UK Politics

Staff have been advised to work from home as part of a Covid “plan B” to combat the growing threat of the omicron variant – but can attend Christmas parties.Boris Johnson brought forward new restrictions in England – including Covid passes to enter crowded venues and mask-wearing in cinemas and theatres – amid a warning that omicron infections could reach a million by the end of the month.But the prime minister sweetened the pill by announcing a negative Covid test will be allowed for venues, as well as proof of vaccination, and by lifting isolation rules for contacts of omicron cases, who can take daily tests instead.Denying the package had been rushed out to distract attention from the furore over last year’s No 10 parties, Mr Johnson also held out the hope that the curbs could be lifted early in the new year.There is “a strong possibility” the scientists will soon discover that a booster jab is “capable of holding omicron in equilibrium in the way that we want”, he argued.“And then, as I said, we will be able to move forward,” the prime minister told a Downing Street press conference.Nevertheless, to move to plan B sparked an angry backlash from some Conservative MPs, one of whom heckled the health secretary, Sajid Javid, as he delivered a Commons statement.Greg Clark, the former cabinet minister, accused Mr Javid of going back on a pledge that he would not resort to further restrictions simply because of a leap in cases, when the level of hospital admissions is the key.“That data is not available yet. So why has the secretary of state reversed his position and jumped the gun in this way?” Mr Clark demanded to know.Another former cabinet minister, David Davis, asked: “Where is the evidence that vaccine passports actually work? France introduced them in the summer, they now have more cases than they had in the last peak.”The Scottish Tory leader, Douglas Ross – who is still an MP – ridiculed the effectiveness of Covid passes, saying: “I didn’t vote for them at Holyrood and I won’t be voting for them at Westminster.”The Night Time Industries Association described the move to Covid passes – from one week’s time – as “devastating news” for nightclubs and other venues which attract large crowds.The passes will be required in unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people and any venue with more than 10,000 people.Mr Johnson said he was acting – one week before a review of existing Covid restrictions was due – because of “worrying” evidence that omicron cases are doubling in the UK every 2-3 days, adding: “We must be humble in the face of this virus.”But, asked whether that meant Christmas parties and nativity plays should be cancelled, he replied: “No, in my view they should not.“They should follow the guidance, of course, but we are not saying we want kids to be taken out of school before the end of term – not that there is very long to go now – and we don’t want nativity plays to be cancelled.“We think that it is okay currently, on what we can see, to keep going with Christmas parties.”His aim was for restrictions to be in place “no later than early January and possibly before” if new data could justify it.Alongside the prime minister, England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty urged the public to stay upbeat because vaccines mean the country is “immeasurably better off” than at the start of the pandemic.“It will be much quicker getting over this than it would have been if the same situation had hit us a year ago,” Professor Whitty said.“I can see why people feel deflated, but this is a setback – this is not a situation where we are back to square one.”Mr Johnson again dismissed the prospect of mandatory vaccinations at the press conference but admitted there would need to be “a national conversation” about how to protect the public.“I said right at the beginning of this pandemic… I didn’t want us to have a society and a culture where we forced people to get vaccinated. I don’t think that’s ever been the way we do things in this country,” he told the press conference.But he added: “I want to be absolutely clear, I don’t believe we can keep going indefinitely with non-pharmaceutical interventions. I mean, restrictions on people’s way of life just because a substantial proportion of the population still sadly, has not got vaccinated.“I think we do need to have a national conversation about the way forward.” More

Boris Johnson was tonight facing pressure from within his own party over his bungled handling of allegations of a lockdown-breaching party at 10 Downing Street, as the crisis gripping his government forced the resignation of a top aide.In a bid to draw a line under the debacle, the prime minister ordered an inquiry by his most senior civil servant into the events of 18 December, when up to 50 aides are reported to have enjoyed alcohol, food and a secret Santa at a time when London was under strict Tier 3 controls barring most indoor gatherings.Senior Tories warned that the blow to public trust in the government from the scandal could hit compliance with new Plan B coronavirus restrictions being imposed in response to the rapid rise of the omicron variant of the disease in the UK.The leader of Conservatives in Scotland, Douglas Ross, suggested that Mr Johnson may have to quit as prime minister if it is proved that he misled parliament over what he knew about the event.Chief medical officer Chris Whitty made clear his concern at the prospect of waning public respect for the rules, telling a Downing Street press conference: “We all know people get very angry, including colleagues and friends, when they feel that it’s unfair.” But he said people must “separate” their anger from the question of what actions need to be taken  to fight off the threat from omicron.After a week of brushing aside questions with a denial that rules had been breached, Mr Johnson was forced into a public apology on Wednesday for a video showing No 10 aides joking about the party four days after it is believed to have taken place.Within hours of the PM saying he was “sickened and furious” about the footage – which went viral on social media after being broadcast by ITV and was quickly lampooned by Ant and Dec on ITV’s I’m a Celebrity – his former press secretary Allegra Stratton became the first victim of the row by quitting her job as Cop26 climate change spokesperson.A tearful Ms Stratton told TV cameras outside her London home that she wanted to offer her “profound apologies” for comments which appeared to make light of rules that people across the country were obeying.“That was never my intention,” she said. “I will regret those remarks for the rest of my days… To all of you who lost loved ones, who endured intolerable loneliness and who struggled with your businesses, I’m truly sorry.”In the Commons, Mr Johnson was barracked by Labour MPs as he apologised “unreservedly” for the clip, but refused to confirm whether or not a party had taken place.“I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken,” said the PM.“I have asked the cabinet secretary (Simon Case) to establish all the facts and to report back as soon as possible and it goes without saying that if those rules were broken then there will be disciplinary action for all those involved.”But Sir Keir Starmer said an inquiry was unnecessary. “It is obvious was happened,” he told MPs. “Ant and Dec are ahead of the prime minister on this. The prime minister has been caught red-handed. Why doesn’t he end the investigation right now by just admitting it?”The Labour leader – who contrasted scenes at Downing Street with the leadership shown by the Queen mourning the Duke of Edinburgh alone – secured a pledge from the PM that any information unearthed by Mr Case would be passed on to police. But Scotland Yard later announced it would not be launching an inquiry, because of “absence of evidence” and in line with its policy not to conduct retrospective investigations of historical Covid regulation breaches. Meanwhile, questions were asked over Mr Johnson’s decision to order the cabinet secretary to look into the events of 18 December only, and not to consider reports of earlier gatherings at No 10 on 13 and 27 November which the PM is alleged to have attended.The civil service head of the Department for Education said she expected Mr Case to consider a Christmas party hosted for staff by then education secretary Gavin Williamson last December, suggesting that the probe may be wider than indicated by the PM. And under intense questioning in a Downing Street press conference, Mr Johnson eventually conceded that Mr Case would “get to the bottom of what he thinks is appropriate and right”.No deadline has been set for the mandarin’s report, though Mr Johnson said he hoped it would be published “as soon as possible”.The scale of Tory anger at Westminster about the PM’s failure over a week to kill off the story was reflected in backbencher William Wragg’s accusation that Mr Johnson’s announcement of new coronavirus restrictions would now be viewed by voters as a “diversionary tactic”.Tory MP Philip Davies asked health secretary Sajid Javid for “any reason at all why I shouldn’t tell my constituents to treat these rules in exactly the same way that No 10 Downing Street treated last year’s rules?”Waveney MP Peter Aldous said the video “gives the impression there is one rule for them and another for the rest of us”, in what appeared like a “rerun of the Dominic Cummings saga” which would probably make it impossible to enforce new Covid restrictions.Former minister Stephen Hammond said it did not appear that Ms Stratton was “the only person culpable” in the scandal.Mr Ross told BBC News he still has confidence in the PM, but said it would be “completely unacceptable” if he was found to have misled parliament on the issue.“If the prime minister knew about this party last December, knew about this party last week, and was still denying it, then that is the most serious allegation,” he said.“No one should continue in their post if they mislead parliament in that way.”His predecessor as Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson dismissed Mr Johnson’s announcement of an inquiry as “pathetic”.“None of this is remotely defensible,” she said. “Not having busy, boozy not-parties while others were sticking to the rules, unable to visit ill or dying loved ones. Nor flat-out denying things that are easily provable. Not taking the public for fools.“As a Tory, I was brought up to believe in playing with a straight bat. Believe me, colleagues are furious at this, too.”An opinion poll by Savanta ComRes found that 54 per cent of voters – including 33 per cent who backed Tories in the 2019 election – think Mr Johnson should quit over the affair.Campaign group Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice said that Ms Stratton’s resignation should not be the end of the matter.“We must not lose sight of the fact that what came out last night happened in the prime minister’s house and it is part of a culture he is responsible for,” the group said in a statement.“The buck stops with him.” More

Boris Johnson’s former press secretary Allegra Stratton has quit her government role after being filmed laughing about a Downing Street Christmas party.Ms Stratton announced that she was quitting as the prime minister’s spokesperson on the Cop26 climate change summit a day after the footage – filmed in December last year – was broadcast by ITV and just hours after Mr Johnson ordered an inquiry into the alleged gathering.Speaking to TV cameras outside her home in London, a tearful Ms Stratton offered her “profound apologies” for her remarks, but did not comment on whether the party took place.Referring to the film, which was recorded as she practised for her planned role as No 10’s TV spokesperson, she said: “My remarks seemed to make light of rules, rules that people were doing everything to obey. That was never my intention.”She added: “I will regret those remarks for the rest of my days, and I offer my profound apologies to all of you at home for them. “Working in government is an immense privilege. I tried to do right by you all, to behave with civility and decency and act to the high standards you rightly expect of No 10. “I will always be proud of what was achieved at Cop26 in Glasgow, and the progress that was made on coal, cars, cash and trees. “This country’s and the prime minister’s leadership on climate change and on nature will make a lasting difference to the whole world. It has been an honour to play a part in that. “I understand the anger and frustration that people feel. To all of you who lost loved ones, who endured intolerable loneliness and who struggled with your businesses, I’m truly sorry. “And this afternoon I am offering my resignation to the prime minister.”Ms Stratton, 41, a former journalist, joined the government as director of strategic communications for Rishi Sunak in 2020.She moved to No 10 in October last year to take up the post of press secretary, with the intention that she would become the first-ever TV spokesperson for the prime minister. But plans for daily televised briefings were dropped following the departure of director of communications Lee Cain, who reportedly opposed her appointment, and she instead became a spokesperson for the UK’s Cop26 presidency.The comments that led to her resignation came in a practice session for the TV briefings, recorded shortly after the alleged 18 December party.Playing the part of a reporter asking a tough question, No 10 special adviser Ed Oldfield asked her to comment on reports of a party four days earlier.Laughing, she replied: “I went home.”She asked fellow Downing Street staffers “What’s the answer?” before adding: “Is cheese and wine alright? It was a business meeting … This fictional party was a business meeting and it was not socially distanced.”Speaking at Prime Minister’s Questions in the House of Commons on Wednesday, Mr Johnson said he was “sickened and furious” about the video, telling MPs: “I apologise for the impression that has been given that staff in Downing Street take this less than seriously.”But Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said that Mr Johsnon’s apology “raises more questions than answers”.“Millions of people now think the Prime Minister was taking them for fools, that they were lied to. They are right aren’t they?” he said. More

Metropolitan Police have said they will not investigate allegations that Covid restrictions were broken at a party at 10 Downing Street on 18 December 2020.In a statement, Scotland Yard said the decision was taken on the basis of the “absence of evidence” that rules were broken and in line with Met policy not to investigate historical allegations of breaches of Covid regulations.But the police said that cabinet secretary Simon Case will pass on any further evidence which emerges as a result of the internal inquiry which Boris Johnson today ordered him to conduct into the allegations.The statement said that police had received “a significant amount of correspondence” relating to allegations reported in the media that Downing Street staff held a Christmas party at a time when London was under strict Tier 3 controls which barred indoor gatherings for non-work purposes.The correspondence was considered in detail by detectives, who also viewed leaked video footage showing Allegra Stratton and other No 10 aides joking about a party four days after it allegedly took place.But the Met said: “The correspondence and footage does not provide evidence of a breach of the health protection regulations but restates allegations made in the media.“Based on the absence of evidence and in line with our policy not to investigate retrospective breaches of such regulations, the Met will not commence investigation.”Referring to Mr Case’s inquiry, the statement said: “If any evidence is found as a result of that investigation, it will be passed to the Met for further consideration.”Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner called on Mr Case to look into the allegations as long as six days ago, and urged him to pass any evidence of lockdown breaches to the police for possible prosecutions.And Sir Keir Starmer today secured an assurance from Mr Johnson at prime minister’s questions in the Commons that any such evidence would be handed over to the Met. More

Boris Johnson’s government has changed the rules for contacts of Covid omicron variant cases, saying people can take daily tests to avoid 10 days of self-isolation.The prime minister announced the move to so-called ‘plan B’ measures in England on Wednesday – bringing back work from home guidance and reintroducing Covid passes for nightclubs and big events.Mr Johnson also revealed a relaxation in the rules for omicron contacts in a bid to avoid another “pingdemic” in which millions of Britons could potentially be told to stay at home.“As omicron spreads in the community, we will also introduce daily tests for contacts instead of isolation, so we keep people safe while minimising disruption to daily life,” Mr Johnson told a Downing Street press conference.In November the government changed the rules so that contacts of people identified as a suspected or confirmed case of the omicron variant must stay at home and isolate for 10 days.Tory MP Mark Harper – chair of the Covid Research Group (CRG) of lockdown sceptics – had warned of “big damage” to the economy if the expected rise in omicron cases caused a new pingdemic among contacts.The prime minister set out the changes at a press conference announcing plan B curbs, warning that the government cannot yet assume omicron is less severe than previous variants.“While the picture may get better, and I sincerely hope that it will, we know that the remorseless logic of exponential growth could lead to a big rise in hospitalisations and therefore, sadly, in deaths,” he said.Mr Johnson said his plan B curbs were the “proportionate and responsible” in a bid to “slow the spread of the virus, buy ourselves the time to get yet more boosters into arms”.As well as asking people across England to work from home from Monday, masks will be made mandatory inside theatres and cinemas from Friday as part of plan B.Mandatory vaccine “passports” are also being brought back for larger events and nightclubs in seven days time. A negative lateral flow test will also be sufficient proof, Mr Johnson said.Venues include those indoors that are unseated with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people and any venue hosting more than 10,000 people.Announcing the plan B curbs in the Commons, health secretary Sajid Javid there are now “probably” up to 10,000 people in the UK infected with the new omicron variant.England’s chief medical officer Prof Chris Whitty said there was an “incredibly steep” increase in cases in South Africa, where omicron was first detected – pointing to data suggesting “around about a 300% increase in hospitalisations over the last week”.Prof Whitty told the press conference that the data in the UK was clear that omicron cases here were also going up “incredibly fast now” – with a doubling rate between two and three days.The top adviser warned: “That is an extraordinarily fast rate and you, therefore, can get with very small numbers to very large numbers really quite quickly.” More

Boris Johnson has announced the government will implement its “plan B” for England with the introduction of Covid passports for large venues and guidance for the public to work from home from Monday.The prime minister’s decision to ramp up restrictions — after a meeting of the government’s Covid operations committee — comes in response to concerns over the transmissibility of the omicron variant and spread around the world.He also announced the mandatory wearing of face masks will be extended to cinemas and theatres after they were reintroduced a fortnight ago for public transport and shops, but exemptions will be included for eating, drinking and exercising.However, in a move that risked sparking confusion with work from home guidance, Mr Johnson reiterated his previous stance that Christmas parties should not be cancelled and urged everyone to “exercise due caution”, including testing before such events.Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday evening, Mr Johnson said: “We will reintroduce the guidance to work from home.“Employers should use the rest of the week to discuss working arrangements with their employees but from Monday you should work from home if you can. Go to work if you must but work from home if you can.“I know this will be hard for many people but by reducing your contacts in the workplace, you will help slow transmission.”The Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) stressed the measure had played an “important role in preventing sustained epidemic growth” in the months before Covid restrictions were released.In a move that will dismay some Conservative MPs, Mr Johnson also told the public that the NHS Covid pass will be made mandatory in England in a week’s time for entry into nightclubs and venues where large crowds gather.These will include unseated indoor venues with more than 500 people, unseated outdoor venues with more than 4,000 people and any venue with more than 10,000 people.“The NHS Covid pass can still be obtained with two doses but we will keep this under review as the boosters roll out,” the prime minister said.“And having taken clinical advice since the emergence of Omicron, a negative lateral flow test will also be sufficient.“As we set out in plan B, we will give businesses a week’s notice, so this will come into force in a week’s time, helping to keep these events and venues open at full capacity while giving everyone who attends them confidence that those around them have done the responsible thing to minimise risk to others.”In a sign of the backlash the prime minister faces, immediately after his announcement, the Scottish Tory leader, Douglas Ross, posted on social media: “There is no evidence that vaccine passports stop the spread of Covid. I didn’t vote for them at Holyrood and I won’t be voting for them at Westminster.”On the spread of the virus, the prime minister added: “It has become increasingly clear that omicron is growing much faster than the previous Delta variant and is spreading rapidly all around the world.”While 568 cases had been confirmed in the UK “the true number is certain to be much higher”.“Most worryingly, there is evidence that the doubling time of omicron could currently be between two and three days.” More

Boris Johnson will hold a press conference at 6pm amid expectations he will announce the implementation of tighter Covid restrictions, No 10 has confirmed.It is anticipated the press minister will announce whether the government has decided to press ahead with “plan B” measures — first outlined in the summer — which includes work from home guidance and Covid vaccine status certificates for certain venues.It comes after a meeting of the government’s Covid operations committee on Wednesday to discuss the restrictions after a leading scientist said cases of the new omicron variant were “doubling every two to three days”.The total number of UK omicron cases so far stands at 437, after 101 more were reported on Tuesday, while the the country recorded its highest number of weekly cases since January on Monday and a further 51,342 on Wednesday.According to the government’s Covid autumn and winter plan, published in September, the plan B strategy would “only be enacted if the data suggests further measures are necessary to protect the NHS”.It stated the measures include a mandatory vaccine-only Covid status certification in certain settings, such as nightclubs and indoor crowded venues with 500 or more attendees likely to be in close proximity with other households.It also proposed the return of work from home guidance, with the Sage committee stressing the measure had played an “important role in preventing sustained epidemic growth” in the months before Covid restrictions were released.Another key tenant of “plan B” is to legally mandate face coverings in certain settings — a measure that has already been adopted by the prime minister a fortnight ago for public transport and shops, but could be extended to further settings.It comes after a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (Sage) today said that a UK-wide lockdown to deal with the threat of omicron cannot be ruled out.Professor Neil Ferguson, from Imperial College London, whose data was instrumental to the UK going into lockdown in March 2020, said the variant is concerning but it is still unknown what its impact will be on severe disease.News of the press conference, however, was also greeted with scepticism by Westminster insiders earlier on Wednesday, who suspected that the timing may have been calculated to distract attention from damaging headlines over a Christmas party at 10 Downing Street last year.Dominic Cummings, the prime minister’s former chief adviser at No 10, described the move towards plan B as a “dead cat” strategy. More

The outsourcing firm Capita has been handed the job of running the replacement for the Erasmus study exchange scheme, raising fresh fears about its future.The British Council launched the Turing Scheme – already under fire for being less generous and offering fewer opportunities – reflecting its long experience arranging student placements abroad.But the contract has now been awarded to Capita, which is believed to have undercut the British Council, sparking suspicions that the move is a cost-cutting exercise.The company will take over, until December 2023, despite criticism of failings in its projects overseeing army recruitment and NHS England administration.Matt Western, Labour’s universities spokesperson, said: “The Conservatives’ plan to farm out the Turing Scheme to the private firm Capita risks selling students short.“With the firm’s history of mismanaged contracts, students will clearly fear this government does not have their interests at heart.“Ministers must now guard against providers profiting off students’ aspirations.”The Department for Education (DfE) said: “The government has committed to funding the programme for a further three years, including with £110m for the next academic year.”Before Brexit was completed, Boris Johnson pledged in the House of Commons that there was “no threat” to the popular Erasmus scheme.But he then pulled the plug – triggering accusations that he was crushing the hopes of students who want to live, study and travel abroad.The Turing Scheme was announced, named after the legendary Second World War codebreaker Alan Turing, but the details suggested far less financial support for many students,And, most significantly, free studies in any EU country, plus some others in Europe, has been replaced by pressure on universities and colleges to strike deals.It is understood that Capita will be helped by organisations such as the Association of Colleges, the Sutton Trust and the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which has experience administering student scholarship schemes.But the tender document says Capita will be the “single legal entity” to enter into a contract, suggesting they will have a limited role.And the document warns funding could go down, requiring an ability to “manage a higher or lower budget for the future Turing Scheme”.It is understood that Capita will be helped by organisations such as the Association of Colleges, the Sutton Trust and the Association of Commonwealth Universities, which has experience administering student scholarship schemes.But the tender documents says Capita will be the “single legal entity” to enter into a contract, suggesting they will have a limited role.And the document warns funding could go down, requiring an ability to “manage a higher or lower budget for the future Turing Scheme”.The British Council said: “We are proud to have launched the Turing scheme in February 2021 and supported £98.5m of grant funding in the inaugural year of the Turing scheme, including 41,024 participants, of which 48% are identified as coming from disadvantaged backgrounds.”The DfE added: “The Turing Scheme is creating life-changing opportunities for over 40,000 students to work and study across the globe this academic year – with nearly half of all placements going to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.” More