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| UK politics live: Javid says Johnson did not compare Brexit to Ukraine war amid claims PM regrets remark | UK politics live: Javid says Johnson did not compare Brexit to Ukraine war amid claims PM regrets remark |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Latest updates: Sajid Javid says PM was talking about ‘general desire for self determination’ as criticism grows over remarks | Latest updates: Sajid Javid says PM was talking about ‘general desire for self determination’ as criticism grows over remarks |
| And this is what Sajid Javid, the health secretary, said in his morning interviews on coronavirus. | |
| Javid said a Covid booster programme for the over-50s may be launched in the autumn. He told BBC Breakfast: | |
| NHS England has already announced a booster programme for the over-75s and the people who are immunosuppressed, which is starting this week. | |
| He said there were 11,500 people in hospital in England with Covid, but almost 60% of them had been admitted for another condition. For example, he said, the figures would include people in hospital for a hip operation who just happened to be Covid positive. “Those that are actually there for Covid is a much smaller number and so that does give us a lot of confidence that we are learning to live with Covid,” he said. | |
| He said the rising number of coronavirus cases was “no particular cause for concern”. He explained: | |
| Here are some more lines from Sajid Javid’s interviews this morning on Ukraine-related issues. | |
| Javid, the health secretary, said 9,500 visas had now been issued to Ukrainian refugees wanting to come to the UK through the family programme (which is for people with close relatives in Britain). He said: | |
| He played down the prospect of an early Russian defeat, saying it was necessary to be “realistic” and that the war could get “a lot uglier”. He said: | |
| Javid dismissed the Russian president, Vladimir Putin, as a “compulsive liar”. He told the Today programme: | |
| Good morning. Sajid Javid, the health secretary, has been fielding questions on the behalf of the government this morning. The war in Ukraine is still dominating the news agenda, the cost of living is set to be the second biggest story of the week, because we’ve got the spring statement on Wednesday, and Javid had to address concerns about the rise in the number of coronavirus cases, but he also found himself fending off questions about Boris Johnson’s Ukraine/Brexit gaffe – a remark so insensitive that it is still at the top of the news two days later. | Good morning. Sajid Javid, the health secretary, has been fielding questions on the behalf of the government this morning. The war in Ukraine is still dominating the news agenda, the cost of living is set to be the second biggest story of the week, because we’ve got the spring statement on Wednesday, and Javid had to address concerns about the rise in the number of coronavirus cases, but he also found himself fending off questions about Boris Johnson’s Ukraine/Brexit gaffe – a remark so insensitive that it is still at the top of the news two days later. |
| In his speech to the Tory spring conference on Saturday, Johnson compared the Ukrainians’ fight for freedom to Britons voting for Brexit. “I know that it’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time,” he said. “I can give you a couple of famous recent examples. When the British people voted for Brexit, in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners.” | In his speech to the Tory spring conference on Saturday, Johnson compared the Ukrainians’ fight for freedom to Britons voting for Brexit. “I know that it’s the instinct of the people of this country, like the people of Ukraine, to choose freedom, every time,” he said. “I can give you a couple of famous recent examples. When the British people voted for Brexit, in such large, large numbers, I don’t believe it was because they were remotely hostile to foreigners.” |
| Yesterday Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, claimed Johnson was not saying the two situations were “directly analagous”. Today Javid went even further, telling Nick Robinson on the Today programme: | Yesterday Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, claimed Johnson was not saying the two situations were “directly analagous”. Today Javid went even further, telling Nick Robinson on the Today programme: |
| In response, Robinson pointed out that the PM’s speech specifically did link the two situations. He suggested that the fact that two cabinet ministers have now effectively disowned the connection made by Johnson suggests that No 10 accepts it was a mistake. | In response, Robinson pointed out that the PM’s speech specifically did link the two situations. He suggested that the fact that two cabinet ministers have now effectively disowned the connection made by Johnson suggests that No 10 accepts it was a mistake. |
| This is what Matt Dathan is reporting in the Times (paywall). He writes: | This is what Matt Dathan is reporting in the Times (paywall). He writes: |
| I’ll post more from the Javid interview shortly. | I’ll post more from the Javid interview shortly. |
| Here is the agenda for the day. | Here is the agenda for the day. |
| 11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing. | 11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing. |
| 12pm: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will hold a press conference at Westminster with her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, and their MP, Tulip Siddiq. | 12pm: Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe will hold a press conference at Westminster with her husband, Richard Ratcliffe, and their MP, Tulip Siddiq. |
| 2.30pm: Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, takes questions in the Commons. | 2.30pm: Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, takes questions in the Commons. |
| After 3.30pm: MPs begin a debate on a Labour motion saying the government should suspend all contracts with DP World, the company that owns P&O Ferries, and pass a law banning fire and rehire tactics. | After 3.30pm: MPs begin a debate on a Labour motion saying the government should suspend all contracts with DP World, the company that owns P&O Ferries, and pass a law banning fire and rehire tactics. |
| 4pm: Sir Philip Barton, permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, gives evidence to the Commons foreign affairs committee about Afghanistan. | 4pm: Sir Philip Barton, permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, gives evidence to the Commons foreign affairs committee about Afghanistan. |
| At some point today Boris Johnson is also hosting a roundtable meeting with leaders from the nuclear power industry to discuss how nuclear power stations can be build more quickly. He has also got a call lined up with Joe Biden, the US president, and their French, German and Italian counterparts to discuss Ukraine. | At some point today Boris Johnson is also hosting a roundtable meeting with leaders from the nuclear power industry to discuss how nuclear power stations can be build more quickly. He has also got a call lined up with Joe Biden, the US president, and their French, German and Italian counterparts to discuss Ukraine. |
| I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. | I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone. |
| If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow. | If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow. |
| Alternatively, you can email me at andrew.sparrow@theguardian.com. | Alternatively, you can email me at andrew.sparrow@theguardian.com. |