skynewspolitics--2020-11-28--Last-ditch talks on post-Brexit trade deal get under way in London

The EU 's chief negotiator has resumed Brexit talks with his UK counterpart as the deadline to strike a deal moves ever closer .
Michel Barnier arrived in London on Friday evening ahead of the latest round of talks .
The transition period is due to end in just over a month , but Mr Barnier told reporters that talks would need to be done with `` patience and communication '' if both sides are able to land a deal .
Negotiations were halted last week after a member of the EU 's team tested positive for COVID-19 .
Tweeting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the `` same significant divergences persist '' between the UK and the EU .
Both sides have been in deadlock for months over issues such as fishing rights , governance of the agreement , and the `` level playing field '' conditions which would prevent unfair competition by slashing standards or boosting state subsidies .
On Friday , Lord Frost , the UK 's negotiator , called for the EU to respect British sovereignty , saying it was still `` possible '' to agree a deal , even though it was `` late @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Twitter , Lord Frost said : `` Some people are asking me why we are still talking .
My answer is that it 's my job to do my utmost to see if the conditions for a deal exist .
It is late , but a deal is still possible , and I will continue to talk until it 's clear that it is n't .
`` But for a deal to be possible it must fully respect UK sovereignty .
That is not just a word - it has practical consequences .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deciding ourselves on a robust and principled subsidy control system ; and controlling our fishing waters .
`` We look to reach an agreement on this basis , allowing the new beginning to our relationship with the EU which , for our part , we have always wanted .
We will continue to work hard to get it - because an agreement on any other basis is not possible . ''
RTE , the Irish national broadcaster , has reported that Mr Barnier said the EU would accept a 15 % -18 % @ @ @ @ @ @ @ in UK waters some weeks ago , but the idea was immediately rejected by the UK .
However , The Daily Telegraph has said that the EU could be about to concede on fishing rights and recognise UK sovereignty .

The EU's chief negotiator has resumed Brexit talks with his UK counterpart as the deadline to strike a deal moves ever closer.
Michel Barnier arrived in London on Friday evening ahead of the latest round of talks.
The transition period is due to end in just over a month, but Mr Barnier told reporters that talks would need to be done with "patience and communication" if both sides are able to land a deal.
Negotiations were halted last week after a member of the EU's team tested positive for COVID-19.
Image: Barnier wants 'patience and determination' to reach an agreement
Tweeting on Friday, Mr Barnier said that the "same significant divergences persist" between the UK and the EU.
Both sides have been in deadlock for months over issues such as fishing rights, governance of the agreement, and the "level playing field" conditions which would prevent unfair competition by slashing standards or boosting state subsidies.
On Friday, Lord Frost, the UK's negotiator, called for the EU to respect British sovereignty, saying it was still "possible" to agree a deal, even though it was "late" in the process.
Writing on Twitter, Lord Frost said: "Some people are asking me why we are still talking. My answer is that it's my job to do my utmost to see if the conditions for a deal exist. It is late, but a deal is still possible, and I will continue to talk until it's clear that it isn't.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:40 Brexit border delays: Why do they matter?
"But for a deal to be possible it must fully respect UK sovereignty. That is not just a word - it has practical consequences. That includes: controlling our borders; deciding ourselves on a robust and principled subsidy control system; and controlling our fishing waters.
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"We look to reach an agreement on this basis, allowing the new beginning to our relationship with the EU which, for our part, we have always wanted. We will continue to work hard to get it - because an agreement on any other basis is not possible."
RTE, the Irish national broadcaster, has reported that Mr Barnier said the EU would accept a 15%-18% cut in its share of fishing rights in UK waters some weeks ago, but the idea was immediately rejected by the UK.
However, The Daily Telegraph has said that the EU could be about to concede on fishing rights and recognise UK sovereignty.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-28--'Scrap peak fares, bring in mass testing': Labour wants Christmas travel plan to avoid 'chaos'

The government is being urged to suspend peak rail fares and introduce mass testing for transport staff , to help the country avoid travel `` chaos '' in the run up to Christmas .
Labour is demanding that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps present a `` comprehensive travel plan '' to the House of Commons next week that looks at the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions between 23 December and 27 December .
A temporary easing of restrictions has been agreed by the devolved administrations over Christmas , that will allow up to three households to mix in a single bubble @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was appointed as a Christmas travel tsar in the week , and will look at what impact the easing of the rules will have on the air , rail and road networks during the five days , and scrutinise their preparedness .
Labour says more than two million people used the rail network to travel over Christmas and New Year in previous years , while millions more took car journeys .
To minimise the risk of overcrowding in trains , the party has called on the government to temporarily scrap peak fares during @ @ @ @ @ @ @ encouraging the government to implement mass COVID-19 testing for transport workers such as train staff , bus drivers and highway employees .
As well as that , Labour has also argued that planned maintenance works on the East Coast Mainline , which runs between London and Edinburgh , via cities such as York and Newcastle , should be delayed until the 27 December , so people can return home safely .
London North Eastern Railway ( LNER ) which runs the line said that planned engineering works will make alternative routes `` very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Jim McMahon said : `` Families will be looking forward to travelling to see one another this Christmas after a really tough year .
`` However , we can not afford to be complacent .
The virus still poses a very serious risk to people 's health .
`` That 's why ministers need to come to Parliament on Monday with a comprehensive travel plan to ensure families travelling across the country are kept safe and chaos on our roads and rail network is avoided . ''
He added : `` This is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ or leave until to the last minute .
This is about protecting lives and livelihoods . ''
The Department for Transport will publish measures next week that will ease travel disruption over the Christmas period , which will use analysis of demand for advance rail tickets and public surveys .
Mr Shapps has urged the public to make plans `` very carefully '' and `` where possible , book well in advance '' .
He said : `` As some advance tickets go on sale and people begin to plan their journeys , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ network and have already taken actions to minimise potential disruption .
`` We are currently developing a plan focused on tackling disruption - including running longer trains and relaxing rules to allow more types of coaches to run . ''
Advance train tickets , which are usually cheaper , went on sale on Friday - eight weeks later than usual , after there were delays in finalising timetables .
Capacity on trains has been restricted to allow for social distancing , with many operators forcing travellers to have pre-booked tickets .
On the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ team was planning for its service to be busy over `` the five days of Christmas '' .
Labour 's shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon will be a guest on Sophy Ridge on Sunday - watch live on Sky News from 8.30am .

The government is being urged to suspend peak rail fares and introduce mass testing for transport staff, to help the country avoid travel "chaos" in the run up to Christmas.
Labour is demanding that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps present a "comprehensive travel plan" to the House of Commons next week that looks at the lifting of COVID-19 travel restrictions between 23 December and 27 December.
A temporary easing of restrictions has been agreed by the devolved administrations over Christmas, that will allow up to three households to mix in a single bubble.
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around world
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:48 Virus 'doesn't know it's Christmas', says PM
Network Rail chairman Sir Peter Hendy was appointed as a Christmas travel tsar in the week, and will look at what impact the easing of the rules will have on the air, rail and road networks during the five days, and scrutinise their preparedness.
Labour says more than two million people used the rail network to travel over Christmas and New Year in previous years, while millions more took car journeys.
To minimise the risk of overcrowding in trains, the party has called on the government to temporarily scrap peak fares during the lockdown-eased period.
It is also encouraging the government to implement mass COVID-19 testing for transport workers such as train staff, bus drivers and highway employees.
As well as that, Labour has also argued that planned maintenance works on the East Coast Mainline, which runs between London and Edinburgh, via cities such as York and Newcastle, should be delayed until the 27 December, so people can return home safely.
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London North Eastern Railway (LNER) which runs the line said that planned engineering works will make alternative routes "very busy".
Labour shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon said: "Families will be looking forward to travelling to see one another this Christmas after a really tough year.
"However, we cannot afford to be complacent. The virus still poses a very serious risk to people's health.
"That's why ministers need to come to Parliament on Monday with a comprehensive travel plan to ensure families travelling across the country are kept safe and chaos on our roads and rail network is avoided."
He added: "This is too important for the government to ignore or leave until to the last minute. This is about protecting lives and livelihoods."
The Department for Transport will publish measures next week that will ease travel disruption over the Christmas period, which will use analysis of demand for advance rail tickets and public surveys.
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Mr Shapps has urged the public to make plans "very carefully" and "where possible, book well in advance".
He said: "As some advance tickets go on sale and people begin to plan their journeys, we are closely assessing demand on the network and have already taken actions to minimise potential disruption.
"We are currently developing a plan focused on tackling disruption - including running longer trains and relaxing rules to allow more types of coaches to run."
Advance train tickets, which are usually cheaper, went on sale on Friday - eight weeks later than usual, after there were delays in finalising timetables.
Capacity on trains has been restricted to allow for social distancing, with many operators forcing travellers to have pre-booked tickets.
On the roads, the RAC said its breakdown team was planning for its service to be busy over "the five days of Christmas".
Labour's shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon will be a guest on Sophy Ridge on Sunday - watch live on Sky News from 8.30am.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-28--SNP pledges free breakfast and lunch for primary school pupils all year round

Free breakfasts and lunches will be provided to all primary school children in Scotland throughout term time and the holidays if the SNP is re-elected in May , the country 's education secretary has pledged .
Speaking virtually to the Scottish National Party annual conference from his back garden , John Swinney said that the country faced a `` tsunami of child poverty '' if Chancellor Rishi Sunak `` imposed a second wave of austerity '' .
`` Scotland can not afford that , '' he told party members .
The policy would be implemented from August 2022 , and @ @ @ @ @ @ @ nation in the UK to universally offer free primary school meals .
He said the SNP 's existing scheme , which provides low-income families with £10 per week , per child under-six , had gone some way to relieving poverty but was not sufficient .
`` It puts food on the table and clothes on the backs of pupils in schools from Ayr to Aberdeen , '' he said .
`` It gives them a better start to their school day and a better chance of the education that is their escape route @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that is not enough . ''
The SNP has this year already extended free school meals through the summer holidays , the October break , and the upcoming Christmas and Easter holidays - but that only applied to P1 to P3 children ( aged four to seven ) .
The new plan would extend universal free school meals pupils from P1 to P7 ( up to ages 11 to 12 ) .
Referencing the UK government 's response to football star Marcus Rashford 's successful campaign to extend free school meals over the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ We did n't need to be shamed into doing something about it .
`` We did it because we saw what young leaders like Marcus Rashford saw , what he grew up with - we saw kids going hungry in our schools and that is simply not acceptable to us .
`` As every teacher will tell you , no child who is hungry can learn as they should . ''
His comments came as party leader , First Minister Nicola Sturgeon , told conference that Scotland was `` on the cusp of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's goal of independence was `` in clear sight '' .
Last December , the SNP won 48 of 59 available Scottish seats in the UK general election - and several opinion polls since then have suggested a majority of Scots are in favour of independence .
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said he will not allow another referendum , but Ms Sturgeon said a majority for her party in next year 's Holyrood election should enable such a vote to happen .
She told conference : `` Scotland is now a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Independence is in clear sight - and with unity of purpose , humility and hard work I have never been so certain that we will deliver it .
`` The people of Scotland have the right to choose their future .
Let 's now focus all our efforts on making sure we bring about that better country they and future generations deserve . ''
Ms Sturgeon claimed that support for independence among Scots has now `` risen to become the sustained and majority view in public opinion '' .
Analysis : Perfect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of independence By Rob Powell , political correspondent A perfect storm of political winds is whipping across the UK , giving the SNP renewed hope that their dream of separation may be in sight .
Brexit has rattled the union close to breaking point , wrenching Scotland out of the EU against its will .
On coronavirus too , differences in the response between London and Edinburgh - combined with a sense that Whitehall has often sought to dictate rather than engage - has further levered open divides .
While Holyrood has made @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Nicola Sturgeon 's adept and slick public appearances have bolstered her credentials as a national leader .
Divergences on high profile policies such as free school meals will also reinforce the idea in the minds of some voters that Scotland can do better on its own .
But that 's not to say the familiar question marks have evaporated .
What currency would an independent Scotland have ?
Could it actually rejoin the EU ?
Can the yawning inequalities in parts of the country really be better addressed without the heft of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there 's the big practical issue .
Boris Johnson has ( so far ) steadfastly refused to allow another referendum .
That position will come under strain if the SNP win big at next year 's Holyrood election and polls continue to show a majority for independence .
A big bold offer to the nations is one response .
That would likely mean more devolution of powers and a move to a more federalist UK .
But it 's unlikely to stem the currents of nationalism now gushing through Scotland .
The fight @ @ @ @ @ @ @ feature of the back half of this Parliament .
Boris Johnson may not be able to hold the tide back forever .

Free breakfasts and lunches will be provided to all primary school children in Scotland throughout term time and the holidays if the SNP is re-elected in May, the country's education secretary has pledged.
Speaking virtually to the Scottish National Party annual conference from his back garden, John Swinney said that the country faced a "tsunami of child poverty" if Chancellor Rishi Sunak "imposed a second wave of austerity".
"Scotland cannot afford that," he told party members.
Image: John Swinney delivers his SNP conference speech from his back garden. Pic: John Swinney/Twitter
The policy would be implemented from August 2022, and would stand to make Scotland the first nation in the UK to universally offer free primary school meals.
He said the SNP's existing scheme, which provides low-income families with £10 per week, per child under-six, had gone some way to relieving poverty but was not sufficient.
"It puts food on the table and clothes on the backs of pupils in schools from Ayr to Aberdeen," he said. "It gives them a better start to their school day and a better chance of the education that is their escape route from poverty.
"But friends, that is not enough."
The SNP has this year already extended free school meals through the summer holidays, the October break, and the upcoming Christmas and Easter holidays - but that only applied to P1 to P3 children (aged four to seven).
The new plan would extend universal free school meals pupils from P1 to P7 (up to ages 11 to 12).
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Referencing the UK government's response to football star Marcus Rashford's successful campaign to extend free school meals over the summer, Mr Swinney said: "We didn't need to be shamed into doing something about it.
"We did it because we saw what young leaders like Marcus Rashford saw, what he grew up with - we saw kids going hungry in our schools and that is simply not acceptable to us.
"As every teacher will tell you, no child who is hungry can learn as they should."
Image: Marcus Rashford's school meals campaign prompted a U-turn from the UK government over the summer
His comments came as party leader, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, told conference that Scotland was "on the cusp of making history" and that the SNP's goal of independence was "in clear sight".
Last December, the SNP won 48 of 59 available Scottish seats in the UK general election - and several opinion polls since then have suggested a majority of Scots are in favour of independence.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has repeatedly said he will not allow another referendum, but Ms Sturgeon said a majority for her party in next year's Holyrood election should enable such a vote to happen.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:00 Scottish independence 'in clear sight' - Sturgeon
She told conference: "Scotland is now a nation on the cusp of making history. Independence is in clear sight - and with unity of purpose, humility and hard work I have never been so certain that we will deliver it.
"The people of Scotland have the right to choose their future. Let's now focus all our efforts on making sure we bring about that better country they and future generations deserve."
Ms Sturgeon claimed that support for independence among Scots has now "risen to become the sustained and majority view in public opinion".
Analysis: Perfect storm gives SNP new hope in dream of independence
By Rob Powell, political correspondent
A perfect storm of political winds is whipping across the UK, giving the SNP renewed hope that their dream of separation may be in sight.
Brexit has rattled the union close to breaking point, wrenching Scotland out of the EU against its will.
On coronavirus too, differences in the response between London and Edinburgh - combined with a sense that Whitehall has often sought to dictate rather than engage - has further levered open divides.
While Holyrood has made many of the same mistakes as Westminster, Nicola Sturgeon's adept and slick public appearances have bolstered her credentials as a national leader.
Divergences on high profile policies such as free school meals will also reinforce the idea in the minds of some voters that Scotland can do better on its own.
But that's not to say the familiar question marks have evaporated.
What currency would an independent Scotland have? Could it actually rejoin the EU? Can the yawning inequalities in parts of the country really be better addressed without the heft of the UK behind it?
And then there's the big practical issue.
Boris Johnson has (so far) steadfastly refused to allow another referendum.
That position will come under strain if the SNP win big at next year's Holyrood election and polls continue to show a majority for independence.
A big bold offer to the nations is one response.
That would likely mean more devolution of powers and a move to a more federalist UK.
But it's unlikely to stem the currents of nationalism now gushing through Scotland.
The fight for the union will be a defining feature of the back half of this Parliament.
Boris Johnson may not be able to hold the tide back forever.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-27--Thirty years after her Downing Street exit, Thatcher's legacy lives on

She was known as the Iron Lady , but Margaret Thatcher dissolved into floods of tears on the day she left Downing Street 30 years ago , on 28 November 1990 .
Back then , I was a political correspondent for the Today newspaper and the events leading up to that emotional day were the most dramatic during my nearly 40 years of reporting on politics .
I was one of the journalists in the courtyard of the British embassy in Paris when Mrs Thatcher reacted to the result of the first ballot of the Tory leadership contest which sealed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the result , huddled around a small transistor radio , we held a sweepstake on the voting numbers to pass the time .
The numbers were 204 for Mrs Thatcher and 152 for Michael Heseltine with 16 abstentions , not enough to secure victory for her .
`` I confirm it is my intention to let my name go forward for the second ballot , '' she declared , after her formidable press secretary Bernard Ingham pushed the BBC 's John Sergeant out of way during a live broadcast as her entourage walked @ @ @ @ @ @ @ But she did n't contest the second ballot and just over a week later it was all over and John Major had succeeded her as prime minister , having defeated Mr Heseltine and Douglas Hurd in the second round .
A few days after the drama of the embassy courtyard , I was one of the political correspondents patrolling the corridors of the House of Commons on the evening her cabinet trooped into her office one by one and told her the game was up .
Some of her loyalist cheerleaders who urged @ @ @ @ @ @ @ still in the Commons , including Sir Edward Leigh and Sir Christopher Chope .
Her then political secretary , John Whittingdale , is a minister in Boris Johnson 's government .
A couple of days before the second ballot , I went to 11 Downing Street to interview Mr Major , then chancellor .
He was Mrs Thatcher 's candidate .
She was determined to stop Mr Heseltine from succeeding her .
Mrs Thatcher 's last day in office was a Wednesday .
In her memoirs , The Downing Street Years , she @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 9am when she said goodbye to No 10 staff before her final audience with the Queen .
`` Some were in tears , '' she wrote .
`` I tried to hold back mine , but they flowed freely as I walked down the hall past those applauding me on my way out of office… '' Before going outside she paused to collect her thoughts with her loyal aide and confidante Cynthia Crawford .
More tears .
`` Crawfie wiped a trace of mascara off my cheek , evidence of a tear which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Lady Thatcher wrote .
She went outside and , again tearfully , said : `` We 're leaving Downing Street for the last time after 11-and-a-half wonderful years and we 're happy to leave the UK in a very much better state than when we came here . ''
She waved and got into the car with her ever-faithful husband Denis and a photographer captured the haunting , mournful image of her looking out of the car window that everyone remembers from that historic day .
It had been a tumultuous - @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 11 years : three general election victories , a purge of the Tory `` wets '' , council house sales , taming the trade unions , privatisation , the Falklands war , the Brighton bomb , the miners ' strike , the poll tax .
It was Mikhail Gorbachev who called her the Iron Lady .
Ronald Reagan said she was a `` political soulmate '' and French President Francois Mitterrand said of her : `` She has the eyes of Caligula and the mouth of Marilyn Monroe . ''
Her spectacular demise @ @ @ @ @ @ @ resignations , by Sir Geoffrey Howe and Nigel Lawson , prompted by a slump in support for her and the Conservative Party , partly due to the unpopularity of the poll tax , or community charge as she called it , and a split over Europe that still divides the Tories .
Sir Geoffrey quit after Mrs Thatcher humiliated him by demoting him .
Once a close ally of Mrs Thatcher , the quiet and usually mild-mannered Sir Geoffrey turned out to be the whispering assassin .
In early November , the under-pressure @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mayor 's Banquet speech : `` I am still at the crease , though the bowling has been pretty hostile of late .
And in case anyone doubted it , can I assure you there will be no ducking the bouncers . ''
The following day , when word spread around Westminster that Sir Geoffrey was to make a personal statement in the Commons , there was little enthusiasm among political correspondents gathered in the Members ' Lobby .
This , after all , was a politician not known for his inspiring oratory @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Healey having described an attack from Sir Geoffrey as `` like being being savaged by a dead sheep '' .
But upstairs to the Press Gallery we journalists all trudged and we were rewarded by Sir Geoffrey 's blistering riposte to Mrs Thatcher 's Guildhall speech .
The dead sheep became a roaring lion .
Describing his treatment by Mrs Thatcher , he said : `` It 's rather like sending our opening batsmen to the crease only for them to find that before the first ball is bowled , their bats have @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' From my seat in the gallery on the Opposition side of the Commons chamber , looking directly at the government front bench , I watched Mrs Thatcher visibly wince a few times .
`` The time has come , '' Sir Geoffrey continued , `` for others to consider their own response to the tragic conflict of loyalties with which I have myself wrestled for perhaps too long . ''
It was the cue for Mr Heseltine to launch his challenge .
The seeds of Mrs Thatcher 's downfall had been sown @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Downing Street and resigned from the cabinet .
Sound familiar ?
There are similarities between the ousting of Mrs Thatcher - the Tories ' first woman prime minister - by her male colleagues and that of Theresa May by her male colleagues nearly 30 years later .
Both women prime ministers left Downing Street in tears .
And both were forced out in a coup prompted by differences over Europe .
The challenger in both cases was a blond assassin who had quit the cabinet and become a king over the water @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Mr Johnson succeeded where Mr Heseltine failed , losing out to Mr Major and prompting one of the most quoted political clichés of all time : `` He who wields the knife never wears the crown . ''
Mrs Thatcher 's demise unleashed a ferocious Tory psychodrama over Europe which reached its climax with the EU referendum in 2016 .
Since 1990 , her disciples have declared war on her successors as Tory prime minister - Mr Major , David Cameron and Mrs May , in a continuing civil war with huge consequences @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Opinions are divided about whether Mrs Thatcher would have backed Brexit .
Her official biographer Charles Moore says yes , her private secretary in No 10 , Charles Powell , says no .
Lord Moore , recently made a peer by Mr Johnson , claims she planned a referendum in 1991 on a single currency .
But Lord Powell said that in her time as prime minister she never contemplated or spoke about leaving the EU .
In Harold Wilson 's referendum on Common Market membership in 1975 she had campaigned for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ EU hardened during her 11 years in power as a result of many battles with European leaders .
In her final weeks as PM , there were moments of great theatre in the Commons .
I was in my Press Gallery seat when she shouted `` No , no , no ! ''
in a riposte to a Brussels power grab and dash towards a single currency by European Commission president Jacques Delors .
Then , in the no-confidence debate on the day she resigned , she replied to a heckle from Labour @ @ @ @ @ @ @ gusto : `` I 'm enjoying this ! ''
Two years earlier , in a speech in the Belgian city of Bruges that gave its name to a Brexiteer Tory pressure group , Mrs Thatcher said : `` We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain , only to see them re-imposed at a European level with a European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels . ''
Now , 30 years after she left Downing Street , the Tories are still bitterly divided over Europe .
Her @ @ @ @ @ @ @ her photo hanging on the wall of just about every Conservative association office throughout the land .
And she is still loathed by many on the left for the miners ' strike , privatisation , spending cuts and curbs on trade unions .
In 1987 , she said controversially : `` There is no such thing as society . ''
And earlier this week , Rishi Sunak closed his spending review statement in the Commons by echoing her words .
The state can not `` mandate or distribute '' a thriving society , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be the next Tory prime minister .
It must `` come from each of us '' .
Like her memory , Mrs Thatcher 's legacy truly lives on .

She was known as the Iron Lady, but Margaret Thatcher dissolved into floods of tears on the day she left Downing Street 30 years ago, on 28 November 1990.
Back then, I was a political correspondent for the Today newspaper and the events leading up to that emotional day were the most dramatic during my nearly 40 years of reporting on politics.
I was one of the journalists in the courtyard of the British embassy in Paris when Mrs Thatcher reacted to the result of the first ballot of the Tory leadership contest which sealed her fate.
Image: Margaret Thatcher leaves Buckingham Palace after offering her resignation to the Queen
As we waited for the result, huddled around a small transistor radio, we held a sweepstake on the voting numbers to pass the time. The numbers were 204 for Mrs Thatcher and 152 for Michael Heseltine with 16 abstentions, not enough to secure victory for her.
"I confirm it is my intention to let my name go forward for the second ballot," she declared, after her formidable press secretary Bernard Ingham pushed the BBC's John Sergeant out of way during a live broadcast as her entourage walked down the embassy steps towards us.
But she didn't contest the second ballot and just over a week later it was all over and John Major had succeeded her as prime minister, having defeated Mr Heseltine and Douglas Hurd in the second round.
A few days after the drama of the embassy courtyard, I was one of the political correspondents patrolling the corridors of the House of Commons on the evening her cabinet trooped into her office one by one and told her the game was up.
Some of her loyalist cheerleaders who urged her that night to fight on are still in the Commons, including Sir Edward Leigh and Sir Christopher Chope. Her then political secretary, John Whittingdale, is a minister in Boris Johnson's government.
A couple of days before the second ballot, I went to 11 Downing Street to interview Mr Major, then chancellor. He was Mrs Thatcher's candidate. She was determined to stop Mr Heseltine from succeeding her.
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Image: Jon Craig interviews then-chancellor John Major
Mrs Thatcher's last day in office was a Wednesday. In her memoirs, The Downing Street Years, she described how the tears began just after 9am when she said goodbye to No 10 staff before her final audience with the Queen.
"Some were in tears," she wrote. "I tried to hold back mine, but they flowed freely as I walked down the hall past those applauding me on my way out of office…"
Before going outside she paused to collect her thoughts with her loyal aide and confidante Cynthia Crawford. More tears. "Crawfie wiped a trace of mascara off my cheek, evidence of a tear which I had been unable to check," Lady Thatcher wrote.
She went outside and, again tearfully, said: "We're leaving Downing Street for the last time after 11-and-a-half wonderful years and we're happy to leave the UK in a very much better state than when we came here."
She waved and got into the car with her ever-faithful husband Denis and a photographer captured the haunting, mournful image of her looking out of the car window that everyone remembers from that historic day.
It had been a tumultuous - and her admirers would say glorious - 11 years: three general election victories, a purge of the Tory "wets", council house sales, taming the trade unions, privatisation, the Falklands war, the Brighton bomb, the miners' strike, the poll tax.
It was Mikhail Gorbachev who called her the Iron Lady. Ronald Reagan said she was a "political soulmate" and French President Francois Mitterrand said of her: "She has the eyes of Caligula and the mouth of Marilyn Monroe."
Image: Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev referred to Margaret Thatcher as the 'Iron Lady'
Her spectacular demise can be traced back to two high-profile resignations, by Sir Geoffrey Howe and Nigel Lawson, prompted by a slump in support for her and the Conservative Party, partly due to the unpopularity of the poll tax, or community charge as she called it, and a split over Europe that still divides the Tories.
Sir Geoffrey quit after Mrs Thatcher humiliated him by demoting him. Once a close ally of Mrs Thatcher, the quiet and usually mild-mannered Sir Geoffrey turned out to be the whispering assassin.
In early November, the under-pressure prime minister had said in her Lord Mayor's Banquet speech: "I am still at the crease, though the bowling has been pretty hostile of late. And in case anyone doubted it, can I assure you there will be no ducking the bouncers."
The following day, when word spread around Westminster that Sir Geoffrey was to make a personal statement in the Commons, there was little enthusiasm among political correspondents gathered in the Members' Lobby.
This, after all, was a politician not known for his inspiring oratory, with his former Labour opponent Denis Healey having described an attack from Sir Geoffrey as "like being being savaged by a dead sheep".
But upstairs to the Press Gallery we journalists all trudged and we were rewarded by Sir Geoffrey's blistering riposte to Mrs Thatcher's Guildhall speech. The dead sheep became a roaring lion.
Image: Sir Geoffrey Howe's resignation speech has gone down in history
Describing his treatment by Mrs Thatcher, he said: "It's rather like sending our opening batsmen to the crease only for them to find that before the first ball is bowled, their bats have been broken by the team captain."
From my seat in the gallery on the Opposition side of the Commons chamber, looking directly at the government front bench, I watched Mrs Thatcher visibly wince a few times.
"The time has come," Sir Geoffrey continued, "for others to consider their own response to the tragic conflict of loyalties with which I have myself wrestled for perhaps too long."
It was the cue for Mr Heseltine to launch his challenge. The seeds of Mrs Thatcher's downfall had been sown in 1986, when he stormed out of Downing Street and resigned from the cabinet.
Sound familiar? There are similarities between the ousting of Mrs Thatcher - the Tories' first woman prime minister - by her male colleagues and that of Theresa May by her male colleagues nearly 30 years later.
Image: Michael Heseltine moved against Margaret Thatcher but failed to become PM
Both women prime ministers left Downing Street in tears. And both were forced out in a coup prompted by differences over Europe.
The challenger in both cases was a blond assassin who had quit the cabinet and become a king over the water plotting the prime minister's downfall.
Mr Johnson succeeded where Mr Heseltine failed, losing out to Mr Major and prompting one of the most quoted political clichés of all time: "He who wields the knife never wears the crown."
Mrs Thatcher's demise unleashed a ferocious Tory psychodrama over Europe which reached its climax with the EU referendum in 2016.
Since 1990, her disciples have declared war on her successors as Tory prime minister - Mr Major, David Cameron and Mrs May, in a continuing civil war with huge consequences for the Conservative Party and the country.
Image: Divisions over Brexit saw Theresa May resign as PM in 2019
Opinions are divided about whether Mrs Thatcher would have backed Brexit. Her official biographer Charles Moore says yes, her private secretary in No 10, Charles Powell, says no.
Lord Moore, recently made a peer by Mr Johnson, claims she planned a referendum in 1991 on a single currency. But Lord Powell said that in her time as prime minister she never contemplated or spoke about leaving the EU.
In Harold Wilson's referendum on Common Market membership in 1975 she had campaigned for Yes. Yet her views towards the EU hardened during her 11 years in power as a result of many battles with European leaders.
In her final weeks as PM, there were moments of great theatre in the Commons.
I was in my Press Gallery seat when she shouted "No, no, no!" in a riposte to a Brussels power grab and dash towards a single currency by European Commission president Jacques Delors.
Image: Margaret Thatcher became Britain's first female prime minister in 1979
Then, in the no-confidence debate on the day she resigned, she replied to a heckle from Labour's Dennis Skinner by telling him with gusto: "I'm enjoying this!"
Two years earlier, in a speech in the Belgian city of Bruges that gave its name to a Brexiteer Tory pressure group, Mrs Thatcher said: "We have not successfully rolled back the frontiers of the state in Britain, only to see them re-imposed at a European level with a European super-state exercising a new dominance from Brussels."
Now, 30 years after she left Downing Street, the Tories are still bitterly divided over Europe.
Image: Boris Johnson succeeded where Michael Heseltine failed
Her memory lives on, too, with her photo hanging on the wall of just about every Conservative association office throughout the land.
And she is still loathed by many on the left for the miners' strike, privatisation, spending cuts and curbs on trade unions.
In 1987, she said controversially: "There is no such thing as society." And earlier this week, Rishi Sunak closed his spending review statement in the Commons by echoing her words.
The state cannot "mandate or distribute" a thriving society, said the ambitious chancellor who hopes to be the next Tory prime minister. It must "come from each of us".
Like her memory, Mrs Thatcher's legacy truly lives on.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-28--PM appoints vaccine roll-out minister amid Tory unrest over tier system

Boris Johnson has appointed a minister to take charge of the coronavirus vaccine rollout , as his government seeks to quell a backbench rebellion over the new tier system .
Downing Street said that Nadhim Zahawi - who is among Tory MPs critical of the new restrictions - had been made a health minister responsible for the deployment of the jabs .
Mr Zahawi , who is also a business minister , said he was `` delighted '' to be appointed to the role , vowing to ensure vaccines are rolled out quickly to save lives and livelihoods .
Live @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the world He said on Friday he was `` extremely disappointed and sad '' that Warwickshire , where he serves as MP for Stratford-on-Avon , will be moving into Tier 3 .
It came as Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove warned every hospital in England could be overwhelmed with coronavirus cases if new tier restrictions were not introduced .
He urged MPs to `` take responsibility for difficult decisions '' to curb the spread of COVID-19 , amid anger from some Conservatives that much of England will face stringent restrictions .
Only the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Isles of Scilly will be under the lightest Tier 1 controls , while large swathes of the Midlands , North East and North West are in the most restrictive Tier 3 .
In total , 99 % of England will enter Tier 2 or 3 , with tight restrictions on bars and restaurants and a ban on households mixing indoors when the four-week national lockdown lifts on Wednesday .
Mr Gove , writing in The Times , said : `` COVID-19 is no respecter of constituency boundaries and the hardships we are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ every single one of us , no matter where we live .
`` In any analysis of this government 's , or any government 's approach , the cost of lockdown and restrictions can not be reckoned against the status quo ante , but only against the cost of inaction , or inadequate action , and the overwhelming of the NHS . ''
Mr Johnson faces a Commons showdown with his own MPs when they vote on the measures next week , which could leave him dependent on Labour support to get them @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Conservative 1922 Committee , Sir Graham Brady , said he wanted to see people `` treated as adults '' and trusted with their own health decisions .
Tory MP Craig Mackinlay , who represents South Thanet which has the second highest R-rate in the UK , said he is planning to vote against the new tiered restrictions on Tuesday .
But Chris Hopson , chief executive of NHS Providers , urged MPs to think what the NHS might be like in January , saying : `` You need to take the precautions now @ @ @ @ @ @ @ get overwhelmed at what is always its busiest time of year . ''
Mr Johnson acknowledged people felt `` frustrated '' , particularly in areas with low infection rates which now face tighter restrictions than before the lockdown .
Meanwhile , it emerged scientists advising the government said any relaxation of restrictions over Christmas will result in a `` large '' rise in coronavirus transmission rates and prevalence `` could easily double '' .
In a set of documents released on Friday , the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ( SAGE ) said @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a short period of time represents a `` significant risk for widespread transmission '' .
The scientists made their warning in a meeting on November 18 - a few days before the government announced there would be a limited relaxation of restrictions at Christmas .
They said : `` The prevalence could easily double during a few days of festive season , with further multiplicative increases as new infections go back to their 'routine ' networks . ''
Mr Johnson confirmed earlier this week three households will be able to mix from December @ @ @ @ @ @ @ families they must make a `` personal judgment '' about the risks to vulnerable loved ones when forming a Christmas bubble .
Professor Neil Ferguson , whose modelling led to the original lockdown in March , said `` individual judgment '' is important when deciding whether to see elderly relatives over Christmas .

Boris Johnson has appointed a minister to take charge of the coronavirus vaccine rollout, as his government seeks to quell a backbench rebellion over the new tier system.
Downing Street said that Nadhim Zahawi - who is among Tory MPs critical of the new restrictions - had been made a health minister responsible for the deployment of the jabs.
Mr Zahawi, who is also a business minister, said he was "delighted" to be appointed to the role, vowing to ensure vaccines are rolled out quickly to save lives and livelihoods.
Live COVID-19 updates from the UK and around the world
He said on Friday he was "extremely disappointed and sad" that Warwickshire, where he serves as MP for Stratford-on-Avon, will be moving into Tier 3.
It came as Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove warned every hospital in England could be overwhelmed with coronavirus cases if new tier restrictions were not introduced.
He urged MPs to "take responsibility for difficult decisions" to curb the spread of COVID-19, amid anger from some Conservatives that much of England will face stringent restrictions.
Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly will be under the lightest Tier 1 controls, while large swathes of the Midlands, North East and North West are in the most restrictive Tier 3.
In total, 99% of England will enter Tier 2 or 3, with tight restrictions on bars and restaurants and a ban on households mixing indoors when the four-week national lockdown lifts on Wednesday.
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Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:48 Virus 'doesn't know it's Christmas', says PM
Mr Gove, writing in The Times, said: "COVID-19 is no respecter of constituency boundaries and the hardships we are facing now are unfortunately necessary to protect every single one of us, no matter where we live.
"In any analysis of this government's, or any government's approach, the cost of lockdown and restrictions cannot be reckoned against the status quo ante, but only against the cost of inaction, or inadequate action, and the overwhelming of the NHS."
Mr Johnson faces a Commons showdown with his own MPs when they vote on the measures next week, which could leave him dependent on Labour support to get them approved.
The chairman of the backbench Conservative 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, said he wanted to see people "treated as adults" and trusted with their own health decisions.
Tory MP Craig Mackinlay, who represents South Thanet which has the second highest R-rate in the UK, said he is planning to vote against the new tiered restrictions on Tuesday.
But Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, urged MPs to think what the NHS might be like in January, saying: "You need to take the precautions now to ensure that the NHS doesn't get overwhelmed at what is always its busiest time of year."
Mr Johnson acknowledged people felt "frustrated", particularly in areas with low infection rates which now face tighter restrictions than before the lockdown.
Meanwhile, it emerged scientists advising the government said any relaxation of restrictions over Christmas will result in a "large" rise in coronavirus transmission rates and prevalence "could easily double".
In a set of documents released on Friday, the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) said "substantial mixing" of people over a short period of time represents a "significant risk for widespread transmission".
The scientists made their warning in a meeting on November 18 - a few days before the government announced there would be a limited relaxation of restrictions at Christmas.
They said: "The prevalence could easily double during a few days of festive season, with further multiplicative increases as new infections go back to their 'routine' networks."
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Mr Johnson confirmed earlier this week three households will be able to mix from December 23 to 27, but he told families they must make a "personal judgment" about the risks to vulnerable loved ones when forming a Christmas bubble.
Professor Neil Ferguson, whose modelling led to the original lockdown in March, said "individual judgment" is important when deciding whether to see elderly relatives over Christmas.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-29--Fishing the 'major bone of contention' as Brexit talks enter 'last week or so', says foreign secreta

Fishing the 'major bone of contention' as Brexit talks enter 'last week or so', says foreign secretary

The EU and UK are entering `` the last week or so '' of `` substantive '' post-Brexit trade negotiations , Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has told Sky News .
With the Brexit transition period set to end in little more than a month 's time , Mr Raab suggested talks might soon be reaching a conclusion .
However , he called on the EU to accept a `` point of principle '' on fisheries , an issue he described as having been a `` major bone of contention '' in reaching a deal .
`` As we leave the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ an independent coastal state - we 've got to be able to control our waters , '' the foreign secretary told Sophy Ridge on Sunday .
`` We can talk about transitions and things like that and we recognise the impact it has on other countries around Europe .
`` But that principle comes with sovereignty , comes with leaving not just the EU but the transition period .
`` I think the answer is , can the EU accept that point of principle that comes with us leaving the political club ?
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal between the UK and EU recently resumed after Brussels ' chief negotiator , Michel Barnier , and his team had been forced to quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test among their number .
Speaking in London on Sunday afternoon , Mr Barnier told reporters the negotiations were an `` ongoing process '' , adding : `` Let us work , let us work . ''
Mr Raab appeared to reject what is reported to be the EU 's current offer on fishing - to return between 15-18 % of fish stocks @ @ @ @ @ @ @ waters .
He said : `` Does that sound right ?
18 % of control over fish in our own waters .
That ca n't be right . ''
Asked if a possible deal could collapse over the issue of fisheries , Mr Raab added : `` I think it 's important the EU understand the point of principle .
`` If they show the pragmatism , the goodwill and the good faith that , in fairness , has surrounded the last leg of the talks - and certainly we 've shown our @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deal to be done . ''
On other outstanding issues , the foreign secretary said it `` feels like there 's progress towards greater respect '' for the UK 's position on so-called `` level playing field '' commitments - a set of post-Brexit common rules and standards .
Mr Raab said the coronavirus pandemic - and the accompanying economic crisis - `` ought to focus all of our minds on doing everything we can to give the economy a bit of a boost - both on the UK side but also on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ : Subscribe to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker And , asked when the final deadline for a deal might be , the foreign secretary replied : `` I 'm a bit reticent to give an ultimate backstop because the goalposts sometimes shift on the EU side .
`` But I think we 're into the last week or so of substantive negotiations .
To be honest with you , the EU do shift the goalposts . ''
Without a trade deal being agreed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ UK will likely trade from 1 January on World Trade Organisation terms - with the establishment of tariffs in both directions .
Number 10 sources said a no-deal outcome was `` arguably underpriced '' ahead of `` what may be the final week of trade negotiations '' .
Labour 's shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon told Sophy Ridge on Sunday his party `` want to see a deal '' , but added : `` Until we see the construct of a deal , we ca n't confirm our support for it . ''

The EU and UK are entering "the last week or so" of "substantive" post-Brexit trade negotiations, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has told Sky News.
With the Brexit transition period set to end in little more than a month's time, Mr Raab suggested talks might soon be reaching a conclusion.
However, he called on the EU to accept a "point of principle" on fisheries, an issue he described as having been a "major bone of contention" in reaching a deal.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:35 Brexit talks an 'ongoing process' - Barnier
"As we leave the transition (period), we are an independent coastal state - we've got to be able to control our waters," the foreign secretary told Sophy Ridge on Sunday.
"We can talk about transitions and things like that and we recognise the impact it has on other countries around Europe.
"But that principle comes with sovereignty, comes with leaving not just the EU but the transition period.
"I think the answer is, can the EU accept that point of principle that comes with us leaving the political club?"
Face-to-face negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal between the UK and EU recently resumed after Brussels' chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, and his team had been forced to quarantine due to a positive COVID-19 test among their number.
Speaking in London on Sunday afternoon, Mr Barnier told reporters the negotiations were an "ongoing process", adding: "Let us work, let us work."
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Image: The foreign secretary told the EU to accept a 'point of principle' on fishing
Mr Raab appeared to reject what is reported to be the EU's current offer on fishing - to return between 15-18% of fish stocks currently caught by EU fleets in British waters.
He said: "Does that sound right? 18% of control over fish in our own waters. That can't be right."
Asked if a possible deal could collapse over the issue of fisheries, Mr Raab added: "I think it's important the EU understand the point of principle.
"If they show the pragmatism, the goodwill and the good faith that, in fairness, has surrounded the last leg of the talks - and certainly we've shown our flexibility - I think there's a deal to be done."
On other outstanding issues, the foreign secretary said it "feels like there's progress towards greater respect" for the UK's position on so-called "level playing field" commitments - a set of post-Brexit common rules and standards.
Mr Raab said the coronavirus pandemic - and the accompanying economic crisis - "ought to focus all of our minds on doing everything we can to give the economy a bit of a boost - both on the UK side but also on the continental European side".
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:: Subscribe to the All Out Politics podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
And, asked when the final deadline for a deal might be, the foreign secretary replied: "I'm a bit reticent to give an ultimate backstop because the goalposts sometimes shift on the EU side.
"But I think we're into the last week or so of substantive negotiations. To be honest with you, the EU do shift the goalposts."
Without a trade deal being agreed before 31 December, the EU and UK will likely trade from 1 January on World Trade Organisation terms - with the establishment of tariffs in both directions.
Number 10 sources said a no-deal outcome was "arguably underpriced" ahead of "what may be the final week of trade negotiations".
Labour's shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon told Sophy Ridge on Sunday his party "want to see a deal", but added: "Until we see the construct of a deal, we can't confirm our support for it."


skynewspolitics--2020-11-28--New COVID tiers 'have a sunset of 3 February', says PM

Boris Johnson has said the new coronavirus tiers have `` a sunset '' clause - or expiry date - of 3 February , as he tries to fight off a backlash from Tory MPs .
The prime minister has angered some of his party with a plan to impose stringent restrictions across much of England when the national lockdown ends on Wednesday .
In a letter to colleagues ahead of a Commons vote on the restrictions on Tuesday , Mr Johnson insisted the tiered measures for local areas will be reviewed every fortnight .
Live updates on coronavirus from UK @ @ @ @ @ @ @ sunset of 3 February , '' he writes .
`` After the fourth fortnightly review ( 27 January ) , parliament will have another vote on the tiered approach , determining whether the measures stay in place until the end of March . ''
Mr Johnson said the first review on 16 December would consider the views of local directors of public health , with a final decision on whether any areas should change tiers made at a cabinet committee .
The changes would then come into effect on 19 December .
In @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the PM committed to publish more data and outline what circumstances need to change for an area to move down a tier , as well analysis of the health , economic and social impacts of the measures taken to suppress coronavirus .
Writing in the Mail on Sunday , Mr Johnson warned there will be `` disastrous consequences '' for the NHS without the introduction of new tiered coronavirus restrictions .
He wrote : `` We are so nearly out of our captivity .
We can see the sunlit upland pastures ahead .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ fence now , we will simply tangle ourselves in the last barbed wire , with disastrous consequences for the NHS .
`` So let 's do the job properly .
Let 's work together , and with tiering , testing and vaccines let 's make 2021 the year we kick COVID out , take back control of our lives and reclaim all the things we love . ''
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab , appearing on Sky News ' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show , said the new tiered restrictions were necessary to `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ The reality is that we want to come out of national lockdown and stay out of it , '' he said .
`` We are starting with a more restrictive approach than previously with the localised approach , but that allows us to ease up when we are confident the virus is going down and stabilised - there 's a review every two weeks . ''
In another broadcast interview , Mr Raab told the BBC 's Andrew Marr Show there was a `` risk '' of a third wave of coronavirus infections @ @ @ @ @ @ @ balance right '' .
And he refused to rule out a third national lockdown in England if there was another spike in cases in the New Year .
`` We 're doing everything we can to avoid that , '' he said .
According to a tally by Sky News , more than 60 Tory MPs have voiced their unhappiness over tiering or have said they are unlikely to support the measures when it comes to the vote .
Some 99 % of England 's population will fall under the two toughest tiers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ About 32 million people - covering 57.3 % of England - will fall into Tier 2 , and 23.3 million people - 41.5 % of the population - are going to be placed in Tier 3 .
Only the Isle of Wight , Cornwall , and the Isles of Scilly will be under the lightest Tier 1 controls , while large swathes of the Midlands , North East and North West are in the most restrictive Tier 3 .
Several Tories have said they will vote against the new tiers next week , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood and Poole MP Sir Robert Syms .
Steve Baker , deputy chairman of the COVID Recovery Group which has been critical of lockdown restrictions , said the `` authoritarianism at work today is truly appalling '' .
`` The government must publish its analysis of the impact interventions are likely to have on controlling COVID , as well as the non-COVID health impact and the impact on society , people 's livelihoods and businesses , '' he said .
Sir Roger Gale , MP for the Kent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ decision to place all of the county in Tier 3 , telling Sky News he fears people will `` skip over the boundary '' to go to a nearby pub in Tier 2 .
But Chris Hopson , chief executive of NHS Providers , urged MPs to think what the NHS might be like in January , saying : `` You need to take the precautions now to ensure that the NHS does n't get overwhelmed at what is always its busiest time of year . ''
Another 479 coronavirus deaths in the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the total to 58,030 .

Boris Johnson has said the new coronavirus tiers have "a sunset" clause - or expiry date - of 3 February, as he tries to fight off a backlash from Tory MPs.
The prime minister has angered some of his party with a plan to impose stringent restrictions across much of England when the national lockdown ends on Wednesday.
In a letter to colleagues ahead of a Commons vote on the restrictions on Tuesday, Mr Johnson insisted the tiered measures for local areas will be reviewed every fortnight.
Live updates on coronavirus from UK and around world
Image: Boris Johnson has written to Tory MPs ahead of a Commons vote on the tier system
"Regulations have a sunset of 3 February," he wrote.
"After the fourth fortnightly review (27 January), parliament will have another vote on the tiered approach, determining whether the measures stay in place until the end of March."
Mr Johnson said the first review on 16 December would consider the views of local directors of public health, with a final decision on whether any areas should change tiers made at a cabinet committee.
The changes would then come into effect on 19 December.
In a further olive branch to MPs, the PM committed to publish more data and outline what circumstances need to change for an area to move down a tier, as well analysis of the health, economic and social impacts of the measures taken to suppress coronavirus.
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Writing in the Mail on Sunday, Mr Johnson warned there will be "disastrous consequences" for the NHS without the introduction of new tiered coronavirus restrictions.
Image: The PM wrote to all MPs and peers
He wrote: "We are so nearly out of our captivity. We can see the sunlit upland pastures ahead. But if we try to jump the fence now, we will simply tangle ourselves in the last barbed wire, with disastrous consequences for the NHS.
"So let's do the job properly. Let's work together, and with tiering, testing and vaccines let's make 2021 the year we kick COVID out, take back control of our lives and reclaim all the things we love."
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, appearing on Sky News' Sophy Ridge on Sunday show, said the new tiered restrictions were necessary to "bear down" on COVID-19.
"The reality is that we want to come out of national lockdown and stay out of it," he said.
"We are starting with a more restrictive approach than previously with the localised approach, but that allows us to ease up when we are confident the virus is going down and stabilised - there's a review every two weeks."
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 2:18 COVID-19: Virus free town enters Tier 2
In another broadcast interview, Mr Raab told the BBC's Andrew Marr Show there was a "risk" of a third wave of coronavirus infections "if we don't get the balance right".
And he refused to rule out a third national lockdown in England if there was another spike in cases in the New Year.
"We're doing everything we can to avoid that," he said.
According to a tally by Sky News, more than 60 Tory MPs have voiced their unhappiness over tiering or have said they are unlikely to support the measures when it comes to the vote.
Some 99% of England's population will fall under the two toughest tiers when the second national lockdown ends.
About 32 million people - covering 57.3% of England - will fall into Tier 2, and 23.3 million people - 41.5% of the population - are going to be placed in Tier 3.
Only the Isle of Wight, Cornwall, and the Isles of Scilly will be under the lightest Tier 1 controls, while large swathes of the Midlands, North East and North West are in the most restrictive Tier 3.
Several Tories have said they will vote against the new tiers next week, including 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady, Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood and Poole MP Sir Robert Syms.
Steve Baker, deputy chairman of the COVID Recovery Group which has been critical of lockdown restrictions, said the "authoritarianism at work today is truly appalling".
"The government must publish its analysis of the impact interventions are likely to have on controlling COVID, as well as the non-COVID health impact and the impact on society, people's livelihoods and businesses," he said.
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
Sir Roger Gale, MP for the Kent constituency of North Thanet, criticised the decision to place all of the county in Tier 3, telling Sky News he fears people will "skip over the boundary" to go to a nearby pub in Tier 2.
But Chris Hopson, chief executive of NHS Providers, urged MPs to think what the NHS might be like in January, saying: "You need to take the precautions now to ensure that the NHS doesn't get overwhelmed at what is always its busiest time of year."
Another 479 coronavirus deaths in the UK were announced on Saturday, taking the total to 58,030.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-29--The Crown could lead viewers to 'mistake fiction for fact', says culture secretary

The Crown could be in danger of misleading fans , leading viewers to mistaking the shows fictitious events for fact , the culture secretary has warned .
Oliver Dowden , secretary of state for Digital , Culture , Media and Sport ( DCMS ) , has praised the smash hit Netflix show as a `` beautifully produced work of fiction '' , but wants the streaming giant to add a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode .
Mr Dowden is particularly worried that younger viewers , who are unfamiliar with historical events involving the Royal Family , could mistake @ @ @ @ @ @ @ told the Mail on Sunday : `` It 's a beautifully produced work of fiction , so as with other TV productions , Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that .
`` Without this , I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact . ''
The show , which is in its fourth season , is centred around the Royal Family , and uses its members and events as inspiration for the story .
Emma Corrin , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , told Sky News previously that it was clear from the script that the show is a work of fiction .
`` This is a drama , this is Peter 's ( Morgan , the show 's creator ) version of events , '' the actress said .
`` We use these real-life people as a jumping off point to tell a story . ''
According to the Mail on Sunday , Mr Dowden intends to write to Netflix to ask it to make clear at the start of episodes that the show @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Backstage podcast on Apple Podcasts , Google Podcasts , Spotify , Spreaker The DCMS did not comment on the story on Saturday .
The minister 's remarks come after a similar suggestion was made by Earl Spencer , the brother of the late Princess Diana .
He told ITV 's Lorraine : `` I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if , at the beginning of each episode , it stated that : 'This is n't true but it is based around some real events ' . ''
He @ @ @ @ @ @ @ think that this is gospel and that 's unfair . ''
Mr Morgan told The Times in a recent interview : `` You sometimes have to forsake accuracy , but you must never forsake truth . ''

The Crown could be in danger of misleading fans, leading viewers to mistaking the shows fictitious events for fact, the culture secretary has warned.
Oliver Dowden, secretary of state for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), has praised the smash hit Netflix show as a "beautifully produced work of fiction", but wants the streaming giant to add a disclaimer at the beginning of each episode.
Mr Dowden is particularly worried that younger viewers, who are unfamiliar with historical events involving the Royal Family, could mistake the show for real life.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:20 The Crown: 'We set out to tell Charles and Diana's unbiased story'
He told the Mail on Sunday: "It's a beautifully produced work of fiction, so as with other TV productions, Netflix should be very clear at the beginning it is just that.
"Without this, I fear a generation of viewers who did not live through these events may mistake fiction for fact."
The show, which is in its fourth season, is centred around the Royal Family, and uses its members and events as inspiration for the story.
Emma Corrin, who plays Princess Diana in the latest series, told Sky News previously that it was clear from the script that the show is a work of fiction.
"This is a drama, this is Peter's (Morgan, the show's creator) version of events," the actress said. "We use these real-life people as a jumping off point to tell a story."
According to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Dowden intends to write to Netflix to ask it to make clear at the start of episodes that the show is fiction.
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The DCMS did not comment on the story on Saturday.
The minister's remarks come after a similar suggestion was made by Earl Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana.
He told ITV's Lorraine: "I think it would help The Crown an enormous amount if, at the beginning of each episode, it stated that: 'This isn't true but it is based around some real events'."
He added: "I worry people do think that this is gospel and that's unfair."
Mr Morgan told The Times in a recent interview: "You sometimes have to forsake accuracy, but you must never forsake truth."


skynewspolitics--2020-11-29--Can you go carol singing? Government issues Christmas guidance

Santa 's grottos , nativity plays and door-to-door carol singing will be permitted once lockdown ends , according to new Christmas guidance .
New government advice says grottos will be allowed in all tiers if they are in venues that can open - but social distancing must be in place .
Door-to-door carol singing is also allowed when lockdown is lifted in England on Wednesday , and those performing or rehearsing do not have to adhere to gathering limits .
People in all tiers will also be able to attend places of worship , but the rules on who you @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tier .
Performances by pupils , such as nativity plays and other seasonal events , can take place within existing school bubbles but should avoid mixing across groups .
From 23 to 27 December , people can form a Christmas bubble if necessary in order to see family and friends , with travel to other parts of the country also permitted during this time .
Earlier this week , Conservative MP Andrew Selous told the Commons that churches and cathedrals can now approach Advent and Christmas with certainty .
He said : `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ made their buildings COVID-secure and many cathedrals and churches are planning to have multiple services to accommodate more people as less are allowed in each service .
On carol singing rules , he said : `` The further good news is that while indoor singing is limited to performers only , we can all take part in outdoor and door-to-door singing , staying two metres apart or away from the threshold , and nativity plays for under-18s are permitted in accordance with the performing arts guidance . ''
Meanwhile , rules surrounding visiting @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tiers , with the government urging people to check the rules in their areas for indoor and open-air shops , as well as Christmas tree markets .
The Christmas guidance states that rules will be back in place by New Year 's Eve , with the government reinforcing that Christmas bubbles will no longer apply .
The guidance adds that the rules on who people can meet with in bars , pubs and restaurant will also vary across tiers , and those rules will not change between 23 and 27 December .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ scientific advisers warned that the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions over Christmas will increase infections `` potentially by a large amount '' .
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies ( SAGE ) said the prevalence of COVID-19 `` could easily double '' over the festive period with `` substantial mixing '' of people .

Santa's grottos, nativity plays and door-to-door carol singing will be permitted once lockdown ends, according to new Christmas guidance.
New government advice says grottos will be allowed in all tiers if they are in venues that can open - but social distancing must be in place.
Door-to-door carol singing is also allowed when lockdown is lifted in England on Wednesday, and those performing or rehearsing do not have to adhere to gathering limits.
People in all tiers will also be able to attend places of worship, but the rules on who you can meet there will depend on your tier.
Image: The advice on visiting shops varies across the tiers
Performances by pupils, such as nativity plays and other seasonal events, can take place within existing school bubbles but should avoid mixing across groups.
From 23 to 27 December, people can form a Christmas bubble if necessary in order to see family and friends, with travel to other parts of the country also permitted during this time.
Earlier this week, Conservative MP Andrew Selous told the Commons that churches and cathedrals can now approach Advent and Christmas with certainty.
He said: "Clergy have already demonstrated that they've made their buildings COVID-secure and many cathedrals and churches are planning to have multiple services to accommodate more people as less are allowed in each service.
On carol singing rules, he said: "The further good news is that while indoor singing is limited to performers only, we can all take part in outdoor and door-to-door singing, staying two metres apart or away from the threshold, and nativity plays for under-18s are permitted in accordance with the performing arts guidance."
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Meanwhile, rules surrounding visiting shops and Christmas markets vary across the tiers, with the government urging people to check the rules in their areas for indoor and open-air shops, as well as Christmas tree markets.
The Christmas guidance states that rules will be back in place by New Year's Eve, with the government reinforcing that Christmas bubbles will no longer apply.
The guidance adds that the rules on who people can meet with in bars, pubs and restaurant will also vary across tiers, and those rules will not change between 23 and 27 December.
The new guidance comes after the government's scientific advisers warned that the relaxation of coronavirus restrictions over Christmas will increase infections "potentially by a large amount".
The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) said the prevalence of COVID-19 "could easily double" over the festive period with "substantial mixing" of people.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-29--Five things we learnt from this week's Sophy Ridge on Sunday

As England prepares to exit its second national lockdown , the show 's guests debated the new tiered system of restrictions that will replace the shutdown .
1 ) 'Light at the end of the tunnel ' in fight against COVID-19 Dominic Raab has said the new vaccines for coronavirus give the UK `` an exit strategy '' and provide `` cautious grounds for hope '' .
The foreign secretary said the UK could `` move to a whole different world '' by the spring , with a vaccine already handed out to key workers and `` the most vulnerable @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a rebellion against the new toughened tiers system brewing on Conservative backbenches , Mr Raab was also at pains to set out what criteria underlie the tiers .
He said `` the prevalence of the virus , the prevalence in the over-60s , the testing rates , the positivity testing rates '' , and `` the impact on the NHS '' , were what the government examined .
He did add a certain amount of wriggle room , though , saying the decision was ultimately a `` question of judgement '' , something @ @ @ @ @ @ @ be able to offer constituents and businesses certainty .
2 ) 'Show me the evidence ' , says unhappy Conservative MP A new promise that MPs will be able to vote on the new tiered restrictions in nine weeks ' time was n't enough to persuade Conservative MP Pauline Latham .
She said that not only would she `` like to see the opportunity to vote before nine weeks is up '' , but she also wanted `` to see the evidence '' underlying the new and toughened tiers .
With a vote @ @ @ @ @ @ @ before England 's national lockdown ends , the rebels are worried that areas might stay under strict conditions without clear criteria and with no set route for how to move between tiers .
Mr Raab 's promise - to publish `` analysis of the cost benefits of both the COVID health outcomes , the non-COVID health outcomes , the economic impact and the social impact '' before any vote - was pitched exactly at MPs like Ms Latham , who have yet to decide if they 'll vote against their government .
But @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was concerned about the economic effects of lockdown , saying `` many of those businesses in the country , not just here , will not survive if they can only open for five days at Christmas '' - and , in particular , the `` huge , huge '' hospitality industry will find it very hard to `` come back '' once it 's collapsed .
Although clearly less than pleased with her constituency being in Tier 3 , she had warm words for one government figure at least in the form of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ done an `` amazing job '' .
Businessman Hugh Osmond was in complete agreement , saying `` under Tier 2 , let alone Tier 3 , most hospitality businesses are not viable '' and that Mr Johnson `` needs to meet some of these people and see how his measures are destroying those lives '' .
The founder of Punch Taverns , and one-time Pizza Express boss , told the show : `` I think sometimes that these politicians live in another world and they live in something of an ivory tower .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ the restrictions on young people in particular , saying hospitality and retail are the `` biggest employers of young people , the biggest offers of entry-level jobs to people who do n't have great qualifications '' .
And if the prime minister `` destroys all those jobs and all those businesses , he will not achieve his levelling-up , '' Mr Osmond added .
As a former Conservative donor , he condemned the party as no friend of business `` at the moment '' - but conceded that Mr Sunak 's Treasury was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
4 ) 'The last week ' of Brexit negotiations ?
Only four-and-a-half years on from the vote to leave the EU ( and with time ticking down ) , Mr Raab also held out the prospect of a trade agreement with the EU .
Mr Raab said `` there is a deal to be done '' and it was `` the last week or so '' for `` substantive '' negotiations .
The foreign secretary ( and former Brexit secretary under Theresa May ) said there was a possible `` landing zone @ @ @ @ @ @ @ level playing field - `` if the EU is as reasonable as the UK has been '' .
He was less positive on the issue of fishing rights , saying there were `` significant differences '' between the two sides to resolve and that a proposal for the UK to control 18 % of fisheries in its waters `` ca n't be right '' .
Labour 's Jim McMahon had some cooperative words , saying the `` principle '' of the COVID tier system was right as `` interventions which are needed are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and ought to be in line with the infection rate and the spread of the virus , the R rate , the impact on local hospitals '' .
The idea that the government might need to rely on Labour votes in the event of a Tory rebellion is , as yet , unlikely .
But it would be particularly unpopular with Conservative MPs hoping they 'd be listened to instead .
Mr McMahon also moved further than many other Labour figures on backing any eventual Brexit deal , saying his party wanted `` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ support '' .
By backing a Brexit deal , Labour would avoid being accused of frustrating the will of the people , though the caveat that `` we would consider it a foundational agreement which is something to build up '' so long as `` there is nothing in there that causes significant concern '' may be less encouraging for the government .

As England prepares to exit its second national lockdown, the show's guests debated the new tiered system of restrictions that will replace the shutdown.
1) 'Light at the end of the tunnel' in fight against COVID-19
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Dominic Raab has said the new vaccines for coronavirus give the UK "an exit strategy" and provide "cautious grounds for hope".
The foreign secretary said the UK could "move to a whole different world" by the spring, with a vaccine already handed out to key workers and "the most vulnerable, particularly by age".
With a rebellion against the new toughened tiers system brewing on Conservative backbenches, Mr Raab was also at pains to set out what criteria underlie the tiers.
He said "the prevalence of the virus, the prevalence in the over-60s, the testing rates, the positivity testing rates", and "the impact on the NHS", were what the government examined.
He did add a certain amount of wriggle room, though, saying the decision was ultimately a "question of judgement", something unlikely to reassure MPs who want to be able to offer constituents and businesses certainty.
2) 'Show me the evidence', says unhappy Conservative MP
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 7:14 Will Boris Johnson get the backing from MPs?
A new promise that MPs will be able to vote on the new tiered restrictions in nine weeks' time wasn't enough to persuade Conservative MP Pauline Latham.
She said that not only would she "like to see the opportunity to vote before nine weeks is up", but she also wanted "to see the evidence" underlying the new and toughened tiers.
With a vote on the measures set for Tuesday, before England's national lockdown ends, the rebels are worried that areas might stay under strict conditions without clear criteria and with no set route for how to move between tiers.
:: Subscribe to Sophy Ridge on Sunday on Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker
Mr Raab's promise - to publish "analysis of the cost benefits of both the COVID health outcomes, the non-COVID health outcomes, the economic impact and the social impact" before any vote - was pitched exactly at MPs like Ms Latham, who have yet to decide if they'll vote against their government.
But the Derbyshire MP also made clear she was concerned about the economic effects of lockdown, saying "many of those businesses in the country, not just here, will not survive if they can only open for five days at Christmas" - and, in particular, the "huge, huge" hospitality industry will find it very hard to "come back" once it's collapsed.
Although clearly less than pleased with her constituency being in Tier 3, she had warm words for one government figure at least in the form of Rishi Sunak, saying the chancellor had done an "amazing job".
3) Politicians 'live in an ivory tower'
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 11:09 Boris Johnson is 'destroying' lives
Businessman Hugh Osmond was in complete agreement, saying "under Tier 2, let alone Tier 3, most hospitality businesses are not viable" and that Mr Johnson "needs to meet some of these people and see how his measures are destroying those lives".
The founder of Punch Taverns, and one-time Pizza Express boss, told the show: "I think sometimes that these politicians live in another world and they live in something of an ivory tower."
He warned about the effects of the restrictions on young people in particular, saying hospitality and retail are the "biggest employers of young people, the biggest offers of entry-level jobs to people who don't have great qualifications".
And if the prime minister "destroys all those jobs and all those businesses, he will not achieve his levelling-up," Mr Osmond added.
As a former Conservative donor, he condemned the party as no friend of business "at the moment" - but conceded that Mr Sunak's Treasury was doing a "pretty good job".
4) 'The last week' of Brexit negotiations?
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 1:04 Raab: Brexit talks into 'last week or so'
Only four-and-a-half years on from the vote to leave the EU (and with time ticking down), Mr Raab also held out the prospect of a trade agreement with the EU.
Mr Raab said "there is a deal to be done" and it was "the last week or so" for "substantive" negotiations.
The foreign secretary (and former Brexit secretary under Theresa May) said there was a possible "landing zone" on the key issue of the level playing field - "if the EU is as reasonable as the UK has been".
He was less positive on the issue of fishing rights, saying there were "significant differences" between the two sides to resolve and that a proposal for the UK to control 18% of fisheries in its waters "can't be right".
5) Labour support 'principle' of new COVID tiers
Twitter Twitter , 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 Twitter 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 Twitter cookies. To view this content you can use the button below to allow Twitter cookies for this session only. Enable Cookies Allow Cookies Once
Labour's Jim McMahon had some cooperative words, saying the "principle" of the COVID tier system was right as "interventions which are needed are on a regional and sub-regional basis, and ought to be in line with the infection rate and the spread of the virus, the R rate, the impact on local hospitals".
The idea that the government might need to rely on Labour votes in the event of a Tory rebellion is, as yet, unlikely.
But it would be particularly unpopular with Conservative MPs hoping they'd be listened to instead.
Mr McMahon also moved further than many other Labour figures on backing any eventual Brexit deal, saying his party wanted "to do a deal that we can support".
By backing a Brexit deal, Labour would avoid being accused of frustrating the will of the people, though the caveat that "we would consider it a foundational agreement which is something to build up" so long as "there is nothing in there that causes significant concern" may be less encouraging for the government.


skynewspolitics--2020-11-30--Another lockdown not ruled out as minister warns it may be summer before we 'get back to normal'

It is `` too early to say '' if another national lockdown will be needed after Christmas , according to a senior minister .
George Eustice said `` you ca n't rule anything out '' when asked by Sky News if the `` stay at home '' measures could come back into force to keep coronavirus under control .
The environment secretary also admitted it may be as late as `` next summer '' until `` we can all start to get back to normal '' - dependent on a vaccine .
A crucial vote is coming up in parliament @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tier system and attempted return to a regional rules approach from 2 December .
He is facing deep unhappiness from many backbenchers about how many areas have gone into Tiers 2 and 3 , with Sky News calculating more than 60 have gone public with their concerns .
Mr Eustice admitted there were `` up to 100 '' potential rebels - meaning the government may have to rely on backing from Sir Keir Starmer .
The Labour leader , who is expected to hold talks with England 's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris @ @ @ @ @ @ @ if he will support the plans .
Shadow education secretary Kate Green told Sky News the opposition party has `` always supported sensible public health restrictions '' and will endorse the plan `` with the right reassurances '' .
But at least one Labour MP has vowed to vote against it , former frontbencher Richard Burgon saying tiers will `` fail to drive the virus levels down '' and could `` undermine the gains made by the current lockdown '' making a third lockdown in England `` much more likely in the new @ @ @ @ @ @ @ appease Tory MPs , Mr Johnson has agreed to their demands to publish impact assessments that will spell out the health , economic and social ramifications of the tier system .
And he said the Commons will get another vote on 3 February to decide whether to extend it until April .
When the tiers come into force on Wednesday , 99 % of England will enter Tier 2 or 3 , with tight restrictions on bars and restaurants and a ban on households mixing indoors .
However the rules will be eased @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 23-27 December - to allow three households to `` bubble '' and celebrate together .
Scientists advising the government have warned that could lead to a growth in COVID-19 infections .
Mr Eustice played down the threat of a third lockdown being needed afterwards , but did not rule the possibility out .
`` Provided we maintain the tiered approach for as long as necessary , I do n't think it 'll be necessary to go back into another full lockdown , '' he told Kay Burley .
`` You ca n't rule @ @ @ @ @ @ @ developing situation… It 's always difficult to predict what will happen . ''
But Katie Pickett , owner of Pinky 's Beauty Salon in Gillingham , Kent , warned the businesses that have avoided folding during the first and second lockdown may not last a third .
`` Who knows who will survive a third lockdown ?
I think only the strongest out there , '' she told Sky News .
`` There are n't people as lucky as us ... but we 've taken such a hit anyway . ''
Another 215 @ @ @ @ @ @ @ on Sunday , taking the total to 58,245 , with 12,155 more cases meaning there have been 1,617,327 since the pandemic began .
A new study by Imperial College London found coronavirus infections have dropped by almost a third in England during the second national lockdown .
Though it is not known if the lockdown itself led to that dip since case rates had already started decreasing , especially in the worst affected areas .

It is "too early to say" if another national lockdown will be needed after Christmas, according to a senior minister.
George Eustice said "you can't rule anything out" when asked by Sky News if the "stay at home" measures could come back into force to keep coronavirus under control.
The environment secretary also admitted it may be as late as "next summer" until "we can all start to get back to normal" - dependent on a vaccine.
Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player 0:46 Minister 'can’t rule out' third lockdown
A crucial vote is coming up in parliament tomorrow on Prime Minister Boris Johnson's tier system and attempted return to a regional rules approach from 2 December.
He is facing deep unhappiness from many backbenchers about how many areas have gone into Tiers 2 and 3, with Sky News calculating more than 60 have gone public with their concerns.
Image: Boris Johnson is under-fire for how many areas he has put into Tier 3
Mr Eustice admitted there were "up to 100" potential rebels - meaning the government may have to rely on backing from Sir Keir Starmer.
The Labour leader, who is expected to hold talks with England's Chief Medical Officer Professor Chris Whitty later, has not said yet if he will support the plans.
Shadow education secretary Kate Green told Sky News the opposition party has "always supported sensible public health restrictions" and will endorse the plan "with the right reassurances".
But at least one Labour MP has vowed to vote against it, former frontbencher Richard Burgon saying tiers will "fail to drive the virus levels down" and could "undermine the gains made by the current lockdown" making a third lockdown in England "much more likely in the new year".
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In a bid to appease Tory MPs, Mr Johnson has agreed to their demands to publish impact assessments that will spell out the health, economic and social ramifications of the tier system.
And he said the Commons will get another vote on 3 February to decide whether to extend it until April.
Image: Impact assessments of the tougher tiers will be published before Tuesday's vote
Unrest is still brewing, with Andy Street, the Tory West Midlands mayor, warning Mr Johnson in a letter that Tier 3 for hospitality firms will be "a crippling blow to many businesses unless urgent financial support is provided".
And leader of the Liberal Democrats Sir Ed Davey has said "as it stands, we cannot in all conscience vote for this unsafe plan".
When the tiers come into force on Wednesday, 99% of England will enter Tier 2 or 3, with tight restrictions on bars and restaurants and a ban on households mixing indoors.
However the rules will be eased for five days over Christmas - from 23-27 December - to allow three households to "bubble" and celebrate together.
Scientists advising the government have warned that could lead to a growth in COVID-19 infections.
Image: England is in its second national lockdown
Mr Eustice played down the threat of a third lockdown being needed afterwards, but did not rule the possibility out.
"Provided we maintain the tiered approach for as long as necessary, I don't think it'll be necessary to go back into another full lockdown," he told Kay Burley.
"You can't rule anything out because this is a rapidly developing situation… It's always difficult to predict what will happen."
But Katie Pickett, owner of Pinky's Beauty Salon in Gillingham, Kent, warned the businesses that have avoided folding during the first and second lockdown may not last a third.
"Who knows who will survive a third lockdown? I think only the strongest out there," she told Sky News.
"There aren't people as lucky as us... but we've taken such a hit anyway."
Another 215 coronavirus-related deaths in the UK were announced on Sunday, taking the total to 58,245, with 12,155 more cases meaning there have been 1,617,327 since the pandemic began.
A new study by Imperial College London found coronavirus infections have dropped by almost a third in England during the second national lockdown.
Though it is not known if the lockdown itself led to that dip since case rates had already started decreasing, especially in the worst affected areas.