Covid: UK can immunise everyone by spring with 24/7 vaccinations, says top GP December 31, 2020 The UK can vaccinate its entire population against Covid-19 by spring if the government starts a 24-hour programme using venues like football stadiums, according to the former Royal College of General Practitioners chair. Dame Clare Gerada said today that the UK “can’t just rely on GP surgeries” to administer the vaccines and that the country [...]
Eurotunnel operator ‘confident’ there will not be border chaos tomorrow December 31, 2020 The Eurotunnel’s operator has said there will not be chaos at the border after the UK leaves the EU’s single market and customs union tonight. Channel Tunnel operator Getlink has said it is “confident” there will not be a repeat of scenes last week when 800-long lorry queues were seen at the Kent border. John [...]
UK parliament passes post-Brexit trade deal in one day December 30, 2020 Both houses of the UK parliament have passed Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal, just 13 hours after it was introduced in the House of Commons. The deal was voted through by the House of Lords just after 11.30 pm, after MPs passed the legislation by 521 votes to 73 earlier this afternoon. The deal will [...]
Covid: Another 981 UK deaths in biggest daily toll for eight months December 30, 2020 Almost 1,000 people died in the UK from Covid yesterday in what is the largest one-day total since the first peak of the virus. The government’s latest figures show that 981 people died on Tuesday, which takes the total to 72,548. The number was a large jump from the previous day, with a likely backlog [...]
Most of England now in a Tier 4 lockdown after Covid cases hit record high December 30, 2020 Around three-quarters of England is now in lockdown, after areas like Greater Manchester, the entire North East and Birmingham were placed in Tier 4 by the government today. A statement from the Department of Health also said that “almost all remaining areas” have been escalated into Tier 3 including Liverpool, York and North Yorkshire and Cornwall. [...]
Brexit trade deal passes House of Commons after quick vote December 30, 2020 MPs have voted to pass Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal after just five hours, clearing the first hurdle for it to come into law in two days’ time. The Brexit vote was passed by 521 to 73. The bill was introduced to the House of Commons at 9.30am and will be rushed through both houses [...]
Theresa May slams Brexit trade deal for not including financial services December 30, 2020 Former Prime Minister Theresa May has slammed Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal for not including provisions on financial services. May told MPs today that her failed deal was “a better deal” than the Prime Minister’s and said she was “disappointed” his trade agreement does not have a wide-ranging services agreement. MPs will vote at around [...]
Boris Johnson: UK to begin ‘new chapter in our national story’ on Friday December 29, 2020 Boris Johnson will say tomorrow that the UK will “open a new chapter in our national story” before MPs vote on his post-Brexit trade deal. Johnson is expected to tell MPs that the trade deal shows how the UK can be “at once European and sovereign” and that “we have nothing to fear if we [...]
The Tories’ ERG backbenchers will vote for Brexit deal tomorrow December 29, 2020 The Tories’ group of hardline Brexiteers will vote for Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal tomorrow in the House of Commons. The European Research Group’s (ERG) “star chamber”, which is its legal committee, met today and decided that the deal is “consistent with the restoration of UK sovereignty”. The meeting was led by Eurosceptic Conservative MP [...]
Brexit: Top law firm says City of London won’t get a quick EU financial services deal December 29, 2020 One of the world’s largest law firms has heaped doubt on claims by the UK that it can negotiate a post-Brexit financial services settlement with the EU within the next three months. US firm Baker McKenzie – the fourth largest law firm in the world by revenue and the top firm for multinational mergers and [...]