Inside Politics: Labour attacks Tory government over travel rule ‘chaos’

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has angered almost everyone with the decision to pull Portugal from the green list, writes Adam Forrest

Transport secretary Grant Shapps (PA)

Sometimes even winners can lose out. Three planeloads of Chelsea supporters – who have just come back from their Champions League final win in Portugal – have been ordered to self-isolate for 10 days. But it’s the least of the travel havoc at the moment. Tourism chiefs, aviation bosses and holidaymakers are incandescent with rage at the government for taking Portugal off the green list, and turning seven countries from amber to red. Boris Johnson’s government is facing questions on competence once again – with Labour accusing ministers of causing “chaos”.

Inside the bubble

Political correspondent Ashley Cowburn on what to look out for today:

Chancellor Rishi Sunak kicks off the two-day summit of G7 finance ministers at Lancaster House this morning. The leaders will be haggling over a tax on big tech (which the US has been cold on) and a minimum global corporation tax rate (which the UK has been cold on). Elsewhere, Robert Jenrick is doing the media round – facing the flak over travel list changes.

Daily briefing

NOT EASY BEING GREEN: The travel sector is bracing for company collapses and job losses, with industry bosses furious that routes are being shut down rather than opening up. Portugal will move from green to amber on Tuesday. Seven amber countries, including Costa Rica, Egypt and Sri Lanka, will join the red list. Transport secretary Grant Shapps insisted the move was a “safety-first approach” – citing concern over a “Nepal mutation” of the Indian variant (though nobody seems to know anything about the spike mutation). The government had promised to give plenty of notice when pulling destinations from the green list, but the travel industry certainly doesn’t feel like it got it. Heathrow chief exec John Holland-Kaye complained: “Ministers spent last month hailing the restart of international travel, only to close it down three weeks later.” Labour’s Yvette Cooper said the government had to become more transparent with its data and reasoning. “Otherwise, what we will end up with is a summer of just chopping and changing … chaotic for everyone.”

THE MUNIFICENT SEVEN? Rishi Sunak claims the UK, US and other G7 nations are close to reaching a global deal to tax the tech companies, as he prepares to lead a summit of fellow finance leaders today. Will the chancellor agree to global minimum corporate tax rate of 15 per cent wanted by the US? Sunak is keeping schtum and sounding upbeat. “I’m hugely optimistic that we will deliver some concrete outcomes this weekend,” he said. It comes as former PM Theresa May joined the Tory rebellion over aid cuts – boosting the chances of a damaging Commons defeat during next week’s G7 summit. A group of 30 MPs have pledged to back Andrew Mitchell’s amendment to restore aid spending to 0.7 per cent, but they are confident of getting more. Tobias Ellwood, defence committee chair, said: “We need the number 45 [to defeat the government] and at the moment I’m confident – quietly, cautiously confident – that we’re going to get that number.”

FURLOUGHED BROWS: Could furlough be extended past September? The government is “open minded” about renewing the scheme, Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has claimed. Nicola Sturgeon used a four-nations summit to push for the job retention scheme to continue “for as long as it is needed”. The Scottish government also suggested additional, targeted furlough support for the hard-hit arts sector. Gove claimed the government would “certainly look at the case”. Sturgeon is not convinced Gove’s words mean very much. Following Thursday’s four-nations virtual summit, the SNP leader said she hadn’t got any “concrete assurances” on furlough. Meanwhile the former SNP minister Kenny MacAskill has gone all Gordon Brown by advocating “Home Rule” for Scotland. The nationalist – who recently defected to join Alex Salmond’s Alba outfit – said the compromise option might break the “constitutional impasse” in a “deeply divided” nation.

WALLPAPER CLOSING IN? Labour continues to grab onto Boris Johnson’s expensive curtains, unwilling to let go just yet. Deputy leader Angela Rayner wants parliament’s sleaze watchdog to investigate the funding of the Downing Street flat refurb. In a letter to the parliamentary commissioner for standards, Kathryn Stone, Rayner said it was still worth looking at whether the PM broke the rules by not declaring a donation on the MPs’ register of interests. She accused Johnson of “treating basic standards of integrity, openness and transparency with contempt”. It comes as the Tories are hit with a £10,000 fine from the data watchdog for sending marketing emails to people who didn’t want to receive them. The “nuisance” messages were sent out in Johnson’s name after he became PM in July 2019. It has also emerged that a scandal-hit banker gifted the Tories £500,000 soon after Johnson gave him a seat in the Lords, according to newly released Electoral Commission records. Make of that what you will.

SUSPICIOUS MINDS: Is it possible the EU doesn’t completely trust Boris Johnsons government? I can’t think why. The bloc’s members states are looking to draw up a “code of conduct” for dealing with the UK. The code could require meetings with the British concerning European affairs to be reported to Brussels. It comes amid fears the UK will keep trying to play them off against each other – something they’ve taken note of since the heady days of the Brexit negotiations. Meanwhile, the UK and Australia are hoping to strike a trade agreement by mid-June, according to the British envoy in Canberra. “We are working hard to have an agreement in principle … on June 15,” said high commissioner Vicki Treadell. Elsewhere, Irish foreign minister Simons Coveney has made a desperate plea for the UK to think again on an agri-food alignment deal which would remove most checks in Northern Ireland. “The EU side is open to making it work,” said Coveney. But Brexit minister David Frost has made clear he is not open to making it work.

JOE MEETS LIZ: The Queen will welcome US president Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden to Windsor Castle next week. The meeting on 13 June will coincide with the end of Biden’s visit to Blighty for the G7 summit of leaders in Cornwall. It comes as residents in St Ives have complained that nightmarish “ring of steel” security fencing for next week’s G7 summit is cutting them off from the outside world. A single door in the 10ft fence will be open to allow residents in the Tregenna Parc area to leave their properties – and they will have to ask a security guard and produce ID to go back in. “They’ve built a cage around us – how on earth can that be legal?” said Christine Towner. “They’ve caged us.” Christine Norton added: “It’s scary. It feels like the whole town is now under an occupation.”

On the record

“This idea has widespread support across Northern Ireland – business, farming, political, and community leaders have told me directly that they support it. I hope the UK government will listen to their voices.”

Simon Coveney on a proposed agri-food agreement…

From the Twitterati

“What a shambles – removing Portugal from the green list when people who booked but can’t now go might not get their money back.”

Left-wing commentator Kevin Maguire appalled by the almighty holiday mess…

“Portugal will be removed from the green list on Tuesday at 4am due to “rising cases” even though cases have barely risen at all since March. The government is just trolling us now.

…and right-wing pundit Toby Young is also angry.

Essential reading

Peter Mandelson, The Independent: Labour doesn’t need to go back to Blair – but the party should learn from him

Mark Steel, The Independent: Watching Tim Martin squirm almost makes Brexit worth it

Janet Daley, The Telegraph: Lockdown-obsessed politicians are neglecting a generation of children

Andy Beckett, The Guardian: History shows that the Tories can’t hold back social change

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