Priti Patel has been urged by Labour to step down while the Cabinet Office conducts an inquiry into bullying allegations levelled against her. It has emerged a former aide to Ms Patel received a £25,000 payout after allegedly being bullied by the minister in 2015.
It comes as Boris Johnson unveiled his 27-page “battle plan” to tackle the coronavirus – which estimates one-fifth of the workforce could be off sick at the peak of an epidemic. Health secretary Matt Hancock said he could not rule out “no-go zones” if the outbreak gets worse.
Elsewhere, a team of 100 British officials in Brussels were given a “rousing pep talk” by chief negotiator David Frost about delivering the PM’s Brexit manifesto pledge. The team were told to think of themselves as “equals” rather than be intimidated by the size of the EU.
Boris Johnson friend's 'luxury lifestyle' firm handed £1.4m of government money to help super-rich 'network' with officials
A firm run by a Boris Johnson’s tennis partner has been paid £1.4m of government cash to help officials “network” with some of the UK’s richest people, it has been revealed.
Labour has condemned the contract as “a blindingly obvious conflict of interest and a shocking waste of money” and demanded an investigation.
The money is being paid to Quintessentially, a “luxury lifestyle” company – co-founded by Ben Elliott, an Old Etonian friend of the prime minister – which charges well-heeled clients thousands of pounds to meet powerful people.
Majority of voters would prefer closer trade with EU over US
Some 51 per cent of Britons would prefer to have the EU as a closer trading partner than the US, according to a poll by YouGov.
Trade talks have begun with both Brussels and Washington ahead of the end of the Brexit transition period in 10 months time.
A trade deal with Donald Trump's administration is much prized by Brexiteers but the poll shows only 17 per cent of the public agreed, while 22 per cent did not know and 10 per cent had no preference.
The politics of lifting the ban on subsidies for wind turbines
There are political reasons behind the Tories’ change of heart over their much-derided ban on subsidies for onshore wind power. The Independent's Jon Stone explains.
BBC bosses face grilling by MPs
Senior BBC executives have been called to Parliament to answer questions about proposed cuts at the corporation, as well as planned changes to the licence fee.
Outgoing director-general Lord Tony Hall and chairman Sir David Clementi will give evidence to the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee next week.
The decision comes after a turbulent few months for the BBC during which it was announced that 450 jobs would be cut and Lord Hall said he would be standing down.
Committee chairman Julian Knight said: "The BBC has made headlines for the wrong reasons in recent months - axing hundreds of news posts, asking over-75s to pay up, and digging into budgets to settle equal pay claims.
"Unprecedented changes in how we watch and listen mean the broadcaster faces a fight for its future.
"We're concerned about the BBC's preparations to deal with these challenges, particularly when its director-general has decided to step down at such a critical time.
"The committee will be scrutinising the corporation's planning as a priority to ensure that the interests of licence fee payers are at its heart and will be holding its senior leadership to account."
'Labour needs a leader who’ll do what’s best, not what’s popular – and that’s Lisa Nandy'
Jess Phillips, a former leadership contender herself, has backed Lisa Nandy for Labour's top job.
She says: "The Wigan MP has clearly stated realistic priorities for the party and knows how to win the people’s trust too. I don’t agree with all she has said, but that looks like leadership to me."
Labour MP Hilary Benn challenged Matt Hancock on his remark that “reacting too early carries its own risk” when it comes to trying to control the coronavirus.
The health secretary explained there were two reasons he had said so. “The first is that there is an economic and social impact of disruption - if an action has no medical benefit then there is no need for that disruption.
“But the second is a medical risk which is that behavioural science and experience from previous similar such outbreaks shows that if you ask people to do things too early which are disruptive to their normal life then they may try to return to normal earlier than they otherwise would.”
Matt Hancock told the Commons earlier that “the kit needed to keep health workers safe” would be available “at the right moment, when it is needed”.
But Labour’s shadow education secretary Angela Rayner tweeted: “I think that moment has arrived Matt, get the kit to health workers NOW!”
Labour leadership hopeful Rebecca Long-Bailey has been talking about her love of the National Health Service, calling it the nation’s greatest institution and “also its most socialist”.
In a piece for the i newspaper, she wrote: “It plays such a central role in our national identity that if Bruce Springsteen were British, he would probably sing “born in the NHS”.
Long-Bailey said Britain should aspire to create a National Care Service providing free universal social care for older people.
“But creating such a service is highly complicated, so while we do it, we should immediately fund free personal care for older people, as an immediate first step,” she explained.
Britain’s sharp rises in the minimum wage have not resulted in jobs cuts or higher prices, new research has found.
Despite official forecasts at the policy’s announcement that it could lead to a reduction in jobs, the Low Pay Commission – the government’s own watchdog – said evidence over the last few years showed there had been “no such effect”.
The body found that employers tended to absorb higher costs from the increase in the pay floor “through a reduction in profits” and that inflation data “does not reveal significant effects” on prices.
The government has increased the minimum wage sharply since April 2016, raising it from £6.70 to £8.21 today.
UK's sharp rises in minimum wage did not hurt jobs or increase prices, government study finds
Extra costs mostly absorbed by companies through lower profitsA government special adviser who confronted Dominic Cummings over his “unkindness” towards ministerial aides has been removed from her post.
Lynn Davidson is gone from her post at the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and is leaving the government after she reportedly spoke out about the Cummings’ treatment of her colleagues at a meeting of so-called “spads” on 14 February.
No 10 is thought to have attempted to move Davidson to the health and education departments as part of a wider shake-up of media advisers – but she refused to leave her MoD role.
All the details here:
Number 10 sacks special adviser after she called Dominic Cummings 'unkind'
Former journalist's departure is latest in string of controversial changes to ministerial advisersMatt Hancock signalled people should not be concerned about shaking hands with each other, but stressed the importance of washing hands properly.
Replying to the SNP in the Commons, the health secretary said: “The medical advice on shaking hands is the impact of shaking hands is negligible - what really matters is washing your hands.
“So our public health advice will remain clear and based on that science, which is what matters more than anything else is that people wash their hands for 20 seconds or more using soap and preferably hot water. That is the core of the public health advice.”
Hancock reiterated people do not need to work from home at the moment, adding: “But we don’t rule out doing so in the future when that might be more effective clinically given the disruption that it could cause.”
Some people questioned remarks made by Boris Johnson earlier about shaking hands. Asked whether he would continue to shake hands with world leaders and various dignitaries, Johnson said he “shook hands with everybody” at a recent hospital visit.
“I’m shaking hands continually. I was at a hospital the other night where there were a few coronavirus patients and I shook hands with everybody. I continue to shake hands.”
Labour MP David Lammy was not impressed, saying the PM “boasted” about shaking hands with patients.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth has asked Matt Hancock whether the government has any plans to help workers stuck in the insecure “gig” economy who fall ill with the virus.
“Does he accept people should be forced to make a choice between their health and hardship?”
The Labour MP also makes the point those in receipt of benefits are asked to physically attend appointments, so may be penalised if they ”self-isolate” during the outbreak. “Can he guarantee no financial sanctions will be imposed?”
Hancock replied: “Those who do need to self-isolate for medical reasons to protect others – that counts as being of sick. They do not need to go to a GP, because there is a seven day allowance for self-declaration.”
“We keep all matters of this under review because broadly I agree with him on the principle he set out.”
Matt Hancock has told the Commons about the government’s action plan to deal with the coronavirus. Hancock said the threat “increasingly serious” but stressed the government and the health service are “well-prepared”.
He said: “The situation facing the country is increasingly serious. Globally and at home the number of cases continues to rise.”
Hancock added: “We prepare for the worst and work for the best,” he said – promising “any new laws” needed to control the spread would be brought forward “as and when required”.
Gig economy workers forced to stay home because of coronavirus will be told to claim universal credit to make up for their lost wages, in a move attacked as “outrageous”.
It would involve a wait of up to five weeks for payments to come through for staff – often on zero-hours contracts – with no sick pay, who suspect they have the disease.
The other option is to move onto employment and support allowance, but that requires claimants to have up to three years of National Insurance contributions.
More now on the London mayor’s challenge to challenge to the prime minister to hand over the power to introduce rent controls in the capital.
Khan said: “When I arrived at City Hall we inherited a terrible mess, the pipeline was empty because Boris Johnson only cared about building luxury flats for overseas investors. And the results scar London’s skyline today.”
The PM “didn’t care” about social or genuinely affordable housing and “ran roughshod” over communities in bulldozing estates, Khan added.
But his rival Shaun Bailey, the Conservative mayoral candidate, accused Khan of “chasing quick headlines” rather than “doing his day job”.
“This idea has failed around the world where it has been tried, leading to higher rents and longer waiting lists,” Bailey said.
Mark Carney has warned that the economic shock caused by coronavirus could “prove large”, but stressed it will ultimately be temporary.
The Bank of England’s outgoing boss told MPs on the Treasury Select Committee that policymakers stand ready to “act as appropriate” to support the British economy and financial system.
He said: “The Bank of England’s role is to help UK businesses and households manage through an economic shock that could prove large but will ultimately be temporary.
“The Bank will take all necessary steps to support the UK economy and financial system, consistent with its statutory responsibilities.”
He added that he has been holding a series of discussions with the Chancellor over the issue and said the Bank is ensuring “all necessary contingency plans are in place”.
Carney told the Committee that the Bank is considering a “variety of policy options” and added that chancellor Rishi Sunak is also looking at fiscal measures, while central banks across the globe are in contact over the issue.
Boris Johnson has revealed he plans to take paternity leave when his partner Carrie Symonds gives birth to their first child together – expected in the “early summer”.
The prime minister will be following in the footsteps of David Cameron, who took his statutory two weeks’ leave after the birth of daughter Florence in 2010.
It is expected foreign secretary Dominic Raab would stand in to take up the PM’s responsibilities during Johnson’s absence, though this was not immediately confirmed.
Asked during a No 10 press conference whether he planned to use his entitlement, Johnson said: “Almost certainly, yes.”
Boris Johnson plans to take paternity leave when partner Carrie Symonds gives birth
Dominic Raab could stand in to take over reins of power while prime minister is awayThe British Army is ready to support police in maintaining public order as part of government planning for the worst case scenario spread of coronavirus, Boris Johnson said at his press conference.
Asked about the possibility of drafting in the army if the police force is struck by staff shortages, Johnson said: “The army is of course always ready to backfill as and when but that is under a reasonable worst case scenario.”
Johnson said the country could “get through the coronavirus in good shape”.
On school closures, the PM said: “We don’t think school should be closing in principle. We think if possible schools should stay open.”
After briefly consulting the medial experts appearing alongside him, the PM appeared more certain. “Wash your hands is the important thing ... before you shake hands obviously.”
Boris Johnson is now answering questions on his coronavirus action plan. Asked whether all our lives would be disrupted by the virus, Johnson said it was “too early to say”.
Asked about the possibility one fifth of the workforce could be off work during the peak weeks of the period, and the implications for sick pay, the PM said: “We’re going to keep all options under review ... we’re well aware of the issue.”
The PM was also how the NHS would cope with millions potentially being hospitalised. “The NHS … is well capable of handling the most tremendous pressures, as knows,” he said.
Johnson also said that if it moved into the epidemic phase, “it would be important for everyone to think about … what we can do to avoid too much pressure on the NHS when it comes to using … services such as GPs or 111 – it will be quite important to be self-restraining where possible.”
