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| UK coronavirus live: Keir Starmer presses Boris Johnson on Covid testing at PMQs | UK coronavirus live: Keir Starmer presses Boris Johnson on Covid testing at PMQs |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Labour leader asks prime minister to pledge more support for businesses in wake of new restrictions | Labour leader asks prime minister to pledge more support for businesses in wake of new restrictions |
| Liverpool Hope University has announced it is to cut back on face-face-teaching to improve Covid safety, in response to rising infection rates in the city. | |
| The announcement was made as UK universities deal with growing numbers of cases on campus. Liverpool University reported 87 confirmed cases before term had even begun and the University of Exeter today became the latest to report “a small number” of cases. | |
| Liverpool Hope students are due to arrive on campus this weekend for “welcome week” starting on Monday. The university has said it will move teaching online - including seminars, tutorials and lectures - for all students, apart from those requiring lab, workshop and studio space. | |
| Dr Penny Haughan, Hope’s pro vice-chancellor for student life and learning, wrote to students: | |
| According to the University and College Union, which represents university staff and is calling for a ban on face-to-face teaching to protect staff and students, around 15 universities are now dealing with Covid cases. | |
| The UK is facing new coronavirus restrictions but Northern Ireland on Wednesday is getting the chance to enjoy an old, familiar sanctuary: the pub. | |
| About 600 drink-only bars across the region were able to reopen for the first time since March after one of the longest lockdowns of its kind. | |
| Previously only pubs that sold food with alcohol could operate while so-called wet pubs stayed shuttered, with the Stormont executive twice delaying their reopening due to rising infection levels. | |
| Despite a continued surge in infections and the imposition of fresh restrictions on Tuesday authorities decided to let the pubs reopen today. | |
| Most infections happened in or between households, not shops, restaurants or other public setting, said the region’s chief scientific adviser, Ian Young, told the BBC. He said: | |
| Authorities are considering copying England and Wales and imposing a 10pm closing time. However they worry some drinkers in search of a nightcap may nip across the border to the republic of Ireland where pubs serve until 11.30pm. | |
| “We don’t want to encourage unnecessary movements across the border which will again just give a risk of brining the virus both ways,” said Young. | |
| Politicians, like poker players, have their tells, and one of Boris Johnson’s is that, when he knows he’s arguing a weak case, his delivery speeds up notably and his tone sounds even more rehearsed than usual. Today he must have known that he would be asked about his test and trace gaffe yesterday and, as Sir Keir Starmer duly raised it in his first question, Johnson was off at tape recorder setting X1.5. (God help the Hansard shorthand writers.) And after that - in a performance which was by no means his worst, but was typically underwhelming - it didn’t get any better. | |
| Some of this can be explained by the fact that Johnson is a performer, rather than a debater, but some of his habitual second-rateness is just baffling. For example, it was obvious today that he would face a barrage of questions from the opposition about support for business, and what will replace the furlough scheme. It is also obvious that the Treasury is close to making a big announcement on this. Johnson did not need to say what it will be, but it would have been quite easy to craft a form of words to serve as pre-announcement pitch rolling that would have blunted the Labour and SNP attacks he was getting on this. Towards the end he came quite close to doing this. (See 12.24pm.) But that was after he took two hits from Starmer on the issue. | |
| And it would not have been hard to draft a better response to questions about the test and trace mistake yesterday. A reminder, this is what Johnson said during the coronavirus statement: | |
| The Tory MP Andrew Percy made a half-decent stab at defending Johnson yesterday, saying that sometimes words don’t come out quite as intended, and that of course the PM knows test and trace was vital. But this would have involved Johnson admitting that he was not perfect, and instead he launched into a convoluted justification involving wordy and rhetoric phraseology (another tell for when Johnson is up to no good). He said: | |
| Starmer skewered Johnson effectively on this, pointing out that the PM was contradicting what he said yesterday. He also skewered him over the alternative explanations given for the shortage of tests (see 12.08pm), and over schools, and what really matters to parents. “The point ... isn’t whether the children have got Covid, it’s that they’ve got Covid symptoms and then they’re off school.” | |
| But Starmer’s best moment came when responded to the suggestion that Labour have been talking down the NHS with the reference to his wife and family members who have worked for it. (See 12.11pm.) Given that no one in the Johnson family (at least, as far as we know) has ever had a job in the NHS, as put downs go, this did the trick very well. | |
| Nicola Sturgeon has warned there is a danger that devolved governments are prevented from making essential public health decisions because of financial limitations. | |
| As she announced 486 positive cases of Covid yesterday, the highest number ever recorded in Scotland, she said she would be writing to Boris Johnson later to ask for more economic powers and flexibility for devolved governments. | |
| She said “we mustn’t be hamstrung in essential public health decisions for the lack of necessary economic mitigations”, while revealing that it was “very possible, even likely” that the Scottish government would have made a different decision if it had more powers to extend the furlough scheme. | |
| She said she was asking the prime minister for “reasonable but necessary fiscal flexibility for devolved governments”. | |
| With a number of cluster identified at Scottish universities, Sturgeon also said that discussions are taking place about strengthening guidance around high education, appealing to students to do the right thing. “We appreciate the sacrifices you are making at this important stage of your lives,” she said. | |
| Sammy Wilson (DUP) say only time will tell whether the claims made by scientists about the risks from a second wave are true. But there is no doubt that the scare tactics will have an impact on the economy. He asks the government to suspend air passenger duty. | Sammy Wilson (DUP) say only time will tell whether the claims made by scientists about the risks from a second wave are true. But there is no doubt that the scare tactics will have an impact on the economy. He asks the government to suspend air passenger duty. |
| Johnson say Wilson is making a powerful point of scepticism. But people should look at what happened last time, and realise it could happen again. A stitch in time saves nine, he says. | Johnson say Wilson is making a powerful point of scepticism. But people should look at what happened last time, and realise it could happen again. A stitch in time saves nine, he says. |
| He says the advantage of his approach is that it will keep the virus down, and enable the economy to go forward. | He says the advantage of his approach is that it will keep the virus down, and enable the economy to go forward. |
| PMQs is now finished. | PMQs is now finished. |
| Anthony Browne (Con) asks whether the government’s long-term Covid strategy is to eradicate the virus, gain herd immunity or suppress the virus and reduce the deaths until a vaccine or highly effective treatment arrives? | Anthony Browne (Con) asks whether the government’s long-term Covid strategy is to eradicate the virus, gain herd immunity or suppress the virus and reduce the deaths until a vaccine or highly effective treatment arrives? |
| Johnson says it’s the third one. | Johnson says it’s the third one. |
| Asked about the gambling review, Johnson says he is “not an enthusiast for encouraging the spread of gambling in this country”. | Asked about the gambling review, Johnson says he is “not an enthusiast for encouraging the spread of gambling in this country”. |
| Giles Watling (Con), a former actor, asks what can be done to help freelances in the theatre sector. | Giles Watling (Con), a former actor, asks what can be done to help freelances in the theatre sector. |
| Johnson says the government will do whatever it can to support freelances. He says theatres are the jewel in the crown of London’s arts economy. | Johnson says the government will do whatever it can to support freelances. He says theatres are the jewel in the crown of London’s arts economy. |
| Siobhain McDonagh (Lab) asks if the government will support her bill to give children on free school meal access to the internet at home. | Siobhain McDonagh (Lab) asks if the government will support her bill to give children on free school meal access to the internet at home. |
| Johnson says this is an important point. He says he agrees with McDonagh about the digital divide. He says he wants every school in the country to have access to gigabyte broadband. | Johnson says this is an important point. He says he agrees with McDonagh about the digital divide. He says he wants every school in the country to have access to gigabyte broadband. |
| Johnson say he hopes that the work on the A38 upgrade in Cornwall will begin as soon as possible. | Johnson say he hopes that the work on the A38 upgrade in Cornwall will begin as soon as possible. |
| Florence Eshalomi (Lab) asks what the government is doing to help tenants who have unsafe cladding on their buildings. | Florence Eshalomi (Lab) asks what the government is doing to help tenants who have unsafe cladding on their buildings. |
| Johnson says the situation is “disgraceful”. This cladding should come off as soon as possible, he says. | Johnson says the situation is “disgraceful”. This cladding should come off as soon as possible, he says. |
| Johnson says the government’s housing targets will focus on brownfield land. | Johnson says the government’s housing targets will focus on brownfield land. |
| Johnson says of course the government is going to come forward with further measures to support businesses. But he says he does not think it would be sensible to just extend the furlough scheme. | Johnson says of course the government is going to come forward with further measures to support businesses. But he says he does not think it would be sensible to just extend the furlough scheme. |
| Johnson says he really wishes the government was not having to impose the restrictions it is. | Johnson says he really wishes the government was not having to impose the restrictions it is. |
| Patrick Grady (SNP) asks what Johnson’s vision is for building back better. | Patrick Grady (SNP) asks what Johnson’s vision is for building back better. |
| Johnson says space ports will help Scotland, but he quotes the Barnett figure for overall funding going to Scotland. | Johnson says space ports will help Scotland, but he quotes the Barnett figure for overall funding going to Scotland. |
| Neil Parish (Con) asks the PM to support plans for a new school in Tiverton. | Neil Parish (Con) asks the PM to support plans for a new school in Tiverton. |
| Johnson says the education secretary will have heard the request. | Johnson says the education secretary will have heard the request. |
| Grahame Morris (Lab) says even the Bank of England is calling for a targeted expansion of the furlough scheme. Will the PM listen? | Grahame Morris (Lab) says even the Bank of England is calling for a targeted expansion of the furlough scheme. Will the PM listen? |
| Johnson says Morris is right about the gravity of the situation. He says the job retention bonus is in place. He says the government is looking at a “massive package” of measures to help people over the short, medium and long term. | Johnson says Morris is right about the gravity of the situation. He says the job retention bonus is in place. He says the government is looking at a “massive package” of measures to help people over the short, medium and long term. |