Inside Politics: ‘No reason’ to pause vaccine, says Boris Johnson

We Brits seem to excel in the art of make believe. Eight British actors, including Olivia Colman, Daniel Kaluuya and Riz Ahmed, have been nominated for Oscars this year. Boris Johnson certainly excels in the art of make believe – blithely assuming the UK can carry on doing entirely its own thing on Brexit, despite legal action being launched by the EU. Meanwhile, much of Europe appears to be indulging in amateur dramatics over the British-made Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine. Have leaders on the continent succumbed to hysteria by putting the jab on hold?

Inside the bubble

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

After chairing a virtual cabinet meeting Boris Johnson will make a statement in the Commons on his foreign policy review. Expect cliche bingo about making the UK match-fit for a more competitive world. Transport secretary Grant Shapps will host a meeting of the Jet Zero Council. And Matt Hancock will be in front of the health and social care committee to explain plans to take more power over the NHS.

Daily briefing

RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD: Boris Johnson says the government remains “very confident” about its vaccine rollout. The PM says there is “no reason at all” to pause the programme in light of the decision by Germany, France and Italy to halt use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca jab over a small number of blood clot incidents. Both the World Health Organisation (WHO) and European Medicines Agency (EMA) say there’s no evidence the incidents are caused by the vaccine, with some experts describing the move as “baffling”. A big increase in the number of jabs offered to Britons is expected in the coming days – after a large shipment of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine from India. It comes as unnamed ministers told the BBC of their frustration about Johnson’s reluctance to tighten restrictions ahead of the second wave in 2020. “The biggest mistake was the rush of blood to the head in the summer … there was a sense of denial.” Another described the push to get us back in the office “totally ridiculous”. Expect more expressions of regret ahead of next week’s lockdown anniversary.

LEST YE BE JUDGED: Home secretary Priti Patel claimed “no one should pre-judge” what happened at vigil for murder victim Sarah Everard ahead of investigations. But Patel then proceeded to agree with Tory MPs who claimed the vigil was“hijacked” by anti-police extremists. Patel said Conservative backbenchers were“absolutely right” to claim “a peaceful vigil turned into some pretty ugly scenes”. Her Labour shadow Nick Thomas-Symonds suggested the scenes were ugly precisely because of the heavy-handed arrests. He also accused ministers of “a chronic failure” to address violence against women. As concern grows over the policing bill and its potential to hamper protests, hundreds gathered at Parliament Square chanting “kill the bill”. Keir Starmer said there was nothing “meaningful” in the bill to protect women and called fora “pause” so parties could work together to improve it. “It says lots of things about statues and almost nothing about protecting women and girls,” said the Labour leader.

FROSTY THE LAWMAN: So the EU’s first post-Brexit lawsuit is under way. The first of many, perhaps? Brussels has notified Boris Johnson’s government of legal action – claiming No 10’s move to unilaterally change parts of the protocol was a “serious” violation. It means the UK could be fined or face trade sanctions. The EU Commission’s vice president Maros Sefcovic said he hopes the issue can still be resolved through “collaborative, pragmatic and constructive” political discussions. Along with the legal notice, Sefcovic separately sent a “political letter” to Brexit minister David Frost, calling for the UK to enter into good faith talks to come up with a solution this month. It doesn’t sound like Frost will play ball. No 10 described the unilateral move to extend grace periods as “lawful” and part of “temporary, operational steps”. Asked about the EU’s lawsuit, Boris Johnson insisted the protocol “should guarantee trade and movement not just north-south but east-west as well”.

NO MOVES LIKE SWAGGER: Boris Johnson has promised not to “swagger or strike attitudes” on the world stage as he sets out his new, post-Brexit foreign policy agenda today. His year-long review will mark a shift towards Indo-Pacific countries such as Japan, Australia and India – with the region described by the government as “the geopolitical centre of the world”. The 100-page document Global Britain in a Competitive Age published today reportedly describes China as the “biggest state-based threat” to the UK. Voters do not seem engaged with foreign affairs at the moment. But the Tory party is benefiting from a big “vaccine bounce” among older voters ahead of the local elections. Over-55s are swinging their votes to the Tories, according to research by Savanta and polling expert and Tory peer Lord Hayward. The phenomenon was first identified among the over-65s, but now includes those 10 years younger who have also started to receive their jabs.

DAMNED IF I KNOW: Nicola Sturgeon’s no-good March gets worse. The first minister has admitted she had “an awareness of a concern” about the SNP’s chief whip Patrick Grady before a formal complaint of sexual harassment was made against him. Weekend reports suggested former party leader Alex Salmond warned Sturgeon about sexual harassment allegations against Grady three years ago. “I would have had an awareness previously of a concern, but I’m not going to say more than that because due process requires an investigation takes its course,”she told reporters on Monday. Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will make a bold attempt to oust Sturgeon from her Glasgow Southside constituency at the Holyrood election. “It may well be her constituency, but it’s my home,” he said. Sturgeon may not be too impressed by the £2.6m spent on the new No 10 briefing room. Eagle-eyed observers noticed the red, white and blue, union jack-heavyspace contained a very odd-looking podium. A government symbol interrupts the words, so it reads: “DOWN … REET”.

IN THE AFTERMATH: Two men have been charged for using bear spray on a police officer during the US Capitol siege who later died. Julian Elie Khater (32) and George Pierre Tanios (39) were arrested for assaulting several officers. Officer Brian Sicknick died following the riot, but it’s not clear if he died from the rioters’ spray. Meanwhile, Republican senator Ron Johnson has defended himself against claims he was racist after he told a radio host that he would have been concerned had it been Black Lives Matter protesters at the US Capitol instead of Donald Trump supporters. Johnson claimed true Trump-ites loved their country and wouldn’t think of rioting. “I wasn’t talking about the people that actually stormed the Capitol and assaulted police officers – I condemned that,” he told Fox News. “As I condemn, quite honestly, anybody that rioted in the summer… Leftist activists sparked riots as well.”

On the record

“Regardless of the reaction in Brussels, the prime minister must deliver the unfettered flow of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland.”

DUP leaderArlene Foster says Boris Johnson must trash the protocol.

From the Twitterati

“Might dress upas a statue so someone takes my safety seriously.”

Hannah RoseWoods on the policing bill’s warped priorities…

“It is quite, quite mad that people who spend much of their lives complaining that *their*freedom of speech is under attack from snowflakes & students have chosen to stay silent about the government’s attack on everybody’s.”

…while James O’Brien says others have warped priorities.

Essential reading

Jess Phillips, The Independent: Women have been forgotten by government – the policing bill proves it

Sean O’Grady, The Independent: People will protest – it is futile and dangerous to try and stop them

Martin Fletcher, New Statesman: It’s clear Brexit is an act of self-harm – why are politicians silent?

David Wallace-Wells, New York Magazine: How the West lost to Covid

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