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Boris Johnson’s approach to ending Covid regulations this month “is something of an exception”, Nicola Sturgeon has said – as she vowed to keep mandatory mask rules in place for Scotland.The prime minister has promised to tear up almost all of England’s remaining curbs on 19 July, but Scotland’s first minister said she could “simply throw all caution to the wind” north of the border.The wearing of masks ion public transport and confined spaces will still be mandatory in Scotland “even if it is not in England”, Ms Sturgeon said on Thursday.“I don’t want to give any suggestion here that the ending of requirements for face coverings is coming any time really soon,” the SNP leader said at her latest coronavirus briefing.She also outlined her fears that England’s so-called “freedom day” later this month could spark some confusion among Scots. The first minister said she was concerned that the “domination of coverage” from England could “confuse the message here”.While Ms Sturgeon still hopes to go ahead with a planned easing on some curbs on 19 July. She said she hopes all of Scotland will be able to move to Level 0 on that date, as planned. But a decision on whether and to what extent this can happen will be announced at Holyrood on Tuesday.She said: “It is worth pointing out the path the UK government is embarking on for England – a path of not just lifting all restrictions from July 19, but also removing the requirement for basic mitigations like face masks … is something of an exception.”“While I totally understood the desire some have for us to follow suit in every single step, we have to think carefully about the steps we do take at this juncture.”Ms Sturgeon “My job is not to take the easy decisions in a quest for popularity, it is to do what I think is most likely to keep the country as safe as possible as we get to the end of the vaccination programme.”The first minister also told a Scottish government briefing that current high case numbers are concerning, but there is a “suggestion that the recent surge in cases may be to some extent levelling off”.She announced that Scotland has recorded four deaths of coronavirus patients in the past 24 hours and 2,802 new cases. The daily test positivity rate is 8 per cent – down from 10 per cent the previous day. More

Boris Johnson should spend some time “studying at the Gareth Southgate school of leadership” and learn the value of hard work, Labour has said.Labour MP Thangam Debbonaire, shadow Commons leader, hailed the England manager for backing his players in “their campaigning for social and racial justice, even under criticism”.She also said the prime minister should “honour” the England team by focusing on things which embody the best of British values – such as international aid, the NHS and a Covid public inquiry.Speaking in the Commons after the semi-final win against Denmark, Ms Debbonaire said: “In contrast to the prime minister, Gareth Southgate and the England team value hard work, discipline, and preparation.“The British people seem to appreciate those qualities, so for the sake of our country … I hope the prime minister can spend some time over the next few days studying at the Gareth Southgate school of leadership.”The Labour frontbencher added: “The British people will be asking themselves who they want to lead them – do they want someone who works hard and has a relentless focus on embodying British values, or do they want the current prime minister?”Mr Johnson praised Mr Southgate’s management style on Thursday, saying the England manager has done an “absolutely outstanding job” during Euro 2020.Asked if it could soon be Sir Gareth, the prime minister told broadcasters: “I obviously wouldn’t want to anticipate anything that the honours people may decide. But clearly I think Gareth Southgate has done an absolutely outstanding job.”Mr Johnson added: “What seems so amazing to me is how he varies it, he mixes it up, and plays a different series of options depending on the match in question. So best of luck for Sunday.”Asked about the possibility of a bank holiday on Monday, following the final against Italy on Sunday night, the prime minister said: “I think that would be tempting fate, let’s see what happens.” More

Watch live as health executives, Jenny Harries and Dido Harding answer questions during Public Accounts CommitteeBoris Johnson has confirmed all UK troops will be withdrawn from Afghanistan.Speaking in parliament earlier, the prime minister paid tribute to the “valour and sacrifice” of the British troops who had served in the long struggle against the Taliban.He said most of the remaining 750 UK military trainers with the Nato mission have already left the country.The move follows the announcement in April by President Joe Biden that he would withdraw the remaining US forces by the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in September, effectively ending international military involvement in Afghanistan.Mr Biden will address the US later amid criticism that troop removal from the region is the wrong move.Show latest update

1625727241Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s rolling UK politics coverage. Rory Sullivan8 July 2021 07:541625727403Labour says PM being ‘reckless and foolish’ over Northern Ireland Keir Starmer has taken aim at Boris Johnson over his handling of the situation in Northern Ireland. Writing in the Times, the Labour leader accused the prime minister of being “reckless and foolish” in his approach to the Good Friday Agreement, putting “his own narrow interest above those of the people of Northern Ireland”.He added that Mr Johnson was risking the stability of the peace process “through his dishonesty”.Rory Sullivan8 July 2021 07:561625728247PM warns of Jewish ‘exodus’ from Northern Ireland The prime minister has warned of an “exodus” of Jewish people from Northern Ireland as a result of the protocol he signed with the EU. This comes as the community is struggling to access kosher meat because under the new post-Brexit trade arrangements. Senior UK Jewish leaders met Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis on Tuesday and called for action to avoid “potentially ending Jewish life in Belfast”.Our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports: Rory Sullivan8 July 2021 08:101625728967Huge ‘triple lock’ pension rise could be scrapped A large rise in the state pension could be scrapped due to concerns it is not “fair”, Rishi Sunak has said. Under the “triple lock” guarantee, pensions are set to grow by roughly 8 per cent, costing taxpayers as much as £4bn. After twice refusing to guarantee the increase would go ahead next year, the chancellor said: “I do recognise people’s concerns on this. I think they are completely legitimate and fair concerns to raise.”Rory Sullivan8 July 2021 08:221625729567Government should consider Xinjiang cotton ban over Uighur ‘genocide’The government should consider a ban on cotton goods linked to Xinjiang, where China is committing atrocities against the Uighurs, MPs have suggested.The foreign affairs committee also recommendation that ministers should boycott the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics in protest against human rights abuses in the country. Tom Tugendhat, the Conservative MP who chairs the committee, said the government’s actions have “proved ineffective” and “do not match its rhetoric”. It is thought that more than one million Uighurs have been arbitrarily detained in Xinjiang, with authorities also implementing a forced sterilisation programme. Rory Sullivan8 July 2021 08:321625730167Ministers have ‘absolutely no justification’ in reforming human rights laws, say MPs The government has “absolutely no justification” in making changes to the Human Rights Act, MPs have said. Harriet Harman, the chair of the Commons joint committee on human rights, said: “The Act both respects Parliament and makes our courts powerful in enforcing human rights.“The Government must not make change which would at one and the same time, make it harder for people to enforce their human rights and expose the government and agencies to more judgments against them in the European Court of Human Rights.”Rory Sullivan8 July 2021 08:421625731250Sunak’s shakedown? Chancellor insists he and PM on ‘same page’As we reported earlier, Rishi Sunak has declined to rule out scrapping the triple lock on pensions.The move, which was first floated last month, raised the prospect that the chancellor might be on a collision course with his big-spending boss.But Mr Sunak this morning insisted that he and the PM are “on the same page”.He also confirmed the £20-a-week increase to universal credit will be phased out in the autumn, saying it was always a “temporary measure.”Matt Mathers8 July 2021 09:001625731850Starmer: PM left borders open, now wants to let Delta variant ripKeir Starmer says the only reason Covid restrictions continue to be discussed is because the PM left the UK’s borders open – and now he wants to let the Delta variant “rip”: Matt Mathers8 July 2021 09:101625733036Isolation rules for people pinged by NHS app could be relaxedThere are multiple lines coming out of Rishi Sunak’s broadcast round this morning.He has hinted that isolation rules for people pinged by the NHS app are to be relaxed.Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick reports:More comments below:Matt Mathers8 July 2021 09:301625733399Boris Johnson escapes with rap on knuckles over free Caribbean holidayBoris Johnson has escaped with a rap on the knuckles over a free holiday in the Caribbean provided by a donor for him and then-fiancee Carrie Symonds.The Commons Standards Committee has branded the prime minister’s actions in explaining the source of the funding for the £15,000 break in a Mustique villa “unsatisfactory”.Our politics editor Andrew Woodcock reports: Matt Mathers8 July 2021 09:36 More

Boris Johnson said all British troops would be “coming home” from Afghanistan, confirming the end of the UK’s official role in a two-decades long conflict.Most of the 750 remaining British troops have already been pulled out, the prime minister confirmed, promising that the withdrawal would not be “the end of commitment” to the country.“I hope no one will leap to the false conclusion that the withdrawal of our forces somehow means the end of Britain’s commitment to Afghanistan – we are not about to turn away,” Mr Johnson told parliament.Mr Johnson pledged £100m in development assistance and £58m for the country’s security and defence forces this year, claiming it would help preserve the “gains” made over the past 20 years.“The international military presence in Afghanistan was never intended to be permanent. We and our Nato allies were always going to withdraw our forces. The only question was when, and there could never be a perfect moment.”It follows the announcement in April by US president Joe Biden that he was ending the American military presence in Afghanistan.While the UK has said it respects the US decision, ministers and military commanders have made no secret of their disappointment.There are fears the departure of foreign forces will leave the government of president Ashraf Ghani vulnerable in the face of a Taliban advance – rolling back the gains that have been made over the past two decades.Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner said gains such as the advances in the rights of women had not yet been “secured,” adding: “It’s hard to see a future without bloodier conflict and wider Taliban control.” Ms Rayner challenged Mr Johnson to explain to British veterans how those advances would be protected and “their efforts will not be in vain”.Mr Johnson said the UK would continue to exert “diplomatic and political” influence in Afghanistan. He also hinted at further military intervention in Afghanistan – should the Taliban allow terror groups to establish themselves in parts of the country.Labour former minister Hilary Benn asked why the government is “so confident the Taliban will never again allow any part of Afghanistan … to be used by terrorist forces” – including the so-called Islamic State – as a base to attack the UK and its allies.Mr Johnson noted the Taliban has controlled a “very considerable part” of Afghanistan in recent years, adding: “It’s during that period we haven’t seen terrorist operations launched against the wider world.” More

The public will be able to order lateral flow tests online for free until at least the end of August, the government has confirmed. It comes weeks after parliament was told the free asymptomatic testing using the devices would be extended until the end of this month.The government has now the scheme will run until at least the end of August.“Regular testing using rapid lateral flow tests is essential to controlling Covid-19 and variants of concern as restrictions are lifted,” a Department for Health and Social Care spokesperson told The Independent on Thursday.“So far 251,126 positive cases have been detected using LFDs that wouldn’t have been found otherwise, helping to break chains of transmission and save lives.”The spokesperson added: “In England you can continue to order free LFDs online until at least the end of August 2021. “Details of any extension of the programme will be set out in due course.”The pharmacy collection service – which also lets people with no Covid symptoms get free rapid tests – will also run until at least the end of next month.It comes afterThe Independent reported there would be a forthcoming statement about how long free rapid tests would be provided to the public.On the same day in mid-June the government announced England’s roadmap out of lockdown would be pushed back, Matt Hancock, then-health secretary, said asymptomatic testing would continue to be offered until the end of this month.In spring this year, the government said everyone in England could access two free rapid flow tests a week in a new testing regime in a bid to prevent Covid outbreaks. Lateral flow tests have also been made available in workplaces to allow those without Covid symptoms to get tested. It is estimated around a third of people with coronavirus do not show any symptoms. The government says employers have until 19 July to order free rapid lateral flow tests for employees. More

The law designed to prevent Scottish MPs from voting down legislation affecting England only will be axed, in a new government bid to revive the Union.English votes for English laws (EVEL) was introduced by David Cameron’s government to calm Conservative anger that the devolution settlement had handed to much power to Scottish MPs.But the government is now arguing it has “not served our Parliament well”, paving the way for a vote that will scrap the law next week.The Scottish National Party hailed the move as a “massive defeat” for the Conservatives, saying: “We will finally bury this appalling, time-wasting mess next week.”Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons leader, admitted it was “a victory for the SNP”, but argued: “It’s also a victory for people of my way of thinking about our constitution.“This is important because, within this House, we are the Parliament of the whole of the United Kingdom.”However, the removal means the UK is once again wrestling with what was famously dubbed “the West Lothian question” after being raised by Labour Tam Dalyell, back in the 1970s.It demanded to know why English MPs could not vote on matters devolved to other parts of the UK – yet Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland MPs vote at Westminster on England-only matters.Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, announced the move to abolish the requirement that such legislation must be approved by a majority of English MPs.“The government believes it has not served our Parliament well and that removing it would simplify the legislative process,” he told MPs.The move is an implicit rebuke to Mr Cameron, who – notoriously – unveiled EVEL the day after Scots voted against independence in 2014, saying: “The millions of voices of England must be heard.”Scottish Tories have been pushing for EVEL to be axed since 2017, believing it is powerful ammunition for the SNP to whip up anti-Union sentiment.But two cabinet ministers are believed to want to save it, fearing its abolition will leave future governments vulnerable to laws for England being imposed against their will.Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, and Gavin Williamson, the education secretary, are reported to have spoken out, in vain.Mr Gove said: “My department, along with the Leader of the House, have been reviewing the English votes for English laws procedure.“The procedure has been suspended since April 2020 and, having reflected on the procedure, the government believes it has not served our Parliament well and that removing it would simplify the legislative process.“It’s a fundamental principle that all constituent parts of the United Kingdom should be equally represented in Parliament.” More

Boris Johnson has escaped with a rap on the knuckles over a free New Year holiday in the Caribbean provided by a donor for him and then-fiancee Carrie Symonds.The Commons Standards Committee has branded the prime minister’s actions in explaining the source of the funding for the £15,000 break in a Mustique villa “unsatisfactory”.But the committee – made up of MPs and lay members – overruled a finding by Westminster’s sleaze watchdog Kathryn Stone that Mr Johnson broke the rules on MPs’ interests.The PM was cleared of the breach only after the committee tracked down the real owner of the holiday property where he and Ms Symonds stayed, who was not the person named by Mr Johnson in the register of MPs’ interests.In a report, the committee said it was “regrettable” that the full explanation of arrangements for the holiday emerged only through its own inquiries, rather than being provided to the standards commissioner by Mr Johnson.Mr Johnson and Ms Symonds were offered the use of a villa on the Caribbean island from Boxing Day 2019 until 5 January 2020 by Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross.The sunshine break came weeks after Mr Johnson secured a landslide majority in the December 2019 general election and was viewed as a chance for the PM to recharge his batteries after a gruelling campaign.The PM recorded the trip in the register of MPs’ interests later in January as a donation from Mr Ross worth £15,000.But it later emerged that Mr Ross’s property had not been available on the dates of the holiday, and the couple had in fact stayed in a different villa on the island not owned by the mobile phone millionaire.Ms Stone was not provided with the identity of the true owner of the accommodation and ruled that Mr Johnson had breached parliamentary rules by failing to “make sufficient inquiries to establish the full facts about the funding arrangements” for the stay either before or after the break.She said that Mr Johnson was obliged to establish “definitively who was to fund the free accommodation he had been offered, and what arrangements had been made to pay for it” before accepting the holiday.But the PM objected to the finding, insisting that his entry in the register was made “in good faith”, as he regarded the holiday as a benefit in kind from Mr Ross. He said he had provided all the assistance he could to the standards commissioner and it was not clear what further enquires he could have made about the true ownership of the villa.After reports that the villa, known as Indigo, was in fact owned by Sarah Richardson, the committee wrote to her and was informed that she received a rental payment from the Mustique Company – which manages villas on behalf of shareholders – in return for the PM’s stay.The committee found that Mr Ross had an “ad hoc understanding” with the Company that Indigo would be made available for Mr Johnson in return for him allowing it use of his own villa to cover the value of the break.The committee overruled Ms Stone’s finding of a breach, accepting that the holiday was in fact a benefit in kind donated by Mr Ross to the PM.But it added: “It is regrettable that a full account and explanation of the funding arrangements for Mr Johnson’s holiday accommodation has only come to light as a result of our own enquiries rather than at an earlier stage.“If greater clarity had been made available to the Commissioner at the first instance this matter could have been cleared up many months ago.”The committee found that Mr Johnson’s failure to demonstrate to the commissioner that his register entry was made conscientiously “resulted in unnecessary speculation and a lengthy investigation”.The report found: “It would have been wiser for Mr Johnson to have established the facts, dispelled any uncertainty and gained documentary evidence for the arrangement which we in the end have obtained for ourselves.” And it concluded: “It is unsatisfactory that neither Mr Ross nor Mr Johnson explained the arrangements to the commissioner until last autumn and that Mr Ross only provided minimal information on the arrangement this spring and in response to our own enquiries.“This matter could have been concluded many months ago if more strenuous efforts had been made to dispel the uncertainty.”Given that Mr Johnson has twice previously been reprimanded for “an over-casual attitude towards obeying the rules of the House”, the committee said it would have expected him to have “gone the extra mile to ensure there was no uncertainty about the arrangements”.Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner said: “This whole murky affair shows Boris Johnson has a casual relationship with the truth and a flagrant disregard for the most basic standards of integrity and trustworthiness that we would expect from a prime minister.“The way Johnson handles his personal finances mirrors the way he governs the country – chaos and confusion.” More

NHS bosses are considering making the Covid app less sensitive to stop millions of people being forced into self-isolation over the summer, it has been revealed.The head of the UK Health Security Agency told MPs that work was under way to decide whether to “tune” the smartphone notifications to reduce numbers being “pinged”.Jenny Harries’ comments came after chancellor Rishi Sunak indicated that strict isolation rules will be relaxed after strong criticism.Hospitality and business leaders have reacted with horror to predictions that millions of contacts of Covid cases will be told to stay at home for 10 days until 16 August – as infection rates soar.The chancellor said he recognised that “most people’s concerns rest with how the app is working” – rather than being contacted by the test and trace system.“The health secretary is aware that that accounts for the majority of people who need to isolate, I understand, on the numbers,” Mr Sunak said. “He’s looking at what the most appropriate balanced and proportionate approach to isolation is in these circumstances.”Boris Johnson said he understood the frustration of people “pinged” and told to isolate, but added that 16 August is “not too far off” for those who are double jabbed.“I know how difficult it has been for people and I’m sorry for the hassle that people experienced as a result of this – it is coming to an end,” he said on Thursday.“What we want to do is just keep going for a little bit longer … As the health secretary has said, we are moving now from self-isolation, from quarantine approach, to test and release approach. The day is not too far off.”Dr Harries told the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee that she was aware of people deleting the Covid app from their phones to avoid being “pinged” as a contact of someone testing positive for the virus.She said: “We have a piece of work ongoing at the moment, because it is entirely possible to tune the app to ensure that it is appropriate to the risk.“When the app came into action we know it has been hugely successful but it has been utilised in a world where we did not have vaccinations.“So working through what a vaccinated population using the app means is something that we are actively doing at the moment.”Dr Harries said the app was there “for a purpose, not for annoyance”.Controversy over isolation rules has been heightened by the decision to keep them in place until 16 August, with Mr Johnson failing to deny that this could lead to as many as 3.5 million people being asked to spend 10 days at home.Labour has warned the cocktail will plunge Britain into a summer of “chaos and confusion”, while Tory MPs say the policy will make a mockery of the lifting of restrictions on 19 July.There have been reports of frustrated people deleting the NHS app, although a government adviser denied any major problems and said usage is at an “all-time high”.Anyone pinged is told to isolate, but is not legally required to do so – as they are if contacted directly by test and trace – with the information anonymous, but many people are unaware of this.On Wednesday, Boris Johnson said allowing people to avoid self-isolation at a time when cases are forecast to top 100,000 a day would allow “many more people to be vectors of disease”.Mr Sunak’s comments came as he also hinted that a huge increase in the state pension next year could be scrapped because voters will not consider it to be “fair”.The “triple lock” guarantee is set to push up pensions by 8 per cent – costing taxpayers between £3bn and £4bn – because wages have bounced back sharply from the Covid recession.The Chancellor twice refused to guarantee that the increase would go ahead on the scale next April, when it as pointed out that Universal Credit payments are about to be cut.And he said: “I do recognise people’s concerns on this. I think they are completely legitimate and fair concerns to raise.”The triple lock – introduced by the coalition government in 2010 – ensures pensions rise by whichever is the highest of earnings growth, inflation or 2.5 per cent.The impact will be felt as earnings grow sharply this year – although workers are no better off in reality, because they dropped when the pandemic struck. More