Boris Johnson news: PM accused of ‘stoking fear and division’ with criticism of Black Lives Matter protests as government makes U-turn on Brexit border checks
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Boris Johnson has said it is “absurd and shameful” the Winston Churchill national monument is at risk of attack by protesters this weekend, and warned Black Lives Matter supporters that the responsible thing to do is “stay away from these protests”.
The prime minister went further and claimed the tearing down of statues constitutes “lying about our history”, before claiming that the demonstrations had been “hijacked by extremists intent on violence”. Lib Dem home affairs spokesperson Christina Jardine responded by accusing Mr Johnson of “stoking division and fear in our communities.”
Full border controls with the EU won’t be ready until at least six months after the Brexit transition period ends on 31 December 2020, the government has announced. It comes as the latest GDP figures show the British economy shrank more than 20 per cent in April.
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Chief nurse 'dropped' from coronavirus briefings
England's chief nurse was dropped from one of Downing Street's daily coronavirus briefings after refusing to publicly back Dominic Cummings, senior sources have told The Independent.
As Boris Johnson's chief aide was engulfed in scandal over his trips to Durham and Barnard Castle during lockdown, Ruth May had been due to appear alongside health secretary Matt Hancock in the press conference.
But, in practice questions hours before the briefing, she was asked about Mr Cummings and, after failing to give support to the prime minister’s chief adviser, she was immediately dropped from the press conference, according to senior NHS sources.
Our health correspondent Shaun Lintern has this exclusive report:
Extension to transition period 'straightforward sensible' thing to do
Speaking at the daily Welsh Government briefing, Wales first minister Mark Drakeford said the "straightforward sensible" thing to was to have an extension to the transition period because of the disruption caused by coronavirus.
He added: "My letter with the first minister of Scotland urges the prime minister to seek a further extension in order to be able to do the job as he said he set out to do.
"That was to reach a successful end to the negotiations that protects our economy and jobs here in Wales.
"Inevitably that has been disrupted by coronavirus. The straightforward sensible thing is to add the time we have lost on to the current deadline and to be able to do the job that the Prime Minister said he wanted to do."
PA
PM suggests BLM protests probably ‘going to end in deliberate and calculated violence’
Boris Johnson has said he understands “why people feel outraged certainly about what happened in Minnesota at the death of George Floyd” – but suggested people should look at the “positive” things going on in the UK.
“This is a country that has made huge progress in tackling racism – we should look sometimes at the positive stuff.”
“What’s happened with these demonstrations is that … a growing minority have hijacked them. So unfortunately message to everybody is for all sort of reasons they should not go to these demonstrations
“We should not support a demonstration that is in all probability ... going to end in deliberate and calculated violence.”
Sadiq Khan: ‘stay at home’
“My message to Londoners: please do not take to the streets to protest this weekend,” the mayor of London has said. “For yourselves, for family members, who may be vulnerable to Covid-19, and for the wider cause: stay home and find a safe way to make your voice heard.”
NEW: Full border controls with EU won’t be ready until at least six months after UK leaves single market
Full border controls with the EU won’t be ready until at least six months after end of the Brexit transition period, the government has just announced.
Businesses importing goods from Europe will be asked to keep records from 1 January next year of what tariffs they need to pay but will not be asked to pay them until July.
The government says it will phase in full controls from April on products of animal origin, with the extra forms and customs declarations required for all traders three months later.
Officials say they were working on the basis that full controls would be in place for July but that they could be delayed even longer if there is significant disruption.
The EU is expected to impose full border controls on goods travelling from the UK on 1 January as planned.
Death rates twice as high in England’s deprived areas
London still has the overall highest mortality rate over the past three months, with 137 deaths per 100,000 people — more than a third higher than the next highest region, the latest ONS figures show.
Nine of the 10 local authorities with the highest Covid-19 mortality rates since March were London boroughs all struggling with poverty and overcrowding problems — with Brent, Newham and Hackney the very worst hit since the crisis began.
More details here:
Schools will not return full-time if 2m rule stays, say academy leaders
Academy leaders have poured cold water on the government’s plans to get all children back to school full time by September, saying lessons will not be logistically possible if 2m social distancing guidelines remain in place.
Hamid Patel, chief executive of the Star Academy group, which runs some of the UK’s best performing schools, is calling for urgent recognition that schools may not be able to fully reopen unless drastic action is taken.
Mr Patel, who also sits on the board of the education watchdog Ofsted, told the BBC that if the ambition is “genuinely for all schools to reopen in September, open and honest discussions are needed” about what “workable solutions” could be achieved.
Millions of jobs at risk, union warns
Millions of jobs are at risk unless the government commits to large-scale investment in the economy, a union has warned, after the alarming GDP figures showed that output shrank by 20 per cent last month.
Our business correspondent Ben Chapman has the details:
Two-metre rule could be reduced, PM hints
Boris Johnson has indicated that the 2-metre social distancing rule could be reduced if infection rates continue to fall in the community, even if transmission in care homes and hospitals keeps the crucial R figure high.
The prime minister is coming under intense pressure to cut the minimum distance, with pubs and restaurants warning that the existing rule will make it unviable for them to reopen.
But there are concerns that the so-called R rate - which measures the average number of people each Covid-19 patient infects - is remaining stubbornly close to the 1 figure above which scientists warn it will not be safe to ease lockdown.
UK coronavirus death toll rises by 202
The Covid-19 death toll has risen by 202 over the past 24 hours, the government announced on Friday – bringing the total to 41,481.
It comes just days after leading scientist who advised the government to implement lockdown warned that deaths from the pandemic could have been halved if restrictions were introduced sooner.
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