Brexit news - live: Trade issues not ‘teething problem’, warns Cameron as PM branded ‘unrepentant liar’

Morning, and welcome to The Independent’s live UK politics coverage.

Arlene Foster has described EU officials as “tone deaf” following a meeting yesterday on the Northern Ireland protocol.

The country’s first minister said the discussions were “hugely disappointing”, adding that the bloc has “refused to recognise the problems or offer any sensible solutions” to post-Brexit trade disruption.

She also repeated her calls for Westminster “to act unilaterally” so that Northern Ireland does not remain “cut off” from the rest of the UK.

“The prime minister told the House of Commons that there would be unfettered trade within the United Kingdom, yet the Northern Ireland protocol has completely ruptured the flow of goods from Great Britain to Northern Ireland,” she said.

Nicola Sturgeon has insisted it is “downright wrong” to blame political influence for the decision to censor evidence submitted by her predecessor Alex Salmond to a Holyrood inquiry.

As a result of the censorship, Mr Salmond refused to appear before the inquiry on Wednesday.

He alleges that a “malicious and concerted” attempt was made to bar him from political life through claims of sexual harrassment.

The inquiry by the Committee on the Scottish Government’s Handling of Harrassment Complaints started after it was found that allegations against Mr Salmond had been “tainted by apparent bias”.

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more details about the scandal convulsing Scottish politics:

Ministers must be truthful with the public about the state of the economy, the former chancellor Philip Hammond has warned.

Speaking ahead of next week’s Budget, Mr Hammond expressed his fear that the government would prioritise popularity over trying to balance spending and taxation.

He told the BBC that his concern was“that as a populist government, giving money away is always easier than collecting it in”.

Lord Hammond described Boris Johnson’s pledges before the pandemic as “very extravagant” and said not all of them “can now sensibly be delivered”.

The former minister said admitting this would be “a big challenge” for a government that is obsessed by its “short-term popularity”.

It is not only the DUP that wants the Northern Ireland protocol to be ditched.

Tory backbenchers in the ERG are calling on Boris Johnson to abandon the current arrangements over the Irish Sea.

Adam Forrest has more on this as part of his daily politics round-up:

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has become the first member of cabinet to receive a coronavirus vaccine.

The 52-year-old MP was eligible for the jab because he was classed as clinically vulnerable, since he underwent cancer treatment in the 1990s.

The minister he was “so surprised” to get a call from his GP offering him the vaccine that he “called back and checked they got it right”.

Joanna Taylor reports:

Councils should have the power to repurpose empty shops in order to revive the country’s high streets, Labour will say on Thursday.

Ahead of her speech today, the shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said Labour wanted to “secure the future of the high street” and give communities a “proper stake” in their town centres.

She added that her party would address the “decade of decline in Britain’s high streets” caused by successive Tory governments.

The proposed “empty shops order” would allow councils to work with the owners of empty shops to bring them back into use.

However, if this approach was not successful, the council could secure management rights and proceed without the permission of the owner.

Education secretary Gavin Williamson has said he “trusts the judgement of teachers”, despite concerns that a new government grading system could undermine school qualifications.

Later this morning, Mr Williamson is expected to tell the Commons that teachers will give their students grades in lieu of exams this summer.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has the details:

Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond believes there was a “conspiracy” to prevent his return to politics.

SNP MSP Alex Neil, an ally of Mr Salmond’s, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “everyone involved” would have to resign if the allegation was proven.

The European Research Group (ERG) has demanded that the Northern Ireland protocol be scrapped, saying the UK government should act in the interests of Stormont.

The group of hardline Brexiteers has released a 38-page report on the issue.

Here are its conclusions: