Boris Johnson held a meeting this afternoon with Rishi Sunak, Michael Gove & Matt Hancock
They discussed new NHS data which shows hospitals are being overwhelmed
Ministers left feeling they have no choice but to implement national restrictions
PM said to be very reluctant to move to national lockdown restrictions but data has left him and other ministers feeling like there’s no choice
Jonathan Van Tam, the deputy chief medical officer, told ministers on Thursday morning that coronavirus is 'out of control'
I’m told that some projections circulating in Whitehall suggest that without significant interventions there will be a big spike in deaths around Christmas Eve
Ministers hope the national lockdown measures, expected to last just under a month, will help suppress the spread
Read The Times splash on the new national lockdown restrictions here:
* Serious failings in leadership & an inadquete process for handling complaints
* Political interference in complaints
* There were 'unlawful acts of harassment and discrimination'
* Culture which 'at worst' could be said to accept anti-Semitism
The EHRC found *23* instances of political interference by Labour staff in anti-semitism cases, including decisions over whether to investigate or suspend
'We concluded that this was indirectly discriminatory and unlawful, and that Labour was legally responsible for it'
Antisemitism by 'ordinary' labour members:
* Diminished scale of Holocaust
* Expressed support for Hitler
* Compared Israelis to Hitler
* Claimed there was a 'witch hunt' in party
* Conspiracy theories about Rothschilds & Jewish power
Boris Johnson has been directly warned by Tory MPs that an algorithm at the heart of his planning reforms risks 'destroying suburbia' and creating 'slums of the future'
PM held a video conference call with 17 Tory MPs from London on Wednesday
Rishi Sunak is considering a new online sales tax amid mounting concern about collapse of high street
Treasury believes levy on sale of goods could provide a 'sustainable and meaningful revenue source for Govt and help bricks-and-mortar retailers compete
Treasury says thatthe pandemic has 'had significant impact on how business is done' and Govt must ensure the 'tax system raises sufficient revenue to fund public services'
It highlights concerns from retailers that business rates impose an 'unreasonable burden' on high street
I'm told Govt is looking at two models:
A straightforward levy of around 2% on sales of online goods, which would raise around £2bn a year
A mandatory charge on consumer deliveries, which would form part of campaign to cut congestion and toxic emissions