Prime Minister Boris Johnson has today announced the UK government’s COVID Winter Plan ahead of England’s second national lockdown coming to an end on 2nd December.
He announced the plan during an address to MPs in the House of Commons this afternoon.
Mr Johnson revealed that the combined actions of the public to adhere to national lockdown restrictions over the past three weeks have been “making a difference” in curbing the spread of coronavirus (COVID-19), but that “we are not out of the woods yet.”
The end of England’s national lockdown on 2nd December was formally announced.
The COVID Winter Plan seeks to provide a new blueprint to fight the pandemic and looks to not only save lives during the winter, but also prevent an anticipated Commons revolt by rebel Tory MPs.
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BREAKING: Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirms that national #COVID19 restrictions in England will end on 2 December.
But the PM adds that a regional tiered approach will return when lockdown ends.
All non-essential shops, gyms, leisure facilities and hairdressers will reopen across the country when the lockdown ends.
Weddings and collective worship will also be allowed.
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The “rule of six” will also be returning across the country, meaning people will no longer be limited to seeing only one other person in outdoor public.
The Prime Minister confirmed that England will enter into a revised and strengthened tier system – which he indicated is required to be stricter than before the national lockdown as the scientific evidence suggested those restrictions did not keep the R number below – and will apply “the toughest measures where COVID most prevalent”.
The new three tier system will see:
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Tier 1– People continue to work from home where possible.
Tier 2 – Only pubs serving “substantial meals” can open.
Tier 3 – Hospitality will be required to close – except for delivery and takeaway – and indoor entertainment venues must also close.
Spectator sports will also be able to resume in Tier 1 & 2, with limits on attendance.
BREAKING: Boris Johnson announces changes to Tier 1, 2 and 3 in England making them "tougher".
He says those in Tier 1 should work from home where possible and in Tier 2, alcohol will only be served in hospitality settings as part of a substantial meal.https://t.co/7ykLlI4Boapic.twitter.com/qsL4eyMits
The Prime Minister said he is “very sorry” for the “hardship” caused to business owners.
He confirmed that the tiers will now be a “uniform set of measures” with no local negotiations, and with regard to the 10pm curfew – which critics claim did more harm that good – he confirmed that last orders will now be 10pm, with one hour to finish drinks, and a final close at 11pm.
People in England will also be able to travel abroad for holidays once again from 2nd December, although they will remain subject to quarantine rules.
A scrapping of the self-isolation period for COVID contacts was also announced.
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In his address this afternoon, Mr Johnson did not however provide any further information on the proposed Christmas ‘break’ announced over the weekend, although government ministers are reportedly believed to be working on plans for three households and a five-day break – from Christmas Eve to 28th December – subject to agreement from the Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish governments.
An announcement – which will confirm how many households will be able to bubble together at Christmas, or how long the break in restrictions will last – is currently planned for tomorrow.
"By maintaining the pressure on the virus we can also enable people to see more of their family and friends over Christmas."
Health Secretary Matt Hancock told Sky News this morning that a final decision “hasn’t been made”
He said the government will “confirm it when we have that agreement across the four nations”, and added: “We’ve agreed in principle that there should be a set of rules that applies across the board that is balanced, that allows a little bit more freedom, but is still safe.”
Mr Johnson is due to announce which tier each part of the country will be placed into on Thursday.
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It has not yet been indicated at this point how long the revised three tier system will be in place for, and whether areas will enter into different tiers depending on case numbers.
The COVID Winter Plan can be accessed in full here.
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For the latest information, guidance and support during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic in the UK, please do refer to official sources at gov.uk/coronavirus.
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‘Deeply worrying’ figures reveal one in seven NHS staff were physically attacked last year
Emily Sergeant
The NHS is ‘deeply worried’ after figures revealed one in seven staff were attacked by a patient or member of the public last year.
According to the latest NHS staff survey, 14.47% – which works out to almost one in seven staff members – were physically attacked by a patient or the public in the last year, which sadly works out to be the highest rate for three years.
On top of this, the shocking statistics also saw a record percentage of staff say they were subjected to ‘unwanted’ sexual behaviour, rising steeply to almost one in three ambulance staff (31%).
It also found that nearly one in 10 staff (9.26%) said they were subjected to discrimination from patients and the public, which is the highest on record.
The 2025 NHS Staff Survey results are now published.
Thank you to all NHS staff who took the time to share their experiences.
The survey helps us understand what’s working well and where improvements can be made.
Presumably because of figures like this, the survey revealed that the number of staff who would recommend their workplace to others fell slightly to 58.05% in 2025, which is down from 60.79% last year in 2024.
“These figures paint a deeply worrying picture of the abuse our hardworking NHS staff face,” commented Danny Mortimer, who is the Director General (People) for NHS England.
“Staff safety and wellbeing is paramount, and we want everyone experiencing any kind of unwanted incident to feel confident enough to report it. But while that behaviour is completely unacceptable, we must look at what more we can do to support the people who keep our services running.
‘Deeply worrying’ figures reveal that one in seven NHS staff were physically attacked last year / Credit: rawpixel
“We know about the everyday pressures staff face and we haven’t moved fast enough to fix them.
“Staff have worked so hard to improve NHS performance and deliver care over winter as shown in the latest performance figures. These survey results show it is now for the NHS to deliver improvements for staff because there is so much more to do to make the NHS a better place to work.”
However, despite all of this, an overwhelming 87.78% of respondents did say they felt their job ‘made a difference’ to patients.
As mentioned, all of these statistics have been revealed as part of the latest NHS staff survey, where more than 766,000 workers in England responded – providing what is said to be ‘vital data’ for employers and stakeholders about the staff experience.
Featured Image – Pxhere
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Bolton’s bid for the Ryder Cup has received a big boost
Danny Jones
Bolton’s much-anticipated bid for the Ryder Cup has received an added boost of positivity and optimism, which could prove key in bringing the competition to the town.
It also starts with an improvement to local infrastructure, which it appears that the borough will benefit from, regardless of whether or not they win the bid.
Talk of Bolton throwing their hat in the ring to hopefully host the Ryder Cup first began rumbling around during the pandemic, before ramping up even further in 2023, and is now gathering a little more speed.
And a lot of it could come down to upgraded travel links in the form of an even longer-rumoured new road connecting the M61-M6 junctions, which would need to be completed in time for the tournament – along with a fresh big golf course, too.
A bid is being prepared for Bolton to host the Ryder Cup in 2035. Previously, there was an option to hold it in 2031. The golf course would be built on the Hulton Park estate near Westhoughton. This is what the ancient parkland looks like now ..https://t.co/Bie8ikyEkppic.twitter.com/Y3Dq8MFfLk
While the plans to transform the land around Hulton Park have been in the pipeline for some time, the case for creating easier routes between Bolton, Wigan and the surrounding area was pitched as far back as the post-WWII period.
As for the Ryder Cup itself, it hasn’t been hosted in England for decades; the last time an associated event was held was in 2002 at Warwickshire, and it goes without saying that it would be a huge win not just for Greater Manchester but the North in general.
In fact, the wider masterplan that makes up part of the bid doesn’t just include the new £70 million link road, but also feeds into GM’s overall Good Growth Fund, which looks set to almost double thanks to more investment in the National Wealth Fund.
Put simply, the sum of around £2bn set aside for grants and funding across the country – including Bolton’s 2035 Ryder Cup bid – could see huge revenues brought in.
Regarding Bolton, were they to clinch from competitors like the London Golf Club in Sevenoaks, over in Kent and Luton Hoo Hotel and Spa in Bedfordshire, it’s estimated that it could generate more than £1.2bn for the local economy.
Besides a new premium golfing venue, the M61-M6 link road and the recently announced Metrolink expansion into Bolton, the regional funding allocation already factors in various bits of future property development, including more housing and subsequent job creation.
Put simply, it could be transformational for Bolton and beyond. However, it still requires them to win the bid on the basis of the GMCA, Bolton Council, developers, and other partners delivering everything promised, not to mention on time for the biennial Ryder Cup slot up for grabs.
Despite initial rejection and still plenty of pushback, Peel Land are promising three things for the land: “Restoration. Sustainability. World-class golf.”
Mayor Andy Burnham has insisted it is an opportunity not only to improve life, leisure and business in the old Lancashire stronghold, but “as well as the new jobs and tourist spend the Ryder Cup would deliver, there’s also a chance to deliver a lasting legacy.”
What do you make of the grand vision thus far, and for Boltonians, is this something you’re fully behind? Speaking of big sporting events, another one is coming up in Manchester city centre this weekend.
The Manc -
23rd November 2020 
