Downing Street has confirmed social care workers would not be able to take advantage of the new NHS visa, as home secretary Priti Patel sets out the government’s post-Brexit points-based immigration system.
The GMB trade union said the exclusion was an “embarrassing shambles” and accused the government of making “no acknowledgement of the vital job care workers have been doing” during the coronavirus crisis.
It comes as the government launches an ad campaign, warning of higher travel costs at the end of the Brexit transition period. Boris Johnson said people should “get ready” for new “opportunities”, but the European Movement group said the rhetoric was “what Orwell called Newspeak”.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of events at Westminster and beyond.
More than 100 local Covid outbreaks a week, says Hancock
More than 100 outbreaks of coronavirus are being “swiftly and silently” dealt with by local authorities around the country every week, Matt Hancock has said.
The health secretary pledged to “hunt down the virus” with “more targeted local action” – and said door-to-door testing would increasingly be used to control clusters.
His comments come amid fears of a substantial localised outbreak on a farm in Herefordshire, where up to 200 seasonal workers housed in mobile homes and employed by A S Green and Co have been told to self-isolate.
Food and other essential supplies are being delivered to the farm by the local council, supported by Public Health England – while police were seen guarding the exits.
The government has also identified a list of 20 councils facing the worst local outbreaks, with Bradford, Sheffield and Kirklees identified as needing “enhanced support” according to an internal document reported by The Observer newspaper.
More than 100 coronavirus outbreaks a week across UK, Matt Hancock says
Seasonal workers locked down in farm as 'targeted action' pledgedNew Brexit ad blitz will warn of risks
The British public will be warned about the risks from higher travel insurance, higher roaming charges and border complications for traders when the transition period ends – as a new government information campaign is launched.
Ministers have chosen the slogan “The UK’s new start: let’s get going” for the adverts that will run on television, radio and the internet, as well as in text messages to be sent out.
A strapline reading “Check, Change, Go” will direct people and businesses to a website for detailed advice on steps to take – with full departure from the EU looming on 31 December.
Ed Davey, the acting Lib Dem leader said firms would greet the advice with “utter horror” considering the coronavirus fall-out – while the head of the pro-EU European Movement described rhetoric of “opportunity” in the campaign as “what George Orwell called Newspeak”.
'New start': Brexit information campaign warns Britons of risks as full departure looms
Talk of ‘opportunity’ likened to Orwell-style ‘Newspeak’ – as advice highlights perils from new travel rules, bigger phone bills and border chaosUK selling spyware and wiretaps to 17 regimes
The British government is providing more than a dozen repressive regimes around the world with wiretaps, spyware and other telecommunications interception equipment they could use to spy on dissidents, public records show.
Despite rules saying the UK should not export security goods to countries that might use them for internal repression, ministers have signed off more than £75m in such exports over the past five years to states rated “not free” by the NGO Freedom House.
The 17 countries include China, Saudi Arabia and Bahrain, as well as the United Arab Emirates, which was the biggest recipient of licences totalling £11.5m alone since 2015.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has the details:
UK selling spyware and wiretaps to 17 repressive regimes including Saudi Arabia and China
Exclusive: Government urged to explain £75m exports to countries rated ‘not free’Foreign criminals jailed for more than a year ‘to be banned from entering UK’
Home secretary Priti Patel is set to announce a ban on foreign criminals sentenced to more than a year in jail from entering Britain when she outlines new immigration rules.
Ministers will be given powers to exclude or deport foreign criminals who have received prison sentences of more than a year, The Daily Telegraph reported.
Patel is set to unveil details on Monday of how the UK’s points-based immigration system – which will come into effect on January 1 after freedom of movement ends – will operate.
Both EU and non-EU migrants will have to earn 70 points to become eligible to work in the UK, with 50 points coming from a skilled job offer and English language requirement.
The home secretary is expected to unveil a new “health and care visa” for foreign workers as part of the new immigration rules – having previously said it would be offered to NHS professionals only. Details are scarce, but the special visas come with fast-track, cut-price permission to take up job offers.
Foreign criminals jailed for more than a year ‘to be banned from entering UK’
Priti Patel to announce details of points-based migration system which will replace freedom of movement from 1 JanuaryMinisters accused of building ‘pointless lorry park in Kent’
The government has been accused of building a “pointless lorry park in Kent”, after announcing a whopping £705m for carrying out post-Brexit trade checks.
Work begins today on a massive site for lorries just outside Ashford, after the government reportedly bought 27 acres of land there.
Michael Gove said it was not “the intention” for the new clearance centre to become a parking spot for trucks delayed at Dover and other ports.
Instead, he insisted the cash would “create the smart infrastructure that, in Kent and elsewhere, will allow the trade to flow”.
But Peter Ricketts, a former national security adviser, protested: “This is all so pointless. We are creating a vast customs bureaucracy, with costs passed on to the consumer.”
And Labour’s Rachel Reeves said, of Boris Johnson’s recent investment promises: “I thought that was going to mean hospitals, railways and new schools around the country – not investment in a new lorry park in Kent.”
Ministers accused of building 'pointless lorry park in Kent' after announcing £700m for post-Brexit trade checks
'This is all so pointless. We are creating a vast customs bureaucracy, with costs passed on to the consumer'‘Very sensible’ to wear masks in small shops, justice secretary says
Justice secretary Robert Buckland has said he wears a face covering inside small shops and carries one with him, amid growing pressure on the government to make their use mandatory.
When asked on BBC Breakfast, Buckland said: “Yes I do, I carry one with me. I think outside is one thing, with social distancing, but a small shop I think is a very sensible place to wear a covering, and it protects people working in the shop, and also anybody else who you might come into contact with.”
The minister also said he thought it would be “absolutely sensible” to wear a mask in a busy supermarket but insisted people had the “good sense” to make their own judgement on the issue.
Despite Boris Johnson’s recent suggestion the government could get “stricter”, Michael Gove said he didn’t think face coverings should be compulsory in shops in England, saying on Sunday that it was a matter best left to common sense and “good manners”.
Modern-day slavery in ‘every town and city in Britain’, says minister
Justice secretary Robert Buckland said it will take a “long time” to tackle the abuse of modern slavery which exists in “every town and city” in the UK.
It comes as Tory MP Andrew Bridgen said he believes as many as 10,000 people could be working in slave-like conditions in textile factories in Leicester.
Buckland told Sky News: “A light has now been shone on an appalling litany of abuse and I’m glad to hear that the National Crime Agency (NCA) is now conducting an investigation, it’s got a lot of power to bring in various agencies to start the work of an investigation into this.
“Modern-day slavery is all around us, it’s in every town and city in Britain and indeed in our rural areas as well, it takes many forms.
“This type of exploitation, people being paid well below under the minimum wage, having to work in unacceptable conditions, that sort of abuse has to be stamped out, it has to be examined, we have to follow the evidence and prosecute wherever possible.”
He added: “What has happened with modern slavery is that we’ve legislated on it, we’ve improved the response of the agencies and the authorities to it, but now it’s up to all of us in our communities to identify it, call it out and to do everything we can to stamp it out.
“This is not a job that’s going to take weeks, it’s going to take a long time but I welcome the investigation.”
Will take more than 10 years to remove Huawei from network, says BT boss
The boss of BT has warned that it would be “impossible” to strip Huawei products out of the UK’s telecommunications network within the next decade.
He also warned of “outages” and possible security risks if the sector was told to curtail all business with the Chinese tech giant during the building of the 5G network upgrade.
It follows suggestions a decision is due to be made public by culture secretary Oliver Dowden on Tuesday over the future of Huawei in the UK.
Philip Jansen, chief executive of BT, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “Huawei has been in the telecoms infrastructure for about 20 years and a big supplier to BT and many others in the UK telecoms industry.
“It is all about timing and balance. So if you want to have no Huawei in the whole of the telecoms infrastructure across the whole of the UK, I think that’s impossible to do in under 10 years.”
The industry would want to be given a seven-year window to rip out Huawei from the fledging 5G network but Jansen said “we could probably do it in five”.
|He added: “If we get in a situation where things need to go very fast, then we go into a situation where service for 24 million BT Group mobile customers is put into question - outages would be possible.”
‘Full-scale assault on devolution’
Scotland’s first minister Nicola Sturgeon has tweeted a link to an FT report suggesting Boris Johnson is “setting up a clash with Scotland and Wales over control of state aid”.
She wrote: “Make no mistake, this would be a full-scale assault on devolution – a blatant move to erode the powers of the Scottish Parliament in key areas. If the Tories want to further boost support for independence, this is the way to do it.”
National security comes first when it comes to Huawei, says minister
Justice secretary Robert Buckland said he “noted” the concerns raised by BT in removing Huawei from the telecommunications network.
He told the BBC: “I think the National Security Council will be making a carefully informed assessment of the situation and an announcement will be made as soon as practical.
“Clearly there are massive practical considerations here and the interchange between 4G and 5G needs to be understood. Of course, a lot of the equipment we have was expected to have a fairly long life.”
Buckland also said national security must be put “first” when considering Huawei’s involvement in the UK’s communications network.
“I think what we have to do as a government is maintain that balance - we want to race ahead and have the best form of internet connectivity that we can because it means this country is more competitive economically and it brings greater quality of life to our citizens.
“But, at the same time, national security comes first and I know the NSC (National Security Council) and the whole of government will be placing a huge priority on our national security.”
Days left to prevent ‘wave of evictions and homelessness’
Just days are left to pass a new law to prevent “a wave of evictions and homelessness” from the impact of the coronavirus crisis, Labour has warned.
Ministers are accused of ignoring the threat facing renters, when a temporary ban on kicking them out lapses next month – even as second home owners and landlords are given new tax breaks.
Labour also pointed to the “broken promise” of a permanent ban on no-fault evictions, seven months after it was made in Boris Johnson’s post-election Queen’s Speech.
A survey by the charity Shelter found 230,000 renters are at risk of eviction, while the generation Rent group said 45,000 are at risk of homelessness this autumn.
Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more details:
Just days left to prevent 'wave of evictions and homelessness', Labour warns
Ministers also accused of ‘broken promise’ over permanent no-fault evictions ban – with no sign of measure, seven months after pledge made‘The passport office has been in complete disarray’
Our very own travel correspondent Simon Calder has been on Sky News, helpfully explaining some of the potential problems facing British travellers from the start of next year.
Calder says his own passport is valid until February 2023. “But from the 1 January Europe will regard it as only being valid until May 2022 because that’s 10 years after it was issued.”
“The big problem for a lot of people is that the passport office has been in complete disarray because of the coronavirus crisis, and already there is the most almighty backlog of applications … If you don’t need to renew your passport just yet, please don’t.”
Government urged to give ‘firm direction’ on face mask in shops
James Daunt, managing director of Waterstones book stores, said asking customers to wear a mask is a “reasonable measure” and called on the government to give “firm direction”.
But the book shop boss said “shop workers should not be the police” of people wearing masks in stores, adding: “That would not be right.”
He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There will be a tiny, tiny minority of people who will be confrontational over it and it is not the position of shop workers to enter into that situation.”
It comes as both public health experts and retail chiefs urge the government to look again at making face masks mandatory in shops to encourage people to make a safe return to the high street.
Jon Stone has more details.
Experts urge government to make face masks mandatory in shops as ministers resist changing rules
Government criticised for 'confusing' messaging after Michael Gove says masks not compulsorySalons and tattoo shops to reopen in England, as Scotland and Wales ease restrictions
A reminder of the lockdown changes coming into play today. Beauty salons, nail bars and tattoo shops are to reopen for the first time since March in England.
Spas, massage studios and physical therapy businesses have been allowed to welcome customers again but will be required to follow coronavirus guidelines, with restrictions on treatments which involve work directly in front of a customer’s face.
Government guidance has stated that face waxing, eyelash treatments, make-up application and facials should not be provided because of the greater risk of Covid-19 transmission.
Meanwhile in Scotland, hospitals will reopen to visitors, children will be allowed to play contact sports outdoors and shopping centres will welcome back customers on Monday.
In Wales, pubs, bars and restaurants can now serve customers outdoors and hairdressers can also reopen.
Freeport plan: Green light for ‘micro tax havens’?
Reports suggests chancellor Rishi Sunak chancellor is preparing to open the bidding for towns and cities hoping to get post-Brexit “freeports” – special zones free of UK taxes and tariffs – in his autumn Budget.
Yet they won’t be “fully operational” until at least 18 months after the transition period, according to The Telegraph.
Not everyone is bowled over by the idea. The campaign group Tax Justice UK has told the Financial Times freeports could create “micro tax havens”, with potential for both tax avoidance and money laundering.
Migrant crossings high daily high
On the day Priti Patel announced a “new operational approach” to dealing with small boat crossings, a record number of migrants made it to the UK.
At least 180 migrants were able to cross the English Channel to the UK on Sunday – a new single-day record. They were among more than 380 migrants who attempted the crossing on Sunday, the Home Office confirmed on Monday morning.
More than 200 migrants were intercepted by French authorities and prevented from reaching the UK. Patel and French interior minister Gerald Darmanin have agreed to create a Franco-British “intelligence cell” to deal with the issue.
We’re expecting Patel to announce new details about the planned, post-Brexit immigration system in the Commons later.
UK frontline worker death rate second highest in the world, report finds
At least 540 health and social care workers having died from Covid-19 in England and Wales alone, according to a new report by Amnesty International.
The organisation has found that the UK is second only to Russia, which has recorded 545 health worker deaths.
Kate Allen, Amnesty International UK’s director, said: “There appears to have been a catastrophic failure to provide proper PPE and a failure to grapple with the alarmingly high death rates among Bame health workers.
“This crisis is far from over and an independent inquiry into the government’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic is urgently needed.”
Frontline worker coronavirus death rate in UK second highest among 79 countries, report shows
At least 540 staff have died in England and Wales, Amnesty International saysOnly 25 per cent businesses ready for end of transition period, survey finds
Only a quarter of business leaders say their companies are fully ready for the end of the transition period, in a new survey from the Institute of Directors (IoD) published today.
IoD chief Jonathan Geldart said: “With so much going on, many directors feel that preparing for Brexit proper is like trying to hit a moving target. Jumping immediately into whatever comes next would be a nightmare for many businesses.”
Naomi Smith, chief executive of the Best for Britain group campaigning for a comprehensive trade deal with the EU, said the government’s £93m ad campaign drive would not be enough to prepare businesses.
“Having chosen to end our existing trading relationship with the EU under such a tight timetable, it’s little wonder the government feels the need to launch a public information blitz,” she said.
“We’ve had two information campaigns before this one, costing the taxpayer millions. But the main worry is that neither businesses nor public sector bodies have enough time to make the significant operational changes needed by the end of the year.”
How does £93m ad campaign compare?
Reports suggest the cost of the latest Brexit-related advertising campaign will be £93m. What has the government spent so far on the communications blitz?
Details from the public accounts committee show 2019’s ‘Get Ready” campaign cost £46m, despite a budget of £100m.
Prior to that, there was an ad campaign to prepare the country for leaving at the end of March 2019 costing of £15m.
This new campaign is reportedly set to cover a longer period, however, and could run until May 2022.
