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Boris Johnson has hinted his government will ditch a plan to add a new “amber watchlist” category to its Covid travel list – saying he wanted the traffic light system to stay “as simple and user friendly as possible”.The government has been considering a new category to let travellers know which amber countries are at risk of turning red – but the idea has sparked a huge backlash from the travel industry, Labour and Tory backbenchers.Junior minister Matt Warman defended the idea earlier on Monday – claiming that moving away from three “cut-and-dried categories” to a wider “spectrum” would not be complicated.But the prime minister later said he wanted to keep a simple, user-friendly system of rules and was keen to “get the travel industry moving again”.Asked whether he back the idea of an amber watchlist, Mr Johnson told reporters: “I understand that people care very much about their holidays, people want to go abroad, I understand how much people plan, prepare, for the summer holidays.”He added: “We have also got to remember this is still a dangerous virus and we must try and stop variants coming in, so we have to have a balanced approach … What I want to see is something that is as simple and as user-friendly for people as possible.” More

Today’s daily politics briefingOut of 173 candidates, the government selected a Bullingdon Club “chum” of Boris Johnson’s to act as sleaze watchdog, a minister has revealed.Ewen Fergusson, a member of Oxford’s infamous dining club at the same time as the prime minister, was given the role last month.In an answer to a written parliamentary question from Labour, Cabinet office minister Chloe Smith said that the government had received 173 applications for the two vacancies on the committee; the applications were “carefully considered” and ultimately Mr Fergusson was appointed.Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner told The Independent: “Being Boris Johnson’s chum from the Bullingdon Club does not qualify you to sit on the watchdog that is supposed to crack down on sleaze and cronyism in our politics. In fact, it should disqualify you”.She said that Mr Fergusson’s appointment was “an utter joke”.She added: “Instead of the prime minister appointing his mates to committees we need a fully independent integrity and ethics commission to oversee and stamp out the rampant sleaze and cronyism coming from Downing Street that has polluted our democracy”.Show latest update

1627916118Boris Johnson: Iran should ‘face up to the consequences of what they have done’Prime minister Boris Johnson has said that Iran should “face up to the consequences of what they have done” and called on the country to “respect the freedoms of navigation”.His comments were made to reporters who asked whether the UK would consider military action as part of its response to the attack on the Mercer Street oil tanker off the coast of Oman that killed on Briton and one Romanian last week.Mr Johnson said: “I think that Iran should face up to the consequences of what they have done, accept the attribution that the foreign secretary has made.“This was clearly an unacceptable and outrageous attack on commercial shipping, a UK national died. It is absolutely vital that Iran and every other country respects the freedoms of navigation around the world, and the UK will continue to insist on that.”Celine Wadhera2 August 2021 15:551627915098Government passed over 171 candidates to pick Bullingdon Club ‘chum’ of Boris Johnson for sleaze watchdog roleThe government passed over 171 candidates to pick a Bullingdon Club “chum” of Boris Johnson’s to act as sleaze watchdog, ministers have revealed.Ewen Fergusson, a member of Oxford’s infamous dining club at the same time as the prime minister, was given the role last month.In an answer to a written parliamentary question from Labour, Cabinet office minister Chloe Smith said that the government had received 173 applications for the two vacancies on the committee; the applications were “carefully considered” and ultimately Mr Fergusson was appointed.Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner told The Independent: “Being Boris Johnson’s chum from the Bullingdon Club does not qualify you to sit on the watchdog that is supposed to crack down on sleaze and cronyism in our politics. In fact, it should disqualify you”.She said that Mr Fergusson’s appointment was “an utter joke”.She added: “Instead of the prime minister appointing his mates to committees we need a fully independent integrity and ethics commission to oversee and stamp out the rampant sleaze and cronyism coming from Downing Street that has polluted our democracy”.Policy correspondent Jon Stone reports.Celine Wadhera2 August 2021 15:381627914498Speaking on LBC radio this afternoon, Jim McMahon said: “Right from the start we’ve been calling for a simplified system that is easy to understand and gives people a very clear message if a country is risky and people shouldn’t be going there. And a very clear message of confidence” for when countries are considered safe for travel.He said that when the government’s traffic light system first came out, the ambiguity around the “amber” in the traffic light system just “doesn’t make sense”.He said that the number of categories was a “confused mess”, adding that he understood why the industry was “tearing its hair out”.Celine Wadhera2 August 2021 15:281627913298Tory chair defends party donations systemThe co-chairman of the Conservative party has said that government policy “is in no way influenced by the donations the party receives – they are entirely separate” amid fresh concerns over “sleaze” from Labour.Amanda Milling responded to Labour party chair Anneliese Dodd’s letter – which called on the Tories to “come clean” and publish a list of ministers who met with financial backers through a secretive “advisory board” – with a letter of her own.Ms Milling wrote: “All political parties raise money and accept donations in order to pay their staff and campaign in elections.“Indeed in the past year the Labour Party has taken just over £1.2 mn from Unite. Due to Labour infighting, this has fallen by over £4.5mn since August 2019.“Over the weekend I read that the Labour Party is now seeking donations from billionaire businessmen, such as Lord Sainsbury and Sir Trevor Chinn.“I would also like to remind you that the Labour party runs its own Chair Circle Membership group and the Rose Network whose members can pay a fee to get access to Sir Keir Starmer, yourself, and other senior Labour party shadow cabinet ministers.“Government policy is in no way influenced by the donations the party receives – they are entirely separate. Any donation made to the Conservative Party is properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission and published by them.”Celine Wadhera2 August 2021 15:081627912218Scottish government urged to ‘lead the way’ with four-day work weekThe Scottish government is being urged to “lead the way” by introducing a four-day work week, a move that nearly nine out of ten of its employees support.The PCS union urged the government to make the change and show that the future “can be better for workers”.Union leaders made the plea after a poll of more than 2,000 Scottish government employees found that 87 per cent were in favour of piloting a four-day work week across all areas of the government.PCS national officer Cat Boyd said: “The Covid-19 pandemic has shown that we are able to work in ways many employers told us weren’t possible before.“Through this project, Scottish government staff are making it clear that the future can be different, that it can be better for workers, employers, the economy and the environment.“The Scottish government should now lead the way on the four-day week by working with PCS to make these possibilities into realities.”The poll was conducted by think-tank Autonomy, which also found that the Scottish government would benefit from improved recruitment and retention of staff, with a happier and healthier workforce, if it were to take up the shorter work week.Celine Wadhera2 August 2021 14:501627911078Nicola Sturgeon invites Boris Johnson to meeting at Bute House Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon has invited Boris Johnson to a meeting at Bute House when he visits Scotland later this week.Ms Sturgeon tweeted that she had written to the prime minister to invite him to meet about the current Covid situation and respective plans for recovery.She said: “I understand the PM will visit Scotland later this week. Since this would be our first opportunity to meet in person for a while, I’ve invited him to Bute House to discuss Covid/recovery.“We differ politically, but our governments must work together where we can.”Celine Wadhera2 August 2021 14:311627909930UK summons Iranian ambassador over deadly drone attack, as Tehran warns of ‘strong response’ to any threatThe Iranian ambassador to the UK has been summoned to the Foreign Office following a drone strike on a petrol tanker that killed a Briton and a Romanian off the coast of Oman last week.A foreign office spokesperson said: “The Iranian ambassador to the UK, Mohsen Baharvand, was summoned today to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office by the minister for the Middle East, James Cleverly, in response to the unlawful attack committed on … 29 July”.Mr Cleverly told the Iranian diplomat that Tehran must “immediately cease actions that risk international peace and security”.Tehran has warned of a strong response if its security is threatened.Andy Gregory reports.Celine Wadhera2 August 2021 14:121627909521Government failing to help business ‘reshore’ jobs from overseas, says LabourLabour has accused the government of failing to get behind business ambitions to bring offshored jobs back to the UK, after a scheme to support “reshoring” was quietly shelved.Reshore UK was launched by David Cameron in 2014 as a “one-stop shop” for companies hoping to shift business activities back to Britain. Mr Cameron said it would offer “dedicated support for businesses that want to capitalise on the opportunities of reshoring, creating new jobs and ensuring that hard-working people can reap the benefits of globalisation”. And Matt Hancock, business minister at the time, said the following year that it was forecast to create more than 6,500 jobs.Our politics editor Andrew Woodcock reports: Matt Mathers2 August 2021 14:051627908630I’m still cowering from Covid – despite the good news about train stations being ‘virus free’Giving up the football and cowering in a breezy Scarborough is not my ideal ‘summer of fun’, but as I have no intention of learning to live with Covid, it’ll have to do, writes Sean O’Grady: Matt Mathers2 August 2021 13:501627907730‘No jab, no job’ policies set to spark deluge of employment tribunals, lawyers warnLawyers expect a wave of legal action against UK companies over attempts to make sure staff are double-vaccinated against Covid, amid growing fears of draconian “no jab, no job” policies in the workplace.My colleague Adam Forrest has more details below:Matt Mathers2 August 2021 13:35 More

The government passed over 171 candidates to pick a Bullingdon Club “chum” of Boris Johnson’s to sit on a sleaze watchdog, ministers have admitted.Ewen Fergusson, a member of Oxford’s infamous dining club at the same time as the prime minister, was handed the role last month – a decision branded “pathetic” by the committee’s former chair. In an answer to a written parliamentary question from Labour, Cabinet Office minister Chloe Smith said the government had received 173 applications for the two vacancies on the committee.The longtime friend of the prime minister was appointed to scrutinise him after an advisory panel “carefully considered all applications”, she said.But Labour said friends of the prime minister should be disqualified from the role on the Standards In Public Life Committee, given its job scrutinising members of the government, including Mr Johnson.“Being Boris Johnson’s chum from the Bullingdon Club does not qualify you to sit on the watchdog that is supposed to crack down on sleaze and cronyism in our politics. In fact, it should disqualify you,” deputy leader Angela Rayner told The Independent.“This appointment is an utter joke, and out of 173 applicants of course the Bullingdon Boy fits the job description of marking the Prime Minister’s homework.“Instead of the Prime Minister appointing his mates to committees we need a fully independent integrity and ethics commission to oversee and stamp out the rampant sleaze and cronyism coming from Downing Street that has polluted our democracy.”In an answer slipped out after MPs went back to their constituencies for recess, Ms Smith acknowledged that Mr Johnson was given the ultimate say on which of the candidates to appoint following a shortlisting process led by Lord Evans, the chair of the committee.The latest revelation comes after the Council of Europe’s anti-corruption and integrity watchdog warned in June that the British government has ignored instructions to strengthen UK anti-corruption controls – in a scathing report that gave the government its lowest compliance marks ever.The row over the weaknesses in the UK’s integrity oversight comes after a series of scandals around lobbying an access to government ministers.In the latest set of concerns, on Monday it emerged that MPs with second jobs are facing scrutiny over worries that they could exploit a lobbying loophole.Examples include Tory MP Alun Cairns, vice-chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on taxis, which agreed to “continue pressuring the government to provide urgent financial support for taxi drivers”. While working as an MP Mr Cairns is also employed as a paid adviser to Veezu, a private hire and taxi firm.Asked about the recruitment process for the committee on standards in public life that led to a friend of the prime minister being appointed, a government spokesperson said: “Mr Fergusson applied through open and fair competition, in line with the Governance Code for Public Appointments.”His application was carefully considered on its merits by the Advisory Assessment Panel, chaired by Lord Evans, which interviewed him and found that he was suitable for appointment.” More

The chair of the Labour Party is calling on the Conservatives to publish a list of ministers who have met party donors through a secretive club.Anneliese Dodds has written to Conservative co-chairman Amanda Milling demanding the party “come clean” about the level of access afforded to financial backers as part of the so-called “advisory board”.The club was developed in a bid to connect Tory supporters with senior figures, according to the Financial Times – adding that regular meetings and calls have been held with Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak.The newspaper quoted Mohamed Amersi, a businessman and Tory donor, as saying the club was “like the very elite Quintessentially clients membership: one needs to cough up £250,000 per annum or be a friend of Ben”.The name was a reference to Tory co-chairman Ben Elliot. Following the report, the Tories said an advisory board meets occasionally and receives political updates.Ms Dodds is demanding the party reveals the purpose of the board, who it has benefited from being a member, and which ministers have attended meetings.It comes after further claims were made in the Sunday Times that Mr Elliot – the Duchess of Cornwall’s nephew – helped Mr Amersi meet the Prince of Wales in exchange for payments of thousands of pounds to his company.In her letter to Ms Milling, former shadow chancellor Ms Dodds said: “It is in the public interest for you to clarify the workings of this so-called ‘advisory board’ and Mr Elliot’s role in offering a powerful elite exclusive access to the prime minister and the chancellor – purely because of their status as Tory party donors.”She called for a full list of all donors who have paid to be members of the board to be published, alongside the full complement of government ministers who have attended any meetings or engagements with members of the board, including dates and times.Ms Dodds added: “The Conservative Party needs to come clean on what access this group had, what they used that access to lobby for, and why it appears that there is one rule for high-ranking Conservatives and another rule for everyone else.“The way that Boris Johnson and his friends operate seems to be not about what is right but what they can get away with, blurring the boundaries between public and private life. There are now serious questions for the Conservative Party to answer about their fundraising techniques.”Amanda Milling, co-chairman of the Conservative Party, fired back at Labour by insisting that government policy was “in no way influenced by the donations the party receives – they are entirely separate”.In a letter of response today, Ms Milling said: “Over the weekend I read that the Labour Party is now seeking donations from billionaire businessmen, such as Lord Sainsbury and Sir Trevor Chinn.“I would also like to remind you that the Labour Party runs its own Chair Circle Membership group and the Rose Network whose members can pay a fee to get access to Sir Keir Starmer, yourself, and other senior Labour Party shadow cabinet members.”Ms Dodds told LBC on Monday: “If [ministers] were meeting with a business that would be logged … But they don’t seem to be doing that [with donors]. The culture of those crony connections – that has got to change.”Asked if Labour would be transparent about all meetings with its donors, Ms Dodds said: “We are very open about those who, for example, fund the Labour Party.“But we are in a different when we’re talking about the Conservative government, because it’s the government that takes decisions around contracts.” More

A Scottish cabinet minister has called for an investigation into alleged racial discrimination at a nursery that refused a place for his young daughter.Humza Yousaf, the devolved government’s health secretary, said a Dundee nursery had claimed there were no places available for his two-year-old daughter Amal.But he said a white friend who called to check was told there were places available on three afternoons a week at the same establishment.Mr Yousaf said further applications had been made as a test by other family members and reporters, with “white-sounding” and “ethnic-sounding” names being respectively accepted and rejected on the same day.A spokesperson for the owners of the Little Scholars nursery in Broughty Ferry, Dundee, said they were “extremely proud of being open and inclusive to all”, insisting that “any claim to the contrary is demonstrably false and an accusation that we would refute in the strongest possible terms”.The spokesperson told the Daily Record newspaper, which first reported the claims: “In addition to our owners being of Asian heritage, across more than a decade we have regularly welcomed both children and staff from a range of different religions, cultural, ethnic and racial backgrounds, including two Muslim families currently. “We have also regularly made arrangements to accommodate different lifestyles by, for example, providing a halal menu for those children who come from Muslim families.”Mr Yousaf said he and his wife had contacted the Care Inspectorate and were also seeking legal advice on the issue.Mr Yousaf said: “We are fooling ourselves if we believe discrimination doesn’t exist in Scotland. I believe evidence we have proves our case beyond doubt.“As well as reporting the nursery to the Care Inspectorate we are also seeking legal advice.”The minister, who has played a high-profile role in Scotland’s response to the Covid pandemic, said that contacting the Care Inspectorate with their concerns was “not a step my wife and I have taken lightly”.He tweeted: “After our nursery application for our daughter was refused a 2nd time, my wife asked her white Scottish friend to put in an application for a child the same age. Within 24hrs of refusing our application my wife’s friend’s was accepted.”Mr Yousaf went on to claim that “three white-Scottish applicants” had been “offered tours of nursery and spaces, often within less than 24hrs of applicants with Muslim names being rejected, including application for my daughter”. He added: “It doesn’t matter what my position or how senior in Govt I may be, some will always see me, my wife and children by our ethnicity or religion first.“We have given Little Scholars nursery every opportunity for an explanation for the disparity in treatment, none has been forthcoming.“With no explanation from Little Scholars, we will pursue the truth and get answers we deserve.” More

Police Scotland changed an “Operation Bunter” codename for Boris Johnson’s next trip to Scotland in case the prime minister found it offensive, according to a report.Mr Johnson is thought to be preparing his next visit north of the border in coming days – but the security name for the trip is said to have been switched because it was deemed too close to the overweight, fictional schoolboy Billy Bunter.The name was changed from Operation Bunter to Operation Aeration to avoid causing “some sort of diplomatic incident”, according to The Sun.A source told the newspaper said: “The name Operation Bunter was given to the preparations. But several people pointed out the foolishness of calling it after a fat, posh English public schoolboy – not least given the PM is known for being a bit portly.”They added: “Operation Aeration was selected as the alternative. But I’m not sure moving away from Billy Bunter to a name that implies the PM is full of air is much of an improvement.”Mr Johnson is set to make a trip to Scotland later this week, according to The Telegraph – his first jaunt north of the border in six months.The prime minister is believed to have dropped his plan to head to Scotland during the recent Holyrood election campaign, amid fears it could damage the Scottish Conservative Party’s fortunes.Police Scotland did not deny reports of a name change for Mr Johnson’s upcoming trip, but would not comment on the particular operational names for the next visit.A spokeswoman for the force told The Independent: “Operational names are auto-generated by computer and can be changed if deemed to be inappropriate.”It comes as Michael Gove sparked excitement among SNP figures by saying Mr Johnson’s government would not stand in the way of a second independence referendum if the desire to have another say becomes the “settled will” of Scottish voters.“The principle that the people of Scotland – in the right circumstances – can ask that question again is there,” the Cabinet Office minister told the Sunday Mail.Mr Gove added: “I just don’t think that it is right, and the public don’t think it is right, to ask that question at the moment. If it is the case that there is clearly a settled will in favour of a referendum, then one will occur.”SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford MP said: “It should not be news that the Tories are finally waking up to the fact that the people of Scotland have expressed their democratic wishes in an election that they want their future to be put into their hands.”He added: “The fundamental point Michael Gove missed is that the people of Scotland have spoken and expressed their settled will that they want to hold a referendum when they elected a majority of independence supporting MSPs to the Scottish Parliament just over two months ago.”Nicola Sturgeon’s party is set to push for indyref2 at next month’s party conference. Reports indicate a motion states that legislation for another referendum should be introduced at “at the earliest moment” after a “clear end” to the Covid crisis.Ms Sturgeon has invited Boris Johnson to a meeting when he makes his expected visit to Scotland later this week, tweeting a letter she had written to the prime minister.She wrote: “Since this would be our first opportunity to meet in person for a while, I’ve invited him to Bute House to discuss Covid-recovery. We differ politically, but our governments must work together where we can.”The latest Panelbase poll shows 52 per cent of Scots favour staying in the union and 48 per cent back a breakaway. More

The UK government has said “all the evidence” points to Iran being responsible for a drone attack on a ship in the Middle East which left a British citizen dead.The Foreign Office has said that it believes the strike on the oil tanker off the coast of Oman was “deliberate, targeted, and a clear violation of international law by Iran”.The UK’s minister for digital infrastructure Matt Warman said on Monday that “all the evidence that we see points to the fact that it was Iranian action”.Iran’s ambassador to the UK was also summoned to the Foreign Office, where Middle East minister James Cleverly told the diplomat that Tehran must “immediately cease actions that risk international peace and security”.The Iranian government has denied responsibility – but the British government warned Tehran that it was working with allies “on a concerted response to this unacceptable attack”.Asked on Sky News what the retaliatory response might be, Mr Warman said: “It means working with those international partners. It’s right that this is a multi-lateral response.”The strike on the MV Mercer Street tanker on Thursday night was the first known fatal attack after years of assaults on commercial shipping in the region linked to tensions with Iran over its tattered nuclear deal.UK maritime security firm Ambrey said the attack – which saw a hole blasted through the vessel’s bridge – killed one of its British employees aboard. A Romanian national was also killed, the Foreign Office said.British foreign secretary Dominic Raab issued a statement on Sunday afternoon condemning “the unlawful and callous attack committed on a merchant vessel off the coast of Oman, which killed a British and a Romanian national”.The cabinet minister also said it was “highly likely” Iran had carried out a deliberate drone attack on the oil tanker. Mr Raab added: “Iran must end such attacks, and vessels must be allowed to navigate freely in accordance with international law.”Mr Warman told Sky News that the UK government had consulted with international partners on who was behind the unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) attack.“All the evidence that we see points to the fact that it was Iranian action, that is I think an important thing to say publicly. Now the issue is working with those international partners to see what action can be taken,” the minister said.“So it’s a very serious situation and one that we’d like to see the end of as quickly as possible, so Iran really does need to do better, I think, on this situation.”The UK’s stance was supported by the US, with secretary of state Antony Blinken stating he was “confident that Iran conducted this attack”.Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett accused Tehran of “trying to shirk responsibility” for the attack – calling its denial “cowardly”.Iranian foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told a weekly news conference on Sunday that the “Zionist regime [Israel] has created insecurity, terror and violence … These accusations about Iran’s involvement are condemned by Tehran”.Labour Party’s shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy has urged Boris Johnson’s government to “make it clear” to the incoming Iran president Ebrahim Raisi – a protege of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei – that the killing of a British national will “carry costs”.The MV Mercer Street tanker is managed by London-based Zodiac Maritime, part of Israeli billionaire Eyal Ofer’s Zodiac Group. The vessel had been on its way from Tanzania to the United Arab Emirates at the time of the attack.The American nuclear-powered aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan and the guided missile destroyer USS Mitscher were escorting the MV Mercer Street as it headed to a safe port, the US navy’s Middle East-based 5th Fleet said in a statement on Saturday.It said navy explosive experts believed a drone attacked the vessel. The drone attack blasted a hole through the top of the oil tanker’s bridge, where the captain and crew command the vessel, a US official said. More

More voters blame the EU for post-Brexit trade problems in Northern Ireland than the UK government, a new poll has found.Almost half of British voters aware of the difficulties in implementing Northern Ireland Protocol rules blame Brussels for those frictions – while less than one-third blames Boris Johnson’s government.Some 45 per cent think the EU is mostly responsible for the trade problems in the province, compared with just 31 percent who believe the UK is mostly responsible, according to the latest Redfield and Wilton Strategies survey.The EU and UK remain completely at odds over the implementation of new checks and processes on goods being shipped into Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.The dispute remains at an impasse, after the EU Commission said it would pause legal action against the UK over alleged breaches of the deal agreed last year in the hope solutions could still be found.The Redfield and Wilton poll for Politico revealed that a significant chunk of the British electorate is completely unaware of the post-Brexit quarrel between the UK and EU.It found that almost one in four voters – 23 per cent – said they were not aware of any problems implementing the protocol in Northern Ireland.Among those who had followed the dispute, 17 percent said they were “very aware” of protocol problems, 25 per cent say they were “somewhat aware” and 35 per cent of people were “moderately aware”.The poll comes as a new ConservativeHome survey of Tory members found that international trade secretary Liz Truss was the single most popular cabinet minister.Ms Truss – who has forged a series of post-Brexit “roll-over” deals with other countries which largely replicate arrangements the UK had when in the EU – has a net approval rating off 88.6, ahead of chancellor Rishi Sunak on a rating of 74.1.The summer impasse over the protocol emerged after Brussels rejected the a “command paper” put forward by the UK government suggested the protocol is radically reworked to limit the checks on goods.Downing Street has rejected Brussels’ proposal for a Swiss-style veterinary agreement with Brussels to reduce checks since it would mean aligning with EU standards.Northern Ireland’s newly-appointed first minister Paul Givan has said the EU’s decision to pause legal action has allowed both sides a “window of opportunity” to resolve post-Brexit trading issues.The senior DUP figure said the UK government recognises the “harm” caused by protocol – and urged the Irish government to make clear to Brussels that changes would have to be made.Peers warned last week that the protocol risks becoming a constant irritant in future EU-UK relations unless both sides change their “fundamentally flawed” approaches to resolving the dispute.A House of Lords committee warned that Northern Ireland could become a “permanent casualty” of Brexit unless compromise is found urgently. More