Markus Andrews

Britain is heading into a decade in which “democracy is in retreat”, with autocratic regimes claiming a greater slice of global wealth and military might, foreign secretary Dominic Raab is to warn in a chilling vision of the 2020s. Speaking a day after Boris Johnson controversially announced he was lifting the cap on the size of the UK’s nuclear arsenal, Mr Raab will say that the UK needs to project military power in order to act as a “force for good” as the institutions underpinning democracy face their greatest threat since the Cold War.But his claim that the UK will be guided by its “moral compass” was undermined by a leaked recording of him telling Foreign Office staff that Britain risks missing out on “growth markets” if it refuses to trade with states breaching human rights standards.Mr Raab’s comments come after the prime minister used his long-awaited integrated review of the UK’s military, diplomatic and development stance to announce an “Indo-Pacific tilt” to policy, in response to China’s increasing dominance on the world stage.While declaring China a “great challenge for an open society such as ours” and backing away from David Cameron’s promises of a “golden era” of relations with Beijing, Mr Johnson insisted the UK would pursue a “stronger and positive economic relationship” with the Asian nation and seek to engage on issues like climate change.But he came under pressure from his own party to take a tougher approach – with senior backbencher Tobias Ellwood demanding a “Fulton Missouri moment” to match the 1946 speech in which Sir Winston Churchill declared that an Iron Curtain divided the free world from Soviet Russia.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayRead more:And there were cries of “genocide” from Labour MPs when the PM told the House of Commons the UK had led international condemnation of China’s “mass detention” of Uighur people in Xinjiang.Mr Johnson was accused of breaching nuclear non-proliferation treaties by reversing promises to cut the UK’s stockpile of warheads to 180 by the mid-2020s. His new cap of 260 was denounced by campaigners as a scale of increase not seen since the height of the Cold War.Opponents of Mr Johnson’s cut in aid spending to 0.5 per cent of GDP were furious at his failure to name a date to return to the 0.7 per cent level promised in the Tory manifesto. The review stated only that this would happen “when the fiscal situation allows” and Downing Street made clear there was no guarantee of this coming before 2030.In a speech to the Aspen Security Forum, Mr Raab will say that the review set out how the UK’s role as “a force for good in the world” will be the “defining feature of Global Britain for the next decade”.Britain’s approach will be driven by the recognition that in the coming decade, the combined GDP of autocratic regimes – like China and Russia – will for the first time in many decades outstrip those of the world’s democracies.He will say that the UK needs to be ready to use its force “because without power, without economic, military, diplomatic, cultural clout, we can do nothing” to increase global security and living standards.“Democracy is in retreat,” Mr Raab will say. “Tyranny is richer than freedom.“And that matters to us here at home. Because stable, freedom-respecting democracies are much less likely to go to war, house terrorists or trigger large-scale flows of migrants and they are generally – not always, but generally – easier to trade with and easier to cooperate with to solve our shared problems.”Mr Raab will say UK policy will be guided by “our moral compass, our history, and our present-day mission as a force for good in the world” in seeking to alleviate suffering, foster peace and stability and protect the global ecosystem.“If we restrict it to countries with ECHR (European Convention on Human Rights)-level standards of human rights, we’re not going to do many trade deals with the growth markets of the future.”James Cleverly, the Foreign Office minister, was asked about those comments on BBC Newsnight. He said holding countries like China or Saudi Arabia to European rights standards as “the sole parameter” of a trading relationship was “a question that doesn’t really relate to reality”. He added: “We have trade relationships all around the world.”Tobias Ellwood, chair of the Commons Defence Committee, led backbench Tory disquiet over the PM’s stance on China, calling on Mr Johnson to make a Churchill-style intervention to “call it out (as) the geostrategic threat that it is”.“There is a 1930s feel to the scale of challenges that we face today, with rising authoritarian powers, weak global institutions and an absence of western leadership and collective resolve,” warned Mr Ellwood. And Julian Lewis, chair of parliament’s Intelligence and Security Committee, warned that the continued emphasis on trade links and Chinese investment in the UK suggested that Mr Johnson’s administration was still in the grip of the “grasping naivety” of the Cameron years.Former foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt urged Mr Johnson to keep China policy under review, warning: “I am worried about designating China simply as a systemic challenge given the terrible events in Hong Kong and Xinjiang.”Mr Johnson said there was “a balance to be struck”, given the UK’s £81bn trading relationship with China.“China is the second-largest economy in the world and a fact of our lives,” he told MPs. “Those who call for a new Cold War on China or for us to sequester our economy entirely from China… are, I think, mistaken.”Kerry Brown, professor of Chinese studies at King’s College London, told The Independent that the review was founded on the “illusion” that the UK as a unilateral player could exert influence over China.“Alas, on the really critical things for the UK – like environment, economic development and pandemics – we have to work with China, like it or not,” said Prof Brown. “And in that context, there is a real danger that the language about values and how the UK is a beacon of free choice and democracy looks like a sort of optional add-on.“The China challenge is far more fundamental and profound – broadly, for the first time in modern history, a non-European power with utterly different cultural and political values is rising to dominance, and in some areas is already dominant.“The only choice that a player like the UK has is to accept this, quietly or noisily. Underneath the presentation and the usual Johnson rhetoric, I think the choice has been made – rightly so – that we have to live with this situation.” More

Government plans to introduce new powers to crack down on protests have cleared the first hurdle in the Commons, despite warnings from civil liberties groups that it was an “all-out assault” on the right to demonstrate.Following two days of debates on the contentious proposals, MPs voted by 359 to 263 to pass the Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill at second reading in a move that was described as a “dark stain on our democracy”.The draft section on “public order” states that conditions can be imposed on demonstrations if the noise generated “may result in serious disruption to the activities of an organisation” or may “have a relevant impact on persons in the vicinity of the protest”.It creates a new public nuisance law that would make causing “serious annoyance or inconvenience” a crime punishable by up to 10 years’ imprisonmentRead more:Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayAnd it would give Priti Patel and her successors at the Home Office the authority to define “serious disruption to the life of the community” and “serious disruption to the activities of an organisation” — a measure criticised by Theresa May.The former prime minister — also the longest-serving home secretary — warned during the first debates on the bill: “I would urge the government to consider carefully the need to walk the fine line between being popular and populist. Our freedoms depend on it.”Ministers have argued that “recent change in tactics” used by protestors, such as Extinction Rebellion, including gluing themselves to building and vehicles or obstructing access to parliament, have highlighted gaps in existing legislation passed in 1986. The civil liberties group Liberty described the vote on Tuesday evening as a “dark stain on our democracy”, adding: “Our right to protest is not and should never be viewed as a gift from the state.”The organisation’s head of policy and campaigns Sam Grant added: “We also have the right to live free from undue or discriminatory state interference. The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill seeks to undo these basic foundations of our democracy. It is an assault on basic civil liberties, and MPs should have rejected it outright. “We cannot allow these powers to pass and while today’s vote is beyond disappointing, the bill still has a long distance to travel until it’s passed into law. We’re urging all those who are concerned about what is happening to basic civil liberties in this country to come together to stand up for our democratic values.”An amendment put forward by Labour had urged the Commons to decline to give the legislation a second reading — effectively killing the bill — as it “rushes through changes to protest law”, but it was rejected by 359 votes to 225.During the debate, the DUP MP Gavin Robinson also described the legislation as “overreaching, sweeping and draconian provisions on protest”.“The loose and lazy way this legislation is drafted would make a dictator blush. Protesters will be noisy, protests will disrupt and no matter how offensive we may find the issue at their heart, the right to protest should be protected.”Supporting the legislation, however, Conservative MP Sir David Amess, whose office overlooks Parliament Square, said he had long complained about “endless demonstration”, adding: “It’s very difficult to work because of the noise, with drums, horns and loudspeakers. Policing these so-called events costs huge amounts of money. Parliament being the seat of democracy, our work should be not be disrupted”.Robert Buckland, the solicitor general, insisted he did “not see what the fuss is about” over the new powers, telling MPs: “The particular provisions on protest are a reflection of the Law Commission’s report of 2015 and indeed a reflection of the common law in England and Wales on public nuisance, which refers to – amongst other things – annoyance, serious annoyance and other terms which are well known to law.”The maximum penalty in common law for public nuisance was life imprisonment and that’s being reduced to 10 years. I really frankly do not see what the fuss is about, I rather think it is a confection designed to assist an opposition in difficulty.”Earlier, Paddy Tipping, the chair of the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners (APCC), told a press conference the changes were not needed, adding: “These are local matters for chief constables in consultations with PCCs and I was concerned to see the draft clauses in the bill”.Martin Surl, vice-chair of the APCC, said police “have the laws needed already”.“When you make these laws, you can’t pick laws for the protests you like and don’t like,” he added. “If you’re protesting about Me Too, climate change, racism, the laws have got to be the same. Police constables are operationally independent and don’t have an agenda, which some politicians do.”Mr Surl, who is the politically independent PCC for Gloucestershire, said: “I don’t like law for law’s sake, especially on freedom of protest.” More

The UK is “absolutely in favour of nuclear disarmament”, a minister has said after the government announced it would lift a cap on the number of warheads it can stockpile.Foreign Office minister James Cleverly defended the government’s integrated defence review, published on Tuesday, which set out Britain’s post-Brexit foreign policy priorities and military plans.It said the UK would increase limits on its nuclear arsenal by 40 per cent, to 260 warheads, a move campaigners and experts warned could be a violation of international law.The announcement came despite the UK being a signatory of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, which commits the government to gradual nuclear disarmament under international law – a policy successive administrations have adhered to.Appearing on BBC Newsnight on Tuesday, Mr Cleverly insisted the government was committed to the treaty, saying that “of course” it matters.Read more:Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayHe said: “We should remember that the independent nuclear deterrent is and has been the cornerstone of our national defence – and indeed our collective Nato defence – for decades.”He added: “In a world that is more dangerous and less predictable, it’s absolutely right that we maintain a credible independent nuclear deterrent and that’s what this is about”.When Newsnight presenter Emily Maitlis suggested the government appeared no longer to be in favour of nuclear disarmament, Mr Cleverly said: “We are absolutely in favour of nuclear disarmament.”But what I’ve always said is that unilateralism – which has been proposed by CND and others – is not the way to do this.”The UK had previously been committed to cutting its stockpile to 180 warheads by the mid-2020s, but the review said this policy would be changed “in recognition of the evolving security environment, including the developing range of technological and doctrinal threats”.And while the new plan states that the UK will not fire, or threaten to use, its missiles at a non-nuclear state, it also says that assurance could be reviewed in future in order to maintain the deterrent effect against potential adversaries.The UK’s policy is to only consider using its nuclear weapons “in extreme circumstances of self-defence, including the defence of our Nato allies”, according to the Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy.Labour criticised the plans to increase the size of the stockpile, though the party supports the renewal of Trident in general.“I voted for the renewal of Trident and the Labour Party’s support for nuclear deterrence is non-negotiable – but this review breaks the goal of successive prime ministers and cross-party efforts to reduce our nuclear stockpile,” Sir Keir Starmer said in the Commons earlier on Tuesday. “It doesn’t explain when, why, or for what strategic purpose.” More

One of the things that is supposed to say something about the democratic nature of Britain is the principal residence it provides for its head of government. By comparison with Buckingham Palace, the Elysee Palace, the Kremlin, or the White House, say, 10 Downing Street presents a modest appearance to the world. No more or less than any other terraced council house, in fact with rather more security of tenure, it’s a leasehold rather than a freehold property, albeit with a famous address and permanent security. When the electorate, acting as landlord, decide your time is up, you are out. The traditional images of the removal van pulling up outside after a general election is one of the more powerful symbols of the peaceful transition of power, even though one or two occupants have tried to squat a little behind their time.The residence also reminds us that a British prime minister works under a parliamentary system, and is not president or head of state. But is Boris Johnson getting presidential pretensions? First there was the expensive makeover by first fiancee Carrie Symonds, so costly indeed that it had to be funded privately. Some £200,000, roughly the value of the average British home, may be expended on essentially cosmetic improvements. Now there is a plan to construct a “White House-style” bunker under the 17th-century structure, if it can sustain it, at a cost to taxpayers of £9m, though a bunker dating back to the Cold War already exists under Whitehall. But most portentous, because of its implications for the workings of politics, is the new £2.6m Downing Street press briefing room. It’s all decked out in a suspiciously Conservative shade of royal blue, four Union flags naturally appropriated again for presumed party political “messaging”.Closely modelled on the familiar White House set up, the intention seems to be that the prime minister’s spokesperson, Allegra Stratton, rather than the prime minister himself, will take questions from “lobby” journalists, ie the squad of political writers officially accredited to the Palace of Westminster, with access, privileges and status to match. This will be a considerable novelty. Prime ministers sometimes attend press conferences, most notably during the Covid briefings, and perform in public. Press secretaries are heard but not seen, their words over the years sometimes attributable by name, sometimes to the job title, anonymously, or via various barely veiled code such as “sources close to”. When press secretaries become “the story”, as with Alastair Campbell, Damian McBride and Andy Coulson, they have to quit. Giving a special adviser or official such a high-profile role is entirely new to the British system, and arguably unconstitutional. The question may well be asked as to why the prime minister doesn’t answer the questions himself. More

Nicola Sturgeon has announced Scotland’s “stay at home” order will be lifted on 2 April and replaced with “stay local” guidance, as she unveiled the government’s roadmap out of lockdown.The Scottish first minister said the hospitality industry, including bars and restaurants, would be able to welcome back customers in groups of six outside from 26 April subject to a 10pm curfew.Some non-essential shops, including click-and-collect retail services, garden centres and homeware stores, alongside hairdressers will be able to reopen from 5 April — before a full reopening of the sector from 26 April.Further easing of outdoor social restriction will also happen on that date, with six people from three households being able to meet while attendance at funerals and weddings will increase to a maximum of 50 people.In a statement to the Scottish parliament, Ms Sturgeon said the roadmap would be dependent on progress, including the rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine, but insisted: “Brighter days are indeed ahead of us.”Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayMore follows More

Watch live as Boris Johnson outlines Britain’s post-Brexit foreign policyBoris Johnson’s government has confirmed the UK’s nuclear arsenal could be increased, as the prime minister set out his post-Brexit foreign and defence policy in the Commons.Foreign secretary Dominic Raab defended the decision to increase the limit on Trident warheads by 40 per cent, calling nuclear weapons the “ultimate insurance policy”. Mr Johnson accused Labour of being “weak on defence” by failing to back the move.Labour leader Keir Starmer questioned the purpose of the move – arguing that it “breaks the goal” of successive PMs to reduce the UK’s nuclear stockpile. Meanwhile, a coalition of groups said the government had broken its promise to deliver a “green Brexit”.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayShow latest update
1615906352Labour faces awkward by-election in ‘red wall’ seat More now on the looming by-election in the north-east. Labour has confirmed Mike Hill has quit as MP for Hartlepool, setting up a test for Keir Starmer’s party in the “red wall” heartlands.His resignation follows reports that he used taxpayers’ money to fight a staff member’s claim of unfair dismissal, sexual assault and harassment.Hill was suspended by Labour in September 2019 over allegations he sexually harassed a woman – but had the whip restored to contest the general election two months later.Labour won a majority of more than 3,500 votes last time – but the potential Tory vote was hampered by the Brexit Party, which is far less likely to be a force under its ‘Reform Party’ guise this time around.Adam Forrest16 March 2021 14:521615905159UK nuclear plan ‘utterly unacceptable’ says Scottish governmentScotland’s justice secretary has said a planned increase to lift the cap on the UK’s stock of nuclear weapons is “completely unacceptable” to the Scottish government.“Nuclear weapons are morally, strategically and economically wrong. Our opposition to Trident remains unequivocal,” Humza Yousaf said.Nicola Sturgeon also took to Twitter to highlight what she sees as the difference between the UK and Scottish governments.She said: “Today, the UK government will announce a massive increase in its stockpile of nuclear weapons. By contrast, the Scottish government will incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into Scots law.”Adam Forrest16 March 2021 14:321615904800UK agrees fishing catch limits with EU and NorwayThe UK reached agreement with Norway and the EU on catch limits for six jointly-managed fish stocks in the North Sea.The agreement on cod, haddock, plaice, whiting, herring, and saithe stocks for 2021 are worth over £184m to the British fishing industry, according to the government.Adam Forrest16 March 2021 14:261615904351No 10 doesn’t deny that PM said UK could ‘ignore’ CovidDowning Street has failed to deny claims that Boris Johnson privately said the UK should simply “ignore” the spread of Covid when the virus first emerged.The PM’s official spokesman was repeatedly pressed at aWestminster media briefing on the claims, in a BBC report drawn from anonymous interviews with government insiders. But four times, he did not contest the report.Adam Forrest16 March 2021 14:191615903984‘EU bashing’ alive and well in UK, says Irish premierIrish premier Micheal Martin has claimed the UK continues to indulge in “EU bashing” after Brexit, as he spoke to the US Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday.“Historically, EU bashing has been a feature of United Kingdom domestic politics,” Martin said. “I was hoping post-Brexit that that might ease somewhat. The signs are it’s still to a certain extent, alive and well.”Martin has warned that the UK government’s decision to unilaterally extend post-Brexit grace periods in the protocol “exacerbates uncertainty and instability”.Adam Forrest16 March 2021 14:131615902363Nuclear move ‘breaks goal of reducing stockpile’, says StarmerKeir Starmer said Labour’s support of the nuclear deterrent was “non-negotiable” but made clear he did not support the government’s plan to lift the cap so the stockpile of warheads can be increased.“This review breaks the goal of successive prime ministers and cross-party efforts to reduce our nuclear stockpile,” he said.Starmer said the PM has not explained “when, why and for what strategic purpose” the number of warheads would be increased.Adam Forrest16 March 2021 13:461615901801‘Breathtaking hypocrisy’ over nuclear weapons, says Green MPGreen MP Caroline Lucas has accused foreign secretary Dominic Raab of “breathtaking hypocrisy” by saying he worried about weapons proliferation (after confirming the UK’s cap on nuclear warheads would be lifted).Adam Forrest16 March 2021 13:361615900268‘Britain should be moral force for good in the world’, says StarmerSir Keir Starmer added that there is “a very real risk” that the armed forces will be “stripped back even further”.He told the Commons: “Britain should and could be a moral force for good in the world. After a decade of neglect, this review was the chance to turn a corner – but there is now a very real risk that our armed forces will be stripped back even further and that this review won’t end the era of retreat, in fact it will extend it.”In response, Boris Johnson said the Labour was “weak on defence”. The PM told MPs: “Anybody listening to (Sir Keir) would not realise we are the second biggest international donor of aid in the G7.”He added that it is “preposterous to hear the Labour leader calling for more investment in our armed forces when this is the biggest investment in our armed forces since the Cold War”.Johnson continued: “It is ridiculous for (Sir Keir) to talk about our nuclear defences when the reality is that Labour is all over the place.”Adam Forrest16 March 2021 13:111615900075Starmer hits out at neglect of Russia review recommendationsSir Keir Starmer questioned why the Russia review’s recommendations have not been implemented if the country remains the UK’s biggest threat.The Labour leader told the Commons: “The review rightly concludes that Russia remains the most acute threat to our security – that is not new, 18 months ago the Russia review concluded that the threat was ‘urgent and immediate’ – so why have none of its recommendations been implemented?“The Integrated Review talks about the importance of upholding international law, I agree, but from Europe to the Indian Ocean this Government now has a reputation for breaking international law, not defending it.”He continued: “The review also talks of conflict resolution yet there is nothing about updating our arms export regime, in particular suspending sales (of) arms to Saudi Arabia.“The Prime Minister’s statement didn’t mention international development once, and I wonder why – because he is cutting development spending for the first time in decades and denying this House a vote on it.“If global Britain is to mean anything, it cannot mean selling arms to Saudi Arabia and cutting aid to Yemen.”Vincent Wood16 March 2021 13:071615899774PM: UK will work with China when ‘consistent with our values’Boris Johnson said the UK will work with China where it is “consistent with our values and interests”, including building a “stronger and positive” economic relationship and in addressing climate change.The PM told the Commons: “We shall stand up for our values as well as for our interests.”He said the UK has led international condemnation of China’s “mass detention” of Uighur people in Xinjiang, to which Labour MPs could be heard shouting “genocide”, and its actions in Hong Kong.Johnson went on: “There is no question China will pose a great challenge for an open society such as ours … But we will also work with China where that is consistent with our values and interests, including building a stronger and positive economic relationship and in addressing climate change.”Adam Forrest16 March 2021 13:021615899721Cyber force centre for north-west England, says PMBoris Johnson said a new counter-terrorism operations centre would “bring together” the nation’s ability to thwart terrorists while also dealing with the actions of hostile states.He added: “I can announce that the national cyber force which conducts offensive cyber operations against terrorists, hostile states and criminal gangs will in future be located in a cyber corridor in the north-west of England and we will also establish a cross-government situation centre in the Cabinet Office.”“The first outcome of the Integrated Review was the Government’s decision to invest an extra £24 billion in defence, allowing the wholesale modernisation of our armed forces and taking forward the renewal of our nuclear deterrent.”Adam Forrest16 March 2021 13:021615898344Boris Johnson addresses CommonsBoris Johnson is addressing the Commons on his integrated review, which he describes as the biggest assessment of the nation’s defence and foreign policy planning since the cold war.He said he is determined that the UK will join in ensuring that free societies are able to flourish after the Covid-19 pandemic.He told MPs: “For us, there are no far away countries of which we know little. Global Britain is not a reflection of old obligations, still less are they inglorious gesture, but a necessity for the safety and prosperity of the British people in the decades ahead.“And I’m determined that the UK will join our friends to ensure that free societies flourish after the pandemic, sharing the risks and burdens of addressing the world’s toughest problems.”Adam Forrest16 March 2021 12:391615898270Key points: What is in the government’s Integrated Review of defence and foreign policy?The government’s Integrated Review of Security, Defence, Development and Foreign Policy is effectively Boris Johnson’s vision for a Global Britain following the UK’s departure from the EU – so what’s in it?Here’s our political editor Andrew Woodcock:Vincent Wood16 March 2021 12:371615896896Government plans new counter-terrorism centreBoris Johnson’s government wants to create a new homeland security HQ as part of plans to improve its response to the “major threat” from terrorism.The government’s foreign policy and defence review says a successful chemical, biological or nuclear was likely by the end of the decade.“Terrorism will remain a major threat over the coming decade, with a more diverse range of material and political causes, new sources of radicalisation and evolving tactics,” the review states – promising a “robust, full-spectrum approach in response”.Adam Forrest16 March 2021 12:141615896292Boris Johnson wants new Space Command by summer 2021So the 112-page, post-Brexit foreign policy document – Global Britain in a Competitive Age – has been released.As well as confirming the headlines on nuclear warheads and the shift in focus towards the Indo-Pacific region, it reveals the PM’s plan for Britain to join the global space race. “We will make the UK a meaningful actor in space,” the review states.Britain will “develop a commercial launch capability from the UK– launching British satellites from Scotland by 2022”.Britain will establish a new Space Command by summer 2021 to ensure the armed forces have the capabilities to advance UK interests on Earth and in space, the government said. More

No targets will be set to assess if Boris Johnson’s “levelling up” pledge has been achieved, a minister has revealed – insisting the voters will decide.The allocations from the £4.8bn fund have provoked uproar, after the leafy North Yorkshire seat of Chancellor Rishi Sunak was given higher priority than struggling Barnsley.Amid accusations of “pork barrel politics”, it was then revealed that levels of deprivation – the normal criteria for handing out poverty-fighting cash – had not been a factor.In the Commons, Mr Hughes, the local government minister, provoked surprise by telling MPs: “We decided to leave the criteria to civil servants.Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday“We set out the expectation of what we hope to achieve. We left it to civil servants to decide what the criteria was, so that we didn’t have any of the political influence that he is suggesting.”The minister was then asked what indicators would be used to decide if the levelling-up policy had been “successful” – beyond “announcing lots of money”.But he dismissed the suggestion, saying: “The British electorate will probably do that at the next election, so I look forward to seeing how that turns out.”Toby Perkins, a Labour MP, called the remark “absolutely shameless”, adding it laid bare that the spending was “purely about getting re-elected”.more follows More

Downing Street has failed to deny explosive claims that Boris Johnson privately said the UK should “ignore” the spread of Covid-19 when the virus first emerged a year ago.The prime minister’s official spokesman was repeatedly pressed at a Westminster media briefing on the claims, made in a BBC report drawn from anonymous interviews with government insiders.But four times he did not contest the report, pointing instead to the PM’s public comments about protecting the NHS and saving lives.Read more:
Inside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekdayInside Politics newsletterThe latest news on Brexit, politics and beyond direct to your inbox every weekday“The general view was it is just hysteria. It was just like a flu,” a source told the BBC’s political editor Laura Kuenssberg, saying there was a “lack of concern and energy”.The prime minister was even heard to say of coronavirus: “The best thing would be to ignore it,” the report claimed – as it became clear there was no ‘Emergency break-the-glass’ plan to unveil.Asked whether it was true that Mr Johnson had privately said it was best to ignore coronavirus, the PM’s spokesman said: “I would point you back to what the prime minister said at the time.“It has always been our focus to reduce the rate of transmission, protect the NHS and save lives. That’s what we have sought to do throughout the pandemic.“Throughout the pandemic, we have been guided by the best scientific advice and medical data available to us. That’s what the prime minister has based his decisions on.”An unnamed Cabinet minister quoted in the report was also strongly critical of the decision to open up the economy in the summer and the reluctance to lock down again, when infections soared again.“We knew there was going to be a second wave and there was a row about whether people should work from home or not – it was totally ridiculous,” the minister said.In September, “a small group inside Downing Street repeatedly tried to change Johnson’s mind” and convince him to lock down, but struggled to persuade him, Ms Kuenssberg claimed.The account comes as the UK prepares to mark the anniversary of the first lockdown, after the death toll surged past a once-unthinkable 125,000 fatalities.Notoriously, in February last year, Mr Johnson skipped multiple meetings of the Cobr emergency committee as he relaxed for 12 days with his fiancé at the grace-and-favour country home of Chevening.He is facing growing criticism for refusing to start a public inquiry into the mistakes he has admitted were made, despite promising one last summer. The report said that, before the first major coronavirus briefing on 3 March, the prime minister was prepped by aides to say people should stop shaking hands with each other – which was government scientific advice.But he said the exact opposite, telling journalists: “I’ve shaken hands with everybody,” about visiting a hospital with Covid patients.The comment demonstrated “the whole conflict for him – and his lack of understanding of the severity of what was coming”, the BBC was told.There was even talk of “chicken pox parties”, where healthy people might be encouraged to gather to spread the disease, as the government flirted with ‘herd immunity’.That was not considered as a policy proposal, Ms Kuenssberg was told, but whether suppressing Covid entirely could be counter-productive was.A Downing Street spokesperson told the BBC: “The prime minister was very clear at the time he was taking a number of precautionary steps, including frequently washing his hands. Once the social distancing advice changed, the prime minister’s approach changed.” More