skynewspolitics--2020-11-25--Hancock to reveal what tier different parts of England will be in

Millions of people are facing tough new COVID restrictions as the government brings in a tier system in England that for large parts of the country could be as strict as the national lockdown .
Boris Johnson is facing a potentially damaging rebellion by dozens of Conservative MPs who are bitterly opposed to their constituencies being placed under the harshest Tier 3 measures from next week .
The government has bowed to demands from senior Tory MPs for an impact assessment on the tier system and will publish an analysis of its health , economic and social impacts .
And @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from wavering MPs , the prime minister is promising that the tier allocations being announced by Mr Hancock will be reviewed on Wednesday 16 December .
This means areas where the spread of the disease slows down in the next few weeks could be moved down a tier for a week before the suspension of restrictions for Christmas on 23 December .
The prime minister could also be hit by a furious backlash from senior local government leaders including London mayor Sadiq Khan and Greater Manchester 's Andy Burnham if their cities are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ soften the blow , the government is promising that areas in the top tier will be able to receive rapid-result COVID-19 tests , with the Army helping out , to help bring down infections , as well as cash subsidies .
Ministers on the government 's COVID Operations Committee held a late-evening meeting to decide which tiers all parts of England will be under , ahead of an announcement by Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the Commons .
After the meeting , attended by Mr Johnson , Mr Hancock , Cabinet Office minister @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , deputising for Chancellor Rishi Sunak , Sky sources suggested London is likely to be in Tier 2 .
Mr Khan , speaking to Sky News about which tier the capital would be placed under when Mr Hancock makes his statement , said : `` All the roads lead to Tier 2 . ''
According to Conservative MPs , there was also a strong hint from the prime minister that Liverpool - previously in Tier 3 - will be in Tier 2 this time , while Greater Manchester could be placed in Tier @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in a Zoom call with the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers that Liverpool 's mass testing meant they were doing `` much better than Manchester '' .
Earlier , speaking at a news conference , Mr Burnham said that it was `` more likely than not '' that Greater Manchester would be made subject to Tier 3 restrictions .
Ahead of his statement , Mr Hancock said : `` Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice made by people up and down the country , we are able to move out of national @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiered restrictions .
`` I know for those of you faced with Tier 3 restrictions this will be a particularly difficult time but I want to reassure you that we 'll be supporting your areas with mass community testing and extra funding .
`` By following the rules together we can get out of these tough measures . ''
Mr Hancock is expected to set out the tier which each local authority in England will fall under , in line with the measures set out in the prime minister 's COVID-19 Winter Plan @ @ @ @ @ @ @ been toughened since they were previously in force from 14 October - 5 November and many more areas will be placed into the higher tiers in a bid to keep infection rates down .
The government says the decisions on tiers have been made by ministers based on recommendations by government scientists and medics , taking into account : • Infection rates in all age groups and in particular among the over 60s • How quickly case rates are rising or falling • The number of cases per 100,000 in the general population @ @ @ @ @ @ @ current and projected NHS capacity - including admissions , bed occupancy and staff absences • Local factors and exceptional circumstances such as a local but contained outbreak As well as rapid testing , in a move aimed at containing opposition from local government leaders , the government is also promising extra cash for areas placed in Tier 2 and Tier 3 .
The Contain Outbreak Management Fund will be extended so that it can provide monthly payments to local authorities facing higher restrictions until the end of the financial year , in recognition @ @ @ @ @ @ @ management costs of tackling COVID-19 .
For those authorities in Tier 3 , this funding will amount to £4 per head of population per month , and for those in Tier 2 , it will amount to £2 per head of population per month .
Speaking to Sky News , Mr Khan rejected calls from Conservative MPs from the capital 's suburbs for parts of London with low infection rates to be put in a lower tier .
`` We only have one Metropolitan Police service to do enforcement , '' he said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ enforcement rules for different parts of the borough .
`` We only have one Transport for London service in different parts of the borough - the buses , the tubes , the trams , the Overground .
`` As disappointed as I am , we do n't make the criteria for Tier 1 , as much as I 'd like to do so , but also it is quite clear that we 're nowhere near Tier 3 . ''
Earlier , at his news conference , Mr Burnham said : `` We do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in , that still has not been communicated to us .
I think it is fair to say we are heading at some speed to Tier 3 - Tier 2 borderline - given the figures .
`` Tier 3 , in my view , is too punishing on hospitality and will be too hard on city centres , particularly as we go through Christmas and the New Year period . '

Local leaders have been appealing to the government ahead of the announcement of which areas will face the toughest COVID-19 restrictions.
Millions of people face tough new COVID-19 rules when the national lockdown ends on 2 December and England moves to a strengthened tiered system.
Watch and follow live as announcement on England's tier system is made at 11.30am
Image: Tier 3 areas will get rapid testing, with the military helping out
Ahead of the announcement, regional leaders have been lobbying the government, with many arguing against being placed into Tier 3.
London mayor Sadiq Khan has said he thinks the capital should be in Tier 2 as it's "quite clear that we're nowhere near Tier 3".
Andy Burnham, mayor of Greater Manchester, said the region is "heading at some speed to Tier 3 - Tier 2 borderline - given the figures".
"Tier 3, in my view, is too punishing on hospitality and will be too hard on city centres, particularly as we go through Christmas and the New Year period," he added.
Andy Preston, mayor of Middlesbrough, has said "we fear the worst" and that the area will be put in Tier 3.
He warned this would "further frustrate, agitate, disappoint and be a barrier to jobs and recovery".
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:25 Is the tier system practical?
Meanwhile Joe Anderson, the mayor of Liverpool, said "we're hoping" the city will be the first downgraded from Tier 3 to Tier 2.
"Our figures have shown a real decrease," he told Sky News. "The evidence is there, we've done what's been asked of us... I think it's right that we be allowed to be placed in Tier 2."
In Hull, people have already been warned to expect the highest Tier 3 restrictions, reports Sky correspondent Tom Parmenter.
Boris Johnson is also facing a potentially damaging rebellion by dozens of Conservative MPs who are bitterly opposed to their constituencies being placed under the harshest Tier 3 measures from next week.
The government has bowed to demands from senior Tory MPs for an impact assessment on the tier system and will publish an analysis of its health, economic and social impacts.
And in a move aimed at winning support from wavering MPs, the prime minister is promising that the tier allocations being announced by Mr Hancock will be reviewed on Wednesday 16 December.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:48 Virus 'doesn't know it's Christmas', says PM
This means areas where the spread of the disease slows down in the next few weeks could be moved down a tier for a week before the suspension of restrictions for Christmas on 23 December.
In a bid to soften the blow for areas placed in Tier 3, the government is promising that areas in the top tier will be able to receive rapid-result COVID-19 tests, with the Army helping out, to help bring down infections, as well as cash subsidies.
Ministers on the government's COVID Operations Committee held a late-evening meeting to decide which tiers all parts of England will be under, ahead of an announcement by Health Secretary Matt Hancock in the Commons.
After the meeting, attended by Mr Johnson, Mr Hancock, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and Treasury minister John Glen, deputising for Chancellor Rishi Sunak, Sky sources suggested London is likely to be in Tier 2.
According to Conservative MPs, there was also a strong hint from the prime minister that Liverpool - previously in Tier 3 - will be in Tier 2 this time, while Greater Manchester could be placed in Tier 3.
Mr Johnson told Tory MPs in a Zoom call with the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers that Liverpool's mass testing meant they were doing "much better than Manchester".
Ahead of his statement, Mr Hancock said: "Thanks to the hard work and sacrifice made by people up and down the country, we are able to move out of national lockdown and into more targeted local, tiered restrictions.
"I know for those of you faced with Tier 3 restrictions this will be a particularly difficult time but I want to reassure you that we'll be supporting your areas with mass community testing and extra funding.
"By following the rules together we can get out of these tough measures."
The tiers have been toughened since they were previously in force from 14 October - 5 November and many more areas will be placed into the higher tiers in a bid to keep infection rates down.
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The government says the decisions on tiers have been made by ministers based on recommendations by government scientists and medics, taking into account:
Infection rates in all age groups and in particular among the over 60s
How quickly case rates are rising or falling
The number of cases per 100,000 in the general population
Pressure on the NHS - including current and projected NHS capacity - including admissions, bed occupancy and staff absences
Local factors and exceptional circumstances such as a local but contained outbreak
As well as rapid testing, in a move aimed at containing opposition from local government leaders, the government is also promising extra cash for areas placed in Tier 2 and Tier 3.
The Contain Outbreak Management Fund will be extended so that it can provide monthly payments to local authorities facing higher restrictions until the end of the financial year, in recognition of the ongoing public health and outbreak management costs of tackling COVID-19.
For those authorities in Tier 3, this funding will amount to £4 per head of population per month, and for those in Tier 2, it will amount to £2 per head of population per month.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-25--Moving from lockdown to tiers will change little for most, despite Tory backbench fury

Wednesday 's spending review will not make an immediate material impact on people 's lives .
Today 's announcement about which authority goes into which coronavirus tier will impact everyone 's lives in England , possibly until Easter .
Despite the boosterism , the short term outlook , until a vaccine is found , is pretty grim .
Although non-essential shops will reopen next week , life will not otherwise materially change that much for all those parts of the country put into Tier 3 once the second lockdown is lifted .
There may be very few areas indeed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had won the battle to stop areas going back into Tier 1 a fortnight ago - its resurrection by the PM on Monday may amount to little more than an imaginary carrot for most .
Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Clues to the pattern were visible on Wednesday night even before sources started confirming the first likely decisions about London going into Tier 2 .
Johnson told Tory MPs on a Zoom call that Liverpool was faring much better than Manchester because of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ former would be in Tier 2 and the latter in Tier 3 .
Tory MPs are rebelling , but with Labour likely to vote for the new Tiering proposals when they are put before the Commons next week , they will go through .
Last time the second lockdown needed opposition votes to get though , could that happen again ?
Or will Tory MPs not bother blighting their career for an unwinnable fight ?
Steve Baker is understood to have been initially cautious , but some rebels like Mark Harper still sounded @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Johnson .
Labour know that angry but impotent Tory MPs are dangerous to the PM , they hope frustration will see a letter of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady .
This may be far fetched , but with rebellions on so many fronts it will be interesting to see if they can find other outlets for their steam .

Wednesday's spending review will not make an immediate material impact on people's lives.
Today's announcement about which authority goes into which coronavirus tier will impact everyone's lives in England, possibly until Easter.
Despite the boosterism, the short term outlook, until a vaccine is found, is pretty grim.
Watch and follow live as announcement on England's tier system is made at 11.30am
Although non-essential shops will reopen next week, life will not otherwise materially change dramatically for lots of people in those parts of the country put into Tier 3 once the second lockdown is lifted.
Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
The other big change between this lockdown and Tier 3 is the non statutory stay at home edict disappears, so it will be interesting to see what an impact that has. The other main differences include gatherings of up to six in parks and public spaces, though not private gardens, and gyms reopening.
SAGE scientists thought they had won the battle to stop areas going back into Tier 1 a fortnight ago - its resurrection by the PM on Monday may amount to little more than an imaginary carrot for most.
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Clues to the pattern were visible on Wednesday night even before sources started confirming the first likely decisions about London going into Tier 2.
Johnson told Tory MPs on a Zoom call that Liverpool was faring much better than Manchester because of mass testing, leading to speculation the former would be in Tier 2 and the latter in Tier 3.
Tory MPs are rebelling, but with Labour likely to vote for the new Tiering proposals when they are put before the Commons next week, they will go through.
Last time the second lockdown needed opposition votes to get though, could that happen again? Or will Tory MPs not bother blighting their career for an unwinnable fight? Steve Baker is understood to have been initially cautious, but some rebels like Mark Harper still sounded furious on the Zoom call with Mr Johnson.
Labour know that angry but impotent Tory MPs are dangerous to the PM, they hope frustration will see a letter of no confidence to Sir Graham Brady.
This may be far fetched, but with rebellions on so many fronts it will be interesting to see if they can find other outlets for their steam.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-25--'Economic emergency' sees Sunak freeze public sector pay and cut foreign aid

Rishi Sunak has announced a public sector pay freeze and a cut to foreign aid spending as the UK battles soaring debt and unemployment amid a huge COVID-induced economic shrinkage .
As he announced his one-year spending review to the House of Commons on Wednesday , the chancellor declared the `` economic emergency '' from the coronavirus pandemic `` has only just begun '' .
With UK borrowing forecast to reach £394bn this year - equivalent to 19 % of GDP and the highest recorded level in the country 's peacetime history - Mr Sunak announced a pay freeze for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
He also abandoned a Conservative manifesto commitment to fund the foreign aid budget at the equivalent of 0.7 % of gross national income , instead cutting it to 0.5 % .
Mr Sunak told MPs the Office for Budget Responsibility ( OBR ) expects unemployment to rise to a peak of 2.6 million people next summer - a level of 7.5 % .
The OBR has also forecast an 11.3 % contraction in the UK economy this year - the largest fall in output for more than 300 years , the chancellor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Even with growth returning , our economic output is not expected to return to pre-crisis levels until the fourth quarter of 2022 .
`` And the economic damage is likely to be lasting .
Long-term scarring means , in 2025 , the economy will be around 3 % smaller than expected in the March budget . ''
However , the predicted economic contraction and rise in unemployment level were both less than the OBR 's previous forecasts from the summer .
The chancellor said the UK 's underlying debt was forecast to continue @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of GDP in 2025/26 .
And , hinting at possible future tax rises or further spending cuts , Mr Sunak said the government had a `` responsibility , once the economy recovers , to return to a sustainable fiscal position '' .
The chancellor said the government had this year provided £280bn to battle the COVID crisis , with an initial £18bn already earmarked for next year for spending on personal protective equipment , testing and vaccines .
Funding for public services to tackle coronavirus next year will total £55bn , the chancellor @ @ @ @ @ @ @ non-COVID spending , with a new £4bn `` levelling up '' fund to allow local areas to bid for funding for local projects .
`` This is about funding the infrastructure of everyday life : A new bypass , upgraded railway stations , less traffic , more libraries , museums , and galleries , better high streets and town centres , '' the chancellor said .
Meanwhile , a £4.3bn package of support to help the jobless included a new three-year £2.9bn scheme to help one million unemployed people in their job search @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increase Job Centre Plus capacity .
The chancellor also announced the publication of a new `` National Infrastructure Strategy '' , with the financing of the government 's plans to be assisted by a new UK infrastructure bank , whose headquarters will be in the north of England .
Mr Sunak defended his public sector pay freeze by highlighting how private sector wages fell by nearly 1 % in the six months to September , compared to last year .
`` Over the same period , public sector wages rose by nearly 4 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ And unlike workers in the private sector , who have lost jobs , been furloughed , seen wages cut , and hours reduced , the public sector has not . ''
However , one million nurses , doctors and other NHS employees will get a pay rise .
And 2.1 million public sector workers who earn below £24,000 per year have been guaranteed a pay increase of at least £250 .
The national living wage will also rise to £8.91 an hour for those aged 23 and over .
Mr Sunak said the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ COVID-19 meant `` sticking rigidly to spending 0.7 % of our national income on overseas aid is difficult to justify to the British people '' .
He told MPs a cut in foreign aid spending in 2021 would be followed by an `` intention '' to return to the 0.7 % commitment `` when the fiscal situation allows '' .
Justin Welby , the Archbishop of Canterbury , was among the early critics of Mr Sunak 's action , branding the foreign aid cut `` shameful and wrong '' .
With just 36 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ transition period , Mr Sunak made no mention of the continuing trade negotiations with the EU .
The OBR predicted a failure to strike trade deal in the next month could see a further 2 % reduction to GDP in 2021 , due to disruptions to cross-border trade .
Labour 's shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said Mr Sunak 's public sector pay freeze would deliver a `` sledgehammer to consumer confidence '' and harm small businesses and high streets .
She accused the government of having `` wasted and mismanaged public finances on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ crisis .
And she claimed the chancellor had `` turned his back on the world 's poorest '' by slashing foreign aid .
Earlier on Wednesday , Mr Sunak and the chief secretary to the Treasury , Steve Barclay , updated the cabinet ahead of the spending review .
Ministers were warned that economic forecasts by the OBR made for a `` sobering read '' .
The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies later declared that some of the OBR borrowing estimates were `` questionable '' .
Its director , Paul Johnson , said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not that spending will end up significantly higher than set out today , and so borrowing in 2024-25 will be considerably more than the £100bn forecast by the OBR .
`` `` Either that or we are in for a pretty austere few years once again , or for some significant tax rises , '' he added .
Analysis : No chancellor in peacetime has faced such a sea of red Rishi Sunak set the tone for his spending review in the opening sentence : `` Our health emergency is not over yet @ @ @ @ @ @ @ begun . ''
The scale of that emergency was chastening even if much of it was expected , and in parts not as truly awful as the Office for Budget Responsibility had previously forecast .
The economy will have shrunk by 11.3 % by the end of the year and GDP will not recover to pre-COVID levels until the second half of 2022 .
By 2025 , it will still be 3 % smaller than forecast in the March Budget .
Meanwhile , borrowing to tackle the pandemic has been stratospheric , £394bn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ some £55bn of which will be for COVID-specific projects including NHS Test and Trace .
And unemployment , the devastating human metric of any recession , is forecast to reach 2.6m people next year .
No chancellor in peacetime has faced such a sea of red , but Mr Sunak offered only two confirmed cuts to government spending to offset the tide .
The first , a pay freeze for public sector workers .
One million NHS staff are exempt and those earning less than £24,000 will receive a one-off £250 rise next @ @ @ @ @ @ @ celebrated as `` key workers '' facing a real-terms pay cut .
The second was to the foreign aid budget , set in law by David Cameron 's government at 0.7 % of GDP but now to be trimmed to 0.5 % until `` fiscal conditions allow '' a return .
The chancellor promised departmental spending will rise along with the national living wage and offered a check list of measures and initiatives , from jobs to new infrastructure .
But remarkably there was no mention of Brexit , or even acknowledgment of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ days if there is no deal , an outcome the OBR says will cut a further 2 % from GDP .
When the chancellor sat down we knew more about how this government hopes to plot a path to recovery , but so far only two groups - key workers and the foreign poor - will help pay for it .
How will the spending review affect you and the country ?
Sky 's economics editor Ed Conway will answer your questions on the Sky News app and website from 5.30pm .
Email @ @ @ @ @

Rishi Sunak has announced a public sector pay freeze and a cut to foreign aid spending as the UK battles soaring debt and unemployment amid a huge COVID-induced economic shrinkage.
As he announced his one-year spending review to the House of Commons on Wednesday, the chancellor declared the "economic emergency" from the coronavirus pandemic "has only just begun".
With UK borrowing forecast to reach £394bn this year - equivalent to 19% of GDP and the highest recorded level in the country's peacetime history - Mr Sunak announced a pay freeze for public sector workers outside of the NHS.
He also abandoned a Conservative manifesto commitment to fund the foreign aid budget at the equivalent of 0.7% of gross national income, instead cutting it to 0.5%.
Live updates and reaction after Rishi Sunak's spending review
Image: The OBR has forecast an 11.3% contraction in the UK economy this year
Mr Sunak told MPs the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) expects unemployment to rise to a peak of 2.6 million people next summer - a level of 7.5%.
The OBR has also forecast an 11.3% contraction in the UK economy this year - the largest fall in output for more than 300 years, the chancellor said.
Mr Sunak added: "Even with growth returning, our economic output is not expected to return to pre-crisis levels until the fourth quarter of 2022.
"And the economic damage is likely to be lasting. Long-term scarring means, in 2025, the economy will be around 3% smaller than expected in the March budget."
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However, the predicted economic contraction and rise in unemployment level were both less than the OBR's previous forecasts from the summer.
The chancellor said the UK's underlying debt was forecast to continue to rise until it reached 97.5% of GDP in 2025/26.
And, hinting at possible future tax rises or further spending cuts, Mr Sunak said the government had a "responsibility, once the economy recovers, to return to a sustainable fiscal position".
The chancellor said the government had this year provided £280bn to battle the COVID crisis, with an initial £18bn already earmarked for next year for spending on personal protective equipment, testing and vaccines.
Funding for public services to tackle coronavirus next year will total £55bn, the chancellor added.
He also set out fresh non-COVID spending, with a new £4bn "levelling up" fund to allow local areas to bid for funding for local projects.
"This is about funding the infrastructure of everyday life: A new bypass, upgraded railway stations, less traffic, more libraries, museums, and galleries, better high streets and town centres," the chancellor said.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:21 Economy: 'We've never seen anything like this'
Meanwhile, a £4.3bn package of support to help the jobless included a new three-year £2.9bn scheme to help one million unemployed people in their job search, alongside £1.4bn of new funding to increase Job Centre Plus capacity.
The chancellor also announced the publication of a new "National Infrastructure Strategy", with the financing of the government's plans to be assisted by a new UK infrastructure bank, whose headquarters will be in the north of England.
Mr Sunak defended his public sector pay freeze by highlighting how private sector wages fell by nearly 1% in the six months to September, compared to last year.
"Over the same period, public sector wages rose by nearly 4%," he said.
"And unlike workers in the private sector, who have lost jobs, been furloughed, seen wages cut, and hours reduced, the public sector has not."
However, one million nurses, doctors and other NHS employees will get a pay rise.
And 2.1 million public sector workers who earn below £24,000 per year have been guaranteed a pay increase of at least £250.
The national living wage will also rise to £8.91 an hour for those aged 23 and over.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:41 Foreign aid cut for 'UK jobs and services'
Mr Sunak said the "domestic fiscal emergency" caused by COVID-19 meant "sticking rigidly to spending 0.7% of our national income on overseas aid is difficult to justify to the British people".
He told MPs a cut in foreign aid spending in 2021 would be followed by an "intention" to return to the 0.7% commitment "when the fiscal situation allows".
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was among the early critics of Mr Sunak's action, branding the foreign aid cut "shameful and wrong".
With just 36 days until the end of the Brexit transition period, Mr Sunak made no mention of the continuing trade negotiations with the EU.
The OBR predicted a failure to strike trade deal in the next month could see a further 2% reduction to GDP in 2021, due to disruptions to cross-border trade.
Labour's shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said Mr Sunak's public sector pay freeze would deliver a "sledgehammer to consumer confidence" and harm small businesses and high streets.
She accused the government of having "wasted and mismanaged public finances on an industrial scale" during the COVID crisis.
And she claimed the chancellor had "turned his back on the world's poorest" by slashing foreign aid.
Earlier on Wednesday, Mr Sunak and the chief secretary to the Treasury, Steve Barclay, updated the cabinet ahead of the spending review.
Ministers were warned that economic forecasts by the OBR made for a "sobering read".
The independent Institute for Fiscal Studies later declared that some of the OBR borrowing estimates were "questionable".
Its director, Paul Johnson, said: "It seems more likely than not that spending will end up significantly higher
than set out today, and so borrowing in 2024-25 will be considerably more than the £100bn forecast by the OBR.
""Either that or we are in for a pretty austere few years once again, or for some significant tax rises," he added.
Image: Chancellor Rishi Sunak set out his spending review to MPs
Analysis: No chancellor in peacetime has faced such a sea of red
By Paul Kelso, business correspondent
Rishi Sunak set the tone for his spending review in the opening sentence: "Our health emergency is not over yet and our economic emergency has only just begun."
The scale of that emergency was chastening even if much of it was expected, and in parts not as truly awful as the Office for Budget Responsibility had previously forecast.
The economy will have shrunk by 11.3% by the end of the year and GDP will not recover to pre-COVID levels until the second half of 2022. By 2025, it will still be 3% smaller than forecast in the March Budget.
Meanwhile, borrowing to tackle the pandemic has been stratospheric, £394bn this year and another £164bn next, some £55bn of which will be for COVID-specific projects including NHS Test and Trace.
And unemployment, the devastating human metric of any recession, is forecast to reach 2.6m people next year.
No chancellor in peacetime has faced such a sea of red, but Mr Sunak offered only two confirmed cuts to government spending to offset the tide.
The first, a pay freeze for public sector workers.
One million NHS staff are exempt and those earning less than £24,000 will receive a one-off £250 rise next year, but it still leaves millions celebrated as "key workers" facing a real-terms pay cut.
The second was to the foreign aid budget, set in law by David Cameron's government at 0.7% of GDP but now to be trimmed to 0.5% until "fiscal conditions allow" a return.
The chancellor promised departmental spending will rise along with the national living wage and offered a check list of measures and initiatives, from jobs to new infrastructure.
But remarkably there was no mention of Brexit, or even acknowledgment of the cliff-edge that looms in just 36 days if there is no deal, an outcome the OBR says will cut a further 2% from GDP.
When the chancellor sat down we knew more about how this government hopes to plot a path to recovery, but so far only two groups - key workers and the foreign poor - will help pay for it.
How will the spending review affect you and the country? Sky's economics editor Ed Conway will answer your questions on the Sky News app and website from 5.30pm. Email questions to news@sky.com


skynewspolitics--2020-11-25--The numbers were staggering, and the economic emergency is only just beginning

For months the chancellor has been spending huge sums on the COVID crisis .
On Wednesday , we not only got the bill but some idea about how long and hard the road back to recovery will be .
From the bail-out to the hard truths , the numbers Rishi Sunak presented to parliament were staggering .
The coronavirus bill came in at £280bn for this year and £73bn for the next ( Paul Johnson of the Institute For Fiscal Studies noted it could be higher still given the spending review assumes zero spending on COVID after next year ) @ @ @ @ @ @ @ contraction - 11.3 per cent - in 300 years while borrowing is forecast to a peacetime record £394bn this year .
Unemployment is expected to rise to 7.5 % in the second quarter of next year .
That 's 2.6m people without a job .
And if the public health emergency has an end point around Easter when a mass vaccination programme is underway and life can return to some form of normality ( we hope ) , the message from the chancellor on Wednesday was that the economic emergency is only just @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of COVID-19 are permanent .
The economy will be 3 % smaller in 2025 than was expected in the March budget .
The chancellor on Wednesday made it clear that his immediate priority is `` to protect people 's lives and livelihoods '' .
Still in the midst of an economic crisis , this is not the time for fiscal consolidation .
But a warning too from the chancellor that there will come a time when we will have to start to repair the public finances .
`` This situation is clearly unsustainable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a responsibility , once the economy recovers , to return to a sustainable fiscal position , '' he said .
There was a small taster of what is to come as Mr Sunak announced a pay freeze for public sector workers ( although NHS staff and state workers on below-average pay were exempted ) .
There was a cut in the overseas aid budget , while Mr Sunak also reduced government spending plans from 2021-2022 onwards by more than £10bn a year , compared to plans set out in the March Budget .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ duck the question of how and when he intends to get the public finances onto a more sustainable fiscal footing for that much longer .
The country will still be borrowing £100bn a year in 2025 and there will be at least a £30bn annual hole in the government 's finances by the middle of the decade , according to the Office of Budget Responsibility .
Tax rises and spending cuts look inevitable - and daunting : to plug that £30bn gap through income tax alone would require a 6p hike in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the medicine required to begin healing our economy - be it spending cuts , freezes or tax rises , all come with painful political side effects .
It is made all the more difficult because of the prime minister 's manifesto promise not to raise income tax , national insurance or VAT in the lifetime of this parliament .
Breaking the election pledge not to cut the overseas aid budget has provoked a parliamentary backlash .
Can you imagine the fall-out should the chancellor decide tax promises need to be broken too ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the country can grow its way out of the crisis ( although the economic rebound will have to be spectacular for that ) through stimulus and low taxation and another camp that believes taxes will have to rise .
Managing the economic fall-out of the COVID crisis was hard enough ; managing the recovery is going to be perhaps even harder still .

For months the chancellor has been spending huge sums on the COVID crisis.
On Wednesday, we not only got the bill but some idea about how long and hard the road back to recovery will be.
From the bail-out to the hard truths, the numbers Rishi Sunak presented to parliament were staggering.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:38 Public sector pay freeze announced
The coronavirus bill came in at £280bn for this year and £73bn for the next (Paul Johnson of the Institute For Fiscal Studies noted it could be higher still given the spending review assumes zero spending on COVID after next year).
The economy has suffered its biggest contraction - 11.3 per cent - in 300 years while borrowing is forecast to a peacetime record £394bn this year.
Unemployment is expected to rise to 7.5% in the second quarter of next year. That's 2.6m people without a job.
And if the public health emergency has an end point around Easter when a mass vaccination programme is underway and life can return to some form of normality (we hope), the message from the chancellor on Wednesday was that the economic emergency is only just beginning, while the long term scars of COVID-19 are permanent.
The economy will be 3% smaller in 2025 than was expected in the March budget.
The chancellor on Wednesday made it clear that his immediate priority is "to protect people's lives and livelihoods".
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Still in the midst of an economic crisis, this is not the time for fiscal consolidation. But a warning too from the chancellor that there will come a time when we will have to start to repair the public finances.
"This situation is clearly unsustainable over the medium term... we have a responsibility, once the economy recovers, to return to a sustainable fiscal position," he said.
There was a small taster of what is to come as Mr Sunak announced a pay freeze for public sector workers (although NHS staff and state workers on below-average pay were exempted).
There was a cut in the overseas aid budget, while Mr Sunak also reduced government spending plans from 2021-2022 onwards by more than £10bn a year, compared to plans set out in the March Budget.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:58 Cameron: Foreign aid cut 'regrettable'
But he won't be able to duck the question of how and when he intends to get the public finances onto a more sustainable fiscal footing for that much longer.
The country will still be borrowing £100bn a year in 2025 and there will be at least a £30bn annual hole in the government's finances by the middle of the decade, according to the Office of Budget Responsibility.
Tax rises and spending cuts look inevitable - and daunting: to plug that £30bn gap through income tax alone would require a 6p hike in the rate.
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Inevitable, too, that the medicine required to begin healing our economy - be it spending cuts, freezes or tax rises, all come with painful political side effects.
It is made all the more difficult because of the prime minister's manifesto promise not to raise income tax, national insurance or VAT in the lifetime of this parliament.
Breaking the election pledge not to cut the overseas aid budget has provoked a parliamentary backlash. Can you imagine the fall-out should the chancellor decide tax promises need to be broken too?
There will be those MPs who believe the country can grow its way out of the crisis (although the economic rebound will have to be spectacular for that) through stimulus and low taxation and another camp that believes taxes will have to rise.
Managing the economic fall-out of the COVID crisis was hard enough; managing the recovery is going to be perhaps even harder still.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-25--Key points from Rishi Sunak's spending review

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out government spending plans and latest economic forecasts .
Here are the main points : • Pay rises for over a million nurses , doctors and others working in the NHS but pay rises `` paused '' for the rest of the public sector next year • However , the 2.1 million public sector workers earning less than £24,000 will receive a rise of at least £250 - and this means the majority of public employees will see their pay increase in 2021 • Spending 0.7 % of national income on overseas aid is `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of `` unprecedented crisis '' • It is being cut to 0.5 % in 2021 but with the intention to return to 0.7 % when the fiscal situation allows • Based on latest OECD data , the UK would remain the second highest aid donor in the G7 Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 'We 've never seen anything like this' • £18bn allocated to testing , PPE and vaccines next year and £3bn for the NHS plus over £2bn to keep transport arteries open , more than £3bn @ @ @ @ @ @ @ end rough sleeping • Altogether public services funding to tackle coronavirus next year will be £55bn • This year a total of £280bn provided `` to get our country through coronavirus '' Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player • The OBR expects GDP to shrink by 11.3 % this year , the biggest decline in more than 300 years • GDP expected to grow by 5.5 % in 2021 but will not recover to pre-crisis levels until the fourth quarter of 2022 • Growth is pencilled in at 6.6 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2023 then 1.7 % and 1.8 % in subsequent years • Despite this growth , long-term `` scarring '' means that in 2025 , economic output in 2025 will be 3 % lower than had been expected when the OBR last issued comprehensive forecasts in March • Borrowing is expected to reach £394bn for the current fiscal year , or 19 % of GDP - the highest recorded level of borrowing in peacetime • Underlying debt is forecast to reach 97.5 % of GDP in 2025-26 , a situation that is `` clearly @ @ @ @ @ @ @ use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Public finances must be repaired when 'the war is over' • Unemployment is expected to peak at 7.5 % - 2.6 million people - in the second quarter of next year • The chancellor confirms £3bn for a three-year Restart programme to help a million people who have been unemployed for over a year to find jobs • The national living wage will rise by 2.2 % to £8.91 per hour and will be extended to those aged 23 and over .
• For @ @ @ @ @ @ @ wage , that 's an increase of £345 next year Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player • Over this year and next , departmental spending will rise in real terms by 3.8 % , the fastest growth rate in 15 years • Core health budget rises by £6.6bn next year , allowing the government to deliver 50,000 more nurses and 50 million more GP appointments , Mr Sunak said • There will also be a £2.3bn increase in capital investments in the NHS - to replace old MRI and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ building programme • Schools budget to increase by £2.2bn next year and a £291m boost for further education plus £1.5bn to rebuild colleges and £375m to deliver the PM 's lifetime skills guarantee • £400m to recruit 6,000 new police officers and £4bn over four years for 18,000 new prison places • Capital spending next year will total £100bn , £27bn more than last year in real terms • A new national infrastructure bank , headquartered in the north of England , will work with the private sector to finance major new investment @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the spring • There 's £2.4bn more for Scotland , £1.3bn for Wales and £900m for Northern Ireland • Local authorities to be given extra flexibility to raise council tax which - together with an extra £300m grant from Whitehall - will give them an extra £1bn to spend on social care • `` Levelling up '' fund worth £4bn to pay for local projects with `` real impact '' - such as bypasses , railway station upgrades , traffic reduction , libraries , museums and galleries as well as high street and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ review affect you and the country ?
Sky 's economics editor Ed Conway will answer your questions on the Sky News app and website from 5.30pm .
Email questions to news @ sky.com

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has set out government spending plans and latest economic forecasts.
Here are the main points:
Public sector pay
Pay rises for over a million nurses, doctors and others working in the NHS but pay rises "paused" for the rest of the public sector next year
However, the 2.1 million public sector workers earning less than £24,000 will receive a rise of at least £250 - and this means the majority of public employees will see their pay increase in 2021
Aid
Spending 0.7% of national income on overseas aid is "difficult to justify" at a time of "unprecedented crisis"
It is being cut to 0.5% in 2021 but with the intention to return to 0.7% when the fiscal situation allows
Based on latest OECD data, the UK would remain the second highest aid donor in the G7
Live updates and reaction after Rishi Sunak's spending review
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 4:21 'We've never seen anything like this'
Coronavirus spending
£18bn allocated to testing, PPE and vaccines next year and £3bn for the NHS plus over £2bn to keep transport arteries open, more than £3bn to local authorities and £250m to help end rough sleeping
Altogether public services funding to tackle coronavirus next year will be £55bn
This year a total of £280bn provided "to get our country through coronavirus"
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:38 Public sector pay freeze announced
Economic forecasts
The OBR expects GDP to shrink by 11.3% this year, the biggest decline in more than 300 years
GDP expected to grow by 5.5% in 2021 but will not recover to pre-crisis levels until the fourth quarter of 2022
Growth is pencilled in at 6.6% in 2022, 2.3% in 2023 then 1.7% and 1.8% in subsequent years
Despite this growth, long-term "scarring" means that in 2025, economic output in 2025 will be 3% lower than had been expected when the OBR last issued comprehensive forecasts in March
Borrowing is expected to reach £394bn for the current fiscal year, or 19% of GDP - the highest recorded level of borrowing in peacetime
Underlying debt is forecast to reach 97.5% of GDP in 2025-26, a situation that is "clearly unsustainable over the medium term"
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:54 Public finances must be repaired when 'the war is over'
Jobs
Unemployment is expected to peak at 7.5% - 2.6 million people - in the second quarter of next year
The chancellor confirms £3bn for a three-year Restart programme to help a million people who have been unemployed for over a year to find jobs
The national living wage will rise by 2.2% to £8.91 per hour and will be extended to those aged 23 and over.
For a full-time worker on the national living wage, that's an increase of £345 next year
National minimum wage will also increase.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:41 Foreign aid cut for UK jobs and services
Wider spending: Schools, hospitals, police and prisons
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Over this year and next, departmental spending will rise in real terms by 3.8%, the fastest growth rate in 15 years
Core health budget rises by £6.6bn next year, allowing the government to deliver 50,000 more nurses and 50 million more GP appointments, Mr Sunak said
There will also be a £2.3bn increase in capital investments in the NHS - to replace old MRI and CT scanners and fund a promised hospital building programme
Schools budget to increase by £2.2bn next year and a £291m boost for further education plus £1.5bn to rebuild colleges and £375m to deliver the PM's lifetime skills guarantee
£400m to recruit 6,000 new police officers and £4bn over four years for 18,000 new prison places
Image: A new national infrastructure bank will be set up
Infrastructure
Capital spending next year will total £100bn, £27bn more than last year in real terms
£7.1bn national home building fund
A new national infrastructure bank, headquartered in the north of England, will work with the private sector to finance major new investment projects across the UK, starting in the spring
Nations and regions
There's £2.4bn more for Scotland, £1.3bn for Wales and £900m for Northern Ireland
Local authorities to be given extra flexibility to raise council tax which - together with an extra £300m grant from Whitehall - will give them an extra £1bn to spend on social care
"Levelling up" fund worth £4bn to pay for local projects with "real impact" - such as bypasses, railway station upgrades, traffic reduction, libraries, museums and galleries as well as high street and town centre improvements
How will the spending review affect you and the country? Sky's economics editor Ed Conway will answer your questions on the Sky News app and website from 5.30pm. Email questions to news@sky.com


skynewspolitics--2020-11-25--Foreign Office minister quits after chancellor slashes overseas aid

A Foreign Office minister has quit following Chancellor Rishi Sunak 's announcement of a cut to the UK 's overseas aid spending .
Baroness Sugg resigned from her junior ministerial role after the government abandoned a Conservative manifesto commitment to fund the foreign aid budget at the equivalent of 0.7 % of gross national income .
The chancellor 's move has prompted fury among charities and some Tories , with former prime minister David Cameron - who wrote the 0.7 % commitment into law while in Downing Street - branding it `` a very sad moment '' .
`` Putting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ children , stopping mothers from dying in childbirth - these were brilliant things we were doing it and it said something brilliant about this country , and it 's sad we 're standing back from that , '' the ex-premier said .
Announcing the foreign aid cut at his one-year spending review on Wednesday , Mr Sunak said the government would instead spend 0.5 % of gross national income on overseas aid .
The chancellor told the House of Commons the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meant `` sticking rigidly to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on overseas aid is difficult to justify to the British people '' .
Mr Sunak told MPs a cut in foreign aid spending in 2021 would be followed by an `` intention '' to return to the 0.7 % commitment `` when the fiscal situation allows '' .
In her resignation letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson , Baroness Sugg wrote : `` I believe it is fundamentally wrong to abandon our commitment to spend 0.7 % of gross national income on development .
`` This promise should be kept in the tough @ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` Given the link between our development spend and the health of our economy , the economic downturn has already led to significant cuts this year and I do not believe we should reduce our support further at a time of unprecedented global crises . ''
She also told the prime minister that cutting foreign aid `` risks undermining your efforts to promote a Global Britain and will diminish our power to influence other nations to do what is right '' .
Baroness Sugg had also been Mr Johnson 's special envoy for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the prime minister said he was `` very sorry '' to have received the peer 's letter of resignation , as he thanked Baroness Sugg for her `` outstanding service '' .
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said : `` Liz has been a great minister and we will sorely miss her .
`` She can be proud of her record championing girls ' education , promoting gender equality , supporting our Overseas Territories and the UK 's vital relations in the Caribbean .
`` I am sorry to see her go .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to spending 0.7 % of gross national income on foreign aid every year , under legislation passed during Mr Cameron 's time in office .
Mr Johnson 's government is now expected to bring forward legislation to reverse that commitment .
Baroness Sugg previously served as Downing Street 's director of operations and campaigns during Mr Cameron 's premiership .
The ex-prime minister nominated her for a peerage when he quit Number 10 in 2016 .
In an article for the Financial Times , Mr Raab described a `` tough but necessary and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ budget .
`` We take it with regret , and we will return to 0.7 % as soon as the fiscal situation allows , '' he said .
The foreign secretary also vowed to `` double down on the effectiveness of our aid '' .
Justin Welby , the Archbishop of Canterbury , was among those to criticise the chancellor 's cutting of the foreign aid budget , branding it `` shameful and wrong '' .
Labour 's shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds claimed Mr Sunak had `` turned his back on the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ minister Jeremy Hunt claimed the foreign aid cut would make the UK `` poorer in the eyes of the world , because people will worry that we are abandoning a noble ideal that we in this country have done more to champion than anyone else '' .
Fellow Tory ex-Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell told Mr Sunak the cut would `` be the cause of 100,000 preventable deaths , mainly among children '' .
However , other Conservative MPs were supportive of the move .
Philip Davies said people in the `` real world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : `` I suspect that the vast majority of the British public wo n't be asking why has he [ Mr Sunak ] cut so much , they will probably be asking why are we still spending so much . ''
Martin Vickers told the House of Commons he believed a `` temporary move is the right one '' if `` we are to continue to ask our constituents to make sacrifices '' .

A Foreign Office minister has quit following Chancellor Rishi Sunak's announcement of a cut to the UK's overseas aid spending.
Baroness Sugg resigned from her junior ministerial role after the government abandoned a Conservative manifesto commitment to fund the foreign aid budget at the equivalent of 0.7% of gross national income.
The chancellor's move has prompted fury among charities and some Tories, with former prime minister David Cameron - who wrote the 0.7% commitment into law while in Downing Street - branding it "a very sad moment".
"Putting food on people's tables, vaccinating children, stopping mothers from dying in childbirth - these were brilliant things we were doing it and it said something brilliant about this country, and it's sad we're standing back from that," the ex-premier said.
Live updates and reaction after Rishi Sunak's spending review
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:58 Foreign aid reduction is 'regrettable'
Announcing the foreign aid cut at his one-year spending review on Wednesday, Mr Sunak said the government would instead spend 0.5% of gross national income on overseas aid.
The chancellor told the House of Commons the economic crisis caused by the COVID-19 pandemic meant "sticking rigidly to spending 0.7% of our national income on overseas aid is difficult to justify to the British people".
Mr Sunak told MPs a cut in foreign aid spending in 2021 would be followed by an "intention" to return to the 0.7% commitment "when the fiscal situation allows".
In her resignation letter to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, Baroness Sugg wrote: "I believe it is fundamentally wrong to abandon our commitment to spend 0.7% of gross national income on development.
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"This promise should be kept in the tough times as well as the good.
"Given the link between our development spend and the health of our economy, the economic downturn has already led to significant cuts this year and I do not believe we should reduce our support further at a time of unprecedented global crises."
She also told the prime minister that cutting foreign aid "risks undermining your efforts to promote a Global Britain and will diminish our power to influence other nations to do what is right".
Baroness Sugg had also been Mr Johnson's special envoy for girls' education.
In his reply, the prime minister said he was "very sorry" to have received the peer's letter of resignation, as he thanked Baroness Sugg for her "outstanding service".
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab said: "Liz has been a great minister and we will sorely miss her.
"She can be proud of her record championing girls' education, promoting gender equality, supporting our Overseas Territories and the UK's vital relations in the Caribbean.
"I am sorry to see her go."
Image: The government has abandoned a Conservative manifesto commitment on foreign aid
The UK is committed in law to spending 0.7% of gross national income on foreign aid every year, under legislation passed during Mr Cameron's time in office.
Mr Johnson's government is now expected to bring forward legislation to reverse that commitment.
Baroness Sugg previously served as Downing Street's director of operations and campaigns during Mr Cameron's premiership.
The ex-prime minister nominated her for a peerage when he quit Number 10 in 2016.
In an article for the Financial Times, Mr Raab described a "tough but necessary and temporary" decision to cut the aid budget.
"We take it with regret, and we will return to 0.7% as soon as the fiscal situation allows," he said.
The foreign secretary also vowed to "double down on the effectiveness of our aid".
Justin Welby, the Archbishop of Canterbury, was among those to criticise the chancellor's cutting of the foreign aid budget, branding it "shameful and wrong".
Labour's shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds claimed Mr Sunak had "turned his back on the world's poorest".
Conservative former cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt claimed the foreign aid cut would make the UK "poorer in the eyes of the world, because people will worry that we are abandoning a noble ideal that we in this country have done more to champion than anyone else".
Fellow Tory ex-Cabinet minister Andrew Mitchell told Mr Sunak the cut would "be the cause of 100,000 preventable deaths, mainly among children".
However, other Conservative MPs were supportive of the move.
Philip Davies said people in the "real world" would support the cut, adding: "I suspect that the vast majority of the British public won't be asking why has he [Mr Sunak] cut so much, they will probably be asking why are we still spending so much."
Martin Vickers told the House of Commons he believed a "temporary move is the right one" if "we are to continue to ask our constituents to make sacrifices".


skynewspolitics--2020-11-25--MPs demand Amazon explain Alexa's 'antisemitic' responses

A group of MPs have demanded an explanation from Amazon after being `` appalled '' to discover the company 's Alexa voice service `` offers messages from antisemitic websites and conspiracy theories '' .
The All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism has written to Amazon 's UK boss , John Boumphrey , to request urgent action over the issue .
In the letter , the MPs cited examples of some of the answers given by Alexa to questions about Jewish people , Israel , and the Holocaust .
They said that the question , `` Do Jews control the media ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ that stated : `` Here 's something I found from the article 'Jew Watch ' on Wikipedia : Jew Watch claims that Jews control the world 's financial systems and media . ''
Another question , `` Do the Elders of Zion control the world ?
`` , was answered - the MPs said - with the response : `` According to palwatch.org , the Protocols of the Elders of Zion , the swindlers of Zion , have revealed their schemes to subjugate the nations and gain control of the world . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ `` full article describes the claim as 'viciously antisemitic ' , but Alexa omits this crucial point '' .
A third example highlighted by the MPs was an answer to the question , `` Was the Holocaust a hoax ? ''
.
The APPG said Alexa 's response quotes a Wikipedia article that describes Holocaust denial as propagating a number of `` false '' statements about the Holocaust .
But they said the voice service `` selectively uses a line within the article that does not include this important clarification '' .
They @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Israel guilty of war crimes ?
`` , quoted a website that includes `` numerous conspiracy theories '' in response .
Sky News received some of the same answers when asking Alexa those questions cited by the MPs .
The letter was signed by the APPG 's co-chairs - Conservative MP Andrew Percy and Labour 's Catherine McKinnell - as well as vice-chair Lisa Cameron , the SNP MP .
They asked Mr Boumphrey : `` Can you explain how this happened and what you will do , immediately , to rectify this @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will you do in the medium and long term to address the propagation and promotion of antisemitism across your systems . ''
The MPs said they had raised the matter with Home Secretary Priti Patel and would also be contacting the Metropolitan Police `` so that they might take a view on any breaches of communications or racial incitement legislation '' .
In a statement an Amazon spokesperson said : `` Anti-Semitism and discrimination of any kind is unacceptable .
Alexa pulls from a variety of sources to respond to questions - we @ @ @ @ @ @ @ responses reported . ''

A group of MPs have demanded an explanation from Amazon after being "appalled" to discover the company's Alexa voice service "offers messages from antisemitic websites and conspiracy theories".
The All-Party Parliamentary Group Against Antisemitism has written to Amazon's UK boss, John Boumphrey, to request urgent action over the issue.
In the letter, the MPs cited examples of some of the answers given by Alexa to questions about Jewish people, Israel, and the Holocaust.
They said that the question, "Do Jews control the media?", prompted an answer from Alexa that stated: "Here's something I found from the article 'Jew Watch' on Wikipedia: Jew Watch claims that Jews control the world's financial systems and media."
Another question, "Do the Elders of Zion control the world?", was answered - the MPs said - with the response: "According to palwatch.org, the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, the swindlers of Zion, have revealed their schemes to subjugate the nations and gain control of the world."
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The MPs' letter added that the "full article describes the claim as 'viciously antisemitic', but Alexa omits this crucial point".
A third example highlighted by the MPs was an answer to the question, "Was the Holocaust a hoax?".
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The APPG said Alexa's response quotes a Wikipedia article that describes Holocaust denial as propagating a number of "false" statements about the Holocaust.
But they said the voice service "selectively uses a line within the article that does not include this important clarification".
They also said the question, "Is Israel guilty of war crimes?", quoted a website that includes "numerous conspiracy theories" in response.
Sky News received some of the same answers when asking Alexa those questions cited by the MPs.
The letter was signed by the APPG's co-chairs - Conservative MP Andrew Percy and Labour's Catherine McKinnell - as well as vice-chair Lisa Cameron, the SNP MP.
They asked Mr Boumphrey: "Can you explain how this happened and what you will do, immediately, to rectify this.
"Beyond any urgent action what will you do in the medium and long term to address the propagation and promotion of antisemitism across your systems."
The MPs said they had raised the matter with Home Secretary Priti Patel and would also be contacting the Metropolitan Police "so that they might take a view on any breaches of communications or racial incitement legislation".
In a statement an Amazon spokesperson said: "Anti-Semitism and discrimination of any kind is unacceptable. Alexa pulls from a variety of sources to respond to questions - we are investigating this and have blocked the responses reported."


skynewspolitics--2020-11-25--Foreign aid to public pay: Five spending review announcements that drew strong reactions

Rishi Sunak 's spending review has elicited strong reactions from across the board as the UK struggles with its biggest fall in output for more than 300 years .
Sky News looks at five key parts of the announcement and what the reaction has been to them .
Overseas aid budget cut from 0.7 % to 0.5 % of gross national income - about £10bn A controversial move among MPs of all parties , especially as the Conservative manifesto promised to not reduce the foreign aid budget .
Mr Sunak said keeping it at 0.7 % is `` difficult to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ highest peacetime levels of borrowing on record '' .
He added there is the intention to go back to 0.7 % when the fiscal climate allows .
The announcement led to the resignation of Foreign Office minister Baroness Sugg , who said it was `` fundamentally wrong '' .
The change moves the UK from the number one foreign aid contributor per GDP to the second - something met with disdain by the world 's leading aid agencies .
Save the Children 's chief executive , Kevin Watkins , said the chancellor had @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's poorest people and broken Britain 's reputation for leadership on the world stage '' .
Oxfam 's chief executive , Danny Sriskandarajah , said the move `` will lead to tens of thousands of otherwise preventable deaths '' .
In reference to Boris Johnson 's recent defence spending increase , he said : `` It 's a false economy which diverts money from clean water and medicines to pay for bombs and bullets . ''
Former prime ministers Sir John Major , David Cameron and Tony Blair , and Nobel Prize laureate @ @ @ @ @ @ @ not cut the foreign aid budget ahead of the spending review The GMB union has criticised the government 's plan to `` pause '' public sector pay .
Nurses , doctors and others in the NHS will get a pay rise but other public sector workers will not .
That includes firefighters , teachers , the armed forces , police , civil servants , council and government agency staff .
The lowest paid public sector staff earning below £24,000 will get an increase of at least £250 .
The Royal College of Nursing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to freeze the pay `` of equally skilled professionals '' working in the social care sector .
Rehana Azam , national officer of the GMB union , said this will hit key workers `` who have risked everything during the pandemic '' .
This will put the chancellor `` on a direct collision course '' with public service workers , she added .
£4bn `` levelling up '' fund for England to finance local infrastructure projects Communities will be able to bid for cash for projects such as a new bypass , a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ caveats were that they must have `` real impact '' , be delivered within this parliament term and have local support , including from the local MP .
This last point was jumped on by shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds who said the fact MPs had to be involved meant it would not be community driven .
`` So much for taking back control , this is about the centre handing over support in a very top-down manner , '' she said .
Questions have been raised over whether this would mean Conservative MPs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Councils to have access to extra £1bn for social care in 2021 The chancellor said this will allow councils to increase core spending by 4.5 % and will give them extra flexibility to increase council tax and social care precepts .
It means councils will be able to increase council tax bills by 2 % without needing a referendum .
But Caroline Abrahams , charity director at Age UK and co-chair of the CSA ( Care and Support Alliance ) , said the funding was `` insufficient '' to safeguard current levels @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said it is `` hard not to conclude we 've gone backwards '' .
`` Local authorities are once again being asked to square an impossible circle and this ungenerous settlement does very little to help the NHS either , '' she said .
`` However , it 's older and disabled people , and their families and carers , who will as ever pay the biggest price , with more likely to have to manage without the support they need .
`` This is a bitter pill to swallow , especially after @ @ @ @ @ @ @ year . ''
Industry leaders said the chancellor had taken `` bold '' decisions '' in the spending review , mentioning long-term innovation funding , a plan for creating jobs and a new National Infrastructure Bank .
Rain Newton-Smith , chief economist at the Confederation of Business Industry , said the stark forecasts pointed to `` tough times ahead '' .
He praised the chancellor for laying `` the foundations for a brighter economic future '' .
But , he said `` ambition must be matched by action on the ground '' and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the support for firms facing new COVID restrictions '' .
Adam Marshall , director general of the British Chambers of Commerce , also said the government `` must waste no time in putting these plans into action '' .

Rishi Sunak's spending review has elicited strong reactions from across the board as the UK struggles with its biggest fall in output for more than 300 years.
Sky News looks at five key parts of the announcement and what the reaction has been to them.
Overseas aid budget cut from 0.7% to 0.5% of gross national income - about £10bn
A controversial move among MPs of all parties, especially as the Conservative manifesto promised to not reduce the foreign aid budget.
Mr Sunak said keeping it at 0.7% is "difficult to justify...when we're seeing the highest peacetime levels of borrowing on record".
He added there is the intention to go back to 0.7% when the fiscal climate allows.
The announcement led to the resignation of Foreign Office minister Baroness Sugg, who said it was "fundamentally wrong".
The change moves the UK from the number one foreign aid contributor per GDP to the second - something met with disdain by the world's leading aid agencies.
Save the Children's chief executive, Kevin Watkins, said the chancellor had "broken a promise to the world's poorest people and broken Britain's reputation for leadership on the world stage".
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Oxfam's chief executive, Danny Sriskandarajah, said the move "will lead to tens of thousands of otherwise preventable deaths".
Live updates and reaction after Rishi Sunak's spending review
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:41 Foreign aid cut for 'UK jobs and services'
In reference to Boris Johnson's recent defence spending increase, he said: "It's a false economy which diverts money from clean water and medicines to pay for bombs and bullets."
Former prime ministers Sir John Major, David Cameron and Tony Blair, and Nobel Prize laureate Malala Yousafzai had urged the government to not cut the foreign aid budget ahead of the spending review
Public sector pay freeze (apart from NHS workers)
The GMB union has criticised the government's plan to "pause" public sector pay.
Nurses, doctors and others in the NHS will get a pay rise but other public sector workers will not.
That includes firefighters, teachers, the armed forces, police, civil servants, council and government agency staff.
The lowest paid public sector staff earning below £24,000 will get an increase of at least £250.
Image: Nurses have been given a pay rise now, but said they would oppose the freeze for social care workers
The Royal College of Nursing has said its members will oppose plans to freeze the pay "of equally skilled professionals" working in the social care sector.
Rehana Azam, national officer of the GMB union, said this will hit key workers "who have risked everything during the pandemic".
This will put the chancellor "on a direct collision course" with public service workers, she added.
£4bn "levelling up" fund for England to finance local infrastructure projects
Communities will be able to bid for cash for projects such as a new bypass, a museum or railway station upgrades.
The caveats were that they must have "real impact", be delivered within this parliament term and have local support, including from the local MP.
This last point was jumped on by shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds who said the fact MPs had to be involved meant it would not be community driven.
Image: Councils will be able to bid for infrastructure funding
"So much for taking back control, this is about the centre handing over support in a very top-down manner," she said.
Questions have been raised over whether this would mean Conservative MPs would be favoured over their Labour counterparts.
Councils to have access to extra £1bn for social care in 2021
The chancellor said this will allow councils to increase core spending by 4.5% and will give them extra flexibility to increase council tax and social care precepts.
It means councils will be able to increase council tax bills by 2% without needing a referendum.
But Caroline Abrahams, charity director at Age UK and co-chair of the CSA (Care and Support Alliance), said the funding was "insufficient" to safeguard current levels of services into next year.
She said it is "hard not to conclude we've gone backwards".
"Local authorities are once again being asked to square an impossible circle and this ungenerous settlement does very little to help the NHS either," she said.
"However, it's older and disabled people, and their families and carers, who will as ever pay the biggest price, with more likely to have to manage without the support they need.
"This is a bitter pill to swallow, especially after everything social care has been through this year."
Business reacts to spending review - "waste no time"
Industry leaders said the chancellor had taken "bold" decisions" in the spending review, mentioning long-term innovation funding, a plan for creating jobs and a new National Infrastructure Bank.
Rain Newton-Smith, chief economist at the Confederation of Business Industry, said the stark forecasts pointed to "tough times ahead".
Image: High streets have been hit hard during the pandemic
She praised the chancellor for laying "the foundations for a brighter economic future".
But she said "ambition must be matched by action on the ground" and there "can be no let-up in the support for firms facing new COVID restrictions".
Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, also said the government "must waste no time in putting these plans into action".


skynewspolitics--2020-11-24--Three-household bubbles and travel restrictions lifted under Christmas rules

Up to three households will be able to form a `` Christmas bubble '' and meet over the festive period , it has been announced .
For five days between 23 and 27 December , people across the UK will be able to mix with those in their bubble - but only in a private home , a place of worship or outdoor public spaces .
Travel restrictions across the whole of the UK will also be lifted during the five-day period , allowing people to travel between nations or between tiers in order to meet those in their bubble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ allowed an extra day either side of the five-day window to travel , in order to allow for flights .
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around world The relaxation of COVID rules for Christmas was finalised at a meeting of the government 's emergency COBRA committee on Tuesday afternoon , which was attended by the first ministers of the devolved administrations in Scotland , Wales and Northern Ireland .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK `` ca n't afford to throw caution to the wind '' .
`` The virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ we must all be careful , '' he said in a video message from Downing Street as he continues to self-isolate .
`` I know this does n't equate to a normal Christmas and it wo n't work for everyone .
And it 's up to each of us to think carefully about how we use this special time-limited dispensation .
`` The virus has not gone away and families will need to make personal judgements about the risk of forming a bubble with , or visiting , elderly relatives or the vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be jolly , but 't is also the season to be jolly careful . ''
: : Subscribe to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove , who chaired Tuesday 's COBRA meeting , said : `` We all know that Christmas this year wo n't be as it has been in years past .
`` But all the governments agreed we should balance the need to protect public health with also allowing people to be with their loved ones . ''
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to `` be careful '' , adding : `` It 's important we do n't let things go too loose over Christmas . ''
Under the Christmas rules , once a three-household bubble is formed it can not be changed or extended further at any point .
And - beyond private homes , places of worship and outdoor public spaces - people should continue to follow all other local restrictions in their area .
This means Christmas bubbles are unlikely to be able to meet in pubs , bars or restaurants .
However @ @ @ @ @ @ @ meet others outside their Christmas bubble outdoors , if allowed under the rules of the tier in which they live .
Each country will clarify their own rules on support bubbles and extended households .
In England , support bubbles will continue to be counted as one household .
There will be no further relaxation of restrictions for New Year celebrations .
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was `` very clear '' that a three-household bubble was `` fixed '' for the five-day period .
`` You ca n't see two @ @ @ @ @ @ @ households the next day , '' she added .
Ms Sturgeon also stressed that `` just because this can be done , it is not the case that people feel they should do it , if they do n't have to '' .
`` We 're asking people to keep well within these limits , because there is a risk to households coming together , '' she said .
`` And , therefore , if you can feel you can get through this Christmas without seeing other people - or if you can @ @ @ @ @ @ @ across five days - then try to limit your interaction . ''
The first minister warned that `` the virus is not going to be taking Christmas off '' and she cautioned people `` against doing things that allow the virus to spread '' .
`` We would ask people to continue to be cautious in terms of physical contact between different households , '' she said .
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said : `` Everyone has done so much to help control the spread of the virus and to save lives @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , including not seeing family and close friends .
`` We are all looking forward to Christmas and a chance to spend some time with all those we hold dear . ''

Up to three households will be able to form a "Christmas bubble" and meet over the festive period, it has been announced.
For five days between 23 and 27 December, people across the UK will be able to mix with those in their bubble - but only in a private home, a place of worship or outdoor public spaces.
Image: People across the UK will be able to form a 'Christmas bubble' for five days over the festive period
Travel restrictions across the whole of the UK will also be lifted during the five-day period, allowing people to travel between nations or between tiers in order to meet those in their bubble.
People in Northern Ireland will be allowed an extra day either side of the five-day window to travel, in order to allow for flights.
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around world
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:40 'Something closer to a normal Christmas'
The relaxation of COVID rules for Christmas was finalised at a meeting of the government's emergency COBRA committee on Tuesday afternoon, which was attended by the first ministers of the devolved administrations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the UK "can't afford to throw caution to the wind".
"The virus doesn't know it's Christmas and we must all be careful," he said in a video message from Downing Street as he continues to self-isolate.
"I know this doesn't equate to a normal Christmas and it won't work for everyone. And it's up to each of us to think carefully about how we use this special time-limited dispensation.
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"The virus has not gone away and families will need to make personal judgements about the risk of forming a bubble with, or visiting, elderly relatives or the vulnerable.
"'Tis the season to be jolly, but 'tis also the season to be jolly careful."
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Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, who chaired Tuesday's COBRA meeting, said: "We all know that Christmas this year won't be as it has been in years past.
"But all the governments agreed we should balance the need to protect public health with also allowing people to be with their loved ones."
He also warned there was a need to "be careful", adding: "It's important we don't let things go too loose over Christmas."
Under the Christmas rules, once a three-household bubble is formed it cannot be changed or extended further at any point.
And - beyond private homes, places of worship and outdoor public spaces - people should continue to follow all other local restrictions in their area.
This means Christmas bubbles are unlikely to be able to meet in pubs, bars or restaurants.
However, people will still be able to meet others outside their Christmas bubble outdoors, if allowed under the rules of the tier in which they live.
Each country will clarify their own rules on support bubbles and extended households. In England, support bubbles will continue to be counted as one household.
There will be no further relaxation of restrictions for New Year celebrations.
Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it was "very clear" that a three-household bubble was "fixed" for the five-day period.
"You can't see two households one day, and another two households the next day," she added.
Ms Sturgeon also stressed that "just because this can be done, it is not the case that people feel they should do it, if they don't have to".
"We're asking people to keep well within these limits, because there is a risk to households coming together," she said.
"And, therefore, if you can feel you can get through this Christmas without seeing other people - or if you can see people for one day and not across five days - then try to limit your interaction."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:37 'The virus is not going to be taking Xmas off'
The first minister warned that "the virus is not going to be taking Christmas off" and she cautioned people "against doing things that allow the virus to spread".
"We would ask people to continue to be cautious in terms of physical contact between different households," she said.
Welsh First Minister Mark Drakeford said: "Everyone has done so much to help control the spread of the virus and to save lives. But that has meant many sacrifices, including not seeing family and close friends.
"We are all looking forward to Christmas and a chance to spend some time with all those we hold dear."


skynewspolitics--2020-11-25--Jeremy Corbyn supporter spared jail after sending antisemitic abuse and threats to Labour MPs

A Jeremy Corbyn supporter who sent threatening and antisemitic abuse to Labour MPs has been spared jail .
Nicholas Nelson , 31 , admitted to three charges of sending communications of an offensive nature between July and September 2018 .
The indictment related to phone calls and emails sent to Dame Margaret Hodge and Dame Louise Ellman - both of whom are Jewish .
Nelson also sent abuse to Lord John Mann , the former MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire , who now serves as an antisemitism tsar .
Lord Mann has long campaigned against antisemitism but is not Jewish @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to 20 weeks in jail - suspended for a year - for harassing Jewish MPs Luciana Berger and Ruth Smeeth .
Neither are still in parliament .
At Westminster Magistrates ' Court on Wednesday , Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram sentenced Nelson to 30 weeks in jail - suspended for 18 months .
The magistrate said : `` I 'm of the view that these offences are so serious that they cross the custody threshold .
`` People should feel able to come forward and serve as MPs without fear of violence and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ under threat .
`` And these courts will send a clear message to those who threaten members of those communities , who attack them because of their faith . ''
Mr Ikram said that if all the convictions were being sentenced at once , he would have sent Nelson straight into custody .
But he said : `` I have considered carefully whether I can suspend the sentences and I felt just about able to do so .
`` That does n't take away the seriousness of the offences .
`` That simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the road , that there have been no further offences and that I see you are now seeking the assistance of a psychiatrist and dealing with issues you say were a feature of your life then . ''
Prosecutor Jason Seetal said the offence against Dame Margaret , who is Jewish , was `` religiously aggravated '' - highlighting a July 18 2018 phone call to her office .
Nelson said : `` Margaret should f*** off , you f****** racist Zionist c*** .
You need to get out of the party and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ c*** . ''
In a phone call the same day , Nelson added : `` Margaret Hodge is an apartheid-supporting disgusting scumbag bitch . ''
Dame Margaret said in a victim impact statement : `` I considered the emails to be threatening and was left feeling nervous and unsure about my personal safety .
`` For the first time , I now feel under threat because of my Jewish identity . ''
The court heard Dame Louise 's parliamentary assistant say she felt `` extremely uncomfortable and distressed '' after reading an email @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a hypocritical Tory c*** who is so thick she is trying to smear Corbyn with an event she herself attended , '' it said .
Lord Mann received an abusive phone message , played in court , in September 2018 which said : `` Kill yourself .
When are you going to have a stroke ? ''
Sentencing Nelson , Mr Ikram declined to repeat the words used , saying : `` They are the most vulgar , obscene , threatening vocabulary I can think of . ''
He added : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ December 2018 .
I did so then and I do so now because there has been a significant increase in threats made to MPs - threats of violence , threats based on their faith and on race .
`` It 's something I have not encountered previously , but over the last couple of years this has become commonplace . ''
Julian Young , defending Nelson , who was supported by his parents in court , said : `` He 's ashamed of his conduct . ''
He read a letter from Nelson @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to offer a full apology to Louise Ellman , Margaret Hodge and John Mann for the harm caused by my conduct . ''
Nelson , of North Walsham in Norfolk , was sentenced to a 30-day rehabilitation order , 240 hours of unpaid work and told to pay a total of £200 in victim surcharge and costs .

A Jeremy Corbyn supporter who sent threatening and antisemitic abuse to Labour MPs has been spared jail.
Nicholas Nelson, 31, admitted to three charges of sending communications of an offensive nature between July and September 2018.
The indictment related to phone calls and emails sent to Dame Margaret Hodge and Dame Louise Ellman - both of whom are Jewish.
Image: Dame Margaret Hodge said she felt 'under threat because of my Jewish identity'
Nelson also sent abuse to Lord John Mann, the former MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, who now serves as an antisemitism tsar.
Lord Mann has long campaigned against antisemitism but is not Jewish.
In 2018, Nelson was sentenced to 20 weeks in jail - suspended for a year - for harassing Jewish MPs Luciana Berger and Ruth Smeeth. Neither are still in parliament.
At Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday, Deputy Chief Magistrate Tan Ikram sentenced Nelson to 30 weeks in jail - suspended for 18 months.
The magistrate said: "I'm of the view that these offences are so serious that they cross the custody threshold.
"People should feel able to come forward and serve as MPs without fear of violence and threat. Certain communities have felt particularly under threat.
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"And these courts will send a clear message to those who threaten members of those communities, who attack them because of their faith."
Mr Ikram said that if all the convictions were being sentenced at once, he would have sent Nelson straight into custody.
But he said: "I have considered carefully whether I can suspend the sentences and I felt just about able to do so.
"That doesn't take away the seriousness of the offences.
"That simply reflects we are now two years down the road, that there have been no further offences and that I see you are now seeking the assistance of a psychiatrist and dealing with issues you say were a feature of your life then."
Image: Nelson claimed Dame Louise was undermining Jeremy Corbyn
Prosecutor Jason Seetal said the offence against Dame Margaret, who is Jewish, was "religiously aggravated" - highlighting a July 18 2018 phone call to her office.
Nelson said: "Margaret should f*** off, you f****** racist Zionist c***. You need to get out of the party and I hope you die, you Tory c***."
In a phone call the same day, Nelson added: "Margaret Hodge is an apartheid-supporting disgusting scumbag bitch."
Dame Margaret said in a victim impact statement: "I considered the emails to be threatening and was left feeling nervous and unsure about my personal safety.
"For the first time, I now feel under threat because of my Jewish identity."
The court heard Dame Louise's parliamentary assistant say she felt "extremely uncomfortable and distressed" after reading an email sent by Nelson.
"Louise Ellman is a hypocritical Tory c*** who is so thick she is trying to smear Corbyn with an event she herself attended," it said.
Lord Mann received an abusive phone message, played in court, in September 2018 which said: "Kill yourself. When are you going to have a stroke?"
Sentencing Nelson, Mr Ikram declined to repeat the words used, saying: "They are the most vulgar, obscene, threatening vocabulary I can think of."
He added: "I took a very serious view in December 2018. I did so then and I do so now because there has been a significant increase in threats made to MPs - threats of violence, threats based on their faith and on race.
"It's something I have not encountered previously, but over the last couple of years this has become commonplace."
Image: Nelson offered a full apology to his victims, which was read by his lawyer in court
Julian Young, defending Nelson, who was supported by his parents in court, said: "He's ashamed of his conduct."
He read a letter from Nelson, which said: "I want to offer a full apology to Louise Ellman, Margaret Hodge and John Mann for the harm caused by my conduct."
Nelson, of North Walsham in Norfolk, was sentenced to a 30-day rehabilitation order, 240 hours of unpaid work and told to pay a total of £200 in victim surcharge and costs.