Tories and Labour tied for first time since 2019 as Starmer demands Covid Cobra meeting
Amal Clooney condemns Boris Johnson’s ‘lamentable’ willingness to break international law over Brexit
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Labour have pulled level with the Conservatives in polling for the first time since 2019, according to YouGov research, amid mutiple crises over Brexit and coronavirus.
The new poll showed both Labour and the Tories on 40 per cent, with the Lib Dems on 6 per cent, after a series of chaotic weeks for the government.
It came as Sir Keir Starmer and Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon called on Boris Johnson to hold a meeting of the emergency Cobra committee over the recent spike in coronavirus cases.
Please see below for how the news happened.
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of UK politics today.
Pressure grows on Johnson to hold emergency Cobra meeting over coronavirus spike
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon have called on Boris Johnson to hold an emergency Cobra meeting over a recent spike in coronavirus cases which could lead to a second national lockdown.
“There is mounting concern about whether we have got the virus sufficiently under control,” Sir Keir said on Friday.
“This is the time for swift, decisive national action. We cannot afford to be too slow.”
He added: “That’s why I’m asking the prime minister to convene a Cobra meeting and to update the country on the measures the government‘s taking to keep the virus under control, including to fix testing.”
Meanwhile, Ms Sturgeon urged the prime minister to hold an emergency meeting over the weekend and said she could not remember the last time she spoke to him.
Amal Clooney quits UK envoy role over Johnson’s ‘lamentable’ Brexit bill
Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney has quit as the UK’s special envoy on press freedom over Boris Johnson’s “lamentable” willingness to break international law over Brexit.
“Very sadly, it has become untenable for me, as special envoy, to urge other states to respect and enforce international obligations while the UK declares that it does not intend to do so itself,” Ms Clooney, who is the wife of actor George Clooney, wrote in a letter.
She added that the government’s Internal Market Bill “threatens to embolden autocratic regimes that violate international law with devastating consequences all over the world”.
Our reporter, Andy Gregory, has the full story below:
Amal Clooney quits envoy post in protest over Brexit bill
Media freedoms envoy says Internal Market Bill ‘threatens to embolden autocratic regimes … with devastating consequences all over the world’
Dominic Raab’s bodyguard stood down after leaving gun on plane
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab’s police protection officer has been suspended from duties after leaving his gun on a plane at Heathrow.
The Metropolitan Police said an investigation was taking place over the incident, which reportedly occurred as Mr Raab returned from a trip to the US.
It follows a similar incident in February of this year, when former prime minister David Cameron’s bodyguard was removed from operational duties after leaving his gun in a plane toilet.
Our reporter, Clea Skopeliti, has the full story below:
Dominic Raab’s bodyguard stood down after leaving gun on plane
Incident follow similar situation involving David Cameron’s protection officer
Labour’s deputy leader calls for Cobra meeting this weekend
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has urged Boris Johnson to call a meeting of the government’s civil contingencies committee to consider the rise in coronavirus cases this weekend.
“We are deeply concerned with the sharp rise in infection rates. What we have seen over the last six months is the government still can't get the basics right,” Ms Rayner told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.
“The prime minister has to convene a Cobra meeting this weekend. He has to look at the science and the evidence and he has to make sure the measures are in place and a clear communications strategy on that so people can do the right thing.”
She added: “It has been absolutely shocking to see how monumentally they have failed at the testing, tracing, tracking system that they put in place.”
Labour pulls level with Conservatives for first time since 2019, YouGov poll finds
Labour has pulled level with the Conservatives for the first time since Boris Johnson became prime minister last year, according to a new YouGov poll.
Polling for The Times showed both Labour and the Tories on 40 per cent, with the Lib Dems on 6 per cent, after a series of chaotic weeks for the government on coronavirus, A-level results and Brexit.
YouGov also found Sir Keir Starmer leading Mr Johnson on who the public thought would be the best prime minister, with 34 per cent opting for the Labour leader and 31 per cent choosing the current PM.
You can find the full polling below:
Labour calls on PM to guarantee living wage for social care workers
Labour has called on Boris Johnson to fulfill his promise to “fix” the adult social care crisis in England after promising a reform plan last year.
Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said it was time for the prime minister to end the delays and bring forward a plan which would guarantee all social care workers a living wage.
Ms Rayner made the demand ahead of her keynote speech for Labour’s four-day online virtual conference, after its annual in-person event was cancelled due to coronavirus.
“On his first day in office the prime minister promised to fix the crisis in social care with a plan he said he had already prepared. Now it turns out that it won't be published until next year,” she said.
“He must publish his plan to fix the crisis in social care without any more delays, and that plan must guarantee all care workers are paid at least the real living wage.”
She said it was “unconscionable” that the average wage for a care worker was just £8.10 an hour, while half did not get the real living wage of £9.30 - or £10.75 in London.
“The prime minister and government ministers have fallen over themselves to clap for our carers and offer them warm words, but applause and empty gestures don't pay the rent or put the food on the table,” she said.
“After all their sacrifice and bravery, the very least that our care workers deserve is a pay rise.”
Johnson has one week to sort out test and trace or face 'bleak winter’, shadow health secretary warns
Boris Johnson has just one week to sort out the test and trace system to avoid a “very bleak winter” of rising coronavirus infections, Labour’s shadow health secretary has warned.
Jonathan Ashworth told The Independent that the prime minister needed to move the system away from private companies and into the hands of local public health teams, and provide better financial support for those told to self-isolate for up to 14 days.
“If the current trend continues and we see this exponential growth carry on, then by next weekend we could be in a similar situation to where we were in early March,” he said.
Our political editor, Andrew Woodcock, has the full story below:
PM has a week to sort out test and trace, warns shadow health secretary
Decade of austerity left UK vulnerable to pandemic, says Jonathan Ashworth
Why women will be hardest hit by the end of the eviction ban
Women are disproportionately facing homelessness due to being hardest-hit by the coronavirus crisis, frontline service providers have warned ahead of the end of the evictions ban this week.
The warning came after a report by the University of Exeter found women were almost twice as likely as men to have lost their job during the pandemic, with seven per cent of women made redundant compared to four per cent of men.
“Women who were already struggling to pay rent are now likely to be at the forefront of eviction notices,” one group told The Independent.
Our women’s correspondent, Maya Oppenheim, has the full story below:
'We live in fear': Why women will be hardest hit by the end of the eviction ban
'I haven’t told my daughter the complete reality of the situation because I know it would make her worry. As a parent you want to protect your children from stress of losing their home,' says mother-of-two
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments