Boris Johnson news - live: PM misses Rishi Sunak’s jobs announcement as No 10 denies rift with chancellor
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Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a new Job Support Scheme to replace the furlough system which will see the government “directly support” the wages of people working at least a third of their normal hours.
Mr Sunak’s statement followed intense pressure from business leaders, MPs and unions to announce measures to protect millions of jobs in sectors hit by new coronavirus restrictions.
It came as Downing Street denied any rift between Boris Johnson and Mr Sunak after the prime minister chose not to attend the statement.
Announce ‘targeted’ support for struggling sectors, Labour urges Sunak
Labour’s Anneliese Dodds has urged chancellor Rishi Sunak to use his Commons statement to announce “targeted” support for sectors which are still struggling due to coronavirus restrictions.
“We think it's a real priority that those industries directly impacted by the crisis get that support - obviously you were just talking about hospitality, I think that's really important, but also there are many jobs that have sadly already been lost, for example in advanced manufacturing where we really need to have a system of targeted wage support for the future,” Ms Dodds told BBC Breakfast.
“Above all, we can't have this kind of last-minute response again.”
The shadow chancellor added: “We've had it around wage support today it seems, we had it around support for self-isolators - we need to have much more future planning from the chancellor.”
Here is today’s schedule for the House of Commons, where Rishi Sunak is set to make a statement on the economy:
Top tiers of professional sport expected to support themselves during pandemic, minister says
The top tiers of professional sport will be expected to find ways to support themselves where possible during the coronavirus pandemic, the sports minister has said.
Nigel Huddleston told MPs that the government’s focus would be helping “those most in need” within the sporting world, with discussions ongoing with football governing bodies about further financial assistance.
His remarks came after plans for a limited return of fans to football grounds next month were paused following a spike in Covid-19 cases.
“The government's failures on track and trace have consequences for football clubs, as we've heard from Conservative MPs this morning, and we all want to know what the plan is to save the game we love,” Alison McGovern, Labour’s shadow sports minister, said.
“So suppose, as has been indicated in the media, that the Premier League is not prepared to underwrite the rest of football, I'd like to know who then would be to blame when clubs collapse?
“Will it be the Premier League or will it be Conservative ministers speaking from this despatch box?”
Mr Huddleston replied: “I can assure [Ms McGovern] we're having detailed conversations with sport, including football, and we appreciate this latest announcement [banning spectators] will have economic consequences for sport and we had been hoping for the return of spectators that bring in so much income.
“Where it can, we will expect the top tiers of professional sport to look at ways it can support itself, with the government focusing on those most in need.”
Attorney general faces calls to resign over bill which enables UK to break international law
The attorney general Suella Braverman has faced calls to resign over the controversial Internal Market Bill which enables the UK to break international law by overriding the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement.
Ms Braverman defended the legislation by saying it was “entirely proper, entirely constitutional and lawful in domestic law” to enact legislation that might operate in breach of international law or treaty obligations.
“It's a pretty basic principle of law and if the honourable gentleman is having trouble understanding, I'd be very happy to sit down and explain it to him,” she said.
She was speaking in response to Stuart McDonald, the SNP's attorney general spokesperson, who accused her of “putting her political loyalties, her Brexit fanaticism ahead of her loyalty to the rule of law, when it should be the other way round”.
Mr McDonald added: “That is why she should resign.”
The UK Internal Market Bill would give the government the power to breach the Brexit divorce deal brokered with Brussels last year, with ministers arguing this was needed to protect the relationship between Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
Our reporter, Clea Skopeliti, has more details below on Boris Johnson’s expected address on climate change to the UN:
Climate action cannot become another Covid victim, PM to warn
UK will ‘lead by example’, Mr Johnson expected to say
Ministers ‘engaging with social media companies’ over coronavirus misinformation
Culture secretary Oliver Dowden has said ministers have met with social media companies to discuss tackling coronavirus misinformation online.
Mr Dowden said ministers were “engaging with social media companies so that we have necessary measures in place to deal any misinformation should it arise at the time of a vaccine” after he was asked what the government was doing to slow the spread of false information.
Kent border plan for end of Brexit transition period ridiculed
The government’s plan for British lorry drivers to obtain special permits to enter Kent post-Brexit has been ridiculed by industry experts who have described it as “pointless”.
Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, announced on Wednesday that truck drivers would need a Kent Access Permit (KAP) to enter the county if they were heading on to the EU.
The haulage group Logistics UK hit back at Mr Gove and described the extra paperwork from the proposed system as a “huge challenge”.
Our reporter, Adam Forrest, has the full story below:
Kent border plan ridiculed and ‘won’t work’, say road haulage chiefs
‘It’s not an effective system to actually ensure someone is ready to cross the border,’ says top logistics body
‘Crushing disappointment’: Former Tory minister criticises Liz Truss over gender recognition decision
A Tory former minister has criticised the government's decision to rule out changes to make it easier for transgender people in England and Wales to have their gender legally recognised.
Crispin Blunt asked Liz Truss, the minister for women and equalities, if she understood the “crushing disappointment” for trans people at the move.
“Does she appreciate that trans people cannot discern any strong or coherent reason for this screeching change of direction?” Mr Blunt said.
“Does she understand the anger at the prospect of them receiving their fundamental rights being snatched away?
“The longer this uncertainty has been allowed to continue, the worse the fear and anger have become.”
He added: “Does she understand the delay in the statement has helped contribute to that?
“Does she appreciate that her statement does not command a majority in this House and will she confirm that is one of the reasons she is unable to propose any legislation?
“She has presented the House with an inherently unstable settlement that will have to be addressed hopefully sooner rather than later.”
In a written ministerial statement on Tuesday, Ms Truss announced that the government had rejected calls for people to be able to self-identify their gender and change their birth certificates without a medical diagnosis.
Labour and Conservatives tied in new poll as Sunak beats Johnson for best PM
A new poll has shown Labour and the Conservatives tied on 40 per cent in the latest evidence of the opposition party closing the gap in public approval with the government.
The Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll, conducted on 22-23 September, showed the two main parties well ahead of the Liberal Democrats, who received just 7 per cent of respondents’ support.
However, Boris Johnson remained ahead of Sir Keir Starmer as the public’s pick for prime minister (at 42 per cent to 36 per cent).
Mr Johnson might be slightly worried though by polling which showed Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, ahead of him as the best choice for PM.
Labour MP confirms frontbench sacking over defying whip on controversial armed forces bill
A Labour MP has confirmed she has been sacked from her frontbench role after defying the party whip to oppose a controversial bill.
Nadia Whittome was stripped of her junior role after defying instructions to abstain on the Overseas Operations (Service Personnel and Veterans) Bill, which Tory ministers claim is aimed at protecting armed forces personnel from “vexatious prosecutions”.
Beth Winter and Olivia Blake, who like Ms Whittome were aides to shadow ministers, have also been removed from their positions, party sources confirmed.
“I opposed the bill because it effectively decriminalises torture and makes it harder for veterans to take legal action against the government or for war crimes to be investigated,” Ms Whittome said in a statement.
She added that she understood others in her party abstained because they hoped amendments could be made at a later stage to the bill, but said it was “important that MPs are able to vote in line with their conscience”.
A Labour source told the PA news agency that “anyone who wanted to vote against [the] whip” had been informed they “would have to resign”.
The government said the proposed legislation would ensure service personnel will be protected from “vexatious claims and endless investigations”.
However, human rights groups and some senior military figures have warned the legislation will create a presumption against the prosecution of torture and other serious crimes except rape and sexual violence.
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