Markus Andrews

Tory MPs have attacked Chris Whitty’s call for people to cut back on Christmas partying as an adviser “running the show” – despite no Commons vote to impose restrictions.Ex-ministers Steve Brine and Steve Baker laid into the chief medical officer after he urged the public not to mix at festive events unless they “really matter to them”.With hospitality and entertainment businesses protesting they face ruin from customer no-shows – and no Treasury plans for a rescue package – Conservative MPs pinned the blame on Professor Whitty.Mr Brine told minister he appeared to have changed government policy “at a stroke” into an “effective lockdown” and demanded to know why “advisers are now running the show”.“I’ll bet none of them run businesses facing complete ruin. As a result of what was said last night, the Treasury is going to have to do more,” he said, as Labour called for that urgent support.Mr Baker echoed the protest, questioning whether officials “on podiums at press conferences are staying within the bounds of the policy that ministers have decided”.And a third Tory backbencher, Greg Smith, complained Prof Whitty had decided to “press the panic button way beyond what this House voted for a couple of days ago”.But, speaking simultaneously in a Commons committee, the chief medical officer (CMO) doubled down his advice, refusing to bow to criticism.“This is advice that I think any CMO would have given and I don’t think any minister is feeling I’m treading on their toes on this one,” he told MPs.Prof Whitty added: “I am really cautious about making policy on the basis that everything might go right”, warning of the mistake of “assuming everything’s going to fall my way”.Earlier, another Conservative MP and ministerial aide, Joy Morrissey, deleted a tweet criticising Prof Whitty for failing to “defer” to Mr Johnson and for turning the UK into a “public health socialist state”.Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health secretary, hit back, tweeting: “It is outrageous to see a government PPS attacking the chief medical officer in this way. She should apologise and withdraw this immediately.”Stephen Farry, the deputy leader of Northern Ireland’s Alliance Party, also criticised the Tory MPs’ attempts to silence Prof Whitty.“Like millions of people, I would rather hear from unfiltered medical and scientific expert than have censorship from a self-serving and hypocritical government,” he posted on Twitter.Rishi Sunak has been told to come out of hiding to rescue stricken hospitality and entertainment businesses, after it emerged he is in California on “a work trip”. “The Chancellor will be speaking to UK hospitality representatives this afternoon,” MPs were told, during an urgent question to the Treasury. More

Low attendance “remains a stubborn concern” in schools in England, inspections have found, with much of this absence put down to the Covid pandemic. In a new report, Ofsted said positive cases, anxiety over the virus and poor mental health was keeping pupils off school. Its publication comes after government figures estimated 236,000 students did not attend state school in England last week due to confirmed or suspected Covid cases, isolation rules, attendance restrictions and school closures. Ofsted has accelerated the rate of its school inspections, with the government saying this would give a quicker assessment of how well children are catching up on education after facing disruption.After carrying out nearly 100 inspections on schools this term, it concluded “many” were “effectively helping children recover from missed learning”. “Despite positive progress, it is clear from Ofsted’s inspections that low attendance remains a stubborn concern,” it said, adding that schools reported “much of the absence” is for Covid-related reasons. This included: Covid-related anxiety among parents and pupils, poor mental health due to the pandemic, parents rescheduling holidays, “low resilience due to setbacks or illness” and positive Covid tests. “Many schools are still working on getting back to pre-pandemic attendance levels,” Ofsted’s report said.Earlier this week, Geoff Barton from the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) warned some pupils were facing disruption to face-to-face education due to the impact on Covid.“Listening to the speculation and the news, and certainly the emails I’ve been getting from members, you are getting some pockets of very severe low attendance, partly young people, partly staff,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today Programme.“One has emailed me this morning saying 25 per ecent of staff have been off for three weeks. You can imagine if you can’t then get supply teachers that becomes very difficult to maintain the quality of education.”According to the latest government figures, 2.9 per cent of England’s state school pupils – around 236,000, did not go to school on 9 December – up from 2.6 per cent, or 208,000, two weeks before.While 200,000 of these were off with a confirmed or suspected Covid infection, thousands more were at home due to schools restricting attendance to manage an outbreak, school closures linked to Covid and isolation. More

Just two years ago, Boris Johnson led the Conservatives to an astonishing general election triumph, his personal popularity the decisive factor in demolishing Labour in its ‘Red Wall’ heartlands.Yet the prime minister is now fighting for his political life, after a disastrous month that has seen public support collapse over allegations of sleaze and lockdown-busting No 10 parties – then Tory MPs desert him over his Covid strategy.Some Tories now believe a leadership challenge is now a matter of “when not if”, so what happens next?* How can Mr Johnson’s opponents get rid of him?Not easily. Forget talk of a “stalking horse” candidate mounting a challenge, party rules allow only a vote of no confidence in a leader – which requires the support of 15 per cent of Conservative MPs, meaning 55 must submit letters to backbench steward Graham Brady. If the leader wins a subsequent vote, he or she can carry on, as Theresa May did.* Is there a plot to gather those 55 letters and how many MPs have joined it?Not yet, it appears. No Tory has admitted sending in a letter and MPs bang at the top of anyone’s list of likely plotters say they have not been asked to do so. Only Sir Graham knows if his drawer is filling up – and he has vowed to keep silent until the magic figure of 55 is reached. So any claims about the number of letters submitted are almost certainly guesswork.* So the prime minister doesn’t need to be worried?Oh yes he does….support is crumbling quickly and his opponents are merely “lying in wait”, until the best opportunity to strike, The Independent was told. “It’s a matter of when, not if,” said one, “but the timing needs to be absolutely right” – pointing out that Theresa May ignored more than 100 MPs demanding that she quit and simply staggered on.* Who are the likely plotters when the New Year dawns?Take your pick from a smorgasbord of One Nation ex-ministers who are terrified that Mr Johnson is – like Donald Trump and the Republicans – wrecking the party’s brand, “freedom loving” Tories who feel betrayed by his shift to supporting Covid restrictions and “newbies” who owe their marginal seats to him, but now see their postbags filling up with angry letters about government incompetence and fear for their jobs.* So what are they waiting for?Defeat in the (once?) rock-solid seat of North Shropshire, in Thursday’s by-election, would be a tipping point for some, but the Christmas break will then intervene. Paradoxically, the omicron crisis also helps Mr Johnson – because plotting looks unseemly, and no potential successor wants to take over, during such an emergency. But further dependence on Labour to force through Covid curbs will fuel the revolt. The crucial unknown is whether the factions will work together, which may depend on whether libertarian Tories – unlike the One Nation group – believe the prime minister is not yet a lost cause? * What can No 10 do to keep Mr Johnson in his job?The festive break allows for a “relaunch” – perhaps by bringing in a heavy-hitter to bring order to a chaotic Downing Street – but Mr Johnson has tried that trick before and many MPs believe he is simply incapable of change. A further worry is that the 2019 intake, in theory the most loyal, appears out of No 10’s control. One government aide blames the distraction of the pandemic for the MPs being “unwhippable”, saying: “It’s like a new puppy – if you don’t train them at the start, it’s too late.”* Who will take over if the prime minister is toppled?The chancellor Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, are the favourites and have all-but started campaigning – the latter sitting on a tank, in a shameless Margaret Thatcher impersonation. Many Tories are terrified of life under the maverick Ms Truss, the favourite of the right-wing grassroots, and would probably seek refuge in Mr Sunak’s perceived safer hands.* Then the political frenzy will calm down a bit, I imagine?Well….in bad news for Brenda from Bristol, any successor will be strongly tempted to call a honeymoon election, before the economic pain from Brexit and Covid really starts to bite. More

Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has urged Scots to “stay at home” for now as she strengthened her warning about the rise of the omicron variant.Ms Sturgeon urged people to “reduce your contact” with others households as she warned that omicron is likely to be the dominant strain of Covid in Scotland from tomorrow.“For now, please stay at home much more than you normally would, and as much as is feasible,” the SNP leader said during her statement in the Scottish parliament on Thursday.Although Ms Sturgeon stressed she was not introducing legal rules at this stage, she warned that any socialising should be “vital enough to you to justify that risk [of getting Covid]”.The first minister added: “I suspect what is most important to most of us over the next couple of weeks is having time with our families at Christmas. Every interaction we have before then increases the risk of us getting Covid and so possibly losing that.”Ms Sturgeon called on Boris Johnson to bring back extra support for businesses hit by cancellations – saying she “acutely aware” of the impact of her advice for people to limit social interaction.She has already urged Scots to mix with only two other households, at home or in indoor public places, on either side of the festive holiday.Although the first minister did not specifically ask for the return of furlough payments, she said businesses now needed the “scale of financial support” that was available earlier in the pandemic.Ms Sturgeon said she had written to Mr Johnson and asked to speak with him today to discuss extra financial support. “We need the UK government to act urgently and in the same way some other countries are already doing,” she said.“We must not sleepwalk into an emergency that for both health and business will be much greater as a result of inaction than it will be if we act firmly and strongly now,” Ms Sturgeon added.The first minister said she was “profoundly concerned” by omicron which is “running faster than even the fastest rollout of vaccines” after 5,951 coronavirus cases were reported in Scotland on Wednesday – 45.4 per cent of which were likely to be the new variant.It comes as Labour said chancellor Rishi Sunak should “get himself on a flight back and get a grip on the situation” after it emerged that he is currently in California on a four-day official trip.Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting urged Mr Sunak to “hammer out a deal to help hospitality” as business leaders expressed concerns about cancelled events. The chancellor is set to speak to business leaders remotely, from the US, later on Thursday.British Chambers of Commerce president Baroness Ruby McGregor-Smith said chief medical office Prof Chris Whitty’s plea to “prioritise” the gatherings which matter to them “will almost certainly have an enormous impact for businesses”.Trade unions are also calling for immediate support for workers in the hospitality and entertainment industries.MPs on the cross-party Treasury Committee have also asked Mr Sunak whether he will provide additional support to businesses. Tory MP Mel Stride, chair of the committee, said it was important the government “sets out its thinking on the targeted support that it might be able to bring forward”. More

Boris Johnson has denied introducing a lockdown by “stealth” after warning people to think carefully before socialising over Christmas.Speaking on a visit to a vaccine site in Ramsgate the prime minister said the government’s approach was different to last year – when closures were enforced.It comes after hospitality industry figures criticised the government for effectively telling people to stay away while offering no government support for their flagging businesses.Asked whether he was introducing a lockdown by stealth, Mr Johnson told reporters: “No – because what we’re saying is, this is very different from last year. “Because what we have is the additional protection of the vaccines and the ability to test, so if you want to do something, if you want to go to an event or a party, then the sensible thing to do – if that’s a priority – the sensible thing to do is to is to get a test and to make sure that you’re being cautious. “But we’re not saying that we want to cancel stuff, we’re not locking stuff down, and the fastest route back to normality is to get boosted.”The government last year was force to close hospitality venues to blunt the vast new Covid wave breaking on the UK.But ministers provided significant support such a furlough payments – which so far they have been reticent to make available despite warnings from the sector.Greg Parmley, chief executive of the trade association for live music venues LIVE said: “The current lockdown by stealth is quickly pushing the live music sector to the edge.“We are now facing a crippling blow as individual venues scramble to cover the spiralling costs of Covid-related cancellations, which will inevitably result in permanent closures.”The Government must step up to the plate and provide a raft of financial assistance now, if it is to avoid much-loved live music venues and businesses closing up shop for good.”In lieu of lockdown measures the government has urged people to be selective about when they socialise and to get a booster jab. Also speaking on Thursday Liberal Democrat frontbencher Wendy Chamberlain said MPs should not go home for Christmas until “we pass a deal to keep our pubs, cafes and restaurants alive”.“Pub landlords, waiters and chefs need help now,” she said. “How can we look our local landlord in the eye and tell them Parliament broke up for Christmas when they are on the brink of going under?”Urging the Chancellor Rishi Sunak, who is reportedly abroad, to act, she said: “The Chancellor must get on the next plane back from his California jaunt to move heaven and earth to save a hospitality sector on the brink of collapse. “I will be ready to pass any new business support package in Parliament the Government brings forward. Get a move on Chancellor, the clock is ticking.” More

<img src="https://static.independent.co.uk/2021/12/16/08/newFile-2.jpg?width=982&height=726&auto=webp&quality=75" alt=" Rishi Sunak has been criticised for not announcing a new package of support amid the latest Covid guidance ” height=”726″ width=”982″ srcset=”https://static.independent.co.uk/2021/12/16/08/newFile-2.jpg?width=320&auto=webp&quality=75&crop=982:726,smart 320w, https://static.independent.co.uk/2021/12/16/08/newFile-2.jpg?width=640&auto=webp&quality=75&crop=982:726,smart 640w” layout=”responsive” data-hero i-amphtml-ssr class=”i-amphtml-layout-responsive i-amphtml-layout-size-defined” i-amphtml-layout=”responsive”> Rishi Sunak has been criticised for not announcing a new package of support amid the latest Covid guidance Senior Tories are […] More

Rishi Sunak has been told to come out of hiding to rescue stricken hospitality and entertainment businesses, after it emerged he is abroad while omicron lays waste to Christmas bookings.Labour and business leaders joined forces to demand the chancellor put forward an urgent package to compensate for customers being urged to cut back on socialising as infections soar.Pubs, hotels and restaurants are predicting a 40 per cent plunge in takings – and twice that in London – while a former head of the Royal National Theatre warned of a crisis for the entertainment sector.The Treasury says it has no plans to provide further financial support and has ruled out bringing back the furlough scheme, despite the fast-deteriorating situation.Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health secretary, said: “It’s frankly inexplicable that the chancellor and the business secretary are nowhere to be seen.“What they ought to be doing is getting business leaders and trade unionists around the table, as they have done at different points throughout the pandemic, to thrash out a package of support measures for these industries.”Help with business rates and “action on statutory sick pay, so that when workers are forced to isolate at home, they can afford to do so”, was desperately needed, he told BBC Radio 4.Rachel Reeves, after Wednesday night’s Downing Street press conference – at which the public was told to cut back on Christmas events – tweeted: “Where is the Chancellor?”“It is quite staggering that, despite the obvious implications of the government’s rhetoric, we haven’t heard a squeak out of HM Treasury,” said Michael Kill, the head of the Night Time Industries Association.It then emerged that Mr Sunak is in California for most of the week, “on a long-planned trip conducting government business”, a Treasury spokesperson said.On Wednesday, the chief medical officer Chris Whitty urged people not to mix at events unless they “really matter to them” and Boris Johnson also urged caution before going out.The decision not to impose legal restrictions – under pressure from rebellious Tory MPs – means he is under less pressure to bail out firms with another support package.But the head of the Resolution Foundation thinktank, Torsten Bell, said: “If you’re telling people to avoid hospitality, it doesn’t matter if you’re not banning them from doing so: restaurants, pubs, bars are going to get stuffed. They’ll lose customers and workers will lose their jobs.”However, Gillian Keegan, a health minister, defended the situation, telling BBC Radio 4: “Businesses are open – we haven’t closed them.She agreed that customers are cancelling bookings, but insisted: “We do still have in place quite a lot of support for business.”Both a VAT cut to 12.5 per cent for hospitality firms, and a wider reduction in business rates, continue until the end of March. More

Voters across the political divide are going cold on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal as its implications become clearer, a new study has found.Leave and Remain voters have both become more likely than they were in January to say the UK has got a bad deal with the EU.The study, by the National Centre for Social Research (NatCen), found that just 12 per cent of people believed Britain and got a good deal in August – a decline from 21 per cent who took the same view in January. Opinion has hardened among remain voters from 66 per cent who now say a bad deal was procured, compared to 53 per cent in 2021.But among Leave voters, too, the balance of opinion has tilted away from approval – with Brexiteers no longer more likely to say a good deal has been had.In January 35 per cent thought Mr Johnson had got a good deal compared to 22 per cent thinking it was a bad one; now 36 per cent say it is bad against 22 per cent who say it is good. Eminent political scientist John Curtice, who oversaw the study, said the results showed people were going off the deal – but for different reasons.“The Brexit deal is being criticised from two directions – those opposed to the policy in principle and those who dislike the way it has been implemented in practice,” said Sir John, a professor of politics at the University of Strathclyde. “People on the Remain side of the debate are relatively united in their dislike of an outcome whose principal objective is one that they oppose in the first place. Meanwhile, some on the Leave side feel that the UK is still tied too closely to the EU’s orbit, while others would have preferred a softer Brexit. “And it’s those with strong views on Brexit – the partisans on both sides – who are proving most difficult for the government to satisfy. As a result, the nation is still divided over the outcome of the Brexit process.”It comes after a series of problems blamed on the deal, from issues for British fish exporters to shortages of lorry drivers and crops rotting in the fields.The government is currently trying to renegotiate parts of the withdrawal agreement relating to Northern Ireland. More