Inside Politics: Boris Johnson sets out vaccination timetable

The only solution to the rift between Harry and William is to let the Duke of Sussex enjoy his “freedom” in America, according to royal historian Robert Lacey. He wants everyone to give them space to heal wounds over time. “Freedom” isn’t something we’ll enjoy here in Britain for quite a while. Boris Johnson has decided the only solution to the Covid crisis is another national lockdown – hoping it will put enough space between us all over the next eight weeks to heal the NHS.

Inside the bubble

Chief political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for on Monday:

The Commons, which had been given the week off, is being recalled tomorrow, but MPs on the DCMS committee meet this morning to discuss the future of British music festivals. The Lords also returns to work today, and health secretary Matt Hancock will publish a white paper on reforming the Mental Health Act. 

Daily briefing

LOCK OF AGES: Third time’s most certainly not the charm. Boris Johnson has announced another national lockdown for England, warning the weeks ahead “will be the hardest yet”. Michael Gove said this morning the lockdown would last until March, despite a mid-February review. The PM ordered people to stay indoors – except for food, exercise, medical needs and work which can’t be done at home – and said schools should move to remote teaching until mid-February. Johnson offered no explanation why he said on Sunday that schools were “safe”, saying only: “I completely understand the inconvenience and distress this late change will cause.” The PM also set out a timetable to vaccinate 13 million people – all over-70s, health workers, care home residents and clinically vulnerable people – by mid-Feb. Having accused the PM of being too slow, Keir Starmer backed the measures. “We’ve all got to pull together now to make this work”.

LOSE THE BOOZE: A YouGov poll suggests lockdown is popular, or at least tolerated – 79 per cent back the new national shutdown. But the PM will remain hated by pubs owners: takeaway alcohol will be banned, with concerns about too much mingling outside of boozers. Restaurants, however, will be able to offer food delivery. The Premier League will carry on its strange season behind closed doors. In Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon announced a new lockdown until the end of January – with Scottish schools will shut until 1 February. “Prevarication in the face of this virus almost always makes things worse, not better,” said the SNP leader. Wales, already under lockdown, will move to online learning until at least 18 January. And the Northern Ireland executive said there would be an extended period of online learning, with stay-at-home guidance and more travel curbs expected today.

STRANGER ON A TRAIN: Scottish MP Margaret Ferrier has been arrested and charged by police after she travelled hundreds of miles on a train from London to Scotland, despite testing positive for the virus. She was charged in connection with “alleged culpable and reckless conduct”, according to Police Scotland, so she faces five years in prison if convicted. Ferrier has been suspended by the SNP, but has so far dismissed calls to resign as MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West. Elsewhere, there are more dire warnings for the grim months ahead. Prof John Edmunds of London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine said it was now “baked in” the Covid death toll would exceed 100,000. It was the dire warning from the UK’s chief medical officers which prompted the PM to act now. They said that without further action there was a risk of the NHS in several areas being “overwhelmed” over the next three weeks.

PLEASE MR POSTMAN: So how is Brexit working out so far? Many have spotted that a growing number of specialist retailers in the EU have decided they won’t deliver to the UK, because of the new costs involved in sending stuff. Bicycle firm Dutch Bike Bits, for instance, said: “We are forced by British policy to stop dealing with British customers.” There were also problems with the first lorries to cross the new Irish Sea border and arrive into at Belfast and Larne on Monday. Some food product loads did not have the correct paperwork – meaning long waits at the new border control posts. NI’s chief vet Robert Huey said compliance would be toughened up from next week. “After day seven... if there’s non-compliance the consignment will have to return to the exporter to get those issues sorted. We will follow through on that, I have no option.”

TRIED AND TESTED: The government has ordered all international arrivals to Britain to present a negative Covid test obtained no more than 72 hours before their trip (although hauliers will be exempt). Senior Tories MPs had pushed for more action at the border over fears about the new, highly-transmissible variant in South Africa. Matt Hancock admitted he was “incredibly worried” about the variant. The health secretary also had to endure a painful interview on GMB on Monday, confronted by an intensive care unit (ICU) nurse Dave Carr who asked: “How can he seriously look any health worker in the face and tell us he is stewarding the NHS and managing this pandemic properly?” Speaking of awkward encounters, the adviser marched out of Downing Street after a confrontation with Dominic Cummings said she was “never given a reason” for her dismissal. Sonia Khan, who reached an out of court settlement last year, said the incident set “a dangerous precedent”.

MAFIO-SO EASY: Donald Trump and president-elect Joe Biden pleaded with voters in Georgia to turn out for crucial elections on Tuesday. If the Democrats win, they will control both Congress and the White House. In what might be the last of his rallies as president, Trump suggested he wanted his VP Mike Pence to reject Biden’s win when Congress meets to certify results this Wednesday. “If he doesn’t come through, I won’t like him quite as much.” You think he’d be wary of making any more ganster-ish threats. Legal experts have said Trump’s now notorious call with Georgia’s secretary of state Brad Raffensperger could constitute criminal solicitation of voter fraud. Neal Katyal, former acting solicitor general under president Obama, said it was “really, truly an impeachable offence”. He added: “It sounds like Donald Trump is talking like a mafia boss – and not a particularly smart mafia boss at that.”

On the record

“It is both frustrating and alarming to see the speed with which the new variant is spreading.”

Boris Johnson says variant made him change his mind on lockdown.

From the Twitterati

“Yesterday Johnson told parents it was safe to send their kids to school. Tonight he’ll announce all the schools will close. And all this communicated through the medium of leaks to favoured journalists. They’ve learned f****** nothing. The same blithe disregard for the public.”

Ian Dunt is not impressed by the latest stumble into a policy…

“Boris Johnson was as wrong telling people to send their kids to school … as he was telling us it was okay to shake hands last March. His advice is always two steps behind reality.”

…and neither is author Matt Haig.

Essential reading

Max Burns, The Independent: Trump’s call about finding votes is even worse than you think

Jess Phillips, The Independent: A new year’s resolution for Boris Johnson – be better at your job please

Rachel Sylvester, The Times: How schools should be helped to recover from lockdown

Ido Vock, New Statesman: Why France’s Covid vaccination campaign has been so slow

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