Nadhim Zahawi struggles to defend Boris Johnson over isolation decision

Boris Johnson’s lockdown-sceptic WhatsApps to Dominic Cummings last autumn closely resemble ideas in a fringe anti-lockdown opinion piece published in the Telegraph newspaper a few days earlier.

All the claims revealed in leaked messages were made virtually word-for-word in a comment piece published just a few days before in the 11 October edition of the newspaper – which until recently paid Mr Johnson £275,000 a year.

Critics have accused the prime minister of “believing everything he reads in the paper”.

The article was written by a signatory of the Great Barrington Declaration, a fringe anti-lockdown statement sponsored by US right-wing think-tank the American Institute for Economic Research.

Downing Street earlier failed to deny reports that National Insurance contributions could be increased by one percentage point for employers and employees to raise £10bn a year to fund a new social care plan, in a move that would break a Conservative manifesto pledge.

The unveiling of the long-awaited plans has been delayed until the autumn, it emerged on Tuesday, after the prime minister failed to reach agreement with key ministers ahead of parliament’s summer recess.

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UK to permanently assign two warships to Asian waters

The UK will send two warships into Asian waters to be permanently based there, Zoe Tidman reports.

The vessels will be assigned to the Indo-Pacific region from later this year, according to the British defence ministry.

This is set to follow plans for a British aircraft carrier and escort ships to carry out exercises in the Philippine Sea alongside forces from other countries in August.

The two warships – HMSSpeyand HMSTamar– will be deployed at the end of August and will be supported by Australia, Japan and Singapore, among other partners, in their operations.

Further details on the plan for this summer here:

Liam James20 July 2021 17:25

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Speaker says Covid vaccine passports not expected to apply in Commons

Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker, said he has received no indication that MPs will require vaccine passports to sit in the Commons.

Attendance in the chamber has been restricted throughout the pandemic due to social distancing rules, although these measures have now been relaxed.

He was responding to a point of order from Conservative former chief whip Mark Harper, who chairs the lockdown-sceptic Covid Recovery Group.

Mr Harper, the member for Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire, said about vaccine passports: “It’d be outrageous if the executive were to attempt to prevent any Member of Parliament attending this House to represent our constituents without first undergoing a medical procedure.”

Sir Lindsay replied: “I have had no indication that the government considers the policy he’s mentioned should apply to this House.

“There is nothing to stop a member coming in to here, you have the right to come to this House unless this House otherwise says so. The government’s not been in touch, I don’t expect them to be in touch because, as far as I’m concerned, it doesn’t apply to members.”

Liam James20 July 2021 17:11

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Government’s 10-year plan to expand prison estate will make ‘failed system bigger’, campaigners warn

Boris Johnson’s government has pledged to further enlarge the prison estate in England and Wales – despite campaigners’ concerns it will do nothing to tackle the causes of crime, writes Adam Forrest.

Justice secretary Robert Buckland promised the government would set out proposals to “go further” than current expansion plans for prisons later this year and create “the next generation of prison places”.

But prison reform groups fear ministers are simply “repeating past mistakes” – warning that building more prison places and increasing the length of time criminals spend in jail will do nothing to address the underlying causes of crime.

More on this here:

Liam James20 July 2021 16:58

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To No 10: Will Boris Johnson watch Cummings BBC interview tonight?

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said he “does not believe” that Boris Johnson is planning to watch the BBC interview with his former adviser Dominic Cummings this evening.

The interview is set to be aired at 7pm this evening and will be shown on BBC Two.

Liam James20 July 2021 16:41

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Johnson’s ‘get Covid, live longer’ comments ‘jaw-droppingly amoral’ and ‘just stupid’

What Boris Johnson said to Dominic Cummings in Whatsapp messages sent last October:

“I must say I have been slightly rocked by some of the data on Covid fatalities. The median age is 82-81 for men 85 for women. That is above life expectancy. So get Covid and live longer.

“Hardly anyone under 60 goes into hospital (4 per cent) and of those virtually all survive.

“And I no longer buy all this NHS overwhelmed stuff. Folks I think we may need to recalibrate.”

How scientists responded after messages were leaked:

The prime minister made the mistake of comparing two incompatible life expectancy figures, according to Kevin McConway, Emeritus Professor of Applied Statistics at The Open University.

Prof McConway said: “Making the comparison between life expectancy at birth and the average age at death of people who died of Covid is comparing apples and pears. It’s just the wrong comparison.” He noted that researchers from the Health Foundation had calculated that the average person who had died of Covid in the UK had lost around 10 years of life.

Michel Coleman, Professor of epidemiology and vital statistics at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, told The Independent: “Apart from being jaw-droppingly amoral in the middle of a pandemic, the prime minister’s reported remark last October was just stupid.

“For the thousands of people who have died from Covid under the age of 80, getting Covid can hardly be described as a passport to longer life.”

With reporting from Policy Correspondent Jon Stone

Liam James20 July 2021 16:21

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Richard Burgon hits out against Labour expulsions

Labour Party’s National Executive Committee is today expected to approve the expulsion of members of four far-left factions which will be proscribed.

The groups – Resist, Labour Against the Witchhunt, Labour In Exile and Socialist Appeal – are accused of downplaying antisemitism or extreme views.

Richard Burgon, a close ally of former leader Jeremy Corbyn, said leaders should focus on “taking the fight to the Tories” rather than “chasing young socialists out of” the party.

Liam James20 July 2021 16:12

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Word ‘beauty’ to be specifically included in planning rules for first time, says Robert Jenrick

The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the government to deliver “more and better homes” in a way that is “more urgent and important than ever before”, the housing secretary has said.

Launching a push to replace “ugly, unsustainable and poor quality” buildings with a preference for the “beautiful”, Robert Jenrick said the word “beauty” will be specifically included in planning rules for the first time since the system was created in 1947.

And he said the aim was to echo an era when a greater emphasis was placed on delivering attractive buildings for people that installed a sense of local pride, with the belief that better homes would stop opposition to new developments.

Chiara Giordano20 July 2021 16:04

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Exclusive: Boris Johnson’s lockdown-sceptic WhatsApps echo widely-discredited article

Boris Johnson’s lockdown-sceptic messages to Dominic Cummings last autumn closely resemble ideas in a fringe anti-lockdown opinion piece published in the Telegraph newspaper a few days earlier, writes our policy correspondent Jon Stone.

All the claims revealed in leaked WhatsApps were made virtually word-for-word in a comment piece published just a few days before in the 11 October edition of the newspaper – which until recently paid Mr Johnson £275,000 a year.

Chiara Giordano20 July 2021 15:45

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China hits out at UK’s ‘groundless and irresponsible’ cyber attack accusations

China has hit out at the UK and other western nations for “groundless and irresponsible” accusations that it was behind major “systematic cyber sabotage”.

Foreign secretary Dominic Raab on Monday said Chinese state-backed groups were responsible for a “reckless” attack on Microsoft Exchange servers earlier this year.

But the Chinese embassy in the UK today said the claims were a “sheer fabrication and slander”.

“The Chinese side is gravely concerned and strongly opposed to this,” a spokesperson said.

“We call on the UK side to immediately stop echoing the groundless and irresponsible accusation against China.

“China is a staunch defender of cyber security and a main victim of cyber thefts and attacks.”

China also pointed the finger at the US for being involved in cyber theft and surveillance, while accusing the UK of “double standards”.

Chiara Giordano20 July 2021 15:35

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Lockdown-sceptic Tory MP says he will vote against proposals for Covid passports in nightclubs

The vice chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs, Sir Charles Walker (Broxbourne), said he would vote against Government proposals for the use of Covid passports in nightclubs.

Asked on BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme if he would back the plans in a vote, he said: “It will be a vote that I will vote against the government, I’ve voted against the government on most things to do with Covid.”

The lockdown-sceptic added: “The government said that it wasn’t going to introduce vaccines passports, and is.

“I think it will start with nightclubs then quickly move on to other venues and parts of the hospitality sector.

“I’m afraid this is just part of the pattern, things are ruled out then a volte-face is done.”

Chiara Giordano20 July 2021 15:20

Source: The Independent

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