Inside Politics: Living with Covid and Gove’s £4bn plan to fix cladding scandal

Are we witnessing the beginning of the end of life in Covid’s shadow? Despite Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, playing down reports that No 10 is considering scrapping free lateral flow tests, there are reports this morning that Boris Johnson will soon set out a strategy to start living with the virus. It would be bold to claim that the pandemic is over, but ministers appear increasingly confident that the numbers of patients ending up in hospital will not overwhelm the NHS, with some health leaders suggesting the front line will hold through the Omicron wave. Elsewhere, Michael Gove will set out plans to fix the cladding scandal and the PM is again urged to intervene on the cost of living squeeze.

The Commons sits from 2.30pm today. First up is defence questions followed by any urgent questions or statements. Later, the main business is scrutiny of the Nuclear Energy (Financing) Bill and debates on the fall budget’s Charter for Budget Responsibility and Welfare Cap.

Coming up:

– Shadow business secretary Jonathan Reynolds on Sky News Breakfast at 8.05am

– Housing and levelling up secretary Michael Gove on BBC Radio 4 Today at 8.10am

Daily Briefing

KEEP THEM FLOWING: The government is going to keep Covid lateral flow tests flowing for free...for now at least. That was the message from Nadhim Zahawi yesterday as he played down reports that ministers are drawing up plans to bring to an end the free provision of the tests, which millions of people across the UK have been using throughout the pandemic at home and in other settings to detemine whether or not they have the disease. Reports said Boris Johnson was planning to introduce charges in a matter of weeks, with free tests being limited to high-risk settings, such as care homes, hospitals and schools – and to people with symptoms, as part of a wider strategy to start “living with Covid.” But Nadhim Zahawi, the education secretary, told the BBC’s Sunday Morning show he didn’t “recognise” where the story had come from. So naturally enough, several of today papers and news websites feature articles about how the PM is working on a strategy for the country to live with Covid. According to the i, he will set out a plan by March while a ramping down of Covid infrastructure, such as testing sites, could begin within weeks. But some scientists and experts are warning that it is too early to start claiming victory over the virus. Zahawi also said he was in favour of cutting the self-isolation period to five days if the change received expert approval. Live pandemic updates throughout the day here.

BACKBENCH PRESSURE: Mark Harper, the influential senior Tory MP, has issued a warning to Johnson that he faces a challenge to his leadership unless he scraps all remaining Covid restrictions at the end of January and makes a promise that they will not return. The PM is also coming under increasing pressure from backbench MPs to act on the looming cost of living squeeze as energy prices soar in the coming months. Speaking to the Mail, three parliamentary select committee chairs warned Johnson Conservative support would collapse if nothing is done to tackle the issue. The PM will meet with Sunak later in the week and the pair are likely to discuss a response to the issue. Both have previously ruled out a VAT holiday on energy bills, saying the move would benefit people who do not need support. What would Labour do? The party’s shadow chancellor, Rachel Reeves, has called for a windfall tax on North Sea oil and gas to help cushion the impact of an expected £600 rise in household energy bills this spring. She said the move would save most households £200 and protect the poorest almost entirely from the financial hit forecast when the energy price cap is reviewed in April. Labour is calling for Sunak to scrap the planned hike in NI contributions.

CLADDING SCANDAL: Michael Gove, the housing and levelling up secretary, is out on the broadcast round for the government this morning ahead of a Commons statement later in which he will warn developers that they have until early March to agree to a £4bn plan to fix dangerous cladding on low rise buildings or else face new laws mandating them to do so. The cabinet minister threatened that he is “prepared to take all steps necessary” to fix the “broken system” in a letter to the industry ahead of detailing the plans on Monday. Potential action also includes restricting access to government funding and future procurements, the use of planning powers, and pursuing firms through the courts.

BYO-BORIS: Another week, another fresh report of a lockdown-busting party in Downing Street. According to the Sunday Times, Johnson and wife Carrie personally attended a ‘bring your own bottle’ (BYOB) drinks party on the garden of No 10 during the first Covid lockdown in May 2020, claims No 10 did not immediately deny. The ST cited three sources stating Johnson’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, emailed officials with an invite adding “BYOB”. Elsewhere, the PM is reportedly set to escape a further investigation into the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat. Parliamentary standards commissioner Kathryn Stone, who oversees the code of conduct and rules for MPs, is said to have decided not to open another inquiry into the controversy following two previous probes by the Electoral Commission and Christopher Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests. No 10 was reportedly informed of her decision this week.

TERROR THREAT: Venues will have a legal duty to provide security in the wake of the Manchester Arena bombing under proposed government plans. Priti Patel, the home secretary, on Monday is due to detail the scheme, which include a requirement for some public places to be prepared for a terror attack. It comes as one of Britain’s most senior police officers warns in an exclusive interview with The Independent that preventing terror attacks is “more difficult than it’s ever been”. Dean Haydon, the senior national coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, said changes to the way attacks are planned, targeted and carried out had made them harder to spot, while the profile of terrorists has “completely changed”. “The main threat we currently see is from people within this country that are being self-radicalised,” he added.

“I don’t really recognise where that story is coming from. Absolutely not.”

Zahawi denies government plans to scrap free lateral flow tests.

“This may be one reason there isn’t a total denial by Nadhim Zahawi... the government’s own Covid winter plan (pre Omicron) said free lateral flows WILL be scrapped - at some point. It just didn’t say when.”

Mirror online politics editor Dan Bloom responds to education secretary’s denial.

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