Inside Politics: Boris Johnson accused of ‘grasping naivety’ over China

The PM has sparked outrage with a plan to boost Britain’s nuclear capacity – but Tory MPs are more concerned about trade with Beijing, writes Adam Forrest

(EPA)

A furious English farmer says he’s ready to go to court to defend his right to display a giant billboard slamming his own village as a “murderous, lawless, godforsaken place”. It’s tempting to put up a giant billboard at Dover warning of the “murderous, lawless, godforsaken” island we all inhabit. Boris Johnson is facing fury over his decision to increase the nation’s arsenal of world-ending nuclear warheads. No doubt Irish premier Micheal Martin will play up the idea of Britain being a “lawless” land when he speaks to Joe Biden about Brexit agreements today.

Inside the bubble

Political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for today:

Dominic Cummings returns to Westminster – well, for one morning only. He will be quizzed by the science committee about the UK’s new research funding agency (one of his pet projects). At PMQs, Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer will have their first opportunity to lock horns on the debate sparked by the killing of Sarah Everard. The SNP will use a rare slice of parliamentary time to stage a debate on the impact of Brexit.

Daily briefing

BOMBS WILL BRING US TOGETHER: Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit foreign policy plan is facing a backlash from the left over nuclear weapons and the right overChina. The government plans to increase its stockpile of nuclear warheads, with the cap on the number of Trident missiles due to increase from 180 to 260.Dominic Raab called the warheads the “ultimate insurance policy”. Campaigners said the “shocking” plan amounts to a violation of the commitments made under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. One commentator called it “penis-waving madness”. The SNP said it was “abhorrent”, while Labour leader Keir Starmer questioned the “strategic purpose” of the move – arguing that it “breaks the goal” of successive PMs to cut the nuclear stockpile. Johnson accused Labour of being weak on defence. Tory MPs are angry that the PM’s review calls for deeper trade links with China. Sir Julian Lewis, chair of the intelligence and security committee, said it showed “grasping naivety” still at work at No 10.

THE BASH STREET BRITS: Irish premier Micheal Martin will have a cosy, St Patrick’s Day chat with Joe Biden this afternoon, when he will get to put over his side of the story on Brexit and the protocol. The Taoiseach claimed the UK continues to indulge in “EU bashing”after Brexit, as he spoke to the US Chamber of Commerce on Tuesday. “Historically, EU bashing has been a feature of UK domestic politics,” said. “I was hoping post-Brexit that that might ease somewhat. The signs are it’s still, to a certain extent, alive and well.” It comes as foreign secretary Dominic Raab was caught telling his officials trade deals were more important than ethics. In a leaked video call with Foreign Office staff, Raab said that government would “not do many trade deals” with “growth markets” if it was restricted to countries abiding by the European Convention on Human Rights. “I squarely believe we ought to be trading liberally around the world.” The Foreign Office claimed the leaked clip deliberately “distorted” what he meant.

AM I ANNOYING YOU? MPs voted by 359 to 263 to pass the government’s policing bill at the second reading stage last night, despite warnings from the opposition and civil liberties groups that it amounts to an “all-out assault” on the right to protest. Senior police and crime commissioners also claimed the new powers to crack down on noisy, “serious annoyance” protests go too far. Martin Surl of the Association ofPolice Crime Commissioners said: “You can’t pick laws for the protests you like and don’t like.” Justice secretary Robert Buckland said he was “annoyed” thatLabour had not supported the policing bill. Shadow justice secretary David Lammy warned Buckland not to get too annoyed – since under the bill getting too annoyed is “something that you can go to prison for”. Clause 60 in the legislation, which gives the police powers to halt one-person protests, has been dubbed the ‘Steve Bray law’ – after the man who has been shouting “Stop Brexit!” outside parliament for years.

STACKED IN THE USSR: Downing Street has been urged to come clean about work done to create its£2.6m briefing room after a link to Russia emerged. The Russian company Megahertz (owned by Okno-TV, an outlet that works closely with state-funded Russia Today), was hired to put up all the communications equipment at No 10, according to ITV News. Sir Alistair Graham, former chair of the committee on standards, said the government should make clear whether the work went out to public tender. “To use a Russian company in a highly sensitive area seems incredible,” said Sir Alistair. Meanwhile, Matt Hancock – and man still under scrutiny over contracts – insisted the 1 per cent pay rise offered to NHS staff was above inflation. “Inflation is below 1 per cent and therefore a proposed 1 percent pay rise is indeed a pay rise,” said the health secretary. But the Office for Budget Responsibility has projected that inflation is likely to rise to 1.5per cent. The Royal College of Nursing claimed Hancock was “digging in, despite public anger”.

ANOTHER GAP IN THE WALL: A huge test looms for Keir Starmer after Mike Hill quit as Labour MP for Hartlepool and set up a by-election in the “red wall” heartlands. Labour is expected to push for the big contest to take place on the same day as local elections, 6 May. Hill’s sudden departure comes as he faces an employment tribunal case over allegations– which he denies – of sexual assault against a former member of staff. Labour won a majority of more than 3,500 votes last time – but Hill partly owed his victory to the right-of-centre vote being split between the Tories and theBrexit Party (far less likely to be a force under its Reform Party guise this time around). In Scotland the SNP has applied to the Electoral Commission so it can add the idea of a second independence referendum to the ballot paper on 6 May. The party has asked for two variations of indyref2 next to SNP candidates’ names on voting slips for the Holyrood election. Officials have tried to register ‘Both Votes SNP for IndyRef2’ and ‘Vote SNP for IndyRef2’.

START ME UP (AGAIN): Is the great European vaccine pause coming to an end? The European Medicines Agency (EMA) is set to release the findings of its formal investigation into the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine today. But the regulator made clear on Tuesday that it was “firmly convinced” of the safety of the jab. French president Emmanuel Macron and Italian prime minister Mario Draghi appear to be getting ready for a climbdown. The two leaders agreed their programmes would start up again “quickly” if the EMA gave it the green light. Meanwhile, the European Commission – which still appears reluctant to admit to any shortages – accused national governments in the EU of stockpiling doses. Stella Kyriakides, the body’s health commissioner, said: “Even with the immense and regrettable challenges around production capacity and deliveries, there are reports of unused reservoirs of vaccines across the EU.” It come as Brussels is set to unveil a vaccine passport scheme to allow travel this summer – despite disagreements between member states over the proposal.

On the record

“Why? Because it is the ultimate guarantee, the ultimate insurance policy against the worst threat from hostile states.”

Dominic Raab on the need for more nuclear weapons.

From the Twitterati

“Boris Johnson: There’s no money to pay nurses more. Also Boris Johnson: Here’s billions more for the £205 billion nuclear weapons system.”

Labour MP Zarah Sultana on the PM’s problematic priorities…

“Can’t help but wonder how much that decision has to do with improving the UK’s national security and how much it has to do with making things tricky for the Labour party.”

…while Prof Tim Bale suggests it gives Labour the electoral problem.

Essential reading

Vince Cable, The Independent: The Brexit battle was lost – so we need to change our way of thinking

Nadine White, The Independent: Black people have always had to worry about over-policed protests

John Bloomfield and David Edgar, Prospect: The left can still win the populist war

Laurence Tribe, The Hill: Trump can still be made to pay for the insurrection at the US Capitol

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