Doomsayers ‘proved wrong’: UK had third-fastest Covid recovery in G7, revised GDP data now shows September 1, 2023 New figures show the UK economy bounced back from the pandemic faster than had been thought.
Zoom: Share bump after pumping up full year guidance August 22, 2023 Pandemic darling Zoom beat expectations and raised full year guidance in its second quarter as it remains hopeful in its long-term strategy - although customer growth is sluggish.
Covid medical boss Jonathan Van-Tam takes job at vaccine maker Moderna August 18, 2023 Former Covid medical officer Professor Sir Jonathan Van-Tam has joined vaccine maker Moderna as an advisor, it has been revealed. The former deputy chief medical officer, who played a key role in the UK’s pandemic response has taken the post on a part-time basis at the US pharmaceutical giant, since May. He is working as [...]
None for the road: Takeaway pints banned as Home Office ends pub pandemic scheme August 7, 2023 Bad news for punters who enjoy a cold pint on the go as the government has decided to put an end to the Covid-19 scheme which allowed pubs to sell takeaway pints. Pubs were allowed to sell alcoholic drinks in plastic cups to customers on the street in 2020, when businesses could not trade normally [...]
Dorries and Rees-Mogg ‘waged campaign to undermine’ privileges committee probe into Johnson June 29, 2023 Boris Johnson allies Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg were among MPs who attempted to undermine the privileges committee’s investigation into the ex-prime minister. Eight current and former MPs – Dorries, Rees-Mogg, Lord Zac Goldsmith, Mark Jenkinson, Michael Fabricant, Brendan Clarke-Smith, Andrea Jenkyns, and Priti Patel – were involved in a “campaign waged outside Parliament… to [...]
Covid-19 inquiry: No-deal Brexit prep stopped intensive care drugs ‘running out’, says Matt Hancock June 27, 2023 Preparations for a no-deal Brexit meant vital intensive care drugs were prevented from running out during the pandemic, Matt Hancock has told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry. Crucial medicines were “within hours of running out” in the midst of the coronavirus crisis, the former health secretary said while giving evidence to the UK’s official inquiry. Asked [...]
Not ‘sufficient thought’ into stopping Covid-19, Chris Whitty tells inquiry June 22, 2023 Government “did not give sufficient thought” into stopping the pandemic in its tracks, Sir Chris Whitty has told the official Covid-19 inquiry. The chief medical officer for England has said options to stop a disease outbreak on the scale of coronavirus were not considered fully enough by ministers ahead of the crisis. Giving evidence today, [...]
Covid-19 inquiry: Flu-based pandemic prep meant herd immunity was seen as ‘inevitable’, says Hunt June 21, 2023 Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has said the focus on any future pandemic being flu-based meant there was a “shared assumption herd immunity was inevitably” going to be the strategy used to contain a new virus. He admitted being part of “groupthink” when he was health secretary, leading to a “narrowness of thinking” that failed to expand [...]
‘Mistake’ to focus on flu in pandemic preparedness, David Cameron admits June 19, 2023 David Cameron has admitted it was a “mistake” for his government to focus too heavily on preparing for an influenza wave rather than a potential coronavirus pandemic. The former Conservative prime minister told the official Covid-19 inquiry, which is currently examining the UK’s readiness to respond to a disease outbreak, the decision led to “many [...]
‘Painful’: MPs to vote on Boris Johnson report on his birthday June 15, 2023 MPs are set to vote on the Privileges Committee report which found Boris Johnson “deliberately misled” Parliament on the former prime minister’s birthday. A free vote is expected to be held in the House of Commons on Monday (19 June) – the former PM’s 59th birthday. It is also the third anniversary of the illegal [...]