Inside Politics: Michael Gove goes to Brussels to restart Brexit talks

Lawrence Fox, the washed-up actor from Lewis, is launching a new political party. He’s ready to fight the culture wars for the anti-woke brigade, hoping to persuade more people they aren’t allowed to say anything these days. Tory MPs feel they aren’t getting any say on Boris Johnson’s coronavirus rules – and are confident they have the numbers to dish out a big defeat for the government this week. Meanwhile, Michael Gove heads to Brussels for a big meeting with the EU. Will the loquacious troublemaker say something the rest of us regret?

Inside the bubble

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick on what to look out for today:

Groundhog day as the 147th round of Brexit negotiations – sorry, the ninth round – gets underway in Brussels, with the two sides still miles apart on the crunch issue of state aid subsidies, despite an apparently improved mood in the room. Michael Gove will kick things off in Brussels by discussing the withdrawal agreement. Meanwhile, fines for people refusing orders to self-isolate come in across England. And Lib Dem leader Ed Davey will give his big speech at the party’s virtual conference.

Daily briefing

LOCKDOWN 2.0? The government is said to be preparing to enforce a complete “social” lockdown in London and the north of England. Pubs and restaurants would be shut down again, initially for two weeks, and indoor interaction between households banned, according to The Times. This was the package of stronger measures presented to Boris Johnson last week, but apparently the PM felt we had to be softened up a bit first. A senior government source said: “The nation and party weren’t ready for us to go any further last week. Tougher measures will have to come though.” Michael Gove has emerged as the cabinet favour most strongly favour of listening to the scientists and imposing more restrictions. It seems Gove likes some experts, after all. Rishi Sunak remains firmly opposed to anything approaching another lockdown. The Mail on Sunday reported that Johnson put his plan on hold last week over fears his chancellor could quit.

REBEL ALLIANCE: Could the government to lose the power to impose Covid restrictions? Johnson faces definite defeat if opposition parties back Tory rebels on the amendment which would give parliament a say in shaping the rules, according to a leading backbencher. Asked if they had the numbers to defeat the government, MP Steve Baker said: “I’m certain at the moment.” Labour, the SNP and the Lib Dems are expected to back up to 50 Conservatives in a showdown vote on Wednesday. Labour is “very sympathetic” to the idea of boosting parliamentary scrutiny, shadow justice secretary David Lammy said. Would parties ever be able to agree on future lockdown measures? Lammy was in no mood to compromise on the handling of restrictions at universities, saying students had been “done over”. Labour said ministers should consider delaying the start of term, as well as boosting remote learning options – with thousands of students now isolating amid Covid outbreaks on campus.

TUNNEL VISION: Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove is in Brussels to meet his counterparts on the joint committee for the withdrawal agreement. It means the controversial internal market bill will be discussed before trade talks restart in earnest on Tuesday. Can a deal be forged despite the fuss? The FT reports that if a breakthrough can be made this week, the EU is hoping to head into the final negotiating “tunnel” before the EU leaders’ summit on 15 October. Too optimistic? The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) is desperately hoping it’s possible. CBI chief Dame Carolyn Fairbairn said a deal “can and must be made” – calling for “the spirit of compromise to shine through”. Only 4 per cent of British businesses told the organisation they would prefer a no-deal scenario. On Brexit, Ed Davey will tell the Lib Dem conference his party will “always be European” – but needs to move beyond the issue. “Too many people think we’re out of touch with what they want.”

RED FLAG FLYING HIGH: The Brexit issue does not seem to be troubling Keir Starmer at the moment. Labour is flying in the polls – three points ahead of the Tories on 42 per cent, according to the latest Opinium survey. It’s the first time the party has moved ahead of the Conservatives since Johnson entered No 10. The Lib Dems, incidentally, are languishing way down on 5 per cent. Room for a new political force? Lawrence Fox is said to have raised more than £1m for his new party – provisionally called “Reclaim”. He announced at the weekend Britain is in “desperate need” of a party to take on Britain’s evil lefty establishment. That would be the lefty establishment where ex-Mail mogul Paul Dacre has been lined up to lead Ofcom and former Telegraph editor Charles Moore is favourite to become chairman of the BBC. Culture secretary Oliver Dowden insisted no “appointments have been made” – but also said the government wants a “strong, big person who can hold the BBC to account”.

WE KNOW WHERE YOU LIVE: Today sees the introduction of new fines of up to £10,000 for anyone in England who isn’t self-isolating when they should. Police now have the power to carry out spot checks in areas where infection levels are high, as well as investigating reports by nosy neighbours who think they’ve spotted someone breaking the rules. Few are happy about the 10pm pub curfew rules. David Lammy said its introduction meant everyone was “bubbling out of pub” at exactly the same time, as he questioned the “science” behind the early closing time. Oliver Dowden insisted: “There is definitely science behind it … We are reducing the closing times to stop people staying later and drinking.” The science does not seem to apply to MPs – parliament’s bars are not subject to the 10pm curfew. Bars on the estate have a special exemption because they fall under the description of “a workplace canteen”. Very convenient.

MANY HAPPY RETURNS: The very big news from the US is the very small amount of tax Donald Trump appears to have been paying in recent years. He contributed just $750 (around £585!) in federal income tax both in 2016 and in his first year in the White House, according to The New York Times. Publishing key details from his returns, the newspaper alleged Trump paid no income taxes at all in 10 of the past 15 years – “largely because he reported losing much more money than he made”. Trump’s response? “Fake news,” he said. “Actually I paid tax … The IRS [Internal Revenue Service] does not treat me well … they treat me very badly.” Meanwhile the president claimed the Supreme Court would help him scrap Obama’s Affordable Care Act if he wins in November. “Obamacare will be replaced with a MUCH better, and FAR cheaper, alternative if it is terminated in the Supreme Court. Would be a big WIN for the USA!” he tweeted.

On the record

“How do people think that liberty dies? It dies like this, with government exercising draconian powers, without parliamentary scrutiny in advance.”

Tory MP Steve ‘Brexit hardman’ Baker is confident parliament will get a say.  

From the Twitterati

“Swiss voters have opted to retain freedom of movement by a thumping majority. For now at least, Brexit has helped strengthen integration across the rest of the continent.”

The BBC’s Lewis Goodall thinks the Swiss learned from our painful lesson…

“Brexit has turned the UK into a world-beating warning against letting racists grab the nation’s steering wheel.”

…and LBC’s James O’Brien thinks the world will learn from it.

Essential reading

Alastair Campbell, The Independent: Johnson’s disdain for local government is a big reason we’re in this mess

Andrew Grice, The Independent: What Starmer needs to do to really land some blows on Johnson

Kenan Malik, The Guardian: Where is the voice of the left as ‘libertarians’ annexe the Covid debate?

Sharyl Attkisson, The Hill: Trump is running circles around Biden

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