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UK coronavirus live: Tory backlash grows as 1922 Committee chair says he will vote against restrictions UK coronavirus live: Boris Johnson to lead Downing Street briefing amid growing backlash against new tiers
(32 minutes later)
Sir Graham Brady says many tiering decisions are ‘heavy-handed’; government website crashes as regions placed in to tier system PM gives update after large parts of England placed into tier 3 restrictions
Boris Johnson is about to hold a press conference.
He will be appearing with Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, and Sir Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser.
Paul Foster, the Labour leader of South Ribble council in Lancashire, has issued a statement saying he is “bitterly disappointed” the whole of the county has gone into tier 3. And he has accused Matt Hancock, the health secretary, of falsely claiming to have engaged with local leaders. Foster said:
The Covid Recovery Group, which represents anti-lockdown or lockdown-sceptic Tories, has released some more quotes from Conservative MPs unhappy about the new restrictions.
This is from Harriet Baldwin, a former minister and MP for West Worcestershire
From Tom Tugendhat, MP for Tonbridge and Malling in Kent
From Greg Smith, MP for Buckingham
Northern Ireland has recorded 442 further coronavirus cases. This is down from 533 yesterday and 487 a week ago today.
And there have been eight further deaths, up from seven yesterday but down from 12 a week ago today.
The BBC has a good graphic here showing what the three-tier map of England looked like before lockdown, and what it looks like now.
Nadhim Zahawi, a business minister and MP for Stratford upon Avon, says he is “hugely disappointed” that Warwickshire is in tier 3.
This is how Matt Hancock defended the decision to place Warwickshire, Coventry and Solihull in tier 3 in his written ministerial statement.
AstraZeneca is saying that it is likely to conduct a further global trial of its coronavirus vaccine because of questions that have been raised about the first one, Bloomberg reports.
It is not clear from the Bloomberg report as to what impact, if any, this development might have on the potential UK rollout of the vaccine.
Tim Loughton, the Conservative former children’s minister, says he is “very disappointed” that Adur and Worthing in West Sussex have been placed in tier 2. He says that he will vote against the regulations next week unless ministers can show him evidence to justify the decision.Tim Loughton, the Conservative former children’s minister, says he is “very disappointed” that Adur and Worthing in West Sussex have been placed in tier 2. He says that he will vote against the regulations next week unless ministers can show him evidence to justify the decision.
The most detailed explanation we’ve had from the government as to why Sussex is in tier 2 is in the written statement from Matt Hancock (which has now been cleaned up to remove all the question marks - see 11.59am). This is what it says about Sussex.The most detailed explanation we’ve had from the government as to why Sussex is in tier 2 is in the written statement from Matt Hancock (which has now been cleaned up to remove all the question marks - see 11.59am). This is what it says about Sussex.
The UK government has updated its coronavirus dashboard. Here are the key statistics.The UK government has updated its coronavirus dashboard. Here are the key statistics.
The UK has recorded 498 further coronavirus deaths. That is almost 200 below the total for yesterday (696), but it is still above the average for the past seven days (465). The death rate over the past week is 14% higher than for the previous week.The UK has recorded 498 further coronavirus deaths. That is almost 200 below the total for yesterday (696), but it is still above the average for the past seven days (465). The death rate over the past week is 14% higher than for the previous week.
The UK has recorded 17,555 more coronavirus cases. That is down from the total for yesterday (18,213), but slightly above the average for the past seven days (17,329). Week on week, positive cases are down 26%.The UK has recorded 17,555 more coronavirus cases. That is down from the total for yesterday (18,213), but slightly above the average for the past seven days (17,329). Week on week, positive cases are down 26%.
Public Health Wales has recorded 1,251 more coronavirus cases. That is a big increase on the totals for yesterday (907), for a week ago today (1,048) or two weeks ago today (867).Public Health Wales has recorded 1,251 more coronavirus cases. That is a big increase on the totals for yesterday (907), for a week ago today (1,048) or two weeks ago today (867).
And there have been 28 further deaths, down from 41 yesterday but up from 23 a week ago today.And there have been 28 further deaths, down from 41 yesterday but up from 23 a week ago today.
Gavin Barwell, the former Conservative MP who served as Theresa May’s chief of staff when she was prime minister after losing his seat in the 2017 general election, has welcomed the appointment of Dan Rosenfield to do his old job. (See 2.10pm.)Gavin Barwell, the former Conservative MP who served as Theresa May’s chief of staff when she was prime minister after losing his seat in the 2017 general election, has welcomed the appointment of Dan Rosenfield to do his old job. (See 2.10pm.)
Here is a statement from Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director for Public Health England, on the figures in today’s weekly PHE Covid surveillance report. (See 3.08pm.)Here is a statement from Dr Yvonne Doyle, medical director for Public Health England, on the figures in today’s weekly PHE Covid surveillance report. (See 3.08pm.)
Richard Drax, the Conservative MP for South Dorset, has said he is “astounded” that his constituency is in tier 2. In a statement released by the anti-lockdown Covid Recovery Group, Drax said:Richard Drax, the Conservative MP for South Dorset, has said he is “astounded” that his constituency is in tier 2. In a statement released by the anti-lockdown Covid Recovery Group, Drax said:
Public Health England has published its weekly Covid surveillance report (pdf). It says that the number of coronavirus cases detected went down last week, and that the overall hospital admission rate for Covid has fallen too.
This chart shows the overall confirmed Covid case rate, by gender.
This shows the weekly hospital admission rate falling, for the first time in this wave of the pandemic.
And the weekly rate of admission to intensive care units and high dependency units is also falling for the first time.
NHS England has recorded 351 further coronavirus hospital deaths. There were 82 in the north-east and Yorkshire, 81 in the north-west, 78 in the Midlands, 41 in the south-east, 28 in London, 23 in the south-west and 18 in the east of England. The details are here.
That is broadly in line with the totals for yesterday (353) and a week ago today (346), and up on the total for two weeks ago today (317).
Almost 99% of the English population will be under the higher tier 2 and tier 3 lockdown levels when they come into effect.
Three local authorities – Isle of Wight, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly – which have a combined population of 713,573 and make up just 1.3% of the entire English population, will come under the least severe “medium level” restrictions.
A further 57% of the population – including all of London as well as other areas including Oxfordshire, Surrey, West Sussex, Devon, Gloucestershire and Somerset – will face “high level” tier 2 restrictions.
Two in five people (41.5% of the population of England) will come under tier 3, including those living in areas such as Greater Manchester and Lancashire.
Reaction from across the south-west of England to the tiering allocations have been mixed. There is optimism in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly, which are in tier 1, but frustration in Bristol – and its neighbours South Gloucestershire and North Somerset – which are tier 3.
Bristol city council reckons being in tier 3 will cost it £2.8m a month to support businesses and vulnerable people.
Devon has been put into tier 2, just hours after it emerged that the Nightingale hospital in Exeter will receive patients for the first time.
But Anne Marie Morris, Tory MP for Newton Abbot, has pointed out that Teignbridge in south Devon has one of the lowest Covid rates in England. She tweeted:
Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the Conservative backbench 1922 Committee, has said he will vote against the new regulations for England next week. His constituency, Altrincham and Sale West in Greater Manchester, has been placed in tier 3. Brady said that was no surprise, but that “it is nonetheless deeply disappointing because there is simply no good, logical explanation for it”.
In an interview on the World at One, Brady said that many of his colleagues were annoyed at the tiering decisions taken because they were “heavy-handed”, ignoring local factors in favour of a countywide approach.
He said he would vote against the regulations next week.
Boris Johnson has appointed a chief of staff. He is Dan Rosenfield, a former Treasury civil servant and banker.
Rosenfield will replace Sir Edward Lister (now Lord Udny-Lister), who has recently been serving as acting chief of staff. But in practice Rosenfield will replace Dominic Cummings, who was effectively Johnson’s chief of staff while he served in Downing Street until his resignation earlier this month – although he resisted taking the role formally.
This is what No 10 said about Rosenfield in a briefing for journalists.
And Conor Burns, the Conservative MP for Bournemouth West, has also criticised the Bournemouth decision.
The Conservative MP Tobias Ellwood represents Bournemouth East, which is in tier 2. He says he will not be backing the government in the vote on the new measures.
From Damian Green, the Conservative MP for Ashford in Kent
From the Times’ Chris Smyth