Inside Politics: Growing Covid fears as deaths rise and net zero strategy branded hot air

As Covid cases and deaths rise, immunity wanes and the booster programme stalls, No 10 insists there is no need to change course on restrictions. Elsewhere, critics say the government’s net zero strategy doesn’t go far enough and businesses are warning of “terrifying” rises in costs amid the supply chain crisis.

Our political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out for today:

Prime minister’s questions will provide a test of the “kinder, gentler politics” many MPs want to see following the murder of David Amess. It might just last because after PMQs, MPs will pay their tributes to another MP who was popular across the House – James Brokenshire, the former minister, who died from lung cancer aged 53.

The government’s “net zero” strategy will again be to the fore. Alok Sharma, the Cop26 president, will answer questions in the Commons and will later be quizzed by the science and transport select committees.

Also on the committee corridor, Stephen Lovegrove, the national security adviser, will be questioned about the planning (or the lack of it) for the evacuation in Afghanistan.

Coming up:

– Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng on BBC Radio 4 Today at 8.10am

– SAGE member Andrew Hayward on Times Radio at 9.05am

Daily Briefing

COVID FEARS: Downing Street says it is keeping a “very close eye” on increasing numbers of Covid cases and deaths after a further 223 fatalities were recorded yesterday – the highest number since March, increasing fears that the NHS could buckle this winter without intervention. As an offshoot of the Delta variant continues to spread, the PM insists that the virus is “under control” and that there is no need to change course in terms of restrictions. Meanwhile, Oxford University is working on a modified version of its vaccine to target the Delta variant, The Independent understands. Early work has been started by members of Professor Dame Sarah Gilbert’s team at the University of Oxford – the same scientists behind the AstraZeneca jab first rolled out in January. A source said the new vaccine was being designed with the aim of “having something on the shelf ready to scale up – if it’s needed”. It comes amid growing concerns about the low uptake in UK’s vaccine booster programme and as immunity levels wane.

A LOAD OF GAS?: The government’s long awaited net zero strategy has been published, setting out the UK’s plans for reducing emissions and tackling climate change. On top of a scheme to replace gas boilers with heat pumps announced on Monday night, ministers are investing £620m in grants for electric vehicles and street charging points. The UK is also aiming for all electricity to be powered by clean sources by 2035, “subject to security of supply”, with massive expansion for offshore wind and solar energy – including 1GW of floating offshore wind turbines. You can read a list of all the main takeaways here. The plans have been criticised by campaigners who say the measures included don’t go far enough. Labour said the proposals had been “torpedoed” by chancellor Rishi Sunak, whose Treasury released a report on the cost of net zero which warned that the transition from fossil fuels will require new sources of taxation to replace the £37bn lost from petrol taxes and could curb household disposable incomes, a theme picked up on a few front pages this morning.

BAYING MOB: Less than a week after the horrific killing of Conservative MP Sir David Amess, levelling up secretary Michael Gove has been ambushed by a gang of anti-vaxxers as he walked through Westminster. Disturbing footage shows a ring of police officers protecting the minister as the baying mob shouts abuse at him. The protesters were part of a march organised by groups Official Voice and GB Resistance who are campaigning against Covid lockdowns and the vaccine. The mob yelled “arrest Michael Gove” as they tried to jostle closer to him. Other insults were yelled at him by the chasing protesters and at one point a piece of paper thrown at Mr Gove appeared to briefly hit his face. The Met Police said it was able to escort Gove safely into a nearby building. No arrests have been made but the force says it will review footage circulating online.

PREVENT DELAYS: A deadline set by Priti Patel’s Home Office for an independent report on the Prevent counter-extremism programme was missed weeks before the murder of Conservative MP Sir David Amess. Ministers announced that the programme would be independently reviewed in January 2019, following years of accusations that it was stigmatising Muslims and stifling free speech in schools and universities. A Home Office document setting out the review’s aims in March said the report and any recommendations “must be submitted to the home secretary by 30 September 2021, in time for the secretary of state to respond to each recommendation and lay the review report and government response before both Houses of Parliament by 31 December 2021”. The Independent understands that the report has not yet been completed or submitted to the government, and that Prevent leaders and counter-terror police have not been officially briefed on its recommendations.

COSTS WARNING: Johnson’s government has been warned that food and drink firms are facing “terrifying” rises in costs amid worker shortages and supply chain issues. Giving evidence to the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Committee on Wednesday Ian Wright, chief executive of the Food and Drink Federation, told MPs they need to think seriously about inflation. “In hospitality, inflation is running between 14 per cent and 18 per cent, which is terrifying,” he said. “If the prime minister is, as I know he is, serious about levelling up, inflation is a bigger scourge than almost anything because it discriminates against the poor.” Businesses facing difficulties are likely to pass rising costs onto consumers, resulting in higher prices in shops.

“To truly transform the UK economy based on sustainable and green growth, we need to push further and faster and make key decisions on how to finance the transition to net zero. An honest conversation needs to happen here in the UK about how we pay to go green”.

CBI chief policy director Matthew Fell on net zero plan.

“Home insulation is constantly raised by experts as a key way to help with climate change *and* the cost of living. But it’s a victim of political prejudice against unspectacular policy. It’s not flashy, so governments fail to prioritise it.”

i columnist Ian Dunt says government not taking the insulation of homes seriously in plans to tackle climate change.