Afternoon summary
-
The UK has recorded 1,940 new cases of coronavirus, which is the highest daily total since 30 May (2,445). (See 4.42pm.) To a large extent the rise in the number of new cases being recorded since early July is explained by the increase in the number of people being tested, particularly in at-risk areas, and the Office for National Statistics said today that, on the basis of its weekly infection survey, the evidence suggests “the incidence rate for England remains unchanged”. (See 12.40pm.) But the Government Office for Science said its estimate for the growth rate in the UK was between -1% and +_2%, meaning “the number of new infections is somewhere between shrinking by 1% and growing by 2% every day”. (See 2.40pm.)
-
Leeds has been added to Public Health England’s weekly watch list of areas of concern for Covid-19, the city council said. It said:
The latest seven-day infection figures show Leeds as having a rate of 32.4 cases per 100,000 people and a positivity rate on testing of 3.5%.
The latest data suggests that a lot of the cases are in different areas of the city, meaning they may be linked to social interaction and leisure activities.
The spread is broad and changeable across wards and cases have also been increasingly detected in younger people aged 18-34, with some concern over activities like house parties and gatherings.
That’s all from me for today. But our coverage continues on our global coronavirus live blog. It’s here.
50 English council areas with highest number of new coronavirus cases
Here is a list of the 50 areas in England with the highest rate of new coronavirus cases. It has been calculated by PA Media and is based on the Public Health England data published this afternoon on the government’s coronavirus online dashboard.
After the name of each council area, there are four numbers. They are: rate of new cases in the seven days to 1 September, expressed as the number of new cases per 100,000 people; actual number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to 1 September; rate of new cases in the seven days to 25 August; number (in brackets) of new cases recorded in the seven days to 25 August.
Bolton 92.2 (265), 18.8 (54)
Rossendale 71.3 (51), 16.8 (12)
Pendle 69.5 (64), 58.6 (54)
Bradford 63.2 (341), 42.8 (231)
Oldham 61.2 (145), 56.9 (135)
Blackburn with Darwen 54.8 (82), 55.4 (83)
South Tyneside 50.3 (76), 19.9 (30)
Rochdale 45.4 (101), 33.7 (75)
Tameside 45.0 (102), 27.8 (63)
Manchester 44.9 (248), 42.0 (232)
Salford 42.5 (110), 27.0 (70)
Corby 40.2 (29), 41.5 (30)
Preston 39.1 (56), 30.0 (43)
Burnley 38.2 (34), 34.9 (31)
Hertsmere 38.1 (40), 9.5 (10)
Trafford 35.0 (83), 26.1 (62)
Birmingham 34.5 (394), 25.9 (296)
Leeds 34.4 (273), 26.1 (207)
Wirral 33.3 (108), 18.2 (59)
Bury 31.4 (60), 30.9 (59)
Middlesbrough 31.2 (44), 28.4 (40)
Leicester 29.9 (106), 30.5 (108)
Kirklees 29.8 (131), 25.9 (114)
Gateshead 28.2 (57), 8.9 (18)
Redcar and Cleveland 27.7 (38), 10.2 (14)
Hyndburn 27.1 (22), 25.9 (21)
East Staffordshire 26.7 (32), 4.2 (5)
Castle Point 24.3 (22), 1.1 (1)
Sheffield 23.6 (138), 11.1 (65)
Wycombe 23.5 (41), 8.0 (14)
Tamworth 23.5 (18), 6.5 (5)
Kensington and Chelsea 23.1 (36), 23.7 (37)
Welwyn Hatfield 22.8 (28), 8.1 (10)
Calderdale 22.7 (48), 29.3 (62)
Hartlepool 22.4 (21), 7.5 (7)
Hammersmith and Fulham 22.1 (41), 20.5 (38)
Broxtowe 21.9 (25), 11.4 (13)
Sandwell 21.6 (71), 26.2 (86)
Barnet 21.0 (83), 10.4 (41)
Stockton-on-Tees 20.3 (40), 4.6 (9)
Wandsworth 20.0 (66), 18.5 (61)
Breckland 20.0 (28), 19.3 (27)
Ribble Valley 19.7 (12), 14.8 (9)
Northampton 19.6 (44), 37.8 (85)
Sefton 19.5 (54), 11.6 (32)
Harborough 19.2 (18), 7.5 (7)
Spelthorne 19.0 (19), 9.0 (9)
Elmbridge 19.0 (26), 18.3 (25)
Havering 18.9 (49), 11.6 (30)
Chiltern 18.8 (18), 9.4 (9)
Johnson ignores protests and confirms Tony Abbott as a UK trade envoy
Tony Abbott, the controversial Australian former prime minister, has been appointed as a UK trade envoy, the Department for International Trade has announced. That means Boris Johnson has ignored the multiple calls for Abbott not to be offered this job, which will be part-time and unpaid.
Abbott is one of 16 people who have been appointed as advisers to the Board of Trade. Seven of them are ministers. The other nine include Abbott, the former Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan (described by some as the godfather of Brexit) and the former Labour trade secretary Patricia Hewitt.
Describing what the advisers will do, DIT said:
Board members and advisers will meet quarterly and use their influence to help Britain make a stronger case for free trade on the international stage, helping the government forge a stronger global consensus for free trade at a time of increased protectionism.
The board will engage extensively with industry, communities, farmers and consumer groups across the UK, to ensure a range of voices are heard as the UK develops its independent trade policy. The board will also encourage more businesses across the UK regions and nations to boost their international trade.
The new advisers to the board are announced at an important time for UK trade policy and as negotiations with the US, Japan, Australia and New Zealand enter their crucial latter stages – although advisers to the Board will have no direct role in striking trade deals.
The board will represent a range of views to help in its advisory function, promoting free and fair trade and advising on UK trade policy to the International Trade Secretary.
Johnson claims UK will 'prosper mightily' even if if Brexit transition ends with no deal
In his interview with Sky News in Solihull Boris Johnson was also asked about the concerns raised about the haulage industry about possible border chaos when the Brexit transition period ends next year. He restated his willingness to see the UK leave the transition period without a trade deal with the EU if necessary, and claimed the country would “prosper mightily” with or without a deal. He said:
We’re ready for any eventuality, of course. But we must make sure that people understand that at the end of the year, whatever happens, we are leaving the EU, and leaving the transition period, the implementation period. That is it.
That’s why it is vital that people who have questions, who have queries about what they need to do, get on to our websites, look at what they need to do to prepare, and certainly we will help them.
But we will get through this. It’s absolutely vital that our partners understand that the UK is going to do what we need to do. If we have to have an Australia-style deal, an Australia-style solution, then that is what we will achieve, and we will prosper mightily one way or the other.
They could, of course, be sensible and give us a Canada-style solution, which after all they’ve given Canada, and I hope very much hope that they will, but we’re ready for either eventuality.
The claim that the UK will “prosper mightily” if it ends up with no trade deal with the EU is not one shared by most economists. In November 2018, when Theresa May was prime minister, the Treasury published a paper (pdf) looking at the economic impact of various Brexit outcomes, including no deal, and that said no deal could lead to GDP being almost 10% lower than otherwise over the long term (defined as 15 years). Johnson’s administration does not accept this analysis, but it has failed to publish its own impact assessment of no deal (or “an Australian-style solution”, as Johnson calls it - Australia does not have a free trade deal with the EU).
Key figures in Scotland’s nightclub and music sector are calling for specific funding and a “roadmap out of lockdown” to prevent a “complete wipe-out” of jobs and halt the rise of illegal raves which increase the likelihood of coronavirus transmission.
The head of the TRNSMT festival Geoff Ellis and Glasgow’s SubClub say they hope the “freedom to dance” campaign will support regulated venues which are struggling after months of lockdown restrictions.
A survey of the Night-Time Industries Association Scotland suggests 83% of firms could shed a total of 75,000 jobs when the furlough scheme ends next month. Police are clamping down on illegal raves, including a massive house party that attracted more than 300 revellers in Midlothian last weekend.
Meanwhile Brian d’Souza, the producer and DJ who performs as Aunite Flo and was the winner of the coveted Scottish Album of the Year title, is demanding the Scottish government reverse restrictions on the playing of background music in bars and restaurants, and also allow live events to return.
He said the music ban was having a “devastating effect” on the hospitality industry and on musicians who are losing out on royalties while at the same time unable to take part in live events.
On Friday afternoon, 159 new cases of coronavirus were confirmed in Scotland, with 73 of them in Greater Glasgow and Clyde, where the indoor gathering restrictions are in place across three local council areas. Meanwhile, Lanarkshire’s public health director warned that residents could be facing similar restrictions after a rise in cases there.
Updated
UK records close to 2,000 new coronavirus cases - highest daily total since May
The government has updated its daily coronavirus dashboard. And here are the main points.
- The UK has recorded 1,940 new cases of coronavirus, which is the highest daily total since 30 May (2,445). Daily case numbers have been rising steadily for two months now. In part this has been attributed to the fact that more people are being tested. However it is now clear that the proportion of people testing positive is also increasing.
- The UK has recorded 10 more deaths, taking its daily headline total to 41,537. But this tally only records people who have died within 28 days of a coronavirus test, and so it significantly understates the true number of coronavirus deaths in the UK. Taking into account all deaths where coronavirus was mentioned on the death certificate, there have been more than 57,300 deaths in the UK.
- A further 124 patients have been admitted to hospital. Although case numbers have been rising significantly in the last two months, the hospital admission figures have been broadly stable.
Updated
Johnson defends Tony Abbott in UK trade envoy row
Boris Johnson has defended Tony Abbott, the former Australian prime minister notorious for his reactionary views, who is expected to be made a UK trade envoy.
In an interview with Sky News in Solihull, where he was visiting an HS2 construction site, it was put to Johnson that Abbott’s misogynist, homophobic and climate change-denying views made him the wrong choice. Johnson replied:
There’s going to be an announcement in due course about the composition of the Board of Trade.
I obviously don’t agree with those sentiments at all, but then I don’t agree with everyone who serves the government in an unpaid capacity on hundreds of boards across the country, and I can’t be expected to do so.
What I would say about Tony Abbott is this is a guy who was elected by the people of the great, liberal, democratic nation of Australia. You’ve been to Australia – it’s an amazing country, it’s a freedom-loving country, it’s a liberal country. There you go. I think that speaks for itself.
(The interviewer subsequently pointed out that Johnson was wrong on at least one point; she had not been to Australia.)
Updated
Updated
NHS England has recorded a further 11 hospital deaths in England. The people who died were aged between 48 and 95 and all had underlying health conditions. The full details are here.
There has been one further death in Northern Ireland.
But there have been no further deaths in Scotland or in Wales.
Updated
Survey suggests vast majority of schools in England have had more than 90% of pupils return
According to a survey by NAHT, the union representing headteachers, almost all schools in England (99.7%) have reopened, and 92% of them are saying attendance has been higher than 80%. For four out of five schools (82%), attendance has been higher than 90%.
Staff attendance has been very high too. Almost all heads (98%) said that more than 90% of their teaching staff were there on the first day of term.
The main reasons given by heads for pupils being absent were the need for families to quarantine, pupils still being away on holiday, or illness.
Updated
R number in England may now be above 1, government says
The latest official published R figure for the UK is between 0.9 and 1.1, with the number of new infections somewhere between shrinking by 1% and growing by 2% every day, the latest update from the government reveals.
For England alone, R is estimated to be between 0.9 and 1, with a growth rate between -2% and +1%.
Only the south-west of England and London have R values that might be above one. However the team that produced these Government Office for Science figures warn that low numbers of deaths or clustered outbreaks mean these R values should be viewed with caution.
Once again, with the figures based on data gathered over preceding weeks, the team also point out that official figures may be out of date. They say:
These estimates represent the transmission of Covid-19 from several weeks ago due to a time delay between someone being infected and needing healthcare. Sage [the government’s Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies] does not have confidence that R is currently below 1 in England.
According to the latest figures, R in Scotland is currently between 0.9 and 1.4 while the growth rate for Scotland is estimated as being between -1% and +8%. In Northern Ireland, R is currently between 1.1 and 1.6. Earlier this week Wales revealed its R number to be between 0.5 and 0.9.
Here are the figures for the English regions, from today’s news release.
Updated
Downing Street has not disputed a claim that the prime minister thinks the trade talks with the EU are now more likely than not to fail. In his Times column (paywall) today, the Spectator’s political editor, James Forsyth, says the chances of a Brexit deal have “receded significantly” recently. “Inside No 10, they now think there is only a 30 to 40% chance that there will be an agreement,” he writes. At the No 10 lobby briefing today, the spokesman did not challenge that assessment, but he would not confirm it either. He would not comment on percentages, he said, adding that the government still wanted a deal. But it needed “more realism” from the EU.
In his column, Forsyth says state aid rules are the key sticking point, and particularly their implications for technology companies. He says:
The Johnson government wants to use the power of the state to mould and develop what it sees as the industries of the future. One figure with intimate knowledge of the negotiations and how they link to domestic policy tells me “state aid is critical if you are going to try and shape markets in technology” ...
The view in Downing Street is that this country needs to develop large technology companies at scale and that requires state involvement.
The concern is that unless the UK can do that, it will end up a technological vassal – reliant on either the United States or China, both of whom are unafraid to use the state to shape these markets.
Just think of the Huawei 5G debacle. As technology advances, there will be more and more cases where – unless there is a domestic supplier – the government will have to decide how comfortable it is depending on a foreign company, often with close links to its government, for the infrastructure that any successful 21st-century state is going to require.
Updated
The UK government is not expecting to announce any changes to its travel quarantine list today, No 10 said at today’s lobby briefing.
Updated
Staffordshire school closes after Covid case
A school in Staffordshire has closed to pupils due to a confirmed case of Covid-19, the BBC reports. The JCB academy in Rocester, Staffordshire asked pupils to stay at home this morning, saying it was investigating a single case of coronavirus. It did not say if it involved a pupil or a member of staff.
This is thought to be the first case of a school closing in England since pupils returned for the autumn term.
There are more details here, on the Stoke Sentinel website.
Updated
Covid symptom study suggests slight rise in English case numbers, contrary to ONS findings
Around 27,100 people in the community in England had Covid-19 during the week from 19 to 25 August, equating to around 1 in 2,000 individuals, with around 2,000 new cases a day, the latest data from the Office for National Statistics reveals. (See 12.40pm.)
The team behind the work – which is based on sampling of households – said that, once again, the data suggests the infection rate in England is still levelling off, with no clear sign of a rise or fall, following rise in the rate in July.
However researchers behind the Covid-19 symptom study app say their data, based on swab testing of people reporting symptoms, tells a slightly different story, revealing a slight rise in daily cases of Covid-19.
The latest data suggests that from 16 to 29 August 2020 there were on average 1,423 new cases a day in England, compared with 1,073 reported the previous week for the period 9 August to 22 August. For the UK the figures are 1,974 and 1,292 new cases a day respectively.
Tim Spector, professor of genetic epidemiology at King’s College London and lead researcher on the Covid-19 symptom study, said the rise in numbers was occurring as economic activity and travel were increasing.
Earlier this week experts told the Guardian the testing figures from the government suggested infections in the UK had risen since early July, although levelled off in August, even once an increase in the number of tests carried out was taken into account.
Prof Neil Ferguson, an epidemiologist at Imperial College London, said at the time: “What it clearly demonstrates is we’re in a position where case numbers are going up. So we don’t have much room for manoeuvre.”
Responding to the latest figures, Prof Oliver Johnson, professor of information theory, School of Mathematics, University of Bristol, said:
Today’s ONS infection survey figures are very similar to last week. Indeed the long-term trend is broadly flat since the beginning of July, suggesting an R value very close to 1.
This data may appear to contradict the recent increase in UK cases: this may partly be due to some of those cases being discovered by targeted testing in hotspots. Further, it is important to note this ONS survey covers only England and Wales. A significant proportion of the recent increase in cases has occurred in Scotland and Northern Ireland, and so would not be visible here.
Updated
No 10 fails to defend PM's attendance at Tory meeting where social distancing rules ignored
On Wednesday Boris Johnson spoke at a meeting of the backbench Conservative 1922 Committee in the Commons. At the time it was clear that MPs attended did not seem to be following social distancing rules - my colleague Peter Walker was among the first reporters to point this out - and yesterday Bloomberg reported that, only 40 minutes after the meeting finished, No 10 posted a message on Twitter reminding people that gatherings of more than 30 people were illegal, fuelling claims that Johnson was guilty of hypocrisy. The Bloomberg story also said that Johnson had made a point about how the MPs were sitting “cheek by jowl”, saying this is what he wanted for the country by Christmas. Bloomberg reports:
At least 50 Tory members of parliament crammed into the parliamentary meeting room on Wednesday evening for the meeting, despite a sign on the door warning only 29 should be allowed in to limit the spread of coronavirus. And Johnson even commented on how he wanted people to be packed together in the same way by Christmas, according to two people at the meeting.
While some observed social-distancing rules that individuals should be more than a meter apart by taking seats that were spaced out, later arrivals “crammed” together at the back of the room to hear Johnson, according to three people present, who asked not to be identified because the meeting was private.
At today’s No 10 lobby briefing the prime minister’s spokesman claimed that the PM does obey his own social distancing rules. But he would not discuss what happened at the 1922 Committee meeting at all, arguing that as a civil servant he was not able to comment on a political matter. (The No 10 political team have not - at least so far - been commenting on this issue either.)
Sky’s Aubrey Allegretti has a transcript of the lobby exchanges here.
PM's spokesman repeatedly refused to be drawn on report that more than 50 Tory MPs packed into a room with a max capacity of 29 to hear Boris Johnson speak - breaking social distancing rules.
— Aubrey Allegretti (@breeallegretti) September 4, 2020
Here's the exchange: pic.twitter.com/ZaBI1wQeRM
Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of the 1922 Committee, claimed that the one metre plus social distancing rule was being followed at the meeting when he was approached for a response by Bloomberg.
Updated
Leeds is now an “area of concern” for the government because of the rise in the number of coronavirus cases there, according to one of the city’s MPs, Labour’s Rachel Reeves. This means it is at risk of having new coronavirus restrictions imposed.
Leeds is now an "area of concern" after a rise in coronavirus cases across the city. It’s vital we social distance, wear face masks where required, regularly wash our hands & if you have symptoms get tested & self-isolate if needed. You can book a test at https://t.co/G7EOlctPQp
— Rachel Reeves (@RachelReevesMP) September 4, 2020
Evidence suggests Covid incidence rate for England 'remains unchanged', says ONS
The Office for National Statistics has just published its latest weekly Covid-19 infection survey, its assessment of how many people in the population at large have coronavirus. Here are the key points.
- The ONS says that overall the evidence suggests “the incidence rate for England remains unchanged”.
- It says that in the most recent week for which data is available, the week ending 25 August, an estimated one person in 2,000 in England had coronavirus. That amounted to an estimated 27,100 people, it says. But there is considerable uncertainty around these figures. The ONS says the figure could be between one person in 2,800 and one person in 1,500 (or between 19,300 people infected and 36,700). Those are the 95% credible interval figures – meaning there is a 95% chance the true figure is within that range.
- It estimates that in the week ending 25 August there were around 2,000 new cases a day in England. That equates to 0.36 new Covid-19 infections for every 10,000 people per day in the community population. Again, there is considerable uncertainty; for the 95% credible interval, the figure could be between 1,100 and 3,200 new cases a day.
- In the week ending 25 August it estimates around one person in 2,200 in Wales had coronavirus. That amounted to an estimated 1,400 people, it says.
- It says there is some evidence of “a small increase in the percentage of people testing positive for Covid-19 in July, following a low point in June, which has continued to level off”.
Updated
These are from Reuters’ Stephen Grey, who has posted a link to the Reuters Covid hotspot tracker.
Update the ALL-UK Covid hotspot tracker - very mixed picture; some clear hotspots; little sign of excess deaths yet from rising cases. (Total cases from last seven days under-reports, as more results will be added) https://t.co/WIqAkwalcn pic.twitter.com/tlwVB57ZO1
— Stephen Grey (@StephenGrey) September 4, 2020
Intriguing that much of SW-England has recorded so far this year excess deaths in the negative compared to 5 year average -- in otherwords they've done better during pandemic than normal. Is that a data glitch or is there an explanation? cc @invadingpirate @IsaacATFlorence ? pic.twitter.com/USuvbezPmL
— Stephen Grey (@StephenGrey) September 4, 2020
And here is the Guardian’s equivalent, with a series of charts and interactive graphics presenting UK Covid data.
The ONS survey on the social impacts of coronavirus also shows there has been an increase in people travelling to work in the last two months, with fewer working exclusively from home.
According to the research, 57% of working adults reported that they had travelled to work – either exclusively or in combination with working from home – in the past seven days, while 20% had worked solely from home. The findings show an increase from the results of an ONS survey in the last week of June when 49% of working adults said they had travelled into work, and 29% said they had worked exclusively at home.
Updated
Health bosses in Caerphilly, south Wales, have expressed concern over a cluster of Covid-19 cases.
Dr Rhianwen Stiff, a consultant in communicable disease control for Public Health Wales, said:
There has been a significant rise in positive coronavirus cases in Caerphilly in the past week, and our investigations indicate that a lack of social distancing by a small group of people of all age groups in a range of different locations has resulted in the spread of the virus to other parts of the population.
It appears that as lockdown restrictions have eased, people have taken advantage of the greater possibilities for activities, but they seem to have forgotten the importance of social distancing – resulting in possible transmission in the wider community.
A temporary test centre is to be set up.
Updated
ONS survey suggests around half of pupils had concerns about returning to school
Around half of pupils had mixed feelings about returning to school, an Office for National Statistics survey suggests.
This morning the ONS published its latest report on the social impacts of coronavirus, based on survey responses from more than 1,500 people in England and Wales, and one finding was that half (46%) of parents said the oldest child in their household had mixed feelings about returning to school or college.
Parents themselves were even more worried, the report reveals. It says:
More than half (52%) of adults in England and Wales with children of school age in the next term reported that they were very worried or somewhat worried about the oldest school age child in their returning to school or college as the new term begins. The main concern (58%) reported by adults with children of school age in the next term, is that they are worried about the oldest age child in their household catching the coronavirus (Covid-19) at school or college.
But the survey, which was conducted before most schools reopened, also found that 97% of parents said it would be very or fairly likely that their oldest school age child would be in school when term started.
Some of the figures in the survey dataset, published alongside the main report, are even more striking. Table 22, which features the replies from 16- to 18-year-olds who were asked how they felt about returning to school, suggests that 79% of them were either very worried (15%) or somewhat worried (64%) about the prospect. The main reason for being worried was struggling to keep up (68%), but around half (47%) said they were worried about catching coronavirus at school. However, the number of 16- to 18-year-olds interviewed for this part of the survey was tiny (just 30), so there is a wide margin of error.
Updated
In his interview with Sky News this morning Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, admitted that having different quarantine rules for different countries within the UK “creates confusion”. (See 7.42am.) Speaking on BBC Breakfast, he explained in more detail why the rules differed across the UK. He said:
You have four nations looking at say one country, Portugal, for example, and they have the data of that country and make a decision.
We do speak but I’m afraid quite often come to slightly different outcomes which I realise is confusing for people.
The thing that varies is actually the law or the way the law is drafted in each area.
Shapps also said Scotland made decisions on its quarantine restrictions for Greece without looking at the Joint Biosecurity Centre’s data. He said:
Now they did that because they had some particular concerns about cases which have returned to Scotland from Greece and we waited to see the joint biosecurity data this week on Greece and indeed it actually showed a small fall in the number of cases per 100,000.
Shapps said the number of cases per 100,000 was a “useful benchmark” for the status of a country when deciding whether to impose a quarantine, but said it was “one of the many bits of data” looked at, alongside test positivity ratio.
If you test more people, of course your number of positives per 100,000 would be more, just as a product of having tested more people.
We don’t want to penalise a country for doing the right thing, what we’re additionally interested in is how many of those tests were actually positive, so it’s getting that and in addition how it’s been treated, how fast it’s moving and whether the government in that country has a plan in place and many other factors that have to do with it.
Shapps said Portugal was currently on the “borderline” but did not justify quarantine this week, though it is being closely monitored.
Remember these things can change potentially in-week as well, if we see something take off. I’m afraid I know it’s very frustrating ... I have every sympathy with people who have found themselves stranded.
Travelling always has a certain amount of uncertainty and of course with coronavirus it’s more uncertain than it has been at any other time.
Updated
In our new US Politics Weekly Extra, Jonathan Freedland chats with some of the Guardian’s best reporters and columnists in the US about a single question prompted by the 2020 presidential election campaign. This week, he speaks with senior political reporter Lauren Gambino about Donald Trump’s history with conspiracy theories, and the motives behind them.
Haulage bosses seek meeting with ministers of Brexit border concerns
Haulage bosses have called for an “urgent” meeting with cabinet ministers over concerns there are “significant gaps” in the UK’s Brexit border preparations, PA Media reports. Eight logistics organisations, including the Road Haulage Association (RHA), have written to the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove to highlight fears the UK-EU supply chain “will be severely disrupted” next year if issues are not resolved before Brexit. The group seeks a roundtable meeting with Gove, the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and the transport secretary, Grant Shapps, to discuss areas including IT systems and physical border infrastructure.
In their letter the organisations say:
As key participants in the supply chain who will be required to deliver a functional operating border for GB and EU traders next year, we have visibility of the current state of preparedness which as it stands has significant gaps.
If these issues are not addressed disruption to UK business and the supply chain that we all rely so heavily on will be severely disrupted.
The Covid pandemic has demonstrated to both government and the general public the importance of a free-flowing supply chain, and with transition occurring at the same time as a potential second Covid spike it is critical we ensure the supply chain is protected.
We are asking you to take seriously our concerns and listen to the detail during this roundtable so that we can collectively help government manage through this enormous challenge with as little disruption as possible.
Updated
Updated
Agenda for the day
Good morning. I’m Andrew Sparrow, taking over from Helen Pidd.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: The Office for National Statistics is due to publish a report on the social impact of coronavirus.
12pm: The ONS is due to publish its weekly Covid-19 infection survey - its assessment of how many people in the population at large have coronavirus.
12pm: Downing Street lobby briefing.
1.30pm: Independent Sage, the unofficial expert committee, is holding a briefing, focusing on school reopening,
Afternoon: The UK government is due to publish its latest estimate for R, the reproduction number.
And, at some point today, as Helen mentioned earlier (see 7.36am), Public Health England is due to publish its weekly surveillance report, with figures that could lead to new local lockdown measures.
Updated
One of the irritating side effects of Covid is certain companies using it as an excuse to short-change customers. Take Northern Rail, which quietly announced in July that it was going to suspend all services on one train line in Stockport until Christmas, citing the challenges they have faced as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Northern said it had chosen the Manchester Piccadilly to Rose Hill Line because “it is lightly used and passengers can easily get to stations on other lines”. It needed to free up the line to train drivers on new trains, apparently.
Now, you may say I only care about this because it’s my chuffing train line. But how can a company unilaterally remove a whole service, depriving thousands of people of transport and get away with it? Especially at a time when the government is allegedly trying to cut car use and carbon emissions.
Enter the local Lib Dems. You may remember two years ago that Tim Farron, the Lakeland MP and former party leader, managed to organise a substitute train service in his constituency when Northern removed the Windermere shuttle.
Now his Lib Dem pals in Stockport (Labour-ruled despite Labour and the Lib Dems having the same number of councillors) have pulled off the same trick. They have secured an agreement in principle for Stockport council to fund a train service for one week on the Rose Hill rail line to prove to Northern that it can be done.
The operator West Coast Railways will run the service for a week, hopefully proving it is needed and necessary, says local Lib Dem councillor Lisa Smart. More details here.
That’s all for me now. I will leave you in the capable blogging hands of Andrew Sparrow for the rest of the day.
Updated
Rishi Sunak has been urged by union leaders to launch a wage subsidy scheme to prevent a “tsunami” of unemployment when furlough comes to an end this autumn.
Demanding the chancellor follow the examples of other leading European countries to avert a jobs crisis, the Trades Union Congress said a continental-style system of “short-time working” wage support could be used in Britain to save millions of jobs from redundancy.
There is more from my colleague Richard Partington here:
Updated
Leeds warned restrictions loom if infections continue to climb
More from Leeds, where residents have been warned there will be “no alternative” to further lockdown restrictions if coronavirus infection rates continue to rise.
The city is expected to be added to Public Health England’s weekly watch list of areas of concern, following a rise in cases over the previous weeks.
The city council has said that while being on the list would not mean further restrictions at this stage, it would mean increased monitoring of cases and could see additional steps taken in the future.
The latest seven-day infection rate shows Leeds as having 32.6 cases per 100,000 people, the 11th highest in England, with 44 new cases today identified on Wednesday and a testing positivity rate of 4.2%.
Council leader and chair of the outbreak control board, Judith Blake, said:
This is a pivotal moment in our efforts to control the spread of the virus in Leeds and to keep our city open.
Nobody wants to see further restrictions on life in Leeds and we want to assure everyone that we’re doing absolutely everything within our power to avoid that happening.
But the harsh reality is that if our infection rate continues to rise as it has been, we will be left with no alternative. With that in mind, now more than ever we need a collective effort from the people of Leeds who have shown so much resilience and civic pride throughout this crisis.
The council has reminded people to isolate if anyone in their household is showing Covid-19 symptoms, to keep social distancing, wear a face covering and to wash hands regularly.
Victoria Eaton, Leeds city council’s director of public health, said: “It’s imperative that we do all we can to contain the spread of this virus and protect one another at this crucial time for the city.”
Updated
Covid etiquette time: is it “disrespectful” to drink a pint while on an evening Zoom meeting?
Newcastle city council’s Labour leader, Nick Forbes, laid into one of his Lib Dem rivals for drinking beer during a full council meeting that was held virtually and streamed online.
The Chronicle reports that Gareth Kane came under fire from Labour opponents after they spotted him enjoying a tipple on-screen shortly after telling Northumbria police bosses that his ward, Ouseburn, had been “plagued” by people having parties in parks and drinking in pub beer gardens during lockdown.
Forbes was unimpressed, saying the meetings “demand respect and dignity from participants”.
Councillor accused of 'disrespect' after drinking a pint during meeting https://t.co/iNWnDUc9Ki
— Nick Forbes (@nick_forbes) September 3, 2020
Updated
Looking closely at the latest Covid dashboard for England, it becomes clear that some areas are extremely unlikely to be freed from enhanced lockdown restrictions today.
Take Bradford, one of my favourite northern cities (top curry, dramatic Brontë backdrop, gorgeous blackened stone). Cases there have now reached 61.1 per 100,000 people, according to the most recent data for the week ending 1 September.
Nearby Leeds put out a warning to residents yesterday after 44 new cases on Wednesday, giving it a rate of 32.6 per 100,000.
It is looking worse in Bolton, where there were 242 infections, equating to 84.8 per 100,000.
Now, there will be those who will tell you that the old cases per 100,000 metric is too blunt a tool. That was the argument Sir Graham Brady MP was making this week when arguing that his native Trafford should be freed from lockdown. He said it should be part of a “basket of measures” used to determine local measures, including the hospitalisation rate.
Others would say that while the rates might look scary, the actual number of cases is still pretty low compared with the April peak. But many health experts would warn that all outbreaks start small and if you don’t take action early you are heading for disaster.
Updated
Different quarantine rules for different countries in UK 'creates confusion', Shapps admits
Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, has drawn the short straw this morning and is doing the broadcast round.
Talking to Sky News, he acknowledged that the different advice for quarantining when arriving from abroad in the devolved nations “creates confusion”. He said:
I do realise it creates confusion for people not to have a single rule but we do have this devolved approach throughout the United Kingdom and I can only be responsible for the English part of that.
Shapps said Greece and Portugal were not added to England’s quarantine list because figures suggested cases were decreasing in those nations.
Asked about the former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott — apparently promised a senior UK trade role despite a reputation for homophobia and misogyny — Shapps insisted the job was not yet Abbott’s:
I hate to bring us back to reality but he hasn’t been appointed to anything and as far as I know there haven’t been any appointments made. There are lots of people with whom their comments I vehemently disagree but I’m not into defending people who are not actually carrying out any role for the British government.
Updated
North-east England could face new lockdown restrictions as cases rise
It’s Friday, which in England’s more Covid-riddled areas is now the day of reckoning. It has become tradition that the health secretary, Matt Hancock, waits until the end of the working week to announce who is in and who is out of local lockdown, ruining plans for your backyard family BBQ or delighting your local eyebrow threader, depending on the news.
The announcement usually comes at around 11am, but don’t set your watch by it. Last Friday it was going dark by the time the weekly surveillance report was issued, showing which areas had made it on the notorious “watch list” and who was subject to what measures. That’s because certain areas – notably Trafford, the wealthiest borough in Greater Manchester – were arguing with government about whether or not they should have their restrictions lifted.
Hancock listened to Sir Graham Brady, Trafford’s sole Tory MP, who was keen for lockdown to end, only to have to perform a reverse ferret on Wednesday and reimpose the measures there and in Bolton. Do not expect any change in the restrictions in Greater Manchester today, but some parts of West Yorkshire and east Lancashire could be freed after infections.
It is squeaky bum time in much of the north-east, where infections have climbed sharply. South Tyneside is now firmly in the government’s “red zone”, with 47.9 cases per 100,000 people recorded in the week ending 1 September. Middlesbrough has reached 30.6 per 100,000; Redcar and Cleveland are on 24.9, Gateshead 24.2 and Stockton-on-Tees 20.3 (a 344% week-on-week increase).
The government makes holidaymakers quarantine from any countries with more than 20 cases per 100,000, so to ignore such spikes on home turf would be…unusual.
I’m Helen Pidd, the Guardian’s north of England editor, and I will be keeping you updated throughout the morning until Andy Sparrow arrives.
Updated
