COVID-19: EU 'recognise they made a mistake' in move to block vaccine exports, says Gove

The EU "recognise they made a mistake" by invoking a Brexit deal clause to prevent coronavirus vaccine shipments entering the UK, Michael Gove has said.

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  • Councils to raise £7.5bn in stealth tax raid after Rishi Sunak relaxes threshold for local vote

    Householders face a £7.5 billion council tax raid after local authorities increased rates without consultation, according to an analysis by the Office for Budget Responsibility. The OBR said councils would increase taxes by £1.8 billion next month – up to £100 a year for many households – after the Government allowed them to impose increases of up to 5 per cent. This could culminate in an increase of £7.5 billion by 2025-26. Councils can normally raise local taxes by no more than 2 per cent without a referendum. But the Chancellor increased the limit to 5 per cent in his November review to help meet councils’ ballooning social care costs. The OBR’s estimates suggest two-thirds of councils will raise taxes up to the maximum 4.99 per cent, meaning increases of between £50 and £100 for band D properties. The OBR said the Chancellor’s decision had forced it to revise up its estimate of the increase in council tax by £800 million to £1.8 billion for 2021-22. “This is more than explained by the Government’s decision to allow councils to increase council tax rates by up to 5 per cent … rather than the 2 per cent our March 2020 forecast assumed,” said the OBR in its Budget day report. It pushes the total council tax take for 2021/22 to £39.9 billion, rising to £45.6 billion by 2025/26. Local tax campaigners said it was a “stealth” tax that would undermine Boris Johnson’s levelling up agenda, while senior Tories, fiscal experts and council leaders blamed the Government’s failure to solve the social care crisis for the increased bills. Andrew Dixon, founder of the Fairer Share campaign for property tax reform, said: “This … will only exacerbate the unfairness of the current system where modest homes in the North often pay significantly more than mansions in Knightsbridge. It is sure to sit awkwardly with voters inspired by the Conservatives’ talk of fairness and levelling up. Council tax was the elephant in the room when the Chancellor delivered the Budget. “While he set out support packages for those worst hit by Covid-19, there was no such respite for millions of modest and low-income households facing crippling council tax bills.” Stuart Adam, of the Institute for Fiscal Studies, said: “It is a way to allow councils to raise more for social care in the short term while the Government sorts out some more fundamental solutions for the long-term funding of social care. It was one of the things that the Budget was silent about.” Lord Lilley, a former social security secretary, who will publish his own blueprint for social reform next week, said: “Because the Government has been unable to decide how to reform finance of social care, it has left council taxpayers to take the strain. “Councils’ care budgets have been squeezed to the limit. The proportion of people over 85 living in care homes has shrunk from 25 per cent to 15 per cent and can’t go much lower.” The Local Government Association said: “Councils face the tough choice about whether to increase bills to bring in desperately needed funding to protect our services at a time when we are acutely aware of the significant burden that this could place on some households. “Council tax rises – particularly the adult social care precept – have never been the solution to the long-term pressures faced by councils, particularly in social care, which is desperately in need of reform. “Further action is desperately needed to immediately shore up social care services – which have been on the front line during the pandemic – and to secure the long-term future of care and support. “The Government must urgently bring forward its proposals.” ‘Crippling’ bills About a quarter of councils that provide social care will issue a council tax bill to Band D homes of more than £2,000 in April, most for the first time. And in more than two thirds of areas, bills for a Band D home will rise by at least £50. In London, householders will be hit by a 9.5 per cent rise in the portion of council tax charged by the Greater London Authority – an extra £31.59 for a Band D home. The combined rises mean Band D bills look set to rise by more than £100 this year in around seven of London’s 32 boroughs. A spokesman for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said: “We’ve committed over £35 billion to help councils support their communities and local businesses during the pandemic. “We’re also providing councils with £670 million of new grant funding to enable them to continue reducing council tax bills next year for those least able to pay, including households financially hard-hit by the pandemic. “Councils are and have always been responsible for setting council tax levels. We set referendum principles to ensure that local people have the final say over any excessive increases.”

  • I’m a big Meghan fan — and even I’m losing patience

    In response to their upcoming interview with Oprah Winfrey, headlines are blaring, Twitter trolls are seething and Piers Morgan is frothing at the mouth. As the self-appointed chairwoman of the Meghan fan club, I always have and always will be rooting for her and Prince Harry. Marrying into the royal family has been tough for Meghan; she’s been criticised for everything from what colour she paints her nails to how often she rubs her pregnancy bump.

  • Covid vaccine side-effects up to three times more common in those who have had virus

    Vaccine side-effects are seen up to three times more often in people who have previously been infected with coronavirus, new figures show. The latest data from the King's College ZOE app, which has logged details from more than 700,000 vaccinations, found those with a prior infection were far more likely to report side-effects than people who have not had the virus. The difference between the two was particularly pronounced among those who had been given the Pfizer jab. More severe side-effects are often a sign of better immunity, and emerging research suggests just one dose of vaccine gives a similar protective effect to two doses in people who have had a previous infection. Experts have now started to question whether people with prior immunity from a natural infection need a second dose at all. The ZOE data shows that 12.2 per cent of people reported side-effects after their first Pfizer jab, but that jumped to 35.7 per cent of those with a previous infection. For the Oxford/AstraZeneca jab, 31.9 per cent of people reported symptoms following their first vaccine, rising to 52.7 per cent of those who had previously been diagnosed with diagnosed with the virus. Most people reported muscle aches, feeling groggy or headaches.

  • Donald Trump and Jared Kushner have barely spoken since leaving the White House: report

    It remains unclear whether the former president has given his son-in-law the boot from his political inner circle, or if the 40-year-old chose to take some time off himself

  • Steven Gerrard assesses some essential Ibrox upgrades as Rangers close on glory

    Boss Steven Gerrard admits he is looking forward to doing some home improvements around Ibrox as he ponders replacing the banners which proclaim the Light Blues mere 54-time champions of Scotland. Rangers are just four points away from being crowned domestic kings for the first time in a decade with title number 55.

  • John Swinney tells MSPs no minutes held of key legal meetings over Salmond case

    MSPs had asked to see meetings of minutes between the Scottish Government and its lawyers from November 2018.

  • Boris Johnson challenges EU after Italy blocks Covid vaccines shipment to Australia

    Boris Johnson has challenged the EU's decision to approve the blockade of 250,000 AstraZeneca vaccines destined for Australia, warning that the restrictions "endanger" global efforts to combat the Covid-19 pandemic. On Friday, Downing Street questioned the European Commission over its acceptance of the Italian government's decision to use EU-wide export controls to prevent the shipment from going ahead. Asked about the controversy, Mr Johnson's spokesman pointed out that Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, had previously assured the Prime Minister that the controls would not be used in this way. Speaking at the Number 10 daily lobby briefing, the spokesman said: "We're not privy to the specific agreements between other countries and vaccine manufacturers. "However, the PM spoke to President von der Leyen earlier this year, and she confirmed that the focus of their mechanism was on transparency and not intended to restrict exports by companies where they are fulfilling contractual responsibilities. "We would expect the EU to continue to stand by its commitments. The global recovery from Covid relies on international collaboration. We are all dependent on global supply chains, and putting in place restrictions endangers global efforts to fight the virus."

  • Meghan and Harry are the victims here – but the royal family refuse to see it

    The Duchess of Sussex is a woman who fell in love with a man. That’s it. Unfortunately for her, this man happened to be a British prince

  • Capitol rioter who put feet on Pelosi’s desk yells in court over pre-trial jailing: ‘It’s not fair!’

    Richard Barnett, 60, of Arkansas faces federal charges including disorderly conduct in a capitol building

  • Pfizer or AstraZeneca? Vaccine snobbery is becoming a serious problem

    It is time to stop this nonsense – the best vaccine you can get is the one you’re offered on the day

  • Trump may have delayed sending National Guard to Capitol riot to serve his political narrative, former FBI agent says

    Police were braced for more violence at the Capitol on Thursday

  • The feud between Nicola Sturgeon and Alex Salmond threatens to capsize Scottish nationalism

    Opponents of the Scottish nationalists are desperate to use these divisions to derail the SNP before they win a mandate for independence in the May election

  • Premier League ace Abdoulaye Doucouré caught driving £170k Lamborghini with no insurance in north London

    Police seized a £170,000 Lamborghini from Everton midfielder Abdoulaye Doucouré after he was caught driving the car through north London without insurance, a court heard. Doucouré was “shocked” when shown the speed gun reading, Bromley magistrates heard, suggesting he may have been confused because the speedometer on his French car is in km. On July 2, he was then pulled over in his wife’s Lamborghini Urus in Dartmouth Park Hill when driving without insurance.

  • Cyprus to welcome vaccinated British tourists from May 1

    Tourists would be required to have had their second dose at the latest seven days before travel.

  • COVID cases could have stopped falling in three English regions

    The percentage of people testing positive for coronavirus is thought to be dropping across England, except in these areas.

  • Fears of renewed conflict in East Ukraine as Moscow and Kyiv trade blame for escalating violence

    The Kremlin yesterday warned the frozen war in eastern Ukraine was on the brink of dangerous escalation as Moscow and Kyiv blamed one another for a recent surge in violence. Dmitry Peskov, Vladimir Putin’s spokesman, on Thursday accused Kyiv's forces of shelling in breach of the ceasefire agreement and entering areas where they were not meant to be. Ukraine accused pro-Russian forces, which are widely believed to be under Russian command, of shelling its troops to provoke retaliation. Mr Peskov said Russia, which officially denies deploying its own troops to the area, was using its influence to restrain pro-Russian forces and called on France and Germany to do the same for Ukraine "We also hope all our partners… will pay attention to the growing tension on the contact line and will use their influence to prevent this escalation from crossing a dangerous line,” Mr Peskov said. "A red line would be the resumption of full-scale hostilities,” he said. Russia and Ukraine have been in a state of undeclared war since 2014, when the Kremlin annexed Crimea and sent weapons and troops to support a separate uprising in Ukraine’s eastern Donbass region. At least 14,000 people have died in the war to date. Intense fighting ended following a ceasefire in early 2015, but there have been repeated skirmishes along the line of contact over the past six years. A stricter ceasefire introduced last summer stopped most tit-for-tat shelling, but the pace of violations has grown in recent weeks and at least 10 Ukrainian soldiers have been killed since New Year. On Wednesday the self-proclaimed Donetsk People’s Republic, one of two Russian-backed breakaway statelets in East Ukraine, said it had authorised its forces to pre-emptively fire on Ukrainian positions in response to what it said were Ukrainian ceasefire violations. Ukraine's military on Thursday accused pro-Russian forces of shelling its positions to provoke them into returning fire. It said Russian-backed forces had violated the ceasefire four times within 24 hours. Leonid Kravchuk, the first president of Ukraine and head of the country’s delegation to a tri-lateral contact group with Russia and the OSCE, said Ukrainian forces would answer enemy fire “symmetrically.” He earlier accused Russia of escalating the military confrontation in response to a series of moves by Volodymyr Zelenskiy, the president of Ukraine, to challenge Russia off the battlefield. They include the decision last month to revoked the broadcast licenses of three television channels owned by Taras Kozak, a politician from a pro-Russian opposition party. On February 19 he also sanctioned Viktor Medvedchuk, a close associate of Mr Kozak. Mr Medvedchuk, a prominent tycoon, is a Ukrainian citizen but has close ties to Vladimir Putin and has been described as one of the Kremlin’s key advisors on Ukraine. Security officials said at the time that they were investigating Mr Medvedchuk over alleged financing of terrorism in relation to the sale of coal from mines in territory controlled by pro-Russian forces. The moves were praised by some in Ukraine as a long-overdue confrontation with enablers of Kremlin influence in the country. Critics said the move amounted to silencing political opponents.

  • Boris Johnson's unpopularity in Scotland 'irrelevant' to Holyrood election, says Douglas Ross

    Douglas Ross has argued that Boris Johnson's unpopularity in Scotland is irrelevant in the Holyrood election as the SNP raised the prospect of another independence referendum this year if Nicola Sturgeon gets a majority. The Scottish Tory leader accepted the Prime Minister would "play a role" in the campaign ahead of the planned May 6 ballot but insisted the party he leads is "distinct" from the UK Conservatives. Pressed whether Mr Johnson was a "help of hindrance" to him, with the Prime Minister having low approval ratings in Scotland, Mr Ross did not directly answer the question but noted that "he is not standing for election to Holyrood - I am." The SNP is expected to argue that Scots need to choose at the ballot box between being ruled by Mr Johnson or having another vote on separating from the UK, with Ms Sturgeon at the helm. But, following a week in which Ms Sturgeon and Alex Salmond have traded a barrage of accusations and blows, Mr Ross said the SNP's "lies and deceit" were damaging public trust in the Scottish Parliament. He said the Nationalists had used their 14 years in in government to focus on "division, constitutional wrangling, and trying to separate Scotland from the rest of the United Kingdom" rather than improving the education system or the NHS. His intervention came as Ian Blackford, the SNP's Westminster leader, insisted again that another separation referendum could be staged this year if Ms Sturgeon succeeds in winning a majority in May.

  • Coronavirus: will immunity rapidly fade or last a lifetime?

    Immunity fades rapidly for some infections (influenza) but lasts a lifetime with others (measles). Here's what we know about COVID.

  • Who are the key players at war with Meghan and what is the “Firm of Eight”?

    From ex-Sussex squad members citing bullying allegations to the Hollywood dream team fighting the Duke and Duchess’ PR battle from LA, Katie Strick has a who’s-who of this week’s royal drama

  • Rishi Sunak leaves door open to future stealth tax raid as National Insurance pledge left out of Budget

    Rishi Sunak has left the door open to another stealth tax raid after a Conservative manifesto commitment to raise the national insurance contributions (NICS) threshold to £12,500 was left out of the Budget. On Wednesday the Chancellor confirmed that personal allowances on income tax, pensions, inheritance tax and capital gains tax would be frozen until 2026, netting the Treasury an additional £21bn as more people are dragged into higher tax rates over time. However, in the Budget Red Book, he has also kept open the option to change a number of NICs thresholds at future budgets, handing the Exchequer the ability to raise billions of pounds in additional revenues if required. In 2019, Boris Johnson told voters that his “ultimate ambition” was to raise the level at which people begin paying both national insurance and income tax to £12,500 - a move which would save taxpayers £500. Last year’s budget also confirmed that the national insurance primary threshold - over which employees’ earnings are taxed at 12 per cent - would rise to £9,500. It described this as “the first step in meeting the government’s ambition to increase these thresholds to £12,500.” Mr Sunak confirmed yesterday that the threshold would increase again to £9,568 from April, along with the upper rate, which will increase to £50,270 and then stay frozen until 2026, in line the personal income allowance. But the future level of the primary threshold has not been set, with the document stating only that it would with “all other NICs thresholds... be considered and set at future fiscal events”. The 102-page Red Book does not appear to mention the Government’s ambition to raise the threshold to £12,500 once. Approached for comment, a Treasury spokesman said raising the NICs threshold to £12,500 was still the Government’s “ultimate ambition”. However, they acknowledged that there was no timeline for doing this. The omission suggests that Mr Sunak has kept open the possibility of temporarily freezing the lower NICs thresholds, should he need to boost tax receipts again in future. This would see more people dragged into tax as wages rise, and is known as "fiscal drag." Mr Sunak has already chosen to freeze other personal allowances due to the limited revenue raising options available to him because of the manifesto pledge not to increase income tax, VAT or NICs during this Parliament