We’ve heard criticisms from one former Theresa May-era official this morning. Time for another.

Philip Rycroft – the top civil servant in charge of the Brexit Department between 2017 and 2019 – said the protocol remained “least-worst option” and had to be made to work. He suggested No 10 was “playing games” by taking unilateral action to change agreed arrangements.

“Traders simply aren’t ready to do the things that are required on the protocol, not least because the government spent the best part of last year saying to them they wouldn’t have to do anything,” he told BBC Radio 4.

“Extending those grace periods is not an unreasonable thing to ask for,” he added.

“But the way that [Brexit minister] David Frost has gone about this, to tell the Commission he was unilaterally extending without doing his opposite number in the Commission the courtesy of picking up the phone, suggests that they’re still playing games around Brexit.”

I was trying to spare you the Meghan and Harry interview stuff. But a government minister has been pulled in to comment on it this morning.

Children’s minister Vicky Ford told Sky News that there is “absolutely no place for racism in our society” after the Sussexes alleged that an unnamed member of the royal family raised “concerns” about how dark the colour of her child’s skin would be.

Most MPs are staying clear of the subject on social media this morning, although Labour MP Nadia Whittome has commented.

“Now that Meghan has revealed comments about her child’s skin colour, will they investigate racism in the Palace? I won’t be holding my breath.”

The UK’s goods exports slumped by £54bn in 2020 as the country lost market share to competitors over Brexit and Covid hammered global trade, new research shows.

The findings show that the UK suffered a 14.7 per cent fall in goods exports – one of the largest of any major country – and also saw a slower recovery as other nations took market share in key export destinations.

Researchers at Aston University’s Centre for Business Prosperity said “considerable post-Brexit challenges” threatened to derail any recovery from the pandemic.

“It is anticipated that the combination of Covid, Brexit and the UK’s long-term productivity challenges will put British businesses in an adverse position for the foreseeable future,” the report’s authors wrote.

Our business report Ben Chapman has more details:

Boris Johnson has used International Women’s Day to pay tribute to some of those involved in the fight against coronavirus.

The PM praised the work of Professor Sarah Gilbert, who helped develop the Oxford / AstraZeneca vaccine, former vaccines taskforce head Kate Bingham, medical regulator boss Dr June Raine, and NHS England’s Dr Emily Lawson and Dr Nikki Kanani.

Piers Morgan – probably one of three most talked about people in the country this morning thanks to his fury towards the other two – has found the time to have a go at the government over NHS pay.

‘Why are you screwing the nurses?’ he asked children’s minister Vicky Ford. “You’re treating them like dirt.”

Ford: “Piers, we need to be incredibly mindful of the thousands of people who have lost their jobs.”

Shouted down, she eventually replied: “Piers … happy international women’s day. Let me answer the question. We have huge respect for nurses. The pay review will look at this.”

Gavin Barwell, former chief of staff to Theresa May during her time as PM, has accused Boris Johnson’s Brexit minister David Frost of adding “insult to injury” with his latest remarks.

The ex-No 10 official said: “Dismissing the difficulties he has caused for many businesses as “the details of customs and form filling” adds insult to injury.”

Could Boris Johnson perform a U-turn over the proposed 1 per cent pay rise for NHS staff? Some Tory MPs seem to think so.

Unnamed MPs told The Telegraph they expected a change of course after the fierce backlash from Labour, the unions and the public. An Opinium poll published on Sunday found that 78 per cent thought the planned rise was too stingy.

Some pundits think Johnson and education secretary Gavin Williamson were subtly paving the way for a reversal with their weekend interviews. Both pointed to the fact the independent pay review body still needed to look at the government proposal – with Williamson saying it was “part of a process”.

It comes as NHS hospital chiefs have warned they could have to start cutting patient care unless the government finds £8bn for extra Covid costs.

Chris Hopson, chief executive of the hospitals’ group NHS Providers, said: The absolute worst-case scenario is that the government refuses to cover any extra Covid costs next [financial] year.”

About seven in 10 women say they would not become a politician because of fears of facing abuse or harassment in the role, a new study has found.

The research conducted by the Fawcett Society, a leading gender equality charity, found that almost six in 10 women think sexism in local politics is a barrier to pursuing a political career.

Seven in 10 said problems juggling work as an MP or councillor with other responsibilities in their lives would be an obstacle, and six in 10 said a lack of confidence to offer themselves up held them back.

Is the Alex Salmond-Nicola Sturgeon row finally losing some steam? Not if the Scottish Tories can possibly help it. Douglas Ross’s party said they would push for a vote of no confidence in the SNP’s deputy first minister John Swinney on Tuesday or Wednesday.

The Scottish Tories are still angry at Swinney’s failure to publish all the Scottish government’s legal advice in the Salmond saga. “His actions are getting murkier and more inexcusable as the weeks go on,” said the Scottish Tory leader.

Ross said a similar vote of no confidence against Nicola Sturgeon was still a possibility – pointing to a “blank” regarding a crucial meeting between the first minister and her permanent secretary.

The row appears to be hurting the SNP and the independence cause, at least for now. Some 43 per cent said that their trust in Ms Sturgeon has fallen as a result of the inquiry, according to the latest Savanta ComRes poll. The same survey found 52 per cent to 48 per cent of Scots indicated.

Remember that Sturgeon still faces a report into whether or not she broke the ministerial code during the Salmond saga, with James Hamilton QC expected to conclude his own inquiry within the next few weeks.

As schools in England re-open again this morning, children’s minister Vicky Ford said secondary students should be “strongly encouraged” to wear masks – but said their use is not mandatory.

Asked whether schools where there is not much mask-wearing should close, she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “No, I think that we should strongly encourage them to wear the masks.

“But there will be some who will be very anxious and nervous about doing so and that’s why we understand that and that is why we have not made it mandatory but we have strongly encouraged this.”

She also told Sky News the mask policy would be reviewed at the Easter holidays.

It comes as unions have warned that schools could be shut again if enough pupils don’t wear masks. The ASCL said school leaders would send a letter to parents warning that lack of face coverings could have “ramifications” for schools’ insurance.

Professor Calum Semple said on Monday morning that it was “inevitable that we will see a rise in cases” as the schools go back – but it was not so important if the reproduction number rose slightly.