Brexit deal

Express
EU judges’ orders will be enforceable in the UK in relation to the bloc’s programmes and activities, such as Horizon, it has emerged in the Brexit deal. Britain and the EU have reached a post-Brexit trade deal after months of intense negotiations. On Thursday afternoon, a statement from Downing Street announced “the deal is done” – swiftly followed by a confirmation from Brussels. Speaking shortly after the announcement, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the agreement was a “good deal” for the “whole of Europe” – one that signified “a new stability and a new certainty in what has sometimes been a fractious and difficult relationship”.  He added: “We’ve taken back control of our laws and our destiny.

Mirror
Boris Johnson’s triumphant Brexit deal turned out to be full of holes as details of the small print emerged. An “independent” Britain will still face punitive sanctions from Brussels if it steps out of line on managing its own economy. And businesses trading with Europe are left facing costly extra red tape, customs checks and new formalities. The Prime Minister boasted his £668billion Christmas Eve deal “takes back control” of our laws, borders and fisheries – with no tariffs or quotas on exports to the EU. He promised a “new relationship”, free of European single market rules on trade and with no political control from Brussels. But when the 1,246-page document was released, it revealed the UK will have to toe the Brussels line or face penalties on businesses and exporters.

Breitbart
The new Brexit deal has fallen short on financial services — a major part of the UK economy — the Prime Minister has admitted, but nevertheless the UK has an opportunity now to go its own way and make the most of freedom post-Brexit, Boris Johnson claimed in an interview. The UK Prime Minister expressed his thoughts on the new Brexit deal — apparently part of a post-agreement media blitz from Boris Johnson — in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph a, whose weekday stablemate Johnson worked for over many years as a European Union correspondent and a columnist.

Parliamentary debate

Mail
Boris Johnson looks to have won his battle to persuade hardline Brexiteers in his party to back his EU trade deal in the Commons this week. The Prime Minister and top adviser Oliver Lewis have been ringing senior members of the pro-Brexit European Research Group to argue that the agreement meets their demands on the return of sovereignty. The ERG has convened a self-styled ‘star chamber’ legal team, with veteran Eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash as chairman, to go through the 1,200-page document line by line. And so far, not one of the group’s MPs has gone public with any concerns about the deal – although there is criticism that only one day of Commons debate has been set aside.

Sun
BORIS Johnson appears to have won the backing of hardline Eurosceptics for his trade deal with the EU. Ahead of a Commons vote, the European Research Group of MPs has been picking over the 1,200-page document  with a ‘star chamber’ of lawyers before deciding whether to support it. The trade deal was finally secured on Christmas Eve after four years of bitter wrangling between the UK and EU. MPs will vote on the deal on December 30 after the Government ordered Parliament to be recalled. The ERG said it would reconvene its ‘Star Chamber’, that reviewed Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement last year, with veteran Eurosceptic Sir Bill Cash, 80, once again the chairman.

Mail
SNP MPs said they will vote against Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal when it comes before the Commons on Wednesday. Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the agreement was a ‘disaster for Scotland’ and an ‘unforgiveable act of economic vandalism and gross stupidity’. SNP leader and Scotland’s First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has already accused the Conservatives of having ‘sold out Scottish fishing all over again’ in the Brexit treaty. But Alister Jack, the Scottish Secretary, insisted it would deliver for all parts of the UK, as he urged all MPs from north of the border to ‘give it their wholehearted support’.

Telegraph
Tory Brexiteers have pleaded for a guarantee that they will be able to speak in the Commons and not their living rooms during the “historic” Brexit trade deal debate this week, after the Speaker urged MPs to stay at home due to coronavirus. Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Commons Speaker, wrote to parliamentarians encouraging them to participate remotely via Zoom when the legislation comes before the House on Wednesday. Downing Street aims for the Future Relationship Bill to clear both the Commons and Lords and achieve Royal Assent in a single day when both Houses are recalled this week.

Times
Conservative Brexiteers are preparing to back the EU trade deal on Wednesday as some MPs call for more time to scrutinise its contents in the new year. Members of the European Research Group (ERG) have spent the weekend poring over the 1,246-page agreement with their legal advisors. Most are keeping their counsel before this so-called star chamber, led by the veteran Brexiteer Sir Bill Cash, delivers its verdict on the deal today or tomorrow.

Mail
MPs are expected to participate in a remote debate to discuss the government’s Brexit deal on Wednesday.  Around three quarters of MPs will take part in videolink talks after Speaker of the House of Commons Sir Lindsay Hoyle encouraged them to stay at home unless ‘absolutely necessary’. The Commons and Lords have been recalled from the Christmas break for the first time since 1998 to pass through the Future Relationship Bill which outlines the UK’s free trade deal with the EU.

EU

Express
IRELAND’s deputy prime minister Leo Varadkar has issued a Brexit warning to Boris Johnson, saying the UK’s access to the European market is “not unconditional” as he sought to dampen the bright mood among Brexiteers over the trade deal. The Tanaiste said the UK-EU trade deal allows British businesses to have access to the single market but certain conditions would have to be met. He warned of possible punishments for Britain if it strayed too far from EU rules and regulations. Mr Varadkar told Newstalk: “It does still give them access to the European single market, a market of 400 million people, the biggest and wealthiest market in the world.

Guardian
Plans for the UK to re-establish formal foreign and security policy links with the European Union, frozen during negotiations over a trade deal, may never be revived, as UK foreign policy focuses on bilateral links in Europe and developing new alliances in the Indo-Pacific and Middle East. The freeze marks a little-discussed reversal of thinking from Theresa May’s era, when the political declaration at the time of Britain’s withdrawal spoke about negotiating deep cooperation between the UK and EU.

Evening Standard
EU ambassadors are set to meet on Monday to discuss the Brexit trade deal while Eurosceptic lawyers continue to examine the fine print. During their meeting the ambassadors will determine how the deal covering £660 billion of trade can be provisionally approved ahead of formal ratification by the European Parliament. On Sunday, an EU diplomat said: “The EU will take the decision to provisionally apply the EU-UK agreement by written procedure. EU ambassadors are expected to initiate the process tomorrow.” Meanwhile, Conservative Eurosceptics are poring over the details of the Brexit trade agreement with the EU as Boris Johnson tried to persuade them it is the “right deal” for the nation.

Sky News
Britons travelling to the European Union have been warned they face disruption and potential charges after the Brexit transition period ends on Thursday. Travellers from the UK have previously been able to rely on free healthcare with their European Health Insurance Card, and to escape roaming charges thanks to a ban on the fees throughout the bloc. But the trade deal brokered between the European Union and the UK does not allow for Britons to keep either of these advantages. The deal only says both sides must encourage mobile providers to have “transparent and reasonable rates”.

Scotland

Express
NICOLA Sturgeon has been dealt a huge independence blow after new analysis reveals Scots received a “Union boost” of £1,500 each to help survive the Covid pandemic. The extra £1,500 per person in public spending this year is due to the UK Government’s record Barnett consequential spending. Analysis of the spending by the Scottish Conservatives and Express.co.uk shows £8.2 billion will be added to the Scottish budget in response to tackling COVID-19, protecting jobs and supporting local firms.  This spending, the Scottish Tories say, also contributed to health and social care help in Scotland, including public health initiatives and welfare support.

Remainer campaign

Express
REMAINERS have drawn the wrath of Brexit supporters over their plans to vote down the Prime Minister’s trade deal, with some suggesting the rebel MPs were behaving in an elitist fashion like they “know better than the people”. Labour peer Lord Adonis has said he will vote against the “worst trade reduction treaty in British history” while up to 20 Labour MPs are rumoured to be plotting similar action. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has said he will whip MPs to vote for the deal, but a rebel group, including frontbenchers, may defy his order to either abstain or vote against the accord.

Hospital admissions

Mail
An NHS trust responsible for Wales’ largest hospital has called for urgent help in caring for its Covid patients, as experts warn a ‘perfect storm’ caused by the faster spreading virus strain could overwhelm hospitals. Cardiff and Vale University Health Board put out a call for help on Boxing Day asking for ‘assistance from medical students or other staff groups who have previously supported with proning patients’.  The Board, which runs University Hospital of Wales, later took down their tweet, saying that their position on staffing had improved over the 24-hour period.

BBC News
Hospitals in the south of England say they have seen a “real rise in pressure” as the number of Covid patients receiving treatment increases. Paramedics in London are now receiving almost 8,000 call-outs a day, with Boxing Day described as one of London Ambulance Service’s busiest in history. The service and at least two others have urged people to only call 999 if there is a serious emergency. On Sunday, some 30,501 infections and 316 deaths were recorded in the UK. But the true scale of cases is likely to be higher as Scotland is not releasing data around deaths between 24 and 28 December, while Northern Ireland is not providing either case or death data over the same period.

Times
Senior doctors have warned that the NHS is in danger of being overwhelmed with the number of coronavirus patients in hospital about to exceed the peak of the first wave. There were 21,683 patients with Covid-19 in British hospitals on April 12, just before numbers started falling. On December 22, the last date with complete data for the whole country, there were 21,286. Doctors in London said that their hospitals were beginning to resemble a “war zone” and those in Wales put out an urgent call for anyone with experience working in intensive care to come forward to help.

Mail
Doctors fear the NHS could be quickly overwhelmed as hospital admissions surge due to the highly infectious Covid strain raging across the country. The total number of patients in hospital with the virus is likely to exceed the peak from the first wave, with 21,286 people being treated on December 22, just below the record 21,683 from April 12. The fears come as millions more Britons face being plunged into Tier 4 this week, with the next tier review on December 30 amid rising infections and hospitalisations. Doctors in London said their hospitals resembled a ‘war zone’, while Members of the Scottish Academy of Medical Royal Colleges and Faculties warned the mutant strain ‘could lead to the NHS being overwhelmed’, according to The Times.

Vaccine

Telegraph
An army of more than 10,000 medics and volunteers has been recruited by the NHS to help deliver the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine, once it is given approval.  The Telegraph has learned that teams are trained and ready to begin giving the jab at sports stadia and race courses across the country, with a target of vaccinating at least a million people each week.  The Oxford/AstraZeneca jab could be approved early next week by the independent Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA), after the final cut of data was submitted by the Government last Monday. Officials have pinpointed January 4, 2021, as the date the rollout of the mass vaccination programme will begin.

ITV News
The Oxford/AstraZeneca Covid-19 vaccine could be approved for use in the UK within days, ITV News understands. A decision will be made by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) in the coming days , with senior government sources “hopeful” and aiming to be ready to give people jabs potentially as early as January 4th.ITV News Political Reporter Shehab Khan reports: “I understand that work has been underway for some time to plan the logistical rollout of this specific vaccine, which the government has already ordered 100 million doses of. “Those in government I’ve spoken to are particularly excited by the Oxford/Astra Zeneca vaccine as it can be stored at fridge temperature, making it easier to transport.”

iNews
The Government is pushing to speed up the roll-out of Covid-19 vaccines as the best chance for ending restrictions on everyday life in the coming months. Ministers are reportedly targeting the goal of vaccinating 15 million people in the UK before it is possible to lift the rules designed to slow the spread of coronavirus.  Matt Hancock has previously said that the restrictions would be removed once those who are particularly vulnerable to the effects of Covid-19 have been protected. Rishi Sunak described the vaccination programme as “light at the end of the tunnel”.

Sun
TEN thousand medics and volunteers have been recruited by the NHS to help deliver the Oxford Covid-19 vaccine. The government is waiting for regulators to give the jab the green light, which could happen as early as Monday, but already 100 million doses of the vaccine have been bought. In anticipation, mass vaccination centres at sports stadia and conference venues are primed, with January 4 the target day for the rollout of the vaccine, the Telegraph reports.

Mirror
Lockdowns could end as soon as February if the Oxford vaccine gets the nod from regulators within days. Up to 15 million people who are most at risk of dying or getting seriously ill with coronavirus have reportedly been identified for urgent inoculation in the coming weeks. The new jab is easier to distribute than the existing Pfizer one and could reach millions a week once approved. Shadow Health Secretary Jonathan Ashworth said ministers “should be moving heaven and earth” to ensure it goes to plan.

Mail
Hundreds of pop-up GP-led centres are on the way as part of a huge vaccination drive, ministers revealed last night. With approval for the Oxford vaccine set to come as early as today, Government sources told the Mail that town halls and village community centres are poised to help roll out the jab to millions as quickly as possible. The centres will be staffed by GPs, nurses, paramedics and pharmacists, with the aim to open the first of them next week. An army of more than 10,000 volunteers and medics have been recruited by the NHS to help deliver the Oxford vaccine after its approval, it has emerged.

Telegraph
Frontline NHS workers have been told they will soon receive the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine, as regulators look set to approve the coronavirus treatment this week. The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) could give the go-ahead for the British vaccine as early as Monday, a decision which would rapidly speed up the vaccination rollout across the UK. Although there were concerns that the Oxford jab may not be as effective as the Pfizer version, AstraZeneca said it was due to publish new data showing efficacy is now around 95 per cent. The Oxford jab is around 10 times cheaper than the Pfizer vaccine and much easier to distribute because it only needs to be kept in normal freezer conditions.

Education

Telegraph
Keeping schools open is a price that should be paid even if it increases the R number, Tory MPs have told the Prime Minister as they accuse scientists of “scaring” parents and children. A number of backbenchers are understood to have urged Boris Johnson to him to keep schools open in the event of another national lockdown. Their intervention comes ahead of crunch talks due to take place on Monday between Number 10 and Department for Education officials about whether to delay the return to the classroom in January. Downing Street has repeatedly said that keeping schools open is a “national priority” but scientists are warning that closures may be necessary to slow the spread of the new Covid-19 variant. The New and Emerging Respiratory Virus Threats Advisory Group (Nervtag ), which advises the Government, has said that the new variant of the virus may spread far more effectively in children than the original strain.

Mail
Pressure was growing on Boris Johnson last night from within his own party to keep pupils out of school at the start of the new term as it was revealed students in Tier 4 may be at home until mid-February.   Schools in the stay-at-home areas could be set to remain closed until February half term in a circuit-breaker style delay, as Scientists warn that the new coronavirus mutation appears to spread quickly among youngsters. Education minister Gavin Williamson is set to formulate plans in crunch talks with Downing Street officials and the Department for Education today.

Dover

Mail
The Port of Dover suffered more delays today, with a long line of lorries seen queuing on the approach, after Storm Bella forced Channel crossings to be stopped overnight. After days of disruption following France‘s decision to shut its border with the UK, the port suffered another setback overnight when freight ferry services had to be cancelled due to high winds and rough sea conditions. It comes as workers continue to try to clear a backlog of lorries today, with long queues of lorries still on the M20 in Kent this afternoon. Much of the backlog has already been cleared, with Manston Airport now empty after a gruelling Covid testing drive over Christmas.

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