Boris Johnson has said he was “too fat” before his illness with coronavirus, as the prime minister announced moves to ban junk food ads before 9pm, end buy-one-get-one-free deals and put calorie numbers on restaurant menus.
Health experts have welcomed the campaign, but warned that chancellor Rishi Sunak’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ initiative – which sees fast food outlets giving the public 50 per cent off meals during August – will undermine the weight loss drive.
It came as Mr Johnson's spokesperson said the prime minister believes rapper Wiley’s string of antisemitic tweets were “abhorrent” and thinks Twitter’s response was “not good enough”.
Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of political events in the UK and beyond.
PM to announce crackdown on junk food ads and deals
Boris Johnson – the man who once vowed to end the “nanny state” – will set out his anti-obesity plan today with a series of nanny-like interventions. The PM is expected to ban pre-watershed junk food ads and prohibit buy-one-get-one-free offers on sweets, crisps and chocolate.
The government will also urge GPs in England to prescribe cycling, and restaurants will have to publish the number of calories in their meals. “Covid-19 has given us all a wake-up call,” said a No 10 spokesperson.
Restaurants to include calorie counts as Boris Johnson cracks down on obesity crisis
Restrictions will also be introduced on ‘buy one, get one free’ deals for unhealthy food‘I was too fat, says PM
Boris Johnson has released a new social media (starring Dilyn the dog), in which the shares his own battle with obesity.
“I’ve always wanted to lose weight for ages and ages … like many people I struggle with my weight – I go up and down,” he said in the clip.
Sharing his own efforts to get fit following his hospitalisation with coronavirus, he said: “I’m at least a stone down, I’m more than a stone down.”
“When I went into ICU when I was really ill, I was way overweight … I was too fat.”
MPs quit Twitter for 48 hours
If you notice some MPs going quiet on Twitter in the next couple of days, it’s because several of them are joining a 48-hour “walkout” to protest the company’s slow action to remove the splurge of antisemitic tweets posted by Wiley.
Home secretary Priti Patel said she has asked for a “full explanation” from both Twitter and Instagram about why the rapper’s “abhorrent” comments were allowed to remain on his accounts for 12 hours after they were posted.
Labour attacked the the government’s failure to introduce “desperately” needed legislation to force social media companies to crack down on accounts spreading abuse. Shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens said it was clear that self-regulation “isn’t working”. The Met, meanwhile, is investigating Wiley’s online activities.
Labour urges government to usher in ‘desperately’ needed social media regulation
Firms ‘have had repeated opportunities to show they can police their sites effectively’, says shadow culture secretaryLabour demands support for workers facing holiday quarantine
Ministers have been accused of creating a sense of “panic and loss of control” due to the sudden decision to scrap an air bridge agreement with Spain.
Hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers now face a mandatory 14-day self-isolation after the UK government removed the country from its safe flight list with just a few hours’ notice on Saturday evening.
The travel industry – set to lose millions in revenue – reacted with fury to the unexpected move and questioned the rationale behind the decision.
Labour is calling for support for the hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers facing mandatory 14-day self-isolation on their return after the government removed Spain from its safe flight list (since there’s no guarantee employers will let them to work from home for two weeks).
Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow home secretary, also called on the government to ramp up the Covid-19 track, trace and isolate system “so as to avoid the need for the blunt tool of 14-day quarantine”.
“The latest decision-making process regarding Spain and the short notice for travellers has created a sense of panic and loss of control.”
Government accused of creating ‘sense of panic’ with sudden change to Spain travel advice
Dominic Raab says ministers will make ‘no apologies’ for reimposing quarantine measuresOver-40s could be made to pay more tax to fund social care
Britain’s over-40s could be asked to pay more tax to fund the cost of elderly social care under plans reportedly under consideration by ministers.
The idea is among a series of proposals being examined by Boris Johnson, with people either compelled to take out insurance, pay more national insurance, or income tax once they hit the age ceiling.
Reports this morning indicate the prime minister’s new health and social care taskforce is drawing inspiration from Japan and Germany as it studies models for covering the expected £7bn soaring cost of care.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has all the details:
Over-40s could be made to pay more tax to fund social care
Ministers examining Japanese and German care funding systemsOther countries ‘under review’ following Spain quarantine, says minister
Health minister Helen Whately said so-called air bridges to other countries are constantly “under review” following the government’s decision to reimpose a blanket quarantine for arrivals from Spain.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, she said: “What we said throughout the time when we’ve put in place the policy on the travel corridors, the air bridges, is that we would need to keep those under review, that we would need to monitor the rates in other countries.
“That is exactly what we’ve done in Spain, so we are enacting the policy that we committed to doing. The rate was going up very rapidly in Spain and we had to take very rapid, decisive.
“If we hadn’t taken that decisive action, I imagine you would be asking me, ‘Why are there delays, why haven’t we taken robust action?’.”
She said much the same thing on Sky News:
There are ‘smarter measures’ than quarantine, says Labour
Labour’s shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds has urged the government to introduce “smarter measures” at the border rather than a blanket quarantine for those returning from Spain.
He told the BBC: “We certainly would be following the advice and introducing protective measures at the border if there are spikes in cases in other countries, absolutely.
“But there are two serious questions around this. The first is why we are still employing the ... blunt tool of the 14-day quarantining rather than smarter measures and secondly the chaotic nature of the decision-making which certainly hasn’t bred confidence in the government’s approach.”
He added: “I think you need a smarter set of quarantine measures at the airport. I’ve suggested this test, trace and isolate regime but you can also have temperature checking and other things - you look at a range of measures.”
‘Why is the chancellor discounting meals at Burger King?’
Health minister Helen Whately has been challenged on why chancellor Rishi Sunak included fast food venues in the 50 per cent off “eat out to help out” meal deal during August when the government is launching an anti-obesity drive.
“The chancellor and the government have taken measures to support the hospitality sector which we know has been very hit,” she told LBC radio.
Host Nick Ferrari said: “On one hand you’re making cheap McDonalds and Burger King and the next moment you’re telling everyone they’ve got to lose weight.”
Whately responded: “What we’re saying to the restaurants you mentioned, like Burger King and Nandos, is that they need to put the calories for the different meals on their menus.”
Ferrari added: “You don’t see the strange mixed message here?”
She replied: “I see the point you’re making.”
Prisoners effectively held in solitary confinement during pandemic, MPs told
UK prisoners detained during the coronavirus pandemic have been kept in conditions akin to social confinement for almost four months, MPs have been told.
The Ministry of Justice (MoJ) implemented harsh restrictions on the movement of inmates during the height of the nation’s outbreak. Twenty-three prisoners and 9 staff members eventually died after testing positive.
In an inquiry into the response of British prisons, NGOs have that conditions remain consistent with international definitions of solitary confinement – with some people only allowed out of their cells for half an hour a day.
MPs on the Commons’ justice committee have said they are concerned by the longevity of the measures, which have been in place for almost four months, and the lack of transition out of the restrictions.
Prisoners effectively held in solitary confinement during coronavirus pandemic, MPs told
‘The prison estate has been in a state of lockdown for 15 weeks, and it is concerning that prisoners have not yet begun to transition from that state,’ Commons committee saysLib Dem candidate for London mayor quits
Liberal Democrat Siobhan Benita has abandoned her campaign to become mayor of London.
The election, originally due to be held in May, was postponed until 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Benita said the delay meant she was not able to commit to another full year of campaigning.
She said: “The demands on a candidate are significant and an election of this scale, particularly in an unpaid role, means it’s really difficult to get other work.
“And unfortunately with the delay due to the pandemic I'm simply not able to commit to another full year of campaigning and to leading the type of campaign that I really want to lead in London.”
Eat Out to Help Out ‘contradicts the message’, experts warn
Experts have largely welcomed No 10’s new anti-obesity drive. But they have also warned the prime minister that the Treasury’s ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ initiative – granting everyone 50 per cent off meals in fast food restaurants throughout August – will undermine the effort to get people to lose weight.
“Offering subsidies on food which is particularly associated with being less healthy completely contradicts the other message around reducing obesity” said Prof Amelia Lake, professor in public health nutrition at Teesside University.
“On one hand we are hearing that tackling obesity is an urgent public health challenge, but on the other we are seeing actions that we know do not help us reduce obesity. There needs to be clear messaging and joined up action,” she told The Guardian.
TV chef Antony Worrall Thompson said including fast food outlets in the Treasury discount was “a bit crazy” – and said the government keeps “putting its foot in it”.
Sunak ‘considering new tax on goods sold online’
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is reportedly considering a new tax on online goods, at least partly to help high street retailers compete in the battered economy.
The chancellor is mulling proposals for an online sales tax to provide “sustainable and meaningful revenue source for the government” and help shops, according to The Times.
The newspaper reports that the Treasury is considering a 2 percent on goods sold online, raising about £2bn a year. Another option would be a mandatory charge on consumer deliveries.
Meanwhile, chancellor Rishi Sunak and his deputy Steve Barclay are preparing to set out “Silicon Valley-inspired” investment in infrastructure and energy, according to The Telegraph. Barclay, chief secretary to the Treasury, is expected to make an announcement at the Onward think tank on Tuesday.
‘We all pay for social care already’
‘National Insurance’ is trending on Twitter at the moment. People are angry at reports that the government is considering making everyone over 40 begin contributing towards the cost of care in later life.
The idea is among a series of proposals being examined by Boris Johnson’s new social care task force – with people either compelled to take out insurance, pay more national insurance, or income tax once they hit the age ceiling.
Professor Ian McDonald tweeted: “We all pay for social care already. We pay national insurance throughout our lives, when we require little health care. When we are older we draw on it more, so it works out. Unless, you drain money out of the system to provide profit for private companies.”
Over-40s could be made to pay more tax to fund social care
Ministers examining Japanese and German care funding systemsBe prepared to cancel your holiday, government warns
British travellers to all countries should be prepared for their holidays to be cancelled under emergency coronavirus quarantine measures, ministers have warned.
The government has imposed surprise restrictions on travel between Spain, with two-week quarantines for anyone returning and mass cancellations for anyone with plans.
Helen Whately, health minister, said similar surprise measures could follow for other countries if data showed they were necessary. “What we are saying to people who are planning trips abroad is you need to keep an eye on the Foreign Office guidance, that you need to be aware of your tour operator’s policies and the travel insurance, and be mindful that we are in a global pandemic,” she said earlier this morning.
“If we see something going on like we’ve seen in Spain we would have to take action.”
It comes as trips to France, Italy and Greece were being cancelled in “large numbers” following the ruling by ministers on Spain, The Times reported.
Officials in both France and Germany have warned of possible new lockdowns as parts of Europe braced for a second wave of Covid-19 infections.
Be prepared for your holiday to be cancelled, government warns travellers to all countries
Minister says other destinations could face same fate as SpainSome BAME health workers still waiting for promised risk assessment
More than a quarter of black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) NHS staff are still waiting for a risk assessment for Covid-19, data suggests.
Figures seen by the Health Service Journal (HSJ) suggest 73 per cent of BAME staff had had a risk assessment in England by July 17, but in some hospital trusts the figure was just 20 per cent.
Some trusts in the South West are thought to have made poorer progress than the national average, at 65 per cent, the HSJ said.
NHS England recommended risk assessments for BAME staff as long ago as April and has now extended the deadline for them to be completed to the end of July.
People from BAME backgrounds are thought to be at higher risk of poor outcomes from coronavirus, with health secretary Matt Hancock saying they are “disproportionately” dying from Covid-19.
‘Russia report deserves a far better response’
Will the revelations in the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC)’s Russia report be forgotten over the summer?
Duncan Allan – an associate fellow for Chatham House’s Russia and Eurasia programme and former adviser to the Foreign Office – thinks it’s time for the government to take its recommendations seriously.
“The Russia report deserves better,” he writes. “The government’s response to the ISC report does precious little to strengthen the resilience of the very democratic system that Russia seeks to undermine.
“Russian decision-makers are unlikely to lose much sleep over the report and the UK government’s response. What they will take notice of are the government’s actions – and whether these really do match its rhetoric.”
Read more here:
Opinion: The Russia report deserves a far better response from the UK government
The report on Russian hostile action against the UK is a measured and weighty assessment of the threats faced – unfortunately, the government’s response to it is notUK electricity network emissions could turn negative by 2033, says national grid
“Immediate action” to promote cleaner, more efficient power will ensure the UK hits its 2050 net zero target and could even see electricity production emissions turn negative in 13 years if carbon capture and storage technologies are implemented, the National Grid has said.
In a detailed report examining four “future energy scenarios”, three out of the four models indicated the UK could hit net zero by 2050 or earlier – but warned reductions in emissions from areas including transport were essential.
Former PM Theresa May committed the government to net zero carbon emissions by 2050 shortly before leaving office last year.
UK electricity network emissions could turn negative by 2033, says national grid
Major renewable projects coupled with electric vehicle uptake and government action to reduce burden of home heating will ensure country hits net zero targets, says energy operatorStormont to discuss quarantine for those arriving from Spain
Northern Ireland’s executive is set to meet later to discuss a decision to introduce quarantine for those arriving in the region from Spain.
Health minister Robin Swann announced the measure on Saturday night following similar moves across the rest of the UK.
The Ulster Unionist minister has requested a meeting of the executive to discuss what support or advice may be required for those facing the 14-day quarantine.
Travellers continued to fly to and return from Spain at Belfast International Airport on Monday.
PM once called health labels on wine ‘lunacy’
As Boris Johnson launches a new government health drive – which includes a consultation on calorie labelling for all alcoholic drinks – it’s not a bad time to look back at some of his previous remarks on the subject.
Johnson denounced health labels on wine bottles as “lunacy” as a backbench MP and urged producers to “fight, fight, fight” against their introduction.
In a newspaper column, the then MP for Henley dismissed advice on weekly alcohol units as “a load of bunkum” and said the risks of drinking during pregnancy were “not very great, frankly”.
He branded the then Labour government’s plans for health labelling as “infantilising elf and safety madness” which would not make “a fluid ounce of difference” to Britain’s alcohol intake.
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has the details:
