Markus Andrews

The worsening Covid-19 crisis has forced Boris Johnson to scrap a high-profile trip to India, his first overseas visit since Brexit was completed.
The prime minister believed he should “remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus”, a Downing Street spokesperson.
The move will heighten criticism that Mr Johnson was unprepared for the dramatic surge in infections – triggering a third lockdown – when the trip was arranged for later this month.
At one time, Brexit supporters earmarked India as among the major new trade deals they hoped to secure once the UK had left the EU and its customs union.
However, India already appeared to have cooled on the prospect, at least without a significant increase in immigration to the UK which was unlikely to be conceded.In a statement, No 10 said Mr Johnson had spoken with Narendra Modi, India’s prime minister, to “express his regret that he will be unable to visit India later this month as planned”.  “In light of the national lockdown announced last night, and the speed at which the new coronavirus variant is spreading, the Prime Minister said that it was important for him to remain in the UK so he can focus on the domestic response to the virus,” it read.
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“The leaders underlined their shared commitment to the bilateral relationship, and to continuing to build on the close collaboration between our countries – including in response to the pandemic.      “The Prime Minister said that he hopes to be able to visit India in the first half of 2021, and ahead of the UK’s G7 Summit that Prime Minister Modi is due to attend as a guest.”
The visit would have been Mr Johnson’s first major bilateral overseas visit since becoming prime minister way back in July 2019.
His trip to New York, two months later, had to be curtailed in dramatic fashion when the Supreme Court declared his shutdown of Parliament to be unlawful – requiring him to rush home.
The G7, scheduled to take place in the UK in the summer, is seen as crucial to a post-Brexit bounce back, but is likely to depend on worldwide progress in taming the new coronavirus spike.
Earlier, Michael Gove suggested the new lockdown will continue until March and that some restrictions will stay in place even longer.
Just hours after Mr Johnson promised a mid-February review point, his Cabinet ally warned the public to expect the curbs to remain for longer
“Nobody can predict with accuracy exactly what we will be able to relax and when,” Mr Gove said.
And he added: “I think it’s right to say that, as we enter March, we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all.” More

People can go walking with a friend but cannot sit down with them for more than a very short rest, the public has been told.
Michael Gove signalled the fresh lockdown would involve outdoor restrictions more like the first in March, than the second in November – although it is unclear how strongly they will be enforced.Asked if people could “meet a friend and go for a walk together”, the Cabinet Office minister replied: “Yes, provided you maintain social distance and provided that it is exercise.”But he added: “One of the things that we do want to stop is the idea of people essentially congregating or socialising outside.”Asked if that meant “don’t sit down together, otherwise it no longer counts as exercise”, Mr Gove agreed those were the new rules.
“Yes. I think, inevitably, it may be the case that for a second someone will want to pause and rest in the course of exercise,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.“But we’re anxious to make sure that people exercise common sense and clear messages – do stay at home, of course exercise once a day, but also do everything possible to restrict social contact.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“As the health secretary has said, if people behave as though they were already infected then we are all better protected.”Prime minister Boris Johnson announced England would enter its third national lockdown on 6 January during a televised address from Downing Street on Monday evening.Under the new lockdown rules, people in England can leave home to exercise but must limit it to once a day and should not travel outside their local area. The rules do not include any specific time limit on how long the one form of exercise lasts for.  You can exercise alone, with your household, support bubble or childcare bubble, or, when on your own, with one person from another household.  The two-metre social distancing rule must be followed while around anyone not in your household or support bubble. Where this is not possible, stay one metre apart and take extra precautions such as wearing a face covering.   More

The temporary Tory leader in the Scottish Parliament joined critics of the Kickstart scheme, warning that – offering only six-month placements, with “basic” training – it was not up to the job.She also criticised restrictions on Universal Credit payments for trainees and branded the handling of school exams, now cancelled in England, a “debacle”.
Pointing to London’s youth unemployment rate of more than 25 per cent, Ms Davidson warned: “Left unchecked, the situation is expected to worsen.”
And, calling for the young to be offered “good jobs with good prospects”, she said: “They have borne much of the cost of this pandemic already and will be the generation upon whose shoulders repairing the public finances will disproportionately fall.
“Now is not the time to scrimp on repaying them for their sacrifices.”
In an article for The Daily Telegraph, Ms Davidson – soon to become a Conservative peer – said young adults “have sacrificed most of all”.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“Across the UK, the ways in which young people have been shafted have been particularly cruel,” she wrote.“And it isn’t just about school closures, the exam debacle and university lock-ins. The world of work for young adults has been perilous, too.”
Pointing to redundancies being higher in the third quarter of 2020 than in the whole of the previous year, Ms Davidson called for:
* “Supercharged” investment in start-up grants for young people who want to set up their own businesses – including tech support and loans of equipment.
* More places in sector-based work academies, providing up to six weeks training with students retaining Universal Credit payments.
* Tax incentives for businesses to take on new workers.
* A dedicated minister for youth employment, with a seat at the Cabinet table.
* “Ambitious” targets for youth training and jobs, with “a regularly updated dashboard of results and indicators”.
It would leave hundreds of thousands of young people on the dole, while even those offered places may receive little more than “help with their CVs and interview prep”, Rishi Sunak was told.Ms Davidson said the Chancellor deserved “credit” for setting aside £2bn for Kickstart, but warned: “The very limitations of the scheme – the six-month timescale, minimum wage, the condition that posts demand only “basic” training – means that this is not going to transform young people’s job prospects by itself.
“If ‘build back better’ and ‘levelling up’ are going to mean anything at all, they have to include investing in opportunities for our young workforce.” More

Boris Johnson has developed a costly habit of being late to respond to expert advice on the need for a national lockdown, according to the leader of the Liberal Democrats.  Sir Ed Davey claimed the prime minister had consistently ignored Cobra and Sage (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) throughout the Covid-19 pandemic and left difficult decisions until the last minute.  He told BBC Breakfast: “I’m afraid this prime minister has a record now: he is always late on these lockdowns. “He was late on the first, he was late on the second, late on the third – and that’s because he ignores the advice of experts.  “He ignored Cobra back last February, he ignored Sage (Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies) on 21 September, he ignored Sage again on 22 December.”  He added: “He always seems to put off the difficult decisions to the last minute and that means people end up paying the price, either with disruption to their lives or, in some cases, with their lives themselves.  “I’m afraid that, yes we will support these measures, but we just wish the prime minister was rather more competent.”  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 weekdaySir Ed’s comments came after the prime minister announced England would enter its third national lockdown in a televised address on Monday evening.  Mr Johnson had urged pupils to carry on attending schools before announcing they would shut in a U-turn at the eleventh hour.  The Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster said the prime minister had reluctantly decided to act when confronted with a change in coronavirus alert level.  Michael Gove told BBC Breakfast: “The four chief medical officers of the United Kingdom met and discussed the situation yesterday and their recommendation was that the country had to move to Level 5, the highest level available of alert that meant there was an imminent danger to the NHS of being overwhelmed unless action was taken.  “And so in the circumstances we felt that the only thing we could do was to close those primary schools that were open.”   More

Several Spar-branded products lines are on sale in Sainsbury’s shops under a “temporary” agreement to avoid empty shelves from 1 January.Fresh foods including ready meals, meat, dairy products and desserts are affected.A member of staff told the Belfast News Letter that about 700 product lines had been lost due to Brexit.The changes are a consequence of the new customs declarations and additional regulatory checks required on goods moving from Great Britain to Northern Ireland after the UK left the single market and customs union at 11pm on New Year’s Eve.Despite Boris Johnson’s insistence that there would be no border down the Irish Sea, firms have been left scrambling to ensure they can navigate the red tape imposed on shipments.Sainsbury’s said a “small number” of products were “temporarily unavailable for our customers in Northern Ireland while border arrangements are confirmed”. A spokesperson said: “We were prepared for this and so our customers will find a wide range of alternative products in our stores in the meantime and we are working hard to get back to our full, usual range soon.”Arlene Foster on the Irish sea borderThe supermarket giant has signed a contract with local supplier Hendersons, which produces Spar-branded lines. The Northern Ireland-based wholesaler said: “Over the last several months we have been contingency planning for Brexit to minimise any disruption to the food supply chain for our 470 stores across NI after 31st December 2020.“We can confirm that we have entered into a temporary supply agreement with J. Sainsbury supermarkets that will see both parties working together to ensure availability for our customers.”Yodel, one of the UK’s largest delivery firms has, told customers they would have to pay additional charges for shipments to Northern Ireland because of the extra bureaucracy. Another delivery company, DPD, announced before Christmas it would suspend deliveries in the country.Northern Irish economy minister Dianne Dodds has called for urgent action to be taken over the disruption of delivery of goods.She has written to Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office secretary, over concerns that retailers based in Great Britain are cutting their services to Northern Ireland because of a lack of clear guidance.The letter from Ms Dodds said: “Over the last number of weeks we have seen numerous GB-based retailers withdraw from offering deliveries to Northern Ireland due to the lack of guidance.”On regulatory issues we have seen retailers of plants, food and drink ceasing to offer products for delivery in Northern Ireland due to increased costs.“The UK government has announced three-month grace period during which online retailers in Britain will not have to make customs declarations when sending parcels valued below £135 to Northern Ireland customers.However, Ms Dodds noted is unclear what will happen when that period ends on 1 April. More

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a grant worth up to £9,000 for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses hit by the new lockdown.The one-off payment is expected to benefit more than 600,000 business properties across the whole UK, at a total cost of £4bn, the Treasury said.Mr Sunak also announced a £594m discretionary fund to support other businesses hit by the coronavirus shutdown announced on Monday by Boris Johnson, which is expected to last until at least 22 February in England.The one-off grant will be provided to firms on a per-property basis, with £4,000 going to those with a rateable value below £15,000, £6,000 to those with a value between £15-51,000 and £9,000 above this level, said the Treasury.Discretionary payments will be made available via local authorities and devolved administrations.Mr Sunak said: “The new strain of the virus presents us all with a huge challenge – and whilst the vaccine is being rolled out, we have needed to tighten restrictions further.“Throughout the pandemic we’ve taken swift action to protect lives and livelihoods and today we’re announcing a further cash injection to support businesses and jobs until the Spring.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“This will help businesses to get through the months ahead – and crucially it will help sustain jobs, so workers can be ready to return when they are able to reopen.”The move represents the first government response to appeals for help to ensure firms’ survival through the new lockdown, and was welcomed by the Institute of Directors, which said it would “go some way to reassuring the worst-affected businesses”.But IoD director of policy Roger Barker warned:  “The chancellor must remain wary of a spring cliff-edge in business support as the furlough scheme and other support measures unwind.”The furlough scheme, which pays up to 80 per cent of the wages of workers who would otherwise be laid off, is due to run until the end of April.Employers are currently covering National Insurance and employer pension contributions for hours not worked at an average cost of around £70 per employee per month. The government has also provided grants worth up to £3,000 for closed businesses, and up to £2,100 per month for impacted businesses once they reopen, as well as 100 per cent business rates relief for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses, £1.1 billion in discretionary funding through local authorities and 100 per cent government-backed loans.While accepting the tough measures announced by Mr Johnson were necessary for public health, the CBI last night warned they would impose “significant” costs on businesses already reeling from nine months of restrictions and the severely curtailed Christmas period.Speaking ahead of the announcement of Mr Sunak’s package, CBI director general Tony Danker said it was “imperative” that the government ensure companies have the necessary cashflow to survive through the new lockdown.He said ministers should also review and plug coverage gaps in existing support.Firms needed “a clear line of sight and assurance that support will be there for as long as restrictions are in place so that they can stay the course rather than act precipitously”, said Mr Danker. More

England’s new lockdown will continue until March and some restrictions will stay in place even longer, Michael Gove says.Just hours after Boris Johnson promised a mid-February review point, his key ally warned the public to expect the curbs to remain for longer.“Nobody can predict with accuracy exactly what we will be able to relax and when,” Mr Gove said.
And he added: “I think it’s right to say that, as we enter March, we should be able to lift some of these restrictions but not necessarily all.”
In his TV address, the prime minister told people they were entering “the last phase of the struggle” – holding out hope that around 14 million of the most vulnerable in society would be vaccinated by mid-February.
But Mr Gove, speaking on Sky News, conceded “it takes some time immediately after the vaccination for people to get the benefit of full immunity”.He said: “You are absolutely right you can’t predict with certainty that we will be able to lift restrictions in the week commencing February 15-22.”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 Gove also said:
* The Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, would say more today about increased financial help for people unable to work as normal.
* The Education Secretary, Gavin Williamson, would announce tomorrow what might replace exams – insisting there “are ways of ensuring we can assess the work that students have done”.
* New plans would be announced “very shortly” to curb the arrival of international passengers – who are expected to have to provide a negative test before flying.* Students who had already left home for the university term should “stay put at the moment”.
* Nurseries must stay open – despite criticism – to provide childcare for medical staff “whose work is so vital in getting us out of this lockdown”.Mr Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, defended the screeching U-turn that saw Mr Johnson close all schools – just hours after ordering primaries in most places to stay open for the first day of the new term.He argued the judgement of the chief medical officers that the surge in infections required the UK to move to the Level 5 alert level had left “no alternative”.
Keir Starmer again criticised the government for being “too slow on almost every occasion” – but said the priority now was making the vaccination programme a success.
“We are in a race against time now. We have got a contract with the British people to say, these are tough restrictions, in return for that, the government has got to roll out the vaccination programme at speed and accelerate that.
And he added: “We have to deal with anti-vax campaigns because they will cost lives.
“If we need to pass emergency legislation to deal with them, I would be willing to work with the government on that.” More

All restaurants, pubs and other hospitality settings must close their doors to customers from tomorrow under the new rules announced by the prime minister in a televised statement from 10 Downing Street.But in a tightening of the restrictions imposed under tier 4 of the PM’s regionalised system, while restaurants will be able to sell food and soft drinks for delivery, click-and-collect and takeaway, venues will no longer be able to serve takeaway or click-and-collect alcohol.It is understood that the ban is driven by concerns that customers buying takeaway alcohol from pub and bar doors would then congregate with friends nearby to drink.All non-essential retail outlets, as well as personal care services such as hairdressers and nail bars, will be closed under the new regime, which is expected to last until at least 15 February.Shops deemed to be essential, such as food stores, pharmacies, builders’ merchants and garden centres, will be allowed to remain open as in previous lockdowns. Shoppers will still be allowed to buy alcohol from supermarkets and other stores to take home to drink.And places of worship will be open for individual prayer and socially-distanced communal worship, but congregants may only attend with people from their own household or support bubble. 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 weekdaySocialising will be strictly limited under the new arrangements.People in England will be able to meet outside with just one person from another household or support bubble for exercise.But a government source stressed that this covered activities like walking, running or cycling and should not be taken as an excuse to sit down and have a drink together in the park in the guise of exercise.Although there is no formal limit to the time spent outside, people are urged to restrict it to one exercise session a day and stay local.Small children will be allowed to play together outside and – unlike the lockdown of last spring – playgrounds will remain open.While elite sports such as Premier League football will continue, amateur team sports will not be permitted and indoor and outdoor venues like gyms, tennis courts and golf clubs will be closed.Emma McClarkin, chief executive of the British Beer & Pub Association, said: “A third lockdown is yet another blow to our sector, particularly after it has faced an abysmally quiet Christmas and New Year, which saw many pubs remain closed over what is meant to be their busiest time of the year.“The announcement today adds to the woes of pubs as it shows they are a long way from reopening properly. The road to recovery for the pub sector just got longer.“Given the circumstances, a wave of business failures is imminent unless a greater package of financial support from the Government is given to secure pubs and the brewers that supply them.“That means grants in line with those in the first lockdown and support beyond April when the business rates holiday, lower VAT rates and furlough scheme all end.” More