Inside Politics: Boris Johnson faces high noon over Huawei

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Brexit timeline: From 2013 referendum promise to a 2020 exit

As far back as he can remember, Boris Johnson always wanted to be prime minister. Johnson and Dominic Cummings have been accused of running a “Goodfellas government” – secretive, paranoid and aggressive. One minister said the PM’s consigliere is “behaving like a bald Ray Liotta … hearing police helicopters in his head”. It should be the week Downing Street’s mob bosses get to celebrate their big Brexit score, but instead they’re under pressure from all sides to make crucial decisions on the coronavirus, HS2 and Huawei’s involvement in the 5G network. So let’s crank up the Rolling Stones and jump cut our way through this morning’s biggest stories. I’m Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independent’s daily Inside Politics briefing.

Inside the bubble

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick on what to look out for in SW1 today:

Ministers will be wrestling with the extraordinary challenge of how to evacuate around 200 Brits from the coronavirus-infected parts of China, without the exercise resembling the chaotic US airlifts out of Saigon in 1975. Meanwhile, Keir Starmer will return to the Labour leadership campaign trail – following the accident suffered by his mother-in-law – with a call for greater devolution within a “federal UK”. And MPs hoping to become the next chairs of Commons select committees have until 4pm to gather nominations.

Daily briefing

YES WAY HUAWEI? What does Boris Johnson believe in? “We are about to find out,” one minister said ahead of this week’s massive decisions on HS2 and Huawei. The PM is still expected to defy the Americans and grant the Chinese tech giant permission to build “no-core” parts of our 5G network. But plenty of people on both sides of the Atlantic appear to think Johnson can still be swayed before Tuesday’s National Security Council meeting. US secretary of state Mike Pompeo shared Tory MP Tom Tugendhat’s warning that “only nations able to protect their data will be sovereign”. Home secretary Priti Patel – thought to side with the Americans – denied she was “on the warpath” about it, while several Conservative MPs chipped in their two cents worth. “Let us hope we don’t regret our refusal to say, ‘no way, Huawei’,” said Bob Seeley. Top Tories don’t know which way the HS2 decision will go either. Asked on The Andrew Marr Show “What’s your gut feeling: yes or no?” Brexit secretary Stephen Barclay responded: “Yes.” How much would you bet on Barclay’s gut?

BRITAIN’S NOT GOT TALENT: It was supposed to be build-up to Brexit week, but the flag-waving triumphalism will have to wait while hundreds of Britons remain stuck in China during the coronavirus outbreak. The Foreign Office is said to be “waiting for permission” to evacuate citizens from Wuhan. But it’s not clear what the evacuation plan is. In the meantime, the government is preparing plans to welcome top boffins into the UK with open arms. But Johnson’s latest immigration announcement – a “global talent visa” open to scientists, researchers and mathematicians – has been branded “a marketing gimmick”. The Lib Dems’ Christine Jardine said the policy was simply a rebranding of the previous Tier 1 scheme – with a cap on the number of visas now removed. What about Dominic Cummings own search for top talent at Downing Street? He reportedly told No 10 staff that 35,000 people have applied to his job ad for “weirdos” – and admitted that a lot of them “are indeed weirdos”. Go figure.

BECKY WITH THE GOOD HAIR: Even Jeremy Corbyn loves a slap-up meal. Speaking at a retirement dinner for former MP and left-wing stalwart Ronnie Campbell at the weekend, he must have had too much non-alcoholic wine, letting slip who his favourite candidate was. “It’s absolute pleasure to be here alongside Becky Long Bailey, our candidate for leader” (Corbyn said he would stay neutral in the contest, but it’s incredibly obviously he wants “Becky” to take his place). According to The Sunday Times, Corbyn is planning a visit to Iraq to promote “anti-imperialism”, part of his legacy-building plan drafted in document entitled “Jeremy’s Forward Look Engagement Strategy”. As well as a trip inside Baghdad’s green zone, he’s expected to make a short tour behind the battered red wall of ex-Labour seats, and might set up something called the For the Many Foundation (after his “for the many, not the few” slogan). He leaves with fewer Labour MPs and fewer Labour councillors than when he started out.

SONGS OF LOVE AND HATE: Keir Starmer is back today and he’s in Gordon Brown-ish mode, promising to work towards a “new constitutional settlement … built on the principle of federalism”. He has stopped short of calling for an English parliament, so his rhetoric about more “devolution” all sounds pretty vague. Say what you like about Unite boss Len McCluskey, but he definitely ain’t vague. Doing the media rounds on Sunday, the bold McCluskey fired a very clear eff off warning at Labour MPs thinking about quitting if Becky wins. “They would be better to clear out now rather than mess us about.” The union leader claimed anti-Corbyn people “used the antisemitism issue” to undermine the sainted man and said the election defeat was “virtually, solely down to Brexit”. He told Sky News: “Two years go Jeremy Corbyn was loved. What happened in the last two years? Brexit.” By comparison, the weekend’s leadership hustings was dull. Emily Thornberry said she “hates” the SNP. SNP folk made it clear they hate her right back.

MINTY FRESH: Behold the mighty Brexit coins! They jangle among us! And unlike last October, they will not be destroyed! Sajid Javid, the master of the mint, unveiled the sacred 50p pieces bearing the inscription: “Peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations.” About three million of them will enter circulation this Friday. Could Remainers really boycott this particular piece of silver? Alastair Campbell said he would “be asking shopkeepers for two 20p pieces and a 10 if they offer me a 50p coin pretending that Brexit is about peace, prosperity and friendship with all nations’ given it puts all three at risk”. Meanwhile, No 10 has announced plans for Union flags to line The Mall and Parliament Square while government buildings will be lit up in red, white and blue on Friday. Pro-EU campaigner Michael Heseltine complained the government was trying to “rub our noses in it”.

On the record

“Leaving the EU is a turning point in our history and this coin marks the beginning of this new chapter.”

Sajid Javid holds the coin aloft and declares a new era in British history.

From the Twitterati

“Emily Thornberry: “I hate the SNP. I think they’re Tories wrapped up in nationalist clothing.” Cheered by a Labour hustings ... This is why Scotland left Labour & there’s no chance of it coming back.”

Scottish commentator Michael Gray is appalled at Thornberry’s comments...

“To ever recover in Scotland, Labour needs to win over many SNP voters. Saying that you “hate the SNP” is not a great way to achieve that.”

...while the New Statesman’s George Eaton thinks it’s very bad politics.