Politics latest news: June 21 lockdown easing roadmap thrown into doubt amid variant concerns, No 10 warns

• UK proposes customs checks for food heading to NI to ease Brexit tensions

• Boris Johnson: Everyone must 'play their part' to beat Indian variant

• Vaccines appear to prevent 97 per cent of Indian variant infections

• Andrew Marr hints at BBC exit over impartiality frustrations

• Coronavirus latest news: PM's advice on hugging as lockdown eases

Downing Street is no longer promising that conclusions of social distancing and Covid passports reviews will be announced this month, citing uncertainty caused by the Indian variant.

The Prime Minister's official spokesman said at a briefing of political journalists this afternoon that there was no "set time" for those announcements to be made.

Yet Boris Johnson had set out a time frame only last week, saying an update on whether social distancing will continue and Covid status certificates will be needed after June 21 would come later in May.

The change in position reflects the new uncertainty created by a surge in the Indian variant of Covid-19, which early data suggests could be more transmissible than other variants.

The Health Secretary confirmed in an address about Covid-19 to the Commons on Monday that there are now 86 local authorities where there are five or more cases of the Indian variant, and cases have more than doubled over the last week in the worst hit local authorities.

He said that early evidence suggests the Indian variant is more transmissible than the previously dominant Kent variant, however he added that "we do not yet know to what extent it is more transmissible".

No 10's decision to no longer pledge announcements by the end of the month will raise concerns that the June 21 unlocking could happen on a smaller scale than hoped for just a few weeks ago.

Government figures have stressed that early data suggests the Covid vaccines remain effective against the Indian variant and urged people to get their two doses when eligible.

04:42 PM

'Majority' admitted to hospital with Covid in Bolton are unvaccinated, says Matt Hancock

Matt Hancock said of those recently admitted to hospital in Bolton with coronavirus, "the majority are unvaccinated".

Conservative Richard Graham asked: "Can (Mr Hancock) confirm how many of those recently hospitalised in Bolton from the new variant have already been vaccinated, tell us what more we can do to help spread the word to those who haven't yet agreed to be vaccinated and also confirm what he expects the role of pharmacies in testing to be as we go forward?"

Mr Hancock replied: "The best understanding that we have is that five of the 18 who were in hospital yesterday had been vaccinated once and one had been vaccinated twice - but it is not clear how recently.

"Therefore, the majority have not been vaccinated and, of them, most of them could have been vaccinated - which is frustrating to see, but is also a message to everyone."

04:38 PM

Future local lockdowns cannot be ruled out, says Health Secretary

Matt Hancock has said future local lockdowns cannot be ruled out.

Conservative William Wragg said: "Can I urge (Mr Hancock) to favour that surge of vaccination rather than to even flirt momentarily with the idea of imposing local restrictions which are neither helpful and, indeed, bring about a great deal of resentment."

Mr Hancock replied: "It is not where want to go, of course we don't rule it out, but we have seen the approach that we are taking work - we saw it work in south London.

"We have this huge testing capacity that we just didn't have in the autumn of hundreds of thousands of tests a day that are available which is expanding as (Labour MP Matt Western) articulated.

"We have these lateral flow tests which are simple and easy to use, and you get the result back and we've got millions of them.

"So, the surge testing plus the vaccine means that we have so many more tools in our armoury than we did before."

04:18 PM

Keeping same vaccine approach is 'what is most likely to save the most lives', says Hancock

Responding to Mr Ashworth, Health Secretary Matt Hancock told the Commons that the approach to vaccination is "what is most likely to save the most lives".

He told the Commons: "I want to be absolutely crystal clear about the approach to vaccination because he asked about vaccinating all over-18s in Bolton and in Blackburn. That is not our approach. I have looked into it in great detail and we have taken clinical advice.

"The approach is to make sure we get as many second vaccinations done as possible, as many first vaccinations amongst the vulnerable groups, and then as many vaccinations as possible for those eligible groups who are under the age of 50.

"The reason that we've taken this approach is because that is what is most likely to save the most lives. That second jab is absolutely vital and, of course, the first jab for anybody over 50 could be the difference between life and death."

04:14 PM

Shadow health secretary says UK's borders are 'about as secure as a sieve'

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth described the country's borders as "about as secure as a sieve".

He told the Commons: "Yesterday [Mr Hancock] warned on the television the B1617.2 variant could spread like wildfire amongst the unvaccinated.

"But does he accept we could have avoided this? Our borders have been about as secure as a sieve. The delay in adding India to the red list surely now stands as a catastrophic mis-step.

"One month ago in this House I urged him to act quickly in response to this variant. The Sanger Institute data today shows rapid increase in this variant - 30% of all sequenced cases in the UK - and that excludes cases from travel and surge testing."

Mr Ashworth said "a plan to contain this variant urgently" is needed and asked the Health Secretary to consider "surge vaccination in all hotspot areas and go hell for leather to roll out vaccination to everyone".

04:09 PM

'Everybody knows' what it means to hug cautiously, says the Health Secretary

Asked whether the Government's messaging has been clear about physical contact now that we have eased lockdown further, the Health Secretary says that "everybody knows" what it means to hug cautiously.

"I'm delighted we are able to remove restrictions, for instance the absolute restrictions that were in place about close contact," he says.

Mr Hancock adds: "To be able to hug cautiously, everybody knows what that means: it means outside is better than inside, it means make sure it's in ventilated spaces, it means if you have had a vaccine - particularly two vaccines - it means you are safer than if you haven't."

"I think it's incumbent on all of us to communicate these messages from our scientists and make sure people understand them."

04:01 PM

'UK has the highest vaccination enthusiasm in the world', says Health Secretary

Mr Hancock told the Commons: "The data suggests that the vaccine has already saved over 12,000 lives and prevented over 33,000 people from being hospitalised.

"We are protecting people at a very rapid pace. Last week was the biggest week of vaccinations since the end of March. 36 million people have now had a first dose and yesterday we reached the milestone of 20 million people having had their second dose across the UK.

"I am delighted to see the figures released by YouGov today which show that the UK has the highest vaccination enthusiasm in the world - with 90% of people saying that they have had or will have the jab."

The Health Secretary continued: "From tomorrow, I can confirm that we will be inviting people aged 37 to come forward before expanding this further later in the week."

03:58 PM

Matt Hancock defends the Government's decision of adding India to red list when it did

After being criticised for not taking action on putting India on the red list sooner, Matt Hancock explained that the Government made the decision based "on the evidence at the time".

"The truth is that when we put Pakistan on the red list, and indeed Bangladesh, the positivity of those arriving from Pakistan and Bangladesh was three times higher than those travelling from India," he says.

He points out that the Scottish government also took the decision to put India on their red list at the same time as Westminster.

"You have to base decisions and policy on the evidence at the time", he adds.

"I think as a first resort, surge testing, going door to door...that is the right approach while we keep this under review.

"The numbers nationally are still very low," he adds.

03:53 PM

'People should not travel to amber list countries for a holiday', says the Health Secretary

Asked by Jeremy Hunt for absolute clarity about the amber travel list and it's legality, Mr Hancock says: "The official Government guidance is very clear...people should not travel to amber list countries for a holiday."

"Our priority is protecting the progress we have made at home," he adds.

Mr Hancock confirms that the green list of countries will be assessed every three weeks.

While answering a different question, the Health Secretary said that AstraZeneca has not taken any profit from the development of their vaccine.

"This is the biggest gift that this country could give to the world," he says.

"This country can be hugely proud of the contribution we have made, it is far bigger than any other country" he adds.

03:47 PM

Matt Hancock: 'We must proceed with caution and care and bear down on the virus'

Mr Hancock says that "today's opening and step 3 marks an important step on our road to recovery," adding that "we must proceed with caution and care and bear down on the virus in whatever form it attacks us."

"In this race between the vaccine and the science it is our humanity, our science and our ingenuity that will prevail," he concludes.

03:43 PM

People aged 37 and over will be invited to come forward for their vaccine tomorrow

Matt Hancock thanks all those who campaigned based on "positivity and science" and who therefore played a part in making the UK the most "enthusiastic" country for vaccine uptake in the world.

From tomorrow, he confirms that people aged 37 and over will be invited to come forward for their vaccine.

"As of today, people can now demonstrate whether they have had their jab...through the NHS app," he adds.

"Now it is important to accelerate the second doses of all those most vulnerable to ending up in hospital or dying, so our vaccination strategy for all parts of the UK - including the areas of surge vaccination -- will stick by the clinical advice set out by the JCVI," he says.

This is the best way to "save the most lives", he adds, rather than younger people jumping the queue and getting their first jabs earlier than planned.

03:39 PM

86 local authorities with five or more cases of Indian variant, says Health Secretary

To anyone who is vaccine hesitant, the Health Secretary says: "Just look at what is happening in Bolton hospital, where the majority of people in hospital with coronavirus were eligible for the jab but have chosen not yet to have the jab, and have ended up in hospital, some of them in critical care."

"Vaccines save lives", he insists.

There are now 86 local authorities where there are five or more cases of the Indian variant, he says, adding that surge testing is taking place in the areas of concerns.

He adds that this variant is more transmissible than the Kent variant but to what extent is not known.

Initial data is showing, however, that the vaccines are "effective" against the Indian variant.

03:34 PM

'Biggest surge of resources' in any local area we have seen in the pandemic so far, says Hancock

On the Indian variant, Mr Hancock says there are now 2,323 confirmed cases in the UK.

He says that 483 of these cases have been seen in Bolton, Blackburn and Darwen.

Cases in these areas are rising in all age groups there, and have doubled in the last week, he adds.

Eight people are in hospital in Blackburn, and 19 are in hospital in Bolton with Covid-19, "the majority of whom are eligible for a vaccine, but haven't yet had a vaccine".

The rapid response team have visited 35,000 people this weekend to distribute and collect Covid-19 tests. In addition to this, two new vaccination centers have been set up.

He adds that in Bolton, the rate of vaccination has "quadrupled".

"This is the biggest surge of resources in any local area we have seen in the pandemic so far".

03:30 PM

Matt Hancock: 'We must be humble in the face of this virus'

The Health Secretary begins his address in the House of Commons by saying that since January 2020, we have been engaged in a "race between the virus and the vaccine".

He says today we are making "careful further progress" as there are less than 1000 people in hospital with Covid-19 in England and we ease lockdown further.

"We must be humble in the face of this virus," he says, adding that "we must be alert to new variants that can jeopardise the progress we have made."

03:15 PM

ICYMI: Have your say in today's poll

Should the lifting of restrictions be slowed down to protect people who refuse to be vaccinated?

It was reported on Monday morning that this is the fundamental moral debate now taking place at the top of government, with some in No 10 and the Cabinet arguing that they have a duty to prevent deaths among those who choose not to have the vaccine, while others are privately suggesting that vaccine refusers cannot hold back the rest of the country from reopening.

The Health Secretary revealed on Sunday that the majority of patients hospitalised in Bolton, which is an outbreak area, had been offered a jab but had not taken it.

Have your say:

03:11 PM

'Anti-Semitism has no place in our society', says Cabinet minister

Robert Jenrick added that four arrests have been made in connection with the north London incident and that "anti-Semitism has no place in our society".

He told MPs: "During Shavuot, as always, we stand with our Jewish friends and neighbours who have sadly been subjected to a deeply disturbing upsurge in anti-Semitism in recent years - particularly on social media.

"Like all forms of racism, anti-Semitism has no place in our society.

"A lot of young, British Jews are discovering for the first time that their friends don't understand anti-Semitism, can't recognise it and don't care that they are spreading it.

"They are not responsible for the actions of a Government thousands of miles away but are made to feel as if they are. Seeing their friends post social media content that glorifies Hamas, an illegal terrorist organisation - an organisation whose charter calls for every Jew in the world to be killed."

Mr Jenrick continued: "Every time the virus of anti-Semitism re-enters our society it masks itself as social justice, selling itself as speaking truth to power. This Government is taking robust action to root it out."

02:56 PM

Urgent Question in the Commons about recent anti-Semitic attacks across the UK

Robert Jenrick said the anti-Semitic attacks that took place over the weekend were "racist and extremely serious crimes".

Making a statement on anti-Semitic attacks, the Communities Secretary told the Commons: "No-one could fail to be appalled by the disgraceful scenes of anti-Semitic abuse being directed at members of the Jewish community in the past week.

"In Chigwell, Rabbi Rafi Goodwin was hospitalised after being attacked outside his synagogue. In London, activists drove through Golders Green and Finchley, both areas with large Jewish populations, apparently shouting anti-Semitic abuse through a megaphone.

"These are intimidatory, racist and extremely serious crimes."

02:51 PM

Ongoing problems with the European Union over the Northern Ireland Protocol

The Brexit minister Lord Frost acknowledged the ongoing problems with the European Union over the Northern Ireland Protocol following reports of a row over the use of a new cancer drug.

Reports have indicated that Osimertinib, which was approved for use in lung cancer patients by UK regulators, has been blocked from use in Northern Ireland.

He told the European Scrutiny Committee: "There is the risk of gaps opening up in regulation between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK.

"The important thing is making sure the Protocol operates in a balanced and pragmatic way which takes account of the real conditions."

"That sort of thing is going to be a problem if we can't find pragmatic ways through it that protect our UK National Health Service."

02:46 PM

Matt Hancock to address the Commons on Indian variant concerns

The Health Secretary will make a statement on Covid-19 in the Commons at approximately 4:15pm. It is expected that he will address concerns about the Indian variant following a rapid rise in cases.

The Wellcome Sanger Institute has published its latest data on the spread of the India variant. Up to May 8, 829 cases were detected in England, up from 331 the week before and 113 in the last week of April.

The variant is now responsible for roughly 20 per cent of all cases detected.

Watch the video of Mr Hancock's address at the top of the blog and follow for live text updates.

02:41 PM

Brexit minister to identify changes to regulations consistent with 'spirit of Brexit'

Lord Frost said he wanted to identify changes to regulations that were consistent with the "spirit of Brexit".

"I have a role in making sure that what we put before Parliament is genuinely reforming, genuinely consistent with deregulation and the spirit of Brexit and goes forward on that basis," he told the Commons European Scrutiny Committee.

Lord Frost said the post-Brexit UK did not view itself as being within the European Union's "regulatory orbit".

The minister told MPs: "One of the advantages we will get from Brexit is the opportunity to do things differently, that's clear.

"I don't think we should accept that we are in the EU's regulatory orbit for these purposes, we do need to develop our own ways of doing things and our own philosophy behind it."

02:39 PM

Relations with EU will be 'bumpy' for some time, says Brexit minister

Brexit minister Lord Frost admitted relations with the European Union would be "bumpy" for some time to come.

He told the Commons European Scrutiny Committee he was seeking to resolve the problems around the Northern Ireland Protocol and "trying to get a way of making sure that particular issue can settle".

He said he also wanted to get the overall relationship with the EU on to a "decent footing" but told MPs: "I think it will be a bit bumpy for a time but there is a lot of business to be done."

Lord Frost said his third priority was identifying what could be done differently now the UK was outside the European Union.

"That's what's going to make the biggest difference to our economic success going forwards, so within Government identifying opportunities and trying to move them forward," he said.

02:22 PM

Doug Beattie deemed elected as the new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party

Decorated Army veteran Doug Beattie has been deemed elected as the new leader of the Ulster Unionist Party.

The Upper Bann Assembly member will succeed the resigning Steve Aiken in the role after it was confirmed he was the only candidate to put his name forward for election.

Party chair Danny Kennedy told a Stormont press conference that Mr Beattie, 55, was therefore deemed elected, subject to ratification by the party council on May 27.

Mr Beattie, who served as a soldier for 34 years and was awarded the Military Cross for bravery in combat, promised a "progressive and unifying" agenda.

Boris Johnson tweeted his congratulations to the new leader:

02:17 PM

Lobby latest: Number 10 urges people not to book holidays to amber list countries

Downing Street defended the traffic light system used for international travel despite questions over the status of "amber list" nations.

There are no longer any restrictions on leaving England to travel internationally, but people have been told not to travel to red or amber list states.

Asked why it was not illegal to go to amber list destinations, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Our advice is that no one should be travelling to amber countries, that's in the interests of public health.

"There may be unavoidable, essential reasons for which people still have to travel to amber list countries, that's why the rules are there."

The spokesman added: "It's right to have this three-tiered approach because there are some limited circumstances where - for unavoidable work reasons, for example - it's necessary to travel to these amber list countries where we know there are concerns but we don't have specific instances of variants of concern that we would want to place an outright ban on."

Pressed on why the £5,000 fines previously in force for people flouting the rules had been dropped, the spokesman said he did not have the details of the fines regime to hand.

02:08 PM

Lord Frost calls for 'pragmatic ways through' the NI Protocol issue

When asked whether we should consider ourselves confined to the EU regulatory orbit and how this will affect Northern Ireland, which remains subject to EU regulation, Lord Frost said the Protocol needs to operate in a "balanced and pragmatic way".

The UK Government believes checks on goods that travel across the Irish Sea to their final destination in Northern Ireland should not be subject to the same border checks as goods which are at risk of entering the EU single market by travelling into the Republic of Ireland.

Lord Frost told the Committee: "There is the risk of gaps opening up in regulation between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK. The important thing is to make sure the Protocol operates in a balanced and pragmatic way, which takes account of the real conditions.

"We saw an example of this over the weekend, of the kind of problems that could be generated, whereby it was clear...that they (the EU) are asserting their right to regulate cancer drugs in Northern Ireland rather than the UK doing that.

"That sort of thing is going to be a problem if we can't find pragmatic ways through it that protect our UK National Health Service."

01:56 PM

Lobby latest: UK is already leading the world in tackling vaccine hesitancy, says Number 10

Enthusiasm for getting a coronavirus vaccine has only increased as the rollout has gathered pace, Downing Street has said.

Asked whether officials could go door to door to combat vaccine hesitancy, the Prime Minister's official spokesman said: "Firstly it's really important whenever talking about hesitancy to highlight the fact that we have the most enthusiastic population for vaccine uptake in the world and that enthusiasm has only increased as we've progressed on the rollout.

"But that said we are not complacent and there are a number of different approaches we're taking with vaccine-hesitant groups to engage them whether be it via social media, with community leaders directly, using trusted voices, clinical voices, and that work continues."

On door to door visits, he said: "I'm not aware of any specific plans but those might vary on the ground as well."

01:46 PM

Top three issues on Lord Frost's agenda for the UK’s new relationship with the EU

Lord Frost, the Cabinet minister in charge of EU relations, told the Committee that the top three issues on his agenda of working on the UK’s new relationship with the EU are:

1. The Northern Ireland Protocol

2. Getting the overall relationship with the EU right, which he says "will be a bit bumpy for a time but there is a lot of business to be done".

3. Identifying the opportunities, which he adds is "trying to identify things we can do different to ensure our economic success going forward".

01:35 PM

Lord David Frost faces questions from the European Scrutiny Committee

The UK’s chief Brexit negotiator is facing questions from the cross-party European Scrutiny Committee about the UK’s new relationship with the EU.

The questions put to him will likely focus on fixing problems with post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland, namely, the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Under the protocol, in order to avoid the political difficulties of a 'hard border' on the island of Ireland, some EU rules continue to apply in Northern Ireland.

On Sunday, Lord Frost accused the EU of "purist point scoring" over the bloc’s overzealous enforcement of the Northern Ireland Protocol and hinted that it could be scrapped altogether.

01:33 PM

Lobby latest: UK wants rapid progress on Northern Ireland Protocol

Number 10 has insisted that there is no firm deadline for fixing problems with post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland but has warned it expects the EU to work with the UK "rapidly" to deliver solutions.

After Lord Frost, the Cabinet minister in charge of EU relations, warned that the protocol did not appear to be "sustainable" for much longer, sources suggested to The Sunday Telegraph that Brussels would need to compromise before the loyalist marching season starts on July 12.

Asked if that was now a firm deadline, the Prime Minister’s spokesman told reporters: "Our focus is on addressing the significant challenges the protocol is causing for businesses.

"Solutions must be found rapidly to protect the Belfast Agreement in all its dimensions and to minimise disruption to the everyday lives of people in Northern Ireland.

"As the PM has previously said we will consider all our options in meeting our responsibilities to sustain peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland. We don’t have a set deadline but we want a solution to be found rapidly."

Pressed on whether Mr Johnson would consider triggering Article 16 - a measure of last resorting allowing one side to unilaterally suspend parts of the protocol - in July, the spokesman reiterated that the UK was seeking solutions within the existing framework.

01:21 PM

Lobby latest: Number 10 'deeply concerned' by Israel's latest bombardment

Downing Street has said it is deeply concerned by reports that the latest bombardment by Israel of Gaza has led to 23 schools, 500 homes, medical facilities and media officers being destroyed or damaged.

The Prime Minister's spokesman told reporters: "Israel has the legitimate right to defend itself from attacks but in doing so it must make every effort to avoid civilian casualties.

"Military action must be proportionate and in line with international humanitarian law. We are also concerned by reports that Hamas is again using civilian infrastructure and populations as cover for its operations.

"We are in contact with our US and European counterparts and urgently seeking more information from the Israeli Government on this."

01:10 PM

Have your say in today's poll

Should the lifting of restrictions be slowed down to protect people who refuse to be vaccinated?

It was reported on Monday morning that this is the fundamental moral debate now taking place at the top of government, with some in No 10 and the Cabinet arguing that they have a duty to prevent deaths among those who choose not to have the vaccine, while others are privately suggesting that vaccine refusers cannot hold back the rest of the country from reopening.

The Health Secretary revealed on Sunday that the majority of patients hospitalised in Bolton, which is an outbreak area, had been offered a jab but had not taken it.

Have your say in the poll below:

12:52 PM

Lobby latest: Local councils should not break from official guidance on vaccinations

Local areas should not vaccinate young people earlier than planned to stem the spread of the Indian variant of coronavirus, Downing Street has said.

The Prime Minister's spokesman reiterated that the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation’s (JCVI) guidance remained the best way to protect the population.

However, he cautioned against reports this morning that Bolton council had defied the guidance and had begun vaccinating all adults, pointing out that there were exceptions in the cohorts to allow for younger people to receive jabs earlier in certain circumstances.

He said: "This is a decision made by the JCVI about how best to deploy the vaccines we have, but we have deployed thousands more additional doses in Bolton so they can do this work of getting vaccinations to people."

Asked whether the Government would stop local officials giving vaccines to younger people, he said: "We want every part of the country to abide by the advice set out by the JCVI, it's this unified approach that has allowed us to proceed so quickly with our vaccine rollout."

12:40 PM

Vaccine refusers are the 'principal threat' to final unlocking on June 21

Vaccine refusers are the "principal threat" to the final lifting of lockdown restrictions on June 21, ministers have warned.

While early signs suggest vaccines are effective in preventing serious illness from the variant, Matt Hancock revealed on Sunday that the majority of patients hospitalised in Bolton - an outbreak area - had been offered a jab but had not taken it.

There is now a debate raging in Westminster as to whether the lifting of restrictions should be slowed down to protect people who refuse to be vaccinated, as well as whether local lockdowns should be implemented instead of holding back progress nationally.

Sir Jeremy Farrar, a member of the Scientific Advisory Group on Emergencies, said that the Government was facing the "most difficult policy decision, frankly, of the last 15 months or so."

This morning one minister told Politico that vaccine refusers were now the "absolute principal threat to June 21".

12:25 PM

Lobby latest: Indian variant threat goes beyond the unvaccinated

Downing Street said the concern about the spread of the Indian variant was not confined to people unwilling or able to take a vaccine but the risk that people who had received a jab would still be vulnerable.

In a worst-case scenario, where the Indian variant is far more transmissible than the existing UK strain, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: "What we would be talking about then is a situation where not just individuals who are vaccine resistant or vaccine hesitant or those who have not sought out their first jab might catch coronavirus but those who have had the first doses or those who have had two doses but for whom vaccine efficacy is reduced.

"That would then lead to increased hospitalisations and put unsustainable pressure on our NHS. That's the situation we are attempting to avoid here."

12:20 PM

Lobby latest: Local lockdowns could return to combat Indian variant

Downing Street has not ruled out a return to local restrictions amid concern over the Indian variant of the coronavirus.

Asked whether ministers would consider a return to a tiered system of rules, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: "I don't want to get ahead of where we are at the moment and start getting into hypothetical situations.

"As the Prime Minister has set out, we've moved as a country into step three, albeit with a very targeted increase in surge vaccinations and testing in these areas where we're seeing rises and that's what we want to proceed with if at all possible but we don't want to rule anything out.

"And I think until we have more data and more evidence, we won't be making those judgments."

12:15 PM

Number 10 dampens expectations of June 21 grand unlocking

Harry Yorke, the Telegraph's Whitehall Editor, has the latest from Lobby:

Downing Street has said it is "proceeding cautiously" with the lifting of coronavirus restrictions but warned ministers are keeping a “watchful eye” on the Indian variant ahead of the next step of the roadmap.

Asked whether the Prime Minister agreed with Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng that there was nothing to suggest the June 21 lifting would be delayed, the Prime Minister's spokesman said: "The PM set out the position last week, you know we are proceeding cautiously, we will keep a close eye on the data and as the Business Secretary made clear this morning currently there's nothing in the data to suggest we can't proceed.

"But obviously we are keeping a very watchful eye on the outbreaks of the variant first identified in India, and particularly what impact it has on hospitalisation rates, and things like that."

Pressed again, the spokesman was unable to guarantee that step four would proceed as planned, telling reporters: “We are not at the point where we can make definitive judgement on that.”

He was also unable to say whether a review into lifting social distancing by June 21, would be published by the end of the month. The same applies to a review into the use of covid passports, and a planned announcement on lifting restrictions on weddings, which had been due by May 24.

12:07 PM

A new sign of reopening slippage as No 10 delays social distancing conclusion

Ben Riley-Smith, the Telegraph's Political Editor, has the latest from Lobby:

11:57 AM

Lobby latest: Scrapping of one-metre plus social distancing may be delayed

Plans for the Prime Minister to set out the future of the one-metre plus social distancing rule may now be delayed beyond the end of the month.

Boris Johnson previously said he would announce whether rules such as putting up plastic screens and sitting facing away from each other to reduce Covid risk could be relaxed by the end of May, to give businesses adequate notice before June 21.

But his spokesman said: "Our decision will be based on very latest data, and we want to allow as much time as possible to assess this, so we will set out plans as soon as the data allows."

Asked whether this meant the announcement could come after the end of the month, he added: "We can't be definitive at this point because of this variant that has been identified."

11:39 AM

Tony Blair: Sir Keir Starmer has the 'character and capability' to be Labour leader

Former prime minister Tony Blair says Sir Keir Starmer has the "character and capability" to be Labour leader, adding the party has to make "fundamental change" if it wants to be a "viable" opposition.

Today's top stories: https://t.co/YWL6j8pZ47 pic.twitter.com/R87BaqdaK3

— Sky News (@SkyNews) May 17, 2021

11:30 AM

Poll suggests most Scottish people do not have enough information on independence

Nearly six out of 10 Scots think they do not have enough information to make an informed choice on independence, a poll has suggested.

It comes as former Prime Minister Gordon Brown called on the Scottish National Party to "open the books" and hold public hearings in Holyrood and Westminster on the effects of leaving the UK.

Overall, fewer than a third of poll respondents felt confident about knowing the effect of independence on issues including the English border, Scotland's security arrangements, tax, currency, and EU membership.

Some 1,000 Scots were asked: "Do you believe that campaigners for independence have given enough information about what Scotland would be like if it became independent (eg: on currency, taxation, legal rights, EU membership, the border) for you to make a fully informed choice at a future referendum?"

A total of 58% said "No", while 30% said "Yes" and the remaining 12% said "don't know".

Mr Brown said in a statement: "I believe that it is time for the SNP to agree to hold public hearings on what independence means for everything from the pound to the pension."

11:17 AM

Agreed UK/EU approach on medicines for Northern Ireland 'urgently needed'

An agreed approach is "urgently required" between the UK and EU to avoid any restriction in the availability of medicines in Northern Ireland, a draft Government road map has warned.

The UK Government has also set out plans for a phased approach to new Irish Sea border checks on food, in a Northern Ireland Protocol document sent to the EU.

The plan, which was circulated among the Northern Ireland parties at Stormont last week, suggests beginning checks on fresh meat products in October of this year.

The Northern Ireland Protocol was designed to protect the peace process by avoiding a hard border on the island of Ireland.

But it has angered unionists by effectively creating a barrier between Great Britain and Northern Ireland by leaving the region tied to a range of EU customs and regulatory rules.

11:02 AM

New analysis reveals £372 billion cost of the Government's Covid response

The estimated cost of the Government's response to the coronavirus pandemic has risen to an "eye-watering" £372 billion, a government watchdog has said.

The National Audit Office (NAO) said the cost had risen by more than £100 billion since its last report in January this year.

Chairwoman of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) Meg Hillier said it showed how public accountability "has never been more important".

The NAO Covid-19 cost tracker now captures a full year of predicted costs since the pandemic began, with £172 billion already spent.

It includes £26 billion worth of guaranteed loans which are expected to be written off.

Support for businesses such as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme and the Bounce Back Loan Scheme had the highest estimated cost, at £151 billion.

This was followed by help for the health and social care sector at £97 billion.

10:40 AM

'Support British business' as lockdown eases, urges London Mayor

London Mayor Sadiq Khan has urged people to "support British business" as lockdown rules ease.

He told Sky News: "We have begun the biggest domestic tourism campaign London has ever seen encouraging Londoners to come back to the West End and encouraging those across the country, who maybe a bit crestfallen that they cannot go on their international holidays, 'don't worry everything you need is in London'."

He said "this is probably the only spring and summer where you are not competing against international tourists" for museum, gallery or restaurant bookings.

He told the programme: "It is important that we of course have a good time, stay safe but also protect jobs.

"The reality is that one out of five Londoners works in hospitality or culture and so you can safely have a great time and also support British business."

10:24 AM

Pictured: Sadiq Khan and Oliver Dowden out and about as lockdown eases

London mayor Sadiq Khan and Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden are seen out and about in London as indoor hospitality and entertainment venues reopen to the public following the further easing of lockdown restrictions in England.

10:10 AM

UK proposes customs checks for food heading to Northern Ireland to ease Brexit tensions

James Crisp, the Telegraph's Europe Editor, has the latest on the Northern Ireland Protocol:

Britain has told Brussels it is prepared to introduce new customs checks on UK food products crossing the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland in four stages from October.

The UK has given a roadmap, which has now been seen by the BBC, to the commission as a starting point for negotiations over resolving the impasse.

It covers more than 20 separate issues including medicines, access to databases and pet travel, the BBC reported.

The roadmap, which has been a closely guarded secret, says that the UK will begin official certification in four phases. This will begin in October for fresh meat products.

Phase two will cover dairy products, plant and wine and begin at the end of January.

Phases three and four cover fruit and vegetables marketing, pet food, organics and composite products but there are no dates for those steps because more information on staffing and integrating UK and EU certification systems is needed.

Read the full story.

10:02 AM

Ministers tweet their condemnation of 'vile' anti-Semitic abuse seen in north London on Sunday

Four men remain in custody after anti-Semitic abuse was heard being shouted from a car in north London on videos shared on social media.

The incident received cross-party criticism, with the Prime Minister condemning the acts as "shameful racism" that have "no place" in society.

09:52 AM

Tory MP condemned for 'racist' tweet about pro-Palestine protestors

Conservative MP for Lichfield, Michael Fabricant, has been criticised for calling pro-Palestine protesters who clashed with police outside the Israeli embassy "primitives."

The anti-racism campaign Hope Not Hate has called on the Conservative Party to suspended the backbencher following the comments, and accusing him of "hateful racism that stirs up division".

09:36 AM

Sadiq Khan: 'There can be no excuse' to be anti-Semitic and racist

London mayor Sadiq Khan said that efforts are being made to protect the Jewish community.

He said he has been in contact with the Metropolitan Police Commissioner and the Deputy Commissioner and there will be an increased police presence in Jewish communities, synagogues and schools with the aim of trying to make people feel safe, but also to alert "anybody who is involved in any race crimes that action will be taken".

Mr Khan told Sky News: "It is possible at the same time to be very angry about what is happening in Israel and Gaza and the West Bank and be heartbroken at the death and to call for a ceasefire and a de-escalation.

"What is not excusable is on the other hand is to use that as an excuse to be anti-Semitic and to be racist. There can be no excuse for that."

He added: "It is important for us to realise the impact of this criminal behaviour has a ripple of fear effect on Jewish Londoners and those across the country. It is really important that we don't bring conflicts 3,000 miles away to the capital city."

09:23 AM

Government minister advises against 'excessive drinking' in pubs as they reopen indoors

A senior Government minister has urged people not to booze too heavily on the first day of being permitted to eat and drink inside pubs again.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told LBC radio: "What the Prime Minister has said very clearly is, yes, we are opening partially ahead of June 21 but we've got to behave sensibly, we've got to exercise some caution because if people get too carried away, we could jeopardise the ability to reopen on June 21."

Asked how people could exercise caution at the pub, the Cabinet minister said: "It is fairly clear to me in terms of common sense that what you can do is socialise in a normal way but obviously we advise ordinarily against excessive drinking, endangering people, getting too many large groups together if that can be avoided.

"That's what he means, that we need to be cautious because if we get too carried away and the mutant variant spreads too quickly, that could endanger our ability to open up on June 21."

09:05 AM

Sadiq Khan calls for the young to get jabs in London boroughs with high cases of Indian variant

A coronavirus vaccine should be given to younger people in those parts of the country where the Indian variant is causing concern, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said.

He said he has asked Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi for the "flexibility to give younger people the vaccine in those parts of London concerned about this strain"

Mr Khan told BBC's Radio 4's Today programme: "We have got, roughly speaking, 400 people in London who have with this particular strain. We're doing test and trace and we think 100 of them are involved in travel.

"What I'm saying to the Government is there are five boroughs in particular where there are a number of these cases.

"What we would like to see is the vaccine being accelerated in these areas, with the younger Londoners receiving a vaccine sooner than other parts of London."

He added: "It does appear that if you receive the vaccine, particularly both doses, you may be less likely to catch it, the spread is less so and the consequences should you test positive are less serious as well."

08:42 AM

Business Secretary 'appalled' at anti-Semitic abuse in north London on Sunday

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said he was "appalled" after anti-Semitic abuse was heard being shouted from a car in north London on videos shared on social media.

Speaking to LBC radio, the Cabinet minister said: "I've been a Londoner all my life, I was born in London and I'm appalled at this kind of behaviour.

"I think any kind of racist abuse, anti-Semitic abuse is totally unacceptable."

Asked about the Government's view on the conflict between the Israelis and Palestinians, Mr Kwarteng said: "We've said we want to see de-escalation of violence, we want to see a mediated outcome.

"It is a difficult situation but we would certainly urge both sides to try and de-escalate the tensions there."

08:26 AM

'Be very careful', says Nicola Sturgeon as most of Scotland eases restrictions

Nicola Sturgeon has issued a warning as most of Scotland moved to Level 2 of the country's coronavirus restrictions:

08:17 AM

Watch: Boris Johnson urges 'caution' as he outlines what we can all now do

08:06 AM

Labour fears the return of George Galloway

While the country's attention is fixed firmly on coronavirus this morning, in Labour land, the upcoming by-election in Batley and Spen is increasingly weighing on the minds of some officials.

Triggered by the election of incumbent Labour MP Tracy Brabin as the new mayor of West Yorkshire, the by-election is another major test of Sir Keir Starmer's leadership.

Like Hartlepool, which turned blue earlier this month, Batley and Spen is a Red Wall seat where the majority of voters backed Brexit, although it differs considerably in terms of demographics.

However, The Times reports this morning that local Labour sources fear that George Galloway, the hard Left former MP, could hand victory to the Tories if he decides to run.

Mr Galloway, 66, previously won an unexpected victory over Labour in Bradford West when he was leader of the Respect party.

While he is highly unlikely to win the seat, party insiders fear he could split the Labour vote and enable the Conservatives to claim the seat, even without the type of swing seen across swathes of the North in the local elections.

07:51 AM

UK offers four-stage plan for introducing post-Brexit checks in NI

James Crisp, the Telegraph's Europe Editor, has the latest on the Northern Ireland Protocol:

Britain has told Brussels it is prepared to introduce new customs checks on UK food products crossing the Irish Sea to Northern Ireland in four stages from October.

The UK offer comes after the Government infuriated the European Commission by unilaterally extending grace periods, including a three month exemption for supermarkets, in the Northern Ireland Protocol.

Brussels began legal action against the UK and said the move was a breach of international law and the Brexit treaty which creates a customs border between Northern Ireland and mainland Britain.

The Protocol is designed to prevent a hard border on the island of Ireland by keeping Northern Ireland aligned with some EU rules after Brexit. This means food products travelling from the UK to Northern Ireland need to be checked by customs and certified.

The UK has given a roadmap, which has now been seen by the BBC, to the commission as a starting point for negotiations over resolving the impasse.

It covers more than 20 separate issues including medicines, access to databases and pet travel, the BBC reported.

The roadmap, which has been a closely guarded secret, says that the UK will begin official certification in four phases. This will begin in October for fresh meat products.

07:41 AM

Business Secretary pushes back against calls for surge vaccinations

Kwasi Kwarteng said he did not approve of regional moves to break from the vaccine priority guidelines in areas where the Indian variant of coronavirus had been detected.

The Business Secretary, asked whether he approved of authorities in Bolton vaccinating "anyone who wants it", told Sky News: "No, I think the Government has very clear guidelines in terms of the ordered way in which we roll out the vaccine.

"That has been working and has been a very effective rollout, and we would suggest that people should do it in the correct order, in the right way."

Pressed on whether ministers could put pressure on local authorities breaking from the guidelines, Mr Kwarteng said: "I don't know the actual details of what is going on in Bolton but we've got very firm guidelines and we want people to follow those."

"I can see what they are trying to do, I can see exactly what they are trying to do," the Cabinet minister added, in reference to Bolton reportedly attempting to avoid a local lockdown.

"But what I've said is that there is a really good way that we've managed to roll out the vaccine and we would urge people to follow the guidelines that we've set out and the method that we've used."

07:39 AM

Kwasi Kwarteng 'very hopeful' of grand unlocking on June 21

The Business Secretary has said he is confident that the final step of the roadmap will proceed as planned on June 21, although he said it was conditional on people exercising their common sense.

During a series of broadcast interviews this morning, he said he was both "very hopeful" and it was "very likely" that the economy would reopen "entirely" by the end of next month.

However, he urged people to be "cautious" and told LBC that people heading to pubs and restaurants indoors from today should "behave sensibly" and avoid "excessive drinking."

Asked about mounting concerns over the Indian variant, he told Sky News there was "nothing in the evidence" to suggest it could evade vaccines.

"Of course we can't definitely prove anything until we've eased up and we see what the actual data shows, and that's why we've got a degree of flexibility," he continued.

"But there is nothing in the evidence now that we've seen that suggests that the vaccine isn't very effective against the Indian variant."

He added that the focus in Government now was on ensuring people who had refused a vaccine now came forward, adding that Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, had been referring to these people on Sunday when he warned the variant was spreading like "wildfire".

He also defended the delay in placing India on the red list, adding: "I think April 23 was fairly early - a month ago nearly - and we've managed to contain this variant, partly - principally actually - because of the [vaccine] rollout."

07:14 AM

Boris Johnson sets out new guidance as lockdown eases

Today we move forward to Step 3 of our cautious roadmap to freedom.

This is what you need to know ↓ pic.twitter.com/mrAW6YYDRO

— Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) May 17, 2021

07:11 AM

Sadiq Khan backs surge vaccinations

A coronavirus vaccine should be given to younger people in those parts of the country where the Indian variant is causing concern, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has said.

He said he has asked Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi for the "flexibility to give younger people the vaccine in those parts of London concerned about this strain".

Mr Khan told Sky News that "what we are saying is be nimble in those pockets where we know there is an issue, let's use the vaccine sensibly".

He added there should be a "hyper-local approach" in affected boroughs which should include "those who are younger, who would have to wait a few weeks, to have this vaccine now to avoid the strain spreading".

Mr Khan urged people to test regularly and told the programme that "the virus isn't rigid and doesn't follow rigid rules and we have got to be nimble in our response to it".

Speaking later to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, Mr Khan also revealed that 400 cases of the Indian variant had been identified in the capital.

07:08 AM

I would not meet up indoors, says Sage scientist

Sir Jeremy Farrar, director of the Wellcome Trust, said that he would not meet indoors "at the moment".

Warning that ministers faced the "most difficult policy decision, frankly, of the last 15 months or so", the Sage adviser said it remained unclear whether vaccinations would break the link between surging infection rates, driven by the Indian variant, and serious illness.

He added that while going ahead with step three of the roadmap this morning was "reasonable", the issue was "very finely balanced" and therefore a "very careful lifting" of restrictions was required.

"The B.1.617.2 is becoming dominant in parts of the UK, and yet vaccination across the country has become extraordinarily successful," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"I think we will see an increase of cases and infections over the coming weeks, as some of the restrictions are lifted.

"I think the key question is whether we have decoupled increased transmission and the number of people who do get infected, decoupled from the number of people that get ill."

Asked if he would meet people indoors, he added: " No, I wouldn’t for the moment.

"I think it is reasonable to just be sensible about knowing where transmission is occurring, mostly indoors, mostly in larger gatherings indoors with lots of different people, different families, different communities, and I would just restrict that at the moment personally."

"I don't think it's unreasonable to lift the restrictions - we do need to lift the restrictions at some point, we've been in restrictions now for a very long time."

06:39 AM

How concerned should we be about the Indian variant?

While ministers are understandably worried about how fast the strain is spreading in some parts of the country, it seems that vaccines are doing their job.

In today's Telegraph, Health Editor Laura Donnelly reports that real world data suggests that vaccines are preventing 97 per cent of infections, with no known death from the Indian variant recorded among those fully vaccinated in the UK.

Meanwhile, a study of 3,235 vaccinated healthcare workers in India who had been given the AstraZeneca jab found just 85 reported symptoms of Covid, with just two ending up in hospital.

06:01 AM

Doubts over foreign holidays

As thousands of Britons head to the airport this morning to jet off to 12 destinations on the Government's green list of quarantine-free travel, ministers have warned the public not to get carried away.

On Sunday Matt Hancock, the Health Secretary, highlighted that while people are only required to quarantine at home for amber rated destinations, the official guidance states that people should not travel to these countries for holidays.

That includes much of Europe, with Spain, Italy and Greece still ruled out due to covid variants and low vaccination rates compared to the UK.

Sir John Bell, a leading immunologist at Oxford University, also warned against going on holiday in Europe, stating large parts of the continent were still "largely unvaccinated" and therefore "pretty vulnerable to new variants."

While many Britons will be hoping that the next review of the traffic light system next month will see more destinations added to the green list, the mood this morning is increasingly pessimistic given the spread of the Indian variant.

05:53 AM

Recap: What can you do from today?

05:49 AM

Good morning

The third step of unlocking starts today, with pubs and restaurants reopening indoors, families reunitingin their homes after months of separation, and holidaymakers heading off to 12 countries on the green list.

However, the good news is at serious risk of being overshadowed by mounting concern over the Indian variant B.1.617.2, which is rapidly spreading in parts of the country including Bolton, Blackburn and some parts of London.

Yesterday scientists voiced optimism that the vaccines are effective against the strain, with early findings from Oxford University suggesting it is still preventing hospitalisation and death.

But with a large proportion of the population still waiting to receive their first doses - and even more awaiting their second - the question is whether the vaccine programme alone is enough to contain this new variant, which appears to be significantly more transmissible than other strains circulating in Britain.

Should cases continue to rise, talk of delaying the final step of the roadmap will undoubtedly continue.