Markus Andrews

Ms Truss joined Ireland’s foreign affairs minister, Simon Covey, in acknowledging the UK’s departure from the EU played a part in the disruption, putting her at odds with Mr Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, who has said disruption caused by coronavirus before Christmas is solely responsible for the shortages of some food products and is “nothing to do with leaving the EU”.But Mr Coveney told ITV’s Peston: “I don’t think it’s only to do with Covid-19, though certainly that doesn’t help.”The supermarket shelves were full before Christmas and there are some issues now in terms of supply chains. So that’s clearly a Brexit issue and it’s part of the reality of the United Kingdom now being outside not only the European Union but of the customs union and the single market as well.”Northern Ireland of course has special treatment and we’ve made a huge effort to try and minimise those checks and that disruption but nevertheless it’s there and very real.”When she was asked about Mr Coveney’s assertion that the shortage of goods is not to do with Brexit agreements as well as Covid-19, Ms Truss told Peston: “Well I think it’s down to both of those issues.”We were always clear that we are leaving the single market, we are leaving the customs union, there would be processes to be undertaken.”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 said “predictions of armageddon” over Brexit “simply haven’t happened” and that “we’re now seeing a more rapid flow of goods into Northern Ireland and those supermarket shelves are being stocked”.”Of course there was always going to be a period of adjustment for businesses,” she added.On Tuesday, Mr Lewis said shortages of some products in the weeks since the post-Brexit transition period ended on 31 December were due to the knock-on effects of UK trade with continental Europe being temporarily halted due to concerns over the new Kent variant of coronavirus.He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “That’s actually something we’ve seen across other parts of the UK as well, nothing to do with leaving the EU, nothing to do with the Northern Irish protocol but actually to do with some of the challenges we saw with Covid at the port of Dover just before Christmas and the impact that had on supply lines coming through.”I have to say supermarket supply lines at the moment are in good fettle.”The Northern Ireland Protocol between the UK and the EU requires health certifications on animal-based food products entering Northern Ireland from the rest of the UK.On Wednesday, Mr Coveney said the Brexit divorce deal agreed with the EU by then-prime minister, Theresa May, would have caused less separation from Northern Ireland from the UK.”There was an opportunity for a very different kind of Brexit that would have avoided much of the trade disruption that we’re now experiencing and people chose not to take that opportunity,” he said.Additional reporting by Press Association More

There is “nothing wrong with being woke” but it is “important to stick up for your history,” Boris Johnson has asserted as he was asked about a description of the new US president, Joe Biden.In a rambling answer, Mr Johnson claimed he could not comment on whether Donald Trump’s successor was woke, but said:”What I know is that he’s a firm believer in the transatlantic alliance and that’s a great thing.”There’s nothing wrong with being woke but what I can tell you is that I think it’s very, very important for everybody to … I certainly put myself in the category of people who believe that it’s important to stick up for your history, your traditions and your values, the things you believe in.”His remarks came after Labour’s shadow foreign secretary, Lisa Nandy, accused the prime minister of having “managed to trash” the UK’s reputation as a values-driven nation.In an interview with The Guardian she praised Mr Biden as a “woke guy” who defends trans rights and the Black Lives Matter movement, saying he offered a possible model for electoral success for the Labour Party.Ms Nandy suggested the Democratic former vice-president could serve as an inspiration for how a Labour leader could triumph without compromising on progressive values and being drawn into culture wars.”Joe Biden – he’s a woke guy, he appointed an amazingly strong woman of colour who is also pro-choice as his running mate, he mentioned the trans community in his victory speech, he stood up for the Black Lives Matter protesters, he spoke out about the policing of that movement, and he’s never shied away from standing up for his values,” she said in the interview.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 weekdayMr Johnson’s enthusiastic embrace of the term woke may not be universally welcomed by some within the Conservative Party.As recently as Sunday, the communities secretary, Robert Jenrick, decried “town hall militants and woke worthies” as he announced laws to protect monuments after the toppling of a statue of slave trader Edward Colston in Bristol.Mr Johnson has also been perceived as being very un-woke, having used racial slurs such as “piccaninnies” and describing then-prime minister, Tony Blair, being met by “tribal warriors” with “watermelon smiles” on a trip to the CongoThe prime minister once referred to gay men as “bum boys” and, in a 2018 newspaper column, described veiled Muslim women as “looking like letter boxes”.His choice of language has also been raised as a potential grounds for friction with the incoming US administration.Many were offended by his criticism of Barack Obama, who Mr Biden served as vice-president to, as having an “ancestral dislike” of Britain because of his “part-Kenyan” heritage when the then-president came out in support of the Remain campaign.Additional reporting by Press Association More

Labour is turning its fire on Rishi Sunak, accusing the chancellor of calling the coronavirus crisis wrong “time and again” and doing “untold harm” to business with a stop-start approach to government support.In a speech to the London School of Economics on Thursday, shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds will say that the chancellor’s approach has left the UK with “the worst of both worlds” – the worst recession of any major economy and the worst Covid-19 death toll in Europe.She will say that government mishandling of the pandemic has stemmed from a false belief that the health and economic needs of the nation could be treated as separate entities to be traded off against one another.Ms Dodds will also call for better support for local authorities to deliver the £500 one-off support payment available to those asked by NHS Test and Trace to self-isolate after coming into contact with someone with Covid-19, following complaints that many of those eligible have missed out.Mr Sunak has won plaudits for his £280bn package of support for businesses and workers during the pandemic, including furlough payments for those who would otherwise be laid off and grants and loans for companies unable to operate normally.But he has faced criticism over a series of cliff-edge dates for withdrawal of support which have repeatedly been subject to last-minute change as the outbreak worsened. And critics say that his flagship Eat Out to Help Out programme to support restaurants in the summer may have played a role in keeping levels of infection up.He is understood to be at loggerheads with the prime minister over whether to extend a £20-a-week uplift to universal credit and working tax credit beyond its scheduled withdrawal in April.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 weekdayTaking aim at Mr Sunak, Ms Dodds will say: “The chancellor has called this crisis wrong time and again. “From a succession of winter economic plans that had to be continually revised because each iteration sought to give the bare minimum in economic support and then was overtaken by events; to disappearing altogether over Christmas only to return earlier this month with almost nothing new to say and precious little clarity for businesses as to what they can expect in the months to come. “Much of this seems to stem from a belief that the economy is only well-served by a total lifting of restrictions and a removal of all economic support as soon as possible. But with the virus sadly still with us and continuing to impact on demand, he needs to think again.”She will add: “At the heart of the Conservative government’s mishandling of this crisis over the last 10 months has been an insistence that you can treat the health of a nation and its economy as distinct entities, to be traded off against one another. “You either ‘choose health’, and lock down the economy completely in a bid to prevent the virus from spreading. Or you ‘choose jobs’, easing restrictions as rapidly as you are able to get people back to work.“This narrative is not only untrue; it is self-defeating.”  More

The Conservatives risk returning to the days of the “nasty party” if they remove a £20-per-week increase in universal credit payments during the pandemic, the government’s former homelessness adviser has warned.Warning the “country had been torn to shreds” by the coronavirus crisis with considerable numbers turning to state support, Dame Louise Casey said removing the additional payments would be “too punitive” for low-paid families.Her intervention comes amid a major political row over whether to maintain the £6bn uplift – introduced at the onset of the pandemic last year – beyond March when it is currently set to expire.With Britons enduring their third lockdown and the economy facing a severe downturn, the government has so far resisted intense pressure to extend the increase and a final decision is not expected until the Budget.“To remove that £20 a week – it’s too punitive, it’s not the right thing to do, and I think they just go back to being the nasty party,” Dame Louise told the BBC.The description of the “nasty party” was used by the former prime minister Theresa May at a Conservative conference when the party was in opposition.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 weekdayAddressing activists in 2002, she told them: “There’s a lot we need to do in this party of ours. Our base is too narrow and so, occasionally, are our sympathies. You know what some people call us: the nasty party.”Dame Louise added: “Clearly they shouldn’t reverse the universal credit addition that would just, you know, there are one or two ways that you know you can make sure you can get to poor families and give them a lifeline.“Universal credit – the uplift – is one of those. Other ways are to get food, for example, vouchers and extra cash to like free school meals and struggling families.”But Boris Johnson’s press secretary Allegra Stratton rejected the charge, telling reporters: “There’s no way that this party or this government can be called the ‘nasty party’, when you look at the £280bn of support that has been put in place during the pandemic for everybody.”When you crunch that £280bn, you can see – and independent analysts will back this up – that a lot of it has gone towards the less well-off in society.“This is not only a government that’s put a huge amount of resources into making sure every household, families and individuals across the country, have what they need to get through this pandemic, but has also been particularly mindful of the less well-off.”Dame Louise also urged Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, who is reported to be considering a one-off £500 payment to claimants to avoid the uplift becoming permanent, to consider the effect removing the payment would have on people’s lives.“The Treasury need to step back and not feel this constant responsibility to close the books all the time and fight and fight and fight,” she said.“They need to step back and think if we really want to rebuild Britain, what type of economic policy do we need to put in place that will … not take the knees out from under people.”A government spokesperson said: “We are committed to supporting the lowest-paid families through the pandemic and beyond to ensure that nobody is left behind. “That’s why we’ve targeted our support to those most in need by raising the living wage, spending hundreds of billions to safeguard jobs, boosting welfare support by billions and introducing the £170m Covid winter grant scheme to help children and families stay warm and well-fed during the coldest months.“No decisions have yet been made on a range of Covid support measures that run through until the end of March and April, and it is right to wait until we know more about where we are in the vaccination process before making any decisions.” More

Downing Street has said Boris Johnson continues to have “full confidence” in Priti Patel, after the home secretary revealed they clashed last spring over the decision not to close UK borders at the start of the coronavirus pandemic.Following Ms Patel’s astonishing revelation last night that she recommended barring entry from abroad in March 2020, Mr Johnson refused to tell MPs why he overruled her advice.Put under pressure at prime minister’s questions in the House of Commons, the prime minister twice ducked the question.But his official spokesman later told reporters that the government’s decisions on coronavirus restrictions had at all times been “based on the best scientific evidence and data available”, suggesting that Ms Patel’s position was counter to the prime minster’s assessment of that evidence.The spokesman nevertheless said the PM continued to have “full confidence” in her as home secretary.The fateful decision – taken without “any scientific evidence” to justify it, an investigation later found – is blamed for making the Covid-19 death toll “far worse” than if restrictions had been imposed.It meant hundreds of Covid-infected passengers arrived every day – particularly from Spain, Italy and France – as the UK stood “almost unique” in rejecting border checks, a report by MPs 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 weekdayThe controversy has been reignited after Ms Patel told Tory supporters: “On ‘should we have closed our borders earlier’, the answer is yes. I was an advocate of closing them last March.”Instead, as coronavirus ripped through the UK, ministers abandoned asking people to quarantine for two weeks after arriving infection blackspots, such as Hubei province in China and Italy.In the Commons, Keir Starmer demanded to know: “Why did he overrule his Home Secretary, who claims she said, last March, that we should shut down borders?”But Mr Johnson refused to answer, instead branding the Labour leader “Captain Hindsight” for not having called for border closures himself, last March.Outside the Commons, Nigel Farage also piled on the pressure, tweeting: “What a pity Boris Johnson didn’t listen to Priti Patel.”Almost 1.7 million passengers arrived in the UK in the first week of March last year and, even in the week ending 22 March – days before the lockdown was finally imposed – almost 600,000 did so.In the crucial ten days between scrapping isolation guidance and the lockdown, up to 10,000 infected people arrived, an investigation by the Commons Home Affairs Committee found.Mr Johnson was also unable to answer questions posed about the blunder that saw the Home Office delete hundreds of thousands of criminal recordsSir Keir said: “It’s 10 days since the Home Office mistakenly deleted hundreds of thousands of vital criminal records, including fingerprints, crime scene data and DNA records.“So can the Prime Minister tell the House how many criminal investigations could have been damaged by this mistake?”The Prime Minister replied: “We don’t know how many cases might be frustrated as a result of what has happened.“But I can tell him there are 213,000 offence records, 5,000 arrest records and 15,000 person records currently being investigated because they are the subject of this problem.”Mr Johnson said the Home Office “believe that they will be able to rectify the results of this complex incident and they hope very much that they’ll be able to restore the data in question”. More

PM promises British fishing fleets ‘Eldorado’ after BrexitKeir Starmer has accused Boris Johnson of failing to “get to the bottom” of the huge loss in police records. The Labour leader also questioned why the PM had not closed the UK’s borders last March – citing remarks by home secretary Priti Patel saying she wanted them shut.It comes as Mr Johnson said he was looking forward to working “hand in hand” with incoming US president Joe Biden, as Downing Street scrambles to reach out to the new administration in Washington DC.Meanwhile, Mr Johnson has promised British fishing fleets “Eldorado” after Brexit – referring to the mythical land of riches. And more than 100 musicians – including Sir Elton John and Sting – have signed a letter saying they have been “shamefully failed” over visa rules.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
1611153710Brexit problems ‘going to get bigger’, says NFUReductions in EU food imports caused by Brexit red tape may force the government to accept sub-standard supplies from other parts of the world just to feed the UK population, farmers have warned.
National Farmers Union official Nick von Westerholz rejected Boris Johnson’s claim that new barriers to trade from his EU deal amount to no more than “teething problems”, telling a Lords committee on Wednesday: “They may be bumps in the road now, but they are going to get bigger.”
He added: “The one thing that worries me is, if we do see a structural decrease in imports from the EU …We may just need to get hold of food wherever we can at whatever cost.”
Representatives of farmers, retailers and food and drink manufacturers have all warned delays and cost burdens were likely to increase.Adam Forrest20 January 2021 14:411611152898Immigration minister accused of ‘callousness’The Home Office has been accused of “callousness” after appearing to blame asylum seekers for the spread of Covid in a military camp where hundreds are being held.Residents have been banned from Napier Barracks in Kent since Saturday after a number of individuals tested positive. The place is thought to be housing around 400 people, sleeping in dormitories of up to 28 individuals, often with only sheets hanging between their beds.
Immigration minister Chris Philp impled that residents were to blame for the spread, saying: “It is incredibly disappointing that prior to this a number of individuals refused tests and have been either refusing to self-isolate or follow social distancing rules.”
But lawyers and campaigners condemned his response. Chai Patel of the Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants, said Philp’s response was “appalling”, adding: “In any normal government he would have to resign for such a callous statement.”
Adam Forrest20 January 2021 14:281611152065‘Look forward to working with you’As Donald Trump left the White House, foreign secretary Dominic Raab sent his congratulations to soon-to-be president Joe Biden and soon-to-be VP Kamala Harris on the “historic day”.He said: “From climate change to trade and security, our two countries share a close bond and special relationship … We look forward to working with you on shared priorities as a force for good in the world.”
Adam Forrest20 January 2021 14:141611151535Boris Johnson likens Brexit gains to city paved with gold that did not existBoris Johnson has promised British fishermen a Brexit “El Dorado” from 2026 once problems caused by his new border bureaucracy have been dealt with.Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has more on what the PM has pledged:Adam Forrest20 January 2021 14:051611150635Neil O’Brien’s close callIn pre-pandemic times cutting through the noise of PMQs meant overcoming the noise of jeering opposition benches to ask your question.However in keeping with our ongoing unprecedented times, Neil O’Brien found himself having to combat the sounds of his own office.Vincent Wood20 January 2021 13:501611149735Lindsay Hoyle scolds Johnson for calling it ‘Scottish Nationalist Party’Lindsay Hoyle scolds Johnson for calling it ‘Scottish Nationalist Party’Vincent Wood20 January 2021 13:351611148868‘Everyone needs to look at what they’ve done’ after alleged rules breachWelsh health minister Vaughan Gething has said “everyone needs to look at what they’ve done” following allegations that a group of politicians consumed alcohol on the Senedd estate.Mr Gething, when asked if the group pressured catering staff into serving them alcohol, replied: “I don’t know the facts … Everyone needs to look at what they’ve done. We need to understand the full impact of what’s happened and not rush to judgment.”Adam Forrest20 January 2021 13:211611148053PM rejects demands for immediate inquiry into government’s handling of pandemicBoris Johnson has rejected mounting demands for an immediate inquiry into the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic, telling MPs it must wait until after the current crisis.More below:Vincent Wood20 January 2021 13:071611146976Johnson accused of ‘cosying up’ to TrumpSNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said Boris Johnson had “cosied up to Donald Trump and his callous world view” as he called on the PM to reverse his “cruel policy” of cutting foreign aid.
He said: “Turning the page on the dark chapter of Trump’s presidency isn’t solely the responsibility of president Joe Biden … It is also the responsibility of those in the Tory party including the PM who cosied up to Donald Trump and his callous world view.”
Johnson replied: “I think it’s very important the PM of the UK has the best possible relationship with the president of the US … we’ll work with president Biden to secure the transatlantic alliance and Nato, which, of course, the SNP would unbundle, well, I think they would.”
Adam Forrest20 January 2021 12:491611146403Boris Johnson promises fishing communities ‘Eldorado’The prime minister has responded to a question about red tape Brexit woes by promising British fishing fleets “Eldorado” – a mythical land of riches that turned out not to exist.Boris Johnson said: “The reality is Brexit will deliver, is delivering a huge uplift in quota in the next five years. And by 2026, all the fishing people of this country will have access to all the fish, in all the territorial waters in this country.“And to get them ready for that Eldorado, we’re investing £100m in improving our boats, our fish processing industry, and getting fishing ready for the opportunities ahead.”Bed Bradshaw, who asked the question, repeatedly shook his head. More

Put under pressure in the Commons – after the Home Secretary’s astonishing revelation that she recommended closure last March – the prime minister twice ducked the question.
It meant hundreds of Covid-infected passengers arrived every day – particularly from Spain, Italy and France – as the UK stood “almost unique” in rejecting border checks, a report by MPs said.
The controversy has been reignited after Ms Patel told Tory supporters: “On ‘should we have closed our borders earlier’, the answer is yes. I was an advocate of closing them last March.”
Instead, as coronavirus ripped through the UK, ministers abandoned asking people to quarantine for two weeks after arriving infection blackspots, such as Hubei province in China and Italy.
In the Commons, Keir Starmer demanded to know: “Why did he overrule his Home Secretary, who claims she said, last March, that we should shut down borders?”
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 Mr Johnson refused to answer, instead branding the Labour leader “Captain Hindsight” for not having called for border closures himself, last March.
Speaking to reporters later, Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said that the government’s decisions had at all times been “based on the best scientific evidence and data available”, suggesting that Ms Patel’s support for closing borders was counter to the government’s assessment of that evidence.But the spokesman said the PM continued to have “full confidence” in her as home secretary.Outside the Commons, Nigel Farage also piled on the pressure, tweeting: “What a pity Boris Johnson didn’t listen to Priti Patel.”Almost 1.7 million passengers arrived in the UK in the first week of March last year and, even in the week ending 22 March – days before the lockdown was finally imposed – almost 600,000 did so.In the crucial ten days between scrapping isolation guidance and the lockdown, up to 10,000 infected people arrived, an investigation by the Commons Home Affairs Committee found.Mr Johnson was also unable to answer questions posed about the blunder that saw the Home Office delete hundreds of thousands of criminal records
Sir Keir said: “It’s 10 days since the Home Office mistakenly deleted hundreds of thousands of vital criminal records, including fingerprints, crime scene data and DNA records.
“So can the Prime Minister tell the House how many criminal investigations could have been damaged by this mistake?”
The Prime Minister replied: “We don’t know how many cases might be frustrated as a result of what has happened.
“But I can tell him there are 213,000 offence records, 5,000 arrest records and 15,000 person records currently being investigated because they are the subject of this problem.”
Mr Johnson said the Home Office “believe that they will be able to rectify the results of this complex incident and they hope very much that they’ll be able to restore the data in question”. More

Reductions in EU food imports caused by new Brexit red tape may force the government to accept sub-standard supplies from other parts of the world just to feed the UK population, farmers have warned. The warning came a day after the government overturned House of Lords amendments to the Trade Bill which would have allowed parliament to block the import of goods like US chlorinated chicken or hormone-pumped beef.National Farmers Union official Nick von Westerholz rejected Boris Johnson’s claim that new barriers to trade from his EU deal amount to no more than “teething problems”, telling a Lords committee: “They may be bumps in the road now, but they are going to get bigger. These are not the teething problems that some people have referred to.”The Lords EU Environment Sub-Committee heard of “incredibly time-consuming” new bureaucracy hampering movements of animal and food products across borders both onto the continent of Europe and into Northern Ireland as a result of the Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA) reached by Mr Johnson on Christmas Eve.And representatives of farmers, retailers and food and drink manufacturers warned delays and cost burdens were likely to increase as trade volumes – significantly reduced at present as companies hold back from testing the new systems – return to normal levels in the coming weeks, and a grace period for checks ends on movements to Northern Ireland in April and for imports from the EU to mainland Britain in July.Mr von Westerholz told the committee: “We are beginning to feel the effects at farm level of the problems many traders are having. It’s modest and slowly building at the moment, but we do expect over the next weeks and months for the effects to become more keenly felt.”The committee heard how product movements were being disrupted because companies needed to supply details of the content of consignments with 24-hour notice, and fill in vehicle registration plates on forms in advance, when these details were not known until much later under just-in-time supply methods.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 weekdayFor certain products like fresh processed meats – sausages or mince – and seed potatoes there had been a “hard stop” to exports to the EU, said the Food and Drink Federation’s Dominic Goudie.And sugar-based sweet manufacturers were finding themselves having to find new UK sources for sugar because of provisions in the deal limiting the use of products from overseas, which are less generous than in Canada’s deal with the EU, he said.Parcel delivery firms were refusing to carry small consignments of animal and plant-based products, such as speciality cheeses, because of the additional paperwork. Mr von Westerholz said that the impact of delays and refusals of consignments at the border was increasingly being felt by farmers, who were “nervous” about lower trade volumes becoming “embedded or structural” and hitting prices at the farm gate.And he said there was “an enormous question mark” over what Mr Johnson’s TCA will mean for the availability of healthy and affordable food and consumer choice.“The one thing that worries me is, if we do see a structural decrease in imports from the EU and if we do see downward pressure on productivity in the UK – or certainly on prices in the UK – that increases the incentives for the UK government to liberalise its trade policy without also taking account of issues around the standards of the food that we eat, the way it has been produced, the nutritional content,” he told the committee.“We may just need to get hold of food wherever we can at whatever whatever cost. “It does concern me that the UK government may feel itself forced into doing, for example, quick deals with countries to secure food imports, regardless of how that food has been produced.” More