No need for panic buying, says Matt Hancock

The government is working with supermarkets to ensure food supplies as the number of people self-isolating with coronavirus is expected to rise, the health secretary has said.

During his appearance on the BBC’s Question Time last night, Matt Hancock sought to reassure the public following panic-buying in some areas – with supermarkets seeing their shelves cleared of essentials such as toilet roll and paracetamol.

“The government has supplies of the key things that are needed, and, within the food supply, we are absolutely confident that there won’t be a problem there,” he said.

“And, crucially, we are working to makes sure that if people are self-isolating, they will be able to get the food and supplies that they need.”

He said: “People should try to self-isolate from their families, not only go home, try not to go out shopping, definitely don’t use public transport, but within your own home you should also try to self-isolate.”

‘Rude’: Amber Rudd ‘no platformed’ at Oxford

Former Tory cabinet minister Amber Rudd has shared her frustration at being “no platformed” – denied a chance to speak – by students only 30 minutes before she was due to appear at an event at Oxford University.

The former home secretary said it was “badly judged and rude” of the students, who decided to snub her over her involvement in the Windrush scandal.

Rudd said: “It was supposed to be all about International Women’s Day, to inspire young women to get into politics. This is outrageous and so disappointing.

She added: “I would have been quite content to talk to them about Windrush in terms of how it came to pass, what action I took to try to make sure it was corrected and never happens again and my deep regret it happened at all. I want to share what happened honestly and fairly.”

Government’s big infrastructure plan pushed back

The National Infrastructure Strategy – expected to see £100bn invested in the economy and tackling the climate crisis – is to be delayed.

The plan to boost was set to be published alongside the chancellor Rishi Sunak’s budget on Wednesday next week.

Whitehall sources were unable to say when it would now be published, but expected the delay to only be a matter of days or weeks.

However, Labour’s shadow chancellor John McDonnell said the delay represented “absolute chaos” in government.

“We are facing the threat of climate change and an economy at risk of recession. That’s why we desperately need an immediate start to large-scale infrastructure investment,” he said. “Delaying implementation of investment is unacceptable.”

Sir John Armitt, chair of the National Infrastructure Commission, expressed disappointment at the delay but expressed confidence that ministers remained committed.

“Naturally we are disappointed about the further delay in the government’s formal response to the national infrastructure assessment, which we published over 18 months ago,” he said.

IDS leads new backbench rebellion over Huawei

Plenty of trouble ahead for the government next week: there’s the budget to get through and a Tory rebellion brewing over Huawei’s involvement in Britain’s 5G roll-out.

Former party leader Iain Duncan Smith has tabled an amendment to the Telecoms Infrastructure (Leasehold Property) Bill when a vote comes before the Commons on Tuesday.

It would – if passed – would lock out “high-risk vendors” such as Huawei from the network by the end of 2022.

Both the ERG and Damian Green, head of the moderate “one nation” group, are reportedly on board with the amendment.

Earlier this week’s IDS compared the UK’s establishment’s apparent dependence on Huawei to heroin addiction. He also compared allowing them a role in infrastructure to giving “Nazi companies in Germany” a role in supplying the UK’s radar technology in the 1930s.

‘She never crossed the line’: Priti Patel allies issue defence

The home secretary Priti Patel has been defended as a “tough, assertive” leader who has “never crossed a line” by nearly 100 allies as she faces a series of bullying allegations.

In a letter to The Telegraph on Friday, more than 90 people including former Charity Commission chief William Shawcross and Conservative election guru Sir Lynton Crosby came to her defence.

They said she is “right to ask tough questions” of officials, adding: “We do not recognise the picture that has been painted of her this week.

“There’s no argument that she is a tough, assertive and effective leader, but even under extreme pressure she has never crossed a line or lost her temper.

“She expects high standards, as a strong leader should, but is always professional. She gives her all for this country and deserves far better treatment than she has received.”

A Cabinet Office inquiry into allegations Patel broke the ministerial code is under way.

Among the claims are that a senior official at the Department for International Development had reported a “tsunami” of allegations of abuse by officials in Patel’s private office when she was secretary of state, BBC’s Newsnight reported earlier this week.

‘Astounding’: Watchdog reveals £4.4m cost of Brexit preparations

We still don’t know what our relationship with the EU will be next year. But we do know how much it has cost getting us to this point in the process.

The National Audit Office says at least £4.4bn has been spent on the Brexit process since 2016. Government departments have shelled out the staggering sum on extra staff, external advice and advertising.

If the staff working on Brexit had been gathered in one department, it would have been the sixth largest in Whitehall.

The Lib Dems said “billions of pounds have been thrown away in a bid to paper over the Tories’ Brexit mess”.

The chair of the European Movement, former Tory cabinet minister Stephen Dorrell, said the report highlighted “the astounding cost of Brexit that has been hidden from the public”.

“The lack of detail and limited data contained in the report is indicative of the secretive way that the government is delivering Brexit,” he added.

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