Boris Johnson news: EU warns it will not accept ‘pig in a poke Brexit deal’ as PM urges bloc to sign by ‘end of summer’
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson held talks with European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in an attempt to revive negotiations on a post-Brexit trade deal. No 10 said the prime minister urged the EU to reach an agreement “by the end of the summer”.
It came as Mr Johnson announced he would set up a commission to consider “all aspects” of racial inequality. The review will also consider wider disparities such as issues facing “working class white boys at schools”, Downing Street has said.
Labour’s shadow justice secretary David Lammy claimed the idea was “written on the back of a fag packet” and said it was time for action. Meanwhile, No 10 indicated the review of the two-metre rule may not be finished in time for the proposed reopening of pubs and restaurants on 4 July.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of events at Westminster and beyond.
PM could overrule scientific advisers to relax two-metre rule
Boris Johnson has said people should “shop with confidence” when non-essential stores reopen in England today.
Rishi Sunak echoed the idea. “My message is simple – get out there, get shopping,” said the chancellor Rishi Sunak, praising the “extraordinary steps” retailers have taken to allow us back inside (fitting rooms will be closed, and some book shops will put browsed, unbought books in quarantine).
The PM has set up a review into the two-metre social distancing rule as he comes under huge pressure from Tory backbenchers to cut it to boost retail and the hospitality sector (returning next month).
The government could overrule its scientific and medical advisers to relax the two-metre coronavirus social distancing rule, the chancellor suggested – despite reports the government’s senior advisers Sir Patrick Vallance and Chris Whitty are unhappy about any potential change.
Sunak said on Sunday that “advisers advise ministers, who are elected to make decisions”.
PM announces review into ‘all aspects’ of racial inequality
Boris Johnson has announced he will establish a cross-government commission to examine “all aspects” of racial inequality in the UK.
Writing in The Daily Telegraph, the prime minister acknowledged that Britain had much more to do to tackle racism.
He said the commission on race and ethnic disparities would look at “all aspects of inequality – in employment, in health outcomes, in academic and all other walks of life”.
In separate comments to broadcasters, the PM added: “What I really want to do as prime minister is change the narrative so we stop the sense of victimisation and discrimination.
“We stamp out racism and we start to have a real sense of expectation of success. That’s where I want to get to but it won’t be easy.”
Police leaders call for protests ban during pandemic
Senior police figures have urged home secretary Priti Patel to impose an emergency ban on all protests during the pandemic, warning officers were being put at risk by wave of a mass demonstrations.
The head of the body representing rank-and-file police in England and Wales, called on Patel to implement tougher restrictions after dozens of officers were injured in violent clashes over the weekend.
John Apter, chairman of the Police Federation, said officers and the public were in danger of Covid-19 spreading between crowds.
Apter said: “In normal times, the principle of having the right to peaceful protests is an important one. However, we are not in normal times, we are tackling a deadly virus which is indiscriminate in who it can affect.”
Racial equality review ‘written on back of fag packet,’ says Lammy
Labour’s shadow justice secretary David Lammy is not impressed with Boris Johnson’s plan for a new racial inequality commission, claiming it was “written on the back of a fag packet” to assuage the anger of Black Lives Matter protesters.
Labour said it was “immature” for the UK to still be holding discussions about whether racism exists and condemned the prime minister for announcing another review rather than taking action.
Lammy also questioned why the prime minister announced plans for a new commission in a lengthy Telegraph article which focused mostly on the ongoing row over statues to controversial historical figures.
“If he was serious, why are there no details about how it will be staffed, its remit, its terms of reference, its timetable? That’s the question.
“It’s because this was written on the back of a fag packet yesterday to assuage the Black Lives Matter protest. Get on with the action, legislate, move – you’re in government. Do something.”
It follows Lammy’s claim Johnson appeared to be diverting attention away from wider issues. “Boris Johnson sent out eight tweets … on Winston Churchill and statues.
“He’s never tweeted eight times in a day on coronavirus, he’s never tweeted eight times in a day on the Windrush review or what he’s going to do about it.”
Government will take ‘weeks’ to decide on two-metre rule, says minister
Small business minister Paul Scully has said it will take a “matter of weeks” to review the two-metre social distancing rule.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “It will take a matter of weeks to do but we want to make sure we get the best scientific advice and we can look at the international comparisons.
“Clearly you have the likes of Germany, it’s one-and-a-half metres, America it is one-metre, and see how those differences land in terms of health guidance.”
Scully said the government did not want to be “rushed into decisions as we gradually open up the economy”.
Relaxing two-metre rule would ‘increase risk’, says expert
Dr Michael Tildesley, infectious disease scientist at the University of Warwick, said reducing the social distancing restriction from two metres to one “will result in an increase in risk”.
The government’s two-metre rule is currently under review.
Speaking on BBC Breakfast on Monday, Dr Tildesley said: “The evidence is still slightly unclear - depending upon the studies it could be anything from about twice the risk to 10 times the risk.
“So there is an increase in risk with going down to one metre. But I have to stress this is purely based upon public health, and the government has to consider economic factors before taking a decision.”
Johnson set for meeting with EU leaders
If it hadn’t been for coronavirus, today would have seen Boris Johnson heading to Brussels to meet the EU commission president Ursula von der Leyen.
Instead, the pair will hold their Brexit “stock-take” by videoconference, during which they will discuss how trade talks are going so far.
Johnson is expected to say that the talks need to be “swiftly concluded”, providing the public and business with certainty on the way forward by the autumn at the latest.
While he will insist the UK still wants to strike an “ambitious” free trade agreement, he is expected to make clear that it is ready to start trading on World Trade Organisation rules from 1 January if a deal cannot be reached.
Von der Leyen will be joined on the conference call by European Council president Charles Michel and the president of the European Parliament David Sassoli.
The Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and the UK’s chief negotiator David Frost will be with Johnson.
Boris Johnson and Ursula von der Leyen (Reuters)
Two-metre rule puts one million hospitality jobs at risk, says industry chief
The UK’s two-metre social distancing restriction could put one million jobs at risk in the hospitality sector, according to the chief executive of trade union UK Hospitality.
Katie Nicholls warned the rule means many smaller businesses are unable to meet the criteria for safe opening and one third of hospitality businesses may not survive the pandemic.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast on Monday, she said: “We very much welcome the government’s decision to conduct a review on this because it is a matter of survival or business failure as far as hospitality is concerned.”
“If businesses are opening at two-metre social distance, then they’re operating at 30% of their normal revenues and for a quarter of our small hospitality businesses they won’t be able to open at all.
“If they open at one metre with additional protections to make sure staff and customers are safe, then they can reach 60 per cent to 70 per cent of their normal revenues, and that puts them at break-even.”
Nicholls also said the government has not provided enough guidance for businesses in the hospitality sector to prepare for reopening.
WHO warns against further lockdown easing in England
England’s coronavirus lockdown should not be further lifted until the government’s test and trace system has proven to be “robust and effective”, a senior World Health Organisation (WHO) official has warned.
Speaking ahead of the reopening of non-essential shops on Monday, the WHO’s regional European director Hans Kluge cautioned against rushing into restarting the economy while the country remains in a “very active phase of the pandemic”.
“We know that early lockdowns saved lives and bought some time for the health system to be ready,” he said. “The question of lifting the lockdown is as important as going to the lockdown. The key words here are to do it gradually.”
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