Inside Politics: Northern Tory MPs revolt over Covid curbs

The Northern Research Group of ‘blue wall’ backbenchers are demanding Boris Johnson comes up with a road map out of restrictions, writes Adam Forrest

Boris Johnson (POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Everyone loves a bit gossip – especially when it comes from one of the Johnson clan. According to the prime minister’s sister Rachel, George and Amal Clooney didn’t actually know Harry or Meghan, despite getting invited to their wedding. Funnily enough, a mutually-convenient relationship between megastars is dominating British politics at the moment. Boris Johnson hailed Marcus Rashford’s “terrific” food poverty campaign – he loves Marcus! – but he still won’t budge on free meal vouchers. The PM mutually-convenient relationship with blue wall Tories is also under strain, as dozens of his northern MPs rebel over Covid restrictions.

Inside the bubble

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

Boris Johnson hosts a meeting of “future leaders” in Downing Street as part of Black History Month. The Commons may be in half-term recess but the Lords will see a lively session with Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham and Steve Rotheram, mayor of Liverpool city region. The pair are giving evidence to the Lords economic affairs committee about the effect of coronavirus restrictions on jobs.

Daily briefing

FOOD, GLORIOUS FOOD: Boris Johnson is not for U-turning. The PM defended his refusal to extend free school meals over half-term holiday and claimed he was “very proud” of support already offered, as he posed with plates of sausage and mash at a canteen in Reading. Johnson also pointed to the £63m given to councils in England to support struggling families – but the Local Government Association said this money was intended to be spent before the end of September and had already been “outstripped” by demand. Meanwhile, more than 50 Tory MPs from Jake Berry’s new Northern Research Group have written to the PM to share concerns that his government could break its promise to “level-up” the country. Ex-cabinet ministers David Davis and Esther McVey are among the signatories calling for a “clear roadmap” out of coronavirus restrictions across northern England.

THIS YEAR, SAVE ME FROM TEARS: The Scottish government admitted some students could be ordered not to return home for Christmas if the spread of Covid cannot be controlled. “We may not be able to support the return of students to their homes,” said deputy first minister John Swinney. “We want to avoid that – but it is a realistic possibility.” The National Union of Students demanded an urgent plan to stop the bleak scenario. Two areas in Scotland – North and South Lanarkshire – are being considered for Nicola Sturgeon’s new level 4 restrictions, similar to full lockdown. Down south, Nottingham will enter tier 3 restrictions from Thursday morning, while Warrington will join areas with the toughest level of restrictions this morning. Warrington Council said the date was moved forward to “urgently bring down the number of cases”. By the end of this week, one in seven people in England will be living under tier 3 curbs.

KEEP CALM AND PUT IT OFF: With the Covid crisis set to continue into 2021, perhaps it’s time to start the public inquiry and learn some lessons? Not yet, says No 10. The PM’s spokesman suggested it would not begin until the pandemic is beaten. “The ongoing fight against the virus is exactly why we need to learn lessons as soon as possible,” said Jo Goodman, who lost her father Stuart to the virus. Tory MP William Wragg told The Independent: “We’ve suggested a model, and would urge the government to proceed in that way as quickly as possible.” Meanwhile, a new Labour report finds that Covid has “thrived” among black and Asian communities because of structural discrimination. Report author Baroness Lawrence said these groups had also been subjected to “disgraceful racism”, as some have sought to “blame” them for the spread of the virus. Labour also condemned the government’s decision to reinstate VAT on face masks as “unbelievable”.

REGRETS? WE HAVE A FEW: Europhiles may be interested to know the latest YouGov poll finds Brexit regret is getting more pronounced. Only 38 of the British public say it was right to quit the EU, while 50 per cent said it was a mistake. Brexit trade deal negotiations have gone quiet, which is usually a good indication of progress. But there’s still no sign of France budging on fishing quotas yet. French Europe minister Clément Beaune said Paris is making sure the EU is “really tough”. Beaune crowed: “We’ve always been accused of being the bad cops – we take full responsibility for that.” Meanwhile former top diplomat and peer Peter Ricketts has warned No 10 that the UK will no longer be a key focus for the US if the Democrat wins. Britain’s former ambassador to NATO told Politico: “When [Joe] Biden looks towards Europe, he will see Paris and Berlin more as the centre of gravity of what’s really important for America in Europe.”

MOST STAND WITH MARCUS: Some more intriguing poll results. The majority of Britons – 57 per cent – would like to see Johnson change his mind and extend free school meal vouchers. But a surprisingly high proportion (29 per cent) said they backed the PM, rather than Marcus Rashford, over the issue. A narrow majority of Tory voters support Johnson’s stance. The latest YouGov poll also shows no change for Labour and the Tories, still neck and neck. But Johnson languishes on 29 per cent behind both Keir Starmer (on 35 per cent) and “don’t know” (on 33 per cent) when voters were asked who would make the best PM. It comes as police make inquiries about a road collision involving the Labour leader. Starmer is thought to have been driving in London’s Kentish Town when the incident with the cyclist occurred. His spokesman said he stayed at the scene until an ambulance arrived to take the biker to hospital, before reporting it to police. Starmer was not arrested, nor interviewed under caution.

WHAT’S IN A NAME: Donald Trump is revelling in one of his big “achievements” – celebrating the US Senate confirmation of his Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett at a White House ceremony. He trolled liberals by claiming that the deeply conservative Barrett “fills the seat of a true pioneer for women, Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg”. Trump also had some fun mocking “sleepy” Joe Biden for forgetting his name, after the Democrat challenger said “we need to stop four more years of George”. Trump tweeted: “Couldn’t remember my name … The Fake News Cartel is working overtime to cover it up!” Meanwhile, the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner was accused of racism after he said black people must “want” to be successful. “President Trump’s policies are the policies that can help people break out of the problems that they’re complaining about,” he told Fox News. “But he can’t want them to be successful more than they want to be successful.”

On the record

“The impact of Covid is not random, but foreseeable and inevitable, the consequence of decades of structural injustice, inequality and discrimination that blights our society.”

Baroness Lawrence on the link between virus and inequality.

From the Twitterati

“This is going to smart.”  

The Guardian’s Helen Pidd thinks the Tory northern research group’s angry letter to the PM will sting…

“Is there now a single Tory parliamentary pressure group that doesn’t have a spurious reference to ‘research’ in its name?”

...while researcher Pawel Swidlicki hates the prevalence of pseudo-researchers in the Tory party.

Essential reading

Sean O’Grady, The Independent: Boris Johnson will cave in on Brexit – and sell it as his original plan

Tom Peck, The Independent: Giving Marcus Rashford an MBE has come back to bite the government

Martin Fletcher, New Statesman: Why a Joe Biden win would be disastrous for Boris Johnson

Heather Caygle, Politico: Nancy Pelosi has a firm grip on power, as Democrats eye a clean sweep

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