Inside Politics: Northern coronavirus laws imposed

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Just two weeks ago, Boris Johnson declared from a podium in No 10 that it was his “strong and sincere hope” the government would be able to allow a “more significant return to normality” in time for Christmas. With infections now on the rise, local lockdowns imposed, social freedoms restricted once again for vast swathes of northern England, the comments from the prime minister are appearing to resemble the popular belief in 1914 the Great War would be over in time for the festive period. Michael Eavis, the Glastonbury founder, however, appears to have given a more realistic timetable for normality, saying his festival may not return until 2022. In the meantime, many will be backing his efforts to move “heaven and earth” to get it up and running next summer.

Inside the bubble

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

Layla Moran, the hyperactive candidate for the Lib Dem leadership, is chairing a session of her freelance “public inquiry” into the government’s handling of coronavirus. She has attracted surprisingly wide cross-party support for the exercise, including from Conservative MPs (and former ministers) David Davis and Harriett Baldwin. Today’s session will take evidence from survivors of Covid-19 and bereaved families.

Daily Briefing

LAST ORDERS: Pubs, restaurants and non-essential shops should all close before schools if the government is forced to impose any local or national lockdowns in the future, the children’s commissioner for England warns today. Publishing a briefing paper, Anne Longfield says too often kids have been treated as “an afterthought” in government pandemic plans. “If the choice has to be made in a local area about whether to keep pubs or schools open, then schools must always take priority,” she argues. She echoes the view of professor Graham Medley, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, who said at the weekend pubs and other leisure venues may have to close to allow children to return safely in September. Naturally, the government is keen to keep the nation’s pubs open and send kids back to school, but with infections on the rise, ministers could be confronted with unenviable decisions in the coming weeks.

DELAYED QUARANTINE: Picking the biggest blunder made in the UK’s handling of the pandemic is no easy task. But a damning report released by Westminster’s influential Home Affairs Select Committee today has zoomed in on another candidate, what it describes as the “inexplicable” failure to quarantine travellers back in the initial days of the coronavirus outbreak in March. Among a catalogue of “critical errors”, MPs on the committee said the UK’s experience of Covid-19 has been “far worse as a result of the government’s decision not to require quarantine during March, which would have reduced the number of imported infections”. Reminder: it was not until 8 June ministers ordered all those entering the country from overseas to self-isolate for 14 days. Committee chair and Labour MP Yvette Cooper said: “The UK was almost unique in having no border checks or quarantine arrangements at that time. That alone should have rung loud alarm bells for ministers and made them think again.”

NORTHERN LAWS: Several days after the government once again curtailed the social freedoms of people living in Greater Manchester, parts of East Lancashire and West Yorkshire, due to a rising Covid-19 infection rate, laws enforcing the restrictions have came into effect at midnight. The rules, which ban people from different households meeting in a private home or garden (previously dubbed the “sex ban”), form part of the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions on Gatherings – North of England) restrictions. Anyone found flouting the rules can be fined £100 and up to a maximum of £3,200 for repeat offences. Matt Hancock, the health secretary, will break responsible for reviewing the draconian measures once every 14 days, with the first such review taking place by 19 August.

TORY MP ARREST: Pressure is mounting on the Conservative Party to suspend an MP who was accused of rape and arrested by the Metropolitan Police at the weekend. The former minister, who has not been identified, was questioned at the weekend and released on bail pending further investigation. The party’s chief whip has decided not to suspend the MP until police conclude their inquiries into the accusations by a former parliamentary researcher in her 20s. Now, women’s charities and unions representing staff who work in the Palace of Westminster have accused the Tories of “minimising violence against women and girls”. They also called on parliament to bypass the Conservatives’ disciplinary procedures and suspend the MP arrested on suspicion of rape. The party has said it takes all allegations “of this nature extremely seriously”, but refused to comment on the matter further.

BEIRUT: Offers of humanitarian aid and condolences have poured in overnight from world leaders in response to horrifying explosions in Beirut on Tuesday evening. The blasts flattened much of the port in the Lebanese capital, damaging buildings and blowing out windows in the vicinity. At least 70 people have been killed while thousands have been injured by the explosion. The country’s interior minister Mohammed Fahmi told a local TV stations last night that it appeared the blast was caused by the detonation of thousands of tonnes of ammonium nitrate – stored in a warehouse on Beirut’s dock ever since it was confiscated from a cargo ship in 2014. Boris Johnson said the UK is ready to provide support in “any way we can”, including to British nationals affected by the blast. The Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau vowed to assist the Lebanese government while French president Emmanuel Macron, posting in Arabic, said aid was being transferred to the capital.

On the record

“I think it’s very clear that we are not going to get into a debate with British politicians on liabilities or any other of the provisions of the withdrawal agreement… the withdrawal agreement is there, it is now a firm document that has been accepted by both parties and it is the basis on which both sides are acting.”

European Commission spokesperson dismisses demands from senior Tories to rewrite the Brexit withdrawal agreement

From the Twitterati

“The pictures and videos from Beirut tonight are shocking. All of my thoughts and prayers are with those caught up in this terrible incident. The UK is ready to provide support in any way we can, including to those British nationals affected.”

… PM Boris Johnson responds to the blast in Beirut

“Absolutely tragic news coming out of Beirut. Canadians are thinking of everyone who has been injured and all those who are trying to locate a friend or family member or have lost a loved one. We’re keeping you in our thoughts and we stand ready to assist in any way we can.”

… adds Canadian PM Justin Trudeau

Essential reading

Bel Trew, The Independent: ‘The worst thing I’ve ever seen’ – Doctors treat wounded in rubble of destroyed hospitals after Beirut explosions

Melissa Jacobs, The Independent: Singapore’s quick response to coronavirus saved thousands of lives – there’s no excuse for the UK’s failure

Jenny Eclair, The Independent: GP video calls are not all they’re cracked up to be

Sir Keir Starmer, The Guardian: The government must up its game to prepare for a second wave of Covid-19