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Boris Johnson’s government is facing fresh calls to crack down on second jobs as several more Conservative MPs hold lucrative roles with firms based in Caribbean tax havens, according to analysis by The Independent.Former attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox is under fire over his legal earnings of almost £1m, having reportedly advised the British Virgin Islands about a corruption probe launched by the Foreign Office.Two former frontbenchers are among a group of Tory MPs who – like Sir Geoffrey – are topping up their Commons salaries through businesses with links to countries notorious for tax avoidance.Tory MP Bill Wiggin has earned more than £74,000 from directorship roles for “fund platforms” in Bermuda and the Cayman Islands over the past year.On top of £49,000 earnings from a Bermuda-based asset management company, the former shadow Welsh secretary has also received fees of around £22,000 and £3,000 in bonuses, according to the register of members’ interests.Fellow Conservative MP Liam Fox, the former trade secretary, has a £10,000 contract with WorldPR – a Panama-based PR company for dispensing advice on business and politics.Meanwhile, Tory MP Richard Drax has an interest in a sugar plantation in Barbados. The latest register of interests shows that he is “currently administering a business property in Barbados” that he is set to inherit from his family.Mr Drax has faced called from campaigners to pay reparations to the people of Barbados after it emerged that his ancestors had a slave workforce at the plantation from 1640 to 1836.The MP said last year he was “keenly aware of the slave trade in the West Indies and the role my very distant ancestor played in it is deeply, deeply regrettable, but no one can be held responsible today for what happened many hundreds of years ago”.Scottish secretary Alistair Jack owned more than £70,000 of shares in Jardine Matheson Holdings – a firm incorporated in Bermuda – but the MP sold them in 2017 following criticism from opposition parties.There is no suggestion these MPs have broken any parliamentary rules. But opposition parties and campaigners called for an end to overseas-linked second jobs which they say could create potential conflicts of interest.Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner, told The Independent: “Labour would crack down on tax havens so our schools and hospitals get every penny they need.”She added: “This Conservative government has failed to crack down on tax avoidance and these glaring conflicts of interest suggest many in the Conservative Party are happy with that.”Susan Hawley, executive director at Spotlight on Corruption, said: “The public have a right to know that when MPs vote on important matters – which may include issues relating to tax havens and offshore business – that their judgement isn’t clouded by their private work.”The campaigner added: “We need to ask seriously whether just declaring interests is enough any more. A full cross-party review in to MPs outside interests is very welcome and long overdue.”Christine Jardine MP, the Lib Dems’ Treasury spokesperson, said: “These new revelations show just how out of touch Conservative MPs are. This proves the urgent need for an independent inquiry into MPs lobbying on behalf of companies they are in the pocket of.”Meanwhile, Sir Geoffrey could face an investigation by the Commons standards tsar over claims he “broke the rules” by using his parliamentary office for his second job offering legal advice.The Times reported that the former attorney general – who has faced criticism over his outside earnings of almost £1m since the start of 2020 – used his Westminster office to participate remotely to advise the British Virgin Islands government in a corruption probe.In a statement on Wednesday, Sir Geoffrey said he does not believe he has breached parliamentary rules. Ms Rayner said the alleged use of the office appeared to be “an egregious, brazen breach of the rules” and has written to standards commissioner Kathryn Stone asking her for “guidance on beginning a formal investigation on this matter”.Sir Keir Starmer has said his party would back a ban on MPs being able to hold consultancy roles and directorships.Mr Johnson’s spokesman said the PM opposes an “outright ban” on MPs having second jobs. However, he refused to say what “outright” means – leaving open the option of supporting a ban on the most controversial jobs, such as working as consultants.The Independent has contacted Sir Geoffrey, Mr Wiggin, Mr Fox, Mr Drax and Mr Jack for comment. More

Geoffrey Cox accused of working second job from Commons officeA former Tory minister has denied breaching Commons rules, despite footage which appears to show him conducting non-parliamentary work from his MP office.Sir Geoffrey Cox’s rebuttal comes after the health secretary Sajid Javid said the rules are clear that MPs are not allowed to use their taxpayer-funded offices for their second jobs. The Tory MP for Torridge and West Devon, who served as attorney general between 2018 and 2020, also insisted that the Tory chief whip allowed him to vote via proxy from the Caribbean earlier this year. Sir Geoffrey was working at the time as an adviser to the British Virgin Islands (BVI) during an inquiry, launched by the UK government, into possible corruption there. He reportedly made almost £1m for his legal advice. Elsewhere, Brexit minister David Frost appears to have distanced the UK from an early threat to suspend the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland, arguing further talks can still avert the crisis. In a statement to peers today, he repeated his warning – first made in July – to trigger Article 16 if necessary. But, he added the measure “is not inevitable”, insisting: “I want to be clear about that.”Show latest update

1636555252Ministers defend MPs’ right to second jobsThe government continues to defend the right of MPs to hold second jobs, saying they gain “experience” from such positions. Robert Courts, the minister for aviation, said he decided not to continue his barrister work when he was elected as an MP in 2016. However, he said he did not object to others holding second roles. “I think the key thing that we have to look at here is that there is an experience that is brought to MPs through having jobs, whatever those jobs might be,” he said. “We also have MPs who have all sorts of experience in other areas, for example doctors and nurses. There are people who are serving MPs who practise in the front line at the NHS, and I think the House of Commons is richer for that,” he added. Rory Sullivan10 November 2021 14:401636554182Geoffrey Cox’s ability to ‘concentrate fully’ on MP job called into question Geoffrey Cox’s ability to perform his job as an MP has been called into question by one of his constituents.The 45-year-old, who lives near Tavistock, said Mr Cox had taken 80 days to respond to an email query. “Waiting nearly three months for a response to a query is unacceptable,” the unnamed constituent told the PA news agency. “I do not believe that Geoffrey Cox is able to concentrate fully on his role as an MP whilst he is carrying out other roles…he is not committed to his constituency.”Earlier this week, it emerged that the former attorney general had voted by proxy from the Caribbean while performing a second job. It was then reported that he breached Commons rules by using his parliamentary office to work for the government of the British Virgin Islands. Rory Sullivan10 November 2021 14:231636552980Patel ‘will likely lose a legal challenge’ on migrant push-back plans Priti Patel will have a “less than 30 per cent chance” of winning a legal challenge over plans to push-back migrant boats in the Channel, it has been revealed.In papers obtained by The Guardian, the home secretary was also advised that any challenge would be “reputationally damaging”. The French government have already expressed their displeasure at the proposed push-back tactics, which it said “would risk having a negative impact on our cooperation.”Rory Sullivan10 November 2021 14:031636551919Politics Explained: How Labour and Lib Dems are using sleaze scandal to their advantageSleaze is firmly back on the agenda in Westminster, writes Ashley Cowburn. Labour and the Liberal Democrats have called out the government for giving peerages to 15 of the last 16 Conservative party treasurers. They have also added pressure on Boris Johnson after he attempted to spare one of his MPs, Owen Paterson, from being suspended for lobbying.The opposition parties both sought to capitalise on this Commons vote last week, targeting Conservative MPs in marginal constituencies who voted with the government. “Just voted to save one of his mates who broke the rules,” one Labour advert reads. “One rule for them, another for everyone else.”Rory Sullivan10 November 2021 13:451636550719PM failing to get ‘house in order’, says Rayner Boris Johnson has failed to get his “house in order” over the sleaze crisis gripping the government, the deputy leader of the Labour party has said.Angela Rayner told broadcasters that she had written to the independent commissioner on Wednesday about Tory MPs breaking parliamentary rules to “make their own personal gain”. “This is not acceptable. We’re here to represent our constituents, not represent ourselves, and it stinks of sleaze and corruption,” she said. The Ashton-Under-Lyme MP added: “Boris Johnson can’t get his house in order. This is very clear to me and very frustrating.“I’ve written to the commissioner about Boris Johnson and you know what they say – a fish rots from the head up, so you can see this is what is happening at the moment with the Conservatives.“They really are not representing the British people, they are representing themselves and making a huge amount of money on the back of it.”Rory Sullivan10 November 2021 13:251636549234Sleaze allegations set to tarnish PM well into 2022Politico’s Alex Wickham outlines the numerous sleaze scandals Boris Johnson’s government faces – and will continue having to deal with “well into” next year.Sam Hancock10 November 2021 13:001636548634UK pulls back from imminent Article 16 threat over NI ProtocolFollowing my earlier post (12.40pm), here’s our deputy political editor Rob Merrickwith more detail on Lord Frost’s Brexit update today. The UK appears to have pulled back from an early suspension of the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland – and a trade war with the EU – arguing further talks can still avert the crisis.Boris Johnson has been moving closer to triggering Article 16 of the Protocol, accusing the EU of failing to abide by the agreement he negotiated.In a statement to peers today, the Brexit minister David Frost repeated his threat – first made in July – to trigger Article 16 if necessary. But he said, of his weekly talks with the European Commission: “This process of negotiations has not reached his end.”He added: “Article 16 is not inevitable. I want to be clear about that.”Sam Hancock10 November 2021 12:501636548034‘Stay calm,’ Frost tells EU amid claims bloc could retaliate against Article 16An update from Lord Frost, the Brexit minister, now. Brussels should “stay calm and keep things in proportion”, the Tory frontbencher told peers today amid a continuing dispute between London and the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol.Lord Frost said there was “a real opportunity to turn away from confrontation, to move beyond our current difficulties and put in place a new, and better, equilibrium”.Behind the scenes, though, the EU is reportedly preparing to take retaliatory action if the UK suspends the post-Brexit arrangements covering Irish Sea trade by triggering Article 16.It comes after the British minister travelled to Brussels last week to meet EU Commission VP Maroš Šefčovič, with the discussions being described by No 10 as achieving “limited progress”.However, Lord Frost told the House of Lords that talks had “not reached” their end.He said: “There is more to do and I will certainly not give up on this process unless and until it is abundantly clear that nothing more can be done. We are certainly not there yet. If, however, we do in due course reach that point, the Article 16 safeguards will be our only option.” More

Priti Patel has been advised that she will lose a legal challenge over plans to send migrant boats back across the channel, according to reports. Government lawyers have reportedly told the home secretary that she has a “less than 30 per cent” chance of successfully defending the policy if it was challenged in the courts. The legal assessment comes from internal Home Office papers obtained by The Guardian. The leaked documents allegedly say that the Home Office should expect a legal challenge over the planned tactic to force small boats carrying migrants back into French waters. They also say that any challenge would be “reputationally damaging” and could force the Home Office to disclose further documents, the Guardian reported. The tactic has already been rejected by the French government, who warned that pushing ahead with the plan “would risk having a negative impact on our cooperation.”They said that “safeguarding human lives at sea takes priority over considerations of nationality, status and migratory policy.”UK Border Force staff have already been trained to use the “turn-around” tactics but said they would only use them when deemed safe to do so. Priti Patel’s “turn around” tactics would involve the border force blocking a migrant boat’s passage into UK waters. The Border Force would then contact the French coastguard to tell them that there was a vessel in their territorial waters in need of rescue.This would then place the legal obligation for the migrant boats onto the French. If the migrant boat was already in UK waters, Border Force officers on jet skis would force it to turn around.One Home Office document about the tactics allegedly explained that the lawfulness – or vires – of the plan could be successfully challenged. It read: “Whilst confirmation that the tactics are lawful would be very welcome, legal advice is that a ruling against the government is the more likely outcome in relation to vires. “Counsel has advised that the prospect of successfully defending a claim on vires is less than 30%.”It continued: “The attorney general said the government should expect a legal challenge on the tactic. A challenge could be brought by the representatives of any migrant subject to the tactic or by a migrant pressure group to the police itself.“While the prospects of successful challenge are highest in relation to vires, a challenge would likely be brought on grounds relating to proportionality and compliance with the government’s obligations under the Human Rights Act.”It also described a successful legal challenge as “reputationally damaging”, saying: “this needs to be factored into the presentational consideration.”It was also warned that “the tactics may have to be suspended pending the outcome of the court’s decision resulting in months of delay.”At least 853 people came to the UK on small boats last Wednesday, the highest daily number of people making the crossing this year. More

Czech prosecutors on Wednesday asked the newly-elected lower house of Parliament to lift Prime Minister Andrej Babis s immunity from prosecution over alleged fraud involving European Union subsidies.If the lawmakers give their approval, it would allow the prosecution to decide whether Babis should be indicted for his alleged involvement in the $2-million fraud.Czech police have repeatedly recommended Babis should be indicted.Prague’s prosecution office announced the move on Wednesday. The request came immediately after the new house convened this week for the first time following October’s election.It wasn’t immediately clear when the prosecution might finish its evaluation of the case. The allegations involve a farm that received EU subsidies after its ownership was transferred from the Babis-owned Agrofert conglomerate of around 250 companies to Babis’ family members. The subsidies were meant for medium-size and small businesses and Agrofert wouldn’t have been eligible for them.Later, Agrofert again took ownership of the farm.Babis, a populist billionaire, denies any wrongdoing, saying the allegations were politically motivated.Babis’ political ANO (YES) movement was defeated in the election. A coalition of five parties have signed to deal to rule together this week.Babis, who has to resign after the first parliamentary session is over, will end up in opposition. More

As Britain’s negotiations with the EU over the Northern Ireland Protocol enter their fourth week, Irish deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar has warned that his country is readying contingency plans in the event that a trade war should erupt between the UK and its European neighbours.Westminster’s Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost emerged from a meeting with European Commission vice president Maros Sefcovic in Brussels last Friday complaining of a lack of progress in the talks and saying that triggering Article 16 to bring an end to the trade agreement covering Northern Ireland was “very much on the table and has been since July”.The protocol was agreed by Boris Johnson and Lord Frost in 2019 and relaxes customs checks between Northern Ireland (part of the UK) and the Republic of Ireland (part of the EU) without the need for a hard border between the two states in the interest of preserving the peace secured by the 1998 Good Friday Agreement after decades of sectarian violence during the Troubles.However, its conditions mean Northern Ireland must comply with the rules of the European single market, meaning bureaucracy and possible delays on goods arriving from England, Scotland and Wales, a scenario the UK is keen to avoid hence its suggestion of a “new legal text” to replace the current deal and streamline the process.While the two sides did agree to a reduction in paperwork at the border in mid-October, the European Court of Justice’s continuing oversight role remains a point of contention, with the British government keen to remove it, complaining that the Luxembourg court’s influence amounts to an unjustified infringement of UK sovereignty.Progress subsequently appears to have stalled, with fears growing that Mr Johnson’s government intends to abandon the protocol by triggering Article 16 once the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow has concluded.The clause permits either the UK or the EU to unilaterally suspend elements of the protocol if it is shown to be causing serious “economic, societal or environmental difficulties” and resulting in trade disruption but, for many, the concern that such a decision will only prove the start of such difficulties is very real.Assuming the British government went ahead with Lord Frost’s threat – ignoring the criticism it has attracted from the likes of former Conservative prime minister Sir John Major and opposition leader Sir Keir Starmer – the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) deal it signed with the EU along with the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement might in turn be scrapped by the bloc in retaliation.Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said as much on Sunday, telling RTE the two deals were “contingent” on one another, with a similar caution also issued by Belgium’s deputy prime minister Vincent Van Peteghem over the weekend.Mr Varadkar struck a more moderate tone in an interview with the same broadcaster on Tuesday, commenting: “I don’t think anybody wants to see the European Union suspending the Trade and Cooperation Agreement with Britain.“But if Britain were to act in such a way that it was resigning from the protocol, resigning from the Withdrawal Agreement, I think the European Union would have no option other than to introduce what we call rebalancing measures to respond.”He added: “I really hope that Britain doesn’t go down this road. Prime Minister Johnson always spoke about wanting Brexit done.“Brexit is kind of done, but [this] potentially undoes it and I don’t think it would be good for us, for Great Britain, and I don’t see how it would be good for Northern Ireland. And bear in mind the protocol is broadly supported by people in business and most political parties in Northern Ireland, and nobody is yet putting forward a preferable alternative to that.”The former taoiseach told RTE that he had attended a Cabinet sub-meeting regarding Brexit on Monday to “essentially dust down and restart our contingency preparations should we get into difficulty”, a warning to Mr Johnson and Lord Frost that Europe is entirely serious about that reality coming to pass.If the article were to be triggered and the EU were to hit back by declaring the TCA null and void, a step that could not be undertaken without a year’s notice, the UK would eventually be plunged back into no-deal Brexit territory, which could mean new tariffs on its goods and even less favourable terms for British businesses to contend with than they currently operate under outside of the single market.That scenario would not be ideal for the Republic of Ireland either, however, as, without the invisible border between itself and Northern Ireland, British goods could be allowed to cross over into the Emerald Isle without being checked to ensure they meet EU quality standards.During the original Brexit negotiations, Dublin expressed reluctance to introduce checkpoint infrastructure along its border with its northern neighbour for fear of stoking renewed regional hostilities, so having to again be pragmatic on that point could, potentially, see it taking delivery of sub-standard stock.In addition to the threat of tariffs, Britain could also be subjected to increased bureaucracy from its continental neighbours like France, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg.Should those nations insist on carrying out physical customs checks on British lorries, the UK could see a return to the queues and upheaval experienced in Kent last December when France demanded HGV drivers present a negative Covid test before crossing its border.That could mean further supply chain chaos and increased public anger – a headache for Mr Johnson’s government and a problem likely to translate into Labour votes at the ballot box.On the diplomatic front, the UK would be risking not just the souring of relations with Europe – exhausted by the antics, ill will and duplicity of this prime minister – but also the US.President Joe Biden is proud of his Irish heritage and known to be deeply hostile to any Brexit-related maneuvers that might disturb the peace secured by the Good Friday Agreement.He will not be afraid to make life difficult for Mr Johnson by blocking lucrative trading opportunities if he does not like what he sees unfolding across the Atlantic. More

Sir Geoffrey Cox has claimed he “does not believe” he breached MPs’ rules — despite footage appearing him to show undertaking external work from his Commons office.In a statement, the former Tory attorney general also revealed the party’s chief whip advised him it was “appropriate” to vote via a proxy from the Caribbean in April while advising the government of the British Overseas Territory on a corruption case.At the time, provisions had been made for MPs to participate remotely in parliamentary business as the country faced draconian Covid restrictions.The statement from the QC — issued on his website — however, defended Mr Cox’s decision to work with the islands, insisting he “regularly works 70-hour weeks” and gives “primary importance” to his constituency work.“Prior to his visit to the BVI, he consulted the chief whip specially on this issue and was advised that it was appropriate,” the statement said.After Labour demanded a probe into whether Mr Cox broke Commons rules on a separate occasion on 14 September, amid claims he used his parliamentary office to carry out private work for the BVI government, the Tory MP added he will co-operate with any investigation.The statement added: “He fully understands that the matter has been referred to to the parliamentary commissioner and he will fully cooperate.“He does not believe that he breached the rules but will of course accept the judgment of the parliamentary commissioner or of the committee on the matter.”However, in a letter to the parliamentary commissioner, Kathryn Stone, Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said the MP’s code of conduct was “very clear” that elected representatives ensure that “any facilities and services provided from the public purse is… always in support of their parliamentary duties” and “should not confer any… financial benefit on themselves”. More

The Tory MP whose work for a tax haven sparked a sleaze scandal argued in parliament against measures to close money laundering loopholes, it can be revealed. Geoffrey Cox earned nearly £1 million from his second job representing the British Virgin Islands (BVI) in a corruption and money laundering inquiry set up by his own Conservative colleagues in the UK government.But in a 2018 parliamentary debate on the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Bill Sir Geoffrey said it was “beneath the dignity of this parliament” to try and close loopholes being exploited by territories like the BVI.The Conservative MP argued that British overseas territories had been given “responsibility for the governance of their financial and economic affairs” and that the UK should not interfere.The revelations raise questions as in 2018 Sir Geoffrey did hundreds of hours of legal work for unknown clients, including through international firms. His current work for the BVI government through the firm Withers LLP started later, in 2020, according to the Commons register of register of interests.Sir Geoffrey, who on Tuesday night was accused of breaking Commons rules by using his office in the course of a second job, commented for the first time on the issue on Wednesday.A statement issued on his behalf defended the second job and said it had “not been to ‘defend’ a tax haven or, as has been inaccurately reported, to defend any wrongdoing but to assist the public inquiry in getting to the truth”.The statement added: “No evidence of tax evasion or personal corruption has been adduced before the Inquiry and if it had been, that person would have been required to seek their own representation.”But Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “You can be an MP serving your constituents or a barrister working for a tax haven – you can’t be both and Boris Johnson needs to make his mind up as to which one Geoffrey Cox will be.”A Conservative MP trying to prevent a crackdown on tax avoidance in tax havens at the same time as taking money from companies linked to tax avoidance in tax havens is a glaring conflict of interest and an insult to British taxpayers. “Labour would crack down on tax havens so our schools and hospitals get every penny they need. This Conservative government has failed to crack down on tax avoidance and these glaring conflicts of interest suggest many in the Conservative Party are very happy with that.”On Wednesday morning Ms Rayner wrote to the parliamentary Commissioner for Standards and urged an investigation into claims Sir Geoffrey had used his office for the second job, branding it “a brazen breach of the rules and an insult to taxpayers”. Sir Geoffrey’s statement said he would “fully cooperate with her investigation” and that “He does not believe that he breached the rules but will of course accept the judgment of the Parliamentary Commissioner or of the Committee on the matter”.In the 2018 debate about tax loop holes Sir Geoffrey asked a Labour MP what she would say to “the 50,000 or 60,000 inhabitants of the Cayman Islands, who were given a constitution in which the responsibility for the governance of their financial and economic affairs was solemnly conveyed to them by this Parliament?”He argued that “the measure she is supporting will require that constitution to be amended so that the section that conveys on them the power to make their own orders in these affairs will have to be removed”. Like BVI, the Cayman Islands are a British overseas territory often used to handle money.Sir Geoffrey went on to add: “In 2009, we gave the people of the Cayman Islands a solemn pledge in this House. We said, ‘We will not legislate for you in these areas of public responsibility without your consent.’ By this measure today, we are breaking that promise to them, and it is beneath the dignity of this Parliament to do away with that promise and that pledge of good faith.”The QC earned £900,000 in the past year working for law firm Withers, representing the British Virgin Island government in an inquiry into governance and possible corruption. He also earned around £130,000 from other legal work on top of his £82,000 MPs’ salary.The MP is understood to have spent some of April and May in the tropical region – with his register of interests showing that he earned £156,916.08 for 140 hours’ work between April 29 and May 31.He reportedly arrived in the Caribbean on April 26 – the same day as the Commons held a debate on global corruption.A press release on the BVI government website for that day says Sir Geoffrey was “currently in quarantine” but “intends to hold a series of meetings with government ministers in the next few weeks”.Conservative deputy prime minister Dominic Raab, who is also in charge of Justice and who set up the inquiry into the BVI, said Sir Geoffrey’s actions were “legitimate thing to do as long as it is properly declared”. More

Older people will face restrictions on their freedoms in future if they choose not to have a Covid booster jab, the health secretary has suggested.Sajid Javid hinted the government is considering adopting a crackdown similar to that in France – which will require a third dose in order to be classed as “fully vaccinated” on the country’s health pass.The pass is required for entry to bars, cafés, restaurants, leisure centres, tourist sites and long-distance trains, by providing either proof of vaccination or of a recent negative Covid test.Asked if making a third jab part of a Covid pass is “something that you might look at”, Mr Javid replied: “We’re not looking at that yet.“I think, in due course, we will have to look at what constitutes vaccination, but at this point the most important thing is that anyone that’s eligible gets out there and gets their booster.”Pressed on whether the curb could be introduced “potentially in the future”, the health secretary told Sky News: “I can’t rule that out.“We know now that the vaccines do wane and it’s important that, where it’s necessary, that those people get a top up. I think it’s something that we have to keep under review.”Covid passes have been introduced in Wales – and are now being extended to cinemas and theatres – while Scotland requires proof of double vaccination for crowded venues.A similar plan was shelved in England, but is part of the government’s ‘plan B’ should Covid hospitalisations and deaths rise sharply over the winter.If introduced, it would require proof of vaccination for “indoor crowded settings with 500 or more attendees such as music venues or large receptions”, including all nightclubs.The events would be those where people “are likely to be in close proximity to people from other households”, the winter plan set out.“Outdoor, crowded settings with 4,000 or more attendees” and “any settings with 10,000 or more attendees, such as large sports and music stadia” – including top football matches – would also be covered.But places of worship, wedding ceremonies, funerals and “other commemorative events” would be exempt, as would protests and “mass participation sporting events”.In the meantime, Covid passes are required for international travel – which would be the most likely are for a booster jab to be required.In interviews, Mr Javid faced down criticism of his decision to make vaccines compulsory for staff in England, from next April.“We know that people in hospital, they’re already very vulnerable, and the last thing they want is to be exposed to Covid-19 when it could have been prevented, and that can be fatal for them in that condition,” he said.“I think, ultimately, this is the right call – it is the duty of the NHS and the government to do everything that we can to protect vulnerable people.” More