Today’s daily politics briefing
Trade experts have said the UK’s trade deal with Australia will only deliver minimal economic benefit to the UK economy.
The GDP boost created by the pact would likely be closer to zero than the government’s 0.02 per cent estimate, according to David Henig, UK director of European Centre For International Political Economy.
Joe Spencer, partner at accountancy firm MHA MacIntyre Hudson, also called the agreement “unfavourable”. “UK farmers are increasingly being asked to offer protection for the environment, while the government is withdrawing support to them at the same time,” he said.
Such criticism comes after Boris Johnson said the UK and Australia’s post-Brexit trade deal shows “global Britain at its best”, while promising it would benefit both British farmers and consumers.
As part of the first agreement negotiated from scratch since London left the EU, Britons under 35 will be able to work more easily in Australia, while British cars and Scottish whisky can be sold there more cheaply.
Amid worries that British farmers will be undercut by Australian meat exports, the government said the sector would be safeguarded by caps on tariff-free imports.
PM condemns ‘disgraceful’ abuse of BBC journalist by anti-lockdown protesters
Boris Johnson has condemned “disgraceful” footage of a BBC journalist being harassed and chased by anti-lockdown protesters in London.
Footage showed Nicholas Watt, Newsnight’s political editor, being accosted by several people during a demonstration outside Downing Street on Monday.
Mr Watt, who was wearing a BBC lanyard, was forced to run through the mob beyond a line of police officers as people shouted “traitor” and other slurs at him.
On Tuesday, the prime minister tweeted: “Disgraceful to see the hounding of Nick Watt doing his job. The media must be able to report the facts without fear or favour – they are the lifeblood of our democracy.”
Dozens of anti-vaccine and anti-lockdown demonstrators marched through Westminster on Monday afternoon as Boris Johnson announced that a further easing of coronavirus restrictions would be delayed by a month amid a rise in cases.
Leonie Chao-Fong15 June 2021 17:01
Is Labour right to blame the delay in lifting lockdown on Boris Johnson?
Keir Starmer says Boris Johnson is to blame for the delay to the lifting of Covid-19 restrictions because he failed to put India on the red travel list until too late, writes John Rentoul.
Matt Hancock, the health secretary, told the House of Commons last night that the government could not have been expected to act on evidence that wasn’t available at the time.
Leonie Chao-Fong15 June 2021 16:46
Revealed: Tens of thousands of EU babies and children could be left in limbo due to ‘rigid’ settlement scheme rules
Tens of thousands of children and babies in the UK could be left in limbo within weeks amid mounting delays in the processing of their EU settlement scheme applications, lawyers and charities have warned.
Experts warn of a “disaster waiting to happen” as over 80,000 youngsters are still waiting for a decision, writes May Bulman.
While many others are said to have not yet applied due to difficulties meeting “rigid” evidential requirements or parents simply being unaware they need to apply for their children.
All EU nationals and their family members in the UK, including children of all ages, must apply to the EU settlement scheme by 30 June, with those who do not automatically becoming undocumented.
Leonie Chao-Fong15 June 2021 16:29
Ministers have ‘blood on their hands’ over foreign aid cut, says MP
Dominic Raab and his ministerial colleagues have “blood on their hands” over the slashing of foreign aid spending, one MP has said.
The government’s decision to lower the aid budget from 0.7 to 0.5 per cent of GDP equates to a £4 billion cut.
Addressing the foreign minister on the issue, Hannah Bardell, from the SNP, said: “The other G7 countries have stepped up their aid budget, but the UK’s the only one to cut it, it’s utterly shameful… how does he and his Tory government sleep at night knowing that they have the blood on their hands of some of the poorest people in the world?”
Former Tory minister David Davis warned that the move could potentially have “the fatal consequences of a medium-sized war”.
Mr Raab denied such claims, saying that Ms Bardell had used “pretty unsavoury” language.
Rory Sullivan15 June 2021 16:20
Scotland ‘unlikely’ to move out of lockdown as planned this month
Nicola Sturgeon has said it is unlikely that Scotland will fully lift lockdown by the end of the month as originally planned.
Speaking on Tuesday, Scotland’s first minister said the delay would “buy ourselves sufficient time” to administer as many vaccine doses as possible.
“The current situation is not what any of us want – but equally it is not lockdown. And vaccination is – with every day that – helping us change the game,” she added.
Rory Sullivan15 June 2021 16:00
UK government keeping Scotland in dark
The SNP have criticised the UK government for keeping the devolved nations in the dark about the UK’s trade deal with Australia.
Scotland’s trade minister Ivan McKee said the UK government was supposed to brief the devolved administrations on it this morning. However, this meeting was postponed “because we were told, ‘not enough of the deal is nailed down’”, he said.
He tweeted that he was therefore “very interested to read so much informed coverage” about the pact.
Mr McKee’s party colleague Ian Blackford, the SNP leader at Westminster, echoed his words. “Yet again, Scotland is being kept in the dark and not consulted on a deal that could have serious and damaging consequences for our economy,” he said.
Rory Sullivan15 June 2021 15:40
Hormone-fed beef not to imported from Australia, government says
Earlier today, the National Farmers Union expressed its concern from the scant details on animal welfare in the Australia trade deal.
In response, a No 10 spokesperson said: “We are absolutely not compromising our high animal welfare and food safety standards.
“The government continues to champion the top quality produce of British farmers both for domestic consumption and overseas markets.”
They added that hormone-injected beef will not be appear in British supermarkets as a result of the agreement and that further details would be given soon.
Rory Sullivan15 June 2021 15:20
Rees-Mogg defends football fans who boo England players for taking the knee
Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended fans who booed the England football team for taking the knee, saying there was no evidence that they are racist.
Speaking to Conservative Home, the leader of the Commons claimed: “I think they are booing the BLM movement — I think that’s quite clearly a reaction to what is now known about BLM and the underlying political message which is one that is not sympathetic to the United Kingdom as a nation”.
His claims are at odds with the prime minister, who said he wanted to “see fans cheering, not booing”.
Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the story:
Rory Sullivan15 June 2021 15:00
PM to meet with speaker after tongue-lashing
Boris Johnson will hold talks with Lindsay Hoyle, after the Commons Speaker gave him a tongue-lashing for announcing the delay to lifting Covid restrictions at a press conference – rather than in the Commons – but it may not be straightaway.
“The prime minister is going to be meeting with the Speaker to discuss this,” his spokesman said. However, asked when, he replied: “In due course.”
Mr Johnson has watched the footage of Nick Watt, the BBC political reporter being abused by anti-lockdown mob and was as appalled as everybody else.
“This footage is deeply disturbing. Journalists should never face that kind of behaviour,” his spokesman said, adding: “Violence, threats and intimidation like this is never acceptable.”
The prime minister is also throwing his weight behind Cressida Dick, despite criticism of her in the Daniel Morgan report.
Asked if the Met Commissioner has his full support, his spokesman replied: “Yes.”
Downing Street also made clear the full removal of all Covid rules will only go ahead on 19 July if the four existing tests are met, meaning the policy is still “data not dates” – despite Mr Johnson calling it “a terminus date”.
Rob Merrick 15 June 2021 14:40
Controversial Australia deal will only deliver minimal benefit to British economy, experts say
Trade experts have offered withering assessments of the UK’s trade deal with Australia, saying it will deliver minimal economic benefit while harming the environment.
David Henig, UK director of European Centre For International Political Economy, said the GDP boost from the pact would likely fall much lower than the government’s 0.02 per cent estimate.
Joe Spencer, partner at accountancy firm MHA MacIntyre Hudson, was equally scathing, calling the agreement “unfavourable”.
“UK farmers are increasingly being asked to offer protection for the environment, while the government is withdrawing support to them at the same time,” he said.
Rory Sullivan15 June 2021 14:20
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