Written for The House Live / PoliticsHome. Published 18 November 2020 We need social media companies to work proactively to identify and remove harmful disinformation, including anti-vaccine conspiracy theories - not shirk this responsibility. The prospect of mass vaccination against the coronavirus is now close to being a reality, with the news that Pfizer and […]
As we approach the longer nights of a year that has been blighted by the coronavirus pandemic, it seems that we might at last be able to glimpse light in the distance. Two companies, Pfizer and Moderna have now announced that they have covid vaccines that have an effectiveness of over 90% and which could be available as early […]
This year has seen the passing of a Remembrance Sunday unlike any other since the Second World War. The COVID lockdown restrictions meant that none of the usual civic services took place but that couldn’t stop people from paying their respects to those who have sacrificed their lives in the defence of our country. The […]
Article by Sam Williams for KentOnline - published 9 November 2020 Nearly 5,000 small boats carrying asylum seekers have been prevented from reaching the UK this year, it has been revealed. French authorities successfully stopped the crossings in the English Channel as part of their work to reduce the number of people attempting to make […]
On Thursday 5 November the government is due to commence a second national COVID-19 lockdown in England. People will be asked to work from home where they can, all hospitality venues and non-essential retail outlets will close, and most leisure activities will also cease. This will continue until 2 December when the government will issue […]
Article published 3 November 2020 Grassroots youth sport should be able to continue throughout the Government's planned second national lockdown for the benefit of children's mental and physical health, says Damian Collins MP. Collins, who chaired the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee between October 2016 and January 2020, has written to the Secretary […]
Article by Tom Morgan and Daniel Schofield for the Daily Telegraph - published 2 November 2020 Telegraph Sport has launched a "Keep Kids Active in Lockdown" campaign calling on the Government to rethink its decision to wipe out children's sport from Thursday. Epidemiologists, public health experts and cross-party MPs are all warning of a mental and physical health timebomb as activity […]
Article by Chris Britcher for KentOnline - published 1 November 2020 Folkestone and Hythe MP Damian Collins has backed a call from former Premier League star Robbie Savage to allow youth sports to continue during the national lockdown this month. The former Wales international, who played for Leicester, Derby and Birmingham, has started an online petition calling for supervised sports to continue […]
Since the start of the COVID 19 crisis the government has introduced a number of important measures to support people and businesses, which have so far required an additional £200billion in funding. Such a large increase in public spending has been necessary but is also unprecedented in peacetime. The furlough and job support schemes provided […]
The Folkestone and Hythe district currently has the lowest COVID-19 infection rate in England, with just 17 reported cases per 100,000 people. This compares to over 100 cases in some London Boroughs, and over 400 cases per 100,000 people in Greater Manchester, where the imposition of Tier 3 restrictions is being considered. The Folkestone and […]