Inside Politics: Boris Johnson scraps quarantine for top European destinations

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Friday 03 July 2020 08:00 BST

School attendance mandatory from September, Williamson announces

A New York court has decided a tell-all memoir by Donald Trump’s niece can be published – despite the president’s best efforts to silence his family. Boris Johnson decided a while ago it wasn’t worth trying to silence garrulous, book-writing family members. His dad Stanley has got him in trouble again by jetting off to Greece while government advice remains against all-but-essential international travel. Couldn’t he have waited just a few more days? Ministers are finally set to reveal the list countries we can jet off to at the end of next week. I’m Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independent’s daily Inside Politics briefing.

Inside the bubble

Our political correspondent Lizzy Buchan on what to look out for today:

Boris Johnson will warn the public against flouting social distancing rules as the pubs reopen on Saturday at a Downing Street press conference later on Friday. Elsewhere, Labour’s shadow chancellor Annaliese Dodds will use her first major speech to call for an extension to the furlough scheme to prevent a “flood of redundancy notices” after the three-month lockdown. Dodds will urge the government to bring about a back-to-work Budget to deliver on Johnson’s promise of “jobs, jobs, jobs”.

Daily briefing

MIND-BOGGLING BUBBLES: The teaching unions aren’t exactly bowled over by Gavin Williamson’s plan for “bubbles” to keep classes and year groups apart from September. The education secretary, setting out his plan for the “mandatory” autumn return of all schools, said separate start, finish and break times should be put in place. “The logistics of keeping apart many different ‘bubbles’ of children in a full school is mind-boggling,” said Geoff Barton, the ASCL union boss. Deputy chief medical officer Jenny Harries said parents should “control their teenagers in their social interactions outside of school as well”. Which feels slightly unrealistic. Boris Johnson is also asking for controlled behaviour. Amid warnings of widespread disorder when the pubs re-open in England tomorrow, the PM will hold a press conference today urging the public to “act responsibly” when lockdown is eased.

RULES FOR THE REST OF US: The Department of Transport (DfT) has confirmed people can head for Spain, Italy, France and Germany from 10 July without having to quarantine when they get back. Roughly 60 countries will on the full list of “reduced risk” countries exempt from restrictions published on Friday, according to the BBC. Transport secretary Grant Shapps suggested the Scottish government was to blame for all the delays in getting to this point. With Nicola Sturgeon thought to be reluctant to agree to the plan, the DfT said last night that devolved administrations “will set out their own approach to exemptions”. So Scots may have to delay holiday plans. Elsewhere, the PM’s father was criticised for travelling to Greece before the new rules are in place. Lib Dem MP Jamie Stone saying it “stinks of one rule for them and another rule for the rest of us”.

FROSTED OVER: The latest round of Brexit trade deal talks broke up a day early on Thursday. Don’t know about you, but I’ll take that as a bad sign. Brussels negotiator Michel Barnier said the EU’s position needed to be “better understood and respected” by the British, while UK negotiator David Frost said “significant” disagreements remain. Members of the Lords EU committee have written the prime minister to say securing a trade deal must remain the “only priority” for Frost this year. They’re worried about him getting distracted by his new role as national security adviser. The economic picture isn’t getting any brighter, with the owner of Café Rouge and Bella Italia going into administration. In a big speech today, Labour’s Anneliese Dodds will call for job retention schemes to be extended in particular sectors and particular areas that have to go into local lockdowns.

SHIFTY BEHAVIOUR: Some more grim and revealing news about the government’s coronavirus mega-labs. Dozens of shifts have been cancelled and staff paid to stay away because of a lack of test samples, a whistleblower has told The Independent. A member of staff at the Alderley Park Lighthouse Laboratory has shared a tranche of emails sent from lab bosses showing more than 40 separate shifts at the labs were cancelled in the past two months. Tory MP Jeremy Hunt, chair of the Commons health select committee, said he thought it was “extraordinary” the labs were not being fully utilised. Meanwhile, the government has said staff at care homes across England and Wales will receive weekly coronavirus tests from next week. Residents will receive a test every 28 days.

MEASURE FOR MEASURE: China has warned of “corresponding measures” if Johnson’s government pushes forward with its plan to give residents with British national (overseas) status a path to citizenship. Beijing also threatened the US with “strong countermeasures”, after a sanctions bill penalising banks doing business with Chinese officials involved in Hong Kong was passed by both the House and the Senate. Hong Kong protesters said they will “prepare for a long fight” against the hated new security law. Pro-democracy activists are now discussing a plan to create an unofficial parliament-in-exile, according to campaigner Simon Cheng – who also predicted “hundreds of thousands” of Hong Kongers would take the chance to move to the UK.

FIRE KEEPS BURNING: Donald Trump has insisted his administration “put the flame out” on the Covid-19 outbreak, despite 53,000 new coronavirus cases on Thursday (another record one-day total). Trump’s 4th of July celebration on the National Mall will see up to 300,000 masks given away to those who want them – but the White House said it won’t insist they are worn. Trump’s political ally Herman Cain has been hospitalised for the coronavirus in Atlanta, Georgia after attending the president’s campaign rally in Tulsa – though Cain’s team said it was not certain when he contracted the virus. Dr Anthony Fauci said US lockdowns were lifted too soon, were never strict enough, and warned young people were helping driving a huge second wave.

On the record

“The success of these businesses, the livelihoods of those who rely on them, and ultimately the economic health of the whole country is dependent on every single one of us acting responsibly.”

Boris Johnson tells the country to be sensible ahead of the ‘Super Saturday’ lockdown easing.

From the Twitterati

“Has Gavin Williamson … actually ever been in a school? Bubbles of 200+ to be kept in segregated groups? Not feasible in most school buildings. Lessons outside? I’ll pack up my projector and get the extension cord out shall I?”

Teacher Matt Goss is unimpressed with the policy…

“Gavin Williamson is half Private Pike, half Frank Spencer. I think it’s why I find him so reassuring as Education Secretary in charge of our children’s lives.”

…while Piers Morgan is unimpressed with the personality.