Inside Politics: Liz Truss accused of ‘shirking’ Brexit responsibilities

Look hard enough and you’ll see what you want to see. The Meghan and Harry pregnancy announcement photo has been picked apart for “tree of life” symbolism, similarities to Notting Hill and the possibility the Duke has a bunion deformity. Pundits are reading the runes on Boris Johnson’s latest remarks – interpreting his hopes for an “irreversible” lifting of lockdown as a coded message to Tory MPs to be patient. Some are wondering when we’ll get any messages at all on Brexit. One minister in particular stands accused of maintaining a mysterious silence on trade problems.

Inside the bubble

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

MPs on the digital and culture select committee are holding an emergency session and have summoned culture minister Caroline Dinenage to explain her department’s failure to reach an agreement with the EU on visa-free music tours. Meanwhile education secretary Gavin Williamson will launch the next strike in the culture war, setting out a defence of academic freedom in higher education.

Daily briefing

LAST GOODBYE: Boris Johnson, hoping to placate frustrated Tory backbenchers, has said he wants this to be “the last” lockdown. “We want progress to be cautious and irreversible,” he said on the gradual easing ahead. How gradual? In one hint nothing too dramatic would happen in April, the PM said families should rule out “getaways at Easter”. Johnson also confirmed vaccine passports were “in the mix” of consideration for travel – but not as proof of immunity for going out to pubs or other venues. He said rapid lateral flow tests would play a big part in opening up theatres and nightclubs. The Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation meets today to talk about the order of priority once the rollout gets to the under-50s. Age and ethnicity are set to be targeted, according to The Telegraph. Apparently organising by occupation has been deemed too complicated. NHS boss Sir Simon Stevens admitted there is real concern about “hesitancy on the part of some black and South Asian communities” to get the jab, and will be a big focus for the health service.

MISSING IN ACTION: MPs have noticed trade secretary Liz Truss is nowhere to be seen on Brexit, despite the mountain of trade difficulties. In a joint-letter sent to her department, six opposition parties accused the minister of trying to “shirk responsibility”. They say Truss – popular among Tories for the rollover deals forged with countries outside the EU – has been transferring enquiries about trade woes onto other departments. “Are you really prepared to tell the UK fishing industry that you are only interested in the 30 per cent of their exports which go outside the EU?” the letter asks. It comes as Britain’s top actors launch a campaign urging ministers to renegotiate visa rules with the EU. Sir Ian McKellen, Julie Walters and Celia Imrie have signed a letter from Equity complaining about the “towering hurdle” of paperwork actors face. One third of Equity members say they’ve seen ad for roles asking for EU passport holders only.

SHOULDER TO SHY FROM: Labour has pointed to “fatal flaws” in the government’s hotel quarantine policy, following widespread reports of higher-risk passengers being able to mix with travellers from non-red list countries upon arrival in England. “We were all in the same queue, shoulder to shoulder,” said one passenger. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds said the current format was “bound to be ineffective” in a letter to Priti Patel – who had nothing to say about mingling on the chaotic first day of the scheme. It was left to Downing Street to defend the arrangements. The PM’s spokesman stressed everyone would had to have had a negative test before boarding flights, and claimed there were separate processes for passengers arriving from red list countries. Nicola Sturgeon said she wouldn’t “rule out” closing Scotland’s border to England if No 10 doesn’t adopt stricter travel rules.

LITTLE HELP FROM MY FRIENDS? Dominic Cummings has denied pushing for a government contract to be given to his friends after accusations of “bias” in the decision to offer £500m worth of work to the company Public First. The Good Law Project has claimed the company – run by associates of Cummings and Michael Gove – was offered the contract to craft health messages because that was what the former No 10 adviser had wanted. Cummings admitted he was the “driving decision maker” at a judicial review court hearing – but not to any bias. “I did not request Public First be brought in because they were my friends,” said Cummings. Labour wants urgent action to tackle alleged cronyism. “Today’s findings are troubling and unsurprising, and a perfect example of how this government believes it is one rule for them another for the rest of us,” said Rachel Reeves, shadow Cabinet Office minister. “This cronyism must stop.”

BUBBLE AND STRIFE: Nicola Sturgeon will reveal today whether more pupils will return to Scottish schools from next week. Scotland’s first minister is “very keen” to start the phased return of younger pupils, and reports suggest children aged four to seven could be back in primary class bubbles soon. Sturgeon was expected to appear at the Alex Salmond inquiry this morning – but the evidence session has been was pushed back yet again (the fourth time!). The Holyrood committee is still deliberating over evidence that Salmond wants to submit, after a senior judge Lady Dorrian amended a court order on the former SNP boss’s claims and how much could be reported. Shifting now from the civil war in Edinburgh to internal strife in Brussels, the influential MEP Guy Verhofstadt has accused EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen of a “diplomatic disaster”. He said the threat to trigger the protocol over vaccines had “destroyed in a few seconds the seriousness of the negotiations with the UK for more than three years”.

BLAME GAME: So it was all Nancy’s fault. As usual. Four House Republicans who supported Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the election results suggested that the House Speaker Nancy Pelosi was partly to blame for security failures during the insurrection at the US Capitol building. “Clearly, these members are trying to deflect responsibility for the Capitol attack from Donald Trump,” said a spokesperson for the top Democrat. It comes as Speaker Pelosi announced plans to form an independent commission to “investigate and report on the facts and causes” surrounding the attack on the Capitol and the “interference with the peaceful transfer of power” during the joint session of Congress to certify election results on 6 January. “We must get to the truth of how this happened,” she said on the “9/11-type” commission.

On the record

“We want this lockdown to be the last. And we want progress to be cautious but also irreversible.”

Boris Johnson on his hopes for a lifting that lasts.

From the Twitterati

“The relentless reports of Tories handing out public money without tender to their “mates” in the pandemic are sickening. It suggests grubby cronyism worthy of unscrupulous politicians and officials in a Banana Republic. We can’t let them off the hook.”

David Lammy offers a few thoughts after details of the Cummings-linked contract emerged…

“This stinks.”

…while The Mirror’s Kevin Maguire sums it up in two words.

Essential reading

Andrew Grice, The Independent: Boris Johnson is desperate to avoid a rebellion by Tory MPs

Sean O’Grady, The Independent: Sturgeon-Salmond row is hardly endorsement for independence

Emily Thornberry, New Statesman: We must end the scandal of secretive UK arms sales

David Remnick, The New Yorker: History will find Trump guilty

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