Michael Gove claims the government is ‘learning in real time’ from its mistakes
Around two-thirds of lorries travelling from the UK to the EU via Calais and Dunkirk have nothing in them, according to new figures in a blow to Boris Johnson.
An average of 3,400 lorries a day travelled from the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel in France – but 65 per cent were empty of goods, according to figures from the Prefecture Hauts-de-France et du Nord, first cited by ITV News.
“The balance of UK trade has been badly affected,” said the Road Haulage Association.
It comes as the prime minister attempts to deal with growing support for the so-called indyref2 – a vote for Scottish independence.
The coronavirus crisis has allowed the PM to argue that now is not the right moment for a constitutional debate, and to promote the benefits to Scotland of the UK government’s response to the pandemic, but his visit to the country on Thursday showed that this is only a holding operation with a limited shelf life.
Support for independence averages 54 per cent in the opinion polls, boosted by Brexit and coronavirus.
Meanwhile, Mr Johnson penned an open letter to the UK’s parents on Saturday morning telling them they are doing a great job during lockdown and saying his government is doing all it can to help them.
Johnson warned to stay out of debate around Scottish independence
In an interview with the Daily Record, former head of the Better Together campaign Blair McDougall, who led the No campaign to a 55 per cent victory in the 2014 referendum, agreed with Labour MP Ian Murray who said Boris Johnson poses a “greater threat to the UK than any nationalist does”.
His comments come as Scottish independence looks to be one of the key areas heading into May’s Holyrood elections, with Nicola Sturgeon’s Scottish National Party (SNP) holding a strong lead in the polls.
The party has outlined its road map to independence if a majority of supportive MSPs are elected, which includes plans to hold another referendum even if Westminster refuse permission, effectively daring them to take legal action to stop it.
The PM visited Scotland on Thursday, where he talked up the positives of co-operation within the UK in tackling coronavirus, while claiming the SNP uses independence as a diversionary tactic from domestic problems.
With Mr Johnson’s personal ratings in Scotland consistently skewing negative, Mr McDougall told the PM not to give the SNP a foil.
“I’d say to him ‘stop being the villain that the SNP want you to be. Step into the background and box clever’,” he said. “You should recognise that this is a battle that will be won or lost in Scotland.”
He added: “There is a distinct lack of that artistry from Boris Johnson where every intervention is briefed as being the intervention that will save the Union.
“If [former PM] David Cameron understood that he was not the man who was going to save the Union, and that it was going to be saved in Scotland, Boris Johnson certainly isn’t.”
In the last 20 opinion polls on the subject, Scottish independence has been the favoured view when undecided voters are removed.
Sam Hancock30 January 2021 10:54
‘Johnson must replace NI Protocol after vaccine row,’ Foster says
In some coronavirus-related news, Northern Ireland’s first minister Arlene Foster has urged Boris Johnson to replace the NI Protocol after the EU sparked a row over vaccine controls.
The EU caused outrage on Friday evening when it invoked Article 16 of the post-Brexit mechanism, to stop the unimpeded flow of vaccines from the European bloc into the region.
Brussels subsequently reversed the move following condemnation from London, Dublin and Belfast.
Ms Foster said it was an “absolutely incredible act of hostility towards those of us in Northern Ireland”.
“It’s absolutely disgraceful, and I have to say the prime minister now needs to act very quickly to deal with the real trade flows that are being disrupted between Great Britain and Northern Ireland,” she told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Saturday morning.
The DUP leader reiterated calls for Mr Johnson to enact Article 16 of the protocol over delays being face by hauliers.
“We’ve been asking the PM to deal with the flow problems and indeed, since January 1, we’ve been trying to manage along with the Government the many, many difficulties that have arisen between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and there are actions he could take immediately,” she said.
“There is great unrest and great tension within the community here in Northern Ireland so this protocol that was meant to bring about peace and harmony in Northern Ireland is doing quite the reverse.
“The protocol is unworkable, let’s be very clear about that, and we need to see it replaced because otherwise there is going to be real difficulties here in Northern Ireland.”
Additional reporting by PA
Sam Hancock30 January 2021 10:29
Millions of promised government cash for ‘collapsing’ youth services ‘missing’
Anger is growing over the failure to open up the flagship £500m Youth Investment Fund – amid fears the money will be redirected to other crisis services as part of a “review” of priorities.
Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more:
Sam Hancock30 January 2021 10:15
Scottish Labour facing ‘fight for survival’
The Scottish Labour Party is facing a fight for “survival” and its resurgence is critical for Sir Keir Starmer’s chances of forming a majority government in 2024, a candidate in the party’s leadership contest has warned.
Fighting to replace Richard Leonard, who quit as Labour leader in Scotland earlier this month, Anas Sarwar told The Independent he was not “naive” about the party’s prospects following a spate of disastrous election results in recent years.
If Mr Sarwar defeats the only other candidate in the contest, Monica Lennon, next month, he will be the fifth person to lead the Scottish Labour Party in just five years and will face his first key electoral test just nine weeks later at the Holyrood elections.
Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn reports:
Sam Hancock30 January 2021 10:02
PM pens letter to tell parents they are doing ‘great job’ during lockdown
Boris Johnson has written an open letter to the nation’s parents telling them they are doing a great job during lockdown and saying his government is doing all it can to help them.
The attempt to boost morale comes just days after Mr Johnson dashed the hopes of millions by announcing that schools in England will not reopen until 8 March at the earliest.
Our Whitehall editor, Kate Devlin, has the story:
Sam Hancock30 January 2021 09:38
Support for Scotland’s indyref2 grows
Boris Johnson is said to be “playing for time on Scottish independence”, while support for independence continues to grow (it currently averages 54 per cent in the opinion polls, boosted by Brexit and coronavirus).
While the PM had a good story to tell on the vaccine rollout, and back-up from the army and English ambulance service, his government has not reaped much benefit from its economic support. As one Scottish Tory told me: “The perception is that the furlough scheme is driven by events in London and the southeast.”
Here’s our columnist Andy Grice’s thinking in full:
Sam Hancock30 January 2021 09:20
Brexit border delays could see 142,000 tonnes of food wasted
Exploring how the lorry issues could see 142,000 tonnes of food wasted in six months, our policy correspondent Jon Stone reported yesterday:
An estimate drawn up by the government as an “illustration of what we could reasonably expect” suggests food, drink and feed equivalent to 96 million whole chickens may end up being thrown away.
It comes as fishermen protested outside Downing Street earlier this month complaining that new paperwork was causing lengthy delays at borders and seeing entire consignments wasted.
Here’s the full report:
Sam Hancock30 January 2021 09:13
Export slump: Two-thirds of lorries leaving UK are empty
Around two-thirds of lorries travelling from the UK to the EU via Calais and Dunkirk have nothing in them, new figures have revealed.
An average of 3,400 lorries a day travelled from the Port of Dover and Eurotunnel in France – but 65 per cent were empty of goods, according to figures from the Prefecture Hauts-de-France et du Nord, first cited by ITV News.
It appears to show Britain’s export slump is “substantial” – to borrow a term used by business leaders in last night’s showdown summit with Michael Gove.
Some of the slump could be down to companies across the continent stockpiling before the Brexit deal came into force, but the Road Haulage Association (RHA) believes the export issues are much more significant.
The RHA said: “The balance of UK trade has been badly affected … We are urging the government to act on this now and not shrug it off as teething problems that will soon disappear.”
Adam Forrest30 January 2021 09:06
Good morning, and welcome to The Independent’s rolling coverage of all the goings on in UK politics.
Sam Hancock30 January 2021 09:02