Transport secretary Grant Shapps says new Covid variant could 'defeat the vaccine'

Grant Shapps said there are concerns the new coronavirus variant could "defeat the vaccine".

The transport secretary revealed ministers have acted "extremely fast" to ensure a "safety-first approach" to travel changes following an emergency meeting with chief medical officers.

"We can't take risks when we see a variant which could well defeat the vaccine, or at least that's the concern and we need just a bit of time to check that out," he told the BBC.

Mr Shapps also paid tribute to South African officials for “working very fast and very transparent” on recognising the new variant.

Sign up for our newsletters.