Markus Andrews

The appointment of arch-Brexiteer David Frost to lead future talks with the EU is dashing hopes of a deal to lift harsh border checks that will ramp up food prices, industry insiders say.Importers faced with a blizzard of new red tape had been cheered by a Cabinet minister suggesting negotiations would resume with Brussels – ahead of full inspections being imposed from April.But Boris Johnson’s surprise pick of Lord Frost to guide future trading arrangements – stripping the “dovish” Michael Gove of the role – has provoked fears that the brakes will be slammed on.Nicknamed ‘Frosty the No Man’ for his hardline stance leading the talks that led to the skeleton Christmas Eve trade deal, the new minister put “regaining sovereignty” ahead of easing the flow of goods.One industry source said the decision to bring him back showed “the prime minister doesn’t care”, while another expressed the fear that “ideology” had trumped the desire for improving the agreement.“With Frost in the chair, he will see this is going back on his red line that ‘we don’t renegotiate’ and that we don’t want any form of alignment,” one leading figure warned.“The problem is not technical, but political with the internal politics of No 10 and the Cabinet Office – it’s ideological,” said another.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 weekdayTo the dismay of the food industry, the UK failed to strike an “equivalence” deal to avoid most form-filling and physical inspections on products of animal origin – so-called sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) controls.They have already hit exporters and deliveries to Northern Ireland – but, crucially, the full Irish Sea checks and controls on imports from the EU are yet to come in.Last week, the Environment Secretary George Eustice raised hopes when he said the UK was seeking a “veterinary agreement” to “make sure goods can flow more smoothly”.But industry figures have now been told it could cross the red line of requiring “dynamic alignment” with EU rules – even though they fiercely dispute that it would.Without a rethink, the SPS checks to be phased in from April will push up prices in British supermarkets because “friction means cost”, food experts say.Based in the Cabinet Office, Lord Frost will chair both the partnership committee to build on the Brexit trade deal and the joint committee to resolve controversies surrounding the Northern Ireland Protocol.It has already been suggested he will try to “effectively renegotiate” the Protocol and that he “thinks Michael’s been too weak on it”.Both Mr Eustice and Mr Gove are seen as “doves” in the debate over food checks, the latter having realised that Britain is set to experience the huge turbulence destabilising Northern Ireland.Haulage firms there hiked prices by 12 per cent in a single week last month – and hospitals, schools and prisons have warned of looming problems obtaining food supplies.In contrast, Lord Frost, a close ally of Mr Johnson, is seen as uncompromising, while the prime minister has not made up his mind about the controversy.It is hoped a veterinary agreement would move the UK closer to the EU agreement with New Zealand – where only 1 per cent of goods are subject to SPS checks.Downing Street has been asked to comment on the fears about the impact of Lord Frost’s appointment.Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation trade body, declined to comment on the appointment of Lord Frost, but said a deal was badly needed to cut the number of physical checks.“It would also provide a consistent interpretation of the rules, so that what is seen as the correct paperwork by one official one day isn’t seen differently by the official the next day – and the next day,” he said.Likewise, Aodhán Connolly, director of the Northern Ireland Retail Consortium, would not be drawn on personalities, but warned: “We are feeling the effects of this first, but this will also come in for Great Britain and affect household budgets.” More

Keir Starmer has insisted he is proud to be “patriotic” after damaging criticism that voters are confused about what Labour stands for.Under pressure over his leadership, Sir Keir also ruled out a liberalisation of drug laws – saying he had “seen too much damage” in his past role as a prosecutor.And he called for stronger trans rights laws to replace the current “demeaning” legislation, without going into details on the controversy over access to women-only spaces.Asked about leaked Labour focus group findings suggesting voters believe he must “stop sitting on the fence”, the Labour leader said he had a “driving determination to root out inequality”.“Yes I’m patriotic – that was one of the issues that was in this report that was leaked,” Sir Keir told Sky News.He added: “The whole Labour movement is very patriotic We are in politics to change our country for the better – you can’t get more patriotic than that. I’m very, very comfortable with it.” During the interview, Sir Keir: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* Dismissed fading poll ratings because Labour is on a “four-year journey” to turn around the “worst loss since 1935”.* Told critics of his shifts on Brexit that “free movement is gone” following withdrawal from the EU – with a “fair and humane” immigration system now the priority.* Rejected calls from teacher unions for a phased return of schools, arguing all children should be back in England’s classrooms on March 8 “ideally”.* Failed to take a stance on so-called ‘vaccine passports’ to enter venues – calling for “a national debate” and for the country to “tread very, very carefully on this”.* Said Matt Hancock should keep his job – despite the health secretary being found to have acted unlawfully over Covid contracts – saying: “At this stage of the pandemic, I want all government ministers working really hard to get us through.” Sir Keir’s leadership was rocked by the leak of a strategy document, suggesting the party must demonstrate its patriotism in order to attract voters, and claims of excessive caution.But he argued he had successfully shifted the party from facing questions over its survival to whether it will form the next government, saying: “That tells you how far we’ve come.“Did I think this was a one-year project that we could turn around the worst loss since 1935 in 12 months? No, I didn’t. Do I think competence is enough? No, I don’t. Do I think it’s a four-year journey? Yes, I do.”On cannabis decriminalisation: “I’ve never subscribed to that view.“When I was director of public prosecutions, I prosecuted many, many cases involving drugs and drug gangs and the criminality that sits behind, and it causes huge issues to vulnerable people across the country.”And, on whether trans women should have access to women-only spaces such as prisons, toilets or refuges, he called for“a grown-up discussion”.“I think we should go further than the current legislation, but what I don’t want is this war that’s going on at the moment by two different groups fighting each other in a way that we can’t make progress,” he said. More

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell has called for a windfall tax on those who have profited from the coronavirus pandemic to pay to cancel households debts caused by the crisis.Writing in The Independent, Mr McDonnell said it was time to “wipe the slate clean” on high-cost and unmanageable debt built up by millions of Britons, including many key workers who have fought on the Covid-19 frontline.In a swipe at Sir Keir Starmer’s high-profile economic speech on Thursday, which was criticised for containing only modest proposals for reform, he said: “There is a time for framing speeches and political positioning but there is also a time to get angry and a time to demand immediate action to help people survive.”Mr McDonnell cited Citizens Advice warnings that an estimated 6 million people – including more than 20 per cent of key workers – have fallen behind on bills because of Covid-19.And he said that number in severe problem debt is believed to have doubled to 1.2 million during the crisis.The former shadow chancellor called for a Debt Charter to deal with the causes and consequences of debt.Improved benefits and a £10-an-hour living wage, along with restored universal basic services, should be deployed to prevent people from getting into debt in the first place, he said.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 called for a cap on interest rate charges and a ceiling on overdraft fees and interest payments to “rebalance power between lenders and the indebted”.And he said bailiff visits should be suspended at least until the whole of the UK has been vaccinated against Covid-19.In his most radical proposal, Mr McDonnell said: “We need to wipe the slate clean. “That means a comprehensive package of debt cancellation, beginning with the worst kinds of debt: including high-cost debt, old debt, unmanageable rent and student debt, backed by a windfall tax on those that have profited from the pandemic.”Writing ahead of Rishi Sunak’s Budget on 3 March, Mr McDonnell said the chancellor had “virtually ignored the debt burden many people have been forced to take on over the last 10 months as their incomes have either been cut or dried up totally”.The Bank of England’s Andy Haldane has predicted a “coiled spring of demand” from people wanting to spend savings built up during the pandemic.But Mr McDonnell said that other Britons were facing “a long trail of hardship, poverty and unmanageable personal debt unwinding” because of financial problems caused by Covid.“Debt is an issue neglected by politicians for too long,” wrote the former shadow chancellor. “The time for action has come.” More

Every adult will be offered a vaccine by the end of July, under a dramatic acceleration of the programme ahead of Monday’s “roadmap” to start lifting the lockdown.The timetable for delivering a first dose has been brought forward from September – with Boris Johnson hinting the move will also help speed up the easing of some restrictions.The new targets – for the whole of the UK – will also see a first jab offered to all over-50s by 15 April, instead of the end of that month, as the programme continues to run ahead of expectations.The prime minister again insisted his roadmap would be “cautious”, but also raised hopes for an earlier softening of the lockdown, as he comes under fierce pressure from Conservative MPs.“We will now aim to offer a jab to every adult by the end of July, helping us protect the most vulnerable sooner and take further steps to ease some of the restrictions in place,” he said.The long-awaited roadmap will see at least some schools reopen on 8 March, although No 10 was forced to rebuff a claim that Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, is resisting a “big bang” reopening of them all.From that date, care home residents in England will be allowed one regular visitor and there will almost certainly be some easing of the rules on meeting people from other households outdoors.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 weekdayOne option is for households in England to be able to meet in each other’s gardens for the Easter weekend at the start of April, with non-essential shops also likely to open that month.But pub organisations believe no date will be set for the full reopening of hospitality – extremely unlikely to be before May – although outdoor eating and drinking could be allowed earlier.If, as expected, the roadmap only sets out criteria for most measures, dependent on continued success in curbing Covid-19 – “data not dates”, as Mr Johnson put it – it will anger many Conservative MPs.Some have accused the government of “moving the goalposts”, with a new focus on new daily infections, rather than the number of deaths and whether the NHS is at risk of being swamped.Pressure is growing to restore freedoms after recorded deaths fell faster than expected to a daily average of around 500, fuelled by higher than expected vaccine take-up so far.The Covid Recovery Group (CRG) of Tories such as Mark Harper, Steve Baker and Charles Walker is restless, although its demand for the lockdown to end altogether in April has already been ruled out.The government met its ambition to offer jabs to all those in the top four priority groups – over-70s, frontline NHS and care workers and the most clinically vulnerable – by 15 February.With more than 17 million people now vaccinated, and more than 1,500 vaccination sites up and running, “ambitious new targets” are now possible, Downing Street said.“There will be no let up and I want to see the rollout go further and faster in the coming weeks,” Mr Johnson added.“But there should be no doubt – the route out of lockdown will be cautious and phased, as we all continue to protect ourselves and those around us.”However, the priority list for phase two of the programme will now not be unveiled until all over-50s have been offered a first dose, in mid April according to the new timetable.The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation is expected to rebuff calls to bump teachers or police officers up the list, sticking to a rollout based on age.Second doses will continue to be offered within 12 weeks of the first, amid rising evidence that an initial jab offers very high protection.A further 445 people died within 28 days of testing positive for Covid-19, it was announced – bringing the UK total to 120,365 – and there were 10,406 more confirmed cases of the virus. More

Ministers have failed to say how many jabs will be made available or when – despite ordering 450 million doses, meaning vast numbers will be left over.“I don’t think we should wait to get surplus when other people have been served,” said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, the WTO director general.“I think that any donations that are coming must come now. The reason is very simple – it’s in the interest of rich countries as well as poor countries to have equitable access.”Just 10 rich countries have administered 75 per cent of all vaccinations worldwide, while 130 countries had not yet received a single dose, the United Nations said.Ms Okonjo-Iweala, both the first woman and African to lead the trade body, pointed to research suggesting a £6.4 trillion GDP slump if – by the middle of this year – that gulf remains.She described Mr Johnson’s pledge to donate most of the UK’s excess vaccines to developing countries when there is a surplus as “welcome”.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 weekdayBut, she told the BBC: “Half of that cost will be borne by rich countries.“So we need to understand that it’s in the self-interest of both rich and poor to have equitable access to vaccines otherwise all counties lose; all people lose.”Emmanuel Macron, the French president, has said richer countries should start sending around 5 per cent of their current vaccine supplies to poorer nations.And Russia, China and India are making their supplies available – in what is seen by some as “vaccine diplomacy”, a route to building closer ties with other capitals.On Friday, G7 leaders agreed to increase their contribution to the Covax initiative, which is aiming to get at least 1.3 billion doses to vulnerable people across the world in the coming months.Ms Okonjo-Iweala urged manufacturers to issue more licenses in developing countries, so a larger volume of doses could be produced across poorer regions. Mr Johnson told the G7 there was “no point in us vaccinating our individual populations – we’ve got to make sure the whole world is vaccinated because this is a global pandemic”.However, the UK is determined to first vaccinate its entire adult population, by the autumn at the latest, and ministers expect fresh jabs to be required to combat new variants of the virus. More

A Conservative group has demanded an extraordinary inquiry into the behind-the-scenes power of Boris Johnson’s fiancée, branding it “cronyism”.Carrie Symonds appears to enjoy huge influence in the hiring and firing of No 10 staff and in policy making, the Bow Group says, despite having no formal role.Now the organisation – which boasts Tory heavyweights Norman Tebbit and Norman Lamont among its patrons – is calling for an independent inquiry into the influence of the former party spin chief.“Failure to clarify Ms Symonds’s position and authority, and to ensure that Ms Symonds is not and cannot take any action in governing the United Kingdom, potentially has huge hazards for the government, the Conservative Party, and the nation,” said Ben Harris-Quinney, the Bow Group chairman.“The public take a very dim view of cronyism, democracy in Britain is and must always be sacred, and no one should be involved in running our country without accountability to the people.”Two of her close friends have recently been appointed to key No 10 roles, senior adviser Henry Newman and Simona Finn, the new deputy chief of staff who hosted Ms Symonds’s 30th birthday celebrations.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 weekdayAlthough her depiction by critics as a Lady Macbeth figure has sparked accusations of sexism, no one denies she enjoys significant influence way beyond that of previous partners of prime ministers. Ms Symonds is keen to soften the government’s image, through the departure of Vote Leave veterans including Mr Cummings and Mr Lewis, and push forward the green agenda as a committed environmentalist.The Bow Group, which is independent of the party despite its strong Conservative links, said Ms Symonds – who is not a special adviser – was therefore not accountable to any minister.That meant she had also not been security vetted, giving her authorisation to view privileged government information.An inquiry should be held in public and hear testimony from current and former Downing Street staff, with the release of the records and correspondence, the group said.“Consistent reports in the press suggest that Ms Symonds is taking a central role in running the country, without any authority or accountability to do so,” Mr Harris-Quinney added.“She has not been elected, she has not been appointed, she holds no legal or constitutional powers to make decisions relating to who should hold government posts, to be party to privileged information, or to set the policy direction of the country.”The pandemic put on hold Mr Johnson’s plans to marry Ms Symonds last year. She gave birth to their son Wildred in April, just 17 days after he left hospital having battling Covid-19 himself. More

Soldiers who drink snakes’ blood and eat live geckos and scorpions in training sessions are risking catching infectious coronavirus-type diseases and even causing a new pandemic, campaigners have warned.Thousands of troops from around the world take part each year in Cobra Gold joint military exercises in Thailand, where they are encouraged to kill and eat live creatures for “survival” drills, according to animal-rights group Peta. At last year’s event, American soldiers were filmed skinning and eating live geckos, drinking blood from a decapitated snake and biting into lizards and scorpions.They then passed the carcasses round for others to gnaw at.Some participants were also recorded killing chickens with their bare hands, and one also appeared to eat a tarantula, Peta said.The government says no UK troops take part in field training at Cobra Gold, and no UK forces were involved in last year’s drill.  But Peta has written to the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, urging him to use his influence to call on the organisers to drop the live animal exercises, replacing them with “more effective and ethical” animal-free training methods.The group says these practices pose a risk of spreading zoonotic diseases like coronavirus, endangering the troops involved and the public.Condemning the “ritualistic” and “barbaric” killing and consumption of animals, Peta also says it is driving species already under threat further towards extinction.The snakes involved last year were king cobras, listed by the IUCN as vulnerable, meaning they face “a high risk of extinction in the wild in the immediate future”. “Shipping military personnel to Thailand to drink the blood of beheaded snakes is the kind of absurdity that could spark the next pandemic,” says Peta’s science policy manager, Julia Baines.“The crude killing of animals during this annual drill not only risks public health and endangers species vulnerable to extinction, including the king cobra, but also disgraces our troops.”Since the 1970s, it is estimated at least three dozen infectious diseases have emerged from human interference with animals, including Sars, Mers, Ebola, bird flu, swine flu and the Zika virus. Scientists suspect the virus that caused Covid-19 originated in bats and was transmitted to humans through other animals.The letter says: “The crude killing of animals during this annual drill dishonours troops, risks public health, and endangers species vulnerable to extinction.”A Ministry of Defence spokesman said: “The UK contributes a small number of military planners to Exercise Cobra Gold. “We do not contribute troops to the field training component of the exercise, and no UK forces were involved in the drill highlighted by the Peta campaign.” It is understood that two military planners went to last year’s exercise, and one will go to this year’s exercise, in August. More

Arguing the Northern Ireland Protocol had sparked “genuine grievances”, Lord Trimble said: “There is real potential for those who have engaged in past violence to take action again into their own hands.”He accused the prime minister and Brussels of “playing fast and loose with the hard won arrangements in the Good Friday Agreement” – which had promised people “the final say” over any change in their status.“Not only do I personally feel betrayed, but the majority unionist population in Northern Ireland feel betrayed too,” the peer added.The attack comes after Michael Gove ruled out scrapping the Protocol and backed off demands that the EU make immediate and significant changes, ahead of another meeting next week.However, the Cabinet Office minister has now been replaced by the hardline David Frost as the pointman with Brussels, fuelling expectations of a much tougher approach.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 weekdayGraffiti appeared attacking the Protocol – which has created a customs border in the Irish Sea, pushed up prices and threatened supplies – and describing port staff as “targets”. Some Tory backbenchers are pressing for the Protocol to be scrapped, former party leader Iain Duncan Smith branding it a “terrible disaster”.But the government is only pressing for agreed changes and for ‘grace periods’ before full checks are imposed to be extended to 2023 – something Brussels has rejected. Michel Barnier hit out at the government as he insisted the withdrawal terms it sought – not the checks on Irish Sea trade – were to blame for empty shelves in supermarkets.Ulster Unionists stand accused of campaigning for Brexit without acknowledging, or understanding, the risk of destabilising peace in Northern Ireland.But Lord Trimble, writing in The Irish Times, said:“Rather than the NI Protocol protecting the GFA, the fact is it is pulling it apart.“I fear that tensions are once again starting to rise. We have already seen the threats to inspectors at NI ports.“The democratic mandate of the Stormont Parliament has been called into question. People’s livelihoods and the NI economy are reeling from the Protocol’s pettifoggery.” More