Inside Politics: Nicola Sturgeon adds to pressure on No 10 to reopen schools

Scotland’s first minister has stolen a march on Boris Johnson by revealing her plan to get pupils back in class, writes Adam Forrest

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon arrives ahead of delivering an update on Covid restrictions in the Scottish Parliament (PA)

Meghan and Harry didn’t bother to inform the Queen they were planning a “tell-all” interview with Oprah Winfrey, according to Royal gossipers. Sources close to the Sussexes say nothing will be off limits to Oprah. Nicola Sturgeon didn’t bother to inform Boris Johnson about her outline of lockdown easing north of the border. With the prime minister telling us very little of anything, Scotland’s first minister has forged ahead with the re-opening of schools – and revealed overseas holidays will likely be off limits in 2021.

Inside the bubble

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

No PMQs with the Commons in recess, but who needs it when we’ve got Handforth Parish Council? It will discuss a motion of no confidence in the mayor Barry Burkhill after claims he did not intervene to stop bullying during the council’s chaotic Zoom meeting in December. At Westminster, the science and technology committee will hold a session on how lockdown measures should be eased.

Daily briefing

BEST-LAID BLUEPRINTS: Boris Johnson wants “surge” testing to become commonplace. So commonplace that NHS Test and Trace is preparing to send 400,000 rapid lateral flow tests out to homes and workplaces each day, The Times. With the PM keeping quiet about his timetable for easing, The Daily Mail goes with a speculative front page predicting the “likely” blueprint will see self-catered holiday lets allowed from early April, while limited pub and restaurant re-openings could begin in early May. The Telegraph is more pessimistic mood, reporting that lockdown is unlikely to be “significantly” eased until daily Covid cases are under 1,000. Sir Graham Brady, chair of the 1922 committee of Tory backbenchers, complained: “We cannot allow the goalposts to be moved every time we are about to reach freedom.” It comes after the government announced a big expansion of the number of people being asked to shield in England. An extra 1.7 million people will be added to the list. Those in the group who haven’t be vaccinated will now be prioritised for the jab.

TAKING THE HIGH ROAD: Nicola Sturgeon has put more pressure on No 10 to get schools open asap. The first minister stole a march by announcing the reopening of Scottish primary classes to some pupils from Monday. “Children’s education … is such a priority,” she said, before admitting it “may mean the rest of us living with some other restrictions for longer”. The first phase would allow primaries 1-3 and senior phase pupils in secondary schools to return. Sturgeon also said her government’s imminent roadmap – also to be revealed next week – would likely advise Scots not to book Easter holidays. Going further than Boris Johnson and his ministers, she said overseas holidays were “highly unlikely” in 2021, though staycations may be possible. It comes as it emerged that Boris Johnson was advised in a private report to appoint a new cabinet minister for the union. The report by Lord Dunlop recommending a new “Secretary of State for Intergovernmental and Constitutional Affairs” was shared with the PM in November 2019.

DON’T STOP THE MUSIC: The government wants to negotiate with individual EU countries to help British musicians and performers tour after Brexit. Told of an “absolute crisis” for the creative industries, culture minister Caroline blamed Brussels for current visa arrangements. “I deeply regret that the EU rejected our proposals.” Dineage said deals on work permits and visas with individual countries was now a “more likely success route”. Deborah Annetts, chief executive at Incorporated Society of Musicians (ISM), said: “Musicians are already thinking in quite desperate terms whether they have a career left.” It comes as EU Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic continues his apology tour of Ireland. He told an Irish parliamentary committee the commission “deeply regrets” the recent attempt to trigger Article 16 of the NI protocol over vaccine orders. “I can reassure you that the commission has learned the lesson.” Senator Vincent Martin told him it was only thanks to rapid intervention from Dublin that “the Titanic didn’t hit the iceberg”.

COUNTING EVERY MINUTE: Labour isn’t letting up on the cronyism story. The shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves has written to the Cabinet secretary asking him to publish details of all meetings with Tory-linked firms that have secured Covid contracts. Reeves has asked Simon Case to disclose minutes and attendance of departmental meetings involving 10 companies with connections to the Tories in the past year. “To restore transparency and public trust, this information is extremely important,” she said in the letter. Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has also written to Tory co-chairwoman Amanda Milling seeking similar information. Criticism of Keir Starmer won’t let up either, however. Starmer “would not leave a trace of a meaningful political project in his wake” if he quit tomorrow, one of the main backers has complained. In a piece for The Guardian, leading policy wonk Tom Kibasi said the Labour leader had got lost picking fights with the left, and had thus far failed to begin building an “intellectual project” like Tony Blair.

CRY FREEDOM: It’s fair to say university-types are not happy about Gavin Williamson’s attack on “unacceptable silencing” on campuses. Student groups and high education leaders gave Williamson’s plan for a “free speech champion” a big thumbs down. There was general eyerolling at the education secretary’s untimely salvo in the culture war. Jo Grady, general secretary of the University and College Union, said Williamson seemed “more interested in fighting phantom threats to free speech” than real threats such as the pandemic. The Russell Group of top universities says they needed to keep their “institutional autonomy”. The National Union of Students insisted there was “no evidence” of a freedom of speech crisis on campus. Williamson insisted he was “deeply worried about the chilling effect … of unacceptable silencing and censoring” on campuses. He wants his new champion to investigate potential problems such as the no-platforming speakers.

ESCAPING THE GILDED CAGE: Joe Biden got a hearty round of applause during a CNN town hall event in Wisconsin last night when he said America needs to be vaccinating its teachers a lot sooner. “I think that we should be vaccinating teachers. We should move them up in the hierarchy as well,” said the president. Biden also described the White House as a “gilded cage” and said he was “self-conscious” about how attentively he is catered to there. Donald Trump, who remains in his gilded cage down in Florida, unleashed a blistering attack on Mitch McConnell – branding him “a dour, sullen, unsmiling political hack”. The denouncement of the top Republican in the Senate comes after McConnell told Trump off for being “morally and practically responsible” for the US Capitol riots, but effectively gave him a route back into politics by failing to back impeachment.

On the record

“For the summer, while it’s still highly unlikely that overseas holidays will be possible or advisable, staycations might be.”

Nicola Sturgeon puts a dampener on Scots’ holiday hopes.

From the Twitterati

“Williamson is wandering into dangerous territory on free speech. He only wants to protect views on campus which he views as acceptable.”

FT editor Lionel Barber says Williamson’s move is dangerous…

“Ministers aren’t motivated by free speech. They’re arsonists stoking divisive culture wars to distract from Covid’s lost lives and livelihoods, a Tory chumocracy scamdemic and cynical liar Johnson’s Brexit disaster.”

…while The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire says it’s a distraction.

Essential reading

Tom Peck, The Independent: Voltaire wrestled with free speech, but Gavin Williamson can explain it

Johnny Mercer, The Independent: Veterans should never have been stripped of medals over their sexuality

Chris Deerin, New Statesman: Support for Scottish independence is more fragile than it seems

Yasmeen Serhan, The Atlantic: What history tells us will happen to Trumpism?

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