Markus Andrews

A Tory MP who voted for the overseas aid cuts despite leading a party campaign group “for international development” faces an attempt to topple him.The move against ex-minister Mark Garnier comes after he was among about 20 MPs who switched sides at the last minute – handing victory to Boris Johnson in a crucial vote.Angry fellow members of the Conservative Friends of International Development (CFID) are trying to force him out, under the hashtag #garniermustgo in WhatsApp messages seen by The Independent.The bitter battle comes as the rebels insist the fight to halt the cuts is not over, with a legal challenge now being prepared by a charity set to lose £14m over three years.Although the government won the Commons vote, it was on a motion – which means the law stipulating that 0.7 per cent of national income must be spent on aid still stands, it will argue.Mr Garnier wrote an article vowing to rebel and saying he was “elected on a promise to uphold our aid commitment” – but then voted for the £4bn-a-year cuts which are now likely to be permanent.The meeting of the CFID steering group, on Tuesday will also attempt to unseat Mr Garnier’s deputy, Theodora Clarke, who also defected from the rebels to the government side.One group member said: “Conservative Friends of International Development has a proud history, but Garnier and Clarke have disgraced the organisation.“With ‘friends’ like these who needs enemies? The only viable future for CFID is under new management. If they don’t do the decent thing and resign, they will undoubtedly be forced out.”A second accused the pair of putting “ambition” before the “terrible impact of this”, adding: “Their constituents will undoubtedly remember.”Aid has been slashed to 0.5 per cent of national income until two new tests are met; sustainable borrowing for day-to-day spending and falling underlying debt.Most experts believe they will not be passed before the next election, scheduled for 2024, at which the Conservatives may drop the 0.7 per cent pledge anyway.The vote on Tuesday, when only 24 of 45 expected Tories joined the revolt, triggered accusations of ministers having “blood on their hands”, with hundreds of thousands of people predicted to die.It also has huge implications for Mr Johnson’s vow to spend billions to help poorer countries adapt to the climate emergency – because that will be swiped from the shrunken aid pot.The International Planned Parenthood Federation (IPPF) is seeking a judicial review, arguing full legislation is needed to remove the legal commitment to the 0.7 per cent pledge.If it goes ahead, and the government loses, the cuts would have to be reversed, or legislation brought forward – which could then see the cuts blocked in the House of Lords.Mr Garnier, who achieved notoriety in 2017 when he admitted asking his secretary to buy sex toys, but was cleared of breaching standards rules, has been approached to respond to the criticism. More

A cabinet minister has insisted the government isn’t “taking anyone for fools” as he struggled to defend Boris Johnson’s decision to dodge an instruction to self-isolate — before a humiliating U-turn.The remarks from Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccines minister, came after the prime minister and the chancellor Rishi Sunak dropped their plans to sidestep 10 days’ quarantine by signing up to a pilot scheme trialling daily testing.Both had been contacted by test and trace after Sajid Javid tested positive for Covid-19, but their attempt to exempt themselves while hundreds of thousands have been told to self-isolate in recent weeks sparked an immediate political backlash.Despite an official statement being issued by No 10 on Sunday at 8am – stating that Mr Sunak and Mr Johnson would be participating in the pilot scheme allowing them to avoid isolation – Mr Zahawi insisted multiple times that the prime minister only “considered” whether to join the scheme. A second statement was not issued by Downing Street announcing the U-turn that both the PM and chancellor would no longer be participating in the pilot for almost three hours.“The prime minister considered whether they would subscribe to the pilot scheme, but actually rightly opted for self-isolation,” Mr Zahawi claimed on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.He added: “And then he [PM] quite rightly wanted to make sure he sends a very clear message to the nation.”Challenged on whether the government was “taking people for fools”, Mr Zahawi replied: “Nobody is taking anyone for fools. Every decision the prime minister has had to make throughout this pandemic has been tough. “I’ve been very closely involved since November when I took up this job as vaccines minister — the mobilisation, the largest in peacetime history, of the NHS, the armed forces, the volunteers, has demonstrated how we can come together.”Quizzed on whether other cabinet ministers had avoided self-isolation, Mr Zahawi said: “Anyone who has come into contact with the health secretary [Mr Javid] whether cabinet ministers or civil servants, who have been contacted by NHS track and trace, are isolating following those rules.However, Mr Zahawi’s comment that the prime minister only “considered” avoiding the rules appeared to be contradicted just moments later by his cabinet colleague Kwasi Kwarteng in a separate interview on LBC radio.The business secretary said: “He [Mr Johnson] looked at the situation and made the right decision. The second decision. “The first decision he reviewed and he said he would isolate like everyone else … I think he has done the right thing. I don’t think it was damaging.”Speaking on Sunday, Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak had been “busted” in an attempt to escape the consequences of the rules they had imposed on others.“Yet again the Conservatives fixed the rules to benefit themselves, and only backtracked when they were found out,” he said. “They robbed the bank, got caught and have now offered to give the money back.”Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey described the initial decision as “Barnard Castle on steroids”, in reference to Dominic Cummings’ lockdown-breaching trip to Durham. “I’m glad Johnson U-turned, right decision,” he added.“But the fact he thought he could get away with it in the first place shows the utter contempt he has for the British people.” More

The vaccines minister will today announce to MPs whether the government has approved a limited extension of Covid-19 jabs for teenagers after receiving recommendations from an independent body.Nadhim Zahawi revealed the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) had delivered its advice on the vaccination of over-12s on Monday, which will be considered at a imminent meeting of the government’s Covid-0 committee.Speaking on Sky News, the minister said he will later deliver an update to Parliament, but suggested the vast majority of children will not be offered a vaccine until further evidence is available.“Suffice to say they’ve looked very closely, especially at children, who are more vulnerable to serious infection from Covid, children who live with adults who are more vulnerable to serious infection from Covid and 17-year-olds who are close to becoming 18 — three months from their 18th birthday — and we will take that advice on board.Questioned on why the vaccine will not be extended to all children, he replied: “The JCVI are continuing to review that. “There’s now emerging data of all children being vaccinated in America and elsewhere with a first dose. Not yet enough data with a second dose so they want to look at all the data.”The MHRA medical safety watchdog gave the green light for teenage jabs on 4 June, and Boris Johnson is coming under mounting pressure to offer them protection as the Delta variant tears through younger age groups.But the JCVI is expected to recommend limiting jabs to those who are deemed vulnerable to Covid-19, or who live with adults who are immunosuppressed or otherwise at severe risk from the disease, as well as to 17-year-olds who are within three months of their 18th birthday.Mr Zahawi also insisted he is “confident” the government was doing the “right thing” by ending the vast majority of Covid restrictions despite surging infections and a stark warning from international scientists.The vaccines minister stressed, however, that he would continue to wear a face covering in crowded indoor public areas, despite Boris Johnson dropping the legal requirement for the public to do so in England.His remarks came as the government allowed nightclubs to reopen for the first time in 16 months, scrapped social distancing guidelines and removed limits on indoors gatherings in the final stage of the roadmap. More

Developing countries will face fewer barriers when they trade with Britain if the Department for International Trade presses ahead with proposed changes.Officials are seeking views on plans to ease rules on trade with developing nations, including complex rules of origin requirements, which determine whether a good’s inputs qualify it for cheaper tariffs. Other products, such as rice and trainers, may also have their tariffs slashed, making them more attractive for importers based in the UK.These extra measures would make the proposed Developing Countries Trading Scheme (DCTS) more generous than the EU’s equivalent, the Generalised Scheme of Preferences (GSP), which Britain “rolled over” post-Brexit. It follows an examination of how countries such as Canada, the US and Japan, as well as the EU, handle trade with poorer nations.International trade secretary Liz Truss said in a statement: “Countries like Bangladesh and Vietnam have proven it’s possible to trade your way to better living standards, and our new Developing Countries Trading Scheme will help others do the same.”The scheme is likely to include 70 countries, a spokesperson for the international trade department said. A country will qualify because it falls within the United Nations’ Least Developed Country framework or within the World Bank’s measure of low-income and lower-middle-income countries.Economic modelling suggests that the UK is unlikely to see significant short-term growth from striking new trade deals, though officials have argued that calculations of this kind cannot factor the impact of future economic growth of respective markets. This is a problem with so-called static modelling which economists broadly accept. Nevertheless, Britain’s prospective new trade deals are dwarfed by its trade with the European Union.However, there is evidence that easing trade rules for poorer countries can have a meaningful impact for their respective industries. It also makes their products more competitive for companies based in Britain seeking inputs from overseas. Under the EU’s GSP system, most imports were of textiles, footwear, machinery and mechanical appliances.Britain’s new consultation also comes after some exporters from developing countries which also have trade deals faced significant disruption post-Brexit. After a rollover agreement was not secured ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period, Ghanaian producers faced thousands of pounds worth of tariffs on bananas. More

Related video: Boris Johnson announces he is self-isolatingBoris Johnson has urged the public to strictly adhere to the Covid rules despite having attempted to dodge self-isolation through a new testing pilot scheme offered to ministers.The prime minister and Rishi Sunak have now agreed to self-isolate after coming into contact with Sajid Javid, amid outrage that government officials were given the choice to to avoid quarantine. Both men initially said they planned to take daily tests instead of self-isolating.“I really do urge everybody to stick with the programme and take the appropriate course of action when you’re asked to do so by NHS Test and Trace,” the prime minister, who will be isolating at Chequers, said.The chancellor said he recognised “that even the sense that the rules aren’t the same for everyone is wrong” and said he would be quarantining.Show latest update

1626591333Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s rolling coverage of political events on Sunday as senior members of government wait to hear whether they will spend their self-described “Freedom Day” tomorrow behind closed doors.Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 07:551626591504PM could be hit by ‘pingdemic’ as Javid tests positive for CovidBoris Johnson could join the hundreds of thousands caught by the “pingdemic” and told to self-isolate, after health secretary Sajid Javid revealed he has tested positive for coronavirus.It is understood that Mr Javid held a lengthy meeting with the prime minister in 10 Downing Street on Friday, just hours before “feeling groggy” in the evening.He underwent a rapid-turnaround lateral flow test on Saturday morning, which said he was suffering from Covid-19 infection, despite having received two vaccine jabs. The health secretary later said on Saturday evening the results had been confirmed by a PCR test.The positive result sparked a new Covid scare at the heart of government.But as our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports, face-to-face meetings inside Downing Street are routinely conducted in accordance with social distancing guidelines, so it is possible that the PM may avoid being identified as a contact.Here is the story:Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 07:581626592109Lib Dems say Javid infection boosts case to delay unlockingThe Liberal Democrats are arguing that Sajid Javid’s positive test underlines the case for the government to rethink its plans to unlock fully from Monday.The party’s health spokeswoman, Munira Wilson, said: “This shows no-one is safe from this deadly virus.“By easing all restrictions with cases surging, they are experimenting with people’s lives.“Right now, they are pursuing a strategy of survival of the fittest, where the young and clinically vulnerable will be left defenceless.”Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 08:081626592870Boris Johnson pinged after contact with Covid-positive Sajid Javid – but exempt from self-isolationBoris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak have both been contacted by NHS Test and Trace as contacts of health secretary Sajid Javid after he tested positive for Covid – but the pair will avoid self-isolation under a “daily contact testing” pilot scheme.Here is the breaking story:Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 08:211626593961Nigel Farage to host new GB News show Nigel Farage is to front a new primetime show on GB News as the right-wing TV start-up struggles to pull in viewers.The former Ukip leader will present an hour-long programme simply called Farage from Monday to Thursday.He currently presents a Sunday morning show on the channel but will receive a more high profile slot which producers hope will plug a gap in ratings. Here is more on the story:Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 08:391626594632Jenrick defends testing pilot scheme offered to PM to avoid isolationRobert Jenrick has defended the Covid testing pilot that has allowed Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to avoid self-isolating.The housing secretary told Sky News the scheme offered to senior members of the government was also available to 20 organisations, including Border Force and Transport for London, and would allow them to continue carrying out “important government business”. He said a special testing centre had been set up in Downing Street and added that it was still a relatively restrictive regime since the PM and chancellor would need to avoid social gatherings and stay at home when they were not carrying out government meetings.Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 08:501626595343Government considers extending vaccines to children Cabinet minister Robert Jenrick has said the government is considering extending the Covid vaccine rollout to children.Speaking about the issue on Sky News, he said: “We will be taking advice from the JCVI [Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation], we haven’t yet received their final advice, on whether to extend the vaccine rollout to children. “That seems like a sensible thing to do and so we will be looking carefully at their advice when we receive it, we expect it very soon, on whether or not we should open the vaccine programme, in the first instance, to those children who are just short of their 18th birthday, to those children who have particular vulnerabilities, and those children who are in households where there are people who are particularly vulnerable. “That seems like a sensible way for us to proceed but ministers will need to make that decision when they are armed with the final advice from the JCVI.”Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 09:021626595772Government treating public with contempt over PM’s ‘pinging’ – RaynerDeputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has criticised the government after it was announced that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak do not have to self-isolate despite being contacted by NHS Test and Trace after Sajid Javid tested positive for Covid-19.She wrote on Twitter: “Sorry for the unparliamentary language but this just takes the p***.“Not following the rules that they created and which they expect my constituents to follow.“This government treats the public with contempt and think they are above the law and that the rules don’t apply to them.”Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 09:091626596132Ashworth criticises ‘VIP lane’ for PM who escaped self-isolation Jonathan Ashworth, the shadow health secretary, has criticised what he said was a “special rule, an exclusive rule” for Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, who do not need to self-isolate despite being pinged by the Covid Test and Trace service. The Labour MP said the public “will be saying to themselves that this looks like one rule for them, and something else for the rest of us”.Speaking to Sky News, he continued: “Nobody understands how you can get access to this special treatment, this special VIP lane where you don’t have to isolate yourself. “If it is a pilot, why can’t employers apply for their workforce to be members of this pilot. “Why can’t schools be part of this pilot test?“I really do think a lot of people are going to be looking at this and thinking, what on earth is going on?” Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 09:151626596502PM right to unlock on Monday despite rising infections, says former deputy PMDamian Green, the former deputy prime minister, has said the government is right to push ahead with unlocking fully tomorrow despite rising infections.Speaking to Sky News, the Tory MP for Ashford in Kent said: “We’re not out of the woods yet, infections are rising.”But he added: “It is a good idea to continue with Monday’s unlocking, because as Chris Whitty said, if not now, when. This is the best time of the year to do that. But nobody should think we’re on a one way path to unlocking if we don’t all behave sensibly.”Tom Batchelor18 July 2021 09:21 More

Boris Johnson has issued a remarkable plea for everybody to “stick to the rules” on self-isolation, just hours after trying to dodge them himself.The prime minister and chancellor Rishi Sunak were forced into a humiliating U-turn after announcing they would take part in a “get out of jail free” scheme to avoid 10 days’ quarantine as contacts of Covid-positive health secretary Sajid Javid.After an eruption of outrage from businesses, voters and opposition politicians, Johnson and Sunak hastily backtracked and said they would not take advantage of a “special VIP lane” scheme under which they could instead take daily coronavirus tests.In a tweet, Mr Sunak acknowledged that “even the sense that the rules aren’t the same for everyone is wrong” and said that he would consequently be going into self-isolation.But in a video message, the prime minister made no reference to the anger and disquiet which greeted his initial decision, saying only: “We did look briefly at the idea of us taking part in the pilot scheme which allows people to test daily, but it’s far more important that everybody sticks to the same rules, and that’s why I’m going to be self-isolating until 26 July”.The attempt to duck isolation prompted fury after a week in which more than 500,000 people were told to stay home in a “pingdemic”, forcing the closure of businesses, cancellation of trains and the suspension of a London Underground line.The decision – denounced as “Barnard Castle on steroids” by Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey in reference to Dominic Cummings’ lockdown-busting trip to Durham – was denounced far beyond Westminster, with one business leader accusing the government of treating Britons “like mugs” and another saying it was a case of “do as I say, not as I do”.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said Johnson and Sunak had been “busted” in an attempt to escape the consequences of the rules they had imposed on others.“Yet again the Conservatives fixed the rules to benefit themselves, and only backtracked when they were found out,” he said. “They robbed the bank, got caught and have now offered to give the money back.”But there was no sign of contrition in Mr Johnson’s message, which instead focused on urging members of the public to show caution when taking advantage of his decision to lift lockdown rules in England on Monday, at a time whe Covid-19 infections are running at more than 50,000 a day.“I really do urge everybody to stick with the programme and take the appropriate course of action when you’re asked to do so by NHS Test and Trace,” he said.“The reason for that is we’re going tomorrow into step 4, we’re doing a big opening up. And that’s quite right. If we don’t do it now, then we’ll be opening up in the autumn and winter months when the virus has the advantage of the cold weather and we lose the precious firebreak that we get with the school holidays.“If we don’t do it now, we’ve got to ask ourselves, when will we ever do it?“This is the right moment, but we’ve got to do it cautiously, we’ve got to remember that this virus is sadly still out there and cases are rising.“So please, please, please be cautious and go forward tomorrow into the next step with all the right prudence and respect for other people and the risks that the disease continues to present.” More

The daily testing regime which Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak attempted to use to dodge self-isolation should immediately be made available to all Britons to end the “pingdemic” and allow the country to leave lockdown in a rational way, former prime minister Tony Blair has said.Mr Blair said that universal release from isolation through testing for the double-vaccinated was an essential tool in a “middle path” strategy for living with the virus which would be necessary for “several years”.Speaking before the PM and chancellor U-turned to accept 10-day quarantine, Mr Blair said that the current Test and Trace system was “not rational” and was driving many to switch off their smartphone apps to avoid being “pinged”.The former PM’s Tony Blair Institute today published a plan for reopening society featuring: • Mandatory Covid passports for potential super-spreader events like sports matches, indoor performances and nightclubs.• Daily testing of vaccinated contacts identified by NHS Test and Trace, to ensure that only Covid-positive individuals are forced to quarantine.• Vaccination of teenagers.• Publication of data on vaccine effectiveness.• Mask-wearing on public transport and other crowded public places.Mr Blair said that government should not wait until 16 August to exempt double-vaccinated adults from the requirement to self-isolate, but should move immediately to give them the right to undertake daily testing to prove their negative status.He told BBC Radio 4s World at One: “Right now, we’re at risk of moving in two contradictory directions.“On the one hand, we’re going to open everything up, free of restriction altogether. And on the other hand, we’ve still got this pinging Track and Trace system where people have got to go into complete isolation if they’re pinged, in circumstances where probably the vast majority of those people do not need to do so. “Mr Blair said he understood why people would delete the NHS Covid app.“It’s very difficult, because the system’s not rational,” he said. “I understand why people are doing it because they’re thinking ‘This is ridiculous, if I’m not pinged, I’m able to go into a pub, order a drink, mix with people without any restrictions whatever. If I’m pinged, even though I’m tested and I’m vaccinated, I’ve got to go into isolation.”Mr Blair said that the government’s strategy for calculating the risks of removing restriction should be “based on the distinction between vaccinated and unvaccinated people”, with those able to prove their immune status given greater freedoms.He rejected arguments that this amounted to an unacceptable intrusion by the state into individuals’ lives.“The reality is we will be living with this disease for, in my view, several years to come and we’ve just got to create a framework that is consistent,” he said.“I just don’t have a lot of sympathy for people who are entitled to be vaccinated, have got no health reasons for not being vaccinated and choose not to be vaccinated. And if that means that they end up with greater restrictions, you know, that’s their choice. But it’s really not socially responsible to refuse vaccination if you’re able to get it.”Mr Johnson’s retreat into self-isolation at Chequers ahead of a busy week, in which he should be overseeing the removal of Covid restrictions and working on social care plans and the Northern Ireland Protocol, was an indication of the irrational nature of the Test and Trace regime, he said.“I don’t want the prime minister of the country be in isolation at the moment,” said Mr Blair. “I need him at his desk doing his job if he’s tested, he’s double vaccinated, he’s actually had Covid, he’s testing and presumably the tests are coming back negative. The point is to do this for everyone.” More

Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have been accused of undermining the UK’s battle against Covid-19 by trying to dodge the test-and-trace rules which have seen hundreds of thousands of workers, parents and children self-isolate to try to stop the spread of the virus.The prime minister and chancellor were forced into a humiliating U-turn amid waves of fury over their attempt to avoid a 10-day quarantine by joining an experimental daily testing scheme.Johnson and Sunak were “pinged” by NHS Test and Trace as contacts of Covid-positive health secretary Sajid Javid, but Downing Street initially declared they would carry on working as normal through the “get out of jail free” scheme previously used by Michael Gove.The decision – denounced as “Barnard Castle on steroids” by Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey in reference to Dominic Cummings’ lockdown-busting trip to Durham – was denounced far beyond Westminster, with one business leader accusing the government of treating Britons “like mugs” and another saying it was a case of “do as I say, not as I do”.Following warnings that they risked undermining public willingness to comply with “pingdemic” instructions to isolate, the PM and chancellor caved in to pressure and announced that they would observe quarantine after all – just two hours and 38 minutes after saying they would not.The second statement said that Mr Johnson had been contacted by NHS Test and Trace while at Chequers and would remain at his Buckinghamshire country residence, contradicting the earlier suggestion that he would “continue working at Downing Street” while taking part in the daily testing regime.The U-turn came just minutes after housing secretary Robert Jenrick completed a round of broadcast interviews in which he defended his cabinet colleagues’ use of the pilot scheme, which allows participants to avoid self-isolation by having daily lateral flow tests.Mr Johnson’s retreat over the testing pilot means that he will be forced to conduct the final session of prime minister’s questions before the summer recess, on Wednesday, via video link – just days after telling MPs it was safe to return to Westminster.Labour leader Keir Starmer said the government was “in chaos” over its coronavirus strategy, just a day ahead of the removal of most remaining restrictions in England on Monday.The so-called “Freedom Day” comes with daily infection rates above 50,000, with government scientific adviser Neil Ferguson warning they would “almost inevitably” reach a record 100,000 and could top 200,000.“Success” under the government’s no-restrictions regime would see the current Delta variant wave peak at little over 1,000 hospitalisations and 100,000 positive tests a day and then slowly decline, said Prof Ferguson, as Mr Jenrick warned the wave could stretch into September.Sir Keir said Johnson and Sunak had been “busted” in an attempt to dodge the rules, adding: “At a time when we need to maintain confidence in self isolation, parents, workers and businesses will be wondering what on earth is going on in Downing Street.“Yet again the Conservatives fixed the rules to benefit themselves, and only backtracked when they were found out. They robbed the bank, got caught and have now offered to give the money back.”Official guidance for the daily testing scheme states that participants are chosen at random as part of a trial of new ways of dealing with contact-tracing, but Mr Jenrick said that around 20 public bodies – including the Cabinet Office and 10 Downing Street – had been signed up to take part.Ms Rayner said that the decision to withdraw made clear that ministers and officials were participating for their own convenience and not as part of a scientific exercise as claimed.“So it isn’t a pilot scheme?” asked the Labour deputy leader. “It’s just something they made up because they didn’t want to isolate like the plebs?“If people now delete the app and don’t self-isolate when pinged then every additional Covid case will be the direct responsibility of the PM and chancellor.”Sir Ed Davey said: “I’m glad Johnson U-turned, right decision.“But the fact he thought he could get away with it in the first place shows the utter contempt he has for the British people.”And Green Party co-leader Jonathan Bartley said: “The damage is already done. This government has no principles and no judgement. And every mistake it makes destroys even more lives.”Fury at the PM’s initial attempt to get round the rules extended far beyond Westminster, with businesses complaining that politicians were trying to dodge the consequences of the “pingdemic” they have unleashed on workers.Richard Walker, managing director of Iceland supermarkets, tweeted: “Shame the hundreds of Iceland staff who’ve been pinged can’t avoid self-isolation. “The managing director of CKB Recruitment, Kieran Boyle, said: “Yet again the ruling class are treating us all like mugs. They have decimated so many small businesses already, and stuck two fingers up at limited company directors, and this just adds even more fuel to the fire. “The founder of Derby-based Loates HR Consultancy, Sarah Loates, said: “The sheer chutzpah of this government is breathtaking.“As businesses, parents and others struggle on with their self-isolation sacrifice, once again it’s a case of do as I say, not as I do.”And Helen Williams, owner of Middlewich-based Willow Bridal Boutique, said: “If we have to self-isolate, then so should those who apparently represent us.“As a small, independent close-contact business, I’m paranoid about getting pinged. Having just one of my customers test positive will close my entire business for two weeks with no financial support.”An initial statement released by Downing Street at 8am confirmed that Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak had been contacted by NHS Test and Trace overnight. The contact came after a PCR test confirmed a positive Covid diagnosis for Mr Javid, who became “groggy” on Friday evening shortly after a meeting with the PM.Under the pilot scheme, the pair were able to continue working so long as they recorded negative results on daily tests conducted at an asymptomatic testing site in Downing Street, but would have to self-isolate outside work.“They will be participating in the daily contact testing pilot to allow them to continue to work from Downing Street,” said the statement. “They will be conducting only essential government business during this period.”At 10.38am, this was followed by a hastily-revised statement from a Downing Street spokesperson: “The prime minister has been contacted by NHS Test and Trace to say he is a contact of someone with Covid.“He was at Chequers when contacted by Test and Trace and will remain there to isolate. He will not be taking part in the testing pilot.“He will continue to conduct meetings with ministers remotely. The chancellor has also been contacted and will also isolate as required and will not be taking part in the pilot.”The public learnt of Mr Sunak’s backtrack slightly ahead of the PM’s, as the chancellor tweeted his decision while Downing Street briefed media behind the scenes.“Whilst the test and trace pilot is fairly restrictive, allowing only essential government business, I recognise that even the sense that the rules aren’t the same for everyone is wrong,” said the chancellor.“To that end I’ll be self isolating as normal and not taking part in the pilot.” More