UK Politics

Concern is growing about the “leakage” of Omicron infections from younger to older people, even as overall case numbers flatten in the hotspot of London.The education secretary said ministers are watching closely rising case rates in over-50s – the more vulnerable age group – ahead of a decision this week on whether to introduce tougher restrictions.Nadhim Zahawi said infections in the capital, the “epicentre” for the fast-spreading variant, are “beginning to plateau if not drop”.But he added: “The bit that is more concerning is we’re seeing leakage into the over-50s in terms of infection – and they’re the ones who, if you recall in the earlier waves, ended up in hospital with severe infection and hospitalisation and sadly death rates went up.”The “good news” was that 90 per cent of over-50s have received a booster jab, including 10 million people since the programme was ramped up last month, Mr Zahawi told BBC Radio 4.He repeated that there is “nothing in the data at the moment” to require harsher curbs to be imposed when Wednesday’s review of existing ‘plan B’ measures takes place.But, Mr Zahawi added: “We have to keep a close eye, because we’re seeing some leakage of infections into the over-50s.”The warning comes after 12 successive days of more than 100,000 new Covid infections across the UK as a whole, even with patchy reporting over the festive period. Because seriously-ill patients are usually admitted to hospital a week or more after becoming infected, pressure on the NHS is expected to reach its peak at the end of this week.On Sunday, the health minister Edward Argar admitted that hospital admissions will “potentially” rise for at least two more weeks.Mr Zahawi also played down growing fears of an NHS staffing crisis, with one in 10 workers off sick on New Year’s Eve – nearly half of them because of Covid.“The NHS is very good at being able to move staff around within the system. They have an infrastructure to do that,” he told BBC Breakfast.“They’ve done it over many years in winter when we’ve been, you know, have big flu viruses around.”Th education secretary also defended reintroducing mask-wearing by secondary school pupils in their classrooms, instead of just in communal areas.Omicron is “far more infectious”, he pointed out, and a study of 123 schools had identified the benefits of face coverings while students are being taught.“This is an aerosol-transmitted virus and, if you’re wearing a mask, if you’re asymptomatic, then you’re less likely to infect other people,” Mr Zahawi said.On schools, he said: “The most important thing is to keep them open. We monitor staff absenteeism, I just said to you we’re running at about 8 per cent last year.“If that rises further, then we look at things like merging classes, teaching in bigger numbers.” More

Secondary schools are being told to test all pupils for Covid on site before they return to classes this week, amid a union warning that staff are “nervous” that kits will run out.Students and teachers should then test at home twice a week, new government guidance for England says – as should those at colleges and universities – to try to curb the spread of infections.The advice comes as schools were given the go-ahead to keep pupils at home and return to online teaching if they have what the education secretary called an “impossible” shortage of teachers.In an open letter, Nadhim Zahawi said teaching “remotely” will be acceptable “if operational challenges caused by workforce shortages make delivery of face-to-face teaching impossible”.The move came after he announced the return of mask-wearing in secondary school classes, triggering criticism from some Conservative MPs.The return-to-school plan also sees ministers making a renewed push to double-vaccinate 12- to 15-year-olds – amid Labour criticism that 2 million are yet to be jabbed at all.All 16- and 17-year-olds are now eligible for booster doses, and ministers will “strongly encourage them to take up this offer when invited to do so”.The Department for Education said that schools had ordered tests before Christmas, had received enough in anticipation of pupils returning, and that they would “be able to order additional tests through a separate supply route”.Steve Chalke, the founder of Oasis Academy Learning, one of England’s largest chains, said the department had done a “great job” and that his schools had received the kits they needed.But Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union the NAHT, said: “The difficulties the public have had in accessing lateral flow tests over the past few weeks have made many people nervous that they will not be available when needed for school staff and pupils.“If lateral flow tests are to be critical to enabling pupils and staff to return to school quickly, then there must be a ready supply available for schools as they go back in January and throughout the term.”Patrick Roach, general secretary of the teachers’ union NASUWT – which has raised concerns about a lack of ventilation in classrooms – said: “I think the reality is that tests are one part of the response to tackling this virus.”Earlier, in his letter to education leaders, Mr Zahawi urged them to “do everything in your power to protect face-to-face learning for our children and young people”.But he wrote: “If operational challenges caused by workforce shortages in your setting make delivery of face-to-face teaching impossible, I would encourage you to consider ways to implement a flexible approach to learning.“Flexible delivery involves utilising all your available teaching and non-teaching workforce to maximise on-site education for as many pupils as possible, while you flexibly deliver provision either on site or remotely to some pupils.“This should only be a short-term measure, and settings should return to full-time in-person attendance for all pupils as soon as practicable.”Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons Education Committee, said he was worried about the “negative impact” of wearing face-coverings on young people’s mental health.Separately, the Department for Education has reportedly told headteachers in England to combine classes to tackle Covid staff shortages.The letter sent to schools on Sunday, seen by The Guardian, advises them to mix groups of students where necessary to avoid having to return to online learning. “You may wish to use existing teaching, temporary and support staff more flexibly where required to ensure your setting remains open, while ensuring that you continue to have appropriate support in place for pupils with [special education needs and disabilities],” the letter reportedly said.“As pupils do not need to be kept in consistent groups, you may wish to consider combining classes.” More

Liz Truss insisted on hosting a lunch at an “incredibly expensive” private club owned by a Tory donor, overruling her officials’ advice to go somewhere more suitable.Leaked correspondence has revealed the foreign secretary “refused to consider anywhere else” and requested taxpayers’ cash for a £3,000 event with Joe Biden’s trade representative.Her civil servants were so alarmed at the cost – and the venue owners’ close links to the Tories – that the proposal was referred to the top official at the Department for International Trade.But Ms Truss, then the trade secretary, “explicitly asked that we book 5 Hertford Street”, which is owned by the millionaire aristocrat Robin Birley, a donor to Boris Johnson’s leadership campaign and the half-brother of Zac Goldsmith, the environment minister.The venue agreed to reduce the bill to £1,400, but on condition of immediate payment – which meant civil servants had to use an emergency process to pay up straight away.A receipt showed Ms Truss and her companions enjoyed two bottles of dry gin, three £153 bottles of Pazo Barrantes Albarino, a Spanish white wine, and two bottles of the French red Coudoulet de Beaucastel, at £130 a bottle.The correspondence, revealed by The Sunday Times, comes as Mr Truss launches a little-disguised campaign to succeed the prime minister, should he be toppled by disillusioned Tory MPs.The lunch, last June, was condemned by Labour MPs. One, Nia Griffith, tweeted: “Yet again Tory Minister seems to have had scant regard for concerns raised by professional civil servants.”And Luke Pollard alleged: “One rule for the current PM and those wanting to be the next Tory PM and another for the rest of us.”Ms Truss was accompanied by nine other people, including the trade representative Katherine Tai, as the UK sought to speed up talks for a post-Brexit trade deal with Washington.However, President Biden has slammed the brakes on negotiations – and has also refused to lift tariffs on UK steel, even as an agreement was reached with the EU.Often considered to be London’s most exclusive club, 5 Hertford Street hosted Prince Harry’s first date with Meghan Markle, but posted six-figure losses last year.Ms Truss is reported to have previously used it to host “fizz with Liz” dinners with MPs and “biz for Liz” receptions with potential donors, in preparation for a likely leadership bid.An email shows an official described the club as “obviously incredibly expensive and more than I understand we’d usually expect to pay for such a venue”.Colleagues proposed “another option – a Soho restaurant called Quo Vadis – which costs only £1,000”, it stated.The email continued: “However, [the special adviser] refused on behalf of SoS [secretary of state] to consider anywhere else and is insisting that we book 5 Hertford Street and claims SoS would find Quo Vadis inappropriate.”One official explained the cost would have to be released eventually, but added: “Should this raise any enquiries upon publication I am confident that we can justify the spend as we have to pay immediately to guarantee the discount which represents real VFM [value for money].” More

Senior Conservatives are warning of a cost-of-living crisis that will push more families into “fuel poverty” unless Rishi Sunak acts to cut soaring energy bills.Five ex-ministers are among a group of 20 MPs and peers echoing Labour’s call for VAT to be axed on bills that are predicted to soar to a record £2,000 a year from April.The Net Zero Scrutiny Group of Conservatives – which is sceptical about measures to tackle the climate emergency – also wants the removal of environmental levies on domestic energy.The call heaps further pressure on the chancellor to find billions of pounds to head off a likely 50 per cent leap in the price cap, because of unprecedented wholesale energy costs.Otherwise, “the likelihood is that domestic tariffs will increase hugely, feeding directly into a cost-of-living crisis for many and pushing them into what is bluntly called ‘fuel poverty’”, the group is warning.Its members include Esther McVey, the former work and pensions secretary, and former ministers Robert Halfon and Steve Baker. Its chair is Craig Mackinlay.Controversially, a letter to The Sunday Telegraph points to “the inescapable conclusion of the need to expand North Sea exploration and for shale gas extraction to be supported”.It comes as the government is warned the number of UK households living in fuel poverty is on course to hit 6 million this spring, up from the current 4 million.This would be the highest level since records began in 1996, the charity National Energy Action fears.Major energy suppliers have pleaded for government intervention, after the cost of gas in wholesale markets rose by more than 500 per cent in less than 12 months.More than 20 firms have gone out of business since the summer, with their customers shifted to new providers – and the costs of that due to be loaded onto bills.The Resolution Foundation think tank warned that rising energy bills, stagnant wages and tax hikes will add up to a £1,200 hit to household finances – with poorer families suffering the most.The price cap was introduced in 2019 to protect customers from “rip-off” prices and is updated twice a year by Ofgem, the regulator.It limits bills for 11 million households on standard tariffs and four million households with prepayment meters.The letter from the Net Zero Scrutiny Group reads: “It is becoming increasingly clear that the country will face inflation in 2022, and with it cost-of-living pressures for our constituents.“It would be easy to dismiss these as due entirely to international cost pressures that all economies are facing.“However, we have almost uniquely caused our energy prices, through taxation and environmental levies, to increase faster than those of any other competitive country.” More

There is still no need for tougher Covid restrictions in England based on hospital data up to the end of 2021, a health minister has insisted.Edward Argar said the numbers on wards and in intensive care were dramatically down on one year ago, showing vaccines and better treatment had put the country in “a very, very different position”.“I’m seeing nothing in the data right in front of me, in the immediate situation, that suggests a need for further restrictions,” he said, in the first interview granted by a minister since Christmas.The upbeat verdict came despite Mr Argar admitting the number of hospital admissions will continue to rise for at least two more weeks “potentially”, given the lag period between infection and illness.Before the New Year, Boris Johnson backed away from imposing new Covid curbs – even as Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland cracked down – after a cabinet and party revolt.Mr Argar also sought to dismiss growing expectations of an attempt by Tory MPs to topple the prime minister, after a collapse in public support amid anger over sleaze and lockdown-busting No 10 parties.“There is a clear sense of common purpose in the parliamentary party and in the country in getting behind the prime minister,” he claimed.Hospital chiefs have warned the next few days will be critical in determining whether the NHS can cope with rising admissions, worsening staff shortages and a huge patient backlog for treatments.But, speaking to Times Radio, Mr Argar drew a stark contrast between the situation over this festive period with the crisis that triggered the third lockdown one year ago.“At the height of the wave, just under a year ago, we were up to 35-38,000 people in hospital. At the moment, the numbers I have for 31 December are 12,395.“ICU – ventilated beds – again, same date New Year’s Eve, I have got a figure of 789. That did actually come down in the few days before that.“So, we are in a very, very different position as a result of antivirals [treatments], as a result of the vaccines.”Mr Johnson is due to review existing plan B measures – mask-wearing and Covid passes to enter crowded venues, plus work from home guidance – on Wednesday.However, they are likely to remain in place for several weeks, while Omicron cases continue to surge, after new measures were announced for schools.Heads have been given the go-ahead to introduce online teaching, if necessary, after the return of face coverings in secondary school classes, until 28 January at least.Mr Argar said: “We need cool, calm heads. We need to look at the data and we need to do everything possible to avoid any restrictions.”The prime minister had “judged it very carefully,” he argued, adding: “He, I think, shares that same view, which is we’ve got to learn to live with this virus.” More

Schools in England have been given the go-ahead to send pupils home and return to online teaching, if they have a critical shortage of teachers.The advice comes in an open letter from Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary – one day after he announced the return of mask-wearing in secondary school classes.Teaching “remotely” will be considered acceptable “if operational challenges caused by workforce shortages make delivery of face-to-face teaching impossible”, Mr Zahawi writes.“This should only be on a short-term measure and settings should return to full-time in-person attendance for all pupils as soon as practicable,” the letter adds.In universities, face-to-face learning is “what students want and expect”, Mr Zahawi writes, adding: “We expect face-to-face teaching to continue.”The education secretary has already angered some Conservative MPs by instructing older pupils to wear masks at all times, instead of just in communal areas.The guidance is being brought back for secondary schools until 26 January – in the strongest indication yet that existing ‘plan B’ measures will also be kept in place through this month.In the open letter to education leaders, Mr Zahawi urges them to “do everything in your power to protect face to face learning for our children and young people”.But he writes: “I understand that a possible challenge for keeping young people in classrooms is staff absence, which is why I am continuing to call on any former teacher who can do so to come back to the classroom.“If operational challenges caused by workforce shortages in your setting make delivery of face-to-face teaching impossible, I would encourage you to consider ways to implement a flexible approach to learning.“Flexible delivery involves utilising all your available teaching and non-teaching workforce to maximise on-site education for as many pupils as possible while you flexibly deliver provision either on-site or remotely to some pupils.”The schools’ watchdog Ofsted has announced it will not be inspecting secondary schools during the first week of term in January, as schools undertake on-site pupil testing.Any nursery, school or college that is “significantly impacted by Covid-related staff absence” will be able to ask for its inspection to be deferred.And 7,000 air purifiers will be installed in areas “where quick fixes to improve ventilation are not possible, such as being able to open a window”.Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons education committee said he is worried about the “negative impact” of wearing face coverings on young people’s mental health.But Mary Bousted, the joint general secretary of the National Education Union, rejected the fear, saying: “We have mask-wearing in secondary schools in Wales and Scotland, and I don’t think that it is causing a huge problem.“Schools are crowded buildings. Even in secondary only just under half the pupils have been vaccinated. And we know that mask-wearing does have an effect of suppressing transmission.” More

Ministers have toughened Covid guidance for schools with pupils aged 11 and over told to wear masks in classrooms again as Covid infection rates continue to rise.The measures will be brought in for secondary schools in England from the start of term this week until 26 January – in the strongest indication yet that “Plan B” measures will also be kept in place throughout this month.England recorded 162,572 coronavirus cases on Saturday – another record – with health leaders warning that hospitals were struggling to cope with the surge.Chris Hopson, the chief executive of NHS Providers, which represents health trusts, warned the “next few days are crucial” in the fight to reduce the impact of the Omicron variant, and said the government “must be ready to introduce new restrictions at pace if they’re needed”.He said staff in hospitals were working “flat out” and that the NHS was under “arguably more pressure” compared with this time last year, despite a lower number of coronavirus cases in hospital.Meanwhile, Matthew Taylor, head of the NHS Confederation, which represents hospitals, said visitors may need to be banned from wards as the number of admissions rises. He told BBC Breakfast: “Hospital managers have to make very difficult choices and excluding visitors is one of those very difficult choices.“It’s not something that anybody wants to do, it’s a last resort. But, when you’re facing the kind of pressures the health service is going to be under for the next few weeks, this is the kind of thing managers have to do.”As well as tightening mask guidance, ministers have promised a further 7,000 air filtering units for classrooms, after fierce criticism of the government for failing to improve ventilation to counter the more infectious Omicron variant.But unions warned it may not be enough to keep pupils in schools. Geoff Barton, of the Association of School and College Leaders, said: “All of this is a recognition by the government that the spring term will be extremely challenging for schools and colleges.”“The biggest problem they face is the likelihood of high levels of staff absence caused by the prevalence of the Omicron variant.“While schools and colleges will do their very best to minimise the impact on pupils, as they always do, there is a possibility that this will mean that some classes and year groups have to be sent home for short periods of time to learn remotely.”Mary Bousted, of the National Education Union, warned that 7,000 filters was “completely inadequate” for more than 300,000 classrooms. The move is unlikely to quell criticism that ministers have dragged their heels, when – according to the Liberal Democrats – it would have cost only £140m to fit one in every classroom, at half the cost of the replacement for the royal yacht.CO2 monitors have been installed instead, but critics say they only provide information on where more airflow is needed, without improving the flow itself.Masks have been worn in communal areas in schools since November, in order to combat the rise of Omicron. Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, is recommending their return in classrooms as well, a measure lifted on so-called ‘freedom day’ last July.“The prime minister and I have been clear that education is our number-one priority,” he said. “These measures will bolster our support schools as we do everything in our power to minimise disruption.”In addition, Ofsted inspectors who are also school and college leaders will not be asked to undertake inspections, so they can “focus on their leadership responsibilities at this critical time”.Labour is accusing the government of failing to deliver jabs to over-12s, 15 weeks after they were approved – leaving nearly 2 million 12 to 17-year-olds unvaccinated.Meanwhile, all public sector leaders have been told to draw up contingency plans for up to a quarter of staff being off work as Omicron continues to sweep across the country.Steve Barclay, the Cabinet Office minister, will be chairing “regular meetings” with ministers to ensure “robust” plans are in place to cope with staff absences.Public sector bosses have been told to test plans “against worst case scenarios of workforce absence scenarios of 10 per cent, 20 per cent and 25 per cent”, the department said.Sajid Javid warned on Saturday that the country must learn to live with Covid, writing in the Daily Mail that “curbs on our freedom must be an absolute last resort”. More