Markus Andrews

Theresa May has blasted Boris Johnson for failing to live up to his promise of creating “outward-looking” global Britain after Brexit.Speaking in a Commons debate on Wednesday about aid cuts the former prime minister urged her successor to return to his manifesto commitment of spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income (GNI) on overseas aid.Mr Johnson and his chancellor Rishi Sunak have abandoned the policy, claiming it is too expensive and that the Covid-19 pandemic has put pressure on the public finances.But backbench Tory MPs including Ms May say it is a mistake to break the promise.They argue that the cuts will do significant damage without saving much money in government budget terms, and that Britain’s standing around the world will be harmed.Ms May said cuts could also run down accrued UK government expertise on how to spend aid effectively so that even if money was eventually restored, it would be less efficiently used.”When you cut a programme you can’t just, you can’t just say ‘well you’re not having that money this year, but next year we are going to have it’: people will not be there, people will not be employed any longer to give the aid on the ground, and you need the expertise to be able to build the programmes up,” she said.”It seems to be we’re looking at some perfect storm: not only the money’s gone away, but actually when the time comes, and I hope it’ll be next year that the government restores 0.7 per cent, we actually find that the people aren’t there in the department, to be able to ensure that that is being done, and being done effectively. “So, I would like to say to the Minister, that I would sincerely hope that we can restore the respect that we have had around the world through our funding and our expertise, restore the 0.7% [target], look holistically at the aid spending. “Don’t lose DfID expertise, and then we might be able to return to what that response to the fourth special report said, as an ‘enterprising outward looking, and truly global Britain, that is fully engaged with the world’. Sadly at the moment, the message is rather different.”Since leaving office Ms May has remained as the backbench MP for Maidenhead, occasionally taking a leading role in Tory rebellions on issues like planning reforms and aid cuts. More

Watch live as Boris Johnson faces Keir Starmer at PMQsA temporary deal has been reached to delay a ban on the sale of chilled meats across the Irish Sea, forcing the UK to abide by Brussels’ food standards rules. Ministers believe the agreement allows for further discussions to continue for a permanent solution to end the so-called sausage wars.Meanwhile, Labour chiefs say Sir Keir Starmer will not step down if the party loses the Batley and Spen by-election.A poll shows four in 10 members of the party would want him to stand aside.Earlier, Boris Johnson dismissed the Matt Hancock affair as “Westminster bubble stuff” during a fiery clash with Sir Keir at PMQs.The Labour leader accused the prime minister of attempting to sweep the scandal under the carpet after Mr Johnson had declared the matter closed.“No questions asked on Friday and no questions answered today. There is a pattern emerging,” Sir Keir said, adding that “millions of people made huge and very difficult sacrifices to follow the rules that his health secretary has introduced”.Mr Johnson said the former health secretary had resigned on Saturday, a day after the story broke, at “positively lightning speed” and attempted to turn the conversation onto the UK’s vaccine rollout.Show latest update

1625064059Blackford urges PM to extend EU settlement scheme deadlineThe prime minister has been urged again to extend the government’s settlement scheme deadline for EU citizens living in Britain – or risk a legacy of “untold stress and … ridiculous removals of NHS staff,” according to the SNP’s Ian Blackford. Sam Hancock reports:Jane Dalton30 June 2021 15:401625063619Truce agreed with EU to delay ban on sale of chilled meats to Northern IrelandA truce has been reached to delay a ban on the sale of chilled meats across the Irish Sea – but it will last only until the end of September.The deal with the EU will force the UK to abide by Brussels’ food standards rules, but the UK government insists it does not amount to the “dynamic alignment” it opposes.Brexit minister Lord Frost said: “We are pleased we have been able to agree a sensible extension on chilled meats moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland – one that does not require rules in the rest of the UK to align with future changes in EU agrifood rules.“This is a positive first step but we still need to agree a permanent solution – Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom and its consumers should be able to enjoy products they have bought from Great Britain for years.“This is a very clear sign that the Protocol has to be operated in a pragmatic and proportionate way.”Jane Dalton30 June 2021 15:331625063159School ‘bubbles’ could be scrapped on 19 July, Williamson saysGavin Williamson has said the government wants to scrap school “bubbles” as part of England’s next step out of lockdown, writes Zoe Tidman:Jane Dalton30 June 2021 15:251625061959Brexit: High Court throws out bid to overturn deal for Northern Ireland as unlawfulOpponents of the Northern Ireland Protocol have been dealt a blow after the High Court threw out a bid for the Brexitdeal to be declared unlawful, writes Rob Merrick:Jane Dalton30 June 2021 15:051625060699Who won this week’s PMQs? We’ve scored Boris Johnson and Keir StarmerKate Plummer scotes the PM and Labour leader on today’s performances in the Commons:Jane Dalton30 June 2021 14:441625059559Government resists Tory MPs’ calls to scrap ‘fearful’ daily Covid figuresThe government has resisted calls from Conservative backbenchers to stop releasing daily Covid-19 figures, amid concern that regular statistics create a “fear factor”. Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said daily updates on case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths made people “irrational” – calling on the government to “stop it now”. Adam Forrest reports:Jane Dalton30 June 2021 14:251625058359Government told to ‘stop dragging heels’ amid delay to net zero reviewRishi Sunak has been urged to “stop dragging his heels”, as Labour accused the government of again delaying a long-awaited review of plans for net-zero emissions by 2050. Ashley Cowburn reports:Jane Dalton30 June 2021 14:051625057759Starmer will not quit if Labour defeated in by-electionSir Keir Starmer will not resign as Labour leader if the party suffers another historic defeat at a critical by-election, his official spokesperson has insisted on the eve of the vote, writes Ashley Cowburn:Jane Dalton30 June 2021 13:551625056859Johnson challenged over NI Protocol conflict with Act of UnionDUP MP Ian Paisley asked whether Boris Johnson would “reverse the mistakes” made in the Brexit agreement with Brussels on the Northern Ireland Protocol.Mr Paisley said: “Today the Belfast High Court has actually found that the Protocol does conflict with the Act of Union; although it does not break the law, that it has repealed aspects of the Act of Union which is in direct contravention to the commitments this Government has made to this kingdom.“The Prime Minister will be aware that litigation is still ongoing in the High Court of England on a commercial case that could result in a loss of earnings claim of hundreds of millions of pounds by British businesses trading in Northern Ireland.“Under Section 8 of the Withdrawal Agreement, the Parliament here is sovereign – the judgment today confirms that Parliament is sovereign.“Prime Minister, you have a solid majority on your benches. Have you the will to now finish this job, to reverse the mistakes of the Northern Ireland Protocol, to seize the moment and defend the Union, and to unilaterally fix once and for all and put Northern Ireland out of its commercial, social and political misery?”Mr Johnson replied: “We will of course study the ruling of the court in detail.“But I can give him this general assurance, which he knows to be true, that nothing will affect the position of Northern Ireland as part of the United Kingdom, and we will make sure that we uphold that.”Jane Dalton30 June 2021 13:401625056249EU settlement scheme: ‘Ask Me Anything’ liveOn deadline day for EU nationals to apply to retain residency in the UK following Brexit, have your key questions answered by our social affairs correspondent, May Bulman.How to submit a question and join: Jane Dalton30 June 2021 13:30 More

Gavin Williamson has said the government wants to scrap school “bubbles” as part of England’s next step out of lockdown.The measure – which sees pupils and teachers kept in groups to keep mixing to a minimum – has been in place to limit the spread of coronavirus.But the education secretary said on Wednesday that the government is looking to get rid of it within weeks.Mr Williamson told parliament he wants to see remaining restrictions in schools, including bubbles, “removed as quickly as possible”. “We constantly assess all available data and we expect to be able to confirm plans to be able to lift restrictions and bubbles as part of Step 4,” he said.“Once that decision has been made, we will issue guidance immediately to schools.”Step 4 of England’s roadmap out of lockdown, when the government hopes to be able to remove all legal limits on social contact, is currently planned for no earlier than 19 July. Concerns have been raised in recent weeks about the interpretation of rules which have resulted in large groups of pupils being sent home for 10 days if another pupil in their bubble tests positive for Covid.Earlier this week, government data showed school absences linked to Covid had peaked at their highest rate since March.More than 330,000 students were self-isolating due to potential contact with a Covid case last week and tens of thousands more were out of school with a suspected or confirmed coronavirus infection.Reports this week suggested pupils may be able to avoid automatically self-isolating after coming in contact with a Covid case under rules which could be introduced after the summer holidays.Trials are currently ongoing into the use of daily contact testing in schools as an alternative to self-isolation after the measure was paused earlier this year following advice from Public Health England.“Further steps will be taken to reduce the number of children who have the self-isolate, including looking at the outcomes of the daily contact testing trial,” Mr Williamson said on Wednesday. More

A truce has been reached to delay a ban on the sale of chilled meats across the Irish Sea – but it will last only until the end of September.The deal with the EU will force the UK to abide by Brussels’ food standards rules, but the UK government does not amount to the “dynamic alignment” it opposes.Ministers believe the agreement “allows for further discussions to continue on a permanent solution” to end the so-called ‘sausage wars’But the EU is expected to insist that the three-month period must be used to arrange for retailers to obtain meats from the Republic of Ireland, as agreed in the Northern Ireland Protocol – and that the UK agrees.“This is a positive first step but we still need to agree a permanent solution,” said Brexit minister David Frost.“Northern Ireland is an integral part of the United Kingdom and its consumers should be able to enjoy products they have bought from Great Britain for years.”But the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium – while welcoming the agreement – dismissed it as “a peripheral matter”.“The most pressing issue is the fate of the thousands of food products moving daily from GB to NI, which will be subject to extensive controls when that grace period ends in October,” said director Aodhán Connolly“We are no closer to a decision by both sides on this.” More

The prime minister has been urged again to extend the government’s settlement scheme deadline for EU citizens living in Britain – or risk a legacy of “untold stress and … ridiculous removals of NHS staff,” according to the SNP’s Ian Blackford. The Scottish party’s Westminster leader told MPs that delayed decisions by Boris Johnson meant the PM’s “unequivocal guarantee” in July 2019 that EU nationals living here “would have an absolute certainty for the right to live and remain” could no longer be upheld.“The issue is there is a backlog of hundreds of thousands of cases”, making it impossible for everyone to adhere to today’s 30 June deadline, he said during PMQs on Wednesday.Branding the process “shameful”, he went on: “Overnight thousands of our friends and neighbours could become illegal immigrants. They are living in fear for their jobs, their families and their livelihoods – all because this prime minister won’t keep his word [to give applicants settled status].”Mr Johnson insisted that applications were being processed “as fast as we possible can”, adding he thought it was “fantastic” that over 5 million people had applied to the scheme. The Independent reported this morning that a surge in applications in recent weeks – with up to 12,000 applying each day – had seen last minute applicants facing jammed Home Office helplines, website delays and overwhelmed advisers turning them away. If unsuccessful, anyone trying to apply for settled status could be stripped of their rights in the UK, essentially making them illegal residents.Mr Blackford, who has been the MP for Ross, Skye and Lochaber since 2015, told those at the Commons that “Scotland’s message to EU citizens is, ‘you’re welcome here, we want you to stay, this is your home’.”However, he said “this UK government is causing EU citizens untold stress” before sharing the experiences of two women affected by the delays – one of who “has been in the UK for 44 years and says that she feels suicidal. Another says she feels like a third-rate citizen”.He also invoked the role of home secretary Priti Patel’s department, telling the chamber “we know all too well the experience of this government’s Home Office”, while listing some of its most significant charges: “dawn raids, vulnerable people [being] deported, and a hostile environment for the Windrush generation”.“Will the government now do the right thing: scrap the deadline and introduce automatically settled status, or will the prime minister’s legacy be the ridiculous removal of NHS staff, our local community workers, our teachers, and many more who have made their homes here?” he finished by saying. Mr Johnson, eager to respond, snapped it was “obvious from statistics” he had already given that the EU settlement scheme “is an outstanding success”.“We’ve had huge numbers of people applying and, of course, if there are still people trying to apply… there have been multiple delays, it’s been five years now since the Brexit referendum,” the PM said, looking behind him to the Tory backbenches. “We’ve also funded 72 organisations to help vulnerable EU citizens understand what their rights are and to help them make the applications.”He added that “anybody applying within the deadline will, of course, have their case dealt with” before urging “them to get on with it”. The EU settlement scheme opened in March 2019, instructing all EU and EEA nationals and their family members to apply by midnight on 30 June in order to maintain their rights in the UK after Brexit. More than 5.6 million people have since applied.While the Home Office has made assurances that those who have “reasonable grounds” for missing the deadline will be permitted to submit late applications, opposition MPs fear an inadequate amount has been done to ensure everyone has a fair chance. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds previously told The Independent: “The government has not done enough to prevent people falling through the cracks. Surely, to avoid the risk of terrible injustice, it must extend the deadline and use the additional time to ensure all those who are eligible have signed up.” More

The prime minister has dismissed concerns over Matt Hancock’s conduct as “stuff going on in the Westminster bubble” – sparking a furious row with the opposition.In a Commons exchange on Wednesday Labour leader Keir Starmer said that “millions of people made huge and very difficult sacrifices to follow the rules that his health secretary has introduced”. He asked how the prime minister could have considered the matter “closed” with Mr Hancock still in post on Friday as Mr Johnson’s spokesperson said he did at the time.The prime minister replied that everyone shared “the grief and the pain” of the “millions of people up and down the country who have endured the privations that this country has ben through in order to get the coronavirus pandemic under control”. But he added: “That is why we had a change of health secretary the day after the story appeared, and that is why what we are doing as a government instead of focusing on stuff going on within the Westminster bubble, is focusing on rolling out that vaccine.”Sir Keir said: “I can hardly think that the prime minister thinks its appropriate … to suggest that this is in his words ‘the Westminster Bubble’.”The Labour leader had cited the case of Ollie Bibby, 27, from Essex, who died from leukaemia without his family at his side to observe social distancing regulations a day before Mr Hancock was pictured embracing his aide at work.Noting that he had spoken to Mr Bibby’s mother before coming to parliament, Sir Keir said: “She told me that for her and her family this case isn’t closed, and she speaks for millions of people. The prime minister should withdraw that when he gets up: it’s the wrong response to Ollie’s case.“I can’t help concluding that the prime minister didn’t ask relevant questions on Friday morning either because he didn’t want to know the answers or because he knows full well that there’s more to come out.”Sir Keir, who noted that Mr Hancock was in charge of the regulations governing social distancing, said Mr Johnson had “muttered nonsense” to this suggestion.The Prime Minister added: “We have a new Health Secretary in place and have had one since the day after the stories appeared and that was entirely right and the right response to the situation.”Mr Johnson said the Government is aiming to “get on” with the rollout of the vaccines, adding: “To allow the people of this country to work forwards towards freedom day, which I devoutly hope will come on July 19.”Sir Keir told the Commons: “It’s no questions asked by the Prime Minister on Friday and no questions answered today.”There’s a pattern here. When Dominic Cummings broke the rules by driving to Barnard Castle, the Prime Minister backed him. When the Housing Secretary unlawfully approved a billion pound property deal for a Tory donor, the Prime Minister backed him.”When the Home Secretary broke the ministerial code, the Prime Minister backed her. And when the Health Secretary broke Covid rules, the Prime Minister tried and wanted to back him too.”Every time it’s the same old story. Isn’t it the case that while the British people are doing everything asked of them, it’s one rule for them and another rule for everybody else?”Mr Johnson replied: “We’re getting on with our agenda of vaccinating the population of this country through the energy and the application of the new Secretary of State for Health and the Department of Health.”Criticising the Labour leader of a recent reshuffle of his top team, the prime minister added: “We create jobs, he creates non-jobs. He dithers, we deliver.”The health secretary stepped down on Saturday following revelations about his breaking social distancing while having an extramarital affair with an aide.The aide had also been appointed a non-executive director at Mr Hancock’s department and was meant to scrutinise him.There are also separate allegations swirling around whether Mr Hancock used a personal email address for official work – thought to be problematic for reasons of both security and scrutiny. More

Sir Keir Starmer will not resign as Labour leader if the party’s suffers another historic defeat at a critical by-election, his official spokesperson has insisted on the eve of the vote.It comes as a poll showed as many as four in 10 members of the party would want him to stand aside if Boris Johnson’s Conservatives emerge victorious in the Batley and Spen by-election. Voters are expected to head to the ballot box on Thursday in the West Yorkshire seat after an election was triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Tracy Brabin — the new mayor of the region.But Labour insiders have become increasingly pessimistic about retaining the seat held by the party since 1997, admitting it was looking “very, very difficult” in the area formerly represented by the late MP Jo Cox.Earlier this week, the chair of the left-wing Labour group Momentum told The Independent that Sir Keir should “consider resigning” if the party lost control of the constituency to the Tories.Quizzed on whether Sir Keir will stand down as leader if the election is lost, the Labour leader’s official spokesperson replied: “No”. They insisted: “Keir has been absolutely clear that this is a four year path to get back into power and he is determined and he’s determined to lead the party into the next general election and take us back into government”.Pressed on whether a discussion would be held about his leadership should the party lose the Batley and Spen by-election, the spokesperson added: “Keir’s not going to resign. What the British people are worried about at the moment is their jobs, their kids and the future of their country. “That is exactly what Keir is focused on. That’s what he’ll spend the summer talking about and he will take the Labour Party though into the next general election and back into government.”Questions regarding Sir Keir’s leadership, however, are likely to mount on Friday if the party’s election effort is unsuccessful: it will mark a second rare victory for an incumbent government at a by-election.According to a YouGov poll for Sky News — published on the eve of the poll — 41 per cent of Labour members said they would want him to stand down to make way for fresh leadership if the party suffers a defeat.Some 48 per cent said they would back him to remain in place, but the research also found that 69 per cent of members would prefer the current Greater Manchester mayor, Andy Burnham, as leader despite him no longer being an MP and therefore unable to challenge Sir Keir.While Mr Burnham was the clear favourite, home affairs committee chair and senior Labour figure Yvette Cooper was the favourite current MP in the event of a sudden leadership contest.Some 35 per cent of members said she would be their first preference, with shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy on 13 per cent and deputy leader Angela Rayner on 12 per cent. More

Boris Johnson’s government has resisted calls from Conservative backbenchers to stop releasing daily Covid-19 figures, amid concern that regular statistics create a “fear factor”.Former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith said daily updates on case numbers, hospitalisations and deaths made people “irrational” – calling on the government to “stop it now”.“The problem is it feeds the whole fear factor, and makes decision making by the public irrational,” the MP told the Daily Mail.Mr Duncan Smith added: “Publishing these figures every day makes it seem like nothing else matters. They should stop it and do it now.”However, energy minister Anne-Marie Trevelyan said the government would continue to release daily Covid figures. She told Sky News there would be a “substantial data” set to share for “as long as there is [an] intense testing regime”.Asked about Mr Duncan Smith’s comments, Ms Trevelyan suggested the figures did not necessarily need to be “published on the front page of a newspaper every day”.The minister added: “When we are able to get to a point of being back to normal the Department of Health and Social Care and No 10 will take a decision [on statistics].”Tory MP Miriam Cates also called on the government to stop publishing daily data on positive Covid test results.“The number of positive cases is actually a fairly meaningless statistic now,” the former science teacher told the BBC’s Politics Live programme on Wednesday.“As a scientist, it really worries me the lack of context and interpretation we’re giving this … publishing the daily testing cases just drives fear.”Covid numbers have continued to rise in recent weeks, but there has not been a significant in hospitalisations – prompting hope that the vaccine roll-out has broken the link between infection and serious illness.The latest data published on Tuesday showed there had been just over 20,000 new confirmed Covid cases in the UK. The figures also showed 265 more patients had been admitted to hospital, and a further 23 people had died after testing positive.The new health secretary Sajid Javid has said that the public will need to learn to “live with” Covid after the final restrictions are lifted. The final stage for England’s roadmap out of lockdown is scheduled for 19 July. More