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| UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson denies people are confused about local lockdown rules | UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson denies people are confused about local lockdown rules |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| News updates: PM rejects Starmer remark about widespread confusion; Speaker criticises government’s handling of emergency powers | News updates: PM rejects Starmer remark about widespread confusion; Speaker criticises government’s handling of emergency powers |
| The government has signed its first independent fishing deal for 40 years after arriving at a post-Brexit agreement with Norway. | |
| It involves annual negotiations on share of catch, something the EU has rejected in Brexit trade talks. | |
| Norwegian fisheries and seafood minister Odd Emil Ingebrigtsen described it as a “great day”. | |
| Environment secretary George Eustice said “The agreement is testament to our commitment to acting as a cooperative independent coastal state, seeking to ensure a sustainable and a prosperous future for the whole of the UK fishing industry.” | |
| Rebel Conservative MPs hoping to force the government to give the House of Commons more power over sweeping coronavirus restrictions are set to agree a deal with party whips, after an amendment was thwarted by parliamentary procedure, my colleague Jessica Elgot reports. | |
| The Welsh education minister, Kirsty Williams, has said that allowing university students to return home for Christmas is a “priority” for her government. She said: | |
| Williams said that state school attendance across Wales was at 80%. She said the figure had been constant since the return to classrooms this month. Most schools have had no Covid cases. Only 22 have had three or more cases. | |
| There were seven deaths after a positive coronavirus test reported in Scotland since yesterday, the highest daily figure since June 17, and 640 new cases, Nicola Sturgeon said at her daily briefing, with 137 people being treated in hospital. | There were seven deaths after a positive coronavirus test reported in Scotland since yesterday, the highest daily figure since June 17, and 640 new cases, Nicola Sturgeon said at her daily briefing, with 137 people being treated in hospital. |
| The highest number of cases, 232, were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where hundreds of university students are self-isolating following significant clusters in halls of residence. | The highest number of cases, 232, were in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where hundreds of university students are self-isolating following significant clusters in halls of residence. |
| She also confirmed that, as of 12 October, people on low incomes would be eligible to receive a new £500 grant if asked to self-isolate. | |
| She said that household restrictions remained the best way to contain the virus: the ban on household visiting, which initially came into force in west of Scotland before being extended nationwide, have blunted the rise but added that now university clusters are confusing the picture. | She said that household restrictions remained the best way to contain the virus: the ban on household visiting, which initially came into force in west of Scotland before being extended nationwide, have blunted the rise but added that now university clusters are confusing the picture. |
| From Bloomberg’s Kitty Donaldson | From Bloomberg’s Kitty Donaldson |
| At PMQs it is often assumed that the key task for the leader of the opposition is to “land a blow” or “deliver a knockout punch”. That can be important, and in an understated way Sir Keir Starmer does it well, but an equally vital skill is the ability to avoid, to dodge, and at that Starmer is even better. He must be driving them bonkers in No 10. Every attempt that Boris Johnson makes to lay down a dividing line, with Starmer on the wrong side of it, fails. | At PMQs it is often assumed that the key task for the leader of the opposition is to “land a blow” or “deliver a knockout punch”. That can be important, and in an understated way Sir Keir Starmer does it well, but an equally vital skill is the ability to avoid, to dodge, and at that Starmer is even better. He must be driving them bonkers in No 10. Every attempt that Boris Johnson makes to lay down a dividing line, with Starmer on the wrong side of it, fails. |
| In the past we’ve had ‘Starmer, the friend of IRA-loving Jeremy Corbyn’, which collapsed as soon as Starmer started talking about his record as DPP, and ‘Starmer, the Brussels-supporting remainer’. This fantasy got an outing last night on the CCHQ Twitter account, but Johnson did not try either of these lines of attack at PMQs, with the result that his overall performance was less erratic than some of his other ones in recent weeks. | In the past we’ve had ‘Starmer, the friend of IRA-loving Jeremy Corbyn’, which collapsed as soon as Starmer started talking about his record as DPP, and ‘Starmer, the Brussels-supporting remainer’. This fantasy got an outing last night on the CCHQ Twitter account, but Johnson did not try either of these lines of attack at PMQs, with the result that his overall performance was less erratic than some of his other ones in recent weeks. |
| But only up to a point. Instead Johnson tried to depict Starmer today as someone opposed to the coronavirus restrictions - and, by implication, opposed to the whole national effort to fight the virus. One problem with this argument was that it was not clear whether Johnson was accusing the opposition of inconsistency (sometimes backing lockdown, sometimes not), or just accusing it of being hostile. But the main problem, of course, is that that charge just isn’t true, and Starmer established that quite clearly. (See 12.17pm.) That did not stop Johnson ploughing on at the end with a pre-scripted soundbite about Labour opportunism, but political messaging has to be at least half-true to be effective, and Johnson must have known he was peddling something inherently implausible. | But only up to a point. Instead Johnson tried to depict Starmer today as someone opposed to the coronavirus restrictions - and, by implication, opposed to the whole national effort to fight the virus. One problem with this argument was that it was not clear whether Johnson was accusing the opposition of inconsistency (sometimes backing lockdown, sometimes not), or just accusing it of being hostile. But the main problem, of course, is that that charge just isn’t true, and Starmer established that quite clearly. (See 12.17pm.) That did not stop Johnson ploughing on at the end with a pre-scripted soundbite about Labour opportunism, but political messaging has to be at least half-true to be effective, and Johnson must have known he was peddling something inherently implausible. |
| It was another underwhelming performance. But not quite as underwhelming as some of his others, and at one point he almost got the better of Starmer. It came when Starmer asked what was an obvious question in the light of yesterday: | It was another underwhelming performance. But not quite as underwhelming as some of his others, and at one point he almost got the better of Starmer. It came when Starmer asked what was an obvious question in the light of yesterday: |
| Johnson replied: “Actually, I think that the people of this country do understand and overwhelmingly do follow the rules.” And this worked because, broadly, it is true. (One of the most extraordinary features of the coronavirus crisis has been how compliant people have been overall, despite the fact that there is little risk of people facing sanctions for not following the rules.) But then Johnson ruined it by saying people were doing what they were told “in spite of the efforts of [Starmer] continually to try to snipe from the sidelines”. This just amounts to criticising Starmer for doing his job, and Starmer’s healthy approval ratings suggest that, as a jibe, it doesn’t work. | Johnson replied: “Actually, I think that the people of this country do understand and overwhelmingly do follow the rules.” And this worked because, broadly, it is true. (One of the most extraordinary features of the coronavirus crisis has been how compliant people have been overall, despite the fact that there is little risk of people facing sanctions for not following the rules.) But then Johnson ruined it by saying people were doing what they were told “in spite of the efforts of [Starmer] continually to try to snipe from the sidelines”. This just amounts to criticising Starmer for doing his job, and Starmer’s healthy approval ratings suggest that, as a jibe, it doesn’t work. |
| Starmer did deliver some clean hits too. Johnson did not have a decent answer to the question about lack of government support for businesses that just can’t operate now and his first two questions - why has just one area (Luton) come out of local lockdown, and what is the plan for the restrictions to be lifted everywhere else? - were excellent. Johnson was struggling to answer both. On Luton, he said that it was able to lift its local restrictions because “local people pulled together to suppress the virus”. That implied that millions of people in other parts of England facing similar rules were not doing likewise, quite a slur potentially, but Starmer chose not to pursue that. But he did not really need to. He won comfortably anyway. | Starmer did deliver some clean hits too. Johnson did not have a decent answer to the question about lack of government support for businesses that just can’t operate now and his first two questions - why has just one area (Luton) come out of local lockdown, and what is the plan for the restrictions to be lifted everywhere else? - were excellent. Johnson was struggling to answer both. On Luton, he said that it was able to lift its local restrictions because “local people pulled together to suppress the virus”. That implied that millions of people in other parts of England facing similar rules were not doing likewise, quite a slur potentially, but Starmer chose not to pursue that. But he did not really need to. He won comfortably anyway. |
| Here are some extracts from Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s statement at the start of PMQs. | Here are some extracts from Sir Lindsay Hoyle’s statement at the start of PMQs. |
| Hoyle accused the government of treating the Commons with “contempt” in relation to coronavirus restrictions. He said: | Hoyle accused the government of treating the Commons with “contempt” in relation to coronavirus restrictions. He said: |
| He explained why he would not allow votes on amendments in the debate on the Coronavirus Act tonight. He said: | He explained why he would not allow votes on amendments in the debate on the Coronavirus Act tonight. He said: |
| From HuffPost’s Paul Waugh | From HuffPost’s Paul Waugh |
| Jerome Mayhew (Con) asks about the A47 in Norfolk. But plans to upgrade it have just been postponed. Why? | Jerome Mayhew (Con) asks about the A47 in Norfolk. But plans to upgrade it have just been postponed. Why? |
| Johnson says the government is intensely ambitious for transport infrastructure. That project will be reconsidered, he says. The government is looking at projects from 2025 onwards. | Johnson says the government is intensely ambitious for transport infrastructure. That project will be reconsidered, he says. The government is looking at projects from 2025 onwards. |
| And that’s it. PMQs is over. | And that’s it. PMQs is over. |
| Nav Mishra (Lab) asks if the ban one evictions will be reinstated to prevent a housing crisis this winter. | Nav Mishra (Lab) asks if the ban one evictions will be reinstated to prevent a housing crisis this winter. |
| Johnson says landlords have to give at least six months’ notice. So there won’t be evictions over Christmas, he says. And the government is embarking on a huge programme to build more homes. | Johnson says landlords have to give at least six months’ notice. So there won’t be evictions over Christmas, he says. And the government is embarking on a huge programme to build more homes. |
| Neil Coyle (Lab) asks if councils will be funded for all the homeless people they helped. | Neil Coyle (Lab) asks if councils will be funded for all the homeless people they helped. |
| Johnson says the way homeless people were housed was one of the “consolations” of the crisis. The government will continue to do what it can, he says. | Johnson says the way homeless people were housed was one of the “consolations” of the crisis. The government will continue to do what it can, he says. |
| Laurence Robertson (Con) asks if the A&E unit will return to Cheltenham hospital. | Laurence Robertson (Con) asks if the A&E unit will return to Cheltenham hospital. |
| Johnson says he has been told this closure is only temporary. | Johnson says he has been told this closure is only temporary. |
| Mick Whitley (Lab) says the government has decided to write off 1m jobs as unviable. Why? | Mick Whitley (Lab) says the government has decided to write off 1m jobs as unviable. Why? |
| Johnson says that is a misrepresentation of what the government is doing. It will continue to support jobs. But the most important thing is to get people into work. | Johnson says that is a misrepresentation of what the government is doing. It will continue to support jobs. But the most important thing is to get people into work. |
| Darren Henry (Con) asks what the PM will do to support the Midlands engine. | Darren Henry (Con) asks what the PM will do to support the Midlands engine. |
| Johnson says he is happy to support this. | Johnson says he is happy to support this. |
| Janet Daby (Lab) asks what the government will do to protect jobs in the hospitality sector. Why does the PM think these jobs are not worth saving? | Janet Daby (Lab) asks what the government will do to protect jobs in the hospitality sector. Why does the PM think these jobs are not worth saving? |
| Johnson says the government is doing what it can to support every job in the country. But it cannot save every job. There is a lifetime skills guarantee to allow people to retrain, he says. | Johnson says the government is doing what it can to support every job in the country. But it cannot save every job. There is a lifetime skills guarantee to allow people to retrain, he says. |