The Telegraph Frontpage for 2022 November 24

By Danny Boyle Good morning. Getting a GP appointment can be tricky. Now, doctors who fail to see patients in person are to be shamed. Meanwhile, Britons are being urged to slash their energy use to beat Vladimir Putin, as Ukraine faced a fresh barrage of deadly missile strikes (above).

GPs to be shamed for failing to see patients in person

Health chiefs say emergency departments have never been under so much strain – and that the “gridlock” is linked to patients being unable to book GP appointments. Family doctors who fail to see patients face-to-face will be named and shamed for the first time, amid concern that poor access is fuelling a growing A&E crisis. The health service will today publish data on every GP surgery in England, showing how long people have to wait for an appointment and the proportion of them which happen in person. As health editor Laura Donnelly reports, health chiefs will today also launch a campaign urging the public to avoid A&E as much as possible this winter. It seems a good time to remind you of our NHS data tracker, which lets you check waiting times by hospital.

Cut energy use to help beat Russia, says Chancellor Britain must cut energy usage by 15pc to defeat Vladimir Putin, Jeremy Hunt has said, as the country scrambles to head off potential disruption this winter. The Chancellor urged households to “play your part” in reducing the UK’s vulnerability to Russia and other despotic regimes. It came as the electricity operator EDF delayed the reopening of three French nuclear power stations, triggering concerns that Britain could struggle to import energy from across the Channel on days when domestic supply runs short. Government advice recently published online suggests turning down radiators in empty rooms and reducing boiler flow temperatures to save energy. Boudicca Fox-Leonard has rounded up 10 easy ways to reduce electricity and gas use at home. Meanwhile, a fresh barrage of deadly Russian missile strikes against Ukraine’s beleaguered power network left most of the country without electricity, as well as about half of the neighbouring country of Moldova. A 17-year-old girl was among three killed in the strikes, as the European Parliament voted to declare Russia a state sponsor of terrorism. While most of the missiles targeted power grids, they also hit a crossroads in Kyiv and bodies were seen lying in the light snow in the suburbs of the Ukrainian capital. Ben Farmer has the latest from Ukraine and Con Coughlin examines how he thinks Vladimir Putin’s rule might end. PS: The revival of Russia’s storied Moskvitch car brand raised eyebrows for its remarkable similarity to an existing Chinese design.

Moskvitch’s rebirth was intended as a symbol of Russia’s resilience to Western sanctions that have crippled its automotive industry. Some of its older models, like the M-407, were some of the first Soviet cars to be successful in the West.

Also in the news this morning Ex-PM’s jibe | Boris Johnson has compared Liz Truss’s mini-Budget to a badly played piano in a reference to a Morecambe and Wise sketch. Asked by CNN Portugal what he thought of his successor’s tax-cutting plans, the ex-prime minister tried to sidestep the issue, but then said: “It’s kind of like when I play the piano. The notes individually sound perfectly OK, but they’re not in the right order.” Read more from his interview.

Phone scam site smashed | UK’s biggest anti-fraud operation The Met police have smashed a global online fraud shop selling tools that allowed criminals to carry out phone scams on hundreds of thousands of unsuspecting victims. Detectives disabled the iSpoof website as part of the biggest anti-fraud operation ever mounted in the UK. Criminals using software purchased from the illegal site targeted victims around the world in order to steal hundreds of millions of pounds…. 34-year-old Teejai Fletcher, who lived in a luxury flat in the Docklands, allowed heartless criminals to disguise their phone numbers and trick unsuspecting people into believing they were being called by their bank. He has been charged with making or supplying articles for use in fraud, participating in activities of an organised crime group and proceeds of crime offences. Newly-released emails | Scientists ignored lab link Covid theory Top scientists including Sir Patrick Vallance were warned that Covid-19 could have evolved in laboratory animals, but collaborated in a paper which shut down the lab leak theory, it has emerged. Airports | New 3D scanners spell end of hand luggage liquid rules Airport liquid security restrictions could be scrapped by 2024 because high-tech 3D scanners that can detect liquids are poised to be rolled out nationwide. It is believed that the requirement to fly only with 100ml bottles of fluids, as well as removing laptops, tablets and cameras from hand luggage while going through security, may be dropped thanks to the technology. Tribunal | Headmaster told teacher ‘you’ve really let yourself go’ A headmaster who told a teacher “you’ve really let yourself go since you got married” has been banned permanently from the profession. … The Teaching Regulation Agency ruled he had committed unacceptable professional conduct and he was banned from the profession at a disciplinary hearing in Coventry, West Midlands. Roger Woods, the panel chair, said: “The panel’s findings against Mr Scott involved inappropriate comments and behaviour of an inappropriate, unprofessional and derogatory nature in relation to various staff members but also, in some instances pupils.” Cat’s out the bag | Airport workers shocked by X-ray – pictured

Around the world: Biden in fresh call for gun controls

US president Joe Biden called for renewed action on gun control after America’s latest mass shooting left at least six dead at a Walmart store in Virginia. A manager at the supermarket opened fire on employees in a break room before they started their shifts. US editor Nick Allen reports how one survivor said the gunman laughed during the attack.

Anti-gun violence activists pray outside the Walmart in Chesapeake. Credit: Getty

Comment and analysis

Allister Heath | Tories face electoral meltdown worse than 1997 The Conservative Party, having jettisoned not just its principles but also its hunger for power, is locked in a political death spiral. Senior figures, consumed by defeatism, have already privately given up, and there is a real possibility of a wipeout of an even greater magnitude than that suffered at the hands of Tony Blair in 1997. Michael Deacon | Just wait until you see where Fifa goes next Critics continue to protest that the Middle Eastern oil state doesn’t deserve to host the tournament because of its record on human rights. Tim Robey | Why all the love for embarrassing Love Actually? In 2003, Love Actually was Richard Curtis’s Christmas present to the nation – an enormous, gift-wrapped confection bejeweled with all his favourite stars. The marketing machine went into overdrive, and the box office, spanning the entire period from November through February, was a crackerjack £36.4 million in the UK alone. Telegraph View | The SNP should stick to governing Scotland the Supreme Court has ruled another referendum on Scottish independence unlawful unless agreed by the UK Parliament. Reader letters | NHS must focus on waiting lists not home-working

Editor’s choice

	Silicon Valley | As the axe is swung, Ireland counts the cost of its tech addiction persistent lobbying by the Irish Industrial Development Agency (IDA), including the offer of lucrative tax breaks, convinced executives like future Facebook operations chief Sheryl Sandberg to think seriously about basing itself in the Irish capital. + Ireland has aggressively defended this set up, winning a recent appeal against European authorities that were trying to force Apple to pay the Irish state €13bn in back taxes on the basis it was illegal state aid. Big Tech’s commitment to Ireland has helped the state reap massive taxes on profits. This year, they are expected to bring in €20bn. But government officials have warned these boom years are coming to an end. Multinational tech companies are now focused on slashing costs.
	I’m a Celebrity, fifth eviction | Matt Hancock defies odds by seeing off half the field
	Die Another Day | 20 years on, is this really the daftest Bond film ever made?

Business briefing: Strikes to cost hospitality £1.5bn Rail strikes in the crucial weeks leading up to Christmas will cost pubs and restaurants as much as £1.5billion in lost sales, industry chiefs have warned. Hospitality bosses said the walkouts by the RMT union just days before Christmas would be “devastating” for companies already facing soaring costs and labour shortages. Meanwhile, Network Rail is under pressure to cancel engineering works in December before rail strikes.

Here is a selection of articles we think you’ll be interested in today.

Opinion – Why Cyril Ramaphosa’s attempted moral blackmail of the UK was an astute move Boris Johnson compares Liz Truss’s mini-budget to farcical Morecambe and Wise sketch Cobra holds meetings amid fears winter crises are on way Opinion – Desperate Nicola Sturgeon never stood a cat in hell’s chance General election will now be ‘de facto referendum’ on Scottish independence, says Nicola Sturgeon – live updates