Coronavirus: Boris Johnson promises pandemic will not lead to return of austerity
4 years, 6 months ago

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson promises pandemic will not lead to return of austerity

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The announcement sets the scene for massive additional borrowing to fund lavish building projects, at a time when the cost of the outbreak has already driven Britain’s state debt above 100 per cent of GDP. And former prime minister Sir John Major says Mr Johnson should borrow to pay for a “crusade for a decade” to improve the living standards of the key workers who helped Britain through the pandemic, end rough sleeping and do away with the need for food banks. Johnson also pledged to establish a Northern Powerhouse rail link between Leeds and Manchester and invest in a Midlands rail hub, while also improving and reopening train lines elsewhere in the country, spending almost £30bn on roads, backing green energy projects, opening new schools and building 300,000 new homes a year by the mid-2020s. The International Monetary Fund last week forecast a 10.2 per cent decline in UK GDP this year – one of the steepest falls among developed economies – with only a partial recovery in 2021.

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History of this topic

UK ‘underprepared for severe pandemic because of planning for no-deal Brexit’
1 year, 6 months ago

UK ‘underprepared for severe pandemic because of planning for no-deal Brexit’

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Hugo …

Brexit damage to economy as big as Covid, says OBR
1 year, 9 months ago

Brexit damage to economy as big as Covid, says OBR

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Asked how much …

Social care promise in doubt as Rishi Sunak ‘to delay cap on costs until 2025’
2 years, 1 month ago

Social care promise in doubt as Rishi Sunak ‘to delay cap on costs until 2025’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy A Conservative promise to “fix” Britain’s broken social care system by …

Boris Johnson warns 'there is a limit' to No 10 support in energy bills crisis
2 years, 9 months ago

Boris Johnson warns 'there is a limit' to No 10 support in energy bills crisis

The Telegraph  

Boris Johnson has warned "there is a limit" to how much the Government can do to tackle rising energy bills as he defended today's National Insurance hike. The Prime Minister insisted the Government is already helping struggling families but he said "we have got to be frank" about how much taxpayers' money can be spent on alleviating the pressure caused …

Boris Johnson scraps remaining COVID restrictions in England
2 years, 10 months ago

Boris Johnson scraps remaining COVID restrictions in England

LA Times  

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on Monday to outline the government’s new long-term COVID-19 plan. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is scrapping the last domestic coronavirus restrictions in England, including the requirement for people with COVID-19 to self-isolate, even as he acknowledged Monday the potential for new and more deadly variants …

As we attempt to live with Covid, a class of vulnerable people is emerging: the new excluded
2 years, 11 months ago

As we attempt to live with Covid, a class of vulnerable people is emerging: the new excluded

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Rejoice again, I tell you, for …

UK’s Johnson defies pressure to impose COVID curbs over Christmas
3 years ago

UK’s Johnson defies pressure to impose COVID curbs over Christmas

Al Jazeera  

PM Boris Johnson says ministers decided not to limit social interactions over the imminent festive period, but will keep situation under review. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has defied pressure to tighten coronavirus rules over Christmas to curb surging Omicron cases, but pledged to keep the situation “under constant review”. However, after a Cabinet meeting, Johnson said ministers had decided …

Boris Johnson’s Covid plan B measures approved by Commons – despite rebellion from Tory MPs
3 years ago

Boris Johnson’s Covid plan B measures approved by Commons – despite rebellion from Tory MPs

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Boris Johnson’s Covid plan B measures for England have been approved …

Boris Johnson is warned that Covid 'Plan B' would cost economy £18billion
3 years, 2 months ago

Boris Johnson is warned that Covid 'Plan B' would cost economy £18billion

Daily Mail  

Switching to 'Plan B' to curb coronavirus could cost the economy up to £18billion this winter, according to internal government documents. It comes amid an escalating row about how the epidemic will unfold in the coming months and whether compulsory face masks, working from home and vaccine passports are necessary. Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, has promised a 'normal Christmas' …

To Applause and Laughter, PM Boris Johnson Vows to Reshape Britain
3 years, 3 months ago

To Applause and Laughter, PM Boris Johnson Vows to Reshape Britain

News 18  

Prime Minister Boris Johnson vowed to radically re-shape Britain on Wednesday, exhorting his Conservative Party faithful to help the government press on with tackling regional inequality by ending “long term structural weaknesses” in the economy. Firing up his party by invoking former prime minister Margaret Thatcher, trumpeting the government’s vaccine roll out and taking aim at the main opposition Labour …

Johnson eyes post-COVID economy as UK Conservatives meet
3 years, 3 months ago

Johnson eyes post-COVID economy as UK Conservatives meet

Associated Press  

LONDON — British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was ready to take “bold decisions” to rebuild the economy after the coronavirus pandemic as his Conservative Party met Sunday for its first annual conference since 2019. The Tory conference opened Sunday in the northwestern city of Manchester as a shortage of truck drivers to delivery fuel across Britain continues to …

Boris Johnson's social care plan: why tax increases may not fix NHS crisis
3 years, 4 months ago

Boris Johnson's social care plan: why tax increases may not fix NHS crisis

The Telegraph  

Anita Charlesworth, director of research at the Health Foundation, warns this “falls well short of what is needed to stabilise the current system and deliver the comprehensive reform that is so desperately needed”. Only after the health service has had a chance to recover might more cash be diverted to social care, if a brave minister decides the NHS can …

Politics latest news: MPs vote through Boris Johnson's National Insurance tax rise
3 years, 4 months ago

Politics latest news: MPs vote through Boris Johnson's National Insurance tax rise

The Telegraph  

Boris Johnson staved off discontent in the Tory party and rumours of a rebellion that never came to pass, as the health and social care levy was comfortably waved through Parliament by 319 votes to 248. In their 2019 manifesto, the Conservatives promised to raise National Insurance, yet Mr Johnson said that a pandemic "was in no one's manifesto" and …

Ministers warned NHS is as stretched now as at the height of pandemic
3 years, 5 months ago

Ministers warned NHS is as stretched now as at the height of pandemic

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. NHS Providers said hospitals also need urgent cash to …

Boris Johnson's ambitious social care plans shelved until autumn
3 years, 5 months ago

Boris Johnson's ambitious social care plans shelved until autumn

The Telegraph  

The Government’s long-awaited social care plans have been delayed until the autumn after Boris Johnson and the key cabinet ministers behind the package were forced to self-isolate due to Covid-19. but it’s 23 years since the report of the Royal Commission on Social Care, and six years since the then Conservative government pulled the plug on a set of reforms …

Boris Johnson ‘backs new tax to fund social care plan’
3 years, 5 months ago

Boris Johnson ‘backs new tax to fund social care plan’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Boris Johnson is backing plans for a new tax to fund …

Boris Johnson’s social care plan could finally be revealed next week
3 years, 5 months ago

Boris Johnson’s social care plan could finally be revealed next week

The Telegraph  

Boris Johnson’s plan to overhaul social care could be unveiled as early as next week, as government sources say an impasse over a cap on lifetime care costs may be broken within days. Pressure is mounting on Mr Johnson to spell out how he will grasp the growing care crisis ahead of next Saturday, which marks the two-year anniversary of …

Boris Johnson dismisses warning ‘hundreds of thousands’ will die from tropical diseases after aid cuts
3 years, 6 months ago

Boris Johnson dismisses warning ‘hundreds of thousands’ will die from tropical diseases after aid cuts

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Boris Johnson has dismissed a warning that “hundreds of thousands of …

UK PM Boris Johnson is set to delay end of Covid-19 curbs as Delta cases rise
3 years, 6 months ago

UK PM Boris Johnson is set to delay end of Covid-19 curbs as Delta cases rise

India Today  

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to delay a further easing of Covid-19 restrictions by several weeks on Monday following concerns about a rapid rise in Delta variant infections. Under a so-called "road map" outlined by Johnson in February, the government said most social restrictions would be lifted "no earlier" than June 21, when pubs, restaurants, nightclubs and other …

Government gamble on working from home risks creating a two-tier Britain
3 years, 7 months ago

Government gamble on working from home risks creating a two-tier Britain

The Telegraph  

When the Government this week set out its plans to move to the next stage of lockdown release, it was clear that a critical shift in its pandemic response had occurred. Far from expecting commuters to return to their desks, as had happened at the end of the last two lockdowns, government experts are now gambling on the fact that …

UK PM announces new taskforce to find 'promising new medicines' to treat coronavirus
3 years, 8 months ago

UK PM announces new taskforce to find 'promising new medicines' to treat coronavirus

China Daily  

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson holds a news conference at 10 Downing Street, amid the coronavirus disease outbreak, in London on April 20, 2021. LONDON -- British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday announced a new taskforce to find "promising new medicines" to treat coronavirus. "The success of our vaccination programme has demonstrated what the UK can achieve when we …

The pandemic has laid bare the social care crisis as never before – so why didn’t Sunak tackle it in the Budget?
3 years, 10 months ago

The pandemic has laid bare the social care crisis as never before – so why didn’t Sunak tackle it in the Budget?

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy It’s getting …

David Cameron tells Boris Johnson to be ‘muscular’ to build green recovery
3 years, 10 months ago

David Cameron tells Boris Johnson to be ‘muscular’ to build green recovery

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy One of Boris Johnson’s predecessors has called on the government to …

Boris Johnson says move to ease lockdown will be ‘irreversible’
3 years, 10 months ago

Boris Johnson says move to ease lockdown will be ‘irreversible’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. What we want to see is progress that is cautious but irreversible and I think …

Roadmap out of lockdown will be 'cautious, but irreversible', says Boris Johnson
3 years, 10 months ago

Roadmap out of lockdown will be 'cautious, but irreversible', says Boris Johnson

The Telegraph  

The roadmap out of lockdown will be "cautious but irreversible", Boris Johnson has said, as he stressed the need for coronavirus rates to come "really, really low" first. During a visit to a vaccine centre, the Prime Minister said his roadmap would include dates "by which we hope we can do something at the earliest", following demands from backbench Tories …

Britain’s Johnson pledges UK vaccine program will run 24-7
3 years, 11 months ago

Britain’s Johnson pledges UK vaccine program will run 24-7

Associated Press  

LONDON — Britain’s coronavirus vaccine program will operate around the clock seven days a week “as soon as we can,” Prime Minister Boris Johnson pledged Wednesday as the U.K. accelerates efforts to inoculate millions of its most vulnerable people against coronavirus. Johnson said “at the moment, the limit is on supply” of the vaccines rather than on the ability of …

Johnson under fire as UK again faces onslaught of COVID-19
3 years, 11 months ago

Johnson under fire as UK again faces onslaught of COVID-19

Associated Press  

LONDON — The crisis facing Britain this winter is depressingly familiar: Stay-at-home orders and empty streets. Britain locked down on March 23, and Costello said if the decision had come a week or two sooner, “we would be back down at 30,000-40,000 deaths.. More like Germany.” “And the problem is, they’ve repeated these delays,” said Costello, a member of Independent …

Britain Returns To Lockdown To Fight Coronavirus Variant
4 years ago

Britain Returns To Lockdown To Fight Coronavirus Variant

NPR  

Britain Returns To Lockdown To Fight Coronavirus Variant Enlarge this image toggle caption Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images Paul Ellis/AFP via Getty Images England will go under a new strict national lockdown through mid-February in an attempt to stop the spread of the coronavirus, British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a Monday address. This move is the country's latest …

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ‘reconciled’ to tougher Covid-19 restrictions as cases soar
4 years ago

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson ‘reconciled’ to tougher Covid-19 restrictions as cases soar

CNN  

London CNN — Coronavirus restrictions in England are “alas probably about to get tougher,” UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Sunday, as the country battles to rein in a deadly surge in coronavirus infections. “It may be that we need to do things in the next few weeks that will be tougher in many parts of the country, I’m fully …

Over 50 Tory MPs rebel against Boris Johnson as Commons approves new Covid tier restrictions
4 years, 1 month ago

Over 50 Tory MPs rebel against Boris Johnson as Commons approves new Covid tier restrictions

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Boris Johnson has suffered perhaps his biggest rebellion yet in the …

Exclusive: David Cameron and Tony Blair warn against proposed cut to foreign aid budget
4 years, 1 month ago

Exclusive: David Cameron and Tony Blair warn against proposed cut to foreign aid budget

The Telegraph  

David Cameron and Tony Blair have warned Boris Johnson that he risks undermining his own presidency of the G7 next year if he cuts foreign aid spending. In a joint statement to The Telegraph, the former Prime Ministers said a proposed 0.2 per cent cut to the £15 billion international development budget to pay for coronavirus costs would jeopardise Britain's …

Coronavirus: UK may have to pay for family Christmas with tighter restrictions after the break
4 years, 1 month ago

Coronavirus: UK may have to pay for family Christmas with tighter restrictions after the break

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. And the prime minister’s deputy chief scientific adviser, Dame Angela McLean, said that if social …

UK government must spend more to support jobs through Covid and Brexit, says IMF
4 years, 2 months ago

UK government must spend more to support jobs through Covid and Brexit, says IMF

The Independent  

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UK Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight Sign up to our Brexit email for the latest insight SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy …

UK government under pressure for COVID-19 strategy
4 years, 2 months ago

UK government under pressure for COVID-19 strategy

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The British government is sticking to its strategy of tiered, regional …

Coronavirus: Northern leaders’ fury at Boris Johnson, as Downing Street refuses to confirm details of coming lockdown restrictions
4 years, 3 months ago

Coronavirus: Northern leaders’ fury at Boris Johnson, as Downing Street refuses to confirm details of coming lockdown restrictions

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We are keeping the data under close review and considering a range of options to …

Boris Johnson says claims he is suffering from long Covid are 'seditious propaganda'
4 years, 3 months ago

Boris Johnson says claims he is suffering from long Covid are 'seditious propaganda'

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Boris Johnson has rejected claims that he is suffering from the …

UK's Johnson to sink millions into wind power
4 years, 3 months ago

UK's Johnson to sink millions into wind power

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy British Prime Minister Boris Johnson …

Boris Johnson to pledge new lifelong learning guarantee for those without A-levels as government braces for redundancies
4 years, 3 months ago

Boris Johnson to pledge new lifelong learning guarantee for those without A-levels as government braces for redundancies

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Boris Johnson will unveil plans to help workers learn new skills …

Boris Johnson urges world leaders to unite against COVID-19.
4 years, 3 months ago

Boris Johnson urges world leaders to unite against COVID-19.

The Independent  

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy British Prime Minister Boris Johnson …

How did the UK end up back on the brink of a second national coronavirus lockdown?
4 years, 3 months ago

How did the UK end up back on the brink of a second national coronavirus lockdown?

ABC  

With ominous warnings that the UK could be facing 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has announced a raft of new restrictions to try to contain the spread of the disease. Key points: Face masks are now mandatory in England on public transport, in taxis, and while shopping Employees have been urged to work …

After months of over-promising and under-delivering, Number 10 has finally changed tack
4 years, 3 months ago

After months of over-promising and under-delivering, Number 10 has finally changed tack

The Telegraph  

Remember when Boris Johnson had to apologise for being "unnecessarily boosterish" about coronavirus? That was back on March 19, when an upbeat Prime Minister told the daily Downing Street press conference that the next 12 weeks could "turn the tide of this disease". Flanked by his chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, and his chief medical officer, Professor Chris Whitty, …

UK PM Johnson Ponders Second Coronavirus Lockdown as Outbreak Accelerates
4 years, 3 months ago

UK PM Johnson Ponders Second Coronavirus Lockdown as Outbreak Accelerates

News 18  

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is pondering a second national COVID-19 lockdown as the novel coronavirus outbreak accelerates. New COVID-19 cases are rising by at least 6,000 per day in Britain, according to week-old data, hospital admissions are doubling every eight days and the testing system is buckling. “We’re certainly at a very critical moment this morning,” Transport Secretary Grant …

Boris Johnson can’t wake up from his Covid-19 nightmare as UK coronavirus cases double ‘roughly every seven days’
4 years, 3 months ago

Boris Johnson can’t wake up from his Covid-19 nightmare as UK coronavirus cases double ‘roughly every seven days’

CNN  

London CNN — The number of coronavirus cases in the UK is doubling roughly every seven days, according to the country’s chief scientific advisor, Patrick Vallance. “If we don’t act, the virus will take off,” Vallance’s colleague Chris Whitty, the UK’s chief medical officer, told the same briefing in Downing Street. “That is the path we are on and if …

Coronavirus updates Sep 21: Pune reports below 1,000 fresh Covid-19 cases 1st time in over two months
4 years, 3 months ago

Coronavirus updates Sep 21: Pune reports below 1,000 fresh Covid-19 cases 1st time in over two months

India Today  

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on Monday pondering a second national lockdown as an accelerating coronavirus outbreak threatened to destroy any shoots of economic recovery and send millions back into isolation. The United Kingdom already has the biggest official Covid-19 death toll in Europe - and the fifth-largest in the world - while it is borrowing record amounts in …

Boris Johnson says, UK now 'seeing second wave of coronavirus', measures may intensify
4 years, 3 months ago

Boris Johnson says, UK now 'seeing second wave of coronavirus', measures may intensify

India TV News  

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday warned that a second wave of Covid-19 in Britain is "coming in", and his government may need to "intensify things to help bring the rate of infections down". Johnson said, adding that it was "inevitable" that coronavirus would hit the country again, Xinhua reported. During a visit to the Vaccines Manufacturing Innovation Centre …

New UK lockdown likely sooner rather than later, ex-advisor warns
4 years, 3 months ago

New UK lockdown likely sooner rather than later, ex-advisor warns

India Today  

Britain is likely to need to reintroduce some national coronavirus lockdown measures sooner rather than later, a leading epidemiologist and former senior government health advisor said on Saturday. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday that he did not want another national lockdown but that new restrictions may be needed because the country was facing an “inevitable” second wave of …

It’s time for action on racial inequality from the government. We’ve talked long enough
4 years, 5 months ago

It’s time for action on racial inequality from the government. We’ve talked long enough

The Independent  

Get Nadine White's Race Report newsletter for a fresh perspective on the week's news Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent Get our free newsletter from The Independent's Race Correspondent SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. So far, we’ve seen nothing from the government that suggests they are …

One year after Boris Johnson promised to fix social care, we're still waiting
4 years, 5 months ago

One year after Boris Johnson promised to fix social care, we're still waiting

The Independent  

The best of Voices delivered to your inbox every week - from controversial columns to expert analysis Sign up for our free weekly Voices newsletter for expert opinion and columns Sign up to our free weekly Voices newsletter SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Even before the pandemic, increasing numbers …

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson lays out roadmap to get Britain ‘back to normal by Christmas’
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Boris Johnson lays out roadmap to get Britain ‘back to normal by Christmas’

The Independent  

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Please enter a valid email address Please enter a valid email address SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. “We have to weigh the advice we get and I …

Boris Johnson to urge country to return to work as Bank Governor warns of long-term recession threat
4 years, 5 months ago

Boris Johnson to urge country to return to work as Bank Governor warns of long-term recession threat

The Telegraph  

Earlier this month, Prof Whitty appeared lukewarm about the Government's decision to allow pubs and restaurants to reopen, saying it was "absolutely not" a "risk-free next step". In some Whitehall buildings, as few as one in 400 workers are physically present, and one Government source said: "Civil servants will need to be dusting off their suits after Friday." However, Mr …

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