The Budget 1) Sunak makes case for tax increases  "Rishi Sunak has laid the groundwork for tax rises after he said it was time to "level with people" about the problems facing the economy. The chancellor confirmed yesterday that he would extend coronavirus support in the budget on Wednesday but warned that the pandemic had an "enormous hold" on the economy. He repeatedly declined to deny telling Conservative MPs that he was planning to raise taxes in the short to medium term in order to be able to cut them again before the next election. Sunak is expected to announce a pathway to increase the rate of corporation tax from 19 per cent to 25 per cent over this parliament. He is likely to announce a "stealth tax" by freezing the lifetime allowance on pensions, the amount people can build up in their pension pot before incurring punitive charges." - The Times
People smugglers will be jailed for life, vows Patel  "People smugglers will face life sentences under Priti Patel's plans to crack down on Channel crossings, The Times has learnt. The home secretary is expected to announce the move in an attempt to increase from three years the average length of sentences for gangsters convicted of assisting illegal immigration. The longer jail terms are part of a series of deterrent measures due to take effect next year. Ministers fear a rise in crossings this year as migrants try to reach Britain before the law is tightened. Eighty-seven migrants crossed the Channel in warmer weather on Saturday, pushing this year's total to 531 — 40 per cent higher than at the same time last year. A further 51 attempts to cross the Channel on the same day were intercepted by the French authorities." - The Times
Coronavirus 1) Hancock hails 20 million vaccinations  "More than 20 million people in Britain have been given their first dose of a coronavirus vaccine. Boris Johnson hailed the "huge national achievement" as the figure was announced yesterday, with almost 800,000 also having had a second jab. The news came as health officials said that they had identified the first British cases of the Manaus variant that may spread more rapidly and respond less well to existing vaccines. Public Health England said it had identified six cases of the variant, which was first detected in the Brazilian city of Manaus, three of which were in England and three in Scotland." - The Times
- Single Covid vaccine reduces risk of going to hospital by 90 per cent - The Times
- Germany urged to follow Britain's vaccine strategy as regulators look set to approve AstraZeneca for over 65s - Daily Telegraph
More: - Surge in cancer cases after Covid caused dental care delays - The Times
- Long waits for the treatment of eating disorders in the pandemic are putting lives at risk, a senior doctor has warned - The Times
- More than 34,000 people with dementia have died from Covid, say campaigners - Daily Telegraph
>Today: Analysis: - Green pass: how are Covid vaccine passports working for Israel? - The Guardian
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"Six people in Britain have tested positive for a Covid-19 mutation that is potentially more infectious and resistant to vaccines as a nationwide search is launched for one unidentified case. Health officials are hunting an unknown person who has been infected with the variant after the mutation first identified in Manaus, Brazil, was confirmed in the UK at the weekend. The P.1 variant is similar to the South African mutations, is highly contagious and is linked to greater risk of reinfection. There has been little research into vaccine efficacy against this strain. Two of the cases in England are from one household in South Gloucestershire. The third is an individual who took a test on February 12 or 13 but did not complete their
"Britain is in danger of more chemical attacks because terrorists can learn how to make the weapons they need online, the defence secretary has said in a warning three years after the Salisbury poisoning. Ben Wallace said that Russia remained an "adversary" and that the threat was more uncertain even than during the Cold War because of the unpredictability of the Kremlin. The Salisbury attacks in March 2018, when Vladimir Putin's agents used novichok in an attempt to kill Sergei Skripal, brought home to parliament the reality of the threat from Russia, he said. Dawn Sturgess, 44, died four months later after touching a discarded bottle containing the nerve agent." - 
"Donald Trump on Sunday launched his attempted political comeback, teasing a possible run for the presidency in 2024 and denouncing Joe Biden for "the most disastrous first month of any president in modern history". The former president made his first speech since leaving the White House at the rightwing Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Orlando, Florida, to an effusive reception. Trump claims, entirely falsely, that he actually won the 2020 election but was fraudulently denied his victory. He told CPAC the Democrats "just lost" the White House, despite the fact that Joe Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the US on 20 January, sworn in by the supreme court chief justice, John Roberts. And officials at all levels called the election the most secure in US history." - 
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