News diary 10-16 May: Crowds gather for Brit Awards and FA Cup final while DUP elects next leader
Monday
The latest update on the Covid exit roadmap is due to be presented ahead of the next stage of restrictions easing, with ministers expected to confirm whether significant changes to international travel, hospitality and household mixing can go ahead as planned. The continuing success of the government’s vaccination programme and declining infection rates mean the planned changes, which include indoor openings at pubs and restaurants, are unlikely to be delayed, though even meeting the 17 May target may not be enough for many struggling hospitality businesses.
Thursday s papers: Life expectancy gap, summer travel, EU pressure
Lifestyle and access to healthcare may be factors in the wide gap in income-related life expectancy, writes Helsingin Sanomat.
Pressure is growing to ease international travel.
Image: Jaani Lampinen / YLE
Finland s largest circulation daily, Helsingin Sanomat, points to statistics showing that a university-educated male engineer living in Espoo is likely to live 12 years longer than a low-income man living in Kajaani in the northeastern Kainuu region.
Overall, that gap is nine years. Nationally, higher-income men have a life expectancy of 82 years. Low-income men are likely to die nearly a decade earlier, at about age 73.
Cabinet ministers wanting sight of information about some of the 25 bills that will be outlined on May 11 have been ordered to examine it while being recorded remotely.
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openDemocracy is going to court to force the British government to release full details about its controversial ‘Clearing House’– a secretive unit inside Michael Gove’s Cabinet Office, which is accused of blocking sensitive Freedom of Information (FOI) requests.
In November, openDemocracy revealed that the ‘Orwellian’ unit in the Cabinet Office was vetting FOI requests and sharing personal information about journalists across Whitehall in ways that experts believe could be in breach of the law.
The Cabinet Office has refused to disclose full details about the Clearing House operation under the Freedom of Information Act – despite the FOI watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office, ordering it to do so in July 2020.
Government appoints new ministerial standards adviser ahead of PMQs The UK Government has announced it has appointed a new independent adviser on ministerial standards. Crossbencher Lord Christopher Geidt will serve as the Independent Adviser on Ministers’ Interests from today, and will begin looking at the funding of the revamp to Mr Johnson s flat. The announcement comes just half an hour before Prime Minister s Questions is due to begin, where Mr Johnson is expected to face a barrage of questions over allegations of cronyism and funding of the revamp to No.11 Downing Street, where Mr Johnson lives with his fiancee Carrie Symonds and their son Wilfred.