Boris Johnson news: Keir Starmer condemns top civil servant’s exit as PM dismisses claims replacement must be Brexiteer

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PM says top civil servant 'wants to move on'

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.

Key Points

• Keir Starmer condemns Sir Mark Sedwill’s exit from No 10
• PM ‘wants Brexiteer to replace Sir Mark Sedwill’
• Government keen to extend Leicester lockdown for two weeks, says mayor
• Education secretary promises ‘detailed’ plan for schools this week
• ‘Intensified’ Brexit trade deal talks under way in Brussels

[29 June 2020 18:07 · Peter Stubley]

London mayor calls for guidance on local lockdowns

Sadiq Khan has called on the government to provide more information on what powers and resources will be available to manage local Covid-19 outbreaks.

In a letter to health secretary Matt Hancock, the Mayor of London said that in order to prevent further "loss of life on the scale we have already seen" local areas must be able to respond "quickly and dynamically" to outbreaks to prevent them from becoming a regional or national second wave.

He added: "Whilst we hope that the number of Covid-19 cases remains low, we must be prepared for the possibility of local outbreaks and spikes.

"To support a localised approach we need more information about the Government's plans for mobilising and delivering the response to local outbreaks.

"Without further clarity on the powers and resources at London's disposal to manage any 'local lockdown' or enhanced social distancing measures, we cannot deliver public confidence in the response that Londoners expect and deserve."

[29 June 2020 18:18 · Peter Stubley]

Leicester mayor 'sceptical' over extending lockdown

Sir Peter Soulsby, the mayor of Leicester, has been speaking to Matt Hancock ahead of the health secretary's statement in the House of Commons later this evening.

He said after the phone call that the government was still "minded to extend the current level of restrictions for two weeks" following a surge in the number of cases in parts of the city.

However he said he "remains sceptical" of the plan. It comes after his earlier comments suggesting he backed the reopening of pubs in Leicester on 4 July at the same time as the rest of England.

He said: "I would say that if a further relaxation of the restrictions is good enough for the rest of England, there is nothing here that suggests it's not good enough for Leicester."

[29 June 2020 18:34 · Peter Stubley]

Landlords call for end to coronavirus eviction ban

[29 June 2020 18:53 · Peter Stubley]

Boris Johnson's isolationism 'will hinder coronavirus recovery', says Labour

Boris Johnson's "go it alone bravado" on Brexit will make it harder for the UK to rebuild its economy after the coronavirus pandemic, Labour has said.

The opposition party has criticised government's decision to leave Eurofound, a respected EU employment agency that is studying the impact of coronavirus on jobs and the economy.

[29 June 2020 19:17 · Peter Stubley]

NHS faces shortage of doctors ahead of second wave

The NHS faces a possible exodus of doctors before the second wave of coronavirus arrives, a leader of the British Medical Association has warned – with Brexit making it harder to replace them.

A new survey of doctors found almost one in seven is planning to quit the NHS or retire when the current crisis subsides, with many more saying they aim to cut back on hours, and almost a third complaining of mental health problems related to four months of relentless struggle against Covid-19.

[29 June 2020 19:23 · Peter Stubley]

That's it for our politics live coverage for today. We will be covering Matt Hancock's statement in the Commons over on the coronavirus live blog. Thanks for reading.