UK Politics

Boris Johnson is reportedly set to lift Plan B coronavirus restrictions in England at the next review as he works to save his premiership in the face of further allegations of parties in Downing Street throughout the pandemic.A decision on measures including Covid passes and work from home guidance is due on 26 January, by which time the report into allegations of lockdown breaches in No 10 is expected to have been published.The restrictions are expected to be lifted – though mask rules may still remain – and an announcement could come within days, according to The Daily Telegraph.“There frankly doesn’t seem to be any other expectation at the moment,” a source told the paper about ending restrictions on 26 January.Sajid Javid, the health secretary, is reported to have already decided that Covid passes are no longer necessary as cases have fallen from their record peak.A source told The Times: “There was always a very high threshold for the policy and it looks increasingly likely in a couple of weeks that threshold won’t be met.”The prime minister is working to keep his job in the face of pressure over lockdown rule-breaking in Downing Street.He is said to be making a list of officials to resign over the partygate scandal in order to protect him. Sources have told The Independent his plan – named “Operation Save Big Dog” – will also include drawing attention to his achievements.The Daily Telegraph reports that political allies central to Mr Johnson’s 2019 campaigns to win the Conservative leadership and general election have been recruited to drum up support among Tory MPs.It also reports two sources as saying that the prime minister spoke this week to Sir Lynton Crosby, the political strategist who helped him win the London mayoralty and Tory leadership. An announcement of an end to lockdown restrictions could divert attention away from the publication of Sue Gray’s report into parties in Westminster during several lockdowns. Ministers have been speaking positively about the state of the pandemic in the UK as signs of relief from the Omicron surge have started to show.The UK reported 99,652 new cases on Friday, down nearly 80,000 on a week earlier. Mr Javid said there “are already early signs that the rate of hospitalisation is starting to slow”. The Welsh government has already set out a plan to lift most restrictions over a period of two weeks amid falling cases. And Northern Ireland’s first minister Paul Givan has expressed hope that he will be able to announce coronavirus rule relaxations next week.He said the most recent modelling information on the virus was “very encouraging”. More

Downing Street staff reportedly held drinks on Friday evenings throughout the pandemic with Boris Johnson regularly seeing them doing so.The prime minister encouraged aides to “let off steam” despite having banned indoor socialising during lockdown, The Mirror reported a source as saying.The paper said the end of week “wine-time Fridays” became such a fixture that staff bought a £142 drinks fridge and would head to a nearby Tesco with a suitcase to stock up on wine and beer.The fridge was reportedly delivered on 11 December 2020, when rules banned two or more people from different households from meeting indoors, unless it was necessary for work.Downing Street on Friday apologised to Buckingham Palace after reports that staff attended two separate parties on the night before Prince Philip’s funeral in April. Officials have refused to confirm or deny if Boris Johnson was aware of the two parties, after he admitted to attending an earlier drinks party and was pictured at a second.The prime minister’s spokesman said: “It is deeply regrettable that this took place at a time of national mourning and No 10 has apologised to the palace.”Around 50 Downing Street staff had the hours between 4pm and 7pm scheduled into their electronic calendars for “wine-time Fridays” every week, according to The Mirror.The paper said the drinks were organised by the No 10 press office but advisers from other parts of the building would also attend. The prime minister’s then defence adviser Captain Steve Higham reportedly showed up regularly.A No 10 spokesperson said: “There is an ongoing investigation to establish the facts around the nature of gatherings, including attendance, setting and the purpose with reference to adherence to the guidance at the time. The findings will be made public in due course.”Allegations of parties in Westminster during periods of lockdown are being investigated by Sue Gray, a senior civil servant. She is expected to present her findings to Mr Johnson next week. He has said that he will publish the report and make a statement in the House of Commons.Sources have told The Independent that the prime minister is drawing up a list of officials to offer resignations to protect his own position after the publication of the report. He is thought to have added to the list Dan Rosenfield, his chief of staff, and Martin Reynolds, the civil servant who organised the party Mr Johnson admitted to attending. The plan is being called “Operation Save Big Dog”, a name understood to have been chosen by Mr Johnson.Has this affected you? Please get in touch. Contact us by clicking here More

Boris Johnson cannot fix the problems facing the NHS because the Partygate scandal has left him “unable to lead”, Sir Keir Starmer is set to say.The Labour leader is preparing to accuse the prime minister of losing his authority and being “too preoccupied defending his rule-breaking” to meet the huge challenges faced by the health service.Mr Johnson is fighting to save his premiership after he admitted attending a “bring your own booze” event in May 2020, with further reports of leaving drinks at No 10 and Whitehall during the pandemic.On Saturday, in a speech at the Fabian Society conference, Sir Keir is due to set out his “personal crusade” for NHS reform, accusing the Conservatives allowing the health service to fall into a “critical” condition.“Rather than concentrating on getting through the pandemic and bringing down waiting lists, this self-indulgent Tory party is instead having a fight about a leader who they should have known from the start is not fit for office,” he is expected to say.The Labour leader will add: “We are witnessing the broken spectacle of a prime minister mired in deceit and deception, unable to lead.”On his “personal crusade” for the NHS, Keir Starmer is expected to say: “I spent a lot of time as a child visiting my mum in hospital. I have never forgotten the care my mum received, the respect with which she was treated. I want that level of care for everyone.”The opposition leader will use his Fabian speech to describe his vision of a “contract for better health” under a Labour government – with a promise to shift health care towards prevention to reflect Britain’s ageing society, according to party officials.Sir Keir will also promise that the next Labour government would treat mental health “as seriously as physical health”.At its party conference last September, Labour pledged to recruit more than 8,500 mental health professionals to support a million more people every year, with a commitment to provide mental health support in under a month.The Labour leader again called on Mr Johnson to resign after Downing Street apologised to Buckingham Palace over leaving parties held in No 10 the day before the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral last April.“This shows just how seriously Boris Johnson has degraded the office of prime minister,” said Sir Keir. “An apology isn’t the only thing the prime minister should be offering the palace today. Boris Johnson should do the decent thing and resign.”It comes as the latest YouGov poll gave Labour a 11-point lead over the Conservatives, the biggest recorded by the company since 2013.A separate Savanta poll for The Independent found that 70 per cent of voters want Mr Johnson to resign – a record high figure. More

No 10 apologises to Queen for parties on eve of Prince Philip’s funeralBoris Johnson launched “Operation Save Big Dog” to try and save his job on a day the Downing Street parties scandal continued to dominate Westminster.Mr Johnson is understood to be drawing up a list of officials who can offer their resignation after the publication of Sue Gray’s findings on the various gatherings at No10.It comes as an exclusive survey for The Independent indicates that 70% of voters want the prime minister to quit and a staggering 68% did not consider his apology over a No10 party as “genuine”.The dire survey numbers were revealed on the same day as Downing Street has been forced to apologise to Buckingham Palace following reports of two No 10 parties held on the eve of Prince Philip’s socially-distanced funeral – but officials will not say if Boris Johnson knew about them.The PM’s spokesman is also refusing to clarify whether it was acknowledged to the Palace that the gatherings were “social events”, which would have been in breach of Covid rules at the time. It is understood the apology was made by a government official, in a telephone call – rather than in a conversation involving Mr Johnson.Show latest update

1642204045Covid: How Omicron symptoms differ from the Delta variant and original strain in two chartsThe Omicron variant of coronavirus has spread swiftly across the world since its discovery in South Africa and Botswana in late November and has steadily driven up daily infection numbers wherever it has been found.Highly transmissible, the strain caused the UK to hit a pandemic-record of 218,724 new cases on 4 January but, so far, the soaring infection rate has not translated into an unsustainable level of hospitalisations and deaths.There is still much we do not know about Omicron but its symptoms appear to be much more like that of the common cold, broadly typified by running noses, sneezing and sore throats, whereas the original strain of the virus that emerged in Wuhan, China, in late 2019 was defined by fever, coughs and an unpleasant loss of a patient’s sense of taste or smell.Joe Sommerlad reports.Joe Middleton14 January 2022 23:471642203180Social care for elderly and vulnerable rationed as Covid hits staffMore than half of councils in England are resorting to exceptional measures to ration social care, a survey has found.The Omicron variant of Covid-19 is forcing so many staff to take sick leave or self-isolate that the systems can no longer cope with rising demand, according to council chiefs.They dubbed the situation “a worsening national emergency”.Jane Dalton has the details.Joe Middleton14 January 2022 23:331642202400Boris Johnson too ‘preoccupied’ by Partygate to fix NHS, says Keir StarmerBoris Johnson cannot fix the problems facing the NHS because the Partygate scandal has left him “unable to lead”, Sir Keir Starmer is set to say.The Labour leader is preparing to accuse the prime minister of losing his authority and being “too preoccupied defending his rule-breaking” to meet the huge challenges faced by the health service.Mr Johnson is fighting to save his premiership after he admitted attending a “bring your own booze” event in May 2020, with further reports of leaving drinks at No 10 and Whitehall during the pandemic, writes Adam Forrest.Joe Middleton14 January 2022 23:201642200576Downing Street staff ‘held regular wine-time Friday’ drinks during lockdownDowning Street staff reportedly held drinks on Friday evenings throughout the pandemic with Boris Johnson regularly seeing them doing so.The prime minister encouraged aides to “let off steam” despite having banned indoor socialising during lockdown, The Mirror reported a source as saying.The paper said the end of week “wine-time Fridays” became such a fixture that staff bought a £142 drinks fridge and would head to a nearby Tesco with a suitcase to stock up on wine and beer, writes Liam James.Joe Middleton14 January 2022 22:491642198800A Sudanese man in his twenties has died trying to cross the English Channel in freezing conditions, French authorities say.He fell overboard when a boat ran into trouble shortly after setting off from the coast south of Boulogne in the early hours of Friday morning.He was found unconscious by French rescue teams and taken to shore, where he was declared dead.So far this year, more than 450 people have made the life-threatening trip across the Channel in small boats.Laurie Churchman reports.Joe Middleton14 January 2022 22:201642197328Lib Dem Councillor campaigns for Prince Andrew to lose Duke of York titleJoe Middleton14 January 2022 21:551642195805Bees will die as ministers approve toxic banned pesticide for second time, warn expertsMinisters have given the go-ahead for farmers to use a banned bee-harming pesticide in England for the second year running.The government went against the advice of its own scientific advisers, who said they did not see the justification for applying the neonicotinoid to sugar beet this year, writes Jane Dalton.A single teaspoon of thiamethoxam is toxic enough to kill 1.25 billion bees, according to biology professor and insect expert Dave Goulson, and wildlife chiefs warned the decision could devastate already-struggling bee populations.Joe Middleton14 January 2022 21:301642195228Sudanese man in his twenties dies trying to cross English ChannelA Sudanese man in his twenties has died trying to cross the English Channel in freezing conditions, French authorities say.He fell overboard when a boat ran into trouble shortly after setting off from the coast south of Boulogne in the early hours of Friday morning.He was found unconscious by French rescue teams and taken to shore, where he was declared dead.So far this year, more than 450 people have made the life-threatening trip across the Channel in small boats.The Home Office is facing legal action over proposals to turn back small boats at sea, a tactic campaigners warn could put lives at risk.Laurie Churchman reports.Joe Middleton14 January 2022 21:201642194928Should Boris Johnson resign over ‘partygate’? Have your say in our poll Some senior Tory MPs are calling for PM to quit – but what do you think? Tell us in the poll below.Joe Middleton14 January 2022 21:151642193557No10 staff reportedly held ‘wine-time Fridays’ every week during Covid pandemicDowning Street staff held “wine-time Fridays” every week during the pandemic that Boris Johnson encouraged, reports say.The regular gatherings were encouraged by the prime minister who wanted aides to “let off steam”, despite harsh lockdown rules forbidding indoor socialising.The Daily Mirror reports that the boozy meet-ups were scheduled into the electronic calendars of approximately 50 Downing Street staff between 4pm and 7pm.They were organised by the No10 press office and would advisers from other parts of the building would regularly join in with the gatherings.The latest revelations are sure to heap yet further pressure on the beleaguered prime minister who is facing the most serious challenge to his premiership after a series of alleged parties at Downing Street. Joe Middleton14 January 2022 20:52 More

Senior Tories are calling for Boris Johnson to resign despite his apology for attending a boozy party in the garden of Downing Street during the first Covid lockdown in May 2020.The prime minister told the House of Commons this week that he thought the gathering, billed by his own principal private secretary as a “bring your booze” event, was “work” related.But the explanation was not enough to satisfy Douglas Ross, Tory leader in Scotland, who said Mr Johnson’s position was “no longer tenable” after his belated apology during Prime Minister’s Questions.Ruth Davidson, former leader in Scotland; William Wragg, vice chair of the influential 1922 Committee; Sir Roger Gale and Caroline Nokes are among the other names calling for the PM to quit.Most cabinet members have now backed Mr Johnson to continue, at least until the formal investigation into Downing Street parties has concluded, although Liz Truss, the foreign secretary and Rishi Sunak, the chancellor – both touted as potential successors to the PM – waited until late in the evening to voice their support.Several Tory MPs are rumoured to have sent in letters of no confidence to the 1992 Committee, although the number falls far short of the 54 required to trigger a leadership contest.That, coupled with the fact that Johnson has said he will not resign, means there is currently no mechanism to remove him from office.But what do you think, should he be allowed to continue? Tell us your thoughts in the poll below. More

Boris Johnson “commuted” between Downing Street and his official country residence of Chequers during the first Covid lockdown period – even after telling the public to stay at home, No 10 has admitted.The prime minister travelled to and from his grace and favour mansion in Buckinghamshire for more than 10 days after he first asked country to stop non-essential travel on 16 March 2020.Asked about the period between 16 March and 27 March 2020, a Downing Street spokesperson said: “At that time, Mrs Johnson was heavily pregnant and had been placed in a vulnerable category and advised to minimise social contact.”No 10 added: “In line with clinical guidance and to minimise the risk to her they were based at Chequers during this period, with the prime minister commuting to Downing Street to work.”On 16 March 2020 Mr Johnson told the public to “stop non-essential contact and travel”.The prime minister announced the first lockdown on 23 March 2020 with the order: “You must stay at home.” On 26 March 2020, laws came into force banning people from visiting second homes.Mr Johnson and his wife Carrie used Chequers during the first lockdown period and staff at the country residence contracted Covid at the time, sources told Tortoise Media, which first reported on the PM’s “commuting” on Friday.The prime minister tested positive for Covid on 27 March 2020 and headed into a period of self-isolation in his Downing Street flat.Downing Street denied any rules had been broken by the prime minister’s commuting during the period. A No 10 spokesperson said: “This claim that the prime minister did not comply with lockdown regulations and guidance is entirely inaccurate”.Pressure is mounting on Mr Johnson amid fresh allegations that leaving drinks events were held at Downing Street last April – the night before the Duke of Edinburgh’s funeral, while strict Covid measures were still in place.No 10 has apologised to Buckingham Palace over the gatherings held on 16 April 2021 – the day before the Queen attended the funeral alone – but refused to say if Mr Johnson knew about them.Separately, the former head of the government unit responsible for drawing up  Covid rules has apologised for organising a leaving drinks event during 2020’s Christmas lockdown.Kate Josephs, ex-chief of the government’s Covid-19 taskforce at the Cabinet Office, admitted she had gathered colleagues together for her own leaving event on 17 December 2020.Meanwhile, Mr Johnson is drawing up a list of officials to offer resignations over the partygate scandal in the weeks ahead as he battles to save his premiership, The Independent has learned.Dubbed “Operation Save Big Dog” by the PM, the plan includes a drive to work out who should go after the publication of senior official Sue Gray’s report, according to sources.Martin Reynolds, his private secretary and author of the ‘BYOB’ email, and Dan Rosenfield, Mr Johnson’s chief of staff, have both been noted as making a possible exit.Several Tory MPs told The Independent they expected Mr Johnson to cling on to power until Ms Gray’s report, and did not think the 54 no-confidence letters needed to trigger a leadership challenge would be sent to the head of the 1922 committee of backbenchers next week.One Tory backbencher told The Independent that he was “close” to sending in a letter of no confidence – and warned the PM there could be a “tsunami” of letters soon. “It depends on how damning the Sue Gray report, or whether more revelations come out – photos of parties would be very bad.” More