Nadhim Zahawi struggles to defend Boris Johnson over isolation decision
Downing Street has failed to deny reports that National Insurance contributions could be increased to fund a new social care plan, in a move that would break a Conservative manifesto pledge.
Boris Johnson is said to be considering plans to raise National Insurance payments by one percentage point for employers and employees to raise £10 billion a year to help support the ageing population.
The prime minister is yet to get a deal over the line but is understood to be close, and has declined to rule out tax rises to pay for his long-awaited social care reforms.
Speaking to reporters during the first in-person Westminster briefing since the coronavirus pandemic began, his official spokesman said: “There’s continued speculation but I’m simply not going to be engaged with that speculation. The process for agreeing our proposals is still ongoing.”
The unveiling the long-awaited plans to overhaul the social care service has been delayed until the autumn, it emerged on Tuesday, after Mr Johnson failed to reach agreement with key ministers ahead of parliament’s summer recess.
The plan was due to be announced this week, to spare the prime minister the embarrassment of the two-year anniversary since he arrived in No 10 claiming to have a worked-up solution to the care crisis.
Exclusive: Boris Johnson’s lockdown-sceptic WhatsApps echo widely-discredited article
Boris Johnson’s lockdown-sceptic messages to Dominic Cummings last autumn closely resemble ideas in a fringe anti-lockdown opinion piece published in the Telegraph newspaper a few days earlier, writes our policy correspondent Jon Stone.
All the claims revealed in leaked WhatsApps were made virtually word-for-word in a comment piece published just a few days before in the 11 October edition of the newspaper – which until recently paid Mr Johnson £275,000 a year.
China hits out at UK’s ‘groundless and irresponsible’ cyber attack accusations
China has hit out at the UK and other western nations for “groundless and irresponsible” accusations that it was behind major “systematic cyber sabotage”.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab on Monday said Chinese state-backed groups were responsible for a “reckless” attack on Microsoft Exchange servers earlier this year.
But the Chinese embassy in the UK today said the claims were a “sheer fabrication and slander”.
“The Chinese side is gravely concerned and strongly opposed to this,” a spokesperson said.
“We call on the UK side to immediately stop echoing the groundless and irresponsible accusation against China.
“China is a staunch defender of cyber security and a main victim of cyber thefts and attacks.”
China also pointed the finger at the US for being involved in cyber theft and surveillance, while accusing the UK of “double standards”.
Lockdown-sceptic Tory MP says he will vote against proposals for Covid passports in nightclubs
The vice chairman of the 1922 Committee of Conservative MPs, Sir Charles Walker (Broxbourne), said he would vote against Government proposals for the use of Covid passports in nightclubs.
Asked on BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme if he would back the plans in a vote, he said: “It will be a vote that I will vote against the government, I’ve voted against the government on most things to do with Covid.”
The lockdown-sceptic added: “The government said that it wasn’t going to introduce vaccines passports, and is.
“I think it will start with nightclubs then quickly move on to other venues and parts of the hospitality sector.
“I’m afraid this is just part of the pattern, things are ruled out then a volte-face is done.”
No 10 fails to confirm when critical workers will be exempt from self-isolation – and who is eligible
Downing Street fails to confirm when fully-vaccinated critical workers will begin being granted exemptions from isolation rules after Covid-19 contacts under Boris Johnson’s new plan to ease the “pingdemic”.
No 10 also could not set out on Tuesday how many people the Government will approve for the loosened rules ahead of the full relaxation for everyone who is double-jabbed on 16 August.
Boris Johnson announced plans for a “small number” of critical workers to be able to continue their functions – but has so far failed to clarify who would be eligible.
The PM’s official spokesman said: “It’s not a blanket exemption and my understanding is we’re not going to be producing a list covering individual sectors, these business-critical areas will be able to apply for exemptions to their host departments.”
Asked specifically about supermarket workers, he said: “We’re not seeking to draw lines specifically around who or who is not exempt. What’s important is to make sure critical services are able to function and get that balance right between requiring people to isolate… but also making sure critical services can function.”
No 10 denies Cummings’ claim PM wanted to see Queen early in pandemic
Downing Street has flatly denied Dominic Cummings’ allegation Boris Johnson wanted to visit the Queen early in the pandemic despite coronavirus having hit No 10.
The former chief aide in No 10 alleged that he had to convince the prime minister out of visiting her by warning of the potentially grave consequences.
But the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “This didn’t happen and we’ve been clear about that.”
No 10 denies Cummings’ claim PM wanted to see Queen early in pandemic
Downing Street has flatly denied Dominic Cummings’ allegation Boris Johnson wanted to visit the Queen early in the pandemic despite coronavirus having hit No 10.
The former chief aide in No 10 alleged that he had to convince the prime minister out of visiting her by warning of the potentially grave consequences.
But the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “This didn’t happen and we’ve been clear about that.”
Care plan postponed to autumn
The unveiling of long-awaited government plans to overhaul the social care service has been delayed until the autumn, after Boris Johnson failed to reach agreement with key ministers ahead of parliament’s summer recess, writes political editor Andrew Woodcock.
The prime minister, chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid are known to be close to agreement on a scheme for funding care for elderly people, thought to involve a controversial hike in National Insurance payments by working-age people which was branded “inequitable” by experts.
Ex-Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson takes seat in House of Lords
Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has taken her seat on the red benches in the House of Lords.
Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in which she swore the oath of allegiance to the Queen.
She was flanked by supporters Lord Keen of Elie, the former Advocate General for Scotland, and Lord McInnes of Kilwinning, who recently announced he was stepping down as director of the Scottish Conservatives to advise the Prime Minister on the Union.
Her title comes from the village in Fife where she grew up and her parents still live, according to the party.
The 42-year-old, who served as an MSP from 2011 to 2021 and stood down as leader in August 2019, is the fifth former Scottish leader to be appointed to the Lords.
She has said her role will involve “making sure all UK-wide laws are fit for purpose” and that her areas of particular interest include gambling reform, end-of-life choices, and “reforming the House of Lords into a democratic chamber”.
Word ‘beauty’ to be specifically included in planning rules for first time, says Robert Jenrick
The coronavirus pandemic has pushed the government to deliver “more and better homes” in a way that is “more urgent and important than ever before”, the housing secretary has said.
Launching a push to replace “ugly, unsustainable and poor quality” buildings with a preference for the “beautiful”, Robert Jenrick said the word “beauty” will be specifically included in planning rules for the first time since the system was created in 1947.
And he said the aim was to echo an era when a greater emphasis was placed on delivering attractive buildings for people that installed a sense of local pride, with the belief that better homes would stop opposition to new developments.
Downing Street fails to deny reports of National Insurance hike to pay for social care reforms
Downing Street has not denied National Insurance contributions could be increased to fund a new social care plan, in a move that would break a Conservative manifesto pledge.
Boris Johnson is reportedly considering plans to raise National Insurance payments by one percentage point for employers and employees to raise £10 billion a year to help support the ageing population.
The prime minister is yet to get a deal over the line but is understood to be close, and has declined to rule out tax rises to pay for his long-awaited social care reforms.
His official spokesman told reporters this afternoon: “There’s continued speculation but I’m simply not going to be engaged with that speculation.
“The process for agreeing our proposals is still ongoing.
“We will set that out before the end of the year.”
