Inside Politics: Boris Johnson warned not to extend lockdown

Influential Tory backbencher Steve Baker is threatening to ‘organise’ against No 10 if the shutdown is pushed beyond 2 December, writes Adam Forrest

Boris Johnson speaks to his cabinet (AFP via Getty Images)

It looks like Donald Trump could be kicked out the White House. The demonic demagogue might just kicked off Twitter too – after his account was repeatedly flagged for all his wild and dangerous nonsense about election rigging. Maybe Trump could learn a thing or two about more subtle forms of fibs and falsehoods from his friend Boris Johnson. Rory Stewart has paid tribute to the PM as “the most accomplished liar in public life”. Johnson is currently asking the British public to believe four weeks will be all the lockdown we need before light begins to appear at the end of the tunnel.

Inside the bubble

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock on what to look out for today:

The British-Irish Council conference kicks off today, hosted by Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon. Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster is set to speak about how different parts of the UK can help each other in the economic recovery. Business minister Nadhim Zahawi will be doing the morning media round for the government, while trade minister Greg Hands will give a speech about Britain’s post-Brexit future at 2pm.

Daily briefing

THIS FAR, NO FURTHER: Boris Johnson knows just how you feel. The PM said he was well aware we’re all “fed up” with the virus and restrictions – but he promised England’s lockdown was “time limited” and said four weeks should be enough to have a “real impact”. Leading Tory backbencher Steve Baker warned the PM it’d better be the last of it. Baker threatened to whip up a proper rebellion if there’s any extension. “If, in 28 days’ time, the PM hasn’t developed a plan to deliver to live with it, I will certainly organise against. And then I’m afraid it will be a very unhappy Christmas.” The NRG group of Conservatives from the north also warned the PM not to leave constituencies “locked into lockdown” indefinitely. Johnson promised to improve test and trace, and said a further £1.1bn would be given to councils to support businesses. It comes as foreign secretary Dominic Raab has to self-isolate after coming into close contact with someone who tested positive for Covid.

FURLOUGHED BROWS: Rishi Sunak went further than expected by announcing the furlough scheme will be extended right through until the end of March, all across the UK. Labour, having pleaded with Sunak to extend it, couldn’t say anything too negative – but shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said she was worried that he left it “until the last possible moment”. More significant criticism comes from Paul Johnson of the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS), who called it “wasteful and badly targeted”. He said it the idea of having two million people furloughed on 80 per cent of pay was “remarkable … particularly given that it looks like a large fraction of them are not in shutdown sectors”. Does the guarantee of furlough support mean Scotland will move into lockdown? Not yet. Nicola Sturgeon said her five-tier system was already having a welcome impact – with the R rate dropping to around 1. The first minister boasted that Scotland was in a “better position” than England.

NOT READY, NOT STEADY: Brexit becomes real in only eight weeks’ time. The National Audit Office (NAO) has warned that UK trade faces “significant disruption” in January, even if a deal is struck. The government’s spending watchdog produced a damning assessment of preparations – saying it was “very unlikely” that traders would be ready for checks, while there wasn’t enough time for new border infrastructure to be completed. The Road Haulage Association said the industry had been “been badly let down … from beginning to end”. How are trade talks coming along? EU officials are said to be perturbed about the UK putting the brakes on discussions in the middle of the week (though talks will restart next week). According to Brexit expert Mujtaba Rahman, Brussels “suspects [UK] government broke off talks yesterday in part to wait for outcome of US election”. Rahman thinks a Joe Biden victory makes concessions from No 10 much more likely.

DAMNED SIGHS AND STATISTICS: The government’s statistics watchdog is also sticking the boot in at the moment. The UK Statistics Authority criticised the way data was used to justify lockdown. The projection made by Public Health England and Cambridge University – which said the country could see more than 4,000 deaths a day – was used at Saturday’s TV briefing despite being out of date and over-estimating fatalities. “Full transparency of data … is vital to public understanding,” the body complained. Elsewhere, leading Tory MP Jeremy Hunt attacked the government over a lack of regular testing for NHS staff. The former health secretary said: “I am gravely concerned that we may be about to make the same mistake … and let the virus spread through our healthcare system.” And Peter Riddell, the public appointments commissioner, complained that ministers are stuffing interview panels for top public sector jobs with their allies to “tilt” the system in their favour.

MASTER OF DECEPTION: Rory Stewart has offered the most damning assessment of Boris Johnson there’s ever been – branding the PM an “amoral character” and “the most accomplished liar in public life”. The former Tory leadership contender explained Johnson’s addiction and mastery over mistruth in a review of Tom Bower’s biography The Gambler. “He has perfected casuistry, circumlocution, false equivalence and false analogy. He is equally adept at the ironic jest, the fib and the grand lie; the weasel word and the half-truth; the hyperbolic lie, the obvious lie, and the bulls*** lie.” Maybe Joe Biden’s team should read it to see what they might soon be dealing with. In a change of tone, justice secretary Robert Buckland tried to “assure” the US over its commitment to the Northern Ireland peace agreement, in light of an increasingly likely victory for the Democrat. The minister also suggested Donald Trump should allow a “smooth transition” of power.

INFAMY, INFAMY – THEY’VE ALL GOT IT IN FOR ME! There will be absolutely nothing smooth about any transfer of power in the US. Donald Trump assured the world it would be bumpy as hell. “If you count the legal votes, I easily win – if you count the illegal votes they can try to steal the election from us,” the Republican fumed, lashing out as the numbers continue to go against him. In Pennsylvania, Trump’s lead has narrowed to fewer than 25,000 as more mail-in ballots come in. In Georgia, Trump’s lead has shrunk to just 1,800. And in Nevada, Joe Biden has increased his lead to more than 11,000 votes. The only worrying news for Biden comes in Arizona, where he has seen his lead fall from about 69,000 to 46,000. The Democrat said: “I asked everyone to stay calm. All people to stay calm. The process is working.” But many Trump supporters appear to believe their commander with unquestioning faith. They have been heard chanting both “Stop the votes!” and “Count the votes!”, depending on which state they’re in.

On the record

“I know that many of you are anxious, weary and quite frankly fed up with the very mention of this virus.”

The PM assures us he hates Covid as much as we do.

From the Twitterati

“This Rory Stewart essay about Boris Johnson is just as much fun as everyone says. It’s like watching someone get kicked to death with ballet shoes.”

Author Tom Chivers enjoyed Stewart’s attack...

“The longest and most loaded pause I’ve ever experienced in an interview came when I asked Rory Stewart whether Boris Johnson was dangerous. He’s not pausing now.”

…and LBC’s James O’Brien thinks Stewart’s been waiting to get it off his chest.

Essential reading

Mark Steel, The Independent: Be prepared for the biggest Trump meltdown the world has ever seen

John Rentoul, The Independent: Rishi Sunak is getting good at U-turns, having made so many

Polly Toynbee, The Guardian: Britain must end its infatuation with America – this election shows why

Richard Hasen, Slate: What’s Trump endgame if the race is called for Biden?

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