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| No 10 rejects claims previous racism inquiry recommendations are being ignored - live news | |
| (30 minutes later) | |
| PM’s spokesman says recommendations are being implemented as Labour accuses Johnson of seeking ‘culture war’ over Churchill statue; non-essential shops open in latest lockdown easing in England | |
| The Guardian’s Sarah Butler has been out in Birmingham talking to those making the most of newly re-opened shops. | |
| Scottish ministers have finally been able to disclose how many people tested positive at UK government drive-through centres in Scotland, more than two months after the first centres opened. | |
| Nicola Sturgeon, the first minister, said 2,343 people who used the network of drive through centres had tested positive since the first one opened at Glasgow airport on 5 April. More than 75,000 people had used the five drive through centres in Scotland at Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness airports, and a college in Perth. | |
| It has taken until now to match every test result with individual patient records because the UK and Scottish governments failed to require people using these test centres to supply their NHS numbers or postcodes until they changed the booking system in mid-May. Even then, many records still needed to be matched by hand by NHS officials. | |
| The Guardian disclosed in May that the Welsh and Northern Irish governments had insisted that the Department of Health and Social Care changes its procedures at the start of the programme in early April, and avoided long delays in matching up test results with people’s home addresses. | |
| Boris Johnson’s 1.30pm video meeting with EU leaders Ursula von der Leyen, Charles Michel and David Sassoli – presidents of the commission, EU council and parliament respectively – is expected to last just one hour. | |
| Michael Gove, Brexit negotiator David Frost and Sir Tim Barrow, the ambassador to the EU will also attend. | |
| Sources in London say they do not expect any “huge drama” at the meeting, a point underlined by its brevity. | |
| The purpose of the meeting, from the UK’s point of view, is to reiterate demands for a “high quality free trade agreement” such as those the EU has with other countries including Canada and Japan, said a spokesman for the prime minister. | |
| The next five rounds of talks, which will be face to face, will take place in July and August: | |
| - 29 June (Brussels) | |
| - 6 July (London) | |
| - 13 July (Brussels) | |
| - 20 July (London) | |
| - 17 August (Brussels) | |
| There is also an agreement for further talks in September, “unless otherwise agreed between the parties”. | |
| The Downing Street lobby briefing is over. Here are the main points. | |
| The prime minister’s spokesman rejected Labour’s claims that the government was ignoring the recommendations made by previous inquiries looking at racism. Asked about David Lammy’s claim to this effect (see 10.02am), the spokesman said the government was implementing the recommendations of previous reports. He said: | |
| The spokesman said that the commission on race and ethnic disparities announced by Boris Johnson today would look at issues like the under-performance of white working class boys in schools. | |
| The prime minister’s spokesman said that the government’s review of the two-metre rule would be completed “in the coming weeks” - but he would not commit to it being ready before 4 July, when the government has said pubs and restaurants might be allowed to start opening up in England. There has been speculation that they might be allowed to serve customers outdoors from that point. When it was put to him that businesses needed advance notice of what would be allowed, the spokesman said the government was aware of the hospitality industry’s need for certainty. But he also said the government had to act in a way that was safe. | |
| The spokesman said that Simon Case, the new permanent secretary at No 10, would oversee the review of the two-metre rule. And he said the review would report to the Covid strategy committee chaired by the PM. Explaining its remit, he said: | |
| The spokesman said that the health minister Edward Argar would respond to this afternoon’s Commons urgent question about the two-metre rule. (See 9.44am.) | |
| The spokesman said that Boris Johnson would be responding to the open letter sent to MPs by the England footballer Marcus Rashford saying the food voucher scheme for poor children should continue over the summer holidays. (See 8.11am.) The spokesman also praised Rashford for using his profile “in a positive way”. And he said the government had already announced an extra £63m for councils to help disadvantaged families over the summer. He said: | |
| Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, will take the afternoon press conference at 5pm, the spokesman said. He said he thought Raab would be appearing on his own, without a government scientist. But the spokesman rejected suggestions that this was because scientists were no longer welcome. He said: | |
| The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has revealed that he has not spoken to Boris Johnson for almost three weeks. | The Welsh first minister, Mark Drakeford, has revealed that he has not spoken to Boris Johnson for almost three weeks. |
| Asked during his government’s daily press conference if Wales was in the loop or going it alone, he said: | Asked during his government’s daily press conference if Wales was in the loop or going it alone, he said: |
| He clarified that he had spoken with the Welsh secretary, Simon Hart. Drakeford added: | He clarified that he had spoken with the Welsh secretary, Simon Hart. Drakeford added: |
| But he said his calls for a “regular, reliable rhythm of meetings with UK ministers” had not been heeded. “I’m afraid we’ve been in a stop/start of that cycle for more than two weeks,” he said. | But he said his calls for a “regular, reliable rhythm of meetings with UK ministers” had not been heeded. “I’m afraid we’ve been in a stop/start of that cycle for more than two weeks,” he said. |
| Boris Johnson has announced a “cross-governmental commission” into racial disparities in education, health and criminal justice. It is the latest of a series of reports into ethnic injustices over recent years. Guardian political correspondent Peter Walker looks at whether previous inquiries have changed anything: | Boris Johnson has announced a “cross-governmental commission” into racial disparities in education, health and criminal justice. It is the latest of a series of reports into ethnic injustices over recent years. Guardian political correspondent Peter Walker looks at whether previous inquiries have changed anything: |
| Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has announced that no new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Scotland in the last 24 hours, the third time the figure has remained the same since lockdown began. | Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has announced that no new coronavirus deaths have been reported in Scotland in the last 24 hours, the third time the figure has remained the same since lockdown began. |
| As of Monday, a total of 2,448 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, no change on Sunday’s figure. | As of Monday, a total of 2,448 patients have died in Scotland after testing positive for coronavirus, no change on Sunday’s figure. |
| The reported death tolls previously remained the same on June 7 and June 8, a Sunday and a Monday. But the first minister stressed that death reports are lower at weekends. | The reported death tolls previously remained the same on June 7 and June 8, a Sunday and a Monday. But the first minister stressed that death reports are lower at weekends. |
| Speaking at the Scottish government’s coronavirus briefing, Sturgeon said a further 29 people have tested positive for the virus. There are 870 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a decrease of 94. Of these patients, 18 were in intensive care, an increase of three. | Speaking at the Scottish government’s coronavirus briefing, Sturgeon said a further 29 people have tested positive for the virus. There are 870 people in hospital with confirmed or suspected Covid-19, a decrease of 94. Of these patients, 18 were in intensive care, an increase of three. |
| Google has apologised for an error that resulted in an image of Winston Churchill being removed from its search results, after accusations that the company had deliberately taken it down in support of the Black Lives Matter protests. | Google has apologised for an error that resulted in an image of Winston Churchill being removed from its search results, after accusations that the company had deliberately taken it down in support of the Black Lives Matter protests. |
| Conservative activists first noted the omission late on Saturday night, highlighting the fact that Churchill’s image was absent from the gallery results for “UK prime ministers”. | Conservative activists first noted the omission late on Saturday night, highlighting the fact that Churchill’s image was absent from the gallery results for “UK prime ministers”. |
| Missing too was the PM’s first historic term in office: the company’s results recorded only his 1951 to 1955 leadership. | Missing too was the PM’s first historic term in office: the company’s results recorded only his 1951 to 1955 leadership. |
| In a statement on Sunday, Google said the removal of Churchill’s image was not accidental. Instead, the company said, it had intervened to correct a separate issue flagged by its users: that the image automatically selected for Churchill showed him at a much younger age than the “more famous and iconic” pictures of him during the war. | In a statement on Sunday, Google said the removal of Churchill’s image was not accidental. Instead, the company said, it had intervened to correct a separate issue flagged by its users: that the image automatically selected for Churchill showed him at a much younger age than the “more famous and iconic” pictures of him during the war. |
| Because Google avoids directly dictating search results, the company had blocked the younger image, but not specifically selected a replacement. “In this case, a bug in our systems prevented a new representative image from updating,” the company said. “As a result, Churchill’s entry lacked an image from late April until this weekend, when the issue was brought to our attention.” | Because Google avoids directly dictating search results, the company had blocked the younger image, but not specifically selected a replacement. “In this case, a bug in our systems prevented a new representative image from updating,” the company said. “As a result, Churchill’s entry lacked an image from late April until this weekend, when the issue was brought to our attention.” |
| A man who suffered a broken wrist and damage to his arm and shoulder after he was detained outside his home in what he believes was a wrongful racist arrest is suing the Metropolitan police over his injuries. | A man who suffered a broken wrist and damage to his arm and shoulder after he was detained outside his home in what he believes was a wrongful racist arrest is suing the Metropolitan police over his injuries. |
| Tariq Stanley, an insurance underwriter, said he was wrongfully detained outside his home in the Woolwich area of the city during the pandemic lockdown. | Tariq Stanley, an insurance underwriter, said he was wrongfully detained outside his home in the Woolwich area of the city during the pandemic lockdown. |
| The 27-year-old black man recorded mobile phone footage of the arrest on 17 April. Stanley said it confirmed he was trying to cooperate with the police, even offering them the keys to his apartment so they could search it. | The 27-year-old black man recorded mobile phone footage of the arrest on 17 April. Stanley said it confirmed he was trying to cooperate with the police, even offering them the keys to his apartment so they could search it. |
| You can read the full report from Guardian reporter Henry McDonald here – | You can read the full report from Guardian reporter Henry McDonald here – |
| This, from Guardian writer David Conn – | This, from Guardian writer David Conn – |
| A series of high-profile sporting events went ahead as scheduled in mid-March even as Covid-19 was being declared a pandemic. This podcast from earlier this month, in which David Conn investigates the scientific reasoning behind the decision, is well worth a listen. | A series of high-profile sporting events went ahead as scheduled in mid-March even as Covid-19 was being declared a pandemic. This podcast from earlier this month, in which David Conn investigates the scientific reasoning behind the decision, is well worth a listen. |
| This is from David Sassoli, president of the European parliament, referring to the the video conference that Boris Johnson is holding later with the EU about the post-Brexit trade talks. | This is from David Sassoli, president of the European parliament, referring to the the video conference that Boris Johnson is holding later with the EU about the post-Brexit trade talks. |
| Travis Perkins, the builders’ merchant, is cutting 2,500 jobs in the UK, almost a tenth of its workforce, and closing 165 stores. The business says it expects weaker demand for materials in the next two years in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. You can read the full story at the link below and follow more live updates on the Guardian’s business live blog here. | Travis Perkins, the builders’ merchant, is cutting 2,500 jobs in the UK, almost a tenth of its workforce, and closing 165 stores. The business says it expects weaker demand for materials in the next two years in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. You can read the full story at the link below and follow more live updates on the Guardian’s business live blog here. |
| A 28-year-old football fan has been jailed after admitting urinating next to the memorial dedicated to PC Keith Palmer, who was stabbed to death in the 2017 Westminster terror attack. | A 28-year-old football fan has been jailed after admitting urinating next to the memorial dedicated to PC Keith Palmer, who was stabbed to death in the 2017 Westminster terror attack. |
| Andrew Banks, of Manor Road in Stansted, Essex, was handed a 14-day immediate jail term after pleading guilty to outraging public decency during a far-right protest in central London on Saturday. | Andrew Banks, of Manor Road in Stansted, Essex, was handed a 14-day immediate jail term after pleading guilty to outraging public decency during a far-right protest in central London on Saturday. |
| The PA Media news agency reports that Banks said he had been on an all-night drinking session in the capital and decided to join fellow football supporters travelling to London to “protect the statues”, but admitted he did not know which statues. | The PA Media news agency reports that Banks said he had been on an all-night drinking session in the capital and decided to join fellow football supporters travelling to London to “protect the statues”, but admitted he did not know which statues. |
| He also said he had no idea about the memorial to PC Palmer, and handed himself into police when he was confronted by his father, who saw images of the incident online. | He also said he had no idea about the memorial to PC Palmer, and handed himself into police when he was confronted by his father, who saw images of the incident online. |
| Jailing Banks at Westminster magistrates court on Monday morning, Chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said: | Jailing Banks at Westminster magistrates court on Monday morning, Chief magistrate Emma Arbuthnot said: |
| Music venue Colston Hall has removed lettering from the outside of its building ahead of a planned name change, PA Media reports. It was named after Edward Colston, the 17th century slave trader, and built almost 150 years after his death. Bristol Music Trust, which runs the venue, announced in 2017 that the name would be changed this year following a £49m refurbishment. The organisation said this morning that removing the lettering is “just one step on our road” to revealing the new name this autumn. The move comes after a statue of Colston was toppled and thrown into Bristol harbour during a Black Lives Matter march last weekend. | Music venue Colston Hall has removed lettering from the outside of its building ahead of a planned name change, PA Media reports. It was named after Edward Colston, the 17th century slave trader, and built almost 150 years after his death. Bristol Music Trust, which runs the venue, announced in 2017 that the name would be changed this year following a £49m refurbishment. The organisation said this morning that removing the lettering is “just one step on our road” to revealing the new name this autumn. The move comes after a statue of Colston was toppled and thrown into Bristol harbour during a Black Lives Matter march last weekend. |
| Bristol Music Trust said: | Bristol Music Trust said: |
| Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that levels of anxiety among Britons appear to be reducing compared with the start of lockdown. | Figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) show that levels of anxiety among Britons appear to be reducing compared with the start of lockdown. |
| At the beginning of lockdown, the body noted a “marked” increase in anxiety. Between 20-30 March, almost half (49.6%) of people reported high anxiety. This reduced to 37% between 30 April and 10 May. But average anxiety scores are still higher compared with last year, and it has been estimated that 19 million adults in Britain are suffering high levels of anxiety. | At the beginning of lockdown, the body noted a “marked” increase in anxiety. Between 20-30 March, almost half (49.6%) of people reported high anxiety. This reduced to 37% between 30 April and 10 May. But average anxiety scores are still higher compared with last year, and it has been estimated that 19 million adults in Britain are suffering high levels of anxiety. |
| The ONS report on anxiety and coronavirus (which you can read here) states: | The ONS report on anxiety and coronavirus (which you can read here) states: |
| David Isaac, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has said Boris Johnson should be taking action to address racial inequality instead of just announcing another inquiry. Echoing the point made by Labour (see 10.02am), Isaac said: | David Isaac, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, has said Boris Johnson should be taking action to address racial inequality instead of just announcing another inquiry. Echoing the point made by Labour (see 10.02am), Isaac said: |
| A report by an influential group of MPs has said the Treasury should act to help more than a million people who have fallen through the cracks in the government’s Covid-19 income support schemes. | A report by an influential group of MPs has said the Treasury should act to help more than a million people who have fallen through the cracks in the government’s Covid-19 income support schemes. |
| The Guardian’s Larry Elliott and Kalyeena Makortoff report that the all-party Treasury select committee said large numbers of people were enduring financial hardship as they were unable to benefit from the chancellor’s schemes for salaried employees and the self-employed. | The Guardian’s Larry Elliott and Kalyeena Makortoff report that the all-party Treasury select committee said large numbers of people were enduring financial hardship as they were unable to benefit from the chancellor’s schemes for salaried employees and the self-employed. |
| The committee said the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, needed to make good on his promise to “do whatever it takes” to protect individuals and businesses from the impact of the pandemic. The MPs called on Sunak to address the gaps in his coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS) and self-employment income support scheme (SEISS). | The committee said the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, needed to make good on his promise to “do whatever it takes” to protect individuals and businesses from the impact of the pandemic. The MPs called on Sunak to address the gaps in his coronavirus job retention scheme (CJRS) and self-employment income support scheme (SEISS). |
| Employers across Britain face a deadline this week to make job cuts, as the furlough scheme is gradually wound down from August. | Employers across Britain face a deadline this week to make job cuts, as the furlough scheme is gradually wound down from August. |