Brexit

Express
BORIS JOHNSON will lock horns with European Union chiefs today for the first round of high-level talks since the beginning of the Brexit trade negotiations and has secured a key victory before talks even start. The showdown will take place virtually between the Prime Minister, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, Council President Charles Michel and Parliament President David Sasolli. It is meant to provide a moment of political impetus to the process after months of deadlocked talks. But sources on both sides have played down the meeting because quietly behind the scenes the UK and EU teams are confident with the progress being made. UK officials were buoyed by the announcement, some believing they’d secured an important victory after Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, had previously told EU27 ambassadors that Britain was not ready to accelerate talks. A source said: “Just 24 hours after having said we weren’t ready for intensification, Barnier signed up to intensify talks.”

Telegraph
Boris Johnson will tell European Union leaders on Monday that they must conclude Brexit talks by autumn “at the latest” to give certainty to companies affected by the UK’s exit from the European Union. The Prime Minister, his chief Brexit negotiator David Frost, and the Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove are due to hold “high-level talks” with Charles Michel, the President of the European Council, Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and David Sassoli, the President of the European Parliament. The Political Declaration agreed between the UK and EU last autumn set out that the high-level meeting must “take stock of progress with the aim of agreeing actions to move forward in negotiations on the future relationship”.

Mail
Boris Johnson will warn the EU today Britain will choose a no-deal Brexit if a trade agreement is not struck by the end of next month. The threat comes despite the head of the World Trade Organisation suggesting that doing so could slow the UK’s economic recovery from coronavirus, and that a deal similar to current arrangements would be better for jobs. WTO director-general Roberto Azevêdo highlighted agriculture and the car industry as two of the biggest victims if a deal could not be struck, due to the heavy tariffs they would be subject to under trade rules.

Times
Boris Johnson will try to force the pace of Brexit talks by telling the EU today that Britain will opt for no-deal unless there is a sign of agreement by the end of next month. The head of the World Trade Organisation warned the prime minister yesterday, however, that relying on WTO terms under no-deal would slow Britain’s recovery from coronavirus, saying that sticking closer to present arrangements would be better for jobs. Roberto Azevêdo, director-general of the WTO, said that the car industry and agriculture would be hit particularly hard by failure to secure a deal as they would be subject to heavy tariffs under default trade rules.

Labour Party

Express
SHADOW Education Secretary, Rebecca Long-Bailey, has instructed Trade Union bosses to “train up” new members and “politically educate” them, a leaked video has revealed. Express.co.uk can reveal this information was obtained in the form of a leaked video by the political website, Wolves of Westminster. Long-Bailey had previously been endorsed by the left-wing group, Momentum, during the Labour leadership contest. Although she lost out to Keir Starmer, the new Labour leader decided to appoint her as Shadow Education Secretary.

Statues

Mail
Boris Johnson said he will resist attempts to tear down Winston Churchill’s statue ‘with every breath in his body’ after the structure was attacked by anti-fascist and Black Lives Matter  protesters. Mr Johnson said it is ‘the height of lunacy’ to accuse the wartime leader – who was Prime Minister twice – of racism after he led Britain to victory against fascism in World War Two. He warned that Britain cannot ‘photoshop’ it’s history of colonialism and exploitation and should instead seek to educate children on the controversial lives of the leaders that statues depict while addressing racial inequality nationwide.

Sun
BORIS Johnson has today vowed to “fight to his last breath” any attempt to remove the statue of his hero Winston Churchill. The Prime Minister called Churchill “one of the country’s greatest ever leaders” and said it was the “height of lunacy” to accuse him of racism. Boris used his article in The Daily Telegraph to defend the statue of Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, which some protesters want pulled down, and warned against attempts to “photoshop” Britain’s cultural landscape. “I will resist with every breath in my body any attempt to remove that statue from Parliament Square, and the sooner his protective shielding comes off the better,” he wrote.

Mail
The Foreign Office’s most senior diplomat has privately admitted a statue of 18th Century profiteer Clive of India ‘may have to go’. Amid growing tensions about Britain’s colonial past, Permanent Secretary Sir Simon McDonald made the concession in a Zoom call with Whitehall civil servants on Monday, The Mail on Sunday can reveal. Taking part in a virtual meeting with Department for Business officials about Covid-19, Sir Simon strayed into a discussion about the controversial monument of Baron Clive of Plassey that stands between the FCO and the Treasury.

Fox News
Protesters in Italy have defaced the statue of a famous journalist, covering it in red paint and scrawling the words “racist” and “rapist,” in reference to his admission that he had had 12-year-old Eritrean bride while stationed in the Italian colony in the 1930s. The statue of Indro Montanelli, inside a Milan park bearing his name, has been a flashpoint in Italy’s Black Lives Matter protests, which have put renewed focus on Italy’s colonial past. Activists also have been pushing for Italy to grant automatic citizenship to those born in Italy to parents who were permanent residents. Montanelli, who died in 2001 at 92, was one of Italy’s most revered journalists.

Breitbart
The statue of Scotland’s most famous ruler, Robert the Bruce, has been vandalised with graffiti branding him a “racist king”. Vandals daubed “racist King” and “BLM” on the plinth of the Scots ruler’s equestrian statue, which shows him mounted upon the little war pony which carried him when he slew the English knight Sir Henry de Bohun in single combat at the Battle of Bannockburn. They also wrote out the “BLACK LIVES MATTER” slogan in full on the ground in front of the statue, and “robert was a racist / bring down the statue” on a nearby rotunda, according to reports. “We are disappointed to see the statue of Bruce vandalised in this way and are liaising with the National Trust for Scotland and our local heritage partners,” commented Scott Farmer, who leads the council responsible for local government in the area.

Evening Standard
Labour would support a change in the law to make damaging war memorials a specific offence. On Thursday, Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said the Government will “earnestly consider” a proposed new law to protect war memorials from being desecrated. Shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, speaking to Sky News’ Sophy Ridge on Sunday show, said he would back the Government in creating a specific offence against damaging war memorials and that he would work cross-party to support such efforts in Parliament.

Racism

Breitbart
Nigel Farage has warned that the “book-burning has started” following an announcement from a university library that they intend to “decolonize and diversify” their collection of books to appease the Black Lives Matter movement. On Friday, the Royal Holloway University of London Library said that, in an effort combat “structural racism” in British society, it will be removing certain titles from their collection, apologising for not taking such actions earlier. “We’ve taken time to reflect on our role in this and recognize that we must do more to combat systemic racism and support our BME [Black and Minority Ethnic] community.

Lockdown

Mail
England should not ease lockdown until the NHS contract tracing system aimed at slowing the spread of the coronavirus  is ‘effective’, the World Health Organization has said. As the UK government prepares to launch a ‘comprehensive review’ of the strict two-metre social distancing regulations currently in place, WHO’s director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, has voiced caution on the move.  Dr Kluge, who was previously WHO Europe’s Lead on Health Systems and Public Health, said it was imperative that the country ‘do it carefully’ and ensure it had a ‘robust track and trace system in place’ before reopening the economy.

Guardian
England’s coronavirus lockdown should not be further lifted until the government’s contact-tracing system has proven to be “robust and effective”, the World Health Organization has said after widespread criticism of the first results of the new tracking operation. As shops across England prepared to reopen, and people were encouraged by the government to come out of their homes and on to the high street, Dr Hans Kluge, the WHO’s director for Europe, cautioned that the UK remained in a “very active phase of the pandemic”. His remarks came as ministers confirmed a review of the 2-metre distancing rule, with the government coming under pressure from business leaders, Tory backbenchers and rightwing media to further ease the lockdown.

Hospitals

Telegraph
The Government quietly relaxed strict controls to stop the spread of coronavirus in hospitals at the height of the crisis, the Daily Telegraph can reveal. Whitehall officials watered down key aspects of the infection control guidance for healthcare providers as the pandemic worsened. The newspaper can also reveal that healthcare providers were not told to implement social distancing until 18 days after the country went into lockdown. The findings follow warnings by the Government’s scientific advisers that coronavirus appears to be spreading between hospital staff – potentially putting the whole country at risk of a second wave of infection.

Two-metre rule

Telegraph
Scientists advising the Government about the coronavirus crisis have been warned not to give their personal opinion about the two-metre rule, amid growing controversy over whether it should be enforced in pubs, restaurants and schools. Experts on the sub-committees that feed into the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies had publicly questioned the validity of the research which led to the social-distancing diktat, with some suggesting that remaining one metre apart would be sufficient to reduce the spread of infection. In papers released by Sage’s environmental and modelling group last Friday, advisers also told ministers that the two-metre rule could be abandoned by businesses if they introduce other measures to stop the spread of Covid-19, such as getting workers to take regular breaks and sit next to each other.

Mail
Ministers are preparing to drop the two-metre rule by the end of the month after Rishi Sunak hailed the ‘positive impact’ it would have on business and jobs. Boris Johnson has launched a ‘comprehensive review’ of the strict regulation, which critics say is crippling businesses and making it harder for schools to reopen. The rule will be reconsidered by a panel of economists and scientists, with a decision set to come before the expected reopening of pubs and restaurants from July 4.

Independent
The government could overrule its scientific and medical advisers to relax the two-metre coronavirus social distancing rule, the chancellor has said – as Boris Johnson urged Britons to head back to the shops. Rishi Sunak pronounced on Sunday that “advisers advise ministers, who are elected to make decisions” after he was asked whether it would be politicians or senior experts like Sir Patrick Vallance and Chris Whitty who would have the final say on what was safe. Senior figures within the Conservative Party and business lobby groups have been urging the government to relax the rule for fear it could make reopening their premises unprofitable, but Labour warned that the government should follow the science and ensure that workplaces are safe before people return.

Yahoo News
Boris Johnson has suggested there will be no reduction in the two-metre social distancing rule until next month. The prime minister has launched an “urgent” comprehensive review into the coronavirus guideline. But he revealed on Sunday the two-metre rule would remain under review until the next stage of the government’s planned reopening of the economy, scheduled for 4 July. Non-essential retail shops are being allowed to open in England from Monday but pubs, clubs, restaurants, hairdressers and beauty salons are being told to stay closed.

Sky News
Boris Johnson has suggested there will be no reduction in the two-metre social distancing rule until next month. The prime minister has launched an “urgent” comprehensive review into the coronavirus guideline. But he revealed on Sunday the two-metre rule would remain under review until the next stage of the government’s planned reopening of the economy, scheduled for 4 July.

Guardian
Senior scientists have reported flaws in an influential World Health Organization-commissioned study into the risks of coronavirus infection and say it should not be used as evidence for relaxing the UK’s 2-metre physical distancing rule. Critics of the distancing advice, which states that people should keep at least 2 metres apart, believe it is too cautious. They seized on the research commissioned by the WHO, which suggested a reduction from 2 metres to 1 would raise infection risk only marginally, from 1.3% to 2.6%.

Times
Boris Johnson began the process of relaxing the two-metre rule yesterday, launching a review of its economic impact and saying a change would be safer as infections fell. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, said that “everyone would like to see it reduce from an economic perspective” and that it was time for a “fresh look” at the social-distancing guidance. Public opposition to relaxing the rule has emerged as the main obstacle to change, with ministers nervous of being seen to put the economy before lives.

Vaccine

Times
Human trials will begin this week of a candidate Covid-19 vaccine that could protect the British population from the disease for about £3 per person. Researchers at Imperial College London are seeking to harness a potentially powerful, but as yet unproven, technology. It could allow vast numbers of doses to be produced rapidly, using equipment bought off the shelf. If it works, the team has pledged to make the jab available at the lowest possible cost in Britain and the developing world. It would be licensed to outside manufacturers via a so-called social-enterprise company called VacEquity Global Health (VGH), which would waive royalty payments. VGH is being supported by Imperial and by Morningside Ventures, an investment company run by the billionaire Chan family of Hong

Facemasks

Times
A study of how Covid-19 swept through an aircraft carrier has provided further support for the use of facemasks. Among the crew of the USS Theodore Roosevelt, 56 per cent of those who wore masks were infected. For those who had not, the rate was 81 per cent. None of the other changes that were tracked, including social distancing, were linked to as big an impact on a sailor catching the disease. The findings follow months of debate over whether coverings can slow Covid-19, which is believed to be carried in respiratory droplets. In May the UK government advised that people who use public transport or visit shops “should consider covering their mouth and nose”, after advice from the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies.

ITV News
Thousands of non-essential shops across England are reopening their doors to customers for the first time in almost three months in the latest easing of the coronavirus lockdown rules. Zoos and safari parks are also welcoming back visitors, places of worship can open for private prayer while some secondary school pupils will begin returning to their classrooms. At the same time passengers on public transport will be required to wear face coverings as the pace of activity begins to pick up.

Education

Telegraph
Exams for students unhappy with their grades are in jeopardy after a teaching union said it is “completely unreasonable” for schools to facilitate them at the same time as welcoming back all pupils. Secondary schools in England are due to host exams in the autumn term for pupils dissatisfied with their calculated GCSE and A-level grades, while also coordinating a wider return to the classroom in September. However, Paul Whiteman, general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT, has questioned whether it is reasonable to expect all secondary schools to run an additional exam series amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Mirror
Primary schools will be encouraged to welcome back all year groups from next week if they have the capacity to accommodate maximum class sizes of 15 pupils. But most schools don’t have the staff or the space and the new guidance comes with no extra money or support. The Labour Party has said the short notice of the announcement will contribute to “widespread confusion” for schools, pupils and parents. Currently Reception, Year One and Year Six have been brought back in some schools – although others have decided to wait longer. But last week the government was forced to shelve plans for all primary school children to return to the classroom before the long summer holiday.

Guardian
The government must urgently ensure that more than 1 million children have reliable internet access at home or risk irreparable harm to their education, a cross-party group of MPs and former ministers has said. Tony Blair is among a number of prominent figures, including a Tory grandee, to back calls to equip 1.3 million children eligible for free school meals with a broadband connection and devices. A bill that will be presented to parliament this week says the coronavirus lockdown had “exposed the digital divide”, with about 700,000 children unable to complete any schoolwork because of a lack of internet at home.

Times
A generation of children is at risk of obesity because of school closures, senior doctors warned yesterday. They said that a lack of exercise could have dire consequences when one in five children was already excessively overweight. “We need to get kids back to school as soon as we can for their health,” Russell Viner, leader of the Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health, told the Daily Mail. Many children will have been off school for six months by September. Professor Viner said: “The risk-balance equation for children is about the risks of not being in school and poor mental health, poor sleep and potentially lack of exercise and obesity.”

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