Government ordered to reveal firms in £12bn PPE bonanza ‘VIP lane’ October 18, 2021 The government has been ordered to reveal the list of 47 companies which were awarded hefty PPE contracts via the ‘high-priority lane’ at the beginning of the pandemic last year. The contracts cost the government some £12.5bn, despite a number of reports that some of the PPE acquired was ‘unusable’. The Information Commissioner has told [...]
Number 10 does not deny Boris Johnson and wife had pal over at Christmas October 18, 2021 Number 10 has refused to deny Boris Johnson and Carrie Johnson had their friend Nimco Ali stay for Christmas last year as London was in lockdown, but insisted the pair “followed coronavirus rules at all times”. It is thought that Ali, who is godmother to the Prime Minister’s young child Wilfred, was in a childcare [...]
Sunak reportedly mulls cutting VAT on household energy bills to ease cost of living October 18, 2021 Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering cutting the 5 per cent rate of VAT on energy bills in a bid to cut living expenses for families this winter. Potential cuts in VAT to energy bills were touted by Vote Leave campaigners as a “Brexit dividend”, as EU rules stop countries from changing the rate, with some [...]
Watch: Night vigil for murdered MP David Amess October 18, 2021 Locals remembered murdered MP David Amess during a vigil on Saturday night, a day after he was stabbed to death in a church during an event with constituents. Watch the full report.
Watch as police search London house linked to David Amess’ stabbing October 18, 2021 Police search house linked to UK London police were seen searching an address said to be linked to Ali Harbi Ali on Sunday, who was arrested following the killing of lawmaker David Amess. Watch the full report.
NHS Trusts rack up around £2bn worth of clinical negligence claims last year October 18, 2021 NHS Trusts racked up around £2bn worth of clinical negligence claims last year, according to new findings. The findings, revealed by a Channel 4 Dispatch Freedom of Information (FOI) request, pushed former health secretary Jeremy Hunt to urge NHS Trust’s to end ‘targets culture’, as it “can create a culture where numbers matter more than [...]
Family pays tribute to Sir David Amess MP October 17, 2021 The family of Sir David Amess MP have said their “hearts are shattered” and that they are “enormously proud of him”. Sir David Amess, 69, was stabbed to death on Friday during a constituency surgery at Belfairs Methodist Church in Leigh, Essex. He was married with four daughters and a son. In a statement released [...]
Russia will look to ‘rescue’ UK in energy crisis October 17, 2021 Russia will try to “come to the rescue” of the UK amid rapidly rising energy costs, says the country’s ambassador Andrei Kelin. He told Andrew Marr that that if there is an “opportunity” to help the UK, then the country will “do what we can to alleviate difficult conditions which are now being created with [...]
Chasm widens between Sunak and Johnson on cost of net zero October 17, 2021 A leaked government document has revealed a widening chasm between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Chancellor Rishi Sunak over the economic impact of the UK reaching net zero by 2050. Despite Johnson preparing to put the UK at the forefront of global efforts to fight climate change as host of Cop26 climate summit next month, [...]
Airlift 240m Covid-19 vaccines says Gordon Brown after COVAX scheme misses target October 17, 2021 Former prime minister Gordon Brown has urged that 240m Covid-19 vaccines being distributed to countries in the global south could save 100,000 lives. It follows the global COVAX scheme, a World Health Organisation (WHO) programme designed so wealthier countries can donate vaccine doses to states less able to bulk buy, missed its target, according to [...]
