Inside Politics: Boris Johnson warned not to repeat ‘past mistakes’ by lifting lockdown too soon

Anyone else suffering from déjà vu as the summer begins? Thousands of people crammed into parks, beaches and scenic spots, as scientists warn of another wave of Covid cases. It all feels a bit 2020, doesn’t it? Still, there was a heartening sight on the hottest day of the year. Thousands of under-30s turned up at Twickenham Stadium to get their jab, as Britain races to keep the vaccine roll-out ahead of the variant. Despite the vaccine programme’s progress, Boris Johnson is now under pressure from his scientific advisers to delay next month’s “freedom day”. Experts are warning him not to repeat the mistakes of 2020.

Inside the bubble

Whitehall editor Kate Devlin on what to look out for today:

Nicola Sturgeon will announce at lunchtime if the next stage in Scotland’s lockdown easing can go ahead on 7 June. She may also give us a clue whether Glasgow will come out of the country’s strictest curbs. Watch out for Keir Starmer being grilled by Piers Morgan on ITV’s Life Stories at 9.30pm.

Daily briefing

WAVE GOODBYE TO FREEDOM DAY? There are signs a third wave has already began, scientists advising the government have said. And there are signs the scientific consensus is pushing against Boris Johnson’s desired 21 June date for lockdown lifting. Prof Ravi Gupta, a member of the government’s Nervtag group, said the Indian variant was now fuelling “exponential growth” in cases – recommending the 21 June date is delayed. Professor Adam Finn, from the government’s JCVI group, added: “It would be better to overreact than underreact.” Similarly, the British Medical Association has warned No 10 not to “repeat past mistakes”. With the latest weekly figures showing a a 23 per cent increase in Covid hospitalisations, anti-lockdown Tory MPs are keeping quiet for now. But pubs and restaurant bosses are dismayed at the direction this seems to be going. Kate Nicholls, chief exec of UK Hospitality, said a delay would be “devastating,” since most venues are only operating at 60 per cent capacity because of social distancing rules.

AS TEARS GO BY: Keir Starmer watchers are eagerly anticipating his appearance on ITV’s Life Stories tonight – with interrogator Piers Morgan billing it the “most revealing interview of his life”. The Labour leader is said to break down in tears, having opened up to Morgan about the long illness suffered by his mother. He is also thought to have refused 14 times to say whether he had taken drugs. Awkward. Meanwhile, Labour is still trying to squeeze every last drop out of sleaze claims. Deputy leader Angela Rayner accused Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser of giving “carte blanche” to rule-breaking. She said Lord Geidt had let Matt Hancock use a “completely ridiculous excuse” to keep his position after finding the health secretary guilty of only a “technical” breach of the rules (over a failure to declare his sister’s company was an approved contracted for the NHS). Rayner has now written to Lord Geidt to warn that his decision sets a “concerning precedent”.

SHOT IN THE DARK: MPs from across the political divide are urging the government to publish an internal review into the Covid crisis. Lib Dem MP Layla Moran, who leads the all-party parliamentary group on Covid, said: “It beggars belief that ministers are still refusing to publish their own review of the lessons learned ... The public must not be kept in the dark any longer.” Tory MP Dan Poulter told The Independent it was “essential” for ministers to share the document. He said: “There’s no reason whatsoever not to share that and to make that public.” Angela Rayner said we “cannot wait” until spring 2022 to find out exactly what has gone wrong. There is one review the government is keen to trumpet. The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) said the UK’s economic recovery is set to be stronger than previously thought. The British economy is likely to grow 7.2 per cent this year – up from a previous projection of 5.1 per cent.

WILL YE NO DAE THAT: Alex Salmond fired off a cheeky warning to Prince William and his family to keep out of the Scottish independence debate. The former SNP chief questioned “what on earth Prince William thought he was doing” by meeting Gordon Brown last week – arguing it would be “foolish” for the royals to get dragged into the referendum debate. The Alba leader claimed the get-together in Edinburgh showed “poor judgement” on both sides, suggesting “desperate unionists” like Brown were trying to influence the future king on politics. A Kensington Palace spokesperson pointed to the fact William met a “broad range” of people during his trip to Scotland – including Nicola Sturgeon. Meanwhile, more cracks on the surface of SNP unity. MP Joanna Cherry has quit the party’s national executive committee, saying she had been prevented from fulfilling her mandate “to improve transparency and scrutiny”. The QC has clashed with her SNP colleagues over transgender rights and the party’s independence strategy.

MIND THE GAP: Thousands of EU and their families are appealing for urgent help just weeks before the EU settlement scheme deadline. Law firms and small charities have told The Independent they have been “swamped” with requests for advice – including from panicked individuals who applied months ago and are still waiting for a decision. Organisations struggling to meet the surge in demand for support claim there is a major “advice gap”. The Lib Dems called on the government to scrap the “arbitrary” 30 June deadline. The party warned that it risked EU nationals becoming victims of a “new Windrush-style scandal”. Meanwhile, the defence secretary has promised that the relocation of Afghan translators who worked for the UK will be “accelerated” as foreign forces quit the country. Ben Wallace said it was “only right” to accelerate the programme – with many “at risk of reprisals” from the Taliban. But campaigners have warned the criteria for translators to quality remains too narrow.

RAAB’S RAPS RUSSIA: Dominic Raab is ready to present a “rap sheet” of “aggressive” behaviour from Russia at a meeting of Nato chiefs later today. The foreign secretary is set to reel off a series of objections – including the military build-up near Ukraine and possible involvement in the “hijacking” of the Ryanair plan forced to land in Belarus by the Putin-friendly Lukashenko regime. “From Russia’s aggressive behaviour towards Ukraine to Lukashenko’s assault on civil aviation, democratic values are under attack,” the cabinet minister told The Telegraph ahead of the Nato confab. The UK government is still trying to co-ordinate with allies on sanctions over the Ryanair flight incident, but Raab is under pressure to act. Tory MP Tom Tugendhat, chair of the foreign affairs select committee, has called for “very strict” measures.

On the record

“It would be very wise for the royal family to follow what has been the Queen’s example over her long reign, to keep the monarchy over and above politics.”

Alex Salmond warns the Windsors after William meets Gordon Brown…

From the Twitterati

“If it takes 2-3 weeks just to nip a third wave in the bud, by getting as many people as possible double jabbed, isn’t that better than the alternative?”

The ipaper’s Jane Merrick is waiting for the government to accept a delay…

“Can we just fast forward to the bit where the Daily Mail and Boris Johnson’s Tories blame the public for the third wave?”

…while Shane Gladstone is waiting for the public to get the blame.

Essential reading

Angela Rayner, The Independent: The review into the Covid response must be published now

Anthony Seldon, The Independent: Boris Johnson is the most theatrical PM we’ve ever had – the wedding proves it

Stephen Daisley, The Spectator: Boris Johnson’s media critics are missing the real story

Graeme Wood, The Atlantic: How the Belarus-Ryanair incident has changed the world

Sign up here to receive this free daily briefing in your email inbox every morning