IAIN DUNCAN SMITH: I hope the scientists have got their sums right

I hope the scientists have got their sums right: IAIN DUNCAN SMITH fears collective failure in response to the virus will leave the UK and others teetering on the edge of economic and political disaster By Iain Duncan Smith For The Daily Mail Published: 23:49 GMT, 1 November 2020 | Updated: 23:53 GMT, 1 November … Read more

Rishi Sunak was reluctant to accept lockdown but did NOT threaten to resign

Rishi Sunak was reluctant to agree to the second national lockdown in light of the threat to the economy and the huge £5 billion cost of furlough, sources said last night. The Chancellor was one of those at the Downing Street meeting on Friday which decided to go ahead with new restrictive measures. A source … Read more

Rishi Sunak was reluctant to accept lockdown but did NOT threaten to resign

Rishi Sunak was reluctant to agree to the second national lockdown in light of the threat to the economy and the huge £5 billion cost of furlough, sources said last night. The Chancellor was one of those at the Downing Street meeting on Friday which decided to go ahead with new restrictive measures. A source … Read more

Covid-19: Expert warns Gove schools in England may have to close

Keeping schools open during the November lockdown in England could mean infection rates stay higher for longer than when nationwide restrictions were first introduced in March, a leading scientist has warned. Former chief scientific adviser Sir Mark Walport said the new restrictions were not as ‘severe’ as the first time round, and that there was … Read more

Covid lockdown: Leak of secret plans for forced Boris Johnson to act

Boris Johnson Johnson was catapulted into announcing a total lockdown for England last night after a whirlwind 24 hours which saw events appear to totally escape his grasp. The Prime Minister faced the country last night to announce a four-week shutdown from Thursday until December 2, in the wake of a surge of coronavirus cases … Read more

Covid lockdown: Leak of secret plans for forced Boris Johnson to act

Boris Johnson Johnson was catapulted into announcing a total lockdown for England last night after a whirlwind 24 hours which saw events appear to totally escape his grasp. The Prime Minister faced the country last night to announce a four-week shutdown from Thursday until December 2, in the wake of a surge of coronavirus cases … Read more

Coronavirus UK: Tory civil war as anti-lockdown MPs accuse PM of being ‘bounced’ into shutdown

Furious anti-lockdown Tory MPs last night accused Boris Johnson of allowing himself to be bounced into an England-wide shutdown after No10 binned its three-tier Covid-19 alert system.   Conservatives were outraged that plans to plunge the country into a second shutdown were leaked to the Saturday papers, including the Mail, before the Prime Minister’s announcement in … Read more

No 10 aide on when health bosses told PM ice rinks might have to be used as mortuaries for Covid

It was the moment when Rishi Sunak finally lost his battle with Matt Hancock and Michael Gove to avert a crippling second national lockdown. The all-powerful Covid Quad committee, which has taken all the key strategic decisions during the pandemic, met in the Cabinet Office on Friday amid doomsday predictions from the Government’s SAGE committee … Read more

No 10 aide on when health bosses told PM ice rinks might have to be used as mortuaries for Covid

It was the moment when Rishi Sunak finally lost his battle with Matt Hancock and Michael Gove to avert a crippling second national lockdown. The all-powerful Covid Quad committee, which has taken all the key strategic decisions during the pandemic, met in the Cabinet Office on Friday amid doomsday predictions from the Government’s SAGE committee … Read more

Matt Hancock at the centre of a Government leak inquiry after PM over new lockdown

Who’s the lockdown leaker? Pro-restriction Matt Hancock is at the centre of leak inquiry after PM had to reveal new rules two days earlier than planned Downing Street has announced an extraordinary inquiry into Government leaks It came after news of the second national lockdown appeared in the papers before some Cabinet members had been … Read more