Inside Politics: Living with Covid and Gove’s £4bn plan to fix cladding scandal
Reports say Johnson planning to set out strategy for living with Covid by early March, as housing and levelling up secretary gives developers ultimatum on cladding, writes Matt Mathers
Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of life in Covid’s shadow? Despite Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, playing down reports that No 10 is considering scrapping free lateral flow tests, there are reports this morning that Boris Johnson will soon set out a strategy to start living with the virus. It would be bold to claim that the pandemic is over, but ministers appear increasingly confident that the numbers of patients ending up in hospital will not overwhelm the NHS, with some health leaders suggesting the front line will hold through the Omicron wave. Elsewhere, Michael Gove will set out plans to fix the cladding scandal and the PM is again urged to intervene on the cost of living squeeze.
Inside the bubble
The Commons sits from 2.30pm today. First up is defence questions followed by any urgent questions or statements. Later, the main business is scrutiny of the Nuclear Energy (Financing) Bill and debates on the fall budget’s Charter for Budget Responsibility and Welfare Cap.
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