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When Darlington was announced this week as the location for the government’s new Treasury North campus, even the local newspaper – the great Northern Echo – appeared surprised.In a guide to the north-east market town for London-based civil servants suddenly facing the prospect of relocation, the paper attempted to list what the place was best known for.Railway heritage, Quakers and Vic Reeves were on its list before the sound of straws being clutched could perhaps be heard. “In 1939,” the article told any reading mandarins, “Darlington had the most cinema seats per head of population in the United Kingdom.”Safe to say, not all officials are understood to be relishing the shift in which 750 jobs will move here as part of Boris Johnson’s plan to ultimately move 22,000 government roles out of the capital.But in Darlington itself, such potential reluctance can do nothing to dampen enthusiasm. Even on a wet and windy locked-down Thursday, the excitement that this Tees Valley town – population 92,000 – is set to become home to one of the major offices of state is palpable.“It’s the best thing to happen to the town since I got into politics,” says council leader Heather Scott OBE. “And that was 45 years ago.”Why so brilliant? Because the move – announced as part of the budget and a symbolic plank of the Conservatives’ levelling up agenda – will result in investment, regeneration and economic growth here on a scale not seen in generations, she reckons. Where the government leads, others will now follow.“It’s been a tough year so this was just the news we needed,” says Scott, herself a Tory whose party won control of the authority in 2019 for the first time since the Seventies. “Now, we just want to make it happen as quickly as possible.”Is she worried by those rumours that civil servants are not necessarily keen to move? A look of complete bafflement. “Why would anyone not want to come and live in Darlington?” asks the 81-year-old.The correct answer, of course, is no reason at all.This corner of north-east England may have suffered savagely at the hands of both deindustrialisation and austerity over the past half century but Darlington undoubtedly has much to offer.There are good schools, streets crammed with independent businesses and Victorian market hall currently undergoing a £2 million redevelopment that (so the pitch goes) will turn it into a foodie paradise. There are three theatres, an expanding university campus and – perhaps the true sign of any up-and-coming area – an independent gin distillery. That’s called Little Quaker and is located down a cobbled yard, a stone’s throw from both a coffee roastery and a Syrian restaurant. More

Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, could be drawn into the bullying investigation launched amid the royal rift over the Duke and Duchess of Sussex just as the government is  facing  the challenges of coronavirus, Brexit and Scottish independence.Mr Case may have to answer questions in an investigation announced by Buckingham Palace into allegations of bullying of staff by the duchess.He was told about the allegations, it is claimed, 16 months ago while working as the Duke of Cambridge’s private secretary.Mr Case has since been appointed cabinet secretary, succeeding Mark Sedwill, and  becoming the youngest head of the civil service for a century. Boris Johnson is reported to have personally approached Prince William to bring the highly regarded civil servant back into government in September. His previous posts have included strategy director at GCHQ, policy adviser at the Ministry of Defence and director general at the Northern Ireland Office.Mr Case is reported to have received an email in October 2018 from a colleague, Jason Knauf, then communications secretary at Kensington Palace, saying, “I am very concerned that the duchess was able to bully two PAs out of the household in the past year”.  The email, leaked to The Times, said the treatment of another member of staff was “totally unacceptable” and that, “the duchess seems intent on always having someone in her sights. She is bullying Y [name withheld] and seeking to undermine her confidence. We have had report after report from people who have witnessed unacceptable behaviour towards Y.”Buckingham Palace announced on Wednesday evening that an investigation will be launched into the bullying claims.It said: “We are clearly very concerned about allegations in The Times following claims made by former staff of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex. Accordingly our HR team will look into the circumstances outlined in the article. “Members of staff involved at the time, including those who have left the household, will be invited to participate to see if lessons can be learned.” The royal rift is due to widen further on Sunday with Meghan appearing in a “tell-all” interview with Oprah Winfrey screened on CBS in America. ITV will broadcast the interview in the UK on Monday.A spokesperson for Harry and Meghan has denied the allegations of bullying, calling them a “calculated smear campaign based on misleading and harmful information”.In a legal letter to the The Times, they added that the duchess was, “saddened by this latest attack on her character, particularly as someone who has been the target of bullying herself and is deeply committed to supporting those who have experienced pain and trauma”.On Thursday, the government reached a settlement – reportedly worth around £340,000 – with Sir Philip Rutnam, the former permanent secretary in the Home Office, who had threatened to take Priti Patel, the secretary of state, to an employment tribunal, claiming he was forced out for trying to stop her bullying staff, which she denied. A senior Whitehall official said:  “This is a big distraction for Simon Case at a difficult and busy time for us all. He has been dragged into this and will probably have to speak to this investigation.“As far as one knows, the conclusions [of the investigation] aren’t expected to be made public for quite a while but one thing one can bet on is there’s going to be lots of leaks in the media.“There are likely to be legal repercussions If it’s proved that bullying did take place,  then, presumably, there will be people seeking compensation, especially if there was any kind of cover-up over this. This is a pretty toxic subject.”Another Whitehall official held it was highly unlikely that any evidence will be found that Mr Case is culpable of wrongdoing.The official said: “As far as I am aware Simon’s remit did not include handling this sort of issue with staff, and he passed the matter on to the HR people.“Anyone who knows Simon will know he is not a person to condone bullying. But there’ll be a fair amount of publicity, no doubt, with so much briefing now going on by both sides.”Asked about Mr Case and the bullying allegations, the prime minister’s spokesperson said, “it is a matter for the palace”. More

Boris Johnson has appealed for over-80s to continue observing lockdown restrictions after receiving the Covid vaccine, as a new study found that more than 40 per cent had breached them.For those who had already had their second dose of the vaccine, this figure climbed to 48 per cent.Despite the success of the vaccine rollout and the government’s announcement of its plans to ease lockdown in the coming months, it remains against the regulations to meet socially indoors or outdoors with anyone outside your household or support bubble.Asked about the findings, Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said the prime minister was urging people to remain patient after and continue observing the rules after receiving the jab.The spokesman said: “He would say that … it is important that people continue to follow the guidelines that are in place. “We are allowing some easements from Monday next week, in terms of allowing for one-on-one recreational meetings in public places.“But it is important as we move through the pandemic that people continue to follow the rules and guidelines.”The spokesman said the government had deliberately built in five-week delays between each step of England’s roadmap out of lockdown in order to be able to check whether each relaxation of restrictions has led to an upsurge in infections before moving on to the next.Although the evidence now shows the vaccines are highly effective at protecting those inoculated from becoming ill with coronavirus, current government rules do not provide any exemption to lockdown restrictions for the more than 20 million Britons who have now been vaccinated.The new figures came just days after the deputy chief medical officer for England, Jonathan Van Tam, had urged those who had been vaccinated not to let their guard down and be lulled into a false sense of security. Speaking during a Downing Street press conference on Friday, he said: “It is a bit like being 3-0 up in a game and thinking, ‘We can’t possibly lose this now’ – but how many times have we seen the other side take it 4-3?“Do not wreck this now. It is too early to relax. Just continue to maintain discipline and hang on just a few more months.”But it appears his pleas are falling on deaf ears for many. The most common group the lockdown-busting octogenarians said they had spent time with inside was their children, with 23% admitting to either going to their children’s homes or inviting them into theirs after having their jab.Nine per cent of those surveyed also said they had seen their grandchildren, and 6% their friends.However, not all of the over-80s who had been vaccinated had begun unilaterally relaxing lockdown – one in five people said they had not left home for any reason since they were given their jab.There was also evidence the vaccines were beginning to lower fears among the elderly, who have suffered the most deaths of any during the pandemic.The ONS survey, which polled 2,000 of those aged 80 and above in mid-February, showed that before vaccination just under half (49%) believed covid to be a major or significant risk to them personally.But for those who had received both doses of the vaccine, this plummeted to just 5%.A quarter of the over-80s also said they would be more likely to go to hospital if they had other medical problems after being vaccinated; and this increased to 33% for those who had already had their second jab.Despite 41% reporting they had experienced some side-effects from the vaccine, an enormous 96% said they would be likely to recommend others also come forward for the jab once it is their turn.“The rollout of the Covid-19 vaccination is, no doubt, a huge relief to many people aged over 80, as we can see that almost half of them, when asked, considered Covid-19 to be a major or significant personal risk before receiving the vaccination,” said Tim Gibbs from the ONS.“This decreases to just 5% having the same concern after hypothetically receiving both doses of the vaccine.“We hope to start to see these wider positive effects of the vaccine rollout as it continues across more age groups in the coming weeks.” More

Stripping the £20 uplift to universal credit will disproportionately impact single mothers, the government has been warned ahead of the chancellor’s final decision on the matter.Rishi Sunak rolled out the £20 weekly increase to universal credit during the initial stages of the coronavirus pandemic – a period that also saw record numbers of people apply for the financial support mechanism.However, anti-poverty groups have repeatedly warned that if the uplift is scrapped, hundreds of thousands of people will be plunged below the poverty line – with separate studies from the Legatum Institute and the Fabian society both predicting between 690,000 and 760,000 people will fall into poverty if the top up is removed.Freedom of information data obtained by Save the Children has revealed women account for almost 90 per cent of the more than 1 million single parents claiming the benefit.More than 962,000 single mothers are universal credit claimants, according to the data – with 45 per cent of them currently in work.Single mothers make up 3.5 per cent of the total UK population according to ONS data – however as a group they make up around 16 per cent of universal credit claimants.Becca Lyon, Head of Child Poverty at Save the Children, said: “Single mothers have been particularly hard hit by this crisis and taking money away from them at this time will leave them to struggle even more. “Even with the additional £20 per week in universal credit, mothers tell us they’re having to go without meals or electricity just to make sure their children have food to eat. “One mum told us she is burning candles because she cannot afford to pay for electricity. This should not be happening in 2021.”In the run-up to the Budget the chancellor has declined to comment on whether he would extend the uplift, which is due to come to a close in April.However he is expected to extend the measure in his budget for a further six months amid pressure from backbenchers – particularly conservatives in newly-won northern seats where constituents could be particularly hard hit.Ms Lyon added: “Providing support for only another six months just won’t cut it. We know the worst of the economic impact from coronavirus is yet to be felt, so we urge the UK government to use the Budget to extend the uplift to universal credit for at least a year. “Taking this lifeline away could be the difference between children having enough food to eat or having to go without meals.” More

Prime minister Boris Johnson has unveiled his “roadmap to recovery,” laying out a timeline for the easing of the social restrictions introduced in early January to quell the spread of Covid-19.Speaking in the Commons, Mr Johnson unveiled a “cautious” and “prudent” four-stage plan to lift lockdown restrictions, which will allow people to reunite with loved ones in and some sectors to reopen.From 8 March, care home residents will be allowed a single regular visitor, with visitors required to take a lateral flow test and wear personal protective equipment.The PM confirmed plans for all schools and colleges in England to reopen from 8 March, with outdoor after-school sports and activities also allowed to restart. The 8 March easing will also see socially distanced one-to-one meetings with others outdoors in a public space permitted – meaning friends and family members could sit down for a coffee or have a picnic in the park.Outdoor gatherings of up to six people or two households may then be allowed later in the month, from 29 March. Outdoor sports will also be allowed again from this date, and the strict “stay at home” guidance will be relaxed to “stay local”.The hospitality industry will have to stay closed until 12 April at the earliest. From then, it is hoped that pubs and restaurants can reopen to serve customers outdoors as long as groups adhere to the rule of six and are comprised of no more than two households.Such venues will no longer have to comply with previous restrictions such as curfews and substantial meals in order to reopen, but customers must be seated.Non-essential retail, including hairdressers, beauty salons, and tattoo parlours, as well as facilities such as libraries, zoos, museums and self-contained accommodation will also be allowed to reopen no earlier than 12 April.Up to 30 people will be allowed to attend funerals, but weddings will be limited to 15 guests.We can expect masks, two-metre distancing and hand sanitiser to be with us for some time, as the vaccine rollout continues over the coming months to take in the less “at risk” groups.We still remain a long way from the prospect of large crowds attending live events, with music festivals like Glastonbury and major sporting events like the European Championships or the Tokyo Olympic Games seemingly not viable until the majority of spectators have been vaccinated, although testing or vaccine certificates at the turnstiles could provide a way forward.It is hoped that the rule of six with two households can be scrapped outdoors from 17 May, but will be implemented indoors, including inside pubs and restaurants. Gatherings of up to 30 people will be allowed, including at weddings from this date.Hotels and bed & breakfasts will be allowed to welcome guests again, and some sporting venues will be able to permit spectators, with the largest venues allowed up to 10,000 people.The last stage of the prime minister’s plan hopes to lift legal limits to social contact no earlier than 21 June. If all goes according to plan, nightclubs may be able to reopen and the government could lift restrictions on events and performances after this date.The roadmap is subject to four tests in order for the plans to go ahead, including the success of the vaccination rollout, vaccine efficacy, the continuous dropping of infection rates and emergence of new variants.The government will conduct four reviews during the period of lifting restrictions, including on Covid status certification, pilots of large events, international travel – which will still be banned until at least 17 May – and the withdrawal of antiviral rules such as social distancing and the wearing of masks.Mr Johnson spent the early weeks of February urging extreme caution regarding the lifting of lockdown restrictions, and said today that it was “inescapable” that lifting rules will result in more infections and deaths.Mr Johnson has been placed under considerable pressure from within his own party after the Covid Recovery Group led by MPs Steve Baker and Mark Harper issued a letter signed by 63 backbenchers hailing the “tremendous pace” of the UK’s vaccine rollout – with 15m jabs already administered – and calling for the swift easing of restrictions.While Mr Johnson’s Cabinet has shrugged off demands that it make “arbitrary commitments” and reserves the right to revise its roadmap in accordance with the latest data until the last minute, here’s a look at how life in Britain could look after the lockdown is eventually lifted. More

Soldiers who drink snakes’ blood and eat live geckos and scorpions in training sessions are risking catching infectious coronavirus-type diseases and even causing a new pandemic, campaigners have warned.Thousands of troops from around the world take part each year in Cobra Gold joint military exercises in Thailand, where they are encouraged to kill and eat live creatures for “survival” drills, according to animal-rights group Peta. At last year’s event, American soldiers were filmed skinning and eating live geckos, drinking blood from a decapitated snake and biting into lizards and scorpions.They then passed the carcasses round for others to gnaw at.Some participants were also recorded killing chickens with their bare hands, and one also appeared to eat a tarantula, Peta said.The government says no UK troops take part in field training at Cobra Gold, and no UK forces were involved in last year’s drill.  But Peta has written to the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, urging him to use his influence to call on the organisers to drop the live animal exercises, replacing them with “more effective and ethical” animal-free training methods.The group says these practices pose a risk of spreading zoonotic diseases like coronavirus, endangering the troops involved and the public.Condemning the “ritualistic” and “barbaric” killing and consumption of animals, Peta also says it is driving species already under threat further towards extinction.The snakes involved last year were king cobras, listed by the IUCN as vulnerable, meaning they face “a high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future”. “Shipping military personnel to Thailand to drink the blood of beheaded snakes is the kind of absurdity that could spark the next pandemic,” says Peta’s science policy manager, Julia Baines.“The crude killing of animals during this annual drill not only risks public health and endangers species vulnerable to extinction, including the king cobra, but also disgraces our troops.”Since the 1970s, it is estimated at least three dozen infectious diseases have emerged from human interference with animals, including Sars, Mers, Ebola, bird flu, swine flu and the Zika virus. Scientists suspect the virus that caused Covid-19 originated in bats and was transmitted to humans through other animals.The letter says: “The crude killing of animals during this annual drill dishonours troops, risks public health, and endangers species vulnerable to extinction.”A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The UK contributes a small number of military planners to Exercise Cobra Gold. “We do not contribute troops to the field training component of the exercise, and no UK forces were involved in the drill highlighted by the Peta campaign.” It is understood that two military planners went to last year’s exercise, and one will go to this year’s exercise, in August. More

The 133-year-old West London bridge has been closed to traffic since April 2019 when cracks appeared in its pedestals.The bridge then closed to pedestrian, cyclist and river traffic in August 2020 after a heatwave caused the faults to “significantly increase”.Frustrated residents have now projected the “UK’s biggest Valentine’s Day card” onto the bridge to mark the six-month anniversary of its full closure.Billed as the “UK’s biggest Valentine’s Day card”, the message reads: “Broken Hearts. Broken Promises. Broken Lives. Broken Bridge.”Organisers said it was addressed to a number of politicians, including Prime Minister Boris Johnson, London mayor Sadiq Khan, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps, and Hammersmith and Fulham Council leader Stephen Cowan.A government task force was launched in September last year with the aim of “opening the bridge as speedily as possible”, Mr Shapps said.He argued that at the time there had been a “lack of leadership in London on reopening this vital bridge”.Helen Pennant-Rea, chairwoman of the Hammersmith Bridge SOS Residents’ Group, said the “Valentine’s Day card” was intended to be a “fun and entertaining way to draw attention to what remains a serious issue”.She said: “It is a great shame that we need to raise further attention to the complete inability of politicians from all parties to find a satisfactory solution, to proceed with the funding and works to repair Hammersmith Bridge.”Also, to deliver the urgently needed temporary pedestrian crossing.”Hammersmith and Fulham Council, which owns the bridge, wrote a letter to the Prime Minister in August stating the estimated cost to make it safe and “avoid a potential catastrophic failure” is £46 million. More

The government failed to learn the lessons from the first wave of coronavirus last spring, resulting in a delayed national lockdown and a higher death rate over Christmas, Professor Neil Ferguson has suggested.The senior scientific adviser, who sits on the government’s Nervtag emergency virus committee, said a “fragmented” consensus over the correct level of restrictions meant the country was in a weaker position going into the winter.“Had we learnt the lessons properly from the first wave, then we would have been in a better situation coming into Christmas and much lower infection levels and therefore fewer deaths,” he told Sky News.By the end of January, half of the UK’s then-death toll of 100,000 had died in the weeks since mid-November. The total count now stands at more than 113,000.Ministers were advised in September by the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) that a nationwide “circuit breaker” lockdown was needed to curb the rapid spread of the virus but they waited until October before bringing in the tiered system and delayed a full national shutdown until the beginning of January. “We would have been in a better position for the winter had we locked down earlier in the autumn,” Professor Ferguson said. “I think the most disappointing choice – you can always go back to March and say well people were balancing very difficult considerations, but by September we knew exactly what this virus could do.“Unfortunately, because in some sense the political consensus had fragmented, governments across Europe, and this is not particularly a criticism of this government, reacted too late. “So it was only in October that we really tightened up measures, and only in November that we locked down again and then not really for long enough.”Professor Ferguson also said it was likely that despite the rollout of vaccines, people would need to continue wearing masks and observing social distancing rules for “much of this year”.”I am hoping by this time next year, it will look a lot more normal,” he said. “Maybe there will still be mask wearing for mass gatherings and things like that but I very much doubt we will be anything like where we are now.” More