Boris Johnson news: Care home workers excluded from ‘shambolic’ new NHS visa, as Brexit ad blitz warns of higher travel cost

Follow all the latest developments

Public should 'get ready' for end of transition period says Johnson

Downing Street has confirmed social care workers would not be able to take advantage of the new NHS visa, as home secretary Priti Patel sets out the government’s post-Brexit points-based immigration system.

The GMB trade union said the exclusion was an “embarrassing shambles” and accused the government of making “no acknowledgement of the vital job care workers have been doing” during the coronavirus crisis.

It comes as the government launches an ad campaign, warning of higher travel costs at the end of the Brexit transition period. Boris Johnson said people should “get ready” for new “opportunities”, but the European Movement group said the rhetoric was “what Orwell called Newspeak”.

Key Points

• New health visa condemned as 'embarrassing shambles'
• Social care workers won’t be eligible for new NHS visa, says No 10
• New Brexit ad campaign likened to Orwell’s 1984
• Ministers warned of outages if Huawei removed too fast
• PM will make announcement on mandatory face coverings in ‘next few days’
• Covid-19 puts questions about Brexit cost ‘in perspective’, says Johnson

[13 July 2020 17:27 · Peter Stubley]

'All border systems will be ready for Brexit'

Michael Gove said that all systems will be in place by the end of the Brexit transition period to ensure there is a fully operational border.

He said: "It is the case that the GVMS (Goods Vehicle Movement Service) is going to be in place, as all systems are, so that we can have a fully operational border and it is of course the case that the additional infrastructure of the £705 million we've announced will ensure that it is in place on time.

"That additional infrastructure is there specifically in order to ensure that when vehicles arrive in Calais that they have passed through all the necessary checks and then they can proceed smoothly to market."

[13 July 2020 17:39 · Peter Stubley]

Another MP who failed to get a direct answer to a question about lorry parks was Conservative former minister Damian Green, whose Ashford constituency is set to be one of the locations for the Brexit customs centres.

Mr Green said: "(Michael Gove) may be aware that I consider the decision to put an outbound emergency lorry park in my constituency near where several thousand new homes are being built on one side and with a large hospital nearby on the other side to be wrong-headed.

"Can he confirm that when the Transport Minister writes to me that it is not the Government's plan to develop this area as a permanent lorry park, that that is indeed Government policy and can he let the House know what environmental impact assessment has been done for the site?"

Mr Gove responded: "It is not the case that any specific site has been absolutely confirmed. We're in commercial negotiations with a number of sites and as and when they are confirmed I will let him (Mr Green) know. It is also the case that some of the infrastructure will be temporary, some will be permanent.

"But can I extend to him and all Kent Members of Parliament an opportunity to come into the Cabinet Office to discuss with me and officials the approach that we're taking."

[13 July 2020 17:48 · Peter Stubley]

Labour receives draft antisemitism report

The Labour Party has confirmed it has been sent the draft antisemitism report by the Equality and Human Rights Commission.

A spokesperson said in a statement: "The draft report has been shared with the Labour Party as part of a process afforded to us prior to the report’s publication. It is sent in confidence by the EHRC, so until that process is completed, it would be inappropriate to comment on any of the contents of the draft report – and we will not do so.

"Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner are committed to tackling antisemitism within the Labour Party. Antisemitism has been a stain on the Labour Party in recent years. It has caused unacceptable and unimaginable levels of grief and distress for many in the Jewish community, as well as members of staff.

"Tackling antisemitism within the Labour Party is a priority and we are determined to take the further action necessary to begin restoring trust with the Jewish community.

"We are committed to cooperating fully with the Commission’s investigation and implementing its recommendations when the final report is published. We will be making no further comment."

[13 July 2020 18:02 · Peter Stubley]

UK government 'must not remain silent' on Bahrain death sentences

Lisa Nandy MP, Labour’s Shadow Foreign Secretary, has urged the foreign secretary to take a stand after Bahrain's highest court upheld death sentences for two pro-democracy activists.

“In a case where the UK is clearly able to exert influence, the government must not remain silent," she said.

“The torture of Mohamed Ramadhan and Hussain Moosa was horrific and clear evidence presented that their confessions coerced. The UK Government cannot claim to be standing up for pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong but fail to apply the same principles to Bahrain.

“Last week Ministers acknowledged the ‘close and important’ relationship between the UK and Bahrain. The Foreign Secretary must come to the House of Commons on Tuesday and assure MPs that we will not be bystanders when we have the opportunity to demonstrate our commitment to defending human rights.”

Here's the Independent's report on the decision to uphold the death sentences.

[13 July 2020 18:17 · Peter Stubley]

It seems inevitable that the Labour antisemitism report will be leaked by somebody...

[13 July 2020 18:25 · Peter Stubley]

Government failures not 'cultural sensitivities' to blame for Leicester sweatshops, says Labour

[13 July 2020 18:38 · Peter Stubley]

Meanwhile in the Commons MPs are discussing the government's plan for a "stamp duty holiday" on houses worth up to £500,000 until 31 March.

Shadow financial secretary to the Treasury, Dan Carden, asked why second homeowners should benefit from the measure - which could save buyers up to £15,000.

Mr Carden told MPs: "Now let me be clear from the outset that we don't oppose the principle of additional support for homeowners and buyers and actions to stimulate the housing market."

He added: "We would rather the Government focused its energies on helping those people trying to buy or sell their home in such difficult circumstances and that is why, rather than opposing this Bill, we want to probe the Government on who will benefit most from it.

"We're concerned first and foremost about whether the Bill will target support to those who need it most and we have serious concerns about the cost to the Exchequer and whether this is justifiable in terms of the Government's other spending priorities.

"And serious questions about why it includes significant support for second homeowners, plans that were slipped out by the Treasury after the Chancellor delivered his statement."

He added: "This is an unnecessary subsidy for second homeowners that will only worsen the housing crisis by reducing the supply of homes overall."

[13 July 2020 18:55 · Peter Stubley]

The Labour Party 'must be forever changed', say campaigners

The group which first referred Labour to the Equalities and Human Rights Commission over antisemitism has criticised party leader Keir Starmer's failure to "take action" over the issue.

Gideon Falter, Chief Executive of Campaign Against Antisemitism, said: “Under Jeremy Corbyn's leadership, the Labour Party became institutionally antisemitic and brought almost half of British Jews to consider fleeing the country. The Party must be forever changed after this episode so this can never happen again.

“Those responsible remain in the Party and must be held to account if Sir Keir Starmer is to tear antisemitism ‘out by its roots’, as he has promised. The EHRC's report is a pivotal moment in this corrective process, which is why we made the original referral to the EHRC and were the sole complainant in its investigation.

“Sir Keir told us to judge him not by his words but by his actions, but today marks the first 100 days of his tenure as leader and he has still failed to set out a timeline for fixing Labour’s broken disciplinary process or, with one exception in relation to Rebecca Long-Bailey, take action over incidents in the Party.

“The EHRC has considered a great deal of evidence from us and we will have more to say when the report is published in due course.”

[13 July 2020 19:15 · Peter Stubley]

Stamp duty cut 'will benefit London and South East'

Shadow treasury minister Dan Carden said the government again appeared to be prioritising London and the South East with its stamp duty cut.

He told MPs: "Estate agent Savills identified the local authorities that will see the biggest fall in tax receipts as a result of the change - Wandsworth, Bromley and Wiltshire will see falls of £40 million, £35 million and £29 million respectively.

"But Rightmove estimate that the average saving in the North East will be just £646 compared to £15,000 in London.

"Once again the Government seems to be prioritising the needs of London and the South East over those of the rest of the country."

Mr Carden said Labour was proposing an amendment "which will help us understand the full impact of this cut in stamp duty across the sector".

He added: "It is a straightforward amendment that will ensure we get a clearer picture of how the stamp duty holiday will work for different groups and if the government believes in transparency in policy making it has nothing to fear by backing this amendment."

[13 July 2020 19:35 · Peter Stubley]

"One increasingly popular option, or indeed survival strategy, is to just ignore absolutely everything the government says," writes sketch writer Tom Peck after witnessing the government's confusion over face masks and going to work.