News- UK

British retailers issue warning over potential online sales tax Shoppers will pay more if chancellor goes ahead with digital levy in England and Wales, says lobby groupAn online sales tax would push up prices for consumers, the British retail industry lobby group has warned, after it emerged that Rishi Sunak is exploring plans for a levy to protect high street shops from mounting competition.Against a backdrop of rising retail job losses and store closures triggered by the coronavirus crisis, the chancellor is looking at taxing internet shopping for England and Wales as a potential replacement for business rates, the levy on companies based on the premises they occupy. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: holidaymakers' plans in disarray after Spain quarantine imposed Growing concern more travel plans could be thrown into chaos in coming weeks with sudden changes to restrictions Quarantine for travellers from Spain is blunt tool, says LabourUK could impose more ‘handbrake restrictions’ on arrivals beyond SpainUK-Spain flights and holidays: what are your rights?Earlier lockdown ‘would have saved lives of London bus drivers’Coronavirus: latest global updates 12.19pm BST More than a quarter of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) NHS staff are still waiting for a risk assessment for Covid-19, data suggests. Figures seen by the Health Service Journal (HSJ) suggest 73% of BAME staff had had a risk assessment in England by 17 July, but in some ho...

Earlier lockdown would have saved lives of London bus drivers, says report Male bus drivers in capital were 3.5 times more likely to die from Covid-19 than men in other jobsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageImposing an earlier lockdown in England would have saved lives, according to a report into the high death rate of London bus drivers in the pandemic by a leading expert on health and social inequalities.Male London bus drivers aged 20 to 65 were 3.5 times more likely to die from Covid-19 between March and May than men in other occupations across England and Wales, says Sir Michael Marmot. Continue reading... Go to Source

Chief rabbi accuses Facebook and Twitter of complicity in antisemitism Ephraim Mirvis joins 48-hour boycott after grime musician Wiley’s tiradeThe UK’s chief rabbi, Ephraim Mirvis, has accused Facebook and Twitter of complicity in antisemitism through inaction as he urged both platforms do more to tackle hate speech after last week’s antisemitic tirade from the grime musician Wiley.In a letter to the technology companies’ chief executives, Mark Zuckerberg and Jack Dorsey, Mirvis said “the woeful lack of responsible leadership from companies including Twitter and Facebook … cannot be allowed to stand. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson: obesity drive will not be 'bossy or nannying' Campaigners welcome plans but there is scepticism about how effective they will proveCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has formally launched the government’s efforts to reduce obesity levels in the UK by saying it will be supportive rather than “excessively bossy or nannying”, amid some scepticism about how effective the plan will prove.While new measures will include bans on junk food advertising, there is no proposal to extend the earlier tax on sugary drinks to other products, including foods. Continue reading... Go to Source

Over-40s to pay more tax under plans to fix UK social care crisis Exclusive: Matt Hancock is advocate of plan to raise tax to cover cost of care in later lifeEveryone over 40 would start contributing towards the cost of care in later life under radical plans being studied by ministers to finally end the crisis in social care, the Guardian can reveal.Under the plan over-40s would have to pay more in tax or national insurance, or be compelled to insure themselves against hefty bills for care when they are older. The money raised would then be used to pay for the help that frail elderly people need with washing, dressing and other activities if still at home, or to cover their stay in a care home. Continue reading... Go to Source

Council of Europe 'alarmed' at Poland's plans to leave domestic violence treaty Rights body condemns move to withdraw from treaty aimed at stopping violence against womenThe Council of Europe has said it is alarmed that Poland’s rightwing government is moving to withdraw from a landmark international treaty aimed at preventing violence against women.Poland’s justice minister, Zbigniew Ziobro, said on Saturday that he would begin preparing the formal process to withdraw from the Istanbul convention on Monday. The treaty is the world’s first binding instrument to prevent and tackle violence against women, from marital rape to female genital mutilation. Continue reading... Go to Source

Raab defends 14-day quarantine for travellers returning from Spain The foreign secretary said while the decision was disruptive for holidaymakers, the government could not risk a second lockdownCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, has said the government will not apologise for its snap decision to order tourists returning from Spain to quarantine, saying further spread could risk another lockdown in the UK.Raab said the government had to take “swift, decisive action” when the data from Spain showed a surge in infections right across the country. Overnight, the UK imposed snap new restrictions on holidaymakers returning from Spain on Saturday night, meaning those who return must quarantine for two weeks. Contin...

Grenfell families want inquiry to look at role of 'race and class' in tragedy Campaigners accuse Kensington council of ‘contemptuous disregard’ in decisions that led up to the fireThe Grenfell Tower fire inquiry must include a separate investigation into how “race and class” contributed to the tragedy, according to a group supporting more than a third of the deceased.The organisation, which represents 28 of the 72 individuals who died in the fire, submitted a statement on 21 July to the inquiry chairman, judge Sir Martin Moore-Bick, to request that an extra module be added to the inquiry to examine if the cost-cutting measures that helped spread the fire would have been sanctioned “if the tower block was in an affluent part of the city for an affluent white...

49% of voters believe Kremlin interfered in Brexit referendum Opinium poll for the Observer also reveals 47% of public think Putin’s government affected UK’s 2019 general election Almost half the British public believes the Russian government interfered in the EU referendum and last year’s general election, according to a poll. The latest Opinium poll for the Observer found that 49% of voters think there was Russian interference in the Brexit referendum, with 23% disagreeing. Some 47% believed Russia interfered in the December general election.The poll findings come after the long-awaited publication of the report into Russian interference by parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee last week. It found that the government had not attempted to investigate ...

Anxious middle-classes look to private schools after coronavirus disruption Exodus will create an even larger divide between affluent and disadvantaged pupilsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageIncreasing numbers of middle-class parents are planning to desert state schools this coming September, over anxieties their children have “fallen behind” private school pupils during lockdown and growing fears about the threat of further disruption to state education next year.The Independent Schools Association told the Observer that it has noticed an upsurge in the number of what it describes as “high-aspirational, worried” parents of state school pupils looking for private school places in September, while the Independent Association of Pre...

Harry angry at William's 'snobbish' advice about Meghan, book claims Prince William said to have feared brother was ‘blindsided’ by lust in his haste to marryThe royal rift that led to the Duke and Duchess of Sussex leaving Britain and stepping back from royal duties began after Prince William feared his brother had been “blindsided” by lust in his haste to marry Meghan Markle, a new book claims.Harry was offended by William’s advice to “take as much time as you need to get to know this girl”, causing tension between the two that finally led to “Megxit” , according to the authors of Finding Freedom. Continue reading... Go to Source

Antisemitism: Labour warns of cash crisis as cases grow Actions taken over breaches of privacyBill mounts as party faces key electionsLabour will this week be formally notified of a batch of potentially costly new legal actions over antisemitism – days after a warning was issued to the shadow cabinet about the devastating toll the crisis is taking on the party’s finances.The Observer can reveal that lawyers from the Manchester-based firm 3D Solicitors, representing nine current and former Labour members, will notify the party’s high command early this week of the detailed basis of claims they are making for breaches of data protection and privacy rules. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK imposes 14-day quarantine on travellers from Spain Grant Shapps, who drew up air corridor plans, caught up in move as he is holidaying in SpainCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverage The UK imposed restrictions on holidaymakers returning from Spain on Saturday night in a bid to curb the surge in coronavirus infections.The decision means those coming back from Spain will have to self­isolate for two weeks upon their return. The move, a blow to the government’s travel corridor scheme, followed a dramatic increase in the virus in Spain where nearly 1,000 infections have been reported in the past two days. Continue reading... Go to Source

Coronavirus live news: UK to announce tourists returning from Spain must quarantine for two weeks Johnny Depp’s in-person court case ‘galling’; Germany may introduce compulsory testing; funeral fees rise in Great Britain‘I can’t wait’: England’s swimmers and gym-goersUS cases pass 4m, states dial back reopeningTrump cancels Republican convention events in Florida‘Wicked enemy’: how Australia’s success unravelled 6.50pm BSTIn Yemen, where an already weak health system has been destroyed by five years of conflict and 80% of the population is in need of humanitarian assistance, the coronavirus pandemic is exacerbating what was already the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, a charity has warned.MedGlobal, alongside partners P...

Peter Green: Fleetwood Mac co-founder dies aged 73 Green co-founded band with Mick Fleetwood in 1967 and was behind a string of hits Tributes have been paid to Fleetwood Mac co-founder Peter Green after he died “peacefully in his sleep” aged 73.A statement from Swan Turton solicitors, acting on behalf of his family, said: “It is with great sadness that the family of Peter Green announce his death this weekend, peacefully in his sleep. A further statement will be provided in the coming days.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Public Health England calls for action on obesity in Covid-19 fight New evidence links obesity to increased risks of coronavirus-related hospitalisation, intensive care and deathCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe case for action on obesity has “never been stronger”, according to Public Health England , who today publish a review of evidence which shows that being overweight remains one of the biggest risk factors in the battle against Covid-19.The health agency’s review of evidence relating to weight and the effects of the virus, published on Saturday, found that the risks of hospitalisation, intensive care treatment and death all “seem to increase progressively with increasing BMI (body mass index) above the healthy weight rang...

Finding Freedom: Harry and Meghan book claims royal relations turned bitter Biography in which the Sussexes did not take part depicts deteriorating relationship with the Cambridges – Prince William and his wife, KateRelations between the Sussexes and Prince William and his wife, Kate, deteriorated so much that by March the two couples were barely speaking, extracts from a book on Harry and Meghan claims.Finding Freedom, by Omid Scobie and Carolyn Durand, claims the couples hardly spoke during an engagement at the Commonwealth service at Westminster Abbey despite not having seen each other since January amid the fallout of the Sussexes’ decision to step back from the royal family. Continue reading... Go to Source

Australia declares 'there is no legal basis' to Beijing’s claims in South China Sea Australia says China’s claims to disputed islands are ‘invalid’ and are not consistent with UN convention on law of the seaAustralia has declared “there is no legal basis” to China’s territorial and maritime claims in the South China Sea, marking an escalation of recent tensions with Beijing and bringing Canberra further in line with Washington.The declaration, made in a submission to the United Nations on Thursday, comes after the United States hardened its position earlier this month, accusing Beijing of a “completely unlawful … campaign of bullying” to control the sea. Continue reading... Go to Source

English music venues to receive £2.25m in emergency pandemic aid First cash made available from UK government’s £1.57bn emergency arts fund announced on 5 July to combat effects of Covid-19 lockdownCulture secretary Oliver Dowden has announced plans to save around 150 grassroots music venues from insolvency while cashflow is limited for venues shuttered during the coronavirus pandemic.Dowden released £2.25m for the sector from the overall £1.57bn fund announced on 5 July to shore up the arts in the UK. Continue reading... Go to Source

Germany calls on UK to show more realism in Brexit negotiations Comments will be a blow to No 10, which had hoped Merkel would help break deadlockAngela Merkel’s government has called for more realism from the UK in the ongoing trade and security talks, after the EU capitals were given a “sobering” update by Michel Barnier following the recent round of Brexit negotiations.After a presentation by the EU’s chief negotiator to ambassadors from the 27 member states on Friday, a spokesman for the German government, which holds the rolling EU presidency, said the bloc was ready to move negotiations quickly forward but “expressed the need for more realism in London”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Boris Johnson says coronavirus could have been handled differently PM concedes government did not understand the virus in ‘first few weeks and months’Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has conceded there were “things we could have done differently” over Covid-19, and admitted the government did not understand the virus in the “first few weeks and months”.In a sometimes combative interview with the BBC, the prime minister repeatedly refused to discuss any lessons that could be learned before a possible second wave of Covid-19 this winter, saying it was not the moment to “run a kind of inquiry into what happened in the past”. Continue reading... Go to Source

PC Andrew Harper's widow 'shocked' at manslaughter verdict Teenagers Henry Long and passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers cleared of murder The widow of PC Andrew Harper, who died after being dragged along a road by a getaway car in Berkshire in August 2019, has said she is “utterly shocked and appalled” after three teenagers were cleared of his murder.Henry Long, 19, the driver, and his passengers Jessie Cole and Albert Bowers, both 18, were found guilty of manslaughter at the Old Bailey. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK working mothers are 'sacrificial lambs' in coronavirus childcare crisis Exclusive: Survey reveals lack of childare played role in almost half of female layoffs‘Sexist policies’: mothers struggle to return to workEconomic fallout from pandemic will hit women hardest‘When our nursery reopened only 7 kids came back’Women are being treated as “sacrificial lambs” as the UK economy contracts, with half of working mothers unable to access the childcare they need to return to work, according to a survey exposing the scale of the UK’s childcare crisis.As the government was accused by MPs from both sides of the political divide of ignoring and sidelining women in its response to the coronavirus pandemic, the survey revealed a lack of childcare played a...

Paulette Wilson: 'a precious gem … broken by the UK government' People pay tribute to leading Windrush campaigner who has died unexpectedlyWithout Wilson, Windrush may have remained hiddenPaulette Wilson, a prominent Windrush campaigner who has died unexpectedly at the age of 64, was a “precious gem … broken by the government”, a family friend and fellow campaigner has said.Wilson was wrongly detained and threatened with deportation by the Home Office, and campaigned for justice for herself and others affected by the government’s “hostile environment” policies. Last month she was among those who presented a petition to Downing Street calling on the government to deliver justice to those affected by the scandal. Continue reading... Go to Source

Trump is using federal agents as his 'goon squad', says Ice's ex-acting head John Sandweg says the deployment of homeland security officials is a ‘manufactured crisis’ stemming from ‘a failure of leadership’The former acting director of the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency, which works under the Department of Homeland Security, has condemned the Trump administration’s handling of protests in Portland by deploying federal agents into the city. Related: Portland clampdown: why are federal agents there and what are they doing? Continue reading... Go to Source

Lack of testing and PPE among key England Covid-19 mistakes, MPs told Exclusive: older people also ‘catastrophically let down’ by hospital discharges to care homesCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageA lack of protective equipment, inadequate testing, and discharging people from hospitals into care homes were the key mistakes made by the government in its approach to coronavirus in England, according to the first responses given to a major coronavirus inquiry seen exclusively by the Guardian.Older people were “catastrophically let down” and many died before their time, according to a damning submission from the Age UK charity. It also described the initial policy of discharging the elderly from hospital into care settings without a Co...

Labour to urge HMRC to investigate Sports Direct pay levels Move comes after Guardian inquiry suggests firm may be paying below minimum wage Have working conditions improved at Sports Direct warehouse?Labour’s frontbench is to ask HMRC to investigate pay levels at Sports Direct, after expert analysis of a Guardian undercover investigation suggested the company could be paying below the minimum wage.The move by Andy McDonald, the shadow secretary of state for employment rights, comes after the Guardian returned to the company’s warehouse in Shirebrook, Derbyshire, five years after a first undercover investigation exposed how workers at the site were being paid less than the national minimum wage. Continue reading... Go to Source

One in three public leisure centres in England to remain shut as funds dry up Future of many council-owned sites hangs in balance as covid lockdown tips finances into redHow gyms and pools in England will look as lockdown easesEngland’s gym-goers and swimmers react to reopeningsApproximately a third of England’s public leisure centres will remain closed on Saturday as a widespread picture of financial distress among community leisure operators overshadows the long-awaited reopening of gyms and indoor swimming pools.While privately owned chains such as PureGym, David Lloyd and Virgin Active are eager to proceed with opening plans, the charitable trusts behind the country’s 2,116 council-owned sites, are being circumspect as coronavirus restrictions tip their finances in...

Top lawyer accused of relaying offer of £1m 'bribe' to police, say court transcripts Exclusive: Mishcon de Reya partner Mike Stubbs allegedly relayed offer as part of plot to release €300m from Swiss bank account A lawyer at one of the UK’s most prestigious law firms has been accused of relaying an offer of a £1m “bribe” to police officers as part of a bizarre plot to release €300m (£274m) hidden in a Swiss bank account, according to court transcripts obtained by the Guardian.Mike Stubbs, a partner at Mishcon de Reya, allegedly told two Metropolitan police detectives that a former SAS sergeant with intelligence contacts had concocted a plan to release what were described as “CIA funds” being held in the Swiss bank for “covert&rd...