Inside Politics: 'Slum' housing revolution

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Scrapping the work from home – WFH, to those now accustomed to the practice – guidance last month Boris Johnson told workers they could return to offices at the “discretion” of their employers from 1 August. Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief medical officer, later told MPs there was “absolutely no reason” to change guidance that was a “perfectly good option” for many. New polling from Morgan Stanley shows that just 34 per cent of office workers have returned their normal work location compared to 83 per cent in France and 70 per cent in Germany. It is perhaps unsurprising Brits, who are given the choice, are unwilling to pay sometimes extortionate fares for cramped public transport while infections of a deadly virus are on the rise.

Inside the bubble

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

The government will publish a White Paper to streamline the planning system to increase the supply of new homes, including a "first homes" scheme with 30 per cent discounts for first-time buyers. Toshimitsu Motegi, the Japanese foreign minister, is in London and is expected to meet his UK counterpart Dominic Raab. Ministers, keen to secure trade agreements to show their "Global Britain" strategy is on track, hope an early deal with Japan will be the first since Brexit. The Bank of England's monetary policy committee, at its monthly meeting, will also decide to hold interest rates at their record low of 0.1 per cent.

Daily Briefing

ABERDEEN LOCKDOWN: After a cluster of coronavirus cases in Aberdeen, Nicola Sturgeon has ordered the closure of all pubs, cafes and restaurants in the city – just three weeks after they reopened following the first nationwide lockdown. Reimposing severe restrictions for over 200,000 residents, the Scottish first minister also told individuals not to visit other households indoors and urged them not to travel more than five miles for leisure purposes. It marks the strictest reimposition of curbs to social freedoms since all four corners of the UK began relaxing lockdown measures — raising fears other areas will follow if infections continue to rise. NHS Grampian has named 28 bars and restaurants, three golf clubs and a football club as venues visited by people linked to a “significant outbreak” of infections. The restrictions will be reviewed in seven days’ time, Sturgeon added.

SLUM HOUSING REVOLUTION: No 10 will today unveil the biggest shake-up of the English planning system for decades with plans to “cut red tape” and create a “major boost” for construction firms while delivering more homes. Boris Johnson and his senior aide, Dominic Cummings, have both advocated reforming the system and the government’s proposals will be set out in a white paper. Under the plans, land would be categorised as either suitable for development, a “renewal” area, or protected. On the first two categories, building projects could be fast-tracked without going through the current planning permission process if they meet certain standards. Naturally, construction firms are delighted. But the Royal Institute of British Architects said despite the government’s insistence that the measures would create tree-lined streets and promote “beautiful” buildings, there was “every chance they could also lead to the creation of the next generation of slum housing”.

SWEPT UNDER THE CARPET: Survivors of coronavirus and bereaved families have accused Boris Johnson of “actively ignoring” their requests to meet and discuss a judge-led inquiry into the government’s handling of the virus. Grieving family members said they had written to the prime minister three times to share their traumatic experience, but officials were unable to meet “due to the current pandemic”. Jo Goodman, who lost her father Stuart after he was diagnosed with the illness aged 72, from the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, told MPs: “The fact that they're able to meet with cycling groups and other groups, it feels as though we are being swept under the carpet.” A government spokesperson said every death from the virus is a “tragedy” and alluding to a public inquiry, said: “In the future there will be an opportunity for us to look back and learn some profound lessons”.

NO-DEAL BREXIT SECT: The European Research Group of Tory MPs, which helped derail Theresa May’s hopes of reaching a compromise over Brexit, has been branded a “corruption of Conservatism” by a senior figure in the party in a new book published today. Guto Bebb, a former minister, who stood down at the winter election, told Peter Geoghegan, the author of Democracy for Sale: Dark Money and Dirty Politics, that the little-known group outside of SW1 had “morphed into a no-deal Brexit sect”. Chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee and senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat also said of the group: “It’s a corruption of Conservatism. It is rampant libertarianism. It’s the very opposite of what it means to be a Conservative.” A separate extract of the book, published in The Sun, also claims the former prime minister viewed Brexit as a “problem to be overcome” and her team turned down an offer from Donald Trump’s aides in February 2017 of a rapid 90-day trade deal with the United States.

AID FOR BEIRUT: Lebanon has declared a state of emergency in the wake of the deadly explosion in Beirut on Tuesday evening, which, according to the latest figures, has claimed at least 135 lives and injured thousands. According to the governor, Marwan Aboud, as many as 300,000 people were made homeless in the blast, which was caused by some 2,700 tonnes of ammonium nitrate that was being stored at the port. In response, the UK government has announced it will make up to £5m available for people left homeless as part of a relief package that includes specialist medical teams and NHS experts, and search and rescue crews to aid the effort in the Lebanese capital. Foreign secretary, Dominic Raab, said: “This was a devastating explosion which has caused enormous suffering and damage. The UK is a long-standing friend of Lebanon and the Lebanese people, and will stand with them in their hour of need.”

On the record

“Honestly I couldn’t care less whether it’s world beating or not. I just want it to be virus beating – and it’s not.”

... says member of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies professor John Edmunds when asked about Boris Johnson’s claim to have a “world beating” track and trace system.

From the Twitterati

“If your job can be done from home it can be done from abroad where wages are lower. If I had an office job I’d want to be the first in the queue to get back to work and prove my worth to my employer. I am terrified by what could be on the horizon for so many…”

... writes television presenter and co-host of Location, Location, Location, Kirstie Allsopp

“This isn't true of any of our brilliant journalist who are based outside London?… They won’t be in the London office whenever the rest of us come back, and that works really well.”

... reacts Huff Post editor-in-chief Jess Brammar

Essential reading

Richard Hall, The Independent: Corruption brought Lebanon to its knees. The explosion was a coup de grâce

Katherine Denkinson, The Independent: Feminism has not ‘gone too far’ – online abuse against women is as harmful as ever

Andrew Grice, The Independent: Rishi Sunak has dropped his ‘whatever it takes’ approach to coronavirus – a public spending squeeze is coming

Emilio Casalicchio, Politico: Boris Johnson goes presidential