Boris Johnson news: Keir Starmer condemns top civil servant’s exit as PM dismisses claims replacement must be Brexiteer
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Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has criticised Boris Johnson for “focusing on reshuffles” in the midst of the coronavirus crisis following the announcement Sir Mark Sedwill will step aside as cabinet secretary.
Mr Johnson was said to be keen on a Brexiteer as Sir Mark’s replacement – but he dismissed those reports on Monday and hailed Britain’s “impartial” civil service as the best in the world. It follows a call from Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove for government to be “closer to the 52 per cent who voted to Leave”.
Mr Johnson said he wanted a “Rooseveltian” rebuilding of the economy as he set out plans for an infrastructure spending blitz. It comes as the mayor of Leicester said the government wants to extend lockdown in the city for two weeks beyond 4 July to deal with a spike in Covid-19 cases.
No new coronavirus deaths in Scotland
Nicola Sturgeon says there have been no confirmed Covid-19 deaths in Scotland for the fourth consecutive day.
“Now, of course, two of these days have been weekends and we know that registration can be artificially low at weekends, and we may see more deaths registered later this week.
“But there’s no doubt that these recent figures demonstrate beyond any doubt how much progress Scotland has made in tackling Covid and that is down to the efforts and sacrifices of everyone across the country. I want again to say a heartfelt thank you to all of you for that.”
Customers queued outside shops in Scotland as non-essential shops opened their doors for the first time in three months. Shops with on-street entrances were allowed to return to business from Monday, while indoor retailers in shopping centres will have to wait until 13 July to open.
In other developments, Sturgeon obviously didn’t think much of Keir Starmer (jokingly) challenging Boris Johnson to a push-up contest.
Parents face fines for non-attendance of pupils
Parents in England risk being fined if they do not send their children back to school when they reopen in September, the education secretary has warned.
Gavin Williamson said it will be “compulsory” for pupils to return to classes and unless parents have a “good reason” keeping children at home they may face financial penalties.
The education secretary promised a detailed plan on how the government will ensure all children in England are back in classrooms in the autumn will be set out by the end of this week.
Kate Ng has the latest details on the ongoing row over school re-openings.
What is a local lockdown?
Leicester could be kept under the current lockdown measures beyond 4 July, two weeks longer than the rest of the country, the mayor of the east Midlands city revealed earlier.
But it might not be the first time local restrictions have been in place. Examples of “micro” lockdowns have already effectively been seen in Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, and Anglesey, north Wales, which have both experienced outbreaks within factories.
Mobile testing tents were set up near the sites and factory workers put through test and contact-tracing exercise.
Chiara Giordano has taken a closer look.
UK coronavirus deaths rise by 25
There have now been 43,575 confirmed deaths from the coronavirus in the UK – up 25 from the previous day, according to the Department of Health’s latest figures.
Top civil servant at Ministry of Justice ‘can’t quite say’ if staying on
Sir Richard Heaton, the permanent secretary at the Ministry of Justice, confirmed that his five-year term is due to expire in August.
The Times reported that he would not be kept on but Sir Richard said: “I can’t quite say that.”
He told the Commons’ public accounts committee: “It’s always an honour to get a front page mention in The Times, which reported that I won’t be staying on.
“I can’t quite say that, what I can say is my tenure is for five years – like every other permanent secretary. That comes to an end in August.
“Whether or not I will continue beyond that will be the subject of an announcement, I dare say, in due course. But there hasn’t been one to date so I think we had better regard the newspaper reports as, at the moment, speculation.”
Minister rejects calls to extend suspension on benefit sanctions
Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey announced that job centres will start "fully reopening" this week.
Ms Coffey told MPs: "Looking forward, we are now working with local managers to start fully reopening job centres in July to help get Britain back into work."
She confirmed the move after being asked whether the suspension on Universal Credit sanctions would be extended - as it is currently due to run out tomorrow.
Ms Coffey replied: "Well actually it is important that as the job centres fully reopen this week that we do reinstate the need for having the claimant commitment and it is an essential part of the contract to help people start to reconsider what vacancies there may be."
'You are not going to get any further from me'
This five-minute interview with Labour MP Claudia Webbe manages to confuse not only the MP herself but also the interviewer Emma Barnett and probably everybody who listens to it.
However in the end, Ms Webbe does accept the conspiracy theory aired by Maxine Peake was wrong.
'EU remains calm and united'
Michel Barnier, the EU's chief negotiator, promised to 'make the most of our intensified talks' as Brexit trade deal negotiations resumed this morning.
"The EU remains calm and united in its principles and values," he added.
No direct flights from UK to Greece until 15 July
After growing confusion over travel to Greece for British holidaymakers, the prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has confirmed that no flights from the UK will be allowed until 15 July.
The country opens to other European nationalities, except Sweden, on 1 July.
Minister defends government's record on support for asylum seekers
Home Office minister Chris Philp is answering urgent questions on support for asylum seekers during the coronavirus pandemic, following the knife attack in a Glasgow hotel last week.
He said his thoughts are with the victims of the "appalling knife attack" but insisted that the government looked after asylum seekers "better than many other countries".
He told MPs: "Last year the United Kingdom made 20,000 grants of protection or asylum, one of the highest numbers of any country in Europe and we welcomed over 3,000 unaccompanied asylum-seeking children - the highest number of any country in Europe.
"The UK has a statutory obligation to provide destitute asylum seekers with support while their case is being considered.
"While their cases are being considered, asylum seekers, who would otherwise be destitute, are provided with free accommodation, the utilities are paid for, council tax is paid for, free healthcare on the NHS is available, free education is available for those with children and there is a cash allowance to cover other essential living needs - recently increased by 5 per cent, considerably more than inflation."
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