News- UK

Boris Johnson says 'anti-vaxxers are nuts' Prime minister makes comments while promoting extension of free winter flu jabsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson has said people opposed to vaccinations are “nuts” as he promotes an expanded programme of flu jabs that ministers hope will ease pressure on the NHS if there is a second wave of coronavirus this winter.Visiting a doctors’ surgery in London on Friday, the prime minister said to staff: “There’s all these anti-vaxxers now. They are nuts, they are nuts.” Continue reading... Go to Source

Sturgeon accuses Johnson of using Covid-19 as 'political weapon' First minister says no one should be ‘celebrating’ crisis as PM visits ScotlandCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageBoris Johnson was accused of using the coronavirus pandemic “as some kind of political weapon” by Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, against a backdrop of rising tension over the future of the union.Sturgeon accused the prime minster of “celebrating” the pandemic after Johnson used his first visit to Scotland since last December’s election to hammer home his message that the UK’s response to the virus exemplified the “sheer might” of the union. He claimed it would have spelled economic disaster for Scotland...

Adults over 50 and some secondary school pupils to get free flu jab Hope that vaccines will avert NHS being overwhelmed by flu season alongside a resurgent coronavirusAll adults over 50 and children in the first year of secondary school in England will be offered a free flu vaccination this autumn in a campaign to try to avoid the NHS being overwhelmed in the event of a second Covid-19 wave.In a bid to escape the nightmare scenario of a bad flu season alongside a resurgence of the coronavirus, the government has successfully secured contracts for 30 million doses of flu vaccine, double the number that were administered last year. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK efforts to penetrate Kremlin would not be shared with ISC Whitehall sources argue that criticism of Britain’s spy agencies work on Russia is unfairWhat does the UK’s Russia report say? Key points explainedBritish efforts to penetrate the Kremlin are kept so secret that they would not be shared with the intelligence and security committee (ISC), according to Whitehall sources who argue that the body’s criticism of their work on Russia is unfair.Critical intelligence would only be shared in a tight circle with the prime minister, senior ministers and officials – and not, even retrospectively, with the committee that concluded Britain’s spy agencies had “taken their eye off the ball” on Russia. Continue reading... Go to Source

Windrush campaigner Paulette Wilson dies aged 64 Wilson, who was nearly deported in 2017, delivered a petition to Downing Street last monthPaulette Wilson, a prominent Windrush campaigner who was wrongly detained and threatened with deportation by the Home Office, has died unexpectedly at the age of 64, a month after delivering a petition to Downing Street calling on the government to deliver justice to those affected by the scandal.Wilson’s daughter, Natalie Barnes, said she had found her mother on Thursday morning; she appeared to have died in her sleep. “My mum was a fighter and she was ready to fight for anyone. She was an inspiration to many people. She was my heart and my soul and I loved her to pieces,” Barnes said. Continue reading... Go to Source

European committee chairs jointly condemn China over Hong Kong Chairs of eight parliamentary foreign affairs committees say new security law infringes human rightsThe chairs of eight parliamentary foreign affairs committees from across Europe have written to the Chinese government in opposition to Hong Kong’s new security law, saying it infringes on “basic human rights” in their countries.The joint statement by the committee chairs – from countries including Germany, the UK, Belgium, Latvia, Norway and the European parliament itself – shows a network of parliamentarians is being constructed to shift European governments towards a harder stance on China’s abuse of human rights. Continue reading... Go to Source

Sports Direct may be paying less than minimum wage, investigation shows Exclusive: Undercover investigation finds staff unable to leave premises during breaksHave working conditions improved at the Sports Direct warehouse?Warehouse workers at Sports Direct, the retail chain controlled by the colourful billionaire Mike Ashley, appear to be receiving pay below the national minimum wage, according to expert analysis of a new Guardian undercover investigation.The concerns have emerged almost five years after the Guardian first exposed how the retailer was breaching minimum wage law, which resulted in workers receiving about £1m in back pay and Ashley being hauled in front of a parliamentary select committee. Continue reading... Go to Source

Face masks mandatory in shops, takeaways and stations in England from Friday Banks, post offices and airports will also be subject to new rules, government confirms Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageFace coverings will be compulsory in takeaways, banks and post offices as well as shops, supermarkets, indoor shopping centres and stations in England from Friday, the government has announced.Coverings, such as cloth masks or bandanas, must be worn when buying food and drink to take away, but if sitting down and consuming their purchase in the same premises, a customer can remove their face covering in order to eat and drink there. Continue reading... Go to Source

Considerable gaps remain in Brexit talks, says UK negotiator David Frost warns of prospect of no deal but insists agreement can still be reached by SeptemberBritain and EU still face “considerable gaps” in significant areas over a Brexit deal, the UK’s chief negotiator, David Frost, has said, while insisting he still believes an agreement can be reached in September.The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, in his own comments following the end of the fifth round of formal talks, appeared more downbeat, saying the UK had “not shown the same level of engagement” as the EU in trying to find solutions. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK coronavirus live: Johnson claims Covid crisis would have been 'disaster' for Scotland if it had been independent Prime minister aims to use his visit to Scotland today to strengthen case for the unionBoris Johnson praises ‘sheer might’ of UK as he heads to ScotlandUK failed to plan for economic impact of pandemic, says watchdogUK trade department to tackle ‘fake news’ with new rebuttal role‘A hell of a year’: Tories reflect on 12 months led by Boris JohnsonGlobal coronavirus updates – live 12.55pm BSTSturgeon says she would have been willing to meet with Boris Johnson if he had asked for a meeting. She says she thinks she last spoke to him on the day of the knife attack in Glasgow (on 26 June). 12.52pm BSTQ: The PM says the coronavirus crisis...

'We look like fools': UK-US ties threatened by corruption case row Exchanges show how American prosecutors stymied British efforts to extradite key suspectBritish anti-corruption investigators accused their US counterparts of deceiving them during a row over a criminal inquiry that threatened cooperation between the countries and prompted the UK to complain that “we look like fools”.The extraordinary dispute is laid bare in a series of confidential exchanges, seen by the Guardian, between senior levels of the UK’s Serious Fraud Office (SFO), which prosecutes large-scale bribery and corruption, and the US Department of Justice. Continue reading... Go to Source

Momentum founder apologises for joining Labour attack on whistleblowers Jon Lansman’s comments understood to be part of high court antisemitism settlementJon Lansman, the founder of Momentum, has apologised for joining Labour’s attack on the whistleblowers who broke their silence about the party’s handling of antisemitism on Panorama last year.It is understood the apology is part of the agreed high court settlement with the former Labour party staff. Continue reading... Go to Source

'Virtually entire' fashion industry complicit in Uighur forced labour, say rights groups Human rights coalition says cotton produced in camps in Xinjiang region finds its way into one in five cotton products worldwideMany of the world’s biggest fashion brands and retailers are complicit in the forced labour and human rights violations being perpetrated on millions of Uighur people in the Xinjiang region of northwestern China, says a coalition of more than 180 human rights groups.There is mounting global outrage over the atrocities being committed against the Uighur population in the region, including torture, forced separation and the compulsory sterilisation of Uighur women. Continue reading... Go to Source

Test and trace failing to contact thousands in England's worst-hit areas Exclusive: proportion of close contacts being reached is below 80% in high infection areasCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe government’s flagship test-and-trace system is failing to contact thousands of people in areas with the highest infection rates in England, raising further questions about the £10bn programme described by Boris Johnson as “world-beating”.Local leaders and directors of public health are demanding more control over the tracing operation amid concerns that their ability to contain the virus is being put at risk. Continue reading... Go to Source

New £100m NHS intensive care unit shut over fire safety fears Exclusive: King’s College hospital in London forced to shut ICU after it failed checksA newly built £100m intensive care unit at an NHS hospital has been closed after it failed fire safety checks, leading to seriously ill patients being moved out.King’s College hospital in south London has had to shut the critical care unit after its own engineers and the London fire brigade identified problems that could potentially make it unsafe. Continue reading... Go to Source

Antisemitism: Labour settlement plunges party into civil war Jeremy Corbyn’s statement caused astonishment among the litigants in the libel actionLabour’s decision to pay a six-figure libel settlement to ex-staffers who claimed the party was failing to deal with antisemitism plunged the party back into civil war on Wednesday with Jeremy Corbyn publicly condemning his successor’s decision to settle the case.The former Labour leader’s statement caused astonishment among the litigants in the libel action, with Panorama journalist John Ware confirming to the Guardian that he was “consulting his lawyers” and raising the prospect of another costly court battle over Labour and antisemitism. Continue reading... Go to Source

Global heating: best and worst case scenarios less likely than thought Uncertainty over climate outcomes reduced but experts warn urgent reduction in CO2 levels is essential Doomsayers and hopemongers alike may need to revise their climate predictions after a study that almost rules out the most optimistic forecasts for global heating while downplaying the likelihood of worst-case scenarios.The international team of scientists involved in the research say they have narrowed the range of probable climate outcomes, which reduces the uncertainty that has long plagued public debate about this field. Continue reading... Go to Source

Julian Lewis warns Dominic Cummings not to politicise ISC inquiries Intelligence and security committee chair tells MPs no special advisers should be allowed near itJulian Lewis, the new chair of parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC), has demanded that ministers prevent Dominic Cummings and other special advisers from politicising its future inquiries.The independent MP told a Commons debate on the Russia report on Wednesday that he had been warned by a journalist that “some people within government” had tried to sack the committee’s civil service secretariat and “make political appointments” instead. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK politics live news: Keir Starmer presses Boris Johnson at PMQs over Russian threat to national security PM faces Labour leader in parliament; decision to settle Panorama antisemitism libel case turning point for party, says LabourLabour pays out six-figure sum and apologises in antisemitism row Coronavirus – latest updates 12.34pm BSTLayla Moran (LD) says she is chairing a group to look at the lessons learnt from Covid. Will the government take its recommendations seriously.Johnson says he will be happy to look at them. 12.33pm BSTJohnson says the government will be spending more on coastal towns, including Truro. Continue reading... Go to Source

Labour pays out six-figure sum and apologises in antisemitism row Party settles with whistleblowers and BBC reporter John Ware over ‘false allegations’The Labour party has apologised “unreservedly” and paid out a six-figure sum to seven former employees and a veteran BBC journalist, admitting it defamed them in the aftermath of a Panorama investigation into its handling of antisemitism. Continue reading... Go to Source

First active leak of sea-bed methane discovered in Antarctica Researchers say potent climate-heating gas almost certainly escaping into atmosphereThe first active leak of methane from the sea floor in Antarctica has been revealed by scientists.The researchers also found microbes that normally consume the potent greenhouse gas before it reaches the atmosphere had only arrived in small numbers after five years, allowing the gas to escape. Continue reading... Go to Source

Home Office urged to correct false slavery information in citizenship test Exclusive: Historians demand ‘fundamentally misleading’ details on British empire and slavery are correctedMore than 175 historians have called on the Home Office to remove the history element of the UK citizenship test because of its “misleading and false” representation of slavery and empire.The signatories say the official handbook, which the Life in the UK test is based on, creates a distorted version of history, which directly counters the values of tolerance and fairness it purports to promote. Continue reading... Go to Source

Tim Smith, frontman of cult band the Cardiacs, dies aged 59 Smith, who fronted unique prog-punk group, had long-term health difficulties after a heart attack and stroke in 2008Tim Smith, frontman with cult British band the Cardiacs, has died aged 59.The news was confirmed by his bandmate Kavus Torabi. Another band representative said Smith had “passed away peacefully [Tuesday] night around 10.30pm”. Continue reading... Go to Source

Mike Pompeo attacks WHO in private meeting during UK visit US secretary of state said the World Health Organization was responsible for Britons who had died from Covid-19Coronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe US secretary of state Mike Pompeo launched an extraordinary attack on the World Health Organization during a private meeting in the UK, accusing it of being in the pocket of China and responsible for “dead Britons” who passed away during the pandemic.Pompeo told those present that he believed the WHO was “political not a science-based organisation” and accused its current director general Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus of being too close to Beijing. Continue reading... Go to Source

Russia report reveals UK government failed to investigate Kremlin interference Intelligence and security committee publishes long-delayed findings on Russian influence over UK politicsWhat does the UK’s Russia report say? Key points explainedThe British government and intelligence agencies failed to prepare or conduct any proper assessment of Kremlin attempts to interfere with the 2016 Brexit referendum, according to the long-delayed Russia report.The damning conclusion is contained within the 50-page document from parliament’s intelligence and security committee, which said ministers in effect turned a blind eye to allegations of Russian disruption. Continue reading... Go to Source

Greta Thunberg says EU recovery plan fails to tackle climate crisis Exclusive: Activist says €750bn fund shows leaders not treating global heating as emergencyGreta Thunberg has accused EU politicians of failing to acknowledge the scale of the climate crisis and said its €750bn Covid-19 recovery plan does not do enough to tackle the issue.The climate campaigner said the package of measures agreed by EU leaders proved that politicians were still not treating climate change as an emergency. Continue reading... Go to Source

UK targets up to 12 Covid-19 vaccines from around the world Head of the government’s vaccines taskforce reveals strategy aimed at ‘exploring the landscape’ and hedging betsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageThe UK government aims to secure stocks not of one vaccine or even two – but up to 12 that are being developed around the world, hedging its bets to ensure it has something that works as early as possible to try to end the health, social and economic havoc being wreaked by Covid-19.As Oxford University published its first results, showing its vaccine is safe and provokes a good immune response, Kate Bingham, chair of the government’s vaccines taskforce, explained that the strategy was to have an entire portfolio, not just o...

Campaigners launch legal challenge against UK's green recovery plans Plan B says government proposals unlawful in light of obligations to cut emissionsCoronavirus – latest updatesSee all our coronavirus coverageClimate campaigners have launched a formal legal challenge against the government’s green recovery plans, claiming they are inadequate and “clearly unlawful” in light of the UK’s obligations to reduce emissions.Plan B, the pressure group that successfully challenged the UK government over its plans to expand Heathrow, sent a “pre-action” letter to the prime minister and the chancellor on Tuesday, saying the government was missing an historic opportunity to avoid catastrophe. Continue reading... Go to Source

Priti Patel promises 'compassionate' Home Office after Windrush scandal Home secretary lays out five-point plan to implement recommendations of independent review Priti Patel has promised to revolutionise the culture of the Home Office in the wake of the Windrush scandal, pledging a more compassionate, “people first” approach to immigration to meet the recommendations of an independent review into UK government failures.While Labour welcomed the home secretary’s response to Wendy Williams’ review of lessons learned from the scandal, it said the government lacked credibility on the issue, and queried the slow pace of compensation payments to those wrongly targeted for immigration enforcement. Continue reading... Go to Source

Government rejects ISC's call for inquiry into Russian interference in Brexit referendum - live news Report was sent to Downing Street in October last year, in time for publication before the general electionFull story: Russia report reveals UK government failed to investigate Kremlin interferenceGlobal coronavirus updates – live 12.43pm BSTAnd these are from the businessman Bill Browder on the ISC report. Browder has been a prominent campaigner against Russian corruption following the death of the Russian lawyer working on his behalf, Sergei Magnitsky, following his mistreatment by the Russian authorities.My initial take on Russia report: This is a strong report. The ISC recognizes the whole Russian enabler problem in London-lawyers, accountants and consultants getting rich off d...