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Economy will be opened up ‘gradually’ after schools reopen, says vaccines ministerThe UK government is in “denial” at the scale of the problems exporters face, a trade body has warned. James Withers, chief executive at Scottish Food and Drink, told MPs on Thursday that trade had not been flowing freely following the end of the Brexit transition period. He added that issues such as “the sheer weight of paperwork” and “IT systems crashing” were insignificant compared to the government’s refusal to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. This comes as Unionist leaders in Northern Ireland increased their calls for the UK government to scrap part of the Brexit deal to “protect the integrity” of the UK. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the country’s first minister Arlene Foster said the Northern Ireland Protocol “needs to be replaced” and urged Boris Johnson to take actions to that effect.Ian Paisley Jr, another DUP politician, told the BBC on Wednesday evening that the 34 days since the end of the Brexit transition period have been an “unmitigated disaster” for Northern Ireland.Their words follow trade disruptions between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, leading to shortages of some items in supermarkets.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 weekdayTensions worsened last week when the EU threatened to introduce vaccine checks on the island of Ireland to prevent doses made in the bloc reaching the UK via Northern Ireland.  EU and UK officials met on Wednesday to discuss concerns over Northern Ireland, with cabinet office minister Michael Gove and his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic concluding they would “work intensively to find solutions to outstanding issues”. Mr Johnson has left his position open, insisting he will ensure “there is no barrier down the Irish Sea”. Boris Johnson threatens to call time on Northern Ireland Brexit dealBrexit fishing deal ‘fell short’ of industry expectations, government admits Brexit: Why are loyalists making threats over the Irish Sea border? Does Rishi Sunak really think the scientists are moving the lockdown goalposts? Show latest update
1612449211PM’s adviser on the union sacked, No 10 confirms Boris Johnson’s chief adviser on the union has been sacked, following reports of a “furious dispute” over strategy after the prime minister’s visit to Scotland last week.Downing Street confirmed that the former Tory MP Luke Graham has been removed from his post. Oliver Lewis, a leading figure in the Brexit negotiations, is tipped to take his place.Contrary to polls which indicate that the majority of Scots favour independence, No 10 made the bold claim on Thursday that Mr Johnson is the “voice of the majority of the Scottish people” who reject it. Rory Sullivan4 February 2021 14:331612447974People need to step away from brink of violence, says Northern Irish chief constable Northern Ireland’s chief constable has warned of a “febrile” atmosphere in the country, amid rising tensions about trade disruption over the Irish Sea from Great Britain. Simon Byrne said that 26 graffiti incidents have been identified across the country in recent days, with police increasing their intelligence gathering. This comes after custom checks officials in Belfast and Larne withdrew after threats were made against them. Mr Byrne told the Policing Board in Belfast: “It is now time for wise words and calm heads.”We need to work together to look at a route map to normality because that seems to be the opportunity before us, to step back from the brink in terms of community tension.”Rory Sullivan4 February 2021 14:121612446609PM says Brexit ‘done’ despite call for grace period extension Boris Johnson insists Brexit is “done”, despite his government’s request to the EU that it extends the “grace periods” in the Northern Ireland Protocol to 2023. A spokesperson for the prime minister admitted there were still issues “we need to resolve as part of the protocol”. This comes the day after cabinet office minister Michael Gove said concerns need to be remedied quickly, with talks with the EU due to continue next week. Eric Mamer, a spokesperson for the European Commission, said that grace periods “were always meant to be of a temporary nature”, adding that it was up to Mr Gove and his EU counterpart Maros Sefcovic “to see what is the way forward”. Rory Sullivan4 February 2021 13:501612445531Sturgeon praises public for vaccine uptake Nicola Sturgeon has praised the public for coming forward en masse to have the coronavirus vaccine, describing the uptake as “beyond anything I could ever have believed would be possible”.Scotland’s first minister said on Thursday that 98 per cent of older care home residents had been inoculated, while more than 90 per cent of over-80s had also received their first jab. Ms Sturgeon said: “The uptake rates we’re seeing, and I hope this continues as we get into the younger population groups, are way beyond anything I could ever have believed would be possible – way beyond what we see in the flu vaccine programme.”That’s testament to the willingness and the enthusiasm of people to come forward and be vaccinated for their own safety but also to be part of that collective effort that we need to have to beat this virus.”Rory Sullivan4 February 2021 13:321612444405Government in ‘denial’ at scale of exporting problems, says chief executive James Withers, chief executive at Scottish Food and Drink, has told MPs that the biggest problem facing exporting businesses after Brexit is “denial…of the scale of the problem”. He told the Scottish Affairs Committee that issues such as “the sheer weight of paperwork” and “IT systems crashing” were not as bad as the government’s refusal to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. Mr Withers said: “I think the biggest single challenge we have just now is denial. I think it is denial, from the UK Government in particular, of the scale of the problem.”We can’t accept that this is short-term issues, that it is teething problems, or even the statement from Defra this week that trade continues to flow smoothly, because it doesn’t.”Rory Sullivan4 February 2021 13:131612443144Boris Johnson must commit to ruling out trade deals with genocidal regimes in wake of Uighur report, MPs sayBoris Johnson must climbdown and accept an an amendment seeking to prevent trade deals with countries ruled by British courts to be guilty of genocide, MPs have urged.In the wake of a new report detailing human rights abuses against the Uighur Muslim minority people in China’s Xinjiang province, the former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith called on ministers to stop blocking the measure.The amendment to the post-Brexit Trade Bill devised by the crossbench peer Lord Alton would allow the High Court to decide if another signatory to a trade agreement had committed genocide, with the findings presented to parliament for debate.Rory Sullivan4 February 2021 12:521612443014Nadhim Zahawi announces 39 new mass vaccination sites”Our nation is getting safer every day,” the vaccines minister has said in a statement on the rollout, with almost one in five adults having now received a first dose of a coronavirus vaccine.Almost nine in ten over-80s have been vaccinated, almost nine in ten over 75s and almost half of people in their 70s, Nadhim Zahawi said.Every eligible care home has been offered vaccines, and the UK is on track to have offered vaccines to the four most vulnerable groups by mid-February.He thanked everyone involved in the vaccine deployment – “a combination of the best of the UK”.Mr Zahawi said the level of infection is still “alarmingly high” and everyone must remain vigilant.The minister announced that 39 new vaccination sites have opened this week, along with 62 more pharmacy-led sites.There are now 89 large centres and 194 run by high street pharmacies along with 1,000 GP-led services and 250 hospital hubs.He said he was “pleased” to see the results showing sustained protection offered by the AstraZeneca vaccine published in the Lancet medical journal this week.Mr Zahawi also announced a new trial to look at whether different vaccines can be safely used for “a two-dose regime in the future to support a more flexible programme” while adding that it is a year-long study, and there are “no current plans” to change the existing vaccine programme.Clea Skopeliti4 February 2021 12:501612441879PM under pressure to accept genocide amendment to trade bill Boris Johnson is facing mounting pressure to make “meaningful” changes to ban trade deals with countries that are committing genocide.Conservative former leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith urged the government to “stop this nonsense” and accept Trade Bill amendments that would force ministers to pull out of free trade agreements with any country the High Court rules is committing genocide.The House of Lords reinserted the amendment into the legislation after the prime minister was able to narrowly defeat it in the Commons, meaning it will return to be voted on again on Tuesday.Many Conservative MPs are calling for the government to take action, particularly in light of fresh reports of abuses being carried out against the Uighur Muslims in China’s Xinjiang province.The shadow foreign office minister, Stephen Kinnock, has also said the time for “tangible action” against China “has now come” and urged the government to amend the bill.Clea Skopeliti4 February 2021 12:311612440815Shadow leader of the House of Commons calls for select committee on Brexit and the EUThe shadow leader of the House of Commons has called for a select committee on Brexit and the European Union to be reinstated, following disruption at the border despite Boris Johnson’s promises to the contrary.Valerie Vaz told the Commons: “Remember the prime minister’s promise to businesses in Northern Ireland – no forms, no checks, no barriers of any kind, you will have unfettered access?”Can (Mr Rees-Mogg) look at restoring the select committee along the same lines that they have in the other place, unless the Leader thinks that they are more accountable than we are in this place?”Jacob Rees-Mogg replied that “anything relating to Northern Ireland can be looked at by the Northern Ireland Committee”, adding that there “are plenty of opportunities for scrutiny”. Clea Skopeliti4 February 2021 12:131612439838Government should help companies ensure they are ‘not complicit with any genocidal regime’, says Tory MPConservative MP Tom Tugendhat has asked the government to help British institutions ensure they are “not complicit with any genocidal regime”.His comments in the Commons on Thursday come after Manchester University broke ties with CETC, once it realised that the company was linked to the surveillance of Uighurs in China’s Xinjiang province. Mr Tugendhat, who chairs the foreign affrairs committee, urged the Foreign Office to assist companies because “they can’t always know” the connections themselves. Rory Sullivan4 February 2021 11:57 More

Boris Johnson’s chief adviser on the union has been replaced following reports of a bust-up at No 10 on the UK government’s strategy to counter rising support for Scottish independence. Former Scottish Tory MP Luke Graham is understood to have been sacked from his role advising the prime minister, as Downing Street looks to “beef up” its union unit ahead of Holyrood elections this spring.A “furious dispute” over strategy followed Mr Johnson’s controversial visit to Scotland last week in a bid to build support for union, according to an account in the Financial Times.It is unclear whether Mr Graham had recommended the trip north of the border – condemned by SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon as unnecessary travel – but he is said to have been unhappy with No 10’s wider strategy, the report added.The prime minister’s official spokesman confirmed Mr Graham has “left his No 10 position” on Thursday – only two days after press secretary Allegra Stratton said he was a “very valued member of staff”.Despite successive polls showing majority support for independence in Scotland, the spokesman said Mr Johnson remained the “voice of the majority of the Scottish people” who rejected independence at the referendum in 2014. More

Downing Street has refused to rule out a new carbon tax which could force up the price of staples like meat and cheese as well as gas heating.Reports suggest that Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak have asked Whitehall ministries to produce a “price” for carbon emissions across all areas of the economy, as part of a drive to achieve his net-zero pledge.Proposals are being drawn up for a carbon reduction blueprint to be unveiled ahead of the UN COP26 climate change summit being hosted by the UK in Glasgow in November.Last year’s Energy White Paper set out plans for a national carbon trading scheme which ministers describe as “the foundation on which the UK achieves net-zero emissions cost effectively”.A cap on carbon emissions would initially continue to be applied only to energy-intensive industries such as electricity generation and aviation, but would then be then expanded across the economy to encourage reductions in greenhouse gas production, the paper says.An official memo obtained by The Times suggested that this could include a direct carbon tax on the most carbon-intensive services, such as meat and cheese production, or a shift in climate change levies from electricity to gas.”The chancellor and the prime minister want a sector-by-sector view on how we could implement some form of carbon pricing and an overall roadmap to deliver (it) in the next decade,” said the memo.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 weekdayAsked about the prospect of a new carbon tax, prime minister Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said only that such matters were dealt with by the chancellor in a Budget, adding: “It’s a long-standing policy that we don’t discuss any speculation in advance of them.”Labour’s shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said that any tax reform to help the government meet its commitment to zero carbon emissions by 2050 must be “fair””The UK is in the middle of the worst economic crisis of any major economy,” said Ms Dodds. “Now is not the time to be hiking taxes on families across the country, yet Rishi Sunak is ploughing ahead with a triple hammer blow of council tax hikes, public sector pay freezes and cuts to Universal Credit.”We will consider any longer-term changes to the tax system carefully, bearing in mind that the UK is way off meeting its carbon-cutting targets. Any change must be fair, and go hand-in-hand with action to shore up family finances and improve living standards after over a decade of irresponsible decisions by the Conservatives.” More

Boris Johnson must climbdown and accept an an amendment seeking to prevent trade deals with countries ruled by British courts to be guilty of genocide, MPs have urged.In the wake of a new report detailing human rights abuses against the Uighur Muslim minority people in China’s Xinjiang province, the former Tory leader Iain Duncan Smith called on ministers to stop blocking the measure.The amendment to the post-Brexit Trade Bill devised by the crossbench peer Lord Alton would allow the High Court to decide if another signatory to a trade agreement had committed genocide, with the findings presented to parliament for debate.MPs are expected to vote on the measure again on Tuesday, setting the stage for a significant Tory rebellion unless the prime minister accepts the amendment or negotiates a concession.Speaking on Thursday, Mr Duncan Smith asked Foreign Office minister Nigel Adams: “Why, oh why is the government going out out of its way to block this amendment that’s coming back to the House of Commons which will give courts the power to decide that this genocide?“Let’s stop this nonsense please and allow this amendment to go through and to get the courts to make this decision of genocide. It will be a leading position from a British government. That’s the way to go.”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 weekdayIn response, Mr Adams said the government understood the “strength of feeling” around the Trade Bill, adding: “We do believe there must be more enhanced scrutiny for parliament on genocide and our response to this crime.” Alyn Smith, the SNP’s foreign affairs spokesperson, said the time for the government to reverse its position on the amendment was “long overdue” while the Labour frontbencher Stephen Kinnock also called on ministers to accept the measure seeking to ban the UK from signing deals with countries accused of genocide.Their comments came as the Conservative MP Nusrat Ghani highlighted a BBC report exposing the abuses of Uighur Muslim women in detention camps in the Xinjiang province, which included allegations of forced sterilisation and rape. Ms Ghani stressed that there should be “no deepening of ties” between the UK and China until there has been a judicial inquiry into claims of genocide against the Uighur people, adding: “We cannot be bystanders to these deliberate attempts to exterminate a group of people, not again.”Mr Adams also described the reports as “chilling” and called on China to allow unfettered access to the region by United Nations inspectors. He said the UK was “leading international efforts to hold China to account” and was committed to take “robust action”, adding: “We have announced a series of measures, the Foreign Secretary on January 12, in terms of the human rights situation in Xinjiang.”This will ensure that UK businesses are not complicit in human rights violations. We are leading international efforts to hold China to account.” More

The EU will not scrap or alter controversial Brexit border arrangements for Northern Ireland in response to “unilateral demands or threats” from London, Ireland’s foreign minister has warned.Simon Coveney said that the Northern Ireland Protocol was a result of the negotiation stance taken by Boris Johnson, telling those who fought for a hard Brexit: “You’ve got to own the consequences of your own decisions.”While Dublin wanted to be “helpful” in smoothing trade by the use of existing flexibilities in the agreement, DUP first minister Arlene Foster’s demand for the removal of the protocol was “unrealistic” he said.Cabinet minister Michael Gove is demanding an extension to January 2023 of grace periods to ease the flow of goods between Northern Ireland and the British mainland, following disruption which has seen empty shelves in supermarkets and long delays for lorries at ports.And Mr Johnson has threatened to invoke safeguard measures in Article 16 of the protocol to suspend elements of the agreement, just days after he condemned Brussels for making the same threat over the export of vaccines.Ms Foster today called on the PM to scrap the protocol, which her party has denounced as an “unmitigated disaster” for Northern Ireland.“The Northern Ireland Protocol has not worked, cannot work and in light of our proposals to the government, needs to be replaced,” she wrote in the Daily Telegraph.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“Indeed, across Northern Ireland there is growing anger at the current arrangements. The delicate political balance and relationships in Northern Ireland have been damaged and disturbed by the Protocol.”Ms Foster was speaking after the UK and EU stood down some controls at Belfast and Larne ports following an “upsurge in sinister and menacing behaviour”.But Mr Coveney told BBC Radio Ulster: “That’s unrealistic from Arlene Foster.“This isn’t something that’s being imposed on Northern Ireland by the European Union. It’s something that was agreed and negotiated as a consequence of the kind of Brexit that the British government advocated and wanted, and was also supported in doing so by the DUP.”Mr Coveney acknowledged that there had been “problems” with the implementation of the the arrangements, which effectively create a customs border in the Irish Sea, subjecting businesses to onerous paperwork and checks.But he said: “The protocol isn’t going to be changed, this is about implementation and the flexibilities that are there.”He said that the UK had failed to provide access to data on goods movements to EU observers as promised in the protocol.In a letter to EU vice-president Maros Sefcovic ahead of a video meeting on Wednesday, Mr Gove demanded concessions including an extended grace period by the end of the week. And Mr Johnson told the House of Commons: “We will do everything we need to do, whether legislatively or indeed by triggering Article 16 of the protocol, to ensure that there is no barrier down the Irish Sea.”After discussions which both sides characterised as “constructive” last night, Mr Sefcovic is due to travel to London for further talks next week.But Mr Coveney said: “The EU isn’t going to respond on the basis of unilateral demands or threats of consequences if they don’t give the British government what they want. “There needs to be real engagement that has begun in relation to what’s possible within the parameters of the protocol.“Certain parties have opposed the protocol from the outset, they also opposed the backstop, they also opposed the concept of sharing the customs union and the single market.“You’ve got to own the consequences of your own decisions. If you force a certain type of Brexit, then that has consequences. “And when the problems that all of us had been warning would flow from that kind of Brexit actually happen in reality, you’ve got to take responsibility for that.”He added: “I’m not suggesting that there aren’t some issues that need to be resolved and some very real problems for businesses in Northern Ireland that we need to work on solutions to solve.“But the core issue here is that this is the result of Brexit, not the result of the protocol. The protocol is about providing solutions to the disruption that Brexit actually forces on everybody.” More

The British government has warned Myanmar it is considering “next steps” over the military coup that saw democratic leader Aung San Suu Kyi deposed and detained.Foreign secretary Dominic Raab condemned the treatment of Ms Aung after Myanmar’s police force filed charges against the Nobel laureate for allegedly importing illegal communications equipment.The UK is consulting with allies on what action to take, Mr Raab said on Thursday – as pressure grows for sanctions against the south-east Asian nation’s military.Mr Raab tweeted: “We condemn the detention and charges against Aung San Suu Kyi and other elected officials. They must be released immediately and have charges removed.“There must be no backsliding from democracy. The UK is consulting with international partners on next steps.”Mr Raab has been accused by the Labour party of failing in his response to the weekend coup after the government stopped short of introducing new sanctions on the country’s military.The Foreign Office said sanctions were already in place against individuals, including the military’s commander-in-chief and his deputy.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 weekdayHowever, Labour has argued that the government should go further – taking action against the country’s armed forces and their business interests, extending arms embargo and offering formal backing to a case of genocide against Myanmar at the International Court of Justice.Labour’s shadow foreign affairs spokesman Stephen Kinnock said: “The UK and the wider international community must act swiftly and effectively to prove the military wrong on this. The government must move from warm words of condemnation to tangible action.”It comes as UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres called on international leaders to put pressure on Myanmar’s military. In an interview with the Washington Post, Mr Guterres said the UN would work with key international players “to put enough pressure on Myanmar to make sure that this coup fails”.On Wednesday, the foreign ministers of the G7 nations issued a statement calling for Ms Aung and other politicians to be released, and for power to be restored to the democratically-elected government.Senior generals announced on Monday that they would take power for a year, accusing Ms Aung’s government of not investigating claims of voter fraud in recent elections. Her National League for Democracy (NLD) party swept the vote and the military-backed party did poorly.She appears likely to be detained until at least the middle of the month after police charged her with possession of illegally imported walkie talkies.Myanmar’s junta blocked Facebook on Thursday, and activists said at least three people were arrested at a street protest against the coup. The social media platform was still available sporadically and demonstrators in Mandalay used it to livestream the first demonstrations since the coup. More

Government scientific adviser Andrew Hayward has suggested there could be a “significant return to normality” by the summer with restrictions gradually phased out once the most vulnerable people in the UK have been vaccinated. The director of UCL’s Institute for Epidemiology, however, stressed that Boris Johnson was “absolutely right to be cautious” in unwinding the lockdown in the immediate future as he faces pressure from Conservative backbenchers over the return of schools.“We’re still in a very serious situation with amongst the highest coronavirus rates in the world and the number of deaths are still very high,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.“Yes, they are going down, but we know that when we begin to release the rates will start to bounce back very quickly. It’s fantastic that we’ve vaccinated 10 million people, but there’s still a lot of vulnerable people yet to be vaccinated. It’s too early to release just yet.”But Mr Hayward — a member of the government Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) —  said that once the most vulnerable are vaccinated, including those over 50 and those with chronic illnesses, “then yes I think we can see a significant return to normality”.“In addition to the fact that coronavirus is a seasonal disease, I think will make a big difference and allow us to open up,” he added. “I think what we’ll see is a phased opening up as the vaccination levels increase and then we’ll be more or less back to normal for the summer I would imagine.”His comments came after the prime minister cautioned that while there were “signs of hope”, levels of infection remained “alarmingly high”.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 weekdayIn a separate interview, Nadhim Zahawi, the minister responsible for the vaccine rollout, said the prime minister will set out a roadmap on 22 February for a gradual reopening of the economy beginning with the potential reopening of some schools on 8 March. However, he declined to give a date for when the all nine groups in the priority list will have received their vaccine, saying the government’s efforts were concentrated on the 15 million jabs target by 15 February for priority groups 5-9.”But you can do the maths. We did 600,000 in a single day – the deployment infrastructure that we’ve built can do as much vaccines as we get supply, so the limiting factor will be vaccine supply. You can see that in the next 10 or so days, we’ve got to do another almost touching five million and so if we keep that rate up we will very quickly go down the list of the top nine.”Pressed on whether that meant it would take another 35 days from 15 February to have jabbed all 31 million people in the first nine cohorts, Mr Zahawi replied: “That assumes the supply, so I don’t want to commit to a date without going through it with a very fine tooth comb with the whole team, because our limiting factor is the supply of vaccines ultimately.”With any manufacturing process, especially one that is new, there are challenges around that, as we’ve seen in Europe and as we saw in the early days in the UK as well.” More

A “vacuum of information” on the characteristics of grooming gangs is fuelling continued abuse and allowing extremists to exploit it, MPs have said.In a delayed debate sparked by petitions on the issue, several politicians said a report published by the Home Office had not answered the questions many hoped it would.Tom Hunt, a Conservative member of the Petitions Committee who opened Wednesday’s debate, said many victims he had spoken to “feel that the report doesn’t go far enough”.“They believe it only touches upon the issues and if it is the start of something more significant then OK, but if it is the end of it they would be very unsatisfied,” he told the House of Commons.“They feel this was an issue that was swept under the carpet … [and] if it is the case that if certain crimes are disproportionately committed by members of certain communities, we should be open and honest about that and address it. “Because actually by sweeping it under the carpet it makes tensions and divisions worse down the line.”The Home Office report said that although a number of high-profile grooming cases, including Rotherham, Rochdale and Telford mainly involved men of Pakistani ethnicity, “links between ethnicity and this form of offending” could not be proven.The Home Office report said the “existing data would not answer the question of the relationship between ethnicity and child sexual exploitation,” adding: “Based on the existing evidence, and our understanding of the flaws in the existing data, it seems most likely that the ethnicity of group-based CSE offenders is in line with child sexual abuse more generally and with the general population, with the majority of offenders being white.”It was published in December following a petition demanding its release, which was signed by more than 130,000 people – automatically triggering a parliamentary debate.Conservative MP Sir John Hayes called the report a “study in obfuscation” and called for action on known modus operandi for grooming gangs, such as the use of taxis to find and pick up victims. More