Inside Politics – Coronavirus special: Boris Johnson drops plan for primary schools’ return

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Scientists have discovered mysterious radio blasts coming from deep in space – powerful signals repeating themselves at regular intervals from an unknown part of the universe. Boris Johnson is choosing to focus on the powerful distress signals coming from the British economy right now. The PM is set to tell his cabinet colleagues about further lockdown easing measures to give business a boost. The government has also responded to the signals coming from parents and primary school teachers – dropping plans for a return before the end of term. I’m Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independent’s daily Inside Politics briefing during the coronavirus pandemic.

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Inside the bubble

Our chief political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for today:

The cabinet meets virtually this morning, so we should hear from the prime minister’s spokesperson at lunchtime (I miss the broken-down days of the late-period Theresa May cabinet when we’d scour Twitter for leaks from ministers the moment the meeting was over). Before that, we will hear from Paul Johnson of the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Torsten Bell of the Resolution Foundation at the Treasury select committee, talking about the state of the economy.

Daily briefing

SCHOOL OF HARD KNOCKS: The government is expected to drop its plan for England’s primary school years to return before the end of term, with education secretary Gavin Williamson delivering a statement in the Commons later. Health secretary Matt Hancock admitted at the latest Downing Street briefing that England’s secondary schools may not be up and running until September “at the earliest”. The economy will be Boris Johnson’s focus when he discusses lockdown easing plans with cabinet, and the PM is expected to confirm this week the reopening of shops from 15 June. Will he bring forward the reopening of pubs and restaurants to 22 June, as reported? No 10 gave little way, with the PM’s spokesman saying only that “we continue to follow the road map” for July re-openings in the hospitality sector.

LET JUSTICE BE DONE: Home secretary Priti Patel has vowed that “justice will follow” some of the vandalism and violence seen at Black Lives Matters protests across the UK. “This hooliganism is utterly indefensible,” she told parliament. Johnson tried to play good cop to her bad cop in a piece for The Voice (later delivered as a video statement), in which he claimed his government would not ignore the anger and “undeniable feeling of injustice” – but also said he did not approve of protestors “flouting social distancing”. Debate continues to rage over the removal of statues. Keir Starmer told LBC radio that it was “completely wrong” for the icon of slave trader Edward Colston to have been torn down – but also said it was wrong for the monument to have remained up for so long. Bristol’s mayor Marvin Rees said the statue will be fished out of Bristol Harbour and probably put in a museum.

HOW LOW CAN YOU GO: Johnson’s government now has the joint-lowest approval rating in the world – alongside Mexico – when it comes to its handling of the coronavirus crisis. The –15 rating was lower even than the Trump administration in the YouGov survey of 22 major countries. And this is before fears of a no-deal exit from the EU single market ramp up before the end of 2020. Some stockpiles of drugs earmarked for weathering a no-deal scenario have been “used up entirely” during the pandemic, the pharmaceutical industry has said. Drug manufacturers wrote to ministers to warn that it may not be possible to sufficiently build stockpiles back up before 31 December. Elsewhere, Ryanair boss Michael O’Leary has warned that new arrivals in the UK will simply ignore the “rubbish” 14-day quarantine rules, as airlines launched legal action against the government.

THINNING BLUE LINE: Donald Trump has dismissed the call from Black Lives Matter activists to “defund the police” in the wake of George Floyd’s death. “There won’t be de-funding. There won’t be dismantling of our police. And there is not going to be any disbanding of our police,” he said at a White House meeting with law enforcement officials. His rival Joe Biden said he too opposes the cutting of police funding (keeping one eye on voting blocs like suburban women, perhaps). The Democrats have introduced a police reform bill that would make it easier to prosecute officers for any misconduct and ban the use of chokeholds.

A PROBLEM (NOT) SHARED: World Health Organisation chiefs have called called on Brazil to share information about its outbreak “in a consistent and transparent way”. It follows widespread condemnation of the Brazilian authorities for removing data about the disease from a government website. Michael Ryan, the WHO’s executive director for the pandemic, said: “We trust that any confusions that may exist at the moment can be resolved”. Meanwhile, WHO chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned the pandemic is “worsening” globally, although it is improving in Europe. More than 100,000 cases were reported daily, worldwide, in all but one of the past 10 days.

NEW RULES FOR AUSSIE RULES: As Australia continues to relax lockdown curbs, one state government has given the all-clear for 2,000 fans to attend an Australian Rules Football game at a stadium in Adelaide this weekend. “Football and crowds are back in South Australia,” said Steven Marshall, the region’s premier. Elsewhere, the Russian authorities are allowing people in Moscow to move around freely again, while hairdressers, vets and cemeteries in the city are reopening. Belgium has allowed bars and restaurants to reopen, despite having one of Europe’s worst per capita coronavirus death rates.

On the record

“I truly believe that we are a much, much less racist society than we were, in many ways far happier and better.”

Boris Johnson gives a rosy assessment of Britain in 2020.

From the Twitterati

“I’m dead chuffed that Yorkshire Tea hasn’t supported BLM.”

Far-right vlogger Laura Towler speaks up on her favourite tea…

“Please don’t buy our tea again. We’re taking some time to educate ourselves and plan proper action before we post. We stand against racism.”

…prompting the Yorkshire Tea account to speak up for BLM.

Essential reading

Alastair Carmichael, The Independent: The government has made a mockery of parliament – time to take responsibility

Funmi Olutoye, The Independent: If black lives matter, why am I losing white friends over it?

Jeremy Cliff, New Statesman: Jair Bolsonaro’s presidency is a tragedy for Brazil

Chris Cillizza, CNN: Could calls to ‘defund the police’ play into Trump’s hands?

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