Ministers play down prospect of coronavirus testing at airports

Holidaymakers in Portugal face chaos after infections pass UK’s threshold for imposing quarantine again – as ministers play down prospect of coronavirus testing at airports saying it would miss too many cases George Eustice suggested routine testing at airports would miss too many cases Fears fuelled after passengers on plane from Zante last week told … Read more

George Eustice: No target set for civil servants’ return to office

Another minister misses the WFH memo! Environment Secretary George Eustice reveals there is NO target for getting civil servants back to his Whitehall department despite ministers urging workers across the UK to ditch working from home George Eustice said there is no target for the return of civil servants to Whitehall The Environment Secretary said … Read more

Rishi Sunak races to build 100bn job creation scheme amid fears 2MILLION will lose their jobs

Rishi Sunak is racing to build a £100bn job creation scheme amid fears two million Britons will lose their jobs when the furlough scheme ends.   During the Downing St press conference the Chancellor promised to address the looming employment crisis with a scheme to create additional jobs.   Mr Sunak announced that the furlough scheme, which … Read more

Coronavirus UK: Firms must pay some furlough costs from August

Rishi Sunak tonight announced that furloughed staff will be allowed to return to work on a part-time basis from July – a month earlier than originally planned.  The Chancellor said firms will soon be able to take advantage of what he described as ‘flexible furlough’ which will enable employees to return as long as companies … Read more

Firms must pay 20 per cent of wages for furloughed staff from August

Firms must pay 20 per cent of wages for furloughed staff from August, Rishi Sunak will say today as he starts to wind down massive bailout despite fears of a wave of redundancies Rishi Sunak is announcing the details of furlough scheme changes after August  The Chancellor is set to say firms will have to … Read more

Tories rebel as Trade Secretary Liz Truss ‘plots to betray UK farmers’ for Trump deal

A deep split has opened up in the Government over a trade deal with Donald Trump, with the Cabinet Minister in charge of negotiations accused of planning to turn Britain into a ‘pariah state’ by allowing the import of cheap foods pumped with antibiotics and hormones. International Trade Secretary Liz Truss has clashed with Environment … Read more

Furloughed British workers could pick fruit and veg suggests Environment Secretary

Minister tells furloughed workers they should get fruit-picking jobs to help farmers who are struggling to fill vacancies George Eustice expects there to be a need to recruit British harvest workers  ‘A third of the migrant labour that normally comes to the UK is here,’ he says Up to 80,000 workers, mostly from Eastern Europe, … Read more

Food Secretary George Eustice insists food availability is ‘back to normal levels’

Food Secretary George Eustice insists food availability is ‘back to normal levels’ and reveals supermarkets are adding an extra 300,000 delivery slots – but admits even that will not be enough to meet coronavirus lockdown demand George Eustice revealed supermarkets are adding extra 300,000 delivery slots But the Environment Secretary said it will not be … Read more