No 10 downing street

Up to fifteen MPs including the Prime Minister could be required to self-isolate after coming into contact with a person who tested positive for coronavirus, The Telegraph understands. Lee Anderson, MP for Ashfield, tested positive for Covid-19 on Sunday after noticing symptoms last Friday morning. He attended a meeting in Downing Street with other northern Tory MPs and the Prime Minister on Thursday, and sat in the Chamber for a debate on Wednesday, during a period he is thought to have been infectious. Twelve MPs including Mr Anderson and the Prime Ministe r have already announced they will self-isolate after the incident, but several more are thought to have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace. Jacob Young, Maria Miller, Lia Nici, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Andy Carter, Katherine Fletcher, Chris Clarkson, Matt Vickers, Kieran Mullan and Marco Longhi have all said they will now isolate. I met with @BorisJohnson in 10 Downing Street earlier to discuss all things …

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Scotland Yard is "considering" complaints from two Labour MPs about Christmas parties held in Downing Street last year that allegedly broke coronavirus regulations. The Metropolitan Police said that while it does not routinely look into "retrospective breaches of the COVID-19 regulations", it would "consider the correspondence received". Backbenchers Neil Coyle and Barry Gardiner have asked officers to investigate two gatherings held in Number 10 at a time when such events were banned. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:00 PM asked about reports of lockdown party Mr Coyle said the "sense of outrage from constituents is palpable" - given that they had followed the rules while "those responsible for devising and enforcing them" were allegedly breaking them. Mr Gardiner said: "If these events did take place, it implies that there is one rule for the government and another for everyone else." Advertisement …

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Dame Cressida Dick has been urged by Labour MPs to launch an investigation into allegations that a Downing Street party took place last Christmas in breach of Covid-19 restrictions. The Metropolitan Police Commissioner was under mounting pressure on Friday to initiate a probe, after she said that the force had not received any complaints about the controversy. It comes days after it was first reported that two events had been held in Number 10 last year, at a time when the country remained under tough restrictions. One event, a leaving party for a senior aide, was alleged to have taken place in November, when the country was in the middle of the second lockdown, during which Boris Johnson is said to have given a speech. The second event, an informal Christmas party, was said to have taken place on December 18, two days after London was placed under Tier 3 restrictions , in which indoor mixing was banned unless individuals were in household bubbles. Downing Street and …

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Downing Street has hinted at introducing new safeguards to protect the freedom of the press, in the wake of the Duchess of Sussex’s legal victory over the Mail on Sunday. The Government would “study the implications” of the Court of Appeal decision in the case “carefully”, a spokesman for Boris Johnson announced on Friday. No 10 stressed that “a free press is one of the cornerstones of any democracy”, and added: “This Government recognises the vital role that newspapers and the media play in holding people to account and shining a light on issues which matter to communities.” Boris Johnson’s spokesman added he could not comment “too much further” on the matter, as the Duchess of Sussex’s privacy row with Associated Newspapers Ltd was an ongoing legal case. The intervention came after the Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that the Duchess of Sussex’s “unfortunate lapse of memory” over briefing her biographers should not change the outcome of the summary judgment made in her …

[Read more...] about Laws could be changed to protect press freedoms following Meghan, Duchess of Sussex’s legal victory

Published 7 December 2020 comments Comments Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic Shoppers flocked to High Streets and shopping malls across England this weekend, but in numbers well below pre-pandemic levels. It was the first weekend since stores in England reopened on Wednesday. Many business owners are pinning their hopes on a curtailed pre-Christmas trading period, having endured two national lockdowns already this year. But on average, shopper numbers were a quarter below 2019 levels, according to market research firm Springboard. It says across the UK as a whole, footfall was down by 30% compared to the same December weekend last year. It comes on the back of a dreadful week for the retail industry with Topshop-owner Arcadia falling into administration and Debenhams saying it would be closing its 124 …

[Read more...] about Coronavirus: Weekend shopping returns but numbers down on 2019

The festive season is rapidly approaching, and that can only mean one thing in the land of soap: drama aplenty! Curtis Delamere decides to take part in a challenge in Coronation Street , but questions are soon raised after he makes a swift exit, while EastEnders ’ Stuart Highway receives a devastating diagnosis. Emmerdale ’s Aaron Dingle, meanwhile, visits Liv Flaherty and explains that he doesn’t think he can support her any more, and Hollyoaks ’ Becky Quentin is up to no good once more. For a more in-depth look at next week’s soapy shenanigans, have a butchers at our guide, featuring all the biggest moments! Coronation Street 1. Amy and Asha scroll through Daisy’s social media posts, admiring her tiny waist. Summer puts her sandwich down. Summer sways slightly, admitting that she skipped lunch, but Daniel grabs her arm to steady her, before slipping an energy bar into Summer’s bag. Max catches the act on camera, and accuses Daniel of abusing his position …

[Read more...] about 25 soap spoilers: Coronation Street Curtis ‘scam’, Emmerdale Meena’s new target, EastEnders diagnosis, Hollyoaks arrest

Published 14 December 2020 comments Comments Share close Share page Copy link About sharing Related Topics Coronavirus pandemic London, most of Essex and parts of Hertfordshire will move into England’s highest tier of Covid restrictions, Health Secretary Matt Hancock has said. The areas join tier three at 00:01 GMT on Wednesday, meaning some 34 million people will face the toughest rules. A new variant of coronavirus has been identified that "may be associated" with the faster spread in southern England, Mr Hancock added. Pubs and restaurants in tier three must close except for takeaway and delivery. Also under the rules, sports fans cannot attend events in stadiums, and indoor entertainment venues - such as theatres, bowling alleys and cinemas - must remain shut. London theatres 'devastated' to close again Capital could become 'ghost town' under …

[Read more...] about Covid: London to move into tier 3 as infections rise

Boris Johnson has used a taxpayer-funded photoshoot of his dog to decorate his Number 10 Christmas card. The Mirror revealed in February that the PM employs three vanity photographers at taxpayers' expense. The same week, Number 10's official Flickr account published a set of Instagram-style photos of his dog, Dilyn, frolicking in the snow. Tonight, Downing Street released the PM's official Christmas Card, which features one of the photographs on the front. In February, the PM's official spokesman insisted the pictures were a good use of taxpayers' money, because the PM's team of vanity photographers were a "government resource" and "document the work of the Government as well as the work inside No10." The rear of the card showcases a design by student Tejinder Virdee from Uxbridge College. ( Image: Pippa Fowles / No10 Downing Street) This was chosen from 15 designs submitted by the students who are age 16-20 years, and studying Level 1 Art, Design & Media and …

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Sajid Javid has declared that “people can snog who they wish” at Christmas parties, overriding another minister’s advice against kissing strangers under the mistletoe. The Health Secretary stressed that “who you kiss” has “nothing to do with the Government”, in a veiled rebuke of Therese Coffey, the Work and Pensions Secretary. She said on Wednesday night that Britons should enjoy the festive season, but warned against “snogging under the mistletoe” - adding: “Don’t kiss with people you don’t know.” Such behaviour could undermine the hard work of the Government, NHS and volunteers to “get boosters in arms”, Dr Coffey suggested. Mr Javid was forced to clarify official advice on the issue on Thursday, insisting that it was up to individuals who they embraced. “I'll certainly be kissing my wife under the mistletoe. It's a Javid family tradition,” he told ITV. Confusion over Christmas parties It came after another minister was accused of sowing confusion over formal …

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The prime suspect in the murder of Yvonne Fletcher is living comfortably in a five-bedroom house in Berkshire, paid for in cash, it can be disclosed, amid a growing clamour to explain why the case against him was suddenly dropped. Saleh Ibrahim Mabrouk, a close aide to Libya's former dictator Muammar Gaddafi, was also arrested on suspicion of money laundering after fleeing Libya in 2011 – but that case has also been closed. He was given asylum despite being the subject of a murder investigation regarding the shooting of WPc Fletcher in 1984 during a protest outside the Libyan embassy in London. In a further twist, senior policing sources have told The Telegraph that the case against him was dropped after approval from Downing Street . A separate Whitehall source accepted the proposition that Prime Minister Theresa May knew in advance about the decision to halt the investigation. The source said that although senior ministers did nothing to stop it, they were not involved …

[Read more...] about Laughing and smiling: the Gaddafi aide days after hearing he won’t face charges for 1984 killing of WPc Yvonne Fletcher