United Kingdom

    Boris Johnson has apologised for muddling up his own coronavirus rules on social gatherings. The prime minister was questioned about the latest COVID-19 restrictions coming into force for northeast England from midnight on Wednesday. At first, he said people could meet indoors and outdoors in groups of six in areas where no additional coronavirus restrictions are in place. But speaking during a news conference in Exeter, he claimed: In the North East and other areas where extra tight measures have been brought in, you should follow the guidance of local authorities. It's six in a home or six in hospitality but as I understand it, not six outside. That is at odds with what residents have been told in Northumberland, Newcastle, North and South Tyneside, Gateshead, S...

    Brussels and the UK will press ahead with trade talks starting on Tuesday in Brussels even as both sides refuse to concede any ground over Boris Johnson’s plan to introduce new legislation which overrides his Brexit divorce treaty. Maros Sefcovic, the EU commissioner in charge of overseeing last year's withdrawal agreement, on Monday said Brussels would not be shy in legally pursuing the UK once an end of September deadline passes for the UK prime minister to rewrite his internal market bill. We maintain that the bill, if adopted in its current form, would constitute an extremely serious violation of the protocol, as an essential part of the withdrawal agreement, and of international law, Mr Sefcovic said after a meeting with the UK’s cabinet office minister Michael...

    More than 700,000 jobs would be at risk for EU companies exporting to Britain if the UK and Brussels fail to agree a trade deal this year, according to a leading German economic research institute. In total, including companies outside the EU that export to the UK, there would be 1m potential job losses in a no-deal Brexit scenario, according to an unpublished report by the Halle Institute for Economic Research seen by the Financial Times. The research backs up the findings of a London School of Economics report published last week, which said 40 per cent of agricultural and food products consumed by UK households were imported from the EU. The report, sponsored by Denmark's Arla Foods, predicted this would fall 63 per cent in a no-deal Brexit. Under a no-deal scen...

    Thousands of EU nationals could face problems accessing essential services because the government is refusing to issue physical proof of their right to live in the UK. The settlement scheme grants EU citizens the right to remain in the UK after Brexit. Unlike other foreign nationals, they are not provided with a biometric residency permit proving their status. Instead they have to access the Home Office’s online database each time they need to produce evidence of eligibility. The process, which requires applicants to have a smartphone and reliable internet access, is part of a government plan to phase out paper permits and make the entire immigration service digital. But it means those with settled status and service providers have to negotiate a sequence of login...

    Rishi Sunak is unveiling an emergency COVID rescue plan to protect jobs that is expected to include wage subsidies, VAT cuts and more cheap loans for struggling businesses. In a dramatic move, the chancellor has ruled out an autumn budget and instead will launch a "Winter Economy Plan" after MPs and unions warned of the risk of a "tsunami" of job losses. The aim is to help the economy cope with the new coronavirus restrictions announced by Boris Johnson this week, including a 10pm curfew for pubs and restaurants and ordering office staff to work from home. And as the government prepared to launch its NHS COVID-19 App, the latest figures showed 6,178 new cases of coronavirus in the UK, taking the overall number to 409,729. The centrepiece of the multi-billion-pound...

    The Treasury is working on plans for a successor to the furlough scheme to fend off a wave of unemployment in the autumn. The fresh restrictions announced by Boris Johnson on Tuesday which could last as long as six months were greeted with shock by sectors like hospitality still dependent on the £47bn scheme due to the lack of details on future support. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has warned of a disaster if the scheme comes to an abrupt halt at the end of October while Mr Johnson has said Chancellor Rishi Sunak will show imagination and creativity in protecting jobs. But work in the Treasury is under way looking at the possibility of the state subsidising the wages of workers able to work 50-60pc of their normal hours, according to the Financial Times. No de...

    Boris Johnson has urged office workers to stay at home and slashed wedding parties to 15 people as part of his fresh battle plan to tackle the surge in coronavirus cases. The Prime Minister also announced that masks must be worn in restaurants and bars, except when seated at tables, and that the 'rule of six' exemption for indoor sports would be scrapped, as he confirmed a 10pm curfew for the hospitality sector. Mr Johnson, who will also give a televised address at 8pm, warned that the new restrictions could remain in place for “perhaps six months” as the UK attempts to curb a second wave of the virus . In a huge clampdown on potential flouters, fines for breaking the 'rule of six' for the first time have doubled to £200. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said it is “...

    Boris Johnson will chair a Cobra meeting tomorrow morning to discuss the next steps in the UK's coronavirus response. Ahead of the meeting, the Prime Minister will phone the first ministers of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, while the Cabinet received a detailed briefing from the Government’s chief medical, scientific and economic advisers over the weekend, Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said. In a briefing to the nation on Monday, chief medical officer Chris Whitty hinted at new social curbs to prevent an "exponential" rise in deaths as he called for Brits to "break unnecessary links between households", warning that the "vast majority" were still "susceptible" to Covid-19. Meanwhile, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons people on low-incomes who ...

    Brits who fail to self-isolate will soon be hit with £10,000, Boris Johnson has announced amid rising concern at the spike in coronavirus infections. Another 4,422 new Covid-19 cases were recorded overnight, marking the highest daily rise in infections since May 8. It comes as Sadiq Khan warned that London should be placed under new lockdown restrictions as early as Monday to stop a surge in cases. Meanwhile, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on the Government to entrust coronavirus testing to local authorities who have a comprehensive understanding of their communities.

    Priti Patel is planning to fly Channel migrants back to Italy, Germany and France on a weekly basis, it can be revealed. At least 1,000 people are set to be removed as part of a crackdown in order to deter the record numbers making the crossing from France in small boats. But officials at the Home Office warn that their efforts are being hampered by “activist lawyers” and migrants who abuse the law. The weekly targets and the attack on the legal profession have been condemned by campaigners and lawyers who accuse the Home Secretary of undermining the rule of law. In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request by the Telegraph, officials at the Immigration Enforcement Secretariat described the Channel crossings as “thoroughly unacceptable” and said that the ...