The 'Covidarchs' awash with YOUR tax millions: From the pigeon controller to the yoghurt maker, they're the unlikely business people who became as rich as oligarchs on the PPE gravy train
GUY ADAMS: Dell Farm House is a Grade II-listed 17th-century pile with five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a rear wing that, according to the estate agent's particulars, 'could be easily used as a staff flat if needed'. Beyond the garden, which was 'landscaped by Chelsea RHS Gold winners' and includes terraced lawns, extensive herbaceous borders, lavender hedging and a heated 'pavilion' that seats eight, you will find 'the open countryside and woodland' of Gloucestershire and 'some of the most scenic walks in the Cotswolds'. Indoors are stone fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, an Aga (of course) along with an old well 'complete with lighting'. Altogether, a property 'full of charm with wonderful views' in a 'recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'. The lucky owner, Steve Dechan, snapped it up for around £1.5 million this summer, about the same time he spent another £250,000 on a holiday home in Cornwall, before giving £50,000 to help his elderly parents buy a place in Exeter. He also owns a £350,000 home in nearby Stroud, where he previously lived. Pictured clockwise from left: Anthony Page; Steve Dechan; Anthony Hazell; Michael Saiger and Rachael Russell; Andrew Walker; Dan England; Tim and Nichola Horlick; Hannah Halstead.
"Too Late to Cancel Christmas" is the headline in the Daily Telegraph, which says Boris Johnson is determined to go ahead with an easing of Covid rules over the festive period.
It reports that the government will issue stronger guidance, including urging people to self-isolate before joining up with other households.
The Times understands there will be an advertising campaign which will discourage unnecessary visits and recommend that people think carefully before spending time with elderly relatives.
The Guardian believes Christmas plans are still "in the balance", though, as talks between the four UK nations are unresolved. Its source at Westminster says they could diverge from their common approach.
That uncertainty is reflected by the Daily Mail. "Carry on Christmas!" cheers the headline on the main edition.
But the version on sale in Scotland asks: "Is Christmas in jeopardy?" It reports that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon could opt for tighter restrictions.
According to the Sun, both Wales and Scotland favour tougher rules, but it says Boris Johnson is "fighting to save Christmas".
The Daily Express agrees that the PM is "defying intense pressure" to scrap the relaxation.
By contrast, the Daily Mirror accuses him of "dithering" about what it calls his "festive free-for-all". "All we want for Christmas is... a decision", says the headline.
The Peter Brookes cartoon in the Times encapsulates the government's dilemma about relaxing coronavirus rules at Christmas.
The prime minister is the fairy on top of a Christmas tree which is being decorated with hazard warning tape by his scientific advisers.
In the view of the paper, current government plans will cause needless deaths and they should be swiftly revised.
A Tory source tells the Daily Telegraph's Camilla Tominey that would be "almost impossible" politically.
While allowing household mixing may push up infections, the argument goes, cancelling Christmas could drive the disgruntled public to abandon the rules altogether in the New Year.
Returning to a story it first reported on Saturday, the i says repeated computer crashes and delays are frustrating GPs involved in the NHS programme to vaccinate the population against Covid-19.
The paper says some surgeries have not been given training on the IT system involved and others are still waiting for the fridges needed to store supplies of the Pfizer jab. The NHS insists there's been a good start to primary care vaccinations.
Dido Harding's deputy in Test & Trace 'lost it' during months of chaos and was forced to seek help from psychiatrist colleague
Sarah-Jane Marsh acted as director of testing at Test & Trace until six weeks ago and said that the chaos surrounding the roll-out of the scheme made her feel she 'couldn't make decisions'
Do I have to eat my Christmas dinner outside? Can I see my mum? Families left in limbo by last-minute festive bubble changes in England, Wales and Scotland demand urgent answers... so what ARE the new rules?
Confusion has been cast over Christmas plans weeks after Britons were told Covid-19 restrictions would be relaxed to allow limited mixing over the festive period. The relaxation was thrown into jeopardy by rising infection rates and warnings that the freedoms would cause a spiralling death toll and the NHS to be overwhelmed. The laws to permit people to mix to an extent over Christmas stayed the same today, but rifts in the advice across the four nations have been appearing. Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised people to have a 'merry little Christmas', saying the three household bubble law were 'maximums, not targets to aim for'. He said the laws would remain but urged people to delay seeing elderly relatives not yet vaccinated, and that a 'smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas'. Now, Wales has said only two households - rather than three - should form a bubble, and it will have full lockdown from December 28 for at least three weeks. Scots were told by Nicola Sturgeon that meetings should be outdoors but those inside should only be for one day, and people should not stay overnight. In Northern Ireland, people were urged to take 'all and every precaution' when they come together, and further restrictions cannot be ruled out once relaxations end. Here, we look at some of the key points for each of the nations this Christmas.
I live in Hastings East Sussex's we was on level 2 but as of midnight tonight going into level 3 .. i had already made a decision was not having any family round over Christmas regardless .. it is in my opinion a bad move relaxing the rules for a few days.. people need to take responsibility if they decide to have family round .. just because Boris says you can does not mean you should .. most areas are on a upward curve so decide and take responsibility for your decision no good after blaming dodgy Boris if the worst happens... we are all intelligent enough to make our own decisions about the risks
I live in Hastings East Sussex's we was on level 2 but as of midnight tonight going into level 3 .. i had already made a decision was not having any family round over Christmas regardless .. it is in my opinion a bad move relaxing the rules for a few days.. people need to take responsibility if they decide to have family round .. just because Boris says you can does not mean you should .. most areas are on a upward curve so decide and take responsibility for your decision no good after blaming dodgy Boris if the worst happens... we are all intelligent enough to make our own decisions about the risks
I would agree that many people are capable of judging the risks for themselves. However the government have caused confusion by relaxing the rules despite the fact that nothing will have changed. When they put forward the idea that rules would be relaxed over Christmas, they suggested that a lockdown for most of January would follow, to compensate. They even had a formula, it was 5 days of lockdown for every day of relaxed rules. I dont think that they spelled out that the 5 days of relaxed rules over Christmas would definitely lead to an increase in infections. Which would definitely lead to an increase in the number of deaths. The precise number will be clear by February. If the priority was to minimise deaths, then the government would have cancelled Christmas. Boris didnt have the balls to do this as he would have pi55ed too many people off, including many in his own party. So the government have introduced a policy that will increase the death toll. I dont think it is possible to argue that not relaxing the rules would lead to less deaths. As I said earlier some people will make their own minds up, but others will just follow the government rules.
The recurring message in Sunday's papers is that "Christmas is cancelled".
"Will this nightmare ever end?" asks the Mail on Sunday.
Scotland on Sunday similarly describes the tightening of measures as the "nightmare before Christmas".
The Sun on Sunday points out that Boris Johnson is "the first British leader to ban Christmas since Oliver Cromwell in 1644".
It says "millions of Brits will be rightly furious" that their plans have been "crushed" - and warns that the prime minister will never be forgiven if the science used to support the move turns out to be "dodgy".
The Daily Star accuses the government of a "lack of clear thinking and consistency".
It fears Mr Johnson "no longer has the confidence of the voters", who are likely to ignore the new rules.
The Sunday People says his "characteristic dithering" has created a shambles.
The Sunday Mirror warns that the U-turn could cost the economy billions of pounds in lost retail sales.
One analyst predicts the market will be in even worse straits next year.
The Mail on Sunday shows Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove among shoppers who rushed to make last-minute Christmas purchases before the tier four restrictions came into effect.
A cartoon in the paper depicts an elf handing Father Christmas a long piece of paper, with the caption: "This isn't a Christmas list... it's the Covid rules for when you visit Britain."
The Sunday Times tries to make the best of things, by helpfully providing a "big lockdown TV and streaming guide" to aid its readers in getting through the festive period.
It also suggests growing numbers of people have been turning to alcohol to handle the stress of lockdown.
Figures from Public Health England, it says, show that almost one in 20 people are consuming more than 50 units a week - up from one in 30 in March. The figure is highest among parents with children under 18.
Matt Hancock is a busted flush and the public deserve a break from him, writes former Cabinet minister DAVID MELLOR
Matt Hancock (pictured left and right) reminds me of Pinocchio. Especially that bit when the wooden-headed puppet dances down the road between the Fox and the Cat. He thinks he's the **** of the walk. In fact he's a dupe. I wonder if Hancock's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance see themselves as the Fox and the Cat. They should. These merchants of doom and gloom have little Hancock in their grasp as surely as the Fox and the Cat had Pinocchio. Their every word is hailed by our Health Secretary as sacred text. To be more grown up about it, Hancock is a victim of something those in the know call 'agency capture'.
Comments
GUY ADAMS: Dell Farm House is a Grade II-listed 17th-century pile with five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a rear wing that, according to the estate agent's particulars, 'could be easily used as a staff flat if needed'. Beyond the garden, which was 'landscaped by Chelsea RHS Gold winners' and includes terraced lawns, extensive herbaceous borders, lavender hedging and a heated 'pavilion' that seats eight, you will find 'the open countryside and woodland' of Gloucestershire and 'some of the most scenic walks in the Cotswolds'. Indoors are stone fireplaces, wood-burning stoves, an Aga (of course) along with an old well 'complete with lighting'. Altogether, a property 'full of charm with wonderful views' in a 'recognised Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty'. The lucky owner, Steve Dechan, snapped it up for around £1.5 million this summer, about the same time he spent another £250,000 on a holiday home in Cornwall, before giving £50,000 to help his elderly parents buy a place in Exeter. He also owns a £350,000 home in nearby Stroud, where he previously lived. Pictured clockwise from left: Anthony Page; Steve Dechan; Anthony Hazell; Michael Saiger and Rachael Russell; Andrew Walker; Dan England; Tim and Nichola Horlick; Hannah Halstead.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
It reports that the government will issue stronger guidance, including urging people to self-isolate before joining up with other households.
The Times understands there will be an advertising campaign which will discourage unnecessary visits and recommend that people think carefully before spending time with elderly relatives.
The Guardian believes Christmas plans are still "in the balance", though, as talks between the four UK nations are unresolved. Its source at Westminster says they could diverge from their common approach.
That uncertainty is reflected by the Daily Mail. "Carry on Christmas!" cheers the headline on the main edition.
But the version on sale in Scotland asks: "Is Christmas in jeopardy?" It reports that First Minister Nicola Sturgeon could opt for tighter restrictions.
According to the Sun, both Wales and Scotland favour tougher rules, but it says Boris Johnson is "fighting to save Christmas".
The Daily Express agrees that the PM is "defying intense pressure" to scrap the relaxation.
By contrast, the Daily Mirror accuses him of "dithering" about what it calls his "festive free-for-all". "All we want for Christmas is... a decision", says the headline.
The Peter Brookes cartoon in the Times encapsulates the government's dilemma about relaxing coronavirus rules at Christmas.
The prime minister is the fairy on top of a Christmas tree which is being decorated with hazard warning tape by his scientific advisers.
In the view of the paper, current government plans will cause needless deaths and they should be swiftly revised.
A Tory source tells the Daily Telegraph's Camilla Tominey that would be "almost impossible" politically.
While allowing household mixing may push up infections, the argument goes, cancelling Christmas could drive the disgruntled public to abandon the rules altogether in the New Year.
Returning to a story it first reported on Saturday, the i says repeated computer crashes and delays are frustrating GPs involved in the NHS programme to vaccinate the population against Covid-19.
The paper says some surgeries have not been given training on the IT system involved and others are still waiting for the fridges needed to store supplies of the Pfizer jab. The NHS insists there's been a good start to primary care vaccinations.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-55327154
Sarah-Jane Marsh acted as director of testing at Test & Trace until six weeks ago and said that the chaos surrounding the roll-out of the scheme made her feel she 'couldn't make decisions'
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
Confusion has been cast over Christmas plans weeks after Britons were told Covid-19 restrictions would be relaxed to allow limited mixing over the festive period. The relaxation was thrown into jeopardy by rising infection rates and warnings that the freedoms would cause a spiralling death toll and the NHS to be overwhelmed. The laws to permit people to mix to an extent over Christmas stayed the same today, but rifts in the advice across the four nations have been appearing. Prime Minister Boris Johnson advised people to have a 'merry little Christmas', saying the three household bubble law were 'maximums, not targets to aim for'. He said the laws would remain but urged people to delay seeing elderly relatives not yet vaccinated, and that a 'smaller Christmas is going to be a safer Christmas'. Now, Wales has said only two households - rather than three - should form a bubble, and it will have full lockdown from December 28 for at least three weeks. Scots were told by Nicola Sturgeon that meetings should be outdoors but those inside should only be for one day, and people should not stay overnight. In Northern Ireland, people were urged to take 'all and every precaution' when they come together, and further restrictions cannot be ruled out once relaxations end. Here, we look at some of the key points for each of the nations this Christmas.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/index.html
However the government have caused confusion by relaxing the rules despite the fact that nothing will have changed.
When they put forward the idea that rules would be relaxed over Christmas, they suggested that a lockdown for most of January would follow, to compensate.
They even had a formula, it was 5 days of lockdown for every day of relaxed rules.
I dont think that they spelled out that the 5 days of relaxed rules over Christmas would definitely lead to an increase in infections.
Which would definitely lead to an increase in the number of deaths.
The precise number will be clear by February.
If the priority was to minimise deaths, then the government would have cancelled Christmas.
Boris didnt have the balls to do this as he would have pi55ed too many people off, including many in his own party.
So the government have introduced a policy that will increase the death toll.
I dont think it is possible to argue that not relaxing the rules would lead to less deaths.
As I said earlier some people will make their own minds up, but others will just follow the government rules.
The recurring message in Sunday's papers is that "Christmas is cancelled".
"Will this nightmare ever end?" asks the Mail on Sunday.
Scotland on Sunday similarly describes the tightening of measures as the "nightmare before Christmas".
The Sun on Sunday points out that Boris Johnson is "the first British leader to ban Christmas since Oliver Cromwell in 1644".
It says "millions of Brits will be rightly furious" that their plans have been "crushed" - and warns that the prime minister will never be forgiven if the science used to support the move turns out to be "dodgy".
The Daily Star accuses the government of a "lack of clear thinking and consistency".
It fears Mr Johnson "no longer has the confidence of the voters", who are likely to ignore the new rules.
The Sunday People says his "characteristic dithering" has created a shambles.
The Sunday Mirror warns that the U-turn could cost the economy billions of pounds in lost retail sales.
One analyst predicts the market will be in even worse straits next year.
The Mail on Sunday shows Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove among shoppers who rushed to make last-minute Christmas purchases before the tier four restrictions came into effect.
A cartoon in the paper depicts an elf handing Father Christmas a long piece of paper, with the caption: "This isn't a Christmas list... it's the Covid rules for when you visit Britain."
The Sunday Times tries to make the best of things, by helpfully providing a "big lockdown TV and streaming guide" to aid its readers in getting through the festive period.
It also suggests growing numbers of people have been turning to alcohol to handle the stress of lockdown.
Figures from Public Health England, it says, show that almost one in 20 people are consuming more than 50 units a week - up from one in 30 in March. The figure is highest among parents with children under 18.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-the-papers-55382075
Matt Hancock (pictured left and right) reminds me of Pinocchio. Especially that bit when the wooden-headed puppet dances down the road between the Fox and the Cat. He thinks he's the **** of the walk. In fact he's a dupe. I wonder if Hancock's Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty and Chief Scientific Adviser Sir Patrick Vallance see themselves as the Fox and the Cat. They should. These merchants of doom and gloom have little Hancock in their grasp as surely as the Fox and the Cat had Pinocchio. Their every word is hailed by our Health Secretary as sacred text. To be more grown up about it, Hancock is a victim of something those in the know call 'agency capture'.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9071311/Public-deserve-break-Matt-Hancock-writes-former-Cabinet-minister-DAVID-MELLOR.html