“Liverpool is to become the first city in Britain to offer Covid testing for all in a blueprint for a nationwide mass screening programme before Christmas. From this week, everyone living and working in the city will be offered repeated tests with 2,000 armed forces personnel being deployed to set up and run new testing centres. If successful, the pilot will be extended across the country with the aim of distributing millions of 15-minute tests as Britain comes out of the latest lockdown in December. One senior figure involved in the programme said the aspiration was to offer all Britons a test in time for Christmas.” – The Times
“As for the Commons vote on Wednesday for MPs to authorise the new national restrictions, it will pass after Labour confirmed that it will back the lockdown. That, in turn, has rather taken in the wind out of the Tory rebellions which once might have had teeth but will now be symbolic. Sir Charles Walker, vice-chair of the 1922 Committee of Conservative backbenchers, told Sky News he thinks in the end that the rebellion might not pass 20 people. But do not underestimate the deep discontent in the party that is fast running out of faith in their prime minister and his Number 10 operation.” – Sky News
“Boris Johnson has averted a damaging row with Nicola Sturgeon and Scotland’s Tory leadership by announcing lockdown funds for devolved nations in a move that blindsided his closest allies. The prime minister confirmed yesterday that the furlough scheme would be available to all UK countries when required as he was pressed to explain why an “English job is more important” than one in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland by Douglas Ross, the Conservative leader north of the border. It followed the Treasury decision to extend furlough for a month to support businesses forcibly shut by an effective second lockdown in England.” – The Times
“Protests involving more than two people will be prohibited during the lockdown, The Times understands. Ministers are poised to remove any exemption for protesters and say the rules need to be clear and fair. Priti Patel, the home secretary, briefed chief constables at the weekend and said that they would be expected to enforce the rules. However, some senior police officers are understood to be concerned that the move is too draconian for a liberal society. A Whitehall source said that the government was not explicitly banning protests but a previous exemption, which allowed demonstrations to go forward under certain conditions despite the pandemic, would be removed.” – The Times
“Scientists have been warning for several weeks that Britain has reached a “tipping point” in the pandemic, with cases accelerating at an alarming rate. This is also, however, a pivotal moment for the reputation of the prime minister. A government that promised to “take back control” has now lost control: of the coronavirus, of the political narrative and of the Conservative Party. Events are spiralling out of Downing Street’s hands. A mood of frustration and rebellion is infecting the Tory benches in the House of Commons; a sense of disillusionment and mistrust is spreading through the electorate.” – The Times
“The veterans minister has hit back at Tory MPs mounting a revolt on legislation to curb prosecutions of current and former military personnel. Johnny Mercer poured scorn on “deeply disingenuous colleagues repeating campaign lines they know to be untrue” yesterday after backbenchers raised concerns about the Overseas Operations Bill. David Davis and Andrew Mitchell, former Tory cabinet ministers, and Conservative MPs Ian Liddell-Grainger, Crispin Blunt and Pauline Latham, have joined opposition MPs in the fight to amend the legislation.” – The Times
“Today one of the strangest, most polarised and momentous presidential elections finally reaches its conclusion. Millions are terrified that President Trump may win a second term. Millions of others are terrified he may lose. For those who detest Trump, his re-election would mean the unspeakable continuation in office of a dangerous, unhinged, racist white supremacist; a mendacious, narcissistic, demagogic fantasist. And that’s on one of his good days. For them the election of Joe Biden, the Democratic candidate, would mean a return to moderation, recognisable presidential behaviour and sanity.” – The Times
“A further victim of Monday’s attacks in Vienna has died, news agency APA said on Tuesday, bringing the death toll to four civilians and one attacker. Vienna was on lockdown as Austrian police and military attempted to secure the city against a terror attack which started at 8pm in front of the city’s main synagogue and was perpetrated by several attackers. Interior Minister Karl Nehammer said the attack was carried out by at least one “Islamist terrorist”. “This is a radicalised person who felt close to Islamic State,” Mr Nehammer said. City authorities have warned the Viennese to stay at home as “heavily armed gunmen” were still at large. The chief of Vienna City’s Hospitals confirmed 14 had been injured.” – Daily Telegraph
“Nigel Farage’s decision to rebrand the Brexit Party as Reform UK is not an impulsive act. He’s been planning a new post-UKIP vehicle since at least 2016. When he said after the EU referendum that he “wanted his life back”, he meant reclaiming it from UKIP. Leading that party had exhausted him – and it had also exasperated him with its love of in-fighting and petty distractions. Shortly after stepping down as leader, Farage wrote about his dream of a radically different type of political party, inspired by Italy’s Five Star Movement.” – the i