Boris Johnson news: Prime Minister faces calls to QUIT as Tory chairman 'disgusted' by No10 Covid lockdown party scandal

The PM has been warned that he is in for the fight of his life as top Tories held emergency talks over when to bring his days in office to a swift end.

A Cabinet source said: “Boris is toast and deep down he knows that. He’s not stupid. He’ll be thinking long and hard about his way out now.

“He may reach the conclusion it is better to get out with a bit of dignity in his own time. Even if he wins a confidence vote, he’ll know that’s a step along the road towards the exit door.”

Meanwhile, from Monday, isolation rules are changing and are going down to five full days. But the confusing detail of the new rules means anyone isolating will actually have to do so for six, not five, days.

From Monday, under-18's can start booking their Covid booster jabs online.

Top-up doses will initially be available to 40,000 16 and 17-year-olds — as PM Boris Johnson prepares to drop Covid Plan B rules.

Read our covid live blog below for the latest news and updates…

  • Joseph Gamp

    New rules from TODAY

    RULES FOR PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS

    Isolation starts from the day of your first symptoms.

    You must remain in isolation for five full days, and can leave after negative lateral flows on days five and six.

    So, if you noticed symptoms on Monday morning, which counts as day zero – regardless of when you then tested positive – you can take your first lateral flow test on Saturday (day five). It means you could be free from isolation on Sunday morning after a second negative lateral flow test.

    But if you continue to test positive, you must still remain in isolation until you have a negative test.

    RULES FOR PEOPLE WITH NO SYMPTOMS

    Isolation starts from the day of your first positive lateral flow test.

    You must remain in isolation for five full days, and can leave after negative lateral flows on days five and six.

    For example, if you test positive on Monday morning at 11am, which counts as day zero, you must wait until Saturday (day five) to do your first test and see if you are negative. It means you could be free from isolation on Sunday morning after a second negative lateral flow test.

    But if you continue to test positive, you must still remain in isolation until you have a negative test

  • Milica Cosic

    Here’s the ways Covid affects your BRAIN

    According to Professor James Goodwin, one in five Covid patients could suffer with cerebral vascular events.

    He explained in the Telegraph this is because infections send our immune system into overdrive, and in some people who have a huge viral load, it can cause an uncontrolled response.

    This is the release of a large amount of inflammatory molecules – known as a cytokine storm – to the infected area.

    It mainly affects the lungs, and can spark acute respiratory distress syndrome, failure and sometimes death.

    But it's not only the lungs that are hit by an immune system in overdrive – other organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys can be damaged due to low oxygen, inflammation and blood clotting.

    The brain can also be hit by this too, and become injured in the body's attempt to fight back against the virus.

    7 neurological events caused by Covid:

    • Headaches
    • Brain fog
    • Delirium
    • Strokes
    • Blood clots
    • Loss of smell
    • Hallucinations

    What is changing from Monday?

    From Monday isolation rules are changing, going down to five full days.

    But a confusing detail in the new rules means anyone isolating will actually have to do so for six, not five, days.

    This is because the first full day of isolation is NOT the day you test positive or noticed symptoms – although you must still isolate following either of these events.

    That day is now known as "day zero", with the next day counting as day one, the UK Health Security Agency confirmed.

    Covid patients must then test negative on lateral flow tests on day five and six in order to be released from isolation.

    • Joseph Gamp

      What are the Plan B Covid restrictions?

      Boris Johnson is said to be preparing to review rules on compulsory masks, working from home and Covid passes.

      It's reported the government expects work-from-home guidance and Covid passes for nightclubs to be scrapped on January 26.

      But the legal requirement to wear masks in shops and public transport could be extended.

    • Joseph Gamp

      What is Covid Plan B in the UK?

      Plan B has seen the return of measures seen in the UK's various lockdowns.

      This includes making face coverings for most indoor venues, such as shops and cinema's, and vaccine passports will be mandatory in nightclubs and large-capacity venues.

      The UK has also been advised of returning to working from home where possible, and generally urging the public to behave more cautiously.

      Vaccine passports have also been extended to also include a negative lateral flow as sufficient proof of entry.

      Boris Johnson announced new Plan B measures on December 8, 2021, and they came into effect on Wednesday, December 15 after passing a parliament vote.

      He said the key response to Omicron was to buy time – which can be done by tightening restrictions at the border.

    • Joseph Gamp

      Tory MPs divided over Boris Johnson's future

      Divisions in the Conservative Party over the "partygate" scandal and Boris Johnson's future as leader are bursting into the open, with some taking up the cudgels for the Prime Minister and others claiming his position is now untenable.

      A fully fledged Tory Party civil war seems to have erupted, as anger over a series of leaks about alleged lockdown parties in Number 10 are engulfing Mr Johnson's premiership.

      Six Conservative MPs have called for the Prime Minister to quit so far, arguing that a change of senior officials would not reverse the "terminal damage" done to Mr Johnson by the allegations.

      Former children's minister Tim Loughton, in a post published on Facebook on Saturday, said: "It is not down to a simple Government policy change or a sacking of ministers or officials to put things right.

      "In this case all roads lead back to Downing Street and the person whose name is on the front door."

      Senior Tory Tobias Ellwood said the Prime Minister must "lead or step aside", telling the BBC: "We need leadership."

    • Joseph Gamp

      Booster jabs available to under-18s from Monday

      UNDER-18s can start booking their Covid booster jabs online from Monday.

      Top-up doses will initially be available to 40,000 16 and 17-year-olds — as PM Boris Johnson prepares to drop Covid Plan B rules.

      Invites will be sent out to encourage a big take-up, with the group able to book via an online system or simply have one at their nearest walk-in centre.

      Read more here.

    • Joseph Gamp

      UK daily Covid cases – Infections plunge to lowest for a MONTH as 70,924 Brits test positive

      A FURTHER 70,924 Covid cases were reported in the UK today – the lowest daily total in more than a month.

      The last time infections dropped below 70,000 was on December 14 when 59,610 positive tests were recorded.

      Another 88 people sadly lost their lives to the virus in the latest 24-hour period, bringing the UK's Covid death toll to 151,987.

      The number of infections since the pandemic began now stands at 15,217,280.

      It is the third day in a row that the number of people testing positive has fallen below 100,000 in a promising sign the country is moving past the Omicron peak.

    • Joseph Gamp

      Tory Chairman: signs are encouraging for lifting Covid rules in England

      The "signs are encouraging" for lifting Covid restrictions in England at the end of the month, a Cabinet minister has said.

      Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden made the comment as the Prime Minister prepares to review the Plan B rules on mandatory mask-wearing, working from home and Covid passes on January 26.

      Mr Dowden told Sky News' Trevor Phillips On Sunday programme: "It has always been my hope that we would have the Plan B restrictions for the shortest period possible.

      "I'm under no doubt the kind of burdens this puts hospitality, wider business, schools and so on under, and I want us to get rid of those if we possibly can.

      "The signs are encouraging but, clearly, we will wait to see the data ahead of that final decision."

    • Joseph Gamp

      Covid tests to be SCRAPPED for fully vaccinated Brits

      COVID tests for fully-vaccinated Brits returning to the UK are set to be scrapped in a major boost for half-term holidays.

      The move would allow families a stress-free getaway come February 18 when most schools break up for a week, with no need to fork out for the at-home kits or visit test centres.

      A source close to the Cabinet minister told The Times: “We are looking at removing all Covid tests for vaccinated travellers by the end of January, which is likely to coincide with the review of the Plan B measures on January 26.”

      Boris Johnson is expected to remove many curbs on our daily lives amid growing confidence the UK can ride out the Omicron wave.

    • Joseph Gamp

      Things ‘looking more positive’

      Several Covid measures have already been thrown out amid the optimism, including self-isolation for positive cases being slashed to just five days for the fully jabbed.

      And it seems the UK is “on the other side” of the Omicron peak with “hospitalisations, deaths and general severity looking more positive”, according to epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector.

      A string of hugely positive studies show Omicron is milder than other strains in the vaccinated, with the first official UK report revealing the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.

      Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.

      The Sun’s Jabs Army campaign is helping get the vital extra vaccines in Brits’ arms to ward off the need for any new restrictions.

    • Joseph Gamp

      Things ‘looking more positive’, says expert

      Several Covid measures have already been thrown out amid the optimism, including self-isolation for positive cases being slashed to just five days for the fully jabbed.

      And it seems the UK is “on the other side” of the Omicron peak with “hospitalisations, deaths and general severity looking more positive”, according to epidemiologist Professor Tim Spector.

      A string of hugely positive studies show Omicron is milder than other strains in the vaccinated, with the first official UK report revealing the risk of hospitalisation is 50 to 70 per cent lower than with Delta.

      Covid booster jabs protect against Omicron and offer the best chance to get through the pandemic, health officials have repeatedly said.

      The Sun’s Jabs Army campaign is helping get the vital extra vaccines in Brits’ arms to ward off the need for any new restrictions.

    • Milica Cosic

      Analyst claims China’s virus death toll could actually be 17,000% higher

      It’s feared the country’s true Covid fatality figure is around the 1.7million mark opposed to the 4,636 reported by Chinese authorities – despite having the world’s strictest lockdown.

      George Calhoun, director of the quantitative finance programme at Stevens Institute of Technology, has alleged the regime has likely recorded fewer deaths in a systematic data suppression in a bid to keep its political image untarnished.

      The expert, who has studied data generated by a model developed by The Economist, claimed to The Epoch Times that China’s official figures are “statistically impossible”.

      Since April 2020, when the majority of fatalities were reported in Wuhan, just two deaths have been officially recorded by authorities in Beijing – ranking China as having the fewest Covid related deaths in the world.

      “That’s impossible. It’s medically impossible, it’s statistically impossible,” Mr Calhoun told the outlet.

      “Remember, in 2020, there was no vaccine, there was no treatment. So you had an unprotected population that has shown zero Covid deaths, even though they’ve had tens of thousands of cases.”

    • Milica Cosic

      Boris Johnson risks losing Tory voters

      A whopping 85 per cent of Brits who backed the PM in 2019 say ditching the 5 per cent levy would be a vital saving when heating costs rocket in April.

      Despite a crescendo of calls Mr Johnson is refusing to axe the tax, branding it a “blunt instrument” and instead opting for targeted support cash.

      But the Yonder poll for the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) finds his support base wants him to do the exact opposite.

      Some 62 per cent of Tory voters want him to scrap the VAT, while just 26 per cent prefer the targeted approach.

      The RSA’s Alan Lockey said: “By not going with this hugely popular policy, Boris could see his 2019 majority melt away.”

      Labour also eye the cost of living crisis as a key battleground as they plan an assault to recapture the Red Wall next time.

    • Milica Cosic

      How the new isolation system will work

      From Monday isolation rules are changing, going down to five full days.

      But the confusing detail of the new rules means anyone isolating will actually have to do so for six, not five, days.

      An example timeline is as follows:

      Monday = Day 0 (when you develop symptoms or get a positive test)

      Tuesday = Day 1

      Wednesday = Day 2

      Thursday = Day 3 

      Friday = Day 4  

      Saturday = Day 5 – first lateral flow test

      Sunday = Day 6 – second lateral flow test and if both are negative you can leave isolation

    • Milica Cosic

      Restrictions worth it, Welsh minister says

      According to the economy minister in Wales, the restrictions introduced there to deal with the Omicron coronavirus variant "have been worth it".

      Vaughan Gething said "more people would have come to harm" without the Welsh government's restrictions.

      Covid rules were eased in Wales on Saturday as the limit on outdoor gatherings was lifted from 50 to 500 people.

    • Milica Cosic

      Labour says PM should be 'thanking' them

      Wes Streeting, the party's health spokesman, announced that its approach changing 'as the threat has changed'. 

      In an article for The Mail on Sunday, he wrote: "We know that the coronavirus is here to stay but, as Labour's Shadow Health Secretary, I don't want to see our country in lockdown ever again."

      He added: "Learning to live well with Covid will prepare us to get through the next wave of infections without more restrictions on our lives, livelihoods and liberties."

      Party sources have also made it clear last night that the policy switch would not stop Labour voting for restrictions made necessary by new virus variants.

      Wes continued to say that: "Without Labour, sensible Plan B measures wouldn't have happened and we wouldn't be enjoying the new year without the threat of new restrictions."

      He added that Mr Johnson "should be thanking us".

    • Milica Cosic

      Labour’s 10-point plan for living with Covid-19 (Continued…)

      Labour’s 10 point plan for living with Covid:

      • Retain volunteer responders to assist with vaccination (next winter)
      • Prioritise testing and make it fit for the future
      • Fix sick pay
      • Playing our part in vaccinating the world
      • Prioritise children’s learning
      • Launch exercises to learn lessons
      • Publish a “road map” for future decision-making
      • Transform the “front door” of the NHS and use Covid’s legacy to build resilience and bring waiting lists down
      • Transform social care
      • Turbo-charge research and innovation

      Labour's 10-point plan for living with Covid-19

      Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said the proposals were a way of learning to “live well” with coronavirus as it continues to adapt.

      Mr Streeting said: “We’re not out of the woods with Covid-19.

      “The virus will change and adapt and we need to learn to live well with it.

      “For the Government, living with Covid is just an empty slogan with no plan.

      “For some of the fanatics on the Conservative backbenches, living with Covid means letting the virus rip. Both positions are highly irresponsible."

      'PM needs to urgently re-establish trust of the people'

      This is a comment piece.

      We report today that around 35 Tory MPs have submitted no confidence letters in the PM to the backbench 1922 Committee.

      That was before they returned to their constituencies this weekend to face the full ire of furious voters.

      Another 20 or so letters will trigger a disastrous leadership contest that could seal his fate.

      Exasperatingly for supporters, his issues are largely self-inflicted. Being leader is about tough decisions — and Boris has taken many as PM, including his gamble over our successful vaccine roll-out.

      But his response to the slew of allegations over partygate has seen him stagger from denial to partial apology, without ever taking the action needed to bring this sorry scandal to close.

      Now Boris is pinning his hopes on the Partygate inquiry by civil servant Sue Gray. Even if he is cleared of serious rule-breaking, Boris’s famed ability to wriggle out of scrapes will be tested to the limit.

      The PM urgently needs to re-establish the trust of the British people if he is to survive.

      Read more here.

      Boris Johnson set to rake it in when he leaves No10

      THIRD parties are already making inquiries into hiring Boris Johnson for after-dinner speeches when he’s no longer Prime Minister.

      He could command five-figure sums for the celeb-style appearances when his life after No10 begins.

      Top agents have warned his “bookability” will slump fast if further revelations about boozy lockdown parties emerge in the meantime.

      One said: “His stock is pretty high but would fall fast if the damaging revelations continued for several months.

      "If he’s thinking of going, it would be financially more prudent to go sooner rather than later.”

      Mr Johnson earned £160,000 for two speeches made between quitting Theresa May’s Cabinet in 2019 and succeeding her as PM in 2020.

      • Milica Cosic

        'My breast milk went GREEN after I got covid'

        Mum-of-two, Ashmiry, has shared a picture of two pouches of breast milk before and after contracting the virus.

        The white one on the left was expressed before her daughter tested positive for COVID-19, and the second green-tinged milk was after her family got ill with the virus.

        Ashmiry was stunned to see the colour of her milk change, but excited because she believed the changes were her body making extra nutrients to nourish her daughter.

        She said: “I really wanted to share this photo of my breast milk.

        “It actually let me know something was going on in my body and my babies. 

        “How amazing is breast milk, it’s magical and I’m so thankful to be able to produce it especially now!

        “The colour change indicates that my body is making exactly what Rubi needs! 

        “Antibodies, extra fatty and just pure goodness.”

      • Milica Cosic

        Here’s the ways Covid affects your BRAIN

        According to Professor James Goodwin, one in five Covid patients could suffer with cerebral vascular events.

        He explained in the Telegraph this is because infections send our immune system into overdrive, and in some people who have a huge viral load, it can cause an uncontrolled response.

        This is the release of a large amount of inflammatory molecules – known as a cytokine storm – to the infected area.

        It mainly affects the lungs, and can spark acute respiratory distress syndrome, failure and sometimes death.

        But it's not only the lungs that are hit by an immune system in overdrive – other organs such as the heart, liver and kidneys can be damaged due to low oxygen, inflammation and blood clotting.

        The brain can also be hit by this too, and become injured in the body's attempt to fight back against the virus.

        7 neurological events caused by Covid:

        • Headaches
        • Brain fog
        • Delirium
        • Strokes
        • Blood clots
        • Loss of smell
        • Hallucinations

        Explained: The new rules from Monday (Continued…)

        RULES FOR PEOPLE WITH NO SYMPTOMS:

        Isolation starts from the day of your first positive lateral flow test.

        You must remain in isolation for five full days, and can leave after negative lateral flows on days five and six.

        For example, if you test positive on Monday morning at 11am, which counts as day zero, you must wait until Saturday (day five) to do your first test and see if you are negative. It means you could be free from isolation on Sunday morning after a second negative lateral flow test.

        But if you continue to test positive, you must still remain in isolation until you have a negative test.

        Explained: The new rules from Monday

        RULES FOR PEOPLE WITH SYMPTOMS:

        Isolation starts from the day of your first symptoms.

        You must remain in isolation for five full days, and can leave after negative lateral flows on days five and six.

        So, if you noticed symptoms on Monday morning, which counts as day zero – regardless of when you then tested positive – you can take your first lateral flow test on Saturday (day five). It means you could be free from isolation on Sunday morning after a second negative lateral flow test.

        But if you continue to test positive, you must still remain in isolation until you have a negative test.

          Source: Read Full Article

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