Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said Boris Johnson's economic recovery plan for coronavirus is "not enough" to prevent a crisis after the prime minister warned on Tuesday that "many jobs are not coming back" after the pandemic.
The prime minister announced a £5bn infrastructure spending boost on Monday night for hospital maintenance, high street rescues and road upgrades but critics warned the plans failed to address the need for action on climate change or the extent of the economic crisis brought on by Covid-19.
It came as former prime minister Theresa May sharply criticised the government over the decision to appoint David Frost, the UK's chief Brexit negotiator, as a national security adviser, despite the diplomat having "no proven expertise in national security".
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Johnson’s New Deal called ‘hopelessly inadequate’
Boris Johnson’s so-called New Deal economic recovery plan has been called “hopelessly inadequate” ahead of its launch following criticism over spending figures released yesterday.
A £5bn infrastructure spending boost for hospital maintenance, high street rescues and road upgrades was revealed on Monday but critics warned the funding was not enough to address the economic crisis brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Critics have also warned that the plan does not adequately address the need for action on climate change.
Sir Ed Davey, the acting Liberal Democrat leader, said the government needed to introduce a “green job guarantee” with investment to insulate homes, improve green transport and invest in nature.
Others have noted that the figures announced so far amount to just 0.2 per cent of GDP - a fraction of the sort of money spent in Franklin D Roosevelt’s original New Deal programme during the 1930s in the US.
The prime minister's spending plans have angered green campaigners due to a lack of new measures to achieve the government’s legal duty on net zero carbon emissions.
Mr Johnson has been urged to seize the moment to ensure the UK is not “locked further into the climate crisis” following the pandemic.
Our deputy political editor, Rob Merrick, has the full story below:
Leading diplomatic figures condemn Sir Mark Sedwill departure
Leading military, security and diplomatic figures have condemned the “appalling and unnecessary” secret briefings targeting top civil servant Sir Mark Sedwill ahead of his departure from the roles of cabinet secretary and national security adviser.
The warnings came amid concerns that Sir Mark’s exit had been orchestrated by Boris Johnson and his senior adviser Dominic Cummings in an attempt to politicise the Civil Service.
David Frost, Mr Johnson’s chief negotiator with the EU, has already been selected to take over as national security adviser.
Our diplomatic editor, Kim Sengupta, has the full story below:
Labour’s shadow chancellor backs sacking of Rebecca Long-Bailey
Labour’s shadow chancellor has backed Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to sack Rebecca Long-Bailey from the shadow cabinet for retweeting an article which was said to contain an antisemitic conspiracy theory.
Anneliese Dodds told Good Morning Britain she thought it was right that the Labour leader took “decisive action” over the controversy.
“What was repeated was an antisemitic conspiracy theory, there's no room for them, it was a really bizarre statement, but unfortunately we see those kind of horrible conspiracy theories circulating and we need strong action against them,” Ms Dodds said.
“So it was right that Keir decided that she should not continue in her current position.”
When asked if she believed Ms Long-Bailey was antisemitic, Ms Dodds added: “No, I don't believe that she is, actually, I think that she however circulated something that was well beyond the pale.”
Leicester lockdown necessary to puncture 'elation' as restrictions ease, Jeremy Hunt says
The decision to force Leicester back into lockdown is a “necessary puncturing of the elation that had been building up throughout the country” ahead of the easing of coronavirus restriction on 4 July, former health secretary Jeremy Hunt has said.
It was revealed on Monday that the city had been told to step back from easing restrictions and advised to re-close shops and schools following a spike in Covid-19 cases.
Mr Hunt, chairman of the Commons Health and Social Care Committee, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that the decision showed the easing of restrictions would be a “stop, go” process until there is a vaccine.
“It's not going to be smooth and there are going to be times when we have to go into reverse gear,” he said.
Ministers refuse to extend benefit sanctions ban despite warnings
The government has refused to extend the suspension of benefit sanctions beyond June despite warnings that lifting the ban could threaten to place millions of people in an “untenable situation”.
Charities told The Independent last week that people who were shielding or suffered from underlying health conditions would face an “uphill struggle” to find suitable work during the ongoing coronavirus crisis.
Our social affairs correspondent, May Bulman, has the full story below:
Here is the order paper for parliament today - including two urgent questions from Labour on the departure of Sir Mark Sedwill and the implementation of the Lammy Review on racism in the criminal justice system.
Raab says UK is ‘deeply concerned’ by reports of China passing Hong Kong national security law
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab has said the UK is “deeply concerned” by reports that China has passed a controversial new national security law for Hong Kong.
The legislation, which would allow authorities to crack down on subversive and secessionist activity in the former British colony, has strained relations with the UK and the US.
“We are deeply concerned by unconfirmed reports that Beijing has passed the national security law. This would be a grave step,” Mr Raab said.
“Once we have seen the full legislation, we will make a further statement.”
Tam Yiu-Chung, Hong Kong's sole representative to the standing committee of the National People's Congress, said in an interview with reporters that the law had been passed.
The UK has offered to allow almost three million of Hong Kong's inhabitants the opportunity to come to the UK if Beijing imposes the national security law.
70 per cent of theatres could close without government help, actor warns
As many as 70 per cent of theatres around the UK could close if the government does not put together a plan to protect them during the coronavirus crisis, actor John Barrowman has warned.
Mr Barrowman said the government needed to put forward a plan to allow theatres to operate over the Christmas period when pantomime shows provide a major financial boost for the industry.
“Christmas and pantomime season is when a lot of theatres around the country make enough revenue in order to survive for the year and if they don’t get to do it and if there’s no plan, 70 per cent of theatres around the UK are going to be gone,” he told Good Morning Britain.
Johnson’s economic plan is ‘woefully short’ of what is required, Sturgeon says
Nicola Sturgeon has said Boris Johnson’s proposed economic stimulus is “woefully short” of what is required and leaves the UK well behind Germany’s recovery plan.
“£5bn in economic stimulus is woefully short of the £80bn that would put UK on a par with Germany,” Scotland’s first minister said.
“I also suspect there will be less to it than meets the eye in terms of genuinely new money.”
Trump ‘humiliated and bullied’ Theresa May in phone calls, report claims
Donald Trump’s conversations with former prime minister Theresa May have been described as “humiliating and bullying” by US officials, according to a CNN report.
“He'd get agitated about something with Theresa May, then he'd get nasty with her on the phone call,” a source told the US news organisation.
The US president reportedly criticised Ms May over her approach to Brexit and Nato during her time in office.
You can find an extract from the report below:
Our reporter, Adam Forrest, has more details below on the CNN report about Donald Trump’s interactions with Theresa May:
MPs bound by 2m social distancing rules despite wider easing of lockdown measures
MPs will be ordered to stay two metres apart in parliament until the end of the summer recess, even though the government’s “one-metre plus” approach is set to be introduced in England in the coming days.
The strict social distancing rule, which is at odds with Boris Johnson’s move to ease restrictions, will remain in place with a review of the measures when the Commons returns in September.
Our political correspondent, Lizzy Buchan, has the full story below:
Labour calls for urgent Downing Street press conference on Leicester lockdown
Labour’s shadow health secretary has called on Matt Hancock to hold an urgent press conference this afternoon to answer “outstanding questions” on the local lockdown in Leicester.
The government recently scrapped the daily Downing Street briefing and said it would only hold such conferences when it had an important announcement to make.
Jonathan Ashworth warned in a statement that the government’s response to the coronavirus spike in Leicester had left people “anxious and confused”.
“We support the government’s decision to reintroduce lockdown restrictions,” Mr Ashworth said.
“However, there are a number of outstanding questions about how the government intends to implement these restrictions and get the outbreak back under control.”
“There is confusion about essential travel and what it means for people who travel to work outside the boundaries.
“There is also no clarity about what extra resources will be put in place to increase testing capacity and what financial support will be available to businesses.”
The shadow health secretary added: “Number 10 said the afternoon press conferences would now only take place if the government had ‘something really important to say’.
“We believe the situation in Leicester meets that criteria.
“That is why I am urging the health secretary to hold a press conference this afternoon and give the public the answers and reassurance they deserve.”
Boris Johnson is set to announce his so-called New Deal economic recovery plan today and you can watch his speech live on The Independent's YouTube channel.
Labour MP dismisses Boris Johnson’s New Deal as a ‘pipe dream’
Labour MP Liz Kendall has dismissed Boris Johnson’s multi-billion pound New Deal plan as a “pipe dream”.
The prime minister claimed he would follow in the footsteps of US president Franklin D Roosevelt, who led the US out of the Great Depression in 1930s, by investing £5bn in infrastructure projects to help stimulate the nation’s economic recovery.
“Remember Boris Island Airport - it's a pipe dream - [like] the garden bridge that was never built,” Ms Kendall, Labour’s shadow social care minister, told Sky News.
“Roosevelt actually delivered and saved America from the Great Depression, I think the jury will be out on Boris Johnson for that.”
Johnson warns ‘full economic reverberations’ from Covid-19 crisis are still to come
Boris Johnson has warned “the full economic reverberations” from the coronavirus pandemic are still to come as he sets out his plan for the economic recovery from the crisis today.
"We must work fast because we've already seen the vertiginous fall in GDP … because we are waiting as if between a flash of lightning and the thunderclap, with our hearts in our mouths for the full economic reverberations to appear,” the prime minister said.
This Johnson speech is a little bit all over the place but the message is simple - the government is insisting it is not planning to use austerity in its economic recovery for the pandemic.
Johnson: Britain needs to move with ‘levels of energy and speed not needed for generations’
Boris Johnson has said the UK needs to move with “levels of energy and speed that we have not needed for generations” amid the economic fallout from the coronavirus crisis.
“It may seem a bit premature to make a speech now about Britain after Covid when that deceptively nasty disease is still rampant in other countries and when global case numbers are growing fast,” Mr Johnson said in his keynote speech at a technical college in Dudley, West Midlands.
“And when many in this country are nervous, rightly, about more outbreaks - whether national or local - like the flareup in Leicester.
“Where, as I promised, we are putting on the breaks, and I thank the people of Leicester for their forbearance.”
He added: “And yet we cannot continue simply to be prisoners of this crisis. We are preparing now, slowly, cautiously, to come out of hibernation and I believe it is absolutely vital for us to set out the way ahead so that everyone can think and plan for the future: short, medium and long-term.
“Because if the Covid crisis has taught us one thing: it's that this country needs to be ready for what may be coming, and we need to be able to move with levels of energy and speed that we have not needed for generations.”
