Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel ranked fourth with 1.4 million searches, reports Yonhap News Agency…reports Asian Lite News.
North Korean leader Kim Jong-un ranked the third most searched politician by internet users worldwide this year, data showed on Tuesday.
Online searches for Kim totalled a monthly average of 1.9 million, behind US President Joe Biden, who topped the list with 7 million searches, and UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson with 2 million, according to German data analytics firm Statista.
Former German Chancellor Angela Merkel ranked fourth with 1.4 million searches, reports Yonhap News Agency.
The most searched keyword related to the North Korean leader this year was “weight loss”, separate analysis by Google Trends found.
In June, the 37-year-old Kim appeared at a politburo session appearing to have lost a significant amount of weight, raising speculation about his health and sparking keen public interest.
South Korea’s state intelligence agency told lawmakers in October that Kim has lost around 20 kg from a weight of about 140 kg but appears to have no major health problem.
Covid cases have surged to record levels as the fast-spreading omicron variant takes hold. Positive tests have exceeded 90,000 for each of the past two days, and ministers have said infections are doubling every two to three days, reports Asian Lite News
Health Secretary Sajid Javid declined to rule out stronger Covid-19 rules before Christmas after the nation’s top health advisers urged greater limits to contain infections they estimate are running in the hundreds of thousands per day.
“It’s time to be more cautious: we know this thing is spreading more rapidly,” Javid told BBC News on Sunday.
When asked whether he could guarantee a so-called circuit-breaker lockdown wouldn’t be imposed within days, he replied: “There are no guarantees in this pandemic. At this point, we just have to keep everything under review.”
Covid cases have surged to record levels as the fast-spreading omicron variant takes hold. Positive tests have exceeded 90,000 for each of the past two days, and ministers have said infections are doubling every two to three days.
Minutes released Saturday by the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, or SAGE, suggested that without stronger rules, hospitalizations could reach a peak of at least 3,000 a day — far above current levels.
The projections put Prime Minister Boris Johnson in a bind, squeezed between scientific advisers calling for urgent action, and MPs who just last week rebelled in record numbers against far milder Covid rules than SAGE now says are warranted to keep the National Health Service afloat.
To make matters worse for the prime minister, on Saturday evening, his minister in charge of post-Brexit negotiations, Lord David Frost, quit his post, openly undermining Johnson over both his negotiations with the European Union and his response to the surging pandemic.
“We also need to learn to live with Covid,” Frost wrote in his resignation letter to Johnson. “I hope we can get back on track soon and not be tempted by the kind of coercive measures we have seen elsewhere.”
The letter showed the kind of pressures being exerted on Johnson by his own party to avoid tougher regulations. Last week, 100 Tory MPs voted against plans to introduce Covid passes as a requirement of entry to venues and large events. The measure was only approved because of support from the opposition Labour Party.
The “crisis of confidence” in Johnson’s leadership from the Tories “is impacting on the government’s public health response,” Labour’s shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told Sky, adding that Javid “looked like a hostage to his own party.”
Adding to the pressure on the country’s health system, the British Medical Association said almost 50,000 NHS staff could be off sick by Christmas if the government doesn’t act.
While stopping short of calling for a fresh lockdown, SAGE said bringing back some of the restrictions used earlier in the year could “substantially reduce” the peak in cases. UK papers have been filled with speculation that tighter rules may be introduced right after Christmas.
Johnson must now decide whether to risk the wrath of his rank-and-file MPs to bring in tougher measures. They’re already angry at missteps by the prime minister that started with his botched attempt to prevent Parliament’s suspension of his friend, Conservative MP Owen Paterson, over lobbying violations. That culminated in the party’s calamitous defeat in a special election on Thursday to replace Paterson — whose former seat of North Shropshire had been Tory for almost two centuries.
Javid told Sky that the government needs to balance scientific advice with the impact measures such as lockdowns have on society, businesses and children.
He said the UK is in a different situation now than earlier in the year because of its vaccination program, with over half of adults having received a booster.
“If there was a need to take any further action, we would recall parliament and it would have to be a decision for parliament,” he said.
Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay will hold talks on Sunday with regional governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to discuss how to approach the surge in Covid cases, according to a person familiar with the matter.
Existential Threat
The SAGE document said omicron is spreading fastest in London, where Mayor Sadiq Khan on Saturday declared a “major incident,” allowing the city to coordinate emergency services and access government support. Khan on Sunday told BBC News he thinks it’s “inevitable” new restrictions will be needed.
“Sooner rather than later we’re going to need to look at social distancing, we’re going to need to look at household mixing,” Khan said.
Khan said that even absent a formal lockdown, the current wave of the virus is an “existential” threat to businesses in the city center, including hospitality and theaters, as customers stay away in droves. He urged fresh government assistance.
His party won the seat in North Shropshire, central England, by a massive majority in 2019, but that was wiped out by the Liberal Democrats in Thursday’s vote in a result that will intensify the mutinous mood among Conservative MPs, reports Asian Lite News
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Friday suffered a crushing by-election defeat in a constituency never previously lost by his Conservative Party, a result which raises serious questions about his leadership.
His party won the seat in North Shropshire, central England, by a massive majority in 2019, but that was wiped out by the Liberal Democrats in Thursday’s vote in a result that will intensify the mutinous mood among Conservative MPs.
Johnson, 57, was already reeling after roughly 100 of his MPs rebelled in parliament Tuesday against the government’s introduction of vaccine passes for large events.
The UK leader’s authority has also been clobbered repeatedly in recent weeks by claims of corruption and reports that he and his staff broke coronavirus restrictions last Christmas.
Weeks of bad headlines turned what would normally be a routine victory in the safe rural seat — won by 23,000 votes just two years ago — into a shattering defeat of almost 6,000 votes, while surging virus cases have added to a sense of crisis.
The government reported nearly 89,000 new infections Thursday, the second consecutive record daily tally.
Winning candidate Helen Morgan said that voters had sent a message “loudly and clearly” to Johnson that “the party’s over.”
“Your government, run on lies and bluster will be held accountable. It can and will be defeated,” she vowed.
Defeat will likely see more MPs filing letters of no-confidence in their leader, which could trigger an internal party vote to remove him.
The same process saw his predecessor Theresa May ousted in mid-2019 after MPs including Johnson voted against her Brexit deal in parliament.
The Liberal Democrats appeared to have been helped by supporters of the main national opposition Labour party lending them their votes.
However, others in the small town of Whitchurch were prepared to overlook the former London mayor’s transgressions.
The atmosphere before the vote was a far cry from May, when the Conservatives swept to an unprecedented by-election victory in the northeast England seat of Hartlepool on the back of a successful vaccine rollout.
But the virus is once more dominating British life and the arrival of the Omicron variant has again deepened the gloom before Christmas, with the prime minister’s authority seen as weakened.
Britain is also suffering spiralling inflation as a result of big borrowing during lockdowns, high energy prices and bottlenecked supply chains. Tax rises also loom from next April.
Johnson — who won voters’ overwhelming backing in 2019 on his promise to “Get Brexit Done” — has been dogged by controversies since early last month.
It began with his unsuccessful attempt to change parliament’s disciplinary rules to spare North Shropshire MP Owen Paterson a suspension after he was found to have breached lobbying rules.
Paterson, who had held the seat since 1997, then quit, forcing Thursday’s by-election.
That crisis, though, was soon eclipsed by reports that Johnson and his staff broke Covid rules last year by holding several parties around Christmas — just as the public were told to cancel their festive plans.
The new rules, which included ordering people to wear masks in public places and use COVID-19 passes for some venues, passed thanks largely to the main opposition Labour Party…reports Asian Lite News.
Almost 100 Conservative lawmakers voted on Tuesday against new coronavirus restrictions, dealing a major blow to British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s authority and raising questions about his leadership.
After a day of frenzied failed lobbying, Johnson was handed the biggest rebellion against his government so far by his party over measures he said were necessary to curb the spread of the new Omicron variant.
The new rules, which included ordering people to wear masks in public places and use COVID-19 passes for some venues, passed thanks largely to the main opposition Labour Party.
But the revolt piles pressure on Johnson, already under fire over scandals such as reported parties in his Downing Street office last year – when Britain was in a COVID-19 lockdown – and a pricey refurbishment of his apartment.
Rebelling lawmakers said the vote was a warning shot that he needed to change how the government was operating, or he would face a leadership challenge.
Some 99 Conservatives opposed plans for the COVID passes, a much higher number of rebels than was expected. Originally the official figure was put at 98, but the number was later revised upward.
Among those voting against the government was lawmaker Louie French who was only elected as a Conservative Member of Parliament (MP) at the start of the month, while media reported that former Prime Minister Theresa May was among 17 others who abstained.
Many Conservatives say some of the new measures are draconian, with several questioning the introduction of a certificate of vaccination or proof of a negative COVID-19 test to enter some venues, such as nightclubs.
Others used the votes as an opportunity to vent their anger at Johnson, believing the man who helped the Conservatives win a large majority at a 2019 election is squandering the party’s successes by self-inflicted missteps and gaffes.
But despite the rumblings of discontent, Conservative Party insiders say there is not enough of a groundswell against Johnson to dislodge him now, although they hope the vote will be a “wake-up call” for the prime minister to reset his agenda.
“He’s got to now be in some danger,” Conservative lawmaker Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told Sky News. “And he’s got to realise that because if he doesn’t realise that, then he will be in much bigger danger … I’m still backing him. But he’s got to change.”
Britain reported 59,610 new COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, the highest figure since early January and the fifth highest recorded since the outbreak of the pandemic in March last year.
More than 5,300 cases of Omicron have been recorded, with 10 people hospitalised. One person has died after contracting the variant, which is set to become the dominant strain in the capital London.
Before the vote, the government had mounted a campaign to keep lawmakers in check, with Johnson warning his ministers there was a “huge spike” in Omicron cases heading Britain’s way, and that the measures were needed to protect people.
Ministers tried to win over the Conservative rebels, noting that people who have not had two vaccinations can instead offer proof of a negative lateral flow test to gain access to indoor venues of more than 500 people.
Health minister Sajid Javid told lawmakers he firmly believed in “individual liberty” but that “the responsible decision to take is…to move to plan B in England”.
But their arguments fell on deaf ears. In addition to the 99 Conservatives who voted against the passes, 40 voted against expanding the requirement for mask wearing.
Addressing the Global Technology Summit via video link, Johnson said that over the coming decade, India and the UK will continue to deepen their bonds on technology and other areas as they have set out in the 2030 India-UK roadmap, reports Asian Lite News
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Tuesday said that the UK and India are natural partners who are working together on many fantastic projects from partnership on 5G and telecom to startups.
Addressing the Global Technology Summit via video link, Johnson said that over the coming decade, India and the UK will continue to deepen their bonds on technology and other areas as they have set out in the 2030 India-UK roadmap.
With our shared culture of innovation and our entrepreneurial spirit, the UK and India are natural partners. We’re working together on many fantastic projects, from the UK-India partnership on 5G and telecom to the UK startups who are working with India giants, the prime minister said.
Working side-by-side, we will not only make breakthroughs that will transform people’s lives, but we’ll help shape a new technology based on the principles of freedom, openness and peace, Johnson added.
The 2030 Roadmap for stronger UK-India strategic ties was signed by Johnson and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a virtual summit in May this year.
With our shared culture of innovation and our entrepreneurial spirit, the UK and India are natural partners. We’re working together on many fantastic projects, from the UK-India partnership on 5G and telecom to the UK startups who are working with India giants, the prime minister said.
Working side-by-side, we will not only make breakthroughs that will transform people’s lives, but we’ll help shape a new technology based on the principles of freedom, openness and peace, Johnson said in his special address to the 6th annual Global Technology Summit.
The summit was co-hosted by the non-governmental organisation Carnegie India along with the Ministry of External Affairs on the theme of Global Meets Local.
“We know that a huge advantage awaits us with Artificial Intelligence and quantum computing and with technology poised to help us find answers to some of humanity’s biggest challenges. That’s why I was so pleased earlier this year when my friend Prime Minister Narendra Modi and I agreed that our two countries should work closer than ever before on technology and the roles that will help us shape the coming age,” the British prime minister said.
Addressing the summit via video link, UK foreign secretary Liz Truss said that hostile forces use technology to gain the upper hand.
That’s why freedom-loving democracies need to step-up to shape global technologies and champion our interest, she said.
Truss also said that India and the UK are natural partners.
“Every time I visit India or meet Indian businesses, I am reminded of what natural partners we are. We’re open to the world as outward looking nations, which is why the UK is India’s 2nd largest investment destination, she said.
Across Britain, Indian giants from Infosys to Tata are growing their businesses. Meanwhile British brands are selling India high-quality goods and services like fintech, clean technologies, she said.
Such openness to business and opportunity is why we are able to tackle the greatest challenges of our time. For example, we saw the peak of the pandemic teamed up with our NHS to create a tele-medicine trial system. It was a bold step, we saved hundreds of lives, Truss said.
Our openness to enterprises and tech businesses are flourishing that are based in our nations, she said.
The UK is home to the third largest tech unicorns in the world while India has the third largest number of tech firms, according to Truss.
By harnessing the full potential of free enterprise and technology, we drive forward economic recovery and human progress, she added.
Johnson’s remarks at the summit came over a month after he met Prime Minister Modi in Glasgow on the sidelines of the COP26 climate summit and discussed ways to enhance bilateral cooperation in areas like green hydrogen, renewables and clean technology, economy and defence.
That was the first in-person meeting between Modi and Johnson following the British Prime Minister’s twice cancelled visit to India earlier this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The two prime ministers had reviewed the implementation of the Roadmap 2030 priorities particularly in the trade and economy, people-to-people, health, defence and security areas.
PM expressed concern over the alleged large-scale movement of Russian troops along the Ukrainian borders, the Kremlin said in a statement on Monday, reports Asian Lite News
Russian President Vladimir Putin informed British Prime Minister Boris Johnson of his assessments of the current situation in Ukraine during a phone call.
Johnson expressed concern over the alleged large-scale movement of Russian troops along the Ukrainian borders, the Kremlin said in a statement on Monday.
Putin gave Johnson specific examples of how authorities in Kiev undermined the implementation of the Minsk agreements, “which are an uncontested basis for resolving the internal crisis in Ukraine.”
The Russian President also pointed to the “discrimination against the Russian-speaking population” in Ukraine.
He underlined the need to immediately begin negotiations on clear and internationally legal agreements against the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation’s further eastward expansion and against the deployment of weapons in Russia’s neighbours, primarily Ukraine.
The Russian side will present draft documents on this issue, Putin added.
“It was underlined that all this is happening against the background of active military ‘expansion’ on the territory of Ukraine by NATO countries creating a direct threat to the security of Russia,” the Kremlin said.
US intelligence assesses that Russia could be planning a multifront offensive on neighbouring Ukraine as early as next year, involving up to 175,000 soldiers.
The Kremlin denies it plans to invade and says the West is gripped by Russophobia. Moscow says the expansion of NATO threatens Russia and has contravened assurances given to it as the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
On its part, Downing Street said Johnson told Putin of his “deep concern” at the Russian troop build-up on Ukraine’s border.
He “reiterated the importance of working through diplomatic channels to de-escalate tensions and identify durable solutions”, the British government statement said.
“The prime minister emphasised the UK’s commitment to Ukraine’s territorial integrity and sovereignty, and warned that any destabilising action would be a strategic mistake that would have significant consequences.”
Johnson’s intervention comes after a two-day meeting of the G7 in which the grouping’s top diplomats warned Moscow of “massive consequences” if it invades the former Soviet state.
Also on Monday, European foreign ministers slapped sanctions on Russia’s private military company Wagner, blacklisting eight individuals and three companies associated with the group that is believed to be serving the Kremlin’s efforts to “destabilise” Ukraine, Syria, Libya and several African countries.
Next, the EU ministers signalled their readiness to impose huge new measures targeting Russia’s economy if Russia goes ahead with direct military action.
“Allow me to say, once again, firmly that the European Union is standing united in support of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
Zelensky, Macron hold talks
Meanwhile, on Monday Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held a phone conversation with his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron to discuss his country’s security situation.
During the talks, the two leaders discussed the ways to unlock the negotiation process in the Normandy format, designed to end the conflict in Ukraine’s eastern region of Donbas through diplomatic means.
Zelensky said that Kiev stands ready to continue active work within the Normandy Four, which comprises Ukraine, France, Russia and Germany.
Zelensky and Macron stressed the need to resume the effective functioning of the Trilateral Contact Group (TCG) to achieve an effective ceasefire, the release of hostages and the opening of the checkpoints in Donbas.
The TCG, consisting of representatives from Ukraine, Russia and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, was formed to facilitate a diplomatic solution to the conflict in Donbas.
On Thursday, Zelensky held a telephone conversation with his American counterpart Joe Biden to discuss the security situation around Ukraine and the prospects for intensifying the peaceful settlement in Donbas.
It is reported that Zelensky will meet Macron on December 15 in Brussels.
“The couple would like to thank the brilliant NHS (National Health Service) maternity team for all their care and support,” she added…reports Asian Lite News.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday became a father again, after his wife, Carrie, gave birth to a girl, Downing Street said.
The “healthy baby girl” was born at a London hospital in the early hours and “both mother and daughter are doing very well”, a spokeswoman for the couple said.
‘Remember when he had to buy a dog to distract people from terrible stories, now he actually has to produce a child, pretty soon he’s going to have to reanimate a dinosaur!’
“The couple would like to thank the brilliant NHS (National Health Service) maternity team for all their care and support,” she added.
The announcement comes as Johnson faces a backlash over the imposition of new coronavirus restrictions designed to curb the spread of the new Omicron variant.
He is also under pressure from the public after claims that Downing Street staff held a Christmas party last year in defiance of restrictions on social gatherings.
Thrice-married Johnson, 57, has four children from his second marriage to the lawyer Marina Wheeler, and now two with Carrie, 33, a former Conservative Party media adviser whom he wed in May.
The couple’s first child, Wilfred, was born in April last year, not long after Johnson was treated in hospital intensive care for Covid.
The prime minister has another child, a daughter, from an extra-marital affair.
In September, after years of speculation about how many children he had, he told NBC in an interview that he had six.
In remarks he delivered via a pre-recorded video to the Summit for Democracy, hosted by US President Joe Biden the Prime Minister said he would “not wish it any other way” than for voters to be able to get rid of him at the ballot box, reports Asian Lite News
Boris Johnson has said voters have “every right” to cast him “down and out again” as he championed the benefits of living in a democracy.
In remarks, he delivered via a pre-recorded video to the Summit for Democracy, hosted by US President Joe Biden the Prime Minister said he would “not wish it any other way” than for voters to be able to get rid of him at the ballot box.
He said: “Out of Athens more than 2,500 years ago, there came a simple and beautiful idea: that people are neither passive nor powerless, but free citizens with a right to participate in the governance of their country. The idea of democracy has gathered force down the centuries, inspiring billions across the world, and converging on the principles we all share. We believe that our peoples are entitled to elect and remove their governments through the ballot box, overseen by independent courts and a free media. We’re only here because our electorates have, at least for the time being, raised us to positions of responsibility for their affairs – but they have every right to cast us down and out again, and we would not wish it any other way.”
Today, I'm hosting the first Summit for Democracy. We're bringing together leaders from over 100 governments, alongside activists, trade unionists, experts, and other members of civil society to lock arms and reaffirm our shared commitment to make our democracies better. pic.twitter.com/bQ2jyaHmmM
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss is representing the UK at the opening session.
Biden opened the summit by saying protecting democracy is the “challenge of our time” and noted that “half of all democracies have experienced a decline in at least one aspect of democracy over the last 10 years, including the United States”.
The PM’s speech comes at a time when the leader is facing mounting criticism in recent times.
In a survey held last month, Johnson’s Conservatives have lost their lead in two opinion polls after a growing parliamentary standards scandal prompted almost two thirds of respondents in one survey to say the British prime minister’s party was disreputable.
In the midst of growing criticism, Conservatives were fined nearly £18,000 for failing to properly disclose a donation used to redecorate Johnson’s Downing Street flat.
The latest development in a scandal dubbed “wallpaper-gate” comes with Johnson embroiled in a series of other high-profile controversies, including claims of lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street last Christmas.
The Electoral Commission, which regulates political finance, found that the Tories failed to “accurately report the full value” of a £67,801.72 donation which covered a portion of a lavish Downing Street refurbishment.
“The investigation found that decisions relating to the handling and recording of these transactions reflected serious failings in the party’s compliance systems,” it said in a statement, announcing two fines totalling £17,800.
“The payment was incorrectly described in internal records and the full value of the donation was not correctly identified and reported,” the commission added.
Issues around the expensive refurbishment of quarters above Number 11 Downing Street — next door to his Number 10 office — that he shares with his family have dogged Johnson throughout this year.
Most of the historic estate is maintained with public money, but every prime minister gets an annual allowance of £30,000 to redecorate the living space.
But concerns emerged over how Johnson and his wife Carrie Symonds paid for a reportedly £200,000 bill for their lavish makeover — in an affair also dubbed “cash for curtains”.
Reports suggested the couple had tried to create a White House-style trust to manage the refurb, but when that failed to get off the ground the tab was settled by the Conservatives and a wealthy donor before Johnson reimbursed the party.
A newly appointed adviser on ministerial standards found earlier this year that Johnson leader had acted “unwisely” over the funding arrangements, but was not guilty of any impropriety.
However, opposition parties have seized on the saga to burnish their portrayal of Johnson as a sleazy, untruthful leader.
He referred to the worsening relations between his country and China — including a spat over Australia’s decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines — as well as human rights concerns…reports Asian Lite News.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Wednesday the UK would diplomatically boycott the Winter Olympics being held in Beijing in February by not sending any ministers to the global event.
“There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing,” Johnson told MPs when asked about the issue in parliament.
Johnson said he typically did not support “sporting boycotts”, but revealed there were no plans for government ministers to attend the games over alleged human rights abuses by China.
“I do not think that sporting boycotts are sensible — that remains the policy of the government,” he added.
He referred to the worsening relations between his country and China — including a spat over Australia’s decision to acquire nuclear-powered submarines — as well as human rights concerns.
China’s Foreign Ministry denounced Morrison’s announcement as “political posturing,” adding “no one would care about whether (Australian officials) come or not.”
It wasn’t immediately clear whether Britain’s royal family could still attend the 2022 Games. Princess Anne, Queen Elizabeth II’s daughter, was an Olympic equestrian and is president of the British Olympic Association. She is also a member of the International Olympic Committee.
Beijing’s relations with Britain, the US and Australia have plummeted after the three Western countries announced in September that they were forming a strategic Indo-Pacific alliance that allows for greater sharing of defense capabilities. The pact will provide Australia with nuclear reactors to power its submarines, but the subs will not be nuclear-armed.
The UK move follows similar steps by other Western countries, with Australia on Wednesday also announcing it would join the United States in a diplomatic boycott of the Games.
The allies have a growing discord with China over a slew of issues that has plunged relations into the most serious crisis since the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989.
They include human rights abuses in Xinjiang and a crackdown on pro-democracy groups in Hong Kong, a former British colony returned to Chinese rule in 1997.
The White House announced on Monday that U.S. government officials will boycott the upcoming Winter Olympics in Beijing over China’s human rights “atrocities,” though the action allows American athletes to travel to compete.
China said it had not invited and British ministers.
“The Beijing Winter Olympics is a gathering of Olympic athletes and winter sports lovers across the world, not a tool of political manipulation for any country,” a spokesman for the Chinese embassy said.
“Making an issue out of the presence of government officials at the Beijing Winter Olympics is in essence a political smearing campaign,” the spokesman said.
Canada will join its allies in a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing to send China a message over its human rights record, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.
A world-leading treatment system will be developed for those dependent on drugs and support them to kick their addictions, prioritising areas with the greatest need…reports Asian Lite News.
Communities all across England will receive the largest ever funding boost for drug treatment services to help people and reduce crime on our streets, under a new strategy published on Monday.
The money will go towards improving access to treatment and increasing the capacity of services, helping to reverse the upward trend in drug use and level up by tackling this major driver of crime, which we know disproportionately impacts the most vulnerable and poorest communities.
The Prime Minister Boris Johnson attends a police briefing before going on a police drugs raid by Merseyside police in Liverpool. Picture by Andrew Parsons / No 10 Downing Street
The government’s new strategy to tackle drugs, sets out a bold, long-term vision for the next decade. It is designed to cut crime and reduce both the supply and demand for drugs by getting more people into treatment, breaking the cycle of crime driven by addiction and keeping drug-related violence out of neighbourhoods across the country.
The strategy is backed by a new investment of almost £780 million for treatment – the largest ever increase – bringing total spending on drug enforcement and treatment to more than £3 billion over the next three years.
A world-leading treatment system will be developed for those dependent on drugs and support them to kick their addictions, prioritising areas with the greatest need.
Over the next three years, all local authorities will receive new money for treatment and recovery with the 50 local authorities in greatest need receiving this first to ensure that better access to treatment is fast tracked for the poorest and most vulnerable.
Illegal drugs carry a cost to the taxpayer of nearly £20 billion every year and almost half of all burglaries and robberies are committed by the 300,000 heroin and cocaine addicts in England with whole communities forced to endure the misery these cause.
Health and Social Care Secretary, Sajid Javid, said, “This is a huge moment which will not only save lives but help level up the country. We’re investing a record amount into treatment services with money to break the cycle of drug use and to support communities by cutting the drug use which drives crime. Treatment services are just one part of the comprehensive strategy which includes helping people back to work, into permanent housing, and cracking down on supply.”
To cut crime and reduce drug related deaths and harms over the next three years, the government plans to increase and improve treatment services to reduce harm and improve recovery rates significantly. This will mean more people receiving better quality treatment, including developing and expanding the treatment workforce, helping to prevent crime.
Improve offender drug treatment across the Prisons and Probation Service in England and Wales to get more offenders engaged in treatment, including mandatory and voluntary testing regimes in prison, support for prisoners to engage with community treatment ahead of their release and increasing the use of intensive Drug Rehabilitation Requirements for those on community sentences. This will help cut crime as those receiving treatment for their addiction are known to be half as likely to reoffend.
Increased housing support and access to treatment for those at risk of sleeping rough.
Roll out individual employment support across all Local Authorities in England by 2025 based on effective existing models to help people in recovery to get a job by supporting them to be ready for work and helping them to find a job that is right for them.
