Markus Andrews

Scotland’s recent surge in coronavirus cases is partly linked to football fans getting together to watch the Euros, the country’s health secretary has said.Cases have been connected to both indoor gatherings and coaches transporting members of the Tartan Army to London to watch Scotland play, the SNP minister Humza Yousaf revealed.On Monday, daily Covid figures showed 3,285 Scots had reported positive tests overnight – the highest number since the start of the pandemic.“If we look at the data that’s presented, it’s very clear that it’s skewed disproportionately towards young males, those under 40,” Mr Yousaf told the BBC’s Good Morning Scotland programme.He added: “I think some of the positive cases are linked to watching football indoors.”Some of the fans would have travelled to London in coaches with little social distancing, Mr Yousaf added. In one supporters’ coach, 20 positive cases had been identified, the minister said.Many fans had ignored warnings to stay at home unless they had organised somewhere to watch the Scotland-England game in London on 18 June. An estimated 20,000 Scots travelled without tickets.Asked if the government should have done more to prevent fans travelling to London, he said: “We seem to get criticised regularly for putting in place travel restrictions.“So I think one way or the other we would have been criticised for either doing too much or not doing enough.”Mr Yousaf said vaccination has weakened the link between cases and being taken to hospital in Scotland. Nicola Sturgeon’s government is being cautious, he said – but ministers are not looking at introducing further restrictions in the worst-affected areas.Mr Yousaf was also asked about a report in The Herald newspaper which said worst-case scenario modelling for the Scottish government predicted 100,000 cases per week by mid-July.The Scottish health secretary said: “We wouldn’t expect to see those numbers and certainly we wouldn’t allow such a situation to arise.” More

The government has been urged to change the way ministers appoint advisers to their department in the wake of Matt Hancock’s resignation over his affair with aide Gina Coladangelo.Lord Bob Kerslake, former head of the civil service, said the way non-executive directors are hired must change following the scandal, as questions over Ms Coladangelo’s role remain.Mr Hancock personally appointed Ms Coladangelo as non-executive director at the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) last September – but there was no public record of the process.“The problem really with the current model is about really the appointment process, how it is overseen and indeed clarity about what that role is supposed to be,” the former cabinet secretary told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.“I’m afraid changes are going to be needed in light of this sorry saga,” said Lord Kerslake – referring to Mr Hancock’s exit as health secretary after he was pictured kissing Ms Coladangelo at work.Lord Kerslake said ministers should still be able to hire non-executive directors – so-called “Neds” – but the process needed to be made fair, transparent and tightly regulated.The former civil service chief added: “I think the secretary of state should appoint, as they do for permanent secretaries because actually this is their board, they chair it, and they need to have people on there that they think will help them do their role.“But the process by which that happens needs to be properly open, fair and transparent – not just the minister waking up one morning and saying, ‘I would like to have X on my board’.”Mr Hancock hired Ms Coladangelo – whom he has known since they were friends at Oxford University – as an aide last March. She was then given a non-executive director role at the DHSC in September, and paid £15,000-a-year for only 15 to 20 days’ work.A government spokesman has said her appointment “followed correct procedure”, but justice secretary Robert Buckland raised questions about a possible conflict of interest on Monday.“I don’t know when this particular relationship began, but I expect those looking at the process would indeed ask those questions to make sure that this appointment, like thousands made every year, would stand up to scrutiny,” said Mr Buckland. More

School pupils may be spared from being forced to automatically self-isolate after contact with a positive Covid case under new rules which could come in force after the summer holidays.Nick Gibb, the schools minister, said on Tuesday that the government was considering using daily testing as an “alternative” to the existing rules under which children are forced to quarantine at home if anyone in their school bubble tests positive.A quarter of a million children missed school in a single week this month because of either Covid-19infection, self-isolation or school closures.According to The Guardian, which first reported the plans, the new system will aim to keep pupils in school as much as possible will be in place when England’s new school year begins in September.Pressed on the issue on Sky News, Mr Gibb said the government was currently carrying out trials of daily contact testing as a “possible alternative to self-isolation”.He suggested around three per cent of school children were currently away from the classroom due to self-isolation, saying: “That’s lower than the autumn. It tends to correlate with the number of infections in the community.”Mr Gibb added the government will look at the results of the trial and also vowed to make a decision on replacing the existing rules for school ahead of the 19 July target date to end all legal Covid restrictions in England.“We have to do everything we can to minimise the risk of transmission of this virus,” he said.On Monday, the new health secretary Sajid Javid said he has asked officials for “fresh advice” on the issue, adding that the existing policy is “having a huge knock-on impact” on children’s education.“I will hopefully be able to say more on this as soon as possible,” he said.Their remarks came as Dame Rachel de Souza, the new children’s commissioner for England, said the need for children to go in and out of isolation is “a really big issue” and is proving “incredibly frustrating” for pupils and teachers alike.“With bubbles, I think everybody would like it if we could get back to normal, as soon as possible. Obviously we have to be safe, and we have to take advice, but it’s very, very restrictive,” she told The Daily Telegraph.Separately, teachers are being warned to prepare for the return of on-site Covid testing in the new school year – a source of concern for teaching unions. New guidelines on Covid-19 testing were published by the government on Monday.Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Once again secondary schools are being put on standby to set up what are effectively fully-fledged Covid testing centres. The government must not underestimate the scale of this task and the likely disruption for pupils as they return in September.“At the very least, what we need to see this time round is schools being given the proper support they need and an acceptance that this will take some time to work through.“It is becoming increasingly clear that there is a strong chance it will not be ‘business as usual’ for schools next term and the government will need to take into account the additional pressures they will be having to deal with.”On catch-up plans for school children, Mr Gibb also said that a review was under way into how effective it would be to increase the length of the school day to allow children to catch up with missed learning due to the pandemic.“We know that the best catch up of course happens every day in school with children at school in those classrooms.”“But we’re also conducting a review right now of the evidence about extending the school day and time spent in school to understand how that would work, how effective it would be if we were to increase the length of the school day.” More

Police are investigating an incident in which “thugs” grabbed Professor Chris Whitty in a London park and jeered, after video of the episode circulated online.A clip of the chief medical officer for England being put into a headlock was posted to Twitter on Monday night and was quickly condemned.At least two young men are seen grabbing the scientist as they ask him to stop for a photo in the park, near Westminster.Another voice can be heard saying: “Leave the gentleman alone.”It was not immediately clear when the incident took place or who had made the video.Prof Whitty was verbally abused in a London street in a similar video in February.The Metropolitan Police said it was aware of the footage and is investigating the circumstances.Vaccine minister Nadhim Zahawi tweeted: “This is disgusting and these thugs must be found and charged. Zero tolerance for harassing a public servant.”A Met Police spokesperson said: “We’re aware of a video being shared online showing an incident in St James’ Park.“Officers spoke to all those involved at the time and their details were taken. We are in contact with the victim and the circumstances continue to be investigated.” More

A ban on mobile phones in schools is being considered in a new consultation on behaviour and discipline, with Gavin Williamson warning the devices are “distracting” and could even be “damaging”. The education said he wanted to make the school day “mobile-free” and to ensure pupils can benefit from “calm classrooms”. But one leading union said Mr Williamson seemed to be “obsessed” with the topic of mobile phones in schools. A ban on their use in schools is being considered as part of a six-week consultation launched on Tuesday, which is seeking the views of teachers, parents and other staff on how to manage good behaviour.The call for evidence comes ahead of planned updates to government guidance later this year on behaviour, discipline, suspensions and permanent exclusions.The Department for Education (DfE) has already announced details of its £10m “behaviour hub” programme.Headteachers and behaviour specialists from 22 “lead schools” and two academy chains with strong reputations for behaviour are mentoring and supporting schools struggling with poor discipline as part of the scheme.The chosen schools are advising on a variety of issues – ranging from setting clear expectations to eliminate low-level disruption in classrooms, to more systematic approaches to maintaining order across the school, including forbidding the use of mobile phones and maintaining quiet corridors.As part of the consultation, respondents will be asked how schools’ behaviour policies and approaches have changed amid the pandemic and what successful practices they intend to keep up.“No parent wants to send their child to a school where poor behaviour is rife. Every school should be a safe place that allows young people to thrive and teachers to excel,” Mr Williamson said.“Mobile phones are not just distracting, but when misused or overused, they can have a damaging effect on a pupil’s mental health and wellbeing. I want to put an end to this, making the school day mobile-free.“In order for us to help pupils overcome the challenges from the pandemic and level up opportunity for all young people, we need to ensure they can benefit from calm classrooms which support them to thrive.”The Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL) accused Mr Williamson of “playing to backbenchers” with his plans.“The education secretary appears to be obsessed with the subject of mobile phones in schools. In reality, every school will already have a robust policy on the use of mobile phones; it isn’t some sort of digital free-for-all,” the union’s general secretary said.“Approaches will vary between settings and contexts, but this is an operational decision for schools, not something that can be micromanaged from Westminster.”He added: “Frankly, school and college leaders would prefer the education secretary to be delivering an ambitious post-pandemic recovery plan and setting out how he intends to minimise educational disruption next term, rather than playing to backbenchers on the subject of behaviour.”Meanwhile Sarah Hannafin, senior policy advisor for school leaders’ union NAHT, said: “Mobile phone bans work for some schools but there isn’t one policy that will work for all schools.“Outright banning mobile phones can cause more problems than it solves, driving phone use ‘underground’ and making problems less visible and obvious for schools to tackle.”Earlier this year, Mr Williamson said he would support schools who decide to ban the use of mobile phones, saying the devices distract from “exercise and good old-fashioned play” and contribute to cyber-bullying.The education secretary said in April technology had been “invaluable” for pupils during lockdowns, but that “it’s now time to put the screens away”. Additional reporting by Press Association More

New health secretary Sajid Javid has warned the UK will have to learn to live with Covid as he said he was confident lockdown restrictions in England could be lifted on 19 July. The date would mark “not only the end of the line, but the start of an exciting new journey for our country,” he said. In his first official appearance in his new role, he told MPs that ministers see no reason to delay beyond the middle of next month, adding: “We owe it to the British people … not to wait a moment longer than we need to.” But under questioning from MPs from his own party he did not commit to removing all existing pandemic rules in July. Instead, he said it was the government’s intention to “commence” Step 4 of its roadmap out of lockdown on 19 July and “start returning to normal”. “While we decided not to bring forward Step 4, we see no reason to go beyond 19 July, because, in truth, no date we choose comes with zero risk for Covid,” he said.“We know we cannot simply eliminate it, we have to learn to live with it.”Asked if all restrictions would be removed, he said it was the intention “to remove restrictions, but as we follow the data in the coming days, we will set out more in due course.”His comments appeared to echo those of Boris Johnson who said the UK was likely to be in a position to declare 19 July the “terminus and we can go back to life as it was before Covid as far as possible”. Earlier this month a leaked document, seen by the Politico website, suggested that face masks and guidance to work from home could remain in place even after 19 July.But ministers are under increasing pressure from Tory MPs to scrap all remaining restrictions on what has been dubbed by some as “freedom day”. Step 4 is the final step in Mr Johnson’s roadmap back to normality. But it has already been delayed once after a surge in cases of the Delta variant, first identified in India. Mr Javid made his announcement as official figures showed another 22,868 confirmed Covid-19 cases in the UK, the highest daily rise since 30 January.However, the daily death toll was much smaller than in the first month of the year, with statistics showing three people had died within 28 days of testing positive for the virus, bringing the UK total to 128,103.New figures also showed 44,454,511 people have received a first dose of vaccine, up 139,712 on the previous day, while 32,583,746 have had both doses, up 123,555.Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth warned Mr Javid that ministers would place more people at risk of developing debilitating “long Covid” symptoms if restrictions were lifted while case numbers remained so high.“We’ve seen around 84,000 cases in the last week, an increase of around 61 per cent,” he said. “Today we’ve seen the highest case rate since January.“If these trends continue, we could hit 35,000 to 40,000 cases a day by 19 July.“That will mean more long Covid… that will mean more disruption to schooling, for some it will mean hospitalisation and we know that even after two doses, you can catch and transmit the virus.“So what is he going to do to push infections down? Vaccinations will do it eventually but not in the next four weeks.”The health secretary has also pledged to look again at coronavirus measures in schools, after thousands of pupils were told to self-isolate. Working parents across the country are struggling as entire class “bubbles” are sent home, often for up to 10 days, after a contact tests positive for the virus.Mr Javid made the pledge as he came under pressure from Tory MPs who urged him to recognise that children had “suffered enough” during the pandemic. Mr Javid, who only took the job on Saturday night after his predecessor Matt Hancock resigned following an admission he broke lockdown restrictions to carry out an affair, said he hoped to make an announcement on schools “as soon as possible”.He is understood to be studying a trial currently being carried out in some schools, which attempts to use regular Covid tests, instead of sending young people home to self-isolate, to limit the spread of the disease. More

Boris Johnson faces the threat of an inquiry into ministers using private emails for official work, after the government suddenly said the practice is allowed – contradicting its own published rules.A Cabinet Office minister provoked surprise by saying personal accounts are permitted, after leaked minutes suggested Matt Hancock and his deputy considered lucrative Covid contracts in that way.The statement was made despite the justice secretary agreeing the use of private devices is a “huge security issue” – but hours after the prime minister refused to deny doing it himself.Labour protested at an attempt to rewrite guidance, which states that all government information must be “accessible” by, for example, “copying it to a government email address”.No 10 rebuffed calls for an inquiry into Mr Hancock’s actions before his weekend resignation – including the appointment of his friend and then lover, Gina Coladangelo, as a non-executive director at the health department.But the Information Commissioner revealed she is weighing up an investigation, arguing there is genuine public concern that vital information is being concealed.“It is an important principle of government transparency and accountability that official records are kept of key actions and decisions,” Elizabeth Denham said.“I am looking carefully at the information that has come to light over the past few days and considering what further steps may be necessary to address the concerns raised with me.”The warning came as Julia Lopez, the Cabinet Office minister, claimed ministers could use personal email accounts for government business – provided no classified information is transmitted.“It’s important to understand government guidance is that official devices, email accounts and communications applications should be used for communicating classified information,” she told MPs. “Other forms of electronic communication may be used in the course of conducting government business.”Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said the claim flew in the face of official guidance, on the Cabinet Office website, about the use of private emails.Earlier, No 10 denied that Mr Hancock – or Lord Bethell, a health minister in the Lords – had used private accounts, despite documents obtained by The Sunday Times suggesting otherwise.They revealed a top health department civil servant had warned that Mr Hancock “only” deals with his private office “via Gmail account” – and, extraordinarily, that he “does not have” an official email inbox.Meanwhile, Lord Bethell, “routinely uses his personal inbox and the majority of [approvals for contracts] would have been initiated from this inbox”, the minutes said.Mr Johnson’s spokesman claimed private accounts had been used only for “things like diary acceptances”, saying: “The rules for use of private email are set out clearly.“Both the former health secretary and Lord Bethell understand the rules around personal email usage and only ever conducted government business through their departmental email addresses.”Ms Rayner said an investigation was needed to establish “who is telling the truth”, also urging the government to refer itself to the Information Commissioner.“We need a fully independent public inquiry to get to the bottom of ministers using their private email accounts to discuss and agree government contracts, which have resulted in taxpayers’ money being handed out to Tory donors and their friends,” she alleged.Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson’s former chief aide, ridiculed No 10’s statement as “nonsense”, tweeting: “I can prove it with screenshots from my phone”.They included examples of Mr Hancock using WhatsApp to “discuss procurement issues” with Tory donors and with Downing Street officials, he claimed.On the by-election campaign trail in Batley and Spen, the prime minister failed to deny using his personal email address to conduct official business, saying: “I don’t comment on how I conduct government business.”He also suggested he had sacked Matt Hancock for breaking Covid rules on Saturday – despite, one day earlier, refusing to dismiss him and declaring the matter “closed”.“I read the story on Friday and we’ve got a new health secretary in post on Saturday and I think that’s about the right pace to proceed in a pandemic,” he argued.Within minutes, his spokesman acknowledged Mr Hancock had quit, saying: “The prime minister agreed with the former health secretary that he was right to tender his resignation.”No 10 also made clear the former health secretary will not be investigated and confirmed he personally appointed Ms Coladangelo, while insisting “her appointment followed correct procedure”. Meanwhile, the Commons Speaker launched a security review after the leak of CCTV that showed Mr Hancock kissing his aide brought about his downfall – leaving MPs shocked that he had been filmed.Ministers insisted the ceiling-mounted camera in his Whitehall office was not “covert”, or replicated in other departmental offices – and Sajid Javid, the new health secretary, said it had been “disabled”. More

The security camera in Matt Hancock’s office which videotaped the health secretary kissing his aide was an ‘outlier’ and not general policy, a ministers has said.Cabinet office minister Julia Lopez said that as a rule “there are not cameras sited within ministers’ offices”. In that regard the camera inside the Department of Health was an “outlier”, she said. She attempted to calm an angry House of Commons by saying that ministers would have a “better understanding of why that occurred” once the Department of Health’s official investigation was complete.But she faced anger from MPs, including former health ministers, who warned that national security could have been put at risk. Mr Hancock dramatically resigned over the weekend after his affair was made public.But his decision to step down has left lingering questions, including over how the videotape emerged in the first place.Conservative MP Peter Bone was among those who warned that the revelation that the health secretary’s office contained recording devices “should be of national concern. If government and parliamentary offices have recording devices in them – whether audio, visual or both – it is of the utmost concern.” As a result of the leak a series of security reviews have been launched across Westminster.Whitehall security specialists are assisting the Department of Health with their investigation.Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle also told MPs he had ordered a review of parliament’s security arrangements.Earlier Sajid Javid, Mr Hancock’s replacement told reporters the camera had been disabled.”I don’t think, as a general rule, there should be cameras in the Secretary of State’s office,” he said. “I’ve never known that in the other five departments that I’ve run and I’m not really sure why there was one here, but I’m sure there will be more to this as the whole incident is investigated.”Justice Secretary Robert Buckland told Times Radio he did not see why there was any need for a camera in a minister’s office.He said: “I’ve asked the question, and there no cameras in my office, and I wouldn’t have expected there to be, because the issue really for ministers and indeed all staff is safety and security. And once you’re through the cordon and the security area, then you can reasonably assume that the building is safe and that authorised people only are there. So I don’t see the need for security cameras in government, in that part of the government building.”Ms Lopez also told MPs the government respected the Wilson doctrine – which dates back to Harold Wilson’s administration and bans the surveillance of MPs – and suggested there were no reasons to believe it had been breached. More