Wait – Is There A Covid Plan C Too?

Posted on 28/10/2021 by Boris Clair

One of Boris Johnson’s scientific advisers admitted that ‘plan C’ restrictions have been discussed in the health and social care department in the event that Covid cases continue to soar over the winter.

The news comes as the debate over introducing plan B continues.

Downing Street is currently relying on plan A, which involves championing the booster vaccine programme, suggesting people choose to wear face masks in crowded areas, regular testing, more funds for the NHS and the “largest ever flu jab” campaign.

NHS representatives have pushed for stricter measures, also known as plan B, to be introduced – and now there’s even talk of plan C.

Where did all this talk of plan C come from?

Chief scientific adviser to the department of health and social care, Professor Lucy Chappell said measures beyond plan B have been “proposed”.

Speaking to a parliamentary committee on Tuesday, she said: “It has been proposed. The name has been mentioned. It is not being extensively worked up…people have used the phrase.”

She did not say any more on the issue, adding: “At the moment the focus is on plan B.”

The Telegraph reported last week that further measures were being considered, including potentially the banning of household mixing at Christmas.

This is just what happened last year – but the prime minister has promised this year’s festive season will not go the same way, despite rising Covid infections.

The government has also promised not to introduce a lockdown as long as people take precautionary measures to reduce the Covid spread now.

But not everyone agrees that there is even a plan C

The prime minister’s spokesperson said: “As we have repeatedly made clear, there is no plan C.

“We knew the coming months would be challenging which is why we set out our plan A and plan B for autumn and winter last month.

“We are monitoring all the data closely and the government remains committed to taking further action if necessary to protect the NHS from being overwhelmed.”

Deputy chief medical officer for the government department Dr Thomas Waite told MPs: “I haven’t been consulted on anything about a plan C.”

What about plan B?

Plan B would see mandatory face masks implemented in certain crowded or indoor places, recommendations to work from home if possible and the potential introduction of vaccine certification.

According to leaked documents, this would last five months and finish around the end of March 2022.

However Downing Street has insisted that is “no planned five-month timeline” for plan B.

Why hasn’t plan B been introduced?

Professor Chappell told the science and technology there was “no single metric” which would enact plan B.

The government has been accused of deliberately leaking reports that plan B would cost the economy between £11 billion and £18 billion, as people would stop commuting.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson also said plan B would be introduced only if the “pressure on the NHS is unsustainable”, claiming that current measures allow “venues to remain open and remain trading”.

The government’s chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, told BBC Breakfast on Thursday: “As soon as you start thinking, ‘Am I or am I not going to do this? It looks close’, that is the time you need to push beyond your natural reluctance to do it and do it.

“This is obviously something the government will have to consider carefully but we need to be ready to move fast if that occurs.”

Rupert Murdoch’s NY Post Reportedly Demands Workers Mask Up As It Slams Mask Mandates

Posted on 24/08/2021 by Boris Clair

Workers at the New York Post have been ordered to mask up even while the newspaper slams masks and mask mandates to its readers and the public, CNN Business reported Monday.

It’s the latest searing case of hypocrisy to emerge this month in media mogul Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp world. While Fox News personalities Sean Hannity and Tucker Carlson rage against vaccines and masks, Fox last week demanded that all staff disclose their vaccination status.

The same Fox memo also encouraged even fully vaccinated people to mask up in public spaces, and it’s mandated for all in “small, confined spaces.”

New York Post workers were told in an August 12 memo from Sean Giancola, publisher and chief executive of the tabloid, that “masks are required while walking the floor/not at your desk,” CNN reported.

Employees must “mask up” and “cover” their face when “away from their desk or chatting with colleagues,” according to CNN, which obtained a copy of the memo. Workers may remove masks when sitting alone at their desks.

Workers are also required to submit to a daily health screening “every day before entering the office,” so they don’t come to work sick.

Yet despite that standard for its own workers, the Post has railed against calls to mask up, incredibly blasting it as “madness” when the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended in July that even the vaccinated wear masks in communities with high transmission rates of COVID-19. The Post’s editorial also called the CDC recommendation “nonsense” and “pernicious.”

An earlier Post editorial even called for scrapping mask mandates on trains and buses because it claimed the health safety measure was “pointless.”

There was reportedly no mention of a vaccine requirement in the Post memo, unlike the demand from Fox News.

A disgusted Malcolm Turnbull, former prime minister of Australia, last month accused Murdoch of using his media properties to peddle lies about Covid-19 that he himself doesn’t believe just to make money by pandering to his gullible consumers.

“Rupert got himself vaccinated as quickly as he could; he’s not a fool. He knows the vaccines work,” Turnbull said in an interview.

Murdoch is “making billions of dollars out of a news channel, a news platform, Fox News, which is promoting and enabling all of this vaccine hesitancy,” Turnbull warned.

“Anybody who is “promoting these conspiracy theories about vaccines, and anyone who is discouraging people from getting vaccinated is contributing to death and disease. There’s no question about that,” Turnbull said.

Conservative, Vaccine-Skeptic Talk Radio Host Dead After Contracting Covid-19

Posted on 23/08/2021 by Boris Clair

A US conservative radio host and vaccine skeptic, who said he wouldn’t get vaccinated because he had a “low risk” of getting Covid-19 and dying from it, has died after being hospitalised with the virus, his employer said.

Phil Valentine’s death at age 61 was announced Saturday by Nashville radio station SuperTalk 99.7 WTN. The Tennessee-based talk radio host was first hospitalised in late July with the virus.

A statement from his family at the time of his hospitalisation said his illness led him to have second thoughts and regrets about the vaccines’ significance and encouraged people to “go get vaccinated.”

John Partipilo via AP

Conservative talk show host Phil Valentine, seen in 2009, has died after being hospitalised with Covid-19, his employer announced.

“Phil would like for his listeners to know that while he has never been an ‘anti-vaxer’ he regrets not being more vehemently ‘Pro-Vaccine’, and looks forward to being able to more vigorously advocate that position as soon as he is back on the air, which we all hope will be soon,” his family said in a statement posted to Facebook by the radio station.

Valentine had expressed his skepticism of the coronavirus vaccines and masks on his radio program and social media, with one of his last tweets on July 15 questioning the safety of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

Back in December, he tweeted that people should do a “risk assessment” on whether they should get vaccinated.

“I have a very low risk of A) Getting COVID and B) dying of it if I do. Why would I risk getting a heart attack or paralysis by getting the vaccine?” he posted.

He also recorded a Beatles parody song, “Vaxman,” that mocked the vaccine.

Unvaccinated Man Hospitalised With COVID-19 Still Refuses To Get The Vaccine

Posted on 23/07/2021 by Boris Clair

An unvaccinated man who was hospitalised in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, after he contracted Covid-19 and developed severe pneumonia said he still won’t get the vaccine.

“Before you got sick, if you would have had a chance to get the vaccine and prevent this, would you have taken the vaccine?” CBS News’ David Begnaud asked Scott Roe on his hospital bed at Our Lady of the Lake Medical Center in an interview this week.

“No,” Roe, a Republican, responded.

“So, you’d have gone through this?” asked Begnaud.

“I’d have gone through this. Yes, sir. Don’t shove it down my throat. That’s what local, state, federal administration is trying to do,” Roe replied.

“What are they shoving, the science?” asked Begnaud.

“No, they’re shoving the fact that it’s their agenda. Their agenda is to get you vaccinated,” Roe said, claiming there were “too many issues” with the shots. Millions of Americans have received the shots, which have proven remarkably effective at preventing infection and severe illness.

Watch the interview here:

In the same segment, pharmaceutical researcher Paula Johnson expressed regret at putting off getting the vaccine.

She ended up in hospital.

“I honest to God thought I walked my last day on this earth. I could not breathe. I just, all of a sudden, my lungs just didn’t work,” Johnson told Begnaud.

“I have no comorbidities, nothing, never had a lung problem. Don’t smoke, nothing,” Johnson explained. “And it took my lungs and just … I don’t even know how to explain it. It’s like trying to breathe in and hitting a wall in like a second.”

Her warning came as the highly transmissible delta variant continues to spread across the country. It echoes those delivered this week by other unvaccinated people (who now make up 99.5% of American deaths from COVID-19) who were hospitalized with the disease and are now urging others to take the shot.

William Hughes, from Arkansas, told CNN’s Erin Burnett on Thursday that he wished he’d had the jab.

“I mean, the vaccine may not have kept me from getting COVID, but it may have decreased greatly the pain and suffering I had to go through to get to the point where I am now,” he said.

Watch the video here:

William Hughes, who was hospitalized with Covid, shares his message for those opposing the vaccine.
“Go get the vaccine. If you don’t do it for yourself, do it for your family. Because I almost left my wife and my daughter here to fend for themselves because I didn’t go get one.” pic.twitter.com/wtTHqTXVPi

— OutFrontCNN (@OutFrontCNN) July 23, 2021

Donald McAvoy, an unvaccinated 33-year-old gym manager from Jacksonville, Florida, said he was initially “skeptical” about the shot.

“I was like, ‘Eh don’t get it, I don’t need it. I’m healthy. I’m young. I’m good. I’m OK,’” McAvoy told Action News Jax. “If there’s one thing I could say to the public and everyone out there is get vaccinated now.”

What To Expect At Your Vaccine Appointment And How You’ll Feel After

Posted on 16/07/2021 by Boris Clair

The pandemic has been an undeniably tough time, leaving many people wondering when life will return to ‘normal’. But with more than 86% of adult Brits now having received their first vaccination, the light over the horizon isn’t just visible – it’s shining bright.

Vaccines are the most effective way to protect people from coronavirus and have already saved thousands of lives. We know that vaccinated people are far less likely to develop severe Covid-19, to be admitted to hospital or to die from the virus. What’s more, vaccinated people aren’t just protecting themselves by getting the jab, they are also less likely to pass the virus on to others.

Some people may feel hesitant about getting the jab, but the best way to overcome nerves is to arm yourself with as much information as possible before scheduling the appointment.

Luckily, we have done the work for you.

From how to book your spot to how you’ll feel afterwards, potential side effects and why it’s so important that you get both jabs, here’s everything you need to know about your Covid-19 vaccine appointment.

How To Book An Appointment – And What To Do If You Miss It

In the UK, all those aged 18 or above can book their vaccination through the NHS booking service. You can also call 119 free of charge, anytime between 7am and 11pm seven days a week.

Those who need to change the date of their appointment for any reason can easily cancel, rebook and manage bookings through the free NHS service. The same applies if you have missed your appointment and need to rebook it.

What’s more, walk-in sites will open across England this weekend too (July 16-18), where people can get their Covid-19 vaccine without an appointment. You don’t even need to provide ID or be registered with a GP.

There are also some perks (beyond the obvious protection against coronavirus). For instance, you can ‘grab-a-jab’ this weekend when you pop into Primark, while sunbathing in the park, or exploring Tate Modern, where DJ and influencer Zoe London will be performing Friday evening.

Here’s the most important part: one dose isn’t enough. You need to book and attend two appointments to get both doses for maximum protection.

We get it, life can get hectic – maybe you have kids or a stressful job – but the process is tailored to be easy and convenient. Put your health first.

What To Expect At And After Your Vaccine Appointment

The appointment could take place at a hospital, local GP surgery, a vaccine centre or pharmacy.

Every person is asked a series of questions before the jab is administered and handed an information pack. Equipment, including chairs, is sanitised after each person and the doctors, nurses and volunteers are required to wear masks.

In the UK, there are currently four vaccines approved for use: Moderna, AstraZeneca, Pfizer and Janssen. You don’t get to choose which one you get but there’s no need for concern, as each vaccine has gone through the same rigorous safety process and been approved by the MHRA, the regulatory body. All the vaccines are highly effective and will protect you from coronavirus.

After the vaccine is administered into your arm muscle (top tip: wear a T-shirt or top that is easy to roll up or down) you will get a vaccine record card that includes the name of the vaccine, batch number and date it was administered.

Keep this document close and bring it to the second appointment (however, do not fret if you should lose it, as your vaccinations are also logged on the NHS app, which you can download on a smartphone).

Then it’s just a prick of the needle and you’re done. You also get a fancy “I got my Covid vaccine” sticker to show off to the world – and encourage others to get theirs too.

The vaccine is administered into your arm muscle.

How You Will Feel After The Vaccine

Most reported side effects from the vaccine are mild and short-term, lasting no longer than a week. It’s also possible that you get no side effects at all or that your experience of the first and second dose is different.

Here is a list of some of the most common side effects:

A sore arm
Feeling or being sick
Feeling tired or achy
A headache

There have been reports of extremely rare cases of blood clots with the AstraZeneca vaccine however, the MHRA – the UK’s independent regulator – and the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) have both stated that the benefits of the vaccine far outweigh the risks for the vast majority of adults. As a precaution though, anyone under the age of 40 is offered a Pfizer or Moderna vaccine.

If you are concerned, don’t avoid the issue altogether. Instead, read the advice on the NHS website or speak to your GP so that they can help and answer any questions.

From Allergies To Pregnancy: Is The Covid-19 Vaccine Suitable For You?

At the appointment, you will be asked a series of questions to find out whether the vaccine is suitable for you. Answer these questions honestly and openly, so the experts can recommend the right vaccine option for you.

For instance, if you’ve ever had a serious allergic reaction to a previous dose of a Covid-19 vaccine or any of its ingredients, you should not get it. Also, if you’ve ever had a serious allergic reaction in general, tell the person administering the shot before your vaccination, so that they are aware.

All pregnant or breastfeeding women over 18 can now book a vaccine. If pregnant, this will be linked to your age and clinical risk group. If you are under 40 you will only be offered Pfizer and Moderna vaccine appointments. If you are over 40 you will be asked when booking if you are pregnant and will then only be offered Pfizer or Moderna appointments as the JCVI has advised these vaccines be offered to pregnant women based on the fact that 100,000 pregnant women have had these vaccines with no safety concerns.

There is no evidence that the vaccine will affect fertility or your chances of becoming pregnant in the future, and the vaccine can’t give you or your baby Covid-19.

Additionally, the vaccines are suitable for vegetarians and do not contain any animal-derived ingredients.

Successful Coronavirus Vaccination. Doctor In Face Mask Gesturing Thumbs-Up To Vaccinated Against Corona Virus Female Patient Sitting In Hospital. Covid Vaccine Injection And Immunization Campaign

Why You Should Get The Vaccine

Medical jargon aside, some of you might be struggling with other worries about the vaccine.

Here are some facts to put your mind at ease:

The four approved vaccines have been tested and are safe, so people should be assured that whatever vaccine they get will be highly effective and protect them from coronavirus.
Vaccinated people are far less likely to get Covid with symptoms. Vaccinated people are even more unlikely to get serious Covid-19, to be admitted to hospital, or to die from it and vaccinated people are less likely to pass the virus to others.
The first dose of the vaccine offers good levels of protection, but to get maximum protection everyone must get a second dose, so we are urging all people to book their second jab through the NHS booking system
Vaccines are helping to keep life moving. This could mean children safely hugging their grandparents, flirting in nightclubs, shaking hands with strangers, going on holidays abroad and the economy bouncing back.

But most importantly, vaccines save lives. And that’s really all you need to know.

You can find more information on Covid-19 vaccines on the NHS website or speak to your local GP and/or other medical professional.

Boris Johnson Urged To Meet Covid Bereaved Families About Public Inquiry

Posted on 04/06/2021 by Boris Clair

Jo Goodman, who lost her father Stuart, 72, to COVID 19 stands with other families bereaved by the virus... — Jo Goodman, who lost her father Stuart, 72, to COVID 19 stands with other families bereaved by the virus outside Parliament. (Photo by Stefan Rousseau/PA Images via Getty Images)

Boris Johnson faces growing calls to meet the families of Covid victims before the public inquiry into how his government handled the pandemic.

The prime minister has said an independent statutory inquiry that puts “state’s actions under the microscope” will begin in spring 2022.

But Covid-19 Families For Justice, which represents some 4,000 grieving families, has made an urgent call for ministers to consult with them about the aims, remit and chair of the inquiry.

The group’s key demand is the hearing allows for a rapid review phase.

Families fear lives may be lost in future if ministers fail to address gaps in the UK’s preparedness, such as on PPE, and government does not quickly learn from disastrous mistakes on lockdowns and sending infected back people to care homes.

However, ministers, including health secretary Matt Hancock, have refused to commit to meeting with families on the inquiry’s terms of reference.

Jo Goodman, co-founder of the families group lost her father Stuart, 72, to the virus during the first wave.

Messages are pictured on hearts painted on the National Covid Memorial Wall, at the embankment on the... — Messages are pictured on hearts painted on the National Covid Memorial Wall, at the embankment on the south side of the River Thames in London

She told HuffPost UK Johnson delayed a meeting because families threatened legal action over the inquiry’s delay.

“We stand ready and willing to meet government ministers but they’ve yet to set a date,” she said.

“Boris Johnson has previously promised to do so, but then went back on it because of the judicial review we had planned to seek.

“We have now dropped the judicial review, so there is no reason for the government not to meet with us. We are ready when you are prime minister.”

MPs have also been pressuring the government, confidence in the inquiry, which is likely to be traumatic for those hardest hit.

Jack Dromey, MP for Birmingham Erdington and shadow Cabinet Office minister, has written to chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, Michael Gove, after questions in the House of Commons were ignored.

The letter, passed to HuffPost UK, underlines that “the country has experienced tragedy and human suffering on a scale not seen since the Second World War”.

Dromey stresses ministers were causing “deep hurt” to families who “simply want to know that the government is listening to them”.

Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock walk from... — Prime Minister, Boris Johnson and Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock walk from Downing Street

The letter says that Johnson and Hancock have seven times refused to meet families and adds: “MPs across the House will have met with constituents who have suffered great loss due to coronavirus. Meetings with bereaved families and listening to their stories are some of the most difficult and emotional meetings I have been involved in since being elected a member of parliament.

“Such meetings cannot fail but to bring home the sincere desire by the bereaved families that there be a meaningful public inquiry into the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic with outcomes the bereaved families can trust to be fair and reasonable.”

It adds: “That is why it is so important to the bereaved families that the government consults with them to ensure this is the case, by agreeing an appropriate chair and the right terms of reference.”

The government has said the inquiry’s remit and chair will be chosen “in due course” and that spring 2022 was the appropriate time to begin the hearing.

Asked about the inquiry in parliament, Gove has suggested families will have a role.

He told MPs: “A statutory inquiry is obviously the right way to ensure that all the right questions are asked and that full answers are arrived at.

“To ensure that the inquiry works, the experience, voices and views of those who have suffered so much must be a critical part in ensuring that it is set up appropriately.”

A government spokesperson, when asked if the PM would meet with the group, added: “Every death from this virus is a tragedy and our sympathies are with everyone who has lost loved ones.

“Throughout the pandemic senior ministers, including the prime minister, have met and will continue to meet with bereaved families.

“As the prime minister said, we have committed to holding a full public inquiry as soon as is reasonably possible.”

Boris Johnson’s £1.4bn Schools Catch-Up Fund Branded ‘Paltry’ And ‘Disappointing’

Posted on 01/06/2021 by Boris Clair

izusek via Getty Images

High school students at school, wearing N95 Face masks. Teenage girl wearing eyeglasses sitting at the school desk and listening to the teacher.

A £1.4bn catch-up tuition plan to help children recover lost learning after Covid has been branded “hugely disappointing”.

The Department for Education (DfE) announced the cash for schools and colleges in England and have underlined it comes on top of £1.7bn already pledged for lost education.

The cash will see pupils offered up to 100 million hours of extra teaching, with Year 13 students given the option to repeat their final year if particularly hard-hit by lockdown.

But unions have said package “lets down the nation’s children”, and falls short of the £15bn school leaders hoped for, with some accusing Rishi Sunak’s Treasury of blocking further spending.

The DfE scheme includes £1bn to support up to six million, 15-hour tutoring courses for disadvantaged pupils, as well as an expansion of the 16-19 tuition fund which will target subjects such as maths and English.

A further £400 million will go towards providing high-quality training to early years practitioners and school teachers boost progress.

But the announcement – made during the half-term – does not include plans to lengthen the school day, or shorten the summer break.

The government’s education recovery commissioner, Kevan Collins, is still considering long-term proposals to address the impact of Covid on children.

Geoff Barton, general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL), suggested that there had been a battle behind the scenes over funding for education recovery between the Treasury and the DfE as the “settlement is less than a tenth of the £15bn that was being mooted”.

He said: “This is a hugely disappointing announcement which lets down the nation’s children and schools at a time when the government needed to step up and demonstrate its commitment to education.

“The amount of money that the government plans to put into education recovery is insufficient and shows a failure to recognise the scale of learning loss experienced by many pupils during the pandemic – particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds.”

Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union the NAHT, said: “It’s a damp squib – some focus in a couple of the right areas is simply not enough.

“The funding announced to back these plans is paltry compared to the amounts other countries have invested, or even compared to government spending on business recovery measures during the pandemic.

“Education recovery cannot be done on the cheap.”

WPA Pool via Getty Images

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson

But Whiteman added that the union was relieved to see that extending the school day had been “shelved for now” as he warned the policy could reduce family time and leave less time for extracurricular activities.

Mary Bousted, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), said: “The government’s plans for education recovery for the nation’s pupils are inadequate and incomplete. Rarely has so much been promised and so little delivered.”

“The Treasury has shown, in this paltry offer, that it does not understand, nor does it appreciate, the essential foundation laid by education for the nation’s economic recovery.

“Its failure, on this scale, to fund what is needed for education recovery, is a scar which will take generations of children and young people to heal.”

Prime minister Boris Johnson has defended the fund, however, adding a review of longer school days would form part of the next stage of the review.

He said: “Young people have sacrificed so much over the last year and as we build back from the pandemic, we must make sure that no child is left behind.

“This next step in our long-term catch-up plan should give parents confidence that we will do everything we can to support children who have fallen behind and that every child will have the skills and knowledge they need to fulfil their potential.”

It was announced as Labour published its two-year £14.7 billion education recovery plan, which called for extracurricular activities to be expanded and mental health support in schools to be improved.

Can Boris Johnson Survive His Own Chaos?

Posted on 28/05/2021 by Boris Clair

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

Prime Minister Boris Johnson leaves 10 Downing Street

You’re reading The Waugh Zone, our daily politics briefing.

Debate rages over Dominic Cummings’ bombshell evidence to MPs and whether he, a man once at the very heart of power, is a trustworthy source on what went on in Downing Street.

But when the former Vote Leave chief described his erstwhile boss Boris Johnson as “just like a shopping trolley smashing from one side of the aisle to the other”, it certainly had a ring of truth.

And perhaps never more than today, as it was confirmed what has long been alleged: that the Conservative Party and Tory donors did indeed initially fund an expensive revamp of the prime minister’s Downing Street flat.

A report by the government’s new ethics adviser, Christopher Geidt, said Johnson acted “unwisely” by embarking on the refurb without “rigorous regard for how this would be funded”.

Johnson was not aware Tory donor David Brownlow and his party had settled the bill – said to be £200,000 – and the work began in April, when the PM was hospitalised with coronavirus.

The PM has since made a declaration of interests and settled the bill. As such, Geidt ruled that Johnson did not breach the ministerial code.

“Chaos isn’t that bad – it means people have to look to me to see who is in charge,” Cummings claimed was Johnson’s mantra.

Separately, Geidt found health secretary Matt Hancock guilty in “technical terms” of a “minor breach” of the code, in that he failed to declare he had retained shares in his sister’s firm Topwood Limited when it won an NHS contract.

Which, on a week filled with revelations about the government’s handling of Covid, rather begs the question: when, if ever, will chaos become a destructive force for Johnson’s administration?

Keir Starmer vowed Labour would be a “constructive opposition” under his leadership.

His cautious approach has not been rewarded by voters, however, with a recent YouGov poll putting the Conservatives nearly 20 points ahead of Labour.

Despite Cummings’ many grenades this week, which included him confirming under oath he heard Johnson say that he’d rather see “bodies pile high” than order a third lockdown – something the PM denied in parliament – Labour has not called for anyone to resign.

This has frustrated some on the left in the party, including MPs in the Socialist Campaign Group who could not hold back and defied Starmer with a statement of their own calling for ministers’ resignations.

Those close to Starmer believe he looks across the despatch box at a PM complacent about the constant mayhem and how damaging it could be to his authority over time.

But, however much Labour may wish to portray Johnson as a clown, it would be foolish of them to believe the PM is blind to threats.

Despite the successful vaccine rollout, another ‘red wall’ victory in Hartlepool and him weathering all criticism of the government’s handling of Covid, Johnson has taken steps to maintain his position.

As HuffPost UK reported last week, lockdown-sceptic Graham Brady could face a challenge as chair of the powerful 1922 committee of backbench Tory MPs.

The man vying to replace him, Robert Goodwill, is a noted ally of Johnson’s and believes the group should be less critical – something which would come in handy if the roadmap out of lockdown slips because of the India variant.

And when it comes to Geidt’s role as adviser on ministerial standards, he has no power to launch investigations of his own and, Downing Street confirmed last month, the prime minister remains the “ultimate arbiter” of the ministerial code.

Meaning that, when put under pressure over his or his ministers’ conduct, Johnson reserves the right to mark his own homework.

Perhaps the only unknown factor after this extraordinary week is what level of chaos Cummings has unleashed.

Boris Johnson Forced To Ditch Travel Advice For Covid Hotspots

Posted on 25/05/2021 by Boris Clair

Hollie Adams via Getty Images

Prime Minister Boris Johnson departs 10 Downing Street

Boris Johnson has been forced into a climbdown over travel restrictions for England’s Covid hotspots after councils revolted over the move.

On Monday evening it emerged the government had quietly updated advice for eight places hit by the India variant, telling people they should not travel in or out of the area or meet others indoors.

Local authority leaders in Burnley, Bedford, Blackburn, Darwen, Bolton, Kirklees, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside said ministers failed to notify them of the move, taken last week, and began rejecting local lockdowns “by stealth”.

Confusion then reigned when a statement by local public health teams said town halls were assured no travel restrictions were in place, but Downing Street insisted the advice applied.

Now, the Department of Health and Social Care has said guidance will be updated to make clear no new restrictions are in place and that people are advised to “minimise travel”.

The prime minister was accused of presiding over an “utter shambles” by Labour, with local leaders such as Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham criticising the PM.

Following outcry, a government spokesperson said: “We will be updating the guidance for areas where the new Covid-19 variant is spreading to make it clearer we are not imposing local restrictions.

Barrington Coombs – PA Images via Getty Images

Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham

“Instead, we are providing advice on the additional precautions people can take to protect themselves and others in those areas where the new variant is prevalent.

“This includes, wherever possible, trying to meet outdoors rather than indoors, keeping two metres apart from anyone you don’t live with and minimising travel in and out the area.

“These are not new regulations but they are some of the ways everyone can help bring the variant under control in their local area.”

North Tyneside’s Labour mayor Norma Redfearn was among those angry at the government.

She said: “After a day of confusion the government have clarified there are no restrictions on travel in or out of North Tyneside.”

She added: “We have seen throughout the pandemic that clear communications are vital and this confusion has caused stress and anxiety for many people in North Tyneside and the region.

“There was no consultation on this advice, which was wrong.”

A joint statement issued by directors of public health in Burnley, Bedford, Blackburn with Darwen, Bolton, Kirklees, Leicester, Hounslow and North Tyneside said: “Following the national coverage of recently revised guidance we have met with national officials and confirmed there are no restrictions on travel in or out of each of our areas: There are no local lockdowns.

“In areas where the new Covid variant is spreading we are all working together to boost testing and vaccination and to support self-isolation.

“There are sensible public health precautions people can take as individuals
in line with the sorts of advice we have all been following throughout the
pandemic.

“We will keep sharing that and working with national officials to make sure
people understand what they need to think about as they go about their daily
lives.”

Chances Of Covid Restrictions Ending In England On June 21 ‘Looking Good’

Posted on 23/05/2021 by Boris Clair

The possibility of all coronavirus restrictions being lifted next month is “looking good”, the chief executive of the UK Health Security Agency has said.

Under the Government’s road map, the final stage of the unlocking is due to take place on June 21 at the earliest.

However, Jenny Harries urged the public to be cautious to avoid another lockdown, warning that the new Indian variant has become the “dominant strain” in some parts of the country.

She told BBC One’s The Andrew Marr Show: “It’s looking good if people are continuing to observe all of the safety signals, so we should not stop doing what we’re doing, particularly in areas where we have that variant of concern, the B1617.2, in the north-west and around London.

“It’s really important that people continue to do hands, face, space and work from home, have their jabs and go for tests as well.

“The cases of the B1617.2 variant are rising, they have risen very steeply and much of the media have reported a 160% rise in cases over the week period but they seem to be slightly levelling at the moment.

“It’s still very early days.”

Harries added: “We all need to be very cautious and I think we all don’t want to go back to the sort of lockdowns that we’ve had, it doesn’t matter whether you’re on Sage or out in the public, none of us want to return to that sort of restriction.”

From June 21 at the earliest, nightclubs are due to reopen and restrictions on large events such as festivals are to be lifted, as are restrictions on the number of people at weddings.

Harries warned that caution should be taken as the new Indian strain is creating a “mixed picture” across the UK.

She added: “If you look at areas such as Bolton and Bedford, for example, in the north-west particularly, it’s starting to become the dominant strain and has taken over from the Kent variant, which has been our predominant one over the winter months.

“But that’s not the case right across the country, actually if you’re in the south-west that’s still not the case.”

The words of caution were echoed by Home Secretary Priti Patel, who said there would not be a “green light all the way” to unlocking restrictions.

Patel said: “We all have to be conscientious. All of us that are out and about now, we are distancing, wearing masks, following all the rules.

“That is part of our normal life now and that will continue, and that, of course, will help us to that unlocking on June 21.”

Professor Adam Finn, from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, told BBC Breakfast: “I think there are uncertainties around the situation at the moment. I think, in a way, there’s been uncertainties all the way along.

“It’s always been a sort of provisional timetable and it has to be, or may have to be, adjusted according to events as they occur.

“When we get to June, whatever happens on that date, this global pandemic will not be over. It will still be going on.

“There’ll still be cases going on in this country, through Europe and around the world, so life is not suddenly going to go back to normal in June, because life won’t be really normal until this is brought under control.

“Life’s going towards normal but it’s not normal yet.”

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