Markus Andrews

Sajid Javid has announced the government has dropped plans for domestic vaccine passports for use in nightclubs and other crowded venues in a dramatic u-turn — just days after No 10 defended the proposals.The health secretary revealed ministers “will not be going head with plans for vaccine passports” in what will be viewed as a concession to rebellious backbench Conservative MPs who have protested against the “discriminatory” plans.The cabinet minister also stressed that he was “not anticipating any more lockdowns” in England, but said it would be “irresponsible” to take any options off the table due to the uncertainty of the pandemic.His remarks come as Boris Johnson prepares to outline to the country how the government intends to manage the “challenges” presented by the pandemic in the autumn and winter months at a press conference this week.“There’s a lot of defences we need to keep in place because this virus hasn’t gone anywhere — there’s still a pandemic,” Mr Javid told the BBC.However, scrapping plans to introduce vaccine passports in England later this month for venues such as nightclubs, the cabinet minister said: “We just shouldn’t be doing things for the sake of it. It’s fair to say most people don’t instinctively like the idea. “We were right to properly look at it, to look at the evidence,” he added.“Whilst we should keep it in reserve as a potential option, I’m pleased to say that we will not be going ahead with plans for vaccine passports.”Just days ago, Downing Street defended the policy, however, saying the plans remained in place, with details due to be set out “in the coming weeks”. Sajid Javid ‘not anticipating any more lockdowns’ this winterAnd last Sunday, the vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi, said the passports would come into effect “by the end of September, when everyone has had the opportunity to be fully vaccinated, for the large venues that could end up causing a real spike in infections”.Mr Javid’s comments also came just moments after he said in a separate interview the government wanted to “avoid” using domestic vaccine passports, insisting no final decision had been made.“It has to be something that is absolutely, absolutely necessary with no alternatives,” he stressed on Sky News. “We have been looking at that, we’ve been open about that. Instinctively, I don’t like the idea at all of people having to present papers to do basic things.”Reacting to the plans, the human rights group Liberty said: “This is a victory for everyone who has stood against the [government’s] discriminatory vaccine passport scheme. We’ll be watching what happens next and examining the details to make sure our rights are safe”.Earlier this week, members of the Scottish Parliament, however, backed plans for vaccine passport scheme for nightclubs, major sporting and music events north of the border.The result of 68-55 votes in favour, will mean that from 1 October, only people who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be allowed into clubs and large-scale events such as concerts and festivals.On vaccinations for healthy 12 to 15-year-olds, Mr Javid also told Sky News: “We have been looking at that. I’m not in a position to make a final decision on it.“I have received advice a week or so ago from the JCVI (Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation), our committee of experts, their advice was that I should ask the chief medical officers of the UK, the four chief officers in the UK to take a look at not just the health aspects of vaccination, but whether there were any broader reasons that it might be in the welfare of children, and that’s what I’ve done and they need to be given the time to look at this, and I will wait to see what they have to say.”Asked when the chief medical officers will give their advice, Mr Javid said: “I’m not going to push them – they need to take their time. It’s independent advice, as it should be. They need to take their time.“I don’t think they will be taking that much longer, but in the meantime I have asked the department to work with schools, the school vaccination teams, to start preparing, just in case we have a situation where their advice is to recommend it, and then if the government accepts that then I just want to be able to go ahead with it.”Mr Javid said he will not “push” chief medical officers for their advice on vaccinating 12 to 15-year-olds, but added he has asked for schools to start preparing. More

Labour has accused Priti Patel of breaking the ministerial code by facilitating a meeting between a Tory donor and British Airway (BA).The home secretary reportedly set up the meeting at a hotel in Heathrow Airport between Surinder Arora, a billionaire hotel magnate who has given money to Conservative MPs, and senior executives from BA.As well as Ms Patel, the business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng was also reportedly present, and both did not have any civil servants from their departments with them, as the rules dictate there should be for such meetings.Ms Patel was forced to stand down from her previous government post as international development secretary in 2017 after it emerged she had held private meetings with Israeli officials while on holiday without permission from the Foreign Office, which was deemed a breach of the ministerial code.Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner told the Sunday Mirror: “The home secretary is a serial offender with no regard for the ministerial code. It’s time the prime minister took away her get out of jail free card.“This secret lobbying lunch breaks the rules and she has serious questions to answer. She must be investigated by the cabinet secretary immediately.”Her shadow cabinet colleague Nick Thomas-Symonds also accused the home secretary of disregard for the code of conduct imposed on cabinet ministers“Priti Patel previously broke the ministerial code by bullying her civil servants,” he told the same newspaper.“The home secretary is so reckless about her duties it seems she takes part in meetings behind closed doors without an official present. As always with the Tories, the rules never apply to them.”The meeting between Mr Arora and BA came just weeks after the hotelier, who is reportedly worth about £1.1bn, said his hotel chain needed all the help it could get from the government because of the Covid pandemic. Most of Mr Arora’s hotels are based around airports.However, a government spokesperson said the meeting was not government business but a constituency matter as Mr Kwarteng’s constituency in Surrey borders Heathrow.The BA executive, Lisa Tremble, who joined the meeting has also denied there was any “hard lobbying” or “set agenda” and said it was just an “informal lunch”.This was echoed by Mr Arora, who insisted he did not do politics. “I’ve known Kwarsi and Priti for years,” he told the Sunday Mirror. “I said pop in and have lunch and see my new hotel. I don’t do politics. I don’t support anyone. There wasn’t any agenda.” More

Boris Johnson will this week set out the government’s plans for dealing with the challenges of Covid in the winter months and is expected to repeal specific measures contained in the powers passed by MPs.In his first coronavirus press conference since lifting the majority of legal restrictions on 19 July, the prime minister is expected to outline a blueprint for “managing” Covid amid fears of a further wave.It is expected to coincide with a final decision on booster jabs from the Joint Committee on Immunisation and Vaccination (JCVI) after interim advice from the body suggested planning for the most vulnerable to be offered jabs from late September.No 10 said it was difficult to predict with certainty what pressures will be placed on the NHS, with Covid circulating alongside flu, but warned: “The winter months will bring renewed challenges.”It comes amid reports the government could enforce the mandatory use of masks and once again advise people to work from home under contingency proposals if infections surge in the autumn months.But the traffic light system governing international travel will be scrapped, reports in the Mail on Sunday suggest, as well as the requirement for Britons returning from overseas to pay for expensive PCR Covid tests. There are also reports the government is set to unveil plans imminently to begin vaccinating 12-15 year-olds, with The Observer reporting schools have been warned to begin implementing a programme within weeks and perhaps as soon as 22 September.The decision comes as the chief medical officers in the UK are leading a review into whether a mass inoculation campaign would help children’s education; the Joint Council on Vaccination and Immunisation concluded the health benefits of vaccination for younger teenagers were minimal. Experts have warned that admissions to hospital related to Covid-19 are already increasing at an “alarming rate” — putting increased pressure on the NHS as it struggles to cope with demand for emergency care and millions waiting for treatment.According to the Daily Telegraph, however, Mr Johnson is “adamant” that a national lockdown will not be reimposed and Downing Street has denied it is considering a “firebreak” in October.In a statement ahead of unveiling his plan, the prime minister added: “Thanks to the efforts of the public, the NHS and our phenomenal vaccination programme, we reached Step 4 in our roadmap and life has returned to a sense of normality.“These extraordinary times required necessary but intrusive measures. But I’m determined to get rid of any powers we no longer need because of our vaccine defences. I will set out the next phase in our Covid response shortly.”Officials said the prime minister will commit to repealing some specific powers contained in the Coronavirus Act (2020) that are no longer “necessary”, including powers to detain potentially infectious persons and closing down sectors of the economy, or applying restrictions to events and gatherings.Vital elements will be retained, No 10 added, including providing sick pay for those isolating from day one rather than day seven, directing schools to remain open if they go against government guidance, and for people to isolate if they test positive.The Coronavirus Act did not pass parliament until 25 March 2020 – two days after the prime minister ordered England’s first national lockdown. Large swathes of the emergency powers used by ministers, including national restrictions, fall under the Public Health Act (1984), which is not expected to be altered.In a paper published earlier this year, the Institute for Government think tank, said: “The Public Health Act is the basis for most of the emergency powers that the government has used to respond to Covid-19.“The Public Health Act allows the appropriate minister to make provisions to prevent or control the spread of infection, including provisions to close schools, shops, restaurants and other premises, prohibiting or restricting events or gatherings, and limiting the activities of the public.” More

Greece’s economy will grow 5.9% during 2021, far more than the original 3.6% estimate, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Saturday.Mitsotakis gave the keynote address at the Thessaloniki International Fair, where heads of government traditionally announce the coming year’s economic policies.Mitsotakis noted that despite there are about 70,000 more people employed than before despite the pandemic; 46,000 additional businesses, and bank savings increased by 35 billion euros ($41 billion), of which 20 billion ($23 billion) were from additional household savings.The faster growth gave the prime minister the fiscal space to announce a range of tax reductions and spending targeted at young people, small businesses and the middle class. Small businesses are encouraged to merge with tax breaks and new entrants in the job market will be subsidized. There was even something for 15- to 17-year-olds who will be vaccinated, in the form of 50 gigabytes of free data for their smartphones. “Our announcements have one main goal: to increase households’ disposable income,” Mitsotakis said.The prime minister put special emphasis on climate change. “This tragedy of overheating will be avoided only if the planet reduces (carbon) emissions to zero by 2050,” he said, adding that his government will effect a swift transition away from the heavily polluting lignite, or brown coal, into renewable energy. To help with the transition and also to counteract rising electricity prices, the government will set aside a 150 million-euro ($177 million) fund to help consumers absorb the price rises. In addition, about 24 billion euros ($28 billion) will be invested in environmentally-friendly projects, with the help of EU funds.While Mitsotakis was touting the achievements of his government despite the pandemic emergency, around 3,500 people protested against vaccine mandates, especially for health workers, and other restrictions including the requirement for those who are not vaccinated to show coronavirus test results at certain places.The protesters clashed with riot police near the venue, throwing firebombs, firecrackers and stones at police, who responded with tear gas and stun grenades and gave chase to the protesters. The clashes lasted about an hour, and there were four arrests.There were also protest marches by unionists and the extreme left. Participants in the latter burned a U.S. and a European Union flag, as well as electricity bills, but there was no confrontation with police.Police put the total number of protesters at 21,000.——Demetris Nellas reported from Athens More

A Conservative minister has refused to apologise for swearing at the “Stop Brexit Man” during an altercation outside parliament.Nigel Adams, the MP for Selby and Ainsty in North Yorkshire and a junior minister in the Foreign Office, was accosted by Steve Bray, a famous anti-Brexit campaigner, on Wednesday as he left the House of Commons.When Mr Bray tried to draw Mr Adams into conversation about the new tax announced by the government to fund the NHS and social care, the MP said he “wasn’t interested in talking to an odd bloke with a top hat on chasing me down the street”, a reference to Mr Bray’s eccentric blue and yellow EU-inspired costume.When the Remainer persisted however, Mr Adams said: “Why don’t you talk to your MP and f**k off?”A video of the exchange, taken by a supporter of Mr Bray, was posted by the campaigner on Twitter later that day.But a spokesperson for the MP, who was first elected in 2010, said Mr Adams was unrepentant.”Mr Bray has spent the last few years harassing, following and hurling abuse at elected Parliamentarians as well as interrupting journalists, preventing some from doing their job of reporting the news and conducting interviews,” they said.”Mr Adams’ remarks no doubt reflect those of many democratic representatives trying to deliver on the will of the people and others seeking to go about their business who have been harassed or had their work disrupted by this individual and his handful of followers.”Mr Bray, a 52-year-old coin dealer from Wales, has become famous for his longstanding anti-Brexit one-man-protest in Parliament Square.Throughout the protracted Brexit Westminster drama from 2016, he continually interrupted TV interviews with politicians by bellowing “Stop Brexit” at the top of his voice and waving larger and larger placards in the background. In the video with Mr Adams, he reacts with incredulity and outrage after the minister tells him to “f**k off” and of “getting on my nerves”.“Oh ok, this is a very nice MP,” Mr Bray says, before accusing the MP of having too much to drink. “Yet you can tell me to f**k off in the street?”“I’m annoying because I want to hold you to account, and you don’t like it. Hang on a minute, I’m a citizen of this country. We elect people like you, so we’re going to hold you to account.”Later, Mr Bray denied he harassed MPs and was simply trying to quiz them about their policies and votes in parliament.”You should be able to ask an MP a question without being told where to go,” he told BBC Radio York.”This is at Parliament, it’s not as if I’m on his doorstep at his house, this is the seat of power – if you write to these MPs, half of them don’t reply.”I don’t harass MPs, I ask them questions and I like to think I’m speaking for other people who can’t be there to ask those questions.” More

Priti Patel’s plans for “pushbacks” in the English Channel to deter migrants has been described as “inhumane, unconscionable and extremely reckless” by Labour, as the party posed questions about the legality of the techniques.In a letter to the home secretary, seen by The Independent, frontbencher Nick Thomas-Symonds described the proposals as “appalling” and said the government risked “flagrantly breaking international obligations” and maritime law.In the correspondence, the shadow home secretary urged Ms Patel to sanction the publication of legal advice received by the Home Office and also urged the cabinet minister to disclose the “certain circumstances” the techniques may be used.His letter comes amid warnings this week that the Channel could become a “theatre of human tragedies” amid the controversial plans to turn small migrant boats back around – forcing them to be dealt with by French authorities.It was reported that members of the Border Force were being given special training to handle migrant boats, but would only deploy the “pushback” tactics when deemed practical and safe to do so.The home secretary’s plan, which came in response to orders from the prime minister to curb the crossings, however, sparked a diplomatic spat between Paris and London, with her French counterpart Gerald Darmanin expressing anger and campaigners outraged.“France will not accept any practice that is contrary to the law of the sea, nor any financial blackmail,” he posted on social media.In his letter to Ms Patel, the shadow home secretary Mr Thomas-Symonds wrote: “It is appalling that you have even considered and now granted, the approval for ‘push-back’ techniques for small boat crossings.“These techniques are dangerous, inhumane, unconscionable and extremely reckless: you are putting lives at risk, including those of children.”Contrasting the historic “proud record” of Britain welcoming refugees, including young children on the Kindertransport fleeing the Nazi regime, he said the new proposals were a “sobering reminder of the lack of compassion and competence this government has when dealing with Channel crossings”.In a series of questions to the home secretary, Mr Thomas-Symonds said: “It is reported that you have received legal advice about this new technique: in the circumstance, given the risk to life, can you publish it immediately?“It is reported that the ‘push-back’ technique will only be used in certain circumstances: can you please outline what they are?”.In a statement, he went on: “Turning boats around at sea in the world’s busiest shipping channel is dangerous and risks lives.“The home secretary has failed to tackle the vile criminal gangs who are profiting from people smuggling and this should be her focus, along with securing an effective deal with France and safe legal routes.“The that home secretary is even considering these dangerous proposals shows how badly she has lost control of the situation.”Earlier this week, the prime minister’s official spokesperson declined to discuss the new approach, saying: “I’m not going to get into the operational tactics used by Border Force staff.”But they added: “It’s right that our Border Force has the right range of tactics to address this problem. They will make sure it is tested and that it is carried out by trained Border Force staff and that it is safe and legal.”Speaking on Friday, the cabinet minister Oliver Dowden insisted his colleague Ms Patel was “rightly exploring every possible avenue” to address the situation.“We have said that that will include looking at turning migrants back, but that will only be done in accordance with international law, and clearly the safety of migrants is absolutely paramount.”The Home Office has been contacted for comment. More

Boris Johnson has said that while the threat of terrorism persists it has failed to “shake belief in freedom and democracy”, as he paid tribute to the almost 3,000 people killed during 9/11.Marking the 20th anniversary of the attacks on the United States, which led to a 20-year war in Afghanistan, the prime minister insisted that people had refused to live their lives in “permanent fear”.“The fact that we are coming together today — in sorrow but also in faith and resolve — demonstrates the failure of terrorism and the strength of the bonds between us,” Mr Johnson said in a recorded message.Recalling the attack, he said: “Twenty years ago, 11 September 2001 became, in president Roosevelt’s words after Pearl Harbour, a ‘date which will live in infamy’”During the hijackings 20 years ago today, the attacks on the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon and United 94, resulted in the deaths of 2,977 people, including 67 Britons. “Each of them a symbol of the eternal friendship between the United Kingdom and the United States,” Mr Johnson said.“But while the terrorists imposed their burden of grief and suffering, and while the threat persists today, we can now say with the perspective of 20 years that they failed to shake our belief in freedom and democracy; they failed to drive nations apart, or cause us to abandon our values; or to live in permanent fear,” he added.His remarks come after western allies faced intense criticism for the chaotic withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan last month, with desperate scenes at Kabul international airport as thousands attempted to flee the country after the government was seized by the Taliban at a pace British ministers admitted they had not anticipated.Tony Blair, the prime minister at the time of the 9/11 attacks, who has been highly critical of the decision to withdraw, warned on the eve of the 20th anniversary that international community must be prepared to take action against the Taliban insurgency if they allow Afghanistan to become a base of terrorism.“They do need to know they are going to be held to account. They need to know that if they go back to sheltering terrorist groups that are coming up that we are prepared to act against them,” Mr Blair told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.But Mr Johnson said: “Recent events in Afghanistan only strengthen our determination to remember those who were taken from us, cherish the survivors and those who still grieve and hold fast to our belief in liberty and democracy, which will always prevail over every foe.”Sir Keir Starmer also echoed the prime minister’s sentiments, saying that while the consequences of the attacks were “still being felt to this day”, the Labour leader was “convinced our resolve has never been stronger”.“We will continue to fight terror and violence, by promoting our resolve has never been stronger,” he said.Paying tributes to the victims of 9/11, Sir Keir added: “Today we remember and honour them. We show support to our American friends as they mark this difficult time in their history. And we remember those in all corners of the world who have lost their lives to terror.” More

Boris Johnson wants to remain as prime minister for longer than Margaret Thatcher as he seeks a decade in power, his colleagues have said.Mr Johnson is hoping to win multiple elections in order to address the “catastrophic” economic mistakes of the past 40 years and use Brexit to rectify inequalities across the country, according to The Times.“Boris will want to go on and on,” a cabinet minister told the newspaper. “The stuff Dom [Dominic Cummings] was saying about him going off into the sunset was nonsense. He’s very competitive. He wants to go on for longer than Thatcher.”Mr Cummings, a former top adviser to the PM, said earlier this year that Mr Johnson planned to leave office within two years after the next election so he could “make money and have fun”.Setting out his pitch for the 2024 election for the first time, Mr Johnson said voters would be able to see his “great, great project” of levelling up making progress across Britain. “It’s going to take a while, it’s going to take 10 years,” he said.The next general election is scheduled to take place in May 2024 – although the government is planning to abolish the UK’s fixed-term parliament legislation, allowing it to bring forward the date.The report also suggested that Mr Johnson would attempt to frame the next election around Brexit, like he did in 2019, by warning that the UK would return to EU laws and regulations if Labour wins.Mr Johnson was quoted by the newspaper as saying, in an upcoming book by the Financial Times journalist Sebastian Payne: “I do think the risk is if we were to be stopped, if we were to be pushed out, the whole thing will slump back.“We will be back into half of the things of the European Union before we could say it.”It came as Labour recorded its first poll lead since January after the Conservatives slumped to its lowest level since the general election following the announcement of the government’s plan to pay for social care reform by raising National Insurance.YouGov’s latest poll showed that support for the Tories had fallen to 33 per cent, down by five points, while Labour’s share had increased to 35 per cent, up by one point.In its 2019 manifesto, the Conservative Party pledged to pursue a strategy of “levelling up every part of the UK” by investing in towns, cities, and rural and coastal areas that have been underfunded in recent decades.However, MPs have criticised the idea for lacking detail and a clear plan, with a senior Commons committee warning in July that Mr Johnson’s government had “failed miserably in translating a political soundbite” into a deliverable programme.A report by the Business, Environment and Industrial Strategy Committee said that the lack of definition to the agenda could lead to “a failure to deliver meaningful change for people across the country”.“As it currently stands, levelling up risks becoming an everything and nothing policy, not owned by a particular minister or department, and without any means in place of evaluating its impact or efficacy as policy in ‘improving everyday life and life chances,” the report said. More