Markus Andrews

A front line NHS doctor has been selected by Labour to fight the upcoming Hartlepool by-election after MP Mike Hill stood down amid ongoing sexual harassment allegations – but the new choice is already proving controversial.Dr Paul Williams has previously represented the neigbouring constituency of Stockton South but lost his seat during the collapse of the red wall in the 2019 election.He has spent the last year working amid the coronavirus crisis with party bosses hopeful his experience will allow him to draw attention to Boris Johnson’s handling of the pandemic.The 48-year-old said it was an honour to be selected. “The Tories have let Hartlepool down,” he declared. “Over the past decade of being in power they’ve taken from Hartlepool, taken police off the streets and taken services from our local hospital.”But his selection – announced on Thursday night following party leaks – has already come under fire.And Labour members appear to be furious that the selection process resulted in a shortlist of just one name – and no women. “Everyone is a feminist when it’s convenient,” one female MP reportedly told the Labour List website.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayRead more:There are also concerns about how well Dr Williams is suited to the Tees Valley town.He is an arch-Remainer and was a vocal advocate of a second Brexit referendum, while Hartlepool itself voted 69.6 per cent in favour of leaving the EU. “Parachuting someone like that in is about the best thing they could do – for the Tories,” one local councillor in the town told The Independent.A tweet posted by Dr Williams from 2011 referring to “Tory milfs” is also already proving embarrassing.The problems come on top of what already looks like an increasingly tricky seat for Sir Keir Starmer to win.While Hartlepool has voted for a Labour MP since the 1950s, many in the party appear to be resigned to the likelihood that it will become the latest northern seat to turn blue.Mike Hill himself held onto the constituency in 2019 with a majority of just 4,000 – a figure halved from the 2017 election.Yet it could have been far worse. Received wisdom suggests that if the Brexit Party had not stood in the seat – and won 10,000 votes – the Tories would almost certainly have clinched victory.The new by-election – likely to be held on 6 May – will be seen as especially significant in London because it will offer an early indication of how voters feel the PM has handled the pandemic, while also providing an early assessment of if Sir Keir is managing to reconnect with the party’s old heartlands.The Conservatives are yet to announce their candidate.Stockton councillor Stefan Houghton fought the seat last time but it is understood the party is looking for a higher profile name for the new contest. More

The SNP was once seen as the slickest political outfit in UK, but the dramatic rupture between the party’s two towering figures has destroyed its reputation for unity.Current boss Nicola Sturgeon and her predecessor Alex Salmond – once close allies – have become bitter enemies over the fall-out from sexual harassment claims against the former first minister.Mr Salmond, cleared of sexual assault charges last year, has claimed senior SNP figures around Ms Sturgeon mounted a “malicious and concerted” attempt to bring him down.Ms Sturgeon has told Mr Salmond to put up or shut up – accusing him of coming up with “some kind of conspiracy … without a shred of evidence”.So how did things get quite so nasty? What does it mean for the SNP? And how far does the saga have left to go?The Independent has taken a close look at the key dates in the long-running Salmond-Sturgeon row.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayMarch 2020 – Vow to produce ‘evidence’Mr Salmond was cleared 13 charges of sexual assault against nine women at the conclusion of a trial at the High Court in March 2020. Speaking outside the court, he vowed that “certain evidence” he was unable to share during the trial would soon “see the light”.The previous January, the Scottish government had admitted its own 2018 inquiry into harassment allegations by two female civil servants against Mr Salmond was unlawful and had been “tainted by apparent bias”.Mr Salmond called for the Scottish government’s permanent secretary, Leslie Evans, to resign over the matter – but Ms Sturgeon rejected the idea and defended the chief civil servant.October 2020 – The forgotten meetingThings got more heated last October, when Ms Sturgeon revealed to the inquiry established to examine the Scottish government’s botched handling of complaints against Mr Salmond that she “forgot” about the first meeting at which she learned of sexual harassment claims.Ms Sturgeon had initially told the Scottish parliament that she had first learned of the allegations against Mr Salmond at a meeting with him at her own home on 2 April, 2018.But in a submission to the committee, Ms Sturgeon admitted she had met with Mr Salmond’s former chief of staff Geoff Aberdein a few days earlier – on 29 March – and discussed a possible meeting with Mr Salmond that might involve “allegations of a sexual nature”. More

The law was liberalised last year to allow terminations following action taken at Westminster.However, while individual health trusts have set up temporary early medical abortion pathways, Northern Ireland-wide services have not yet been commissioned by the Department of Health.Northern Ireland’s health minister Robin Swann previously said the issue is controversial and therefore he cannot act alone and requires agreement by the executive.But Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis intends to lay new regulations in parliament next week to allow him to direct Mr Swann’s department to commission the services, The Guardian has reported.Mr Lewis was reportedly prompted by concerns many women were still travelling to Great Britain to access services.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayRead more:A UK government spokesperson confirmed there was disappointment that full abortion services had not yet been commissioned, adding “further legislative action at Westminster” is being considered.A DUP MP warned the party would “vigorously oppose” any action to see new abortion laws implemented in the region. DUP leader Arlene Foster and the party’s Westminster leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson met with Mr Lewis over the matter earlier on Thursday.“Abortion is a devolved matter,” Sir Jeffrey said.“Any move by an NIO minister to legislate over the head of the Northern Ireland Executive would raise serious questions about when and in what areas the Government can make interventions in a devolved administration.“The DUP would warn the Northern Ireland Office against legislating on a matter which is wholly devolved and we will vigorously oppose such steps.”Abortion is an issue which sharply divides opinion in Northern Ireland with strong pro-choice and anti-abortion lobbies.On Monday, a motion by DUP MLA Paul Givan seeking to restrict abortions in cases of non-fatal disabilities passed its second reading.Sinn Fein vice-president Michelle O’Neill accused the DUP of attempting to “roll back abortion progress” but her MLAs abstained on that vote.Separately, the party has announced its intention to bring a paper to the executive calling for Mr Swann to commission full abortion services.A UK government spokesperson said: “We remain disappointed that the Department of Health and Northern Ireland executive have failed to commission full abortion services, following the change to the law last March.”We are continuing to monitor the situation closely, including considering further legislative action at Westminster, given the nature of the legal duties on the secretary of state for Northern Ireland in this context.”Additional reporting by PA More

A Holyrood committee has concluded Nicola Sturgeon misled an investigation into the handling of sexual misconduct claims against her predecessor, according to reports.MSPs on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints Committee voted 5 to 4 that the first minister gave an “inaccurate” account of a meeting with her predecessor during the live investigation, a source told the PA news agency.The decision is likely to increase pressure on Ms Sturgeon to stand down before May’s election, although it is unclear whether the committee concluded she had intentionally mislead parliament, which would typically be deemed a resignation-worthy offence.A Scottish parliament spokesperson said the inquiry, which heard lengthy evidence from Ms Sturgeon two weeks ago, was still considering its report. It is expected to be published in the coming days.The first minister said she stood by her evidence and described the leaked conclusions of the report as “very partisan”.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayThe Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints was set up after a successful judicial review by Mr Salmond resulted in the Scottish government’s investigation being ruled unlawful and “tainted by apparent bias”. It awarded a £512,250 payout to the former Scottish first minister to cover his legal fees in 2019.Conservative MP David Davis used parliamentary privilege in the House of Commons this week to read out messages that he suggested showed a “concerted effort by senior members of the SNP to encourage complaints” against Mr Salmond, a former close ally of Ms Sturgeon and her predecessor as SNP leader.According to Mr Davis, the messages disclosed by a whistleblower “demand serious investigation”, with one alleging the investigating officer in the case complained of interference by Ms Sturgeon’s chief of staff.The message is alleged to have been sent by Judith Mackinnon, the officer, to the government’s communications director on 6 February 2018, almost two months before Ms Sturgeon claims to have first known about the investigation of her predecessor.As well as the committee’s inquiry, James Hamilton, a former director of public prosecutions in Ireland, has been investigating whether there was a breach of the ministerial code.A spokesperson for Ms Sturgeon said: “The first minister told the truth to the committee in eight hours of evidence, and stands by that evidence.“It is clear from past public statements that opposition members of this committee had prejudged the first minister at the outset of the inquiry and before hearing a word of her evidence, so this partisan and selective briefing – before the committee has actually published its final report – is hardly surprising.“The question of the first minister’s adherence to the ministerial code is being considered independently by James Hamilton, and we expect to receive and publish his report soon.”Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar said: “I am not going to prejudge the outcome of the committee report and we await its findings, but if it does conclude that the first minister has misled Parliament and potentially breached the ministerial code, then that is incredibly serious.”Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said: “The committee will publish its findings in the coming days and we will wait for that report.“But we have already detailed that Nicola Sturgeon lied to the Scottish Parliament and for that, she must resign. All we’re waiting for is confirmation.”Ms Sturgeon told Sky News: “What’s been clear is that opposition members of this committee made their minds up about me before I muttered a single word of evidence, their public comments have made that clear.“So this leak from the committee, very partisan leak, tonight before they’ve finalised the report is not that surprising.” More

A national memorial to commemorate the thousands of lives lost to coronavirus will be “pursued” by the government, Boris Johnson has said. It comes ahead of the anniversary of England’s first national lockdown, which falls next week on 23 March.The prime minister made the revelation at Thursday’s Covid press briefing, during which he assured the nation that the current roadmap out of stay-home restrictions would not be derailed by the four-week shortage of vaccine supplies due to hit the UK from 29 March.While taking questions from the media, Mr Johnson was asked whether he had given “any more thought” to a permanent memorial to honour the near 126,000 people who have so far died in the UK as a result of the virus – a number that will have increased by the time the anniversary falls next Tuesday. Mr Johnson was asked if he would be observing a minute’s silence, and if he was considering making 23 March a national day of commemoration.Read more:Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday“On the idea for a national memorial, yes, we will certainly be pursuing that and a lot of suggestions for it have already come in,” the prime minister said.“You’ll be hearing more about that in due course.”Responding to how he would honour the occasion, Mr Johnson said: “Of course I’ll be marking it, as I’m sure millions of other people will around the country.”The terminal illness support charity Marie Curie previously set out plans encouraging the nation to use the day as one “of reflection”, which Mr Johnson publicly backed.Plans for 23 March currently include a minute’s silence at 12pm followed by a doorstep vigil, where people will be encouraged to light candles from 8pm and leave them on their doorsteps, to remember those who have died.Landmarks across the UK, such as the Shard in London, will also be lit up as night falls. “Behind the statistics and whatever the cause, every death has been devastating for the people left behind,” Marie Curie said in a statement. “There are still tough times ahead, as the death toll continues to rise. This annual day will give us all time to pause and think about this unprecedented loss we’re facing, and support each other through grief in the years to come.”As of Thursday morning 125,926 people had died of Covid in the UK, 28 days after testing positing for the disease. Separate statistics from government agencies, where the virus is mentioned on a death certificate, suggest there have been 148,000 deaths involving coronavirus in the UK.When lockdown began back in March 2020, that figure stood at just 335. More

An Indian firm has refuted claims from health secretary Matt Hancock that the UK’s vaccination programme slowdown has been triggered by a shortfall in scheduled Astrazeneca deliveries from the south asian nation.Mr Hancock told the House of Commons that the shortfall in supplies from India’s Serum Institute – understood to involve 4m doses – meant that availability of vaccines in April will be “tighter” than this month, when the UK has enjoyed “bumper weeks” of mass vaccination.  He added that the need to retest the stability of a further 1.7m doses had also hampered the rollout, which has outpaced efforts seen in nations across the globe since the first jab was administered in early December.However sources inside the Institute have denied that there had been any hold-up.A source with knowledge of the matter told The Independent “there was no specific timeframe” for the next order to be sent to the UK, so “there’s no question of it being delayed.”Five million doses were sent from the Serum Institute to the UK earlier, the source confirmed, adding: “And the remaining will be sent soon”.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday“India’s cases are going up. India’s vaccine requirement is also going up,” the source said, insisting that the company is waiting for more clarity on the front from the Indian government.Read more:Regional NHS leaders were told on Wednesday not to schedule any vaccinations for healthy under-40s during April because of “significant” expected pressure on supplies over a four-week period.Mr Hancock insisted that there will be no cancellations of vaccine appointments due to the supply issues and no weeks in April in which no Britons receive their first jab.Pressure on supplies will be heightened in April because of the need to administer around 12m second jabs to over-50s and members of other priority groups who have received first doses up to 12 weeks ago, the health secretary said.Mr Hancock told the House of Commons that the shortfall in supplies from India’s Serum Institute meant that availability of vaccines in April will be “tighter” than this month, when the UK has enjoyed “bumper weeks” of mass vaccination.  But he insisted that there will be no cancellations of vaccine appointments due to the supply issues and no weeks in April in which no Britons receive their first jab. And he said the UK remained on track to protect all over-50s by 15 April and all adults by the end of July as planned.Pressure on supplies will be heightened in April because of the need to administer around 12m second jabs to over-50s and members of other priority groups who have received first doses up to 12 weeks ago, the health secretary said.“Throughout the vaccination programme, the pace of rollout has always been determined by the availability of supply,” Mr Hancock told MPs. “The process of manufacturing vaccines is complicated, and subject to unpredictability. And because we get supplies out into the field so fast through our highly lean delivery system changes in future supply schedules impact on the weekly availability of vaccine. That has been true throughout.”Mr Hancock said the UK was currently ”in the middle of some bumper weeks of supply” and was able to deliver over half a million vaccines both yesterday and today.But he told MPs: “In the last week, we’ve had a batch of 1.7 million doses delayed because of the need to retest its stability. Events like this are to be expected  in a manufacturing endeavour of this complexity. And this shows the rigour of our safety checks.“And we have a delay in a scheduled arrival from the Serum Institute of India. I want to put on the record my gratitude to the Serum Institute of India for the incredible work that they’re doing, producing vaccine, not just for us in the UK, but for the whole world. “Their technology, and their capability, which has been approved by the MHRA is remarkable, the Serum Institute of India are producing a billion doses of the Oxford AstraZeneca vaccine this year. It truly is a partnership that we can be proud of.”Labour’s shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth told the Commons that the public would be “worried, anxious and disappointed” by news of the slowdown in vaccinations next month. Mr Ashworth told MPs: “Many key workers under the age of 50 are teachers and police officers who by the nature of their work are not at home and are exposed to risk and have been hoping that vaccination for them would be not far away.”Earlier, SII claimed it had enough stock to cover India’s vaccination drive and send vaccines to other countries. In February, the institute’s chief executive Adar Poonawala told The Independent they had upwards of 55 million doses in cold storage.The source confirmed that SII still has stocks and its production capacity has not gone down, despite a large quantity being sent out to serve orders from the Indian government and its broader diplomatic programme of vaccine maitri, or friendship. The company, which hopes to soon be able to produce 100 million doses of Covid vaccine a month, is understood to be awaiting a nod from the Indian government to send out the next consignment to the UK.India has faced a major spike in coronavirus cases since the middle of February, from around 10,000 daily infections then to more than 35,800 new cases on Thursday, the highest spike this year.Its foreign minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar told parliament on Wednesday that “the house should be aware that the supply of vaccines abroad is based on the assessment of adequate availability at home”.“This is continuously monitored and takes into account the requirements of our domestic vaccine programme as it unfolds in different phases,” he said. More

Matt Hancock has announced the NHS will be given an extra £6.6 billion to cover the cost of coronavirus amid warnings hospitals faced cutting services without additional funding.In an update to MPs, the health secretary said a further £341 million would also be set aside for adult social care in the first half of the financial year to support costs associated to infection control and testing.Mr Hancock told the Commons the funds earmarked for the NHS was in addition to the £3 billion committed by Rishi Sunak at the spending review, insisting it would help the health service “meet the additional costs of Covid and critically starting work on the elective recovery ahead”.The cabinet minister said: “Due to the pandemic, the waiting list for elective treatment in January was almost 4.6 million and 304,000 people are waiting more than a year for an operation of diagnostic”.With just a fortnight remaining until the end of the financial year, the chief executive of NHS Confederation Danny Mortimer had warned that failing to agree funding “would put too many services in a perilous position at the start of the ‘recovery phase’ as the NHS plots its way out of the pandemic”.Read more:Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayHe added: “Should the Treasury budget discussions with the NHS fail to conclude this week, then we face the very real prospect of some services, particularly in the first few months of the new financial year, having to cut back.”In a letter to Mr Hancock, the shadow health secretary had also urged the government to provide “immediate certainty” to frontline NHS organisation for the 2021/22 budgets, warning that delay could have “caused significant uncertainty”.The health secretary’s remarks also followed a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), calling for an extra £12 billion a year investment is needed in the NHS and care system to try and recover the damage inflicted by the pandemic.“The NHS has been there for us, from outbreak to vaccine,” said lead author Dr Parth Patel. “Our blueprint for reform is the booster shot it now dearly needs.”“A decade of austerity left our NHS running at the top of its capacity, rather than the top of its game. As a result, the consequences of the pandemic on people suffering with illnesses such as cancer and depression have been huge. There is a real risk now that this damage embeds and the NHS falls further down international rankings.” More

Today’s daily politics briefingThe spending cuts that are buried in the chancellor’s budget are even larger than first thought and could lead to a “second, sharp dose of austerity”, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).After studying the details of Rishi Sunak’s plans, the IFS said: “Most likely these figures are simply unrealistic, and borrowing or taxes will be higher than planned.“If they are adhered to then many public services are due a second, sharp dose of austerity,” it added. The government is also under pressure after leading charities condemned a reported Home Office plan to send asylum seekers to processing centres overseas, branding the proposal as “inhumane”. Priti Patel wants to set up asylum facilities abroad in an attempt to overhaul the immigration system, with possible locations including Gibraltar and the Isle of Man, according to the Times. Enver Solomon, who runs the Refugee Council charity, told the newspaper that was “an inhumane policy”, while the British Red Cross said it would have “grave humanitarian consequences”.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayShow latest update

1616078032Indian firm denies Hancock’s explanation for vaccination slowdownAn Indian pharmaceutical company has denied Matt Hancock’s suggestion that the UK’s supply of vaccines has been slowed by slow deliveries from the south Asian nation. The health secretary told the Commons on Thursday that the UK would receive fewer doses from India’s Serum Institute than expected in April.However, a source at the firm told The Independent that “no specific timeframe” had been set for the [UK’s] next order”, meaning “there’s no question of it being delayed.”Andrew Woodcock and Stuti Mishra report: Rory Sullivan18 March 2021 14:331616076641British imports to Ireland fell by 900 million euros after Brexit British imports to Ireland fell by more than 900 million euros in January after Brexit, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) has said.New CSO data shows there was a 65 per cent drop in imports – after the end of the free movement of goods – compared with January 2020. The largest drop was in imports of live animals, which fell by 75 per cent. Orla McCarthy, a senior statician at CSO, said: “Traders reported that a combination of factors contributed to the large reduction in imports from Great Britain in January 2021. These included the challenges of complying with customs requirements.“Other factors identified by traders were stockpiling of goods in Q4 2020 in preparation for Brexit, substitution with goods from other countries, and a reduction in trade volumes due to the impact of Covid-19 related restrictions throughout January.”Rory Sullivan18 March 2021 14:101616074794What’s happened to No 10’s film on the vaccine rollout? What has happened to the glitzy No 10 film hailing the success of the UK’s vaccination programme – made, controversially, at the taxpayer’s expense?It was supposed to be released at the end of last week, after Downing Street issued a 50-second extract on social media with the tantalising words “Coming Soon”.The film features the advisers who have become household names through the Covid-19 crisis, including Chris Whitty, Patrick Vallance and Jonathan Van-Tam – as well as Boris Johnson himself.But, no doubt to the intense disappointment of millions of movie fans, there has been no sign of it – and there is no clue about when it will, eventually, appear.Has it been shelved because the four-week supply drought – forcing under-50s to wait longer for their jabs – is not a good time to be boasting about success?“We said we will release it soon, that remains the case,” said a tight-lipped prime minister’s spokesman, when asked.Rob Merrick18 March 2021 13:391616073550Western countries need to unite against China, says Lord Sedwill Countries need to unite against the “unacceptable” bullying committed by China, the former cabinet secretary and national security adviser Lord Sedwill has advised. Speaking to the Lords International Relations and Defence Committee, he said that Beijing had been able to “advance a more assertive agenda” in recent years because of a lack of unity among Western allies. “We have seen the crackdown in Hong Kong, the appalling treat of the Uighurs in Xinjiang, and the deliberate expansionist agenda of the Belt and Road,” he said.He also warned about the dangers of the so-called “Thucydides trap”, whereby conflict can result from one superpower (the US) feeling threatened by the rise of another (China). “That is a dangerous place for the world to get to,” Lord Sedwill said.Rory Sullivan18 March 2021 13:191616072173NHS to be given extra £6.6 billion to cover cost of Covid, Matt Hancock announcesMatt Hancock has announced the NHS will be given an extra £6.6 billion to cover the cost of coronavirus in the first half of the financial year.“We backed the NHS at every point in this pandemic so that they can treat patients, stay safe and save lives,” he told MPs.The Independent’s political correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the latest on this breaking storyJoe Middleton18 March 2021 12:561616071571UK vaccination programme still on target – HancockMatt Hancock said the UK vaccination programme remains on course to hit its targets, despite a delayed delivery of more than a million doses from India.He told MPs: “The targets to offer a vaccine to everyone aged 50 or over by April 15 and to all adults by the end of July, I can confirm we are on track to meet both of these targets.“I also want to clear up some rumours that have been circulating and give people reassurance. There will be no weeks in April with no first doses. There will be no cancelled appointments as a result of supply issues – second doses will go ahead as planned.“Most importantly, the vaccine data published yesterday shows the life-saving impact of this vaccine. It’s not just that the vaccines are safe, it’s that they make you safe – you are much safer having had one.”Joe Middleton18 March 2021 12:461616071432Covid vaccine supply shortage due to delayed delivery of doses from India, Hancock revealsHealth Secretary Matt Hancock said that a batch of 1.7 million Covid-19 vaccine doses have been delayed.He told the Commons: “In April, supply is tighter than this month and we have a huge number of second doses to deliver. “During April, around 12 million people, including many colleagues in this House will receive their second dose.“These second doses cannot be delayed as they have to be delivered within 12 weeks of the first dose.“In the last week, we’ve had a batch of 1.7 million doses delayed because of the need to retest its stability.”The Independent’s Andrew Woodcock has the latest on this breaking storyJoe Middleton18 March 2021 12:431616070734Budget spending cuts even bigger than expected and ‘simply unrealistic’, says think-tankThe spending cuts that are buried in Rishi Sunak’s budget are even larger than first thought, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.“Most likely these figures are simply unrealistic, and borrowing or taxes will be higher than planned,” the IFS said, after studying the detail of the chancellor’s plans.“If they are adhered to then many public services are due a second, sharp dose of austerity.”The Independent’s deputy political editor Rob Merrick reportsJoe Middleton18 March 2021 12:321616069511PM to hold Downing Street news conference todayHot on the heels of Health Secretary Matt Hancock’s press conference yesterday the Prime Minister will also hold his own briefing today.The news conference will at 5pm from Downing Street.Joe Middleton18 March 2021 12:111616068336Tommy Robinson ‘misused’ donations, former allies claimTommy Robinson’s former far-right allies have claimed he misused supporters’ money, something which he denies.One witness told The Independent that Mr Robinson had transferred large sums from a crowdfunding page into his business account. The English Defence League (EDL) founder was listed on the insolvency register this month.Rory Sullivan18 March 2021 11:52 More