Day: July 13, 2020

    Boris Johnson will decide in the next few days whether face coverings will be mandatory in shops as the Covid-19 lockdown is lifted in England. Speaking on a visit to the London Ambulance on Monday, the prime minister said coverings have have real value in confined spaces and that people should wear them in shops. But he went on to say his government had yet to make a ruling on whether they should be made compulsory. It comes after Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove sparked confusion by saying on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show that coverings would not be enforced in shops but that wearing them was basic good manners. The prime minister told reporters during a visit to the London Ambulance Service HQ in London that there was growing evidence face coverings could limit...

    The government is to set out the UK's future immigration and border policies today, as it aims to prepare the country for the end of the Brexit transition period. Home Secretary Priti Patel will say the country will be able to "welcome the best and brightest global talent" as she publishes a 130-page document detailing how the new points-based immigration system will operate. The announcement is expected to include a visa for foreign health professionals, but Labour says the proposals have been "rushed" and could cause "major problems" for the NHS and care sector. The new policies will take effect from 1 January 2021, when the UK leaves the EU customs union and single market. Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has launched a public information campaign to tell i...