Hard times are here says Sunak as UK plunged into record recession
12 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Hard times are here says Sunak as UK plunged into record recession
‘Hundreds of thousands of people have already lost their jobs, and sadly in the coming months many more will,’ says chancellor
No. 10 ‘orders rapid review’ of evidence on coronavirus school transmissions ahead of September return
11 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
No. 10 ‘orders rapid review’ of evidence on coronavirus school transmissions ahead of September return
Review comes as PM says 'education is the priority for the country, and that is simple social justice'
Where Dominic Cummings is right, and more: seven things we learned in Mark Sedwill’s CSW exit interview
10 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Where Dominic Cummings is right, and more: seven things we learned in Mark Sedwill’s CSW exit interview
Sir Mark Sedwill will soon leave the civil service’s top jobs – cabinet secretary, head of the civil service and national security adviser. He has reflected on his time at the top of government with CSW, and here is some of what we found out
Labour demands ‘rapid reform’ of coronavirus contact tracing system with call to cut outsourcing funding
10 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Labour demands ‘rapid reform’ of coronavirus contact tracing system with call to cut outsourcing funding
Government insists NHS Test and Trace is working alongside local action to tackle outbreaks
Public confidence in government’s handling of coronavirus hit by ‘Dominic Cummings effect’ – study
07 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Public confidence in government’s handling of coronavirus hit by ‘Dominic Cummings effect’ – study
Confidence has not recovered since revelations in May, according to report
NAO to probe government’s PPE procurement amid concern £150m spent on 'unusable' masks
07 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
NAO to probe government’s PPE procurement amid concern £150m spent on 'unusable' masks
Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove says officials ‘balanced the urgent need for PPE with the requirement to obtain value for money’
Bank of England predicts UK unemployment will soar after furlough scheme ends
06 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Bank of England predicts UK unemployment will soar after furlough scheme ends
Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme “very significantly mitigated“ joblessness, Bank says
Department for Health and Social Care seeks next data watchdog
06 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Department for Health and Social Care seeks next data watchdog
National data guardian must be able to “relate to and influence" members of the public and government
Civil service Covid-19 safety measures revealed as 'low' number of officials return to offices
05 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Civil service Covid-19 safety measures revealed as 'low' number of officials return to offices
Virtual meetings, desk booking and one-way systems among measures to ensure staff “work as safely as possible, whether remotely or in the workplace”
Coronavirus: Failure to toughen border measures made pandemic 'much worse', MPs say
05 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Coronavirus: Failure to toughen border measures made pandemic 'much worse', MPs say
Committee told up to 10,000 people with Covid-19 entered or returned to the country in March
Coronavirus: No.10 ‘drops plan to shield over-50s’ amid cabinet backlash
04 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Coronavirus: No.10 ‘drops plan to shield over-50s’ amid cabinet backlash
One minister said the government risked “mixed messaging” when it was trying to convince workers to return to the office
Coronavirus: Officials developing new shielding plan to avoid second national lockdown
03 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Coronavirus: Officials developing new shielding plan to avoid second national lockdown
Plans being developed by officials amid concerns of a second wave of Covid-19
Spending Review ‘must prioritise resilience’ after report finds public services were not fit for Covid crisis
03 Aug 2020 Coronavirus
Spending Review ‘must prioritise resilience’ after report finds public services were not fit for Covid crisis
Analysis by IfG and CIPFA also calls on government to plan for more outbreaks
Government comms criticised as new northern lockdown rules brought in at short notice
31 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
Government comms criticised as new northern lockdown rules brought in at short notice
Matt Hancock says data from the test and trace system shows case number increase is a result of households meeting each other
Covid-19 exposed 'decades of underfunding' and neglect of social-care sector, report finds
30 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
Covid-19 exposed 'decades of underfunding' and neglect of social-care sector, report finds
Social care sector entered pandemic "underfunded, understaffed and at risk of collapse"
'New radicals': Barclay reveals what Treasury will get and give in Spending Review
29 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
'New radicals': Barclay reveals what Treasury will get and give in Spending Review
Chief secretary reveals a civil servant found £1.3bn in savings as he sets out plans for better use of data
Boost free school meals to avert ‘slow-motion disaster’ of hunger and malnutrition, ministers urged
29 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
Boost free school meals to avert ‘slow-motion disaster’ of hunger and malnutrition, ministers urged
Coronavirus pandemic likely to leave a “miserable” legacy of rising unemployment, poverty and hunger, National Food Strategy says
Government threw care homes ‘to the wolves’ amid coronavirus pandemic, MPs say
29 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
Government threw care homes ‘to the wolves’ amid coronavirus pandemic, MPs say
DHSC “does not know" how many of the 25,000 patients discharged to care homes between 17 March and 15 April had Covid-19
Coronavirus: Foreign Office ‘too slow‘ to repatriate Brits stranded abroad when pandemic hit
28 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
Coronavirus: Foreign Office ‘too slow‘ to repatriate Brits stranded abroad when pandemic hit
MPs praise staff for work in “challenging conditions" of Covid-19
Government didn't understand coronavirus in the ‘first few weeks and months’ of pandemic, says PM
27 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
Government didn't understand coronavirus in the ‘first few weeks and months’ of pandemic, says PM
Boris Johnson says he will ‘double down’ on his election-winning pledges as country emerges from Covid-19
Push for civil servants to return to workplaces 'unacceptable', union says
27 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
Push for civil servants to return to workplaces 'unacceptable', union says
PCS tells officials who are instructed to get back to offices: "don’t just accept that’s what you have to do”
Senior civil servants to get 2% wage rise as public sector pay deals unveiled
21 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
Senior civil servants to get 2% wage rise as public sector pay deals unveiled
Government also confirms delegated grades will allow departments to make awards within 1.5%-2.5% range
Chief nurse confirms she was dropped from No.10 briefing at height of Cummings row
20 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
Chief nurse confirms she was dropped from No.10 briefing at height of Cummings row
Ruth May says "you would have to ask other people" why she was dropped, but confirms "the rules were clear"
At a glance: All the latest lockdown changes announced by Boris Johnson — including back-to-work rules, council powers and the return of theatre
20 Jul 2020 Coronavirus
At a glance: All the latest lockdown changes announced by Boris Johnson — including back-to-work rules, council powers and the return of theatre
On Friday morning, the prime minister held a press conference to announce the next batch of changes to coronavirus lockdown rules under the government’s “road map”. Here’s what‘s been promised.