In this issue

December 06, 2021

No 10 accused of weakening UK's defence against future pandemics and new variants

Ministers’ plans to sell off the UK’s vaccine manufacturing plant would leave Britain vulnerable to emerging Covid variants, the head of the centre behind the Oxford jab has warned.

5 mins

Omicron cases surge in UK as scientist warns that travel bans will not halt its spread

Cases of the new omicron variant in the UK have risen by more than 50 per cent in one day. Yesterday, 86 cases of the new variant were recorded, bringing the UK’s total to 246.

4 mins

Raab plans low-key ‘drinks' party as omicron cases rise

Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab will not be hosting a big Christmas party for Ministry of Justice staff this year, but will instead be holding “appropriate drinks at a smaller scale” because of concerns over coronavirus.But he insisted that the public should feel free to go out and enjoy festive events this year, and said that ministers trust them to rely on their own “common sense” in deciding what precautions to take.

3 mins

Reforms could let ministers overrule judicial reviews

Boris Johnson wants to weaken the power of courts to overrule decisions by ministers through the process of judicial review, according to reports.

2 mins

PM facing backbench revolt over rape trials in the forces

Boris Johnson is facing a backbench revolt against the government’s rejection of calls for cases of rape in the armed forces to be taken out of the military courts, where defendants are far less likely to be found guilty.

5 mins

Crackdown on county lines drug gangs promised by PM

Boris Johnson will today promise to invest £300m in “wiping out” the county lines drug gangs responsible for distributing and selling illegal substances across England.

2 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.