The Government is "giving into the unions" and Public Health England by delaying the end of school bubbles, despite coming under "massive pressure" from backbenchers, Conservative MPs believe.
Despite more than 375,000 students being forced to self-isolate as a result of the bubbles system, and a pilot for daily testing having concluded yesterday, Gavin Williamson repeatedly insisted no alternative could be brought forward before July 19.
Challenged as to why, the Education Secretary insisted the new guidance had to coincide with the wider lifting of restrictions at Step Four. But this morning Tories claimed it was because ministers "don't want unions to kick off".
One senior Tory said: "MPs are up in arms about it. Even loyalist MPs are publicly saying this has got to stop. The pressure is clear - the party wants the kids back in school and the Government has got to stop dithering and just do it."
Another said there was "chaos across the whole of Government - and fear of being attacked by PHE".
A third added: "They don't want to be accused - particularly by unions - of not giving enough notice to schools of change.... I'm pretty sure schools in my patch could adapt quickly and it would be less disruptive to them."
Follow the latest updates below.
08:26 AM
'Bottlenecks' could spark temporary inflations, warns BoE governor
Rishi Sunak (centre) and Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey (left) arrive for the Mansion House address - PA
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey has warned that the UK can expect to see higher inflation during the Covid-19 recovery but said this should only be temporary.
Giving his annual Mansion House speech in London, he said: "There are shortages of some products, notably semi-conductors, some agricultural commodities, and some end-user products such as fitness equipment and home and garden furniture."
He added: "It is entirely possible that we will witness temporary periods of excess demand, or what more commonly we might describe as 'bottlenecks'.
"There are good reasons to interpret this as a temporary feature, but we must be on the lookout for the risk that these features are more sustained."
08:24 AM
Winding down furlough before lockdown ends is 'dereliction of duty', claims Lib Dems
The Government is withdrawing support from businesses too soon in a "dereliction of duty", the Liberal Democrats have said.
Treasury spokesperson Christine Jardine said the winding down of furlough (see 9:23am) meant "thousands of businesses are being left facing reduced support while still unable to operate fully to pay their bills".
"This gap before the next possible lifting of restrictions could be crucial for many of them," she said. "Liberal Democrats warned the Government to think about business needs when restrictions were extended, but the Chancellor’s decision to wind down support anyway is a dereliction of duty.
“It’s painfully clear that ministers have no long term plan for small businesses and the families who depend on them. The danger now is we could face a wave of closures and redundancies as schemes end, heaping more misery on those already struggling and damaging the UK economy."
08:21 AM
Sketch: Sir Keir’s flashes of off-the-cuff wit leave the Prime Minister reeling
Labour may be soon to forfeit Batley-and-Spen, but in the Commons yesterday, Sir Keir Starmer ran rings around his rival, writes Madeline Grant.
Sir Keir, who’d clearly had his Weetabix that morning, began by beating the PM at his own game. His memories of witnessing the fateful penalty miss at the 1996 Euros proved he’d attended at least one football match before becoming a politician.
The focus quickly shifted to someone notable by his absence. Matt Hancock had scarpered, leaving a blustering Boris gasping for breath like an out-of-condition sub brought off the bench at half-time.
“Why didn’t the Prime Minister sack the former Health Secretary on Friday?” asked Sir Keir, limbering up for a proper booting.
For once, Sir Keir seemed liberated from his customary mode of pettifogging provincial attorney. His stilted manner when reading other people's jokes almost provokes cries of “Author! Author!”, but in PMQs he produced flashes of off-the-cuff wit, relishing the rich vein of material he had to work with.
Furlough begins to unwind - but will cost more jobs
Employers will begin to shoulder more of the costs of furlough from today, with a warning that it will see a rise in unemployment.
With about 1.5 million workers still on furlough, the change will affect thousands of firms across the country. Staff will continue to receive 80 per cent of their wages, but employers will pay part of that for the first time.
The Institute for Fiscal Studies said the bill for employers keeping a member of staff on the scheme would rise from £155 per month currently, which covers costs such as National Insurance, to £322 in July and £489 in August and September.
"The furlough scheme does need to be wound down as the economy recovers, rather than attempting to keep every job on life support. But this does mean that some will end up unemployed," said Tom Waters, a senior research economist at the IFS.
Yesterday Boris Johnson resisted calls to extend the scheme.
08:01 AM
No need to replace bubbles with testing, says Nervtag scientist
A Government scientist has suggested there may be no need to replace the bubbles system with daily contact testing, given the relatively low risk of transmission in schools.
Nottingham Trent University Professor Robert Dingwall, who sits on Nervtag, said that as the vast majority of adults have been vaccinated and children remained at very low risk, testing would not be necessary as a replacement.
"I don't see why we can't get back to normal in September and children stay at home if they are sick," Prof Dingwall told the BBC.
"There is growing levels of natural immunity building up in children anyway and we know schools are not big drivers of transmission."
07:56 AM
Nissan investment 'far outweights' Government support, says minister
The Government has committed a significant sum of support to Nissan, which has just announced the opening of a gigafactory in Sunderland, the Business Secretary has suggested - but declined to give a figure.
Kwasi Kwarteng told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "We're in conversations with lots of auto companies, there are lots of companies that are interested in investing in the UK, and it would be completely irresponsible for me to go into matters that are commercially sensitive."
Asked if he could confirm that the sum is significant, he said: "It's no secret that, across the world, governments are seeking to attract what is a once-in-a-generation opportunity.
"So that's widely understood, and the British Government has been involved in conversations of that kind. But the billion pounds they're (Nissan) giving far outweighs and is far in excess of the amount of support that we have provided."
07:54 AM
Boris Johnson leaves Downing Street with his Red Box
The Prime Minister gets to work - Nigel Howard Media
07:30 AM
Booster jabs programme 'enormous task for very tired workforce', warns JCVI member
Doctors are hoping that people who go for their flu vaccine in the autumn will also choose to have a coronavirus booster vaccine, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said.
Dr Maggie Wearmouth said plans to start offering coronavirus booster jabs from September were "provisional" and were being announced to help medical staff get on with the "planning process" of the rollout.
She told LBC's Nick Ferrari: "We would obviously want people to be up for both, but if someone says one and not the other, they're not going to be turned down when they're actually in front of a vaccinator.
"It's an enormous task for a very tired workforce," she added. "Every day that we leave this, then it gets harder and harder to make this work because it's a big change. Some GP surgeries that are used to giving flu vaccines, for example, may not be able to give the Covid vaccine. So there's a lot of planning behind the scenes to make this work."
07:26 AM
Government must not be 'complacent' following Nissan deal, says Labour
Labour has told the Government not to be "complacent", after Nissan confirmed it was building a new gigafactory in Sunderland.
Ed Miliband, the shadow business secretary, said he "warmly" welcomed the announcement today.
"But Ministers cannot be complacent," he added, "Only this week, the SMMT said that the Government was falling behind our competitors and the Faraday Institution estimates we need seven gigafactories by 2040.
"That's why Labour has said we would increase government investment from £400 million to up to £1.5 billion, part-financing three additional gigafactories by 2025.
"We have so much to be proud of in our automotive sector. But government must substantially accelerate and increase support to win the global race for the future of car production."
07:22 AM
Pivotal moment: Boris Johnson hails Nissan's plans to build battery plant in Sunderland
Boris Johnson has hailed the announcement by Japanese car giant Nissan, which will create a new electric model and huge battery plant in the UK in a massive boost to the automotive industry.
More than 1,600 jobs will be created in Sunderland and an estimated 4,500 in supply companies under an investment of £1 billion.
The Prime Minister said it was "a major vote of confidence in the UK and our highly skilled workers in the North East".
He added: "This is a pivotal moment in our electric vehicle revolution and securing its future for decades to come."Commitments like these exemplify our ability to create hundreds of green jobs and boost British industry, whilst also allowing people to travel in an affordable and sustainable way so we can eliminate our contributions to climate change."
07:20 AM
New DUP leader rocked by resignation on first day in job
New DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson has been rocked by the resignation of a Stormont MLA.
Alex Easton's statement announcing his decision to leave the party after 21 years comes on Sir Jeffrey's first full day in the leadership role.
The North Down MLA, who will now sit as an independent, cited a lack of "respect, discipline or decency" within the DUP as one of the reasons he is quitting the party.
It comes on the back of massive disruption within the party, after successive revolts deposed former leader Arlene Foster and then her successor Edwin Poots, who quit after just 21 days in the job.
07:18 AM
Covid booster jabs 'not for everybody', warns JCVI member
Experts are "very concerned" there will be a very large flu epidemic this winter and people needed to be able to get their Covid and flu jabs in the same visit, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said.
Professor Adam Finn, told BBC Breakfast that regular, annual Covid vaccines could happen "but possibly not for everybody".
He added: "And of course, uncertainty will reduce as time goes by and we'll really see how much of an ongoing problem we have with this virus and how it behaves and evolves.
"But I think it's highly likely that we'll go on seeing people getting infection with this virus in the future, and the need to immunise people, particularly people who are vulnerable, to getting seriously ill with that, yes."
07:17 AM
Kim Leadbetter casts her vote in Batley and Spen
Labour party candidate Kim Leadbeater arrives to cast her vote in the West Yorkshire constituency of Batley and Spen - PA
Voters in the West Yorkshire constituency of Batley and Spen are going to the polls in a by-election that should have been straightforward - but has been anything but.
Labour is defending a majority of more than 3,000 in the seat but the bookies have the Conservatives as odds-on favourites to follow up their victory in Hartlepool in May and heap further pressure on Sir Keir.
The by-election was seen as a straight fight between Labour's Kim Leadbeater and the Tories' Ryan Stephenson, but the arrival of veteran campaigner George Galloway in the constituency provided an extra headache for Labour's campaign managers.
Mr Galloway said he was targeting Labour voters in an explicit attempt to topple Sir Keir.
07:15 AM
Sir Keir Starmer in fight to save political life as Batley and Spen ballot opens
Relations soured after Sir Keir Starmer's attempt to sack Angela Rayner after Hartlepool - PA
Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner has denied she is poised to challenge Sir Keir Starmer if the party loses Batley and Spen, as voters go to the polls today.
Allies of Ms Rayner, whose relationship with the leader has soured since he attempted to demote her after the Hartlepool disaster, have been sounding out support in the event of a third massive defeat. However this morning she said it was "news to me".
The pressure is on regardless, however, with Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham yesterday signalling he would consider another leadership bid.
Sir Keir's spokesman has insisted he will not resign if Labour loses but new polling this week suggested that as many as four in 10 party members would want him to stand down and make way for new leadership in the wake of a loss.
06:36 AM
We turned rules ‘upside down’ to make NI Protocol work, EU claims
Brussels has turned its rules and regulations “upside down” to make the Northern Ireland Protocol work, the EU’s ambassador to the UK said on Wednesday after a three-month truce was agreed in the Brexit sausage war.
João Vale de Almeida said the extension to the grace period for chilled meats and a string of concessions to smooth protocol barriers for medicines, guide dogs, livestock and car insurance proved that the EU was not “inflexible” or “legalistic”.
Writing for The Telegraph, he warned that the EU would insist upon the full implementation of the protocol, which keeps Northern Ireland subject to almost 300 EU rules and creates an Irish Sea border for goods from Britain.
Mr Vale de Almeida said the concessions were “an unquestionable response” to “those in the UK suggesting that the EU is inflexible or too legalistic”.
Lord Frost, the Brexit Minister, has repeatedly accused the EU of a lack of pragmatism in talks over the implementation of the protocol, which he says has a chilling effect on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland.
06:36 AM
Good Morning
The focus for today is largely in Batley and Spen, where Labour is hoping not to suffer another embarrassing by-election defeat.
However there is plenty of drama in Westminster, with a growing number of Conservative MPs backing The Telegraph's call to put children first - and piling on the pressure to scrap the school bubbles system now.
It comes as Downing Street signals a change to the guidance.
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It’s key to note that we’re not saying the “best team” or “best roster.” Instead, we’re talking about the best confluence of factors that can outline a path for survival and then success.
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