Inside Politics: Sage scientists wanted Boris Johnson to impose full lockdown

Many Tory MPs may not like the new restrictions – but documents suggest the prime minister’s top advisers don’t feel they go far enough, writes Adam Forrest

Boris Johnson (PA)

What if The Beatles were just starting out now? Would the government have made the Liverpool lads retrain in “cyber”? The place which formed Britain’s greatest-ever group will stay open, at least – the Cavern Club is getting a share of a new £250m fund for arts venues. For the rest of Merseyside, today marks the last hard day’s night before Boris Johnson’s new Tier 3 restrictions come into force on Wednesday. The PM has to cope with a backlash from northern leaders and Tory MPs – but new documents have revealed his own scientists wanted him to take tougher lockdown measures weeks ago.

Inside the bubble

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

The cabinet meets this morning, but all the week’s important decisions seem to have been made already. In the Commons, shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds has an urgent question about the extension of the furlough and business support to areas under additional restrictions. Will Rishi Sunak answer it himself, or send his deputy, Steve Barclay? Later, MPs will debate and vote on the 10pm closing time for pubs and restaurants, and then on the new measures announced yesterday.

Daily briefing

FLASH BACK: Boris Johnson defended pushing Merseyside into new, tougher, Tier 3 restrictions, telling the nation the infection levels were “flashing at us like dashboard warnings in a passenger jet – we must act now.” But the government’s own scientific advisers believe the PM has acted too late. Newly-released documents show Sage called for a full “circuit breaker” lockdown for England at a meeting on 21 September. Labour had demanded Johnson explain why he “ignored” the experts. Chief medical officer Chris Whitty said he was not confident the new curbs “would be enough” to control the virus. The PM said around £1bn of financial support would be provided to councils affected by changes, and thanked leaders on Merseyside for agreeing to the new curbs (which shut down all pubs and ban households from mixing). But Liverpool region mayor Steve Rotheram said there had been no agreement. Measures were “dictated to us by the government”, he said.  

FIRST THEY CAME FOR MERSEYSIDE: Tory MPs who voted against the rule of six are planning to vote against the new measures for Merseyside this evening. “If we support Liverpool being shut down, how can we object if they come for us next?” one backbencher told the FT. The rebellion over the region looks certain to be overtaken by events elsewhere. Mayor Sadiq Khan has warned that London – currently in Tier 1 “medium” alert level – could see its status change “very quickly, potentially even this week” (meaning a Tier 2 ban on different households meeting indoors). It comes as the top NHS official Prof Stephen Powis revealed hospitals in England now have more Covid patients than when lockdown restrictions were announced in March. NHS Nightingale facilities in Manchester, Sunderland and Harrogate have been asked to get ready to take patients. Prof Calum Semple, one of the government’s advisers, said a full national lockdown could still be needed within weeks.

MONEY FOR NOTHING: Keir Starmer responded to the big announcement by saying the PM appeared to be increasingly “several steps behind the curve” and had lost control of the spread of the virus “long ago”. The Labour leader also revealed he isn’t happy that MPs are getting a pay rise of more than £3,300. “We shouldn’t have it, this year of all years … that’s money that should be spent on key workers.” The SNP’s Margaret Ferrier really does not want to give up her precious salary. The MP claims she was “hung out to dry” by her party over her big train trip with Covid, telling The Scottish Sun she initially didn’t understand SNP officials’ “urgency” to make a statement explaining what she had done wrong. “I just felt it was very pushy … I said at that point: ‘Hang on a minute – as soon as this goes out am I going to be bombarded with abuse?” Yes Margaret. I’m afraid so.  

FISHY BUSINESS: The French continue to dig their fisherman’s sandals in over access to British waters after Brexit. Clément Beaune, France’s Europe minister and a close political ally of Emmanuel Macron, told business leaders: “We will have no weakness on this issue of fisheries, that is clear.” Elsewhere French MEPs told European Parliament colleagues to vote against any trade deal which does not guarantee “continuous access to British waters”. Macron’s top ally in Brussels Dacian Cioloș, who leads the Renew group in the European parliament, told The Independent it was time for Johnson to “decide” whether he really wants a trade deal – and personally intervene to make it happen. Meanwhile, EU leaders are set to sign off on a new quarantine system which allows travellers to present a certificate showing a negative Covid test result. Britain could remain part of the scheme after Brexit, EU sources told The Telegraph.

CYBER PUNKED: The government was forced to pull an online advert suggesting a ballet dancer should retrain in “cyber” after it was widely mocked on social media. The extremely strange item read: “Fatima’s next job could be in cyber (she just doesn’t know it yet). Rethink. Reskill. Reboot.” Even culture secretary Oliver Dowden admitted it was “crass” – before No 10 said it was “not appropriate” and took it down. Some Twitter wits suggested that Test and Trace boss Dido Harding could do with some cyber training. It was particularly frustrating for Dowden, since it overshadowed his £257m package for arts venues – and came after Rishi Sunak angered creatives by suggesting people would have to “adjust to the new reality”. Speaking of new realities, next summer’s A-levels and GCSEs in England will be pushed back by three weeks. Education secretary Gavin Williamson said it would give pupils enough time to “catch up”.

KISS ME DEADLY: Donald Trump wants to give you his kisses. The indestructible president is back out of the campaign trail – appearing at an outdoor rally in Sanford, Florida, less than two weeks after testing positive for Covid. “They say I’m immune – I feel so powerful,” he told the crowd. “I’ll walk in there and kiss everyone. I’ll kiss the guys and the beautiful women. I’ll give you a big, fat kiss.” Joe Biden said Trump had brought “nothing but reckless behaviour, divisive rhetoric, and fear mongering” to Florida. Meanwhile the Senate has kicked off confirmation proceedings for Trump’s Supreme Court nominee Amy Coney Barrett. Democrats made clear they intended to turn the hearings into a weeks-long campaign infomercial on how they are shielding “Obamacare” from Republican repeal efforts.

On the record

“The government now needs to urgently explain why it ignored its own scientists and what it will be doing to get control of the virus.”

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth on the PM ignoring Sage’s push for a full lockdown.

From the Twitterati

“I don’t know if the government know they appear to have created a ‘Hopes & Dreams Crushing Department’, but for a country already depressed and anxious, I would suggest it’s a bit of a ‘Not now, dudes’ moment?

Caitlin Moran hated the government’s suggestion that Fatima the ballet dancer gets a job in ‘cyber’...

“If only Shakespeare had got a job in cyber.”

…and Matt Haig wonders what would have happened if our greatest creatives had retrained.  

Essential reading

Sean O’Grady, The Independent: For the good of America and the world, give Trump a presidential pardon

Qais Hussain, The Independent: I’m petrified by the Conservatives’ version of Momentum

Robert Peston, The Spectator: Boris Johnson’s hasn’t actually simplified the Covid rules

Michelle Goldberg: The Republicans bad faith over the Supreme Court is galling

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