BORIS JOHNSON URGED TO SCRAP ALL TRACES OF EU LAW

The Express reports that Brexit  Britain risks remaining entangled in the EU’s tentacles unless it ruthlessly strips out all vestiges of the bloc’s rules from the UK’s legal system in favour of common law, a top City lawyer has warned. Barnabas Reynolds  has also urged parliament to appoint a panel to monitor the activities of UK regulators whom he fears will otherwise have too much power over rules governing financial services.

 

TEACHERS UNION HIJACKING PANDEMIC

From The Telegraph: Britain’s biggest teaching union was on Sunday night accused of “hijacking” the pandemic to sneak through pay demands at the expense of education. The National Education Union (NEU) is including pay rises in “key demands” and bosses have said that any reduction in class sizes should be “long-term” – not just for social distancing. Union leaders have congratulated their members for closing down schools, claiming that it was their threats to not turn up to class, as opposed to the scientific data, which led to Boris Johnson ordering that children should stay at home last month. NEU bosses described the pandemic as a “turning point” in the power of teachers over the Government, but MPs say the union is “playing politics” and “hijacking the pandemic”. NEU officials want to return to schools when it is safe, but have rejected the Government’s proposals at every turn.

 

THIRD  VACCINE BOOSTER FOR AUTUMN

The Express reports that ministers are looking into whether a third vaccine dose will be needed this year to protect people from the new coronavirus variants. Ministers and health officials are particularly concerned about the South African mutation, also known as 501.V2 or B.1.351. A recent study has revealed that the Astra Zeneca vaccine may not be able to prevent mild and moderate illnesses caused by it. Scientists think that even if the AstraZeneca vaccine prevents serious illness from the virus, it will not be able to stop its spread. Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told the BBC’s Andrew Marr on Sunday that boosters jabs in the autumn and annual vaccines could be required to counter the new viral strains.

 

NO JAB PASSPORTS HERE

The SUN reports that a top minister has scotched claims Brits will be handed vaccination passports before they travel – after it was reported the documents could be issued to holidaymakers. However, Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi risked the ire of GPs working flat-out on the jabs roll-out by suggesting those given vaccines could write to surgeries for written proof if needed for travel. “If other countries obviously require some form of proof, then you can ask your GP because your GP will hold your records and that will then be able to be used as your proof you’ve had the vaccine.” He spoke out hours after it was claimed that ministers are working on a “targeted” vaccine passport scheme that will allow vaccinated Brits to return to a ‘more normal’ life.

 

WOKE WARRIORS TRY TO CANCEL GB NEWS CHANNEL

From the Daily Mail: Andrew Neil today slammed woke warriors  for trying to cancel his new GB News channel before it even starts. The former BBC presenter laid into activists after they launched a sabotage campaign against his soon-to-be-launched TV channel. Twitter activists are urging firms not to advertise with the new station under the hashtag ‘Don’tFundGBNews’, because they fear the channel will be like America’s Fox News – a comparison bosses have rejected. And those backing the campaign, including equality campaigner Femi Oluwole, have threatened to cancel their phone contracts if companies such as EE and Vodafone pay for advertising spaces on the channel. But Mr Neil, who is the chairman of GB News, today hit out at those behind the campaign. His comments come as he described news debate in Britain as ‘increasingly woke and out of touch with the majority of its people.

 

CULTURE WARS HIGHLIGHTED

The Daily Mail reports: ministers have accused Historic England of ‘putting down’ Britain’s past after the public body linked villages, halls, churches and pubs to slavery in a sweeping 157-page report on transatlantic slavery. An audit of pre-existing work by Historic England, an arm of the Department for Culture which is given £88.5million to preserve buildings and monuments, tied rural communities to ‘money made in transatlantic slavery’. The body cited the patronage of figures including Edward Colstone, William Gladstone and Francis Drake as part of the ‘money trail’ linking buildings to the wealth generated from slavery. Its report also notes that less well-known families invested this wealth to improve infrastructure – causing villages to be included in the audit for funding for church repairs and road works in the 18th and 19th centuries. The project – which even audited chapels where slave profiteers and their relatives were buried – has been slammed by ministers who are ‘frustrated’ at the way public bodies focus on ‘divisive parts of Britain’s history rather than celebrating our shared heritage’.

 

UK IMPORTERS FACE TRADE DISASTER

From the Guardian: British firms are warning of an escalation in Brexit red tape as the government prepares to introduce a long list of new controls on imports from the EU in April and July. One logistics firm warned the situation had disaster written all over it saying businesses need time to prepare, while accountancy firm KPMG said some of the biggest headaches facing traders are yet to come. Importers fear UK customs are not ready for the new controls, and that logjams at points of entry could cause fruit and vegetable shortages in the spring.

 

LOST GENERATION OF PUPILS

The Daily Mail reports on the largest review of schoolchildren in the Covid era last night warned of the potential for a lost generation. Pupils studying for exams only to see them cancelled due to coronavirus have suffered the worst during the schools shut down, the major new report reveals. There is also a serious risk of thousands of youngsters who were not considered vulnerable prior to coronavirus becoming completely ‘lost’ to the education system. The study found girls have felt 10 per cent more anxious than boys during the pandemic period, while their wellbeing also tumbled 6 per cent more than boys. The report said schools identified a real risk of those pupils who had struggled the most during lockdown and were not always those previously identified as vulnerable.’ The study found pupils in GCSE years or studying for A-levels have suffered the most, with their significantly lower well being blamed on the chaotic cancellation of exams.

 

PRESSURE TO OPEN SCHOOLS AFTER HALF-TERM

The Mirror writes that Boris Johnson is being pressed to open schools after half term in a push to get kids back into the classroom. The Prime Minister has said schools will not be reopening before March 8, but several Tory MPs and scientists are now pressing him to reopen them earlier, on February 22. At least 18 Conservative MPs are said to have backed a campaign called ‘UsforThem’, which is calling for the reopening of schools earlier.

 

GRENFELL TOWER INQUIRY  RESUMES

The Guardian reports that the executive who sold combustible cladding for use on Grenfell Tower will face questioning for the first time this week when the public inquiry into the disaster resumes after a two month suspension caused by the rising number of Covid cases. Deborah French, then UK sales manager at Arconic, is to be asked what she knew of the danger posed by the plastic-filled panels that the first phase of the inquiry found were the main cause of the spread of the 14 June 2017 fire, which claimed 72 lives.The hearings have seen emails from an internal discussion she had about a spate of major fires involving similar panels in the United Arab Emirates in 2013, after which she told customers that her company would continue to sell both its fire-retardant and non-fire-retardant panels.

 

UNFIT TO BE FREEMAN OF DOVER

The Sunday Telegraph reports:  Former first Sea Lord Baron Boyce of Pimlico has been deemed unfit to become a Freeman of Dover. Five town councillors in the Kentish port voted for the former chief of the defence staff to be given the honour, well short of the 12 votes, or two thirds, required. Lord Boyce, who retired from the Royal Navy in 2003 with the rank of admiral, says he is not concerned. “I’m unfazed by this and wasn’t aware my name had been put forward, he insists. “I’m not freeman of any other Cinque Port. It’s up to Dover town council. I certainly didn’t expect any recognition and I’m sorry people are getting worked up on my behalf.” According to Dover council’s eligibility code, anyone can become an honorary freeman providing he or she has made an outstanding commitment to the town.

 

AND FINALLY

The Daily Mail writes: military ranks such as rifleman and guardsman could be scrapped as defence chiefs embrace gender- neutral language. The Ministry of Defence is drawing up an ‘inclusive language guide’ that could change many traditional titles and terms for the Army and Royal Navy. There is even speculation among some in the Armed Forces that the drive to modernise the services could mean personnel no longer address senior ranks as ‘sir’. The Army has several ranks that include the word man, such as guardsman, used by the Brigade of Guards, and rifleman, which dates back to the 19th Century and the war against Napoleon. Options for reform could include these ranks offering female equivalents such as guardswoman or riflewoman. A more controversial choice would be to adopt fully gender-free terms such as rifleperson.The Royal Navy, meanwhile, could overhaul masculine ranks such as seaman. The Royal Air Force has already made changes, with personnel told to adopt gender-neutral titles if asked by colleagues. Air Force commanders have drawn up a list of more ‘inclusive’ pronouns. It is said to include zie, per and hir as alternatives to he, she, him and her.

 

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