Afternoon summary
- Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, has acknowledged that Brexit has caused problems for the region - while stressing that violence is unacceptable. He said the Brexit deal was not just causing difficulties for consumers, but for loyalists and unionists in more general terms. After flying to Belfast in response to rioting that has been going on for days, culminating in disorder last night described by the police as the worst sectarian violence seen in recent years (see 1.36pm), and following virtual talks with party leaders at Stormont, Lewis told reporters:
It’s really good to see all five parties coming together with a clear statement which is that violence is not acceptable.
I’ll be the first to acknowledge over the first few months of the year there were real issues around how the protocol has landed for people, both as consumers and those in the loyalist and unionist community.
The way to deal with these things is through a democratic and diplomatic, political process. There is no legitimisation of violence to deal with any of those issues. It doesn’t serve anyone’s cause whatever their concern is on any given issue.
In fact, Lewis was hardly the first to acknowledge problems with the Northern Ireland protocol, the post-Brexit arrangement that effectively puts a GB/NI customs border down the Irish Sea, because on 1 January he notoriously posted a tweet saying there was no Irish Sea border. The protocol is only one of several factors behind the rioting, which has predominantly featured people from loyalist communities, but he did say the protocol had to be made to work for the whole of Northern Ireland. (See 5.09pm.) However, the protocol is a legally-binding international treaty, and the government has yet to reach agreement with the EU on how it might be amended. And unionists in Northern Ireland want it not just revised, but abolished altogether - a demand unacceptable to Brussels.
- Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, has published the content of two text messages he sent to David Cameron after the former PM lobbied him on behalf of Greensill Capital. The BBC’s Chris Mason has the details.
In a letter to Anneliese Dodds, Mr Sunak says David Cameron lobbied three ministers:
— Chris Mason (@ChrisMasonBBC) April 8, 2021
"I can confirm that David Cameron reached out informally by telephone to me, and to the Economic Secretary and the Financial Secretary."
More details on the texts... pic.twitter.com/siFh8jGJF8
— Chris Mason (@ChrisMasonBBC) April 8, 2021
That’s all from me for today. But our coronavirus coverage continues on our global live blog. It’s here.
Updated
Here is more from the Brandon Lewis briefing in Belfast.
Lewis says he spoke to the Prime Minister "just a short time ago."
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) April 8, 2021
From the BBC’s Chris Mason
NEW: The Chancellor is about to publish two text messages he sent David Cameron about Greensill Capital -- on @BBCPM @BBCRadio4 shortly
— Chris Mason (@ChrisMasonBBC) April 8, 2021
Lewis restates determination to address problems with Northern Ireland protocol
In Belfast Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, is holding a press briefing following his talks with leaders at Stormont. This is from Sky’s Stephen Murphy.
Secretary of State @BrandonLewis tells the media there’s no excuse for violence over political concerns pic.twitter.com/60KX9aRrgc
— Stephen Murphy (@SMurphyTV) April 8, 2021
And these are from Newsnight’s Lewis Goodall.
Brandon Lewis presser: says he's "the first to acknowledge" the issues with the protocol from the start of the year but says that's "no excuse" for the violence we've seen.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) April 8, 2021
Says he hasn't met with the Loyalist Council.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) April 8, 2021
"We've got to see the Protocol work for the whole of Northern Ireland"- says it doesn't work if it doesn't work for any particular community.
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) April 8, 2021
Indeed and this is why many criticised the way it was devised by the UK government itself.
Repeatedly says the way through this is via politics
— Lewis Goodall (@lewis_goodall) April 8, 2021
But the problem is the universal view across even party political unionism is that the Protocol needs to go in its entirety (whilst having to implement it as part of the exec)- where do you go from there?
Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin deputy first minister of Northern Ireland, has issued a fresh statement condemning the rioting. She said:
This morning the Sinn Féin leadership met with the PSNI chief constable to get an update on the situation, and to offer our support to both him and his officers, including the 55 officers injured.
Today we must stand united in appealing to all concerned to refrain from further threats or use of violence and call on those directing young people to engage in violence to stop.
There is room for everyone in the political process, but there is no room in society whatsoever for those who are armed and illegal and who should disband.
You are the enemies of peace.
Those involved in violence, criminal damage, manipulation of our young people and attacks on the police must stop.
Updated
Nicola Sturgeon’s comment about how getting the AstraZeneca vaccine might be “one of the least risky things you do in the day” (see 2.12pm) was echoed by Prof Stephen Reicher on the World at One. Reicher, a professor of social psychology at the University of St Andrews and a member of SPI-B, the Scientific Pandemic Insights group on Behaviour, a government advisory body, said:
Something like 30 or 40 people drown in the bath every year, something like 1,000 people die falling down the stairs, something like 200 die from choking on their breakfast, and that’s many, many more deaths than we get from these vaccines, so actually taking the vaccine is actually one of the safer things you do in the day. It’s definitely safer than cycling or driving to work.
More than a quarter of people aged 16 to 49 in England have had their first dose of Covid-19 vaccine, PA Media reports. PA says:
An estimated 27.6% of people in this age group had received their first jab by 4 April, NHS England figures suggest.
The estimates show small variations between regions, ranging from 23.1% in London to 29.7% in the Midlands.
And nearly six in 10 people in England aged 80 and over have had both doses of Covid-19 vaccine, according to the figures.
An estimated 58.5% of people in this age group had received both jabs as of 4 April, meaning they are fully vaccinated against coronavirus.
Some 26.5% of people aged 75 to 79 are estimated to have had both doses, along with 9.7% of people aged 70 to 74.
Updated
Photograph: Andy Rain/EPA
Updated
Second doses outnumbered first doses by four to one yesterday, latest figures show
The UK has recorded 53 further coronavirus deaths and 3,030 new cases, according to the latest update on the government’s dashboard. Comparing figures for the past seven days with figures for the previous week, deaths are down 32.5% and new cases are down 37.3%.
Hospital admissions are also down 26.1% week on week (although these figures only go up to last Saturday, the last day for which a UK figure is available).
The figures also show that 408,396 people had their second dose of a vaccine yesterday, the second highest ever daily figure for second doses. Another 99,530 people had a first dose. That means, for the first time, second doses were outnumbering first doses by four to one.
Updated
A total of 31,812,141 Covid-19 vaccinations took place in England between 8 December and 7 April, according to NHS England data, including first and second doses, which is a rise of 431,203 on the previous day.
As PA Media reports, NHS England said 26,879,123 were the first dose of a vaccine, a rise of 58,962 on the previous day, while 4,933,018 were a second dose, an increase of 372,241.
Updated
Welsh Labour launches its Senedd election manifesto
The Welsh government would train 12,000 staff to work in the NHS, if the Labour party wins May’s Senedd elections, PA Media reports. PA says:
Among the other pledges from Welsh Labour are a new medical school in north Wales and improved pay for social care staff.
The party said it will also retain the NHS bursary scheme, which offers grants to people training to be nurses or allied health professionals.
Launching Welsh Labour’s Senedd election manifesto, Mark Drakeford, the first minister, said every pledge has been “fully tested and costed”.
“The manifesto we launch today is a document rooted in trust and infused with ambition,” Drakeford said.
Drakeford said the manifesto contains six pledges for Wales:
- The recovery after Covid-19 will focus on schools and the NHS.
- A guarantee that every young person under the age of 25 will be offered a job or a place in education, training or help to start their own business.
- Care workers will be paid the real living wage.
- More single-use plastics will be abolished, and a National Forest for Wales will be created.
- A Welsh Labour government will pay for 100 extra police community support officers.
- 20,000 new low-carbon social homes for rent will be built.
Updated
Nicola Sturgeon has announced plans to trial free breakfasts for secondary school pupils as she reiterated a pledge to offer free breakfasts and lunches to all children at primary school, PA Media reports. The SNP leader revealed the free breakfast scheme will be piloted in secondary schools if her party wins the upcoming Holyrood election.
Updated
Two new opinion polls suggest strong leads for the SNP ahead of the upcoming Holyrood election, though analysis differs on how this will translate into MSPs for Nicola Sturgeon’s party, PA Media reports. PA says:
A Savanta ComRes poll for The Scotsman suggests the SNP will fall one MSP short of a majority, while an Opinium survey forecasts a 13-seat majority for the party.
The Savanta ComRes research (pdf) predicts the SNP will return 64 MSPs, while Alex Salmond’s new Alba party will return none despite taking 3% of the list vote.
Analysis of this poll indicates Alba could cost the SNP its majority at Holyrood due to voters choosing it on the list ballot instead of Sturgeon’s party.
It forecasts the SNP will win a constituency vote of 49% and a list vote of 40% ...
The poll also forecasts that the Scottish Conservatives will lose six seats, returning 25 MSPs, while Scottish Labour will have 23 MSPs - one down on 2016.
The Scottish Liberal Democrats are predicted to gain one seat and return seven MSPs.
The Opinium research puts the SNP on 53% in the constituency vote and 44% on the list vote, predicting a majority of 13 for Sturgeon’s party.
Using a uniform swing calculator, a crude method to predict the number of seats using the percentage share of the vote, Opinium puts the Tories on 27 seats, Labour on 21, the Greens on six and the Lib Dems on four.
Updated
Sister of man who died after AstraZeneca jab urges public to have vaccine
The sister of a man who died from a rare blood clot on the brain after receiving the AstraZeneca vaccine has urged the public to “keep saving lives” by continuing to receive the jab, my colleague Helen Pidd reports.
Public Health England has published its latest Covid surveillance report (pdf). Here is a summary of the key points from PHE.
Case rates have fallen across all age groups.
Case rates continue to be highest in those aged 10 to 19, with a case rate of 54.3 per 100,000 population.
The lowest case rates continue to be in those aged 70 to 79, with a rate of 7.2 per 100,000 population.
Case rates per 100,000 have fallen across all regions and remain highest in Yorkshire and the Humber, at 66.9.
We've just published our weekly #COVID19 surveillance report.
— Public Health England (@PHE_uk) April 8, 2021
Read it here: https://t.co/8dYt9zEVk9
Michel Barnier, the former EU Brexit negotiator, has issued a statement on Twitter condemning the violence in Northern Ireland. Given the importance of Northern Ireland in the Brexit talks, he can claim to be an interested party.
Violence is never a solution. I condemn the recent violent acts in Northern Ireland.
— Michel Barnier (@MichelBarnier) April 8, 2021
Full support for the authorities and political leaders in defusing tensions and restoring calm.
NHS England has recorded 34 further coronavirus hospital deaths. The details are here.
A week ago today 43 hospital deaths were recorded.
Unionists feel 'betrayed' by PM over Brexit, says former NI secretary Peter Hain
In an interview with Sky News Peter Hain, a Labour peer and a former Northern Ireland secretary, said the disorder in Northern Ireland was mainly confined to loyalist communities. They felt “left behind for all sorts of reasons”, he said, but he also said they felt “betrayed” over Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. He explained:
The prime minister, Boris Johnson, did not tell it straight, with particularly the communities that are in flames at the present time, and the unionist community as a whole. He did not tell them that there would be inevitably checks and controls of a customs kind, the sorts that Northern Ireland businesses have been strangled by over recent weeks, with a mountain of paperwork and red tape. He didn’t tell them that was going to happen. And yet he signed a treaty, the withdrawal treaty in December 2019, which made it inevitable, And that’s why I think a lot of people feel betrayed. So he needs to get directly involved.
Hain said there were “flexibilities” in the Northern Ireland protocol that could be pursued to reduce the problems at the border. He said Boris Johnson should be negotiating these solutions with Brussels.
Updated
NI secretary says he's listening to 'ongoing concerns' of unionists and loyalists
Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, has said that he is aware of the “ongoing concerns” in the unionist and loyalist community in Northern Ireland, and that he is engaging with those concerns, but that violence and disorder is not the solution. He made the comment in a statement issued ahead of his talks in Belfast later.
Here’s an extract.
I am aware of the ongoing concerns from some in the unionist and loyalist community over recent months and I have been engaging and listening to those concerns. However, I remain clear that the right way to express concerns or frustrations is through dialogue, engagement, and the democratic process, not through violence or disorder.
Today, I will be meeting with community, faith and political leaders. Following engagement earlier today, I welcome the statement from the executive and join them in appealing for calm. I will do all I can to continue to facilitate further constructive discussions on the way forward over the coming days. I remain in close contact with the prime minister to keep him updated.
Sturgeon says risk from AstraZeneca vaccine 'probably lower than crossing the road'
Nicola Sturgeon has said that she would have “no hesitation” is taking the Astra Zeneca vaccine if she is offered it a week today when she is booked to receive her Covid jag. Speaking at a Q&A with the Holyrood lobby on Thursday, she said:
The risk that has been assessed and led to the advice yesterday is very, very, very, very, very small. The blood clotting issue is very, very, very rare. If you get the AstraZeneca vaccine today, it will be one of the least risky things you do in the day, because the risk is probably lower than crossing the road. Given the risks, particularly the older you get, of Covid, the benefits of being vaccinated with AstraZeneca or any vaccine vastly outweigh any minimal risk that might arise from it.
Sturgeon also denied there had been any confusion over the SNP’s position on Covid status certificates after Ian Blackford appeared to suggest the party’s Westminster group would consider supporting and then would not support UK government proposals, which have yet to be announced.
She said that four-nations discussions about this were ongoing and that she was keen to work through the issues “methodically” and in a way in which “the public feel involved”. She went on:
My position that we should not close our minds to anything that helps us get back to a position of greater normality.
Vaccine certification is already starting to be used by private companies and by organisations. The question for governments is to what extent we encourage or mandate vaccine certification in different circumstances. And also, to what extent we may do that for things like international travel versus access to or use of services domestically.
She added: “Right now the vaccines are not authorised for use amongst the younger population, so where does that leave younger people?”
Updated
Last night's rioting in Belfast 'at a scale not seen in recent years', says PSNI
The Police Service of Northern Ireland held a news conference a bit earlier to provide an update on last night’s rioting. Temporary assistant chief constable Jonathan Roberts was taking the questions. Here are the main points he made.
- Roberts said that what happened last night was “at a scale that we have not seen in recent years in Belfast, or further afield”. He said the police had not seen “sectarian violence” like, with large groups involved on both sides, for some time.
- He said there was a level of “pre-planning” involved. He explained:
You don’t come by such volumes of petrol bombs and missiles and fireworks without pre-planning, so there was a scale of planning and orchestration to it.
- He said what happened was “disgraceful”. He said:
The crowds grew in numbers and attacked each other with multiple petrol bombs and multiple missiles, including masonry and fireworks and attacked police.
The scenes we saw were disgraceful in terms of the seriousness of criminal acts that were being carried out and the violent disorder.
We also saw a bus being hijacked, it was an extremely distressing incident for the bus driver and the people on the bus at the time.
We had two other vehicles set on fire and pushed against the gates.
- He said he could not confirm that paramilitary groups were involved. He said some of those involved in the rioting were not from paramilitary groups. As for whether paramilitary groups were involved, that was still “an active line of investigation”, he said.
- He said that there had been two arrests so far, and that 55 police officers had been injured in the last few days. But he said the injuries sustained by the police were “on the whole relatively minor”.
- He said some children as young as 13 or 14 were involved. They were being “encouraged and supported by adults who stood by and clapped and cheered”.
- He said there would be a full investigation into what happened.
- He said the police were aware of other events being planned for the coming days. The police would be monitoring them, he said.
Updated
Updated
A spontaneous act of solidarity has taken place at Belfast city hall for the driver of a bus that was hijacked and setting alight in the city on Wednesday evening, PA Media reports. PA says:
Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) assistant general secretary Owen Reidy said it was a demonstration on behalf of the entire trade union movement to support the driver, who has been left shaken by the incident.
“Theirs is an act of generosity towards their fellow bus driver who was shockingly attacked last evening and towards the brave police officers and journalists who were also assaulted while doing their job and serving the community,” he said.
“Workers across Northern Ireland will not accept being the subject of attacks when going about their duties. The Translink workers are standing up and proclaiming this loudly.”
From the BBC’s Jayne McCormack
The Stormont Assembly has unanimously supported a motion calling for an immediate and complete end to the recent violence in NI & supporting policing and the rule of law. That may have been the easier part. Getting to grips with all issues causing the violence & ending it harder
— Jayne McCormack (@BBCJayneMcC) April 8, 2021
Northern Ireland secretary flying to Belfast for talks about rioting
Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, is flying to Northern Ireland in response to the violence, PA Media reports. PA says:
Lewis is expected to meet political leaders from the main political parties, as well as faith and community leaders after flying into Belfast on Thursday afternoon.
Among the politicians he is set to talk to are first minister Arlene Foster, from the DUP, and deputy first minister Michelle O’Neill, from Sinn Féin.
Updated
Stewart Dickson, an Alliance MLA, is now winding up the debate.
He says the violence may be orchestrated by “sinister criminal elements”.
But young people are being implicated. He says their future may be on the line if they end up with a criminal record.
What are needed are peaceful solutions. He says he thinks he has heard a desire for that expressed during the debate.
The actions of political leaders have consequences, he says. He says there were “no excuses” for what Sinn Féin politicians, including Michelle O’Neill, did at the funeral of Bobby Storey.
He says he he does not think O’Neill realises the immensity of the challenge she faces restoring confidence after this.
But she also says that Arlene Foster’s fall for the resignation of the chief constable over the funeral was not constructive. He says Foster should not be undermining confidence in the Police Service of Northern Ireland.
On Brexit, he says they need to move to a “light touch” implementation of the Northern Ireland protocol.
Ending his speech, he says the message is that the violence must stop. And he urges MLAs to show full support for the police.
And that’s it. The debate is over.
Updated
The current Ulster Unionist party leader is Steve Aiken. In the debate he told MLAs:
Organised criminal gangs bringing out children, young people and others to commit acts of destruction helps no-one and no cause.
The imagery this portrays of 21st century Northern Ireland into our second century is not something that anyone should want to see. This violence must stop before anyone is killed.
Mike Nesbitt is a former UUP leader, not the current one, as an earlier post wrongly said. That’s been corrected. I’m sorry for the mistake.
Back in the debate the DUP’s Trevor Clarke criticises the police for facilitating the Bobby Storey funeral. He says there is no doubt that that happened.
He says he wants to end the violence. But MLAs need to listen to the concerns being expressed, he says.
He says the assembly needs to look at the issues causing concern. “There is real, palpable anger out there today,” he says.
This is from BBC Northern Ireland’s Julian O’Neill. The LCC is the Loyalist Communities Council, which issued a statement a month ago saying it no longer supported the Good Friday agreement.
LCC due to meet today. Have not issued anything publicly since letter to Boris Johnson 4wks ago, warning about dangers of protocol
— Julian O'Neill (@julianoneill) April 8, 2021
The DUP’s Joanne Bunting says rioting is never acceptable, but the people who are engaged in it have seen that in the past it has paid off - sometimes because it has led to areas getting extra funding.
And she says those involved will have seen the law being “blatantly broken” at the Bobby Storey funeral. She says that implied there was one law for one group, and one law for another. And it confirmed her view that Northern Ireland has “two-tier policing”, she says.
She says she has been arguing this for five years. And she says although the police force is supposed to engage with all communities, working-class protestant people feel neglected.
She says she does not approve of the way these people have expressed their anger. But their fears and concerns are real, she says.
Mike Nesbitt, the former leader of the Ulster Unionist party, says that when he used to work in broadcasting, he was used to hearing Northern Ireland’s politicians arguing furiously on TV. But in the green room afterwards they were much friendlier, asking about each other’s families.
He says he would like to stand shoulder to shoulder with all members of the assembly on solving Northern Ireland’s problems.
But he says they are being held back by the fact that Sinn Féin has not apologised for what happened at Bobby Storey’s funeral.
He also says there has been a failure to tackle deprivation. He says the areas that were the most deprived 10 or 20 years ago are still the most deprived.
UPDATE: I’ve corrected the first sentence. Nesbitt is a former UUP leader, not the current one.
Updated
Mervyn Storey, a DUP MLA, used his speech in the debate to criticise the attitude of some Sinn Féin politicians. He said they had shown “a barrage of disrespect” to Northern Ireland’s centenary. He also complained that the SDLP had told unionists to “suck it up” when the DUP expressed concerns about the Northern Ireland protocol.
And he also criticised Naomi Long, the Alliance leader, for saying people were lied to over Brexit. People should mind their language, he said.
Updated
Starmer urges PM to convene all-party talks on rioting in Northern Ireland
Sir Keir Starmer has restated Labour’s call (see 11.0am) for the PM to convene cross-party talks in Northern Ireland to address the rioting problem. On a visit to Bristol he said:
There are concerns in Northern Ireland about Brexit, there are concerns about the promises that the prime minister made which haven’t been kept.
They don’t justify the violence, let’s be very, very clear about that.
There is no justification for this violence, particularly the violence against the police service in Northern Ireland.
What the prime minister needs to do now is step up, show leadership, convene all-party talks and talk to the government of Ireland of course as well, and resolve this with pragmatic political solutions.
Updated
Martina Anderson, a Sinn Féin MLA, says the assembly needs to show ‘a generosity of spirit” and dial down the rhetoric.
Twenty three years after the Good Friday agreement, they are in a privileged space where dialogue can be used to build relationships between all traditions in Northern Ireland, she says.
She says changes brought about by the British government, and by unionism, have led to people in the protestant/loyalist community feeling their identity has been undermined.
Updated
Brandon Lewis, the Northern Ireland secretary, is heading to Belfast for talks with political leaders, Adam Payne from PoliticsHome reports.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis is on his way to Belfast for talks with political leaders
— Adam Payne (@adampayne26) April 8, 2021
The power-sharing Northern Ireland executive met this morning before the debate started in the assembly to discuss the rioting, and afterwards it issued a joint statement. Here’s an extract.
Destruction, violence and the threat of violence are completely unacceptable and unjustifiable, no matter what concerns may exist in communities.
Those who would seek to use and abuse our children and young people to carry out these attacks have no place in our society.
While our political positions are very different on many issues, we are all united in our support for law and order and we collectively state our support for policing and for the police officers who have been putting themselves in harm’s way to protect others.
Nichola Mallon, the SDLP infrastructure minister, says the response of some political leaders to the rioting on social media was disappointing.
People want to know what politicians are going to do to de-escalate the situation, she says.
She says working class communities have been condemned to a cycle of violence for generations.
Michelle O’Neill, the Sinn Féin deputy first minister, says there was a very dangerous escalation of the rioting last night, because it moved to interface gates at Lanark Way (separating the two communities).
She says it is alarming that children were involved. And she blames the loyalist paramilitaries.
They stand back and send youngsters out to do their bidding.
These people are no role models for our youth; they are outdated, they are antiquated and they are caught in a time warp which has no bearing on where the vast majority of people across this society now are or where they want to be.
They are holding back their own people and they are holding back their own community.
She praises the Good Friday agreement. But the Loyalist Communities Council has now withdrawn its support for this, she says.
She says there is room for everyone at the table. But there is no room for armed gangs, she says
Updated
Arlene Foster, the DUP first minister, is speaking now.
She says when politics fails in Northern Ireland, the vacuum will be filled by people offering destruction and despair.
Today is not the time to rehearse the arguments in the last few weeks. We should all know that when politics are perceived to fail, those who fill the vacuum cause despair.
Northern Ireland faces deep political challenges ahead.
“So political problems require political solutions”, she says, not street violence.
She says “responsible leadership” will not cherry pick problems, or deny the existence of the most difficult challenges.
She says MLAs should redouble their efforts to solve problems peacefully.
Updated
NI's justice minister suggests Brexiters' 'deception' has contributed to rioting
Naomi Long said it was particularly depressing that some of those involved in the rioting were children, some as young as 12 or 13. She said the fact they were being encouraged by adults to get involved in violent confrontation was “nothing short of child abuse”.
She said there were many theories as to why the rioting was happening, and that there could be “an element of truth in each of them”.
Brexit had caused simmering tensions for months, she said. She said she had some sympathy for people who feel betrayed. They were promised “sunlit uplands”, but those promises were not realistic, she said.
And she said Brexit was supported by those in government who were “more interested in their own ascent” than in the damage their “deception” could cause in Northern Ireland.
This sounded like an obvious reference to Boris Johnson.
In the assembly Naomi Long is opening the debate. She is justice minister in the executive, and leader of the cross-community Alliance party.
She has tabled the motion MLAs are debating. It says:
That this assembly notes with concern the violence on our streets over recent days and condemns without equivocation those involved; sends best wishes to those police officers attacked or injured whilst protecting the community and extends its sympathy to those members of the public who have suffered distress, loss or damage as a result; reaffirms its full commitment to support for policing and for the rule of law; recognises that leadership comes with responsibility; recommits to upholding a culture of lawfulness in both actions and in words; and calls for an immediate and complete end to this violence.
Updated
And here are some more Northern Ireland developments this morning.
- The Police Service of Northern Ireland said a total of 55 police officers have been injured across several nights of disorder in Northern Ireland.
- PSNI assistant chief constable Jonathan Roberts urged political leaders to unite in opposition to the rioting. He said:
We have seen scenes last night of a new generation of young people who have been exposed to scenes that I’m sure we all thought were in generations gone by, and I would encourage anybody in a position of leadership - political representatives, community representatives, parents - take an interest in what young people are doing and to have a united message to prevent further scenes like we witnessed last night.
- Mark Lindsay, the chair of the Northern Ireland Police Federation criticised the calls from unionists, including from the first minister Arlene Foster, for the chief constable to resign. Lindsay said:
I think the executive need to stand together and need to make very, very firm statements around where they stand in the support in law and order. They cannot differentiate between supporting the chief constable and supporting officers on the ground.
Policing needs leadership, it needs a chief constable, and really in the middle of a crisis this isn’t terribly helpful.
We all have to work with our chief constable, we do need a chief constable. I don’t think removing him at this stage would be terribly helpful.
Louise Haigh, the shadow Northern Ireland secretary, issued this statement about the rioting this morning.
This reprehensible violence serves absolutely no purpose, and political leaders must be united in condemning it.
Recent days have demonstrated that the peace process is fragile - this moment demands leadership.
The prime minister must convene cross-party talks in Northern Ireland, and engage with the joint-custodians to the Good Friday agreement, the Irish government to find solutions and resolve tensions.
The complex challenges facing Northern Ireland demand a prime minister to step-up - as a custodian to the Good Friday Agreement – and show responsibility. That has to include being honest about the consequences of his Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.
The political challenges facing Northern Ireland must be resolved through dialogue alone and the people of Northern Ireland have to see politics working for them.
Northern Ireland assembly to hold emergency session to debate rioting crisis
In Northern Ireland members of the legislative assembly (MLAs) are going to debate the rioting that has been taking place in the region for more than a week now. The assembly has been recalled especially for this session, which will start at 11am.
The cause of the rioting are complex. Some of it might be best viewed as criminality, but there is undoubtedly a political element because loyalists elements have played a prominent role and anger about the impact of post-Brexit Northern Ireland protocol does seem to be one factor inflaming their sense of grievance. Another was the decision not to prosecute any Sinn Féin politicians who attended the funeral of former IRA leader Bobby Storey, in apparent defiance of Covid regulations.
Here is our latest story on the situation.
Updated
A total of 719 deaths registered in England and Wales in the week ending 26 March mentioned Covid on the death certificate, according to the Office for National Statistics.
As PA Media reports, that’s the lowest number since the week ending 16 October. The figure is down 25% on the previous week’s total.
Those 719 deaths account for one in 14 (7.2%) of all deaths registered in England and Wales in the week to 26 March.
In Northern Ireland the vaccination programme is now moving on to cover people in the 40 to 44 age group.
From 12 noon today, people aged 40-44 will be able to book their #COVID19 vaccination appointments.
— Department of Health (@healthdpt) April 8, 2021
More info ➡️ https://t.co/sBv9FipJqH
Book online ➡️ https://t.co/0Rizp8bKO6 pic.twitter.com/YQxg5ZQvNX
David Cameron, the former prime minister, has been dodging the media for weeks now to avoid questions about his lobbying for Greensill Capital, but he has broken his silence this morning to pay tribute to Peter Ainsworth, a former member of his shadow cabinet. Ainsworth has died at the age of 64.
Peter Ainsworth was a key driver of our modernising agenda in Opposition, particularly our environmental policy. It was an honour to have him in my Shadow Cabinet. He was also such a kind, generous & thoroughly decent man & will be greatly missed. My thoughts are with his family.
— David Cameron (@David_Cameron) April 8, 2021
Boris Johnson has also paid tribute.
Sad to hear about the loss of Peter Ainsworth - a delightful colleague & passionate about his causes, especially the environment. We shared a corridor & often found ourselves charging late for the division. He has been taken far too young. My thoughts with Claire & their family.
— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) April 8, 2021
Mark Drakeford, the Welsh first minister, has said that there should only be a referendum on independence in Wales if Plaid Cymru wins a majority in the Senedd. Speaking on the Today programme, he said:
I’ve always believed that if a party won an election in Wales with a referendum on independence in its manifesto then it would’ve won the right to hold such a referendum.
But if a party puts that proposition and doesn’t win a majority it couldn’t expect that that then would be implemented.
But asked if he would rule out a coalition with Plaid Cymru if it insisted on that as a condition for working with Labour, he replied:
I think that’s a very long way off and will not be the preoccupation of this election.
Hancock does not deny reporting saying AZ vaccines have been shipped from UK to Australia
And in an interview on Sky News this morning Matt Hancock, the health secretary, did not deny a story in the Sydney Morning Herald saying that more than 700,000 doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine manufactured in the UK have been flown to Australia. The first shipment landed in February, and the paper suggests the Australian government did not reveal they were from the UK to avoid embarrassing Boris Johnson’s government.
Hancock said the UK government did not supply the doses, and that what the company did was up to them. He said:
In terms of what the companies do, these companies are manufacturing for all around the world and we source from everywhere in the world, so what I’m in control of, what matters for us as the UK Government, is making sure that we get the supplies that we have got contracted from the companies.
In his interviews this morning Matt Hancock, the health secretary, refused to say whether the government would make it compulsory for care home staff to get vaccinated. But he said 80% of them had already had the jab. He said:
I’m very pleased to say that the uptake of the vaccine in care home workers is now 80%, four in five. There’s still more work to do but I’m very grateful to the care home workers who’ve been coming forward.
Matt Hancock says AstraZeneca vaccine ‘safe at all ages’ in bid to reassure public
Good morning. Yesterday’s announcement from the government that people under the age of 30 will be allowed to reject AstraZeneca and choose another vaccine because of the possible link to extremely rare types of blood clots was always likely to do some damage to public confidence in the vaccine programme. As my colleague’s Sarah Boseley and Daniel Boffey report in their overnight story, one public health expert described this as “a severe blow to the public’s vaccine confidence”. And so it is not surprising that Matt Hancock, the health secretary, has been out this morning seeking to reassure people.
Here are some of his key messages.
- Hancock said the AstraZeneca vaccine was “safe at all ages”. That was the view of the UK regulator, the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency, he said, and its EU equivalent, the European Medicines Agency. He said that yesterday’s decision about offering a choice to the under-30s was just taken out of “an abundance of caution”.
- He said that the UK had “more than enough” Pfizer and Moderna doses to cope if under-30s do reject the AstraZeneca vaccine. He explained:
Anybody who’s had the jab should continue with the second jab because there’s no evidence of this affect after a second jab and we have more than enough Pfizer and Moderna vaccine to cover all of the remaining 8.5 million people aged between 18-29 if necessary.
He also said the speed of the overall vaccine rollout programme would not be affected by yesterday’s decision.
- He said the risk of developing a severe blood clot from the Astrazeneca vaccine was about four in a million - the same as the risk from taking a long-haul flight. He said:
The safety system that we have around this vaccine is so sensitive that it can pick up events that are four in a million - I’m told this is about the equivalent risk of taking a long-haul flight.
- He said young people should continue to get vaccinated not just because of the risk of death from Covid, but also because of the risk of long Covid. He said:
Covid is a horrible disease and long Covid affects people in their 20s just as much it seems as any other age group and can have debilitating side effects that essentially ruin your life.
Here is the agenda for the day.
9.30am: The ONS publishes the latest weekly death figures for England and Wales, as well as figures from its infection survey about the characteristics of people testing positive for coronavirus.
11am: Members of the Northern Ireland assembly debate a motion on the recent rioting. The assembly has been recalled from its recess for the occasion.
2pm: Public Health England publishes its weekly Covid surveillance report.
Also, Sir Keir Starmer is on a visit to Bristol.
Politics Live has been mostly about Covid for the last year and I will be covering UK coronavirus developments today, as well as non-coronavirus politics. For global coronavirus news, do read our global live blog.
I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone.
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