Furious village vigilantes may attack city dwellers who visit beauty spots now the coronavirus lockdown has been eased, police chiefs have warned. Rural police and crime commissioners fear locals will lash out at visitors as they try to protect their communities from the deadly bug. Officers can no longer kick tourists out of hotspots after … Read more
Boris Johnson has accidentally revealed a memo from a senior aide telling him to dodge a coronavirus showdown with the Tory backbench ‘shop steward’. The PM was photographed carrying the private message about 1922 committee chief Sir Graham Brady as he went in to Downing Street yesterday. Apparently written by Mr Johnson’s private secretary Ben … Read more
Britain should have done mass coronavirus testing on the public at the beginning of the crisis and carried it on, the Government’s chief scientist has said. Sir Patrick Vallance, the chief scientific adviser to Downing Street, admitted yesterday that it ‘would have been beneficial’ to get a handle on testing faster. Today a senior minister … Read more
Face masks will have some benefit in halting the spread of the coronavirus in post-lockdown Britain, Number 10‘s chief scientific adviser today said. Sir Patrick Vallance told MPs that masks could have a ‘marginal but positive’ impact on curbing transmission of the life-threatening infection. But ‘coverings of some sort might do’, he said in front of … Read more
‘The government can’t stop football’: Italy’s politicians have no right to step in and prevent Serie A from restarting, says Lazio chief Igli Tare… as he claims players ‘celebrated’ when told they could start training again Italy’s government has allowed football clubs to return to their training grounds It came after the likes of Sassuolo … Read more
Former chief scientific adviser sets up rival to Sage in wake of secrecy row to offer alternative advice that Britons can follow on YouTube Sir David King was chief scientific adviser under Tony Blair and Gordon Brown Concerns have been raised about a lack of transparency within Sage Sir David was scathing about Dominic Cumming’s … Read more
The government’s testing co-ordinator insisted people should not get ‘hung up on targets’ today as he argued the goal for 100,000 checks a day had been met. Prof John Newton brushed off a row over whether the numbers had been cooked, stressing the big picture was capacity had risen sharply and there would always be … Read more
The founder of the Chris Whitty Appreciation Society has revealed how members are eager to ‘declare their love’ for England’s Chief Medical Officer, after seeing him getting a hard time from critics. Professor Chris Whitty, 54, has been a household name ever since the coronavirus outbreak took hold, appearing almost daily at the Government’s Downing Street press … Read more
No10 chief Dominic Cummings ‘intervened at SAGE meeting to push for experts to back lockdown’ Dominic Cummings ‘was more than a bystander at a meeting of SAGE experts’ Claims the PM’s top aide pushed scientists to back imposing lockdown sooner No10 has hit back at claims and said all advice provided by SAGE is impartial … Read more
England’s Chief Medical Officer has become an artist’s muse after people took to sculpting and drawing him and posting their masterpieces online. Professor Chris Whitty has been a household name ever since the coronavirus outbreak took its hold on Britain last month. Appearing almost daily at the Government’s Downing Street press conferences, his ‘calm and … Read more