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Monday 20 July 2020 18:50
Boris Johnson’s government has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in a further escalation of the dispute with China over its introduction of a national security law in the territory.
Dominic Raab set out changes to the extradition arrangements in parliament, as well as extending the arms embargo on China to include the province. “There is enormous scope for positive, constructive engagement, there are wide-ranging opportunities from increasing trade to co-operation in tackling climate change, as I’ve said in particular, with a view to the COP26 summit next year which the UK will of course be hosting”, he told the commons, “But as we strive for that positive relationship, we are also clear sighted about the challenges that lie ahead.”
It comes as the Intelligence and Security Committee’s long-awaited report on alleged Russian meddling in British democracy will be published on Tuesday morning at 10.30am. Elsewhere, the US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is flying into the UK for talks at No 10.
Labour has hit out at the government’s apparent decision to drop Chief nursing officer Ruth May from a Number 10 press briefing during the lockdown travel storm surrounding Dominic Cummings.
Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: “It is scandalous that the nation’s most senior nurse was silenced at the height of the pandemic because she wasn’t prepared to parrot Downing Street spin about Dominic Cummings’ blatant rule-breaking.
“As the chief nursing officer indicates, it’s unacceptable that there was one rule for Johnson’s elite friends and another for the rest of us.”
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has warned that conspiracy theorists are putting lives at risk as he hailed positive results in a trial of a new coronavirus vaccine.
A vaccine that protects against Covid-19 could be a crucial breakthrough in the fight against the global pandemic.
The government has already ordered millions of doses of different promising candidates.
More below:
The Government has used numerous official reviews to avoid taking action on racial inequalities, according to the head of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC).
During an evidence session held by the Joint Committee on Human Rights, chairwoman Harriet Harman spoke of a “rather nasty sense” that reviews have been used to avoid action following public rows about race.
She said these are undertaken by credible experts in good faith, but asked Mr Isaac if he agreed with the view that leaders have responded by ordering reviews that are then “swept under the carpet”.
He said: “Sadly I think this is the case, which is why I make the point about this being a leadership issue.
“I think in good faith many of these reviews are undertaken. Many of the recommendations are very sound and not very problematic.
“And this is not a comment just about this Government, but many of the governments that the EHRC has dealt with sadly adopt a very similar approach.”
Tory former cabinet minister Jeremy Hunt asked about preparations for a second wave and the current Test and Trace data.
He said: “About 1,700 a day are being infected by the virus and about 400 a day are going into NHS Test and Trace, which is about a quarter, so as we think about how to prevent a second wave, could he (Mr Hancock) give the House some details as to how we’re going to bridge that gap so that we can hopefully go into our Christmas holiday with the same cautious optimism that we’re going into our summer one.”
Responding, Mr Hancock said the latest data “are a little bit better than (he) suggested”, adding: “The main cause of the gap is people who are asymptomatic and therefore don’t know that they’ve got the virus and don’t come forward for testing, so we’re going to ramp up our communications to people – if in doubt, if you think you might have the symptoms, to come forward and get a test and of course ramp up our asymptomatic testing of high-risk groups.”
He added: “I’m as delighted as he will be that the PM set me a new target on Friday to hit half a million by the end of October… so there’s my summer sorted.”
England’s chief nursing officer has confirmed she was “dropped” from a No 10 coronavirus press briefing in June after warning Dominic Cummings should follow the lockdown rules that apply “to us all”.
It comes after The Independent revealed last month Ruth May had been due to appear alongside Matt Hancock, the health secretary, but was ditched after failing to offer support to Boris Johnson’s senior Downing Street adviser.
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Jonathan Ashworth said the Government needs to be preparing for a second wave of coronavirus.
The shadow health secretary asked in the Commons: “Why did he (Matt Hancock) tell the House last week that local authorities were getting that data when in fact they weren’t?”
He added, “local areas could have possibly avoided lockdowns earlier and outbreaks earlier had they had that data”.
Mr Ashworth continued: “It now appears that Blackburn is overtaking Leicester on infection rates. So what does he make of the remarks of the director of public health in Blackburn who said at the weekend that Test and Trace is failing, and in his words, it is contributing to the increased risks of Covid-19, because, he goes on, half of contacts are not reached?
“Nationally 71% of people are being contacted, not the 80% that is needed for it to be effective.”
He added: “We need to be preparing now for the second wave. We already have one of the highest excess death rates in the world, lessons need to be learned and I hope the minister is learning them.”
Matt Hancock has vowed to fight against anti-vaxx conspiracy theorists who may oppose a future vaccination developed to fight back the pandemic.
Responding to a call from Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth to fight against disinformation on vaccines, Mr Hancock said: “Those who promulgate lies about the dangers of vaccines that are safe and have been approved, they are threatening lives and we should all in this house stand shoulder to shoulder against the anti-vaxx movement”.
Health Secretary Matt Hancock has told the commons the virus “is on the back foot” and that NHS Test and Trace has so far asked 180,000 people to self-isolate.
In an update to MPs Mr Hancock said: “For over three weeks now, the number of new cases each day has been below 1,000 and daily hospital admissions are down to 142.”
He continued: “And thanks to our action against hundreds of local outbreaks and thanks to NHS Test and Trace working well, NHS Test and Trace has now asked 180,000 people to self-isolate.
“That is up to 180,000 potential chains of transmission broken by this brilliant new service.”
Dominic Raab has pledged the UK will not “buck and bow” to pressure from China to lift the measures outlined.
Conservative MP David Johnston said: “Can (Mr Raab) confirm that when the inevitable pressure comes from China both public and private we will stand behind these measures for as long as the national security law remains in its current form?”
Mr Raab responded: “Absolutely… we recognise that China will respond and that is why I was very clear about us taking well-reasoned, focused and proportionate measures in response to China’s actions in Hong Kong.
“But we are absolutely clear, we will not, certainly in relation to Hong Kong but also more generally, we will not buck and bow.
“We will look for the positive, but we will prepare for the resilience of our economy, our security and indeed the resilience of our values.”
Tories raise concerns over Uighur Muslim response
Following on from concerns over the nation’s response to the treatment of Uighur Muslims in China that were raised by Lisa Nandy, Dominic Raab has faced similar points from his members of his own party.
Mr Tugendhat said action has been taken in the US and was campaigned for by Tory MPs, with Mr Raab highlighting how the UK has made “very clear” its position on Xinjiang at the United Nations.
Conservative former leader Iain Duncan Smith acknowledged the Foreign Secretary has to be “very careful” on the legal elements of imposing sanctions, before urging him to “accelerate” officials to look at what action can be taken in relation to those responsible for Uighur abuse.
Mr Raab said he has been reading reports on the abuse, adding: “We are looking at this very carefully.
“But as he rightly notes, it’s important to assess this very carefully – and also it’s not just a question of whether the abuses took place, it’s whether individual responsibility can be ascribed to someone whom we wish to impose a visa ban or asset freeze on.”
Shadow foreign secretary Lisa Nandy called for a “new era” in terms of the UK Government’s relationship with China.
She said: “Finally, this must mark the start of a more strategic approach to China based on an ethical approach to foreign policy and an end to the naivety of the ‘golden-era years’.
“And if it does, he can be assured that he will have our full support on this side of the House.
“Like him, our quarrel is not with the people of China, but the erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong, the actions of the Chinese government in the South China Sea and the appalling treatment of the Uighur people is reason now to act.
“We will not be able to say in future years that we did not know and I urge him to work with colleagues across Government to ensure that this marks the start of a strategic approach to China and the start of a new era.”
In response, Dominic Raab called on his shadow to “wait for the details” before critiquing the Government’s offer to British National Overseas (BNO) passport holders.
Announcing measures that bring Hong Kong’s relationship with the UK in line with that of the rest of China, Dominic Raab has been keen to paint a balanced view of London’s future relationship with Beijing.
He told the Commons: “We want a positive relationship with China. There is a huge amount to be gained for both countries, there are many areas where we can work productively, constructively to mutual benefit together.
“For our part, the UK will work hard and in good faith towards that goal but we will protect our vital interests.
“We will stand up for our values and we will hold China to its international obligations. The specific measures I’ve announced today are a reasonable and proportionate response to China’s failure to live up to those international obligations in respect to Hong Kong.”
UK scraps extradition treaty with Hong Kong over China’s crackdown in territory
The UK has suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong in response to China’s draconian national security law in the territory.
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, announced the move over fears that the arrangement – which has been in place for more than 30 years – would lead to dissidents being sent on to Beijing.
The suspension follows similar steps in the US, Canada and Australia, because of their concerns about China’s crackdown in Hong Kong.
More below:
Dominic Raab has said there are “grave concerns” about China’s human rights abuses as he clarifies the nation’s relationship with the superpower.
“We want to work with China” Mr Raab told the commons, adding “But as we strive for that positive relationship we’re also clear sighted about the challenges that lie ahead.
He added that Beijing’s Security law in Hong Kong was “a clear and serious violation” of China’s agreement with UK on the province.
BREAKING: Russia report released on Tuesday morning
The Intelligence and Security Committee’s long-awaited report on alleged Russian meddling in British democracy will be published on Tuesday morning.
The committee said the document will be laid before parliament at 10.30am tomorrow. The Report will then be available here on the Committee’s website.
‘Absolute disgrace’: Passengers able to enter UK without contact forms being checked
The UK’s border force has been labelled an “absolute disgrace” after passengers found they could enter the country without anyone checking that they had completed a contact form required by the government.
The form is key in enabling travellers to be traced and contacted in the event that someone else on their flight turns out to have coronavirus.
Dr Michael Crozier and his wife Lee, both of whom are retired journalists, flew to Girona in Spain on 14 July, returning into Stansted airport on 18 July.
“We and our fellow passengers from three other flights went through passport control with no one asking to see proof we had completed the passenger locator forms, and, of course, no temperature checks or any sign of any medical monitoring staff,” Dr Crozier told The Independent.
Our deputy head of travel Helen Coffey has the details:
Sanctions against Chinese officials could be done ‘right away’, says Starmer
So what exactly is Keir Starmer calling for? The Labour leaders has said: “What we have argued for is sanctions in this country against Chinese officials who have been involved in human rights abuses. That’s something that could be done straight away.
He added: “We’ll look at what they say about extradition, but it looks like it will be a step in the right direction and therefore we will support that. We will say go further: you can impose sanctions and you should impose sanctions here in the UK.”
Our correspondent Ashley Cowburn has all the details on the Labour leader’s remarks:
Covid-19 outbreak confirmed at test and trace centre in Lanarkshire
Health officials investigating a coronavirus outbreak at an NHS test and trace entre in Scotland have confirmed a cluster of cases at the facility.
Scotland’s deputy first minister John Swinney said on Monday morning that six people working at the call centre in Motherwell had tested positive for coronavirus.
Staff at the facility, run by the private outsourcing firm Sitel, were told to work from home on Sunday after NHS officials became aware of “potentially linked cases” of the novel disease.
Women seeking asylum ‘go hungry and sleep rough during lockdown’
Women who have sought asylum in the UK have been forced to go without food and sleep outside or on buses during the coronavirus crisis, a new report has found.
The study, carried out by a coalition of women’s organisations, warned that the public health emergency has made asylum-seeking women more at risk of hunger and ill health.
The coalition Sisters Not Strangers, which includes organisations working with refugee women around the UK, found that three-quarters of women seeking asylum went hungry during the Covid-19 crisis, including mothers who found it difficult to find food to give their children.
Our women’s correspondent Maya Oppenheim has more details.
Full cabinet to meet face-to-face for first time since lockdown
The cabinet will meet in person on Tuesday for the first time since the coronavirus lockdown was imposed, writes Rob Merrick.
Hand sanitiser will be on offer in a much-larger room at the Foreign Office and ministers will sit at least one metre apart – but they will not wear face masks, No 10 said.
Since last meeting face-to-face on 17 March, the cabinet has ‘met’ virtually, but for a few very senior ministers who have convened in person with the prime minister.
Boris Johnson’s spokesman also revealed that Michael Barnier will attend another dinner with the UK’s Brexit negotiator tonight – as the two sides struggle to rescue the talks – but the PM is not expected to drop in.
He declined to confirm that Johnson will make a visit to Scotland this week, as support for independent rises – and suggested Tory MPs pushing for a ban on TikTok will be disappointed.
“I’m not aware of any plans to do that, no,” journalists were told.
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