Inside Politics: Boris Johnson hails lockdown lifting – but warned of second wave

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Wednesday 24 June 2020 07:57 BST

Chris Whitty says he expects UK coronavirus to remain at 'significant' levels until the spring of 2021 at least

Well, the animals had it pretty good there for a while. Scientists have launched a global project to figure out how wildlife has been impacted by the “anthropause” – the absence of humans during coronavirus lockdowns. All those deer, sheep and goats roaming the streets be warned: humans in England are about to come out of hiding. Boris Johnson has outlined a major easing in lockdown restrictions for on July 4 – claiming our “long national hibernation” is coming to an end. Let’s hope we don’t have to retreat into our caves if cases rise again. I’m Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independent’s daily Inside Politics briefing.

Inside the bubble

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

Keir Starmer and Boris Johnson will face each other for the second day running when they joust at PMQs. Having backed the lockdown easing yesterday, the Labour leader might focus on the gathering economic storm. Labour will later use an opposition debate to increase the pressure on communities secretary Robert Jenrick over his role in a £1bn housing project. Elsewhere, transport secretary Grant Shapps will be quizzed about the 14-day quarantine for arrivals in the UK.

Daily briefing

THE BIG EASING: Boris Johnson claimed the mood of optimism was “palpable” after he announced pubs, restaurants, cinemas, museums, hotels, holidays lets and hairdressers can open from 4 July in England, when the two-metre rule will also be relaxed to “one metre plus”. Two households in England will also be able to meet indoors and stay overnight – with social distancing still expected (family members who live apart still aren’t supposed to hug). The PM told us to get excited, but not too excited. He said he wanted “bustle and activity” in the high street – bit not “writhing scenes in the beer gardens” when pubs re-open on “Super Saturday”. There was disappointment theatres and gyms don’t have a restart date, but culture secretary Oliver Dowden said he was hoping the latter could open in mid-July.

WORDS OF WARNING: The presidents of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons, Nursing and Physicians have also signed an open letter calling on the government to review whether the country is fully prepared another spike in coronavirus cases. They’re not the only ones who are worried. England’s chief medical officer Chris Whitty sounded extremely wary at the last of the daily press conferences. He said relaxation measures were “not risk-free” and warned an “uptick” in cases was quite possible. He also predicted the virus would remain “significant” until the spring of 2021. Meanwhile, the information watchdog is set to monitor government plans for pubs to keep a register of drinkers amid fears data could be misused. A spokesman for UK Hospitality has asked for “swift clarification” on how the system is supposed to work.

SLOW ON THE UPTAKE: Home secretary Priti Patel has promised that the recommendations of the major review into the Windrush scandal will be implemented “in full”. Patel admitted payments to victims had been “too slow” (noting that £360,000 had been awarded in compensation) – but said she did not feel it merited an apology. Labour’s shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said it wasn’t good enough that just 60 people had been compensated so far, while’s the SNP Joanna Cherry called for a “root and branch review” of the Home Office’s hostile environment policy. Elsewhere, a grim survey found that almost 70 per cent of black and ethnic minority police officers have suffered racist abuse from the public while on the job. Policing minister Kit Malthouse described the figures from the ITV News survey as “alarming”.

BULLY PULPIT: MPs have voted to set up a new, independent panel of experts to examine all claims of bullying and harassment. The eight-member group will have the power to impose suspensions on any offending MPs. Amy Leversidge, assistant general secretary of the FDA civil service union, said it was “amazing” and a “victory for all the members of staff who bravely spoke out” (naming no names). Sharing his support for the move, Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said the behaviour of some members had “disgraced and shamed” parliament (again, naming no names). Ahead of Wednesday’s big opposition day debate on the Westferry property scheme row, Labour is demanding housing secretary Robert Jenrick publish all material relating to his decision to approve the Tory donor’s development.

WAILING AT THE WALL: Donald Trump claimed on a visit to Arizona that his unfinished southern border wall had somehow “stopped Covid”, despite the fact the state reported a record high for confirmed cases. The barrier “stopped Covid, it stopped everything”, said the president. Elsewhere, America’s top infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci has warned of a “disturbing surge” in coronavirus cases in some US states. Testifying in congress, Dr Fauci was one of four leading health officials who said they weren’t ever told by Trump to “slow down” in testing. It follows the president’s bizarre claim that he’d asked his advisers to test less to keep the official infection rate down.

REIGN OVER HIS PARADE: Vladimir Putin will preside over a spectacular Red Square military parade later today to celebrate the 75th anniversary of the end of WWII in Europe – a patriotic display critics say is designed to lift his lower than usual approval ratings. Russian officials have insisted that all necessary precautions have been taken to protect the health of its troops, elderly veterans and foreign guests at the delayed parade (with the country still reporting about 8,000 new infections a day). It comes on the eve of a nationwide vote that could extend Putin’s rule until 2036. The president’s approval rating fell to 59 per cent in April, its lowest level in more than two decades, according to the Levada Centre.

On the record

“I would be surprised and delighted if we weren’t in this current situation, through the winter, and into next spring ... I expect there to be significant amount of coronavirus circulating at least into that time.”

Professor Chris Whitty sounds a warning.

From the Twitterati

“I can’t wait to get back to the pub ... and I don’t even drink.”

Rishi Sunak is pleased about the 4 July re-openings…

“I don’t want to be a ‘scare-mongering’ killjoy, but Boris Johnson is taking a massive risk in unlocking Britain this much, this quickly. And he’s doing it for economic not public health reasons.”

…but Piers Morgan is not pleased at all.