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| UK Covid live: Starmer says PM's decision to abstain on extending £20-per-week benefit uplift 'pathetic' | UK Covid live: Starmer says PM's decision to abstain on extending £20-per-week benefit uplift 'pathetic' |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Latest news: Sir Keir Starmer has criticised Nadhim Zahawi for calling Labour’s vote on keeping the £20-per-week universal credit uplift a ‘stunt’ | Latest news: Sir Keir Starmer has criticised Nadhim Zahawi for calling Labour’s vote on keeping the £20-per-week universal credit uplift a ‘stunt’ |
| Speaking to reporters on a visit to Streatham in south-west London, Sir Keir Starmer said that Conservatives like Boris Johnson were making a “completely false point” when they accused him of wanting to abolish universal credit, as they have been doing repeatedly in recent days. (We heard that line again from Allegra Stratton, the prime minister’s press secretary, at the No 10 lobby briefing today - more on that coming up soon.) Starmer said: | |
| Labour is committed to replacing universal credit with a supposedly better system - not just abandoning the payment of benefits, as some of the Tory comments imply. | |
| As my colleague Steven Morris reports, Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, has defended his government’s decision to string out the use of tens of thousands of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine until new supplies become available - instead of using them as quickly as possible. | As my colleague Steven Morris reports, Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, has defended his government’s decision to string out the use of tens of thousands of Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine until new supplies become available - instead of using them as quickly as possible. |
| But the BMA Cymru Wales, which represents doctors, has said it is “extremely concerned” about the policy. | But the BMA Cymru Wales, which represents doctors, has said it is “extremely concerned” about the policy. |
| In a post on Facebook Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, has said that “something is not quite working right” with the distribution of vaccine in her Suffolk Coastal constituency. She explained: | In a post on Facebook Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, has said that “something is not quite working right” with the distribution of vaccine in her Suffolk Coastal constituency. She explained: |
| Justin Welby, the archbishop of Cantebury, has had the coronavirus vaccine. He volunteers with the chaplaincy team at St Thomas’ hospital in London, and so he qualifies as a health and social care worker. He has described the development of the vaccine as “an answer to prayer”. | Justin Welby, the archbishop of Cantebury, has had the coronavirus vaccine. He volunteers with the chaplaincy team at St Thomas’ hospital in London, and so he qualifies as a health and social care worker. He has described the development of the vaccine as “an answer to prayer”. |
| Priti Patel, the home secretary, has said that tougher action will be taken against anti-lockdown protesters. Speaking outside St Thomas’s hospital in central London, the scene of an anti-lockdown protest on New Year’s Eve, she called for people to take responsibility for their actions. Asked whether there would be tougher enforcement to target protesters she told PA Media: | Priti Patel, the home secretary, has said that tougher action will be taken against anti-lockdown protesters. Speaking outside St Thomas’s hospital in central London, the scene of an anti-lockdown protest on New Year’s Eve, she called for people to take responsibility for their actions. Asked whether there would be tougher enforcement to target protesters she told PA Media: |
| Asked about the loss of records from the police national computer, she said officials were “working flat out on this” and that Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, would give an update to MPs later. | Asked about the loss of records from the police national computer, she said officials were “working flat out on this” and that Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, would give an update to MPs later. |
| At her news conference in Edinburgh Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has announced the latest coronavirus figures. | At her news conference in Edinburgh Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, has announced the latest coronavirus figures. |
| There are 1,959 Covid patients in hospital in Scotland, Sturgeon said. That is an increase of 41 from yesterday. During the first wave of the pandemic hospital numbers in Scotland peaked at around 1,500. | There are 1,959 Covid patients in hospital in Scotland, Sturgeon said. That is an increase of 41 from yesterday. During the first wave of the pandemic hospital numbers in Scotland peaked at around 1,500. |
| There have been 1,429 further positive cases, Sturgeon said. And she said 12.3% of tests were positive. A week ago today the equivalent figures were 1,782 and 11.5%. | There have been 1,429 further positive cases, Sturgeon said. And she said 12.3% of tests were positive. A week ago today the equivalent figures were 1,782 and 11.5%. |
| She said there had been 78 further deaths since Friday. | She said there had been 78 further deaths since Friday. |
| She said 264,991 people in Scotland, including almost all care home residents, have now been vaccinated. She said the Scottish government was on course to vaccinate everyone in the top two priority groups – care home residents, health and social care staff and the over-80s – by the start of February. | She said 264,991 people in Scotland, including almost all care home residents, have now been vaccinated. She said the Scottish government was on course to vaccinate everyone in the top two priority groups – care home residents, health and social care staff and the over-80s – by the start of February. |
| Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is going to take the No 10 press conference at 5pm this afternoon, Downing Street has announced. | Matt Hancock, the health secretary, is going to take the No 10 press conference at 5pm this afternoon, Downing Street has announced. |
| In an interview with BBC News, Devi Sridhar, a professor of global public health at Edinburgh University and an adviser to the Scottish government on Covid, said she was “quite optimistic” about the prospects for the UK. In the past she has been quite critical of the UK government’s coronavirus policy, but she said the new travel restrictions, which came into force at 4am this morning, were particularly welcome. She said: | In an interview with BBC News, Devi Sridhar, a professor of global public health at Edinburgh University and an adviser to the Scottish government on Covid, said she was “quite optimistic” about the prospects for the UK. In the past she has been quite critical of the UK government’s coronavirus policy, but she said the new travel restrictions, which came into force at 4am this morning, were particularly welcome. She said: |
| Sridhar said the next few months would be rough, but that there was a real opportunity to lift restrictions going into the spring, and that in the summer the case numbers could get “really low”. | Sridhar said the next few months would be rough, but that there was a real opportunity to lift restrictions going into the spring, and that in the summer the case numbers could get “really low”. |
| These are from my colleague Jessica Elgot on the suggestion from Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, that teachers might get priority in the next phase of the vaccine rollout. (See 10.40am.) | These are from my colleague Jessica Elgot on the suggestion from Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, that teachers might get priority in the next phase of the vaccine rollout. (See 10.40am.) |
| In his interview this morning Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, said he was worried about the vaccine take-up among people who are black, Asian or minority ethnic, and that he was spending a lot of time working with people in local government to address this. He said: | In his interview this morning Nadhim Zahawi, the vaccine deployment minister, said he was worried about the vaccine take-up among people who are black, Asian or minority ethnic, and that he was spending a lot of time working with people in local government to address this. He said: |
| At the end of last week Sage, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, released a paper (pdf) showing the extent of “vaccine hesitancy” among different ethnic groups. There are striking differences, with black people much, much more sceptical about vaccines than people in other groups. The figures are from a survey in November involving more than 11,000 people. | At the end of last week Sage, the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies, released a paper (pdf) showing the extent of “vaccine hesitancy” among different ethnic groups. There are striking differences, with black people much, much more sceptical about vaccines than people in other groups. The figures are from a survey in November involving more than 11,000 people. |
| The Sage paper cites various explanations for higher vaccine hesitancy among minority ethnic groups, including the under-representation of minority ethnic groups in health research, historical problems with unethical healthcare research, and misinformation. This article, by HuffPost’s Nadine White, explains the phenomenon in more detail. | The Sage paper cites various explanations for higher vaccine hesitancy among minority ethnic groups, including the under-representation of minority ethnic groups in health research, historical problems with unethical healthcare research, and misinformation. This article, by HuffPost’s Nadine White, explains the phenomenon in more detail. |
| Optimism is generally quite attractive in politics (it helps to explain Boris Johnson’s electoral success, even though often his exuberance sounds preposterous) and in his public statements Sir Keir Starmer also makes a point of trying to sound positive, not negative, about the future. He was doing it again in his interview on ITV’s Lorraine. Talking about the end of the pandemic, he said: | Optimism is generally quite attractive in politics (it helps to explain Boris Johnson’s electoral success, even though often his exuberance sounds preposterous) and in his public statements Sir Keir Starmer also makes a point of trying to sound positive, not negative, about the future. He was doing it again in his interview on ITV’s Lorraine. Talking about the end of the pandemic, he said: |
| This is a rare example of Starmer emulating Jeremy Corbyn. In his excellent book on Corbyn’s leadership of Labour, my colleague Owen Jones says Corbyn vetoed an anti-Tory attack ad in the 2017 campaign, about a disastrous interview given by Michael Fallon, because it was not hopeful. “I want everything we write and put out to be hopeful,” Corbyn said at the time. “If we’re attacking them, it should be on their record, not on their mistakes.” | This is a rare example of Starmer emulating Jeremy Corbyn. In his excellent book on Corbyn’s leadership of Labour, my colleague Owen Jones says Corbyn vetoed an anti-Tory attack ad in the 2017 campaign, about a disastrous interview given by Michael Fallon, because it was not hopeful. “I want everything we write and put out to be hopeful,” Corbyn said at the time. “If we’re attacking them, it should be on their record, not on their mistakes.” |