions with Russia simmer, European Union leaders met Wednesday with their counterparts from five former Soviet republics, including Ukraine with an eye toward deepening political, trade, energy and cultural ties.The EU’s Eastern Partnership includes Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Georgia Moldova and Ukraine. The president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko is boycotting the forum due to EU sanctions over reported fraud in his reelection last year a security crackdown on antigovernment protesters that followed.The Eastern Partnership was set up after Moscow sent troops into Georgia in 2008, stunning the Europeans and much of the world. It aims to improve and deepen relations among the six countries, most of which share borders with Russia and are strategically important energy hubs, as well as with the 27-nation EU.The meeting was intended to affirm the participants’ “strong commitment to our strategic, ambitious and forward-looking” partnership, based “on common fundamental values,” according to a draft of the summit statement seen by The Associated Press.The countries taking part in the meeting will also say that they “are bound by our joint determination to further strengthen democracy and the rule of law in our societies,” according to the text, which could change before the planned 6-hour meeting ends.The EU is likely to offer the Eastern countries a 2.3-billion-euro ($2.6 billion) economic and investment plan, which the bloc hopes will attract up to 17 billion euros ($19 billion) in public and private investments for the region.The meeting also will see the EU put the emphasis on “differentiation” – the acceptance that some of the six may be in a position to deepen their relations with the bloc more quickly. Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, for example, have free trade pacts that ease tariffs and other barriers to European trade.In 2014, Ukraine’s then president, Petro Poroshenko signed its trade deal, ignoring vehement opposition from Moscow, and declared that his country wanted to join the EU. His pro-Russian predecessor was forced to flee Ukraine after his rejection of the free trade deal sparking months of pro-EU demonstrations. More

The majority of UK adults support the idea of a two-week national lockdown starting in December to combat omicron, new polling shows.Some 51 per cent back the idea of lockdown over Christmas to halt the Covid variant’s rapid spread across the country, according to the latest Savanta ComRes survey.One third of adults (32 per cent) remain opposed to a new lockdown, rising to almost two in five Conservative voters (38 per cent) – although almost half of Tory backers do support the idea (48 per cent).Downing Street insisted on Wednesday that Boris Johnson has “no plans to go beyond” current plan B measures and impose tougher curbs – despite warnings from health chiefs that the NHS could soon be overwhelmed by omicron hospitalisations.But pollsters at Savanta ComRes said the prime minister would appear to have “the public on his side” if he did bring in further restrictions.Of specific restrictions polled, the closing of nightclubs (63 per cent support) and halting large crowds at sporting and entertainment events (64 per cent) have the highest levels of backing, with just one in five opposing each.A return to the “rule of six” that would place strict limits of the number of people who could gather indoors is supported by 55 per cent of the public.And restrictions such as the closing of pubs and restaurants (44 per cent support), no indoor mixing of different households (44 per cent) also have relatively high levels of support.“The omicron variant looks set to force the hand of the government and, as things stand, it seems the public are braced for another Christmas of disruptions and restrictions,” said Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta ComRes.He added: “With half appearing in support of a lockdown amid rising cases, the prime minister again appears to have the public on his side if he does decide to make last-minute changes to the festive period.”Mr Johnson will hold a press conference at 5pm today alongside chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty, who has warned has warned a “significant increase in hospitalisations” is coming from omicron.UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) chief Jenny Harries warned on Wednesday that omicron was “probably the most significant threat we’ve had since the start of the pandemic” and the NHS could be in “serious peril” because of the new wave.Although no firm proposals for a plan C have yet been circulated to cabinet ministers, government officials are reportedly considering contingency plans for further restriction. The Savanta ComRes pollster noted that the popularity of restrictions over the holiday had dropped slightly from last year, where two-thirds supported the reduction in “Christmas bubbles” from five days to one. “Some are definitely less keen this year than they were last,” said Mr Hopkins.Almost half of UK adults (48 per cent) told the pollster they are likely to cancel planned Christmas gatherings or other social occasions in the next two weeks because of omicron. Only two in five say that they are not likely to do this (42 per cent). More

Behind a heavy oak door in Parliament, Prime Minister Boris Johnson implored Conservative lawmakers to back him by voting for new restrictions to help slow the fast-spreading omicron variant.The lawmakers cheered Johnson — yet almost 100 defied him, voting in the House of Commons against requiring vaccine passports for nightclubs and other crowded venues. The rebellion didn’t defeat the measure, which was approved with opposition support and took effect Wednesday. But it could have big implications for Johnson’s political future and for Britain’s pandemic response.“It was a very clear message that colleagues are not happy with how the government is operating at the moment,” Mark Harper, one of the rebels, told Times Radio “The team captain should be able to depend on the loyalty of the team, but it’s a two-way street.”Tuesday’s rebellion by 98 Conservative lawmakers on vaccine certificates was by far the biggest of Johnson’s premiership, and an echo of the serial revolts that ousted his predecessor, Theresa May. More than 60 Tory legislators also voted against mandating vaccinations for all health care workers.Johnson’s government argues that the restrictions are needed to confront the “grave threat” from the highly transmissible omicron variant, which is spreading so quickly it could overwhelm Britain’s hospitals even if it is less severe than previous strains.Some on the party’s right wing don’t believe the dire warnings, and don’t like the “nanny state” measures the pandemic has brought. In Tuesday’s vote, they were joined by others wanting to send a warning to a prime minister whose approval ratings have plummeted amid policy U-turns and ethics scandals.Any further coronavirus restrictions look certain to face strong resistance from Conservatives, leaving Johnson reliant on the opposition to get them approved.“The prime minister is so weak that without Labour votes last night, vital public health measures wouldn’t have got through,” Labour Party leader Keir Starmer said Wednesday during Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons. “His MPs are wrong to vote against basic health measures, but they are not wrong to distrust him,” Starmer added.The Conservatives chose Johnson as their leader in 2019 because the blustering, Latin-spouting former London mayor was anything but a typical politician. He’d been fired from a party job for lying, used racist and offensive language in columns and quips — but he was upbeat, entertaining and a hit with voters.Johnson promised to “get Brexit done” after three years of gridlock over Britain’s departure from the European Union. He won a big victory in the December 2019 election by winning over voters in England’s “red wall,” a belt of former industrial towns that had long been Labour strongholds.The pandemic knocked Johnson off course. His initial reluctance to impose a nationwide lockdown in early 2020 helped give the U.K. the highest coronavirus death toll in Europe apart from Russia, with more than 146,000 deaths. A successful vaccination program helped Johnson recover some of his authority, but a slew of damaging allegations has tarnished him.First there was an expensive refurbishment of the prime minister’s official Downing Street apartment, funded by a Conservative donor. Johnson was cleared of wrongdoing over the “cash for curtains” affair, but the party was fined by Britain’s political regulator.Then the government faced charges of cronyism when it tried to block the suspension of Owen Paterson a Conservative lawmaker found to have broken lobbying rules.Most damaging are allegations that staff in Johnson’s office flouted coronavirus rules with lockdown-breaching Christmas parties last year, when others were banned from gathering. Johnson has ordered an inquiry, but insists he personally broke no rules.It all adds up to a dangerous moment for Johnson. Starmer is working to restore Labour’s fortunes after the party suffered four consecutive election defeats, and it has recently opened up a lead in opinion polls. Danny Finkelstein, a Conservative member of the House of Lords, said Conservative lawmakers’ “large-scale open rebellion against government policy on the most important question of the day” amounted to a vote of no-confidence in the government.“How long can such a position endure?” he asked in the Times of London.A special election on Thursday for the North Shropshire parliamentary seat, formerly held by lobbying-scandal lawmaker Paterson, could add to Conservative jitters. Polls suggest the opposition Liberal Democrats have a chance of winning what has long been a staunchly Conservative district.Britain is not scheduled to hold a national election until 2024, so Johnson may have time to recover. His popularity could rise if the omicron wave washing over the U.K. is not as bad as many fear, and Johnson meets his goal of offering all adults a booster vaccine by New Year’s Eve.But the Conservatives have a long history of dumping leaders they consider liabilities. Several ministers — notably Treasury chief Rishi Sunak and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss — are already being discussed as possible replacements.Jill Rutter, a senior fellow at the Institute for Government think-tank, said Johnson “looks much weakened, but it’s not clear to me if he is fatally weakened.” “He still has some quite biggish advantages, particularly if you’re a red wall Conservative looking at who can get people to turn out for the Conservatives again,” she said. “Is Liz Truss, is Rishi Sunak, really going to bring them flocking to the ballot boxes in the way that Johnson’s star quality does? That’s not so clear.” More

The Home Office has been accused by a Tory MP of “trying to railroad through” an “unacceptable and unworkable” plan to hold asylum seekers on another military site in Kent.The department announced on Tuesday that a Ministry of Defence barracks in Manston, Kent, would be used as a processing site for people who have crossed the Channel in small boats by January 2022.Sir Roger Gale, MP for North Thanet, where the facility is located, told the House of Commons on Wednesday that there had been “no consultation” with him as MP, the local authority or local health services about the plan.“All we were told by the civil servant leading the project, who was I understand working from home and has not visited the site, is that the Home Office is establishing a processing centre before Christmas,” he said.Accusing ministers of a “lack of foresight and preparation”, he added: “Trying to railroad a bad idea through the shelter of Christmas recess can only have unfortunate and undesirable consequences for the communities, and the people affected and the government.”The Home Office has not yet indicated how many asylum seekers will be held at the site, but it has said that it “anticipates” men, women and children will be held there for a maximum of five days.Critics have questioned why it is going ahead with the plan when its use of Napier Barracks, another military site in Folkestone, as asylum accommodation has been fiercely criticised by the immigration watchdog, the prison watchdog and others.Sir Roger said Manston Barracks would be “largely unsuitable” to hold asylum seekers, adding: “They will be accommodation in min-Winter in marquees, and detained securely while being processed.“There’s no indication of how the site will accommodate these human beings, will be made secure, or what facilities will be made available, other than statutory on-site medical services. These are real people who have been subjected to great misery.”He called on ministers to “put this unacceptable and unworkable proposal on hold” and instead examine the viable alternatives, suggesting that “clean, comfortable and secure operational vessels” could be used.Responding, immigration minister Tom Pursglove claimed that consultation with the council and Sir Roger was “ongoing” and said the move had “directly come about because of those very high number of crossings that we’ve seen”.Announcing the plan on Tuesday evening, he said: “This new site will provide safe and secure accommodation for illegal migrants whilst the government carries out necessary checks.” More

Prime minister Boris Johnson will hold a Downing Street press conference at 5pm today alongside chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and NHS director Dr Nikki Kanani. The announcement comes as data released on Wednesday showed that omicron is now the dominant Covid-19 variant in London and is rapidly spreading across the country. At the same time as the conference, minister for levelling up Michael Gove will be chairing an emergency Cobra meeting with the devolved administrations at 5:15pm. Mr Johnson is not expected to announce further covid measures at the press conference.Dr Jenny Harries, chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency, told MPs on Wednesday to expect “quite staggering” figures on omicron growth in the next few days. There have been over 4,700 confirmed cases of omicron but it is thought that the variant could be infecting as many as 200,000 people a day. The prime minister will be joined at the press conference by Dr Nikki Kanani, a GP and medical director of primary care for NHS England. GP practices across England have been asked to “clinically prioritise” Covid booster jabs over routine care. GPs will be on the front line of the desperate drive to ramp up booster vaccinations to tackle an incoming “tidal wave of Omicron”. Wembley stadium will on Sunday join the growing list of venues where jabs are being administered, with Chelsea’s Stamford Bridge also due to host vaccinations.Mr Johnson is aiming to get booster vaccinations to 20m Britons by the end of December, requiring a daily rate of more than 1m jabs a day, though Downing Street has set no daily target.Following the return of some restrictions, including covid health passes for clubs, there have been reports that more rules could be introduced if infections keep soaring. “Plan C” restrictions could include a return to social distancing and wearing masks inside pubs and restaurants. The prime minister’s spokesperson told political journalists on Wednesday that there was no plan for further restrictions beyond Plan B rules that are already in place. The prime minister has also committed to give MPs a vote before any further regulations are put in place, if they become necessary. The spokesperson said that the Cobra meeting would discuss “the ongoing UK-wide response to omicron”, but stressed that it remained a matter for devolved administrations to decide their own public health measures. More

Watch live as Boris Johnson faces Keir Starmer at PMQsSir Keir Starmer has branded the prime minister “weak”, saying he had to rely on Labour to push through new Covid measures last night.Labour’s leader said Tory MPs had “had enough” of Boris Johnson and “won’t defend him” as he tore into the PM on Wednesday. Mr Johnson has also been warned a leadership challenge is “on the cards” in the new year after 99 of his own MPs defied him over Plan B Covid restrictions in the largest rebellion of his premiership.It comes as North Shropshire prepares to go to the polls in a by-election on Thursday – triggered by the resignation of Owen Paterson.Elsewhere, the Liberal Democrats have weaponised pictures showing a former Conservative London mayoral candidate at a banned Christmas party as they seek to win votes in the traditionally safe Conservative seat. Show latest update

1639579111Chancellor unlikely to reintroduce furloguh, Tory peer saysChancellor Rishi Sunak is unlikely to reintroduce the furlough scheme if new Covid restrictions are brought in to tackle the spread of omicron, a Tory peer has said.Lord Vaizsey made the comments on the BBC’s politics live show earlier ahead of a Covid press conference with the PM later this afternoon.“I suspect that Rishi Sunak will resist,” he said. More comments below: Matt Mathers15 December 2021 14:381639578356Labour makes Starmer meme to poke fun at PM’s ‘lack of authority’The Labour Party has created a meme of Keir Starmer to poke fun at what it claims is his lack of authority.Party campaigners have clipped footage from Prime Minister’s Questions showing the Labour leader shaking his head in disbelief, after Johnson said he has his house in order despite last night’s 99-strong Tory rebellion on Covid plan B measures.“When Boris Johnson claims he still has authority…”Matt Mathers15 December 2021 14:251639576887PM questioned on support for businessesIn more on the jobs and economy, SNP Westminster leader has called on the PM to confirm if there is any “new money to support businesses” amid the surge in omicron cases.Ian Blackford warned more assistance was needed to help people and businesses during the latest phase of the pandemic.Mr Johnson told the Commons: “We will of course continue with the discussions with the Scottish administration.”Zoe Tidman15 December 2021 14:011639576047Another furlough?As concerns mount over Covid, a Tory peer said he believes the chancellor will push back against having another furlough scheme.Watch here:Zoe Tidman15 December 2021 13:471639574923Starmer says PM ‘weak’Sir Keir Starmer has called Mr Johnson “weak” and told him to “get his house in order”, warning rebel Tories are undermining the fight against omicron.Also in the Commons, Boris Johnson dismissed the furore over Christmas parties in No 10 as “trivia” and denied he needed Labour votes to pass his Plan B restrictions – even though a revolt by 100 Tory MPs wiped out his Commons majority.Our deputy political editor, Rob Merrick, has the full story:Zoe Tidman15 December 2021 13:281639574429Full report: ‘Tell them the party’s over’: Lib Dems pay to promote Tory Christmas party photo in last by-election pushThe Liberal Democrats are paying to promote a leaked Conservative Christmas party picture into the social media feeds of voters in the North Shropshire by-election.My colleague Colin Drury reports: Matt Mathers15 December 2021 13:201639573829Watch: Starmer calls Johnson ‘worst possible prime minister’Keir Starmer calls Boris Johnson ‘worst possible Prime Minister’Matt Mathers15 December 2021 13:101639573655No health department Christmas parties last year, official saysThe most senior civil servant in the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) has said he is not aware of any Christmas parties held there last year.Sir Chris Wormald, DHSC permanent secretary, told the Commons public accounts committee: “Obviously the DHSC has had some issues with social distancing, including one extremely famous event.”But in terms of Christmas parties, I am not aware of any that occurred last year. Should any evidence of anything come to light, it would be investigated in the usual way.”But I’m not aware that anything occurred in terms of Christmas parties in DHSC.”Jon Sharman15 December 2021 13:071639573248Watch: PM dodges calls to come clean on what he knew about No 10 Christmas parties:Boris Johnson dodges calls to come clean on what he knew about No 10 Christmas partiesMatt Mathers15 December 2021 13:001639572322PM: I’ve shown leadership“We won that vote with Conservative votes”, PM says again.He again claims government approach is proportionate and reasonable.PM again points to a number of pandemic issues he says were successful but opposed by Labour.He says “courageous steps” to take country of lockdown and reopen economy are evidence of leadership.Matt Mathers15 December 2021 12:45 More

Boris Johnson has once more been forced to introduce social restrictions to combat the coronavirus, with the recent emergence of the omicron variant in southern Africa providing fresh cause for concern.As we head into the festive season, the prime minister has brought back mandatory mask-wearing on public transport and in shops, cinemas, theatres and places of worship, asked citizens to work from home where possible and made an NHS Covid Pass or negative lateral flow test a necessary requirement for entry to crowded venues and events involving mass gatherings.The precise characteristics of the new strain are not clear at this early stage in its development, although it is feared it could have the potential to usurp the delta variant as the dominant strain of Covid-19 in a matter of weeks given its high transmissibility.In his most recent televised address on the pandemic on Sunday evening, Mr Johnson warned of a “tidal wave” of infections breaking on these shores unless the public adhere to the new measures and get their vaccine booster jab as a matter of urgency.The rollout of third shots is being greatly expanded to address the omicron threat, with the aim of offering one to all over-18s by the end of December, bringing forward that deadline by a month and placing further pressure on medical professionals across the country in the process.That decision came in response to findings by the UK Health Security Agency indicating that two jabs do not offer strong protection against symptomatic infection from omicron, with the current suite of vaccines less effective against it than they were against delta.However, that same analysis also concluded that those who had received a booster remained up to 70 per cent protected, underlining the importance of getting a third shot as soon as possible.On Monday, the UK confirmed the first death from the new variant globally while health secretary Sajid Javid estimated that the rate of omicron infections was already at around 200,000 per day, with the strain expected to become dominant in London imminently.NHS England meanwhile announced that it will return to its highest level of emergency preparedness, level four national incident, meaning that the NHS response to omicron will be coordinated as a national effort rather than led by individual trusts.Confirmed Covid cases have since risen to 59,610 in the latest figures, with the number of infections over the past seven days up 12.1 per cent to 360,480.A further 150 more deaths were also recorded, making 801 in total over the course of the last seven days.Meanwhile, just 41.9 per cent of British adults have had their booster injection so far, although demand is high so that figure should continue to climb rapidly as more people make an appointment and roll up their sleeves.Speaking during a visit to a west London vaccination clinic on Monday, Mr Johnson sought to strike a reassuring note, saying: “Throughout the pandemic I’ve been at great pains to stress to the public that we have to watch where the pandemic is going and we take whatever steps are necessary to protect public health.“We think the steps that we are taking – so Plan B, combined with a hugely ambitious acceleration of the booster campaign, bringing it forward by a month so we offer a booster to every adult by the end of the year – we think that’s the right approach.”It has now been confirmed that the PM will hold a Covid press briefing on Wednesday 15 December, at 5pm, alongside chief medical officer Professor Chris Whitty and NHS director Dr Nikki Kanani.Reports also suggest an emergency Cobra meeting will be held in Westminster this afternoon with the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland taking part. The usual statistical update will certainly take place this evening and we can expect further announcements from the prime minister in the coming days, if not today, as the omicron situation develops. More