Chris Whiteside's Blog

The Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser gave a public scientific briefing at 11am this morning on how the COVID-19 coronavirus is spreading in the UK – and the role that everyone has to play in helping to control the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives. The trend in the UK is heading in the wrong direction and we are at a critical point in the pandemic. The Chief Medical Officer and Chief Scientific Adviser have given a public briefing to explain how the virus is spreading and the potential scenarios as we move into what will be a very challenging winter period.    From next week, people will be required by law to self-isolate if they test positive or have been asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace – recognising that self-isolation is one of the most powerful tools for controlling the virus. New fines for those breaching the rules will start at £1,000, but could increase to up to £10,000 for repeat offences and for the most egregious breach...

The  Prime Minister has announced a new package of measures to support and enforce self-isolation  –  people will be legally obliged to self-isolate if they test positive or have been asked to self-isolate by NHS Test and Trace, but those on low incomes who lose work as a result will be entitled to a £500 Test and Trace support payment. These measures will help to control the spread of the virus, protect the NHS and save lives. The best way we can fight this virus is by everyone following the rule of six; wash your hands; cover your face; make space; and self-isolate of you have symptoms or if you have been contacted by NHS Test and Trace.   From 28 September, people will be required by law to self-isolate – recognising that self-isolation is one of the most powerful tools for controlling the virus. New fines for those breaching the rules will start at £1,000, but could increase to up to £10,000 for repeat offences and for the most egregious breaches.   But we d...

"Barrow is not yet seeing the level of infection in places like Oldham, but without action this is clearly where we are heading.  "The new local action we are taking is aimed at protecting local people and stopping Barrow having local lockdown measures imposed upon it by Government.  "The advice will be in place for the next 2-weeks, after which it will be reviewed."  ( Colin Cox , Cumbria’s Director of Public Health, referring to the measures which come into affect today in the Barrow-in-Furness area)

New restrictions have been announced in the Barrow-In-Furness borough council area of Cumbria to try to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Some are already in place, others come into affect tomorrow (Monday 21st September 2020) This follows an increase in infections in that part of Cumbria, where the infection rate is now double the national average. It is nothing like as serious as earlier this year - yet - but we want to try to stop the infection taking off again so we don't get any repeat of the situation where COVID-19 was killing a thousand people a day. Measures are being introduced to try and avoid local lockdown rules,  as seen elsewhere in the country. There is already a legal limit of 6  on the number of people that can meet in groups indoors or outdoors.  In addition, in the Barrow Borough Council area people are now being strongly advised that groups of 6 should be limited to people from no more than 2 households at any one time. The move is to try and r...

Boris Johnson gets a lot of flak, as every prime minister does, and every prime minister deserves some of it. I do find curious however that the fact that Boris prepared two newspaper articles, one arguing each side of the Leave versus Remain debate, is one of the things held against him.  Preparing a summary of the arguments for each option, whether it is in the form of a draft newspaper article or any other form, has always struck me as a useful part of a good process for making up your mind which option to back - and this is just as true if you are trying to decide which course is in the best interests of the country as it is if you only care about your own interests. Bill Purdue discusses this and other options in his article "In defence of Boris" which you can read here .

Britain has an obligation to help those who have helped us. Our troops in Afghanistan often had their lives saved or made easier by local interpreters and guides. Sadly some of those people have found their own lives in danger from elements of the Taleban as a result. That's why we need to pay our debts, and I welcome the announcement this weekend by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace and Home Secretary Priti Patel announce that dozens more Afghan interpreters who risked their lives supporting British troops to defeat terrorism are to begin new lives in the UK. Afghan civilians worked as interpreters for British forces on the frontline in Helmand from May 2006 – December 2014, serving alongside them in extremely dangerous situations. They were often the eyes and ears of British forces, and their linguistic and cultural expertise enabled the UK to work hand-in-hand with our Afghan partners and local communities while protecting British troops. The Ex-Gratia Scheme was initially set...

"Our efforts in Afghanistan simply could not have been possible without the help of brave interpreters who risked their lives to work alongside our personnel throughout the conflict.  "They did not leave us behind then, and we will not leave them behind now.  "It is crucial there is a fair system in place to support those who want to relocate to the UK, and that is why we are going even further to make sure more individuals have the opportunity to apply for relocation." UK Defence secretary Ben Wallace on the programme, extended this weekend, to reward and if necessary protect those Afghans who acted as interpreters and guides for UK forces during counter-terrorism operations in that country.

 

 

  The government is: Protecting the NHS  so that it is there for people when they need it, increasing the number of ventilators, building new hospitals and reducing coronavirus admissions from more than 3,400 in April to 141 on 2 September.    Protecting our brilliant NHS and care workers , delivering over 3 billion items of PPE to 58,000 health and care settings.    Britain's  testing rate is now among the best in the world , equivalent to one test for every five people in the country.    The government is taking  unprecedented action to support jobs and livelihoods , providing around £160 billion of support to individuals and businesses across the UK.    The government is  looking after those who need extra help , delivering over 4.5 million food boxes to people who were shielding.    Britain is  leading the world in the development of a vaccine,  backing two of the leading coronavirus vaccine program...

  Today the government has announced  a new adult social care winter plan , which will help to curb the spread of coronavirus in care settings throughout the winter months ahead, protecting the most vulnerable and the hardworking staff who look after them.   With winter on the horizon, Britain is now entering a critical phase in our fight against coronavirus. Our priority must be to protect the most vulnerable and our incredible care workers by limiting the spread of the virus and preventing if we can, or at least minimising, any second spike.    That is why, as part of the extra £546 million in funding for social care announced yesterday, the government has set out a new adult social care winter plan, which includes delivering free PPE for care workers and for people receiving social care, and limiting the movement of staff between care homes to prevent the spread of infection.    This plan will give care providers certainty that they will have t...

The Chancellor has welcomed  figures  showing that the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme has worked – saving jobs and helping more than half of employees back to work already. As this week’s official employment figures show, the furlough scheme has done what it was designed to do - save jobs and help people back to work, where they want to be.    At the scheme’s peak in May, 30 per cent of the workforce across the UK was furloughed. That has fallen by more than half to 11 per cent by mid-August, showing more employees are returning to their workplaces.    The government was clear at the start of the pandemic that we couldn’t save every job, but the furlough scheme has supported millions of workers and we want to help employers keep people on. The Job Retention Bonus will do exactly that, supporting businesses to do the right thing.

The government understands the frustration some people are experiencing trying to access tests and is working urgently to increase testing capacity. Although the vast majority of people are able to get tested without problems, we have seen an increase in the virus and more people wanting tests which has increased pressure on capacity.   That’s why we’ll be able to process 500,000 by the end of the October, we’re increasing the number of testing sites from 400 to 500, and have announced the addition of new Lighthouse laboratories in Newport and Charnwood. The Health Secretary will also be setting out a plan for prioritisation in the coming days to ensure those that most need tests can access them.    Ultimately, everyone has a role in controlling the spread of the virus – which is why it’s very important people remember the basics – wash your hands, cover your face and maintain space.

"Nobody is qualified to wield unlimited power."   ( Professor Friedrich von Hayek. )

Today, the Justice Secretary has set out plans to radically overhaul sentencing, to crack down on crime and protect the public by ensuring dangerous criminals are kept in prison for longer. For too long, our justice system has been beset by complex and confusing laws which the public often feel fail in their primary aims – to keep them safe and properly punish offenders.   That’s why the government has today announced a smarter sentencing plan to crack down on crime – making community sentences stricter and better targeted, introducing whole life orders for child killers and introducing new powers to halt the dangerous early release of radicalised offenders.   These proposals will ensure the most serious violent and sexual offenders get the prison time they deserve, while new community interventions and changes to rules around criminal records will help boost rehabilitation and cut reoffending – which means creating fewer victims.

New figures  show that 99 per cent of schools in England have opened for the start of Autumn term – getting children back in the classroom to learn and be with their friends. The best place for children to learn is in the classroom, and with the UK’s Chief Medical Officers making clear the risk of catching coronavirus at school is low, the risks to children being out of school is far greater.    New official figures show that 99 per cent of schools in England opened for the start of the autumn term, following months of hard work and dedication from staff to implement protective measures in preparation for a safe return.    Teachers and staff deserve praise for the tremendous resilience they have shown and continue to show every day. The government will continue to work with schools, local authorities and parents to make sure as many children as possible attend school.

Yesterday, the government announced new plans to double the maximum penalty for those assaulting an emergency worker – from 12 months to 2 years – offering greater protection to our frontline heroes and delivering stronger punishments to these vile thugs for their appalling behaviour.   This year we have seen people come together in the face of adversity to serve their communities in response to the pandemic. The debt of gratitude we owe to our emergency workers has never been greater. Every day they risk their lives to protect ours  – they should never face being punched, kicked or spat at.   We will bring forward a new law to increase the maximum sentence from 12 months to two years – showing these vile criminals they will face the full force of the law. This comes as new figures today show that more than  100,000 people have applied to become police officers  in the first year of our recruitment drive, bringing us closer to our manifesto commitment to an...