Brexit news – live: No-deal looms amid crunch talks as Boris Johnson rejects Marcus Rashford’s campaign

National lockdown only certain way to beat disease, government medical expert told Andy Burnham

Deputy chief medical officer Jonathan Van Tam has told regional civic leaders that the only certain way to deal with coronavirus would be a national lockdown, Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has said.

EU president leaves summit after just 30 minutes as team member tests positive for Covid

The president of the European Commission has had to leave a major EU summit after just 30 minutes, in order to self-isolate, writes Jon Stone

Ursula von der Leyen said a member of her team had tested positive for coronavirus and that she was leaving “as a precaution”.

MP who travelled cross-country with coronavirus escapes police action

The MP who broke coronavirus guidelines by making a cross-country trip while infected has escaped police action, writes Rob Merrick.

Margaret Ferrier, an SNP MP, made the journey to Scotland before the regulations legally requiring someone to self-isolate such travel came into force, the Met said.

EU leaders drop pledge to ‘intensify’ trade talks as Boris Johnson threatens walk-out

EU leaders have dropped a pledge to “intensify” Brexit negotiations after this week’s summit, in signs that Brussels is prepared to call Boris Johnson’s bluff on his threat to walk away from trade talks, writes Jon Stone.

A leaked draft of conclusions prepared by officials ahead of the Thursday meeting had urged Michel Barnier to step up the pace of negotiations to reach a deal.

But a new draft seen by The Independent, drawn up after further behind the scenes negotiation, has a downgraded Brexit section with all reference to intensification removed.

‘Merry Christmas kids’: Marcus Rashford hits back at No 10 for rejecting campaign

Marcus Rashford has hit back at Downing Street after it indicated ministers would not provide free school meals to children during the Christmas holiday.

The England and Manchester United striker wrote on Twitter: “Merry Christmas kids…

“It’s also not for food banks to feed millions of British children but here we are. 250 per cent increase in food poverty and rising…

“This is not going away anytime soon and neither am I…”

His comments came after a No 10 spokesman said: “It’s not for schools to regularly provide food to pupils during the school holidays.”

Summit talks ‘a question of fairness,’ European Council president says

European Council president Charles Michel tweeted: “Today we will discuss our future relationship with the UK.

“We want an agreement, but we also want to protect the level playing field.

“It’s a question of fairness and the integrity of the single market.” 

Tory backlash over government putting London in tier 2

The government has faced backlash from London-based Tory MPs for putting the entire capital into tier 2 and not just the individual boroughs with higher infection rates.

Tory former cabinet minister Iain Duncan Smith said: “I want to follow (Sir Bob Neill). London is huge, whether people like it or not it is very diverse and each of the boroughs, many of them are bigger than most of the towns in the rest of the UK.

“Surely we need to look again at the nature of this London-wide tier 2 position because there could even be regional areas that could be taken out, there are big disparities.

“Please think again, otherwise, as one constituent has literally rang me today has said – is this in fact a London-wide Tier 2 to stop the North/South divide argument running?”

Matt Hancock replied: “No, just on the last point, absolutely not. The decision has been taken on the basis of the data across London.

“And we did consider the borough-by-borough approach that he understandably advocates, but the decision that we came to is because the cases are rising throughout the capital therefore it was right for the capital to move as a whole – and that was supported by the cross-party team who are working on this at a London level.”

Irish fishing rights one of key issues in Brexit negotiations, taoiseach says

Irish premier Micheal Martin has said it is very important that his country’s fishing communities are protected in any trade deal with the UK.

Arriving for the EU summit in Brussels, the taoiseach said future fishing rights was one of the key issues still to be resolved in the negotiations.

“It is very important to us in Ireland that our coastal communities are protected in an overall deal on Brexit through a sensible and fair fisheries deal,” he said.

Rees-Mogg told to ‘get off his high horse’ over restrictions on virtual Parliament

Jacob Rees-Mogg has been told to “get off his high horse” and remove restrictions on the virtual participation of MPs in Parliament.

Conservative former cabinet minister Dame Cheryl Gillan said: “Despite having the technology, elected MPs who for valid medical or other reasons cannot attend Parliament, are denied the right to participate remotely in proceedings other than the questions, statements and select committees that colleagues have mentioned.

“However, it’s good enough for the unelected members of the Lords who are able to use remote facilities to participate in debate, and so a vital part of democracy is currently being denied to elected MPs. In the face of the rising tide of Covid infections, can we have a debate on the death of democracy in the mother of parliaments?

“Or will (Mr Rees-Mogg) now get off his high horse and remove this restriction which has resulted in the discriminatory silencing of the voices of so many of his colleagues, leaving them unable to perform their scrutiny function?”

Mr Rees-Mogg responded: “I’m obviously sympathetic to the position (Dame Cheryl) finds herself in. She is a much respected member of this House. But the truth is that democracy has not died, it is thriving because we are holding our debates properly. And (Dame Cheryl) does take part, she is taking part now in interrogative proceedings which is an exception to our normal course of businesses, but debates do not work without interventions.”

He added: “As regards the House of Lords, the other place, their remote voting system went down and they had to do it all over again. We cannot have systems that fail, whereas when we are here in person the debates work, the legislation is challenged and democracy is upheld.”

Government urged to lay out London lockdown exit plan

The government has been urged to set out an “exit plan” for ensuring London is placed back into tier 1.

Tory Nickie Aiken (Cities of London and Westminster) said: “It is so vital that we do have a pathway and an exit plan to take London back to Tier 1 as soon as possible.

“I am particularly concerned about the impact of local people and businesses in my constituency and central London, particularly on the mental health issues that we are facing.”

Matt Hancock replied: “(Ms Aiken) is right to raise these issues and these are difficult choices that we face.

“She has raised with me previously the need for the plan for exit so that we can motivate people to do what is needed to get the disease under control in London.

“In her constituency, almost more than any other, the impact of decisions to restrict social life has a very significant direct impact. But on both the economic and on health grounds, what I would say is that the need to get this virus under control helps on both counts.”