Inside Politics: No date for UK travel to US and only ‘27’ drivers apply to visa scheme

The US-UK “special relationship” is going through another rough patch over travel, with Washington still not able to firm-up a date for when vaccinated Britons can make a trip across the pond. Elsewhere, just 27 fuel tanker drivers have taken up the offer of a temporary visa to come and work here as the government seeks to end the supply chain and fuel crises. A slew of ministerial policy pledges are expected today as Tory conference continues, with Priti Patel and Dominic Raab among the big hitters to address attendees in Manchester.

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

The main event on the Conservative conference main stage is Priti Patel, the home secretary, at 11.30, although Dominic Raab, the justice secretary, will be worth keeping an eye on at 9.50 am, as may be Sajid Javid, the health secretary, at 4. On the fringe, Ben Houchen, mayor of Tees Valley is at Policy Exchange with Neil O’Brien, minister for levelling up at 10.30am. Nadine Dorries, the new culture secretary, is on at 2pm.

Coming up:

– PM on BBC Radio 4 Today at 8.10am

UK IN THE DARK: Planning a trip to the US soon? Don’t book just yet. Joe Biden’s administration has still not named a specific date for when double-jabbed Britons can make the journey across the pond. Last month, the White House said it would start accepting foreign nationals from early November. But with some four weeks to go, and with the Thanksgiving holiday fast approaching, the US Department for Transportation told The Independent it had no further information about exactly when the change will be implemented, leaving potentially thousands of UK national in limbo waiting to hear when they can visit family and friends in the US or take holidays in popular destinations like New York, Florida or California. Whitehall officials are also none the wiser about the changes. “Your guess is as good as mine,” one said when asked about the date. “They haven’t told us anything... The White House are in charge of the policy and it’s very difficult to work out what is going on.”

VISA SCHEME IN THE RED: The PM was happy to tug slightly on the “lever of immigration” last month as he sought to find an immediate solution to Britain’s chronic shortage of HGV drivers. Ministers announced an emergency visa scheme in an attempt to tempt foreign lorry drivers to the UK to help resolve supply chain issues and the petrol crisis. But those efforts appear to have been almost completely in vain, with reports this morning suggesting just 27 fuel tanker drivers have applied to the scheme. “People don’t want to come unless it is a really attractive alternative,” Rod McKenzie, director of policy at the Road Haulage Association, said in response to the news. “You don’t give up a well-paid job for a better-paid job if it will only last a few months.”

BACK TO WORK: Johnson doesn’t deliver his conference address until tomorrow but snippets continue to be briefed out to the media. Yesterday it was a pledge that all of the UK’s electricity will come from green sources by 2035. Today, reports suggest he will use his audience with the Tory Party faithful to urge Britons to get back to the office. A government source said Johnson “believes very strongly in the value of face-to-face working”, particularly for younger employees. This year, the government has stopped short of publicly encouraging workers back to the office, instead allowing employers to promote a “gradual return”. Official “work from home” Whitehall guidance was removed on 19 July - though many employees in the public and private sector are continuing to work remotely.

ELSEWHERE...At Tory conference Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, addressed delegates from the main stage and his comments feature heavily in today’s papers. He suggested that Britain will have to wait until after the next general election for tax cuts. Priti Patel, the home secretary, will today announce draconian new powers to stop climate activists travelling to protests and to allow police to search them for equipment such as glue, handcuffs or chains. The BBC may not exist in a decade’s time, the new culture secretary Nadine Dorries has suggested as she took aim at its “elitist” attitude and “lack of impartiality”. The cabinet minister claimed she did not want a war with the broadcaster, but said it would have to agree to changes before the government agrees to the next licence fee settlement from April 2022. “The perspective of the BBC is that they will get a settlement fee and then we will talk about how they are going to change,” Dorries told a Conservative Party conference fringe event. The minister added: “My perspective is, tell me how you are going to change and then you get the settlement fee.”

DODGY DONORS: The Conservative Party has been urged to return hundreds of thousands of pounds to a major political donor following claims he was involved in a telecoms corruption scandal. Mohamed Amersi’s name featured in the massive leak of financial documents known as the Pandora Papers, which allegedly tie world leaders to secret stores of wealth. “It’s really concerning that the Conservatives have accepted hundreds of thousands of pounds from a man who appears to be closely linked to one of Europe’s biggest corruption scandals,” said Labour chair Anneliese Dodds. “This is not the first time that Mohamed Amersi has been embroiled in controversy. The Conservatives should return the money he donated to them and come clean about who else is getting exclusive access to the prime minister and the chancellor in return for cash.”

“Our recovery comes with a cost. Our national debt is almost 100 per cent of GDP. So we need to fix our public finances. Because strong public finances don’t happen by accident. They are a deliberate choice. They are a legacy for future generations and a safeguard against future threats.”

Sunak hints there will be no tax cuts in the immediate future.

“Funny – I met him several times when he was director of policy planning at the Foreign Office and he seemed totally cool with EU membership. Enthusiastic even.”

Gideon Rachman of the Financial Times on Brexit minister Lord Frost’s ‘EU bad dream’ speech at Tory Party conference.