Markus Andrews

Elections may be the last thing on Britons’ minds as the country emerges from the coronavirus pandemic and the prospect of summer holidays beckons. But in just a few weeks most of the country is facing polls which could have a fundamental impact not only on the political direction of the 2020s but on the future of the UK itself.On 6 May, voters will cast their ballots not only in elections for the Scottish parliament, Welsh Senedd, London Assembly and 149 English councils, but also choose 39 police and crime commissioners and 13 elected mayors, in one of the largest democratic events ever seen outside a general election. More

Nicola Sturgeon has said she will probably be “haunted” for the rest of her life by a government error which “let down” two women who accused her predecessor Alex Salmond of sexual harassment.Scoland’s first minister reiterated her regrets about the government’s botched handling of the Salmond investigation, the week after she apologised before a Holyrood committee examining the mistakes.In a judicial review which concluded last year, the Court of Session of Edinburgh found the Sturgeon administration had dealt with the complaints “unlawfully” and ordered it to pay more than £500,000 towards Mr Salmond’s legal fees.The main government error was that the investigating officer appointed had previously spoken with the two complainants.Speaking at first minister’s questions on Thursday, the SNP leader admitted that mistakes had “undeniably” been made by the government.Ms Sturgeon told MSPs: “I will be haunted for probably the rest of my life about the way in which the government through an error, an error made in good faith but nevertheless an error, let down those women.”“I have apologised for that. I wasn’t involved in the investigation so I wasn’t aware of the error at the time, but as head of the Scottish government I take, and I feel, responsibility for that,” she added.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 weekdayThe first minister said that Laura Dunlop QC’s review of the government’s complaints handling procedure would be published soon in the interests of transparency.Tory Holyrood leader Ruth Davidson suggested – not for the first time – that ministers had wasted hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money by fighting Mr Salmond’s legal challenge.Ms Davidson said there had been “mounting concerns” about weaknesses in the government’s case at the end of 2018, with Roddy Dunlop QC, the government’s senior lawyer, warning the first minister on 17 December against “’ploughing on regardless’”.Three weeks after this, the government conceded the case. The senior Conservative politician said the decision to not do so in mid-December had cost more than £100,000.“Perhaps even £200,000, but we don’t know for sure because the government won’t tell us their side of the bill,” she said.Ms Sturgeon told Holyrood that government law officers encouraged ministers to “continue to defend the case” as late as 11 December, 2018.However, the first minister acknowledged that a “different first minister may have reached different judgments” about whether to continue pursuing the case.The Holyrood inquiry into the government’s handling of the Salmond investigation will report its findings some time this month.Additional reporting by PA More

Boris Johnson has been accused of “a callous disregard for others” by the father of a child killed in the 1996 Dunblane massacre, over an article he had written as a journalist calling a move to ban firearms “something-must-be-done-ism” and implying the action was “authoritarian”.Thomas Hamilton, 43, killed 16 children and their teacher when he opened fire at a school gymnasium while dressed in combat fatigues and armed with four guns.The outcry at the death of the children inside and outside Westminster led then-opposition leader Tony Blair to call for a complete ban on handguns, which was introduced 18 months later after he entered office.However, newspaper articles from the time have resurfaced, showing that Mr Johnson pushed back against the regulation and described it as part of a string of “knee-jerk legislation” that had led to “an enormous erosion of individual liberty, swept away, very often, in a tide of public panic”.“That the Firearms Act did not work is proved most miserably by Dunblane,” he wrote in The Daily Telegraph of prior legislation that had introduced laborious measures for attaining gun licences while mandating firearms be kept in steel cabinets.“There will always be those that say we must do more. We must tighten up again they say, adding that ‘If one child’s life is saved, it will have been worth it’.“Never mind that this has been the argument of authoritarians down the ages, those who would tap telephones and break down doors in the middle of the night in the name of that single notional child. The central point is that knee-jerk regulation does not work. The Act did not save the lives of those children.”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 added that he found the Conservative Party’s “continual ratcheting of protective legislation” to be “dismaying”.Mick North, a retired academic who lost his daughter, five-year-old Sophie, on that day in 1996, told The Independent his pain had been compounded by the likes of Mr Johnson who painted the response of grieving families as an overreaction.“This has been something that has bugged me since 1996,” the 73-year-old, who founded the Gun Control Network, said. “What always struck was just his callous disregard for others. This was a week after my daughter died – just a week – and he was writing columns that were essentially demeaning us.”In a later Telegraph article published in 1997, as guns were being handed in following the introduction of the ban, the now-prime minister wrote that “nanny is confiscating their toys”, adding: “The owners of all of the 160,000 handguns are penalised for the dementia of a couple of their number, and because no one, in the current climate, dare speak for them.”
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Denying that racism exists within the UK media could discourage young people of colour from pursuing careers in journalism, lecturers have warned.In the wake of Harry and Meghan’s comments about the British media being “bigoted”, the Society of Editors (SoE) released a statement denying there was racism in the UK press.Despite a backlash from across the industry – and within the Society of Editors itself – to the comments, there are fears that the row may already have discouraged young people thinking of becoming journalists at a time when mainstream publications are overwhelmingly white.Hannah Ajala, who established the support platform We Are Black Journos, said the furore proved that British journalism had a “long way to go”. The Society of Editor’s executive director, Ian Murray, stepped down on Wednesday following the row, so that the group could “rebuild its reputation”. He admitted that the initial statement should have been “clearer in its condemnation of bigotry”.Ms Ajala, who is also a lecturer, told The Independent: “The ignorant statement could potentially turn off budding journalists as it may suggest that other editors in high positions have a similar mindset.“British journalism has a long way to go, so him stepping down was a great decision. I hope his replacement understands the needs of the role.” More

Quizzed by MPs, the Chancellor refused to accept his own watchdog’s warning that his Budget leaves many public services facing more years of austerity.The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) said departments other than the NHS, schools and defence would be hit by “real-terms cuts to their budget” – putting the figure at £15bn a year.At the Treasury committee, Mr Sunak was warned he should be suffering “sleepless nights” and was told: “The current numbers you have got in there on spending are unrealistic.”But the Chancellor insisted his critics are wrong, telling MPs: “No, spending grows over the parliament and grows in every year. “I think what you’re referring to are changes in forecasts from previous fiscal events – that’s not a cut in spending,” he claimed.Later, Mr Sunak argued his spending plans contained the “same real terms growth rate of 2.1 per cent” as previously – and, confusingly, said the total “flexes with the different GDP deflator”.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 weekdayThe comments came as Mr Sunak:* Was upbeat about the post-Covid economic recovery, saying: “It seems consumption can and will bounce back reasonably quickly when things are reopened.”* Said the controversial 1 per cent pay rise for nurses was “all one government policy” – when asked if he had been involved in the recommendation.* Refused to say if he has personally benefited from the Moderna share price rise after its vaccine success – insisting his financial interests, in a blind trust, are “transparent”.* Said he “would not want to be breaking the law” by making huge overseas aid cuts without a promised vote by MPs – but refused to say it will go ahead.* Would not accept the UK had “a housing crisis” – preferring to say it was “a challenge for young people to find their own home”. In its post-Budget report last week, the OBR warned of the “legacy that the pandemic could leave behind for public services” – with nothing set aside for “Covid-related costs”, from April.“The Chancellor’s response so far has been to cut around £15bn a year from total departmental spending in the years beyond 2021, including a further £4bn cut in this Budget,” it said.Mel Stride, the Tory chair of the Treasury committee, said: “Is it just not the case that the current numbers you have got in there on spending are unrealistic and are just going to come under unbearable pressure?”Mr Sunak admitted he would have to “prioritise within a pie”, but insisted: “The pie is growing at a rapid rate over the course of this Parliament – and, relative to the size of our economy, is a large pie.”On the Moderna shares bump, he said: “All my disclosures are in accordance with the Cabinet Office guidelines and have been gone over rigorously, and are published in the normal way.”But Labour’s Angela Eagle replied: “You are not prepared to add that extra bit of information for us today whether you have benefited personally? I think that is about as opaque as it comes.” More

The UK has announced further delays to post-Brexit import controls, despite warnings the move will be a boon for tax cheats and smugglers.Full controls on animal products were due to be enforced next month and other customs declarations introduced in July, having been shelved from January to ease pressures at the border.But Michael Gove has now delayed them until October and next January respectively – blaming Covid-19, which has led to “greater” disruption than expected.Elsewhere, a senior official from the Northern Ireland office will be sent to the US in a bid to forge stronger links with President Joe Biden’s new administration amid a deepening row between the UK and the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol. It came as the EU refused to back down on its threat to begin legal action against the UK after its move last week to unilaterally extend post-Brexit grace periods in Northern Ireland.Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer has today launched Labour’s May election campaign but refused to be drawn on whether the party will make any gains.He suggested that Covid-19 and campaign restrictions could cost the party votes and said they are going to be “tough” elections.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
1615473328Ministers urged to negotiate visa-free travel for musicians to tour EuropeThe government has come under renewed pressure to introduce a visa-waiver agreement to help UK musicians tour Europe.Tory former Cabinet minister Lord Hunt of Wirral said the issue could and should have been resolved by now.At question time the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport minister Baroness Barran assured the Lords the government would continue to try to “streamline” musicians’ ability to tour within the EU.Lord Hunt said it was “self-evidently in the interests of all concerned that frictionless visa-free arrangements” were in place.Lady Barran said the government remained disappointed that the deal it proposed for touring performers was not agreed by the EU.“We understand the concerns of the sector and we are working at pace to address them so that touring can resume as soon as it is safe to do so,” she added.Labour’s Lord Wood of Anfield said UK musicians faced an “impossible, overwhelming array of obstacles” and the vast majority of them considered a visa-waiver agreement was the “only sustainable solution”.Independent crossbencher the Earl of Clancarty said the performing arts were “as one in asking for a bespoke visa-waiver agreement as a matter of urgency”.He said such an agreement need not cross the Government’s red lines on free movement.Matt Mathers11 March 2021 14:351615471090New delays to post-Brexit import controls announced despite tax evasion and smuggling fearsThe UK has announced further delays to post-Brexit import controls, despite warnings the move will be a boon for tax cheats and smugglers.Full controls on animal products were due to be enforced next month and other customs declarations introduced in July, having been shelved from January to ease pressures at the border.But Michael Gove has now delayed them until October and next January respectively – blaming Covid-19, which has led to “greater” disruption” than expected.Deputy politics editor Rob Merrick will have more on this story as it develops:Matt Mathers11 March 2021 13:581615470936Stormont minister challenged on department’s differing positions on cricket pitch clay importsA Stormont minister has been challenged on why he and some of his officials were at odds on whether the import of cricket pitch clay is banned under the Northern Ireland Protocol.Agriculture Minister Edwin Poots issued a statement on Wednesday night insisting the material known as loam was not prohibited under the terms of the new Irish Sea trade arrangements.Thursday’s Assembly Agriculture committee hearing was told that Mr Poots’ statement contradicted advice previously issued by his department.Offering an explanation, Mr Poots told the committee a departmental official may have provided an “initial position” but he said his department had now reached a different view on the status of loam.Loam is usually imported into Northern Ireland from three counties in England.It help stabilise cricket wickets, giving the ball a predictable bounce.Ulster Unionist committee member Rosemary Barton told Mr Poots recent emails sent by officials stated the import of loam was “currently prohibited” under EU rules.Cricketing figures within Northern Ireland had raised concerns following that advice, warning that pitches used for generations might have to be dug up and replaced.“There has been confusion,” Mrs Barton told Mr Poots.“Earlier in the week some of the Daera (Department of Agriculture, Environment and Rural Affairs) officials said ‘I regret to inform you that importation of these products from Great Britain, as a third country, to Northern Ireland is currently prohibited’.“Yet the minister yesterday put out a statement saying that this was not the case, that it was fine to import the loam?”She added: “I’m not saying your statement’s wrong but is there an issue or is there confusion? Could you clarify it please.”Matt Mathers11 March 2021 13:551615469404ICYMI: ‘A week after the Budget, it’s clear that Rishi Sunak has a mountain of unfinished business’“A week after his Budget, it’s increasingly clear that Rishi Sunak has to climb a mountain of unfinished business that is now emerging through the fog of figures,” writes Andrew Grice. “Ministers admit privately the chancellor put off tackling the huge pressures on day-to-day public services until his government-wide spending review in the autumn.”Matt Mathers11 March 2021 13:301615468896Meghan Markle claims a ‘matter for royal family’ to resolve, says Keir StarmerSir Keir Starmer has said the allegations made by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex in their Oprah interview were a “matter now for the [royal] family” to resolve.The Labour leader said earlier this week that Meghan and Harry’s claims of racism and lack of support when she had suicidal thoughts must be taken “very, very seriously”.Buckingham Palace responded by saying race and mental health claims would be “taken seriously” and addressed privately. Prince William said on Thursday that the royals were “very much not a racist family”.Adam Forrest has the story: Matt Mathers11 March 2021 13:211615467877Ministers developing strategy to ensure women’s safety, say No10Downing Street today said that the Government was working with “law enforcement agencies, charities, women’s group” to develop a strategy to ensure women’s safety.The Prime Minister’s official spokesman told a Westminster briefing: “(The Prime Minister) said he was shocked and deeply saddened by the developments in the Sarah Everard investigation.Asked what practical steps the Government is taking now, the spokesman referred to the violence against women and girls strategy.“That will help us better target perpetrators and support victims of these crimes and increase our ability to tackle new and emerging forms of violence against women and girls, such as upskirting and revenge porn,” he added.“The Prime Minister said previously it remains his intent to ensure that we work to reduce crime across the country.”Joe Middleton11 March 2021 13:041615467021Labour leader Starmer urges Johnson to fix LGBT ‘blind spot’Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told Mr Johnson to fix the “blind spot” on LGBT issues and said he would “absolutely” ban conversion therapy.He said: “The Government has clearly got a blind spot here. It’s got a problem and the Prime Minister needs to address it, not least because it’s a pattern of behaviour.”Sir Keir said he also supported a ban conversion therapy by law, adding: “It’s abhorrent and we’re 100% against it.”It comes after two government’s LGBT advisers have quit their posts and criticised Equalities ministers Liz Truss and Kemi Badenoch.Joe Middleton11 March 2021 12:501615465760Keir Starmer refuses to say Labour on course for May election ‘gains’Sir Keir Starmer today launched Labour’s local election campaign but refused to be drawn on if the party will make any gains at May’s elections, suggesting Covid-19 could cost the party votes.“They’re going to be tough, these elections,” the Labour leader said, “we are in a pandemic and we are constrained in the way we can campaign.”The Independent’s deputy political editor Rob Merrick has all the detailsJoe Middleton11 March 2021 12:291615464621EU ambassador calls for ‘end to point scoring’ over BrexitThe European Union’s ambassador to the UK has called on London and Brussels to “give up on trying to score points” and ensure there is trust between both sides.Joao Vale de Almeida told a Westminster briefing that he wanted there to be the “best possible relationship” between Britain and the EU post-Brexit amid disputes over trade arrangements.He said the UK and EU had a “special relationship” as he called for the two sides to focus on making the agreements already reached work.Matt Mathers11 March 2021 12:101615463493Emily Maitlis tells DUP MP his position on Northern Ireland protocol is ‘extraordinary’BBC presenter Emily Maitlis clashed with the DUP’s Brexit spokesman Sammy Wilson after telling him his party’s position on the Northern Ireland protocol was “extraordinary”.The Newsnight host challenged the unionist MP on whether his complaints about trading disruption resulting from an Irish Sea border was “a bit rich”, given the DUP’s insistence on a hard Brexit.The unionist party – which gave the Tories a nominal majority in the Commons between 2017 and 2019 – remained staunch objectors to the idea of the UK leaving the EU but staying part of a customs union.Adam Forrest has more on this story: Matt Mathers11 March 2021 11:511615462083Keir Starmer puts nurses’ pay row at heart of election campaignKeir Starmer is putting the row over nurses’ pay at the centre of his campaign for elections in May, declaring that Labour would “give our key workers a proper pay rise”.The Labour leader clashed with Boris Johnson in the House of Commons on Wednesday over the government’s 1 per cent offer to nurses after a year in which they have been on the frontline in the battle with Covid-19.Launching his party’s campaign for the Scottish and Welsh parliamentary elections on Thursday, he will contrast the offer with the 40 per cent increase given to Dominic Cummings shortly before he resigned as Mr Johnson’s chief Downing Street adviser.Politics editor Andrew Woodcock has the full story: Matt Mathers11 March 2021 11:281615461097Goverment move to extend grace periods ‘kicks can down the road’, NI agriculture minister saysThe government’s unilateral move to extend grace periods in Northern Ireland “just kicks the can down the road”, DUP agriculture Edwin Poots has said, as he called for a “reality check” on post-Brexit trading arrangements.Mr Poots claimed checks on agri-foods entering NI from GB are unsustainable in the long-run, adding that moving vets from other food safety work would undermine Northern Ireland’s reputation for food standards and providence.Addressing the Committee for Agriculture, Enviornment and Rural Affairs, he said: “So we do need a reality check on all of this. I welcome the extension of the grace period. “He added: “But that, to some extent, just kicks the can down the road. We need people to be realistic about this. You know you were told last week that Northern Ireland would have as many checks as the rest of the EU put together. How can that be a sensible or a rational place?” Mr Poots also suggested political rivals who had called for the “full implementation” of the protocol should apologise to the people of Northern Ireland.”The consequence of that rigorous implementation of the protocol is a massive number of people involved in checks, additional cost to the industry, additional cost to consumer, damage to trading relationships that exist and significant consequences for business and the consumer in Northern Ireland,” he said.”And perhaps those who were calling for the rigorous implementation would like to apologise to the Northern Ireland public and indeed send a message to the European Union that they no longer want rigorous implementation because they have seen what it’s like and rigorous implementation is going to wreck our economy if we don’t address this issue.”Matt Mathers11 March 2021 11:111615459126Tories defend Shaun Bailey after mayoral candidate accused of ‘politicising’ Sarah Everard caseThe Conservatives’ London mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey can “absolutely” still run for office despite a controversial tweet relating to the ongoing Sarah Everard case, a government minister has said.The Tory candidate was accused of an “utterly grotesque” attempt to politicise her disappearance after he tweeted that “it doesn’t have to be this way” and vowed to “deliver for the safety of women” if he wins.Adam Forrest has the story: Matt Mathers11 March 2021 10:381615458280Johnson was willing to ‘cut NI loose’ over Brexit deal, former May aide claimsBoris Johnson was prepared to cut Northern Ireland loose over Brexit, a former Theresa May aide has claimed while accepting there was a “collective failure” within government to fully understand the implications leaving the EU had for the region.Denzil Davidson, who advised Ms May on Europe from 2016-2019, said the government only began to fully grasp Brexit’s consequences for NI in 2017, months after the referendum had already taken place.In an interview with the UK In a Changing Europe think tank, Mr Davidoson said: “We had a kind of collective failure in government at the time properly to understand the implications for Northern Ireland, for which I must share the guilt.”When asked if he was surprised by what Mr Johnson eventually agreed to, he said: “Kind of yes and no.“Because I personally am a patriotic unionist, I had wrongly hoped that genuine unionist commitments were held more widely in the Conservative Party than they now are.”He added: “But no, because I knew that Northern Ireland was not a priority for him, and that he was willing to cut them loose. I was surprised that the Conservative Party accepted what he agreed to so readily.” Matt Mathers11 March 2021 10:241615455996UK and EU must find ‘collective’ solutions to protocol issues, Irish foreign minister saysIrish foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney has said politics is “very strained” in Northern Ireland as he called on the EU and the UK to find “collective” solutions to the protocol.Mr Coveney criticised the UK’s decision last week to “unilaterally” act on extending grace periods on post-Brexit trading checks.He added that it is his job to “ensure that what has been agreed” in the Brexit divorce deal is fully implemented.He told Irish broadcaster RTE: “The truth is that politics is very strained in Northern Ireland because of perceptions around the protocol and its implementation.”Of course, the EU has been considering and will consider further if flexibilities need to be accommodated, if there are genuine problems in terms of implementation, how we solve them.”He added: “But that has got to be done collectively between the EU and the UK.”We cannot move forward on the basis of one side just deciding unilaterally ‘Well, this is what must be done and we can’t wait for the other sides to agree with us’, and that’s essentially what the British government has done.”Matt Mathers11 March 2021 09:461615454411ICYMI: Of course the UK media has a problem with racism – any other suggestion is propaganda“Of course the UK media industry is racist,” writes race correspondent Nadine White. “This is well established and yet those of us who are cognisant of the problem were gaslighted this week by the Society of Editors, one of the most powerful organisations in the industry.”Matt Mathers11 March 2021 09:201615453552Government coaching Serco on how to win honours for running test-and-trace programmeThe government is giving private contractors profiting from the beleaguered test-and-trace programme and other areas of the pandemic tailored advice on how to win honours.Serco, Capita, Deloitte, and Amazon are amongst firms that have been written to by civil servants urging them to apply for gongs like knighthoods and MBEs.Sarah Munby, the permanent secretary at the government’s business department, wrote to the companies asking them “to submit honours nominations” on behalf of their organisations.Policy correspondent Jon Stone has more details: Matt Mathers11 March 2021 09:051615452770EU could initiate legal action against UK ‘within days’ over ‘violation’ of agreementBrussels could initiate legal action against the UK this week over the government’s decision to unilaterally extend the grace period for fully implementing the Brexit agreement.The action comes after Marcos Sefcovic, the vice president of the European Commission, said the UK’s move would be a “violation” of the Northern Ireland Protocol and he threatened to respond to the developments with “legal means”.Politics correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the full story: Matt Mathers11 March 2021 08:521615452205EU refuses to back down on legal threatThe EU is refusing to back down on its threat to launch legal proceedings against the UK after it unilaterally extended grace periods in Northern Ireland.Joao Vale de Almeida, the EU’s ambassador to the UK, told ITV’s Peston programme last night the bloc would “move forward” in the coming days.Matt Mathers11 March 2021 08:431615451976British official set for move to Washington amid UK-EU protocol rowA senior official from the Northern Ireland office is being sent to the US in a bid to win support from the Biden administration amid a deepening row between the UK and the EK over the protocol.Reports say the official will be tasked with forging stronger links with Irish Americans in particular, who have previously expressed concerns about the Good Friday peace deal post-Brexit.President Biden has previously warned the UK that a breach of the accord could have consequences for any future trade deal between the two countries. Matt Mathers11 March 2021 08:39 More

Jacob Rees-Mogg has blown a massive hole in plans for the renovation of parliament, telling MPs they may have to meet virtually on a lockdown-style video link while the Palace of Westminster is closed for works which are expected to last six years or more.The Leader of the Commons said that a £1.5bn scheme to house parliament’s two chambers elsewhere in Westminster, set out in a report today, were “for the birds”.His comments came after Boris Johnson was accused of sending the project “back to square one” by suggesting last year that MPs could instead move to a temporary home in York.Today’s report by the Restoration and Renewal Programme team found that moving MPs into a temporary chamber in Richmond House on Whitehall and peers to the nearby QEII conference centre remains “the most secure, cost effective and practical solution” to keep parliament in operation while works take place.It set out proposals to phase restoration work to minimise the time MPs are away from their historic home – including by creating a dry dock in the Thames alongside the Palace of Westminster to provide access for construction workers to the building from the river.But it rejected proposals for MPs to remain in place while works go on around them, and said that even if the project is accelerated they will have to be away from their historic home for “years not months”.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 weekdayRestoring the building while all MPs and peers remain on-site would cost billions of pounds more and take decades longer than temporarily moving out while work takes place, the report found.But Mr Rees-Mogg said the proposal to move to temporary facilities in Westminster was not “sensible” at a time when the country’s finances are stretched by the Covid pandemic. He suggested that proceedings could continue in the historic chamber during the renovation works on a similar “hybrid” basis to lockdown arrangements, which have seen some MPs physically present, but most taking part by video link.He told the Commons: “The proposal for Richmond House and for the Queen Elizabeth Centre was that there would be about £1.5bn of expenditure on temporary chambers. This can’t have been a sensible thing to do, even in less straitened financial times. In current circumstances, it seems to me to be for the birds.“We have to focus on value for money. I am not the greatest advocate of hybrid proceedings – they’re better than nothing but they’re not as good as real, physical participation in debate – but I’d rather have hybrid proceedings for a little bit where we couldn’t use this chamber than spend £1.5 billion.“We as Members of Parliament have a responsibility to our constituents, when their money is being spent, to accept while great restorations are taking place, we may have to put up with a little bit of discomfort, there may be occasionally a little bit of banging and noise being made, we can’t be too fussy about that if we’re to keep this as a working operational building.“But the key work needs to be done and needs to be done in a timely fashion with value for money at its heart.”Today’s report did not put a budget on the cost of works, currently expected to start in the mid-2020s.But previous studies have put the price tag at anything between £3.5bn and £5.7bn – with one spending watchdog estimating that the eventual cost could be as much as £12bn.It warned that delay in starting work would add to the cost, due to the ongoing bills for maintaining the elderly building.“The 150-year-old building is falling apart faster than it can be fixed, with the cost of maintenance projects and ongoing works recently doubling in just three years to £127m a year in 2018/9,” said the report.Unions representing parliamentary staff have opposed MPs’ calls to remain in the Palace while work goes on around them.Prospect union deputy general secretary Garry Graham said: “The idea that parliament could be fully restored without evacuating MPs and staff was always a ridiculous obsession of a minority of politicians.“We welcome the conclusion of this review that this option would pose an ‘extraordinary level of risk’ and hope that this bad idea can now finally be put to bed, after a large amount of time and public money has been wasted pursuing it.“The risks of a potentially catastrophic incident at Parliament will continue to rise if this vital restoration work does not commence as soon as possible.”The review found that the project will create thousands of jobs and apprenticeships across the UK, including inhigh-tech industries such as digital design and engineering, as well as traditional crafts including carpentry and stonemasonry.The chief executive of the Restoration and Renewal Sponsor Body, Sarah Johnson, said: “The iconic home of Parliament is in urgent need of restoration. The review has found new ways of carrying out the complex project, focused on getting value for money, and we will continue preparing a detailed and costed restoration and renewal plan that will for the first time give Parliament a true sense of the costs and timescales of restoring the Palace of Westminster.”Restoration and Renewal Delivery Authority chief executive David Goldstone added: “We are absolutely committed to getting on with the job, making sure we spend money effectively, focusing on the vital and essential work that needs doing to protect and restore the world-famous Palace of Westminster while supporting thousands of jobs nationwide.”After the review was accepted by both Houses of Parliament, a detailed plan and costing for works will now continue, involving 100 investigative surveys of the building’s 1,100 rooms  More

The UK has announced further delays to post-Brexit import controls, despite warnings the move will be a boon for tax cheats and smugglers.Full controls on animal products were due to be enforced next month and other customs declarations introduced in July, having been shelved from January to ease pressures at the border.But Michael Gove has now delayed them until October and next January respectively – blaming Covid-19, which has led to “greater” disruption than expected. Businesses had warned of disaster if the imposition of yet more red tape went ahead – some saying Britain would experience the huge trade turbulence destabilising Northern Ireland.Supermarket shelves have emptied, haulage firms have hiked prices and hospitals, schools and prisons have warned of problems obtaining food supplies.Now Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, has bowed to pressure by announcing delays to: * Pre-notification requirements and export health certificates for products of animal origin – from April until October.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* Live customs import declarations – with deferrals allowed until January, instead of July.* Safety and Security Declarations for imports – which will not be required until January.* Physical inspections on products of animal origin – so-called sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls – until January.* Live animal checks and inspections of plant products – until March 2022. The move had appeared increasingly inevitable, with construction only just beginning at many of the 30 border control posts planned at ports.The National Farmers Union had warned that livestock trade could grind to a halt, because no Channel port is planning facilities to check incoming farm animals. But experts have highlighted the inevitability that a failure to check goods will increase smuggling and let in substandard products – while allowing importers to evade taxes and tariffs.In a written statement, Mr Gove said the original timetable was “based on the impacts of the first wave of Covid”.“We know now that the disruption caused by Covid has lasted longer and has been deeper than we anticipated. Accordingly, the government has reviewed these timeframes.”He claimed to still be “confident of being ready on time”, but wrote “We have listened to businesses who have made a strong case that they need more time to prepare.” More