Boris Johnson news: Brexit deal ‘some way off’ one week ahead of PM’s deadline as Keir Starmer attacks Covid response

Johnson faces backlash over Tory conference ‘bluster’

Boris Johnson is facing business backlash after devoting his Conservative Party conference speech to a rose-tinted vision of the distant future.

Labour accused the PM of “bluster” after he largely ignored the immediate challenges of preventing job losses, while the CBI said the economic crisis showed why No 10 must agree a Brexit trade deal with the EU.

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more:

Tories spent £16m on election win

We now know exactly how much it cost the Conservatives to win the 2019 general election: £16,486,871. Or around £200,000 for every seat won.

The Electoral Commission have published a comprehensive breakdown of the party’s spending – including the £1.6m spent on Lynton Crosby’s firm CTF Partners. Another £700,000 was spent on the strategic advisory firm Hanbury Strategy.

Unite cuts Labour money – and says Starmer ‘not listening’

It seems Keir Starmer has not been left-wing enough for Unite. The union’s executive is cutting the affiliation money it gives to Labour by 10 per cent.  

The union, run by Jeremy Corbyn ally Len McCluskey, is angry about the party’s new direction – despite recent poll results, which suggest a growing number of people are warming to the party. Starmer and his team were “just not listening”, a union source told the BBC.  

McCluskey remains bitter about Labour’s decision to pay whistle-blowers who spoke to Panorama about antisemitism, describing it as “an absolute mistake”.

Senior Tory urges MPs to join campaign demanding ‘life as normal’

Top Tory rebel Steve Baker is urging fellow MPs to join a new campaign against the “irreparable damage” from Covid restrictions – demanding a return to “life as normal”.

Launched by academic the US, The Great Barrington Declaration calls instead for “focused protection” for high-risk people, while the majority are granted full freedoms “until we reach her immunity”.

Baker told The Independent it was “a credible plan B”, saying: “It may be that there won’t be a vaccine or, if it comes, it may not do what is hoped. In either case, we need a plan B and this is the only credible plan B, supported by a wide range of specialists in their subjects.”

It comes as 14 Tories voted against the “rule of six” and another dozen abstained, with a larger rebellion expected against the 10pm curfew, set for debate in the Commons next week.

Northern leaders demand control over Covid measures

Northern leaders are in revolt over the threat of tougher Covid-19 restrictions – which Boris Johnson is expected to announce within days. Surging infection rates – Manchester’s has doubled in a week to more than 500 cases per 100,000 people – are piling pressure on the PM to act.

But the leaders of Leeds, Liverpool, Manchester and Newcastle city councils have written to the government, arguing its strategy is failing and that they should be put in control.

“The existing restrictions are not working, confusing for the public and some, like the 10pm rule, are counter-productive,” the Labour politicians say.

No 10 is expected to bring in a simplified three-tier “traffic light” system for regional restrictions in the coming days.

New restrictions to be announced for Scotland  

It’s a very big day for Nicola Sturgeon, who is set to announce new coronavirus restrictions for Scots this afternoon in a statement to the Scottish parliament.

Scotland’s first minister has insisted the new measures would not amount to “another lockdown” – having already ruled out measures such as school closures and Scotland-wide travel restrictions.

However, there is speculation the SNP leader could shut down bars and restaurants on a temporary basis. Whatever she announces, the new measures are expected to begin this Friday.

Incidentally, a majority of MSPs at the Scottish parliament seem set to vote against granting legislative consent to the UK Internal Market Bill today – although this will not stop the UK government from pressing ahead with the law-breaking Brexit legislation.

Cabinet minister ‘deeply uncomfortable’ with Covid restrictions

Is the government considering a short “circuit breaker” lockdown?  Cabinet minister Liz Truss has declined to comment on whether the government could bring in a two-week shutdown, but said that all measures were kept under review.

“We’re not going to comment on what future plans could be,” she told Times Radio. “The whole point is we’re keeping this under review and we are making sure that we respond to what's happening on the ground.” 

Intriguingly, Truss said she was deeply uncomfortable with Covid restrictions. “I’m a freedom lover, I would not like to see these restrictions in place in normal circumstances.”

The trade secretary gave nothing away either about reported plans for a simplified “traffic light” system for regional restrictions across England. She told BBC’s Breakfast: “Of course our advisers will be looking at that and telling us what is the appropriate step to take next.”

Len McCluskey’s intervention: ‘Far-left games’? Or standing up for members?

Plenty of debate over Unite’s decision to cut money given to Labour by 10 per cent – and union boss Len McCluskey’s warning to Keir Starmer not to move away from the left.

“Len McCluskey maintains his one-man crusade to ensure perpetual Tory government – what a guy,” tweeted Mike Buckley, head of Labour for a European Future.

Former Labour minister Andrew Adonis claims Ernest Bevin “would have been appalled at the far-left games being played by Len McCluskey while the country goes through this Johnson and Cummings crisis”.

But Labour activist James Foster retorted: “It’s good to see someone listening to their members, Len McClusky. Well done.”

‘Basic’ Brexit trade deal now ‘best-case scenario’, says Irish minister

Ireland’s foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney has had some interesting things to say about Brexit this morning. He said a permanent agreement was not possible this year, but the two sides might still agree a basic trade deal.

“It’s clear that the best-case scenario is to get a basic trade deal, but that would be a significant achievement,” said Coveney, who said there was more optimism than a few weeks ago.

“There are two obstacles to get that. When the agreement was made, the ambition from both sides was to have a very comprehensive partnership agreement that involved lots of things, including trade on a level playing field.

“It’s quite clear that we are not getting a permanent agreement on those areas … The focus is on that and to get a basic trade deal, but there are two big obstacles and one around the level playing field provisions.”

Coveney said the second barrier is around fishing. “You will hear a lot about fishing in the weeks ahead,” he said. “The position on fishing has hardened on both sides. I don’t believe the EU will finalise a future agreement on trade without fishing. These are two very real problems.”

UK may need ‘circuit breaker’ lockdown, says Sage scientist

A “circuit breaker” period of tightened restrictions across the UK should be considered to help control the spread of Covid, one of the No 10’s scientific advisors has said.

Making it clear he was speaking in a personal capacity, Calum Semple, from the University of Liverpool, told the BBC that the measure “would have been a really good idea” a couple of weeks ago.

“It’s always easier to reduce an outbreak at the earlier stage than to let it run and then try to reduce it at a later stage,” the Sage member said. “So, yes, circuit breakers are certainly something we should be thinking about on a national basis.”