skynewspolitics--2020-09-23--The contact-tracing app is being relaunched - so what's new?

The government will finally release a mobile phone app on Thursday that people in England and Wales can use to establish whether they may have been exposed to coronavirus .
The launch follows the ignominious scrapping of the previous app despite months of development , although some features are being incorporated into the new design .
It comes after the NHS and government seem to have recognised that to get a working app on to Britons ' smartphones they needed to work with , rather than against , the companies which provide the technology powering them .
The new app @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which Apple and Google have built in to the new versions of their mobile operating systems , iOS and Android .
Privacy has been a big focus for both companies , and even before downloading the new app users will need to turn on the exposure notifications feature , but can turn it off at any time .
If it is on , instead of sending data to a public health authority , the phone will use Bluetooth to retain on the device a collection of protected IDs remembering all of the other @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team developing the app across government and NHSX - the health service 's digital unit - have built an algorithm which they say is able to establish how great the risk is that someone has caught the virus , based on Bluetooth signals .
Not everyone who passes each other by will be considered a potential contact .
Instead , their contact score will be given a weighting based on the distance between the phones and the duration they were close together .
Exposure notifications are alerts people will receive when someone they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amount of time - perhaps within two metres on a long bus journey - tests positive for coronavirus .
If , after receiving an alert , a user gets tested and finds out they too are positive for COVID-19 , they can voluntarily send an alert to the protected IDs stored on the device .
If these contacts recorded by the phone meet the bar set by the NHS algorithm , then the app will instruct them to self-isolate too .
This kind of functionality was planned for the previous app - but @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Apple and Google 's requirement to keep this data on the devices themselves , it struggled to record potential exposures .
One of the other new features is a QR code system .
Businesses including pubs , restaurants , hairdressers and cinemas are being urged to ensure they have NHS QR code posters visible for customers to scan using the app and check-in .
The QR codes are designed to help businesses automate the new legal requirement to record customers ' contact details , along with details for staff and other visitors to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ continue to take customers ' details just as they have done throughout the pandemic , but the app itself will help the user keep a record of where they 've been .
In this way the app will assist traditional manual contract-tracers while also allowing users to check any symptoms and see if they need to self-isolate .
The app will have problems gaining people 's trust Analysis by Rowland Manthorpe , technology correspondent For its second attempt at a contact tracing app , the UK government has introduced several new elements - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first time round still have n't gone away .
Perhaps the most notable new element is the contact-tracing technology .
Whereas the first app was built in-house , this time it uses the toolkit provided by Google and Apple .
This has been deployed in many other countries , including Northern Ireland , Scotland and the Republic of Ireland .
Results on its effectiveness are still few and far between , but there are no complaints about its privacy protections , so at least on that front people should feel safe using it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ features , in particular a QR code scanner for checking into venues .
The government has changed the law in England to make it illegal for certain premises not to display a QR code and collect people 's details , so this is going to become a big part of everyday life .
And this is where the problems come in : not technical ones , but trust and transparency .
Anecdotally , there are still real issues of trust about this app ; yet as the government has n't released any data @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to know whether these have been overcome .
Crucial elements of the app 's functionality , such as the decision whether or not to share your test results with contacts , are entirely voluntary .
Gaining trust for them is going to be vital if this tool is going to work .

The government has released a mobile phone app that people in England and Wales can use to establish whether they may have been exposed to coronavirus.
The launch follows the ignominious scrapping of the previous app despite months of development, although some features are being incorporated into the new design.
It comes after the NHS and government seem to have recognised that to get a working app on to Britons' smartphones they needed to work with, rather than against, the companies which provide the technology powering them.
How do I download it?
The app is available under the name NHS COVID-19 on Apple's App Store and on the Google Play Store for Android phones.
Users can download it as they would any other app, by pressing the download button once they have located it in the relevant app store, either by using the links above or by searching for NHS COVID-19.
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What do I do next?
When users download the app they'll be asked by their operating system (in the example above iOS) to turn on the exposure logging and notification system.
Once this is done they will be given the risk level for the local authority of the postcode they've entered.
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Beneath that it will confirm whether the app is active and using low-strength Bluetooth signals to scan for other smartphones near by.
The app then offers a number of options, including using the venue check-in system using the government's new QR codes.
Links are also available to read the latest advice issued by NHS England about the coronavirus pandemic, and to enter a code which people will receive via email or text message from the testing service if they have tested positive for COVID-19.
Image: The new app is available in England and Wales
What's different this time?
The new app will use a COVID-19 exposure notification system which Apple and Google have built in to the new versions of their mobile operating systems, iOS and Android.
Privacy has been a big focus for both companies, and even before downloading the new app users will need to turn on the exposure notifications feature, but can turn it off at any time.
If it is on, instead of sending data to a public health authority, the phone will use Bluetooth to retain on the device a collection of protected IDs remembering all of the other phones it has been near.
The team developing the app across government and NHSX - the health service's digital unit - have built an algorithm which they say is able to establish how great the risk is that someone has caught the virus, based on Bluetooth signals.
Not everyone who passes each other by will be considered a potential contact. Instead, their contact score will be given a weighting based on the distance between the phones and the duration they were close together.
Exposure notifications are alerts people will receive when someone they have been close to for a significant amount of time - perhaps within two metres on a long bus journey - tests positive for coronavirus.
If, after receiving an alert, a user gets tested and finds out they too are positive for COVID-19, they can voluntarily send an alert to the protected IDs stored on the device.
If these contacts recorded by the phone meet the bar set by the NHS algorithm, then the app will instruct them to self-isolate too.
However unlike instructions from local health authorities, it won't be a legal requirement to self-isolate as a after users receive a notification from the app.
This is because these notifications are only based on the user probably being exposed to the coronavirus, rather than a confirmed diagnosis that they are carrying it.
This kind of functionality was planned for the previous app - but because the government had not complied with Apple and Google's requirement to keep this data on the devices themselves, it struggled to record potential exposures.
Image: If you show symptoms the app will message other users you have been in contact with
One of the other new features is a QR code system. Businesses including pubs, restaurants, hairdressers and cinemas are being urged to ensure they have NHS QR code posters visible for customers to scan using the app and check-in.
The QR codes are designed to help businesses automate the new legal requirement to record customers' contact details, along with details for staff and other visitors to the premises.
The businesses themselves will continue to take customers' details just as they have done throughout the pandemic, but the app itself will help the user keep a record of where they've been.
In this way the app will assist traditional manual contract-tracers while also allowing users to check any symptoms and see if they need to self-isolate.
Image: The app will anonymously track who people have come into contact with
The app will have problems gaining people's trust
Analysis by Rowland Manthorpe, technology correspondent
For its second attempt at a contact tracing app, the UK government has introduced several new elements - but the essential problems it faced the first time round still haven't gone away.
Perhaps the most notable new element is the contact-tracing technology. Whereas the first app was built in-house, this time it uses the toolkit provided by Google and Apple.
This has been deployed in many other countries, including Northern Ireland, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland.
Results on its effectiveness are still few and far between, but there are no complaints about its privacy protections, so at least on that front people should feel safe using it.
The app also has some new features, in particular a QR code scanner for checking into venues.
The government has changed the law in England to make it illegal for certain premises not to display a QR code and collect people's details, so this is going to become a big part of everyday life.
And this is where the problems come in: not technical ones, but trust and transparency.
Anecdotally, there are still real issues of trust about this app; yet as the government hasn't released any data from its pilots, it's impossible to know whether these have been overcome.
Crucial elements of the app's functionality, such as the decision whether or not to share your test results with contacts, are entirely voluntary. Gaining trust for them is going to be vital if this tool is going to work.


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--Chancellor's 'winter plan' will support wages of people in work from November

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has revealed a successor to the furlough scheme as he bids to avert a winter jobs crisis following tougher restrictions to combat coronavirus .
Wage subsidies form part of a package of new measures to support the economy through the latest phase of the COVID-19 pandemic - with the sole focus on topping-up the pay of people in a `` viable '' job but forced into reduced hours .
The chancellor told MPs the Job Support Scheme would help people working at least a third of their normal hours .
Two-thirds of the pay they have lost @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and employer , he said .
• The Job Support Scheme will begin in November and run for six months • A `` pay as you grow '' extension to the Bounce Back Loan scheme will give businesses 10 years to repay them • VAT cut to 5 % for hospitality and tourism extended until the end of March .
Mr Sunak was forced to act amid widespread warnings that fresh curbs on business activity this week to combat the disease , expected to last for six months , would spark waves of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is wound down .
The furlough scheme , which is closed at the end of next month , has already cost the taxpayer almost £40bn to date while Treasury-backed business loans of £57bn have been handed out .
The chancellor said : `` The government will directly support the wages of people in work , giving businesses who face depressed demand the option of keeping employees in a job on shorter hours rather than making them redundant . ''
Crucially , he added that Job Support Scheme claimants would not be allowed to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ curbs governing rewards for shareholders .
He explained that the scheme was open to any business though larger firms would only be able to access it if they could demonstrate a slump in turnover .
He also confirmed that firms retaining furloughed staff on shorter hours could claim both the Jobs Support Scheme and the previously announced jobs retention bonus - a reward of £1,000 paid to companies for every furloughed employee who returns to work .
More details were expected later on the expected cost of the package and small print governing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ plans would ensure support was in place during the `` more permanent adjustment '' to the economy caused by the crisis .
But Labour and unions accused him of delaying , arguing the measures should have gone further while the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies , Paul Johnson , said via Twitter : `` A lot on furlough now likely to lose their job . ''
Adam Marshall , director general of the British Chambers of Commerce , said : `` The measures announced by the chancellor will give business and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ arm .
`` Chambers of Commerce have consistently called for a new generation of support to help protect livelihoods and ease the cash pressures faced by firms as they head into a challenging and uncertain winter .
`` The chancellor has responded to our concerns with substantial steps that will help companies preserve jobs and navigate through the coming months . ''
Mark Serwotka , general secretary of the PCS union , wanted a full extension of the original furlough scheme .
`` The chancellor 's measures are akin to using a plaster @ @ @ @ @ @ @ he said .

Rishi Sunak has unveiled a new scheme to support wages during the pandemic but admitted that it will leave many facing an uncertain future.
The chancellor announced the new measures in a bid to avert a winter jobs crisis as the current furlough scheme comes to an end and tougher restrictions are introduced to combat coronavirus.
Mr Sunak's plan will see the government, together with employers, top up wages for staff working as little as a third of their normal hours, for six months starting from November - so that they can keep their jobs.
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around the world
It is designed to help those whose roles will be "viable" in the long term but experts immediately warned that it would not be enough to avert large scale unemployment in the worst-hit sectors.
The chancellor stressed that it was his priority to save jobs but admitted: "I can't promise that everyone can go back to the job that they used to have."
Rishi Sunak's key announcements:
The Job Support Scheme will begin in November and run for six months
Self-employment income support scheme extended
A "pay as you grow" extension to the Bounce Back Loan scheme will give businesses 10 years to repay them
VAT cut to 5% for hospitality and tourism extended until the end of March.
Mr Sunak was forced to act amid widespread warnings that fresh curbs on business activity this week to combat the disease, expected to last for six months, would spark waves of redundancies as the current Job Retention Scheme is wound down.
The furlough scheme, which is closed at the end of next month, has already cost the taxpayer almost £40bn to date while Treasury-backed business loans of £57bn have been handed out.
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Image: The scheme will top up pay for people in a 'viable' job
The Treasury has not disclosed the expected cost of the new initiative, though the chancellor said it could cost roughly £300m per million people benefiting from it per month.
Experts at Capital Economics estimated that overall the measures could cost £5bn.
Mr Sunak said: "The government will directly support the wages of people in work, giving businesses who face depressed demand the option of keeping employees in a job on shorter hours rather than making them redundant."
Crucially, he added that Jobs Support Scheme claimants would not be allowed to issue redundancy notices and there would be curbs governing rewards for shareholders.
He explained that the scheme was open to any business though larger firms would only be able to access it if they could demonstrate a slump in turnover.
The scheme will see employees who are working a third of their hours have two-thirds of the pay they might otherwise have lost topped up - half of it by the government and half of it by their employer.
He also confirmed that firms retaining furloughed staff on shorter hours could claim both the Jobs Support Scheme and the previously announced jobs retention bonus - a reward of £1,000 paid to companies for every furloughed employee who returns to work.
The chancellor said his plans would ensure support was in place during the "more permanent adjustment" to the economy caused by the crisis.
He also indicated that the government was "ready to do more" if tougher restrictions were brought in to try to combat a resurgence in the spread of the virus.
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Pressed on whether unemployment - currently at 1.4 million according to latest official figures - could rise to more than four million, Mr Sunak declined to give "precise numbers" but admitted there were "difficult times to come".
Announcing the measures in the Commons, the chancellor said: "I cannot save every business. I cannot save every job. No chancellor could.
"But what we can do is deal with the real problems businesses and employees are facing now."
But Labour and unions accused him of delaying, arguing the measures should have gone further while the director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, Paul Johnson, said: "It is clear that many jobs will be lost over the coming months."
The IFS said that some jobs that may be viable in the long-term might not be able to be saved in the short-term even at reduced hours - for example at night clubs or businesses that rely on city centre office workers for their sales.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:33 Jobs scheme quite small compared to other COVID-19 measures
Business groups largely welcomed the statement.
The CBI hailed what it called "bold steps to save hundreds of thousands of viable jobs this winter".
Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: "The measures announced by the chancellor will give business and the economy an important shot in the arm.
"Chambers of Commerce have consistently called for a new generation of support to help protect livelihoods and ease the cash pressures faced by firms as they head into a challenging and uncertain winter.
"The chancellor has responded to our concerns with substantial steps that will help companies preserve jobs and navigate through the coming months."
Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the PCS union, wanted a full extension of the original furlough scheme.
"The chancellor's measures are akin to using a plaster to cover a gaping wound", he said.


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--Key announcements from chancellor's coronavirus support plan

The chancellor has unveiled his `` Winter Economy Plan '' to protect jobs as the UK continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic .
With Britons warned the latest COVID-19 restrictions could last as long as six months - and the looming end of the furlough scheme - Rishi Sunak has set out a raft of new measures .
These are the key coronavirus announcements from his Commons address : • A new jobs support scheme - which will replace furlough - will see the government `` directly support '' the wages of people in `` viable '' jobs working at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ • The government will top up the remaining two-thirds of the worker 's salary that would have otherwise been lost as a result of working reduced hours • It will start in November and run for six months - with all small and medium-sized businesses eligible for the scheme • Larger firms will have to prove their profits have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to utilise it • Businesses will not be able to issue redundancy notices to employees while taking part in this scheme • The self-employed grant will @ @ @ @ @ @ @ new support scheme • A `` pay as you grow '' scheme to allow companies more time to repay bounce back loans over a period of up to 10 years rather than six • Those struggling to pay them back will now be able to choose to make interest-only repayments and `` anyone in real trouble '' can suspend repayments altogether for up to six months • VAT will remain at 5 % for hospitality and tourism until 31 March 2021 - rather than reverting back to 20 % in January • The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interruption loan will be extended until 30 November , with the government guarantee on them extended for up to 10 years

The chancellor has unveiled his "Winter Economy Plan" to protect jobs as the UK continues to battle the coronavirus pandemic.
With Britons warned the latest COVID-19 restrictions could last as long as six months - and the looming end of the furlough scheme - Rishi Sunak has set out a raft of new measures.
These are the key coronavirus announcements from his Commons address:
A new jobs support scheme - which will replace furlough - will see the government "directly support" the wages of people in "viable" jobs working at least a third of their normal hours
The government will top up a third of the worker's salary that would have otherwise been lost as a result of working reduced hours - capped at £697.92 a month - which means a third will go unpaid
It will start in November and run for six months - with all small and medium-sized businesses eligible for the scheme
Larger firms will have to prove their profits have been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic in order to utilise it
Businesses will not be able to issue redundancy notices to employees while taking part in this scheme
The self-employed grant will be extended on similar terms as this new support scheme
A "pay as you grow" scheme to allow companies more time to repay bounce back loans over a period of up to 10 years rather than six
Those struggling to pay them back will now be able to choose to make interest-only repayments and "anyone in real trouble" can suspend repayments altogether for up to six months
VAT will remain at 5% for hospitality and tourism until 31 March 2021 - rather than reverting back to 20% in January
The deadline for taking out a coronavirus business interruption loan will be extended until 30 November, with the government guarantee on them extended for up to 10 years
The Institute for Fiscal Studies think tank has said the new Job Support Scheme is "significantly less generous" than the preceding furlough system.
Paul Johnson, the director of the IFS, said: "The new job support scheme represents a significant new intervention from government to support jobs through the crisis.
"But it is significantly less generous than the furlough scheme it replaces, though remarkably the chancellor provided no indication of the likely cost of the scheme."
He added: "With employers now having to pay at least 55% of the normal wages of their employees it is clear that many jobs will be lost over the coming months."
The hospitality and entertainment sectors have raised concerns about the new measures, due to the inability of venues like nightclubs and theatres to open.
A statement from the Music Venue Trust said: "The measures announced today do not address the need for the UK government to support different sectors of our society which are subject to different restrictions because of its own actions to control the virus.
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"This is a very specific challenge to the live music industry, which is not permitted to trade by government restrictions but has not seen any sector support directly offered in this financial intervention."


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--Download contact tracing app to 'make country a safer place', Hancock urges

Every person who downloads the NHS coronavirus contact tracing app will be helping `` make the country a safer place '' , the health secretary has told Sky News .
Speaking to Kay Burley , Matt Hancock said the app - which has finally been launched in England and Wales after months of delay and questions about its effectiveness - was a `` helpful tool '' in the fight against COVID-19 .
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around the world Asked what percentage of the population would need to download it for it to be effective , Mr @ @ @ @ @ @ @ figure for that '' .
`` Every single person who downloads the app is helping to improve how it can keep us safe .
It helps you to keep yourself and your loved ones safe , '' the health secretary said .
`` Every additional person downloading it will make the country a safer place . ''
He added : `` Even if only two people downloaded it and they came into close contact and one had tested positive , then it would work for the other .
`` Of course it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the more effective it will be , but this is just one part of our overall plan for tackling coronavirus . ''
Scotland and Northern Ireland have already launched their own contact tracing apps .
The NHS app for England and Wales - which is available to download on iPhone and Android - was trialled first on the Isle of Wight and in the London borough of Newham , and was used to send alerts to users after someone had tested positive .
It uses an Apple and Google-developed system , using Bluetooth @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a user has been close to .
It does this by exchanging randomised keys while the Bluetooth signal strength measures proximity .
If someone falls ill , they can tell the app , which will then ping their keys to a central server and in turn send them off to all app users in search of a match .
Should the system determine a person as a close contact , they will be automatically sent a notification and issued with further guidance .
A QR code scanning feature is available , allowing people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and easily share their contact details for human tracing efforts .
Some 160,000 businesses have already downloaded QR codes for use in their facilities .
However , as the software is voluntary , its success will depend heavily on how many people choose to download and use it .
The government had originally tried to develop its own app software before deciding in June that it needed to co-operate with companies which provide the technology powering smartphones to come up with an effective product .
A TV advertising campaign with the slogan `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ app '' is being used to encourage people to install the software .
The UK 's major network operators , including Vodafone , Three , EE and O2 , giffgaff , Tesco Mobile , Sky Mobile and Virgin Mobile have all agreed to not charge for using it .
Baroness Dido Harding , executive chair of England 's NHS Test and Trace Programme , said : `` We want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to engage with England 's NHS Test and Trace service .
`` The NHS COVID-19 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a smartphone to find out if they are at risk of having caught the virus and need to self isolate , order a test if they have symptoms , and access the right guidance and advice .
`` The features of this app , including QR code check-in at venues , work alongside our traditional contact tracing service and will help us to reach more people quickly in their communities to prevent further spread of the virus .
`` This is a welcome step in protecting those around us . ''

Every person who downloads the NHS coronavirus contact tracing app will be helping "make the country a safer place", the health secretary has told Sky News.
Speaking to Kay Burley, Matt Hancock said the app - which has finally been launched in England and Wales after months of delay and questions about its effectiveness - was a "helpful tool" in the fight against COVID-19.
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around the world
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Some social media users have complained about being unable to download and install the app, and it won't be possible to run it on all devices - with one in five iPhones and 8% of Android smartphones in use in the UK being too old to install the software.
Older devices running a version of iOS earlier than 13.5, or Android earlier than 6, lack the crucial updates developed by Apple and Google to allow phones to detect each other, a key part of how the devices track who users have been in contact with.
Asked what percentage of the population would need to download the app for it to be effective, Mr Hancock told Kay Burley "there isn't a figure for that".
"Every single person who downloads the app is helping to improve how it can keep us safe. It helps you to keep yourself and your loved ones safe," the health secretary said.
"Every additional person downloading it will make the country a safer place."
He added: "Even if only two people downloaded it and they came into close contact and one had tested positive, then it would work for the other.
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"Of course it's true that the more people download it the more effective it will be, but this is just one part of our overall plan for tackling coronavirus."
Scotland and Northern Ireland have already launched their own contact tracing apps.
Fortunately, according to one study published earlier this month, these apps can have a positive impact even with limited uptake among the population.
The research found that even if just 15% of the population participated, this would result in an 8% reduction in infections and a 6% drop in deaths.
Naturally, the greater the uptake the better the result.
According to the models used by that study, if 75% of the population were to use the exposure notification system then transmissions and deaths could be reduced by 81% and 78% respectively.
Image: If you show symptoms, the app will message other users you have been in contact with
The NHS app for England and Wales - which is available to download on iPhone and Android - was trialled first on the Isle of Wight and in the London borough of Newham, and was used to send alerts to users after someone had tested positive.
It uses an Apple and Google-developed system, using Bluetooth to keep an anonymous log of people a user has been close to.
It does this by exchanging randomised keys while the Bluetooth signal strength measures proximity.
If someone falls ill, they can tell the app, which will then ping their keys to a central server and in turn send them off to all app users in search of a match.
Should the system determine a person as a close contact, they will be automatically sent a notification and issued with further guidance.
A QR code scanning feature is available, allowing people to check in to venues they visit and easily share their contact details for human tracing efforts.
Some 160,000 businesses have already downloaded QR codes for use in their facilities.
However, as the software is voluntary, its success will depend heavily on how many people choose to download and use it.
The government had originally tried to develop its own app software before deciding in June that it needed to co-operate with companies which provide the technology powering smartphones to come up with an effective product.
A TV advertising campaign with the slogan "Protect your loved ones. Get the app" is being used to encourage people to install the software.
The UK's major network operators, including Vodafone, Three, EE and O2, giffgaff, Tesco Mobile, Sky Mobile and Virgin Mobile have all agreed to not charge for using it.
Baroness Dido Harding, executive chair of England's NHS Test and Trace Programme, said: "We want to make it as easy as possible for everyone to engage with England's NHS Test and Trace service.
"The NHS COVID-19 app enables the majority of people with a smartphone to find out if they are at risk of having caught the virus and need to self isolate, order a test if they have symptoms, and access the right guidance and advice.
"The features of this app, including QR code check-in at venues, work alongside our traditional contact tracing service and will help us to reach more people quickly in their communities to prevent further spread of the virus.
"This is a welcome step in protecting those around us."


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--'Pointless' post-Brexit Kent permits a 'tick box exercise', industry body claims

Requiring lorry drivers to get a permit to enter Kent from neighbouring counties after the end of the Brexit transition period has been branded `` pointless '' by an industry body .
The Road Haulage Association has said the measure , which is designed to avoid gridlock in the county post-Brexit , is nothing more than a `` tick box exercise '' .
It comes after Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told MPs that obtaining a Kent Access Permit ( KAP ) will be a `` relatively simple process '' .
He said that the permits could help avoid queues @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get across the English Channel once the transition ends in December .
This is a reference to a leaked `` reasonable worst-case scenario '' from the government that emerged earlier this week .
The UK will stop following the rules of the EU 's single market and customs union after the transition , moving instead to new customs rules .
Part of this is set to be KAPs - which would be required for hauliers driving to the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel in Folkestone .
The permits would be issued to drivers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ amber result from the online Smart Freight system and be valid for 24 hours to cover a single trip .
The system is being developed by ministers to try and make sure goods are ready to cross the border before journeys begin .
Drivers who are found travelling to Dover or Folkestone without a KAP face being given a £300 fine by the police or the Vehicle Standards Agency .
The system could be enforced by police or through cameras monitoring the number plates of vehicles entering the county .
But RHA policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a recent test of the system which indicated that KAPs will be issued to all drivers who claim their paperwork is in order .
`` It 's an honesty box system , '' he said .
`` It 's not an effective system to actually guarantee or ensure that someone is ready to cross the border .
`` It does n't do that .
It is just a logging system for someone to say ' I am going to the port and I promise I 'm ready ' .
`` It does @ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
: : Subscribe to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts , Google podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Mr Buchanan added : `` It 's not asking for reference numbers or anything like that .
It is super basic .
Thankfully the bureaucracy involved is negligible , but the function is also negligible .
`` The entire system is pointless and probably counterproductive . ''
A government spokesperson said : `` We are prioritising the smooth movement of outbound HGVs over 7.5 tonnes through Kent to prevent unnecessary queues at the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ those acting on their behalf , will be able to follow a simple process to get a 'Kent Access Permit ' using the newly developed Smart Freight webservice .
`` We have been engaging with industry on this for some time and we will set out more detail on this shortly . ''

Requiring lorry drivers to get a permit to enter Kent from neighbouring counties after the end of the Brexit transition period has been branded "pointless" by an industry body.
The Road Haulage Association has said the measure, which is designed to avoid gridlock in the county post-Brexit, is nothing more than a "tick box exercise".
It comes after Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove told MPs that obtaining a Kent Access Permit (KAP) will be a "relatively simple process".
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:39 Brexit: Permit for lorry drivers to enter Kent after transition
He said that the permits could help avoid queues of up to 7,000 trucks trying to get across the English Channel once the transition ends in December.
This is a reference to a leaked "reasonable worst-case scenario" from the government that emerged earlier this week.
The UK will stop following the rules of the EU's single market and customs union after the transition, moving instead to new customs rules.
Part of this is set to be KAPs - which would be required for hauliers driving to the Port of Dover or Eurotunnel in Folkestone.
The permits would be issued to drivers who have been given a green or amber result from the online Smart Freight system and be valid for 24 hours to cover a single trip.
The system is being developed by ministers to try and make sure goods are ready to cross the border before journeys begin.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:39 Gove's 'worst case scenario' for Brexit
Drivers who are found travelling to Dover or Folkestone without a KAP face being given a £300 fine by the police or the Vehicle Standards Agency.
The system could be enforced by police or through cameras monitoring the number plates of vehicles entering the county.
But RHA policy director Duncan Buchanan said he took part in a recent test of the system which indicated that KAPs will be issued to all drivers who claim their paperwork is in order.
"It's an honesty box system," he said.
"It's not an effective system to actually guarantee or ensure that someone is ready to cross the border.
"It doesn't do that. It is just a logging system for someone to say 'I am going to the port and I promise I'm ready'.
"It doesn't really do much more than that."
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Mr Buchanan added: "It's not asking for reference numbers or anything like that. It is super basic. Thankfully the bureaucracy involved is negligible, but the function is also negligible.
"The entire system is pointless and probably counterproductive."
A government spokesperson said: "We are prioritising the smooth movement of outbound HGVs over 7.5 tonnes through Kent to prevent unnecessary queues at the border.
"HGV drivers, or those acting on their behalf, will be able to follow a simple process to get a 'Kent Access Permit' using the newly developed Smart Freight webservice.
"We have been engaging with industry on this for some time and we will set out more detail on this shortly."


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--There won't be room for everyone on Sunak's lifeboat

Coronavirus : There wo n't be room for everyone on Sunak 's lifeboat Coronavirus : There wo n't be room for everyone on Sunak 's lifeboat The substance of the announcement will not please everyone Battered by coronavirus , bemused by a summer of mixed messages and befuddled by the latest Brexit contortions , business was looking to the Chancellor for an effective , equitable and practical package of support .
What they got was a clear message : for many , the hard times start now .
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around world If the furlough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ carry the economy to the other side of the pandemic , Rishi Sunak today launched the lifeboats .
And it was clear from the Chancellor 's statement that there will not be room for everyone and not every job will survive the crossing .
With no end to the outbreak in sight and restrictions to economic and social life set to continue for at least six months , his Jobs Support Scheme is a recognition that some businesses and jobs are no longer viable .
From November , when the transition from furlough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , many more businesses will face closure , and hundreds of thousands of people will face redundancy .
Mr Sunak 's argument is that without the new scheme it would be much , much worse .
In place of furlough , which paid 80 % of employees ' wages to stay at home while the economy was locked down , Mr Sunak announced a wage subsidy scheme to support employees working just 33 % of their normal hours .
The theory is that employers will be persuaded to retain some staff part-time , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ making up their normal wages , until demand returns or restrictions lift .
One major player in the aviation industry has told Sky News that such a scheme , long used in Germany and France , could help reduce planned redundancies by up to a third .
For industries that can see a long-term path to recovery the scheme has merit , and it has the endorsement of both bosses and unions .
The sight of the leaders of both the CBI and the TUC at Mr Sunak 's shoulder before his statement @ @ @ @ @ @ @ evidence of this Chancellor 's penchant for presentation .
The substance of his announcement will not please everyone , however , and there will be anger in some sectors left behind .
Aviation is already planning for a four-year recovery , but the hospitality , events , sport and leisure sectors - all heavily reliant on part-time workers - can not afford to look that far ahead and may conclude the Chancellor 's raft does not have room for them .
: : Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google @ @ @ @ @ @ @ them also contest the scientific argument for the restrictions they face , particularly the logic of the 10pm closing time for pubs and clubs .
For many , last orders may not be far away .

For many, especially in the hospitality sector, the outlook remains bleak - and last orders will not be far away.
Coronavirus: There won't be room for everyone on Sunak's lifeboat
The substance of the announcement will not please everyone
Battered by coronavirus, bemused by a summer of mixed messages and befuddled by the latest Brexit contortions, business was looking to the Chancellor for an effective, equitable and practical package of support.
What they got was a clear message: for many, the hard times start now.
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around world
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:03 Sunak announces 'job support scheme'
If the furlough scheme was conceived as a bridge to carry the economy to the other side of the pandemic, Rishi Sunak today launched the lifeboats.
And it was clear from the Chancellor's statement that there will not be room for everyone and not every job will survive the crossing.
With no end to the outbreak in sight and restrictions to economic and social life set to continue for at least six months, his Jobs Support Scheme is a recognition that some businesses and jobs are no longer viable.
From November, when the transition from furlough to the new Job Support Scheme begins, many more businesses will face closure, and hundreds of thousands of people will face redundancy.
Mr Sunak's argument is that without the new scheme it would be much, much worse.
In place of furlough, which paid 80% of employees' wages to stay at home while the economy was locked down, Mr Sunak announced a wage subsidy scheme to support employees working just 33% of their normal hours.
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Image: Rishi Sunak flanked by the TUC's Frances O'Grady (l) and CBI boss Carolyn Fairbairn (r)
The theory is that employers will be persuaded to retain some staff part-time, with the government sharing the cost of making up their normal wages, until demand returns or restrictions lift.
One major player in the aviation industry has told Sky News that such a scheme, long used in Germany and France, could help reduce planned redundancies by up to a third.
For industries that can see a long-term path to recovery the scheme has merit, and it has the endorsement of both bosses and unions.
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The sight of the leaders of both the CBI and the TUC at Mr Sunak's shoulder before his statement was a powerful endorsement, and further evidence of this Chancellor's penchant for presentation.
The substance of his announcement will not please everyone, however, and there will be anger in some sectors left behind.
Aviation is already planning for a four-year recovery, but the hospitality, events, sport and leisure sectors - all heavily reliant on part-time workers - cannot afford to look that far ahead and may conclude the Chancellor's raft does not have room for them.
:: Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Many of them also contest the scientific argument for the restrictions they face, particularly the logic of the 10pm closing time for pubs and clubs.
For many, last orders may not be far away.


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--Not everyone will go back to the job they used to have, Sunak admits

Rishi Sunak has unveiled a new scheme to support wages during the pandemic but admitted that it will leave many facing an uncertain future .
The chancellor announced the new measures in a bid to avert a winter jobs crisis as the current furlough scheme comes to an end and tougher restrictions are introduced to combat coronavirus .
Mr Sunak 's plan will see the government , together with employers , top up wages for staff working as little as a third of their normal hours , for six months starting from November - so that they can keep their @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK and around the world It is designed to help those whose roles will be `` viable '' in the long term but experts immediately warned that it would not be enough to avert large scale unemployment in the worst-hit sectors .
The chancellor stressed that it was his priority to save jobs but admitted : `` I ca n't promise that everyone can go back to the job that they used to have . ''
• The Job Support Scheme will begin in November and run for six months • A `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Bounce Back Loan scheme will give businesses 10 years to repay them • VAT cut to 5 % for hospitality and tourism extended until the end of March .
Mr Sunak was forced to act amid widespread warnings that fresh curbs on business activity this week to combat the disease , expected to last for six months , would spark waves of redundancies as the current Job Retention Scheme is wound down .
The furlough scheme , which is closed at the end of next month , has already cost the taxpayer @ @ @ @ @ @ @ loans of £57bn have been handed out .
The Treasury has not disclosed the expected cost of the new initiative , though the chancellor said it could cost roughly £300m per million people benefiting from it per month .
Experts at Capital Economics estimated that overall the measures could cost £5bn .
Mr Sunak said : `` The government will directly support the wages of people in work , giving businesses who face depressed demand the option of keeping employees in a job on shorter hours rather than making them redundant . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scheme claimants would not be allowed to issue redundancy notices and there would be curbs governing rewards for shareholders .
He explained that the scheme was open to any business though larger firms would only be able to access it if they could demonstrate a slump in turnover .
The scheme will see employees who are working a third of their hours have two-thirds of the pay they might otherwise have lost topped up - half of it by the government and half of it by their employer .
He also confirmed that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ could claim both the Jobs Support Scheme and the previously announced jobs retention bonus - a reward of £1,000 paid to companies for every furloughed employee who returns to work .
The chancellor said his plans would ensure support was in place during the `` more permanent adjustment '' to the economy caused by the crisis .
He also indicated that the government was `` ready to do more '' if tougher restrictions were brought in to try to combat a resurgence in the spread of the virus .
Pressed on whether unemployment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ latest official figures - could rise to more than four million , Mr Sunak declined to give `` precise numbers '' but admitted there were `` difficult times to come '' .
Announcing the measures in the Commons , the chancellor said : `` I can not save every business .
I can not save every job .
No chancellor could .
`` But what we can do is deal with the real problems businesses and employees are facing now . ''
But Labour and unions accused him of delaying , arguing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies , Paul Johnson , said : `` It is clear that many jobs will be lost over the coming months . ''
The IFS said that some jobs that may be viable in the long-term might not be able to be saved in the short-term even at reduced hours - for example at night clubs or businesses that rely on city centre office workers for their sales .
The CBI hailed what it called `` bold steps to save hundreds of thousands of viable jobs this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general of the British Chambers of Commerce , said : `` The measures announced by the chancellor will give business and the economy an important shot in the arm .
`` Chambers of Commerce have consistently called for a new generation of support to help protect livelihoods and ease the cash pressures faced by firms as they head into a challenging and uncertain winter .
`` The chancellor has responded to our concerns with substantial steps that will help companies preserve jobs and navigate through the coming months . ''
Mark Serwotka , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wanted a full extension of the original furlough scheme .
`` The chancellor 's measures are akin to using a plaster to cover a gaping wound '' , he said .


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--How Labour starts winning in Scotland is one of Starmer's most tortuous conundrums

Sir Keir Starmer has a clear strategy when it comes to Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party and that came through pitch perfect this week when he gave his first conference speech as the Labour leader .
He set up himself as the competent , serious political operator against a prime minister who he says is `` not up to the job '' .
And as for the Labour Party , the message was simply : Look again , we 're under new management .
Light on policy , heavy on values , the Labour leader used his conference speech @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to put clear red water between Jeremy Corbyn and Labour under Sir Keir .
He did n't even namecheck his predecessor in his conference speech , instead choosing to identify with the three Labour winners of the last century : Attlee , Wilson and Blair .
When I asked him in our interview why he airbrushed Jeremy Corbyn from his speech he said he was `` focusing on the three Labour leaders that won elections and making the point that I want to be the fourth '' .
`` And that is the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under leadership , recognising the scale of defeat , recognising we need to change and being relentlessly focused in the seriousness of winning . ''
Calling out Mr Johnson and ignoring Mr Corbyn completely , it was a speech that attacked both the enemy across the political divide and what he perhaps considers the enemy within .
Ambitious and determined , this was a Labour leader who has clearly set his store not so much on political philosophy or ideology but in winning power .
He said : `` We must absolutely , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the election . ''
But any hope of getting into power rests not just on how Sir Keir wins back the red wall and re-takes swing seats from the Conservatives but on whether he can win back Scotland from the SNP .
Not since 1955 has a Labour Party formed a government with less that 40 seats in Scotland .
It currently has one .
`` I 'll be perfectly open about this , '' he said .
`` There 's no route back for Labour that does n't run through Scotland .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ . ''
How is one of the Labour leader 's most tortuous conundrums .
The SNP has eclipsed Labour in the past decade and now holds 48 out of 59 Scotland 's Westminster seats .
The Conservatives are challenging as the diehard unionist party ; and Sir Keir Starmer is wriggling on the hook .
He is trying to fudge the issue of a second independence referendum in an attempt to win back independence-leaning SNP voters , while also holding onto unionist support and holding the Labour party together .
That 's why @ @ @ @ @ @ @ interview that he `` stands by '' his remarks made in January - that the SNP would have a mandate for a second Scottish independence referendum if they win a majority in next year 's Holyrood elections - was so significant .
It gives the Conservatives a much-needed stick to beat Sir Keir with ( you 'll remember the election posters of 2015 that had a tiny Ed Miliband in Nicola Sturgeon 's pocket ) .
No sooner had his remarks aired did Michael Gove issue a statement saying Sir Keir had a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was `` a politician who wanted to work with Nicola Sturgeon to renege on the Scottish referendum result and break up the UK '' .
It allows the Conservatives to campaign as the only clear unionist party in Scotland .
It also raises again the conundrum that Labour will have in the general election of 2024 : Will Sir Keir have to do a deal with the Scottish nationalists to get into No 10 ?
And is the prospect of that price tag of a second referendum too high a price for unionists @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It also creates a rift with his national Labour parties .
Ahead of the Scottish elections , it is a concession to the SNP that the Scottish Labour party will not want to give , while for the Welsh Labour party , any sense of the Labour leader committing to working with nationalists creates problems for them .
: : Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Sir Keir made it clear he was not in favour of `` another divisive referendum '' , saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that we need '' .
But how to beat back the SNP when the matter of independence remains the overriding dividing line in Scottish politics is a fiendishly difficult problem to solve .
Mr Starmer does n't just have to beat Mr Johnson , he has to take on Ms Sturgeon too .
The immediate task is to rehabilitate the Labour Party with voters .
May 's local elections , elections for mayors around the country and the Scottish and Welsh elections will be his first real test of whether his attempt to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ beginning to pay off .
But the hardest task - and the biggest prize - will be winning back Scotland .

Sir Keir Starmer has a clear strategy when it comes to Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party and that came through pitch perfect this week when he gave his first conference speech as the Labour leader.
He set up himself as the competent, serious political operator against a prime minister who he says is "not up to the job".
And as for the Labour Party, the message was simply: Look again, we're under new management.
Light on policy, heavy on values, the Labour leader used his conference speech and annual leader interview with Sky News to put clear red water between Jeremy Corbyn and Labour under Sir Keir.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:24 'It is time to get serious about winning'
He didn't even namecheck his predecessor in his conference speech, instead choosing to identify with the three Labour winners of the last century: Attlee, Wilson and Blair.
When I asked him in our interview why he airbrushed Jeremy Corbyn from his speech he said he was "focusing on the three Labour leaders that won elections and making the point that I want to be the fourth".
"And that is the vital point which is, we're under leadership, recognising the scale of defeat, recognising we need to change and being relentlessly focused in the seriousness of winning."
Calling out Mr Johnson and ignoring Mr Corbyn completely, it was a speech that attacked both the enemy across the political divide and what he perhaps considers the enemy within.
Ambitious and determined, this was a Labour leader who has clearly set his store not so much on political philosophy or ideology but in winning power. He said: "We must absolutely, intensely focus on the importance of winning the election."
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But any hope of getting into power rests not just on how Sir Keir wins back the red wall and re-takes swing seats from the Conservatives but on whether he can win back Scotland from the SNP.
Not since 1955 has a Labour Party formed a government with less that 40 seats in Scotland. It currently has one.
"I'll be perfectly open about this," he said. "There's no route back for Labour that doesn't run through Scotland. We have to start winning in Scotland."
How is one of the Labour leader's most tortuous conundrums.
The SNP has eclipsed Labour in the past decade and now holds 48 out of 59 Scotland's Westminster seats.
The Conservatives are challenging as the diehard unionist party; and Sir Keir Starmer is wriggling on the hook.
He is trying to fudge the issue of a second independence referendum in an attempt to win back independence-leaning SNP voters, while also holding onto unionist support and holding the Labour party together.
That's why Sir Keir's eventual admission in our interview that he "stands by" his remarks made in January - that the SNP would have a mandate for a second Scottish independence referendum if they win a majority in next year's Holyrood elections - was so significant.
It gives the Conservatives a much-needed stick to beat Sir Keir with (you'll remember the election posters of 2015 that had a tiny Ed Miliband in Nicola Sturgeon's pocket).
Image: Will Sir Keir have to do a deal with the Scottish nationalists to get into No 10?
No sooner had his remarks aired did Michael Gove issue a statement saying Sir Keir had a "problem accepting referendum results" and was "a politician who wanted to work with Nicola Sturgeon to renege on the Scottish referendum result and break up the UK".
It allows the Conservatives to campaign as the only clear unionist party in Scotland.
It also raises again the conundrum that Labour will have in the general election of 2024: Will Sir Keir have to do a deal with the Scottish nationalists to get into No 10?
And is the prospect of that price tag of a second referendum too high a price for unionists north and south of the border?
It also creates a rift with his national Labour parties.
Ahead of the Scottish elections, it is a concession to the SNP that the Scottish Labour party will not want to give, while for the Welsh Labour party, any sense of the Labour leader committing to working with nationalists creates problems for them.
Podcast Podcast , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Podcast cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Podcast cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Podcast cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
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Sir Keir made it clear he was not in favour of "another divisive referendum", saying it was "about the last thing that we need".
But how to beat back the SNP when the matter of independence remains the overriding dividing line in Scottish politics is a fiendishly difficult problem to solve.
Mr Starmer doesn't just have to beat Mr Johnson, he has to take on Ms Sturgeon too.
The immediate task is to rehabilitate the Labour Party with voters.
May's local elections, elections for mayors around the country and the Scottish and Welsh elections will be his first real test of whether his attempt to rehabilitate the Labour Party with voters is beginning to pay off.
But the hardest task - and the biggest prize - will be winning back Scotland.


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--Italy president hits out at Boris Johnson over COVID remark

Italy 's president has hit back at Boris Johnson after he suggested the UK had higher coronavirus infection rates because it was a more `` freedom-loving country '' .
In parliament this week , the prime minister was quizzed about why Germany and Italy appeared to have lower COVID-19 rates than Britain .
Mr Johnson disputed a claim that the relative success of different countries ' test and trace schemes was a factor .
And the PM added that there was `` an important difference between our country and many other countries around the world : our country is a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ look at the history of this country over the past 300 years , virtually every advance , from free speech to democracy , has come from this country , '' he continued .
`` It is very difficult to ask the British population uniformly to obey guidelines in the way that is necessary . ''
Asked about Mr Johnson 's comments , Italian President Sergio Mattarella said on Thursday : `` We Italians also love freedom , but we also care about seriousness . ''
The Reuters news agency reported Mr Mattarella was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ conversation , but his words were swiftly reported in the local media and his office confirmed the remarks .
According to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University , the UK has been the worst-affected country in Europe from COVID-19 in terms of death , ahead of Italy , France and then Spain .
Germany has suffered less than one-quarter of the number of deaths the UK has , according to the tally .
It is not the first time Mr Johnson 's comments have prompted a response from an Italian politician .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ foreign secretary - was accused of `` insulting '' the country 's government by claiming Italy should support a generous post-Brexit trade deal in order to prevent a decline in its exports of prosecco .
: : Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The prime minister 's fiancee , Carrie Symonds , was this week photographed in Lake Como , northern Italy , with the Daily Mail website reporting she had been spending a few days with the couple 's baby , WIlfred , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` completely untrue '' claims that Mr Johnson travelled through Perugia airport on a secretive trip this month .
And the president of the airport said on Monday there had been an `` error '' in a previous statement and that Mr Johnson did not recently land there .

Italy's president has hit back at Boris Johnson after he suggested the UK had higher coronavirus infection rates because it was a more "freedom-loving country".
In parliament this week, the prime minister was quizzed about why Germany and Italy appeared to have lower COVID-19 rates than Britain.
Mr Johnson disputed a claim that the relative success of different countries' test and trace schemes was a factor.
And the PM added that there was "an important difference between our country and many other countries around the world: our country is a freedom-loving country".
Image: The PM had told MPs: 'Our country is a freedom-loving country'
"If we look at the history of this country over the past 300 years, virtually every advance, from free speech to democracy, has come from this country," he continued.
"It is very difficult to ask the British population uniformly to obey guidelines in the way that is necessary."
Asked about Mr Johnson's comments, Italian President Sergio Mattarella said on Thursday: "We Italians also love freedom, but we also care about seriousness."
The Reuters news agency reported Mr Mattarella was asked about Mr Johnson during a private conversation, but his words were swiftly reported in the local media and his office confirmed the remarks.
According to a tally by the Johns Hopkins University, the UK has been the worst-affected country in Europe from COVID-19 in terms of death, ahead of Italy, France and then Spain.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:31 PM's app message during thunderclap
Germany has suffered less than one-quarter of the number of deaths the UK has, according to the tally.
It is not the first time Mr Johnson's comments have prompted a response from an Italian politician.
In 2016, Mr Johnson - then foreign secretary - was accused of "insulting" the country's government by claiming Italy should support a generous post-Brexit trade deal in order to prevent a decline in its exports of prosecco.
Podcast Podcast , which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enable Podcast cookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the This content is provided by, which may be using cookies and other technologies. To show you this content, we need your permission to use cookies. You can use the buttons below to amend your preferences to enablecookies or to allow those cookies just once. You can change your settings at any time via the Privacy Options Unfortunately we have been unable to verify if you have consented to Podcast cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Podcast cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
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The prime minister's fiancee, Carrie Symonds, was this week photographed in Lake Como, northern Italy, with the Daily Mail website reporting she had been spending a few days with the couple's baby, WIlfred, and friends.
Downing Street recently condemned "completely untrue" claims that Mr Johnson travelled through Perugia airport on a secretive trip this month.
And the president of the airport said on Monday there had been an "error" in a previous statement and that Mr Johnson did not recently land there.


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--Government 'turning a blind eye' to war crimes in Yemen

The government has faced fresh calls to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia as ministers were accused of `` turning a blind eye '' to war crimes in Yemen .
In a House of Commons debate , MPs urged the government to immediately suspend the sales of arms in order to `` restrict Saudi Arabia 's ability to carry out air strikes on Yemenis and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis '' .
For more than five years , a Saudi-led coalition has been conducting military operations in Yemen in an attempt to reinstate the country 's internationally-recognised government after much of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Houthi rebels .
The UK recently resumed arms sales to Saudi Arabia after a court ruling previously put a temporary suspension on exports .
An internal government review into the use of weapons by Saudi Arabia in Yemen concluded that possible breaches of international humanitarian law ( IHL ) were just `` isolated incidents '' .
The UK is one of the biggest arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia and has sold in excess of £5bn of weapons to the kingdom since 2015 .
In the Commons debate on Thursday , Labour MP Sam @ @ @ @ @ @ @ constituents believed the government `` should hang its head in shame at its central role in helping to create the world 's worst humanitarian crisis by training , equipping and enabling the Saudi regime to bomb innocent Yemeni civilians '' .
`` After suspending new arms sales to the Saudi regime last year , the government has resumed its deadly support in July , '' he added .
`` Once again turning a blind eye to the war crimes that it is enabling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to commit .
`` Saudi @ @ @ @ @ @ @ without any form of accountability or investigation , which is completely unacceptable . ''
SNP MP Kirsten Oswald said it was `` beyond my comprehension '' why the UK had resumed arms sales to Saudi Arabia .
`` The UK government need to explain why they are not following the examples of Canada , Germany , Denmark , the UN , the US Congress and the European Parliament , among others , in calling for an embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia , in line with international guidelines on not selling arms @ @ @ @ @ @ @ civilians , '' she said .
However , Conservative MP John Howell argued that `` unless we can stop the Iranian funding of the Houthi rebels , it is useless to put all the blame , and an arms embargo , on Saudi Arabia '' .
`` That simply takes one side out of the equation , but leaves the other side fully funded , '' he said .
Responding for the government , Middle East minister James Cleverly recognised the concerns about the UK 's arms sales policy .
`` We have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Court of Appeal decision , and all sales are measured against the revised set of criteria , '' he said .
He also told MPs of the UK government 's worries about a `` looming famine '' in Yemen .
`` The simple truth is that Yemen is closer to famine than at any point since the conflict began , '' he said .
According to UNICEF , 10 million children are facing famine in Yemen .
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres last week told Sky News he was `` extremely worried '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .

The government has faced fresh calls to halt arms sales to Saudi Arabia as ministers were accused of "turning a blind eye" to war crimes in Yemen.
In a House of Commons debate, MPs urged the government to immediately suspend the sales of arms in order to "restrict Saudi Arabia's ability to carry out air strikes on Yemenis and exacerbate the humanitarian crisis".
For more than five years, a Saudi-led coalition has been conducting military operations in Yemen in an attempt to reinstate the country's internationally-recognised government after much of the Arab state was seized by Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The UK recently resumed arms sales to Saudi Arabia after a court ruling previously put a temporary suspension on exports.
An internal government review into the use of weapons by Saudi Arabia in Yemen concluded that possible breaches of international humanitarian law (IHL) were just "isolated incidents".
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:58 Hunger, war and COVID-19 hitting Yemen
The UK is one of the biggest arms suppliers to Saudi Arabia and has sold in excess of £5bn of weapons to the kingdom since 2015.
In the Commons debate on Thursday, Labour MP Sam Tarry told MPs that many of his constituents believed the government "should hang its head in shame at its central role in helping to create the world's worst humanitarian crisis by training, equipping and enabling the Saudi regime to bomb innocent Yemeni civilians".
"After suspending new arms sales to the Saudi regime last year, the government has resumed its deadly support in July," he added.
"Once again turning a blind eye to the war crimes that it is enabling Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to commit.
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"Saudi Arabia is being allowed to bomb Yemen without any form of accountability or investigation, which is completely unacceptable."
SNP MP Kirsten Oswald said it was "beyond my comprehension" why the UK had resumed arms sales to Saudi Arabia.
"The UK government need to explain why they are not following the examples of Canada, Germany, Denmark, the UN, the US Congress and the European Parliament, among others, in calling for an embargo on arms sales to Saudi Arabia, in line with international guidelines on not selling arms to those involved in conflicts that target civilians," she said.
However, Conservative MP John Howell argued that "unless we can stop the Iranian funding of the Houthi rebels, it is useless to put all the blame, and an arms embargo, on Saudi Arabia".
"That simply takes one side out of the equation, but leaves the other side fully funded," he said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:24 'The world must wake up to this footage'
Responding for the government, Middle East minister James Cleverly recognised the concerns about the UK's arms sales policy.
"We have reviewed it in the light of the Court of Appeal decision, and all sales are measured against the revised set of criteria," he said.
He also told MPs of the UK government's worries about a "looming famine" in Yemen.
"The simple truth is that Yemen is closer to famine than at any point since the conflict began," he said.
According to UNICEF, 10 million children are facing famine in Yemen.
UN secretary general Antonio Guterres last week told Sky News he was "extremely worried" by the situation in the war-torn country.


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--Coronavirus test shortage forcing thousands of GPs and nurses to stay off work

Thousands of GPs and nurses are being forced to stay off work as they can not get tested for COVID-19 , the professional body for general practitioners has said .
The Royal College of GPs ( RCGP ) has written to Dido Harding , head of the government 's £10bn test-and-trace programme , warning that staff absences could hit the flu vaccination drive that ministers say is vital to stop the NHS becoming overwhelmed this winter .
Patient care will suffer because family doctors and practice nurses are having to isolate at home at the same time as the reopening @ @ @ @ @ @ @ - which is leading to more people seeking an appointment - it says .
Professor Martin Marshall , chair of the RCGP , told Sky News that test and trace logistics and capacity must `` urgently improve '' in order to help tackle COVID-19 .
`` GPs tell us that they are struggling to access tests for themselves and their teams .
We simply can not afford to have practice staff having to isolate , taking them out of frontline clinical practice , '' he said .
`` A lack of access to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ general practice , as staff isolate whilst awaiting results , and the care that can be delivered to patients .
`` We also want to see GPs having access to tests for patients who have a clinical need .
Currently the only alternative is to refer them to Test and Trace .
`` This will help us to differentiate between COVID-19 and other potentially serious conditions . ''
The disclosure around medical workers who are unable to get a test follows weeks of mounting concern over the number of teachers , parents of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encountered problems - with some being told to go hundreds of miles to be checked .
Professor Marshall added : `` If patients with symptoms of COVID-19 or people at risk of infection start attending GP appointments as a first port of call , it risks compromising infection control measures that have been put in place and has the potential to further spread the virus .
`` Without sufficient capacity and resources , it would also risk overloading general practice , which is already pressurised with consultation rates back to pre-pandemic levels and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the largest ever flu vaccination programme and for a potential second wave . ''
: : Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The college 's letter comes as official figures showed that the number of tests processed in the UK fell for three days in a row between Sunday and Tuesday , culminating in just 188,865 on Tuesday - about 35,000 below the recent average and the lowest number for 13 days .
Boris Johnson has pledged to dramatically increase capacity so that 500,000 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by the end of October in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus by identifying outbreaks and isolating those infected .

Thousands of GPs and nurses are being forced to stay off work as they cannot get tested for COVID-19, the professional body for general practitioners has said.
The Royal College of GPs (RCGP) has written to Dido Harding, head of the government's £10bn test-and-trace programme, warning that staff absences could hit the flu vaccination drive that ministers say is vital to stop the NHS becoming overwhelmed this winter.
Patient care will suffer because family doctors and practice nurses are having to isolate at home at the same time as the reopening of schools, universities and some workplaces - which is leading to more people seeking an appointment - it says.
Image: Professor Martin Marshall told Sky News that patient care would suffer because family doctors and practice nurses are having to isolate at home
Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the RCGP, told Sky News that test and trace logistics and capacity must "urgently improve" in order to help tackle COVID-19.
"GPs tell us that they are struggling to access tests for themselves and their teams. We simply cannot afford to have practice staff having to isolate, taking them out of frontline clinical practice," he said.
"A lack of access to testing is already impacting on capacity in general practice, as staff isolate whilst awaiting results, and the care that can be delivered to patients.
"We also want to see GPs having access to tests for patients who have a clinical need. Currently the only alternative is to refer them to Test and Trace.
"This will help us to differentiate between COVID-19 and other potentially serious conditions."
Image: Boris Johnson has pledged to dramatically increase capacity so that 500,000 tests a day can be carried out by the end of October
The disclosure around medical workers who are unable to get a test follows weeks of mounting concern over the number of teachers, parents of school-age children and NHS staff who have encountered problems - with some being told to go hundreds of miles to be checked.
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Professor Marshall added: "If patients with symptoms of COVID-19 or people at risk of infection start attending GP appointments as a first port of call, it risks compromising infection control measures that have been put in place and has the potential to further spread the virus.
"Without sufficient capacity and resources, it would also risk overloading general practice, which is already pressurised with consultation rates back to pre-pandemic levels and GPs and our teams preparing to deliver the largest ever flu vaccination programme and for a potential second wave."
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The college's letter comes as official figures showed that the number of tests processed in the UK fell for three days in a row between Sunday and Tuesday, culminating in just 188,865 on Tuesday - about 35,000 below the recent average and the lowest number for 13 days.
Boris Johnson has pledged to dramatically increase capacity so that 500,000 tests a day can be carried out by the end of October in an attempt to curb the spread of the virus by identifying outbreaks and isolating those infected.


skynewspolitics--2020-09-25--Chancellor's 'live without fear' message not an invitation to break rules - minister

A minister has denied that the chancellor 's message to `` live without fear '' during the pandemic was a suggestion people do not have to follow the coronavirus rules .
Rishi Sunak made the remark in the Commons as he set out his `` Winter Economy Plan '' designed to avert a jobs crisis amid continuing COVID-19 restrictions .
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around the world Asked about the comment in an interview on Sky News - and whether it was a message that Britons should ignore the coronavirus rules - chief secretary to the Treasury @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opposite .
`` I think what 's very clear from the message the chancellor said we need to address the health risks in order to protect jobs .
`` It 's as a consequence of people following the health guidance , adhering to that , that 's also how we enable the economy to recover and we protect as many jobs as possible .
`` This false choice that 's sometimes presented between the health needs and the economic needs is wrong .
`` They both sit side by side and it 's @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus that we can get the business confidence back into the economy . ''
The headline announcement from the chancellor was a new Job Support Scheme , which will replace furlough when it ends next month .
This will see the government `` directly support '' the wages of people in `` viable '' jobs working at least a third of their normal hours .
A worker doing a third of their normal hours will still get 77 % of their usual pay - 33 % from their employer for the hours worked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ firm and another 22 % from the government ( up to a cap of £697.92 a month ) .
It will start in November and run for six months - with all small and medium-sized businesses eligible for the scheme .
Larger firms will have to prove their profits have been affected by the pandemic in order to utilise it .
The 15 % VAT cut for hospitality and tourism - down to 5 % - has also been extended until the end of March .
Mr Barclay said the government have been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will not be able to save , regretfully , every job '' .
`` There 's a whole range of investment going into the economy in those sectors whilst we protect as many of those jobs that are viable , that people have been protected in initially through the furlough and now through the winter package .
`` It is right that we also look at the cost to the wider economy , these measures come at a significant fiscal cost , and that 's why it 's right we target those jobs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to be sadly a difficult winter . ''
But Labour 's shadow business minister Lucy Powell told Sky News that she fears the scheme may not have the intended effect and will still result in `` mass redundancies '' .
`` The cost to employers and the incentive to employers are not good enough , '' she said .
`` It will be cheaper for an employer to keep somebody on full-time than it would be to keep two people on part-time .
`` That 's not really what the scheme is designed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the end of the furlough scheme will result in a `` dramatic increase '' in unemployment .
`` We 're going to return to the mass unemployment that we have n't seen since the early 1980s , '' he told Sky News .

A minister has denied that the chancellor's message to "live without fear" during the pandemic was a suggestion people do not have to follow the coronavirus rules.
Rishi Sunak made the remark in the Commons as he set out his "Winter Economy Plan" designed to avert a jobs crisis amid continuing COVID-19 restrictions.
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around the world
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:45 Treasury minister on 'viable jobs'
Asked about the comment in an interview on Sky News - and whether it was a message that Britons should ignore the coronavirus rules - chief secretary to the Treasury Steve Barclay said: "Quite the opposite.
"I think what's very clear from the message the chancellor said we need to address the health risks in order to protect jobs.
"It's as a consequence of people following the health guidance, adhering to that, that's also how we enable the economy to recover and we protect as many jobs as possible.
"This false choice that's sometimes presented between the health needs and the economic needs is wrong.
"They both sit side by side and it's through taking strong measures to address the virus that we can get the business confidence back into the economy."
The headline announcement from the chancellor was a new Job Support Scheme, which will replace furlough when it ends next month.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:03 Sunak announces 'job support scheme'
This will see the government "directly support" the wages of people in "viable" jobs working at least a third of their normal hours.
A worker doing a third of their normal hours will still get 77% of their usual pay - 33% from their employer for the hours worked, a 22% top-up from the firm and another 22% from the government (up to a cap of £697.92 a month).
It will start in November and run for six months - with all small and medium-sized businesses eligible for the scheme.
Larger firms will have to prove their profits have been affected by the pandemic in order to utilise it.
The 15% VAT cut for hospitality and tourism - down to 5% - has also been extended until the end of March.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:34 How much could Rishi Sunak's plan cost?
Mr Barclay said the government have been "honest with the public that we will not be able to save, regretfully, every job".
"There's a whole range of investment going into the economy in those sectors whilst we protect as many of those jobs that are viable, that people have been protected in initially through the furlough and now through the winter package.
"It is right that we also look at the cost to the wider economy, these measures come at a significant fiscal cost, and that's why it's right we target those jobs that are viable during what is going to be sadly a difficult winter."
But Labour's shadow business minister Lucy Powell told Sky News that she fears the scheme may not have the intended effect and will still result in "mass redundancies".
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:53 Businesses react to the chancellors plan
"The cost to employers and the incentive to employers are not good enough," she said.
"It will be cheaper for an employer to keep somebody on full-time than it would be to keep two people on part-time.
"That's not really what the scheme is designed to do."
The SNP's Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the end of the furlough scheme will result in a "dramatic increase" in unemployment.
"We're going to return to the mass unemployment that we haven't seen since the early 1980s," he told Sky News.


skynewspolitics--2020-09-24--Group of 40 Tory rebels bid to force PM to offer vote on COVID-19 powers

A group of more than 40 Conservative MPs are bidding to force the government to give parliament a vote before the renewal of ministers ' coronavirus powers .
Sir Graham Brady , the chair of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers , is leading the cross-party effort to amend emergency COVID-19 legislation .
Powers under the Coronavirus Act , which was passed in March , have to be renewed by parliament every six months .
The potential Tory rebellion reflects the unease among some Conservative MPs about the continuing use of the powers and the latest restrictions announced by @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Ahead of their first renewal next Wednesday , Sir Graham is seeking to add a provision that each time new powers are used by ministers under the Coronavirus Act , parliament should have the opportunity to debate and vote on their use .
His amendment to next Wednesday 's motion has been backed by 40 other Conservative MPs - including former cabinet ministers Sir Iain Duncan Smith , David Davis , Esther McVey and Sir John Redwood - as well as senior Labour MPs Harriet Harman and John Cryer , and the DUP @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Former government minister Steve Baker , who is supporting Sir Graham 's amendment , has also tabled his own amendment to omit Schedule 21 powers from the act 's renewal .
Schedule 21 of the Coronavirus Act specifies the powers given to police officers , public health officers and immigration officers to take actions against `` potentially infectious '' people .
It also creates criminal offences for non-compliance .
A recent Crown Prosecution Service review found that all 121 cases under the Coronavirus Act were found to have been incorrectly charged because there @ @ @ @ @ @ @ people .
: : Subscribe to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker As well as the unease among some Tories about the continuance of the powers , civil liberties groups are currently campaigning for their curtailment .
Speaking on ITV 's Peston show on Wednesday night , Mr Baker called on MPs to back Sir Graham 's amendment and `` say to the government : 'We do actually need to vote in parliament before people 's liberties are locked down . '
'' Sir @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` got into the habit of ruling by decree '' .
However , there is no certainty that Sir Lindsay Hoyle , the speaker of the House of Commons , will accept Sir Graham 's amendment as Wednesday 's proposed renewal of the coronavirus powers is via a statutory motion .
And the government might seek to strike a compromise with Sir Graham 's group of Tory MPs ahead of next week .
Next week could also see a rebellion among Tory MPs over Mr Johnson 's controversial bid to override the Brexit @ @ @

A group of more than 40 Conservative MPs are bidding to force the government to give parliament a vote before the renewal of ministers' coronavirus powers.
Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the influential 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, is leading the cross-party effort to amend emergency COVID-19 legislation.
Powers under the Coronavirus Act, which was passed in March, have to be renewed by parliament every six months.
Image: Sir Graham Brady is seeking to amend the emergency COVID-19 legislation
The potential Tory rebellion reflects the unease among some Conservative MPs about the continuing use of the powers and the latest restrictions announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson this week.
Ahead of their first renewal next Wednesday, Sir Graham is seeking to add a provision that each time new powers are used by ministers under the Coronavirus Act, parliament should have the opportunity to debate and vote on their use.
His amendment to next Wednesday's motion has been backed by 40 other Conservative MPs - including former cabinet ministers Sir Iain Duncan Smith, David Davis, Esther McVey and Sir John Redwood - as well as senior Labour MPs Harriet Harman and John Cryer, and the DUP's Ian Paisley and Sammy Wilson.
Former government minister Steve Baker, who is supporting Sir Graham's amendment, has also tabled his own amendment to omit Schedule 21 powers from the act's renewal.
Schedule 21 of the Coronavirus Act specifies the powers given to police officers, public health officers and immigration officers to take actions against "potentially infectious" people.
It also creates criminal offences for non-compliance.
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A recent Crown Prosecution Service review found that all 121 cases under the Coronavirus Act were found to have been incorrectly charged because there was no evidence they covered potentially infectious people.
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As well as the unease among some Tories about the continuance of the powers, civil liberties groups are currently campaigning for their curtailment.
Speaking on ITV's Peston show on Wednesday night, Mr Baker called on MPs to back Sir Graham's amendment and "say to the government: 'We do actually need to vote in parliament before people's liberties are locked down.'"
Sir Graham has previously criticised ministers for having "got into the habit of ruling by decree".
However, there is no certainty that Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the speaker of the House of Commons, will accept Sir Graham's amendment as Wednesday's proposed renewal of the coronavirus powers is via a statutory motion.
And the government might seek to strike a compromise with Sir Graham's group of Tory MPs ahead of next week.
Next week could also see a rebellion among Tory MPs over Mr Johnson's controversial bid to override the Brexit withdrawal deal.