England striker Marcus Rashford today revealed Boris Johnson phoned him and thanked him for using his profile to help feed vulnerable families as the football star said he is already considering his next child poverty campaign. Manchester United star Rashford spoke with the Prime Minister on Tuesday, after he was forced into a U-turn and … Read more
Boris Johnson heaped praise on Marcus Rashford tonight after executing a dramatic U-turn to grant ‘needy’ children free meals in the school summer holidays. The PM revealed he had ‘personally congratulated’ the England footballer in a phone call this afternoon for his campaign to make sure disadvantaged families get support during the break. But at … Read more
Investigation reveals that 130,000 older married women could be owed up to £100million in state pensions after government blunders were exposed Older wives may be owed up to £100million after government blunders exposed Investigation suggests that around 130,000 are receiving less than they should Some wives were mistakenly reassured they were being paid enough Probe … Read more
Some 130,000 older married women could be owed up to £100million in state pensions after government blunders were exposed Older wives may be owed up to £100million after government blunders exposed Investigation suggests that around 130,000 are receiving less than they should Some wives were mistakenly reassured they were being paid enough By Ben Wilkinson … Read more
Follow the science. It has become a mantra for Boris Johnson and senior ministers throughout this crisis. There are variations. One of them is: ‘We are guided by the science.’ Sometimes it’s ‘the best scientific advice’. Rather as in the Star Wars movies when the goodies constantly say ‘May the force be with you’ to … Read more
No10 has disowned Cabinet minister Therese Coffey after she blamed government blunders on coronavirus testing and care homes on ‘wrong’ science advice. Downing Street heaped praise on its experts and insisted ‘ministers decide’ after the comments by the Work and Pensions Secretary caused a storm. As a furious blame game erupted yesterday, Ms Coffey appeared to … Read more
Jeremy Hunt has ratcheted up the pressure on Downing Street to publish its scientific advice and put an end to Whitehall’s coronavirus blame game. A flurry of finger-pointing erupted yesterday as both ministers and experts shirked responsibility for blunders which have hamstrung the ability to fight the crisis. The decision to abandon contact tracing early … Read more
Dropping contact tracing early in the coronavirus outbreak was the ‘right thing to do’ because the UK did not have testing capacity, one of the government’s most senior advisers insisted today. Dame Angela McLean, chief science adviser at the Ministry of Defence, said the advice given to ministers to abandon efforts to track individual cases … Read more
Yvonne Doyle, medical director of Public Health England, looked mildly blank when the thorny issue of care homes was raised at yesterday’s Downing Street press briefing. Someone had made the not unreasonable point that NHS Nightingale hospital was largely empty, so why couldn’t it be used to provide support for elderly patients from care homes? … Read more
Nicola Sturgeon sparked uproar today after announcing an investigation into ‘rubbish’ claims that gowns and masks destined for Scottish medics saving lives from coronavirus were being diverted to England instead. Scotland’s First Minister said any such move would be ‘unconscionable and unacceptable’, after the chief executive of Scottish Care claimed the NHS in England was being … Read more
The Government was facing mounting questions over a lack of protective equipment today as a minister admitted she had no idea how many NHS staff had died from coronavirus picked up from patients. Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey was savaged by Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain as she faced the media to defend … Read more
Ministers faced fresh calls to publish their exit strategy for the coronavirus lockdown today. The former bank of England Governor Lord King said that a ‘trial and error’ reopening of schools and some businesses should be considered to help re-start the economy. The crossbench peer called for the Government to be clear about the obstacles … Read more
Cabinet splits over coronavirus lockdown: Chancellor Rishi Sunak warns Britain faces irreparable damage if restrictions aren’t lifted soon – while Health Secretary Matt Hancock favours extending the measures to protect NHS workers Cabinet is split between hawks who want to lift lockdown in a few weeks and doves who want to delay until late May … Read more