Markus Andrews

Time is running out to make the looming Cop26 climate emergency summit a success, Boris Johnson will tell world leaders on a trip to the United Nations and the White House.The prime minister will shrug off criticism of his preparations for the landmark Glasgow event – and that he has failed to offer leadership – by urging other countries to step up to the plate.He will host a UN meeting on Monday to galvanise help for developing countries to adapt to the devastating consequences of global heating – as a promised $100bn (£73bn) annual fund stands $20bn short.Later in the week, in Washington, Mr Johnson will seek to calm tensions with Joe Biden over the shambolic retreat from Afghanistan on his first visit to the White House since Donald Trump was ousted.The pair’s discussions will also focus on climate commitments, as well as on how to prevent the feared humanitarian catastrophe after the Taliban takeover in Kabul.On Friday, the UN secretary general, Antonio Guterres, warned of a “high risk of failure” at Cop26, in November, long billed as the world’s last chance to prevent runaway climate change.Mr Johnson has been accused of failing to make the UK’s CO2-cutting promises “a reality” and of neglecting to make the summit – now just six weeks away – a personal priority.Negotiations have been left to Alok Sharma, the little-known Cop26 president, who was handed the role after the prime minister tried and failed to recruit a big-hitter.Ahead of flying to New York on Sunday, the prime minister said: “World leaders have a small window of time left to deliver on their climate commitments ahead of Cop26.“My message to those I meet this week will be clear: future generations will judge us based on what we achieve in the coming months.“I will be pushing them to take concrete action on coal, climate, cars and trees so we can make a success of Cop26 and keep our climate goals within reach.”The UK is ahead of other nations in ending coal-fired energy production, but its record is tainted by controversial plans for a new oil field in the North Sea.Likewise, although the UK has committed around £2.3bn to the $100bn climate fund, The Independent revealed it will come from further cuts to international aid projects.Mr Johnson has been bolstered by 100 world leaders – including Mr Biden – agreeing to attend Cop26, providing a “once in a generation opportunity” to create a path to keeping the global temperature rise below 1.5C, No 10 believes.But the Glasgow preparations have been hit by the refusal of China – the biggest CO2 emitter – to commit to deeper cuts and fresh evidence that the world is way off course.Current pledges would mean a 16 per cent increase in emissions in 2030 compared with 2010 levels, not the 45 per cent fall that scientists say is needed, the UN said on Friday.Mr Guterres said: “The world is on a catastrophic pathway to 2.7C of heating. There is a high risk of failure of Cop26. It is clear that everyone must assume their responsibilities.” More

Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has insisted there is no “cause for immediate concern” over gas supplies, after holding urgent talks with industry leaders.The cabinet minister played down the prospect of a winter emergency due to surging wholesale prices, and claimed the UK had more than enough capacity to meet demand.After meeting with senior executives to discuss the impact of record gas prices, he took to Twitter to try to calm fears about increases in fuel bills and the effect on other industries.“I was reassured that security of supply was not a cause for immediate concern within the industry,” he tweeted.“The UK benefits from having a diverse range of gas supply sources, with sufficient capacity to more than meet demand. The UK’s gas system continues to operate reliably and we do not expect supply emergencies this winter.”Natural gas prices are at a record high as countries around the world begin to recover from the Covid pandemic.High energy prices are also linked to maintenance issues at some gas sites, a fire in Kent knocking out a major electricity cable connecting the UK with France, low gas supply from Russia and Norway, outages at some nuclear stations, and lower levels of solar and wind-power generation.The price rise has already forced the closure of two fertiliser plants in Teesside and Cheshire. That in turn has created a shortage in carbon dioxide, which could severely affect supplies of meat and carbonated beverages. It could also cause some energy companies to fold. At least four smaller firms are expected to go bust next week, the BBC has reported, with larger firms being asked to step in to cover supplies to up to one million customers.One of the UK’s biggest poultry suppliers said CO2 problems, combined with staff shortages, would compromise the supply of turkeys. “Christmas will be cancelled,” warned Ranjit Singh Boparan, the owner of Bernard Matthews, which is part of the 2 Sisters Food Group.Sky-high gas prices have also led to two small energy companies – Utility Point and People’s Energy – going bust after locking customers into fixed-rate tariffs that were no longer sustainable for the firms.Annual gas and electricity bills are set to soar by up to £280 next year due to the 60 per cent increase in wholesale energy prices, in addition to price rises in October.Experts say that rising energy bills, combined with the end of both furlough and the universal credit top-up, risk creating a living standards crisis this autumn.Labour’s shadow business secretary, Ed Miliband, said: “A basic duty of government is to ensure secure, affordable energy supplies for businesses and families.“It is a fundamental failure of long-term government planning over the last decade that we are so exposed and vulnerable as a country, and it is businesses and consumers that are paying the price.”Mr Kwarteng said protecting customers from huge price rises was “an absolute priority”.“The energy price cap exists to protect millions of customers,” he tweeted. “Initiatives such as the Warm Home discount, winter fuel payments and cold weather payments will help further.”He also sought to defend the government from criticism over its long-term energy policy, and said he was confident that energy security could be maintained while increasing the usage of renewables.Mr Kwarteng said: “Our largest single source of gas is from domestic production, and the vast majority of imports come from reliable suppliers such as Norway. We are not dependent on Russian oil and gas.“However, our exposure to volatile global gas prices underscores the importance of our plan to build a strong, home-grown renewable energy sector to further reduce our reliance on fossil fuels. Renewable energy has quadrupled since 2010, but there is more to do.”The minister said he would meet industry regulator Ofgem again on Sunday before organising a meeting with industry leaders on Monday to “manage the wider implications of the global gas price increase”. More

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said that the government “does not expect” that there will be gas “supply emergencies” in the colder months ahead of his talks with the energy industry.The government is to hold urgent talks this weekend with representatives from the energy sector over wholesale gas prices hitting a record high.Mr Kwarteng will talk with chief executives of gas producers, the National Grid, suppliers, and industry regulator Ofgem to discuss the extent of the impact of surging prices amid higher global demand for gas.Ahead of the meeting, he tweeted: “Britain has a diverse range of gas supply sources, with sufficient capacity to more than meet demand.”As well as an increase in prices expected in October, annual gas and electricity bills are also set to soar by up to £280 next year due to the 60 per cent increase in wholesale energy prices.Dermot Nolan, a former Ofgem chief executive, said that he believes high energy prices will “be sustained for the next three to four months”.He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: “It is very difficult to see what the government can do directly in this regard.”Natural gas prices are at record highs as countries around the world begin to recover from the Covid pandemic.High energy prices are also linked to maintenance issues at some gas sites, a fire in Kent knocking out a major electricity cable connected to France, low gas supply from Russia and Norway, outages at some nuclear stations, and lower levels of solar and wind power generation.Low gas storage levels could contribute to prices of gas increasing even further, Alexei Miller, head of Russian supplier Gazprom, said on Friday.At an online conference, Mr Miller said Europe’s gas in storage is currently 22.9 billion cubic metres below normal levels.He added that “Europe will enter the autumn/winter period with shortages in underground storage.”The day before his comments, the energy price hike led suppliers to withdraw their lowest fixed-rate offers. Sky high gas prices have led to two small energy companies – Utility Point and People’s Energy – going bust after locking-in customers on fixed-rate tariffs that were no longer sustainable for the firms.The price rises have been “incredibly rapid” as 18 months ago they were at their “lowest rates for 20 years,” according to Martin Lewis, founder of website MoneySavingExpert.The cheapest deals cost 40 per cent more than a year ago and are still rising, according to his website.The government was warned on Friday that many households are facing a triple-whammy of challenges in paying their energy bills this autumn and winter.Charities such as the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, the Labour Party, and the Citizen’s Advice Bureau said that households on low incomes will struggle with the higher prices, the end of the coronavirus furlough scheme, and the end of the £20 increase to Universal Credit welfare payments that has been paid out during the pandemic.Ed Miliband, Labour’s shadow business secretary, said: “A basic duty of government is to ensure secure, affordable energy supplies for businesses and families.“It is a fundamental failure of long-term government planning over the last decade that we are so exposed and vulnerable as a country and it is businesses and consumers that are paying the price.“If we had been investing at sufficient scale in diverse, secure, zero carbon energy supplies and making energy efficiency a much bigger priority, we would not be in such a precarious position.“Ministers must recognise the severity of the cost of living crisis now facing families as a result of rising energy prices and their unfair tax rise and cancel the cut to Universal Credit.“They must also ensure security of supply and take the long-term action to put in place a much more robust, resilient and diverse energy infrastructure.”A government spokesperson said: “The UK benefits from having access to highly diverse sources of gas supply to ensure households, businesses and heavy industry get the energy they need at a fair price.“We are monitoring this situation closely,” they added. More

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is facing a tough battle against his Conservative Party rival, Erin O’Toole, in Canadian elections on Monday. Trudeau called the early election in hopes of winning a majority of seats in Parliament but has faced criticism for calling a vote during a pandemic in order to cement his hold on power. Here’s a guide to Monday’s election: _____WHAT’S AT STAKE?Trudeau and his Liberal Party could lose power to the Conservative Party after six years in office. Trudeau has struggled to justify why he’s holding the election early amid the pandemic, and the opposition has been relentless in accusing him of doing it for his own personal ambition. But Trudeau is betting that Canadians will reward him for navigating the coronavirus crisis better than most countries. Canada has seen far fewer cases and deaths than many other nations, and Trudeau’s government spent hundreds of billions of dollars to prop up the economy amid lockdowns. After a slow start Canada is now one of the most vaccinated countries in the world and leads the G-7 in vaccination rates. Trudeau recently reopened the border, but only to the vaccinated. If elected, O’Toole says he will close the borders to prevent dangerous variants from coming in. In addition, O’Toole has pulled his Conservative Party to the center in a bid to win power and is now calling himself a progressive. _____PANDEMIC POLITICS? Trudeau argues having the Conservatives in power during a pandemic isn’t wise, saying Canadians need a government that follows science. O’Toole isn’t requiring his party’s candidates to be vaccinated and won’t say how many are unvaccinated. He describes vaccination as a personal health decision. Trudeau supports making vaccines mandatory for Canadians to travel by air or rail, something the Conservatives oppose. Trudeau points out the dire situation in Alberta, run by a Conservative provincial government. Alberta Premier Jason Kenney says the province might run out of beds and staff for intensive care units within days. Kenney has apologized for the crisis and is now reluctantly introducing a vaccine passport and imposing a mandatory work-from-home order two months after lifting nearly all restrictions. The Liberals, in turn, are running an attack ad that quotes O’Toole praising Kenney for his management of the pandemic, saying it’s been better than Trudeau’s federal government. _______TRUDEAU FATIGUE?Trudeau gambled by trying to capitalize on his government’s handling of the pandemic but he’s been accused of calling the election early for selfish, political reasons. Tall and trim, Trudeau channeled the star power of his father, late prime minister Pierre Trudeau, when he was first elected in 2015. He appeared on the cover of Rolling Stone and in Vogue magazine, but analysts say high expectations and overexposure have contributed to some irritation with him. Photos of Trudeau appearing in black and brownface when he was younger also surfaced in the last election in 2019, casting doubt on his judgment. _____WHAT DOES O’TOOLE STAND FOR?The son of a long-time politician, O’Toole advertised himself as a “true blue conservative” who vowed to “Take Back Canada!” when he won his party’s leadership just a year ago. Now he’s calling himself progressive and disavowing social and fiscal policies that made him his party’s leader. Polls show O’Toole could defeat Trudeau’s Liberal Party despite criticism he will say and do anything to get elected.O’Toole now favors a carbon tax he promised to kill and the Conservatives disparaged. O’Toole reversed the party’s position on guns three weeks into the campaign, contradicting the Conservative platform he put out last month by pledging to maintain the Liberals’ list of prohibited firearms. ______FAR RIGHT IMPACT?A politician who narrowly lost the leadership of the Conservative Party in 2017 now leads a far-right party that opposes vaccines and lockdowns. Polls suggest as much as 5% to 10% support for Maxime Bernier and his People’s Party of Canada, which could bleed support from the Conservative Party and help the Liberals retain power. A worried O’Toole said Friday that while there are other parties, there’s only one party that has a chance to defeat Trudeau — the Conservatives. Anti-vaccine supporters of the People’s Party have tried to disrupt Trudeau’s campaign rallies. One party member was arrested for throwing gravel and rocks at Trudeau, and there have been protests outside hospitals. A growing number of vaccinated Canadians are becoming increasingly upset with those who refuse to get vaccinated. It has been the biggest wedge issue for Trudeau. ____ A MINORITY GOVERNMENT?Canadians don’t directly elect the prime minister. Instead, the post goes to the leader of the party that either wins the majority of seats in the House of Commons or can ally with another party to reach a majority. Trudeau called the early election in hopes of winning a majority but polls suggest that no party is likely to get a majority of Parliament’s 338 seats, so an alliance may be needed to pass legislation. If Conservatives win the most seats — but not a majority — they are expected to seek an arrangement with the separatist Bloc Quebecois party in Quebec. Trudeau’s Liberals would likely rely on the leftist New Democrats. The Liberals entered this election with 155 seats, the Conservatives had 119, the Bloc Quebecois 32 and the leftist New Democrats 24. The People’s Party had none. More

The government’s Covid taskforce, which drives crucial decisions on lockdowns, PPE, and emergency planning is facing a ‘brain drain’ just as the country gears up for a potentially brutal winter, The Independent can reveal.The department is to be disbanded in the spring – despite ongoing concerns about Covid – prompting a flood of talent already heading for the door.At least two senior decision-makers are among those expected to depart imminently, leaving the team ‘hollowed out’ from within, Whitehall sources warned. Those who have planned their exit “are some of the best talent we have,” one source said. “They also have some of the most experience of previous upticks in hospitalisations and infections. We’re losing that institutional knowledge.”The taskforce, set up in the spring of 2020, has been advising the government on what rate of infections of Covid-19 and flu the country can withstand before imposing restrictions. It is instrumental in providing guidance for the autumn and winter plan and when to re-open, or close-off, parts of the economy.The situation within the taskforce has drawn parallels with the dissolution of the Brexit department, when key officials left their jobs ahead of crucial deadlines. As key dates drew closer, many of the most experienced staff left to pursue new roles. Some 40 per cent of staff left the department in 2019, according to the IfG’s Whitehall monitor of that year. Taking on so-called crisis management roles, such as those in Brexit department, the taskforce can often prove an effective route for promotion in the civil service, as it shows an ability to deal with operational and political pressures. Now, the deadline for scrapping the taskforce has triggered a similar effect. It is going through “the start of a brain drain” according to a second person familiar with the taskforce. Several senior and mid-ranking taskforce members have already given notice that they will be moving to fresh roles within different parts of the civil service, they said.There are 14 roles for the most senior staff in the group, with several layers of civil servants beneath them tackling areas from testing to PPE provision, and the potential imposition of new restrictions this winter. A UK government spokesperson did not deny that plans had been prepared to disband the taskforce in spring next year. They said: “The Covid-19 Task Force coordinates the government’s response to the pandemic and will continue to do so for as long as necessary. We will continue to ensure that the Task Force has the people it needs to do its vital job.”The government refused to confirm the exact number of civil servants within the taskforce, but insiders suggested around 100-120 members based on their own calculations, including some assistance from external management consultants. “The risk is it gets sort of hollowed out over the winter, and you’re left with a kind of skeletal remains by spring,” said Alex Thomas, government programme director at the Institute for Government (IfG) think tank. If the winter goes well and Covid-19 is contained with few hospitalisations, then this approach with the taskforce is fine, Mr Thomas said. However, if there’s a bad winter of Covid infections which triggers a crisis “you’ve got an underpowered central team. We might be back where we were in the earliest stage of the pandemic,” he said. “One of the things that bedeviled the Covid response in the first few months was the absence of this central brokering function,” he said. The taskforce is set up to combine scientific and economic analysis to make recommendations for the prime minister and other ministers, Mr Thomas added. According to Whitehall sources, the taskforce’s input has proven crucial in terms using data effectively to work out the viral impact of reopening the economy. Their recommendations fed into the autumn and winter plan laid out by prime minister Boris Johnson earlier this week. The same sources remain concerned that host of restrictions may have to be introduced in winter due to pressures on the NHS. The government’s winter plan said that, based on modelling, “scenarios which place the NHS under extreme and unsustainable pressure remain plausible”. It added that “the government must continue to monitor the data and prepare contingencies.” Still, people familiar with the taskforce’s operations are concerned about its ability to monitor and advise on key data, if it loses key team members who have built up effective relationships with top officials and ministers.“It is important for the public to understand, as the prime minister suggested, that this could be a difficult winter. But that’s exactly why we don’t need the start of a brain drain when the pandemic is not over,” one Whitehall insider said. “You need to have your Covid avengers assembled.”The deadlines shared by sources and in one email seen by The Independent indicate that the taskforce will be disbanded in April 2022, following a review in March. The group would share out its relevant expertise by redeploying staff to other government departments and the civil continencies secretariat in the Cabinet Office. Some staff have also found themselves on the edge of burnout, after months of operating on a war footing, according to insiders. Others feel they ought to find new roles, or they risk being caught up in hurried redeployment efforts that could damage their careers.“The moment you set the end for the project, the best people start to drift away because they can see the writing on the wall. You’d be a fool not to start looking at other options if you can see the date coming,” Mr Thomas said. More

France recalls ambassadors to US, Australia over sub dealAustralia has made a “huge mistake” by cancelling a major submarine contract with France in favour of a deal with the UK and US, the French ambassador to the country has said.French envoy Jean-Pierre Thebault said on Saturday that the original arms agreement between the French and Australian governments was supposed to be based “on trust, mutual understanding and sincerity.”It came after France recalled its ambassadors to the US and Australia in a dramatic escalation of diplomatic tensions over the new AUKUS alliance.Meanwhile, the UK government is holding urgent talks with senior figures in the energy industry to discuss a sudden rise in wholesale gas prices which has led to a CO2 shortage, potentially risking the food supply chain.Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng insisted on Saturday that the UK’s gas supplies were stable, while the chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association warned that the CO2 shortage was “undoubtedly a crisis”.Show latest update

1631976216Women to be ‘hit hardest’ by Universal Credit cut, figures showPlanned cuts to Universal Credit (UC) will hit women hardest and lead to billions of pounds being lost from their annual incomes in total, a charity has warned.Some 5.9 million people in the UK are currently receiving UC payments – with women making up 54 per cent of those claiming the benefit as of August 2021.Our women’s correspondent, Maya Oppenheim, has the full story below:Conrad Duncan18 September 2021 15:431631974699Closure of Covid taskforce leads to ‘brain drain’ ahead of feared winter surgeThe government’s Covid taskforce, which plays a key role in decisions on lockdowns, PPE and emergency planning, is facing a “brain drain” as the country prepares for a potentially challenging winter, The Independent can reveal.As the department is to be disbanded in the spring, members of the taskforce are already reportedly heading for the exit. Our reporter, Anna Isaac, has the full story below:Conrad Duncan18 September 2021 15:181631973701Opinion: ‘Starmer may have John Smith’s style – but he faces a stronger opposition’Sir Keir Starmer shares some characteristics with a former leader of the Labour Party, John Smith, but he faces an even tougher challenge to win the next general election, according to our commentator John Rentoul.Ahead of Labour’s annual conference, John writes:“Keir Starmer doesn’t like being compared to previous Labour leaders, but the Smith one is more apt than most. Like Smith, Starmer trades on his competence as a lawyer to present a reassuring face to the voters. Like Smith, Starmer places himself at the centre of the party, emphasising unity above all, while offering baubles to both left and right to keep them happy.”You can find his full piece below:Conrad Duncan18 September 2021 15:011631972406Wholesale gas prices surge by 250 per cent since January, industry body saysWholesale gas prices have surged by 250 per cent since January, with a 70 per cent rise since August alone, the UK’s offshore oil and gas industry body has said.OGUK, which represents the industry, said that the crisis had coincided with discussions on whether to open new gas fields in the North Sea, with the body predicting that UK North Sea output would roughly halve by 2027 unless new fields are opened.“This price surge shows how we continue to need UK gas,” OGUK energy policy manager Will Webster said.“Letting production fall faster than we can reduce demand risks leaving us increasingly dependent on other countries, and at the mercy of global events over which we have no control.“While the UK continues to use oil and gas, we should make the most of the resources in our control while working for a low-carbon future.”Conrad Duncan18 September 2021 14:401631971317Southern Tory voters do not believe Johnson is ‘decent man’, Lib Dem leader claimsVoters in the Tory Party’s southern seats could turn on Boris Johnson because they do not believe he’s a “decent man”, the leader of the Liberal Democrats has claimed.Sir Ed Davey told the Daily Mirror that he believed such voters were up for grabs in the next general election as the Conservatives focus their attention on retaining the “Red Wall” seats in Labour’s former northern heartlands.“He has been proven to not tell the truth time and time again, I think he plays to people’s prejudices,” Sir Ed said.“There’s something that a prime minister should have – even if you disagree with them, they should be able to command respect, that they tell the truth, they work hard and they do the very best they can.“He doesn’t recognise the truth, he’s completely incompetent and I don’t think he works hard.”He added: “This is what Conservative voters are telling us – they don’t think he’s decent.”Unsupported twitter embedConrad Duncan18 September 2021 14:211631970260Ministers must recognise ‘cost of living crisis’ as gas prices rise, Miliband saysThe government must recognise the “severity of the cost of living crisis” facing families following a sudden rise in wholesale gas prices, former Labour leader Ed Miliband has said.The shadow business secretary said on Saturday that ministers needed to do more to put in place “more robust, resilient and diverse energy infrastructure” across the UK.“It is a fundamental failure of long-term government planning over the last decade that we are so exposed and vulnerable as a country and it is businesses and consumers that are paying the price,” Mr Miliband wrote on Twitter.“If we had been investing at sufficient scale in diverse, secure, zero carbon energy supplies and making energy efficiency a much bigger priority, we would not be in such a precarious position.”He added: “Ministers must recognise the severity of the cost of living crisis now facing families and cancel the cut to Universal Credit.“They must also ensure security of supply and take the long term action to put in place a much more robust, resilient and diverse energy infrastructure.”Conrad Duncan18 September 2021 14:041631969031ICYMI: Health minister Lord Bethell, who was at the centre of a series of Covid-related controversies, has confirmed that he has been sacked in Boris Johnson’s reshuffle this week.Our political editor, Andrew Woodcock, has the full story below:Conrad Duncan18 September 2021 13:431631967715Why did France spare UK ambassador in AUKUS row?Despite the UK’s role in the new AUKUS alliance, France notably chose not to recall its British ambassador on Friday when it told its envoys for the US and Australia to return home in a major diplomatic rebuke.The reason for that may be due to the French government not viewing the UK as an active party in the defence contract that sparked the row.According to a French diplomatic source for Reuters, the UK acted in an “opportunistic” manner in the deal struck between the US and Australia which ended a $40bn submarine contract deal between Canberra and Paris“The UK accompanied this operation opportunistically,” the French diplomatic source said. “We do not need to consult in Paris with our ambassador to know what to think and what conclusions to draw from it.”Conrad Duncan18 September 2021 13:211631966328Exclusive: Government accused of lowering cap on Afghan refugees by 10 per centBoris Johnson’s government has been accused of quietly slashing by 10 per cent the number of Afghan refugees to be admitted to the UK under a scheme to protect those fleeing the Taliban.The Liberal Democrats said on Saturday that the “already derisory” offer to take in 5,000 people this year under the Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme had been reduced to 4,500 due to a technicality in the Home Office policy.Our political editor, Andrew Woodcock, has the full story below:Conrad Duncan18 September 2021 12:581631964768ICYMI: Australian government ‘regrets’ France’s decision to recall ambassadorThe Australian government has expressed “regret” over France’s decision to recall its ambassador to the country in connection to a row over a cancelled submarine contract.The French government is angry because Australia cancelled a major defence contract after it agreed to work with the UK and US to build nuclear-powered submarines as part of the new AUKUS strategic alliance.“We note with regret France’s decision to recall its Ambassador to Australia for consultations following the decision on the Attack Class project,” a spokesperson for foreign minister Marise Payne said.“Australia understands France’s deep disappointment with our decision, which was taken in accordance with our clear and communicated national security interests.“Australia values its relationship with France, which is an important partner and a vital contributor to stability, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. This will not change.”They added: “We look forward to engaging with France again on our many issues of shared interest, based on shared values.”The AUKUS defence pact between the UK, US and Australia has been widely seen as an attempt to counter the growing military assertiveness of China in the Indo-Pacific region.Conrad Duncan18 September 2021 12:32 More

Four former prime ministers have turned down invitations to a centenary dinner at Chequers – leaving Boris Johnson to host only Theresa May at his country retreat.The prime minister had hoped for a rare gathering of all the surviving occupants of No 10, to mark 100 years since a UK leader first enjoyed staying at the lavish Buckinghamshire country home.But Tony Blair and Gordon Brown turned down the offer of the reunion and it has now been confirmed that John Major and David Cameron have also said they are unable to attend.It means Mrs May will be the only ex-prime minister at the celebration, making for an uncomfortable get-together for Mr Johnson with his predecessor, although Sir John’s wife Norma will be among other guests.The last time the pair met at Chequers it prompted his resignation as foreign secretary from her Cabinet over her doomed Brexit proposals, in 2018.She has since become among his fiercest backbench critics, including over the shambolic retreat from Afghanistan and the decision to counter China with the new AUKUS alliance with the US and Australia.In July, she was among the leaders of the Conservative revolt over the £4bn-a-year cuts to overseas aid, accusing the government of “turning its back on the poor”.The dinner is to mark 100 years since David Lloyd George became its first prime ministerial to occupy Chequers. Every former prime minister was invited, along with their spouses.Since 1918, an invitation to the retreat has become the biggest honour the prime minister can bestow on visiting foreign leaders.Mr Blair hosted US presidents Bill Clinton and George W Bush there, after Sir John entertained Russian president Boris Yeltsin, while Mrs May brought Donald Trump to Chequers.It is said that Angela Merkel went for a countryside ramble with David Cameron, who ended up having to help, the German Chancellor climb over a barbed wire fence.Chinese President Xi Jinping pulled a pint in the nearby Plough pub and, after another long Sunday lunch there, Mr Cameron’s motorcade famously left his young daughter Nancy behind.A government source confirmed to The Independent that Sir John and Mr Cameron had followed Mr Blair and Mr Brown in missing the Saturday night dinner.The taxpayer contributes £916,000 a year towards the upkeep of Chequers, which is mainly staffed by members of the armed forces.But the prime minister has to pay for food, drink and entertainment themselves – prompting complaints from some about the cost of playing the host.Nevertheless, most prime ministers and their wives consider Chequers to be one of the best perks of the job and Mr Johnson is driven there most weekends. More

Charges will be introduced for Covid lateral flow tests within “months” in England, triggering criticism of the “reckless” move.“Universal free provision will end” and “individuals and businesses using the tests will bear the cost”, the government says – despite acknowledging the rapid tests identify a quarter of reported infections.No date has been set for the switch, but the winter plan unveiled by Sajid Javid, the health secretary, says the tests will only remain free for “the coming months”.Public health chiefs, school leaders and Labour have united in criticising the move, which Mr Javid failed to announce in his statement to Parliament last Tuesday.Jonathan Ashworth, Labour’s shadow health secretary, told The Independent: “Testing remains a vital tool in controlling Covid and pushing infections down.“It’s been the low paid and poorest hit hardest by this pandemic and who will be hit again with these Tory plans to charge for a test.”Prof Kate Ardern, the lead director of public health in Greater Manchester, pointed out that tests for other diseases, such as tuberculosis, are free on the NHS.“Anything that potentially deters people from continuing to do testing – and a charge does do that – then that is potentially a little bit worrying,” she told The Guardian.Professor Dominic Harrison, the director of public health in the Covid hotspot of Blackburn-with-Darwen, said it was “critical” that testing remained free for those most at risk.“Anything that puts a barrier up to community level testing in high-risk communities, which we know are often the most low-income communities, will increase the risk of further transmission and of course hospitalisation and mortality,” he said.And Paul Whiteman, of the school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “The best way to minimise disruption to children’s education is to keep the number of Covid cases in school as low as possible. Testing is critical to this.”The Independent reported that the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) was considering charges in July, but it stepped back after criticism.But, buried in the winter strategy – which unveiled Boris Johnson’s ‘Plan B’ if the Covid pandemic surges in the weeks to come – is confirmation that fees will be introduced.The plan states: “Rapid asymptomatic testing is an important tool to help reduce the spread of the virus, while supporting people to manage their own risk and the risks to others.“The government will therefore continue to provide the public with access to free lateral flow tests in the coming months.”It then adds: “At a later stage, as the government’s response to the virus changes, universal free provision of LFDs [lateral flow devices] will end, and individuals and businesses using the tests will bear the cost.“The government will engage widely on the form of this model as it is developed, recognising that rapid testing could continue to have an important, ongoing role to play in future.”The move comes despite the high-profile campaign, last spring, urging everybody to test themselves twice a week, under the headline ‘Next Step Safely’.Lateral flow tests were made available from workplaces and places in the community “to encourage a new testing habit” for anyone without Covid symptoms. A DHSC spokesperson said: “LFDs are a crucial measure to stop the spread of Covid-19 and that’s precisely why we have confirmed that we are extending the free provision of these tests.” More