Inside Politics: Boris Johnson preparing to close pubs in parts of England

The more things change, the more they stay the same. Donald Trump’s critics think he is suffering from a bout of “roid rage” – after he fumed incessantly on Twitter about Clinton, Obama and the fake news media. But how is Trump on steroids any different to regular Trump? Our own political meltdowns have a distinct feeling of déjà vu too. Boris Johnson is said to be ready to walk away from Brexit talks unless he gets what he wants. And the PM appears ready to follow rules laid out in Scotland, once again, by closing all pubs in the worst-hit parts of England.

Inside the bubble

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone on what to look out for today:

Top civil servants will be grilled by MPs on civil service preparations for Brexit. Alex Chisholm, the permanent secretary of the Cabinet Office, and various director generals, will appear before the public accounts committee to explain what it is that they’ve been doing. Meanwhile in the main Commons chamber, Liz Truss will be grilled by MPs on trade deals, and Jacob Rees-Mogg will take questions about the Commons legislative programme.

Daily briefing

GRIM UP NORTH: It looks like Boris Johnson will follow the path laid out by Nicola Sturgeon. No 10 has decided to shut pubs and restaurants across the north of England on Monday, according to The Times. The PM is said to have signed off on the big “circuit breaker” move last night alongside financial support for affected businesses (the newspaper says chancellor Rishi Sunak has “won the right” to be consulted whenever pubs are shut down). The government is also expected to introduce its simplified, three-tier system of restrictions – with Merseyside and other parts of the north placed in the highest tier. What does it mean for the Tory rebels, who don’t like existing restrictions? What does it mean for Labour? Keir Starmer suggested his party would vote against the 10pm curfew next week – demanding the government publishes the scientific advice behind the early closing. Will he remain so adamant if Johnson brings in “emergency” measures on Monday?

PAY TO WALK AWAY: There’s a new double act in town. Transport secretary Grant Shapps and his cabinet buddy Matt Hancock are leading a new taskforce examining ways to change the quarantine system for travellers. One option under consideration would see people arriving in the UK allowed to end their 14-day self-isolation early – so long as they pay for their own Covid tests. Travel industry figures said it was a “step in the right direction” – but the CEOs of Easyjet, Virgin Atlantic, Heathrow and Manchester Airports and Virgin Atlantic said Shapps and Hancock should hurry up and get a testing regime in place by early November. It comes as the chief executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, warned of the huge strain facing the health service after a “disturbing” increase in hospital admissions due to Covid-19. The NHS also announced a new £10m package to create clinics for people suffering from “long Covid”.

CARD SHARKS: The Brexit fun and games have a distinctly 2019 feel at the moment, with plenty of huffing, puffing and poker bluffing going on. European Council president Charles Michel said it is time for the UK to “put its cards on the table” with regards to a trade deal after speaking to Boris Johnson over the phone. Michel obviously wasn’t too impressed with what he heard. According to Bloomberg, Johnson will walk away from talks if there’s no clear deal in sight by the big summit of EU leaders on 15 October – citing a British official “familiar” with government thinking. But this isn’t what we heard from David Frost on Wednesday. The UK’s chief negotiator said a decision would be taken closer to 15 October on whether a deal was within reach. Asked by MPs on the Brexit committee whether it was fair to say there’s a “66% chance” of a trade deal, Michael Gove said that was “about right”. Make of it what you will.

CENTRAL BELT TIGHTENING: Nicola Sturgeon’s crackdown on pub drinking proved to be pretty tough. All pubs and restaurants across Scotland’s central belt will close for 16 days from Friday – applying to 3.4 million people from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Boozers will be able to open elsewhere in the country Scotland, but can only serve alcohol outdoors. The first minister said “short, sharp action” was needed to deal with rising infections. The announcement proved good timing for Sturgeon, who is dealing with accusations of lying over the Alex Salmond-related scandal. The SNP leader said she simply “forgot” about a 29 March meeting in which she was told about sexual harassment complaints against her former boss. She insisted she “did not seek to influence” the Salmond investigation. But the Scottish Tories said the evidence Sturgeon gave was “a pile of nonsense” and said Sturgeon’s “excuses are incredible and simply beyond belief”.

SOUND AND THE FURY: Could we be in for a by-election? Keir Starmer certainly hopes so. The Labour leader has called on the SNP’s Margaret Ferrier to stand down as an MP after her 400-mile train journey with Covid. Starmer listened to some of her Rutherglen and Hamilton West constituents during his latest “Call Keir” Zoom session. “They’re furious with her – there should be a by-election because she should step down,” Starmer said, adding: “We’re completely up for it.” Labour in Scotland has launched a petition calling for Ferrier to quit, saying she had lost her constituents’ confidence. There’s a bigger crisis of confidence for the Tories to worry about. The number of people who do not have confidence in the government’s handling of the pandemic has more than doubled – from 25 per cent at the start of lockdown to 56 per cent now, according to a UCL survey.

PRETTY FLY FOR A WHITE GUY: Kamala Harris repeatedly attacked the Trump administration’s handling of the coronavirus crisis during her debate with vice president Mike Pence last night – and succeeded in shutting down his attempts to interrupt her. “Mr vice-president, I’m speaking, I’m speaking.” A tiny intruder provided social media with the biggest buzz moment, when a fly landed on Pence’s head – and stayed there for a full two minutes. Neutral US commentators (there are a few of those left) agree Pence had a pretty good night, however. Harris gave Republicans a handy talking point when she petulantly said she would refuse to take a coronavirus vaccine if Trump recommended it. “If Dr Fauci, the doctors, tell us that we should take it, I’ll be the first in line to take it,” she said. “But if Donald Trump tells us we should take it, I’m not going to take it.”

On the record

“Just spoke with Boris Johnson … Very thankful for his friendship and support as I recovered from the China Virus. I am looking forward to working with him for many years to come, a great guy!”  

Donald Trump on his call with the PM.

From the Twitterati

“Keir Starmer is wiping the floor with Boris Johnson at PMQs … Tory backbenchers looking horrified.”

Right-wing radio host Julia Hartley-Brewer thinks Johnson was rubbish...

“Boris’s strongest PMQs for a while. Poor from Starmer.”

…while The Mail’s Dan Hodges thinks Starmer was rubbish.

Essential reading

John Rentoul, The Independent: Keir Starmer has to decide where he stands before he asks questions

Tom Peck, The Independent: Boris Johnson wants to spread his failures around – but they’re all his

Tom McTague, The Atlantic: How Boris Johnson keeps on defying gravity

Amber Athey, The Spectator: Will Mike Pence’s debate win give Trump a boost?

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