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| Rebecca Long-Bailey sacked from Labour shadow cabinet by Keir Starmer – UK politics live | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Shadow education secretary sacked after sharing article on Twitter which included antisemitic conspiracy theory | |
| And here is the full statement from the Jewish Labour Movement. | |
| The Jewish Labour Movement has welcomed Rebecca Long-Bailey’s sacking, Sky’s Aubrey Allegretti reports. | |
| This is from Matt Zarb-Cousin, who worked as a media adviser first for Jeremy Corbyn when he was Labour leader and then for Rebecca Long-Bailey when she was running for leader (effectively as the candidate of the Corbynite left). Zarb-Cousin is referring to Sir Keir Starmer’s refusal earlier to call for Robert Jenrick to be sacked. (See 11.41am.) | |
| From the Sunday Times’ Gabriel Pogrund | |
| This is from Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews, welcoming the sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey. | |
| Here is the passage in the Independent’s interview with Maxine Peake referred to in the Labour statement (see 3.11pm) referencing an “antisemitic conspiracy theory”. | |
| As my colleague Peter Walker has reported (see 2.47pm), Rebecca Long-Bailey subsequently posted a tweet saying her tweet sharing the interview was not intended to be an endorsement of everything in it. But the president of the Board of Deputies of British Jews said it was “pathetic” that she had not withdrawn the original tweet and apologised. | |
| Rebecca Long-Bailey has been sacked as shadow education secretary, the Labour party has announced. Sir Keir Starmer dismissed her following her Maxine Peake tweet (see 2.47pm). A spokesman for Starmer said: | |
| The Department for Health and Social Care has released its latest coronavirus death figures. It says a further 149 people have died in the UK, taking the headline total to 43,230. | The Department for Health and Social Care has released its latest coronavirus death figures. It says a further 149 people have died in the UK, taking the headline total to 43,230. |
| The full details are here. | The full details are here. |
| These figures just cover people who tested positive for coronavirus and died. But the real UK figure for all deaths caused by coronavirus is more than 54,000 once people who did not test positive, but where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate, is include. | These figures just cover people who tested positive for coronavirus and died. But the real UK figure for all deaths caused by coronavirus is more than 54,000 once people who did not test positive, but where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate, is include. |
| The Board of Deputies of British Jews has criticised Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow education secretary, for tweeting praise of an interview with Maxine Peake in which the actor said the police tactic of kneeling on someone’s neck, which led to the death of George Floyd, was “learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services”, which Israel rejects. | The Board of Deputies of British Jews has criticised Rebecca Long-Bailey, the shadow education secretary, for tweeting praise of an interview with Maxine Peake in which the actor said the police tactic of kneeling on someone’s neck, which led to the death of George Floyd, was “learnt from seminars with Israeli secret services”, which Israel rejects. |
| Long-Bailey tweeted, “Maxine Peake is an absolute diamond”, linking to the interview with the Independent. | Long-Bailey tweeted, “Maxine Peake is an absolute diamond”, linking to the interview with the Independent. |
| She later added: “I retweeted Maxine Peake’s article because of her significant achievements and because the thrust of her argument is to stay in the Labour party. It wasn’t intended to be an endorsement of all aspects of the article.” | She later added: “I retweeted Maxine Peake’s article because of her significant achievements and because the thrust of her argument is to stay in the Labour party. It wasn’t intended to be an endorsement of all aspects of the article.” |
| Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies, said Long-Bailey should delete her first tweet and apologise. She said: | Marie van der Zyl, president of the Board of Deputies, said Long-Bailey should delete her first tweet and apologise. She said: |
| Elsewhere in the interview, Peak, a strong supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, called Keir Starmer “a more acceptable face of the Labour party for a lot of people who are not really leftwing”, adding: “As long as the Tories get out, I don’t care anymore.” | Elsewhere in the interview, Peak, a strong supporter of Jeremy Corbyn, called Keir Starmer “a more acceptable face of the Labour party for a lot of people who are not really leftwing”, adding: “As long as the Tories get out, I don’t care anymore.” |
| The Government Office for Science has published its latest figures for R, the reproduction number, and the growth rate for coronavirus for the UK and for the English regions. | The Government Office for Science has published its latest figures for R, the reproduction number, and the growth rate for coronavirus for the UK and for the English regions. |
| The headline UK numbers are the same as when the government last published these estimates on Friday last week. The growth rate remains at between minus 4% to minus 2% per day, and R remains at between 0.7 to 0.9. | The headline UK numbers are the same as when the government last published these estimates on Friday last week. The growth rate remains at between minus 4% to minus 2% per day, and R remains at between 0.7 to 0.9. |
| R and the growth rate are both measures of whether coronavirus infections are increasing or decreasing. But, unlike R, the growth rate also reflects the pace at which this is happening. There is a full explanation of the differences here. | R and the growth rate are both measures of whether coronavirus infections are increasing or decreasing. But, unlike R, the growth rate also reflects the pace at which this is happening. There is a full explanation of the differences here. |
| Here are the regional figures. | Here are the regional figures. |
| Although the headline numbers for the UK and for England have not changed since last Friday, in three of the regions the figures have changed. In all three they are getting better. | Although the headline numbers for the UK and for England have not changed since last Friday, in three of the regions the figures have changed. In all three they are getting better. |
| London: Last week R was between 0.7 and 1, and the growth rate was between -5% and +1%. Now R is between 0.7 and 0.9, and the growth rate is between -6% and 0%. | London: Last week R was between 0.7 and 1, and the growth rate was between -5% and +1%. Now R is between 0.7 and 0.9, and the growth rate is between -6% and 0%. |
| Midlands: Last week R was between 0.8 and 1, and the growth rate was between -4% and 0%. Now, although the growth rate is unchanged, R is between 0.7 and 0.9. | Midlands: Last week R was between 0.8 and 1, and the growth rate was between -4% and 0%. Now, although the growth rate is unchanged, R is between 0.7 and 0.9. |
| North East and Yorkshire: Last week R was between 0.7 and 0.9, and the growth rate was between -5% and -1%. Now R is the same, but the growth rate is between -5% and -2%. | North East and Yorkshire: Last week R was between 0.7 and 0.9, and the growth rate was between -5% and -1%. Now R is the same, but the growth rate is between -5% and -2%. |
| This is from Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, on the street party in Brixton that led to more than 20 police officers being injured. | This is from Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, on the street party in Brixton that led to more than 20 police officers being injured. |
| Tony Blair, the former Labour prime minister, is taking part in a Reuters newsmaker Q&A that has just started. There is a live feed at the top of the blog. The conversation is focusing at the moment on a new report from Blair’s thinktank, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, about the west’s relationship with China. | Tony Blair, the former Labour prime minister, is taking part in a Reuters newsmaker Q&A that has just started. There is a live feed at the top of the blog. The conversation is focusing at the moment on a new report from Blair’s thinktank, the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, about the west’s relationship with China. |
| Here is an extract from Blair’s foreword to the report. | Here is an extract from Blair’s foreword to the report. |
| I’ll be posting highlights from the Q&A later. | I’ll be posting highlights from the Q&A later. |
| Nicola Sturgeon has insisted that this week’s switch in policy on Scottish schools returning in August is not a U-turn, but characteristic of the flexibility that dealing with an unpredictable virus demands. | Nicola Sturgeon has insisted that this week’s switch in policy on Scottish schools returning in August is not a U-turn, but characteristic of the flexibility that dealing with an unpredictable virus demands. |
| Earlier this week, the education secretary, John Swinney, announced the move to a full-time return with no distancing from planning for blended in-school and at-home education, to allow for social distancing in schools, which had prompted a fierce backlash from parents worried about indefinite home-schooling. | Earlier this week, the education secretary, John Swinney, announced the move to a full-time return with no distancing from planning for blended in-school and at-home education, to allow for social distancing in schools, which had prompted a fierce backlash from parents worried about indefinite home-schooling. |
| Asked about comments from Swinney this morning that he might not be able to confirm that full-time return until 30 July, Sturgeon said: | Asked about comments from Swinney this morning that he might not be able to confirm that full-time return until 30 July, Sturgeon said: |
| She gave her “commitment and assurance to parents that full-time return to education is what we are planning for”, but underlined that “when dealing with a virus we have to be prepared to assess things much nearer to the time”. | She gave her “commitment and assurance to parents that full-time return to education is what we are planning for”, but underlined that “when dealing with a virus we have to be prepared to assess things much nearer to the time”. |
| Larry Flanagan, the head of Scotland’s largest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland, yesterday described the move to planning for full-time return as “political” and warned that there were still concerns about the safety of pupils and teachers not distancing. Sturgeon said: “If the science tells us any particular measure isn’t safe we wouldn’t do that, especially with children involved. But all governments have to plan.” | Larry Flanagan, the head of Scotland’s largest teaching union, the Educational Institute of Scotland, yesterday described the move to planning for full-time return as “political” and warned that there were still concerns about the safety of pupils and teachers not distancing. Sturgeon said: “If the science tells us any particular measure isn’t safe we wouldn’t do that, especially with children involved. But all governments have to plan.” |
| She said that it was not practical to present a fixed and settled plan nearly two months in advance of school return “because we are not dealing with a situation that is fixed and unchangeable, whether that is in schools or hospitals or care homes. If we all take our eye off the ball and the virus gets out of control again [this could all change]. That flexibility we need in our planning is just a fact of life right now.” | She said that it was not practical to present a fixed and settled plan nearly two months in advance of school return “because we are not dealing with a situation that is fixed and unchangeable, whether that is in schools or hospitals or care homes. If we all take our eye off the ball and the virus gets out of control again [this could all change]. That flexibility we need in our planning is just a fact of life right now.” |
| Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, has claimed that Robert Jenrick is protected by an “old boys’ network” in a government which she has described as a “farce”. | Angela Rayner, the deputy Labour leader, has claimed that Robert Jenrick is protected by an “old boys’ network” in a government which she has described as a “farce”. |
| The Downing Street lobby briefing has finished. Here are the main points. | The Downing Street lobby briefing has finished. Here are the main points. |
| Downing Street remains determined to try to draw a line under the row about Robert Jenrick’s attempt to try to rush through approval for a housing development owned by the Tory donor Richard Desmond. Despite being asked repeatedly to justify various aspects of Jenrick’s handling of the affair, the prime minister’s spokesman refused to engage with the details of what happened and instead just repeatedly insisted the PM considered the matter closed. He said: | Downing Street remains determined to try to draw a line under the row about Robert Jenrick’s attempt to try to rush through approval for a housing development owned by the Tory donor Richard Desmond. Despite being asked repeatedly to justify various aspects of Jenrick’s handling of the affair, the prime minister’s spokesman refused to engage with the details of what happened and instead just repeatedly insisted the PM considered the matter closed. He said: |
| The spokesman also said Boris Johnson still had full confidence in Jenrick. | The spokesman also said Boris Johnson still had full confidence in Jenrick. |
| The spokesman was unable to say whether the government fully supported the principle of the community infrastructure levy (CIL), an instrument that councils can use to raise money from developers for infrastructure when they are approving planning applications. The documents released last night showed that Jenrick wanted to approve Desmond’s application quickly so that he would avoid an extra £45m cost being imposed by a new CIL coming into force. Asked if the government as a whole had a view as to whether the CIL was a good idea in principle, the spokesman said he did not have a response at this point but he indicated he would address this later. | The spokesman was unable to say whether the government fully supported the principle of the community infrastructure levy (CIL), an instrument that councils can use to raise money from developers for infrastructure when they are approving planning applications. The documents released last night showed that Jenrick wanted to approve Desmond’s application quickly so that he would avoid an extra £45m cost being imposed by a new CIL coming into force. Asked if the government as a whole had a view as to whether the CIL was a good idea in principle, the spokesman said he did not have a response at this point but he indicated he would address this later. |
| The spokesman defended the government’s decision not to make wearing face coverings compulsory in shops, even though the No 10 review of the 2-metre rule (pdf) published by the government last night proposed this. The spokesman said the government had made wearing face coverings compulsory on public transport (also recommended by the reviews). But shops were different, he said, because people could leave a shop, or choose not to enter, if it became crowded. | The spokesman defended the government’s decision not to make wearing face coverings compulsory in shops, even though the No 10 review of the 2-metre rule (pdf) published by the government last night proposed this. The spokesman said the government had made wearing face coverings compulsory on public transport (also recommended by the reviews). But shops were different, he said, because people could leave a shop, or choose not to enter, if it became crowded. |
| The spokesman defended the government’s test and trace system despite figures out today (see 12.12pm), saying the system is new and “will improve over time”. He also said it had led to more than 100,000 people being told to isolate because they had been in contact with people testing positive for coronavirus, he said. | The spokesman defended the government’s test and trace system despite figures out today (see 12.12pm), saying the system is new and “will improve over time”. He also said it had led to more than 100,000 people being told to isolate because they had been in contact with people testing positive for coronavirus, he said. |
| The spokesman condemned the violent scenes in Brixton after police came under attack when they tried to break up a large street party. He said: | The spokesman condemned the violent scenes in Brixton after police came under attack when they tried to break up a large street party. He said: |
| The spokesman said the government now has the capacity to carry out 282,498 tests per day. | The spokesman said the government now has the capacity to carry out 282,498 tests per day. |
| The spokesman said the majority of coronavirus tests are returned within 24 hours, and 90% within 48 hours. But he was unable to say exactly how many tests are completed within 24 hours. The government has repeatedly refused to put a figure on this, with ministers and officials claiming figures cannot be released until they are statistically robust. The issue is important because contact tracing systems only work if tests are carried out and contact traced rapidly. But the spokesman said the government remained committed to the target of getting all tests completed within 24 hours by the end of the month. | The spokesman said the majority of coronavirus tests are returned within 24 hours, and 90% within 48 hours. But he was unable to say exactly how many tests are completed within 24 hours. The government has repeatedly refused to put a figure on this, with ministers and officials claiming figures cannot be released until they are statistically robust. The issue is important because contact tracing systems only work if tests are carried out and contact traced rapidly. But the spokesman said the government remained committed to the target of getting all tests completed within 24 hours by the end of the month. |
| Correspondence between the housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, and the Conservative donor Richard Desmond will lead to further scrutiny by MPs, the head of the housing select committee said this morning. | Correspondence between the housing secretary, Robert Jenrick, and the Conservative donor Richard Desmond will lead to further scrutiny by MPs, the head of the housing select committee said this morning. |
| Clive Betts, the chair of the housing communities and local government committee, said Jenrick had given parliament the impression that his contact with the property developer ended after meeting him at a fundraising dinner in November.However, documents released on last night showed they had “extensive” contact afterwards and raises further questions about the minister’s propriety, Betts said. He told the Guardian: | Clive Betts, the chair of the housing communities and local government committee, said Jenrick had given parliament the impression that his contact with the property developer ended after meeting him at a fundraising dinner in November.However, documents released on last night showed they had “extensive” contact afterwards and raises further questions about the minister’s propriety, Betts said. He told the Guardian: |
| Betts said that he was shocked to see that Jenrick had apparently entertained the possibility of going to visit the site. | Betts said that he was shocked to see that Jenrick had apparently entertained the possibility of going to visit the site. |
| Betts said the committee could launch an inquiry into when ministers should withdraw from planning decisions. “We should look at when ministers should withdraw from involvement once they have been lobbied, to ensure that there is not even an appearance of being susceptible to lobbying. In planning matters, appearances are important,” he said. | Betts said the committee could launch an inquiry into when ministers should withdraw from planning decisions. “We should look at when ministers should withdraw from involvement once they have been lobbied, to ensure that there is not even an appearance of being susceptible to lobbying. In planning matters, appearances are important,” he said. |
| Asked about the minister Nadhim Zahawi’s comments this morning claiming voters could consider attending Conservative fundraising events if they want to raise planning issues with MPs (see 8.42am), Betts said: | Asked about the minister Nadhim Zahawi’s comments this morning claiming voters could consider attending Conservative fundraising events if they want to raise planning issues with MPs (see 8.42am), Betts said: |