Inside Politics: ‘Hopeless’ Hancock set to stay despite Cummings’ claims

Ready for another round of Love Island? Show veterans are urging viewers to “be kind” to the next batch of contestants, after ITV announced a new series will start a week on Monday. The reality show at Westminster remains anything but kind. Matt Hancock has been forced to deny he’s “f****** hopeless” after Dominic Cummings revealed Boris Johnson’s cruel assessment of his health secretary. Cummings also claimed the PM wants to quit after the next general election so he can “make money and have fun”. Maybe Boris could have a bash at reality TV?

Inside the bubble

Policy correspondent Jon Stone on what to look out for today:

International trade secretary Liz Truss will be making a statement to MPs today – her big opportunity to bang the table for the UK-Australia deal. Expect MPs representing farming communities to raise concerns about unfair competition. Some may also question whether the deal has really been done at all, given the lack of detail.

Daily briefing

HOPELESS SPRINGS ETERNAL: Matt Hancock doesn’t think he’s “hopeless”. He’s not certain. But he’s fairly sure he isn’t. Boris Johnson branded Hancock “totally f*****g hopeless” last March because of Covid testing problems, according to a text message shared by Dominic Cummings on Twitter. Cummings published screenshots of several of the PM’s messages as he launched another attack against his least favourite minister. One showed the PM called Hancock’s handling of PPE “a disaster” and considered handing some extra responsibilities to Michael Gove. Asked if he was hopeless by Sky News, Hancock replied: “I don’t think so.” Cummings also suggested Johnson would quit in 2025 or 2026. “Unlike other PMs, this one has a clear plan to leave at the latest a couple of years after the next election – he wants to make money and have fun.” It appears the health and social care committee isn’t all that interested in Cummings’ new claims. “Today’s new tweets show the PM’s total frustration but do not prove anyone ‘lied’,” said chair Jeremy Hunt. And No 10 made clear Hancock would be staying on.

OPEN GOAL MISSED: England’s lockdown curbs will be extended for another month after MPs supported the government by 461 to 60. There was a big Tory revolt (51 MPs), but Labour backed the delay “with a heavy heart”. Furious rebels got to vent their spleen in the Commons. Richard Drax, Tory MP for South Dorset, said the nation was now “muzzled, acquiescent and fearful”. Mark Harper, chair of the Covid Recovery Group, added: “My worry is … in four weeks’ time we’re just going to be back here all over again.” Keir Starmer told Boris Johnson at PMQs that his “indecision” over the border curbs was to blame for the rise of the Delta variant, and the need for another delay. But the Twitterati attacked Starmer for failing to bring up the “hopeless” Hancock stuff. Some Labour MPs weren’t happy either. One told The Times: “I get the news broke late, but you have to be quick and think on your feet: there was a lovely open goal there.”

BUCKING THE TREND: Could the Lib Dems stage an upset at the by-election in Buckinghamshire today? As voters in the Chesham and Amersham prepare to go to the polls, one party analyst said they were quietly “confident” of sneaking a win. Lib Dem polling figures shared by City AMput the party on 41 per cent and the Tories only narrowly ahead on 45 per cent. It’s been a safe Tory seat since 1974 and the party has regularly enjoyed 10,000-plus majorities. But Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said there’s been real “anger” over the Conservatives’ planning proposals. “Our campaigning on planning has taken off here,” Davey said. The HS2 rail project – which rips right through the constituency’s Chiltern Hills – has also damaged the Tories. Aid budget cuts may be less of a hot button issue for traditional Tory voters, but there is a fresh warning on the damaging impact. The World Health Organisation said the UK’s plans will cost lives, with nearly 280 million tablets set to expire.

CRISIS? WHAT CRISIS? It looks like another political crisis in Northern Ireland has been resolved – and with several days to spare before a crucial deadline too. How unusual. Both Sinn Fein and the DUP are expected to finally nominate first and deputy first ministers later today, after NI secretary Brandon Lewis held urgent meetings in Belfast last night. Lewis said the UK government would legislate for the Irish Language Act – which would give Irish language equal status to English – if the NI executive fails to do so by the end of September. The Sinn Fein side is delighted. “I am happy to confirm that Sinn Fein will nominate Michelle O’Neill as deputy first minister,” said party boss Mary Lou McDonald. The DUP side is not happy at all. Senior figures skulked off from the Lewis meeting without talking to the media. Boris Johnson suggested politicians in province were behaving like naughty children. The PM said it was time for a “mature executive”.

HOLIDAY? IT WOULD BE SO NICE: Summer holidays abroad could be back on again for fully vaccinated Britons. Ministers are mulling a plan to let those with two doses visit countries on the amber travel list without quarantining when they return, according to The Telegraph. Even Matt Hancock, who has been against relaxation of border restrictions, is thought to be “open” to the change. Meanwhile, a leaked memo indicates the government is planning to stick with work-from-home instructions beyond the new 19 July. This morning’s editorial in The Mail is furious that office staff could be given a “default” right to work from home – claiming it will “crush” our nation’s enterprise. Elsewhere, it looks like the government has gone off the idea of vaccinating 12 to 17-year-old children. “There just isn’t the value in it,” a source on the JCVI advisory group told The Times. “They are very clear they don’t think it’s appropriate.”

STORMY WEATHER: Joe Biden and Vladimir Putin ended talks nearly two hours early at the big summit in Geneva – suggesting their stormy relationship is likely to persist. The US and Russia agreed to return ambassadors after they were withdrawn earlier this year, but there were no other concrete deals. “I did what I came to do,” said Biden. “I told President Putin my agenda is not against Russia ... it’s for the American people.” Biden said Putin “knows I will take action” if there is Russian interference in US elections – but he struggled to convince anyone there was anything he could do to clip Putin’s wings. The US president spoke vaguely of “devastating” damage to Russia’s reputation if Alexei Navalny were to die. But Putin really doesn’t care about reputational damage. He scoffed and said he was just trying to avoid the “disorder” seen in the US with the Black Lives Matter movement.

On the record

“We all want our economy to be open, for businesses to thrive – but the prime minister’s indecision at the borders has blown it.”

Keir Starmer blames Boris Johnson for rise in variant cases.

From the Twitterati

“Boris Johnson calling the health secretary “totally f****** hopeless” seems so at odds with the Matt Hancock we are familiar with.”

Dave MacLadd is shocked – shocked – at the idea of Hancock’s incompetence…

“Boris Johnson: Matt Hancock is f****** hopeless. Also Boris Johnson: Please continue to be in charge of keeping everyone not dead, Matt Hancock.”

…and James Felton is genuinely stunned he’s still health secretary.

Essential reading

Andrew Grice, The Independent: Cummings’ disclosures are as embarrassing for Johnson as Hancock

Vince Cable, The Independent: England’s players are performing a valuable service by taking the knee

Rafael Behr, The Guardian: Britain is still drunk on Brexit spirit, and Boris Johnson won’t call time

Isabel Hardman, The Spectator: Rishi Sunak says he’s a fiscal Conservative – unlike Boris Johnson

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