thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--What The Coronavirus Crisis Means For The Future Of UK Devolution

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Boris Johnson has held the keys to 10 Downing Street for less than a year, but in that time the political landscape has changed unimaginably.
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As the UK grapples to get the coronavirus pandemic under control, all other business is on hold.
And while the PM enjoyed the support of all three devolved UK governments when he first announced lockdown measures, in recent weeks that consensus has begun to fray.
Before Johnson’s crunch address to the nation on May 10, Scottish and Welsh first ministers Nicola Sturgeon and Mark Drakeford had already publicly shunned his updated, “unclear” position.
As Westminster urged people in England to return to work and relaxed restrictions on outdoor meetings, the other three nations kept their “stay at home” edict in place.
With health – and other huge policy areas – devolved to Cardiff, Belfast and Edinburgh, it is unlikely this will be the last line in the sand first ministers choose to draw with Westminster.
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So what does it mean for the Union in the long-term? Will the pandemic force the four nations to be more united or do all paths lead to divergence?
Matt Greenough, political consultant at Words Matter and former Welsh government chief special adviser, said the impact of the disharmony on future relations had the potential to be “significant”.
“What will annoy anyone who actually understands devolution is the idea that the devolved administrations are deviating from the Westminster approach for the sake of it, to flex their muscles or demonstrate political differences,” he told HuffPost UK.
“Nobody is approaching this as a way to score points, so it’s deeply frustrating to hear that sort of analysis, because it could really fracture relations.
“While it might make sense when looking at Brexit policy, it just cannot be applied to this scenario, and to do so is worryingly Westminster-centric. I think there’s danger of people seeing differences in actions and opinions almost through a Brexit prism.”
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There are “huge levels of co-operation” between national governments on a day-to-day basis in “normal” times, Greenough said, which must be maintained to keep communication running smoothly.
Scottish First Minister, Nicola Sturgeon attends First Ministers Questions at Holyrood Pool via Getty Images
“The four nations went into lockdown together, and I think [Drakeford] has said publicly that he wants all four to come out of lockdown together too,” he added.
“There’s been a lot of positive working together previously but I’d say, over the last seven days or so, that has definitely come under strain.
“There were frustrations there before, but if things carry on as they are there’s real potential for trust to be damaged.
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“I don’t think we’ve seen anything deliberately antagonistic between the four national leaders, so while I think and hope those relationships are surviving, I think we may see some difficulties and frustrations between officials in the future.”
Greenough said media briefings in early May targeting Westminster journalists and resulting in front pages announcing “freedom” from lockdown days before any formal announcement was made (and before devolved leaders or any MPs were told) were damaging.
“That sort of briefing happened during Brexit negotiations and it was sort of fair game then,” the former speechwriter said.
“Yes, it was calculated and annoying, but in ‘peace time’ it was almost expected. But these are not normal times, and now it’s not annoying – it’s dangerous.
“It’s not how to run things, and it’s not how to keep the devolved administrations as equal partners.”
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Welsh politicians have argued that a united front is vital for keeping people – particularly those who live close to national borders – safe in the coming weeks, with health minister Vaughan Gething confirming “stay at home” advice would remain in place until at least Thursday.
“Places like north-east Wales and north-west England are basically one region,” Greenough said. “People do not see the border in their everyday lives – it doesn’t really exist for them.
“Wales took a cautious approach regarding easing lockdown last weekend because all four police forces reported an increase in the number of people entering Wales from outside.
“We are dealing with something extremely sensitive and important here, and it’s an absolute case in point as to why we need to see a mutual respect between the Westminster and devolved administrations.”
Rob Roberts, the first Tory MP elected in the north-east Wales border constituency of Delyn for more than 25 years, said the different messaging between nations had led to confusion among the public.
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“I represent people who live in Wales but work in England, and there are lots of people who travel from England to work in Delyn. They’ve been in touch because they don’t know what they can and can’t do, and all sides seem to be blaming each other for the confusion,” he told HuffPost UK.
“There’s a mechanism in the agreement with the devolved administrations that allows the national government to take control in an emergency, and to be honest if it hasn’t been used under these circumstances, I don’t know when it ever will be.
“I don’t know if it was considered, and if it was I am sure the PM decided against that cause of action because of his respect for devolution, and of course I support that.”
Roberts said he was “positively not suggesting” the scaling back of devolution in general.
He added: “But if we had taken that approach, we would have avoided all of the mixed messaging, tit-for-tat and one-upmanship that I think we’ve seen, and which really annoys people.
DUP leader Arlene Foster ASSOCIATED PRESS
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“We would have had consistency, there would have been one briefing per day on a UK-wide basis, with the message delivered by one person.”
Welsh Labour MP Anna McMorrin said she believed civil servants, who usually work closely together on devolved matters, would be “tearing their hair out” over the PM’s decisions.
“I think the gung-ho style of Boris Johnson has exposed the fact that he has taken the devolved nations for granted – as well as the weaknesses in the approach taken in England,” she said.
“I’ve lost count of the number of people who have been telling me on social media that they are so glad they live in Wales.
“Lockdown is very hard for a lot of people, but the majority of understand that it’s necessary for their health, and for the health of their friends and their families.
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“In normal times, our civil service and governments work really closely together and I think a lot of those civil servants will be tearing their hair out now over the approach that has been taken by Johnson, and his politicisation of this crisis.”
McMorrin said journalists and commentators have a “responsibility” in the future to differentiate more between approaches taken by nations.
She added: “In Wales, we’re used to having the UK national press talking about things happening in England that are not relevant or don’t apply to us at all.
“But now there’s a danger that misinformation could become really pronounced as a result. The media now has a duty to report the difference between nations as we move forward through this, and I hope what this will do is set that up as a precedent.”
For Scotland, independence has remained a live question since 2014′s close-run referendum.
SNP MP Neil Gray, who represents Airdrie and Shotts, believes cracks are beginning to appear and highlights a poll last week that show 74% think first minister Nicola Sturgeon is doing a good job of handling the pandemic.
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The same poll, carried out by YouGov, showed Scots were split on the UK government’s response, with 47% saying it was handling the pandemic well vs 48% badly.
“I think what [the crisis] has shown is the difficulty in not being in command of all of the decision-making processes,” he said.
“Obviously, the four nations have been doing their best to work together because that is the right thing to do – and it would be the right thing to do if Scotland was independent.
“But we are starting to see a divergence now because different nations are at different stages in their journeys.”
First minister of Wales Mark Drakeford Matthew Horwood via Getty Images
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Scottish secretary Alister Jack told MPs the R rate – which represents the reproduction rate in the virus - was at a different rate in different parts of the country, including in Scotland.
Sturgeon effectively put Scotland in lockdown earlier than other parts of the UK by closing schools, but she has recently come under fire for the rate of deaths in Scottish care homes, though she denies it has risen to double that of England.
Scotland’s FM has an approach that has differed only slightly from Johnson’s, with schools set to return to August as opposed to June, and restrictions on socialising loosened to a greater extent.
As it stands, polls suggest the 2021 Holyrood elections will see the SNP once again hold the balance of power north of the border, at which point Sturgeon may again press for a fresh referendum.
Divisions could start to arise before then, however, as power-holders will urgently need to turn their attention to rebuilding the economy.
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Chancellor Rishi Sunak is predicting a recession “like we have never seen” before and the spectre of mass unemployment sits on the horizon.
How leaders negotiate this will be key.
The SNP is already pushing hard for a universal basic income and further controls over immigration policy, while Labour’s Keir Starmer advocates a “new settlement” and further devolution.
Gray said the four-nations approach could splinter in the coming months, however.
“It is becoming more difficult, partly because the UK government is looking more towards the economic health of the nation,” he added. “I’m certainly very sure we must pick up the pieces of the economy thereafter, but I think the focus has got to be, from a government perspective, on making sure that the health crisis is dealt with first.”
Leaders from the English regions, such as Manchester’s Andy Burnham, will also be trying to wrest more control from Whitehall, though most recognise the eye-catching press calls are for a later date.
In Northern Ireland, where DUP leader and first minister Arlene Foster has said “different parts of the UK move in different time” to respond to the outbreak, there is no mood to open up division and constitutional politics, even among some nationalists.
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MP for Foyle and SDLP leader, Colum Eastwood, whose party advocates a border poll, said relations between the nation and the rest of the UK remain intact.
Brexit and the question of the Irish border may prove a bigger fault-line between Johnson and Ulster, with the UK set to leave the transition period with the EU in December and Johnson seemingly having broken his promise of no checks between NI and Great Britain.
Eastwood told HuffPost UK: “The scale of the crisis we’re facing, not just across these islands, but across our continent and across the world, has driven a sense of social solidarity.
“People are making enormous sacrifices and staying away from friends and family to keep each other safe. There was a huge volume of good will toward governments to get the response right.”
With the region sharing a land border with the Republic, Eastwood said there is a certain level of detachment from Westminster.
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He said: “The virus hasn’t damaged relationships across these islands but the Conservative administration’s response has certainly made people look elsewhere for leadership.
“In Northern Ireland, for example, people have been accepting the advice of the Taoiseach, our executive and even the Scottish First Minister before they’ve accepted Boris Johnson’s approach.
“They’ve never been so glad to have devolution and autonomy to break from London. That may have an impact on their attitude to the British government. But our first priority is to keeping people safe. The constitutional outworking will wait for another day.”
Labour’s newly-appointed shadow Scotland secretary Ian Murray was also keen to stress unity.
Saying “there are far more important things than arguing about the constitution”, he acknowledges that “we can’t go back to the same old politics”, as the fallout from the lockdown will throw up questions about the economy.
He said: “This crisis is teaching us again the value of community, of solidarity and pulling together towards a common goal regardless of geography. The politics that emerges from this crisis has to reflect that.
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“The only priority for all governments, long after lockdown measures are lifted, will be to protect and restore people’s jobs and livelihoods by working together for that common goal.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--Dominic Cummings Heckled As He Returns Home From Downing Street

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Dominic Cummings was heckled with shouts of “hypocrite”, “resign” and “shame” as returned home on Sunday evening, a few hours after Boris Johnson refused to fire him over an ongoing row about his behaviour during the coronavirus lockdown.
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As the PM’s top aide walked along the road in north London, one woman could be heard shouting: “My mum’s terrified, my dad’s had three shoulder operations… she won’t even entertain me in her garden with a tent.”
The woman, who was filming Cummings on her phone as she spoke, could then be heard telling him: “I’m a single parent. I’ve had no childcare since the beginning of this whole mess, not that I can afford to pay any child care.”
Another onlooker shouted: “Would you recommend Bernard Castle for a day out?”
Cummings appeared not to respond to the heckling.
Hours earlier, Johnson defended his senior aide following allegations he breached lockdown restrictions.
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The PM chose to front the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing to publicly back Cummings, saying he had “acted responsibly, legally and with integrity” by driving 260 miles to County Durham to isolate and that “any parent would frankly understand what he did”.
But Tory backbenchers tore into Johnson over his handling of the row, while scientists claimed the defence of Cummings’ interpretation of the lockdown rules undermined efforts to curb the spread of Covid-19.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--Keir Starmer Accuses Boris Johnson Of Treating Public 'With Contempt' Over Cummings Row

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Boris Johnson treated British people “with contempt” by refusing to act when his top aide Dominic Cummings flouted Covid lockdown rules, Keir Starmer has said.
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The Labour leader led a chorus of criticism of the prime minister on Sunday - which included a string of Johnson’s own Tory backbenchers - after he publicly declared his support for Cummings at the Downing Street briefing.
Cummings, a key and controversial figure in Westminster, is said to have twice broken the “stay at home” guidance issued by the PM in March, by travelling 260 miles to stray with family in Durham and later visiting a beauty spot in the area.
Johnson said he had “extensive face to face” discussions with the former Vote Leave boss on Sunday and was convinced he acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity”.
He went on to insist that the trip allowed Cummings to “find the right kind of childcare” for his four-year-old son, when he and his wife fell ill with the virus.
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But the news has left Brits who stuck faithfully to the government restrictions angry, with millions having been unable to see much-loved relatives for weeks.
Speaking outside his home in north London, Starmer said: “This was a huge test of the prime minister and he’s just failed that test, he hasn’t sacked Dominic Cummings, he hasn’t called for an investigation and he’s treating the British public with contempt.
Boris Johnson's senior aide Dominic Cummings leaves his home, in London, ASSOCIATED PRESS
“Millions of people across the country have made the most agonising choices not to visit relatives, some of whom were ill, dying, not to go to funerals.
“They deserve better answers than they got from the prime minister today.”
Asked if Cummings had an argument for travelling north by needing childcare from his parents, Starmer said: “That’s not a reasonable interpretation of the rules and the prime minister knows it.
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“And millions of people have not done the same, that’s why this is such an important issue, millions haven’t done that and he has done it.
“One rule for the prime minister’s advisers, another rule for everybody else.”
He added: “If I were prime minister I would have sacked Cummings, and there must now be an investigation into what has happened.”
It came as footage emerged on social media of Cummings being heckled by members of the public.
One woman could be heard shouting: “My mum’s terrified, my dad’s had three shoulder operations… she won’t even entertain me in her garden with a tent.”
The woman, who was filming as she spoke, could then be heard telling him: “I’m a single parent. I’ve had no childcare since the beginning of this whole mess, not that I can afford to pay any child care.
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Shouts of “hypocrite”, “resign” and “shame” could also be heard as Cummings entered his home.
Tory MPs, meanwhile, have broken ranks to demand the PM sack his aide.
I agree with Michael. Tonight, I’m really embarrassed to have ever backed Boris Johnson for high office. https://t.co/Q1NpbOc8kh — Tim Montgomerie (@montie) May 24, 2020
David Warburton, the Tory MP for Somerton and Frome, said he was “unconvinced” by Boris Johnson’s defence of Dominic Cummings.
“As much as I despise any baying pitchfork-led trials by social media, I’m unconvinced by the PM’s defence of #Cummings,” he tweeted.
“We’ve all been tasked with tempering our parental, and other, instincts by strictly adhering to Govt guidance.”
Former minister, and Blackpool North and Cleveleys MP, Paul Maynard was withering about the PM’s response.
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He said: “I can only share the collective dismay and I understand the widespread anger.
Screen grab of Prime Minister Boris Johnson during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (COVID-19). PA
“So many people in this constituency have gone out of their way to stick to both the letter and the spirit of the guidelines and laws, despite it coming at great personal emotional cost.
“It is a classic case of ‘do as I say, not as I do’ – and it is not as if he was unfamiliar with guidance he himself helped draw up.
“It seems to me to be utterly indefensible and his position wholly untenable.”
At the press conference, Johnson admitted the matter was “serious” and that he “can totally get why people might feel so confused and so offended”, but added: “But really having looked at what happened, having looked at his intentions and what he was trying to do for the good of his family, I really think most people will understand what he was doing and, above all, what he did – if you look at the measures that he took – they were designed to stop the spread of the virus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--Boris Johnson Presses Ahead With June 1 Opening Date For Schools

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The prime minister is sticking to his date for schools opening but acknowledged “it may not be possible” for all of them to do so by June 1.
Speaking at the Downing Street press briefing, Boris Johnson said, despite resistance from many councils, the government planned to push ahead with the opening date.
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“We said we would begin with early years’ settings and reception, year one, and year six in primary schools,” he said.
Johnson said: “Today, I can announce it is our intention to go ahead with that as planned on June 1, a week on Monday.
“We then intend from June 15 for secondary schools to provide some contact for year 10 and year 12 students to help them to prepare for exams next year, with up to a quarter of these students in at any point.”
He said the government was being “deliberately cautious” and that a final decision would be taken next Thursday as part of the formal review into the lockdown measures.
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Schools June 1 PA Media
The PM added: “I acknowledge that the June 1 opening may not be possible for all schools but the government will continue to support and work with the sector so that any schools experiencing difficulties are able to open more widely as soon as possible.”
Liberal Democrat education spokeswoman Layla Moran said: “Despite the concerns, the prime minister seems intent on rushing to bring schools back in a bid to distract from his scandal-hit spin doctor-in-chief.
“The concession to give some secondary school children contact with their teachers from June 15 also highlights the failure to push down the R number.
“The public deserve answers.”
‘It is doubtful that any part of the education sector has ever been asked to do so much in so little time’. Our press release on this afternoon’s announcement by the Prime Minister on the wider opening of schools and colleges. https://t.co/NMnZ3ewaGA pic.twitter.com/1OiiABYD94 — ASCL (@ASCL_UK) May 24, 2020
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Kevin Courtney, joint general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU) said it was still opposed to the June 1 date.
“We once again call on the government to engage meaningfully with the education unions on these matters,” he said.
“We stand ready to talk to the government about how our five tests can be met and then how we can then proceed to a safe wider re-opening of schools.”
The Association of Schools and College Leaders (ASCL) said it welcomed the government’s recognition that not all schools would be able to open in a week’s time.
But Geoff Barton, ASCL’s general secretary said: “(The government) has not communicated the rationale for its chosen approach well, and it left primary schools with little time to plan and implement safety protocols.”
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“It is also worrying that the government’s crucial test, trace, and isolate system is not yet in place and is unproven.”
He added: “It is doubtful that any part of the education sector has ever been asked to do so much in so little time.”
Teachers’ Union NASUWT said the decision to push ahead with the June 1 opening was “at odds” with scientific evidence on transmission.
NASUWT general secretary Dr Patrick Roach said: “The government has to recognise that it has not won the trust and confidence of the teaching profession.
“Notwithstanding the government’s assertions, the bottom line is that no teacher or child should be expected to go into schools until it can be demonstrated that it is safe for them to do so.”
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Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “That the prime minister acknowledges that flexibility will not just be possible but will be necessary is to be welcomed.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--The UK Civil Service Twitter Account Just Went Rogue And Slagged Off Boris Johnson

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The official Twitter account of the UK Civil Service has branded the government “arrogant and offensive” in a remarkable tweet just moments after the Downing Street daily press briefing.
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The message was swiftly deleted but not before it had been retweeted over 30,000 times.
It read: “Arrogant and offensive. Can you imagine having to work with these truth twisters?”
This has just been tweeted from the UK Civil Service account.
This is the craziest political weekend for a long time. pic.twitter.com/u4x0i6plHL — Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) May 24, 2020
The tweet appears to have been sent in reaction to Boris Johnson confirming that Dominic Cummings will keep his job despite claims he twice defied the PM’s Covid-19 “stay at home” restrictions and travelled 260 miles to Durham to self-isolate at his parents’ home in March.
The PM said he had “extensive face to face” discussions with the former Vote Leave boss and that Cummings acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity”.
He added: “I have concluded that in travelling to find the right kind of childcare, at the moment when both he and his wife were about to be incapacitated by coronavirus – and when he had no alternative – I think he followed the instincts of every father and every parent”.
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RIP to the bravest civil service intern of them all pic.twitter.com/24CfJ6MQFW — 🙋🏼♀➡🏠 k a t i e 👏🧼👍 (@supermathskid) May 24, 2020
Has anyone seen the civil service twitter account log-ins? I put them down by a fruit machine at Thurrock services and haven't seen them since. — Mark ne-Francois-pas MP (@MarkFrancois12) May 24, 2020
yeah that civil service tweet is good, but it’s even better when it’s being read out slowly on BBC News pic.twitter.com/dxiRvN9MJZ — Jon Stone (@joncstone) May 24, 2020
The UK Civil Service is the body of workers that carry out the day-to-day work of the government. They remain in place when governments change and are professionally apolitical.
Later on Sunday evening UK Government spokesman said the tweet was “unauthorised”, adding: “The post has been removed and we are investigating the matter.”
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The official Civil Service account was only following its instincts — Michael Deacon (@MichaelPDeacon) May 24, 2020
The PM’s comments sparked an instant backlash on social media from a public confused that everyone but Cummings had interpreted the government’s ‘Stay At Home’ instructions at face value.
Hold up! Johnson let him off? So those parents whose children were DYING could only have one parent at hospital and those children being BURIED couldn’t have family at the funeral, but Cummings could spread Covid/travel “in case” they needed childcare (they didn’t)#sackcummimgs — Scarlet Wilde (@wilde) May 24, 2020
The sentiment was echoed by Labour leader Kier Starmer.
This was a test of the Prime Minister and he has failed it.
It is an insult to sacrifices made by the British people that Boris Johnson has chosen to take no action against Dominic Cummings. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 24, 2020
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Number 10 had initially defended Cummings, saying the trip was justified as he needed help with childcare for his four-year-old son. Cummings later tested positive for Covid-19,
Reports in the Sunday Mirror and Observer today, however, claimed that Cummings returned to County Durham on April 19 and witnesses saw him in a town called Barnard Castle.
Johnson also sought to defend his adviser, by saying “some” of the allegations about Cummings’ behaviour during self-isolation were “palpably false”.
He said: “Though there have been many other allegations about what happened when he was in self-isolation and thereafter, some of them palpably false, I believe that in every respect he has acted responsibly and legally and with integrity and with the overwhelming aim of stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--Boris Johnson Refuses To Fire Dominic Cummings Despite Lockdown Allegations

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Dominic Cummings will keep his job as Boris Johnson’s top aide, the prime minister has confirmed.
The PM says he had “extensive face to face” discussions with the former Vote Leave boss and that Cummings acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity”.
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The decision to keep Cummings in Downing Street comes despite claims he twice defied the PM’s Covid-19 “stay at home” restrictions.
The PM is likely to face anger from the public, Labour and his own Tory backbenchers, who broke ranks on Sunday to demand Cummings go.
But Johnson gave a full-throated public show of support to his embattled aide, telling the Downing Street press conference on Sunday he “had extensive face-to-face conversations” with Cummings.
He added “I have concluded that in travelling to find the right kind of childcare, at the moment when both he and his wife were about to be incapacitated by coronavirus – and when he had no alternative – I think he followed the instincts of every father and every parent”.
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“And I do not mark him down for that.”
It emerged on Friday that Cummings travelled 260 miles to Durham to self-isolate at his parents’ home in March.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior aide Dominic Cummings leaves his home, in London ASSOCIATED PRESS
Number 10 had initially defended him, saying the trip was justified as Cummings, who later tested positive for Covid-19, needed help with childcare for his four-year-old son.
Reports in the Sunday Mirror and Observer today, however, claimed that Cummings returned to County Durham on April 19 and witnesses saw him in a town called Barnard Castle.
Johnson also sought to defend his adviser, by saying “some” of the allegations about Cummings’ behaviour during self-isolation were “palpably false”.
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He said: “Though there have been many other allegations about what happened when he was in self-isolation and thereafter, some of them palpably false, I believe that in every respect he has acted responsibly and legally and with integrity and with the overwhelming aim of stopping the spread of the virus and saving lives.”
He went on: “I can totally get why people might feel so confused and so offended by the idea that it is one thing for people here and another thing for others.
“But really having looked at what happened, having looked at his intentions and what he was trying to do for the good of his family, I really think most people will understand what he was doing and, above all, what he did – if you look at the measures that he took – they were designed to stop the spread of the virus.
“I think that he, at all times, behaved responsibly and legally.”
This was a test of the Prime Minister and he has failed it.
It is an insult to sacrifices made by the British people that Boris Johnson has chosen to take no action against Dominic Cummings. — Keir Starmer (@Keir_Starmer) May 24, 2020
He did acknowledge, however, the damage the incident may have done to the government.
He said the “big question” that was being asked was “is this government asking you – the people, the public – to do one thing, while senior people here in Government do something else?”
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“Have we been asking you to make sacrifices, to obey social distancing – stay at home – while some people have been basically flouting those rules and endangering lives.”
He said his conversations with Cummings today were “because I take this matter so seriously”.
Labour leader Keir Starmer said the cabinet secretary should launch an inquiry into the matter.
He said: “This was a test of the Prime Minister and he has failed it.
“It is an insult to sacrifices made by the British people that Boris Johnson has chosen to take no action against Dominic Cummings. The public will be forgiven for thinking there is one rule for the Prime Minister’s closest adviser and another for the British people.
“The prime minister’s actions have undermined confidence in his own public health message at this crucial time.
“Millions were watching for answers and they got nothing. That’s why the cabinet secretary must now launch an urgent inquiry.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--Watch Live: Boris Johnson Leads Daily Coronavirus Briefing

Watch Live: Boris Johnson Leads Daily Coronavirus Briefing
Boris Johnson chairs the daily coronavirus briefing as calls intensify for Dominic Cummings to resign.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--PM To Lead Press Conference As Calls Intensify For Dominic Cummings To Resign

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Boris Johnson is set to lead the Downing Street press conference as pressure mounts on him to sack his senior aide Dominic Cummings.
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The prime minister is likely to face a barrage of questions over Cummings, who is alleged to have twice broken the coronavirus lockdown, when he appears before the cameras at the daily briefing at 5pm.
The PM has been under pressure to act since it emerged on Friday that the former Vote Leave boss travelled 260 miles to Durham to self-isolate at his parents’ home in March.
Cummings was seen entering Number 10 on Sunday afternoon, as a string of Conservative MPs broke ranks to call for his resignation.
Number 10 had initially defended him, saying the trip was justified as Cummings, who later tested positive for Covid-19, needed help with childcare for his four-year-old son.
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Reports in the Sunday Mirror and Observer today, however, claimed that Cummings returned to County Durham on April 19 and witnesses saw him in a town called Barnard Castle.
Transport secretary Grant Shapps later told Sky News it was “completely untrue” that Cummings went back to Durham.
But calls from Labour, the public and key Tory backbenchers for a clear explanation have been continuing to pile up.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth told the BBC: “This is a deadly, deadly virus which spreads with speed, which is why we went into a lockdown and it’s why the government told us and put into law a rule that we should stay at home, a rule that Dominic Cummings helped design with Boris Johnson.
“His behaviour is utterly irresponsible. He has undermined that rule, as have a whole chorus of cabinet ministers including the health Secretary, extraordinarily, undermined that public health rule which is about keeping people safe.”
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Labour’s Rachel Reeves, shadow chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, meanwhile, has written to cabinet secretary Mark Sedwill to ask the top civil servant to investigate whether Cummings’ actions breached the lockdown and the code of conduct for special advisers.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--Jacqueline Jossa Breaks Silence To Clarify Dan Osborne 'Split' Reports

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Jacqueline Jossa has spoken out to deny reports she has split from husband Dan Osborne.
The couple were the subject of a story in The Sun On Sunday claiming they’d called time on their marriage as the coronavirus lockdown had “magnified their issues”.
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The former EastEnders star has since posted on her Instagram clarifying that while she and Dan are spending time apart, there “is no split”.
Dan Osborne and Jacqueline Jossa Barcroft Media via Getty Images
“I need some time. There is no split. There is no divorce,” the I’m A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! 2019 winner wrote.
“We are working together not against each other. Change your headlines please. Thanks.”
Jacqueline married former The Only Way Is Essex star Dan in 2017 after they began dating three years earlier.
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The couple have two daughters – Ella, five, and 22-month-old Mia – together, while Dan has a son – six-year-old Teddy – from his relationship with ex-girlfriend Megan Tomlin.
Dan has been hit with a number of accusations he has cheated on Jacqueline during their relationship, but he has always maintained his innocence.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--Led By Donkeys Play PM's Lockdown Speech Right Outside Dominic Cummings' Home

Cummings has faced intense criticism over the weekend for leaving London for Durham during lockdown at least twice to visit family, despite displaying symptoms of Covid-19.
A Downing Street spokesperson said a visit to the senior advisor’s parents’ home was ‘essential’ in order to secure childcare for his four-year-old son, and has vehemently denied reports of other trips to the north east.
Number 10 said it would “not waste time” replying to fresh allegations from “campaigning newspapers” – referring to The Mirror and The Guardian, who broke the news.
Speaking outside his London home on Sunday, after one journalist asked if he had been back to Durham in April, Cummings said: “No, I did not.”
Boris Johnson has offered his “full support” to his chief adviser, who has also been supported with near-identical messages from several senior ministers, but a number of backbenchers have called for Cummings’ immediate resignation, describing his positions as “untenable.”
Led by Donkeys also put up a separate installation on Westminster Bridge Road on Friday.
Posting a photo of the billboard, which reads “Stay alert, Government incompetence costs lives”, the group said: “When the PM’s top adviser is criss-crossing the country with coronavirus, it’s definitely time to stay alert.”
Johnson defended Mr Cummings after news surfaced that he had travelled to Durham, but Downing Street said it would “not waste time” replying to fresh allegations from “campaigning newspapers”.
While the video installation has been met with approval by many fans of the group’s previous stunts – as well as those furious with Cummings’ actions – it has also faced criticism for “intimidating” the advisor’s family.
Reporter Sam Holder later tweeted to say that Cummings’ family were not inside the property at the time of Led By Donkey’s arrival.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--UK Records 164 More Coronavirus Deaths In 24 Hours, Bringing Total To 36,839

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The number of people who have died across England, Scotland and Wales after contracting coronavirus has risen by 164 in 24 hours.
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The increase consists of 147 hospital patients in England, nine people in Scotland, one person in Northern Ireland and seven hospital patients and care home residents in Wales.
So far, no UK-wide figures from the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) have been released, so the total is taken from each nation’s individual reporting.
It brings the working total to 36,839.
But the government tally, when it is released later today, will be significantly higher as it includes deaths in care homes (missing from the individual figures in at least England) and the community (missing from at least England and Wales). Here’s a quick primer on what all the different numbers mean and how to understand them.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Follow HuffPost UK on Twitter here, and on Facebook here.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--Mother Of Teenage Stabbing Victim Yousef Makki Dies 'With A Broken Heart'

The mother of a grammar school boy who was stabbed to death in an affluent Cheshire village has died, her family said.
Yousef Makki, 17, a scholarship boy at Manchester Grammar School, was knifed in the heart by his friend, former public schoolboy Joshua Molnar, 18, during a fight in upmarket Hale Barns on March 2 last year.
On Sunday, the family said his mother Debbie Makki had died.
A post on the Facebook page Justice for Yousef Makki, written by his sister Jade Akoum, said: “24th of May at 4am my beautiful strong mum Debbie Makki peacefully passed away.
“God rest your soul, at least you are with Yousef now, we told him we needed you here a bit longer but you had to be together!
“I seen you over the fence twice in 12 weeks because I was worried about you with corona and we said we would all have a big party once it was all over.
“We love you so so much, I didn’t think my heart could take any more pain and loss and grief.
“Please say a prayer for her soul today and pray for my little brother who has lost two of the closest people to him in the space of a year and all of us that have been left behind.
“Mum died with a broken heart and we knew she wanted justice for Yousef and I promise you mum we wont give up until we get it for you.”
Molnar, from a wealthy Cheshire family, was cleared of Yousef’s murder and manslaughter following a trial at Manchester Crown Court last July when he claimed he acted in self-defence.
He admitted possession of a knife and perverting the course of justice and was given 16 months in custody.
A second defendant, who can only be identified as Boy B, was convicted of possession of a knife and sentenced to a four-month detention order.
He was cleared of perverting the course of justice and along with Molnar was found not guilty of a single charge of conspiracy to robbery.
Debbie and the family have been calling for a full inquest into Yousef’s death, and at a pre-inquest hearing in February their legal representative Matthew Stanbury said matters surrounding the teenager’s death “have not been sufficiently aired”.
In October, Debbie gave a speech at an anti-knife crime summit in Manchester.
Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham was among those to pay tribute to her.
He wrote on Twitter: “So so sorry to hear this news. And after everything the family has been through.
“Debbie was such a lovely person and deserved so much more. My love to them all.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-24--Netflix's White Lines: 11 Questions The Final Episode Left Unanswered

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Warning: This article (obviously) contains major spoilers for Netflix’s White Lines.
After 10 hedonistic episodes, we finally know the identity of Axel Collins’ killer in Netflix’s sun-soaked murder mystery White Lines.
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The final instalment of the series from Spanish writer Alex Pina revealed that it was Anna Ward (Angela Griffin) who had killed the Ibiza DJ and club owner.
Anna confessed her crime to Axel’s sister Zoe (Laura Haddock), revealing she’d murdered him after discovering he’d burned all their money at his birthday party.
Anna was revealed as Axel's killer Netflix
However, Anna also claimed it was crime of passion, not being able to cope with the idea of Marcus leaving her if he was to discover she’d cheated on him with Axel (Tom Rhys Harries).
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While the finale wrapped up that aspect of the story, there were plenty of other loose ends left unaddressed, which could easily pave the way for a second series.
Anna stabbed Axel in the throat after previously failing to drown him Netflix
Daniel Mays, who plays Marcus, recently said as much, telling Metro: “None of it’s been properly resolved. I don’t wanna give away too much but, yeah I’m just pitching for a second series.”
Angela Griffin also hinted that writer Alex has “got a series two in mind”, after previously creating popular Spanish drama Money Heist.
With that in mind, here are the questions we’d want answered...
Did Anna face any sort of justice?
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Or is her loveless marriage to George meant to be her punishment for killing Axel?
How did Axel’s body turn up on the mainland?
The flashbacks revealed how Anna and Marcus made two unsuccessful attempts to kill Axel before Anna finished him off with a screwdriver to the throat. But quite how his body then got from the road to the Calafat’s land in Almeria desert remained largely unexplained. Did they have help?
Did Zoe tell anyone else who killed Axel?
Netflix
For someone who’d spent so long seeking answers about her brother’s death, she did very little with the information when she finally learned the truth.
Her monologue suggested it hadn’t brought her the closure she’d hoped, but did she tell any of the others that it was Anna (with a little help from Marcus) who was responsible?
Did Zoe go back to her husband?
While her last video call to Jenny and Mike was certainly ill-advised to say the least, there still appeared to be hope for their marriage when Mike told Zoe he still loved her.
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So did she return home to her suburban life? Or did she make a go of it with Boxer?
What happened to Boxer?
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He’s finally free from the Calafat family after tendering his resignation and was last seen driving off into the sunset. But where is he starting his new life? And is it with Zoe?
Has Oriol worked out Boxer killed the Romanians – and will he do anything about it?
Netflix
When he escaped Clint’s van and Boxer gave him a life jacket to wear, he found a glass eye belonging to one of the Romanians that Boxer killed earlier in the series.
We saw Oriol examining it curiously, but was he able to put the pieces of the jigsaw together? And if he did, does he intend to use it to any kind of advantage that could disrupt Boxer’s fresh start?
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Did the Calafats seek revenge on the Martinezs?
The long-running feud between the two families calmed down when Andreu admitted to Marcus he was too tired to seek revenge on them for the truck crash, which left him paralysed.
However, Oriol told his family that he’d been kidnapped by the Martinezs rather than Clint – surely they didn’t take that lying down too?
Is Oriol still under the impression he killed Axel?
During his family group therapy, Oriol confessed he believed he’d killed Axel and we later found out his memory lapse was due to the fact he’d enjoyed a heroin-fuelled romp with David on the night of the party. But did the series end with him still believing he was responsible?
Are Marcus and Kika still together?
Netflix
They are the show’s most unlikely couple, but we have no choice but to stan.
How did Marcus see off the Romanians?
Just when everything was starting to look up for Marcus, up turned the Romanians’ cronies, demanding to know if he’d killed them.
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While they spared his life, Marcus still owed them €276k for the missing cocaine – but how will manage to pay them off? Is that what his pitch to Andreu a job was about? Speaking of which...
Did Andreu take Marcus up on his offer?
Netflix
When Marcus put himself up for a job working for the Calafats, Andreu laughed at the suggestion, but it wasn’t clear whether this was because he thought the idea was ridiculous or great.Would he really employ Marcus? And would Marcus be trustworthy enough not to take a cut of the profit to pay off his debts?


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Grimes And Elon Musk Make Small Change To Son's Name Due To California Law

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Singer-songwriter Grimes has revealed she has made a small adjustment to her son’s unusual name, due to a legal requirement in California.
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Grimes and SpaceX’s CEO Elon Musk welcomed their first child earlier this month, revealing they had chosen to name him X Æ A-12.
Perhaps understandably, the couple’s decision raised a fair few questions on social media, with Grimes later explaining she’d chosen to name the son after “X, the unknown variable”, artificial intelligence and the pair’s shared favourite aircraft.
However, in an Instagram comment, the Canadian star explained they had to make a small change to the intended name.
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You see, California law forbids the inclusion of any numbers in a legal name, so to get around the “A-12” issue, Grimes and Elon Musk took a rather old school approach, reverting to Roman numerals.
One fan commented on a post asking “Did you change the baby name because of Californian laws? What is the baby’s new name?”, to which she responded: “X Æ A-Xii.”
She later admitted that she thinks the Roman numerals “look better tbh”, going on to clarify that “one dash is allowed” in a name by law.
Grimes and Elon Musk at the Met Gala in 2018 SIPA USA/PA Images
Days after giving birth, Grimes had a snappy comeback for her partner after he corrected her on Twitter over her explanation of their son’s name.
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After Grimes claimed the A-12 was a “precursor to the SR-17”, he wrote back: “SR-71, but yes.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Dominic Cummings To Make Statement As Lockdown Row Intensifies

Boris Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings will make a public statement following calls for him to be sacked over allegations he breached coronavirus lockdown restrictions.
The PM’s aide is expected to take questions following the unusual address, as he faces sustained pressure from across the political spectrum to quit his government role.
Cummings travelled to County Durham in March to self-isolate with his family – apparently because he feared that he and his wife would be left unable to care for their son – while official guidelines warned against long-distance journeys.
Further reports also suggested he took a second trip to the North East in April, having already returned to London following his recovery from Covid-19 – a disease which has seen more than 45,000 people in the UK die after contracting it.
Several Conservative backbenchers have joined calls from opposition parties for Cummings to quit or be sacked, amid warnings that his actions have “undermined” efforts to fight coronavirus.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Durham Police Commissioner Asks Force To Investigate Dominic Cummings' Lockdown Trips

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The police and crime commissioner for Durham has written to the force’s chief constable to ask for further investigation into claims surrounding Dominic Cummings’ trips to the county.
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It emerged on Friday that the PM’s most senior advisor had travelled 260 miles from London to Durham to visit family after testing positive for Covid-19 – apparently because he feared that he and his wife would be left unable to care for their son – despite the fact official guidelines warned against long-distance journeys.
Boris Johnson backed Cummings on Sunday, saying he had acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity” when travelling to ensure childcare – a defence which has been met with fierce criticism by many, including a number of his own MPs.
Cummings reportedly went on to make a second trip to the area in April, allegations which have been robustly denied by Number 10.
But Durham Police’s crime and victims’ commissioner Steve White on Monday revealed that he had written to the force’s chief constable in order to “establish the facts” surrounding “additional information” about Cummings’ potential breach of lockdown rules.
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White wrote: “I am confident that thus far, Durham police has responded proportionately and appropriately to the issues raised concerning Mr Cummings and his visit to the County at the end of March.
“It is clear however that there is a plethora of additional information circulating in the public domain which deserves appropriate examination.
“I have today written to the Chief Constable, asking her to establish the facts concerning any potential breach of the law or regulations in this matter at any juncture.
“It is vital that the force can show it has the interests of the people of County Durham and Darlington at its heart, so that the model of policing by consent, independent of government but answerable to the law, is maintained.
“It will be for the Chief Constable to determine the operational response to this request and I am confident that with the resources at its disposal, the force can show proportionality and fairness in what has become a major issue of public interest and trust.”
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Dominic Cummings leaves 10 Downing Street on Sunday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
Durham Police and Downing Street came into conflict over the weekend, when a statement released on behalf of the PM called into question the force’s confirmation that officers had spoken to Cummings’ father.
Meanwhile, Gloucestershire’s independent police and crime commissioner Martin Surl told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Monday that Cummings had made a “mockery” of lockdown restrictions.
He said: “I think it makes it much harder for the police going forward – this will be quoted back at them time and time again when they try to enforce the new rules.
“But I think more importantly it makes something of a mockery of the police action going back when the message was very, very clear: stay at home.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Key Lockdown Advisor Says The Dominic Cummings Row Could Lead To More Coronavirus Deaths

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A behavioural scientist who advised the government on lockdown rules has said the row over Dominic Cummings has “fatally undermined” months of work and could lead to more coronavirus deaths in the UK.
Speaking to HuffPost UK, Professor Stephen Reicher also said Boris Johnson’s defence of his most senior aide “insults” the British public “by suggesting they lack the proper instincts of a parent and don’t care for their child enough”.
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He added: “We desperately need good clear leadership, we desperately need people to trust their leadership and we need people to pull together. And all of that has been undermined by what’s happened over the weekend.”
On Sunday, the PM headed the daily Downing Street coronavirus briefing and publicly backed Cummings, saying he had “acted responsibly, legally and with integrity” by driving 260 miles to County Durham to isolate and that “any parent would frankly understand what he did”.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson's senior aide Dominic Cummings arriving at his north London home, as lockdown questions continue to bombard the government after it emerged that he travelled to his parents' home despite coronavirus-related restrictions. PA
Prof Reicher, who is on the Independent Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours which passes its advice to Sage, said: “If you look at the some of the advice that we’ve given, one of the key issues if you want to get adherence or compliance to government is a sense that ‘the government respects us and the government is working for us’ and a sense of ‘we’re all in this together’.
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“If adherence is all about a sense of ‘us’ then it’s fatally undermined if you create a sense of ‘us and them’ and one of the best ways to do that is to give a sense that government and government figures abide by a different set of rules to the public – one law for us and one for them.
“It immediately creates this ‘us and them’ thinking and you’ve therefore undermined compliance.”
Johnson has faced criticism for his handling of the row from Tory backbenchers, opposing politicians and the public alike.
He is set to discuss the easing of lockdown measures at a Cabinet meeting on Monday, but the political storm over his chief adviser’s trip looks set to overshadow any announcements – and may well have already have undermined them.
Prof Reicher said: “There’s a very simple equation. If compliance goes down, infection goes up and infection goes up, more people will die.
“If, and I quite accept it is an ‘if’, but if this undermines compliance then yes, more people will die.”
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As one of those involved in SPI-B, the Government advisory group on behavioural science, I can say that in a few short minutes tonight, Boris Johnson has trashed all the advice we have given on how to build trust and secure adherence to the measures necessary to control COVID-19. — Stephen Reicher (@ReicherStephen) May 24, 2020
Be open and honest, we said. Trashed.
Respect the public, we said. Trashed
Ensure equity, so everyone is treated the same, we said. Trashed.
Be consistent we said. Trashed.
Make clear 'we are all in it together'. Trashed. — Stephen Reicher (@ReicherStephen) May 24, 2020
Cummings travelled to County Durham in March to self-isolate with his family – apparently because he feared that he and his wife would be left unable to care for their son – while official guidelines warned against long-distance journeys.
Further reports also suggested he took a second trip to the North East in April, having already returned to London following his recovery from Covid-19 – a disease which has seen more than 45,000 people in the UK die after contracting it.
Prof Reicher does believe there is one “saving grace”. “Throughout this pandemic the public has probably been ahead of the government,” he said.
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“Our leadership has actually been following behind. When it came to lockdown, the public was already clamouring for it, when it came to the economic measures to allow people to afford to stay at home, the public was ahead.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Lana Del Rey Takes On Instagram Critics: 'F*** Off If You Don’t Like My Post'

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Lana Del Rey has uploaded yet another rebuttal after facing a backlash over a recent Instagram post.
The Grammy-nominated star took a lot of heat on social media last week, after a lengthy statement she posted in which she claimed that many artists have recently achieved success singing about themes that the media has “crucified” her for in the past.
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However, while listing the singers and rappers in question, many took issue with the fact she’d listed predominantly women of colour, including Beyoncé, Doja Cat, Camila Cabello and Nicki Minaj.
Lana Del Rey at the 2018 Grammys Lester Cohen via Getty Images
Having already branded accusations of racism “bullshit”, and insisted her critics are only after “drama”, the Norman Fucking Rockwell singer has now uploaded a six-minute video, once again shooting down her detractors and attempting to clarify her initial comments.
“I don’t want to beat a dead horse and I don’t want to go on and on about this post thing, but I just want to remind you that in that post, my one and only personal declaration that I’ve ever made – thanks for being so warm and welcoming – it was about the need for fragility in the feminist movement,” she began.
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“And when I mentioned ‘women who look like me’, I didn’t mean white like me. I meant the kind of women who other people might not believe because they think, ‘oh, well look at her, she fucking deserves it’ or whatever. There’s a lot of people like that, you know?”
Referencing fellow singer FKA Twigs – who wasn’t name-checked in her original post – Lana continued: “I just think it’s sad that the women I mentioned, whether they sing about dancing for money or whatever – the same stuff, by the way, that I’ve been singing about and chronicling for 13 years...
“The difference is when I get on the pole, people call me a whore, but when Twigs gets on the pole, it’s art... I just want to say, you know, the culture is super sick right now, and the fact they want to turn my post, my advocacy for fragility into a race war, it’s really bad. It’s actually really bad.”
After pointing out that she had spoken about the importance of giving reparations to Native American communities like the Navajo, she added: “I just want to say, to all of the other women out there who are like me – good girls, good-intentioned, who get fucked up the ass constantly by the culture just because you say what you really mean – I’m with you, and I feel for you, and I know that you feel for me, and I’m super strong, you know? You can call me whatever.
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“I’m sorry that I didn’t add one Caucasian, 100% Caucasian person into the mix of the women that I admire, but it really says more about you than it does about me.”
It should be noted that Lana did mention Ariana Grande in her post, having collaborated with the singer and Miley Cyrus last year on the track Don’t Call Me Angel.
“And I think that what’s interesting is the very first time I decide to tell you anything about my life or the fact that I’m writing books that chronicle that fragility, that 200,000 hateful spiteful comments come in and my phone number leaked and comments like “you fucking white bitch”, you know?,” she added. “It’s the opposite of the spirit of the advocate, it’s what causes fragility. But it’s not going to stop me, period.”
Although she didn’t go into specifics, Lana went on to mention that she’d spoken privately to “a couple of the girls” mentioned in her original post, but that they had a “super different opinion of my insight”.
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She concluded: “I’m not the enemy, and I’m definitely not racist, so don’t get it twisted. Nobody gets to tell your story except for you... so, god bless and fuck off if you don’t like the post.”
At the end of her initial statement, Lana announced that she would be releasing her new album – her seventh under her Lana Del Rey moniker – in September, and that it would feature “tinges of what I’ve been pondering”. She has since clarified that this would be called Chemtrails Over The Country Club.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Brian May Reveals He Was Rushed To Hospital After Suffering A Heart Attack

Queen star Brian May has revealed he was recently rushed to hospital after suffering what he has described as a “small heart attack”.
Earlier this month, the acclaimed guitarist raised eyebrows when he revealed he’d suffered an injury to his buttocks that had left him in “relentless” pain.
However, in a new Instagram video, he admitted that he’d suffered a far more serious health scare “in the middle of the whole saga”.
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“The rest of the story is a little more bizarre,” Brian explained. “A bit more shocking. Well, I was shocked because I thought I was a pretty healthy guy and everyone says ’you’ve got great blood pressure, you’ve got a great heart rate… but anyway, in the middle of the whole saga of the painful backside, I had a small heart attack.”
Brian May on stage in Australia back in February Cole Bennetts via Getty Images
He continued: “I say small, it’s not something that did me any harm, it was about 40 minutes of pain in my chest and tightness and that feeling in the arms, and sweating, you kinda know, you’ve heard, ‘is this a heart attack?’.”
He was then driven to hospital by his doctor, where after an angiogram, he was then taken to a second facility as an emergency patient.
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While some doctors told Brian he should undergo open heart surgery and a triple bypass, others told him he would need three stents put in his heart, opting for the latter.
The procedure, he noted, was a success, adding: “I thank them from the bottom of my heart. I think I’m in good shape for some time to come.
“I didn’t die, I came out and I would have been full of beans if it wasn’t for the leg… I was very near death because of this, but the pain I had was from something completely different. ’But I’m good, I’m here, and I’m ready to rock.”
In the video caption, he also joked about the Queen album Sheer Heart Attack, commenting: “I think I always worried a little bit about that album title. I wondered if it might upset some people who had actually had heart attacks.
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“I’m actually quite relieved now that I’m in that club - and I don’t find it upsetting at all!”
Brian has been a member of Queen since the early 1970s, and continued to perform with the group and guest vocalist Adam Lambert, including earlier this year, where they recreated their iconic Live Aid set at a benefit concert for the Australian bushfires crisis.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Somerset Hospital Stops Accepting Patients Due To 'High Number' Of Covid-19 Cases

A hospital in Somerset has temporarily stopped accepting new patients due to the high number already there with coronavirus.
Weston General Hospital in Weston-super-Mare stopped taking new admissions, including into its A&E department, from 8am on Monday “to maintain patient and staff safety”.
University Hospitals Bristol and Weston NHS Foundation Trust said the measure is “precautionary” and the situation will be kept under review.
The trust said there are arrangements in place for new patients to access treatment and care “in other appropriate healthcare settings in the area should they need it”.
Dr William Oldfield, medical director at the trust, said: “As with any hospital, the number of patients with Covid-19 will frequently change as people are admitted and discharged.
“We currently have a high number of patients with Covid-19 in Weston General Hospital.
“Whilst the vast majority will have come into the hospital with Covid-19, as an extra precaution we have taken the proactive step to temporarily stop accepting new patients to maintain patient and staff safety.
“This is a clinically led decision and we are being supported by our system partners to ensure that new patients receive the care and treatment they need in the appropriate setting, and we are continuing to provide high-quality care to existing patients who are being treated in the hospital.
“We have a robust coronavirus testing programme in place for patients and staff to identify cases quickly, with appropriate measures taken by clinical teams as required.
“We will keep the situation under constant review.”


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--James 'Arg' Argent Reveals He Came Close To Death After Cocaine Overdose Last Year

James “Arg” Argent has spoken for the first time about a near-fatal cocaine overdose that led to him being rushed to hospital last year.
The former TOWIE star has been open about his struggles with substance abuse in the past, and in 2017, completed a 10-week stay at a rehab clinic in Thailand.
However, in a new interview with The Sun, James has revealed he overdosed on cocaine on two separate occasions in 2019, both times resulting in the emergency services kicking down his front door.
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Recalling his first overdose in October, the 32-year-old said: “I locked myself in my house and took drugs for three days straight on my own in the pitch black.
“I was at rock bottom. My heart was beating out of my chest, my nose was bleeding, I was shaking and my breathing was terrible.”
James Argent pictured in April last year SOPA Images via Getty Images
It was his TOWIE co-star and ex-girlfriend Gemma Collins who called the ambulance service, and after performing checks on James, they agreed it was safe for him to spend the night at his parents’ house.
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Just two months later, though, James overdosed at his home for the second time, resulting in a hospital stay.
“It was the night before my birthday and I said to myself, ’Right, ‘I’m not going to do drugs tonight because I want to see my family on my birthday and spend time with Gemma’,” he explained. “But my addiction was so bad I couldn’t stop myself. I started early and was in a terrible place.
“I locked myself in, phone was off and my parents and friends were banging on the door again. Gemma called the ambulance and they broke through the door and did all the checks on me and this time they said, ‘There’s absolutely no way you’re staying here’.
“They said, ‘You’ve done so much and your heart is so fucked you could die. You have to come to hospital.’ I’ll never forget being in the ambulance with my poor mum.”
James with ex-girlfriend Gemma Collins in 2017 Karwai Tang via Getty Images
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James has also told The Sun that he checked into rehab towards the end of last year for a fifth time, after finally accepting that he was addicted to the class-A drug.
He said: “I’ll never forget on Christmas Day sitting on my own eating a kebab for dinner. At that point I knew that was the moment where I said I need to get better and sort this out. You couldn’t get any lower.”
After a 10-week stint at a clinic at the beginning of this year, Arg now regularly attends a local out-patient facility, and is looking to the future.
Need friendly, confidential advice on drugs? Contact FRANK on 0300 123 6600 or visit the website for alternative contact methods.
“I want to own [my addiction] the way that people like Davina McCall, Russell Brand and Robbie Williams have. I look up to those people and they inspire me,” he told the newspaper. “I feel like they’ve got a similar story to me and they’ve owned it and they’ve got themselves better and gone on to achieve incredible things so why can’t I?
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“I don’t have to keep this a secret any more and I want to get this weight off my shoulders. It’s too early for me to sit here and go, ‘I want to do this so I can help other people and save lives’. But it is an ambition of mine further down the line.”
James was one of the original cast members on The Only Way Is Essex when it launched in 2010.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Dominic Cummings: The Seven Questions That Still Haven't Been Answered

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The row over Dominic Cummings’ 260-mile trip from London to Durham has now raged into its fourth day, and as new details emerge the questions are mounting up.
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At Sunday’s daily press conference, Boris Johnson made it clear that his chief advisor was still in with a job – a move that has earned the PM widespread criticism from the public, scientific advisors, faith leaders and even his own MPs.
Addressing the public, Johnson maintained that Cummings’ had acted “responsibly, legally and with integrity”, adding “I think he followed the instincts of every father and every parent”.
While Number 10 has acknowledged that Cummings had travelled once to Durham, they have completely dismissed reports of a second trip.
From why exactly Cummings needed to make the journey, to whether or not the family stopped during journey, here are eight questions that still haven’t been answered by the government:
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Why did he need to travel 260 miles north?
The argument pushed by Number 10 is that Cummings, fearing there would be no one to look after his four-year-old son if he and his wife became ill with coronavirus at the same time, travelled to be near his family in County Durham to seek childcare.
Yet Labour shadow policing minister Sarah Jones said, in an interview on Sky News’ Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme, she knew of “single mothers who have had Covid-19, when their child has had to stay with them” and neighbours and volunteers had to “chip-in food so they can eat”.
In the wake of the news, families across the UK have taken to Twitter to share their own stories of struggling to care for their children while battling the virus or shielding to avoid getting infected.
Given these sacrifices, critics have queried why Cummings – as someone involved in setting the lockdown rules – couldn’t call on any friends or family in London to assist him in adhering to the restrictions.
Did he have Covid-19 when travelling?
The PM tested positive for coronavirus on March 26 and Number 10 confirmed that Cummings developed symptoms over the weekend of March 28-29.
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He was seen running out of Downing Street on March 27, shortly after it was confirmed publicly that the PM had the virus.
On Friday, a statement issued by Durham Constabulary suggested Cummings’ father had confirmed his son was self-isolating in the North East as of March 31.
Given the average incubation period for Covid-19 is five days, but can be as long as 14, the four-day gap between the two dates suggests he could have been asymptomatic while travelling.
The government rules clearly state that anyone with Covid-19 symptoms – however mild – must stay at home for seven days. Members of their household “must stay at home and not leave the house” for 14 days.
Did he have to stop en route to Durham?
Driving 260 miles (more than four-and-a-half hours) across the country with a four-year-old and his wife – who was already displaying Covid-19 symptoms – Cummings might well have needed to stop for a break.
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Transport Secretary Grant Shapps was asked during the Sunday morning media round about whether the family took a pit stop, but said he did not know the answer.
But he argued Cummings was a “stickler” for social-distancing rules, indicating he would have abided by them during any stop-off.
The Cabinet minister told Sophy Ridge: “I saw a clip yesterday of him asking journalists to be spaced two metres apart, so I know he is a stickler for those rules…so I’m sure that they took all the necessary precautions.”
Dominic Cummings, special adviser to the prime minister, pictured outside 10 Downing Street on Sunday. Chris J Ratcliffe via Getty Images
Did he go on a day trip to Barnard Castle?
The Observer and Sunday Mirror reported that an eyewitness – 71-year-old former teacher Robin Lees – saw Cummings with his wife and child at Barnard Castle, a popular tourist spot 30 miles from Durham, on April 12.
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Downing Street has refused to formally address this allegation, but Shapps suggested the Easter Sunday outing, if it took place, “would have been outside the 14-day period” for self-isolation.
Government advice is that anyone suffering from coronavirus symptoms must quarantine for seven days after contracting the virus.
And guidance issued by the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) and the College of Policing in early April advised officers not to punish people for using their cars to drive “a reasonable distance” for exercise, but the advice from government placed a heavy emphasis on exercising close to home.
Was his son cared for by family while in Durham?
Cummings’ defence for his actions, along with the PM’s justification for keeping him on, hinges on the belief he and his wife could require childcare if they both became unwell.
In No 10’s Saturday statement setting out what went on, it made no reference to his son being looked after by family members, only that Cummings’ sister “shopped for the family and left everything outside” the property they were staying in.
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The question of why Cummings and his family had to travel for someone to deliver food when they most likely could have had the same help in London has not yet been formally addressed.
Was the childcare caveat to the “Stay at home“ message actually made clear in the guidance?
Health secretary Matt Hancock said the government’s “Stay at home” guidance was an instruction, “not a request” at a briefing on April 3.
But deputy chief medical officer Dr Jenny Harries had said at a daily Downing Street press briefing on March 24 that a small child could be considered “vulnerable” and therefore provide exemptions from the stringent rules if their carers became ill.
Harries said: “Although we are encouraging everybody to stay in their own households…clearly if you have adults who are unable to look after a small child, that is an exceptional circumstance.”
For those who were listening intently – and Cummings seems to have been among those who were – a loosening of the restrictions was seemingly confirmed.
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But many families, some of whom were left struggling to care for their young children, have voiced their anger about the use of this caveat, citing the PM’s order during his March 23 speech that “you must stay at home”.
Who is right: No 10 or the police?
A row between Downing Street and Durham Constabulary over police involvement during the episode refused to abate over the weekend.
No 10 denied, as was first reported, that police had contacted Cummings’ family following a report he had travelled to stay near family.
The government’s denial caused the force to put out a fresh statement on Saturday standing by its earlier assertions, stating that officers had a conversation with the Leave campaigner’s father after he requested to speak to them.
But transport secretary Grant Shapps told the BBC the conversation, while initiated by Robert Cummings, did not touch on the whereabouts of the PM’s aide.
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Speaking to the Andrew Marr programme, he said: “For one thing, the father contacted the police, not the other way round.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Sandi Toksvig Recalls Being Vilified By Tabloid Press After Coming Out In The 1990s

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Sandi Toksvig has recalled being vilified by the tabloid press after coming out in the early 1990s.
The former Great British Bake Off host publicly came out in 1994, prompting the organisation Save The Children to drop her as the compere of their 75th anniversary celebrations, only to end up apologising after pressure from the group Lesbian Avengers.
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In a new interview with The Guardian, Sandi recalled this period of her life, in particular how she was written about in the tabloid press.
Sandi Toksvig David M. Benett via Getty Images
“For a long time, Deb [Sandi’s wife] and I didn’t live in a house – we lived in a ‘love nest’,” she joked. “What do they think is going on here? We’re basically going: ‘Do you think these tomatoes have gone off?’”
However, she was also quick to point out that this treatment wasn’t necessarily reflected by the British public.
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Sandi said: “I’ve always said the British people are nicer, kinder people than the tabloid press would have us believe.
“I came out, and the tabloid press thought that I was Cruella de Vil; I never got that from the public.”
Sandi and Debbie Toksvig at the Diva Magazine Awards last year SOPA Images via Getty Images
Nowadays, she claimed “they’ve stopped putting ‘lesbian Sandi Toksvig’ whenever they mention me”, commenting: “I don’t know whether it’s because it’s a given, or they’ve just given up. I’m still a lesbian.”
Sandi recently made her final appearance on the Great British Bake Off, presenting the Stand Up To Cancer celebrity specials with Noel Fielding.
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thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Hilary Duff Shuts Down 'Disgusting' Internet Theory That She's A Child Trafficker

And in case that denial wasn’t strong enough, a representative for Hilary has also rebuked the rumor.
“Let me say this in the strongest terms, this is all a fabricated disgusting internet lie, created and perpetuated by trolls and idiots. Hilary’s own post this morning is all that needs to be said on the matter,” the statement read, as reported by E! News.
“Everyone who knows Hilary is fully aware what an amazing mom she is and that requires no further comment. If only people with this much time on their hands used their energy to solve real problems in the world.”
Matthew Koma, Hilary’s husband and the father of their one-year-old daughter Banks, retweeted her message on his own account.
After she shut down the rumors, Hilary’s weekend seemed back on track. Later on Saturday, the entire family gathered for “distant family photos,” according to her Instagram caption.
“Was nice to have an excuse to get dressed up,” she wrote alongside a photo of herself and Koma, adding that her daughter Banks “says an extra thanks for the lollipops as bribery”.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Trump's Push To Open Churches Contradicts Jesus' Teaching To Love Neighbours, Clergy Say

“Some governors have deemed liquor stores and abortion clinics as essential, but have left out houses of worship. It’s not right,” Trump said. “So I’m correcting this injustice by calling houses of worship essential.”
Trump’s push aligns most closely with the priorities of white evangelicals and quickly drew praise from close evangelical allies, such as the evangelist Franklin Graham and Texas pastor Robert Jeffress. White evangelicals were more likely than other American religious groups to say they were worried that coronavirus restrictions won’t be lifted quickly enough, according to a Pew Research Center survey completed on May 5.
Nevertheless, there is concern even among this constituency that state governments will return to normal too quickly. Around half of white evangelicals (51%) say they are more concerned that coronavirus restrictions will be lifted too quickly.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Dominic Cummings Row 'Fatally Undermined' Covid-19 Fight Says Scientific Advisor, And Four Other Sto

Dominic Cummings Row 'Fatally Undermined' Covid-19 Fight Says Scientific Advisor, And Four Other Stories You Need To Know

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The PM’s handling of the row over Dominic Cummings’ 260-mile lockdown trip has “fatally undermined” the fight against Covid-19, a scientific advisor to the government has said.
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According to the latest figures published by the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), 36,793 people have died in the UK after contracting coronavirus and almost 260,000 have tested positive.
Here’s the latest:
Cummings row has ‘fatally undermined’ coronavirus fight, scientific advisor says
Dominic Cummings, pictured outside his home in north London on Sunday. ASSOCIATED PRESS
The row over Dominic Cummings’ lockdown trip has “fatally undermined” efforts to fight coronavirus, a top behavioural scientist and government advisor has said.
Professor Stephen Reicher, one of the scientists on the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Behaviours (SPI-B) – a subgroup of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), told Good Morning Britain on Monday morning: “The real issue here is that because of these actions, because of undermining trust in the government, because of undermining adherence to the rules that we all need to follow, people are going to die.
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“More people are going to die.”
Boris Johnson fronted Sunday’s daily Downing Street briefing during which he defended his chief advisor, saying Cummings had “acted responsibly, legally and with integrity” by driving 260 miles to County Durham to isolate and that “any parent would frankly understand what he did”.
Tory backbenchers, opposing politicians and the public alike have fiercely criticised Johnson’s handling of the row, with scientists claiming it had undermined efforts to curb the spread of the deadly virus.
The storm over Cummings’ actions overshadowed Johnson’s latest signal that the lockdown is easing, as the PM confirmed the phased reopening of England’s primary schools will commence on June 1.
Government sources have also revealed that he is expected to unveil plans to ease some restrictions on the economy, with changes such as the reopening of some non-essential shops, to be announced when the Cabinet meets on Monday.
But the drama incited by news of Cummings’ lockdown travels – made on fatherly “instinct” to ensure care was available for his son, according to Johnson – has spilled over into the bank holiday as senior Tories continued to criticise the decision to keep the aide on.
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Durham councillor calls for police investigation into Cummings’ lockdown travel
A Durham councillor has called on police to launch an investigation into whether an offence was committed by Dominic Cummings when he travelled to the area.
Amanda Hopgood, the leader of the Liberal Democrat opposition on Durham County Council, said she had written to Durham Constabulary’s chief constable Jo Farrell after being made aware of a number of sightings of the the Prime Minister’s senior aide in the area in April and May.
She said: “We are aware that a number of local residents have reported seeing Mr Cummings in the city and county of Durham on a number of occasions during April and May and have expressed concern about the public health implications of his presence given reports that he has been affected by the coronavirus.
“Given the clear public interest in this case I have today referred this matter to the Chief Constable of Durham Constabulary to ask her force to investigate whether Mr Cummings may have committed an offence under the provisions of section 15 of the 2020 Health Protection (Coronavirus) Regulations.”
Meanwhile The Guardian, who broke the story alongside The Mirror on Friday evening, revealed on Sunday that retired chemistry teacher Robin Lees had made a complaint to the police after reporting that he saw Cummings and his family on April 12 walking in the town of Barnard Castle before getting into a car.
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US imposes new travel restrictions on Brazil as cases soar
Workers disinfect an area of Belém International Airport. Sipa USA via AP
The White House on Sunday said it was restricting travel from Brazil to the United States, two days after the South American nation became the world’s second largest hotspot for coronavirus cases.
The travel ban was a blow to right-wing Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro, who has followed Donald Trump’s example in addressing the pandemic, fighting calls for social distancing and touting unproven drugs.
Brazilian health officials have confirmed more than 365,000 cases of coronavirus, second only to the US which has reported almost 1.7m cases and more than 98,000 deaths.
“The US maintains a strong partnership with Brazil and we work closely to mitigate the socioeconomic and health impacts of Covid-19 in Brazil,” the US Embassy in Brasilia said in a statement.
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The new restrictions come into force on May 28, the embassy said, prohibiting most non-US citizens from traveling to the United States if they have been in Brazil in the last two weeks. Green card holders, close relatives of US citizens and flight crew members, among select others, would be exempt.
Brazil’s foreign ministry called it a technical decision in the context of “important bilateral collaboration” to fight the Covid-19 pandemic, highlighting U.S. donations of $6.5 million (£5.3m) and a new White House promise of 1,000 respirators.
White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany said the new restrictions would help ensure foreign nationals do not bring additional infections to the United States, but would not apply to the flow of commerce between the two countries.
Sir David Attenborough warns climate change ‘swept off front pages’ by Covid-19
The celebrated naturalist has warned that Covid-19 has made climate change feel as if it is in "the distant future". CHRIS J RATCLIFFE via Getty Images
Sir David Attenborough has said the coronavirus pandemic has swept the problem of climate change from the front pages.
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The broadcaster and naturalist, who celebrated his 94th birthday in May, said the outbreak has made the issue feel as if it is in “the distant future”.
Appearing on the So Hot Right Now podcast, Attenborough suggested the virus could make the world’s nations see “survival depends on co-operation”.
He said: “The trouble is that right now the climate issue is also seen as being rather in the distant future because we’ve got the virus to think about.
“And so what are the papers full of? The virus. Quite right, that’s what I want to know about, too.
“But we have to make sure that this issue, which was coming to the boil with the next COP meeting in Glasgow, has suddenly been swept off the front pages. And we’ve got to get it back there.”
Attenborough referenced the COP26 international climate talks, which were due to take place in Glasgow in November but were postponed due to the pandemic.
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Asked whether he saw a solution to the decreased awareness of climate change, he said: “No, if I knew that I would be a dictator but I’m not.
“I don’t know – we, you and me and lots of others like us have got to keep on going on about it but the clock is ticking.
“The danger of the Arctic and the Antarctic warming is becoming greater day by day.”
Attenborough said he hopes the outbreak encourages nations to work together but suggested this would be the first time it had ever happened.
He told journalist Lucy Siegle and film-maker Tom Mustill, who host the podcast: “What the result of coronavirus is going to be I don’t know.
“But I’m beginning to get a feeling that for the first time the nations of the world are beginning to see that survival depends on co-operation.
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“If that happens, that’s going to be a first in human history.”
Greece resumes island ferry services in attempt to salvage summer tourist season
The Greek government has started the holiday season three weeks earlier than expected. Tamboly via Getty Images
Greece has restarted regular ferry services to its islands, and cafes and restaurants are also back open for business as the country accelerates efforts to salvage its summer tourism season.
Travel to the islands had been generally off-limits since a lockdown was imposed in late March to halt the spread of coronavirus, with only goods suppliers and permanent residents allowed access. But the country’s low infection rate in the Covid-19 pandemic prompted the government to start the holiday season three weeks earlier than the expected June 15 date, as other Mediterranean countries — including Italy, Spain and Turkey — grapple with deadlier outbreaks. Greece has had nearly 2,900 infections and 171 deaths from the virus, but Italy has seen nearly 33,000 deaths, Spain 29,000 and Turkey 4,340, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University. Social distancing regulations and passenger limits have been imposed on ferries and at restaurants to ward off new infections. State-run health services to combat coronavirus are being expanded to the islands, with intensive care units being placed on five islands – Lesbos, Samos, Rhodes, Zakynthos and Corfu – along with existing facilities on the island of Crete. Tourism is a vital part of the Greek economy, directly contributing more than 10% of the country’s GDP. More than 34 million visitors travelled to Greece last year, spending 18.2 billion euros (£16.2 billion), according to government data.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Piers Morgan Bans Government Ministers From GMB After Dominic Cummings Saga

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Piers Morgan has announced that he has banned cabinet ministers from appearing on Good Morning Britain “until further notice”.
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Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, Piers has made headlines with his no-nonsense approach to interviewing MPs, repeatedly holding the government to account over the way they have reacted to the crisis.
Piers Morgan Ken McKay/ITV/Shutterstock
Having already slammed their “cowardice” and “moral bankruptcy”, Piers has now announced that he’ll no longer be allowing them to appear on the ITV daytime show.
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The divisive presenter wrote on Twitter on Sunday night: “In light of today’s developments, I am regretfully forced to ban all cabinet ministers from appearing on @GMB until further notice.”
He added: “[The] only exceptions will be those who didn’t publicly support Cummings breaching a lockdown that the Govt forced on the rest of us ‘to save lives’.”
In light of today’s developments, I am regretfully forced to ban all cabinet ministers from appearing on @GMB until further notice. Only exceptions will be those who didn’t publicly support Cummings breaching a lockdown that the Govt forced on the rest of us ‘to save lives’. pic.twitter.com/42NK5cGRiM — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 23, 2020
Piers has since taken specific aim at the prime minister, writing: “Boris Johnson is done. 63k people dead on his watch from a virus his reckless complacency & negligence failed to contain.
“Now he tells the British public their lengthy lockdown effort was all a waste of time, just to save his lying hypocrite aide.”
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Boris Johnson is done.
63k people dead on his watch from a virus his reckless complacency & negligence failed to contain.
Now he tells the British public their lengthy lockdown effort was all a waste of time, just to save his lying hypocrite aide.
From hero to zero in 6 months. pic.twitter.com/ykPGzSdUJ7 — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 24, 2020
As I keep saying, Cummings is toast. Only question is how much more damage he does to gutless @BorisJohnson & pathetically cowardly cabinet ministers before he goes. pic.twitter.com/jzazrEkTQb — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 24, 2020
I'd have made this headline plural. pic.twitter.com/deLkhFF9AE — Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) May 25, 2020
Earlier this month, Piers was left fuming over an apparent government ban on ministers appearing on Good Morning Britain, tweeting: “The UK Govt has banned any ministers from appearing on @GMB after a series of them made complete fools of themselves in the face of basic & important questions.
“This is a pathetic & cowardly response to THEIR shameful incompetence.”
His comments came after more than 3,000 complaints were made to the TV watchdog Ofcom following two interviews with Care Minister Helen Whately on GMB in April.
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Another 600 viewers also complained about Piers’ interview with Health Secretary Matt Hancock around the same period.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--A Minute Of Kindness: Farm Shop Inspired To Feed Key Workers

A Minute Of Kindness: Farm Shop Inspired To Feed Key Workers
A farm shop owner in east Hampshire has been delivering food parcels to key workers. He was inspired by an NHS nurse’s emotional plea for people to stop panic buying and leaving shop shelves empty. William Benson, who owns Applegarth Farm in Grayshot, has since helped to raise £3,000 for front-line NHS staff and care-home workers and delivered dozens of food packages since lockdown began in March.


thehuffingtonpostuk--2020-05-25--Bots Are Likely Responsible For Nearly Half Of Covid-19 Tweets, Say Researchers

Nearly half of some 200 million tweets about Covid-19 likely came from bots, with many of them plugging false cures, peddling conspiracy theories and clamouring for the US to drop safety measures in order to re-open America, researchers have found.
Ongoing research by computer scientists at Carnegie Mellon University indicates that a significant portion of the social media conversation about Covid-19 is likely automated amplifications of political perspectives and do not represent individual human authors.
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The study has reached no conclusion about which interests may be primarily responsible for the bots, but many of the messages are repeating information from Russian and Chinese state media. During the 2016 presidential election, computer operations linked to the Kremlin were found to be responsible for campaign tweets and other messages that further divided the American electorate by amplifying controversy.
With coronavirus, “We do know that it looks like it’s a propaganda machine, and it definitely matches the Russian and Chinese playbooks, but it would take a tremendous amount of resources to substantiate that,” lead researcher Kathleen Carley, a computer science professor and head of the university’s Center for Informed Democracy and Social Cybersecurity, said in a Carnegie Mellon report last week about the research.
“We do see that a lot of bots are acting in ways that are consistent with the storylines that are coming out of Russia or China,” Carley told VICE.
A European Union study concluded that the Kremlin and pro-Kremlin groups have launched a “significant disinformation campaign” about Covid-19 to sow panic in the West, Reuters reported earlier this year.
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Researchers said that the sophisticated bot campaign concerning Covid-19 is also aimed at exacerbating divisions in the US. Messages peddling conspiracy theories “increase polarisation in groups. It’s what many misinformation campaigns aim to do,” Carley said. “People have real concerns about health and the economy, and people are preying on that to create divides.”
But she also said that because the pandemic is global, it’s also likely being used by “various countries and interest groups as an opportunity to meet political agendas.”
Since January, CMU researchers have collected more than 200 million tweets discussing the coronavirus or Covid-19. They estimate that 45% to 65% are generated by bots.
Carley’s team identified more than 100 inaccurate narratives about Covid-19, mostly involving fake cures (like drinking — or not drinking — Corona beer) and scores of conspiracy theories. Those conversations also included a push to re-open America. Carley said in a video lecture last month that hate speech is growing in the social media debate about Covid-19, and it’s “forming hate communities.”
The team looked at several factors to determine what likely constituted a bot, such as “tweeting more frequently than is humanly possible or appearing to be in one country and then another a few hours later,” she said.
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“When we see a whole bunch of tweets at the same time or back to back, it’s like they’re timed,” Carley said. “We also look for use of the same exact hashtag, or messaging that appears to be copied and pasted from one bot to the next.”
Researchers have been seeing “up to two times as much bot activity as we’d predicted based on previous natural disasters, crises and elections,” said Carley.
The study is ongoing and is now also examining messages on Facebook, Reddit and YouTube.
Jevin West, who runs the Center for an Informed Public at the University of Washington, told Vice last month that the “real goal” of Covid-19 disinformation campaigns is “about creating distrust in the overall ecosystem and institutions. It’s not so much about picking a side as it is about creating confusion and doubt and distrust of authority.”
For a deeper dive in what Carley’s team is doing, check out the video below based on research gathered through early April:
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