Latest news with #Whately
Daily Mirror
02-07-2025
- Health
- Daily Mirror
Matt Hancock says care home plans 'as good as useless' as chilling texts emerge
Matt Hancock has admitted that pandemic plans for care homes were "as good as useless" before Covid struck. The shamed former Health Secretary lashed out at local authorities and Public Health England as he faced questions at the Covid Inquiry. Bereaved families have said failure to protect people living in care homes amounted to "generational slaughter". The inquiry was shown a chilling message he was sent in April 2020 by health minister Helen Whately - now a key figure in Kemi Badenoch's team - warning that data on deaths was "not good". Mr Hancock said local authorities were responsible for planning the impact of a pandemic on care homes. He told the inquiry he was horrified when he was shown the plans that two had put in place. "It was a really shocking moment," he said. "It didn't long to work out they were wholly inadequate." The top Tory - who stepped down at the general election last year - said the "penny dropped" in February 2020 that local plans were "as good as useless". He also hit out at Public Health England, which issued guidance on February 25 saying: "It remains very unlikely that people receiving care in a care home or the community will become infected." Mr Hancock said he was "in a battle" with PHE and said: "By this time we knew there was a really serious problem so I have no idea why PHE said that." The inquiry was shown messages between Mr Hancock and health minister Ms Whately - who is now Kemi Badenoch's Shadow Work and Pensions Secretary. On April 9 2020, Ms Whately said: "I'm afraid been sent first proper data on care home deaths just now and it's not good." She said she would discuss it with health officials. The then-Health Secretary then responded simply: "Ok". Ms Whately then went on to warn her boss - who was due to give a Covid press conference just over an hour later: "Care home data may come up... we expect official ONS data on Tuesday will show a big jump in deaths." Earlier messages showed Ms Whately flagged a care home with 11 suspected deaths, with staff refusing to work. She said international experts say care home residents and staff should be tested. Mr Hancock responded: "I'm up for this and the capacity to do this is growing fast." Hitting out at his critics, he said: "I've seen even from this very chair people who were upset about me taking action that was necessary. "They were rude about me at the time, they've been rude about me since but it saved lives and that was my job as Secretary of State." It comes after bereaved families said Government failings around care homes amounted to "generational slaughter". In an earlier hearing Pete Weatherby KC, representing Covid 19 Bereaved Families for Justice UK, said: "Although the phrase 'generational slaughter' within care homes may sound hyperbolic or rather colorful language, it chimes with the experience of thousands of our families. He added: "We call out the callous way that family members were treated by politicians and policy makers, referring to them as bed blockers and people nearing the end regardless of the virus. This statement reflects that those in charge of policy lost their moral compass in dealing with those receiving care." A 2022 High Court judgement ruled the care homes discharge policy was unlawful as it failed to take into account the risk to elderly and vulnerable care home residents of asymptomatic transmission. Between early March and early June 2020, nearly 20,000 care home residents in England and Wales died with Covid-19. That was about a third of all care home deaths during that period.
The Independent
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
Eddie Marsan dedicates his OBE to his east London community who all ‘stepped up'
Sherlock Holmes, Mission Impossible and V For Vendetta actor Eddie Marsan has said he owes everything to his community and wants to share his OBE with them. Marsan, 56, who recently played Amy Winehouse's father Mitch in the film Back To Black, was made an OBE for his services to drama at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. The son of a lorry driver and a school dinner lady, the actor was raised on a council estate in Bethnal Green, east London. When he heard he was on the New Year Honours list, Marsan said he wanted to share his OBE with Bethnal Green and his family. After the ceremony he said: 'When I was younger, my parents had a difficult marriage, but the members of my community, the members of the St Lucian community in Bethnal Green and an East End bookmaker who paid for me to go to drama school, they all kind of stepped up and I owe everything to them really. 'If I look at where I am now it is because of the kindness and support of the community of Bethnal Green really.' He added the Princess Royal was 'very supportive' and had a great sense of humour. He went on to refer to multiple upcoming films, along with a TV series called King And Conqueror and another called Lockerbie. Meanwhile, Inspector Morse and Lewis actor Kevin Whately, 74, happily explained he had 'nothing to flog' while enjoying his day at the ceremony. The actor first rose to fame playing Neville in the 1980s comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet before taking a career defining role as John Thaw's right hand man in Inspector Morse. Whately was made OBE for services to drama and charity, and said he is happily retired. He said: 'I was never very ambitious and I'm really enjoying not doing very much. 'I don't miss getting up at five o'clock in the morning, I can do it occasionally but not every day which is what we used to do.' Whately added that he and Anne had spoken about retirement during the ceremony. He said: 'I met the Princess Royal before worked for one of her animal charities, but not for a long time, but we're of a similar age so we had a little bit to talk about.' Organisations he has supported include Action For Children and the performing arts charity, the Wavendon Foundation, which helps budding actors and singers through drama school and conservatoires.
Yahoo
16-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Eddie Marsan dedicates his OBE to his east London community who all ‘stepped up'
Sherlock Holmes, Mission Impossible and V For Vendetta actor Eddie Marsan has said he owes everything to his community and wants to share his OBE with them. Marsan, 56, who recently played Amy Winehouse's father Mitch in the film Back To Black, was made an OBE for his services to drama at an investiture ceremony at Windsor Castle on Wednesday. The son of a lorry driver and a school dinner lady, the actor was raised on a council estate in Bethnal Green, east London. When he heard he was on the New Year Honours list, Marsan said he wanted to share his OBE with Bethnal Green and his family. After the ceremony he said: 'When I was younger, my parents had a difficult marriage, but the members of my community, the members of the St Lucian community in Bethnal Green and an East End bookmaker who paid for me to go to drama school, they all kind of stepped up and I owe everything to them really. 'If I look at where I am now it is because of the kindness and support of the community of Bethnal Green really.' He added the Princess Royal was 'very supportive' and had a great sense of humour. He went on to refer to multiple upcoming films, along with a TV series called King And Conqueror and another called Lockerbie. Meanwhile, Inspector Morse and Lewis actor Kevin Whately, 74, happily explained he had 'nothing to flog' while enjoying his day at the ceremony. The actor first rose to fame playing Neville in the 1980s comedy Auf Wiedersehen, Pet before taking a career defining role as John Thaw's right hand man in Inspector Morse. Whately was made OBE for services to drama and charity, and said he is happily retired. He said: 'I was never very ambitious and I'm really enjoying not doing very much. 'I don't miss getting up at five o'clock in the morning, I can do it occasionally but not every day which is what we used to do.' Whately added that he and Anne had spoken about retirement during the ceremony. He said: 'I met the Princess Royal before worked for one of her animal charities, but not for a long time, but we're of a similar age so we had a little bit to talk about.' Organisations he has supported include Action For Children and the performing arts charity, the Wavendon Foundation, which helps budding actors and singers through drama school and conservatoires.
Yahoo
18-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Benefits news live: DWP to announce drastic PIP disability cuts in major welfare reforms
The Department for Work and Pensions is set to announce major welfare reforms today, including up to £6bn of cuts to disability benefits. Work and Pensions minister Liz Kendall is expected to make the announcement in Parliament this afternoon, with many of the planned changes will focus on making reforms to personal independence payments (PIP) by changing eligibility criteria. PIP has come in for scrutiny by the Labour government as it makes up the largest portion of the benefits bill and is predicted to cost around 34bn by 2030. Kendall is also expected to announce reforms the work capability assessment (WCA), which could see those on long-term sickness leave lose their benefits if they aren't actively seeking work. Follow the live blog from Yahoo News for all the latest developments: Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately yesterday questioned whether Liz Kendall has secured Cabinet approval for her plans to reform benefits. Whately told the Commons: 'We heard yesterday that the Cabinet has not yet seen the welfare plan that (Kendall) is apparently due to announce tomorrow. Given all the media briefings, the apprehension of disabled people and the growing number of people not working, none of us would want to see that delayed. 'So can she assure us that she has got collective agreement so she can announce her plan here in this chamber tomorrow?' Work and Pensions Secretary Kendall said Whately would have to 'show a little patience' and criticised the Tories for 'never' having a plan on benefits. Whately countered: 'I was listening very hard to that answer and from everything I heard she still doesn't have the support of her Cabinet colleagues with less than 24 hours to go. It was a no.' People on long-term sickness benefits should not 'languish there forever,' Pat McFadden said as he confirmed reassessment reforms would be among welfare changes set out by the Government on Tuesday. Asked whether support for people with mental health conditions should be 'time-limited,' the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told Times Radio: 'We do think it requires support, but we don't think it renders people permanently… reassessments will be part of the package announced today. 'We want people, if they're on long-term sickness benefits, not to languish there forever, but to be reassessed. 'There have been too few reassessments in recent years.' The Cabinet is united behind efforts to slash the welfare bill, one of Sir Keir Starmer's closest allies said as the Government braced for a backlash to its benefits curbs. Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and a key figure behind the scenes in the Starmer administration, insisted the plans being unveiled on Tuesday were 'entirely in line with the values of the Labour Party'. Read the full story from PA. Shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately yesterday questioned whether Liz Kendall has secured Cabinet approval for her plans to reform benefits. Whately told the Commons: 'We heard yesterday that the Cabinet has not yet seen the welfare plan that (Kendall) is apparently due to announce tomorrow. Given all the media briefings, the apprehension of disabled people and the growing number of people not working, none of us would want to see that delayed. 'So can she assure us that she has got collective agreement so she can announce her plan here in this chamber tomorrow?' Work and Pensions Secretary Kendall said Whately would have to 'show a little patience' and criticised the Tories for 'never' having a plan on benefits. Whately countered: 'I was listening very hard to that answer and from everything I heard she still doesn't have the support of her Cabinet colleagues with less than 24 hours to go. It was a no.' People on long-term sickness benefits should not 'languish there forever,' Pat McFadden said as he confirmed reassessment reforms would be among welfare changes set out by the Government on Tuesday. Asked whether support for people with mental health conditions should be 'time-limited,' the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster told Times Radio: 'We do think it requires support, but we don't think it renders people permanently… reassessments will be part of the package announced today. 'We want people, if they're on long-term sickness benefits, not to languish there forever, but to be reassessed. 'There have been too few reassessments in recent years.' The Cabinet is united behind efforts to slash the welfare bill, one of Sir Keir Starmer's closest allies said as the Government braced for a backlash to its benefits curbs. Pat McFadden, the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and a key figure behind the scenes in the Starmer administration, insisted the plans being unveiled on Tuesday were 'entirely in line with the values of the Labour Party'. Read the full story from PA.
