Markus Andrews

Despite ongoing concern about the spread of the coronavirus, young adults in Britain are more worried by the devastating economic impacts of Brexit than the pandemic.A new survey shows more than two fifths of young adults – 45 per cent – report being “stressed” about the consequences of the UK’s disruptive exit from the EU’s single market and customs union.UCL academics found a lower proportion of 18 to 29-year-olds were worried about catching Covid-19. Some 32 per cent of young people said they were stressed over the prospect, and only 22 per cent said they feared becoming seriously ill from the disease. More

Oliver Letwin has reportedly told a private meeting that the “NHS will not exist” within five years of a Conservative election victory.Oliver Letwin has reportedly told a private meeting that the “NHS will not exist” within five years of a Conservative election victory.The Shadow Chancellor said that the health service would instead be a “funding stream handing out money to pay people where they want to go for their healthcare”, according to a member of the audience.The remarks, which have been furiously denied by Mr Letwin, were last night seized on by Labour as evidence of the Tories’ true intentions towards the NHS.It is not disputed that Mr Letwin met a gathering of construction industry representatives in his constituency of Dorset West on 14 May. During the meeting he urged the group of around six local businessmen to work together to win contracts for a new PFI hospital to be built in Dorchester.Mr Letwin then astonished his audience, however, by saying that within five years of a Conservative election victory “the NHS will not exist anymore”, according to one of those who were present.Although Mr Letwin’s aides later insisted that his remarks had been misinterpreted, it is the second time in recent weeks that his candour has landed him in trouble.INDY/LIFE NewsletterBe inspired with the latest lifestyle trends every weekINDY/LIFE NewsletterBe inspired with the latest lifestyle trends every weekAs reported in this newspaper, the Shadow Chancellor told a group of economists that it would be “irrational” to tell voters by how much he wanted to cut public spending. That prompted a gleeful Labour Party to claim that he had let slip a secret Tory plan to cut £135bn from the government budget.Paul Boateng, the Treasury Chief Secretary, lost no time in seizing on the latest apparent gaffe.”This proves what we have said all along,” he said. “Oliver Letwin and the Tories want to abolish the NHS as we know it. The Tory agenda is one of cuts, charges and privatisation.”However, a Conservative Party spokesman said: “Oliver Letwin categorically said nothing of the sort. What he told the meeting was that within five years a Conservative government would have broken down the monolithic bureaucracy of the health service, putting decision-making in the hands of the hospitals rather than the Whitehall pen-pushers. The result will be a far more efficient and effective NHS.He added: “As with a report two weeks ago that Mr Letwin had secret plans to make vast cuts in the public services, this report is complete fiction.” More

What do we want politicians to look like? What do they think they should look like?The two are not always identical. Take Rawiri Waititi, member of the New Zealand parliament and who has received global attention for not wearing a tie in the chamber, and being kicked out as a result. Waititi was in fact wearing a different type of neckwear, a traditional Maori hei-tiki, a pendant, and he looked perfectly smart. The speaker in Wellington has now reversed the hasty judgement, but not before some outcry and Waititi describing the traditional western necktie as a “colonial noose”.Parliaments, like other workplaces around the world, have to move with the times, and politicians find it more difficult than most to get the balance between being elegant and “in touch” exactly right. The anachronistic example of Jacob Rees-Mogg makes the point perfectly. The combination of lanky build, old-fashioned manners (in all senses), and a taste for pinstriped double-breasted suits teamed with pebble spectacles make him look like a character from an Ealing comedy. Some might say that the overall effect is neither elegant nor in-touch, but it has served him well and has proved no impediment to getting elected in Somerset. More

The EU says the UK has not “correctly explained” the consequences of Brexit to suffering businesses, as it again ruled out major changes to the Northern Ireland Protocol.Michel Barnier hit out at the government, as he insisted the withdrawal terms it sought – not the checks introduced on Irish Sea trade – are to blame for empty shelves in supermarkets.Michael Gove’s request for a two-year delay to further checks on food supplies, and before a likely ban on the imports of chilled meats from Britain, is almost certain to be rejected.Speaking ahead of the meeting, Mr Barnier said: “The difficulties on the island of Ireland are caused by Brexit, not by the Protocol” – adding “the Protocol is the solution.”And, on the blizzard of new red tape for all post-Brexit trade, the chief Brexit negotiator, added: “Many of these consequences have not been correctly explained, they have been generally underestimated.”“Brexit means Brexit,” he told a European Business Summit event, stealing the slogan coined by Theresa May, when she sought hard exit terms.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 weekdayWhile there could be “technical solutions” for some of the problems becoming apparent, the Brexit negotiations were over and the rules must be respected.The comments came as the Irish prime minister, Micheál Martin, called for both sides to “dial down the rhetoric” – warning Ireland risked being “collateral damage” in the row.Many EU leaders are angry that the UK appears to be exploiting the controversy over its brief triggering of border controls in Ireland – over vaccine exports – to try to overturn the Protocol.Keir Starmer also called for cool heads when Mr Gove meets Maros Sefcovic, the European Commission’s vice-president, saying: “There is increasing tension that needs to be de-escalated.”In a hard-hitting reply to Mr Gove, Mr Sefcovic questioned why border control posts at ports in Northern Ireland were “not yet fully operational”, six weeks after Brexit was completed.There were “very few identity checks” on goods, while “non-compliant consignments” were being accepted even if destined for the Irish Republic, he wrote.Goods were entering Northern Ireland “without being declared or without valid certificates”, and the UK had “not fulfilled its obligation” to allow the EU real-time access to customs IT systems.On the UK call for a two-year extension to ‘grace periods’, Mr Sefcovic said changes “cannot be agreed beyond what the Protocol foresees already”.Boris Johnson’s spokesperson called the response “disappointing”, explicitly linking its call for a rethink to the row over the EU’s aborted invoking of Article 16.“The Commission has failed to acknowledge the shock and anger felt across the community in Northern Ireland from its decision to trigger Article 16 and the need to take urgent steps to restore confidence as a result,” he said. More

Support for Scottish independence has fallen, according to a new poll which also shows a rise in the number of Scots who believe the SNP is “divided”.The latest Savanta ComRes survey puts support for leaving the UK at 53 per cent – down 4 per cent on January – with 47 per cent backing the union, when the undecideds are excluded.The survey also found a drop of eight points in the number of Scots who think the SNP is “united” – down from 50 per cent last month to 42 per cent – amid the ongoing row between party leader Nicola Sturgeon and her predecessor Alex Salmond.Mr Salmond has accused Ms Sturgeon of misleading theScottish parliament, as a committee of MSPs probes the Scottish government’s botched handling of harassment allegations against him.Chris Hopkins, associate director at Savanta ComRes, said the four-point drop in the indyref2 voting intention had “naturally” coincided with the ongoing saga over the inquiry and very public splits in the party.“That kind of division could perhaps make people think twice about independence and whether or not the SNP can be trusted ultimately to have a united front when it is needed the most to get independence over the line,” he added.However, the SNP’s deputy leader Keith Brown pointed out that it marked 21 consecutive polls showing majority support for independence. 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“While polls are encouraging, the SNP will not take anything for granted,” he said. “The only way to guarantee Scotland can decide our own future is with both votes going to the SNP in May.”The Savanta ComRes polls shows the SNP is still on course for a majority at May’s scheduled Holyrood election. Some 54 per cent of Scots say they will vote SNP in the constituency ballot, with 43 per cent support for the party on the regional list section.Almost a quarter (23 per cent) plan to vote for the Scottish Conservatives in their constituency – a four-point rise in support – with 21 per cent backing them in the regional ballot.Scottish Labour languishes in third place, with 16 per cent backing the party in the constituency vote and 18 per cent on the regional list. The Lib Dems polled 6 per cent on both sections of the ballot.Those results would see 71 SNP MSPs elected – which would be a majority in the 129-seat Scottish Parliament and up from the 64 they won at the last election.On Wednesday Ms Sturgeon confirmed she would she would testify at the Holyrood inquiry next Tuesday morning, as she again denied breaking the ministerial code by meeting Mr Salmond at her home in the early stages of claims against him.Ruth Davidson, the Scottish Tory group leader at Holyrood, claimed there was “a cover-up at the heart of government” – pointing out that the SNP leader had “chosen not to tell officials in advance and not keep a record” of the meetings with Mr Salmond. “This whole affair stinks to high heaven,” said Ms Davidson.However, first minister said she would attempt to end all the “ridiculous conspiracy theories” when she testifies before MSPs next week. More

Jeremy Hunt has thanked the NHS for its “wonderful care” after he broke his arm on a run in the morning.The former health secretary told parliament about the incident while speaking virtually later that day with his arm in a sling. “Can I start my comments by thanking the brilliant staff at the Royal Surrey County Hospital for the wonderful care this morning, as it happens,” he said on Thursday.”I unfortunately slipped over and broke my arm on a morning run, and I have just come back from there,” he told parliament just hours after the accident. Mr Hunt, the Conservative chair of the Health and Social Care Select Committee, went on to discuss plans to reform health and social care, saying he it was a “very big deal to do a structural reorganisation of the NHS”. “It is nonetheless the right thing to do and a brave thing to do,” he said, “because NHS staff want nothing more than to be able to give joined up care – joined up between hospitals, GP surgeries, the social care system, community care – and the current structures make that more difficult than it should be.”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 weekdayMatt Hancock, the health secretary, has said reforms to the NHS which sweep away much of the framework set in place under an earlier Conservative government will see the health service and partners work more closely.The proposals bring together the NHS, social care and local government to make decisions with the aim of providing integrated care and aims to strip away the bureaucracy of the internal market system created under David Cameron in 2012. Additional reporting by Press Association More

A veil of secrecy could be drawn over government failures on the environment and climate goals because of new restrictions set to be made law in Boris Johnson’s environment bill.Campaigners have sounded the alarm over a “secrecy clause” in the bill that will prohibit the Office for Environmental Protection (OEP) from revealing evidence and key discussions with the government and other public bodies.The watchdog is being established by ministers to carry out oversight previously the responsibility EU agencies before Brexit, and will be tasked with holding the government to laws on tackling pollution, meeting climate goals, and conserving the environment.But under paragraph 42 of the bill the office will be banned from revealing any information provided to it by public authorities, including the government  – and will not be allowed to reveal correspondence with ministers without their say-so.Other information like unpublished specifics on whether the government and public authorities are meeting their climate crisis goals could also be kept from public view.The government says the secrecy clause is necessary to provide a “safe space for dialogue” with the watchdog, but freedom of information campaigners say the law will destroy public transparency on environmental decisions.The prohibition also appears to interfere with the longstanding Environmental Information Regulations (EIR), which give every citizen freedom of information-like powers to access information and documents relating to the environment.Despite the bill having a list of exemptions to the disclosure prohibition, none of them protect the EIR freedom of information rules, though the government claims they will not be affected.But Maurice Frankel, director of the Campaign for Freedom of Information, told The Independent: “The bill either prohibits disclosure of information by the OEP or increases the chances of it being withheld under an expanded exemption, or both.“At first sight it’s not clear why new restrictions should be needed, given that the Environmental Information Regulations already allow information to be withheld if disclosure would be harmful and not in the public interest. “The answer may be to protect ministerial lobbying. The OEP may need to take enforcement action against ministers if they fail to comply with environmental legislation. Even when it acts against other authorities it must keep ministers informed.
Ministers will be able to intervene in secret, pressing the OEP to tone down, delay or drop any action, interfering with what is meant to be an independent regulatorMaurice Frankel, director, Campaign for Freedom of Information”Where there are major implications for government expenditure or projects ministers will be able to intervene in secret, pressing the OEP to tone down, delay or drop any action, interfering with what is meant to be an independent regulator.“The government should scrap the proposed prohibition on disclosure which fundamentally undermines the public’s rights under the EIR,  and contravenes the Aarhus Convention to which the UK is a signatory.”In 2019 the bill, which is currently in its report stage in parliament, was criticised by 40 leading environmental and transparency organisations for its secrecy clause. Groups including Greenpeace, Friends of the Earth, the National Union of Journalists and the Open Rights Group warned that the approach amounted to a “damaging and unjustified restriction on the public’s right to environmental information”.
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A senior government minister has admitted that the UK is sending out a “mixed message” by giving the go-ahead to a new coal mine at the same time it is asking other countries to commit to reductions in carbon emissions.Ministers have faced criticism for not “calling in” the decision to green-light the scheme in Whitehaven, Cumbria, which is now being reviewed by the local county council.The move came months ahead of November’s United Nations COP26 summit in Glasgow, at which countries will be asked to improve on carbon reduction promises made in the Paris Agreement of 2015.Speaking to the Institute for Government think tank, Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng admitted the arguments were “finely balanced”, but said that producing coking coal in Cumbria could actually cut overall emissions by removing the need for the UK steel industry to transport imported fuel from distant countries.Mr Kwarteng said: “I think it was a difficult issue. I fully understand that it’s a slightly mixed message to some people. “But at the same time we are committed to the steel industry.“The view was that it was a local decision, so it was the local council that decided to give the go-ahead to the coal mine.“The secretary of state didn’t overrule them in the interests of local power, local devolution.”He said that opening a new mine in Britain “made more sense” than importing coal from abroad.“I think it was a finely-balanced argument in terms of the fact that if you don’t produce coking coal and you have blast furnace steel, which we have, they are going to end up importing the coking coal anyway,” said Mr Kwarteng.“In terms of the global reduction of emissions it doesn’t actually make an effect, it actually increases it because you’re essentially shutting down a domestic source of coking coal and importing it from halfway round the world.”Asked whether Boris Johnson accepted that mixed signals had been sent, the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “The Cumbria coal mine is a planning application, which is a matter for Cumbria County Council. It is right that they take the decision on it.”The spokesman said that Mr Johnson had made his commitment to addressing climate change clear on numerous occasions, adding: “I would point to the Environment Bill and the recent conversation he had with President Biden, where the prime minister discussed climate change, as well as the 10-point plan we have set out on this issue.“The prime minister is fully committed to addressing climate change.”Plans for the UK’s first deep coal mine in 30 years were initially approved by Cumbria councillors in 2019 and environmentalists have said that local government secretary Robert Jenrick’s decision not to call the decision in “drove a coach and horses” through the government’s climate position. More