Boris Johnson 'planning to quit because of Covid aftereffects claims Dominic Cummings' father-in-law - Daily Mail

Boris Johnson 'is planning to QUIT as PM in six months because he is struggling to recover from coronavirus', claims Dominic Cummings' castle-owning father-in-law Humphry Wakefield

• Baronet is said to have made the claim to a visitor to his Northumberland castle
• Reportedly likened the PM to a horse knackered through working while injured
• His journalist daughter Mary is married to Cummings and they have a son 

By David Wilcock, Whitehall Correspondent For Mailonline

Published: 10:55 BST, 25 August 2020 | Updated: 11:47 BST, 25 August 2020

Downing Street was today forced to deny an extraordinary claim that Boris Johnson is planning to quit as Prime Minister in six months time due to his health - made by Dominic Cummings' father-in-law.

Sir Humphry Wakefield is said to have told a holidaymaker who visited his castle in Northumberland that the Prime Minister is still suffering longer-term ill effects of coronavirus.

The baronet, 84, whose journalist daughter Mary is married to top aide Mr Cummings, likened the Prime Minister to a horse that is made to work while injured, leaving it permanently lame, according to the Times.

'If you put a horse back to work when it's injured it will never recover,' it reported him as saying.

No10 this morning said the claim Mr Johnson would step down was 'total nonsense'. 

Sir Humphry Wakefield, whose journalist daughter Mary is married to Dominic Cummings, is said to have made the claim to a holidaymaker who visited his castle in Northumberland

Mr Johnson (pictured while on his Scottish holiday last week) spent more than a week in hospital with coronavirus in early April, including a stint in intensive care.

Sir Humphry is the father of Mr Cummings' (pictured) wife, the journalist Mary Wakefield. The couple married in 2011 and have one child together.

British workers are the MOST reluctant to come back to the office 

British workers are the most reluctant to return to the office because of fears of a second wave of coronavirus, a new study has found.

It comes as Business Secretary Alok Sharma said he is hoping workers will return to offices soon and make cities 'vibrant again'.

A survey of 8,000 adults from eight countries found that UK and US workers showed the highest level of apathy towards going back to the office.

Downing Street yesterday urged workers who want to return to their workplace to put pressure on their bosses to allow it.

No10 said businesses had an obligation to offer staff 'Covid-secure workplaces' if they cannot work from home amid reports many City firms are plotting to retain home working into 2021.

The PM ordered officials to draw up plans for a return to work in July, but on Monday No 10 was unable to say how many officials are now back at their desks. 

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Mr Johnson spent more than a week in hospital with coronavirus in early April, including a stint in intensive care.

And many of those who have suffered report still suffering the lingering effects of its attack on their systems months after leaving hospital or their home sick bed. 

It is not the first time Sir Humphry, who owns Chillingham Castle near Bamburgh, has found himself in the political spotlight

In February he made an astonishing intervention in the Home Office bullying row involving Priti Patel.

The aristocrat, a friend of Prince Philip, accused mandarins who have squared up to the Home Secretary of acting to protect their 'relaxed life'.

The aristocratic interior designer and antiques expert, used a letter sent from the  13th century fortress to attack 'relaxed disciplines' in offices whose fans paint any attempt at changing the environment as bullying.

Two senior civil servants were forced out of the Home Office after clashing with Ms Patel, 47, and an internal report into the affair has so far not been released.

In a missive to the Times from his home the baronet said: 'I have worked in many long established offices around the world. Almost invariably, relaxed disciplines have become the norm. 

'I have found it near impossible to change old habits without appearing to ''bully''.

'Throwing chilling water on attempted inspiration is a special skill of department leaders whose relaxed life is under threat.'

Sir Humphry is the father of Mr Cummings' wife, the journalist Mary Wakefield. The couple married in 2011 and have one child together.

Sir Humphry owns Chillingham Castle (pictured) in Northumberland

Switzerland ‘will be added to the UK’s quarantine travel list this weekend’ as Tory MPs blast border ‘chaos’ and urge ministers to follow 30 countries which already have airport testing to slash 14 day self-isolation rules

Switzerland could be added to the UK's quarantine travel list as soon as this weekend after a surge in coronavirus cases as Tory MPs demand the Government back airport testing to reduce the 14 day self-isolation period. 

Case numbers in Switzerland now stand at 20.7 per 100,000 people - above the Government's threshold of 20 per 100,000 at which countries are added to the 'red list'.

As a result, it is viewed as almost a certainty that all non-essential travel to the country from the UK will be banned in the coming days. 

The prospect of ministers adding yet another nation to the 'red list' has prompted renewed demands from furious Tory MPs for the Government to change its 'chaotic' approach to border control. 

Ministers are under growing pressure to back testing on arrival at airports which advocates suggest could slash the 14 day quarantine to just five days. 

More than 30 countries across the world already conduct testing at airports and senior Conservative backbenchers want to know why the UK cannot follow suit.     

There is growing speculation Switzerland will be added to the UK's quarantine list this weekend. Geneva is pictured on August 22

Decisions on adding counties to the UK's quarantine list have tended to be announced by ministers at the end of the week. 

For example, the move to ban travel to Croatia, Austria and Trinidad & Tobago was made public on a Thursday afternoon before coming into effect at 4am on Saturday.   

The Times reported that Switzerland is likely to be added to the list this weekend with Scotland having already imposed self-isolation rules on travellers returning from the country.  

There are also fears that the Czech Republic and Greece could be banned after they have also recorded a spike in cases. 

More than 30 countries - including Germany, Iceland and France - have already introduced airport testing for people arriving from high risk countries.

Tory MPs want the UK to adopt a similar approach so that the blanket quarantine restrictions can be ditched. 

They believe the current approach is causing unnecessary damage to the aviation and travel industries.

David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, told The Times: 'The chaos of quarantine has shown that the Government's short-term solution no longer works for the long-term problem of Covid.'

Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune said yesterday that France will impose reciprocal quarantine restrictions on travel from the UK in the coming days

Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee, echoed a similar sentiment as he said quarantine had 'caused untold chaos and confusion for passengers, whilst dealing a hammer blow to the travel industry'. 

Andrew Griffith, Tory MP for Arundel and South Downs, said the current approach risks putting the UK at a 'competitive disadvantage'.  

A testing on arrival system, currently being piloted at Heathrow, would see people tested when they go through border control and then tested against three to five days later. 

Two negative tests would mean people could return to life as normal in under a week. 

Ministers have been reluctant to back the move because of fears that the system could miss people who may have only just been infected when they are tested.    

The row over airport testing comes after the French government said it will this week impose reciprocal quarantine restrictions on travel from the UK. 

Britain added France to its 'red list' of banned countries on August 15 after a spike in coronavirus cases. 

All travellers returning from the country to the UK must stay at home for a fortnight and Paris is now poised to impose its own similar restrictions on people heading in the opposite direction. 

Minister for European Affairs Clement Beaune yesterday signalled the tit-for-tat action will be set out in the coming days. 

'We will have a measure called reciprocity so that our British friends do not close the border in one single way,' he told French TV station France 2, according to comments reported by Reuters. 

'For travellers returning from the United Kingdom, there will probably be restrictive measures decided in the next few days by the Prime Minister and by the Defence Council.'

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2020-08-25 09:55:54Z
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Coronavirus: Pupils to be told to wear face masks in Scottish secondary schools from next week - Sky News

Secondary school pupils in Scotland will have to wear face coverings when moving through corridors and other communal areas from next week.

Scotland's Education Secretary John Swinney announced the move on Tuesday after consulting with teachers and councils on the new guidance.

"From 31 August young people over the age of 12 in secondary schools should habitually wear face coverings when they are moving around schools and corridors and in communal areas where it is difficult to deliver the physical distancing," Mr Swinney told the BBC.

Image: Secondary school pupils in Scotland will have to wear face coverings in corridors

Mr Swinney said the Scottish government was acting on new guidance from the World Health Organisation (WHO), which has said children aged 12 and over should wear masks.

He added that individual exemptions could be granted for health reasons.

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Scottish schools have been fully reopened since 11 August following their shutdown during the peak of the coronavirus outbreak in the UK.

Seventeen members of staff and two pupils recently tested positive for COVID-19 at a school in Dundee.

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The Scottish government's move to enforce the wearing of face coverings in secondary schools will put more pressure on the UK government to follow suit in England.

An education union, the Association of School and College Leaders, added to calls for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to keep the issue under review.

But Business Secretary Alok Sharma told Sky News on Tuesday there was "no current plan" to review whether pupils should be told to wear face coverings in English schools.

He told Kay Burley@Breakfast: "Public Health England has been very clear that they do not recommend the wearing of face masks in schools.

"And the reason for this is because pupils are obviously mixing in the same cohorts.

"We've also provided, through Public Health England, guidance in terms of how schools can keep children safe, how they can keep teachers safe and how schools can be COVID-secure environments.

"So there is no current plan to review that particular advice."

Is it safe for kids to be back in school?

Downing Street has said the WHO advice on over-12s wearing masks was not specifically about schools.

However, Anne Longfield, the children's commissioner for England, told Sky News that schools should be able to tell pupils and staff to wear face coverings if they wished to do so.

She said: "Some schools feel they do want to have face masks for staff and for older children because it would give more reassurance to parents and to teachers and the community," she said.

"I think in that situation, so be it.

"I think there is enough of a mandate already, from my reading of the guidance, to enable schools to do that if needed."

Former Conservative education secretary Justine Greening also told Sky News the wearing of face coverings in schools "should be considered" as a "sensible measure" to ensure pupils can return to the classroom safely.

:: Listen to the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Spreaker

England's deputy chief medical officer, Jenny Harries, has said evidence on whether children over 12 should wear masks in schools was "not strong".

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said masks were not required as schools were taking measures to limit the spread of coronavirus.

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2020-08-25 08:55:17Z
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Met Office weather forecast: Flooding and blackouts as Storm Francis smashes UK with 70mph wind and - The Sun

STORM Francis has smashed the UK today, as 70mph winds and torrential rain cause severe flooding and electricity blackouts.

A 700 mile-wide 'Canadian low pressure vortex’ is bringing strong winds and some of the worst school summer holidays weather for 50 years.

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A woman fixes her umbrella during the heavy rain in Liverpool city centre this morningCredit: Mercury Press

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A view of the 18th green and the clubhouse as play is suspended due to flooding at The Amateur Championship at Royal Birkdale in SouthportCredit: Getty Images - Getty

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Flooding at the Dipping Bridge in Merthyr Mawr in the Vale of GlamorganCredit: Huw Evans Picture Agency

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A car stranded due to rainfall during Storm Francis in LondonCredit: Twitter

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Drivers making it home through the early evening delugeCredit: Snapchat

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 Satellite images show the 700 mile-wide Storm Francis' 'Canadian low pressure vortex'

Forecasters are predicting heavy rainfall - up to 3.5 inches in places - during a 36-hour weather window.

There were power cuts to more than 120 homes in the West Country by 6am this morning.

Dozens of villages in Devon and Cornwall have been warned that 90mm of rain could fall during the storm.

Cops said roads could turn into "lakes" and have warned drivers to take care behind the wheel.

Homes have flooded and a group of campers have been stranded in Wales.

Firefighters are this morning trying to rescue the campers who are close to "fast-flowing water" in Carmarthenshire, the BBC reported.

The Met Office has warned that people could be hurt by "flying debris", while large waves could threaten lives.

In Burnham-on-Sea, an ice cream van got stuck on the beach yesterday afternoon.

As a few hardy souls ventured out on to the beach in the break in the awful weather, the ice cream driver saw the chance for some Cornetto sales.

Staycationer holidaymakers gratefully queued to buy - but in his eagerness he ventured too far on to the sands and began sinking.

A team from the local BARB Search and Rescue, who operate hovercrafts in the Bridgwater Bay area, were called out.

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Commuters get caught in torrential rain in Putney in South West LondonCredit: London News Pictures

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Parts of London saw a risk of serious floodingCredit: Twitter / @ClareBKing

The ice cream van's wheels had sunk into the soft sand near the jetty following heavy rain.

The coastguard alerted the rescue organisation who managed to pull the bright yellow vehicle free using a truck.

Meanwhile, Drivers in London were forced to negotiate torrents of water on the road as Storm Francis arrived with avengence in the early evening on Monday.

Eight flood alerts are already in place in England and Wales and ten in Scotland.

Shredded tents, blackouts and travel problems from toppled trees and floods are risks as millions are on UK breaks away from home, amid wind gusts usually seen in winter.

FLOOD ALERTS

The Met Office has issued a new wind warning for all of Wales and most of England until Wednesday, as well as two heavy rain warnings for southern Scotland, north Wales and northern England.

Chief Meteorologist Andy Page said: "The UK is in for another unseasonably wet and windy spell with Storm Francis arriving on Tuesday.

"There will be strong winds and heavy rain, especially in the west of the UK."

Conditions on roads around Wales were difficult on Tuesday morning
with flooding already reported in Skewen.

Police said that water in Bryntirion, Bridgend, is knee deep.

The train line between Neath and Cardiff has also been flooded with a
warning of wide-scale disruption on train services in the area, and a
fallen tree has blocked the rail line between Caerphilly and Rhymney.

A car was stranded in flooding at the a bridge in the Vale of Glamorgan.

Storm Francis is expected to clear by Wednesday lunchtime, leaving a brighter and more settled outlook for the remainder of the day, the Met Office said.

After Francis' two-day buffeting, more wet and windy conditions follow from Thursday into the Bank Holiday weekend, when the Met Office is even forecasting summer frost, most likely in the North.

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Driving conditions were treacherous on the A14 near Cambridge on Tuesday morningCredit: GEOFF ROBINSON.

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A street in London in the wake of Storm Francis hitting Credit: Twitter / @ClareBKing

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Storm Francis will lash Britain with rain

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The storm is forecast to hit Britain on Tuesday morning Credit: Alistair Grant Freelance / wxcharts

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More bad weather is on its way say forecastersCredit: Twitter / @ClareBKing

The arrival of storm Francis follows a similar period of unseasonable weather towards the end of last week, coinciding with the arrival of Storm Ellen.

Nicola Williams, 15, was swept to her death in the Rhymney River in Llanrumney, Cardiff, and a 50-year-old holidaymaker die in the sea near Helston, west Cornwall, after getting into difficulties.

Nicola Maxey of the Met Office said: "Since 2015 when we started naming storms, we have never had to name a storm in August - and now we've had two in a few days.

"There are a lot of people on holiday in the UK at the moment, going camping and on walking breaks, many in coastal locations where the winds are likely to be stronger, so it is worth checking on the Met Office website ahead of time."

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Forecasters said the winds were "unusual" for August, but would have to go some way to beat the current record wind gust speed of 87mph recorded at The Needles on the Isle of Wight in August 1996.

Likewise, the wettest August on record in the UK was in 1912 when 167.3 mm was recorded across the country as a whole.

Between August 1 and 22, the UK as a whole had seen some 72.7mm of rainfall - around four-fifths of the average rainfall for the month.

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Large waves leash the seafront at Seaburn in SunderlandCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

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Skies darkening above St Paul's Cathedral in LondonCredit: Press Association

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Clouds form over the Solent in PortsmouthCredit: PA:Press Association

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Dark clouds over Richmond Park in LondonCredit: London News Pictures

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People enjoy a dip in choppy seas a Weston Super in brisk winds ahead of Storm FrancisCredit: SWNS:South West News Service

Asda evacuated as rain pours through roof and ceiling collapses on customer in Morrisons during downpours in Kent

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2020-08-25 07:55:00Z
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Coronavirus: Boris Johnson urged to think again on face masks in schools - Sky News

An education union has called for the government to keep the issue of face masks in schools under review.

As new evidence emerges, guidance should be re-examined, the Association of School and College Leaders said.

ASCL general secretary Geoff Barton told the Daily Telegraph: "We would expect the government in Westminster to review its guidance on the use of face coverings in schools - which currently says they are not required - in light of the WHO guidance and the consultation taking place in Scotland.

Face coveringscould be used in Scottish schools

"The evidence is clearly evolving on this issue and it is important that it is kept under review and that clear direction is provided to schools."

His words come amid a continuing fight over whether it is safe for students and teachers to return to the classroom over the coming weeks.

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More than 40,000 people have died after testing positive for the coronavirus and there are fears that reopening schools could spread the disease further.

The Scottish government is expected to confirm its decision on face masks in schools soon, after the World Health Organisation (WHO) said children aged 12 and over should wear them.

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First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said her education secretary, John Swinney, was consulting with teachers and councils on whether to recommend the use of masks in schools.

Williamson: No masks in schools

A Number 10 spokesman said there were "no plans" to review the guidance on face coverings in schools.

He added: "We are conscious of the fact that it would obstruct communication between teachers and pupils."

England's deputy chief medical officer, Jenny Harries, has said evidence on whether children over 12 should wear masks in schools was "not strong".

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson said masks were not required as schools were taking measures to limit the spread of coronavirus.

The government is expected to respond to the WHO guidance during topical questions on Tuesday afternoon.

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2020-08-25 04:18:45Z
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Storm Francis pummels the UK overnight as the nation braces for more chaos today - Daily Mail

Fury of Francis: Second named storm of August pummels the UK with flash floods threatening rush hour travel chaos as the nation braces for 70mph gales and up to a month's worth of rain in a few hours

• Met Office issues wind warning from 9am today until 9am on Wednesday for most of England and Wales
• Spell of strong winds is developing across the South West of England and Wales before spreading east
• Separate 30-hour alert for rain began at midnight for several areas with up to 3.5in (90mm) expected to fall 
• Gloomy forecast is bad news for families enjoying a staycation in Britain in last weeks of summer holidays 

By Mark Duell and Danyal Hussain and Alice Cachia For Mailonline and Liz Hull For Daily Mail

Published: 06:49 BST, 25 August 2020 | Updated: 08:21 BST, 25 August 2020

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The second named storm of August battered Britain with unseasonably strong winds and heavy rain today – signalling the end of summer and a washout end to staycations across the country.

Storm Francis brought gusts of more than 50mph overnight ahead of expected 70mph speeds this morning and a month's worth of rainfall in just a few hours, causing chaos for commuters and holidaymakers.

Campers, especially those trying to make the most of the last week of the school holidays at the coast, were prepared for the worst, with warnings over trees being uprooted and power lines downed by the high winds.

It comes after chaos in London last night, with drivers forced to wade through waterlogged roads as drains struggled to clear the rain fast enough - and other motorists swerved into the path of oncoming traffic.

Severe wind and rain weather warnings have been put in place by the Met Office for much of the UK today, with the storm arriving from the Atlantic overnight and travelling eastwards before reaching the North Sea tomorrow.

The gusts could cause 'danger to life' from flying debris, damage to buildings and disruption to travel services, forecasters said as they issued a wind warning running for 24 hours from 9am this morning.

The rain is expected to be heaviest in Northern Ireland and south-west Scotland, where up to 3.5in (90mm) could fall – well above the monthly August average of 2.8in (70mm) – bringing a risk of localised flooding.  

A woman shelters from the heavy rain under an umbrella in Liverpool city centre this morning as Storm Francis hits the UK

Flooding at the 15th century Dipping Bridge in Merthyr Mawr, near Bridgend, South Wales, saw police close the road today

Mount Batten in Plymouth and Mace Head in County Galway on the west coast of Ireland both recorded gusts of 51mph overnight, while 30.8mm (1.2in) of rain fell between 5pm and 11pm yesterday in parts of County Kerry.

Fire crews were called to The Square at Bantry in County Cork after flooding, while the Environment Agency issued 17 flood alerts across England, and the Scottish Environment Protection Agency imposed a further ten.

The Met Office imposed multiple weather warnings for today

Alex Deakin from the Met Office said it will be 'wet and windy for large chunks of the UK', adding: 'The bands of rain move into Northern Ireland and stick around, move into Scotland and hang around for most of the day.'

The rain warning – which began at midnight overnight– covers an area in Scotland including the A83 Rest and Be Thankful in Argyll and the railway line south of Stonehaven in Kincardineshire. A ScotRail train was derailed by a landslide near Stonehaven earlier this month, killing three people and injuring six others.

Nicky Maxey from the Met Office said: 'Since we began naming storms in 2014, we have never had one in August. Now we have two.'

She added: 'For Scotland and Northern Ireland, the real worry is for the amount of rain which Storm Francis contains. It's a low-pressure system being fired across the Atlantic by a jet stream running at 120 knots (138mph). It deepens rapidly as it arrives to a position which is pretty strong for this time of year.'

The Met Office said some communities could be cut off by flooded roads and travel services may be badly hit, with parts of Scotland particularly under threat.

ScotRail said it was advising customers to check their journey on its app or website before they travel, while CalMac ferry routes on Scotland's West Coast were placed on a warning of a 'heightened risk of disruption'. 

A spell of strong winds will develop across the South West of England and Wales this morning (left), before spreading east across other parts of England and Wales overnight, clearing into the North Sea tomorrow (right)

Storm Francis engulfing the UK and set to bring torrential downpours and strong winds, putting the country at risk of localised flooding

Although autumn doesn't begin until September 1, temperatures are set to drop to 16C (61F) to 18C (64F), making it feel cooler than in recent weeks.

The storm is expected to clear by tomorrow lunchtime but forecasters said it is unlikely the heatwaves of earlier in the month will return in time for the bank holiday weekend.

Instead the conditions are likely to be changeable, with a mixture of sunshine and scattered showers for most parts. The bad weather follows a similar spell of unseasonable conditions last week when Storm Ellen hit the UK.

The Met Office has never had two named storms in August since the process started in 2015, but Francis comes on the back of Ellen which struck last week and caused power outages.

It was blamed for several deaths, including that of a seven-year-old who died in Bobbing, Kent, on Friday after being struck by a tree toppled by strong winds.

Ellen also saw 15-year-old Nicola Williams swept to her death in the Rhymney River in Llanrumney, Cardiff, and a 50-year-old holidaymaker die in the sea near Helston, west Cornwall, after getting into difficulties.

Meanwhile Mark Spence, 47, was also killed after being struck by debris as he slept when the chimney stack was blown through the roof of his home, in Bradford, West Yorkshire, on Sunday. 

Rod Dennis, spokesman for RAC Breakdown, said the storm could cause problems for those on the roads over the next 24 hours. 'Drivers look set for yet more miserable conditions in the run-up to the bank holiday,' he said.

'At the very least, surface spray on the roads will be a problem, but if conditions deteriorate further there's the prospect of localised flooding and falling branches which could both negatively affect journey times.

'Drivers must be on their guard and, even though it's August, trips by car look likely to be anything but plain sailing. Never attempt to drive through floods unless you are sure the water is shallow enough for you to make it through.'

Similarly, the RNLI warned people to take care on the coastline and not to enter the water where a red flag is flying.

Forecasters said the winds were 'unusual' for August, but would have to go some way to beat the current record wind gust speed of 87mph recorded at The Needles on the Isle of Wight in August 1996.

Likewise, the wettest August on record in the UK was in 1912 when 167.3mm (6.6in) was recorded across the country as a whole.

Between August 1 and 22, the UK as a whole had seen some 72.7mm (2.9in) of rainfall - around four-fifths of the average rainfall for the month.

No further storm is currently forecast this month, meaning the next storm will begin with A rather than G, as the storm-naming calendar resets on September 1. 

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2020-08-25 07:14:54Z
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