Related video: Boris Johnson to isolate at Chequers following fury over quarantine escape plan
Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak are to voluntarily self-isolate despite being told they could avoid quarantine by taking part in a pilot testing scheme after coming into contact with Sajid Javid, amid anger that government ministers were able to dodge the Covid rule.
The prime minister will be isolating at Chequers, Downing Street said, while the chancellor said he recognised “that even the sense that the rules aren’t the same for everyone is wrong” and said he would be quarantining, too.
The row comes after Sajid Javid, the health secretary, was confirmed as having coronavirus on Saturday evening.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the government was in “chaos” at a time when in needed to maintain public confidence. “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have been busted yet again for thinking the rules that we are all following don’t apply to them,” he said.
Guto Harri quits GB News after channel suspends him for taking the knee live on air
A presenter has resigned from GB News after he was disciplined for taking the knee on-air against racism.
GB News had suspended Guto Harri for the whole summer after the right-wing channel’s viewers boycotted its programmes over his show of solidarity with black England football players.
The former BBC correspondent said that he had not believed in such gestures like taking the knee, but seeing England footballers being racially abused after the team’s defeat in the Euro 2020 final had led him to have a change of heart.
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 14:19
Long Covid might strike half a million people during current wave, Neil Ferguson warns
Around half a million people can be expected to develop long Covid during the current wave of coronavirus, epidemiologist Neil Ferguson has warned.
The Imperial College London scientist said it was “almost inevitable” that daily infection rates will hit a record 100,000 within weeks, and said the pandemic could spike at more than 200,000 positive cases a day.
His warning came after Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick agreed that the wave driven by the Delta variant of Covid-19 will be “challenging” and could last into September, but said the government would do “everything we can” to avoid further lockdown restrictions.
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 13:59
What is the testing scheme at the centre of the Johnson-Sunak row?
A pilot scheme which allows contacts of people testing positive for coronavirus to carry out essential activities and not self-isolate has been the centre of a furious political row on Sunday.
Here PA details what the scheme is and who may benefit from it.
– What is the new scheme?
The workplace pilot scheme will assess the effectiveness of daily contact tracing for those who have been in contact with people testing positive for coronavirus.
The study is being led by Public Health England and NHS Test and Trace, according to the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC).
– Why is it being carried out
It is hoped the scheme will provide evidence to help reduce the length of time that contacts of Covid- positive people need to self-isolate for.
The DHSC said reducing self-isolation periods would prevent individuals missing work and doing day-to-day activities, helping to reopen the economy and society.
Close contacts of people with Covid-19 will be contacted by phone and sent seven days’ worth of lateral flow tests, the DHSC said.
All contacts will be required to perform a test every morning for seven days.
Those who develop no symptoms and also test negative will be exempt from self-isolation on that day and can leave their homes to carry out essential activities, but will still need to take another test the following day to check they remain exempt.
– Who is involved in the workplace pilot?
The scheme is being piloted with a variety of selected organisations from the private and public sectors.
Currently, 20 organisations are involved, including Network Rail, TFL, Heathrow and Border Force, and Downing Street.
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 13:39
MPs respond to Johnson’s isolation U-turn
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 13:19
Demonstrators stage anti-racism protest outside Downing Street
Demonstrators from the Stand Up To Racism group staged a “taking the knee” protest near Downing Street on Saturday against the government and in solidarity with England footballers Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka and Jadon Sancho.
The protest was part of a national day of action across the UK organised by Stand Up To Racism following racist abuse of the England football players and what they cite as the hypocrisy of Boris Johnson and the home secretary, Priti Patel.
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 12:59
Guto Harri speaks out after being dropped by GB News for taking the knee
A GB News presenter who took the knee against racism on-air has hit out against a decision to suspend him, saying the newly launched channel is “becoming an absurd parody of what it proclaims to be”.
Guto Harri criticised his employer for claiming “to believe in free speech” and then punishing him for expressing his views.
The former BBC correspondent said that he had not believed in such gestures like taking the knee, but seeing England footballers being racially abused after the team’s defeat in the Euro 2020 final had led him to a change of heart.
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 12:43
Government to spend £20m on research projects to improve treatment for ‘long Covid’
New research studies backed by almost £20m of government money are to look into the phenomenon of “long Covid” which has seen thousands of people struck down by extreme fatigue, breathlessness, headaches and brain fog for 12 months or more after a coronavirus infection.
Office for National Statistics figures released last month found 995,000 people reporting protracted symptoms, with 192,000 saying their ability to carry out normal day-to-day tasks was reduced “a lot”.
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 12:28
Johnson and Sunak ‘busted again for thinking rules don’t apply to them’ – Starmer
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said the government is in “chaos” at a time when in needed to maintain public confidence.
“Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have been busted yet again for thinking the rules that we are all following don’t apply to them,” he said.
“The way the prime minister conducts himself creates chaos, makes for bad government and has deadly consequences for the British public.
“Yet again the Conservatives fixed the rules to benefit themselves and only backtracked when they were found out. They robbed the bank, got caught and have now offered to give the money back.”
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 12:13
UK forced to reopen sensitive Ukraine trade pact after errors in text
The UK has been forced to reopen its trade deal with Ukraine, one of its most sensitive post-Brexit agreements, after errors were found in the original text, The Independent can reveal.
The pact was signed by prime minister Boris Johnson in October last year, and lauded as a key example of Britain’s post-Brexit trade and foreign policies.
The agreement not only covers the commercial relationship between Britain and the eastern European country but also defence cooperation to support Kiev’s sovereignty.
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 12:01
Federation of Small Businesses calls on government to speed up change to isolation rules after PM row
Mike Cherry, national chairman of The Federation of Small Businesses, has called on the government to speed up changes to the self-isolation rules in the wake of the row engulfing Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak.
He said: “We’ve always said that access to workplace testing will be fundamental to keeping the virus under control as the economy gets back on its feet.
“Given that those at the very top of government were today given the choice of rigorous testing in place of self-isolation, small business owners who have been hampered by pings will be wondering why they and their staff are not offered the same choice.
“Government should urgently review the delay to changing self-isolation rules for the fully vaccinated to 16 August.
“It could expand the pilot scheme that ministers currently enjoy to those at the front line of the economy.”
Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 11:52
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