thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--How Boris Johnson's 'Stay Alert' Message Unravelled In 24 Calamitous Hours

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On Monday the government published a timely, helpful and consistent document providing clear details of all the points Boris Johnson had set out the day before about how the coronavirus lockdown was to be lifted.
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Only joking. It was a disaster beset by multiple U-turns, car crash interviews and government ministers appearing to have little idea what the government was actually trying to say.
All in just 24 hours. Here’s how it unfolded.
The qualm before the storm
Setting the tone nicely for what was to come, the weekend got off to a rocky start for the government after a preview of the new, catchy, slogan to replace the “stay at home” advisory was mocked by... well, pretty much everyone.
Suddenly pleased to be British for once #StayAlert pic.twitter.com/C7MtdiJqQx — Lizzie Spring 💚 (@ESpringW11) May 10, 2020
Perfectly encapsulating just how confusing the new messaging was, Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon kicked off what would be a series of frankly shady press briefings by asking the PM outright not to display it in Scotland.
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For good measure and echoing many on social media, she added: “I don’t know what ‘stay alert’ means.”
‘We shall quarantine them on the beaches’
The beauty of a pre-recorded speech is that you can really take your time and get it absolutely nailed, so it was somewhat bewildering that at 7pm on Sunday the PM delivered one in which he managed to announce a series of measures that would be redundant to varying extents by the very next day.
And they weren’t minor announcements – one particularly drastic measure unimaginable just two months ago was the quarantine of “people coming into this country by air”.
Turns out he also meant by sea, but we’ll come to that and all the other slightly confusing matters in a bit. In the meantime and for a reasonably accurate summary of what was said, here’s Matt Lucas.
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A picture is worth a thousand words (unless it’s on a government powerpoint presentation)
In amongst Johnson’s speech were a series of slides designed, one assumes, to really hammer home his message.
Unfortunately, a nation of Nando’s-deprived Brits on lockdown, the odd actual mathematician and one Twitter user with exceptional animation skills quickly made clear they weren’t performing quite as intended.
This is a mathematical formula....
So, let’s break it down.
Current R is between 0.5 and 0.9. Let’s say 0.7.
Number of infections in UK: 219,000.
0.7 + 219,000 = COVID19 alert level.
So, the alert level is: 219,000.7#borisjohnsonspeech #thanksboris #BorisHasFailed pic.twitter.com/DZ1dmYvG2d — James (@JediAvenger10) May 11, 2020
Boris Johnson's Covid graph in full pic.twitter.com/RJInfdyzom — HappyToast ★ (@IamHappyToast) May 10, 2020
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Exhausted, the nation went to sleep. Well, some of them.
So are we allowed to go to sleep tonight or not? #stayalert — Shappi Khorsandi5667753324777 (@ShappiKhorsandi) May 10, 2020
Blue Monday
Monday morning saw Boris Johnson’s foot soldiers step out to present a united front and get behind their leader’s “Stay Alert” message. Except none of them seemed particularly alert as to what we were supposed to be alert about.
First into the grinder was Andrew Bridgen who was asked a simple enough question by Piers Morgan: “My two sons who I haven’t seen in 10 weeks – can I go and see them today and maintain two metres’ distance? Yes or no?”
Bridgen replied in the affirmative which, given it was a 50/50 shot even for someone never exposed to the written word, television or radio, never mind a Conservative MP, was a colossal balls-up.
Morgan pointed out the response was “completely against the new rules” set out by the PM and then launched into what was one of the most intense dressing downs of a politician in recent times.
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Piers Morgan rips Andrew Bridgen a new one for not understanding his own government's rules.
"You have just told me to do something that I'm not allowed to do." #GMB pic.twitter.com/8kOlElNloR — Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) May 11, 2020
Now is the time. Only it’s not now, not yet
Meanwhile in the real world, hundreds of people were acting upon the words of their elected leader by going to work, having been told by the PM on Sunday evening that those who cannot work from home should be return “now”.
Only it turns out “now” didn’t actually mean “now”, it meant “on Wednesday please” which is about as wide an interpretation of an established word as you can get.
Ahead of Johnson’s announcement, the government had said Sunday’s speech would include information that Brits would use to make changes to their lives from the next day.
But speaking to BBC Radio 4′s Today programme this morning, foreign secretary Dominic Raab appeared to change course, saying the changes to the advice on who should go to work “will take effect from Wednesday”.
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There was no mention of this by Johnson on Sunday.
The parents in the park paradox
Not content with sowing confusion about work, Raab was also attempting to clarify if we could meet up with our parents in a park or if we had to choose which one was our favourite.
Even worse, if that parent wanted to have a kickabout or nail you at tennis, no one could agree if this was perfectly fine or liable to have you both set upon by a police doberman.
Speaking to Victoria Derbyshire, Raab said you could...
Dominic Raab says you can meet your mum in the morning and a different relative in the afternoon, if it’s outside and in England. — Victoria Derbyshire (@vicderbyshire) May 11, 2020
Which was slightly different from what he’d just told the BBC Radio 4′s Today programme, where he said people would be able to meet two parents at the same time in a park “if there’s two metres apart”.
And so it was that before midday had even struck, the government had to clarify that people would only be allowed to meet one other person in a park. And they must obey social distancing guidelines. And only from Wednesday. And if you wanted to play sport with them, you’d have to wait to until 2pm to find out, because the government just didn’t have a clue.
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Which all raises the obvious question...
Are two sets of twins from the same family allowed play doubles tennis together if all four of them work in the tennis club and live right beside or even better live with a tunnel connected to the tennis court so all four twins can easily get to work? #StayAlert — Aisling Bea (@WeeMissBea) May 11, 2020
In a sign of just how mad things were getting, even the bastion of light entertainment and unflappable reasonableness Phillip Schofield was getting worked up.
Confused about lockdown? So are we!
Here's what we know so far 👇https://t.co/czp1T4nxY8 pic.twitter.com/hivossr1G0 — This Morning (@thismorning) May 11, 2020
Phillip said: “You literally couldn’t write this. If this was in a farce on the telly I would go: ‘That is a bit far-fetched. No government would ask that much.’
“It’s utterly astonishing. We have been really level on here, we have been really sensible on here, but this has just tipped us over the edge today.”
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Here’s one we prepared earlier
At 2pm the government issued a full 51-page “plan to rebuild” which set out in detail all of the things the government had not been explaining very well since Sunday.
But there were a few signs it had perhaps been put together in a bit of a hurry, not least in the use of the far from imprecise definition “and so on” when attempting to precisely define “essential retail”.
UK Gov
On the plus side, it did explain that playing sport with people – well, one person – outside your own household was fine, despite this being the exact opposite of what the PM said in his pre-recorded-with-plenty-of-time-to-get-it-right TV slot the night before.
Will the real Boris Johnson please stand up?
Thus it was that, at 3.30pm, a man claiming to be Boris Johnson stood up in the Commons to clarify things.
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He told Britain, simply, to “follow the rules” to control the spread of coronavirus. Rules, of course, recently published by the government that somewhat contradicted what another man claiming to be Boris Johnson had said on telly the previous night.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Jeremy Hunt Slams 'Major Blindspot' In Covid-19 Scientific Advice

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The failure to learn from east Asian countries’ response to coronavirus ranks as “one of the biggest failures of scientific advice to ministers in our lifetimes”, a former health secretary has said.
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Jeremy Hunt said the UK and other Western nations had a “major blindspot” in dealing with Covid-19 by focusing preparations on dealing with a pandemic flu, rather than a coronavirus.
The UK has suffered more than 32,000 deaths, the worst death toll in Europe - compared to just 256 in South Korea, 20 in Singapore and just 7 in Taiwan, all countries which had experience of previous coronaviruses like Sars.
Hunt blamed a “systemic failure” in the UK caused by the “secrecy” that surrounds the government’s scientific advisory group for emergencies (Sage).
Sage has published summaries of its meetings weeks after they took place, and recently bowed to pressure to publish a list of its membership.
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But Hunt said that the failure to publish advice early in the pandemic meant it was not open to scientific challenge that could have highlighted failings compared with countries which have eventually had many fewer deaths.
Tory former health secretary Jeremy Hunt PA Video - PA Images via Getty Images
The Commons health committee chair told a Commons debate on Covid-19: “It is clear now that a major blindspot in the approach taken in Europe and America was caused by our focus on pandemic flu as opposed to pandemic coronaviruses such as Sars or Mers.
“Asian countries took a different path. As a result (South) Korea had no more than nine deaths on any one day. Singapore is on just 20 deaths in total, Taiwan just 7.
“The failure to look at what these countries were doing at the outset will rank, I am afraid, as one of the biggest failures of scientific advice to ministers in our lifetimes.
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“What is at fault is a systemic failure caused by the secrecy that shrouds everything Sage does. Because its advice is not published it cannot be subjected to scientific challenge.
“We used to have the same secrecy over interest rate advice. Then in 1997 the Bank of England was made operationally independent, lines of accountability were clarified and advice was made transparent. Since then inflation has not troubled the British economy.
“Had Sage’s advice been published in January, an army of scientists from our universities could have challenged why testing and contact tracing was not being modelled.
“They could have demanded a ramp up of testing and challenged the behavioural assumptions that delayed lockdown.
“We cannot know for certain but the result may well have been better subsequent advice to ministers and many lives saved.
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“British science is world-beating because we have always championed inventiveness and encouraged challenge.
“So let’s sweep aside the secrecy that surrounds Sage and publish what it recommends - including dissenting views.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Keir Starmer Calls For ‘Clarity' In Response To PM's TV Broadcast

Labour Party
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Labour leader Keir Starmer has warned Boris Johnson’s plans to ease the coronavirus lockdown lacks “clarity” in his response to the prime minister’s broadcast on Sunday.
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Confusion has reigned since the prime minister announced a three-stage plan to begin lifting the lockdown.
The government has now published a 51-page “plan to rebuild” that many are hoping will provide more clarity.
In the foreword, the prime minister makes clear it is “not a quick return to ‘normality’” but that it should give people “hope that we can rebuild; hope that we can save lives; hope that we can safeguard livelihoods”.
In a rare televised rebuttal from the leader of the official opposition, Starmer said Labour would continue to work constructively with the government in its response to the pandemic.
At the same time, however, he made clear the party would hold ministers to account for their actions.
“What we needed from the prime minister last night was clarity and reassurance,” he said.
“The prime minister said he was setting out a road map, but if we’re to complete the journey safely a road map needs clear directions. So many of us have questions that need answering.
“For as long as this crisis persists I’ll keep demanding answers to these questions because that’s how we get better decisions and better outcomes.
“I remain committed to working constructively with the government in the national interest.”
The Prime Minister said he was setting out a roadmap but if we’re to complete the journey safely a roadmap needs clear directions. pic.twitter.com/6D7XblY0V6 — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 11, 2020
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Starmer said that, as the country emerged from the crisis, there must be a collective effort to build a better society.
“After all this, all the sacrifice and the loss, we can’t go back to business as usual,” he said.
“When we get through this it will be because of the hard work and the bravery of every key worker as they took on this virus and kept our country going.
“In their courage and their sacrifice and their bravery, we can see a better future. This crisis has brought out the resilience and the human spirit in all of us.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Killing Eve: 6 Very Important Questions We Have After Villanelle's Past Is Finally Explored In Are Y

Killing Eve: 6 Very Important Questions We Have After Villanelle's Past Is Finally Explored In Are You From Pinner?

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After serving up one of the most shocking cliffhangers in its three seasons, Killing Eve’s Are You From Pinner? pressed a momentary pause on the main drama, with an episode solely dedicated to Villanelle.
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For years now, fans have yearned to know more about the assassin’s backstory, and this was finally addressed as she tracked down her birth mother in rural Russia.
We saw her mother Tatiana tearfully realising the daughter she’d believed to have been dead after dying in an orphanage fire was alive after all.
But while things started off well – with Villanelle even showing some rare signs of emotion towards brother Pyotr and half-brother Bor’ka – it wasn’t happy families for too long.
Villanelle found her birth mother in this week's Killing Eve Sid Gentle/BBC
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It was quickly revealed that Tatiana was not the cuddly mum she’d presented herself as, becoming verbally abusive to young Bor’ka, and later ordering Villanelle to leave the house, saying: “You not a part of this family. You do not belong here.”
An exchange between mother and daughter revealed Tatiana had abandoned Villanelle as a kid, as her father was worried she would harm them all.
When Tatiana then refused to acknowledge that Villanelle’s darkness came from her, the assassin killed her mother and her step-family by blowing up their farm house.
But with Villanelle giving her two brothers a reprieve, there were a lot of questions that needed answering as the credits rolled...
Who is Villanelle’s father and what happened to him?
The whereabouts of Villanelle’s father was kind of left ambiguous in Are You From Pinner?, although it was heavily implied he had died after Villanelle went into care.
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However, is he really dead? We now know that Tatiana was a liar, and so she could have also been hiding what really happened to her ex-husband. If he is alive – and we firmly believe he is – his identity surely has to be significant, so could we be about to meet him too?
Will Villanelle recruit Pyotr as her protégé?
With Villanelle still keen to climb up The Twelve’s organisation and become a handler, we think she may have just found the perfect protégé in brother Pyotr.
We saw that he too has a dark side, which he is currently controlling by beating up old furniture, and Villanelle revelled in encouraging him to take his anger out on people instead.
Considering she spared him from death in the house fire, it’s probably not the last we’ve seen of him, and it would be amazing to see Villanelle nurture her non-existent management skills on her younger bro. We only hope he’s better suited to the job than Felix was in Management Sucks.
Sid Gentle/BBC
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Is everyone in the house definitely dead?
It’s looking pretty likely, but the possibility one (or more) of them is still alive is also definitely something to consider – especially as we now know Villanelle has survived a fire herself.
Could they seek deadly revenge on Villanelle at a time when Eve will likely be after her blood too, following Niko’s demise?
How will this episode change Villanelle?
We’ve never seen Villanelle show any sort of remorse or emotion after killing any of her victims – not even when she walked away from a motionless Eve after shooting her in the Colosseum.
However, after killing her mother and her step-family, she was later seen having some sort of emotional breakdown on a train out of town.
Was this just a rare moment, or an indication that the character is softening?
Jodie Comer, who plays Villanelle, hinted at changes afoot for her character in an interview with TV Line, stating: “It becomes more apparent to me that the more we go on with each season, the more we can’t stick to formulas that may have worked in season one.
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“It’s hard to keep that up and it not get tedious. We have to grow with her. We have to listen to what it is she’s saying and what she’s experiencing. And I think that felt true to where she’s at right now.”
Killing Eve Sid Gentle/BBC
Will Bor’ka get to see Elton John?
After being left a bundle of cash from Villanelle to finally go and see his hero, we really hope we’re going to get to see little Bor’ka doing his best Rocketman at an Elton gig in a future episode.
Have we seen All Around somewhere before?
Yula and her pals’ performance act definitely looked like something we’ve seen Britain’s Got Talent’s David Walliams press his Golden Buzzer for before.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Richard Harris: Police Appeal For Information About Missing British Diplomat Not Seen Since May 6

Richard Morris. UK Gov
Police have appealed for information that might assist in the search for a missing diplomat who went missing while out for a run last week.
Richard Morris, from Bentley, was last seen at 10.30am on May 6.
The 52-year-old was ambassador to Nepal from November 2015 to November 2019 and was due to become British High Commissioner to the Republic of Fiji in July.
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In a statement, Hampshire Constabulary said: “It is believed that Richard, who is described as being white with greying hair and a beard and a distinctive birth mark on his face, was running in the local area when he went missing.
“He was last seen wearing a blue long-sleeved top with a half zip, black shorts and blue trainers.”
Police have asked people in the area to “assist by checking sheds, outbuildings and gardens” but not to look further than their own properties so they don’t disrupt the official search.
They added: ”We would also love to hear from any residents or businesses with CCTV that could help our enquiries.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Watch Live: Boris Johnson Reveals Lockdown Plan In Parliament

Watch Live: Boris Johnson Reveals Lockdown Plan In Parliament
The prime minister formally presents the government's plans to ease the UK’s coronavirus lockdown after yesterday’s announcement sparked widespread confusion and concerns were raised about potentially “lethal” mixed messages.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--What The Government's 51-Page Official Coronavirus Lockdown Document Says You Can And Cannot Do

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Confusion has reigned since Boris Johnson announced a three-stage plan to begin lifting the coronavirus lockdown on Sunday night.
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But the government has now published its 51-page “plan to rebuild” that many are hoping will provide more clarity.
In the foreword, the prime minister makes clear it is “not a quick return to ‘normality’” but that it should give people “hope that we can rebuild; hope that we can save lives; hope that we can safeguard livelihoods”.
Johnson however warned that a vaccine or treatment may be more than a year away, or may not be produced at all, and so a plan must be put in place for “the long haul”.
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“I know the current arrangements do not provide an enduring solution – the price is too heavy, to our national way of life, to our society, to our economy, indeed to our long-term public health,” he said.
“So this plan seeks to return life to as close to normal as possible, for as many people as possible, as fast and fairly as possible.”
The backdrop to the plan is that there are now no regions where the epidemic is increasing, but an estimated 136,000 people in England are infected with Covid-19.
Among the headline measures are the return of childcare, the ability to meet up with people from outside of your household on a very limited basis, and an encouragement for broad sections of workers to return to work.
Here is what the document says about the new relaxing and tightening of restrictions:
Step one, from Wednesday, May 13
Traffic management staff direct motorists as they queue to enter Worcester East Household Recycling Centre as it reopens on Monday for the first time since the UK entered lockdown to reduce the spread of coronavirus EMPICS Entertainment
Work: Workers who can should continue to work from home. But all those who cannot work from home should travel to work, including those in food production, construction, manufacturing, logistics, distribution and scientific research in laboratories.
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“The only exceptions to this are those workplaces such as hospitality and non-essential retail which, during this first step, the government is requiring to remain closed,” the paper states.
Workplaces should follow new “Covid-19 secure” guidelines which the government published separately on Monday night.
They advise employers to redesign work spaces to allow for two-metre social distancing, including through staggered start times, one-way systems, opening more entrances and exits, and changing break room seating layouts.
When workers cannot be two metres apart, employers should look into barriers in shared spaces, creating workplace shift patterns or fixed teams minimising the number of people in contact, or ensuring colleagues are facing away from each other.
Workplaces should also be cleaned more frequently, with close attention paid to high-contact objects like door handles and keyboards, while hand-washing facilities or hand sanitisers should be provided in doorways.
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Employers must also carry out a Covid-19 risk assessment in consultation with workers or unions to establish what guidelines to put in place.
Anyone with coronavirus symptoms must still self-isolate.
School: Councils and schools should encourage more vulnerable children and children of key workers to attend school, as only 2% of children are now doing so.
Paid childcare, including nannies and childminders, can now take place as long as it can meet the public health principles set out in the document “because these are roles where working from home is not possible.
“This should enable more working parents to return to work,” it says.
Travel: Everyone, including critical workers, should continue to avoid public transport where possible, instead choosing to cycle, walk or drive.
The government will boost funding and provide new guidance to encourage councils to widen pavements, create pop-up cycle lanes and close some roads in cities to traffic, apart from buses.
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Social distancing on public transport “must be followed rigorously”.
All international arrivals will be asked to self-isolate for 14 days, supply their contact and accommodation information, and strongly advised to download the NHS contact tracing app.
If they cannot demonstrate where they will self isolate they will be placed into government quarantine accommodation.
Two women wearing protective face coverings walk beside the recently widened pavement on Camden High Street in central London on Monday ISABEL INFANTES via Getty Images
Face coverings: People should aim to wear face coverings where social distancing is not always possible, for example on public transport and in some shops.
Home-made cloth coverings are fine. They do not protect the wearer, but prevent the wearer passing on the virus if they are asymptomatic.
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People are urged not to use surgical face masks or respirators as they must be reserved for health and other workers who need personal protective equipment (PPE).
Children under two should not use face coverings or those who may find it difficult to manage them such as unassisted primary school children or those with respiratory conditions.
People must wash their hands before putting or taking off their face covering.
Public spaces and meeting others: People can meet up with one person from outside their own household outdoors, and it must be at a distance of two metres.
Personal trainers will also be able to do one-on-one sessions with clients in parks, Downing Street confirmed.
People can exercise outdoors as many times a day as they want. This will include sport where social distancing is possible, such as golf, angling, and tennis. Officials confirmed this also includes basketball.
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But team sports, playgrounds, outdoor gyms or ticketed outdoor leisure venues are still prohibited.
People can drive to outdoor open spaces at any distance away as long as they observe social distancing guidance. They cannot travel from England to Scotland, Wales or Northern Ireland if it is inconsistent with the guidance in those nations.
The plan states: “These measures may come with some risk; it is important that everyone continues to act responsibly, as the large majority have done to date. The infection rate will increase if people begin to break these rules and, for example, mix in groups in parks, which will trigger the need for further restrictions.”
Johnson’s official spokesperson explained: “You could go to the park with a whole household for leisure, not just exercise, for a picnic, sunbathing.
“Alternatively if just you went out on your own you could meet one other person not from your household in the park provided they sit two metres away from you.
“What you can’t do is combine those two things.”
People will be permitted to play sport with people from outside their household, such as tennis or golf, as long as they observe the social distancing rules.
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“People will have to apply common sense to this,” the spokesperson said.
People playing a game of tennis in Battersea Park, London, as the UK continues in lockdown to help curb the spread of the coronavirus. PA
Vulnerable groups: Those aged over 70 and with specific chronic conditions and pregnant women should continue to minimise contact with others “but do not need to be shielded”.
But those in the extremely vulnerable group are “strongly advised to stay at home at all times and avoid any face-to-face contact”, in a continuation of shielding.
The document suggests that in the future others may be released from lockdown while the most vulnerable are still asked to shield, “deepening” the challenge facing them.
Enforcement: The government will impose higher fines on those breaching the rules and is considering other more stringent measures.
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Parliament: The government wants parliament to set a “national example” of the new normal and move towards more physical proceedings in the Commons.
Summing up phase one, chief medical officer Chris Whitty said: “We are confident that these quite small changes on their own will not have a material effect, provided the social distancing and the rules are there, on increasing R (the rate of spread of the virus.”
Step two from June 1 at the earliest
Providing the five tests for lifting the lockdown justify more easing of restrictions, there will be:
A phased return for early years education and schools: Early years, reception, year 1 and year 6 children will be back in school in smaller classes from this point.
Secondary schools and colleges should also prepare for face-to-face contact with year 10 and 12 pupils who have GCSE and A-Level exams next year.
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The government aims to return all primary school children to school for a month before summer but this will be kept under review.
It is understood that ministers expect class sizes will be cut in half in this period, by using spare capacity freed up by only allowing half the school year groups to return.
Asked if parents will be forced to send their children back to school, the PM’s official spokesman said: “While we will not penalise parents for keeping children at home, once children are eligible for return to school we will strongly encourage them to do so.”
It will be up to individual school heads to arrange their working, once fuller guidance has been issued by the Department of Education.
Asked about the prospect that some teachers may refuse to work, chief medical officer Whitty said his “medical answer” would be that teachers with ‘shielded’ illnesses should stay at home, while those in ‘vulnerable’ groups like pregnant women, could do some “non-pupil facing roles” like lesson planning at home.
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But those exceptions did not extend “to people who actually don’t have those vulnerabilities” he added.
Opening non-essential retail: This will happen in phases from June 1. Hospitality and personal care like hairdressers nail salons will not be able to open at this point.
Behind closed doors sport and culture: Premier League football could be back on TV screens from June.
Football could return behind closed doors PA
Re-opening more local public transport: Subject to strict measures to limit the spread of the virus.
Potentially more contact with others: Scientists on the government’s Sage committee have been asked to look at whether, when and how the rules can be changed to allow one household to expand its social group to include one other household exclusively in a “bubble”.
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The government is also examining how to enable people to gather in slightly larger groups to better facilitate small weddings.
The government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance said: “We will look at the question about households linking, which is a complicated question, and has the theoretical risk of reconnecting households with quite long connection chains and so that needs to be looked at extremely carefully. We will look at it, it’s not straightforward at all.”
Step three from July 4 at the earliest
Two women sit outside a closed pub on Saturday as Britain faces its seventh week of lockdown ASSOCIATED PRESS
The government hopes to:
Open some businesses and spaces that are still locked down: This could include pubs, restaurants, hotels, hairdressers, beauty salons, cinemas and places of worship.
Venues which are crowded by design and where it is difficult to operate social distancing may still not be able to safely reopen, or may only be able to partially reopen.
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“Nevertheless the government will wish to open as many businesses and public places as the data and information at the time allows,” the document states.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--210 More Coronavirus Deaths Recorded Across UK In 24 Hours

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The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 32,065 – an increase of 210 over 24 hours.
This is the third week the government’s daily announcement has included people in care homes and the community, rather than just in hospital, who have died.
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But only those who had tested positive for Covid-19 are included, meaning anyone who died with a suspected case won’t be recorded.
The figures cover the period up to 5pm on Sunday.
It comes after the number of people who have died in hospitals after contracting the virus rose by 222 in a slightly different 24-hour period.
That increase consisted of 209 in England, five in Scotland, five in Wales and three in Northern Ireland.
Meanwhile, in the 24 hours up to 9am on Monday, 100,490 people were tested for coronavirus. It is the first time since May 1 that the government has met its self-imposed target of 100,000 daily tests. It blamed a technical issue that saw the figure drop as low as 70,000 in the days since.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Musician Entertains His Neighbours On Lockdown

Musician Entertains His Neighbours On Lockdown
George Hicks is a language teacher and musician. At the weekend he stepped out of his front door to put a concert on for his neighbours and bring everybody together.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Phillip Schofield Lambasts Boris Johnson Over 'Lack Of Clarity': 'You Literally Couldn't Write This'

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Phillip Schofield has gone in on Boris Johnson and the government over their “lack of clarity” regarding changes to the lockdown restrictions.
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On Monday, the This Morning presenter criticised the prime minister and foreign secretary Dominic Raab over mixed messaging about whether people could meet up with more than one family member in a public park.
Phillip said he was starting the show “in a state of utter confusion” after the PM’s TV address on Sunday night, claiming: “His speech created more questions than answers.”
Phillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning ITV/Shutterstock
His co-host Holly Willoughby added: “And the answers seem to change every half hour.”
Phillip continued: “We now lack clarity, I understood until last night at 7 o’clock, I understood where we were going, I understood what was happening.
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“Now I don’t understand, I don’t know what’s happening.”
The pair discussed Raab’s statements on BBC Breakfast and Radio 4′s Today programme, where he said people could meet more than one family member in a park, if they maintained social distancing.
The government has since clarified this was not correct, insisting people will only be allowed to meet one other person in a park while obeying distancing guidelines.
Confused about lockdown? So are we!
Here's what we know so far 👇https://t.co/czp1T4nxY8 pic.twitter.com/hivossr1G0 — This Morning (@thismorning) May 11, 2020
Phillip said: “You literally couldn’t write this, if this was in a farce on the telly I would go ‘That is a bit far-fetched, no government would arse it up that much’.
“It’s utterly astonishing. We have been really level on here, we have been really sensible on here, but this has just tipped us over the edge today.
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“Until maybe somebody, maybe, would come on the show and explain actually what it is you want us to do?
“What are we allowed to do? Are you genuinely saying we can only meet one parent? Can you meet one parent in the morning and another parent in the afternoon? Can you go round to their house or does it have to be outside? What do you mean?”
Holly added: “I think we’re just about holding on we’ve all done so well. We’ve all done exactly as we’ve been told.
“We were doing so well to keep our spirits up, to keep going, to keep going, to keep going, but when there is this level of confusion, it knocks you back.
“When you feel you are just getting to grips with it, you’re just keeping afloat, it just knocks you back again.”
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The PM’s address has been criticised by a number of other high-profile media figures, including fellow ITV daytime presenter Piers Morgan.
The Good Morning Britain host tore into Johnson’s “disingenuous” speech, which he said was full of “his usual flim-flam, his bluster, his bellicose, fist-pumping rhetoric”.
Little Britain star Matt Lucas has also filmed a searing parody of the speech, which he shared on Twitter.
This Morning airs weekdays at 10am on ITV.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-11--Do I Have To Go Back To Work? Here’s A Quick Guide To Your Rights

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Following the easing of the coronavirus lockdown measures, those who cannot work from home are now being “actively encouraged” to return to their jobs – though they are being warned to avoid public transport if at all possible.
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Many workers may be regarding this news with a sense of trepidation. Is it actually safe to do so? What if I have to get public transport?
Here are some things you need to know.
Which workers can return?
As of Sunday, the only workers Boris Johnson specifically mentioned were those in the construction and manufacturing industry.
On Monday this was elaborated on to include supermarket workers, those in labs and research facilities, tradesmen, delivery drivers, cleaners “and so on”.
A phased reopening of shops will not begin until June at the earliest and some sectors of the hospitality industry may be reopened by July.
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Stephen Phipson, chief executive of Make UK – the manufacturers’ organisation, cautiously welcomed the news, though repeated calls for specific advice on how to make workplaces safe.
He said: “It is critical that there is clear advice on how to do that, and an understanding that firms will be helped to comply as we navigate uncharted waters, and not punished for inadvertent errors.
“In many parts of manufacturing people will need to work much more closely than two metres apart. It is vital that the guidance is explicit about how this may be achieved safely.”
Commuters wait to board a tram in Manchester, after prime minister Boris Johnson said people who cannot work from home should be 'actively encouraged' to return to their jobs Peter Byrne - PA Images via Getty Images
Construction worker Daniel Smith told the Press Association: “I’m fortunate enough where I’m able to return to a job site which is an uninhabited property so I can keep our workers down to a minimum, otherwise I’m sure I’d be feeling a bit different.
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“The industry has a massive contribution to the country’s economy and I’m sure that’s why the prime minister and many others are keen to get the workers back to site but to make that possible it would require much more than just the construction firms opening again.
“Obviously contractors need materials, so many trading merchants will be forced to follow and reopen as well. We’ve seen B&Q open already with many of the public lining up outside the stores, and whilst the active cases in the country are still in the hundreds of thousands, I don’t feel we should be doing anything more to encourage people to be going out any more than they need to.
“Additionally, employees in the construction industry can have actively social work days, meet with lots of different people, sometimes from other areas, and share tools and equipment. It’s going to be incredibly difficult to maintain the social distancing measures. I think it’s a little too soon for the industry myself.”
Can I refuse to return to work if I feel unsafe?
If you have coronavirus symptoms or are particularly vulnerable to the virus, such as those over 70s and those with underlying health conditions such as diabetes or asthma, the government advice is that you should continue to stay at home and shield, at least until the end of June.
If you don’t fit into these categories, you are still protected by official legislation that allows workers to remove themselves from a dangerous workplace without recrimination or repercussion. BAME employees are particularly being urged to take note of this.
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Just remember when you're asking employees to use s44 of the Employment Rights Act so they don't have to go to an unsafe place to work, BAME employees are less likely than others to speak out and raise concerns for fear of being discriminated against. Not a one size fits all. — Basit Mahmood (@BasitMahmood91) May 11, 2020
Section 44 of the Employment Rights Act 1996 states: “An employee has the right not to be subjected to any detriment by any act, or any deliberate failure to act, by his employer.”
Of these conditions, the relevant one is: “In circumstances of danger which the employee reasonably believed to be serious and imminent and which he could not reasonably have been expected to avert, he left (or proposed to leave) or (while the danger persisted) refused to return to his place of work or any dangerous part of his place of work.”
Again, the absence of specific advice here continues to cloud the matter – though actively enforced social distancing, disinfectants for shared equipment, hand sanitisers and the provision of PPE will certainly be among the conditions required for workplaces to safely reopen. Speaking on Sunday, Richard Burge, chief executive of London Chamber of Commerce, said: “My strong and unequivocal advice to London businesses is not to change your plans for tomorrow. You have not been given sufficient information on how to get your employees safely to work, nor how to keep them safe while they are there.
“At the moment, it would be foolish for any business leader to encourage staff not already undertaking essential work to do anything but to continue to work from home tomorrow if they can do so.”
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On Monday, the government informed essential retail workers: “If you remain concerned that your employer is not taking all practical steps to promote social distancing then you can report this to your local authority or the Health and Safety Executive who can take a range of action, including where appropriate requiring your employer to take additional steps.”
It urged discussion between employers and staff but added: “If individuals need advice, they should approach ACAS where they can get impartial advice about work disputes.”
It continued that it would be publishing further specific guidelines on how employers can make workplaces safe in due course.
Has your company done a risk assessment?
You have a right to ask if they have. Under the Management of Health and Safety at Work Regulations 1999, “every employer shall provide his employees with comprehensible and relevant information on the risks to their health and safety identified by the assessment” and “the preventive and protective measures”.
The same legislation spells out that employers must make suitable assessments of the risks.
Richard Jones, of the Institution of Occupational Safety and Health, said: “Health and safety must come first. People shouldn’t re-enter workplaces until employers are certain that they’re properly managing the risk of infection and providing the support that workers need.
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“Prevention has to be the focus because, if organisations don’t get this right, workplaces can become places of transmission.”
Will the furlough scheme continue?
Firms want to know if the government programme to pay the wages of workers under the furlough scheme will be extended beyond the end of June.
Adam Marshall, director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, said: “Businesses share the prime minister’s ambition to see more people return safely to work over the coming weeks.
“Companies will do everything they can to protect employees and customers, maintain social distancing and operate successfully as more sections of the economy are permitted to re-open.
“Businesses will need to see detailed plans for the phased easing of restrictions, coordinated with all nations across the UK and supported by clear guidance. It is imperative that companies have detailed advice on what will need to change in the workplace, including clarity on the use of PPE.
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“Firms will also need to know that government support schemes, which have helped save millions of jobs in recent weeks, will continue for as long as they are needed so that they can plan ahead with confidence.
“The timing of further easing of restrictions must be guided by the public health evidence, but businesses need their practical questions answered so they can plan to restart, rebuild and renew.”
What if I cannot drive or cycle and have to take public transport?
This is unclear. In a letter to business secretary Alok Sharma, shadow business secretary Ed Miliband and shadow employment rights minister Andy McDonald asked: “The prime minister said [...] he wanted workers to avoid public transport and use cars, bicycles or walk to work but did not explain how. What if none of these are viable options?”
As of Monday afternoon, the government is asking workers to consider whether their journeys are essential before using public transport. It has promised to set out further guidance for passengers with more advice on how to stay safe during journeys later this week – though did provide advice on how to make your own face covering if such journeys prove to be essential.
Indeed, public transport itself could be affected after rail and Tube staff are advised by their unions not to work if they believe conditions are unsafe, amid warnings that “confused” government messages could have “lethal consequences”.
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In a circular to members issued after a meeting of the union’s executive (NEC) on Sunday, the Rail and Maritime Transport (RMT) union said there was an existing agreement to discuss changes in working practices that would begin on Monday next week, and there was “total opposition” to imposing them a week earlier.
It said: “Given the confusion and mixed messaging generated by the government in recent days, RMT has no confidence in the ability of the government to manage lockdown or its easing.
“To be clear, no agreement has been made to change any working practices or social distancing arrangements from tomorrow.
“Therefore if two-metre social distancing cannot be maintained we consider it to be unsafe and members have the legal right to use the worksafe process.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Rishi Sunak Extends Coronavirus Furlough Scheme To End Of October

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The coronavirus furlough scheme will be extended to the end of October, the chancellor has announced.
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Rishi Sunak said from the end of July there will be measures to ensure the cost of the job retention scheme is shared more with employers but workers will continue to receive 80% of their current salary, up to £2,500.
From August to October, the scheme will continue for all sectors and UK regions but employers will also be able to bring furloughed employees back part-time while sharing the cost.
In total, 7.5m people have been furloughed under the scheme, at a cost of £10bn to taxpayers, government sources revealed. Nearly a million firms - 935,000 in total- have been involved in making claims so far.
Announcing the move in response to an urgent question from Labour, Sunak told the Commons: “I’m extending the scheme because I won’t give up on the people who rely on it.
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“Our message today is simple: we stood behind Britain’s workers and businesses as we came into this crisis, and we will stand behind them as we come through the other side.”
It comes amid growing concern at the economic cost of the lockdown, with Sunak pointing out last week that the furlough scheme was costing taxpayers nearly as much as the NHS.
Workers have been encouraged to return to their jobs from Wednesday if they cannot work from home as part of Boris Johnson’s slow easing of the lockdown, amid Labour and union concerns about safety.
The government has faced criticism for suggesting workers are “addicted” to furlough and need to be “weaned off” the scheme but Sunak disowned the language used in some briefings.
The chancellor said: “The use of the word addiction is not one that I have ever used, and not one that I agree with.
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“Nobody who is on the furlough scheme wants to be on this scheme.
“People up and down this country believe in the dignity of their work, going to work, providing for their families.
“It is not their fault that their business has been asked to close, it is not their fault that they have been asked to stay at home, and that is why I established this scheme to support these people and their livelihoods at this critical time.”
Shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said many were taken aback by comments attributed to government officials.
She said she had only heard about the chancellor’s changes “in the last few seconds” and will examine them “very, very carefully”.
Dodds said people do not want to be furloughed, adding: “It’s critically important they are not penalised for that choice.
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“We welcome the flexibility mentioned, we’ve asked for this repeatedly.”
Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress, said: the move would be “a massive relief for millions of working families” and that Sunak was right to phase in part-time working – a key union demand.
Pleased the job retention scheme will carry on til Oct - and that it will keep supporting at least 80% of wages. A massive relief for millions of working families. Right to enable short-time working too - key to phase in a safe return to work. Unions have argued this throughout. — Frances O'Grady (@FrancesOGrady) May 12, 2020
Edwin Morgan, director of policy at business group the Institute of Directors called for further clarity on how employers would contribute to the scheme.
“Many firms that would normally be on strong footing are still in dire straits,” he said.
Morgan added that firms which do not benefit from the scheme also need help.
“The extension puts yet more onus on helping those who have been left out in the cold,” he said.
“Countless small company directors have found scant support, and government shouldn’t turn a blind eye to them.”
Mike Cherry, chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses, welcomed the extension of the “hugely beneficial” scheme.
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“Small employers have told us that part-time furloughing will help them recover from this crisis and it is welcome that new flexibility is announced today,” he said.
British Chambers of Commerce director general Adam Marshall said: “The extension of the job retention scheme will come as a huge help and a huge relief for businesses across the UK.
“The chancellor is once again listening to what we’ve been saying, and the changes planned will help businesses bring their people back to work through the introduction of a part-time furlough scheme.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Boris Johnson's Coronavirus Strategy 'Will Lead To Local Epidemics And Further Lockdowns', Independe

Boris Johnson's Coronavirus Strategy 'Will Lead To Local Epidemics And Further Lockdowns', Independent Sage Group Warns

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The government’s strategy of simply “managing” Covid-19 will lead to local epidemics and further lockdowns, the Independent Sage group has warned.
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A panel of 13 scientists – which is led by a former government chief scientific advisor – said in a report published on Tuesday the government must instead “suppress” the coronavirus.
“We detect ambivalence in the government’s strategic response, with some advisers promoting the idea of simply ‘flattening the curve’ or ensuring the NHS is not overwhelmed,” the group said.
“We find this attitude counter-productive and potentially dangerous.
“Without suppression, we shall inevitably see a more rapid return of local epidemics and face the prospect of further partial or national lockdowns.”
The group was created to offer alternative views to the official Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) which advises ministers on the pandemic.
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It is chaired by Sir David King, who served as the government’s chief scientific advisor between 2000 and 2007.
His group urged the government to resume contact tracing, saying it was “critical” to stop further waves of the epidemic.
The UK abandoned community testing and contact tracing on March 12, with deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries suggesting last week the decision was taken because the country did not have capacity.
“Exit from the current lockdown must encompass a strategy of searching for the virus wherever it appears,” the report said.
Independent SAGE also warned the government was “foolish” to bank on a vaccine for Covid-19 being developed any time soon.
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Instead, ministers must take a long-term approach to dealing with the virus and prepare for “recurrent local outbreaks” for at least a year by investing in local healthcare systems and building capacity.
Other recommendations from the group include: Not allowing Covid-19 patients to be discharged into care homes.
Changing the government advice from ‘stay alert’ to a message based on specific action.
Changing advice so that people who show coronavirus symptoms must stay at home for 14 days, rather than seven.
Northern Ireland should harmonise its advice with the Republic of Ireland.
King said: “Since the start of the COVID-19 epidemic, the government has told us they are ‘following the science’, however in the weeks and months that have followed it has become increasingly apparent that this is simply not the case.”
Independent SAGE group was created by King to look at how the UK could work its way out of coronavirus lockdown.
King, who worked under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, created the board to emphasise the “importance of transparency”.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Phillip Schofield Clashes With Matt Hancock On This Morning Over Latest Lockdown Rules

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Phillip Schofield clashed with Matt Hancock over “utterly bonkers” changes to the lockdown rules as the health secretary was interviewed on This Morning.
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The presenter made his frustrations about the government’s latest updates abundantly clear as he and co-host Holly Willoughby spoke to Hancock on Tuesday.
Phillip asked why people are having to choose between their parents when meeting someone from another household in a public space, following confirmation from the government it could only be one other person at a time.
Matt Hancock appeared on Tuesday's This Morning ITV
“One at a time. You can see one, then you can see the other, and that’s fine.” Hancock suggested.
Phillip then asked if theoretically, you could see each parent separately, 10 minutes apart, to which Hancock said this would be permitted under the new rules.
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“Don’t you see that that’s utterly bonkers?” Phillip replied.
“No,” Hancock said. “It is really important that the principle is, we don’t want large groups of people gathering... You have to have a line somewhere.”
'One at a time is fine'
Matt Hancock offers clarity on whether or not you can meet family who live outside of your household.#ThisMorning pic.twitter.com/4gbVM9nTet — This Morning (@thismorning) May 12, 2020
Phillip also tried to get the MP to admit that the initial messaging about changes to the lockdown rules was “confused”, following the prime minister’s TV address on Sunday night.
“Do you agree that yesterday the government confused us?” the presenter asked.
“Well I am here to try to make sure everybody understands as best as possible what we are trying to agree,” Hancock replied.
Repeating his question again, the health secretary then told Phillip: “Well, I think we were quite clear.”
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'Do you agree that yesterday the government confused us?'@Schofe and @hollywills are chatting to Health Secretary Matt Hancock right now, so don't miss it 👉 https://t.co/Q7IV485mUn pic.twitter.com/4xnLtkLBKg — This Morning (@thismorning) May 12, 2020
Phillip then pointed out some of the confusion had come from the fact the prime minister appeared on TV before the 50-page document outlining the changes in full was released a day later.
“Wasn’t it just that it was the wrong way around?” he asked.
“I don’t buy that,” Hancock said. “I have been talking to my constituents over the last couple of days about this, they get it.
“They know what ‘stay alert’ means, we are trying to communicate the substance of the changes and what people need to do as clearly as possible, based on principles that people clearly get. We have to rely, all of us, on each other’s common sense to get us through this.”
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Phillip then criticised foreign secretary Dominic Raab for causing confusing with his appearances on the BBC on Monday, in which the minister wrongly suggested people could meet up outdoors with more than one person at a time.
He said: “We think – hold on a second, they haven’t got their hand on the tiller, they don’t know what they are doing.”
Hancock replied: “Well, why don’t you ask me the questions and we will get through it.”
Elsewhere in the interview, the MP admitted people may not be able to hug any friends or family they don’t live with until a vaccine is found.
Hancock’s appearance on This Morning came after he was criticised by Piers Morgan, presenter of fellow ITV daytime show Good Morning Britain, for refusing to be interviewed.
Piers tweeted: “Very unlike Mr Hancock who normally has the balls to defend his decisions. He’s obviously now lost them.
“Do you think it is right for the Health Secretary to boycott a major UK breakfast TV news show during the biggest health crisis for 100 years?
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“Why are @GMB viewers not worthy of your time & vital information which might save their lives?”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--'Give Parents The Option': Will You Be Fined For Keeping Your Kids Off School?

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Like much of Boris Johnson’s lockdown address on Sunday evening, the news that schools will reopen to certain pupils on June 1 has led to some confusion.
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Primary schools were instructed to welcome back children in nursery, reception, year 1 and year 6, while secondary schools and sixth forms were told to “begin some face to face support” with year 10 and 12 pupils.
Teachers have been told to split their usual class sizes in half, meaning no more than 15 pupils will be in a classroom. But Mary Bousted, co-leader of the biggest teachers’ union, the National Education Union, has criticised the plans.
“This timetable is reckless. This timetable is simply not safe,” she told the BBC.
It’s left a lot of parents wondering, if your child is in one of these groups and can return to school on June 1, does that mean they have to go back?
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Liam Norris via Getty Images
While some parents are keen to see their kids back in the classroom, others have concerns around safety. Many parents will be feeling a mixture of both.
One mum, Lucy Browne from Bishop’s Stortford, Hertfordshire, has launched an online petition urging the government to “give parents the option” of whether or not to send children back to school.
“As a mum I don’t want to face serious repercussions for making a choice I feel affects the safety of my daughter during a global pandemic,” she wrote on the petition.
“Many of us have lost confidence in the Government’s handling of this crisis and feel it is too early to return children to schools. It seems it could pose risks not only to children but also teachers and those they live with - grandparents, parents and those [with] underlying health conditions.”
More than 480,000 parents and guardians have signed the petition in agreement. So, do parents and guardians have any jurisdiction over the matter?
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A statement on the Department For Education’s website confirms that “parents will not be fined for non-attendance at this time”, although attendance is “strongly encouraged”.
“We strongly encourage children and young people in the eligible year groups and priority groups (such as children of critical workers) to attend, as requested by their school or college, unless they are self-isolating or there are other reasons for absence (such as shielding due to health conditions),” it says.
“You should notify your child’s school or college as normal if your child is unable to attend so that staff are aware and can discuss with you.”
Browne’s petition also raises concerns about travelling to and from school, saying: “Even drop-off and collection could increase risk of transmission among parents.”
The current government guidance simply says schools should “consider how children and young people arrive at the education or childcare setting”. There is yet no clear advice on how children who rely on public transport should get to school. The government says extended guidance on safe travel to and from school will be published shortly.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Railway Worker Dies Of Coronavirus After Man Spits At Her

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A railway ticket office worker has died of coronavirus after being spat at while on duty.
Belly Mujinga, 47, was on the concourse of Victoria station in London in March when a member of the public who said he had Covid-19 spat and coughed at her and a colleague.
Within days of the assault, both women fell ill with the virus.
Mujinga, who had underlying respiratory problems, was admitted to Barnet Hospital and put on a ventilator but died on April 5, her trade union, the Transport Salaried Staffs Association (TSSA), said.
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Belly Mujinga died of coronavirus after being spat at while on duty at London Victoria Station PA
Only ten people were able to attend the mother-of-one’s funeral, including her 11-year-old daughter Ingrid and devastated widower Lusamba Gode Katalay.
Katalay told the PA news agency about how the attack unfolded on Mujinga, whom he described as “a good person, a good mother, and a good wife” who cared for everybody.
He said: “The man asked her what she was doing, why she was there, and she said they were working.
“The man said he had the virus and spat on them. They reported it to their supervisor. Belly came home and told me everything.”
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Katalay said his wife had an operation four years ago and had underlying respiratory problems. Within a week of the incident, she began to feel ill and was admitted to hospital on April 2.
“That was the last time I saw her,” he said.
“We just said: ‘Be good,’ and that God is in charge.
“We did a WhatsApp video in hospital, but then I didn’t hear from her again. I thought she might be asleep, but the doctor phoned me to tell me she had died.”
Mujinga died on April 5 PA
Mujinga was originally from the Democratic Republic of Congo and moved to the UK in 2000.
The TSSA has reported the incident to the Railways Inspectorate, the safety arm of the Office for Road and Rail (ORR), for investigation and is taking legal advice on the situation.
British Transport Police (BTP) are now investigating, although it is believed a complaint was not registered with them at the time, despite Mujinga and her colleague asking staff at employers Govia Thameslink Railway to contact police, the union said.
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It claims Mujinga had pleaded with her employers not to be sent back outside after the assault and asked instead to work from inside the ticket office so there would be a protective barrier between her and the public for the rest of that day. The request was refused and both women were sent back out onto the concourse for the rest of their shift. The TSSA claims neither had been provided with PPE.
TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes said: “We are shocked and devastated at Belly’s death. She is one of far too many frontline workers who have lost their lives to coronavirus.
“Sadly, Belly’s is just one of many family tragedies where children have had their parents taken away from them.
The attack happened on the concourse of Victoria station PA
“However, there are serious questions about her death; it wasn’t inevitable.
“As a vulnerable person in the ‘at risk’ category, and her condition known to her employer, there are questions about why she wasn’t stood down from frontline duties early on in this pandemic.
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“Rather than talking about the easing the lockdown, the government must first ensure that the right precautions and protections have been taken so that more lives are not lost.
“Our rail industry needs to have a very serious look at what tasks are deemed ‘essential’ and must put protections in place for all our members and our passengers.”
Angie Doll, managing director for Southern Railway and Gatwick Express, said: “We are devastated that our dedicated colleague Belly has passed away and our deepest sympathies are with her family with whom we have been in touch through this very difficult time.
“We take any allegations extremely seriously, and we are investigating these claims. The safety of our customers and staff, who are key workers themselves, continues to be front of mind at all times and we follow the latest government advice. We urge people only to travel if it is absolutely essential.”
A spokesperson for prime minister Boris Johnson described the case as “tragic” and “appalling”. They added: “We specifically strengthened the rules and the CPS published their own guidance to ensure people are protected from this sort of behaviour. It’s a really shocking incident and our thoughts are with the victim and their family.”
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Anyone found to be using the threat of coronavirus as a weapon faces criminal charges including prosecution for assault and prison.
A BTP spokesperson said: “British Transport Police have now launched an investigation into a report of two members of rail staff being spat at while working at London Victoria station on March 22.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--No Hugging Until Coronavirus Vaccine Or Treatment Found, Suggests Matt Hancock

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Matt Hancock has suggested people will not be able to hug any friends or family they don’t live with until a coronavirus vaccine is developed.
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The health secretary said he hoped a vaccine would be available by the autumn.
But Boris Johnson warned yesterday one might never be found.
In an interview on ITV’s This Morning on Tuesday, Hancock was asked: “What’s your estimate for us being able to give someone we just met a hug?
The health secretary said: “Well, I wouldn’t recommend it.
“Well, really, to get the point this is totally sorted is when we have a treatment or a vaccine.”
Hancock said a vaccine could be “on stream for this autumn” but warned he was “cautious” about promising it would be that soon.
“The science of vaccines is very complicated,” he said. “There’s a lot of science to do between now and then.”
It comes after the government announced a slight relaxation of the lockdown rules in England.
From Wednesday, while people will now be allowed to meet one other person in a public place, they must remain two metres apart, meaning hugging remains against the rules.
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Teams at Oxford University and Imperial College London are both working to develop a vaccine and human trials are underway.
Getty
But Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser, has said there is no guarantee.
“It’s a tough thing to do,” he told Monday’s daily Downing Street coronavirus press briefing.
“So far, so good. So I think the chances are a bit higher than they were that you get a vaccine, but you never know until you’ve got one.”
But he said he added be “surprised” if neither an effective treatment nor vaccine were produced.
Speaking alongside Vallance, the prime minister said there was “encouraging” news from the team at Oxford.
But he added: “This is by no means guaranteed. I believe I’m right in saying that even after 18 years we still don’t have a vaccine for Sars.
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“What I can tell you is that the UK is at the forefront of concerting international activity to try to deliver a vaccine.”
He said the government was putting “huge sums” into finding a vaccine, but added: “If you ask me am I absolutely certain that we won’t be living with this for a long time to come, I can’t say that.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Piers Morgan Brands Dan Walker 'Embarrassing' As BBC Rival Backtracks Over Shady Tweet

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Piers Morgan was left unimpressed when daytime rival Dan Walker attempted to backtrack following a shady tweet about the Good Morning Britain host’s interviewing style.
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The two presenters have had a long-standing – but mostly amicable – feud in the media for the last few years, which has mostly revolved around the ratings of GMB and BBC Breakfast.
However, things kicked up a notch on Monday morning, when Dan appeared to take a shot at Piers’ approach to interviewing government ministers about the coronavirus crisis.
“Thanks for all your kind comments about our #BBCBreakfast interviews this morning,” he wrote, adding: “It is possible to challenge politicians & and ask difficult questions without shouting, interrupting [and] telling everyone you’re brilliant at holding them to account.”
Piers Morgan and Dan Walker Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock/BBC
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Picking up on the shade, it didn’t take long for Piers to respond, insisting: “The reason they all go on your show Dan is because you’re known as the softest touch in world [of] political interviewing.
“Or as the Guardian called you recently ‘LaLa from the Teletubbies... most at home asking unthreatening lifestyle questions’.”
The following morning, though, it seemed the BBC Breakfast host had undergone something of a change of heart.
Quote-tweeting his initial post, he wrote: “Just reading this back and I think it sounds a bit self-congratulatory... which was never my intention.
“We are all trying to do a good job. Have a good one.”
Just reading this back and I think it sounds a bit self-congratulatory... which was never my intention.
We are all trying to do a good job.
Have a good one. https://t.co/gALahnI2JD — Dan Walker (@mrdanwalker) May 12, 2020
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Piers wasn’t having it, though, quickly responding: “Oh please, that was exactly your intention. Own your ludicrousness Mr Walker, this is embarrassing.”
Oh please, that was exactly your intention. Own your ludicrousness Mr Walker, this is embarrassing. 👇 https://t.co/yLO7DTLyu2 — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 12, 2020
That same morning, Piers had been irked by the news that health secretary Matt Hancock had declined to be interviewed on GMB, but appeared on rival shows BBC Breakfast and This Morning.
“He’s chosen an easy ride over tough questioning,” Piers fumed on Twitter. “Very unlike Mr Hancock who normally has the balls to defend his decisions. He’s obviously now lost them.”
Last week, Piers hit out at Boris Johnson over an apparent ban on government ministers being interviewed on Good Morning Britain.
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This came after both he and Susanna Reid have received a wave of praise for their interviews with ministers about coronavirus and the UK lockdown.
Addressing the official Twitter accounts for Boris Johnson and 10 Downing Street, he continued: “This is a pathetic & cowardly response to THEIR shameful incompetence.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Out Of Touch? Will Anyone Care About Celebrities In A Post-Coronavirus World?

When Gal Gadot gathered her cohort of famous-friends-with-too-much-time-on-their-hands to sing along to Imagine at the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, her intentions were, no doubt, well placed. But the instant backlash the Wonder Woman star received over the viral video showed just how much our relationship with celebrity culture had already shifted in a world with lots on its mind.
The far-from-inspiring clip highlighted just how out of touch a privileged few were in the middle of a pandemic, with many criticising their insensitivity to the perils of the virus on those hit hardest.
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Other tone deaf moves from some of the biggest names in showbiz followed.
Like Victoria Beckham, worth an estimated £360 million, reportedly attempting to furlough her own staff before reversing the decision amid heavy criticism.
And the preachy video Madonna posted from her rose petal-filled bathtub telling us how much of a “great equaliser” the virus is was another classic misfire.
Our patience is running thin it seems, and with the pressures of Covid-19 a constant strain on our lives, could celebrity culture, as we know it, finally be redundant?
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For every self-righteous offer of support, there’s been a thousand angry responses on social media.
“Can’t they feel the winds of change a-blowin’?” asked one Twitter user. “Nobody cares about pampered celebrities anymore.”
They’re not alone.
Madonna was criticised by fans for sharing a message about the perils of Covid-19 from a rose petal bath. Evan Agostini/Invision/AP
“Furlough should be only used if a business is unlikely to survive lockdown in my eyes, and too many celebs are taking the piss,” says Susannah, 30, a fundraising professional from Wales.
Susannah typically relies on celebrity endorsements to guide her online purchases, but thinks their messages largely feel out of touch in the current circumstances.
“The public want to see celebs putting their hands in their pockets and supporting charities and small businesses, not taking advantage,” she reasons. “It’s been interesting seeing another side of some celebs and influencers, and the virus has exposed those who are pretty dull.”
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Misjudged posts may feel irritating, but at least in financial terms, there’s good reason for their continued existence.
“The public want to see celebs putting their hands in their pockets and supporting charities and small businesses, not taking advantage,””
Consumers are now over 30% more likely to make purchases online than they were in 2019, according to a survey by PYMNTS, meaning the digital world has never been more lucrative for celebrities who have something to sell.
And now that we’re all at home with more time on our hands, it makes sense for celebrities to be promoting themselves on social media regardless of financial gain.
“At this current time, the two most important personality traits are compassion and understanding."”
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But relevance is more key now than ever. Put simply, in a Covid-19 world, the rules have changed - and it could be a different kind of celebrity that we see emerging.
“At this current time, the two most important personality traits that influencers must have is compassion and understanding,” says Mary-Keane Dawson, CEO of the Takumi influencer network.
“We are in scary, unprecedented times and any content that is deemed overly promotional won’t succeed and could end up damaging the creator’s relationship with their followers.”
Celebs take note.
Assuming the correct empathic tone is struck, influencers in particular are arguably more essential now than ever.
A recent whitepaper by TAKUMI found that over a quarter of consumers in the UK and US trust social media influencers more than high profile public figures, and that includes celebrities.
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“Influencer content can serve a much nobler purpose during this difficult period. Consumers find creators to be incredibly persuasive and trustworthy,””
It’s this insight which saw the brand launch a pro-bono campaign driving awareness of the World Health Organisation’s protection measures against Covid-19, alongside a campaign to promote positive mental health.
“Influencer content can serve a much nobler purpose during this difficult period. Consumers find creators to be incredibly persuasive and trustworthy,” says Mary-Keane.
So if the population is entrusting influencers with the delivery of WHO updates, what about the role of more traditional celebrities?
“Often we are the first port of call for our listeners to check in to express their emotions and tell their stories,” says Daisy Maskell, KISS Breakfast Show host.
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She has seen an influx of call-ins to her show now people are no longer on their morning commutes.
“We laughed together, cried together, wallowed and motivated each other,” she says. ”I’ve loved bearing witness to the open and honest conversations that those in the public eye are willing to have and this relatability has shown that we all really just want the same out of life.”
PR expert Andrea Sexton believes it is “human nature for people to always be interested in the lives of celebrities”.
“I think there will definitely be a growth of interest to celebrities with strong family ties and also to those who do selfless work in the community,” she says. “Those who genuinely support causes with passion. As I always say, everything you say and do is PR.”
“The celebrities that will fare best out of this are the ones with heart and soul."”
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“What is hugely important right now – for me as a parent especially – is that the perceptions of heroes are changing and children are seeing the value of a career as a carer, rather than idolising someone from Love Island,” adds Firgas Esack, a freelance publicist.
“The celebs that will fare best out of this are celebrities with heart and soul, those whom possibly Covid-19 has exposed a level of kindness and compassion.”
But what about good old fashioned fun? After all, the primary purpose of celebrities is, of course, to entertain.
The stars who have embraced digital methods of communication to keep serving their fans enjoyable – and supportive content – will fare particularly well, and there has been an explosion of creative output from celebrities under lockdown.
Firgas has been enjoying Andi and Miquita Oliver’s new series What’s For Dinner Mummy on Instagram TV, as well as Sophie Ellis Bextor’s Kitchen Discos every Friday night.
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They are two of the more high-tech examples of celebrity output that ranges from Amanda Holden dressed up to the nines to take the bins out to Louis Theroux live tweeting along to his documentary America’s Most Dangerous Pets, which featured Tiger King’s Joe Exotic years before Netflix found him.
“I guess this is celebs producing and airing their own versions of reality TV – which raises the game a bit, doesn’t it?” suggests Firgas.
“If I had to make a sweeping statement I would say celebs will become more tech-savvy, technology will improve exponentially and in the short term, we will feel more connected, because the level of honesty makes this ‘home-made’ viewing seem to be a more valuable engagement with a celebrity.
“Sustaining it will be more of a challenge, but new formats will evolve.”
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Mary-Keane Dawson agrees there’s a broader sense of embracing tech, and reckons that means we’ll see more celebs and influencers on adverts after lockdown as businesses explore cheaper ways of producing TV.
“With expensive, high-end campaigns impossible to shoot and budgets running low, brands that wish to produce TV ads during the coronavirus crisis could turn to influencers for content,” she says.
Lockdown has been a tumultuous period for celebrity culture, and while some celebs have tested the general public’s last nerve with ill-conceived messages of goodwill, others have formed closer bonds with their fans than ever before.
And those are the ones that will endure beyond lockdown, which has thrown into question the validity of those Instagram influencers who will promote anything for cash.
“Reality stars who haven’t got a USP or anything to offer other than protein powder and teeth whitener are going to have their 15 minutes of fame down to 0,” Susannah concludes.
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Whether through kindness or humour, the celebrities that will come through lockdown in the best shape are those that have been perceived to be authentic.
“One of the first celeb gestures that made me go ‘wow’ was James McEvoy donating £267,000 to the NHS crowdfunding campaign,” says Firgas. “Mainly because he clearly didn’t think twice about it.”
A word of advice: if you’re a celeb or influencer flogging an unnecessary product, or just posting selfies right now like nothing’s changed, it might be the right time to have a little rethink.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Piers Morgan Tears Into 'Shameful' Matt Hancock As He Refuses To Be Interviewed On Good Morning Brit

Piers Morgan Tears Into 'Shameful' Matt Hancock As He Refuses To Be Interviewed On Good Morning Britain

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Piers Morgan has torn into health secretary Matt Hancock, for refusing to be interviewed by him on Good Morning Britain.
On Tuesday morning, Piers revealed that Hancock had declined an invitation to appear on GMB, but would still be interviewed on BBC Breakfast and This Morning.
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“He’s chosen an easy ride over tough questioning,” Piers fumed on Twitter. “Very unlike Mr Hancock who normally has the balls to defend his decisions. He’s obviously now lost them.”
Addressing Hancock directly, Piers added: “Do you think it is right for the Health Secretary to boycott a major UK breakfast TV news show during the biggest health crisis for 100 years?
“Why are @GMB viewers not worthy of your time & vital information which might save their lives?”
No, he’s chosen an easy ride over tough questioning.
Very unlike Mr Hancock who normally has the balls to defend his decisions. He’s obviously now lost them. https://t.co/95vqs6llWY — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 11, 2020
Serious question @MattHancock - do you think it is right for the Health Secretary to boycott a major UK breakfast TV news show during the biggest health crisis for 100 years?
Why are @GMB viewers not worthy of your time & vital information which might save their lives? pic.twitter.com/euD9vKstik — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 11, 2020
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Piers continued his tirade against Hancock on the air, noting: “Matt Hancock feels that Good Morning Britain viewers, millions of you, you are not worthy of the health secretary’s potentially live-saving information, guidance, clarifications this morning.
“He’s going to go on every other show, so their listeners and viewers will have that information during the biggest health emergency this country has faced in my lifetime – for 100 years, actually. And I think it’s shameful. I think it’s completely wrong.”
During lockdown, Piers and co-host Susanna Reid have won praise for their interviews with government officials about the coronavirus crisis, with many singling out the way they have held powerful people to account during the pandemic.
However, last week Piers was left seething over an apparent ban on ministers appearing on future episodes of GMB.
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“The UK Govt has banned any ministers from appearing on [Good Morning Britain] after a series of them made complete fools of themselves in the face of basic & important questions,” he claimed on Twitter. “This is a pathetic & cowardly response to THEIR shameful incompetence.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Am I Making You Uncomfortable? – Introducing Our New Weekly Podcast

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“If you didn’t have discharge, you’d have a dusty vagina.”
When it comes to women’s health and bodies, there’s a lot that makes people uncomfortable. Vaginal discharge, for example, is something most of us experience – a perfectly natural bodily function, in fact – but something we rarely talk about. Do you remember the last time you spoke to someone about the sticky stuff in your knickers? Exactly.
This makes it a perfect topic for our new HuffPost UK Life podcast, Am I Making You Uncomfortable? – a frank and honest weekly conversation about women’s health, bodies and private lives. Think of #AIMYU (yes, there’s a hashtag) as an antidote to the airbrushed beings we’re all supposed to be because, yawn.
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HuffPost UK
Alongside my co-host Rachel Moss and some expert guests, we’re covering under-reported topics and busting taboos – discussing all the things we’re too embarrassed to talk to our mates about, from body image to masturbation and even nipples – so we thought, why not broadcast it for everyone to hear?
We’ve long been proud of our unflinching approach to such topics on HuffPost Life – and we’re excited to bring our newsroom conversations to your ears.
Our very first episode launches on Tuesday May 12, focusing on body image concerns during lockdown. We spoke to mental health campaigner Natasha Devon about the renewed focus on fitness and food in recent months and if we’re at risk of regressing to the dark days before the body positivity revolution.
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We’re also making two further episodes immediately available: one concerns discharge and those aforementioned ‘dusty vaginas’; in the other, we’ll be talking about female pleasure and why masturbation is so good for you.
There’ll be a new episode to download every Tuesday. Listen by searching for Am I Making You Uncomfortable? on any good podcast platform and get involved in the conversation on social media by using our hashtag #AIMYU.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Anthony Hopkins Dancing To Drake's Tootsie Slide Is The Only Video You Need To See Today

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Almost three decades ago Anthony Hopkins won an Oscar for playing murderous Hannibal Lecter.
Now, at the age of 82, he’s showing off some killer dance moves.
The actor joined TikTok on Friday and immediately made an impression by shaking his tailfeather to Drake’s Toosie Slide.
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Yes, it really did happen...
But Anthony wasn’t just dancing for exercise. He had a bigger mission in mind ― calling out fellow acting icons Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Schwarzenegger to show off their own moves.
In an impressive feat, he managed impersonations of both actors while shuffling along on his hardwood floor.
“Hey, Mr Stallone, keep writing! Good part for me in it? Gimme a part, major – huh?” he said. Then he quoted Arnie’s Terminator catchphrase: “I’ll be back.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Piers Morgan Blasts Last Leg Comics Over Miriam Margolyes' 'Shameful' Boris Johnson Comments

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Piers Morgan has blasted the hosts of Channel 4′s The Last Leg for not shutting down “shameful” comments Miriam Margolyes made about the prime minister.
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On last Friday’s show, Miriam sparked controversy when she admitted she’d initially wanted Boris Johnson to die when he was hospitalised with coronavirus last month.
She told hosts Adam Hills, Josh Widdicombe and Alex Brooker via video link: “I had difficulty not wanting Boris Johnson to die. I wanted him to die. Then I thought that will reflect badly on me and I don’t want to be the sort of person that wants people to die.
“So then I wanted him to get better, which he did do, he did get better. But he didn’t get better as a human being. And I really would prefer that.”
Piers Morgan and the hosts of The Last Leg Josh Widdicombe, Adam Hills and Alex Brooker ITV/Channel 4
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After it was revealed 241 people have complained to TV watchdog Ofcom over Miriam’s comments, Piers addressed the matter on Tuesday’s Good Morning Britain.
As he called out Miriam, the presenter was also angered about how the hosts had dealt with the moment on air.
He said: “What has happened to society where we can’t have a debate about stuff? I recently watched Darkest Hour and Churchill in the House of Commons had very animated heated debates about stuff but no one wanted people to die.
“Shame on you Miriam Margolyes, absolute shame on you.”
He continued: “I’ve got to say, I like some of them, not all of them on The Last Leg, but their reaction as well, one of you should have jumped in, there’s comedy, and there’s comedy – that’s not comedy.
Miriam Margoyles Fairfax Media via Getty Images
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“If someone said on this show, ‘I wanted Boris Johnson to die’ I would have ripped them, and yet no one said anything, she was allowed to have her moment and people were encouraged by their silence to laugh.
“It’s not funny what Boris Johnson went through personally on that ICU unit – he nearly died. And I think it’s really shameful of Miriam Margolyes.”
Miriam Margolyes has no filter - that's why her v.blunt feelings about Boris Johnson and #Covid19 are no surprise. pic.twitter.com/aE8vv0y0H4 — Lorna Cooper🏴🇯🇲🇬🇾 (@Coops_tv) May 9, 2020
A spokesperson for The Last Leg previously told HuffPost UK: “The programme is live and unexpected comments can happen. In this instance Miriam went on to say that she wanted him to get better.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-12--Matt Hancock Won't Say If People Have Legal Right To Refuse To Work

Health secretary Matt Hancock Stefan Rousseau - PA Images via Getty Images
Matt Hancock refused to directly answer whether people have a legal right not to go to work if they do not feel safe due to coronavirus.
The health secretary was asked the question twice on BBC Breakfast on Tuesday morning.
In response, he said: “Well this needs to be a collaborative effort. Absolutely workplaces need to follow the guidelines on making a workplace safe for Covid, so that is very important.
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“Critically, everybody who can work from home should continue to work from home.”
Asked for a second time whether people are protected by law if they felt unsafe in the workplace, Hancock said: “Well, employment law has not changed, but that isn’t the point.
“The point is that businesses and employees should be working together to make the best of a very difficult situation.”
In his address to the nation on Sunday, prime minister Boris Johnson said those not able to do their jobs from home, such as construction and manufacturing employees, should be encouraged to go to work.
Working parents can send their children to a childminder, the government said, but cannot rely on family members who do not live in the same house as them.
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Boris Johnson set out the new guidelines in the House of Commons on Monday. House of Commons - PA Images via Getty Images
Hancock said there was a “common sense” principle as to why children cannot be looked after by relatives from outside their household.
“For some people’s livelihoods they need a childminder in order to earn an income and so that is important we allow that to happen,” he added.
“But at the same time we don’t want to encourage the large scale, we don’t want to encourage people, especially when grandparents are older, and we know this virus kills more older people than younger people, so we don’t want to encourage kids to stay with their grandparents, but we do want to allow people, where possible to get back to work.
“So again, there is a common sense principle as to why we’ve come up with that proposal.
“I know it can be frustrating for people.”
The government’s new “stay alert, control the virus, save lives” guidance is due to come into effect on Wednesday.