Crunch decisions will be made in the coming months about how we repair our country's finances ravaged by Covid. 

£400+ billion of Treasury support has to be paid for somehow - including from our pay packets.

More tough choices lie ahead.

✍️ @TheSun👇

thesun.co.uk/news/16113990/… The first tough choices were made this week.

Taking difficult decisions on tax to fix vital public services is one thing, but we need to see the plans to go alongside the money.

Eg there’s *still* no published plan for fixing social care, with action put off till 2023.

The Commons will tomorrow be asked to vote on ‘draft Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) (Amendment) (Coronavirus) Regulations 2021’

Sounds fairly innocuous, no?

These are actually the Regulations to bring in compulsory vaccination - not just for care staff… …but based on preliminary intentions I am aware of in @DHSCgovuk, this will also mandate vaccination for those eg carrying out deliveries/servicing the boilers at such care homes…

Now, I’m sympathetic to ensuring frontline care workers protect their vulnerable patients, but…

The Covid Recovery Group was set up to ask Govt the right questions at the right time, with Labour largely AWOL on Covid matters.

I had hoped by this point, our work would be done. However, I fear this isn’t the end of the road. Here’s why👇

✍️ @ConHome

conservativehome.com/platform/2021/… If you manage to avoid a ping by the NHS Covid app, or legally instructed by Test & Trace to self-isolate, enjoy a summer that’s as close to normal as can be.

However, it’s only a number of weeks until the autumn arrives and the inevitable, seasonal, rise in respiratory diseases

With the Labour benches empty, it’s up to MPs on my side of the House to hold Govt to account.

Here’s why I will be voting against the renewal of Covid restrictions, including information that leads us to conclude it’s unlikely 19 July will see restrictions end 👇 The explanatory memo accompanying these regulations - approved by @dhscgovuk - shows that the 1st dose vaccinations Govt wants to get done ASAP won’t take place until August, so people not protected until 2/3 weeks after that.

That implies a further delay way beyond 19 July 👇

We have a rapid rollout of effective vaccines and are heading into summer. If, even at this point, the Govt won’t release restrictions, this points to restrictions in the autumn and winter, when respiratory diseases increase and the NHS is always under more pressure…1/8 …Indeed, that’s what one unnamed Minister fears might happen on the cover of today’s Sunday Telegraph.

This would be devastating for business confidence, people’s livelihoods and wellbeing..2/8

🗳 With his personal authority enhanced, the PM faces a choice

📊The very positive data means social distancing can be safely scrapped

☀️The PM must unleash his optimistic ray of sunshine that we backed to victory in 2019

✍️ @Telegraph | #Road2Recovery

telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/05/1… 🤔The limit on funeral attendees has been lifted over a month earlier than planned. Why stop there?

👉 Social distancing should be completely scrapped from 21 June so businesses can plan to fully reopen & ensure that we are truly on the “one way road to freedom” the PM promised

👉 The PM promised the roadmap would be “reclaiming our freedoms” by 21 June

🤔 So, why are MPs likely to be asked this week to retain most temporary provisions of the Coronavirus Act until October❓1/4

#Road2Recovery | ⁦⁦@Telegraph⁩ telegraph.co.uk/news/2021/03/2… 🚨Extending powers to October raises justifiable concerns that restrictions will be reintroduced in the Autumn

👉 The burden is on Govt to clearly justify to Parliament each measure they wish to retain & explain why they are proportionate, reasonable & grounded in evidence 2/4

⚠️ The goalposts are being moved again

💉 The benefits from our world-leading vaccine rollout risk being squandered. How so, you may ask?

📊 The data and scientific and medical advice say one dose gives vast majority of protection. The Govt used to agree...until today 👇 (1/4) 💉 The UK’s four Chief Medical Officers say first dose brings ‘substantial protection’ (link below)

🤔 Changing the goalposts (by requiring most people to have second dose before bulk of restrictions are lifted) casts unwarranted doubts on efficacy (2/4)

cas.mhra.gov.uk/ViewandAcknowl…

❗️Key decisions determining the pace of the Govt’s roadmap were based on SPI-M-O modelling

⚠️ Some serious questions arise from the assumptions on which the modelling is based

Thread 👇

(1/6) Vaccine rollout speed 👇

Assumption = our vaccine rollout speed dropping to 2m a week

Reality (so far) = much better

See more here:

https://twitter.com/jburnmurdoch/status/1361959977116700675?s=12

(2/6)

💬 The start of the Oxford/AstraZeneca rollout is excellent news and will provide reassurance to so many. AZ’s chief executive has said they can produce up to 2 million doses a week. 1/6 💬 .@MattHancock told me last week that the NHS is capable of delivering the vaccines at this pace. This must become the central, overriding focus of government and I would encourage ministers to publish daily reports of progress. 2/6

The latest Coronavirus Regulations on self-isolation, which were signed off by a Minister at 5pm on Sunday and came into force only 7 hours later, contain some very serious powers that were not in the statements made to Parliament last week 👇(1/6) It creates a new criminal offence for employers who knowingly allow their employees to go to work when they’ve been told to self-isolate, with liability falling on both the company and its officers. (2/6)

Last week, a major change in the rules affecting every family in the country came into force, the so-called ‘rule of six’ – here are my thoughts for @timesredbox on why there needs to be more transparency and scrutiny. (1/4)

https://twitter.com/timesredbox/status/1308676533884792833

There’s no realistic way of enforcing these sorts of rules if the public lose trust and confidence in the Government’s messaging. (2/4)

The last week has shown us that COVID-19 has not gone away – some considered thoughts for @ConHome on why the future of office life is already here (1/5) conservativehome.com/platform/2020/… We are going to be living with the virus for some time – we need to be able to get on with our lives while also keeping COVID-19 under control (2/5) conservativehome.com/platform/2020/…

💬@BorisJohnson is right to focus on this - with almost 2 out of 3 adults in England either overweight or obese we’re stacking up avoidable serious health problems.

Personal responsibility is important - but with a publicly funded NHS, obesity costs us over £6bn a year 1/8

https://twitter.com/BorisJohnson/status/1287649130655997959

Losing weight means eating fewer calories and burning more through ⬆️ activity.

Simple to say ➡️ more difficult to do

Good to give people more tools to help 2/8

We cannot continue with the current lockdown restrictions while waiting for a vaccine - there may never be one. That’s why we need a recovery plan. Some observations for @ConHome 👇 conservativehome.com/platform/2020/… It will be a long process for the UK to return to its pre-coronavirus state - better to think in terms of a ‘recovery plan’ than an ‘exit strategy’ 👇 conservativehome.com/platform/2020/…

This morning, I am hosting a debate in Parliament about migration and the effect on
the economy parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/0a… Migration can be good for Britain if it makes us all richer – not just
those that have come here to work

#VotesAt16 relies on flawed logic that 16 year olds have equal rights as adults in a range of policy areas – this is simply untrue Without parental consent, 16 year olds are unable to join the army and in England and Wales they cannot get married

This morning, I am hosting a debate in Parliament about balancing the public finances, a very important argument for the country You can watch it live on Parliament TV: parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/9b…