Inside Politics: Covid booster programme to be extended amid Omicron fears

The Covid pandemic is once again moving at break-neck speed. Six cases of the new Omicron variant have been discovered in Scotland, it has been announced this morning as Japan closes its borders and the World Health Organisation warns that the heavily mutated strain will spread “at a global level”. Later today, the vaccines watchdog is expected to expand the booster programme to all adults in a bid to save Christmas. Away from the pandemic, Labour will call for an overhaul of the rules governing the conduct of ministers amid accusations of Tory sleaze, and France says it is willing to work with the UK to solve the migration crisis but that it will not be “held hostage” by domestic politics in England.

At 4pm, a committee on Michael Gove’s new “levelling up” department will look at the future funding of adult social care.

Coming up:

– Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner on Sky News at 8.05am

– Health minister Ed Argar on ITV GMB at 8.30am

BOOST IT: Millions more people are expected to be offered a Covid booster vaccine in a bid to halt the spread of the new Omicron variant. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, which advises the government on vaccines, is set to recommend extending the programme to all adults over 18 later today. “We’re awaiting that advice. I hope it will come, hopefully later today,” junior health minister Edward Argar told Sky News on Monday. Despite the fact scientists and experts at this stage know relatively little about B.1.1.529, named Omicron by the World Health Organisation (WHO) over the weekend, Sajid Javid, the health secretary, is confident that it’s going to be a “great” Christmas and that people should not alter their plans, although he did caution that there are no “guarantees”. Ruling out further curbs for now, Javid told Sky News: “We know now that those type of measures do carry a very heavy price, both economically, socially, and in terms of non-Covid health outcomes, such as the impact on mental health. “If one was to make decisions like that, they would have to be done very, very carefully. We’re not there yet. We’re nowhere near that.”

MASK UP: Face masks are being introduced in schools and other settings. These regulations and other rules on isolation, backed by Labour, will be set out in parliament later. As we approach some two years since the first reports of an unknown virus began to emerge in China, the Covid pandemic is once again incredibly fast moving and dominating the news agenda, splashing the front of most major outlets today. G7 health leaders meet later in an attempt to coordinate action to contain the spread of Omicron. We’ll be bringing you live updates as the day progresses.

VACCINATE THE WORLD: Increasing numbers of Omicron cases are being found across Europe, although scientists don’t yet know if it is more transmissible than the Deltra strain or has the ability to evade vaccines. Javid said in broadcast interviews over the weekend that that information is likely to be known in about two weeks. Omicron was first detected in southern Africa, where vaccination rates are low and wealthy western countries have been warned they will “prolong” the pandemic if they fail to help other nations boost vaccination rates, an international alliance of non-governmental organisations, charities and trades unions has warned. “While we still need to know more about omicron, we do know that as long as large portions of the world’s population are unvaccinated, variants will continue to appear and the pandemic will continue to be prolonged,” said Dr Seth Berkley, chief executive of Gavi, the international alliance dedicated to improving access to all vaccines. “We will only prevent variants from emerging if we are able to protect all of the world’s population, not just the wealthy parts,” he added. Over the weekend, researchers in Italy produced the first image of the new strain, showing that it has 50 mutations, double the number of those in the currently dominant Delta variant. What is worrying scientists is that 30 of these mutations are on the S or “spike” protein, and half of those in the receptor-binding domain – the part that binds to the ACE2 receptor on human cells through which the virus enters tissues.

MOONLIGHTING CRACKDOWN: Labour is still going hard on allegations of Tory sleaze and the party will later call for an overhaul of the rules system that regulates the conduct of ministers. Angela Rayner, the party’s deputy leader, will say ministers should be banned from work relating to their past job for five years after leaving government. In a speech later, Rayner is expected to say democracy “cannot hinge on gentleman’s agreements” as she calls for a new body to be set up to replace the current post of independent adviser on ministerial interests. A Cabinet Office spokesman said the government is committed to “reinforcing high standards of conduct in public life”. It comes as a Commons watchdog today proposes stricter curbs MPs taking second jobs, a move that could put Johnson on a fresh collision course with some of his own MPs, some of whom are lining their pockets through lucrative side-hustles while serving their constituents. Right on cue, the Tory MP and former attorney-general, Sir Geoffrey Cox, has defended his outside work as a barrister working for tax havens. In his first public interview since his earnings were revealed and that he appeared to use his Commons office for private work, Cox said he was “pursuing an honourable profession”.

CHANNEL CRISIS: Priti Patel, the home secretary, will speak with her European counterparts this week as the continent tries to find solutions to the migration crisis. Patel held discussions with her opposite number in Holland yesterday, with the pair agreeing “more coordinated action” is needed. The home secretary was supposed to meet with leaders in Calais but was disinvited following a letter by the PM to France which sparked outrage in Paris. Gérald Darmanin, France’s interior, said on Sunday that France wants to work with its “British friends” to counter human trafficking across the English Channel but won’t be held hostage by U.K. domestic politics.

“I think people should continue with their plans as normal for Christmas; I think it’s going to be a great Christmas.”

Javid on prospects of having a normal Christmas.

“If there’s a more sinister name for a mutant virus than Omicron I’d love to know what it is.”

Financial Times chief political correspondent Jim Pickard.

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