Politics

Read about the latest UK political news, views and analysis.

Thursday

Alex Massie Alex Massie

There is nothing to lose from a Brexit extension

You might think that the biggest public health and economic crisis since the second world war ought to be a moment at which government should concentrate on the here and now, forsaking grand projects the better to focus all its attention on dealing with both the coronavirus itself and its wider, monumental, impact on almost every aspect of British life. But, no. Other matters continue, even if preposterously so. According to the government, not even this calamity can be allowed to interrupt the hitherto smooth and straightforward passage of Brexit. The ongoing negotiations over the UK’s final withdrawal from the European Union cannot be delayed by anything so trivial as

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Squabbling scientists have shocked ministers

The government’s response to criticism of its approach to this pandemic is that it has been ‘guided by the science’ throughout. When Keir Starmer accused the government of being slow to introduce a lockdown at PMQs yesterday, Dominic Raab shot back to ask whether Starmer was really saying that he knew better than the chief medical officer and the chief scientific adviser. The government’s defence is a reasonable one: just imagine the row if it turned out that the Prime Minister had been overruling the advice of his top medical and scientific advisers. But, as I say in the magazine this week, in private, there is an admission that there was,

Matthew Parris Matthew Parris

The difficult balance of public vs political agony

Fear is the politician’s friend. When terror grips the public, an opportunity arises for those in power to step forward as the people’s guide and protector in dangerous times. One sees this in wars. One sees it whenever the public suspects hostile conspiracies, networks of spies or mischief-makers. We likewise cleave to leaders who will confound predatory foreign powers, terrorist plots or the danger of being swamped by waves of immigrants. In fear or anxiety the people will hug their leaders closer, and their leaders know this as surely as every priest knows that despair and anxiety are his faith’s most reliable draw. Do not, therefore, overlook the power of

Wednesday

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

What is the real impact of lockdown on the NHS?

24 min listen

The NHS has been transformed to deal with the coronavirus threat, and it’s thus far holding up, despite fears over capacity. But what has been the effect on the rest of the health service, and its usual patients? Fraser Nelson speaks to Alastair McLellan, Editor of the Health Service Journal.

Steerpike Steerpike

Watch: Welsh Minister caught swearing on Zoom call

So far things have gone rather well in Westminster as Parliament for the first time allows MPs to ask questions over the Zoom video conferencing software.  Over in Wales though, it appears Assembly members might be struggling a bit more with the technology. This afternoon, the Labour Health and Social Services Minister, Vaughan Gething, didn’t realise his mic was on and accidentally announced to the world his dissatisfaction with the proceedings. The Labour politician was caught on mic asking the crowded Zoom call: ‘what the fuck is the matter with’ one of his fellow Assembly members.  Whoever said that politics wasn’t civilised? Watch here:

Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

The disastrous Zoom backgrounds of MPs at PMQs

That wasn’t PMQs. That was World Of Interiors. With members scattered across the country, the session took place in a sparse, hushed Chamber. Dominic Raab stood in for the Prime Minister and Keir Starmer made his first appearance as opposition leader. But this historic debut was eclipsed by MPs at home asking questions online. This was an extraordinary day for the taxpayer who finally got to see the furnishings and ornaments selected by MPs. First, the worst. Ed Davey needs an eye test. He appeared at a desk flanked by two luridly pigmented abstract paintings. One resembled a chess board with the squares coloured in at random, perhaps by a

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Hancock struggles to answer questions on testing and quarantine

Matt Hancock has the air of a student who, having boasted about how great their final dissertation will be, has just realised that they have days to research and write the whole thing. When asked if he is going to meet his target of 100,000 daily tests for coronavirus by the end of the month, the Health Secretary continues to insist that he will, while struggling to explain how.  He gave a statement in the new hybrid Commons this afternoon in which he was repeatedly questioned both by MPs who were in the Chamber and those on video link about what was going wrong with the testing target. He struggled

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Most of the cabinet want a significant easing of the lockdown in May

Coronavirus has created two different cabinets: an inner cabinet involved in the key discussions about how to handle the pandemic and an outer cabinet. Last week’s meeting reinforced this point, when some in the outer cabinet were acutely aware that the real decision had been taken by the inner cabinet before the whole cabinet Zoomed in for their meeting. The outer cabinet tends to be very keen on a significant easing of the lockdown. One minister’s assessment is that two-thirds of the total cabinet favour a substantial reduction in restrictions at the next review in a few weeks’ time. As I say in the magazine, out tomorrow, Boris Johnson is

James Forsyth James Forsyth

PMQs: Starmer poses the question that ministers are asking in private

Today’s PMQs was more political than I had expected. But that is a good thing, challenge and accountability are the great strengths of the Westminster system and lead to better government. Keir Starmer is never going to be an exciting parliamentary performer, but his questions were detailed and he followed up on Dominic Raab’s answer. He will be far more effective at scrutinising the government than Jeremy Corbyn was. Keir Starmer will be far more effective at scrutinising the government than Jeremy Corbyn was Starmer went on testing and the question of why half of the current capacity isn’t being used, a question that lots of people in government are

Matthew Lynn

Is the furlough scheme too generous to be stopped?

You can get 80 per cent of your salary, and sometimes even 100 per cent, without actually working. Companies are getting virtually free loans, and can dump their often troublesome staff on the Treasury payroll, and entrepreneurs can get direct injections of cash from the state without actually having to launch any products. Sure we can understand why the Government has stepped in with so much cash. It needs to stop the economy collapsing, and a lot of businesses would have gone under already if that support was not available. But there’s a catch. We’ve just created the biggest free lunch in history, and we shouldn’t be surprised if some

Tuesday

Cindy Yu Cindy Yu

Is Matt Hancock the government’s ‘fall guy’?

14 min listen

Is Matt Hancock the government’s ‘fall guy’? As Katy Balls details on Coffee House, the Health Secretary’s 100,000 target has rubbed up some in government in the wrong way, with the Daily Telegraph’s front page today reporting that an insider close to No 10 has dubbed it ‘irrational’ and ‘arbitrary’. So what’s going on behind the scenes?

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Is Matt Hancock really being lined up as the government’s ‘fall guy’?

Is Matt Hancock being lined up as the ‘fall guy‘ over coronavirus? That’s the suggestion being made today following a number of stories questioning the Health Secretary’s performance. The most striking of which is the Telegraph splash on a Downing Street source describing Hancock’s 100,000 test target as ‘irrational’, ‘arbitrary’ and a mistaken response to media pressure. The paper also quotes a former cabinet minister questioning Hancock’s general approach: ‘There is a view growing in Cabinet that Matt has gone off on one – a sort of Messiah complex, as one described it to me’. Ministers are now suggesting Hancock could be moved from Health before any public inquiry begins. Hancock appears to

Steerpike Steerpike

Watch: Jacob Rees-Mogg moves on from the 14th century

Today, the House of Commons finally reopened for business, after it closed its doors early in March due to the rapid spread of the coronavirus. Those who tuned in to the first debate since the break found a rather unusual spectacle awaiting them. Only a handful of MPs and officials turned up to the sparsely filled Chamber, which was filled with tape markings and warnings to ensure that all members remained socially distanced. But arguably the stranger sight, was to see the Commons’ arch-traditionalist Jacob Rees-Mogg leading the debate on behalf of the government for future Commons proceedings to take place via video link. It would be easy to imagine

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Who is in charge of the government?

Boris Johnson is still officially recuperating from coronavirus at Chequers and is ‘not doing government work’, according to No. 10. But he is starting to do some activities that sound distinctly work-related.  He will be having an audience with the Queen over the phone this week, and will also be phoning President Trump on Tuesday to thank him for his wishes when he was in the hospital and to get an update on the G7 response to the crisis. But the Downing Street line remains that ‘he isn’t doing government work but he is getting updates on the situation’. In Westminster, it’s almost as easy to find someone else to

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Why ministers are reluctant to change face mask guidance

‘Will the public be asked to wear face masks in public?’ This is a topic of debate today for the government’s SAGE committee of scientific advisers. Although the government dismissed the idea early on in the coronavirus pandemic, many other countries have since changed their own advice in support of them (read Dr John Lee’s analysis of the medical evidence here). Chief scientific adviser Patrick Vallance has recently suggested they could play a role in stemming infection: The evidence on masks is much more persuasive for masks stopping you giving it to somebody than it is for preventing you catching it. We have a review ongoing at the moment on the evidence

James Forsyth James Forsyth

What will the Zoom Parliament change?

Parliament will return today, albeit in a very odd way. There will be some MPs in the chamber and others Zooming in. It will not be parliament as we are used to. This hybrid model will mean that debate will be stilted, but it is better than nothing. It is also essential that parliament sits in some form given the powers that the executive has taken on to deal with this crisis. One thing that the Zoom Parliament will change is that it will give an indication of where parliamentary opinion is on the lockdown. I have been struck talking to Tory MPs over the past week or so by

Monday

Kate Andrews Kate Andrews

Covid-19 business loans aren’t yet working

Last week’s report from the Office for Budget Responsibility made waves with its latest economic scenario, estimating a 35 per cent collapse in GDP in the second quarter of the year. But could even that dire prediction have been too optimistic? While the downturn was estimated by the OBR to be sharp, so too was the economy bounce-back, creating a V-shaped recovery and quick economic improvement. But internal Treasury assessments revealed by the Times today predict a U-shape recovery: a longer, more painful return to the status quo. In both scenarios, the millions made unemployed by the Covid-19 lockdown take longer to return to work than the economy does to technically