Number 10 has insisted that 'jabs for jobs' is a decision for individual companies, after a senior minister this morning said it was a "smart policy".
Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said he could understand why firms such as Netflix, Google and Facebook were demanding that staff be fully vaccinated before returning to the office, although added: "Whether or not there should be hard and fast legal rules, we would need to look at that carefully.
Mr Raab did not rule out insisting on two jabs to work at the Foreign Office, although noted that those with health conditions would have to be considered.
However Downing Street would not be drawn on the matter, instead stressing the value of getting a jab "both to protect yourself and your immediate family and those that you interact with".
Boris Johnson's spokesman said: "You would have to speak to the individual employers about their own policies but again I'll point you back to what the Prime Minister said about the importance of people coming forward and taking the vaccine given how effective we now know it is."
However, ministers are still looking "to introduce vaccine certification at the end of September", he added.
03:06 PM
And that's it for another day...
With the Government obsessing about the economy, you can understand why Dominic Raab might thing jobs for jabs is "a smart policy".
The Foreign Secretary did not rule out adopting the measure for his own civil servants, with Whitehall still looking very much on the quiet side. But as with his reluctance to back Michael Gove's description of vaccine refuseniks as "selfish", Boris Johnson could not bring himself to endorse such a measure, instead opting for the carrot rather than the stick.
However with the threat of vaccine passports still lingering, the Prime Minister will have to get off the fence at some point - though he might like to note that a whopping 75 per cent of Telegraph readers think jabs for jobs is a bad idea.
University students won't find out if they'll need such certification until September - leaving them no time before term (see 8:29am).
Mr Raab also appeared to reveal the bizarre rational for putting France on the amber-plus list, explaining it is down to case rates on the Reunion island, thousands of miles away (8:24am). No wonder Clement Beaune claims it's "discriminatory" (see 9:18am).
For all that and more of today's news, carry on reading below.
02:49 PM
‘We will return you’, migrants told in Facebook adverts
Undated handout images issued by the Home Office - PA
The Home Office has spent £23,000 on Facebook ads warning Channel migrants that "we will return you" but ministers have been described as "naive" for thinking social media posts will deter crossings.
The campaign, which ran from December, also warned migrants not to "put your child's life in danger" by attempting to cross the Channel in small craft.
It was condemned by charities working in Calais, which accused the Home Office of "wasting money" on ads unlikely to have any effect on "desperate people".
Clare Moseley, the founder of Care4Calais, said: "Refugees risk their lives to escape from some of the world's most dangerous countries, fully aware that this could be the last journey they make. It's extremely naive of this Government to think that social media ads will deter them. This isn't a choice."
02:38 PM
Exodus from Sir Keir Starmer's top team goes on
An exodus from Sir Keir Starmer's top team continued on Wednesday night as one of his closest aides resigned.
Chris Ward, the Labour leader's speechwriter and deputy chief of staff, told officials he was leaving after seven years at Sir Keir's side.
Only one of the "gang of five" of the leader's closest aides now remains after Labour's loss in the Hartlepool by-election in May prompted an exodus of the party's top officials.
02:27 PM
Boris Johnson chairs first in-person business council this year
Boris Johnson today - Getty
Boris Johnson has chaired the first in-person meeting of the 'build back better business council' this year, as he pushes to get the economy moving again on the back of the vaccine programme.
The Prime Minister was updated by industry leaders on six key priorities including; investment in innovation; growing the UK science and tech sectors; accelerating the roll out of electric vehicle infrastructure; off-shore wind development; levelling up and boosting skills in emerging sectors.
The International Trade Secretary drew the meeting to a close by endorsing the upcoming Global Investment Summit due to take place in September – which will see the Government "roll out the green carpet" for investors from across the world.
02:12 PM
Rail unions call meeting over 'abandoned' Eurostar
Rail unions have called a public meeting aimed at boosting support for the future of the Eurostar train service.
Leaders of the Transport Salaried Staffs' Association (TSSA), Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) and drivers' union Aslef will join environmental campaigners at the online meeting on August 4.
TSSA general secretary Manuel Cortes claimed Eurostar had been "abandoned" by the Government and urged interested parties to join the meeting.
A Department for Transport spokesman said: "We recognise the significant financial challenges facing Eurostar as a result of Covid-19, however the Government has been clear that we expect Eurostar's shareholders to exhaust all available measures to address its current financial challenges."
02:03 PM
Ben Marlow: Jabs for jobs will not work
Facebook is doing it, so too Google and Netflix. The technology trailblazers of Silicon Valley are leading the way when it comes to one of the most controversial issues of the post-pandemic workplace.
In California a “jabs for jobs” policy among employers is gathering steam, with staff being told that they require a Covid certificate if they want to return to the workplace. It’s not quite the same as saying someone can be fired for refusing to be vaccinated but libertarians will rightly worry that this is mandatory inoculation by the back door.
Like Covid passports for travel and leisure activities, there is a danger that requiring employees to be jabbed creates a two-tier society - the “jabs and jab nots” become the “haves and have nots”, with those that haven’t been vaccinated either struggling to be hired, or worse, simply fired.
But it doesn’t take a genius to work out how quickly this will lead to accusations of discrimination and a torrent of unfair dismissal cases.
Two-thirds of young adults receive first dose of Covid vaccine
Two-thirds of adults aged 18-24 have now received their first Covid vaccine, while 90 per cent of the over-40s and almost half of people in their 30s are fully vaccinated, NHS figures show.
Dr Nikki Kanani, NHS England medical director of primary care and deputy lead for the vaccine programme, said: "It is fantastic to see this huge progress in such a short space of time as part of the biggest and fastest vaccine programme in our history.
“As we continue to get back to normality, it has never been more important to get vaccinated and that is why NHS staff and local partners around the country are setting up pop-up sites at places like Thorpe Park, Goodwood, Felixstowe seafront and other community hubs like places of worship and football stadiums."
01:28 PM
NHS workers to stage Downing Street protest over 'inadequate' pay rise
Health workers are to stage a protest outside Downing Street over the Government's "grossly inadequate" pay deal for NHS staff.
Protesters will march to Downing Street on Friday as unions consult their members over the proposed three per cent rise, warning of possible industrial action.
Colenzo Jarrett-Thorpe, Unite's national officer for health, said: "We fully support our health members in their protest at the grossly inadequate and underwhelming three per cent pay recommendation. We believe that the public shares our disgust at this paltry offer which reinforces our resolve for pay justice.
"The Government decision to accept the NHS Pay Review Body's recommendation was too little and too late after we have been asking for an early and significant pay rise for health workers for over a year.
"Three per cent will do very little to staunch the escalating recruitment and retention crisis."
01:22 PM
Have your say: Is jabs for jobs a 'smart policy'?
Increasing numbers of private businesses are deploying a "jabs for jobs" type policy, with US tech giant such as Netflix, Google and Facebook insisting that workers can't return to the office without being fully vaccinated.
Pimlico Plumbers has gone even further, insisting on proof of at least one jab to get hired.
This morning Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said it was a "smart policy", and even raised the prospect of it becoming a "hard and fast legal rule", although insisted that would have to be "looked at carefully".
With the Government grappling against vaccine hesitancy among the younger age group, should employers have the right to insist their staff have been immunised? Have your say in the poll below.
01:11 PM
UK to gain access to classified Pentagon data in fight against China
British soldiers would be given access to a US "combat cloud" the Pentagon hopes will revolutionise the way it fights in any future war with China, America's second-most senior military commander has said.
The Pentagon currently has an "over-classification problem" which is not allowing it to take enough advantage of its allies' capabilities, and their access to real-time US intelligence would be expanded, according to General John Hyten, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Under the plan, allied soldiers would be able to use their personal biometrics to log in to US information systems during a conflict.
It follows a disastrous classified Pentagon wargame, involving hundreds of senior US military personnel, in which America was crushed in a hypothetical battle with China over Taiwan.
Quarantine-free travel will further open up as countries 'catch up' with UK vaccine programme
Grant Shapps has said he is hopeful that quarantine-free travel to more countries will be able to take place as they "catch up" with the UK's vaccine programme.
The Transport Secretary said it "stands to reason" that more countries would join the EU and the US, adding: "It does mean that more of the world becomes accessible and more can come to visit us to restart the tourism industry."
This was a "shift from the world of the pandemic to learning to live with coronavirus", he added.
"We look towards more countries as they become more ready, more vaccinated, being able to continue that travel process."
12:26 PM
Treasury civil servants given pay rises of up to 30pc during pandemic
Treasury civil servants were given pay increases of up to 30 per cent and £15,000 bonuses during the Covid crisis despite rows over police and nurses' pay and Rishi Sunak's insistence that there was no more money for more public sector workers.
The department's accounts show that six of the top nine officials who were in post over the past two years received pay rises last year, while five received a bonus.
Clare Lombardelli, Mr Sunak's chief economist, received an increase of at least £30,000, bringing her salary to between £150,000 and £155,000.
The top two officials, Tom Scholar and Charles Roxburgh, both received bonuses of between £15,000 and £20,000 on top of their salaries, alongside Beth Russell, the Treasury's head of tax and welfare.
12:17 PM
Lobby latest: Some 260 testing sites opened to mitigate pingdemic
Some 260 testing sites have been opened to help critical workers avoid isolation by being tested each day before work, Number 10 has said.
The provision is being put in place to support key sectors during the pingdemic, before the isolation exemption for fully vaccinated people is brought in on August 16.
A spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "We now have over 260 of these sites providing testing and we are in the process of establishing 800 further. Following them, we will then establish the remaining 1,200 over the coming days.
"As we said when we set this out, our intention is to get these up and running as quickly as possible so we can ensure industries that provide the critical service they provide can continue to do so."
12:10 PM
Annabel Fenwick Elliott: At long last, Boris Johnson is seeing sense over travel restrictions
Low and behold, it’s finally looking possible that Boris Johnson is changing his tune on the topic of travel restrictions – a long, long overdue epiphany if ever there was one, writes Annabel Fenwick Elliott.
In the run-up to the announcement, the Prime Minister was said to have been “concerned that we are squandering our vaccine bonus”. Indeed we have, for quite some time, and it hasn’t come cheap. The World Travel and Tourism Council estimates that the British economy is losing a staggering £639 million a day thanks to curbs on inbound tourism.
Lobby latest: Civil servants will return to Whitehall 'throughout the year'
The public can expect to see more civil servants returning to Whitehall as the year progresses, No 10 has said.
Asked about the guidance for home-working since coronavirus restrictions have lifted, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "We obviously expect people to return to work as we move through this year.
"It is obviously for businesses and individual employees to discuss how and when that happens but it remains the case that what the Prime Minister said still stands.
"Specifically on the Civil Service, as we have done throughout the pandemic, you've seen a number of civil servants in the office and working, and as we move through the year, I'm sure you'll see more returning to the office."
See 12:48pm for more.
11:59 AM
Lobby latest: Boris Johnson 'emphatic' that Aug 16 will end isolation
Boris Johnson has been "emphatic" that isolation for the fully vaccinated will not end earlier than August 16, Downing Street has said.
Yesterday the Prime Minister said the date was "nailed on" for lifting restrictions for the double-jabbed next month.
Asked whether Mr Johnson was considering bringing that date forward if the coronavirus picture improves in Britain, a spokesman for the Prime Minister told reporters: "I think the Prime Minister was pretty emphatic in what he said about the August 16 date.
"I think we've been pretty clear that the isolation requirement will change on August 16 - it was originally set out by the Health Secretary, there has been no change to that."
11:48 AM
Patrick O'Flynn: Civil servants should lead Britain out of post-pandemic lethargy
They don’t have a race for wonky shopping trolleys at the Tokyo Olympics, but if they did then Team GB would surely be on course for a gold and silver double, writes Patrick O'Flynn
Currently it is Prof Neil Ferguson setting personal bests in wonkiness, moving rapidly from saying that the grim landmark of 100,000 daily Covid cases was “almost inevitable” and 200,000 a possibility, to euphorically declaring himself “positive” that the bulk of the pandemic would be over by late September.
The Prime Minister could hardly let Ferguson’s aisle-veering go unanswered and has reminded us of his own abilities in this regard by abandoning his previous policy of preparing a nationwide campaign to get people back to their workplaces at the end of a pandemic wave.
Indeed, rather than setting an example to the rest of us about kick-starting a revival of normal working patterns, Westminster and Whitehall are in danger of being seen as the foot-draggers in chief.
Pingdemic: Car manufacturing drops as a third of workers isolate
Car manufacturing across Britain has fallen dramatically due to staff shortages caused by the pingdemic, an industry body has claimed.
The Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) said up to 30 percent of workers in some companies were being forced to self-isolate. As a result, jut 69,079 cars had been built in factories over last month - the worst June for the sector since 1953.
The massive slump underlined a "turbulent" six months of car production during the pandemic, the SMMT said, which also included the knock-on effect of a global chip shortage and the impact of new post-Brexit trading rules with Europe.
There were "a tough few months looming", although "the sector has the capability to recover," said SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes, as he called on the Government to bring forward the end of isolation from August 16.
11:23 AM
UK and US must go further in unlocking travel, says Virgin Atlantic boss
Virgin Atlantic has called on the US and UK governments to "go further" in unlocking travel, after seeing a surge in bookings ahead of England's lifting of quarantine restrictions for fully vaccinated travellers.
The airline's chief commercial officer Juha Jarvinen said bookings reflected the "pent-up demand" for trans-Atlantic travel.
"Flight bookings are up by more than 100 per cent week-on-week, with bookings from New York to London increasing by nearly 250 per cent, compared to the previous week. We've missed flying our US-based customers and we're excited to welcome them back on board soon," he said.
"We now urge UK Government to go further and move the US to the UK's green list, and for the Biden administration to repeal the 212F proclamation for UK travellers.
"The UK is already falling behind US and EU, and a continued overly cautious approach towards international travel will further impact economic recovery and the 500,000 UK jobs that are at stake."
11:17 AM
Frustrating: Pingdemic is affecting 'significant' numbers, minister admits
The Communities Secretary has acknowledged the "significant" number of people who have been pinged in the last week, but urged people to isolate if they are advised to do so.
Following NHS figures showing yet another record high in the pingdemic, (see 11:03am) Robert Jenrick told the BBC: "I appreciate that it is a significant number of people and it can be frustrating but the app is doing what we asked of it. It is helping us to trace those people who have come into contact with people who've tested positive.
"We still ask people, if they are pinged, to take the steps that they're required to do and to self-isolate."
He said there "isn't very long to go" until August 16 when all fully vaccinated contacts who test negative can avoid isolation.
He added: "The Government has also set out slightly different arrangements for certain critical workers such as those working within the emergency services and within critical infrastructure such as the food industry, to help us through the remaining two or three weeks before those new rules come into place."
11:05 AM
Have your say: Is jabs for jobs a 'smart policy'?
Increasing numbers of private businesses are deploying a "jabs for jobs" type policy, with US tech giant such as Netflix, Google and Facebook insisting that workers can't return to the office without being fully vaccinated.
Pimlico Plumbers has gone even further, insisting on proof of at least one jab to get hired.
This morning Dominic Raab, the Foreign Secretary, said it was a "smart policy", and even raised the prospect of it becoming a "hard and fast legal rule", although insisted that would have to be "looked at carefully".
With the Government grappling against vaccine hesitancy among the younger age group, should employers have the right to insist their staff have been immunised? Have your say in the poll below.
10:52 AM
Royal Yacht is 'worth' £250m, Foreign Secretary insists
Dominic Raab has said the Royal Yacht "is worth it", despite spiralling costs.
Yesterday Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, revealed the project was now estimated at £250m - up considerably from the original £150m forecast, and even from the more recent £200m.
The Foreign Secretary told LBC he was "not surprised that it’s a significant expenditure", but that ministers would ensure "we get bang for our buck".
Pressed several times on whether it was worth the £250 price tag, he said: "Look, I think the investment is worth it, if we can make sure that it is expanding our influence and our reach overseas, creating jobs for the UK, extending our soft power, being a force for good in the world.
"All of those things come together and a yacht can really boost our ability to do all of those things. So I appreciate it’s a significant outlay but you’ve got to look at all of things over the long-term of its use that we’ll get back."
10:46 AM
Analysis: Britain may be finally nearing the Holy Grail of herd immunity
On July 7, a group of 122 scientists and doctors wrote a letter in The Lancet calling for Freedom Day to be delayed and accusing the Government of embarking on a “dangerous and unethical experiment”.
A day later, a senior official at the World Health Organisation accused the UK of “moral emptiness and epidemiological stupidity” in pressing on with reopening on July 19.
However, far from a soaring wave of infections that could pass 200,000 a day, infections have decreased 36 per cent in a week, with daily figures less than half of the peak.
Few straws have been left unclutched in the bid to explain the anomaly. Yet amid the bewilderment, few seem willing to consider the prospect that it is the vaccination programme which is doing most of the heavy lifting. Britain may be finally nearing the Holy Grail of herd immunity.
Now cut testing costs for British holidaymakers, Government told
The Government must work harder to reduce the cost of testing for British holidaymakers, the travel industry has warned after the latest announcement on easing restrictions.
Abta, the travel association, welcomed the resumption of overseas cruising but warned barriers remain.
"We need to see the Government make further progress on making testing more affordable and proportionate, and we need to see more destinations added to the Green list at next week’s review," a spokesperson said.
Willie Walsh, the director of airline group IATA and former head of British Airways, said the announcement raised further questions.
"Why are travellers forced to test twice, the second time using expensive PCR tests? What’s the plan to enable unvaccinated people who have tested negative to travel without quarantine? And when will the US reciprocate?" he asked.
10:29 AM
Campaign group consults lawyers over Holocaust memorial approval
A campaign group opposed to the proposals to build the National Holocaust Memorial next to Parliament is consulting with lawyers before making its next move.
The Save Victoria Tower Gardens group, in a post on social media, said: "As you may have heard, today's decision has not gone in our favour.
"We are deeply disappointed, and with our lawyers are now reading the full decision and considering our next steps."
See 11:19am and 10:53am for more.
10:19 AM
'Important moment': National Holocaust Memorial construction to begin this year
Construction of the National Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre will start "later this year", a Cabinet minister has confirmed, after the project received planning permission this morning.
Robert Jenrick, the Communities Secretary, said the approval was "an important moment for the whole country", resulting in the memorial being "built in the heart of Westminster, right next to Parliament".
He added: "We have a duty to ensure that the history of the Holocaust is never forgotten and never repeated – the Memorial and Learning Centre will allow everyone to reflect, remember and honour those who suffered and died and to educate future generations in anti-Semitism, where, if unchecked, antisemitism and hatred can lead.
"I’d like to thank all those who have worked tirelessly – and will no doubt continue to do so – to make this a reality. The UK Holocaust Memorial Foundation is driving this project forward and I know this will be deeply appreciated by many, including Holocaust survivors who can be assured that their stories and the history of the Holocaust will continue be told to future generations."
10:12 AM
Covid cases rise to highest level since mid-January, Test and Trace figures show
A total of 307,758 people tested positive for Covid-19 in England at least once in the week to July 21, up 18 per cent on the previous week, according to the latest Test and Trace figures.
It is the highest number since the week to January 13.
Although the period covers last week, the figures overlap slightly with the point at which daily rates have been falling - although experts and ministers have failed to explain why this might be happening, prompting some to suggest it is simply a case of people avoiding tests.
10:07 AM
Labour demands data behind quarantine-free travel decision
A Labour frontbencher has called for greater clarity over the Government's decision to allow quarantine-free travel for double-vaccinated people from the US and EU.
"What I don't understand, and what the Foreign Secretary didn't explain, is what the data is for each of these countries," Jess Phillips told Sky News.
The shadow safeguarding minister said the border issue has been handed "recklessly" throughout the pandemic when it "should have been a natural strength".
Ms Phillips says: "It's been confusing for people and terrible for the industry".
10:03 AM
Pingdemic reaches new record with 689,313 alerts sent last week
The pingdemic has reached new highs after a a record 689,313 alerts were sent to users of the NHS Covid app in England and Wales in a week
The new number was recorded in the week up to 21 July, according to the NHS.
The previous week's numbers showed 618,903 people were pinged by the app.
09:53 AM
Minister backs Parliament site for Holocaust Memorial
A minister has backed proposals to build the Holocaust Memorial and Learning Centre in Victoria Tower Gardens next to Parliament, despite objections by campaign groups.
In a decision letter confirming that housing minister Christopher Pincher had signed-off on the proposal, it states: "The inspector recommended that the application should be approved, and planning permission granted, subject to conditions and the obligations in the legal agreement.
"For the reasons given below, the minister of state agrees with the inspector's conclusions, and agrees with his recommendation. He has decided to grant planning permission."
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government said Mr Pincher agreed the location "would offer a powerful associative message in itself, which is consistent with that of the memorial of its immediate and wider context".
09:50 AM
Vaccine hesitancy could cause 'more severe wave' in Northern Ireland, warns chief scientist
Northern Ireland could be facing a more severe summer wave than other parts of the UK due to lower vaccination rates, the region's chief scientific adviser has said.
In Northern Ireland, 83 per cent of the adult population have received first doses while 71 per cent are fully vaccinated.
Professor Ian Young told the Assembly Health Committee that meant it was five-to-six per cent behind England, Scotland and Wales for first doses, and as much as 10 per cent on second doses.
"The willingness of the Northern Ireland population to come forward for vaccination, for whatever reason, seems less than that in other parts of the UK and there's concern that will lead to a larger susceptible population in Northern Ireland and therefore the potential for a more severe wave on this occasion," he added.
"Every small percentage increase in vaccination that we can achieve will make a real difference in terms of how quickly the current wave will resolve and the potential for future waves."
09:35 AM
Don't pack your bags: Why Joe Biden is in no rush to let Britons back in to the US
The UK’s announcement on Wednesday that it was opening its doors again to Americans was naturally welcomed, but if there had been hopes that Washington would reciprocate, however, they were sorely dashed.
A combination of the rise in cases of the delta variant in the UK, the complexities of the US political system and uncertainty over the status of AstraZeneca’s vaccine has made the Biden administration reluctant to make any such sudden move.
Sources told The Telegraph that the Government has been working for months to iron out the rather technical problems that had been preventing quarantine-free travel for the fully vaccinated.
“We were working off travel restrictions set right at the beginning of the pandemic, with no acknowledgment that the situation had changed,” one source said, referring to the UK’s high rate of vaccination. “It’s just a little frustrating that our counterparts haven’t moved at the same pace.”
Quarter of Covid-positive young adults not isolating: ONS
One in four young adults who test positive for Covid no longer follow the rules for self-isolating, a new survey suggests.
Some 75 per cent of people aged between 18 and 34 said they fully adhered to the isolation requirements for the entire 10-day period after testing positive for coronavirus, according to the survey compiled by the Office for National Statistics (ONS).
This was "statistically significantly" lower than the percentage of 35 to 54-year-olds who said they followed the rules (86 per cent) and a drop of 13 percentage points on the previous month (88 per cent).
Adherence among all adults has fallen from 86 per cent in May to 79 per cent in July.
09:15 AM
Get ready for blast off: Spaceflights can begin from UK soil
Regulations have come into force enabling the first spaceflight and satellite launches from UK soil, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has announced.
The Cabinet minister said: "We stand on the cusp of the new commercial space age, and this is the blast-off moment for the UK's thriving space industry, demonstrating Government's commitment to put Britain at the global forefront of this sector.
"These regulations will help create new jobs and bring economic benefits to communities and organisations right across the UK, helping us to level up as we inspire the next generation of space scientists and engineers."
09:07 AM
Unions urge council workers to reject 1.75pc pay rise
Unions are urging local government workers to reject a 1.75 per cent pay offer, amid the threat of industrial action.
Unison, as well as Unite and the GMB, said council and school staff deserved a bigger pay rise after working though the pandemic, calling for a 10 per cent pay rise.
Mike Short, of Unison, said: "Council staff have kept communities clean and safe, protected the most vulnerable, and worked in schools throughout successive lockdowns to allow others to work. Their courage and sacrifices need to be rewarded, yet the employers are failing to recognise their efforts. There'll be a huge impact on morale.
Rehana Azam, GMB's national secretary, added: "It's a woeful pay offer. Local government workers know they need a proper pay rise and this isn't it. GMB will now meet with reps to discuss next steps for a ballot on the offer and if this leads to industrial action, members will have our full support."
08:55 AM
Number of furloughed workers drops to lowest level yet
The number of people on furlough has fallen to the lowest level since the scheme was created in March 2020.
From a peak of nearly nine million at the height of the pandemic in May last year, just 1.9 million people remained on the jobs retention scheme by the end of June, more than half a million fewer than the 2.4 million at the end of May.
Today's Business Insights and Conditions survey (BICS) shows numbers may have fallen even further – with estimates that between 1.1 and 1.6 million people are still on furlough.
Rishi Sunak, who is visiting Scotland today to tout the benefits of the union, welcomed the new data.
"It’s fantastic to see businesses across the UK open, employees returning to work and the numbers of furloughed jobs falling to their lowest levels since the scheme began," the Chancellor said.
08:50 AM
Allister Heath: Labour-lite Tories face an autumn of political carnage
Ugly, wasteful buildings often come to symbolise the failings of a political era, writes Allister Heath. For New Labour, it was the Millenium Dome; the Conservatives must hope that they won’t be remembered for the bland, pointless and, above all, monstrously disappointing Marble Arch Mound.
Whether or not the pandemic is over, politics as usual is returning to Britain. Shorn of their vaccine bounce and under pressure from an increasingly irritable electorate, the rudderless, ideologically bereft Tories are drifting into an autumn of political carnage.
The post-lockdown economic boomlet will count for nothing. The public is moving on from Covid, and yet the Government has little to offer it. Absurdly for a government ushered into power by a populist rebellion, it has lost its popular touch.
Last-ditch talks arranged in bid to halt Tube strike
Last-ditch talks have been called in a bid to avert strikes by London Underground drivers, which threaten travel disruption as more people return to work following the easing of Covid restrictions.
Members of the Rail, Maritime and Transport union (RMT) are planning a series of 24-hour walkouts, starting on August 3, in protest at plans to scrap the pay grade of Night Tube drivers.
Talks will be held on Friday at the conciliation service Acas.
RMT general secretary Mick Lynch said: "RMT has made serious proposals and a resolution to the dispute is available through discussion and we will be attending Friday's talks with the intention of making progress along those lines.
"LU management need to come back to the table in the same constructive frame of mind and I trust that they will
08:30 AM
Government unwilling to tell people to stop working from home
Downing Street has no plans to run a nationwide campaign to get people back to work in offices as they did last year, meaning working from home could become the norm for many.
Multiple well-placed government figures have said there are no plans for a major campaign encouraging the return to pre-Covid office working in the near future, after last summer's was ditched when Covid cases began to surge again.
Boris Johnson formally lifted the work-from-home guidance earlier this week, but some Tory MPs are pressing him to go further.
Quarantine rules 'discriminatory towards the French', claims minister
England's quarantine rules are "discriminatory towards the French", a minister in Emmanuel Macron's government has said.
Fully vaccinated visitors from amber countries in the EU and United States will no longer have to quarantine from next week. However France - which is in a higher amber-plus category - is not included.
"It's excessive, and it's frankly incomprehensible on health grounds ... It's not based on science and discriminatory towards the French," Europe Minister Clement Beaune told local media. "I hope it will be reviewed as soon as possible, it's just common sense."
Mr Beaune said France was not planning tit-for-tat measures "for now".
See 8:24am for more.
08:10 AM
Thinking must 'change faster than the climate' , Environment Agency boss says
Our planning for the impact of climate change needs to "change faster than the climate", the chief executive of the Environment Agency has said.
Sir James Bevan told Radio 4's Today programme the Government's flood prevention funding, aimed at protecting 336,000 properties by 2027, was " the biggest investment yet in flood defence".
He added: "We need it - there are over five million homes at risk of flooding in this country, that risk is rising as the climate changes.
"We can't remove that risk but we can reduce it by building more defences that better protect communities and by making places where we live more resilient so when flooding does happen, which it will, we can be safer and we can get back to normal quicker.
"The climate emergency is bringing more extreme weather and that will mean more rain and more flood risk," he added. "That does mean that our thinking needs to change faster than the climate."
08:00 AM
Neil Ferguson ‘overconfident’ in his Covid claims, says top US forecaster
One of the world's most renowned forecasters, has criticised Prof Neil Ferguson for his "overconfident" prediction that Covid cases could rise to 100,000 a day.
Nate Silver, a statistician who rose to prominence after correctly calling the results of the 2008 US presidential election, said there were too many variables in the pandemic for anyone to be certain of the outcome.
Writing on Twitter, Mr Silver said: "Covid cases have fallen to 33,000 per day (7-day average) since Neil Ferguson, perhaps the UK's most prominent epidemiologist, said it was 'almost inevitable' that cases would hit 100,000 a day.
"I don't care that the prediction is wrong, I'm sure this stuff is hard to predict. It's that he's consistently so overconfident. Now he says he's 'positive' the pandemic will be over by October. Well, probably. But there are downside risks: new variants, waning immunity, etc."
Developers to be banned from building on land in danger of flooding
Developers are to be blocked from building on land at risk of flooding, with the Environment Secretary warning that climate change is heightening the threat of deluges destroying homes.
On Thursday, the Government will set out plans to channel £860 million into 1,000 flood defence schemes this year as part of a package of measures to better protect households, business premises and infrastructure.
Improvements to flood insurance will also be announced in an effort to encourage the installation of flood doors, air brick covers and flood-resistant paint in homes previously hit by water damage.
Foreign Secretary heaps praise on 'incredible' RNLI amid row over migrant crossings
A "robust approach" to small boats crossing the English Channel is not at odds with the "heart and soul" of the RNLI, Dominic Raab has said.
The Foreign Secretary praised the "incredible job" done by the charity, which has come under fire in recent days for saving the lives of people making the perilous crossing.
He told LBC: "I think they operate within the legal rules and that is part of this country. We are a big-hearted country. At the same time, if we are talking about the wider small boats issue, that is something where, absolutely at the same time, we need to come down as hard as is humanly possible, working with our French partners."
He added: "I don't think that is inconsistent, that robust approach."
We're proud of the lifesaving work our volunteers do in the Channel – we make no apology for it. Those we rescue are vulnerable people in danger & distress. Each of them is someone’s father, mother, son or daughter - every life is precious. This is why we launch: pic.twitter.com/lORd9NRpdP
Foreign Secretary praises France for mandatory Covid vaccines
Dominic Raab has praised France's model for Covid passports in multiple premises, but insisted that the UK Government is not - necessarily - looking to copy it.
France "got a big surge" in take-up from "coaxing and cajoling" people by insisting proof of vaccines, he said.
But asked if that meant the UK would adopt this approach, he told Radio 4's Today programme: "I wasn't bringing it up to say we are following the French model, I was bringing it up to demonstrate that what you can actually do in some areas, if you are careful, is encourage take-up of the vaccination."
The Foreign Secretary claimed the interviewer was "putting words into my mouth", adding: "I will learn from any country that has got experience of rapid increase of take up of vaccine."
He added: "Our overriding focus is on increasing the number of adults from that 70 per cent level who have had two jabs as far as possible. Once we have done that, the wider questions about vaccine certification become much less relevant and less salient."
07:29 AM
Students left hanging over mandatory vaccines until September
Dominic Raab has refused to comment on whether the Government backs mandatory vaccines for university students.
"When we come to the crunch, these decisions will be taken in September, we have got some time to go," the Foreign Secretary said.
But challenged over the lack of notice that will give students, he told Radio 4's Today programme: "Right the way through this pandemic have had to take advice and decisions as we see it. We will give students advance warning - we are mindful of that.
"We need to give ourselves reassurance that we don't take backwards steps. The only steps we will take are ones that will maximise the freedoms that the vast majority of the country are hankering to enjoy. We will encourage people to close that margin."
07:24 AM
Not a 'mistake' to have France on amber-plus list, says Foreign Secretary
Dominic Raab has rejected suggestions that France's higher amber-plus rating is a "mistake", or "absurd" given the relatively low rate of Covid in the mainland
The Foreign Secretary told Radio 4's Today programme: "I don't think that is correct.
"The evidence that was presented, on which the original decision was taken, was based on the prevalence of the so-called beta variant in particular in the Reunion bit of France.
"It's not the distance that matters, it is the ease of travel between different components parts of any individual country.
"We want to get France up the traffic lights system as soon as possible," he added. "We will take scientific evidence every step of the way."
07:20 AM
Dominic Raab: Quarantine-free travel plan is 'smart and sensible'
Dominic Raab has insisted the Government does not get "homogenised advice" but "we checked very carefully" the plan to allow quarantine-free travel before announcing it yesterday.
It has been reported that ministers had forged ahead with the plans in defiance of official warnings that the move posed a “clear public health risk”.
But the Foreign Secretary told Radio 4's Today programme: "You revise, you adapt, you model the policy measures you are taken based on the evidence and advice we get. We are confident we have got to something that is smart, sensible.
"This is a modest opening up of international travel but one that has reassurances that mean we can take further steps forward as we build confidence in the system."
07:15 AM
Sinopharm and Sputnik vaccines will not secure quarantine-free travel
The Sinopharm and Sputnik vaccines will not be recognised for quarantine-free travel, Dominic Raab has confirmed.
Travellers will also have to provide proof of their citizenship, which will act as "double lock which can allow further checks", the Foreign Secretary said.
Asked if he was confident there would be no instance of fraud, he told Radio 4's Today programme: "We can't guarantee that some people might not do it, I think it's highly unlikely.
"The point here is that both the EU and US, we are talking about high trust countries. We have active cooperation so we know we can straighten out any discrepancies that we might come across pretty quickly."
07:11 AM
Foreign Secretary 'unlikely' to attend Beijing Winter Olympics
The Foreign Secretary has said it is "unlikely" he will visit Beijing for the Winter Olympics next year.
Dominic Raab told Sky News: "In general, I think and you are seeing it now, we are mindful not to try and overly politicise the Olympics.
"In this country questions like whether the athletes participate are decided as a matter of law independently by the IOC. Of course there are great sensitivities around Xinjiang and things like that. We will decide our level of representation at a political-diplomatic level in due course
"I think it is unlikely I will go."
Last week, MPs made a non-binding vote in Parliament calling on the Government to stage a diplomatic boycott of next year's winter games hosted by China.
07:11 AM
UK will be 'safer' by giving away vaccines, says Dominic Raab
The Foreign Secretary has said the UK will be "safer" once it has given away its excess Covid vaccine supplies to poorer countries.
Dominic Raab told Sky News: "At the start of the pandemic, when we did our vaccine programme, we secured multiple sources and supplies and overall the volume of vaccines to make sure we had security of supply.
"We have already given a huge amount through Covax, through the financing of Covax, but we can now, from domestic supply, start to give 100 million, which will get the world vaccinated.
"We have got moral reasons for doing that. You look at Jamaica, Laos, Cambodia, some of the countries - Kenya - we are vaccinating and we feel a sense of moral responsibility.
"But we also know, bluntly, that we are safer when the rest of the world is safer, whether it is for people going on holiday or whether it is just the ordinary course of international trade that we need and we rely on."
07:10 AM
People isolating are 'not locked up', insists Foreign Secretary
People who are isolating are "not quite locked up", Dominic Raab has insisted, as he pushed back against suggestions that foreign travellers have greater freedom than British citizens.
The Foreign Secretary told Sky News it was "not double standards" to allow travellers not to quarantine from Monday, while those in England have to wait until August 16.
"It's not quite locked up is it," he said.
"If you’re double vaccinated, come August 16 all that Test and Trace will not apply... None of the data is pushing against relaxing that easing up of test and trace system for the double vaccinated,"
07:04 AM
No quarantine-free travel for Chinese-made vaccines, says Foreign Secretary
Dominic Raab has said the lifting of quarantine for travellers from the US and EU would not apply to people who have had Chinese-made vaccines.
The Foreign Secretary told Sky News that only travellers countries with FDA/EMA-approved jabs could avoid restrictions.
Asked about Hungary, which has opted out of the EU's programme to use two Chinese-manufactured jabs, he said that "neither have been authorised by those regulators - that demonstrates we have looked at this".
Asked about opening up the arrangement to other countries, he said they would be working with "high trust" countries to secure reciprocal arrangements, but declined to comment on specifics.
06:44 AM
US urged to scrap travel ban on Britons
The Transport Secretary made it clear he expected the US to reciprocate quarantine-free travel for British holidaymakers, after he announced the UK's decision yesterday.
There had been hopes that Washington and European nations would open their borders simultaneously with the UK, but that looked to have failed.
British diplomatic pressure on Washington to open the US borders has intensified in recent days after the UK saw Covid cases fall for seven straight days before they rose slightly on Wednesday.
06:43 AM
Good Morning
The UK might be poised to welcome US travellers at long last - but there is no sign of a reciprocal arrangement being struck anytime soon.
Ministers are scrambling to persuade their counterparts to open the doors to British business and tourists, but so far they remain firmly shut.
Jason Fitz and Frank Schwab join forces to recap the draft in the best way they know how: letter grades! Fitz and Frank discuss all 32 teams division by division as they give a snapshot of how fans should be feeling heading into the 2024 season. The duo have key debates on the Dallas Cowboys, New York Giants, New Orleans Saints, Los Angeles Rams, New England Patriots, Las Vegas Raiders and more.
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