A staggering £113bn has been wiped off exports of UK services as a result of Brexit – even before the sector was left out of the final trade agreement, new research suggests.
Industries from IT and finance to business and professional services are among some of the hardest hit since the 2016 vote to leave, experts at Aston University in Birmingham found.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are at risk of losing their rights to live and work both in the UK and on the continent because they are yet to apply for post-Brexit residency.
British citizens in France, Malta, Luxembourg and Latvia have until 30 June to apply for settled status. And thousands of EU nationals and their families in the UK are appealing for urgent help with applications.
Elsewhere, No 10 is refusing to say where Boris Johnson went for a short break after he and wife Carrie got married on Saturday. A Downing Street spokesperson said: “The PM spent Sunday and Monday away but is now back working.”
Asked where the newlyweds travelled, following suggestions that they were to visit the seaside, the spokesperson added: “It is a personal matter so I won’t be getting into any further detail.”
Unions furious as TfL forced to develop plan for driverless trains in return for funding
Boris Johnson’s government has demanded work is carried out on introducing driverless tube trains as part of the £1bn bailout agreed with Transport for London (TfL).
TfL chiefs have been forced to come up with a business plan for automated services on the London Underground’s Piccadilly and Waterloo and City lines in return for the latest funding package.
My colleague Adam Forrest reports:
Stop new Covid variants emerging by giving poorer countries more jabs, WHO, WTO, and IMF urge
Wealthy countries like the UK need to give more vaccines to developing countries in order to stop a new Covid-19 variant emerging and destroying progress against the virus, leading international bodies have warned.
The World Health Organisation, World Bank, World Trade Organisation, and International Monetary Fund are among organisations warning of a “two-track” pandemic and a “dangerous gap” between countries.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:
Nicola Sturgeon announces Glasgow lockdown restrictions to be eased from midnight Friday
Nicola Sturgeon has announced that coronavirus restrictions in Glasgow City will be eased from midnight on Friday, with the area moving into Level 2 measures.
The Scottish first minister said the country was at a “delicate and fragile point” of the pandemic, with the new delta variant accounting for over half of new daily cases.
In an update to Holyrood, she stressed the Scottish government must “err on the side of caution”, as she outlined what she described as a “slight slowing down of the easing of restrictions.
Our politics correspondent Ashley Cowburn has more details on this breaking story:
TfL funding package ‘falls well short’, Labour says
A government funding package to support Transport for London’s (TfL) finances amid collapsing demand for travel during the Covid pandemic “falls well-short” of what Londoners and the economy needs, Labour has said.
“It is adding insult on top of injury to expect TfL to stump up an extra £500m every year without unfairly punishing Londoners for doing the right thing by not using public transport during lockdown,” Sam Tarry, the shadow transport minister, said.
Earlier on Tuesday, it was announced that TfL had agreed a third funding package to keep services running amid declining passenger numbers.
The Department for Transport said the latest package is worth £1.08 billion and runs until 11 December.
Mr Tarry added: “The government needs to set out substantial, long-term funding for TfL that will enable it to plan for the future, secure thousands of jobs across the capital and continue to build a transport network that’s the envy of the world.
“Once again, this government has opted to play politics with TfL rather than giving it the backing it needs.”
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said the deal will support London and its transport network through the pandemic, and ensure it is a modern, efficient and viable network for the future.
Sadiq Khan, Labour’s London mayor, said it is “not the deal we wanted” but it ensures “we can continue to run vital transport services at this crucial time for our city”.
Does Johnson believe lockdown easing can go ahead on 21 June?
Does Boris Johnson still believe there is “nothing in the data” to suggest the lifting of all Covid restrictions on 21 June should be delayed, as he said last Thursday? asks our deputy politics editor, Rob Merrick.
The answer is……nobody knows, because he has been away for two days, celebrating his surprise wedding to Carrie Symonds, and his own spokesman has not bothered to ask him.
In the five days since last Thursday, the number of Covid infections has leapt by 30 per cent, and admissions to hospitals by 23 per cent, so it seems clear that the situation is deteriorating.
But, asked whether Mr Johnson still believes next month’s full unlocking remains on course, his spokesman told reporters “you have got the prime minister’s words from last Thursday”.
It then emerged he has not even spoken to the prime minister, who “spent Sunday and Monday away”, despite the fact that “he is now back working from Downing Street”.
Of course, interviewed last Thursday, Mr Johnson also warned “we may need to wait” by delaying the 21 June roadmap date – so what the prime minister really thinks is, as ever, uncertain.
And where did the happy couple go: “It is a personal matter so I won’t be going into any further details,” journalists were told.
India Covid variant shows test-and-trace isn’t working, top biologist says
The dramatic surge of infections with a Covid variant first detected in India proves that the £37bn test-and-trace system “doesn’t work”, an Oxford biologist says.
The system – hailed as “world-beating” by health secretary Matt Hancock and others – should have been able to curb the spread when cases were originally low, Professor James Naismith said.
Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick has more details:
I’d be happy if Covid restrictions went beyond 21 June – it will mean greater protection for us all
Vaccinations are key. As we all should know by now, no one is safe until everyone is safe, writes our associate editor, Sean O’Grady.
Read Sean’s full piece here:
Israel should listen to its friends
Israel has always seen itself as a beacon of freedom and democracy in the Middle East, writes Dominic Grieve. But the interpretation and application of law are being skewed to try and protect the interests of one community only.
Read Dominic’s full piece below:
Dominic Grieve: Israel should listen to its friends
Israel has always seen itself as a beacon of freedom and democracy in the Middle East. But the interpretation and application of law are being skewed to try and protect the interests of one community only, writes Dominic Grieve
ICYMI: Boris Johnson’s wedding makes him the most theatrical PM. And Carrie may compensate for his weaknesses
The spouse to the prime minister is the most misunderstood part of the British constitution, writes Anthony Seldon. The now-Ms Johnson has far greater potential to influence than the norm.
Read Anthony’s full piece here:
TfL agrees £1.08bn government funding amid collapse in demand for travel during pandemic
Transport for London has agreed a third government bailout to keep services running amid the collapse in demand for travel during the pandemic.
The Department for Transport said the latest package is worth £1.08 billion and runs until 11 December.
Full report below:
