Sturgeon Keeps Schools Open Despite New Lockdown Rules
Nicola Sturgeon has confirmed schools will stay open amid tough new lockdown restrictions hitting 11 council areas in western Scotland. Non-essential shops must shut, and travel is banned in these zones from 6pm Friday until December 11. Yet the First Minister insists children will keep learning face-to-face during the three-week clampdown.
Teachers’ Union Demands Blended Learning to Protect Staff
The NASUWT teaching union isn’t happy. It’s calling for a blended learning model—mixing home and in-school classes—to shield pupils and staff from the virus. Jane Peckham, NASUWT’s Scotland official, warned vulnerable teachers need better protection.
“Given the risks, all clinically vulnerable teachers in level four areas should be allowed to work from home,” Peckham said. “Pregnant staff, those with health conditions, disabilities, or from high-risk BAME groups must get extra safeguards now.”
The Educational Institute of Scotland backed the calls. General Secretary Larry Flanagan slammed the policy to keep full-time schooling going under level four as reckless. He stressed schools affect local virus spread just as much as the safety inside them.
Spanish Businessman Pocketed £21m Taxpayer Windfall in NHS PPE Deals
Explosive court papers have revealed how Spanish businessman Gabriel Gonzalez Andersson was paid a staggering £21 million for sourcing gloves and gowns for the NHS during the first Covid wave. Andersson worked with a jewellery designer-turned-PPE supplier, cashing in on lucrative contracts paid for by UK taxpayers.
This case highlights the huge profits some firms made from providing lifesaving gear to NHS staff in the height of the crisis.
Boris Johnson Tests Negative – But PM to Isolate and Lead From Home
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has tested negative for Covid after close contact with an infected Tory MP. He and six fellow Conservative MPs, plus two aides, are self-isolating for two weeks after attending the same breakfast meeting.
Johnson remains working from home and has already chaired a virtual cabinet session. He will take Prime Minister’s Questions from his residence for the first time on Wednesday.
Turkey Workers’ Quarantine Rules Eased to Save Christmas Dinner
Good news for Christmas turkeys: foreign seasonal workers arriving in England to pick poultry now face relaxed quarantine rules. They must still quarantine for 14 days but can start work immediately within a ‘cohort’ of workers, helping to prevent a turkey supply collapse warned by industry chiefs.
These guest workers, crucial to the poultry trade, must leave by the end of the year but their early start hopes to keep Christmas dinner on the menu.
