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Nadhim Zahawi struggles to defend Boris Johnson over isolation decision
Downing Street has failed to deny reports that National Insurance contributions could be increased to fund a new social care plan, in a move that would break a Conservative manifesto pledge.
Boris Johnson is said to be considering plans to raise National Insurance payments by one percentage point for employers and employees to raise ￡10 billion a year to help support the ageing population.
The prime minister is yet to get a deal over the line but is understood to be close, and has declined to rule out tax rises to pay for his long-awaited social care reforms.
Speaking to reporters during the first in-person Westminster briefing since the coronavirus pandemic began, his official spokesman said: “There’s continued speculation but I’m simply not going to be engaged with that speculation. The process for agreeing our proposals is still ongoing.”
The unveiling the long-awaited plans to overhaul the social care service has been delayed until the autumn, it emerged on Tuesday, after Mr Johnson failed to reach agreement with key ministers ahead of parliament’s summer recess.
The plan was due to be announced this week, to spare the prime minister the embarrassment of the two-year anniversary since he arrived in No 10 claiming to have a worked-up solution to the care crisis.
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Key points PM refused autumn lockdown because Covid victims ‘all over 80’, claims Cummings Boris Johnson's leaked WhatsApp messages Boris Johnson has had some ‘really difficult’ decisions to make, says business minister Plan to hike national insurance payments to fund social care attacked as ‘tax on the young’ Downing Street fails to deny reports of National Insurance hike to pay for social care reforms
Show latest update 1626788595 No 10 denies Cummings’ claim PM wanted to see Queen early in pandemic
Downing Street has flatly denied Dominic Cummings’ allegation Boris Johnson wanted to visit the Queen early in the pandemic despite coronavirus having hit No 10.
The former chief aide in No 10 alleged that he had to convince the prime minister out of visiting her by warning of the potentially grave consequences.
But the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “This didn’t happen and we’ve been clear about that.”
Chiara Giordano 20 July 2021 14:43
1626788591 No 10 denies Cummings’ claim PM wanted to see Queen early in pandemic
Downing Street has flatly denied Dominic Cummings’ allegation Boris Johnson wanted to visit the Queen early in the pandemic despite coronavirus having hit No 10.
The former chief aide in No 10 alleged that he had to convince the prime minister out of visiting her by warning of the potentially grave consequences.
But the prime minister’s official spokesman said: “This didn’t happen and we’ve been clear about that.”
Chiara Giordano 20 July 2021 14:43
1626787342 Care plan postponed to autumn
The unveiling of long-awaited government plans to overhaul the social care service has been delayed until the autumn, after Boris Johnson failed to reach agreement with key ministers ahead of parliament’s summer recess, writes political editor Andrew Woodcock.
The prime minister, chancellor Rishi Sunak and health secretary Sajid Javid are known to be close to agreement on a scheme for funding care for elderly people, thought to involve a controversial hike in National Insurance payments by working-age people which was branded “inequitable” by experts.
Care plan postponed to autumn as self-isolation for Boris Johnson and key ministers delays agreement Wait means Boris Johnson will pass two-year anniversary of claim plan was ready
Chiara Giordano 20 July 2021 14:22
1626786333 Ex-Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson takes seat in House of Lords
Former Scottish Conservative leader Ruth Davidson has taken her seat on the red benches in the House of Lords.
Baroness Davidson of Lundin Links wore the traditional scarlet robes for the short introduction ceremony in which she swore the oath of allegiance to the Queen.
She was flanked by supporters Lord Keen of Elie, the former Advocate General for Scotland, and Lord McInnes of Kilwinning, who recently announced he was stepping down as director of the Scottish Conservatives to advise the Prime Minister on the Union.
Her title comes from the village in Fife where she grew up and her parents still live, according to the party.
The 42-year-old, who served as an MSP from 2011 to 2021 and stood down as leader in August 2019, is the fifth former Scottish leader to be appointed to the Lords.
She has said her role will involve “making sure all UK-wide laws are fit for purpose” and that her areas of particular interest include gambling reform, end-of-life choices, and “reforming the House of Lords into a democratic chamber”.
Chiara Giordano 20 July 2021 14:05
1626785455 Downing Street fails to deny reports of National Insurance hike to pay for social care reforms
Downing Street has not denied National Insurance contributions could be increased to fund a new social care plan, in a move that would break a Conservative manifesto pledge.
Boris Johnson is reportedly considering plans to raise National Insurance payments by one percentage point for employers and employees to raise ￡10 billion a year to help support the ageing population.
The prime minister is yet to get a deal over the line but is understood to be close, and has declined to rule out tax rises to pay for his long-awaited social care reforms.
His official spokesman told reporters this afternoon: "There's continued speculation but I'm simply not going to be engaged with that speculation.
"The process for agreeing our proposals is still ongoing.
"We will set that out before the end of the year."
Chiara Giordano 20 July 2021 13:50
1626784605 Labour’s Lisa Nandy accuses government of ‘cashing cheques’ from China while also imposing sanctions
Labour has accused the government of "cashing cheques" from China while also imposing sanctions.
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy said Dominic Raab could not expect to be "taken seriously" if he imposed sanctions while other parts of the government sought investment in China.
She told the Commons: "Yesterday (Mr Raab) admitted China was responsible for the Microsoft Exchange hack, which saw businesses' data stolen and hackers demanding millions of pounds in ransoms.
“He said the Chinese Government can expect to be held to account. Well, he might want to have a word with the Treasury because just two weeks ago the chancellor was telling Mansion House it was time to realise the 'potential of a fast-growing financial services market with total assets worth ￡40 trillion'.
"While the foreign secretary is imposing sanctions, the Chancellor is cashing cheques. How does he expect to be taken seriously in Beijing if he isn't even taken seriously around his own cabinet table?"
In response, Mr Raab said: "It was yesterday that the UK along with our EU, Nato and US allies, and Canada, Australia, and New Zealand publicly attributed the Microsoft Exchange server attacks to the Chinese. It wasn't then that they took place.
"And she is wrong in her characterisation of the Mansion House speech. Of course, we have made clear across government that we will hold the Chinese government to account on human rights but also on cyber attacks, or indeed other nefarious activity, whilst we also seek a constructive relationship."
Chiara Giordano 20 July 2021 13:36
1626783324 Beijing-linked ‘systematic cyber sabotage’ part of a ‘familiar pattern of behaviour’, minister says
James Cleverly has condemned “systematic cyber sabotage” linked with the Chinese Government as being part of a “familiar pattern of behaviour”.
Addressing MPs on the Chinese link to the Microsoft Exchange hack, the Foreign Office minister said: “This cyber attack by Chinese state-backed groups was reckless but sadly a familiar pattern of behaviour. The Chinese government must end this systematic cyber sabotage and can expect to be held to account if it does not.
Suggesting that “the attack was highly likely to be intended to enable large-scale espionage”, Mr Cleverly alleged that there was “widespread credible evidence” Beijing was behind the attack, saying: “The Chinese government has ignored repeated calls to end its reckless campaign, instead allowing state-backed actors to increase the scale of their attacks and act recklessly when caught.”
Andy Gregory 20 July 2021 13:15
1626782571 Boris Johnson said ‘hardly anyone under 60 goes into hospital’ six months after Covid put PM in intensive care
Last April, a then 55-year-old Boris Johnson emerged from a battle with coronavirus at St Thomas’ Hospital to tell the nation that the NHS had “saved my life, no question”, saying that “things could have gone either way”.
However, Dominic Cummings claims that just six months later the prime minister’s view was that “hardly anyone under 60 goes into hospital”, and as a result Mr Johnson purportedly said: “I no longer buy all this NHS overwhelmed stuff.”
My colleague Tom Batchelor has more details on the alleged WhatsApp leak from Mr Cummings’ forthcoming BBC interview.
Boris Johnson said ‘hardly anyone under 60 goes into hospital’ six months after Covid put PM in intensive care Prime minister said NHS ‘saved my life, no question’ after he contracted coronavirus aged 55 – but later appeared unbothered about risk of death to his age group
Andy Gregory 20 July 2021 13:02
1626782084 Nearly a million children out of school last week after possible Covid contact, figures show
According to new government figures, more than one million children in England were out of school last week for Covid-19-related reasons.
More than 14 per cent of state school pupils were out of class due to coronavirus-related reasons on Thursday, compared to 8.5 per cent a fortnight earlier, according to Department for Education statistics.
It comes after the education secretary announced that the use of “bubbles” in schools and colleges in England will come to an end as the country eases lockdown restrictions – with Gavin Williamson saying it will be up to individual institutions whether or not they scrap the system ahead of the summer holidays.
Thursday’s figures include approximately 934,000 children self-isolating due to a possible contact with a Covid-19 case, 47,000 pupils with a confirmed case, and 34,000 with a suspected case.
Andy Gregory 20 July 2021 12:54
1626781536 Labour staff offered voluntary severance amid financial woes, reports suggest
Emerging reports suggest that the Labour Party has offered voluntary severance packages to all of its staff members whose wages come from the party’s governing body, the National Executive Committee.
According to the editor of LabourList, the opposition’s general secretary David Evans has told staff that the party’s financial troubles are related to its loss of members and dealing with antisemitism cases.
We’ll give you more information on this as we get it.
Andy Gregory 20 July 2021 12:45
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