Inside Politics: Delayed surgery fears and PM faces fresh pressure on tax hikes

A rather quiet start to the day in Westminster burst into life as Angela Rayner, filling in for Covid-hit Keir Starmer, faced off against a refreshed-looking Boris Johnson at PMQs. Labour’s deputy herself brought plenty of energy to proceedings as she held Johnson’s feet to the fire on his stewardship of the economy, using her razor-sharp wit to neutralise the PM’s attacks. Johnson spent part of the session defending planned tax rises amid a looming cost of living crisis, and judging by today’s papers and news websites his revitalized appearance might not last long. Jacob Rees-Mogg is reported to have urged Johnson and Rishi Sunak to think again about a planned hike in NI contributions. Elsewhere, the PM confirmed in a statement to the House that England will stay with plan B Covid measures despite warnings from health leaders that surgeries are at risk of being delayed or cancelled.

Commons sits from 9.30am. First up is DCMS questions, followed by attorney general questions at 10.10am. Later, Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg will give his weekly business statement. After that, the main business is a backbench debate on Russia’s “grand strategy” and the UK’s response. Tory MP Christian Wakeford has an adjournment debate on anti-Semitism at Bristol University.

Coming up:

– Transport secretary Grant Shapps on ITV GMB at 8.30am

–Shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Ashworth on Times Radio Breakfast at 8.35am

UNDER PRESSURE: Health leaders are warning government ministers that urgent operations such as cardiac and cancer treatments are being delayed in hospitals as the PM confirmed in a statement to MPs in the Commons that England would continue with plan B restrictions. “We are hearing from our members that virtually all intensive care units are under strain primarily because of staffing constraints and this is resulting in many having to limit access for patients having urgent operations,” Dr Stephen Webb, president of the Intensive Care Society, told The Independent. “Staff isolation and staff illness due to Covid restricts our ability to care for other patients.” Dr Webb’s comments came as a further 194,747 Covid cases were recorded in the latest 24 hour period and rules on Covid testing domestically and on travels entering England were relaxed. Despite mounting pressure on the NHS, Johnson confirmed that there would be no tightening of restrictions on social and economic life to try to rein in the more contagious Omicron variant. Live pandemic updates throughout the day here.

THE BIG SQUEEZE: 2022 is not yet a week old but already the cost of living crisis coming over the hill due to soaring energy bills is featuring high up on the news agenda. Labour’s Rayner used the lion’s share of her questions at PMQs yesterday to attack Johnson on rising bills, inflation and upcoming tax increases. Johnson was once again accused of pedalling mistruths after he denied, under questioning from Rayner, that he previously said fears about inflation, due to hit 6 per cent, were “unfounded”. “Of course, I said no such thing, because inflation is always something that we have to be careful about,” he told Labour’s deputy leader. Fact check: Johnson told Sky News in October: “People have been worried about inflation for a very long time and those fears have been unfounded.” That was just one occasion during the session where the PM was, er, economical with the truth (see Twitterati section below). We’ll have live politics updates throughout the day here.

MOGGMENTUM: Many Tories feel deeply uneasy about putting up taxes later in the year just as families get hit with higher fuel costs. In a sign of growing discontent within cabinet, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the leader of the Commons, reportedly called on Johnson not to press ahead with a planned rise in national insurance contributions. He is said to have spoken out against the tax rise at a cabinet meeting yesterday morning, saying it could not be justified amid rising inflation and uncertainty over energy prices. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, was said to have refused to change course as it would mean having to find the money elsewhere. Earlier in the week the PM ruled out slashing VAT on energy bills, saying it was a “blunt instrument” that would ultimately give help to people who don’t need it. He did, however, say that “I’m not ruling out further measures.” Today’s Times reports Rees-Mogg has suggested that some of the billions of pounds needed to clear NHS backlogs and fund social care could be found in a clear out of civil servants at Whitehall. The NI tax hike and the cost of living squeeze is one to keep an eye on not only for the rest of this week but for many months to come.

COLSTON FOUR CLEARED: Race equality campaigners have welcomed the news that four protesters have been cleared of criminal damage over the toppling of the statue of the Bristol slave trader Edward Colston, hailing the defendants as “heroes”.Rhian Graham, 30, Milo Ponsford, 26, Sage Willoughby, 22 and Jake Skuse, 33 – who became known as the “Colston Four” – were caught on CCTV passing the ropes around the bronze memorial that were used to pull it down during a Black Lives Matter protest in June 2020, before it was rolled into the water. The Colston Four were cleared by a jury at Bristol Crown Court after almost three hours of deliberations following a trial that lasted just over a fortnight.There were loud cheers from the packed public gallery after the not guilty verdicts were returned.

WE’LL PASS THE TEST: Keen not to follow his predecessor’s disastrous handling of exams during the Covid pandemic, Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, has declared that assessments will go ahead this year amid concerns about rising staff sickness. Speaking in the Commons, Zahawi said GCSEs and A levels would “absolutely” take place – after two years of disruption due to the virus. But he warned that the immediate situation in schools was likely to get worse before it gets better, with more staff absences due to illness and self-isolation expected. “We must do everything we can, everything in our power to keep all education and childcare settings open and teaching in-person,” he told MPs.

“Of course, I said no such thing, because inflation is always something that we have to be careful about.”

Johnson wrongly claims he didn’t say fears about inflation were unfounded.

From the Twitterati

“today’s untruths from Boris Johnson at #PMQs:

- that he never said inflation fears were “unfounded”

- that Tory government has built new nuclear plants

- that Warm Homes Discount is £140/week (tis £140/winter)

- that Labour would rejoin EU

- that Labour wanted Xmas lockdown”

FT chief politics correspondent Jim Pickard points out that the PM’s untruths went well beyond comments about inflation.

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