Dominic Cummings claims: Rees-Mogg defends Hancock as 'successful genius' - BBC News

Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has hailed Health Secretary Matt Hancock as a "successful genius" - after he was allegedly branded "hopeless" by the PM.

It comes after Boris Johnson's ex-aide Dominic Cummings released messages critical of the health secretary.

Mr Rees-Mogg dismissed them as "trivia", adding that Mr Hancock's work had made the world safer.

But Labour's leader said the prime minister's border policies showed he was "as hopeless as Hancock".

Sir Keir Starmer added that not imposing stronger controls on arrivals from India had forced the four-week extension of England's Covid restrictions.

• PM calls Hancock hopeless in texts revealed by Cummings
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On Wednesday, Mr Cummings - who was forced out of Downing Street after an internal power struggle - released a series of WhatsApp exchanges between himself and his former boss, dated to early last year.

In one of them, Mr Johnson purportedly called Mr Hancock "Totally [expletive] hopeless".

In another, he appeared to say his procurement of personal protective equipment had been a "disaster," and that he wanted to hand some of Mr Hancock's duties to Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove.

Downing Street did not deny the authenticity of the messages, but insisted the prime minister had full confidence in the health secretary.

In the House of Commons on Thursday, Labour's Thangam Debbonaire asked: "Why did the prime minister keep on as health secretary someone he thought was hopeless in a global health crisis?

"The British people recognise incompetence and waste when they see it. They know what's right and what's not and they know when a minister is hopeless."

But Mr Rees-Mogg replied: "There's a great line from Dr [Samuel] Johnson, that in lapidary inscriptions [engravings in stone] a man is not on oath.

"And I think the same applies to text messages, which are essentially the trivia, the flotsam and jetsam, the ephemera of life, and they're fundamentally unimportant."

He praised the plan agreed at last weekend's G7 summit in Cornwall to distribute one billion Covid vaccines to poorer nations, lauding Mr Hancock's role in arranging the UK's contribution "so successfully".

'Hopeless as Hancock'

He called his cabinet colleague "the brilliant, the one and only successful genius who has been running health over the last 15 months", adding that "he has done so much to make not only the country but the world safer".

But speaking later on Thursday, Sir Keir Starmer criticised the government's decision not to add India to the travel red until 23 April, arguing it had hastened the spread of the Delta variant of the virus first identified there to the UK.

He said the spread of that variant had made the four-week delay to the next stage of England's unlocking - supported by Labour at a vote on Wednesday - "inevitable".

He said the Delta variant "wouldn't be here" if tougher travel rules had instead been applied after 1 April, calling it "the only reason we're not unlocking".

"There's only one reason we've got the Delta variant, and that's because the prime minister failed to secure the border," he added.

"So the prime minister is as hopeless as Hancock."

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2021-06-17 12:24:24Z
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Manchester Arena Inquiry: Bomber 'should have been identified as a threat' - BBC News

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Manchester Arena suicide bomber Salman Abedi should have been identified as a threat on the night of the atrocity by those in charge of security, a public inquiry into the 2017 attack has found.

Inquiry chairman Sir John Saunders found there were missed opportunities to prevent the "devastating impact".

He said it was likely Abedi would have detonated his device if confronted but "the loss of life and injury is highly likely to have been less".

Twenty-two people died in the bombing.

Hundreds more were injured when Manchester-born Abedi, who was of Libyan descent, walked across the foyer of the arena and detonated the bomb at 22: 31 BST on 22 May 2017.

The public inquiry into the attack started in September 2020 and was set up to explore the circumstances leading up to and surrounding the bombing.

'Fobbed off'

The report, which is the first of three to be published by the inquiry, examines security failures relating to the attack.

It has levelled criticism at British Transport Police (BTP), the arena operators SMG, and their contracted security providers, Showsec.

Sir John said two teenage stewards did not react "as robustly and effectively as they should have" when a member of the public, Christopher Wild, raised his concerns about the bomber.

He said Mr Wild was "fobbed off".

The inquiry chairman called this "the most striking missed opportunity".

This breaking news story is being updated and more details will be published shortly. Please refresh the page for the fullest version.

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• Manchester Arena Inquiry

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2021-06-17 13:16:15Z
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‘Nobody asked them!’ Brexiteer silences Coveney as he shreds ‘unconstitutional’ EU deal - Daily Express

Brexit: UK 'can't decide unilaterally' on protocol says Coveney

Critics within the Unionist community are deeply concerned because the agreement requires Northern Ireland to adhere to EU rules and regulations for goods travelling to and from the British mainland, something they regard as having imposed a border down the Irish Sea. Mr Coveney posted: “Don’t know how many times this needs to be said before it’s fully accepted as true.

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“NI Protocol is a technical trading arrangement to manage the disruption of #Brexit for the island of #Ireland to the greatest extent possible…. It’s not about constitutional matters.”

However, Baron Moylan, the former chairman of the London Legacy Development Corporation, disagreed vehemently.

Responding to Mr Coveney’s tweet, he said: “I don’t know how often this has to be stated: a constitution is about the allocation of decision-making to different arms of the state and the NI Protocol changes who makes decisions about laws there. So it is clearly a constitutional change.”

Baron Moylan told Express.co.uk: “It goes back to the Good Friday Agreement, which says that there shouldn't be a change in Northern Ireland’s constitutional status without a referendum.

Simon Coveney, Ireland's Minister of Foreign Affairs (Image: GETTY)

Lord Moylan's response to Simon Coveney (Image: Twitter)

“Now, if you look at the Northern Ireland protocol the very first words on the first page say this is not the change in the constitutional status of Northern Ireland, because they're trying to preclude the idea that it needs a referendum.

“In my view, that's simply untrue, but he’s sticking to that, he's saying it is not a constitutional change.

“But I'm saying it is because you're changing now who makes the laws in Northern Ireland and now the EU is a lawmaker in Northern Ireland

“And so I think it is a constitutional change.

JUST IN: EU in a nutshell! German vaccine just 47% effective

Prime Minister Boris Johnson (Image: GETTY)

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“Whether you need a referendum on the Good Friday Agreement or not ties into a second point that is related, which is that the people of Northern Ireland had never been asked if they want the Protocol.” 

Baron Moylan, who also served as the Prime Minister’s airport adviser when he was Mayor of London, explained: “The best Boris could get was an assembly vote in 2024.”

Under the Good Friday Agreement, such a major change should be introduced with the consent of both communities Baron Moylan said.

However, because such a vote would offer the Unionists a veto, the EU had refused, he pointed out.

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Baron Moylan speaking in Parliament (Image: Parliament TV)

Simon Coveney and Leo Varadkar in 2016 (Image: GETTY)

He added: “In fact there has been a change to the Good Friday Agreement in the way it works in Northern Ireland to allow for that.

“So I’m saying I do not think that is good enough. First of all it's three years down the road, and normally when you have a new system you vote for it before it starts.

“And secondly, it's the assembly, and maybe it should be a wider vote and so on.

“That the point - it’s the democratic deficit about the Northern Ireland protocol and the way it operates.”

Brexit in Express front pages (Image: Express)

Baron Moylan argued Mr Coveney’s remarks were characteristic of the “dogmatic” thinking of both Ireland and the EU when it came to the Protocol, and Brexit in general.

He said: “The Irish Government sticks very closely to the EU line, that’s a deliberate choice on that part.

“I'm fairly sure the Irish government does understand the political and community situation in Northern Ireland - but I don't think the EU has much of a clue.

“They think ‘Northern Ireland voted remain so they must be happy to stick to our rules.’

The Northern Ireland Protocol is a cause for concern in the Unionist community (Image: GETT)

I think they have used Northern Ireland as a bargaining chip

Baron Moylan

“I think they have used Northern Ireland as a bargaining chip.”

Speaking today, Mr Coveney also Ireland's Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has welcomed the announcement that a First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland will be nominated later.

Mr Coveney said it will allow the Northern Ireland Executive to continue its "essential work" on behalf of the people of Northern Ireland.

He added: "We look forward to working with the First and deputy First Minister, and all the parties in the Northern Ireland Executive, to the mutual benefit of people North and South, including at the next plenary meeting of the North South Ministerial Council which is planned for Friday in Armagh."

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2021-06-17 10:49:00Z
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Jeffrey Archer Defends Matt Hancock After Dominic Cummings' Alleged Boris Johnson Texts | GMB - Good Morning Britain

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2021-06-17 09:31:59Z
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Novlett Robyn Williams: Metropolitan Police officer convicted of possessing child abuse video wins appeal against sacking - Sky News

A senior police officer who lost her job with the Metropolitan Police has won her appeal against dismissal after she was convicted of possessing a child abuse video on her phone.

A court was told that Novlett Robyn Williams, 56, had been sent the video on WhatsApp by her sister, co-defendant Jennifer Hodge, but she did not view the material.

Jurors at her trial were not convinced by her claim she was unaware of its presence on her phone, however, and she was sentenced in November 2019 to 200 hours of community service.

In March 2020, she was dismissed from the force with immediate effect after a special disciplinary hearing found her conviction amounted to "gross misconduct".

On Wednesday, Williams appealed against the decision to sack her and it was upheld by a panel which decided that she should have been issued with a final written warning rather than being dismissed.

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The Police Superintendents' Association said the independent panel found her dismissal from the Met was "unfair" and "unreasonable" and, as a result, her appeal against losing her job was successful.

The trial at the Old Bailey heard that Williams received the video from her 57-year-old sister Hodge, who had originally been sent the clip by her long-term boyfriend, 63-year-old Dido Massivi.

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Image: Williams (centre) pictured arriving at the Old Bailey in London in 2019, where she was sentenced for possession of an indecent video of a child

Jurors heard that Williams had an exemplary disciplinary record and was highly regarded for her work at successive Notting Hill Carnivals and commended for her work after the Grenfell Tower disaster.

Among the commendations she received was the Queen's Police Medal for distinguished service in 2003.

Williams said after the appeal verdict: "I am extremely pleased with today's outcome and would like to thank the members of the panel for their decision, Gerard Boyle QC for continually fighting my case, and for the countless people within policing and beyond, including representatives of the Police Superintendents' Association, who have supported me throughout.

"For over a year, before and during the pandemic, I have continued to support local people by working within community initiatives. I am therefore delighted to be able to return to the work I love, serving our communities within London."

Police Superintendents' Association professional standards coordinator Victor Marshall said: "We are pleased that today's panel agreed that her dismissal was unreasonable in light of the complex circumstances surrounding her conviction and we are delighted she will be able to continue to serve the communities of London."

A Metropolitan Police statement said: "We are aware of the outcome of today's police appeals tribunal in which Novlett Robyn Williams appealed her dismissal without notice following her conviction for possessing an indecent image of a child.

"The tribunal determined Ms Williams' dismissal should be replaced with a final written warning.

"We await the full judgment. Once received, we will then consider the ruling and engage with Ms Williams' representatives accordingly."

It is expected the full judgment will be published in about a week's time.

In February, Williams' appeal against her conviction for having a child abuse video on her phone was refused by the Court of Appeal.

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2021-06-17 09:17:26Z
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Boris Johnson calls Matt Hancock hopeless in revealed texts @BBC News live BBC - BBC

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2021-06-17 05:35:08Z
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COVID-19: Travel restrictions may be eased for Britons who have had both jabs - Sky News

The government is considering relaxing restrictions surrounding international travel for Britons who have had both coronavirus vaccines.

A government spokesperson has told Sky News that it is "working with industry for a safe return to international travel, guided by one overwhelming priority - public health".

They added: "Recognising the strong strategic rationale and success of the vaccine programme, we have commenced work to consider the role of vaccinations in shaping a different set of health and testing measures for inbound travel."

If approved, the new plan, first reported by The Telegraph, could mean that Britons who are fully vaccinated will not need to quarantine upon their return from destinations including the US and countries across Europe.

The latest government data shows that more than 30 million people in the UK have now had both doses of a COVID-19 jab.

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Abouy one million people aged 21 and 22 became eligible to book their coronavirus vaccinations on Wednesday and those aged between 18 and 20 are expected to be invited by the end of this week.

Few countries appear on the UK's "green list" for travel, where holidaymakers are not required to quarantine once they return.

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At present, Britons are being advised not to travel to "amber list" countries - including popular hotspots such as Spain and France - as government guidelines state they must quarantine at home for 10 days after upon return.

The introduction of relaxed rules for vaccinated Britons could mean breaks to amber list countries would be permitted as the summer holiday season begins.

It could also encourage more people to get vaccinated and would serve as a boost for the troubled travel industry, which has struggled to operate under the restrictions and their changing nature.

Demand for travel collapsed in March last year when the UK went into its first lockdown and has yet to recover.

The news comes as the UK reported 9,055 new COVID cases on Wednesday, the highest daily total since February.

There were also a further nine coronavirus-related deaths in the latest 24-hour period, according to the latest government data.

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2021-06-16 22:21:44Z
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