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Voters now want to rejoin the EU, polls show, in evidence that goods shortages and spats with Brussels are fuelling disillusionment with Brexit.A four-point surge in support for reversing the 2016 referendum means 53 per cent back membership in a survey by Savanta ComRes, with 47 per cent wanting to stay out of the EU.One in ten Leave voters want to rejoin the bloc, as do one in five Conservative supporters, the poll found – while 40 per cent of adults back a fresh referendum within the next five years.Strikingly, it is the second survey in recent days to have produced the same six-point margin in favour of EU membership – nearly one year after Brexit was completed.Savanta ComRes pointed to “momentum shifting towards a majority who would now vote to rejoin the EU”, despite no political party advocating the policy.“Issues such as disrupted supply chains and spats with fellow European leaders over fishing and vaccines may have cut through, although the results are still on a knife-edge,” said research director Chris Hopkins.He pointed to the 77 per cent of 18- to 34-year-olds who support rejoining – and no fewer than 80 per cent of those who failed to vote in 2016, adding: “The Brexit story isn’t going away any time soon.“All eyes will be on those who did not vote in 2016 and younger voters who may have not had the opportunity to, who are both overwhelmingly in favour of the UK becoming a member again.”The polls come as the economic damage from leaving the EU becomes clearer – after the Office for Budget Responsibility said GDP will fall by 4 per cent, twice the loss from the Covid pandemic.Since what Boris Johnson called his “excellent” trade deal came into force on 1 January, exporters have protested at huge costs and barriers, which swiped £17bn from trade in just three months.Ministers were also forced to concede that Brexit was a key cause behind the autumn food and fuel shortages – which have put Christmas deliveries at risk.However, both Labour and the Liberal Democrats are shying away from any attempt to rejoin the EU question, Keir Starmer making clear his determination to “make Brexit work”.Meanwhile, the prime minister is thought to see advantage in stoking Brexit battles, as a way to hang onto the Labour-switching “Red Wall” voters who delivered his 2019 landslide.However, the Savanta ComRes poll found that one in six Leave voters would support a referendum within the next five years.* The pollster interviewed 2,231 UK adults between 5 and 7 November, excluding don’t knows from the results obtained More

The EU has hailed a “welcome change of tone” in talks on the Northern Ireland Brexit deal, suggesting the UK is backing away from threats to suspend it.Both sides have also agreed to focus on medicines and customs red tape – not the role of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) – when they meet again – in a further sign that the crisis can be averted.Strikingly, the Brexit minister David Frost did not repeat his threat to trigger Article 16 of the Northern Ireland protocol, in a statement following the meeting with the European Commission.At a media briefing in London, Maros Sefcovic, the Commission vice-president, called the issue of delivering medicines across the Irish Sea “low-hanging fruit” that could “open other doors” to wider agreement.And he said: “I acknowledge and welcome the change in tone of discussion with David Frost today, and I hope this will lead to tangible results for the people in Northern Ireland.”Boris Johnson had been moving closer to triggering Article 16 – almost certainly resulting in a damaging trade war with the EU – but the sleaze scandal has sapped his authority in recent days.There have been indications of UK cold feet since Wednesday, when Lord Frost acknowledged the risk of “massive and disproportionate retaliation” from Brussels.Ireland has argued Brussels would have no choice but to suspend last Christmas’s trade deal for the entire UK, which could result in punishing tariffs for exporters.Many Conservative MPs are known to be nervous about effectively re-running the Brexit battle – having been elected on a platform to “get Brexit done”.On British medicines – which face checks to ensure they comply with EU standards – Mr Sefcovic said: “If our experts put their mind to it, they can actually resolve it within a week, I really believe so, because we are so close.”An agreement would put “new momentum” into the discussions which would “hopefully open up other doors and lead us to success”.In its statement, the UK made no mention of his attempt to strip out ECJ policing of the protocol, which the EU insists is a non-starter.“On the European court, on our side definitely nothing’s changed.” Mr Sefcovic made clear.There were still “significant gaps to be bridged” but the UK preferred to “find a consensual way forward”, a government spokesperson said.“Although talks had so far been conducted in a constructive spirit, Lord Frost underlined that in order to make progress, it was important to bring new energy and impetus to discussions,” the statement said.“Accordingly, intensified talks will take place between teams in Brussels next week on all issues, giving particular attention to medicines and customs issues.” More

Boris Johnson was warned three times that he would need to wear a mask during a hospital visit but was pictured without one anyway, it has been reported. The prime minister was photographed without a mask as he walked down a corridor inside Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland on Monday. Health officials said that he wore a mask for “the majority” of his November 8 visit but that: “After [he] left a welcome meeting, he walked along a mezzanine corridor, for a very short period of time, without a mask.”The prime minister then had to be reminded to put his mask back on.Sources told The Mirror that Mr Johnson’s team had been told via email before his visit that masks must be worn in all areas. Mr Johnson was reminded of this on arrival to the hospital, according to reports. He then took off the mask and came out of a “welcome meeting” without one. According to a statement from the Northumbria Healthcare foundation, “this brief moment was captured on camera.”They added: “As soon as this was identified he was given a mask and he put it on.”They also noted that “he didn’t have a mask on when he did his media interviews, but this was with agreement with everyone else in the room, who did wear a mask.”Adding: “We ask that everyone visiting our hospital sites continue to follow our infection control and prevention rules.”Ian Lavery, MP for Wansbeck in Northumbria, said: “People were astonished that the Prime Minister was bowling up the corridor of a hospital without a mask. “This shows a callous disregard for patients, visitors and the fantastic workforce, who have been at the frontline throughout the pandemic.”Susie Flintham of the campaign group Covid-19 Families for Justice said: “The PM was putting lives at risk completely unnecessarily by visiting a hospital and refusing to put his mask on, despite being repeatedly asked to. “For him to make a point of posing for a photo without a mask is a slap in the face to bereaved families.”The prime minister faced similar criticism only last week for being pictured next to 95-year-old Sir David Attenborough while not wearing a mask at the Cop26 climate summit.When asked why he had not followed the rules by CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, Mr Johnson said it was a judgement call. He said: “I think it’s up to people to make a judgement about whether they’re at a reasonable distance from someone and whether they’re with someone they don’t normally meet. That’s the approach we take.”Number 10 did not respond to requests for comment. More

Prime minister Boris Johnson has warned that “we risk blowing it” on climate if countries do not agree a draft deal on the table at the Cop26 summit in Glasgow.Speaking from London, the prime minister said he was urging world leaders to show the “courage” to secure a deal which could put the world on a track to limiting global warming to 1.5C above pre-industrial levels.But his call for them to sign off the draft agreement published early on Friday is a clear indication that he has given up hope of achieving any further improvements on a text which has been criticised by climate activists as too weak.“What everybody needs to do now is recognise that we really are in the final furlong, and it’s in the final furlong where the horses change places,” said Mr Johnson.“What needs to happen now is that people need to understand that the deal that’s on the table – the so-called cover decision – that is the text.“We either find a way of agreeing it or I’m afraid we risk blowing it. That’s the reality.”Following phone talks with leaders of Italy and Egypt, Mr Johnson said: “What I’m saying to world leaders in all my conversations is ‘This is the moment – tell your negotiating teams how important this is. “’Tell them to have the conviction and the courage to come together and agree that cover decision because people are watching this around the world. It’s a moment of massive choice for the world’.”It was time for rich nations to commit to increase donations to help the developing world cut emissions and make necessary adaptations to deal with the extreme weather caused by higher temperatures, he said.Pledges made at the Copenhagen summit in 2009 to deliver $100bn a year have still not been met, with the target unlikely to be hit until three years late in 2023.“We do need to see the cash on the table to help the developing world to make the  changes that are necessary,” said Mr Johnson.“That’s what needs to happen in the next few hours.“People need to see that there’s enough cash to make a start, there’s enough commitments to make a start and that if they can have the courage to do this deal – to agree the cover decision that’s on the table today – then we will have that roadmap that will enable us to go forward and start to remove the threat of anthropogenic climate change.”The PM said it had been clear all along that it would not be possible to reach an agreement at Glasgow that would ensure global warming does not cross the 1.5C threshold, which experts believe will allow the world to avoid the most catastrophic consequences of climate change.World leaders will have to come back with further commitments at future summits, he said.“What we can’t do is stop global warming at Glasgow – we can’t, we’ve got to accept that,” saidMr Johnson.“What we can do is keep alive the prospect of restraining the increase in the planet’s temperatures to 1.5 degrees by the end of the century.“Now, even an increase of 1.5 degrees is going to have some pretty big consequences for the environment and for human beings. But it’s much, much better than allowing temperatures to increase by two degrees or more.“What we can still achieve at Cop in Glasgow is keep alive that prospect.” Mr Johnson has faced criticism from Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon and Labour Cop26 spokesperson Ed Miliband for staying away from Glasgow as the crucial United Nations conference enters its final straight.But he brushed off suggestions that he should have returned to the summit after his three-hour visit on Wednesday, saying only: “I can absolutely promise you we’ve been shifting heaven and earth to try and get all our friends, our acquaintances around the world  – everybody –  to see the vital importance of this agreement in Glasgow.” More

The United States Britain and the European Union on Friday slammed the Sudan coup leader’s latest move to tighten the military’s grip on power as a unilateral decision that undermines efforts to restore the process of democratic transition. In a joint statement, the Western nations criticized Gen. Abdel-Fattah Burhan who on Thursday appointed a new Sovereign Council — just over two weeks after leading the coup — without consulting Sudan’s pro-democracy protest movement. That violates a power-sharing agreement signed by pro-democracy leaders and the top Sudanese generals in 2019, following the ouster of longtime dictator Omar al-Bashir “This unilateral action by the military undermines its commitment to uphold the agreed transitional framework,” said the joint statement, which was also signed by Norway and Switzerland. Burhan reappointed himself as the head of the 13-member Sovereign Council. A number of other members of the body sat on the previous council that Burhan headed before he dissolved it in the coup. Also reappointed to the body was the powerful paramilitary leader Mohammed Hamdan Dagalo, as vice-president. And Burhan reappointed as council members another three generals who had served in the previous council.Three others on the council are leaders of rebel groups who fought al-Bashir’s government for years, but who have moved towards peace with the transitional government. They all also served on the previous council. However, the new make-up excluded four civilian members of the old council who belonged to the Forces for the Declaration of Freedom and Change, the main group that spearheaded the uprising that culminated in the overthrow of al-Bashir. The country’s pro-democracy forces have dismissed Burhan’s move as illegitimate and renewed their call for nationwide protests on Saturday.The joint statement also warned against any further escalatory steps by Sudan’s military and stressed that international support for the country is contingent on its commitment to the path of democratic transition.“We urge an immediate and full return to this path to ensure that the hard won political and economic gains of the last two years are not lost,” it said. In the Oct 25 coup, the military also removed Prime Minister Abdalla Hamdok who has since been under house arrest in the capital, Khartoum and detained other government officials and political leaders. At least 14 anti-coup protesters have been killed due to excessive force used by the country’s security forces, according to Sudanese doctors and the United Nations.Since then, international mediation efforts have been underway to ensure the restoration of Hamdok’s government and the release of all political detainees.___ElHennawy reported from Cairo. More

The UK risks becoming a corrupt country unless the right decisions are taken by the current generation of political leaders to ensure that ethical standards are maintained, Whitehall’s sleaze watchdog has warned.The comments from the chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, Lord Evans of Weardale, came days after Boris Johnson protested that the UK “is not remotely a corrupt country”.They will be seen as a swipe at the prime minister, who has refused to apologise for his attempt to neuter parliament’s standards procedures to save Owen Paterson from punishment for sleaze, and who previously overruled his ethical adviser to clear Priti Patel of bullying and refused to launch an inquiry into allegations that then housing secretary Robert Jenrick helped force through a controversial development for a Tory donor.While welcoming Mr Johnson’s U-turn over the proposed creation of a Tory-dominated committee to rewrite the parliamentary rulebook, Lord Evans said the government needs to “do more” to ensure ethical standards do not decline.Labour has repeatedly wielded the accusation of “corruption” in recent days, as it condemned Mr Johnson’s handling of the Paterson affair.But Mr Johnson refused to apologise at a press conference on Wednesday at the Cop26 climate change summit in Glasgow, declaring: “I genuinely believe that the UK is not remotely a corrupt country and I genuinely think that our institutions are not corrupt.” Asked during a seminar today at University College London’s Constitution Unit whether the PM’s claim was justified, Lord Evans replied: “I don’t think we are a corrupt country in the way that some countries are. I think we have a pretty good international reputation for our lack of corruption.“But what I think is important is to recognise that that is not a happy chance of history or something distinctive about the British personality. That is a result of political decisions that have been made over generations.“We could become a corrupt country if we don’t attend to ensuring that we maintain standards.“We need to ensure in each generation that we take the decisions that need to be taken.“The risk is that we think it couldn’t possibly happen in this country. The fact is it could, and that is why we need to make sure we don’t take decisions which would lead us in the wrong direction.”Lord Evans said that the furore of the past week had proved that there was significant public concern about maintaining standards in UK public life.And he said that the rash of sleaze headlines provided an opportunity for the government to say it will adopt the recommendations from a CSPL report, published in 2018, which said that MPs should not be allowed to undertake outside employment as parliamentary strategists, advisers or consultants and that the rules on lobbying should be made clearer.“Standards matter for our democracy,” said Lord Evans. “They matter for our economic prosperity and for our international influence and foreign policy.“I am pleased that the government reversed its decision about the Owen Paterson affair but I would like them to do more.” More

Related video: EU-UK Brexit dispute: Lord Frost not yet ready to trigger Article 16A “tough guy” approach when it comes to Northern Ireland will lead to “disaster”, Ireland’s minister for European affairs has said as he warned that the territory is in “serious danger of complete instability”.Thomas Byrne was speaking as EU and UK Brexit negotiators meet for talks on breaking the deadlock over the contentious protocol. He raised concerns as the UK continued to threaten to trigger Article 16 of the protocol, a move that would suspend parts of the deal that has prevented a hard border on the island of Ireland.EU chief negotiator Maros Sefcovic is expected to urge his UK counterpart Lord David Frost to drop an “unattainable” demand to remove the role of the European court in disputes over Northern Ireland. The latest round of talks beginning in London between the two sides are aimed at rehashing post-Brexit trade arrangements for Northern Ireland.Show latest update

1636727522Opinion | The Tories are known for ruthlessly ditching leaders – Boris Johnson will be looking over his shoulder“Boris doesn’t really believe anything except people like him should be left alone to do what they want,” one former Boris Johnson aide told me, writes Andrew Grice. Indeed, Johnson has reportedly earned more than £4m from his outside interests in the past 14 years.Perhaps this helps to explain his woeful mishandling of the Owen Patersonaffair and his reluctance to tighten the MPs’ code of conduct. On Monday, the Commons will formally overturn the ill-fated decision to change the system of investigating complaints against MPs to try to save Paterson’s skin. Johnson should use this opportunity to apologise for the fiasco and to support moves to restrict MPs’ second jobs – including a ban on acting as parliamentary consultants.Read his full piece here: Tom Batchelor12 November 2021 14:321636726791Record 1,185 people reach UK across ChannelA record 1,185 people reached the UK on Thursday after risking death aboard small boats in the English Channel, a new record for a single day.Lifeboat crews, Border Force and French authorities spent hours intercepting boats in the Dover Strait throughout the day.However despite their efforts three people are feared lost at sea after two kayaks were found adrift off the coast of Calais.Thursday’s total, confirmed by the Home Office on Friday, is the highest for daily arrivals during the current crisis, surpassing the previous high of 853 set earlier this month.Tom Batchelor12 November 2021 14:191636724741UK could become ‘corrupt’ if wrong decisions are taken, says Lord EvansLord Evans has said the UK is not a corrupt country but warned it could move in that direction if the wrong decisions were taken.Asked about the issue of moral standards in public office a week after Boris Johnson insisted the UK was not corrupt, the chair of the committee on standards in public life said: “I don’t think we are a corrupt country in the way that some countries are, I think we have a pretty good international reputation for our lack of corruption. “But what I think is important is to recognise that that is not a happy chance of history or something distinctive about the British personality, that is a result of political decisions that have been taken…“We could becomes a corrupt country if we don’t ensure we maintain standards and I think we need to ensure in each generation that we take the decisions that need to be taken.“The risk is that we think it couldn’t possibly happen in this country, but the fact is that it could do.”He went on to warn against taking decisions that lead us in the “wrong direction”.Tom Batchelor12 November 2021 13:451636723827Lobbying data ‘hit and miss’, says standards in public life committee chair Lord Evans has said data around lobbying in parliament is “hit and miss”, saying there is “something to be done to improve this”.The chair of the committee on standards in public life told Professor Meg Russell, director of the Constitution Unit, that the government “needs to look at the way it ensures it complies with the undertakings that it has made”.He also said the current system of ethics regulation is “not sufficiently resilient”.Tom Batchelor12 November 2021 13:301636723240Lord Evans discusses report on improving standards of conduct in public life Lord Jonathan Evans, chair of the committee on standards in public life, is taking part in a webinar with UCL’s Constitution Unit.He and his committee is calling for “stronger rules, more independent regulation, and a stronger compliance culture in government”. We will post updates as he speaks throughout the afternoon. Tom Batchelor12 November 2021 13:201636722309Brexit ‘risks curbing ability to tackle climate crisis’Brexit could “compromise” the UK’s ability to tackle the climate crisis at the pace required by limiting access to workers, Scotland’s Net Zero Secretary has warned.Michael Matheson told a British and Irish Council event at Cop26 that the renewable-energy sector was concerned about the impact leaving the European Union was having on access to the labour market.Mr Matheson, the Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero, Energy and Transport, said being able to attract skilled workers was required as part of the climate change response, giving the example of the environmental and renewable energy technology sectors.He said: “We need to start to recognise that limited access to the right labour markets could compromise our ability to move at the pace at which we need to tackle climate change.”Jane Dalton12 November 2021 13:051636722061Keir Starmer denies Jeremy Corbyn blocked his plan for second job with law firmKeir Starmer has denied that Jeremy Corbyn blocked him from taking up a second job, after the spotlight fell on his outside earnings as an MP.Alex Nunns, Mr Corbyn’s former speechwriter and biographer, claims it was the former leader – still suspended from the parliamentary party – who ruled out Starmer taking the highly paid consultancy work for law firm Mishcon de Reya. But the claim was described as “entirely untrue” by Sir Keir’s spokesperson. Rob Merrick reports:Jane Dalton12 November 2021 13:011636719673Discomfort for No 10 amid more sleaze claims Friday’s papers and news websites are brimming with yet more allegations of sleaze, and it looks as though the weekend will be uncomfortable for Downing Street. Matt Mathers has this briefing:Jane Dalton12 November 2021 12:211636718429Boris Johnson told ‘three times’ to wear mask during hospital visit – reportBoris Johnson was told three times to wear a mask during a hospital visit after reportedly failing to use a face covering, according to a report. The prime minister was visiting Hexham General Hospital when the alleged incident took place, the Mirror reported.Susie Flintham of Covid-19 Families for Justice told the paper: “The PM was putting lives at risk completely unnecessarily by visiting a hospital and refusing to put his mask on, despite being repeatedly asked to.“For him to make a point of posing for a photo without a mask is a slap in the face to bereaved families.”The hospital said Mr Johnson “did wear a mask for the majority of the visit”.Tom Batchelor12 November 2021 12:001636716978Tory MP warns of ‘large-scale Russian movement off eastern Ukraine’A senior Conservative MP has said he fears Ukraine will be “the testing mark” for the West’s strategy towards Russia, following reports America has warned allies that Russia could be preparing to invade.The Daily Telegraph reported that US officials have privately briefed EU counterparts on the potential for a military operation as Russian troops are building up near the border.The paper said the US has said its commitment to Ukraine’s security is “ironclad”, and that the Kremlin has denied it is an aggressor and has accused the US and Nato of provocation.Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood, who chairs the Defence Select Committee, said he “absolutely” hears the warnings that Russia could be seeking to invade.He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme the US is “absolutely right to flag up this large-scale Russian movement off eastern Ukraine”.He said Russia “has form” in taking such actions when the world is “distracted by other events”.Tom Batchelor12 November 2021 11:36 More

A private firm running the under-fire test-and-trace system has been handed a government contract to prepare “evidence” for the Covid public inquiry, sparking criticism.A new £900,000 deal for Deloitte includes producing an “evidence generation strategy” in “preparation for the public inquiry” that will finally get underway next spring, the document reveals.Labour is protesting that it is “completely wrong for the company to be awarded a contract to mark their own homework”, in the latest controversy surrounding the probe.The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice called the move “an insult”, saying the inquiry would inevitably pose the question “did people die” because of test and trace’s failings.Boris Johnson has been criticised for refusing to start it until two years after the Covid pandemic struck, triggering suspicions that he wishes to delay its findings until after the next general election.In September, he promised a chair would be appointed by Christmas, but the post is yet to be filled – provoking fears that the start of the inquiry will be delayed again.The failures of the privatised test-and-trace system are certain to feature in the inquiry, after it was found to have failed to curb the spread of infections – despite a startling £37bn budget.The latest Deloitte contract, examined by Private Eye magazine, will involve the “creation of a knowledge management system in preparation for the public inquiry”.The magazine revealed its consultants will put together a “clinical evidence generation strategy for Test [and trace] to allow a proactive approach to evidence generation requirements”.Deloitte was by far the largest supplier of consultants to create the system, with staff being paid up to £6,000 a day.Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, has written to Stephen Barclay, the Cabinet office minister, demanding he “terminate” the contract because of “blatant conflicts of interest”.“This sends a clear message that the government’s priority in the public inquiry will not be the openness, transparency and honesty that we need and that bereaved families deserve,” she said.“Deloitte were paid hundreds of millions of pounds by test and trace, so it is clearly completely wrong for the company to then be awarded a contract to mark their own homework and help prepare the strategy for dealing with the public inquiry into the government’s mishandling of the pandemic.”Safiah Ngah, the bereaved families group’s spokesperson, questioned how the government could “effectively ask Deloitte” to answer questions about test and trace failures.“This is insulting to not only bereaved families like my own, but to our democracy and the principle of accountability,” she said.The department of health and social care has been asked to respond to criticisms of the contract. More