Boris Johnson news: Brexit deal ‘closer and closer’ as PM says life cannot go back to normal
The latest developments from Tuesday 6 October
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Your support makes all the difference.The UK and the EU are getting “closer and closer” to a Brexit trade deal, according to diplomats in Brussels. EU officials are said to be gearing up to negotiate until as late as mid-November to avoid a damaging no-deal scenario at the end of the year.
It comes as Boris Johnson claimed life “cannot go back to normal” after the pandemic – but said he expected no more social distancing by October 2021. The PM promised 5 per cent deposits for first-time buyers and extra investment in wind power at his conference speech.
MPs voted to retain the rule of six restricting gatherings to six people - despite a backbench rebellion as senior Tory MPs urged the prime minister to change direction. The regulation was approved by 287 votes to 17, with Labour abstaining.
‘Cummings not very good’
Alastair Campbell, now one of the government’s most incessant critics on Twitter, says a big part of the “mess” the country is in is due to Dominic Cummings believing he is an IT genius and being handed too much power over tech projects.
“Cummings is not very good at the thing he says he is a genius at,” said Labour’s former communications boss.
Sturgeon calls rule-breaking MP ‘Margaret Covid’
Jings, crivens. Nicola Sturgeon has accidentally called her rule-breaking MP Margaret Ferrier “Margaret Covid” in a second slip of the tongue.
Scotland’s first minister told a press conference the SNP “didn’t know last Monday or Tuesday that Margaret Covid has suspected or confirmed Covid”.
Sturgeon first made the same blunder during a briefing on Friday, while discussing when she first became aware the MP had broken the rules. “The first I knew about Margaret Covid, er, Margaret Ferrier, having Covid was yesterday afternoon.”
Nicola Sturgeon calls rule-breaking MP 'Margaret Covid'
First minister suffers slip of the tongue during briefing while speaking about Margaret Ferrier
Trump an ‘absolute disgrace’, says Labour deputy leader
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has attacked Donald Trump for ripping off his mask upon his return to the White House and telling people not to be afraid of Covid.
“It was arrogant, it was irresponsible, it was embarrassing – it was everything you shouldn’t do as a world leader during a pandemic,” she told Times Radio.
“The sheer stupidity of the message it gave out – he was an absolute disgrace for his comments and the way he conducted himself … In a world of how idiotic can you be, he’s come top trumps.”
Green MP says PM’s wind plan falls 'woefully short’
We don’t know the full contents of Boris Johnson’s conference speech, but we do know he will promise to make Britain the “Saudi Arabia of wind power”.
The PM wants wind to produce enough electricity to power every home in the country by 2030. Johnson will announce a £160m investment in upgrading ports and factories for building turbines, which No 10 says will create 2,000 jobs and support 60,000 more.
Green MP Caroline Lucas said that Johnson’s announcement “falls woefully short of a comprehensive green new deal that would actually build a better, greener Britain.” She also accused the Tories of presiding over a “wasted decade”.
“Some people used to sneer at wind power ... and say it wouldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding,” Johnson is expected to say. As Business Insider’s Adam Bienkov points out – it was Johnson himself who once sneered that wind turbines “wouldn’t pull the skin off a rice pudding”.
Hancock should ‘consider his position’, says Labour
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has had more to say on the IT failure which saw 16,000 coronavirus cases go unreported.
“He should be considering his position – he’s had multiple failures since he took on the role,” she told Sky News. “If I was him I would be completely embarrassed by the failures I have overseen.”
“It’s not just one failure by one minister, it’s constant failure by the frontbench of this government. They’re a complete shambles.”
She also told Good Morning Britain: “I’d have got rid of him tomorrow … I think [Hancock] should hang his head in shame.”
I’m no narcissist, says Rishi Sunak
The chancellor has rejected accusations that he is “narcissistic” for heavily using pictures of himself and his own name to promote government policies.
The chancellor said the approach, which has seen his name and face used in adverts for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, made it easier for people to “hold me to account”.
“My job is to make sure that everyone in this country understands what I’m doing on their behalf, can question me, hold me accountable for it, and feel engaged with that debate … I’m not going to apologise for that.”
Rishi Sunak rejects accusation he is ‘narcissistic’ for putting his face on policies
Chancellor denies approach is inspired by Donald Trump
Tax rises on the way? Books will be balanced ‘over time’, says Sunak
Rishi Sunak has been asked about his conference speech remarks yesterday, in particular his claim that “we have a sacred responsibility … to leave the public finances strong” (which some have interpreted as a signal tax rises are coming).
Speaking to Sky News on Tuesday morning, the chancellor said the books would have to be balanced “over time” and that his immediate focus was on employment.
“My overall focus at the moment is trying to protect as many jobs as possible … Over time we need to have sustainable public finances.”
Sunak also denied the Eat Out to Help Out scheme helped spread coronavirus. “I was be cautious about jumping to simplistic conclusions.”
Asked whether he would like to be prime minister one day, Sunak said: “I think the job I have is hard enough, and I see up close what the prime minister has to deal with every day, it’s not an envious task, I think he does it admirably well.”
Labour tells PM to use speech to ‘tackle the crisis at hand’
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has said Boris Johnson should use his conference speech today to deal with the “with the crisis at hand”, in a reference to the failures of the government’s test and trace scheme.
“The testing fiasco over the past 24 hours has again exposed the serial incompetence of Boris Johnson and his government,” Rayner said. “The prime minister should use his speech to set out how he will get a grip and tackle the crisis at hand.”
Her remarks came after health secretary Matt Hancock admitted on Monday that the fiasco over the 16,000 missing coronavirus test results was “ongoing”.
On the promises of a “world-beating” test and trace system, Rayner said: “They should all hang their heads in shame.”
Dozens of Tory MPs ‘plot next steps’ over 10pm curfew rebellion
Rebel Tories believe they have a decent chance of defeating the government over the 10pm pub curfew. Dozens of Conservative MPs are prepared to vote against the early last orders – and are set to meet at lunchtime today to “plot their next steps”, according to The Telegraph.
The group has been encouraged by Labour’s refusal to say it will support the government until it produces the scientific evidence underpinning the curfew. Do they have the numbers? One Tory MP said: “My sense is that a material number of MPs might vote against the 10pm.”
There is speculation Tory whips might even pull a vote on the curfew expected this week to give them time to quash the rebellion or compromise. Mischief-making MP Steve Baker said: “There is a growing consensus that neither the 10pm curfew nor including children in the rule of six are well evidenced.”
Green MP says wind power plan falls ‘woefully short’
Boris Johnson is to announce plans on Tuesday for every home in the country to be powered by wind power by 2030 in a speech at this year’s virtual Conservative party conference.
As part of the initiative, £160m of funding will be allocated to ports and factories across the UK to deliver new turbines and 2,000 jobs in construction. The PM is expected to say: “As Saudi Arabia is to oil, the UK is to wind.”
However, Green MP Caroline Lucas said that Mr Johnson’s announcement “falls woefully short of a comprehensive green new deal that would actually build a better, greener Britain.” She also accused the Tories of presiding over a “wasted decade”.
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