Inside Politics: Ministers ‘mull expansion of mandatory masks’

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Wednesday 15 July 2020 08:01 BST

Tory MP Desmond Swayne says wearing face masks in shops is a 'monstrous imposition'

Banksy has returned to his roots by spray-painting rats on trains. The shadowy political artist has created new work encouraging people to wear face coverings – showing vermin sneezing and coughing all over the carriage. The shadowy political artist known as Boris Johnson has to deal with a grassroots Tory rebellion over masks in shops. Members aren’t happy. They’re cutting up their cards and tweeting about “muzzles”. There’s also the fall-out from the Huawei ban to manage – with Tory MPs unhappy it will take seven years to muzzle all of the company’s kit from the 5G network.

Inside the bubble

Our political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for today:

Keir Starmer might be tempted to deploy his favourite line of attack on Boris Johnson’s response to coronavirus at PMQs today, by saying the government was “slow” to order people to wear face coverings in shops. The SNP will use a Commons debate to call for an extension to the post-Brexit transitional period beyond 31 December – but Labour will not support the move. Witnesses before select committees include home secretary Priti Patel and chancellor Rishi Sunak, who will be quizzed about his summer economic statement.

Daily briefing

ACCUSTOMED TO YOUR FACE (MASK): Opinion polls show strong backing for mandatory face coverings inside shops. Will people be so supportive about wearing them in the office? According to The Telegraph, the government is considering extending compulsory use to the workplace. Many Tory members will be furious. Some posted pics of cut-up membership cards over the new shopping rule – and briefly caused “muzzles” to trend on Twitter. Tory MP Desmond Swayne described masks as a “monstrous imposition” on his shopping experience. While Matt Hancock claimed shops could call the cops on refuseniks, the National Police Chiefs’ Council said officers should be involved only as a “last resort”. One Lancashire council, Blackburn with Darwen, has imposed local restrictions after a Covid outbreak – including mandatory wearing face coverings in all enclosed public spaces.

LONG GOODBYE: Tory rebels are not going to shut up about Huawei. Anti-China backbenchers say “the fight is back on” after the government gave until 2027 for all the company’s equipment to be stripped from 5G networks. Tory Bob Seely complained about the “long, slow goodbye”, while Iain Duncan Smith also claimed it was “madness” to wait that long – demanding the deadline be brought forward to 2025. A Huawei rep said the decision would “move Britain into the digital slow lane” and China’s ambassador to the UK Liu Xiaoming called it “disappointing and wrong”. Donald Trump welcomed the UK’s decision. In fact, he took credit for it. “We convinced many countries, many countries – and I did this myself for the most part – not to use Huawei.”

MAJOR TO MINOR: EU citizens could be deported for even minor offences under the government’s post-Brexit immigration crackdown, a leading lawyer has warned. “I’d expect the number of EU citizens to be deported to increase substantially from January 2021 onwards,” Colin Yeo told The Independent. “This will include even EU citizens born in the UK.” It may seem like a worst-case scenario, but we’ve seen quite a few worst-case scenarios become reality in recent years. In other Brexit-related matters, the Tory MP for Ashford Damian Green claimed there were two proposals for the land bought by government in his constituency: an “outbound temporary lorry park” and a site for new border checks. He’s angry about the lack of communication with local people and the potential for air pollution. The Ashford Green Party is also “appalled” about the lorry park proposal.

FAT CATS AND TALL TAILS: Rishi Sunak has ordered a review of capital gains tax – with some of this morning’s papers suggesting it could be part of a “raid” on the wealthy to help pay for the costs of the coronavirus response. It follows disappointing figures from the ONS showing the UK’s economy “rebounded” just 1.8 per cent in May. Money-saving is on the minds of the Commons’ public accounts committee. MPs issued a damning report saying they were “extremely frustrated” that the Ministry of Defence hadn’t taken big decisions needed to address a £13bn funding gap. Elsewhere in the committee corridor, contributions via Zoom are still causing a fuss. SNP MP John Nicolson’s plump ginger cat Rocco interrupted a culture committee hearing. “Rocco, put your tail down!” said Nicolson, trying in vain to continue through the laughter.

WHAT A PLUNDERFUL WORLD: Donald Trump has signed an order scrapping preferential treatment for Hong Kong following China’s imposition on the new security law. The president also signed the bipartisan legislating imposing sanctions on Chinese officials involved in Honk Kong. He spurned the chance to act statesmanlike, however – hurling insults against Democratic rival Joe Biden. “So Joe Biden and President Obama freely allowed China to pillage our factories, plunder our communities and steal our most precious secrets,” Trump said, before adding: “I’ve stopped it, largely.” Meanwhile, his daughter Ivanka was mocked on social media after she shared a link to the Trump administration’s new jobs website “FindSomethingNew.org.”

NEW CITY LIMITS: At the moment, officials in Hong Kong are preoccupied by a resurgence of the coronavirus. Renewed lockdown restrictions will be enforced today, with public gatherings once again limited to four people after the rule was eased to allow up to 50 last month. Mask-wearing has been made compulsory on public transport for the first time, with fines of up to 5,000 Hong Kong dollars (just over £500). Elsewhere in the world, the Venezuelan capital Caracas and its neighbouring state will enter a strict quarantine in a bid to get on top of an outbreak there. And South Africa’s energy minister Gwede Mantashe has tested positive for Covid-19.

On the record

“This is a car crash for our digital economy … one that could have been visible from space.”

Labour’s shadow digital secretary Chi Onwurah on the Huawei U-turn.

From the Twitterati

“Oh well. No more going to the shops for me.”

Former Tory MP Douglas Carswell won’t give masks a go…

“The WW2 generation had to fight in godforsaken trenches ... We’re being asked to wear a face mask when we go shopping. Can everyone please get a bloody grip. The whiners are absolutely pathetic.”

…and Piers Morgan won’t give the likes of Carswell any sympathy.