Ministers are to reconsider vitamin D as a potential weapon against Covid-19 after Matt Hancock wrongly claimed that government scientists had run unsuccessful tests.Recognise that name?
The health secretary told the Commons last week that he had ordered a trial that showed vitamin D did not “appear to have any impact”. Officials now admit that no trials took place.
Ministers are to reconsider vitamin D as a potential weapon against Covid-19 after Matt Hancock wrongly claimed that government scientists had run unsuccessful tests.The health secretary told thewww.thetimes.co.uk
Matt Hancock acted unlawfully when his department did not reveal details of contracts it had signed during the Covid pandemic, a court has ruled.Oh, look! The government has broken the law again. I do wish people would stop calling it "cronyism" and start calling it what it is - corruption.
The health secretary breached his "legal obligation" to publish details of deals, the High Court rules.www.bbc.co.uk
Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have deployed five pumps and other units but have not managed to access the fire yet due to its remote location near Peter TavyGosh! In the middle of winter with heatwave temperatures of about -2 Celsius.
Devon & Somerset Fire and Rescue Service have deployed five pumps and other units but have not managed to access the fire yet due to its remote location near Peter Tavywww.mirror.co.uk
A string of new driving laws will come into force this year.This is UK only. I meant to post it about a week ago, but better late than never.
Here are the law changes happening in 2021.
The changes will affect millions of motorists, with many of the changes already being finalised.
From Brexit changes to new Clean Air Zone areas - what you need to knowwww.walesonline.co.uk
Concern is growing over press freedom following the arrest of a photographer after he took and shared photos of a protest at a former military barracks controversially housing asylum seekers.Arresting a press photographer for documenting a protest is just wrong.
Andy Aitchison, 46, documented a demonstration outside Napier barracks in Folkestone, Kent, on Thursday morning as protesters threw buckets of fake blood at the doors of the site amid allegations of overcrowding, poor hygiene, significant risks posed by Covid-19, and limited access to healthcare and legal advice.
Andy Aitchison tells Guardian of concerns after being held in custody for seven hourswww.theguardian.com
We must never have a winter like this again, and we need a concrete plan and strategy to make sure Britain does not face a third wave and a fourth lockdown. This must involve suppressing transmission, building a functioning test, trace, isolate and support system, guarding against the reimportation of infections with strict travel restrictions, while trying to reopen schools and as much of the domestic economy as possible.
The UK needs to come up with a concrete plan to avert a disastrous third wave, says health expert Devi Sridharwww.theguardian.com
Make no mistake, I know iPhones are the best mobile devices in the world, but when what I see as the utterly failed UK ‘Test & Trace’ scheme spends millions of pounds on the devices, you have to ask why. And this is an angry post.Failure on top of failure.
Heidi Alexander’s images of Greater Manchester traders had been sitting in storage since she took them in 1977 ... now they’re bringing a community back together#photography #DocumentaryPhotography #UK #Britain #Manchester #community
Heidi Alexander’s images of Greater Manchester traders had been sitting in storage since she took them in 1977 ... now they’re bringing a community back togetherwww.theguardian.com
At least 14 Conservative MPs, including several ministers, cabinet minister Michael Gove and a number of prominent Tory commentators joined Parler, the social media platform favoured by the far right that was forced offline last week for hosting threats of violence and racist slurs.#politics #UK #Tory #Conservative #RightWing #Parler
Nadine Dorries, James Cleverly and Michael Gove joined the platform favoured by Trump supporterswww.theguardian.com
Boris Johnson’s government has for the first time confirmed the existence of a prime ministerial task force which is reportedly planning a “radical shake-up of the NHS”.One more step towards total privatisation and the loss of a free public service.
Freedom of Information disclosures to openDemocracy show the new “No.10 Health and Social Care Taskforce” reports to a Steering Group chaired by Munira Mirza, the influential head of Boris Johnson’s policy unit, and that it “met weekly” from July to September with a further meeting in October.
Mirza, a political appointee who previously worked for Johnson when he was London mayor, has no background or policy experience in health.
Munira Mirza heading up group meeting ‘daily or weekly’ to plan ‘radical NHS shakeup’.www.opendemocracy.net
Pro-Brexit lobby Leave.EU has been revealed to have migrated its domain’s registrant address to Waterford in the Republic of Ireland in order to remain in the EU registry.#politics #UK #EU #Brexit #YouCouldntMakeItUp
London’s hospitals are less than two weeks from being overwhelmed by covid even under the “best” case scenario, according to an official briefing given to the capital’s most senior doctors this afternoon.https://www.hsj.co.uk/acute-care/exclusive-london-will-be-overwhelmed-by-covid-in-a-fortnight-says-leaked-nhs-england-briefing/7029264.article
NHS England London medical director Vin Diwakar set out the stark analysis to the medical directors of London’s hospital trusts on a Zoom call.
The NHS England presentation, seen by HSJ (see slides below story), showed that even if the number of covid patients grew at the lowest rate considered likely, and measures to manage demand and increase capacity, including open the capital’s Nightingale hospital, were successful, the NHS in London would be short of nearly 2,000 general and acute and intensive care beds by 19 January.
The briefing forecasts demand for both G&A and intensive care beds, for both covid and non-covid patients, against capacity. It accounts for the impact of planned measures to mitigate demand and increase capacity.
London's hospitals are less than two weeks from being overwhelmed by covid even under the "best" case scenario, according to an official briefing given to the capital's most senior doctors this afternoon.www.hsj.co.uk
In Der Spiegel, Nikolaus Blome said there was “absolutely nothing good about Brexit … which would never have happened had Conservative politicians not, to a quite unprecedented degree, deceived and lied to their people”.All true. Just so that the liars could avoid upcoming anti-tax haven laws and make shedloads of money if the UK crashed.
Much of the British media, Blome said, “were complicit, constantly trampling on fairness and facts”, leaving Britain “captured by gambling liars, frivolous clowns and their paid cheerleaders. They have destroyed my Europe, to which the UK belonged as much as France or Germany.”
European commentators weigh in on what Britain’s departure from the EU meanswww.theguardian.com
This government has failed the people.#politics #uk #Tory #Covid-19 #CoronaVirus #pandemic #Brexit
It has failed to protect lives during the COVID pandemic: the highest death toll in Europe; encouraging easing lockdown with the highest daily deaths; using care homes as death camps for the elderly
Millions more people in the east and south east of England are to enter tier four on Boxing Day, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has announced.#Covid-19 #CoronaVirus #pandemic #UK
The places moving into the highest level of restrictions - which include a "stay at home" order - border the areas already in tier four.
A number of areas will also move up into tiers three and two.
The areas facing tougher restrictions have seen a "significant number" testing positive for the new fast-spreading variant.www.bbc.co.uk
A survey by pollsters Survation found that 59 per cent of voters think the government’s “high priority” lane for friends and associates is corrupt, while just 16 per cent think it is not.#politics #UK #Tories #corruption
For those on the ‘high priority’ list, the chances of success when bidding for a contract were one in 10www.independent.co.uk
Forty per cent of Friday’s electricity was generated in windfarms thanks to blustery winter weather
Blustery winter weather helped Great Britain’s windfarms set a record for clean power generation, which made up more than 40% of its electricity on Friday.
Wind turbines generated 17.3GW on Friday afternoon, according to figures from the electricity system operator, narrowly beating the previous record set in early January this year.
Continue reading...
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/dec/19/windfarms-in-great-britain-break-record-for-clear-power-generation
#news, #Environment, #UK, #power, #energy, #Renewable, #Wind, #Business, #Energy
Forty per cent of Friday’s electricity was generated in windfarms thanks to blustery winter weatherwww.theguardian.com
The government was operating an illegal “buy British” policy when it signed contracts with a small UK firm to supply Covid antibody tests, claim lawyers who have filed a case against the health secretary.#Covid-19 #CoronaVirus #pandemic #UK #government #Tories #crime
The Good Law Project said there were a number of other companies in a better position to supply antibody tests in June and August, when the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) agreed deals worth up to £80m with Abingdon Health without going out to tender.
The government had also agreed a deal to share in the profits the company made, the lawyers say.
Other firms better placed to supply antibody tests, argues case against health secretary Matt Hancockwww.theguardian.com
The new mutation could be up to 70% more transmissible than earlier variants of the virus, Susan Hopkins of Public Health England told the BBC. (...) there is no evidence that it leads to a more severe illness. (...) "There's no reason to believe that the vaccines that have been developed will not be effective against this virus as well,"In other news I read it declared that there was no evidence that the new strain leads to a milder disease; which is of course no evidence either that it does not lead to a milder disease.
Canada joined several European nations in halting flights from the U.K. on Sunday in an effort to prevent a new, more contagious strain of the coronavirus from spreading to this country.#Canada #COVID19 #coronavirus #UK #Britain #travelrestrictions
CBC News obtained a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued by Transport Minister Marc Garneau stating that all commercial, private and charter flights transporting passengers from the U.K. will be suspended indefinitely as of midnight tonight. The restriction doesn't apply to cargo flights, aircraft landing for safety reasons or flights that land for technical stops where no passengers disembark.
The notice said the minister "is of the opinion it is necessary for aviation safety and the protection of the public, to prohibit the [operations]of commercial air ... from the United Kingdom for the transport of passengers on an inbound [flight]to Canada."
A senior Tory has accused Boris Johnson of deliberately waiting to announce Tier 4 until after MPs went home for Christmas.#Covid-19 #CoronaVirus #pandemic #politics #UK #BorisJohnson
Charles Walker, Vice Chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, claims the Government knew it intended to 'cancel' Christmas Bubble plans and introduce tougher restrictions on Wednesday.
Charles Walker, Vice Chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, claims the Government knew it intended to 'cancel' Christmas plans on Wednesdaywww.mirror.co.uk
Labour MPs said the Prime Minister should be “ashamed” after a United Nations agency launched its first ever emergency response to help feed UK children.Disgusting! Boris Johnson should sack his Home Secretary and then resign.
Labour MPs said the Prime Minister should be “ashamed” after a United Nations agency launched its first ever emergency response to help feed UK children.www.standard.co.uk
Study of England, Scotland and Wales dispels myth of ‘Asian grooming gangs’ popularised by far rightwww.theguardian.com
In its latest investigation into the government’s handling of the pandemic, Insight asks whether the PM’s decision to prioritise the economy over ‘following the science’ led him to repeat the errors of the springNo wonder the UK is in the state it's in if Boris Johnson is listening to herd-immunity 'experts'. He's responsible for so many deaths.
This is the James O'Brien Brexit monologue which some LBC listeners have branded the most powerful yet.I don't always agree with James O'Brien and sometimes find his radio manner irritating, but he makes some very good points in this less-than-ten-minute monologue.
Famed for his powerful and emotive soliloquies on the UK's departure from the European Union today James has outdone his previous bests.
This is the James O'Brien Brexit monologue which some LBC listeners have branded the most powerful yet.www.lbc.co.uk
Explore the data on coronavirus in the UK and find out how many cases there are in your area.www.bbc.co.uk
I've been passed the government's "reasonable worst case scenario planning assumptions to support civil contingencies planning for the end of the transition period".So this is not the worst that can happen? So just how bad is it going to get?! And they're putting us through all this in the middle of a pandemic?!
The 34-page document (sent to be my Twitter's @mi6rogue) describes itself as a "challenging manifestation of the risk in question" but "not an extreme or absolute worst case scenario".
ITV News has seen a 34-page document that details a 'challenging manifestation of the risk in question' once the Brexit transition period ends on January 1,www.itv.com