Inside Politics: Boris Johnson pleads with public to help avoid second lockdown

The prime minister sent a clear warning that more ‘costly’ sacrifices lie ahead if people do not follow the rules, writes Adam Forrest

(Reuters TV)

Cheer up everyone! The Bank of England’s chief economist has told us the sky is not falling down – railing against “Chicken Licken” pessimists and predicting a spectacular bounce-back. Boris Johnson, who has been fond of attacking the “doomsters and gloomsters”, has promised it’s still possible to avoid a second lockdown if we all do the right thing. Over in the US, Donald Trump has told everyone to lighten up about the dire TV debate. Far from fear and loathing, the president said it was “fun”.

Inside the bubble

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

Matt Hancock has been called to the Commons to answer an urgent question on the impact of the 10pm curfew, amid widespread complaints the measure has forced drinkers out into the streets for impromptu parties. Elsewhere, Priti Patel’s top civil servant at the Home Office will answer MPs’ questions at the public account committee about accommodation for asylum seekers. So expect questions about Ascension Island and other “offshoring” proposals.

Daily briefing

THERE’S NO OTHER WAY: Boris Johnson told the nation he wanted to avoid another lockdown – but warned he would “not hesitate” in imposing further curbs if necessary. In a message to his Tory critics, he also said restrictions were the “only way” of dealing with the rise in Covid cases. The PM’s own father appears oblivious. Stanley Johnson is pictured inside a shop without a face covering on today’s Mirror front page – admitting he is “not 100% up to speed” with the rules. Meanwhile Prof Chris Whitty said it was possible second wave cases would be “highly concentrated in certain areas”. He made clear this wasn’t cause for cheer – warning that the NHS in parts of northern England could come under pressure “sooner rather than later”. However, there is some good news this morning. A study by Imperial College London shows the growth rate may be slowing down. Experts said the R rate appears to have fallen back to 1.1 since “rule of six” measures were introduced.

WATCHING THE ENGLISH: Has the government appeased the Tory rebels? Matt Hancock announced that MPs would get meaningful votes to approve new Covid regulations in England “wherever possible” – promising it would become “a new convention”. But the health secretary said urgent restrictions could not be held up. Sir Graham Brady – the man behind the amendment aimed at forcing meaningful votes (which was not selected) – welcomed Hancock’s rather vague statement. But not everyone’s happy. Leading backbencher Sir Charles Walker said it was “just not good enough”. Disgruntled Tory MPs shared a Conservative Home article by James Frayne – an ally of Dominic Cummings. It warned No 10’s draconian approach “will come back to haunt them in calmer times”. Frayne said the government was “dicing with political death” by “misunderstanding the character of the English”.

FERRY STRANGE IDEA: If you thought the concept of sending asylum seekers to a volcanic island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean was weird, brace yourself: there’s more. The government is considering a plan to convert disused ferries moored off the coast and use them as “floating” processing centres, according to The Times. Labour called it “unconscionable”. The Guardian reports that as well as Ascension Island, there have been other proposals to build asylum camps in Moldova, Morocco and Papua New Guinea – with Downing Street said to be the “driving force” behind proposals. A No 10 spokesman refused to rule out of using remote Scottish islands or islands in the English Channel for the “offshoring” of asylum seekers. Not everyone is disgusted. Laura Trott, Tory MP for Sevenoaks said it was “absolutely right” that No 10 was looking at new “solutions” to deal with migrant crossings from France.

NOT LICKED YET: The Bank of England’s chief economist Andy Haldane thinks too many of us have been “catastrophising” the impact of the coronavirus, comparing the pessimists to “Chicken Licken” (the folk tale character who thought the sky was falling in). Haldane said he expects the UK economy to rebound with “vertiginous” growth of 20 per cent in the third quarter – a much faster recovery than expected. Local authority leaders do not share his optimism. Councils in England said an additional £10.1bn is needed each year to help them plug funding gaps and keep services going. Labour, meanwhile, is also worried about the years ahead. The opposition has accused the government of creating “slums of the future” by allowing developers to convert shops into “poor-quality” homes without planning permission. The party urged Tory MPs to vote down planning law changes.

DRIVING US CRAZY: Cabinet Office Michael Gove is first up in the Commons today, so we may just get an idea if he’s any more optimistic about the chances of a Brexit trade deal. There’s already some bad news for Britain’s car makers – regardless of whether there’s a deal or not. In a letter to industry bosses, No 10’s chief negotiator David Frost admitted he has failed to persuade the EU to accept the proposal for parts brought in from other countries to be treated as British to avoid tariffs on exports. Frost said the UK “obviously cannot insist on it”. Meanwhile, No 10 has been warned not to sell out the fishing industry, as it emerged the UK is offering a three-year transition period for European fleets. Downing Street did not deny reports that a compromise offer would allow EU catches in British waters to be “phased down” between 2021 and 2024.

TAKING THE MIC: Is the savage US television debate destined to be a one-off special, or part of a long-running series? The commission that oversees the spectacles said it would make changes to make the next one more “orderly”. Reports suggest microphones could be cut if candidates try to interrupt. Donald Trump tried to walk back his menacing debate remarks about the Proud Boys, saying the far-right group should “stand down” and let police officers do their work. But Trump also claimed “I don’t know who the Proud Boys are” – the day after 73 million people watched him say: “Proud Boys, stand back and stand by”. Joe Biden kicked off an old-fashioned railroad train tour by admitting the vicious debate was a “national embarrassment”. The Democrat’s debate line “will you shut up, man” is already on T-shirts. Unfortunately, the Proud Boys are already using “stand back and stand by” on their own merchandise.

On the record

“I really don’t want to do this – I don’t want to go back to a national lockdown where the guidance is to stay at home.”

Boris Johnson plays the reluctant leader.

From the Twitterati

“There’s nasty, truly nasty, and ship-some-of-the-most-vulnerable-people-on-the-planet-4000-miles-away-to-the-South-Atlantic nasty.”

David Schneider thinks Patel and the Home Office outdid themselves with the Ascension Island idea...

“I've been devising a plan to relocate Priti Patel to an isolated Atlantic island. I probably wouldn’t do it – but you have to look at all the options, right?”

…and Sarah Hurst is considering an idea of her own.

Essential reading

Andrew Grice, The Independent: Tory MPs are discovering Johnson is not the leader they thought they were getting

John Rentoul, The Independent: Why Priti Patel is so intent on sending asylum seekers away

Frances Ryan, The Guardian: If Labour wants to win back Britain, it needs to be braver than this

David Corn, Mother Jones: Why the ugly US election debate is a big win for Joe Biden

Sign up here to receive this daily briefing in your email inbox every morning