In this issue

November 24, 2021

Ministers must take Covid more seriously, say advisers

Ministers in England have “lost the message” over Covid-19, scientific advisers and leading experts have warned – on the same day that the devolved nations strengthened their own strategies against the virus.

4 mins

Johnson not unwell, insists No 10 after muddled speech

Downing Street has insisted Boris Johnson is well, after his stumbling delivery of a speech to the CBI prompted questions over whether he was suffering from the effects of stress or ill health.

2 mins

UK could face ‘challenge' in supply of Christmas gifts

Britain could face “challenges” over the availability of presents this Christmas as a result of disruption to global supply chains, Downing Street has admitted.

1 min

Will there be a new UK lockdown for Christmas?

With Austria and the Netherlands reintroducing lockdowns in response to spiking coronavirus cases in western Europe, many in the UK will be glancing anxiously across the English Channel, fearing social restrictions could soon be reintroduced in Britain.

4 mins

Stamp duty holiday prices boom hits first-time buyers

The stamp duty holiday introduced because of Covid cost the Treasury £6.4bn and mainly helped rich house-buyers in the south of England, analysts say.

2 mins

NHS scheme to cut down on overnight admissions hit by staff and bed shortages

A flagship NHS scheme to reduce pressure on hospitals has “stalled” due to a lack of beds and staff shortages, The Independent can reveal.

3 mins

Councils will have to accept lone child asylum seekers

Councils across the UK will be forced to take child asylum seekers who have arrived in the country without parents or guardians in new plans announced yesterday by Priti Patel’s Home Office.

3 mins

Gove criticised for £1.65bn funding cut for the north

Business groups and local councils are protesting over a hidden £1.65bn post-Brexit cut to development funding in the north, in a fresh blow to Boris Johnson’s claims that he is “levelling up” the country

3 mins

Pope hails ‘devoted' MP as politicians attend Requiem Mass for Sir David Amess

The Pope praised Sir David Amess’s “devoted years of service” in a message read out at a Westminster Cathedral service for the Conservative MP who was stabbed to death in a terror attack in October.

3 mins

Life sentences for killers of emergency services workers

Mandatory life sentences will be introduced for offenders who cause the death of emergency services workers while committing a crime, the government has announced.

2 mins

Couple killed at home while their children slept upstairs

A married couple are believed to have been stabbed to death while their children slept upstairs at their home in Somerset.

1 min

Two arrested as body found in hunt for missing woman

Two men have been arrested after the body of a woman was found in the search for missing Plymouth teenager Bobbi-Anne McLeod.

1 min

Royals criticise BBC for ‘overblown and unfounded claims' in documentary

The royal family has issued a rare joint statement accusing the BBC of giving credibility to “overblown and unfounded claims” in a documentary that aired on Monday night.

3 mins

BBC release Christmas TV schedule with A-list line-up

The BBC has unveiled its Christmas TV line-up for the 2021 festive season.

2 mins

Home Office has repeated Windrush errors, MPs say

The Home Office should be stripped of responsibility for compensating victims of the Windrush scandal, MPs on an influential parliamentary committee have said.

2 mins

China claims concerns over tennis player ‘politicised'

China has claimed that fears and concerns over Peng Shuai are being “maliciously hyped up” and “politicised,” amid global concerns over the wellbeing of the tennis star, who recently accused a senior Chinese leader of sexual abuse.

2 mins

Child sixth person to die in Wisconsin parade attack

The death toll from the Wisconsin parade crash rose yesterday after the death of a child from injuries following Sunday’s attack.

3 mins

Meredith Kercher's killer released early from prison

The man convicted of the 2007 murder of British student Meredith Kercher has been released early from prison.

1 min

The press is making it harder for women to come forward

Last Monday, Conservative MP Caroline Nokes told Sky News that Stanley Johnson, the prime minister’s father, had once smacked her “on the backside about as hard as he could” at an event.

3 mins

It's not a health and care bill, more a corporate takeover

The pandemic has shown how interconnected and interdependent public health and economic health are.

3 mins

Read all stories from The Independent

The Independent Newspaper Description:

The Independent has been at the frontline of journalism since 1986, with its mission to challenge and debate always ahead of its time. The Independent is free-thinking and free of bias in an increasingly fragmented world where communities locally, regionally and across continents are disenfranchised with traditional establishments. They want real facts and frank opinions delivered first-hand from a news source that is ready to stand for something, not everything.