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UK coronavirus live: former Tory party chair says NHS surcharge 'immoral' and 'monstrous' UK coronavirus live: Scotland to reopen schools in August as Sturgeon lays out lockdown easing
(32 minutes later)
Scotland to reopen schools on 11 August; row over making migrant care workers pay NHS surcharge deepens Scottish first minister explains measures in phase one of loosening of restrictions; former Tory party chair calls NHS migrant surcharge ‘monstrous’
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, told the London assembly this morning that he is considering banning passengers from buses and tube trains in the capital if they are not wearing a face covering. He said that he was hoping to persuade the UK government, which is currently just advising people to wear face coverings on public transport, to toughen its stance. He told the assembly:
He said that he was hoping to persuade the government “to do the right thing”. But, if that did not happen, he said next week he would consider using the powers he has as mayor to make the wearing of face coverings compulsory on Transport for London tubes and buses.
The Conservative peer Chris Patten (see 11.53am) and the public administration committee chair William Wragg (see 8.33am) are not the only Tories calling for migrant care workers to be exempt from the NHS surcharge. In the Evening Standard Joe Murphy and Nicholas Cecil have rounded up some more rebels on this issue, including Bob Neill, the justice committee chair, Robert Halfon, the education committee chair, and Sir Roger Gale, a former party vice chairman. Gale said that not waiving the surcharge would “rightly be perceived as mean-spirited, doctrinaire and petty”.
The number of people moving to the UK long term from non-EU countries has hit a new record high, according to the latest estimates. As PA Media reports, last year immigration from non-EU countries rose to 404,000, the highest it has ever been since records began in 1975 when it was 93,000, data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) shows.
Net migration from outside the EU, the balance between the number of people entering and leaving the country, is also at its highest level (282,000) since citizenship information was first collected in 1975 (40,000). Both figures have continued to rise since 2013.
Meanwhile, EU net migration fell to 49,000, down from 75,000 recorded a year earlier and after hitting peaks of more than 200,000 in 2015.
Downing Street has described the complaint about Boris Johnson to the Independent Office for Police Conduct as a waste of police time. Responding to the news that the IOPC is not launching a criminal inquiry (see 11.45am), a spokesman for the prime minister said:
Sturgeon says universities and colleges should have a phased return next term.Sturgeon says universities and colleges should have a phased return next term.
On schools, she says today she has published a report from the education recovery group.On schools, she says today she has published a report from the education recovery group.
All schools in Scotland will re-open from 11 August, Sturgeon says. Pupils will get “a blended model of part time in-school and part time at-home learning”.All schools in Scotland will re-open from 11 August, Sturgeon says. Pupils will get “a blended model of part time in-school and part time at-home learning”.
Sturgeon says that the Scottish government will produce new guidance for the extremely clinically vulnerable people who have been told to shield (ie, not leave home). This will be out by 18 June, she says.Sturgeon says that the Scottish government will produce new guidance for the extremely clinically vulnerable people who have been told to shield (ie, not leave home). This will be out by 18 June, she says.
Sturgeon gives details of what will be allowed from 28 May.Sturgeon gives details of what will be allowed from 28 May.
In her speech Sturgeon says that she expects the phase one measures to come in from 28 May.In her speech Sturgeon says that she expects the phase one measures to come in from 28 May.
But not every phase 1 measure will come in on that day, she says.But not every phase 1 measure will come in on that day, she says.
Here is a chart from the document (pdf) explaining the four phases.Here is a chart from the document (pdf) explaining the four phases.
And here is a chart showing how the rules on meeting people and travel will change as Scotland moves into the next phases.And here is a chart showing how the rules on meeting people and travel will change as Scotland moves into the next phases.
These are two of the nine charts in the annex to the document explaining in detail what will be allowed at different stages.These are two of the nine charts in the annex to the document explaining in detail what will be allowed at different stages.
Sturgeon says there are now an estimated 25,000 infected people in Scotland. But there has been a significant and sustained reduction, she says.Sturgeon says there are now an estimated 25,000 infected people in Scotland. But there has been a significant and sustained reduction, she says.
She says the government now estimates the R number (the reproduction number, the rate at which the virus is spreading) at between 0.7 and 1.She says the government now estimates the R number (the reproduction number, the rate at which the virus is spreading) at between 0.7 and 1.
She says in March it was thought to be above four.She says in March it was thought to be above four.
But now it is thought to have been below 1 for three weeks, which means she feels able to set out the next steps for easing the lockdown, she says.But now it is thought to have been below 1 for three weeks, which means she feels able to set out the next steps for easing the lockdown, she says.
Sturgeon is now setting out the latest daily figures.Sturgeon is now setting out the latest daily figures.
She says 51 people were in intensive care last night with coronavirus.She says 51 people were in intensive care last night with coronavirus.
There have been a further 37 deaths, she says, taking the total to 2,221.There have been a further 37 deaths, she says, taking the total to 2,221.
Sturgeon says the routemap has just been published.
It’s here (pdf).
She says it will be supplemented by further documents in due course.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, is about to make a statement to the Scottish parliament about the routemap her government is publishing today for easing the lockdown. (See 11.16am.)
The London assembly has said it will resume its investigation into Boris Johnson after the IOPC ruled against undertaking a criminal investigation over his ties to US businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri while he was London mayor. (See 11.45am.) Len Duvall, the Greater London Authority’s oversight committee chair, said:
Chris Patten, the former Conservative party chairman, told Emma Barnett on Radio 5 Live this morning that requiring migrant care workers to pay the NHS surcharge was “immoral”. He said:
According to Sky’s Tamara Cohen, the Independent Office for Police Conduct will announce shortly that it will not be launching a criminal investigation into Boris Johnson and his relationship with the American businesswoman Jennifer Arcuri when he was mayor.
As Matthew Weaver and Vikram Dodd report in their overnight preview story, Johnson was formally referred to the watchdog in September because he was the head of the mayor’s office for policing and crime at a time when Arcuri received public money and access to trade trips led by Johnson when he was mayor. Arcuri was awarded thousands of pounds in public money, including £11,500 by the mayor’s promotional agency, London & Partners.
UPDATE: In fact the Mirror seems to have broken the story first.
The number of people with coronavirus in England has remained stable since the end of April, according to new data, with nearly 140,000 people infected in the last two weeks. As Frances Perraudin reports, the second snapshot of Covid-19 rates in the community, taken by the Office for National Statistics (ONS), found that 137,000 people – 0.25% of the population – had coronavirus at any given time during the two weeks from 4-17 May.
The full story is here.
Preparing for the impact of a no-deal Brexit later this year would overwhelm local emergency response teams exhausted by the Covid-19 pandemic, a leaked Whitehall report has warned. My colleagues Patrick Butler and Dan Peters have the full story here.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has posted this on Twitter ahead of the publication this afternoon of the Scottish government’s roadmap for easing the coronavirus lockdown.
She says she will be presenting a four-phase plan.
By contrast, the UK government’s plan (pdf) (which in most respects is just the English plan) is based on a three-step approach, with measures being relaxed on 13 May, from 1 June and from 4 July. Confusingly, the plan also talks of three phases, which are different. The three steps are all within phase two; phase three is essentially the vaccine, and phase one is the lockdown.
The Welsh government’s plan (pdf) also describes how the lockdown could be relaxed in three stages. It describes red, amber and green easing measures, but without dates for when these will happen.
By contrast, he Northern Ireland executive has a five-step routemap (pdf) out of lockdown - again, with no dates attached.
Here’s the queue for a drive-through McDonald’s that opened in Sutton yesterday.
My colleague Joanna Partridge has more on the excitement generated by the return of McDonald’s here.
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, told the Today programme this morning that he was worried about complacency leading to a second wave of infection. He said:
He also said he did not want to see a “a car-led recovery” in London.