Inside Politics: Boris Johnson warns EU against ‘arbitrary’ block on vaccine exports

There’s a fine art to a good separation. Just ask Piers Morgan and Susanna Reid. As the departing showman cleared out his belongings and said his goodbyes at GMB, Reid thanked him for all the “rows, rants and reasons to eye-roll”. Despite the awkward attempt an amicable divorce, it looks like there are many years of rows, rants and reasons to eye-roll ahead for the UK and EU. London and Brussels have agreed to “work” on their big split over vaccine exports. But there is an awful lot of work to do, with very little resolved.

Inside the bubble

Policy correspondent Jon Stone on what to look out for today:

EU leaders are meeting via videoconference today, where they’ll discuss vaccine export controls – and whether they could affect the UK. Officials aren’t too optimistic that they’ll come to a definite conclusion, but we’ll find out how things went this evening when presidents Charles Michel and Ursula von der Leyen give a press conference in Brussels.

Daily briefing

AGREE TO DISAGREE: The UK and the EU have agreed to work on improving their relationship after a messy period of rows over Covid vaccine supplies. A joint statement said both sides wanted a “win-win situation”, and were keen to “expand vaccine supply for all”. It closed a day of high drama after 29 million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine (believed to be bound for Mexico and Canada) were blocked from leaving Italy by EU inspectors. AstraZeneca denied that it had failed to honour its contracts with Brussels. The EU Commission will today ask national leaders to support its plans for new controls on vaccine exports. The Commission wants to block some exports, depending on a country’s production capacity and level of vaccination – suggesting it could affect supply to the UK. Although there will be no outright export ban, the changes, if agreed today, will no doubt raise tensions again. Careful not to ramp up the rhetoric at this stage, Boris Johnson told MPs any “arbitrary” blockades of vaccines were not “sensible”.

PAPERS FOR A PINT: Pub goers could be asked to turn up at the bar with a vaccine certificate before they get a pint, Boris Johnson has suggested. The PM said it would “be up to individual publicans”, but he confirmed that the government was looking seriously at the best ways for people to prove they have been vaccinated. Tory MP Steve Baker is livid, calling the idea of no jab, no pint (as The Sun has dubbed it) a “ghastly trap” which would lead to scenes reminiscent of 1984. “First they said we’ll need them to watch the football, and today that it maybe papers for the pub.” Not the best of moods for backbenchers MPs to debate and vote on renewing the Coronavirus Act powers today. It comes as Johnson dismisses calls for a public inquiry into his government’s handling of the pandemic. He said it would be “irresponsible” to do so at the moment. Keir Starmer pushed for it to start as soon as lockdown easing ends on 21 June, so we can “get to the bottom of the many mistakes made”.

UNION CITY BLUES: Government buildings at cities across England, Scotland and Wales will have to fly the Union flag every single day, according to new guidance issued by the culture department. A gleeful culture secretary Oliver Dowden described the flag as “a proud reminder of our history and the ties that bind us”. Ministers have obviously worked out that pointless culture war debates over flags do them absolutely no harm at all. So expect more flag absurdity in the months ahead. Tory MP Sir John Hayes welcomed the move, saying: “I think we just don’t fly our flag enough.” The SNP said the idea “seems to have been inspired by Tory ministers watching an episode of the Thick of It”. Meanwhile, the new immigration plans unveiled by Priti Patel revealed that Britain could try to block visas from countries refusing to take back failed asylum seekers. But the UK still has no clear way of deporting refugees to other countries, the Home Office confirmed – despite this being a key component of the proposed overhaul.

MERSEY PARADISE LOST: Government commissioners will be sent up to Liverpool to run “limited” parts of the city council for at least three years, communities secretary Robert Jenrick has confirmed. The drastic move, unprecedented in modern times, comes amid allegations of serious corruption – with a government report identifying a “serious breakdown in governance”. It poses a big political problem for Labour. Shadow minister SteveReed said the party “accepts this report in full”, but was keen to stress thatLabour backs commissioners going in only to “advise and support” councillors. “This is not, as some would put it, a Tory takeover,” Reed claimed. Let’s see if Liverpudlians view it the same way. Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has suggested tougher measures could soon be brought in to stop hauliers travelling from France to the UK, as Europe struggles with a third wave of Covid cases. Asked why France had not been added to the UK’s travel “red list”, the PM said further measures may be needed “very soon”.

SALMOND LEAPS TO NEW LAWSUIT: Alex Salmond is not done with the drama. The ex-SNP leader has announced fresh legal action related to the Scottish government’s top civil servant. The basis of his action is not entirely clear yet, but Salmond said permanent secretary Leslie Evans had failed to take “real responsibility” for the unlawful handling of harassment complaints against him (i.e. she failed to fall on her sword and quit). According to the BBC, Salmond plans to sue the Scottish government (rather than Evans) for damages. Nicola Sturgeon made clear on Wednesday that she still has confidence in her permanent secretary. So it looks as though the Salmond saga could end without any resignations. Could a new scandal saga be getting under way at Westminster? Former PM David Cameron is being formally investigated over a possible breach of lobbying laws, according to The Times. Treasury officials are said to have alleged Cameron lobbied the chancellor in a bid to secure large Covid loans for a financial company he was advising.

GOVE TO THE RESCUE: A plan to create a major new Cabinet post with responsibility for the Union and a major role in countering the SNP’s independence aims appear to be over, according to The Telegraph. Lord Dunlop’s review, finally published last night, had called for a new office holder for the Union, but Michael Gove seems to think he already has “responsibility for constitutional integrity” and will take a major hand in the job of thwarting Scottish independence. A government source told the paper there was no “super-duper, whizzbang thing to make things right” when it came to the constitutional set-up. Meanwhile, a new Lords’ sub-committee study has warned that plant and animal checks after Brexit are set to be “a permanent barrier” to trade unless the UK drops its opposition to a new deal with the EU. Another one for the all-powerful Gove to worry about.

On the record

“People rightly expect it to be flown above UK government buildings – this guidance will ensure that happens every day.”

Oliver Dowden claims the public shares ministers’ obsessive love of the Union Jack.

From the Twitterati

“Rule of thumb: every time a government waves the flag, they’re stealing your bread.”

Author Michael Rosen thinks we’re getting distracted…

“Last week: the nation talked lots about a need to listen to women, re-evaluate misogyny, push for systemic change. This week: flags.”

… Dr Julia Grace Patterson wonders how we got distracted so quickly.

Essential reading

Tom Peck, The Independent: Nobody appears to care about Boris Johnson’s lies anymore

Patsy Stevenson, The Independent: I became the face of the Sarah Everard vigil – here’s why I’m demanding change

Dave Keating, New Statesman: How the EU’s naivety led to its vaccine debacle

Arnab Datta, Slate: The Republicans’ long-game plan to thwart Joe Biden’s agenda

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