COVID-19: Tory MP who said NHS figures were being 'manipulated' refuses to apologise - Sky News

A Tory MP who told anti-vaccination campaigners to "persist" and that NHS capacity figures were being "manipulated" to exaggerate the scale of coronavirus, has refused to apologise for his remarks.

Sir Desmond Swayne said the comments, made in November to Save our Rights UK and obtained by Sky News, were "perfectly legitimate at the time" and he accepts that the COVID-19 situation "has changed entirely with the new variant".

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'Sir Desmond's comments are unacceptable'

"I certainly regret the fuss they've caused," Sir Desmond told Sky's All Out Politics when asked about his remarks.

Asked if he would be apologising, Sir Desmond replied: "No, the complaint was legitimate at the time."

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The comments have led to calls from some for the MP to have the Conservative whip withdrawn, but Sir Desmond said such a move would be a akin to a "thought crime".

Michael Gove told Sky News earlier that Sir Desmond should apologise and retract his comments.

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However, the Cabinet Office minister would not be drawn on whether he should lose the Tory whip.

Mr Gove said: "Sir Desmond is wrong. I work with Sir Desmond, I have great affection for him but I'm afraid here he is completely out of order."

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'Swayne is undermining government message'

He added: "I would hope that he issues a full and complete retraction and apology for what he said - it's unacceptable."

It is understood that the Conservative chief whip Mark Spencer is speaking to Sir Desmond and will be asking him to attend a meeting with scientific advisers.

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said the MP had "undermined" the government's messaging and public confidence in the vaccine programme.

She labelled Sir Desmond's comments as "really dangerous" and called for the whip to be removed immediately.

"Just saying he is wrong is nowhere near enough," Ms Rayner said.

Sky News revealed Sir Desmond's comments in an exclusive story on Wednesday.

During an interview in November with Save our Rights UK, which says vaccines are dangerous, he said: "It seems to be a manageable risk, particularly as figures have been manipulated... We're told there is a deathly, deadly pandemic proceeding at the moment.

"That is difficult to reconcile with ICUs (intensive care units) actually operating at typical occupation levels for the time of year and us bouncing round at the typical level of deaths for the time of year."

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He also told the group, which has previously advanced false claims about COVID vaccines, in the interview: "As the last (House of Commons) Speaker used to say, (John) Bercow, he'd say 'Persist! Persist!' That's my advice - persist.

"And I'll persist too."

There is no evidence of data being manipulated, and at the time of the MP's comments, deaths were 14% above the five-year average - according to the Office for National Statistics.

Sir Desmond, a former minister, also gave an interview two weeks ago to notorious anti-vaxxer Del Bigtree, who was a producer for Andrew Wakefield's anti-vaccine propaganda film, Vaxxed.

Mr Wakefield is a former doctor who was struck off the UK medical register for a discredited study linking the MMR vaccine to autism.

In this interview, Sir Desmond claimed Britain had become "a police state" and accused the government of attempting to implement "social control", while the anti-vaxxer praised the MP as a "hero".

He said: "There are aspects of this (the government's actions) which I'm certain come down to social control, like the wearing of masks, the medical case you've just rubbished it earlier this evening."

When Sky News put these comments to Sir Desmond on Wednesday, he said he had never heard of Mr Bigtree.

Image: The New Forest West MP was a senior aide to ex-PM David Cameron

He also doubled down on the comments about masks, saying he regards it as a matter of "social control".

The New Forest West MP added he was entitled to make his point of view on any platform.

"I'm entitled to answer legitimate questions that people put to me," he said.

"It does not in any way mean that I accept points of view that they hold."

Speaking to Sky on Thursday, Sir Desmond reiterated this.

He said he did not believe he had given any credibility to anti-vaxxers and appeared on the show to talk about lockdowns.

Sir Desmond said he will take a COVID vaccination when offered one, adding: "I'm evangelical in my support for vaccination."

The Center for Countering Digital Hate (CCDH), which tracks anti-vax misinformation online, said comments like these "would cost lives".

According to CCDH, which tracks anti-vax misinformation online, Mr Bigtree is one of the most influential spreaders of anti-vaccine lies.

They said: "People of course have been confused by a new pathogen, a new disease which has emerged.

"It's caused a lot of concern. To see a member of parliament feeding off that concern, feeding the beast so to speak, is incredibly cynical, incredibly damaging, and will cost lives."

Over three nights Sky News will host a series of special programmes examining the UK's response to the pandemic.

Watch COVID Crisis: Learning the Lessons at 8pm on 9, 10 and 11 February

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2021-01-28 11:26:10Z
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Covid: UK vaccine supplies 'won't be interrupted' - Gove - BBC News

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There "will be no interruption" to UK vaccine supplies, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has said, after the EU urged AstraZeneca to supply it with doses from UK plants.

"It is the case that the supplies that have been planned, paid for and scheduled should continue," he added.

The EU and AstraZeneca are involved in a row over vaccine supply shortages.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, a scientific adviser to the UK government, said vaccine nationalism did not serve anyone.

The EU has demanded that UK-made jabs are diverted to Europe to fulfil contractual obligations.

AstraZeneca has previously said it could deliver the EU only a fraction of the doses between January and March that it had promised, blaming production issues at European plants for a reported 50 million-dose shortfall.

However, they have both pledged to work together to resolve the crisis.

The AstraZeneca vaccine, developed with Oxford University, has not yet been approved by the EU, although this is expected on Friday.

• EU and AstraZeneca seek to resolve vaccine crisis
• What's the problem with the EU's vaccine programme?
• How will the UK vaccinate millions of people?

Mr Gove said: "We must make sure that we continue with the effective acceleration of our vaccination programme. That relies on the supply schedule that has been agreed to be honoured. That's the first and most important thing.

"But secondarily I'm sure we all want to do everything possible to make sure that as many people in countries which are our friends and neighbours are vaccinated and I think we best achieve that through dialogue and co-operation and friendship," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Pressed on whether the government will allow vaccines to go to the EU, he said: "No, the critical thing is we must make sure that the schedule that has been agreed and on which our vaccination programme has been based and planned goes ahead.

"It is the case that the supplies that have been planned, paid for and scheduled should continue, absolutely. There will be no interruption to that."

Sir Jeremy, a member of the government's Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), said it was in the UK's "national interests" to ensure as many people in the world as possible were vaccinated.

Asked if vaccine nationalism was a reality in Europe, he told the Today programme: "Yes, I'm afraid it is and it's something that we absolutely have to negotiate, we have to avoid, and it doesn't serve anybody to have these fights over vaccine supply."

He said the only answer was to "drive down transmission, to keep it low and to make these vaccines available globally, otherwise we will see new variants coming up, new strains of this virus which will come back to all of our countries".

New variants were "a warning of what is coming, which we must take incredibly seriously", Sir Jeremy added.

It's understandable that each country wants to vaccinate its own population as quickly as possible to stop more illness and deaths.

But experts warn that the world's richest countries must refrain from vaccine nationalism - prioritising their own access to the detriment of others.

Stocks are limited and must be moved quickly to the people who need protecting the most - namely healthcare workers and the elderly and most vulnerable in society.

Vaccine distribution should be based on clinical need, not where individuals live, they say. No single country will be free of this virus without a truly global vaccination effort.

Travel restrictions buy time but will not prevent cases or new variants emerging and then arriving from elsewhere.

It's a race against the virus, not each other.

The UK government has promised to to deliver a first vaccine dose to 15 million of the most vulnerable by mid-February and to offer all adults their first dose by autumn.

Latest figures show that more than 7.1 million people in the UK have now received a first jab.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the "war of words" between the EU and AstraZeneca has "got to be resolved" but he did not want a solution which affected the UK's supply.

Speaking to LBC Radio, he said: "I want to resolve this by ramping up manufacture across the world, I don't want to interrupt the way we are doing it in this country, I don't want to push that 12-week gap (between doses) back any further."

AstraZeneca has blamed supply issues on manufacturing problems in two plants - one in Belgium and another in the Netherlands.

The EU, which signed a deal for 300 million doses in August, said it should not receive fewer doses just because the UK signed a contract with the UK-Swedish company earlier. EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides said AstraZeneca's two UK plants "had to deliver" doses.

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Meanwhile, Mr Gove said ministers would meet later to update the "red list" of countries - which are banned from entry to the UK over fears of new variants of the virus.

The government has a new "fast-track" system for making decisions which should be quicker than the old process for deciding the travel corridors, he said.

He also said that ministers would seek to agree a timetable for introducing the new hotel quarantine policy and any exemptions that would allow people to leave the country, with details potentially being announced in the next couple of days.

• Which UK arrivals have to quarantine in a hotel?

Government sources have said the emphasis was still on protecting against new variants, not about countries that have high case rates, according to BBC chief political correspondent Adam Fleming.

It comes as the UK recorded a further 1,725 deaths within 28 days of a positive test on Wednesday. There were also a further 25,308 daily cases reported.

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2021-01-28 10:28:00Z
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Coronavirus: EU and AstraZeneca seek to resolve vaccine supply crisis - BBC News

The EU and the UK-based Covid vaccine maker AstraZeneca have vowed to work together to resolve a bitter row over supply shortages to the 27-member bloc.

This comes after crisis talks which both sides described as "constructive".

AstraZeneca earlier said it could deliver only a fraction of the doses it promised in January-March, blaming production issues at European plants.

But the EU said the firm must honour its commitments and deliver the jabs by diverting stock from the UK.

The EU signed a deal with AstraZeneca in August for 300 million doses, with an option for 100 million more, but the UK-Swedish company has reported production delays at plants in the Netherlands and Belgium.

AstraZeneca CEO Soriot said production was "basically two months behind where we wanted to be".

• What's the problem with the EU's vaccine programme?
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The contract between the EU and AstraZeneca contains a confidentiality clause - but the EU has asked the company to release the details nevertheless.

Reports said last week the EU would get 60% fewer vaccine doses - about 50 million jabs - than promised in the first quarter of the year.

The AstraZeneca vaccine, developed with Oxford University, has not yet been approved by the EU, although this is expected on Friday.

The EU - which has been criticised for the slow rollout of its inoculations - is also facing delays with supplies of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. The bloc has a much bigger deal with the US-German vaccine-maker.

Meanwhile, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "I'm confident of our supplies and we'll keep rolling out vaccines as fast we possibly can. I am very pleased at the moment that we have the fastest rollout of vaccines in Europe by some way."

What did the EU and AstraZeneca say?

After Wednesday's crisis talks, EU Health Commissioner Stella Kyriakides expressed regret over the "continued lack of clarity on the delivery schedule".

"We will work with the company to find solutions and deliver vaccines rapidly for EU citizens," she tweeted.

An AstraZeneca spokesman said the company had "committed to even closer co-ordination to jointly chart a path for the delivery of our vaccine over the coming months".

Ms Kyriakides stressed before the talks that UK factories, which have not experienced production problems, were part of its deal with the company and had to deliver.

"The 27 European Union member states are united that AstraZeneca needs to deliver on its commitments in our agreements," she said.

• Covid map: Where have the 100m cases been?
• Some symptoms 'more common' with new variant

In an interview on Tuesday with Italian newspaper La Repubblica, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot said the contract compelled it to make its "best effort", rather than obliging it to meet a set deadline for delivery of the vaccines.

Ms Kyriakides said this characterisation of the deal was "not correct or acceptable".

She added that the EU rejected "the logic of first-come first-serve".

"That may work at the neighbourhood butcher's but not in contracts, and not in our advanced purchase agreements."

Ms Kyriakides appeared to be responding to Mr Soriot, who said that the UK had signed its contract with AstraZeneca three months before the EU and that this extra time had been used to "fix all the glitches we experienced" regarding the UK.

What are the supply problems?

The EU had hoped that, as soon as approval was given, delivery would start straight away, with some 80 million doses arriving in the 27 nations by March.

However the delays reported by AstraZeneca have dented that hope.

Italy was among the countries threatening to sue over the delays.

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EU and vaccines

• 448mEU population

• 8.4mPeople received vaccine so far (1.9%)

• 2.3bnDoses ordered overall

• 400mDoses ordered from AstraZeneca (Not yet EMA approved) - 17% of total

Sources: EU/Our World in Data

Officials have not confirmed publicly how big the shortfall will be, but Reuters news agency reported that deliveries would be reduced to 31 million in the first quarter of this year.

The EU has also ordered 2.3 billion doses of vaccines from four other companies, of which only those of Pfizer/BioNTech (600 million) and Moderna (160 million) have been approved.

Pfizer has not been able to supply the 12.5 million vaccines it promised the EU by the end of 2020, saying last week it was delaying shipments for the next few weeks because of work to increase capacity at its Belgian processing plant.

As a result of delays, Spanish officials said the Madrid region was halting almost all vaccinations for two weeks and supplies in Catalonia were also threatened.

The EU has threatened to restrict the exports of vaccines made within the bloc to deal with the shortfall.

Have you been affected by vaccine supply issues? Share your experiences by emailing haveyoursay@bbc.co.uk.

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2021-01-28 10:09:00Z
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Pubs not likely to open until May under three-step plan to release from lockdown - Metro.co.uk

Remember pints? It could be months before pubs reopen (Picture: AP)

Non-essential shops could reopen in April followed by pubs and restaurants in May under a ‘three-step plan’ out of lockdown, according to reports.

Boris Johnson said there will be a ‘gradual and phased’ approach to lifting restrictions, with the national lockdown in place until at least March 8, and a review before then in mid-February.

The PM announced that schools will not reopen immediately after February half-term, and that new border restrictions will be put in place for travellers arriving in the UK from certain countries.

If schools do return in March, it could be followed by most shops reopening a month later in April, and pubs and restaurants opening their doors in May, a source told The Telegraph.

A woman walks past shuttered shops in London (Picture: Tolga Akmen / AFP)

But the roadmap out of lockdown remains dependent on the success of the vaccination programme, the capacity of the NHS and the Covid death rate.

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Mr Johnson said the national lockdown would initially last until the middle of February but the spread of a mutant strain of coronavirus has forced ministers to rethink their plans.

The Government is aiming to vaccinate 15 million people in the top four priority groups by February 15, including everyone over 70, NHS staff and the clinically vulnerable who’ve been shielding for months.

Speaking in the Commons yesterday, the PM said the results of a review on February 22 would form the Government’s plan to take the country out of lockdown.

The PM said: ‘Our plan for leaving the lockdown will set out our approach towards reopening schools. If we achieve our target of vaccinating everyone in the four most vulnerable groups with their first dose by February 15, and every passing day sees more progress toward that goal, then those groups will that have developed immunity from the virus about three weeks later.

‘That is by March 8. We hope it will therefore be safe to begin the reopening schools from Monday, March 8, with other economic and social restrictions being removed then or thereafter, as and when the data commits.’

Mr Johnson also said free schools meals and vouchers would be prolonged until children returned to the classroom.

He also noted that the Government would be launching a ‘catch up programme’, involving £300 million put towards tutoring in schools, and said there would be a further ‘long-term plan’ to support pupils who have missed out in their learning.

More: UK

Gavin Williamson previously stated that parents and schools would receive at least two weeks’ notice before schools reopen, and pledged to set out a plan of action for both parties this week.

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Government sources have claimed that ministers are in favour of getting exam-level students back into the classroom first, followed by primary school aged pupils.

It is also thought that schools in different areas could reopen on different timelines, depending on how at-risk the region is.

The announcement came as Sir Keir Starmer backed a group of headteachers’ calls for all school staff to receive the vaccine next month. The group has presented an ambitious scheme which would involve 150 independent schools and state academies becoming vaccination hubs.

Get in touch with our news team by emailing us at webnews@metro.co.uk.

For more stories like this, check our news page.

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2021-01-28 08:01:00Z
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Boris Johnson to visit Scotland despite Nicola Sturgeon warning @BBC News live - BBC - BBC

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1. Boris Johnson to visit Scotland despite Nicola Sturgeon warning @BBC News live - BBC  BBC
2. Nicola Sturgeon says Boris Johnson visit to Scotland not essential in pandemic  The Independent
3. EU will demand Scots join euro, so Sturgeon can kiss goodbye to Sterling propping her up  Express
4. Nicola Sturgeon's wildcat independence referendum plan shows how dangerous voting SNP really is – Alex Cole-Hamilton MSP  Edinburgh News
5. There is no cunning wheeze to stop Scottish independence  Financial Times
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2021-01-28 06:55:45Z
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COVID-19: European Union demands plan from AstraZeneca to deliver promised vaccines as row continues - Sky News

The discord between the EU and drug manufacturer AstraZeneca remains despite a meeting between senior figures on Wednesday, with politicians demanding a plan from the company on how they will provide the promised number of coronavirus vaccine doses.

European Commissioner for Health Stella Kyriakides said after the meeting that the bloc "regret the continued lack of clarity on the delivery schedule" of the jabs and "request a clear plan from AstraZeneca for the fast delivery of the quantity of vaccines that we reserved for Q1".

Meanwhile, a spokesman for AstraZeneca said they had discussed the "complexities of scaling up production" of the vaccine, and will "continue our efforts to bring this vaccine to millions of Europeans at no profit during the pandemic".

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COVID-19: EU rows with UK over vaccine

Tensions have grown in recent days after the pharmaceutical giant said it would not be able to provide the previously announced number of inoculations in Europe.

AstraZeneca say this is due to production issues at factories on the continent and problems with the supply chain, and they are providing as many doses as possible.

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The EU has said this is a breach of contract, and that the company should send vials from other production facilities - like those in the UK - to match previously made commitments.

While the finger pointing between the groups continued, Prime Minister Boris Johnson avoided being drawn on any potential impact of the dispute on UK vaccine supplies during a Downing Street news conference.

More from Covid-19

Mr Johnson said he was "very confident in our contracts" about the vaccine, which was developed in the UK at Oxford University.

AstraZeneca chief executive Pascal Soriot said the supply chain in Europe still has "teething issues" - something which had been ironed out in the UK where the contracts were agreed three months earlier.

But Ms Kyriakides said: "We reject the logic of first come first served. That may work at the neighbourhood butchers but not in contracts."

When the contract with the EU was signed, the stated number of doses to be provided by AstraZeneca was 300 million.
By the end of March this year, the pharmaceutical supplier was due to handover 80m jabs, but this was reduced to 31m last week.

The EU said this was a breach of the contract, while AstraZeneca said the agreement was only for a "best effort" as the drug was in development.

Mr Soriot told German newspaper Die Welt: "The reason why we said [it's a best effort] is because Europe at the time wanted to be supplied more or less at the same time as the UK, even though the contract was signed three months later."

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2021-01-28 01:39:07Z
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