conservativehome--2020-04-30--Nathan Evans: We have a duty to challenge Trafford Council’s failings in responding to the crisis

Cllr Nathan Evans is the Leader of the Conservative Group on Trafford Council .
Like many other parts of the country , it ’ s the local people of Trafford ( in Greater Manchester ) who have shone a bright light in these dark times .
Whether it ’ s collecting food and prescriptions for elderly neighbours , looking after pets , or just being that person at the end of a phone ( or Zoom ) to talk to .
In response to the pandemic , the Council , along with its partners , mobilised six Community Response Hubs @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , Partington , Stretford , and Old Trafford .
The centres were set up to ensure that those most severely at-risk of illness could receive essential food and medical parcels to their front door – and they have received over 2,000 calls , of which over 600 have been passed to the Community Hubs .
The call for volunteers has received an overwhelming response , meaning help has been at hand for the borough ’ s most vulnerable residents during the lockdown period .
Us local Conservatives ( as the Opposition on Trafford @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the approach that the Council is taking during this time and I have been appreciative that I and the Shadow Executive are being kept up-to-date with the latest challenges and developments .
The Council believes that it will face a funding gap of around £37 million this year due to Covid-19 and Conservatives are willing to work with the Labour administration to identify how to fill the gap .
However , there are three key areas where we feel the Council is failing : • Business Rates Grants .
Trafford Conservatives welcome the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ our councillors were inundated with queries from businesses that had applied for a grant and heard nothing more .
Other businesses weren ’ t even contacted by the Council at all .
A lack of forward planning played a big role in this situation – the Council ’ s business database wasn ’ t up-to-date and the Council hadn ’ t procured software to allow batch payments to be made either .
Thankfully , the payments are now starting to come through and Trafford is in a much better position than neighbouring socialist @ @ @ @ @ @ @ out 16 per cent of funding as of 20 April 2020 .
• Council ’ s Investment Strategy .
The Council has a half billion-pound pot of borrowed money which has largely been invested in commercial property , namely tired shopping centres .
Even in the last quarter when it was clear that traditional retail was in serious decline , the Council was still investing .
A disastrous return on this outlay may now come home to roost sooner than anyone could have imagined , with the taxpayer bearing the brunt of the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Labour has made no secret of its ideological wish to bring waste management in-house and has run the existing waste contract into the ground , bringing the entire service into disrepute .
In October 2019 , the Council hastily brought in new collection rounds resulting in crews taking on unfamiliar routes .
The result was absolute chaos with thousands of bins being uncollected for weeks , assisted collections being ignored , and crews avoiding collections at some apartment buildings as no one had thought to pass on the door key codes to the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ missed collections continued and the situation has only been made worse by Covid-19 .
Whilst I ’ m on the subject of waste , household recycling centres – under jurisdiction of the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester – were closed .
This was made worse by Trafford Council cancelling green waste collections .
Residents rightly asked the question as to what they were to do with their green waste as it wasn ’ t being collected by the Council and the tips were closed .
The Council ’ s response was to announce @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the goal posts were moved again as a fortnightly collection was announced .
Collections now appear to be sporadic .
Residents are rightly confused .
In good news , Conservatives across Greater Manchester , including Laura Evans , candidate for Greater Manchester Mayor , lobbied hard for tips to be re-opened .
I was delighted when Labour caved-in and announced the centres will be re-opening ( in most cases ) within the next two weeks .
It is important to point out , however , that our Council staff are not to blame @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have gone above and beyond what is expected of them , whether it is staff moving into care homes to support residents , or colleagues in early years and social care who have come together to support the most vulnerable under twos by opening Council nurseries .
Overall , the picture in Trafford is not too dissimilar to other metropolitan boroughs .
Conservatives will continue to support the Labour administration in its handling of the crisis , but we are not afraid to challenge mismanagement or indeed highlight when ideology gets in the @ @ @ @ @

Cllr Nathan Evans is the Leader of the Conservative Group on Trafford Council.
Like many other parts of the country, it’s the local people of Trafford (in Greater Manchester) who have shone a bright light in these dark times. Whether it’s collecting food and prescriptions for elderly neighbours, looking after pets, or just being that person at the end of a phone (or Zoom) to talk to.
In response to the pandemic, the Council, along with its partners, mobilised six Community Response Hubs located in Altrincham, Sale, Urmston, Partington, Stretford, and Old Trafford. The centres were set up to ensure that those most severely at-risk of illness could receive essential food and medical parcels to their front door – and they have received over 2,000 calls, of which over 600 have been passed to the Community Hubs.
The call for volunteers has received an overwhelming response, meaning help has been at hand for the borough’s most vulnerable residents during the lockdown period.
Us local Conservatives (as the Opposition on Trafford Council) have been generally supportive of the approach that the Council is taking during this time and I have been appreciative that I and the Shadow Executive are being kept up-to-date with the latest challenges and developments.
The Council believes that it will face a funding gap of around £37 million this year due to Covid-19 and Conservatives are willing to work with the Labour administration to identify how to fill the gap. However, there are three key areas where we feel the Council is failing:
Business Rates Grants. Trafford Conservatives welcome the generous funding from the Government, but our councillors were inundated with queries from businesses that had applied for a grant and heard nothing more. Other businesses weren’t even contacted by the Council at all. A lack of forward planning played a big role in this situation – the Council’s business database wasn’t up-to-date and the Council hadn’t procured software to allow batch payments to be made either. Thankfully, the payments are now starting to come through and Trafford is in a much better position than neighbouring socialist Manchester City Council who had only paid out 16 per cent of funding as of 20 April 2020.
Council’s Investment Strategy. The Council has a half billion-pound pot of borrowed money which has largely been invested in commercial property, namely tired shopping centres. Even in the last quarter when it was clear that traditional retail was in serious decline, the Council was still investing. A disastrous return on this outlay may now come home to roost sooner than anyone could have imagined, with the taxpayer bearing the brunt of the cost.
Waste management. Trafford Labour has made no secret of its ideological wish to bring waste management in-house and has run the existing waste contract into the ground, bringing the entire service into disrepute. In October 2019, the Council hastily brought in new collection rounds resulting in crews taking on unfamiliar routes. The result was absolute chaos with thousands of bins being uncollected for weeks, assisted collections being ignored, and crews avoiding collections at some apartment buildings as no one had thought to pass on the door key codes to the new crew. Into 2020, the missed collections continued and the situation has only been made worse by Covid-19.
Whilst I’m on the subject of waste, household recycling centres – under jurisdiction of the Labour Mayor of Greater Manchester – were closed. This was made worse by Trafford Council cancelling green waste collections. Residents rightly asked the question as to what they were to do with their green waste as it wasn’t being collected by the Council and the tips were closed. The Council’s response was to announce a one-off green waste collection, but the goal posts were moved again as a fortnightly collection was announced. Collections now appear to be sporadic. Residents are rightly confused.
In good news, Conservatives across Greater Manchester, including Laura Evans, candidate for Greater Manchester Mayor, lobbied hard for tips to be re-opened. I was delighted when Labour caved-in and announced the centres will be re-opening (in most cases) within the next two weeks.
It is important to point out, however, that our Council staff are not to blame for Labour’s mismanagement. Colleagues have gone above and beyond what is expected of them, whether it is staff moving into care homes to support residents, or colleagues in early years and social care who have come together to support the most vulnerable under twos by opening Council nurseries.
Overall, the picture in Trafford is not too dissimilar to other metropolitan boroughs. Conservatives will continue to support the Labour administration in its handling of the crisis, but we are not afraid to challenge mismanagement or indeed highlight when ideology gets in the way of good governance.


conservativehome--2020-04-30--750,000 recruited but 75,000 tasks completed. What’s happened to the NHS volunteer army?

Early on in the Coronavirus crisis , many will remember Matt Hancock calling upon Britons to sign up to the Government ’ s NHS volunteering scheme .
NHS England set a target of 250,000 to join the “ volunteer army ” , designed to support 1.5 million vulnerable people ( including pregnant women , people with disabilities , those aged 70 and above , and others with certain medical conditions ) .
Participants could do this using a phone app to offer one or more of these services : • None or making regular phone calls to check on people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ up , and shortly afterwards the Government extended its initial target to 750,000 – before quickly reaching that , and subsequently closing down calls for action .
Given the enormous numbers of people that had offered their assistance , one might expect scenes to unfold outside of men and women rushing about with shopping bags and medicines .
Perhaps one ’ s own phone , even , to be buzzing with activity – for those good souls who signed up .
Conversely , one volunteer tells me : “ nothing ’ s really @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , explaining that they registered but haven ’ t heard anything back .
The newspapers report disappointment and “ frustration from volunteers who haven ’ t been used yet ” .
So what is happening with this “ volunteer army ” ?
On April 23 , The Royal Voluntary Service ( RVS ) , which is running the scheme , said that “ over 600,000 volunteers have been approved to help those most at risk ” .
This means , among the fact that 600,000 are willing and able to help , that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ from the 750,000 that originally applied .
Paul Reddish , CEO of Volunteering Matters , says “ that ’ ll be a mix of people that have decided not to [ do the scheme ] and those that haven ’ t met the criteria ” , in regards to security checks .
That leaves us with about 600,000 volunteers for deployment , and RVS says that they have “ 75,000 tasks logged on the system ” ( from 50,000 the week before ) – which gives a measure of how many people are @ @ @ @ @ @ @ mentioning here that we do not have a breakdown of the tasks or know how many individuals each task represents .
It may be the case that 75,000 people carried out 75,000 tasks – or that some individuals have carried out far more than others , thereby making the number of people used even less than 75,000 .
But the figure of 75,000 alone will make many wonder why the Government set a target ten times higher ?
When asked about why the Government had not deployed more people yet , Chloe Stables @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Volunteer Council , said it ’ s important to remember that the volunteering efforts would be “ a marathon and not a sprint ” , hence volunteers will be called on at different points during the crisis .
One volunteer corroborates this , saying that : “ [ The RVS ] said in various emails to us , we ’ re doing a soft roll-out ; it ’ s all taking time , don ’ t worry if we don ’ t contact you straight away ” .
Reddish explains that one aspect @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , and should speed up the number of jobs handed out , is that vulnerable people can now “ self-refer ” for help .
Whereas they once had to get a referral from GPs , doctors , pharmacists , nurses , midwives , NHS 111 advisers and social care staff when they needed assistance , they – or a carer – can now call an RVS helpline .
Once through , a call centre worker can take them through a list of checks , to ensure they ’ re eligible for help .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ change that ’ s led to the increase [ in volunteers being given tasks ] ” , says Reddish .
So we should hopefully see his continue .
Reddish says the most up to date figures he has on volunteering are that around “ 35 to 40 per cent have been given tasks.
” When I ask if the scheme can be sped up in other ways , such as loosening checks , Reddish emphasises that these are vital , especially as the volunteer scheme operates similarly to “ Uber ” , matching @ @ @ @ @ @ @ accessing their proximity .
“ Some of these people are very vulnerable… you ’ d be dropping off parcels to people who are entirely reliant on it otherwise they might starve ” … “ we have to be absolutely sure about these [ volunteers ] because the risks of getting that wrong are too high.
” From speaking to various groups – from volunteers to volunteering organisations – the gist seems to be that these things simply take time from a logistical standpoint , not least because the system has only recently been @ @ @ @ @ @ @ volunteers I ’ ve spoken to seem circumspect about the situation .
“ Clearly everyone really wants to help ” , says one ; and another tells me that their area is probably “ well served with volunteers ” .
Perhaps the Government ’ s target is a security measure , more than anything .
More recently it has had to cancel orders of ventilators – having realised it had enough .
Over-ordering , particularly when it ’ s free , is surely no bad thing…

Early on in the Coronavirus crisis, many will remember Matt Hancock calling upon Britons to sign up to the Government’s NHS volunteering scheme.
NHS England set a target of 250,000 to join the “volunteer army”, designed to support 1.5 million vulnerable people (including pregnant women, people with disabilities, those aged 70 and above, and others with certain medical conditions).
Participants could do this using a phone app to offer one or more of these services:
“delivering medicines from pharmacies;
driving patients to appointments;
bringing them home from hospital;
or making regular phone calls to check on people isolating at home.”
The advert received an astonishing response.
Over 500,000 joined up, and shortly afterwards the Government extended its initial target to 750,000 – before quickly reaching that, and subsequently closing down calls for action.
Given the enormous numbers of people that had offered their assistance, one might expect scenes to unfold outside of men and women rushing about with shopping bags and medicines.
Perhaps one’s own phone, even, to be buzzing with activity – for those good souls who signed up.
Conversely, one volunteer tells me: “nothing’s really happened”, and others follow suit, explaining that they registered but haven’t heard anything back. The newspapers report disappointment and “frustration from volunteers who haven’t been used yet”.
So what is happening with this “volunteer army”?
On April 23, The Royal Voluntary Service (RVS), which is running the scheme, said that “over 600,000 volunteers have been approved to help those most at risk”.
This means, among the fact that 600,000 are willing and able to help, that approximately 150,000 are no longer taking part from the 750,000 that originally applied.
Paul Reddish, CEO of Volunteering Matters, says “that’ll be a mix of people that have decided not to [do the scheme] and those that haven’t met the criteria”, in regards to security checks.
That leaves us with about 600,000 volunteers for deployment, and RVS says that they have “75,000 tasks logged on the system” (from 50,000 the week before) – which gives a measure of how many people are being used.
It’s worth mentioning here that we do not have a breakdown of the tasks or know how many individuals each task represents. It may be the case that 75,000 people carried out 75,000 tasks – or that some individuals have carried out far more than others, thereby making the number of people used even less than 75,000.
But the figure of 75,000 alone will make many wonder why the Government set a target ten times higher?
When asked about why the Government had not deployed more people yet, Chloe Stables, Head of Communications at the National Volunteer Council, said it’s important to remember that the volunteering efforts would be “a marathon and not a sprint”, hence volunteers will be called on at different points during the crisis.
One volunteer corroborates this, saying that: “[The RVS] said in various emails to us, we’re doing a soft roll-out; it’s all taking time, don’t worry if we don’t contact you straight away”.
Reddish explains that one aspect of the scheme that’s improved, and should speed up the number of jobs handed out, is that vulnerable people can now “self-refer” for help.
Whereas they once had to get a referral from GPs, doctors, pharmacists, nurses, midwives, NHS 111 advisers and social care staff when they needed assistance, they – or a carer – can now call an RVS helpline.
Once through, a call centre worker can take them through a list of checks, to ensure they’re eligible for help.
“That’s been the main change that’s led to the increase [in volunteers being given tasks]”, says Reddish.
So we should hopefully see his continue. Reddish says the most up to date figures he has on volunteering are that around “35 to 40 per cent have been given tasks.”
When I ask if the scheme can be sped up in other ways, such as loosening checks, Reddish emphasises that these are vital, especially as the volunteer scheme operates similarly to “Uber”, matching volunteers and vulnerable people by way of accessing their proximity.
“Some of these people are very vulnerable… you’d be dropping off parcels to people who are entirely reliant on it otherwise they might starve”… “we have to be absolutely sure about these [volunteers] because the risks of getting that wrong are too high.”
From speaking to various groups – from volunteers to volunteering organisations – the gist seems to be that these things simply take time from a logistical standpoint, not least because the system has only recently been set up.
Either way, the volunteers I’ve spoken to seem circumspect about the situation.
“Clearly everyone really wants to help”, says one; and another tells me that their area is probably “well served with volunteers”.
Perhaps the Government’s target is a security measure, more than anything.
More recently it has had to cancel orders of ventilators – having realised it had enough.
Over-ordering, particularly when it’s free, is surely no bad thing…


conservativehome--2020-04-30--Henry Hill: Ministers might face a tricky task finding a one-nation route to easing lockdown

Over the past few weeks , this column has covered some of the ways in which divisions between the various governments of the United Kingdom have hindered the response to Covid-19 .
In areas were the devolved administrations have insisted on going setting up parallel arrangements to those already established by Westminster , such as volunteering and priority food deliveries , there has been weeks of confusion , disappointment , and delay .
There has also been anger in some quarters at what is perceived as Nicola Sturgeon ’ s exploitation of access to meetings to steal the march on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , the so-called ‘ four nations ’ approach on the core anti-coronavirus strategy has held up – so far .
Indeed , the First Minister has actually talked about why “ it has been important as well as for the simplicity of messages to have as much consistency across the UK as possible ” .
This puts press speculation about her desire to ‘ close the border ’ between England and Wales , which seems to have been conjured up by one question from Andrew Marr , into perspective .
But as the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ lockdown , a new set of challenges presents itself .
Whilst it might have been relatively straightforward to impose relatively uniform restrictions across the country , it may prove trickier to keep territorial game-playing out of lifting them .
For example , all of the devolved governments have started publishing their own distinct plans for easing lockdown , accompanied by predictable lines about their willingness to break from a UK-wide policy .
Some of this is probably just standard devocrat boilerplate , but the Government can ’ t rule out the possibility that @ @ @ @ @ @ @ re-assert itself once the immediate exigencies of the crisis have eased and we ’ re in the relatively sunnier territory of relaxing the restrictions .
Moreover , ministers ’ authority for resisting a fragmented approach may be undermined by pressure for a regionally-variegated policy within England .
Matt Hancock appeared to rule this out only a couple of days ago , following a very negative response from some of the metro mayors , but James Forsyth writes in the Spectator that a more locally-targeted lockdown system may accompany the Government ’ s “ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strategy for easing nationwide restrictions .
Regional variation is probably the most sensible strategy from a technical standpoint .
But it creates problems .
Maintaining support for lockdown is easier when everybody is affected .
Given how obedience is already fraying at the edges – despite continuing strong polling support – it may prove difficult to keep cities or regions locked down whilst other parts of the country are visibly returning to something more closely resembling normal life .
In fact , it may be that properly local variations can be accommodated within @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ four nations ’ framework .
As the Daily Telegraph reports of the Scottish Government ’ s plan : “ It says not only that Scotland may go it alone if needs must , but that Scotland itself may be subdivided when it comes to unrolling lockdown .
Social distancing options will be tailored to “ specific geographies and sectors , or parts of the rural economy ” .
” This model , of genuinely local variation coupled with UK-wide coordination , has previously proven unpopular with devocrats in Edinburgh and Cardiff , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ which insist that policy solutions be ‘ Scottish ’ or ‘ Welsh ’ , even if that doesn ’ t best fit the geographic reality of the problem ( this is especially evident in Wales ) .
Boris Johnson will have to be careful not to spook them into reverting to that instinct , especially those whose long-term political ambitions are not served by the United Kingdom being seen to work .
In Northern Ireland , meanwhile , he will also need to tread a careful line between appropriate coordination with the Republic @ @ @ @ @ @ @ by Sinn Fein , especially when the awkward subject of the Northern Irish protocol is back in the news .
The Republicans previously tried to block the deployment of the Armed Forces to aid relief efforts ( despite the move having SDLP and Alliance support ) .
Strong cross-community support for the NHS may have made the republicans jumpy about another British institution getting any credit .

Over the past few weeks, this column has covered some of the ways in which divisions between the various governments of the United Kingdom have hindered the response to Covid-19.
In areas were the devolved administrations have insisted on going setting up parallel arrangements to those already established by Westminster, such as volunteering and priority food deliveries, there has been weeks of confusion, disappointment, and delay.
There has also been anger in some quarters at what is perceived as Nicola Sturgeon’s exploitation of access to meetings to steal the march on Government announcements. Yet for all that, the so-called ‘four nations’ approach on the core anti-coronavirus strategy has held up – so far.
Indeed, the First Minister has actually talked about why “it has been important as well as for the simplicity of messages to have as much consistency across the UK as possible”. This puts press speculation about her desire to ‘close the border’ between England and Wales, which seems to have been conjured up by one question from Andrew Marr, into perspective.
But as the conversation shifts towards the pathway out of lockdown, a new set of challenges presents itself. Whilst it might have been relatively straightforward to impose relatively uniform restrictions across the country, it may prove trickier to keep territorial game-playing out of lifting them.
For example, all of the devolved governments have started publishing their own distinct plans for easing lockdown, accompanied by predictable lines about their willingness to break from a UK-wide policy. Some of this is probably just standard devocrat boilerplate, but the Government can’t rule out the possibility that the usual devolutionary dynamic will start to re-assert itself once the immediate exigencies of the crisis have eased and we’re in the relatively sunnier territory of relaxing the restrictions.
Moreover, ministers’ authority for resisting a fragmented approach may be undermined by pressure for a regionally-variegated policy within England. Matt Hancock appeared to rule this out only a couple of days ago, following a very negative response from some of the metro mayors, but James Forsyth writes in the Spectator that a more locally-targeted lockdown system may accompany the Government’s “trace, track, and test” strategy for easing nationwide restrictions.
Regional variation is probably the most sensible strategy from a technical standpoint. But it creates problems. Maintaining support for lockdown is easier when everybody is affected. Given how obedience is already fraying at the edges – despite continuing strong polling support – it may prove difficult to keep cities or regions locked down whilst other parts of the country are visibly returning to something more closely resembling normal life.
In fact, it may be that properly local variations can be accommodated within an overall ‘one nation’/’four nations’ framework. As the Daily Telegraph reports of the Scottish Government’s plan:
“It says not only that Scotland may go it alone if needs must, but that Scotland itself may be subdivided when it comes to unrolling lockdown. Social distancing options will be tailored to “specific geographies and sectors, or parts of the rural economy”.”
This model, of genuinely local variation coupled with UK-wide coordination, has previously proven unpopular with devocrats in Edinburgh and Cardiff, who have tended to run centralising administrations which insist that policy solutions be ‘Scottish’ or ‘Welsh’, even if that doesn’t best fit the geographic reality of the problem (this is especially evident in Wales). Boris Johnson will have to be careful not to spook them into reverting to that instinct, especially those whose long-term political ambitions are not served by the United Kingdom being seen to work.
In Northern Ireland, meanwhile, he will also need to tread a careful line between appropriate coordination with the Republic and preventing the Covid-19 crisis being hijacked by Sinn Fein, especially when the awkward subject of the Northern Irish protocol is back in the news.
The Republicans previously tried to block the deployment of the Armed Forces to aid relief efforts (despite the move having SDLP and Alliance support). Strong cross-community support for the NHS may have made the republicans jumpy about another British institution getting any credit.


conservativehome--2020-05-01--Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Chair of the Health & Safety Executive – a

Calling Conservatives: New public appointments announced. Chair of the Health & Safety Executive – and more

Eight years ago , the TaxPayers ’ Alliance reported that “ in the last year , five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories ” .
It currently reports that almost half of avowedly political appointees last year owed their allegiance to Labour Party , compared to less than a third for the Conservatives .
Despite the selection of some Party members or supporters to fill important posts , over time , the Conservatives have punched beneath their weight when it comes to public appointments .
One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply @ @ @ @ @ @ @ number as Labour supporters .
To help remedy this , each week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies , so that qualified Conservatives can be aware of the opportunities presented .
“ This is an exciting opportunity to join the Board of an organisation which keeps Britain moving .
You would be joining the DVSA at an exciting time , with the opportunity to help shape the future of the agency and ensure its continued success .
This will mean supporting the executive team in developing the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ where technological transformation will significantly influence mobility .
The DVSA is now seeking to appoint two Non-Executive Directors to the Board who will embrace technological disruption , possess an entrepreneurial spirit and have a passion for harnessing the possibilities that digital transformation plays in driving greater customer insight and intimacy .
We seek a Non-Executive Director who will be expected to provide thought leadership in digital transformation and keep abreast of digital transformation trends and innovative approaches to operational excellence , as well as a Non-Executive Director who will have the necessary skills @ @ @ @ @ @ @ committee.
” Time : Up to 36 days per annum .
“ The Board of Trustees is made up of 15 members .
Board members are guardians of the British Council ’ s purpose and strategy and are ultimately accountable for the organisation ’ s actions and performance .
The Board delegates responsibility for the management of the British Council to the Chief Executive .
The Board also agrees the British Council ’ s Corporate Plan and approves the British Council ’ s annual accounts .
The Board of Trustees meets seven times @ @ @ @ @ @ @ times a year in addition .
More details about the governance and funding are available at [ link ] .
The British Council is registered as a charity in England and Scotland and is regulated by charity law .
It is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and works to reflect the diversity of UK society at every level within the organisation.
” “ The Health and Safety Executive ( HSE ) is a Crown Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions ( DWP ) .
It is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , injury and death across the UK .
DWP is seeking a Chair with a range of established skills and competences to help set HSE ’ s strategic direction to 2025 and beyond , drive regulatory excellence and oversee the organisation ’ s governance arrangements .
We are therefore looking for candidates who can bring experience from other national and/or international organisations with challenges on a similarly large scale to those facing HSE .
The Chair is expected to attend and preside over eight Board meetings a year , which take place at @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Merseyside or in the regions or devolved administrations and involve an overnight stay.
” “ The Institute was established as a Crown Non-Departmental Public Body , independent of Government and employer-led with a mandate set by Ministers .
The Institute is playing a vital role in continuing the apprenticeship and technical education reform process and works on behalf of employers to support the delivery of high quality apprenticeships and T Levels in England .
The Institute enables apprentices or learners to be confident that their apprenticeship or T Level is of high quality @ @ @ @ @ @ @ build a career with a clear market value.
” “ Led by the Non-Executive Chair , the Crown Commercial Service ( CCS ) Board is responsible for the oversight of the operation of CCS , with emphasis on its strategic direction , management control , and corporate governance .
All Non-Executive Board Members are expected to contribute to decisions covering the strategy for the organisation and the overall direction of the business , adding value by offering counsel , advice and challenge .
We are seeking an exceptional individual to join our Board @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Technology and Digital Transformation Committee to support progression of our transformation journey… To complement our existing Board we are particularly interested in hearing from individuals who bring recent experience in leading large scale digital transformation in either the private or public sector.
” “ The CCRC ’ s role is to investigate and review cases where it is alleged that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred in relation to conviction , sentence or both .
The CCRC is entrusted with the exercise of wide-ranging , and sometimes intrusive , statutory powers @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , legal and investigations advisers , casework and administrative staff .
Investigations are mainly carried out by CCRC staff but CCRC can require others , such as the police , to carry out investigations on its behalf… Commissioners may be called on to provide specialist advice depending on their background and expertise .
Commissioners may also be involved in the training of staff and of fellow Commissioners ; again , depending on the expertise they bring.
” “ As a non-executive director , you will play an active role on the board of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and SLC Chair to deliver the company ’ s portfolio of priorities , overcome challenges and exploit opportunities , including the continued growth of its customer base , delivery of recommendations from the Tailored Review ( Annex 3 ) and implementation of the Review of Post-18 Education .
A key element of the role will be to work with the board to ensure that the resources and skills available to the Company are commensurate with and focussed on its delivery obligations .
The SLC administers the data underpinning one of Government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This data supports the sale of tranches of loans to monetise that asset for the benefit of the exchequer and taxpayers ( £3.6bn raised to date ) .
There may be other opportunities to realise the value , in the widest sense , of the SLC ’ s data in the future .
”

Eight years ago, the TaxPayers’ Alliance reported that “in the last year, five times more Labour people were appointed to public bodies than Tories”.
It currently reports that almost half of avowedly political appointees last year owed their allegiance to Labour Party, compared to less than a third for the Conservatives.
Despite the selection of some Party members or supporters to fill important posts, over time, the Conservatives have punched beneath their weight when it comes to public appointments. One of the reasons seems to be that Tories simply don’t apply in the same number as Labour supporters.
To help remedy this, each week we put up links to some of the main public appointments vacancies, so that qualified Conservatives can be aware of the opportunities presented.
– – – – – – – – – –
Driver & Vehicle Standards Agency – Non-Executive Directors
“This is an exciting opportunity to join the Board of an organisation which keeps Britain moving. You would be joining the DVSA at an exciting time, with the opportunity to help shape the future of the agency and ensure its continued success. This will mean supporting the executive team in developing the organisation to be equipped for a future where technological transformation will significantly influence mobility. The DVSA is now seeking to appoint two Non-Executive Directors to the Board who will embrace technological disruption, possess an entrepreneurial spirit and have a passion for harnessing the possibilities that digital transformation plays in driving greater customer insight and intimacy. We seek a Non-Executive Director who will be expected to provide thought leadership in digital transformation and keep abreast of digital transformation trends and innovative approaches to operational excellence, as well as a Non-Executive Director who will have the necessary skills required to chair the audit and risk committee.”
Time: Up to 36 days per annum.
Remuneration: £15,000.
Closes: 28 April
– – – – – – – – – –
British Council – Board Trustee
“The Board of Trustees is made up of 15 members. Board members are guardians of the British Council’s purpose and strategy and are ultimately accountable for the organisation’s actions and performance. The Board delegates responsibility for the management of the British Council to the Chief Executive. The Board also agrees the British Council’s Corporate Plan and approves the British Council’s annual accounts. The Board of Trustees meets seven times a year with its committees meeting four times a year in addition. More details about the governance and funding are available at [link]. The British Council is registered as a charity in England and Scotland and is regulated by charity law. It is committed to a policy of equal opportunity and works to reflect the diversity of UK society at every level within the organisation.”
Time: 18 days per annum.
Remuneration: “Reasonable expenses”.
Closes: 08 May
– – – – – – – – – –
Health & Safety Executive – Chair
“The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is a Crown Non-Departmental Public Body sponsored by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP). It is responsible for the prevention of workplace illness, injury and death across the UK. DWP is seeking a Chair with a range of established skills and competences to help set HSE’s strategic direction to 2025 and beyond, drive regulatory excellence and oversee the organisation’s governance arrangements. We are therefore looking for candidates who can bring experience from other national and/or international organisations with challenges on a similarly large scale to those facing HSE. The Chair is expected to attend and preside over eight Board meetings a year, which take place at HSE’s headquarters in Bootle, Merseyside or in the regions or devolved administrations and involve an overnight stay.”
Time: 3 days per week.
Remuneration: £84,000 per annum.
Closes: 10 May
– – – – – – – – – –
Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education – Non-Executive Board Member
“The Institute was established as a Crown Non-Departmental Public Body, independent of Government and employer-led with a mandate set by Ministers. The Institute is playing a vital role in continuing the apprenticeship and technical education reform process and works on behalf of employers to support the delivery of high quality apprenticeships and T Levels in England. The Institute enables apprentices or learners to be confident that their apprenticeship or T Level is of high quality, respected and will help them to build a career with a clear market value.”
Time: 2 days per month on average
Remuneration: £15,000 per annum.
Closes: 15 May
– – – – – – – – – –
Crown Commercial Service – Non-Executive Directors
“Led by the Non-Executive Chair, the Crown Commercial Service (CCS) Board is responsible for the oversight of the operation of CCS, with emphasis on its strategic direction, management control, and corporate governance. All Non-Executive Board Members are expected to contribute to decisions covering the strategy for the organisation and the overall direction of the business, adding value by offering counsel, advice and challenge. We are seeking an exceptional individual to join our Board as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Technology and Digital Transformation Committee to support progression of our transformation journey… To complement our existing Board we are particularly interested in hearing from individuals who bring recent experience in leading large scale digital transformation in either the private or public sector.”
Time: Approx 2-3 days per month.
Remuneration: £15,000 per annum.
Closes: 17 May
– – – – – – – – – –
Criminal Cases Review Commission – Commissioners
“The CCRC’s role is to investigate and review cases where it is alleged that a miscarriage of justice may have occurred in relation to conviction, sentence or both. The CCRC is entrusted with the exercise of wide-ranging, and sometimes intrusive, statutory powers. Commissioners are supported by senior managers, legal and investigations advisers, casework and administrative staff. Investigations are mainly carried out by CCRC staff but CCRC can require others, such as the police, to carry out investigations on its behalf… Commissioners may be called on to provide specialist advice depending on their background and expertise. Commissioners may also be involved in the training of staff and of fellow Commissioners; again, depending on the expertise they bring.”
Time: Min. 52 days per annum.
Remuneration: £358 per diem.
Closes: 18 May
– – – – – – – – – –
Student Loans Company Board – Non-Executive Directors
“As a non-executive director, you will play an active role on the board of SLC, supporting the SLC Executive Team and SLC Chair to deliver the company’s portfolio of priorities, overcome challenges and exploit opportunities, including the continued growth of its customer base, delivery of recommendations from the Tailored Review (Annex 3) and implementation of the Review of Post-18 Education. A key element of the role will be to work with the board to ensure that the resources and skills available to the Company are commensurate with and focussed on its delivery obligations. The SLC administers the data underpinning one of Government’s major assets: the Student Loan book. This data supports the sale of tranches of loans to monetise that asset for the benefit of the exchequer and taxpayers (£3.6bn raised to date). There may be other opportunities to realise the value, in the widest sense, of the SLC’s data in the future.”
Time: Two days per month.
Remuneration: £12,000, up to £17,000.
Closes: 19 May


conservativehome--2020-05-01--Ten things you never knew about South Korea – some of which explain why it is so good at dealing wit

Ten things you never knew about South Korea – some of which explain why it is so good at dealing with the virus

The British Government , James Forsyth informs us in The Spectator , is “ going to go South Korean on the virus ” .
But what do most of us know about South Korea ?
Here are ten things most of us did not know about South Korea , or of which we had only the haziest awareness .
Any mistakes or incompleteness in what follows are attributable to the author ’ s ignorance .
South Korea ’ s population of 51 million includes about 13.5 million Christians , by far the largest religious group , followed by about seven @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Koreans adhere to no religion .
About two-thirds of Korean Christians are Protestant , one third Roman Catholic .
Moon Jae-in , President since 2017 , is a practising Catholic .
The history of Korean Catholicism can be traced back to the early 17th century , following the arrival of Jesuit missionaries in China ; of Korean Protestantism to American missionaries in the later 19th century .
Since 1945 , there has been a striking growth of Christianity among the Korean middle class , closely associated with highly competitive educational institutions and with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ South Korea has recently impeached a President and sent her to prison : in 2017 Park Geun-hye , the country ’ s first female leader , was sentenced to 25 years in jail for abuse of power and coercion .
South Korea has the fastest broadband in the world , attained , Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has explained , by methods markedly different to those recently proposed by John McDonnell : Korea has ruthless competition between private providers , policed and directed by a powerful mandarin class , with no tolerance for failure .
The @ @ @ @ @ @ @ hospitals are private , many of them run by Korea ’ s private universities .
The system is paid for from state-run compulsory health insurance , introduced between 1979 and 1989 , which covers up to 60 per cent of bills for treatment , so most Koreans supplement it with private insurance .
From 1961 , under the authoritarian leadership of General Park Chung-hee ( father of the now imprisoned president ) , South Korea entered a period of rapid , export-led economic growth which transformed it from a poor country into a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ General continued to deliver a speech after surviving an assassination attempt in which his wife was fatally wounded , but in 1979 he was shot dead by the head of the Korean intelligence service .
In the two decades after his death , Korea underwent a stormy transition to democracy .
South Korea has an average of 1313 inhabitants per square mile ( compared to 671 in England ) , of whom about half are crammed into the Seoul Capital Area : figures which make its success so far in getting a grip @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have contracted it all the more impressive .
But as Chris Smyth of The Times observed yesterday in a tweet : “ South Korean authorities can look at your medical record , credit card bills and mobile phone data if they don ’ t think you ’ ve given them full enough answers in contact tracing .
Are we ready for that here ?
” It remains difficult in South Korea to admit to mental illness , and in a list for 2016 by the World Health Organisation comparing the frequency of suicide @ @ @ @ @ @ @ tenth ( the UK was 109th ) .
On a lighter note , K-pop , represented by bands such as BTS , has in recent years made South Korea part of the world youth culture scene .
By comparison with other advanced countries , South Korean men do very little child care and house work , in part because they work very long hours .
In 1988 , political scientists from Berlin and Seoul who specialised in divided countries held a conference at which they predicted that North and South Korea would be @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The following year , the Berlin Wall fell , followed by German reunification , an event the experts had failed to foresee .
Nobody knows whether the North Korean regime will at some point crumble as swiftly , completely and peacefully as the East German one did .
But the reluctance of the experts , after decades of immobility , to predict such an outcome , means the chances of this happening are almost certainly underestimated .

The British Government, James Forsyth informs us in The Spectator, is “going to go South Korean on the virus”. But what do most of us know about South Korea?
Here are ten things most of us did not know about South Korea, or of which we had only the haziest awareness. Any mistakes or incompleteness in what follows are attributable to the author’s ignorance.
Religion
South Korea’s population of 51 million includes about 13.5 million Christians, by far the largest religious group, followed by about seven million Buddhists – over half of all Koreans adhere to no religion. About two-thirds of Korean Christians are Protestant, one third Roman Catholic.
Moon Jae-in, President since 2017, is a practising Catholic. The history of Korean Catholicism can be traced back to the early 17th century, following the arrival of Jesuit missionaries in China; of Korean Protestantism to American missionaries in the later 19th century.
Since 1945, there has been a striking growth of Christianity among the Korean middle class, closely associated with highly competitive educational institutions and with modernisation.
Impeachment
Unlike the United States, South Korea has recently impeached a President and sent her to prison: in 2017 Park Geun-hye, the country’s first female leader, was sentenced to 25 years in jail for abuse of power and coercion.
Broadband
South Korea has the fastest broadband in the world, attained, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has explained, by methods markedly different to those recently proposed by John McDonnell: Korea has ruthless competition between private providers, policed and directed by a powerful mandarin class, with no tolerance for failure.
Health care
The health care system is excellent. Most hospitals are private, many of them run by Korea’s private universities. The system is paid for from state-run compulsory health insurance, introduced between 1979 and 1989, which covers up to 60 per cent of bills for treatment, so most Koreans supplement it with private insurance.
Economic growth
From 1961, under the authoritarian leadership of General Park Chung-hee (father of the now imprisoned president), South Korea entered a period of rapid, export-led economic growth which transformed it from a poor country into a rich one. In 1974, the General continued to deliver a speech after surviving an assassination attempt in which his wife was fatally wounded, but in 1979 he was shot dead by the head of the Korean intelligence service. In the two decades after his death, Korea underwent a stormy transition to democracy.
Tackling the Coronavirus
South Korea has an average of 1313 inhabitants per square mile (compared to 671 in England), of whom about half are crammed into the Seoul Capital Area: figures which make its success so far in getting a grip on the Coronavirus by tracing those who have contracted it all the more impressive. But as Chris Smyth of The Times observed yesterday in a tweet: “South Korean authorities can look at your medical record, credit card bills and mobile phone data if they don’t think you’ve given them full enough answers in contact tracing. Are we ready for that here?”
Suicide
It remains difficult in South Korea to admit to mental illness, and in a list for 2016 by the World Health Organisation comparing the frequency of suicide in 183 countries, South Korea came tenth (the UK was 109th).
Pop culture
On a lighter note, K-pop, represented by bands such as BTS, has in recent years made South Korea part of the world youth culture scene.
Child care
By comparison with other advanced countries, South Korean men do very little child care and house work, in part because they work very long hours.
Reunification
In 1988, political scientists from Berlin and Seoul who specialised in divided countries held a conference at which they predicted that North and South Korea would be reunited long before East and West Germany. The following year, the Berlin Wall fell, followed by German reunification, an event the experts had failed to foresee. Nobody knows whether the North Korean regime will at some point crumble as swiftly, completely and peacefully as the East German one did. But the reluctance of the experts, after decades of immobility, to predict such an outcome, means the chances of this happening are almost certainly underestimated.


Coronavirus Count

UK cumulative total of lab-confirmed cases : 171,253 ( Up from 165,221 ) .
UK cumulative total of COVID-19 associated UK deaths in hospital : 26,771 ( Up from 26,097 ) .
Latest daily number of lab-confirmed UK cases : 6,032 ( Up from 4,076 ) .
Latest daily number of COVID-19 associated UK deaths in hospital : 674 ( Down from 765 ) .
From the Government ’ s website Number of coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) cases and risk in the UK .
DAILY NUMBER OF COVID-19 ASSOCIATED DEATHS BY DATE REPORTED From the Government ’ s website Number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk in the UK .
Wednesday April 29th note : Dominic Raab told today ’ s Government press conference that “ we are moving to an improved daily reporting system for deaths , so that deaths in all settings are included , wherever the individual has tested positive for COVID-19 , rather than just those in hospitals ” “ The risk to the UK has been raised to high ” – From the Government ’ s website Number of coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) cases and risk in the UK .
GOVERNMENT RULES ON @ @ @ @ @ @ @ See here .
Published on Monday March 23 .
GUIDANCE : FURTHER BUSINESSES AND PREMISES TO CLOSE See here .
Published on Monday March 23 .
HOW EVERYONE CAN HELP STOP THE CORONAVIRUS ( SOCIAL DISTANCING ) See here .
Republished on Monday March 23 .
STAY AT HOME IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE CORONAVIRUS ( SELF-DISTANCING ) See here .
Republished on Monday March 23 .
See here .
Published on Monday March 23 .
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE FOR WORKERS ON WHAT AND HOW THEY CAN CLAIM See here .
Published on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , TENANTS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES NEW See here .
Published on Saturday March 28 .
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE ON WHAT THE CORONAVIRUS BILL WILL DO See here .
Published on Wednesday March 18 HOW TO AVOID CATCHING OR SPREADING CORONAVIRUS • Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds .
• Always wash your hands when you get home or into work .
• Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available .
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you cough or sneeze .
• Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards .
• Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell .
The symptoms of coronavirus are : However , these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness .
The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common , such as cold and flu .
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You think you might have coronavirus .
• In the last 14 days you ’ ve been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see the coronavirus advice for travellers .
• You ’ ve been in close contact with someone with coronavirus .
• In Scotland call your GP or NHS 24 on 111 out of hours .
• In Wales call 111 ( if available in your area ) or 0845 46 47 .
• Do not go to a GP surgery , pharmacy or hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how it ’ s spread and how to avoid catching it – Government NHS website overview .
• Stay at home advice and how to manage self-isolation .
( All information taken from Government sources .
Updated as of 7.00 on Friday May 1st . )

HEADLINE FACTS
Total number of lab-confirmed UK cases: 292,950 (Up from 291,409).
Total number of COVID-19 associated UK deaths: 41,481 (Up from 41,279).
Daily number of lab-confirmed UK cases: 1,541 (Up from 1,266).
Daily number of COVID-19 associated UK deaths: 202 (Up from 151).
England total cases: 156,410 (Up from 156,018 ).
England total deaths: 37,069 (Up from 36,883).
England death rate: 279.4 (Was 278.7).
Scotland total cases: 15,709 (Up from 15,682).
Scotland total deaths: 2,439 (Up from 2,434).
Scotland death rate: 288.9 (Was 288.4).
Wales total cases: 14,658 (Up from 14,581).
Wales total deaths: 1,435 (Up from 1,425).
Wales death rate: 467.0 (Was 464.6)
Northern Ireland total cases: 4,838 (Up from 4,822)
Northern Ireland total deaths: 538 (Up from 537).
Northern Ireland death rate: 257.1 (Was 256.3).
From the Government’s website Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK.
DAILY NUMBER OF COVID-19 ASSOCIATED DEATHS BY DATE REPORTED
DAILY NUMBER OF LAB-CONFIRMED ENGLAND CASES
From the Government’s website Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK.
– – –
RISK
“The risk to the UK has been raised to high” –
From the Government’s website Number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases and risk in the UK.
– – –
NHS VOLUNTEER RESPONDER FORM
See here
(The Government’s scheme to recruit 250,000 volunteers.)
– – –
OUR PLAN TO REBUILD: THE UK GOVERNMENT’S COVID-19 RECOVERY STRATEGY
See here. New as of Monday May 11.
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE ON THE LOCKDOWN.
See here. New as of Tuesday June 2.
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE ON SHIELDING AND PROTECTING PEOPLE WHO ARE CLINICALLY EXTREMELY VULNERABLE FROM COVID-19
See here. New as of Tuesday June 2.
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE ON SOCIAL DISTANCING
See here. New as of Tuesday June 2.
GOVERNMENT WEBSITE: GENERAL ADVICE
See here.
GOVERNMENT WEBSITE: FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS. WHAT YOU CAN DO AND CAN’T DO
See here.
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE FOR LANDLORDS, TENANTS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES NEW
See here. Published on Saturday March 28.
– – –
HOW TO AVOID CATCHING OR SPREADING CORONAVIRUS
Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds .
Always wash your hands when you get home or into work .
Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available .
Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or your sleeve (not your hands) when you cough or sneeze .
Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards .
Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell.
SYMPTOMS
The symptoms of coronavirus are:
A cough.
A high temperature.
Shortness of breath.
However, these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness.
The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common, such as cold and flu.
USING 111
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do.
Use this service if:
You think you might have coronavirus.
In the last 14 days you’ve been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see the coronavirus advice for travellers.
You’ve been in close contact with someone with coronavirus.
In Scotland call your GP or NHS 24 on 111 out of hours.
In Wales call 111 (if available in your area) or 0845 46 47.
In Northern Ireland call 111.
Do not go to a GP surgery, pharmacy or hospital.
FURTHER LINKS TO GOVERNMENT ADVICE
– – –
(All information taken from Government sources.
Updated as of 19.00 on Friday June 12.)


conservativehome--2020-05-01--Iain Dale: Hancock’s testing day – and why the difference between a target and a pledge matters

Iain Dale presents the evening show on LBC Radio and is a commentator for CNN .
Sometimes things happen for a reason , sometimes they are just pure coincidence – on other occasions , just plain spooky .
On Monday , the Jeremy Vine Show asked if I would set their series of seven multiple choice quiz questions which they put to their audience before each break , and then give the answer when they come back after the break .
I decided to base them around Prime Ministerial trivia .
Just before the break at 9.55 , I posed @ @ @ @ @ @ @ had 17 children ?
” The multiple choice answers were a ) Earl Grey , b ) William Pitt the Younger and c ) Boris Johnson .
Just my little joke… Anyway , we came back at 9.58am , and I gave the answer as Earl Grey , and suggested it must have been something in his tea… I ’ m just too funny .
A minute later it flashed up on my phone that Carrie Symonds had just given birth .
Now what are the odds of that happening… Here are the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ do .
No Googling .
Answers at the bottom of the page Which of these political interviewers stood for Parliament in a general election ?
Boris Johnson was born in New York City .
Only one other Prime Minister was born abroad .
Was it – Margaret Thatcher told a female TV interviewer in 1973 that “ No woman in my time will ever be Prime Minister .
Who was it ?
Who wrote the theme music for John Major ’ s election campaign in 1992 ?
Today , we learn whether Health @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of testing 100,000 people per day .
I suspect when the figures are released at 5pm , we will discover that he hasn ’ t .
The reaction to this apparent failure will be interesting to observe , especially from the Labour Party as well as the media .
Some will no doubt and fulminate .
Others will observe that the ramping-up of testing has been impressive to see , albeit : why didn ’ t it happen earlier ?
But most will miss the point .
It wasn ’ t a pledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ there is a difference .
Oftentimes , you set a deliberately tough one to meet in the expectation that , even though many will see it as unrealistic , they will move heaven and earth to meet it… …Whereas if you set an easy to meet target , psychologically it doesn ’ t really inspire ‘ action this day ’ .
If you set a difficult target some people react in a way that , rather than inducing a shoulder-shrug , drives them to say , “ I ’ ll show you ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that ’ s what has happened here .
It will also be interesting to see how Hancock handles it .
It ’ s a big day for him .
One thing is for sure , when this crisis is over , the commercial property market is going to take a big hit .
Barclays has said that , given its experience of staff working at home , it is reviewing the need for massive offices in the City of London and elsewhere .
Three of my friends who run small companies , each @ @ @ @ @ @ @ me that , when their current leases run out , they won ’ t be renewing them or looking for property elsewhere .
If they need meeting rooms they ’ ll hire serviced office rooms as and when they need them .
I remember from my days at Biteback we seriously considered a homeworking arrangement when our lease ran out .
That was several years ago , but then the landlord came up with an offer that allowed us to stay .
If I were still there now , I know exactly what @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ d be saving tens of thousands of pounds of overheads .
It can be the difference between being profitable and not .
Following on from what I wrote last week about being a tad fed up with ministers repeating the mantra : “ We ’ ve made the right decisions at the right time ” I think it is worth reiterating that , while the soundbite might sound good , it ’ s complete bullshit .
Think about it .
In a pandemic timely decisions are vital – but nobody can make @ @ @ @ @ @ @ It is certainly more than arguable that the decision to go into lockdown on March 23rd came at least a week too late .
You only know if you ’ ve the right decision at the right time once you have some post-decision data to back it up .
It ’ s a meaningless and trite phrase , and Ministers should stop using it .
The next big decision is the date for partially lifting the lockdown .
The advantage of being a bit behind other countries in the development of the virus @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
It ’ s clear in retrospect that Germany partially lifted its lockdown too early ( yes , folks , the Germans got something wrong ) , and that its reinfection rate is spiking again .
Our current lockdown will be re-evaluated at the end of next week .
In my view , there is no case at all to merit a decision to do anything other than keep it , maybe with a few tweaks .
The decision to lift the lockdown in a meaningful way will , as I said last @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Johnson ’ s premiership .
He knows he can not afford to get the timing wrong by more than a few days .

Iain Dale presents the evening show on LBC Radio and is a commentator for CNN.
Sometimes things happen for a reason, sometimes they are just pure coincidence – on other occasions, just plain spooky.
On Monday, the Jeremy Vine Show asked if I would set their series of seven multiple choice quiz questions which they put to their audience before each break, and then give the answer when they come back after the break.
I decided to base them around Prime Ministerial trivia. Just before the break at 9.55, I posed the question: “Which prime minister had 17 children?”
The multiple choice answers were a) Earl Grey, b) William Pitt the Younger and c) Boris Johnson. Just my little joke…
Anyway, we came back at 9.58am, and I gave the answer as Earl Grey, and suggested it must have been something in his tea… I’m just too funny. A minute later it flashed up on my phone that Carrie Symonds had just given birth. Now what are the odds of that happening…
Here are the other quiz questions. See how you do. No Googling. Answers at the bottom of the page
Which of these political interviewers stood for Parliament in a general election?
Sir Robin Day Susanna Reid Jeremy Paxman
Who is Britain’s shortest serving Prime Minister?
Sir Alex Douglas-Home George Canning Viscount Goderich
Boris Johnson was born in New York City. Only one other Prime Minister was born abroad. Was it –
Benjamin Disraeli Andrew Bonar Law James Callaghan
Margaret Thatcher told a female TV interviewer in 1973 that “No woman in my time will ever be Prime Minister. Who was it?
Valerie Singleton Lesley Judd Maggie Philbin
Who wrote the theme music for John Major’s election campaign in 1992?
Cliff Richard Andrew Lloyd Webber Gary Barlow
– – – – – – – – – –
Today, we learn whether Health Secretary Matt Hancock has achieved his target of testing 100,000 people per day.
I suspect when the figures are released at 5pm, we will discover that he hasn’t. The reaction to this apparent failure will be interesting to observe, especially from the Labour Party as well as the media.
Some will no doubt and fulminate. Others will observe that the ramping-up of testing has been impressive to see, albeit: why didn’t it happen earlier?
But most will miss the point. It wasn’t a pledge, it was a target, and there is a difference. Oftentimes, you set a deliberately tough one to meet in the expectation that, even though many will see it as unrealistic, they will move heaven and earth to meet it…
…Whereas if you set an easy to meet target, psychologically it doesn’t really inspire ‘action this day’. If you set a difficult target some people react in a way that, rather than inducing a shoulder-shrug, drives them to say, “I’ll show you”.
And they do. I think that’s what has happened here. It will also be interesting to see how Hancock handles it. It’s a big day for him.
– – – – – – – – – –
One thing is for sure, when this crisis is over, the commercial property market is going to take a big hit. Barclays has said that, given its experience of staff working at home, it is reviewing the need for massive offices in the City of London and elsewhere.
Three of my friends who run small companies, each with 10-30 staff, have all told me that, when their current leases run out, they won’t be renewing them or looking for property elsewhere. If they need meeting rooms they’ll hire serviced office rooms as and when they need them.
I remember from my days at Biteback we seriously considered a homeworking arrangement when our lease ran out. That was several years ago, but then the landlord came up with an offer that allowed us to stay.
If I were still there now, I know exactly what I would be doing, and I’d be saving tens of thousands of pounds of overheads. It can be the difference between being profitable and not.
– – – – – – – – – –
Following on from what I wrote last week about being a tad fed up with ministers repeating the mantra: “We’ve made the right decisions at the right time” I think it is worth reiterating that, while the soundbite might sound good, it’s complete bullshit.
Think about it. In a pandemic timely decisions are vital – but nobody can make every decision at the right time. It is certainly more than arguable that the decision to go into lockdown on March 23rd came at least a week too late.
You only know if you’ve the right decision at the right time once you have some post-decision data to back it up. It’s a meaningless and trite phrase, and Ministers should stop using it.
The next big decision is the date for partially lifting the lockdown. The advantage of being a bit behind other countries in the development of the virus is that we can learn from them. It’s clear in retrospect that Germany partially lifted its lockdown too early (yes, folks, the Germans got something wrong), and that its reinfection rate is spiking again.
Our current lockdown will be re-evaluated at the end of next week. In my view, there is no case at all to merit a decision to do anything other than keep it, maybe with a few tweaks.
The decision to lift the lockdown in a meaningful way will, as I said last week, be potentially the defining one of Johnson’s premiership. He knows he cannot afford to get the timing wrong by more than a few days.
– – – – – – – – – –
Quiz answers A, B, B, A, B


conservativehome--2020-05-01--Izzi Seccombe: Councils are putting their extra funding to effective use

Cllr Izzi Seccombe is the Leader of Warwickshire County Council and the Leader of the Conservative Group of the Local Government Association .
Local government has been at the forefront of the unprecedented national response to the Coronavirus pandemic , and I am proud that Conservative councils have been leading the way in supporting those in our communities who most need our assistance .
Across the country , our councils have been working tirelessly to get rough sleepers off the streets , support shielding programmes , look after vulnerable children and adults , and support care workers whilst also maintaining @ @ @ @ @ @ @ residents continue to rely on .
For example , my own authority , working in partnership with our district and borough councils , has supported shielded residents across Warwickshire by delivering over 5,000 packages of food and essential household goods .
Working closely with voluntary and community services , we have also delivered wider support to those who are vulnerable but not shielding , including virtual library services , well-being and mental health support , and advice on homelessness , housing and financial vulnerability .
Similarly , in Essex the county council is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ borough , and city council colleagues to ensure that Operation Shield is as effective as possible .
More than 4,000 people have signed up to the countywide volunteering scheme , with many helping to distribute government food parcels from a central depot that was put into operation once the lockdown started .
The council ’ s 30-year relationship with Jiangsu Province in China has also allowed it to obtain extra supplies of vital PPE equipment and to assist other local authorities .
In South Norfolk , the district council has redeployed all of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , resulting in them undertaking new roles such as helping those vulnerable residents who need help with shopping or prescriptions .
Meanwhile , the council ’ s fitness instructors have been redeployed to its refuse collection teams , thus helping to ensure that this core service has been fully maintained for all local residents throughout the crisis .
In Leicestershire , the county council has established a £1 million fund to help voluntary , community , and social enterprise organisations whose work supporting vulnerable people across the county would otherwise suffer due to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
The fund was launched at the beginning of April , with the first set of grants ( which are limited to a maximum of £25,000 per organisation ) totalling just over £500,000 .
Such was the popularity of the scheme that the fund was increased to £1.5 million .
To date , 232 organisations from across the county have made bids totalling over £3 million .
Meanwhile , in Staffordshire , the county council has already overseen the distribution of 1000 food deliveries to vulnerable residents who do not have any support @ @ @ @ @ @ @ deliver up to 20,000 parcels over a twelve week period .
As part of this process , the council takes bulk consignments of essential supplies and repackages them for delivery to individual households .
The packing is done by volunteers , council staff transferred from other departments – some of the 750 in total who have volunteered to switch jobs to support critical roles – and catering teams from its school meals provider .
Once a delivery has been organised , recipients are also then put in touch with local voluntary organisations who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
Of course , these initiatives and the many thousands of others around the country , have resulted in councils incurring significant additional expenditure .
I was therefore delighted when our Secretary of State for Housing , Communities and Local Government , Robert Jenrick , recently announced that the Government was providing an additional £1.6 billion to local government to help it deal with the ongoing impact of the pandemic .
I would like to thank Robert and his MHCLG Ministerial Team , as well as their colleagues at the Treasury , for @ @ @ @ @ @ @ impact that Coronavirus has had on councils and responding in such a positive manner .
Indeed , this latest funding announcement means that local government has now received over £3.2 billion in additional funding since the Coronavirus crisis began , and it came shortly after the equally welcome news that councils will also be able to defer £2.6 billion in business rates payments to central government .
Robert has also made a number of other important announcements that have provided much needed clarity for councillors and councils at this difficult time , including @ @ @ @ @ @ @ relation to holding council meetings remotely .
Councils have responded positively to this guidance and adapted flexibly to the new circumstances .
To give just one example , South Norfolk District Council is keeping its planning function going with a smaller planning committee comprised of five members meeting online fortnightly , replacing the previous nine member committee which used to meet monthly .
I also very much appreciated the fact that Robert recently took the time to write to councils to specifically thank them for their response to the pandemic and to acknowledge @ @ @ @ @ @ @ ’ of the crisis .
It is fitting that the fantastic contribution of our dedicated council workers has been officially recognised alongside their colleagues in the NHS and other professions , and I know that they will continue to play an absolutely vital role in supporting and protecting the most vulnerable members of our society in the coming weeks and months .
I know that many of our councillors are regular Conservative Home readers , so I would also like to take this opportunity to say a big ‘ thank you ’ on @ @ @ @ @ @ @ all that you are doing for your communities at this very difficult time .
I hope that you , along with all Conservative Home readers , are keeping safe and managing to adapt to what has fast become the ‘ new normal.
’ We are living in unprecedented times , but as Her Majesty said in her recent broadcast to the nation , we will succeed in the fight against Coronavirus and we will meet again .

Cllr Izzi Seccombe is the Leader of Warwickshire County Council and the Leader of the Conservative Group of the Local Government Association.
Local government has been at the forefront of the unprecedented national response to the Coronavirus pandemic, and I am proud that Conservative councils have been leading the way in supporting those in our communities who most need our assistance.
Across the country, our councils have been working tirelessly to get rough sleepers off the streets, support shielding programmes, look after vulnerable children and adults, and support care workers whilst also maintaining the core services that all of our residents continue to rely on. For example, my own authority, working in partnership with our district and borough councils, has supported shielded residents across Warwickshire by delivering over 5,000 packages of food and essential household goods. Working closely with voluntary and community services, we have also delivered wider support to those who are vulnerable but not shielding, including virtual library services, well-being and mental health support, and advice on homelessness, housing and financial vulnerability.
Similarly, in Essex the county council is working very closely with its district, borough, and city council colleagues to ensure that Operation Shield is as effective as possible. More than 4,000 people have signed up to the countywide volunteering scheme, with many helping to distribute government food parcels from a central depot that was put into operation once the lockdown started. The council’s 30-year relationship with Jiangsu Province in China has also allowed it to obtain extra supplies of vital PPE equipment and to assist other local authorities.
In South Norfolk, the district council has redeployed all of its leisure staff to the humanitarian effort, resulting in them undertaking new roles such as helping those vulnerable residents who need help with shopping or prescriptions. Meanwhile, the council’s fitness instructors have been redeployed to its refuse collection teams, thus helping to ensure that this core service has been fully maintained for all local residents throughout the crisis. In Leicestershire, the county council has established a £1 million fund to help voluntary, community, and social enterprise organisations whose work supporting vulnerable people across the county would otherwise suffer due to their inability to fundraise during the crisis. The fund was launched at the beginning of April, with the first set of grants (which are limited to a maximum of £25,000 per organisation) totalling just over £500,000. Such was the popularity of the scheme that the fund was increased to £1.5 million. To date, 232 organisations from across the county have made bids totalling over £3 million. Meanwhile, in Staffordshire, the county council has already overseen the distribution of 1000 food deliveries to vulnerable residents who do not have any support network, and it is planning to deliver up to 20,000 parcels over a twelve week period.
As part of this process, the council takes bulk consignments of essential supplies and repackages them for delivery to individual households. The packing is done by volunteers, council staff transferred from other departments – some of the 750 in total who have volunteered to switch jobs to support critical roles – and catering teams from its school meals provider. Once a delivery has been organised, recipients are also then put in touch with local voluntary organisations who are able to offer them further support.
Of course, these initiatives and the many thousands of others around the country, have resulted in councils incurring significant additional expenditure. I was therefore delighted when our Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, Robert Jenrick, recently announced that the Government was providing an additional £1.6 billion to local government to help it deal with the ongoing impact of the pandemic.
I would like to thank Robert and his MHCLG Ministerial Team, as well as their colleagues at the Treasury, for listening to our concerns about the financial impact that Coronavirus has had on councils and responding in such a positive manner. Indeed, this latest funding announcement means that local government has now received over £3.2 billion in additional funding since the Coronavirus crisis began, and it came shortly after the equally welcome news that councils will also be able to defer £2.6 billion in business rates payments to central government.
Robert has also made a number of other important announcements that have provided much needed clarity for councillors and councils at this difficult time, including the very helpful guidance from MHCLG in relation to holding council meetings remotely. Councils have responded positively to this guidance and adapted flexibly to the new circumstances. To give just one example, South Norfolk District Council is keeping its planning function going with a smaller planning committee comprised of five members meeting online fortnightly, replacing the previous nine member committee which used to meet monthly.
I also very much appreciated the fact that Robert recently took the time to write to councils to specifically thank them for their response to the pandemic and to acknowledge our workers as the ‘unsung heroes’ of the crisis. It is fitting that the fantastic contribution of our dedicated council workers has been officially recognised alongside their colleagues in the NHS and other professions, and I know that they will continue to play an absolutely vital role in supporting and protecting the most vulnerable members of our society in the coming weeks and months.
I know that many of our councillors are regular Conservative Home readers, so I would also like to take this opportunity to say a big ‘thank you’ on behalf of the LGA Conservative Group for all that you are doing for your communities at this very difficult time.
I hope that you, along with all Conservative Home readers, are keeping safe and managing to adapt to what has fast become the ‘new normal.’
We are living in unprecedented times, but as Her Majesty said in her recent broadcast to the nation, we will succeed in the fight against Coronavirus and we will meet again.


conservativehome--2020-05-01--Face masks: Is Johnson hostage to peer pressure?

Throughout the Coronavirus crisis , the Government has been subject to numerous international comparisons – with regards to how well it is handling the pandemic .
The most recent area of contention is face masks , which many countries have quickly cautioned their people to wear .
They are now compulsory , for instance , in the Czech Republic and Slovakia , and some German states have even introduced fines of up to €10,000 if their citizens do not use them on public transport , long-distance trains and in shops .
The pressure over whether the UK should follow suit @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Scottish First Minister , recommended the public wear them in enclosed spaces when they can not socially distance .
Sadiq Khan , the Mayor of London , has also been very vocal on the matter , threatening to “ unilaterally ” order their use in the capital .
But the Government has remained rather resistant .
Though Britain has stockpiled non-medical face masks ( just in case – it appears ) , Matt Hancock has told reporters that they have “ weak evidence ” , and that “ the most important thing ” @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , some may have been surprised at yesterday ’ s press briefing when Boris Johnson appeared to do a U-turn on the Government ’ s position .
He called face coverings “ useful ” and saying they “ give people confidence they can go back to work ” .
Why the sudden enthusiasm for them , many will wonder… The first thing to say is that Johnson ’ s words seem to contradict the “ led by the science ” approach .
Professor Dame Angela McLean , the UK deputy chief scientific adviser @ @ @ @ @ @ @ weak evidence of a small effect ” in regards to face masks , and the jury is still very much out on their effectiveness in this crisis .
In general , it ’ s quite difficult to measure the impact of face masks .
To understand their importance , scientists would need to test two groups – one without the intervention ( face masks ) , and one with it , and then control all the differences between them ( to isolate the impact of the intervention ) .
This is no easy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Some scientists even speculate that face masks could do more harm than good in a population .
There are concerns that they do not protect the virus getting into the eyes , as goggles do ; that the public needs training in how to fit and dispose of them , and that people can infect themselves with particles when they take their mask off .
Furthermore , some worry that the public might take up valuable stock for doctors and nurses .
Although the Government is only stockpiling non-medical face masks , some @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will panic buy supplies of high-spec masks needed by frontline medical staff .
Many medical masks are available on Amazon , where it ’ s possible to buy 10 of the surgical variety for £7 .
This could cause real problems for any medics who , out of desperation , have been forced to access them that way .
Furthermore , the UK ’ s effort to stockpile masks might divert the Government from trying to tackle its Personal Protective Equipment problem .
While it has shipped millions of equipment , the demand @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the maximum energy focussed there .
Ultimately the question is whether changing official guidance on face masks ( as it is expected the Government will do ) , is worth it – when the evidence is so unclear .
It seems an example of leaders simply following Sturgeon ’ s policy , which isn ’ t actually that impressive – when one digs deep into the wording .
Take for instance , the non-mandatory advice for people to wear face coverings “ made of cloth or other textiles , such as a scarf @ @ @ @ @ @ @ showing that wearing a scarf adds to the current measures designed to protect people ?
With social distancing widespread , the need for face masks is supposed to go down .
If one had to hazard a guess as to why Johnson is going in the same direction , one suspects he is trying very hard to avoid accusations of not being cautious enough with the public ’ s health .
He has had numerous accusations from a media convinced that the UK is the worst country on earth in terms of death @ @ @ @ @ @ @ idea Britain was too “ slow ” to go into lockdown .
Add to that he has had his own near-death experience with the Coronavirus , and perhaps it is not surprising that he is going for the “ better safe than sorry ” approach .
And , of course , for any leader , advocating face masks is a people-pleasing move .
What better gesture is there , after all , to show you care about your citizens then asking them to wear protective clothing ?
But it is yet another example @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Of course , it ’ s imperative for every state to learn from those that have had success .
But these are difficult , nuanced and scientific decisions that ultimately have to be decided by the UK ’ s own team .
If there is not enough evidence for face masks , there is not enough evidence for face masks – and the Government should follow its own advisers , not try to emulate Germany , or anyone else .

Throughout the Coronavirus crisis, the Government has been subject to numerous international comparisons – with regards to how well it is handling the pandemic.
The most recent area of contention is face masks, which many countries have quickly cautioned their people to wear.
They are now compulsory, for instance, in the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and some German states have even introduced fines of up to €10,000 if their citizens do not use them on public transport, long-distance trains and in shops.
The pressure over whether the UK should follow suit increased on Tuesday when Nicola Sturgeon, Scottish First Minister, recommended the public wear them in enclosed spaces when they cannot socially distance.
Sadiq Khan, the Mayor of London, has also been very vocal on the matter, threatening to “unilaterally” order their use in the capital.
But the Government has remained rather resistant.
Though Britain has stockpiled non-medical face masks (just in case – it appears), Matt Hancock has told reporters that they have “weak evidence”, and that “the most important thing” remains social distancing.
Given these comments, some may have been surprised at yesterday’s press briefing when Boris Johnson appeared to do a U-turn on the Government’s position.
He called face coverings “useful” and saying they “give people confidence they can go back to work”.
Why the sudden enthusiasm for them, many will wonder…
The first thing to say is that Johnson’s words seem to contradict the “led by the science” approach.
Professor Dame Angela McLean, the UK deputy chief scientific adviser, has said that Sage found “weak evidence of a small effect” in regards to face masks, and the jury is still very much out on their effectiveness in this crisis.
In general, it’s quite difficult to measure the impact of face masks.
To understand their importance, scientists would need to test two groups – one without the intervention (face masks), and one with it, and then control all the differences between them (to isolate the impact of the intervention). This is no easy task in the middle of a pandemic…
Some scientists even speculate that face masks could do more harm than good in a population.
There are concerns that they do not protect the virus getting into the eyes, as goggles do; that the public needs training in how to fit and dispose of them, and that people can infect themselves with particles when they take their mask off.
Furthermore, some worry that the public might take up valuable stock for doctors and nurses.
Although the Government is only stockpiling non-medical face masks, some experts worry that members of the public will panic buy supplies of high-spec masks needed by frontline medical staff.
Many medical masks are available on Amazon, where it’s possible to buy 10 of the surgical variety for £7.
This could cause real problems for any medics who, out of desperation, have been forced to access them that way.
Furthermore, the UK’s effort to stockpile masks might divert the Government from trying to tackle its Personal Protective Equipment problem.
While it has shipped millions of equipment, the demand is astronomical – and it surely needs the maximum energy focussed there.
Ultimately the question is whether changing official guidance on face masks (as it is expected the Government will do), is worth it – when the evidence is so unclear.
It seems an example of leaders simply following Sturgeon’s policy, which isn’t actually that impressive – when one digs deep into the wording.
Take for instance, the non-mandatory advice for people to wear face coverings “made of cloth or other textiles, such as a scarf”.”
Where is the data showing that wearing a scarf adds to the current measures designed to protect people?
With social distancing widespread, the need for face masks is supposed to go down.
If one had to hazard a guess as to why Johnson is going in the same direction, one suspects he is trying very hard to avoid accusations of not being cautious enough with the public’s health.
He has had numerous accusations from a media convinced that the UK is the worst country on earth in terms of death rates; they are obsessed with the idea Britain was too “slow” to go into lockdown.
Add to that he has had his own near-death experience with the Coronavirus, and perhaps it is not surprising that he is going for the “better safe than sorry” approach.
And, of course, for any leader, advocating face masks is a people-pleasing move.
What better gesture is there, after all, to show you care about your citizens then asking them to wear protective clothing?
But it is yet another example of the problem with international comparisons.
Of course, it’s imperative for every state to learn from those that have had success.
But these are difficult, nuanced and scientific decisions that ultimately have to be decided by the UK’s own team.
If there is not enough evidence for face masks, there is not enough evidence for face masks – and the Government should follow its own advisers, not try to emulate Germany, or anyone else.


conservativehome--2020-05-02--The Health Secretary’s friends will portray him as the greatest Tory target deliverer since Macmilla

The Health Secretary’s friends will portray him as the greatest Tory target deliverer since Macmillan

A perceptive Government adviser told ConHome earlier this week that Matt Hancock announcing his 100,000 virus test target by the end of last month was like J.F.Kennedy announcing that America would put a man on the moon within ten years .
In other words , the mere fact of declaring a “ stretch target ” would greatly increase the delivery of tests – whether the goal itself was reached or not .
George Freeman has made the same point on this site .
Both were right .
The Health Secretary has driven the creation of a new British industry from @ @ @ @ @ @ @ That matters more than whether 100,000 was the right figure to aim for ( Boris Johnson had previously cited 250,000 ) ; or whether the 122,347 tests that Hancock proclaimed reached yesterday should or shouldn ’ t have included 39,000 that have been sent out to homes and locations , but haven ’ t necessarily been returned .
The political significance of the news is that the Health Secretary has won respite from being set up by some in Downing Street , and some of his colleagues , as the Government ’ s @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as we labelled him earlier this week .
Indeed , Hancock ’ s internal status will have been strenghtened by the reaching of the target .
He is the leading Government “ dove ” – that ’ s to say , the champion of his department ’ s view that the sustainability of the NHS must be at the core of the lockdown strategy .
The target news plus recent briefing noise suggests that the Health Secretary is winning : very crudely , that his department , rather than the Treasury , has @ @ @ @ @ @ @ least for the moment .
His friends will be able to claim that he is most successful Tory deliverer of a target since Harold Macmillan drove the building of 300,000 homes a year during the 1950s .
( With James Bethell , now a Lords Minister , as his Percy Mills . )
Hancock is already one of the Government ’ s Big Five – Dominic Raab , Rishi Sunak , Michael Gove and himself , plus the Prime Minister .
The throwing-together of a new industry in next to no time will @ @ @ @

A perceptive Government adviser told ConHome earlier this week that Matt Hancock announcing his 100,000 virus test target by the end of last month was like J.F.Kennedy announcing that America would put a man on the moon within ten years.
In other words, the mere fact of declaring a “stretch target” would greatly increase the delivery of tests – whether the goal itself was reached or not. George Freeman has made the same point on this site.
Both were right. The Health Secretary has driven the creation of a new British industry from scratch – a considerable personal achievement.
That matters more than whether 100,000 was the right figure to aim for (Boris Johnson had previously cited 250,000); or whether the 122,347 tests that Hancock proclaimed reached yesterday should or shouldn’t have included 39,000 that have been sent out to homes and locations, but haven’t necessarily been returned.
The political significance of the news is that the Health Secretary has won respite from being set up by some in Downing Street, and some of his colleagues, as the Government’s scapegoat for failings.
Or Scapecock, as we labelled him earlier this week. Indeed, Hancock’s internal status will have been strenghtened by the reaching of the target. He is the leading Government “dove” – that’s to say, the champion of his department’s view that the sustainability of the NHS must be at the core of the lockdown strategy.
The target news plus recent briefing noise suggests that the Health Secretary is winning: very crudely, that his department, rather than the Treasury, has Boris Johnson’s ear, at least for the moment.
His friends will be able to claim that he is most successful Tory deliverer of a target since Harold Macmillan drove the building of 300,000 homes a year during the 1950s. (With James Bethell, now a Lords Minister, as his Percy Mills.)
Hancock is already one of the Government’s Big Five – Dominic Raab, Rishi Sunak, Michael Gove and himself, plus the Prime Minister. The throwing-together of a new industry in next to no time will seal his status.


Coronavirus Count

UK cumulative total of lab-confirmed cases : 177,454 ( Up from 171,253 ) .
UK cumulative total of COVID-19 associated UK deaths in hospital : 27,510 ( Up from 26,771 ) .
Latest daily number of lab-confirmed UK cases : 6,201 ( Up from 6,032 ) .
Latest daily number of COVID-19 associated UK deaths in hospital : 739 ( Up from 674 ) .
From the Government ’ s website Number of coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) cases and risk in the UK .
DAILY NUMBER OF COVID-19 ASSOCIATED DEATHS BY DATE REPORTED From the Government ’ s website Number @ @ @ @ @ @ @ risk in the UK .
Wednesday April 29th note : Dominic Raab told today ’ s Government press conference that “ we are moving to an improved daily reporting system for deaths , so that deaths in all settings are included , wherever the individual has tested positive for COVID-19 , rather than just those in hospitals ” “ The risk to the UK has been raised to high ” – From the Government ’ s website Number of coronavirus ( COVID-19 ) cases and risk in the UK .
GOVERNMENT RULES ON @ @ @ @ @ @ @ See here .
Published on Monday March 23 .
GUIDANCE : FURTHER BUSINESSES AND PREMISES TO CLOSE See here .
Published on Monday March 23 .
HOW EVERYONE CAN HELP STOP THE CORONAVIRUS ( SOCIAL DISTANCING ) See here .
Republished on Monday March 23 .
STAY AT HOME IF YOU THINK YOU HAVE CORONAVIRUS ( SELF-DISTANCING ) See here .
Republished on Monday March 23 .
See here .
Published on Monday March 23 .
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE FOR WORKERS ON WHAT AND HOW THEY CAN CLAIM See here .
Published on Friday @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , TENANTS AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES NEW See here .
Published on Saturday March 28 .
GOVERNMENT GUIDANCE ON WHAT THE CORONAVIRUS BILL WILL DO See here .
Published on Wednesday March 18 HOW TO AVOID CATCHING OR SPREADING CORONAVIRUS • Wash your hands with soap and water often – do this for at least 20 seconds .
• Always wash your hands when you get home or into work .
• Use hand sanitiser gel if soap and water are not available .
• Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue or @ @ @ @ @ @ @ when you cough or sneeze .
• Put used tissues in the bin straight away and wash your hands afterwards .
• Try to avoid close contact with people who are unwell .
The symptoms of coronavirus are : However , these symptoms do not necessarily mean you have the illness .
The symptoms are similar to other illnesses that are much more common , such as cold and flu .
NHS 111 has an online coronavirus service that can tell you if you need medical help and advise you what to do @ @ @ @ @ @ @ You think you might have coronavirus .
• In the last 14 days you ’ ve been to a country or area with a high risk of coronavirus – see the coronavirus advice for travellers .
• You ’ ve been in close contact with someone with coronavirus .
• In Scotland call your GP or NHS 24 on 111 out of hours .
• In Wales call 111 ( if available in your area ) or 0845 46 47 .
• Do not go to a GP surgery , pharmacy or hospital @ @ @ @ @ @ @ how it ’ s spread and how to avoid catching it – Government NHS website overview .
• Stay at home advice and how to manage self-isolation .
( All information taken from Government sources .
Updated as of 19.00 on Friday May 1st . )