Markus Andrews

Britain has agreed a new fisheries deal with the European Union over how to divide up shared stocks in the year ahead, prompting dismay among environmentalists.Under the Brexit trade deal, London and Brussels are required to annually agree on catch quotas and fishing rights in the North Sea and Atlantic Ocean – a separate affair from the row over fishing licences which has sparked threats of a trade war and prompted French trawlers to blockade the Channel.In contrast to the tone typically ascribed to the spat with France – and thorny negotiations over the Northern Ireland Protocol – European minister Joze Podgorsek hailed the agreement as being “thanks to good will and a constructive approach on both sides”, setting “a good precedent for future negotiations with the UK”.Environment secretary George Eustice also welcomed the “balanced agreement”, which the government said will provide around 140,000 tonnes of fishing opportunities for UK fleets, estimated to be worth around £313m, based on historic landing prices.One fishing industry expert told The Independent that the deal “largely follows the same pattern” as the first annual deal, which was only struck in June, reportedly after months of difficult talks mired in disputes over how to both meet environmental aims and ensure maximum access for fishermen.“Nevertheless, the signs are that the underlying tensions arising from the UK’s departure from the EU have been in evidence throughout this set of negotiations,” said Barrie Deas, chief executive of the National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations (NFFO).While Mr Deas said the negotiations themselves had been “utterly opaque”, causing “palpable” frustration among industry representatives, he claimed that the European Commission “appears to have had a torrid time with some of its member states”.But despite the avoidance of a political stand-off across the Channel, environmentalists greeted the deal with alarm.Lamenting that Wednesday’s agreement “should have been the beginning of a new post-Brexit era of truly sustainable, science-based fisheries management”, ClientEarth expert Jenni Grossmann said that instead of giving vulnerable fish stocks “a decisive nudge towards recovery”, ministers had “chosen to keep them on the brink”.Stocks, such as cod in the Celtic Sea and west of Scotland, will continue to hover on the brink of commercial extinction, she said.“Just like in pre-Brexit times, they have continued to prioritise short-term commercial interests over long-term sustainability for both fish and fishers – perpetuating the dire state of these depleted stocks,” Ms Grossmann said.And others suggested the deal did not live up to a post-Brexit commitments towards sustainable fishing.“The agreed ambition expressed in the [Brexit trade deal] was that of recovering shared fish populations and maintaining them above healthy levels,” said Vera Coelho, senior director of advocacy at the Oceana environmental group. “This is lacking in the current agreement as certain fish populations, like west of Scotland herring, Irish Sea whiting or Celtic Sea cod, will continue to be overexploited in 2022.”But Mr Deas, of the NFFS, complained that catch limits for a range of species appeared to have been “artificially” set below scientific advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, “ostensibly to protect cod”, claiming that UK ministers seemed to have taken the lead during negotiations “in promoting a hardline approach, presumably to placate the environmental lobby”.“This does not amount to a coherent or convincing approach to doing what can be done to maintain cod stocks during a period of rapid environmental change whilst maintaining viable fisheries on other stocks,” he said.The deal also commits the UK and EU to “rapidly develop” new strategies to ensure the sustainable management of non-quota species, which can be thrown back into the sea after being caught. But both parties agreed not to apply fishing limits to these species – which include gurnards, catfish, weevers and squid – in the year ahead.“This is likely to be one of the most important, complex, and sensitive policy areas during 2022 and beyond,” Mr Deas said.In a statement, the environment secretary Mr Eustice said the talks had “secured certainty for the incoming year, adding: “The balanced agreement made today provides a strong foundation as we seek to deliver more sustainable fisheries management, as set out in our landmark Fisheries Act.” More

Tory frontbencher Jacob Rees-Mogg has been cleared of breaking parliamentary rules over £6 million he received in cheap loans.Kathryn Stone, the independent parliamentary commissioner, announced the decision on Wednesday on parliament’s website, saying the full verdict will be published in “due course”.Last month, Ms Stone was tasked with investigating claims that the leader of the Commons had breached paragraph 14 of the MP’s Code of Conduct, which obliges politicians to declare their financial interests in an “open and frank” manner.Labour alleged the North East Somerset MP had fallen foul of this rule by not declaring millions of pounds in director’s loans from his property company Saliston Limited between 2018 and 2020.Mr Rees-Mogg said he had paid interests on the loans, which he used to buy and renovate his London home.Ms Stone ruled in his favour, informing him last week that the complaint had not been upheld. On Wednesday, she said the decision had been reached because she felt the loans were “connected solely” to his personal life and, as a result, would not have influenced his actions as an MP.“Having considered the matter carefully, I have concluded that the evidence does not demonstrate that a breach of the rules has occurred,” she wrote.Rees-Mogg tweeted on Wednesday that he was “grateful to the commissioner for swiftly rejecting this accusation”.He added a quote from Shakespeare’s Othello: “Who steals my purse steals trash, but he that filches from me my good name robs me of that which not enriches him, and makes me poor indeed.”Earlier this year, Mr Rees-Mogg was involved in a failed Tory attempt to reduce the power of the commissioner’s office to investigate MPs. The minister also played a hand in the government’s botched bid to allow Owen Paterson to avoid a month-long suspension, after the standards committee found the then Tory MP had breached lobbying rules. More

Boris Johnson has shelved a decision on tougher Covid restrictions for the new year holiday until after Christmas, prompting an accusation that he is “paralysed” by cabinet infighting.Time is running out to act before 2022 arrives after the prime minister stayed silent, even as daily UK infections topped 100,000 for the first time and the rest of the UK imposed crackdowns.The cabinet – whose approval is needed for new measures – is “not expected” to meet before Christmas and neither is a decision on the recall of parliament, The Independent understands.Next Wednesday is thought to be the last day MPs can be brought back to pass legislation in time for New Year’s Eve, suggesting an announcement must be made before the Christmas break.The delay will come as a relief to hospitality and entertainment businesses desperate not to have to “cancel new year”, after the threat to Christmas gatherings was lifted on Tuesday.Gillian Keegan, the health minister, argued the wait-and-see approach – with some emerging data suggesting the Omicron variant is less dangerous than feared – was “better” than curbing people’s freedoms now.But the first minister of Wales, where the “rule of 6”, table service only and 2-metre social distancing will be restored in hospitality settings from Boxing Day, tore into the indecision in London.“I think that the UK government is in a state of paralysis about all of this,” Mark Drakeford said, as he announced the restrictions.“We see the reports of infighting within the cabinet. There are, as I would see it, sensible voices urging the prime minister to act to protect the NHS and to protect people’s lives as he has in previous waves.”Mr Drakeford dismissed the claim of inconclusive evidence, adding: “I don’t believe it’s because they don’t see the data. They see the data, but they’re not prepared to act on it.”Mr Johnson found himself isolated after Wales followed Scotland in taking action, a day after Nicola Sturgeon limited football crowds to just 500 fans and ordered table service only in pubs.In Northern Ireland, nightclubs will close and only 3 households will be allowed to meet indoors from next Monday.The case for delay was bolstered by the first published study into the extent to which soaring Omicron infections will trigger a surge in hospital admissions, potentially swamping the NHS.The Scottish study stated: “Omicron is associated with a two-thirds reduction in the risk of Covid-19 hospitalisation when compared to Delta.”A leaked study by the UK Health Security Agency is thought to echo that finding, that people who fall ill with Omicron are less likely to become severely sick than those who contract Delta, the variant it is replacing.However, cases are not necessarily mild enough to avoid large numbers of hospitalisations, the data to be published before Christmas is expected to say.Tony Blair backed Mr Johnson’s decision to delay tougher rules, but criticised his failure to be “frank with people” and said the decision was political, not based on claims of missing data.“It’s really because the pain of going into a full lockdown, and with this variant that’s the only thing that would really work,” the former prime minister told Times Radio.“If you were taking a purely precautionary view of this, you would impose further restrictions, probably quite draconian restrictions,” he said, but warned “the public’s just been through too much”.Mr Johnson has also been undermined by anger over lockdown-busting No 10 parties a year ago, which has made people less willing to accept restrictions.Sajid Javid, the health secretary, argued decisions about new year curbs are still “under review”.“It is fast-changing, the situation, there’s more data not just here from home but from abroad. We keep an eye on all that data and discuss it with our expert advisers,” he said. More

As the Omicron variant takes hold across Britain, Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford has moved to toughen social restrictions from Boxing Day, reintroducing the “rule of six” for hospitality venues and moving the country to “alert level two”.Mr Drakeford said Wales was facing a “very serious situation” as a result of the variant, with “many thousands” of new cases expected per day after Christmas.Effective from 6am on 26 December, his government will now introduce a “general requirement of two metre social distancing in all premises open to the public and workplaces, where reasonable”.Gatherings in venues such as pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres will be limited to six people while all licensed premises will be required to bring back table service. Face coverings will also be mandatory apart from when customers are seated.Mr Drakeford added on Wednesday that large events will not be allowed indoors or outdoors, with the maximum number of people of people who can gather at indoor event being capped at 30 and 50 outdoors.The Welsh government said it will not be making rules about mixing inside households and private gardens in small numbers, instead issuing guidance strongly advising people to “limit the number of people visiting your home” and taking lateral flow tests before visiting others.However, a separate offence will be created for large gatherings inside homes with more than 30 people or 50 people outdoors.“We are facing a very serious situation in Wales. A wave of infections caused by the new, fast-moving and very infectious omicron variant is headed our way,” the first minister said.“This new form of coronavirus could infect large numbers of people in Wales, disrupting daily lives and businesses and could cause an increase in the number of people who need hospital care in the coming weeks.“We will do everything we can to protect people’s health and livelihoods in Wales – this means taking early action to try and control its spread.”Throughout the first half of December, Wales continued to have relatively light Covid-19 guidance in place, asking the public to observe social distancing and meet outdoors when possible, wear masks in public spaces, wash hands with care and be prepared to show an NHS Covid Pass for entry to cinemas, theatres and concert halls.But that was changed on Monday 13 December when Mr Drakeford announced that all eligible adults in Wales would be offered a booster jab by the end of the year, warning his compatriots that more severe restrictions could be implemented after Christmas.After two Welsh Cabinet meetings the following Thursday, when the country’s total number of Omicron cases reached 100, it was announced that the country would move to significantly tighter measures from 27 December.In the interim, people were advised to follow a set of five steps for a “safer Christmas”, which were as follows:Get vaccinated – and make attending your booster appointment a priority.Take a lateral flow test before Christmas shopping or visiting people, and don’t go out if positive.Meeting outdoors is better than indoors. If you’re meeting indoors make sure it’s well ventilated.Space out your socialising – if you’ve got events arranged, leave at least a day between them.Don’t forget about social distancing, wearing a face covering and washing your hands.The regulations were also changed to include a requirement to work from home wherever possible.“As we know, the traditional way of doing things in Wales is people go out together and socialise in the run-up to Christmas, and then in the post-Christmas period there’s a standing back from that,” Mr Drakeford told ITV Wales.“There may be a period in the post-Christmas days when we can do more to stem the flow of the Omicron variant.”His government has since doubled its original commitment of £60m in funding to help businesses affected by the new measures, extending £120m to bail out nightclubs, retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses affected by the move to alert level two.Health minister Baroness Eluned Morgan had previously warned that the devolved government was “currently not taking anything off the table” as infections rise.“The last thing we want to do is cancel Christmas. I think it is important we make that absolutely clear,” she told journalists at a briefing.“But we are not currently taking anything off the table either, so the best thing for people to do, in order to see if we can remain in a situation where we are all able to see each other over Christmas is to take precautions now, so that we don’t see the kind of increasing rates that we are all expecting.“A lot of this is in our hands, as individuals and as a community. The more you mix now, the more likely you are to contract Covid, and this particular form of Covid.”Baroness Morgan’s department is striving to hit a target of 200,000 booster vaccinations a day, with health boards again opening pop-up centres, including walk-in and drive-through clinics with longer opening hours, often partially staffed by volunteers. More

Related video: Darts crowd chants ‘Stand up if you hate Boris’ at world championship The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is due to decide before the end of the week whether it will investigate a Green peer’s complaint about the Metropolitan Police’s handling of an alleged Downing Street party.Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb suggested the force’s “refusal to investigate” allegations about an event held at No 10 on 18 December last year – during lockdown – could amount to “aiding and abetting a criminal offence”.In her complaint, Lady Jones also claimed commissioner Dame Cressida Dick’s refusal to look into the potentially illegal Christmas do could amount to “a conflict of interest and a potential cover-up”, arguing that police “must” have known of any such event due to their “extensive presence” at the PM’s residence. The Tories have dipped to their lowest approval rating since Boris Johnson prorogued parliament in 2019 – a move ultimately deemed unlawful by the Supreme Court. Labour is enjoying a six-point lead, on 36 per cent, according to the YouGov survey, conducted forThe Times, while the Tories are down at 30 per cent. Show latest update

1640183958Revealed: Social worker visits carried out over video callVulnerable children and families are still being seen by social workers over video call rather than in-person long after the end of lockdown – raising fears that abuse could be slipping through the net.During the first Covid wave, use of WhatsApp and other digital platforms for visits was widespread, though face-to-face encounters continued for high-risk cases.Now, though it is understood the majority of visits are in-person, video calls are still taking place, with one London borough’s children and family social workers conducting one in six visits virtually this month, report our social affairs correspondent May Bulman and chief reporter Simon Murphy.Sam Hancock22 December 2021 14:391640182188People who refuse Covid vaccine are ‘idiots’, Blair saysPeople who are medically allowed to get a Covid vaccine but refuse to do so are “idiots”, Tony Blair has said as he backed Boris Johnson‘s “gamble” to continue with plan B restrictions in the run-up to Christmas Day amid the spread of the Omicron variant.“If you’re not vaccinated and you’re eligible, you’re not just irresponsible, you’re an idiot,” the former PM said in an interview about Covid broadcast on Wednesday morning.Mr Blair has made repeated interventions during the pandemic and his Institue for Global Change thinktank has been credited with devising policy proposals later adopted by government, writes Matt Mathers.Sam Hancock22 December 2021 14:091640181165Watch: Wales brings back rule of six and distancing from Boxing DayWales brings back rule of six and distancing from Boxing Day, first minister saysSam Hancock22 December 2021 13:521640179969Nearly two-thirds of voters say Tories ‘untrustworthy’The proportion of people who see the Conservative Party as untrustworthy has risen by eight percentage points in two months, a new poll has found.Some 64 per cent of UK voters, when asked whether they would use the term for the party, agreed, up from 56 per cent in mid-October, according to YouGov.The percentage who considered the party trustworthy was down from 16 to 10.Jane Dalton22 December 2021 13:321640178653UK and EU agree fish catch limits for next yearThe UK and the EU have agreed catch limits for next year for around 70 fish species, after ending annual negotiations, the government says.The deal involves around 140,000 tonnes of “fishing opportunities” for the UK fleet, estimated to be worth around £313m, based on historic landing prices, officials say. The agreement also commits the UK and the EU to “rapidly develop multi-year strategies for non-quota species”.But environmental law charity Client Earth accused the government of “ignoring the warning bells scientists have been sounding for years” for vulnerable stocks on the verge of collapse – like West of Scotland and Celtic Sea cod, and Irish Sea whiting.The organisation said: “These stocks of cod and other species that are often taken as bycatch have been in a dire state for decades and the recurring scientific advice for zero catches has never been followed. “Less than 3,000 tonnes of adult cod are left in the Celtic Sea and less than 3,500 tonnes in the West of Scotland, according to the latest scientific advice – compared to over 20,000 and 30,000 tonnes respectively at their peak in the 1980s.”Jane Dalton22 December 2021 13:101640176537Wales to bring back rule of six for hospitality on Boxing DayWales will introduce new Covid restrictions from Boxing Day, including the “rule of six” for hospitality venues, first minister Mark Drakeford has announced.Effective from 6am on 26 December, there will be a “general requirement of 2 metre social distancing in all premises open to the public and workplaces, where reasonable”.All licences premises will also be required to re-introduce table service and mandatory face coverings apart from when customers are seated, reports our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn.Sam Hancock22 December 2021 12:351640175637Junk food tax to tackle obesity back on govt agenda – reportA junk food tax to prevent the obesity crisis overwhelming the NHS budget is back on the government’s agenda, the author of a landmark report says.Boris Johnson dismayed health campaigners by appearing to rule out the £3bn levy earlier this year, saying he is not “attracted to the idea of extra taxes on hardworking people”. But Henry Dimbleby suggested the PM had misunderstood his recommendation – and said he believed the health secretary Sajid Javid is now ready to act. “I think Sajid Javid understands now that we need to intervene,” he added.Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports:Sam Hancock22 December 2021 12:201640174737Watch: Tony Blair brands unvaccinated people ‘idiots’Tony Blair says unvaccinated are ‘idiots’Sam Hancock22 December 2021 12:051640174097Sunak urged by 50 MPs and peers to increase statutory sick payOver 50 cross-party MPs and peers have demanded Rishi Sunak urgently increase statutory sick pay, warning the current level forces workers to choose between “putting food on the table and self-isolating”.In a letter to the chancellor — seen by The Independent — the parliamentarians accused the government of repeatedly failing to “properly” support workers, as the country faces a new wave of Covid.They stressed that since the onset of the pandemic in 2020 it has been “clear” increasing sick pay levels would “significantly increase” the number of people who can afford to self-isolate after testing positive, reports our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn. Sam Hancock22 December 2021 11:541640173248Police watchdog to decide on Met’s handling of No 10 party probe ‘in days’An update on the Met Police complaint story. The Independent Office for Police Conduct (IOPC) is expected to decide before Christmas whether or not to investigate a complaint over the force’s handling of an alleged Downing Street party.Scotland Yard referred itself to the watchdog after concerns were raised over its response to the event, thought to have been held on 18 December last year, and the lack of an investigation into it. It is understood the IOPC will make a decision before the end of the week, according to the PA news agency. Acting detective chief superintendent Tony O’Sullivan, directorate of professional standards, told Lady Jones this has been referred to the IOPC given “you effectively allege misconduct in public office by MPS police officers”. He added: “The IOPC will now make a determination as to whether the complaint needs to be investigated and, if so, how.”On the second part, a Met inspector said it relates to Lady Jones’s complaint that Met commissioner Dame Cressida Dick has “refused to investigate allegations of an unlawful gathering on 18 December 2020”.This has been referred to the Mayor’s Office for Policing And Crime (Mopac), which sets the direction and budget for the Met. Both the IOPC and Mopac have confirmed they are assessing the complaints to decide if further action is required. More

People who are medically allowed to get a Covid vaccine but refuse to do so are “idiots”, Tony Blair has said as he backed Boris Johnson’s “gamble” to continue with plan B restrictions in the run-up to Christmas Day amid the spread of the Omicron variant.”If you’re not vaccinated and you’re eligible, you’re not just irresponsible, you’re an idiot,” the former prime minister said in an interview about Covid broadcast on Wednesday morning.Mr Blair has made repeated interventions during the pandemic and his Institue for Global Change thinktank has been credited with devising policy proposals later adopted by government.When asked what he would do if he was still prime minister, Mr Blair, 68, said he was in favour of not bringing in fresh curbs before 25 December.He told Times Radio: “I think we’ve got to be very clear with people as to why not. I don’t think it’s really that there’s some great piece of data we’re waiting on. “It’s really because the pain of going into a full lockdown – and with this variant [Omicron] that’s the only thing that would work. And the fact that you’re dealing with people in different categories.”He added: “The people who are boosted, double vaccinated…or people who are completely unvaccinated. I think it’s incredibly difficult and so, right now, it is a gamble what the government’s doing..but the public has already been through too much”.Mr Blair’s comments came as the current prime minister was urged to outline his post-Christmas Covid strategy, as a health minister warned there is “uncertainty” around people making new year’s eve plans.Mr Johnson on Tuesday confirmed no further restrictions will be introduced before 25 December given there is not enough evidence on the severity of the Omicron variant and hospital admission to justify stricter measures.But with the situation being reviewed by the “hour”, Conservative frontbencher Gillian Keegan urged caution over the days ahead.Asked on LBC about going ahead with a gathering or party on New Year’s Eve, the health minister said: “There is uncertainty. We can’t predict what the data is going to tell us before we’ve got the data.”We are trying to take a balanced and proportionate approach so that people can see their families over Christmas to try and plan some stuff. But of course it is difficult to anticipate.”She said the uncertainty in the data is “particularly” around severity.But Labour pressed for decisions to be made as soon as possible. Shadow work and pensions secretary Jon Ashworth told Sky News: “People are anticipating that some form of restrictions will come in post-Christmas, and I think we just need to give people certainty.” More

Wales will introduce new Covid restrictions from Boxing Day, including the “rule of six” for hospitality venues, first minister Mark Drakeford has announced.Moving to “alert level two”, the Welsh government said they were facing a “very serious situation” as a result of the Omicron variant, with “many thousands” of new cases expected per day after Christmas.Effective from 6am on 26 December, the government will introduce a “general requirement of 2 metre social distancing in all premises open to the public and workplaces, where reasonable”.Gatherings in venues such as pubs, restaurants, cinemas and theatres will be limited to six people while all licensed premises will be required to re-introduce table service. Face coverings will also be mandatory apart from when customers are seated.Mr Drakeford added on Wednesday that large events will not be allowed indoors or outdoors, with the maximum number of people of people who can gather at indoor event being capped at 30 and 50 outdoors.The Welsh government said it will not be making rules about mixing inside households and private gardens in small numbers, instead issuing guidance strongly advising people to “limit the number of people visiting your home” and taking lateral flow tests before visiting others.However, a separate offence will be created for large gatherings inside homes with more than 30 people or 50 people outdoors.Mr Drakeford, the first minister, said: “We are facing a very serious situation in Wales. A wave of infections caused by the new, fast-moving and very infectious omicron variant is headed our way.He added: “This new form of coronavirus could infect large numbers of people in Wales, disrupting daily lives and businesses and could cause an increase in the number of people who need hospital care in the coming weeks.”“We will do everything we can to protect people’s health and livelihoods in Wales – this means taking early action to try and control its spread.Mr Drakeford added that £120 million would be available for nightclubs, retail, hospitality, leisure and tourism businesses affected by the move to alert level two – double the £60 million package announced last week.Last week, new measures were announced for workplaces and retail – these will now come into force on Boxing Day, including the closure of nightclubs.Mr Drakeford added: “The most important thing we can all do to protect ourselves against Omicron is to be fully vaccinated – that means also having the booster. If you are eligible for a booster then please make getting it a priority in the coming weeks.“As we enter our second winter of the pandemic, we have high vaccination coverage and tens of thousands of extra boosters are being given every day. We also have access to the rapid lateral flow tests to help us all identify signs of infection without symptoms.“Both of these, together with everything we have learned over the last two years, will help to keep us safe at home without the need for new rules and regulations about mixing at home.” More

The emergence of the Omicron variant is causing concern around the world, not least because it is thought to be highly transmissible and because the 32 mutations of its spike protein suggest it might be able to resist current vaccines.The UK has recorded 14 deaths from the new variant so far and more than 60,000 confirmed cases, prompting fears that further social restrictions could soon be imposed on the British public.But prime minister Boris Johnson has confirmed that no further restrictions will be introduced before Christmas, explaining that “that people can go ahead with their plans”, a decision that allows him to avoid a repeat of his notorious address of 19 December 2020, when he reluctantly imposed tough new measures at the last minute and dashed the festive hopes of millions.However, the PM also reiterated on Tuesday that he cannot rule out further measures in the coming days, leaving open the possibility of new controls on pubs and nightclubs by New Year’s Eve.He was speaking on the same day as chancellor Rishi Sunak announced £1bn in support for the hospitality industry after customers cancelled reservations in droves in response to the latest twist in the pandemic and his counterpart in Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon, announced fresh restrictions on sporting events and cancelled Edinburgh’s annual Hogmanay street party, having already asked Scots to keep household mixing to a minimum.‘Rule nothing out’In his video message from Downing Street on Tuesday evening, Mr Johnson said: “We can’t rule out any further measures after Christmas – and we’re going to keep a constant eye on the data, and we’ll do whatever it takes to protect public health.”The announcement came a day after he told reporters that the government was still deciding whether or not to impose further preventative measures.He said ministers were monitoring the data “hour by hour” and that the arguments for taking further action were “very, very finely balanced”.“Unfortunately I must say to people that we will have to reserve the possibility of taking further action to protect the public, to protect public health, to protect our NHS,” he added. “We are looking at all kinds of things to keep Omicron under control and we will rule nothing out.”The prime minister is understood to have been waiting for more data on the variant to become available before he made a decision, a stance that saw him accused of “dithering” by scientists and his political opponents.By contrast, London mayor Sadiq Khan was decisive when he declared a major incident over the extent of the outbreak in the capital while NHS England announced a return to its highest level of emergency preparedness, level four national incident, meaning that the health service’s response will be coordinated as a national effort, rather than led by individual trusts. Overall, the UK added another 90,000 infections in 24 hours on Tuesday. That compares to about 27,000 cases this time last year.Chief scientific officer Sir Patrick Vallance is said to have led the call for fresh measures to drive down infection rates and ease the pressure on the NHS.Sir Patrick’s fellow advisers have been equally outspoken, with Professor Stephen Reicher, a member of the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage), warning that Omicron is “coming at us like an express train” and insisting that the government must give the public a “good, clear message” about how “serious the crisis is”.The prospect of introducing a two-week circuit-breaker lockdown after Christmas has been mooted – and appears likely to be broadly popular with the public – with plans made available to ministers for consideration and apparently including a ban on meeting others indoors except for work purposes and limiting pubs and restaurants to outdoor service only. It is clear the PM hopes the takeup of booster vaccines, along with the partial “Plan B” restrictions recently introduced, will be enough to see off the threat.As part of those measures, Britons are currently again being ordered to wear face masks in shops, cinemas, theatres and places of worship and on public transport, to work from home order where possible.The government has further revised its approach to boosters, planning to make them available to all over-18s by the end of December and halving the amount of time between second and third injections from six months to three, all in the hope of staving off the feared “tidal wave” of infections we are already beginning to see.Some form of “Plan C” – a circuit-breaker, or tighter restrictions – could be necessary if Omicron starts to disrupt the NHS over the festive season, but there is little political appetite for any kind of fourth national lockdown, even if it were enforceable.But Sage advisers have been unambiguous in calling for stricter curbs, with the influential Professor Neil Ferguson of Imperial College London openly entertaining the possibility for several weeks.The bigger pictureEven before Omicron began to cast its sinister shadow across the globe, many Britons were already glancing anxiously towards the continent as Austria and the Netherlands reintroduced lockdowns in response to spiking cases of Covid-19.The World Health Organisation (WHO) had said it was “very worried” about the spread in Europe and warned 700,000 more deaths could be recorded by March unless urgent action is taken, bringing the total to 2.2 million since the pandemic began.Omicron variant shows just how ‘perilous’ Covid situation is, WHO saysPrior to the latest worrying developments sparked by Omicon, Mr Johnson’s government had been reluctant to reimpose restrictions at all, despite consistently high case numbers.While the vaccines have consistently kept death rates low since the spring, infection levels have remained consistently high, typically hovering around the 40,000-per-day mark but in recent days have been more than double that.Mr Johnson may also be concerned that further restrictons might lead to social disorder, having seen anti-lockdown protests – some of them violent – erupt in Austria, the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland, Denmark, Italy and Croatia.Londoners were certainly unhappy about the initial return of the mask mandate, accusing the PM of hypocrisy for declining to wear one himself at several public engagements.However, in other quarters, there appeared to be a clear appetite for new restrictions even before Omicron, at least according to the polls.A recent survey of 900 managers and 1,200 employees carried out by Hack Future Lab found 53 per cent would welcome a “festive lockdown” for the sake of their own well-being after struggling to come to terms with the return to ordinary working conditions, often finding themselves forced to take on extra tasks to cover for absent colleagues.Another poll by Savanta ComRes revealed 45 per cent of adults would be in favour of a selective lockdown targeting only those who had declined to get their Covid jabs and therefore could pose an ongoing risk to others.But, until Omicron threw a fresh spanner into the works, there was a credible case for believing that the UK was in such a strong position that it could avoid the worst of the outbreak marauding across Europe.Although Britain’s infection rate has remained high for months, it has also been highly stable until recently, lingering at a seven-day average of around 600 daily cases per million people, whereas Austria and the Netherlands have suddenly spiked to 1,500 and 1,250 respectively from well below that starting point since the beginning of October.Part of the reason for this is that the UK was hit by the more infectious Alpha and Delta variants of the coronavirus sooner and was therefore able to tackle them ahead of its European neighbours and unlock earlier. More