thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--Boris Johnson Refuses To Publish Dominic Cummings' Evidence On Lockdown Breach

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Boris Johnson has refused to publish the evidence Dominic Cummings gave him to save his job after he apparently breached coronavirus lockdown rules.
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Under pressure from Labour’s Meg Hillier, the prime minister claimed he had seen evidence that showed some of the allegations about his senior aide were false.
In an extraordinary Monday press conference, Cummings admitted the central claims – that he drove 260 miles to Durham during lockdown and took a trip to Barnard Castle.
Johnson said he had seen evidence that other claims made were false.
But he refused to publish or hand it to cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill, the head of the civil service, to probe the adviser’s actions.
The PM told the Commons liaison committee: “It would not be doing my job if I were now to shuffle this problem into the hands of officials who believe me, as I think the public would want, are working flat out to deal with coronavirus.
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"You said a number of allegations made about Dominic Cummings were false... did you see the evidence to prove that?" asks Labour's Meg Hillier
"Yes, I did," says the PM, who adds that he doesn't think it should be published
Updates: https://t.co/0ISQ0lNgMn pic.twitter.com/7T6A2phRUP — BBC Politics (@BBCPolitics) May 27, 2020
Johnson also denied that the public are now less likely to abide by restrictions because of Cummings’ actions despite polls suggesting they are more likely to flout the rules.
Conservative MP Simon Hoare told the PM the nation will be “far less energetic” about obeying future restrictions as “a direct result of the activities of your senior adviser”.
Hoare asked what MPs should tell constituents who ask: “If other people don’t abide by it, why on earth should we?” He added: “We know what your views are. Frankly, prime minister, I don’t think anybody understands why you hold those views.”
Johnson replied: “I don’t think that’s true about how the British people will respond to the next phases, to how to work the test and trace system – I don’t think that’s how they responded at all throughout the crisis.
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“If, just suppose for a second that you were right, which I don’t accept, all the more reason now for us to be consistent and clear in our message driving those key messages.”
Labour’s Yvette Cooper meanwhile asked Johnson to clarify the instructions to parents with coronavirus symptoms who have no local childcare, after Cummings claimed he had to travel to Durham in case someone needed to look after his child.
The PM denied there was a conflict between how Cummings interpreted the rules compared to parents who stayed at home during the lockdown despite having the virus or its symptoms.
Asked by Cooper whether parents with coronavirus who could not access childcare locally should travel across the country like Cummings or stay at home, Johnson said: “I think we’d have to look at each individual case and the particular circumstances that my adviser explained.”
Johnson also refused to apologise for the affair, which has hit Tory poll ratings and triggered a revolt of dozens of the party’s MPs.
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He instead apologised for the wider “hurt and pain” the Covid-19 crisis has caused.
“I, of course, am deeply sorry for all the hurt and pain and anxiety that people have been going through throughout this period – this country has been going through a frankly most difficult time,” Johnson said.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--Boris Johnson 'Hopes' To Reduce Two-Metre Social Distancing Rule

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Cleaner James York from First Bus cleans a bus at the firm's Larbert depot ahead of the bus returning to service. Due to social distancing measures only a certain number of people will be able to travel on a particular bus after the introduction of measures to bring the country out of lockdown. PA
Coronavirus has changed everything. Make sense of it all with the Waugh Zone, our evening politics briefing. Sign up now.
Boris Johnson has said he hopes to reduce the two-metre social distancing rule designed to prevent the spread of coronavirus.
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The prime minister revealed on Wednesday he had instructed the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) to review the current guidelines.
“My own hope is that as we make progress in getting the virus down, in reducing the incidence, that we will be able to reduce that distance,” he told senior MPs.
Speaking to the Commons liaison committee, Johnson said cutting the distance people were advised to stay apart from each other would help revive the hospitality sector.
Many small restaurants, cafes, pubs and shops would struggle to operate with the current rules in place.
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Johnson said the government was “trying to go as fast as we can” to reopen the hospitality industry.
He told MPs: “It is very difficult to bring forward hospitality measures in a way that involves social distancing but I’m much more optimistic about that than I was.
“We may be able to do things faster than I had previously thought.”
Under the current lockdown guidelines, people are also allowed to meet one person from outside their household as long as they are outdoors and remain two metres apart.
Countries including France, China and Hong Kong have imposed a one-metre rule instead.
But Johnson added the scientists on Sage had so far maintained there was “a very considerable reduction in risk at two metres”.
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Sir Patrick Vallance told MPs earlier this month a minute at two metres’ distance carries around the same risk as six seconds at one metre as he underlined the importance of current distancing rules.
Public Health England’s medical director, professor Yvonne Doyle, told the Commons science committee on Friday the current rule would be subject to “continued investigation” to see if it was “actually necessary”.
Johnson also used his appearance in front of MPs today to announce the NHS’s long-awaited test and trace system for Covid-19 will go live from Thursday as England takes its first big step towards ending the national lockdown.
The prime minister was also repeatedly questioned about the actions of Dominic Cummings, his senior adviser, whose decision to apparently flout the lockdown rules is has plunged the government into crisis.
The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus now stands at 37,460.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--Watch Live: Matt Hancock Gives Latest Coronavirus Update

Watch Live: Matt Hancock Gives Latest Coronavirus Update
Health secretary Matt Hancock leads the daily press briefing following the announcement that NHS ‘test and trace’ system for Covid-19 will go live from Thursday. He is expected to be joined by chair of UK's ‘test and trace’ programme Baroness Dido Harding.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--Alison Hammond's Story Of Crashing A Party And Mingling With The Kardashians Is Peak Alison Hammond

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With her incredible celebrity interviews and hilarious reality TV appearances, you probably thought Alison Hammond had already hit peak Alison Hammond.
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Not so.
The This Morning presenter has shared a story so ridiculous that it has made us love her even more.
It involves her and TV’s Richard Arnold managing to blag their way into an exclusive party in Cannes, before then sidling up to the Kardashians.
Alison Hammond PA
Alison regaled the nation with the tale as she did a DJ set on Scott Mills’ Radio 1 show on Wednesday.
We’ll let her take it from here...
“We were outside a party, we couldn’t get in, cause obviously we weren’t on the list, so I just went up to the security with my bossy self and said, Listen I’m not being funny, I’m a bit of a big thing back in the UK’,” she recalled.
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“Richard is literally squirming like, ‘Oh my God this is some embarrassing’ and then for some reason about three women from England was going ‘Alison! Alison!’. He then saw these women shouting at me and was like, ‘Alright then, go in’.”
She continued: “Me and Richard got into this party, we were living it up – there was drinks, and then over on the right hand side were the Kardashians. I was like, ‘oh my gosh!’
Alison with pal, TV's Richard Arnold LucasMepham via Getty Images
“They were in like a little pen so you couldn’t even get to them, but I was like I’m Alison Hammond, I’ve got to be able to get to the Kardashians.
“So I literally went up to the pen and there were all these security guys and I went, ‘Guys, guys you really need to let me in.’ I just pulled out the big guns I said, ‘Listen, me and Kris are really good friends’ – I’ve never met her in my life – so then I waved at Kris and she waved back as if she knew me! So he let me into the pen!
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Alison was hanging out with Kris Jenner and her daughters Kevin Winter via Getty Images
“Richard came into the pen, we took pictures, we were laughing, joking and I was one of the Kardashians!”
Alison added: “That was one of my favourite parties because it was such a blag.”
Please Alison, never change.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--NHS ‘Test And Trace’ System To Go Live From Thursday, Boris Johnson Announces

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Boris Johnson has warned that the some of public may have to endure the “captivity” of a 14-day self-isolation under a new test-and-trace system for Covid-19.
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The prime minister revealed to MPs that NHS England’s long-awaited new programme will go live from Thursday at 9am, declaring that it would be an essential condition ending the national lockdown.
Johnson also signalled what appeared to be the main defence he will use in any public inquiry into UK coronavirus deaths, effectively blaming previous Labour and Tory governments for not getting a proper test-and-trace capacity in place for a pandemic.
How does it work?
Under the new NHS Test and Trace system, individuals will be one phone call away from being told to self-isolate for up to a fortnight if a new army of 25,000 tracers identify them as having had “close contact” with others who have tested positive for the virus.
“Close contact” is defined as being within two metres of someone for more than 15 minutes without any protection such as a plastic screen or protective equipment.
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NHS contact tracers or local public health teams will ask anyone who tests postiive for Covid-19 to share details of the people they have been in close contact with and places they have visited.
The “detective” team then emails or texts those close contacts, telling them they must stay home for 14 days even if they have no symptoms, to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus.
From Thursday, those who believe they have symptoms can book a test at nhs.uk/coronavirus or by calling a new national helpline number, 119.
The scheme will be voluntary at first, but health secretary Matt Hancock is holding in reserve powers to force the public to comply if there is a danger of fresh outbreaks of the pandemic.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Hancock confirmed for the first time that the new system would allow England to “move away from a national lockdown” within “coming weeks” and instead have a network of local lockdowns instead.
He even raised the prospect of it paving the way for people to do things “like seeing friends and family, booking a holiday or getting a haircut”.
“In the coming weeks, we will gradually and very carefully move away from a lockdown that is national in scope, blanket in application, and we will start moving towards a system that is much more targeted in scope and focuses local action on tackling local flare-ups.”
‘It is a huge imposition’
Appearing before the Commons liaison committee, where he again defended his chief aide Dominic Cummings for breaching self-isolation rules, Johnson admitted the extra restriction would be difficult for some people.
“People will say this is a grave imposition. It is a huge imposition but it will be on a very small minority of the population,” he said.
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“But I would just say to people it is worth it because that is the tool other countries have used to unlock the prison to make sure we can go forward.
“That captivity for a tiny minority for only a short time will allow us gradually to release 66m people from the current situation.”
Johnson added that if people are asymptomatic they will have to stay at home for 14 days. Those with symptoms will be allowed a test to see if they actually have the virus and then face a shorter period of self-quarantine of just seven days.
“This is a pretty big change. People will say: ‘Hang on a mo, you are telling me if someone from NHS Test and Trace contacts me and says I’m a contact of somebody who has coronavirus, I’ve got to self-isolate for 14 days?’ I’m afraid the answer to that is yes.
“If you are contacted by an NHS tracer and you’ve been told you have been for more than 15 minutes less than two metres away from someone who has tested positive for coronavirus, then you should self-isolate.
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“If people don’t, we will consider bringing in financial sanctions, fines.”
Dominic Cummings ASSOCIATED PRESS
He added that the government would be “relying on people’s public spiritedness”. “We are relying very much on the common sense of the public to recognise the extreme seriousness of this. This is our way out,” he said.
What about Cummings?
Labour’s Meg Hillier asked Johnson why his “Stay At Home” messaging was “so unclear” that only his chief aide did the right thing while the public did not understand the restrictions.
The PM replied: “No, Meg, I think the message during lockdown was very clear and people who had the virus, including my adviser, isolated for 14 days, people stayed at home.”
Former TalkTalk phone company boss Baroness Harding, who is leading the NHS Test and Trace scheme, refused to be drawn on the issue of Cummings’ conduct.
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“I’m not going to get drawn into any individual. This is about how 60m of us behave, not about one person. I have great faith in the overall good nature of the great British public.”
Why are we only launching this now?
Pressed by former health secretary Jeremy Hunt on why the UK was only now getting a proper test-and-trace system in place, Johnson appeared to follow Donald Trump’s tactic of blaming his predecessor for record number of deaths.
“To be absolutely blunt, we didn’t have the enzymes, we didn’t have the test kits, we just didn’t have the volume, nor did we have enough experienced trackers ready to mount the kind of operation they did in some other East Asian countries, for instance.
“And I think the brutal reality is this country didn’t learn the lessons of Sars [Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome] or Mers [Middle Eastern Respiratory Syndrome] and we didn’t have a test operation ready to go on the scale that we needed.”
The Sars outbreak occured in 2002 to 2004 while Tony Blair was PM, while Mers took off in 2013 to 2014, when David Cameron was in No.10.
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NHS Test and Trace is seen by Downing Street as a key prerequisite for ending the nationwide lockdown that has existed since March 23. It will allow instead a series of local lockdowns in areas where outbreaks flare up.
Countries like South Korea managed to keep their coronavirus deaths to very low numbers by implementing a successful mass programme of testing and then tracing and isolating everyone in contact with those who contract the virus.
Johnson will formally review the lockdown on Thursday and assess whether scientific evidence supports his plan to ease restrictions from June 1, including the first reopening of primary schools.
No.10 said it remains confident of hitting the PM’s 200,000 “ambition” for testing capacity by Monday. Capacity saw a big jump to 154,120 in the 24 hours up to 9am on Tuesday.
Will it work?
The test-and-trace system will aim to get its test results within 24 hours for every case, allowing for speedy contact to then be made with those who have been in close contact.
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The separate NHSX app, which is meant to supplement the system by allowing the public to use their smartphones to identify people near them with the virus, will not be ready in time for the launch on Thursday.
But local councils have complained in recent weeks about being not fully included in the plans, particularly given their environmental health officers’ experience in tracking and tracing in the past.
Local Public Health England officials are expected to decide how far to impose quarantines if there are outbreak in individual schools or workplaces.
NHS Providers chief Chris Hopson said he feared that the local infrastructure needed for the national scheme was “simply not going to be in place”.
“In our view, it is really not helpful to argue that there will be world-class test and trace facilities on June 1 when local authorities only got to start working on the plans five days ago,” Hopson said.
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Government officials counter that £300m extra funding has been made available to town halls to help staff the programme.
Hopson told BBC Radio 4’s World at One programme that NHS chief executives “are really nervous” about the way the PM’s aide Dominic Cummings had affected public support for the social distancing.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--Coronavirus Has Renewed Our Addiction To Plastic

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As the global death toll from the coronavirus pandemic has risen above 350,000, it has been tempting to look for a silver lining in the environmental changes that the crisis has caused.
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Global carbon emissions have plummeted to record lows as a result of strict lockdown measures imposed around the world, with industries halted and cars and planes brought to a near-standstill.
Major cities are reimagining their transportation networks and exploring ways to limit car use while encouraging alternate forms of transportation, like walking and cycling.
And with humans largely out of the way, wildlife is thriving in some areas. Wild goats roamed free in a Welsh town, while packs of boar have been spotted in Barcelona.
In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention warned this month of “aggressive” rats on the loose in some communities, searching for new sources of food because restaurants have largely shut down.
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Even as the pandemic sparks hope of a green revolution, however, there are signs that the crisis could cause lasting harm to the environment.
Plastic is making a major comeback, thanks to increased demand for packaged food and disposable shopping bags, the installation of plexiglass dividers in shops and offices, and the widespread use of gloves and protective masks.
Noam Galai via Getty Images A person wears a protective face mask in New York during the coronavirus pandemic on May 21. The pandemic has allowed plastic bags and other items to make a comeback around the world.
In France, 40% of the use of plastic is devoted to packaging, HuffPost France reports. At the end of March, as the coronavirus crisis ramped up, Elipso, the professional federation of the plastic packaging sector, recorded a 30% increase in production, mainly in the food, hygiene and detergents sectors.
Part of the reason for the increase, according to Emmanuel Guichard, Elipso’s general manager, is that suppliers have largely had to shift away from selling to restaurants and toward serving home consumers.
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Items that, prior to lockdown, were sold in bulk to restaurants and cafeterias are now sold in smaller containers in supermarkets, Guichard told HuffPost France. “That means more packaging.”
The explosion of online ordering and in-store collection also explains why consumers, including those who were sensitive to the issue of packaging before the crisis, are less attentive.
According to a study carried out at the end of April by the Kantar Institute and PricewaterhouseCoopers, 24% of French people did their food shopping via “click and collect” during confinement, in order to limit human contact.
In these cases, “your strawberries will necessarily be in plastic, in case they end up under your laundry,” Guichard said.
Eduardo Munoz Alvarez via Getty Images New York's ban on single-use plastic bags went into effect March 1, but enforcement is being delayed, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
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The pandemic has also caused cities and states in Europe and the U.S. to pause or roll back bans on single-use plastic bags, due to fears that reusable shopping bags could more easily spread the coronavirus.
The UK the government suspended the charge on single-use plastic bags at shops and grocery stores at the end of March. In April, California lifted its ban on single-use plastic bags for 60 days.
“It is critical to protect the public health and safety and minimize the risk of COVID-19 exposure for workers engaged in essential activities, such as those handling reusable grocery bags,” said an order announcing California’s move.
Environmentalists have argued, however, that there is little evidence that reusable shopping bags carry a greater risk of spreading the coronavirus.
They say that the plastics industry is taking advantage of the crisis to promote their products and demonize reusables — despite studies that suggest that the coronavirus can live for days on plastic surfaces.
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Indeed, right-wing think tanks have published articles arguing in favor of plastic bags, and the plastics industry has lobbied the Trump administration to help overturn plastic bag bans across the United States.
“We ask that the department speak out against bans on these products as a public safety risk and help stop the rush to ban these products by environmentalists and elected officials that puts consumers and workers at risk,” Plastics Industry Association CEO Tony Radoszewski wrote to Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar in March.
This month, the CDC issued guidance for restaurants and bars that encouraged the use of disposable utensils and single-use condiment packets.
“The plastic industry has really treated the COVID-19 emergency as an opportunity and is preying on people’s fear to scare them into believing that single-use plastic is the best way to stay safe,” John Hocevar, director of Greenpeace’s oceans campaign, recently told Vox. “And so far, there isn’t any independent scientific research that supports that.”
KONTROLAB via Getty Images A face mask in the street in Naples, Italy.
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Another symbol of the pandemic has been the number of gloves and masks littering city streets.
In hospitals, used masks are considered hazardous waste and are sent for incineration. But there is no such system for the general public.
Used masks and gloves should be disposed of in the trash, but many cities have experienced a rise in personal protective equipment litter since the pandemic began.
This litter represents not just a threat to the health of the people who encounter it and clean it up, but also to the environment as a whole.
Medical-grade masks are commonly made from polypropylene, a very dense thermoplastic, which is non-biodegradable and non-recyclable.
“It is not the worst polymer, but it is generally estimated that solid polypropylene takes around 500 years to degrade,” Etienne Grau, a teacher-researcher at the University of Bordeaux, told HuffPost France.
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In France, divers say that they have seen an uptick in “COVID pollution” in the sea and other waterways.
“First it was the gloves,” one diver said in a video that has gone viral online this month. “Then we started to find masks three or four days ago. ... This is just the beginning of the COVID waste.”
This week, Virginia Raggi, the mayor of Rome, announced a 500-euro fine for anyone who fails to properly dispose of masks and gloves.
“The use of masks and gloves is essential in this critical moment: However, they must not be thrown on the ground under any circumstances,” Raggi said, according to HuffPost Italy.
“Let me be clear: There must be zero tolerance against those who throw this kind of waste on the street.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--Dominic Cummings Resigning 'Would Make No Difference To Brexit Talks'

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The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator has rejected suggestions that the country’s departure from the EU could “collapse” if Dominic Cummings left the government.
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David Frost said he was “quite confident” that the UK’s Brexit policy could continue without Boris Johnson’s top aide.
It came after Tory MP Danny Kruger urged Tory MPs elected in to stop going “bonkers” over Cummings after he was accused of breaching coronavirus lockdown rules and rejected calls to resign.
Kruger, who is close to Cummings and his wife Mary Wakefield, told newly elected MPs in a note that “BJ (Johnson) and DC (Cummings) together are why we won the 2019 election and them together is the only way to GBD (get Brexit done).
"Do you think the whole of the Brexit policy would collapse if Mr Cummings wasn't there?"
As Boris Johnson faces calls to sack his top aide, Tory MP Peter Bone asks U.K. chief negotiator David Frost about Dominic Cummings' role in Brexit talkshttps://t.co/4QwSNuf0vv pic.twitter.com/Cva3jZEXWf — Bloomberg Brexit (@Brexit) May 27, 2020
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Tory MP Peter Bone at the Commons exiting the EU committee asked Frost: “Do you think the whole of the Brexit policy would collapse if Mr Cummings wasn’t there?”
Frost responded: “The Brexit policy is set by the prime minister and by the (exit strategy, or XS) committee, so I’m quite confident that whatever the arrangement for special advisers it would continue.”
“I’ve never had an instruction on these negotiations from Mr Cummings,” Frost added.
Frost also revealed he speaks to the PM about Brexit “more than once every two weeks”, and Cummings “relatively frequently”.
More than 35 Tory MPs have now publicly called for Cummings to leave his post.
The adviser appeared to repeatedly break lockdown rules as he feared he and his wife had coronavirus, driving 260 miles to Durham and back to London and taking a trip to Barnard Castle during his stay in the north-east.
But Johnson and Cummings have so far rebuffed calls for the adviser’s sacking or resignation.
On Tuesday, Douglas Ross quit as a junior Scotland Office minister, saying he could not “in good faith” defend Cummings’ actions.
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Amid rising anger on Tory backbenches, Kruger urged MPs elected in 2019 that Cummings “minor infraction” of the rules was “totally secondary” to winning the next election, the government’s levelling up agenda and plans to overhaul the civil service and “fix Whitehall”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--UK Records 412 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours, Bringing Total To 37,460

Medical staff earlier this month in the respiratory emergency department at Craigavon Area Hospital in Co Armagh, Northern Ireland ASSOCIATED PRESS
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The number of people who have died in the UK after testing positive for coronavirus has risen to 37,460 – an increase of 412 over 24 hours.
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Since the end of April, the government’s daily announcement has included people in care homes and the community, rather than just in hospital, who have died.
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 Wednesday.
It comes after the number of people who have died in hospitals across the UK, as well as care homes in Wales, after contracting the virus rose by 209 in 24 hours.
That increase consisted of 183 in England, 13 in Scotland, 11 in Wales and two in Northern Ireland.
It comes on the back of the two lowest daily figures – relating to Sunday and Monday – that had been recorded since March 23, well before the peak. Tuesday also marked the first day since the same date that Northern Ireland had recorded zero deaths.
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Meanwhile, as of 9am on Wednesday, 267,240 people had tested positive for coronavirus, 2,013 of them in the preceding 24 hours.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--Dominic Cummings Has Exposed The Insidious Immorality At The Heart Of Government

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The Dominic Cummings episode is, above all else, a morality tale. First, because of how he responded to the revelations. Second, because of his record.
If Cummings had just apologised at the very beginning, we would probably now be talking about something else. People are not saints and they make bad calls, but they also admit when they’ve done something wrong. If he had shown genuine empathy or regret, people might have felt more forgiving and he would have emerged relatively unscathed. (Although that same reprieve did not extend to former Scottish Chief Medical Officer Catherine Calderwood and to scientist Neil Ferguson, both of whom did express contrition and were guilty of far less.)
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The problem, in the end, was not what Cummings had done but how he sought to eliminate it. Those who watched Monday’s press conference were struck by his arrogance. Those who didn’t took away the key lines that he wouldn’t apologise, had no regrets, hadn’t done anything wrong and hadn’t considered resigning. That had the effect not simply of dismissing what he had done, but also dismissing the experience of those who had made far greater sacrifices. Instead of appealing to people, Cummings antagonised them. Here was a man who seemed to be staring the country in the face and telling them they were small and didn’t matter. The only commendable element was that he didn’t pretend to feel otherwise.
“A government which lies to save something people want is cynical. A government which lies to save someone they don’t like is idiotic.”
Yet this was all on-brand. Since the moment he entered Downing Street, Cummings has run government as an experimental start-up, ignoring any conventions that appeared outdated or inconvenient. He has considered empathy a waste of time: when one Labour MP last year complained that he had received death threats, Cummings simply told him to back the withdrawal agreement. Cummings’s shtick has been to cultivate contempt for the rest of the world: who would have expected him to follow rules he set for others? His real problem is not that he has suddenly become part of the elite, but that his lifelong membership of it has now been exposed.
But then what did we expect of the man who hired him? The prime minister, too, delivered a simple message this weekend: it wasn’t just that Cummings hadn’t made a mistake, it wasn’t even that neither of them cared, it was that actually he had done the right thing all along. In other words, they weren’t wrong, and we were.
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Dominic Cummings, top aide to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson ASSOCIATED PRESS
Ministers at first bent over backwards to insist Cummings didn’t break guidelines. Now they are trying to make the story disappear. Michael Gove ludicrously declared that “people will make their own minds up”, as though it was a controversial judgement on Bake-Off.
For all the numerous contortions to defend Cummings, no minister was able to explain why his presence in Downing Street was so important. One memo did, however, prove revealing. Tory MP Danny Kruger, Johnson’s former political secretary, told colleagues that an attempt to oust Cummings amounted to a vote of no-confidence in Boris Johnson. The two men are politically fused and interchangeable. Perhaps not since Rasputin has a leader been so in thrall to an adviser.
People were at least emotionally invested in Brexit when Johnson was lying about it. Very few are prioritising the career of Dominic Cummings. A government which lies to save something people want is cynical. A government which lies to save someone they don’t like is idiotic. Few of us believed that Johnson cared for the national interest, and he has now chosen one man over the whole country.
“If Cummings stays, he will embody a permanent reminder of how Johnson put his adviser before people’s lives.”
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Needless to confirm, after five days this story is not going away. By the end of last night, a government minister had resigned and 39 Tory MPs had publicly called on Cummings to go. Today’s Telegraph leads with the story. The Times splashes with the associated plunge of the Tories’ poll ratings.
The ramifications could be severe. The first issue is public health. The prime minister’s endorsement of Cummings is also a rejection of his own pandemic strategy. If Cummings can break the rules, so can everyone. What previously seemed like clear rules now look nuanced and murky. At yesterday’s press briefing Matt Hancock spontaneously committed to ditch fines other people had received for childcare – quite literally changing the law to accommodate the prime minister’s staffing arrangements. The response to a pandemic requires communication and clarity. Even scientists have proposed that there are people currently alive who will now die.
“Governments start to rot from the inside when they are seen as complacent, scornful of the people and out of touch. Once the rot sets in, it stays.”
The other long-term consequence is the effect on the government. The vastly proliferating jokes about driving-based eyesight-tests and Barnard Castle illustrate the dangers of ridicule. More significant is the loss of moral authority. There is no law that dictates a government with a large majority cannot collapse at the seams. John Major lost his credibility after Black Wednesday in 1992, with terminal results. This may be worse: Johnson has both lost his credibility and exposed his contempt.
The government’s most serious problem is that the damage is now done. If Cummings stays, he will embody a permanent reminder of how Johnson put his adviser before people’s lives. If he goes, it will be because he had to. Nobody will give the government credit for doing the right thing, because none of them wanted to. Whatever now happens, nothing will undo Johnson’s misjudgement, arrogance, or refusal to apologise. Trust that is lost does not return. Governments start to rot from the inside when they are seen as complacent, scornful of the people and out of touch. Once the rot sets in, it stays.
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The government’s main sin is not that it doesn’t care about the people it exists to serve. It’s that it cares about itself more. Ironic, indeed, that in expending so much effort on self-preservation it may already have destroyed itself.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--Living Costs Mount Up For Workers Left Out Of Furlough Scheme

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At the start of May, as the number of coronavirus cases in the UK began to steadily fall, Boris Johnson issued an address to the nation.
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The PM urged employees who could not do their jobs from home to return to work – as long as they were able to maintain social distancing and avoid public transport.
But for those whose industries cannot begin to function again, this is not an option – despite the fact many workers have not received a pay packet for several months.
As HuffPost UK reported in March, in sectors such as television and theatre, short-term PAYE contracts lasting just weeks or months are the norm.
And while many people who take on short-term PAYE contracts might categorise themselves as self-employed or freelancers, they are ineligible for either of the government’s two main financial assistance schemes.
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Most cannot be furloughed through the employee retention scheme, but cannot access the self-employment income support scheme (SEISS) either. Their only option was to apply for welfare support through Universal Credit – but those with partners on furlough, or with savings set aside due to a lack of industry pension contributions, did not qualify.
TV producer Vicky Maitland, from Hertfordshire, has received no money since February. She and partner Ryan Forshaw have had to cover all their bills from his salary.
“To say the last two months have been stressful would be an understatement,” she told HuffPost UK.
“Not only did my entire industry shut down as soon as Covid-19 took hold in the UK, meaning I had no chance of employment for the foreseeable future, but I have also been left out of the government support packages through no fault of my own.
“This has left me not knowing how my bills and mortgage would be paid, let alone food and living costs.
“Mentally it’s been tough, knowing I have a proven track record of working through HMRC – I work hard and pay tax, yet for some reason I’m not eligible for the help I really need.”
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TV producer Vicky Maitland has had no financial support from the government during the coronavirus crisis. Vicky Maitland
Sound assistant Catherine Duffy, from Bolton, is in a similar position. The 37-year-old had been putting money aside in a lifetime ISA for her retirement, as she had limited access to workplace pensions, and was not able to claim any financial help as a result.
“I am now living off my savings and once I’ve obliterated them I likely still won’t be eligible for Universal Credit, because my partner has earnings – though not enough to cover our mortgage and bills,” she said.
“Finding a temporary job at this time is proving impossible. I am lucky to have my savings and have been managing, but feel angry that I’m having to spend it all just to live, having always been careful with my money, and that my taxes and any future increases will be used to support furloughed employees who earn much more than myself while I’m entitled to nothing.
“I also feel sad for those who are in my situation and have nothing to fall back on. Many PAYE freelancers are trainees who were only on minimum wage to begin with and now have been neglected in favour of salaried employees who may be earning six-figure salaries.”
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Duffy said she has no idea when she will next be able to work and be able to support herself again.
She added: “A film or TV set is much more complex than most workplaces in terms of being able to social distance. The extension of the furlough scheme has been welcome news for many but for those left behind it has only served as a reminder that this could go on for some time, and has left us wondering how we will continue to support ourselves in the coming months.”
A film industry crew remove camera and sound equipment from a location among members of the public in Kingston town centre, after filming outside in the street. Richard Baker via Getty Images
One freelance TV researcher was able to claim Universal Credit while living at home with his parents in Streatham, south London.
His last job was in December on BBC One’s Masterchef and he has not been paid a salary since then.
“I still have to pay rent to my mum and dad and after I’ve paid my bills there’s nothing left over,” the 26-year-old said.
“But I know I’m one of the lucky ones, I don’t have a landlord breathing down my neck. I just feel terrible when I speak to my boyfriend and he offers to help me out with buying things.
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“I feel like last year was one of the best years I had, career wise. I had a long contract on Masterchef, I was doing really well and had loads of plans.
“Now it’s all just gone. You have to try and keep positive, or you’d just get really depressed. But it’s really hard for so many people.”
The researcher said his current situation has made him rethink his entire career.
“This has completely changed my plans. I’m not planning to work in TV for long now – there’s not enough protection and staff are treated so poorly. I think this might be the final straw for a lot of people,” he added.
“Even when things start to return to normal, there’s going to be so many people scrambling for the jobs that are available.”
The Forgotten Freelancer group has been set up to help those in similar positions and lobby ministers to do more to help people who have fallen through the gaps.
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A recent survey by the Broadcasting, Entertainment, Communications and Theatre Union (BECTU) showed 45% of self-employed creatives have been left unable to access the SEISS grant and 33% of PAYE freelancers found themselves eligible for furlough.
Maitland, 31, said: “Along with BECTU, we would like to ask the government for a new scheme to be set up in parity with other schemes that pays 80% of the proven salary data HMRC holds – that way, there is no chance of the fraud that the chancellor is so keen to avoid.”
Earlier this month, chancellor Rishi Sunak has said he was “looking at the best thing to do” with the coronavirus self-employment income support scheme.
In an interview with the BBC, Sunak was asked if he would extend the scheme that enables self-employed workers to claim a taxable grant of 80% of their average monthly trading profits, up to a cap.
He said: “We’re looking at the best thing to do but […] many of those self-employed people are not in sectors which are necessarily closed or have an employer who has reduced their hours.”
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-27--How To Watch The Nasa-Space X Launch In The UK

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While most of us are still staying home in lockdown, Nasa and SpaceX are preparing for the first manned launch to take off from American soil since 2011.
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The world will be watching eagerly to see how astronauts Robert Behnken and Douglas Hurley fair on their journey to the International Space Station (ISS) on Wednesday 27 May.
They will be on board a Crew Dragon capsule – and blasted into space by a Falcon 9 rocket built by SpaceX.
Let’s face it, the rest of us are not going anywhere anytime soon – so why not get your vicarious travel kicks by watching the moment as it happens.
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When is the launch taking place?
The lift-off is planned to start at 4.33pm local time on Wednesday, from Nasa’s Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida.
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This works out at 9.33pm British summer time.
HuffPost UK PA Graphics/PA
How can I watch the launch?
Nasa is streaming the launch live on Nasa TV, which is available to watch on YouTube.
Coverage will start at 5pm UK time, so you can get a glimpse of last minute preparations, interviews and more in the lead up to the big moment at 9.30pm.
Why is this mission so important?
The mission, known as Demo-2, will allow the US to once again send humans into space, rather than relying on paying Russia for a lift on its spacecraft as the US has done for the past nine years.
According to Nasa, this is a “demonstration mission” to show SpaceX’s ability to ferry astronauts to the space station and back safely.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Less Than 5% Of Windrush Compensation Claimants Have Been Paid

Hundreds of demonstrators in May 2018 march through central London to the Home Office in solidarity with the Windrush generation Barcroft Media via Getty Images
Fewer than 5% of claims made under the government’s Windrush Compensation Scheme have been paid out, according to official figures.
The Home Office said it had paid £362,996 to 60 people, including one payment in excess of £100,000, during the first year of the scheme.
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The data add that 1,275 claims were made by the end of March this year, with the number received by the department decreasing each quarter since it launched.
The compensation fund has an estimated budget of at least £200m, with the Home Office adding it had also made offers of approximately £280,000 that have yet to be accepted.
It said many people who have received compensation are likely to get more because what they have been given so far is an interim payment.
MPs have previously warned there is a risk of people dying before they receive compensation owed unless the government steps up its efforts.
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In 2018, ministers faced a furious backlash over the treatment of the Windrush generation – named after a ship that brought migrants to Britain from the Caribbean in 1948.
Commonwealth citizens who arrived before 1973 were automatically granted indefinite leave to remain.
But some were later challenged over their immigration status despite living in the UK legally for decades.
An independent review later found that the Windrush scandal was “foreseeable and avoidable” and victims were let down by “systemic operational failings” at the Home Office.
Author Wendy Williams said the government department had demonstrated “institutional ignorance and thoughtlessness” towards the issue of race and the history of the Windrush generation.
Home secretary Priti Patel, in a statement issued alongside the latest compensation data, said: “By listening to feedback from community leaders and those affected, we have begun to put right the wrongs caused to a generation who have contributed so much to our country.
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“The Windrush Compensation Scheme has been developed to ease the burden from the unacceptable mistreatment some have faced, which is why it is so important that people continue to come forward.”
The Windrush Compensation Scheme (Expenditure) Bill, which gives the Home Office the necessary parliamentary financial authority to make payments under the compensation scheme, has recently been approved by the Commons and Lords.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--'Feisty Old Polish Grandmother,' 103, Beats Coronavirus Then Cracks Open A Beer

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This Bud’s for her. Jennie Stejna, a 103-year-old great-great grandmother in Massachusetts, defeated the coronavirus in the best way possible: by knocking back a cold one.
“She always had that feisty fighting spirit,” granddaughter Shelley Gunn told Wicked Local. “She didn’t give up.”
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Family members told Wicked Local that the nursing home resident and “hardcore Boston sports fan” developed a fever, tested positive for the virus and quickly worsened.
But she beat Covid-19 ― and the nursing home staff let her celebrate with a Bud Light:
Jennie Stejna, 103, beat coronavirus. So, she celebrated with a beer. https://t.co/pvanvIxAwJ — USA TODAY (@USATODAY) May 27, 2020
Footage from TMZ, below, shows Stejna savoring her Bud Light and commenting on how cold it is.
Adam Gunn ― Shelley’s husband ― told the website that it go so bad that at one point he asked if she were ready to go to heaven.
She replied: “Hell, yes!”
“This feisty old Polish grandmother of ours officially beat the coronavirus,” Adam Gunn told Wicked Local.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Not Safe To Reopen Schools On June 1, Say Scientists Critical Of Government

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It is not safe for all schools to reopen on June 1, scientists critical of the government’s approach to tackling coronavirus have warned.
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Independent Sage, the group led by former government chief scientific adviser David King, said the government was “risking a new surge in cases of Covid-19 in some communities”.
Boris Johnson is expected to push ahead with plans to reopen primary schools to Reception, Year 1, and Year 6 pupils from Monday.
But the prime minister is under pressure from teaching unions and councils, who have urged the government to reconsider the plans.
And in a report published on Thursday, the 12-strong Independent Sage panel said reopening all schools risked seeing the reproduction rate – or R rate – rise above 1.
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If R is greater than 1 the epidemic is generally seen to be growing, but if R is less than 1 the epidemic is shrinking.
The latest estimate is that the UK-wide R rate is between 0.7 to 1.0.
Independent Sage was set up to provide an alternative view to the official Search Results Web results Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) which advises the government.
Last week Sage published the advice it had given to ministers which concluded the “balance of evidence” suggested the susceptibility of children to the disease “may be lower” than for adults – but said it remained “inconclusive”.
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The group advised keeping classrooms closed would have a negative impact on the “more vulnerable children” in society for whom school “provides the most stable and secure part of their lives”.
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King said today: “We recognise the difficult position that many families have been placed in by the government’s decision to send schools back from June 1.
“Whilst we totally understand the imperative to get the nation’s children back in the classroom as soon as it is safe to do so the evidence clearly shows that the government has jumped the gun here.
“Crucially we conclude that the best way forward cannot be one size fits all, it requires localised case by case responses to ensure that the risk of flare-ups is kept to a minimum.
A decision on whether all primary children will be asked to return to school before July has also yet to be taken, education minister Nick Gibb said yesterday.
Speaking to MPs, Gibb said it was “difficult to say” whether the plan to get all primary year groups back to school before the summer holidays would be enacted.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--NHS Test And Trace System Won't Be Fully Ready Until End Of June, MPs Told

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Boris Johnson’s pledge to have a “world beating” coronavirus test-and-trace system in place by next week has been thrown into doubt after the NHS chief in charge of the plan said key elements would not be fully operational until the end of June.
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Dido Harding, executive chair of NHS Test and Trace, told MPs on a Zoom call on Thursday it would be several weeks before local action plans were ready.
Local enforcement is seen as essential for proper working of the scheme but critics have warned councils are not yet fully prepared for ‘micro-lockdowns’ if there are fresh oubreaks of the virus
Her remarks came amid growing concern that the system was launched prematurely today in a bid to meet the prime minister’s deadline of June 1.
Health secretary Matt Hancock laughed off suggestions that the scheme had been fast-tracked to distract attention from the ongoing row over the breach of lockdown rules by the PM’s aide Dominic Cummings.
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The PM had promised to get the system up and running, complete with a capacity for 200,000 tests a day, by the start of June.
But Johnson himself conceded to MPs on Wednesday that the system would need to improve over coming weeks before it could properly be called “world beating”.
It currently lacks the ability to deliver all test results within 24 hours, seen by many as crucial for an effective scheme.
Labour’s Ben Bradshaw and Lib Dem Daisy Cooper both tweeted after a call for MPs with Harding.
Bradshaw wrote: “Dido Harding just told me on an MPs’ conference call that Test, Trace & Isolate won’t be fully operational at local level till the end of June. Not sure where that leaves Johnson’s promise of a fully operational ‘world beating’ system by Monday.”
Dido Harding just told me on an MPs’ conference call that Test, Trace & Isolate won’t be fully operational at local level till the end of June. Not sure where that leaves Johnson’s promise of a fully operational “world beating” system by Monday.#Covid19UK — Ben Bradshaw (@BenPBradshaw) May 28, 2020
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Baroness Dido Harding PA
Cooper added: “Dido Harding just told me that the #NHSX app described by PM a week ago as ‘world-beating’ is in fact just a ‘cherry on top’ of the tracing system: which itself won’t be fully operational until end June… Four weeks after lockdown restrictions ease. This is a high risk strategy.”
The boss of NHS chief executives this week expressed doubt that the system could possibly work properly as local public health officials - crucial to the working of the plan - had been given insufficient notice, information or cash.
Bradshaw told HuffPost UK that he wasn’t surprised by Harding’s admission because he had already been told by his local officials in Devon - one of 11 chosen to pilot the system - that it would not be ready in his area for some time.
“Given everyone knows this can only work if tracing follow up and enforcement is working at local level it’s clearly not going to be fully operational as Boris Johnson promised at PMQs last week,” the MP said.
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“I’m not quite sure why the government announced it when it’s clearly not ready. One can’t help wondering whether it’s all part of their attempt to ‘move on’ from Dominic Cummings.”
Hancock admitted on Thursday that the NHS app, seen by some as key to the speedy working of the system, would not be ready for “a couple of weeks”.
The national system went live at 9am, but it remains unclear how it will be enforced at local level.
One government source said that there was a difference between the national tracing scheme and local action plans being worked up to accompany it.
“This idea we’ve rush in Test And Trace ahead of plan is simply wrong. it was planned to go live today from last week, well before the DC [Dominic Cummings] stuff.”
In evidence to the Commons Liaison Committee on Wednesday, Johnson came close to admitting that the system was not fully ready.
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“We must be absolutely clear about this, I’m not going to pretend to you and the committee that this...what we will have tomorrow will be valuable, it will be useful, it will be a very important tool in our fight against coronavirus.
“But it will be getting steadily better to become a truly world beating test and trace operation in the course of the next days as we go through June. This has gone from a complete standing start to a huge operation.”
The government has said councils will be central to supporting the new service across England and they will be helped with a new £300 million funding package.
Each of the 11 council pilot areas will be expected to develop outbreak control plans for schools, workplaces and other areas and some experts say the entire system cannot work properly without them.
On Wednesday NHS Providers chief executive Chris Hopson said he was pleased the Government had watered down claims it had a “world class” test and trace system ready to start from June 1, “because we clearly don’t”.
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“There will be a group of contact tracers who will be ready (on Thursday) morning but there are still very key bits of test and trace that still need to be built,” he told BBC’s Newsnight.
Under the new NHS Test and Trace system, individuals will be one phone call away from being told to self-isolate for up to a fortnight if a new army of 25,000 tracers identify them as having had “close contact” with others who have tested positive for the virus.
The programme defines “close contact” as being within two metres of someone for more than 15 minutes without any protection such as a plastic screen or protective equipment.
NHS contact tracers or local public health teams will ask anyone who tests positive for Covid-19 to share details of the people they have been in close contact with and places they have visited.
The “detective” team then emails or texts those close contacts, telling them they must stay home for 14 days even if they have no symptoms, to avoid unknowingly spreading the virus.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Final 'Clap For Carers' Will Be Tonight, Says Founder. Here's Why

Annemarie Plas, the Dutch Londoner who spearheaded the event in the UK after seeing it happen in other countries, kickstarted it with a view for it to continue until the end of lockdown.
The first clap happened on 26 March. Since then, millions of people have stood at windows, balconies and on doorsteps to clap – or bang pots and pans, beep horns and blow trumpets – for those who’ve worked hard to keep us safe during the pandemic.
But Plas says it’s time to call it quits. “I will stop with our support after tonight,” she tells HuffPost UK.
Her choice seems to reflect growing sentiment among the public that the weekly clap increasingly feels like a hollow gesture. Some say the event has become politicised, while others are calling for more tangible support for key workers – like better pay.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--John Boyega Doubles Down On Racism Comments, Telling Racist Fans To 'F*** Off'

John Boyega has doubled down on his comments about racism, telling any racists who follow him or consider themselves fans of his work to “fuck off” during an Instagram live-stream.
On Wednesday, the Star Wars actor made headlines when he tweeted that he “fucking hates racists”, after the tragic death of George Floyd in Minnesota once again raised the issue of police brutality towards Black people.
His original tweet led to more of a debate than you might expect from a fairly straight-forward statement, with John shrugging off comments from people who admonished his swearing and pointed out that racism affects many different communities.
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“Again I’ll say it for you,” he said. “I am talking about white on black racism. Is that okay for you?”
John Boyega at last year's D23 Expo Image Group LA via Getty Images
John then echoed those sentiments in a live-stream shared on his Instagram page.
“Of course there’s other forms of racism,” he said. “But a Black man was just murdered in cold blood in the streets Stateside. Again. While saying that he can’t breathe.
“That’s a continuous cycle going on and although I don’t live in the States, brother, I’m Black. Fuck that. So I’ll say it again, fuck you racist white people. I said what I said. And if you don’t fucking like it, go suck a dick. Seriously.
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“It’s not about career, it’s not about money, ’cause a lot of people like to bring that up… all those things were just a part of my dream. A part of working. That’s got nothing to do with how you treat people. It’s a madness.
He continued: “So first of all, you’re going to respect Black people online… if you’re commenting on my pictures, or videos, and you saying anything about no Black people, you saying any racist shit, that’s a straight-up block. It’s fine. It’s ready. I don’t need you on my page.
“And if you’re a fan of me, and you support my work, and you’re racist, and you’re arguing with what I was saying, fuck off. You fucking dickheads. Yeah?”
Although the clip is no longer available to view on John’s Instagram, many fans have been sharing clips of it on Twitter, along with messages of praise for the sci-fi star…
John Boyega is currently on Insta live and telling white racists to fuck off and folks, it is glorious. pic.twitter.com/ojxnkGKDV5 — San (@sansdn) May 27, 2020
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John Boyega on Instagram live and dragging the hell out of white racists. this is what I live for! pic.twitter.com/nQytbhnzM7 — c (@chuuzus) May 27, 2020
John Boyega took to his Instagram Live to let people know he will ALWAYS stick up for black people and no matter the success, he is a black person before anything.
Protect John at all costs! pic.twitter.com/oT8la7yvwc — The Nikki Diaries (@thenikkidiaries) May 27, 2020
John Boyega going OFF on Instagram live. pic.twitter.com/i0xXE1RfxN — CD (@claireyfairy1) May 27, 2020
John Boyega speaking up for the culture! A King that must be protected at all cost. pic.twitter.com/3M8nzV3NmJ — Omoniyi Israel (@__Omoissy) May 27, 2020
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I feel like I’ve just seen history in the making on John Boyega’s Instagram Live — Haram Masala 🥥 (@MasalaHaram) May 27, 2020
john boyega went off on his live as he should pic.twitter.com/DyoztIaVpm — n (@hopelesshabit) May 27, 2020
Earlier this month, John blasted Sky News over an article on their website referring to a traditional African hairstyle as a “spiky coronavirus haircut”.
“You lot lost your damn mind putting this on the internet,” he wrote. “Which hairstyle did you just call spiky coronavirus haircut? Are you guys okay?
“The media need to make sure they do research before wiring articles like this. Ya fackin dummies.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Rishi Sunak Isn't A Man Of The People – He's Just Like The Rest Of Them

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On the morning of an incredibly fraught political day during lockdown the Chancellor Rishi Sunak tweeted: “It’s the good news we have all been waiting for,” and linked to an article about the reopening of 54 Nando’s across the country.
The replies were quick and angry and almost instantly he was met with derision.
Adam Kay, a former junior doctor, tweeted: “If this isn’t a vaccine, an efficacious treatment or a principled stand from the cabinet against Dominic Cummings then I suspect you’ve read the room desperately wrong here.”
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One account, who was part of the cohort of new starters that were ineligible for the furlough scheme, replied: “Some of us have more concerning issues in our lives, Rishi. Like how to put food on the table & pay basic bills this month, after having £0 to very little income since March.”
Referencing the ongoing scandal involving Dominic Cummings another Twitter user jokingly replied: “Hi Rishi, will the Nando’s in Durham be reopening and if it is can I drive to it from my home in London to feed my child.” The tweet received more likes than the original.
At a time when the UK has the highest daily death rate in the world and the government is struggling to restore public faith in lockdown, it is an ill-judged time to tweet about something as trivial as Nando’s and frame it as good news.
It is a particularly bad look if you are at one of the highest posts of government and have had a hand in crafting the more serious measures.
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71% of the public are outraged that Dominic Cummings broke the rules without repercussions; they want him to resign and they want a government that practises what it preaches.
People have endured unbelievable hardship during lockdown — thousands were unable to see their loved ones at their final moments; some wonder if they will ever see family members again; and everyone is hoping for a vaccine.
But, coupled with tweeting his support for Cummings, this tweet about ‘good news’ signals that Sunak cannot gauge the public mood at all.
If the Cumming’s scandal wasn’t evident enough that the government was out of step with the public mood, this tweet made it crystal clear.
Up until now Sunak has been regarded relatively favourably and despite only becoming Chancellor in February he is the UK’s 21st most popular Conservative politician.
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As the youngest Chancellor in history he has been thrust into the spotlight during the pandemic and has regularly appeared on screen to deliver daily briefings.
His furlough scheme of £22bn has paid the wages of a third of workers and his spending is typically uncharacteristic of his Tory predecessors.
Compared to his colleagues, he has been calm, collected, and clear in his briefings despite being on the brink of a horrible recession.
But in recent days his social media performance suggests he is just as out of touch as the rest of the Cabinet.
First, his blatant defence of Cummings and now the Nando’s tweet demonstrate that he is just the same, only slightly more articulate.
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He is not the only politician to have used food in a bid to seem relatable and have it spectacularly backfire.
When David Cameron claimed to love pasties from a pasty shop in Leeds to seem relatable it turned out the shop in reference closed two years prior to his visit; Ed Miliband has admitted that getting pictured eating a bacon sandwich is probably the regret of his career; and last year when the now defunct Independent Group posted a group picture of themselves enjoying a Nando’s they were mocked for the awkward staged nature of their picture.
For Sunak to be relatable and credible at this stage would perhaps entail him trying to remedy the hardships of some of the one million people who missed out on his furlough scheme.
Or though it is incredibly unlikely, taking a moral stance and speaking out against Cummings.
Yesterday, the Financial Times reported that Sunak will likely announce a cut-off date for the furlough scheme after which no employees would be allowed to join.
So perhaps Sunak should get used to the idea of public unpopularity.
Maighna Nanu is a freelance journalist interested in social affairs, politics, and race.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Stacey Solomon Sobs As Son Rex Makes His First Steps In Lockdown

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Without the ability to go about our lives freely like we did before the pandemic, parents are spending more time than ever with their children – that includes working parents who are now at home.
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One benefit of this unlimited time, of course, is seeing kids go through milestones that you may otherwise have missed.
That’s something Stacey Solomon and Joe Swash have seen this week, as they witnessed their son walk for the first time.
In an Instagram post the TV presenter said that Rex, who was born last year, is “growing so fast”. The video showed the toddler walking towards her while her Swash looked on smiling.
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“And he’s off!” Solomon, 30, wrote. She added: “If there’s one good thing to come out of these scary times it’s mummy and daddy both being home to see this moment. Rex we are so proud of you.”
Solomon added that “it feels like time is going by at the blink of an eye and you’re growing so, so quickly”.
“It’s sad and I want time to stand still for a moment but at the same time watching you learn and grow is the most incredible, most wonderful thing in the world.”
Rex looks pretty pleased with himself after walking towards his mum in the video – what a happy boy!


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Eric Trump Tweets ‘GREAT DAY for the DOW’ As US Coronavirus Death Toll Tops 100,000

Only a Trump would be tweeting about today being a "great day for the Dow" while our death toll from COVID-19 hits 100,000. My God, there isn't a conscience in the whole Trump horde. How utterly disgusting you are, @EricTrump. https://t.co/7UJEQ1S2ok


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Matt Hancock Refuses Four Times To Say If Dominic Cummings Did The Right Thing

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Matt Hancock has repeatedly refused to say he believes Dominic Cummings “did the right thing” by appearing to flout the lockdown rules.
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Appearing on BBC Radio 4′s Today programme on Thursday morning, presenter Nick Robinson accused the health secretary of “dodging” the question.
Nick Robinson: “Did Dominic Cummings do the right thing?”
Matt Hancock: “I think as I’ve said before, I’ve answered that question.”
NR: “Did he do the right thing? Did he do the right thing? Did he do his duty?”
MH: “Nick. I have answered this question before, a couple of days ago, and the prime minister has answered all these questions endlessly.”
NR: “He’s never answered the moral case – whether he did the right thing.”
MH: “I think he was acting within the guidelines. I also understand why reasonable people might disagree with that.”
NR: “What matters is not dodging the question I am asking you. Did he do the right thing?”
MH: “Far from dodging the question, I have directly answered it, because my judgement is that, as has been told in great detail in public, my view is that he followed the guidelines. I understand why some people don’t agree with that. But that is my view.”
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Johnson has said he wants to “move on” on from the row over whether Cummings broke the lockdown by driving to Durham with his family in March.
The PM yesterday refused to publish evidence Cummings presented to him to save his job, and rejected calls for a Cabinet Office inquiry.
But at least 38 Tory MPs have now called for Cummings to quit or be sacked.
Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman said in his 10 years as an MP nothing had matched “the scale and depth of the anger” from voters over Cummings’ actions.
And cabinet minister Penny Mordaunt has said there are “inconsistencies” in Cummings account.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said Cummings “broke the rules” and claimed the PM’s “unwillingness or inability to do the right thing has left the government looking untrustworthy, unprincipled”.
Writing in the Daily Mirror, he said the government had “undermined the very public health advice that is necessary to keep us all safe, just to keep one powerful aide in his job”.
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“In times like this, we need good government. A government that we can trust. A government that is entirely focused on saving lives.”
It comes as the government’s plans to ease the lockdown are due to be confirmed in an official review, which Downing Street expects will give the all-clear for schools to begin reopening next week.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--One Dead As Minneapolis Protests Erupt After Death Of George Floyd

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Protests erupted in Minneapolis for the second day in a row on Wednesday over the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a white police officer knelt on his neck.
The demonstrations turned violent in some areas following a daylong protest outside a police station where officers used tear gas and rubber bullets to disperse attendees. Some people later began looting stores as night settled in, setting an AutoZone retail outlet on fire and carrying goods out of a vandalised Target. Police said early Thursday one person was shot and killed at a pawn shop by the store’s owner as officials urged residents to go home.
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“Please, Minneapolis, we cannot let tragedy beget more tragedy,” the city’s mayor, Jacob Frey, said early Thursday morning per The Minneapolis Star-Tribune. He continued: “Yes, we’re reeling. We are reeling, and I understand the anger and pain, and we need the public’s help in keeping the peace tonight. We need that in order to get through this together.”
Frey had called for charges to be filed in Floyd’s death earlier in the day.
A man poses for a photo in the parking lot of an AutoZone store in flames, while protesters hold a rally for George Floyd in Minneapolis on Wednesday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo told Fox 9 News on Wednesday that a majority of the protesters had been peaceful, but said some had caused “significant property damage” and used Molotov cocktails.
As protests continued to rock Minneapolis on Wednesday, Jamar B Nelson, a veteran community activist, told The New York Times that the Black community long had a fraught relationship with police. “The truth is we do not have a good history,” Nelson said. “The biggest complaint is that the community feels the Police Department is racist, bigoted and uncaring about the Black community.”
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Four Minneapolis Police Department officers were fired on Tuesday after a shocking video of Floyd’s arrest began to spread around the nation. In the clip, Floyd, who was detained on suspicion of using a counterfeit $20 bill, can be seen pinned to the street as an officer presses his knee into his neck, saying: “Please man, I can’t breathe. I cannot breathe. I cannot breathe.”
His eyes later close and he stops speaking as onlookers shout at the officers to help him. Police later called for an ambulance but Floyd died shortly after arriving at an area hospital.
The death sparked immediate comparisons to the shooting of Ahmaud Arbery, a Black man who was confronted and killed by two white men while jogging in Georgia earlier this year.
Protests over Floyd’s death also broke out in Los Angeles on Wednesday as demonstrators blocked traffic on a large freeway and clashed with police.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had urged citizens to protest peacefully earlier in the day (Carlos Gonzalez/Star Tribune via AP). ASSOCIATED PRESS
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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz urged citizens to protest peacefully earlier Wednesday, saying residents’ feelings of “anger, anguish and disillusionment are justified.”
“If you plan to turn your pain into action by joining a public demonstration, please do so peacefully and safely to protect your own health and the health of the people around you,” Walz wrote on Twitter.
Later that night, however, the governor said the situation had evolved into an “extremely dangerous” confrontation and asked people to leave so paramedics could get to the scene.
The situation near Lake Street and Hiawatha in Minneapolis has evolved into an extremely dangerous situation. For everyone's safety, please leave the area and allow firefighters and paramedics to get to the scene. — Governor Tim Walz (@GovTimWalz) May 28, 2020


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Emily Maitlis Clarifies Reports She Was 'Replaced' On Newsnight Following Dominic Cummings Controver

Emily Maitlis Clarifies Reports She Was 'Replaced' On Newsnight Following Dominic Cummings Controversy

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Emily Maitlis has cleared up reports she was replaced on Wednesday night’s Newsnight, after the show was found to be in breach of the BBC’s impartiality guidelines.
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The presenter said she “asked for the night off” following her much-discussed introduction to Tuesday’s show, in which she addressed the Dominic Cummings row.
She said the prime minister’s chief adviser had “broken the rules” with his 260-mile lockdown trip to his parents’ house in Durham, noting that “the country can see that, and it’s shocked the Government cannot”.
Emily Maitlis on Tuesday's Newsnight BBC
It was later reported Emily would not be fronting Wednesday night’s broadcast as expected, after the BBC issued a statement concluding that the monologue “did not meet our standards of due impartiality” adding that staff had “been reminded of the guidelines”.
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With Katie Razzall taking her place, it led some to wrongly conclude Emily had been temporarily stood down – something she has now clarified.
Emily tweeted: “So grateful to my friend and excellent colleague @katierazz for stepping in this evening. She did so because I asked for the night off - knowing tonight’s prog would be in the most excellent hands.”
So grateful to my friend and excellent colleague @katierazz for stepping in this evening . She did so because I asked for the night off -knowing tonight’s prog would be in the most excellent hands 🖐 #newsnight https://t.co/0ZkH2KbzBF — emily m (@maitlis) May 28, 2020
She added that she’d been “overwhelmed by all the kindness, messages - and support on [Twitter]”.
“A big thank you from us all at #newsnight,” she added.
On Wednesday night, Katie Razzall said she “certainly wouldn’t have agreed to present the show” if she thought Emily had been stood down. However, she did not address the controversy during the show.
In her introduction to Tuesday’s show, Maitlis said “Dominic Cummings broke the rules. The country can see that, and it’s shocked the government cannot.
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“The longer ministers and the prime minister tell us he worked within them, the more angry the response to this scandal is likely to be.” She added: “He made those who struggled to keep to the rules feel like fools, and has allowed many more to assume they can now flout them.”
The BBC later conducted a review of the episode and said the programme “should have done more to make clear the introduction was a summary of the questions we would examine, with all the accompanying evidence, in the rest of the programme.
“As it was, we believe the introduction we broadcast did not meet our standards of due impartiality,” the BBC said.
The broadcaster’s decision sparked criticism, most notably from Good Morning Britain presenter Piers Morgan, who branded the BBC statement “utterly disgraceful”, saying the corporation was “chucking one of its best journalists under the bus for telling the truth”.
You’ve got to be kidding me??? BBC chucking one of its best journalists @maitlis under the bus for TELLING THE TRUTH? Utterly disgraceful. 👇 https://t.co/ypFtgS1VKf — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 27, 2020
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His words were echoed by journalist and former Newsnight economics editor Paul Mason, who said the decision made him “sick”.
As an ex-colleague of the Newsnight team this makes me sick. The BBC editorial management is stuffed full of establishment types who turned a blind eye to bias in favour of May and Johnson. Every word Mailtis said was true: truth is the criterion of real journalism. https://t.co/ABKHZLbUTC — Paul Mason (@paulmasonnews) May 27, 2020
The National Union of Journalists also criticised the BBC over its handling of the row, with general secretary Michelle Stanistreet saying: “At a time of national crisis, frank and fearless journalism that scrutinises and holds this Government to account is more necessary than ever.”
In a press conference on Monday, Cummings argued that his journey to Durham in March was justified as he sought to protect his family’s health.
But many questions remained unanswered, including over his subsequent drive to Barnard Castle which he said was to test his eyesight after it was affected by Covid-19.
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Despite continued public unrest, the government has continued to back Cummings, with prime minister Boris Johnson refusing to fire his senior aide.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Coronavirus: Support For Dominic Cummings 'Could Undermine Track And Trace', And Four Other Things Y

Coronavirus: Support For Dominic Cummings 'Could Undermine Track And Trace', And Four Other Things You Need To Know

The Royal College of Nursing (RCN) said there was a “stark and deeply worrying” contrast over PPE provision for staff from different backgrounds.
It found that 56% of BAME nurses felt pressured to care for confirmed or possible Covid-19 patients without adequate PPE, compared to 29% of white British nurses.
Meanwhile, less than half (43%) of BAME nurses said they had enough eye protection, compared with 66% of white British nurses.
The union said it is “unacceptable” that BAME nurses “are less protected than other nursing staff”.
Data has emerged suggesting that people from BAME backgrounds are being disproportionately affected by Covid-19, with a significant number of NHS workers who have died after contracting the virus having BAME heritage.
The RCN polled more than 5,000 nurses about the provision of personal protective equipment, including more than 700 from BAME backgrounds.
The union said that although there were some improvements from April, “there are still shortages of essential PPE in all settings, and health and care staff are still reliant on PPE items being donated or home-made in some cases”.
Its report states that it is “unacceptable for health and care staff to be exposed to avoidable risk to their own safety”.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the government has made “significant progress” on PPE issues and that it was now in a position to replenish stockpiles.
But he also announced that there are still 98 NHS workers in hospital who have tested positive for coronavirus, including some who are “seriously ill”.
US coronavirus death toll tops 100,000


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Piers Morgan Blasts 'Utterly Disgraceful' BBC For 'Chucking Emily Maitlis Under The Bus'

“The longer ministers and the prime minister tell us he worked within them, the more angry the response to this scandal is likely to be.”
She continued: “He was the man, remember, who always got the public mood, who tagged the lazy label of ‘elite’ on those who disagreed. He should understand that public mood one now: one of fury, contempt and anguish.
“He made those who struggled to keep to the rules feel like fools, and has allowed many more to assume they can now flout them.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Mark Zuckerberg Says Social Media Giants Shouldn't Be In Position To Fact-Check Users

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Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg said his company’s policies differ from those of Twitter when it comes to fact-checking users.
For the first time, Twitter tagged two of Donald Trump’s tweets on Tuesday with a fact-checking note indicating that his statements were misleading. Angered over the notes, Trump later accused Twitter of attempting to influence the upcoming 2020 presidential election.
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During an interview with Fox News’ Dana Perino, Zuckerberg said he disagreed with Twitter’s policy and said he didn’t believe his own company, Facebook, should be “the arbiter of truth.”
“We have a different policy than Twitter on this,” Zuckerberg told Perino when asked about Twitter’s decision to fact-check Trump.
“I just believe strongly that Facebook shouldn’t be the arbiter of truth of everything that people say online,” he said. “I think in general, private companies probably shouldn’t be — especially these platform companies — shouldn’t be in the position of doing that.”
A preview of Zuckerberg’s interview was published Wednesday and is scheduled to air in full on Thursday.
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....Twitter is completely stifling FREE SPEECH, and I, as President, will not allow it to happen! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020
.@Twitter is now interfering in the 2020 Presidential Election. They are saying my statement on Mail-In Ballots, which will lead to massive corruption and fraud, is incorrect, based on fact-checking by Fake News CNN and the Amazon Washington Post.... — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 26, 2020
Trump’s tweets warned, without evidence, of “substantially fraudulent” voting in states that plan to use mail-in ballots this November.
Twitter added this note to Trump’s tweets:
“Trump falsely claimed that mail-in ballots would lead to ‘a Rigged Election.’ However, fact-checkers say there is no evidence that mail-in ballots are linked to voter fraud.”
Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey responded to Zuckerberg’s comments later Wednesday, saying Twitter will “continue to point out incorrect or disputed information about elections globally. And we will admit to and own any mistakes we make.”
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“This does not make us an ‘arbiter of truth,’” Dorsey wrote. “Our intention is to connect the dots of conflicting statements and show the information in dispute so people can judge for themselves. More transparency from us is critical so folks can clearly see the why behind our actions.”
Per our Civic Integrity policy (https://t.co/uQ0AoPtoCm), the tweets yesterday may mislead people into thinking they don’t need to register to get a ballot (only registered voters receive ballots). We’re updating the link on @realDonaldTrump’s tweet to make this more clear. — jack (@jack) May 28, 2020
A Twitter spokesperson told HuffPost that Twitter flagged Trump’s tweets because they contained “potentially misleading information about voting processes and have been labelled to provide additional context around mail-in ballots.”
The fact-checking is part of the company’s new policy of labelling false or misleading information about Covid-19. The company also explained that it may expand the fact-checking to topics beyond the pandemic.
In response to Twitter’s action, Trump threatened on Wednesday to use the power of the federal government to regulate social media companies. The office of the president cannot regulate tech companies without congressional approval or help with the Federal Communications Commission.
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“We will strongly regulate, or close them down before, we can ever allow this to happen,” Trump said, accusing social media companies of intentionally suppressing conservative opinions.
“Big action to follow,” he added.
Zuckerberg appeared wary of Trump’s warning and said he didn’t believe further censorship was the appropriate action.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--You Can’t Deplatform The President Of The United States

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Donald Trump’s latest barrage of conspiratorial accusations and lies, designed to undermine the nation’s democratic elections, has induced new calls for his removal from his favourite social media platform: Twitter.
“At what point is @Twitter a part of this?” MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski tweeted at Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey after Trump accused her husband and co-host Joe Scarborough of murder. “TAKE DOWN TRUMP’s ACCOUNT— the world would be safer.” (Trump first falsely insinuated that Scarborough committed murder in November 2017.)
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Brzezinski wasn’t alone in calling for Dorsey to stop Trump’s belligerent false accusations of murder. TJ Klausutis similarly pleaded in a letter to Dorsey to, at the very least, remove the president’s false tweets slandering his deceased wife, Lori Klausutis, whom the president falsely accuses Scarborough of having an affair with before murdering.
“I’m asking you to intervene in this instance because the president of the United States has taken something that does not belong to him — the memory of my dead wife — and perverted it for perceived political gain,” Klausutis wrote to Dorsey.
.@jack At what point is @Twitter a part of this? TAKE DOWN TRUMP’s ACCOUNT— the world world be safer. Retweet if you agree — Mika Brzezinski (@morningmika) May 20, 2020
The president is undoubtedly cruel and vicious in his slander of a deceased woman and her widowed husband, both private citizens, as well as in his slander of public figure Scarborough. He falsely tweeted that Klausutis’ death is a “Cold Case” (it is not) and had no basis for claiming she had “an affair” with Scarborough.
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But removing Trump’s Twitter account, an act called deplatforming, serves no ultimate purpose.
Social media platforms are designed to be addictive attention machines. This can skew them to favour outrageous statements, hyperbole and conspiracy theories. Demagogic conspiracy theorists and neo-Nazis have successfully gamed these platforms in the middle of the last decade to gain attention, silence opponents and influence public discourse. Calls to ban or deplatform those groups and individuals from digital platforms have increased as their behaviour becomes more toxic.
Deplatforming succeeded in diminishing the fame of right-wing troll Milo Yiannopoulos after he instigated the online harassment and hacking of comedian Leslie Jones. It has also mitigated the reach of conspiracy agitator Alex Jones after his admittedly false claims that the mass killing of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School was faked.
But deplatforming would have no such impact when applied to the president of the United States. The office itself is arguably the most powerful platform in the world. The president’s every statement is effectively newsworthy. Trump is followed by a press pool almost everywhere he goes. He can summon attention at any moment by stepping before a microphone. You can’t deplatform the president, as journalist Adam Serwer noted.
“In the end, the problem here is not that Trump is on Twitter. It’s that he was elected president.”
If Twitter deplatformed Trump, he could simply post his accusations on Facebook or Instagram. If Facebook kicked him off its platform, he could move to YouTube or TikTok. He could also just call in to “Fox & Friends,” appear at a press conference, or otherwise issue statements that the press will cover because he is the president of the United States.
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It is not as though Trump is afraid of making the same baseless accusations live in front of a microphone.
Trump accused Rafael Cruz, the father of Senator Ted Cruz, of helping Lee Harvey Oswald assassinate former President John F Kennedy during a phone interview on Fox News. In a 2016 interview with The Washington Post, Trump insinuated that former President Bill Clinton and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton murdered former Clinton administration official Vince Foster, who died by suicide in 1993.
Twitter has no plans to remove Trump from its platform. The social media company issued a statement in 2018 claiming that it would not remove the accounts or tweets of “world leaders” because such a move “would hide important information people should be able to see and debate.” (Twitter has, however, deleted tweets by Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro and Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro.)
President Donald Trump will always have a platform to say whatever he wants because he's the president of the United States. AP Photo/Evan Vucci
While Twitter may not delete Trump’s tweets or deplatform him from the site, the company did take its first step in correcting false information Trump disseminated on Wednesday.
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Along with lobbing murder accusations, Trump has tweeted false allegations about casting ballots by mail during the viral pandemic that has killed nearly 100,000 Americans. He claimed, without evidence, that such efforts would be rife with crime and fraud, and falsely claimed that California Governor Gavin Newsom planned to mail ballots to everyone living in California, rather than only to active registered voters.
These comments, designed to cast doubt on the nation’s democratic elections, led Twitter to do something it had never done before: append a fact-check link to the president’s tweets that reads, “Get the facts about mail-in ballots.” The president has since stated his intention to use the federal government to regulate or shutter Twitter.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-28--Kathy Griffin Sparks Anger With Tweet About Injecting Donald Trump With Air

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Comedian Kathy Griffin has faced a backlash after tweeting about injecting Donald Trump with air ― a potentially fatal procedure that could cause an air embolism and block a blood vessel.
“Syringe with nothing but air inside it would do the trick,” she wrote in response to the US president’s pondering during a White House diabetes event on the price of insulin and whether he should take the drug.
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“FUCK TRUMP,” the comedian added.
Syringe with nothing but air inside it would do the trick.
FUCK TRUMP https://t.co/UR2rfymQNY — Kathy Griffin (@kathygriffin) May 26, 2020
Kathy later responded to a tweet from the conservative Washington Examiner news website, which said she was advocating “for someone to stab” Trump with a syringe full of air.
“I SURE DID, FUCKER,” she replied.
The comic, who in March was hospitalised with a stomach infection amid fears she’d contracted COVID-19, faced backlash in 2017 after she posed for photographs with a fake severed head that looked like the president.
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Trump called her out for the stunt, labelling her “sick”.
Kathy Griffin should be ashamed of herself. My children, especially my 11 year old son, Barron, are having a hard time with this. Sick! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 31, 2017
Kathy initially apologised, saying she went “way too far” and “was wrong.” She also was investigated by the Secret Service.