Politics latest news: UK and France working 'at pace' to 'completely' cut off migrant crossing route, says minister

Cat Neilan
·34 min read

The UK and French governments are "working at pace" to ensure they are "completely cutting" the route migrants are using to cross the Channel illegally, the immigration minister has said.

Speaking from Paris, following crunch talks with officials, Chris Philp said both sides were "clear that more needs to be done" to stop the growing number of people making the journey, with more than 4,000 people reaching Dover already this year.

Although the Government is planning new laws after the UK leaves the EU, Mr Philp said ministers are "not going to wait until January," adding: "We need to take action now."

The newly appointed clandestine channel threat commander, Dan O'Mahoney, joined the minister for the talks and will be returning to France early next week to continue the discussions, Mr Philp said. The Elysee will appoint an equivalent role.

He said: "The French authorities are doing a  great deal of work... But the sheer numbers crossing channel are completely unacceptable.

"If we can make this route unviable then migrants will have no reason at all to come to France in the first place."

Mr Philp declined to give details, saying there were "a number of measures, some new, under discussion".

"We are still at the point of developing and finalising the operation plan," he added, saying it was "premature" to confirm the amount of financial support the UK would be passing to France.

"We are prepared to support [France] in all the ways necessary to make it a success," Mr Philp said.

Follow the latest updates below.

02:48 PM

Scottish Tories and Labour call for John Swinney to resign

The pressure on Scotland's education secretary John Swinney is not letting up, despite his apology and promise to revert nearly 125,000 downgraded exams to the teachers' mark. 

Labour and the Conservatives have both called on him to quit following the row. 

 Scottish Labour leader Richard Leonard tweeted: "The no confidence motion in @JohnSwinney has forced a massive £SQAResultsFiasco U-turn. But Swinney has lost all credibility and isn't the one to fix this.

"At 5pm @ScotParl bureau will propose that motion is heard on Thursday. Blocking motion from debate would be anti-democratic."

Ruth Davidson, who is holding the fort for new Tories leader Douglas Ross until he can join Holyrood, said an "honourable man" would have resigned. 

02:38 PM

Have your say on: Test and Trace

The Government today is insisting Test and Trace is still "world-beating" despite having to overhaul the entire approach. 

A third of the national tracers hired by outsourcing giant Serco are being sacked. In their place new local teams will be deployed to physically knock on the doors of people who have not been reached. 

Is this an admission of failure - or is it, as health minister Edward Argar said this morning, a reflection of the evolving needs posed by the pandemic? 

Have your say in the poll below:

02:37 PM

Scottish Tories call for SNP head to roll for using same exam system as UK Government

Scottish Tories have called for the nation's education secretary to resign over the exam debacle - just days before the Conservative Government in London faces a similar issue. 

The SNP has apologised to students and promised to revert nearly 125,000 exam results that were downgraded through an estimate system imposed because of coronavirus. 

"John Swinney's statement was one of the longest resignation speeches I have ever heard that didn't include a resignation," said shadow education secretary Jamie Greene. 

The most deprived were “disgracefully” penalised, he added.

However the system used in Scotland is the same one that is being used in England, having been endorsed by the UK Government. 

Education Secretary Gavin Williamson has previously defended the system for calculating grades this year as "fundamentally a fair one".

02:23 PM

More than 120,000 Scottish exam results will be overturned, government says

Scotland's education secretary John Swinney has announced the 124,564 exam results downgraded by a controversial moderation process will revert to the grades estimated by pupils' teachers.

The Scottish government has come under fire for the process, in which students were marked down according to their school's past performance, disadvantaging those in deprived areas. 

"It is deeply regrettable that we got this wrong", said Mr Swinney. 

02:13 PM

Scotland's education secretary apologises to students over exams debacle

Scotland's education secretary John Swinney has apologised to students whose results were downgraded after exams were cancelled due to coronavirus.

Speaking to MSPs in Holyrood, Mr Swinney said that he had spoken to a number of young people who had protested against their results last week, which saw almost 125,000 teacher estimates downgraded.

Under the new system, teachers would be asked to grade their pupils before the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) would put estimates through a moderation process.

Mr Swinney has been criticised after Higher pass rates for pupils in the most deprived areas were reduced by 15.2 per cent compared with 6.9 per cent in the most affluent parts of the country.

The Education Secretary said: "We set out to ensure that the system was fair. We set out to ensure it was credible. But we did not get it right for all young people.

"Before I go any further, I want to apologise for that.

"In speaking directly to the young people affected by the downgrading of awards - the 75,000 pupils whose teacher estimates were higher than their final award - I want to say this: I am sorry."

02:04 PM

Benedict Spence: Absurd demand for landlords bailout reveals the strange rise of Tory socialism

The value of your investments and the income you receive from them can go down as well as up, and is not guaranteed at any time.”

That, or words to that effect, is the standard warning when it comes to investing money in anything: Gold, stocks and shares, and many other things all carry the possibility of losing your cash.

So calls by an alliance of retailers and landlords to fund up to half of commercial rents in the UK through ‘property bounce back’ grants are bringing out Benedict Spence's inner Bolshevik.

Read why here.

01:41 PM

Scotland's exam debacle will not happen in Wales, minister says

The debacle over Scottish students' exams results will not happen in Wales, the devolved government has insisted.

Minister Julie James said Wales used different modelling to Scotland and that nearly half of pupils' final mark was based on AS-levels completed last year.

"I'm really happy to reassure every learner in Wales that the modelling in Wales is very different," she said.

"We're not expecting what happened in Scotland to happen here."

Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has apologised for the failures in moderation, which saw the marks of students from deprived backgrounds disproportionately downgraded.

01:29 PM

Further six people die with coronavirus in English hospitals

A further six people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in England, with four of the regions recording no fatalities at all. 

There was one death recorded in the Midlands, one in the South East and four in the North West, NHS England said. 

It brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,425.

Patients were aged between 46 and 96 years old. All had known underlying health conditions.

01:23 PM

Scotland's largest union lodges grievances against councils over school return

Scotland's largest teaching union has lodged grievances with two councils over what it claims are failures to facilitate phased returns of pupils.

The Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS) said the Scottish Borders and Moray local authorities failed to properly consult and reach agreement with it and other trade unions, in line with Scottish Government guidelines.

The EIS said a lack of discussion around the flexibility of phased returns means staff are under "intense pressure" over schools reopening.

Pupils in the Scottish Borders returned to school on Tuesday, while they will be back in classrooms in Moray on Wednesday. 

A Moray Council spokesman said: "We discussed return to school guidance with trade unions throughout the school summer holidays and published this guidance following seven virtual consultations with head teachers prior to the start of term.

"There are arrangements in place across our schools to help pupils and staff phase back to normal in the first few days, including staggered starts and soft introductions to the curriculum, particularly for those in transition years of P1 and S1."

Scottish Borders Council has not yet commented.

01:15 PM

Further two people die with coronavirus in Wales

Another two people who tested positive for coronavirus in Wales have died, bringing the total number of deaths since the beginning of the pandemic to 1,581.

Public Health Wales said the total number of cases in the country increased by 13, bringing the revised total of confirmed cases to 17,476.

01:08 PM

Angela Epstein: The unions are running out of excuses to stop Britain's return to the classroom

The very idea of children not returning to school next month should be anathema to anyone who claims to care about the young people in this country, or principally about their education.

How much longer can the devastated class of 2020 endure being away from the classroom? Bored, jaded, listless and directionless, by September they'll have spent six seemingly endless months suspended in the amber of the Covid crisis.

Yet, Angela Epstein argues, thanks to both tediously overprotective parents and unrepentant teaching unions, the autumn term start dates continues to be challenged.

12:54 PM

Have your say on: Test and Trace

The Government today is insisting Test and Trace is still "world-beating" despite having to overhaul the entire approach. 

A third of the national tracers hired by outsourcing giant Serco are being sacked. In their place new local teams will be deployed to physically knock on the doors of people who have not been reached. 

Is this an admission of failure - or is it, as health minister Edward Argar said this morning, a reflection of the evolving needs posed by the pandemic? 

Have your say in the poll below:

12:38 PM

Boris Johnson dodges question about second school student transmission

Boris Johnson has dodged questions about whether secondary school students transmit coronavirus as easily as adults - but conceded there will be outbreaks once schools reopen. 

Asked about the Public Health England research linking transmission with older children, the Prime Minister said: "I'm very, very impressed by the way schools have got ready.

"Obviously we need to make sure that we don't have a second wave, that we do everything we can to avoid a second wave.

"I'm afraid you are going to see outbreaks, we have seen them across the country in the last few weeks and months and we have also seen the immense efforts that local authorities have gone to, local communities have gone to, to get that outbreak under control.

"The most important thing for people to remember is that you have got to get schools back, we will get schools back, but also we have got to stick to our discipline - so in schools they have some very well thought through plans for how to manage it."

12:17 PM

Migrant crisis reveals 'hollowness' of Brexit rhetoric, former National Security Adviser says

The migrant crossing crisis is showing up "the hollowness of the rhetoric of 'Taking Back Control'", a former ambassador to France and National Security Adviser has said. 

Last week Priti Patel, the Home Secretary, blasted the Elysee for not cooperating, saying: "I know that when the British people say they want to take back control of our borders – this is exactly what they mean."

But Lord Ricketts, the crossbench peer, rejected the idea that it could be solved through a unilateral move, telling  the Today programme the only solution to the problem - which has seen more than 4,000 people make the dangerous journey across the Channel since the start of the year - is for the UK to work "in cooperation with the French". 

The former permanent secretary to the FCO added: "For years the French have cooperated very well with us...It is not unreasonable that the French should ask for help policing what is after all a British border."

This morning Dover MP Natalie Elphicke called for a bilateral agreement, saying "it is a French issue as much as it is a British issue". She claimed migrants were trying to "break into our country".

12:11 PM

Economy facing 'bumpy months', says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson said the UK economy faces more "bumpy months" ahead following the latest rise in unemployment.

Speaking to reporters on a visit to Herefordshire, the Prime Minister said the Government was committed to making the "colossal investments" needed to rebuild the economy.

"We always knew that this was going to be a very tough time for people," he said.

"What we are going to have to do is to keep going with our plan to 'build, build, build' and build back better, and ensure that we make the colossal investments that we can now make in the UK economy to drive jobs and growth.

"Obviously what we want to see is a return to economic vitality and health. Some parts of the economy are undoubtedly showing great resilience but clearly there are going to be bumpy months ahead and a long, long way to go."

12:03 PM

Reopening schools by September a question of 'social justice', says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson has said getting children back into schools in September is a question of "social justice". 

Speaking during a visit to Herefordshire, the Prime Minister insisted it would be safe for England's schoolchildren to return to classes in time for the autumn term. 

He said: "I have no doubt that it can be done safely. Schools are doing a huge amount to make sure that it is done safely.

"Just for the sake of social justice, ensuring that all our kids get the education they need, we need to get our pupils, our children, back to school in September and I am very, very impressed by the work that has been done to make those schools Covid-secure."

11:56 AM

William Hague: The UK is nearing breaking point and the Unionists must fight back

When Boris Johnson visited Scotland at the end of last month, Scottish nationalists were quick to say he was “in a panic” about the future of the Union.

It is a familiar tactic, constantly portraying Westminster’s political leaders as not caring about Scotland if they don’t visit, and as panic-stricken if they do.

Yet, as William Hague argues, his trip, already followed up with another by Rishi Sunak, shows the Government has rightly decided to turn its attention to a new emerging crisis for the future of the United Kingdom.

11:40 AM

Malaysia and Brunei added to travel corridor list

Travellers arriving in the UK from Malaysia or Brunei no longer need to self-isolate for 14 days.

The countries were added to the Government's list of "travel corridor" countries. However it is unlikely to open up the possibility of UK holidaymakers travelling to the countries in the short-term.

Around 360,000 British nationals visit Malaysia each year, but the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) website states that entry for foreign nationals is currently prohibited except for those holding certain residency visas and employment passes.

Meanwhile the FCO describes entry to Brunei as "severely restricted".

Speculation remains that France will be removed from the Government's quarantine exemption list later this week due to concern over a rise in coronavirus cases.

11:27 AM

UK in 'phoney war' stage of dealing with lockdown-induced unemployment, says IEA

The UK is in a "the phoney war spell" of dealing with unemployment and a wider economic crisis caused by the pandemic, a think tank has said. 

ONS figures today showed that 730,000 jobs have effectively disappeared since the start of the lockdown - but they are not official counted as unemployed yet, as job searches have not yet begun.

But Professor Len Shackleton, editorial and research fellow at the Institute for Economic Affairs (IEA), noted that this period was when the furlough scheme was in "full operation", warning: "As the scheme is wound down, redundancies will inevitably rise. "

Despite this, he said the Government "should not give in to pressure to extend furloughing beyond October", urging ministers to "look to a future when the employment structure is inevitably going to change".

He added: "The emphasis should now be on helping firms to create new jobs by removing regulatory barriers and cutting the cost of employing people."

Prof Shackleton noted that the number of older workers, self-employed and the youngest workers who are economically inactive has grown.

"These groups are less fully committed to the job market, and in a downturn like this could be expected not to  actively seek jobs. But they represent an important potential resource and should not be forgotten by policy-makers. 

11:03 AM

Police use of facial recognition technology unlawful, Court of Appeal rules

The use of facial recognition technology by police did interfere with privacy and data protection laws, the Court of Appeal has ruled.

Civil rights campaigner Ed Bridges, 37, brought a legal challenge against South Wales Police arguing their use of automatic facial recognition (AFR) had caused him "distress".

He had his face scanned while he was Christmas shopping in Cardiff in 2017 and at a peaceful anti-arms protest outside the city's Motorpoint Arena in 2018.

In a ruling on Tuesday, three Court of Appeal judges ruled the force's use of AFR was unlawful, allowing Mr Bridge's appeal on three out of five grounds he raised in his case.

In the judgment, the judges said that there was no clear guidance on where AFR Locate - the system being trialled by South Wales Police - could be used and who could be put on a watchlist.

It ruled that "too much discretion is currently left to individual police officers".

10:58 AM

Migrant crisis talks underway in Paris as more people make the journey today

The UK's immigration minister is holding talks with senior French officials in an attempt to stem the latest surge in migrant Channel crossings.

Chris Philp travelled to Paris to seek stronger enforcement measures in meetings this morning, as Border Force continued to deal with crossings along the south coast of the UK.

It comes as more people were seen attempting the journey this morning. 

More than 4,000 migrants have made it so far this year after completing the dangerous voyage across the world's busiest shipping lane, with at least 597 arriving between Thursday and Sunday.

The Home Office has formally requested help from the Ministry of Defence (MoD), with a military plane sent out on Monday to survey the Channel and alert the Coastguard and Border Force to emerging crossing attempts.

10:40 AM

Have your say on: Test and Trace

The Government today is insisting Test and Trace is still "world-beating" despite having to overhaul the entire approach. 

A third of the national tracers hired by outsourcing giant Serco are being sacked. In their place new local teams will be deployed to physically knock on the doors of people who have not been reached. 

Is this an admission of failure - or is it, as health minister Edward Argar said this morning, a reflection of the evolving needs posed by the pandemic? 

Have your say in the poll below

10:35 AM

Tobias Ellwood: Britain can't solve the Channel migrant problem alone – co-operation is imperative

he record spike in illegal Channel crossings has highlighted a growing and complex problem, and one Britain cannot solve alone.

The current system is not working and must be bolder in designing improved, long-term operational and strategic solutions.

Defence Committee chair Tobias Ellwood runs through the options available to the Government - and why he believes co-operation is imperative. 

10:21 AM

Government told to accelerate roll-out of renewable energy at 'crucial time' for economy

Britain should accelerate the roll-out of renewables so they generate two-thirds of electricity by 2030, government advisers have said.

The National Infrastructure Commission, which provides the Government with independent advice on major long-term infrastructure challenges, has upped its recommendation for renewables in light of falling costs.

It now says Britain should aim to generate 65 per cent of its electricity from renewables by 2030, an increase on its previous recommendation of 50 per cent generation from the clean technologies by that date.

The commission said falling prices of wind and solar meant that upping the ambition for renewables, which make up around 40 per cent of the system now, will not cost consumers more.

It will also provide long-term confidence in the economy at a "crucial time" and help the UK meet its long-term goal to cut greenhouse gas emissions to net zero by 2050, a new report by the commission said.

10:04 AM

Committee investigating Salmond complaints hits out over evidence from Scottish government

A Holyrood committee looking into the handling of harassment complaints against Alex Salmond is "frustrated and disappointed" at the limited evidence provided by the Scottish government.

The Committee on the Scottish Government Handling of Harassment Complaints was given documents last week but parts were redacted on the grounds they concerned legal advice and were therefore legally privileged.

In a letter to Permanent Secretary Leslie Evans, Linda Fabiani said: "Among other elements where the public has the right to expect the Scottish Government to be willing to be scrutinised, is the judicial review which cost the public purse in excess of £500,000.

"The committee insists that you revisit your decision to withhold the vast majority of information related to the judicial review, with a view to markedly increasing how much you share given the need to act in the public interest."

The Holyrood committee is due to meet on Tuesday August 18 to determine the next steps it will take.

Former SNP leader Mr Salmond took the Scottish Government to court over the way it dealt with the allegations, and the Court of Session ruled in January 2019 its actions had been "unlawful".  In March this year, he was cleared of 13 sexual offences by a jury following a trial at the High Court in Edinburgh.

09:49 AM

UK's economic pressure caused by 'confidence issues' over Test and Trace, claim Labour

Labour has claimed the UK is suffering greater economic pressure because of "confidence issues" that will not be resolved until the Test and Trace system is working properly. 

Speaking after a virtual meeting with business leaders in east Lancashire, shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds said: "The UK does seem to be struggling more than lots of other countries, we have got lower rates of vacancies coming through.

"It seems to be partly due to confidence issues, so people not feeling safe when they go into premises, that I think is linked to test, track and isolate not working in the UK to the extent that it is in many other nations.

"Also we're seeing in many other countries continued targeted support for those sectors that need it and I think the lack of that means we are seeing big waves of unemployment coming in, in the UK, without vacancies coming through to enable people to get back into work."

She added: "I think there's little disagreement that the furlough scheme has prevented unemployment. The really critical issue now is whether it will just have served as a waiting room for unemployment or whether we can move to a targeted system that makes sure people can actually keep their jobs."

09:36 AM

Lib Dems write to Michael Gove over 'scandalous' voter ID plans

The Government has been charged with providing evidence to back up its claims that imposing voter ID will not make it harder for people to take part in elections. 

The Liberal Democrats have written to Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, calling for an independent equality impact assessment of the plans, demanding the outcome be published before any legislation moves forward. 

The party is concerned the move “will disproportionately impact ethnic minorities” at the polling booth. 

“Safeguarding our democracy should be the priority of any responsible Government. People must have faith that any changes to voting procedure are fair and necessary," said Lib Dem MP Wendy Chamberlain. “It is scandalous that this Government is moving forward with plans for mandatory voter ID without even assessing the risk that black and minority ethnic groups may be disproportionately impacted.

“Ministers must guarantee that an independent equality impact assessment will take place, and we will have the results before the Government proceeds.

“The Liberal Democrats strongly oppose any move which will prevent people participating in our democracy and urge the Government to drop this reckless plan.” 

09:21 AM

Russia develops world's first coronavirus vaccine, Putin claims

Russia has developed the world's first vaccine offering "sustainable immunity" against the coronavirus, President Vladimir Putin announced Tuesday.

"This morning, for the first time in the world, a vaccine against the new coronavirus was registered" in Russia, he said during a televised video conference call with government ministers. 

One of his daughters has received the vaccine, he added. "I think in this sense she took part in the experiment," Putin said.

Russia plans to launch mass production within weeks and turn out "several million" doses per month by next year.

Last month the UK accused the country of "state-sponsored" hacking efforts targeting UK, US and Canadian organisations involved in developing a coronavirus vaccine.

British officials would not say if any of the attacks had been successful in their goal of stealing medical secrets. They stressed, however, that none of the vaccine research had been compromised as a result.

09:06 AM

UK Covid death toll tops 56,800

Just over 56,800 deaths involving Covid-19 have now been registered in the UK.

Figures published on Tuesday by the ONS show that 51,779 deaths involving Covid-19 had occurred in England and Wales up to July 31, and had been registered by August 8.

Together with figures already released from Scotland and Northern Ireland, there have been  56,842 deaths registered in the UK where Covid-19 was mentioned on the death certificate, including suspected cases.

However five regions of England had deaths below the five-year average in the week ending July 31.

They were Eastern England (3.2 per cent below), the West Midlands (4 per cent below), Yorkshire and the Humber (4.2 per cent below), the East Midlands (5.3 per cent below) and London (7.8 per cent below).

In Wales, the number of deaths registered in the week to July 31 was 7.2 per cent below the five-year average.

09:04 AM

'Reassuring' that Government has switched contact tracing focus to local teams, says professor

The Government is right to have switched its focus to local contact tracing teams - but should have done so from the start, a fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists has said.

Professor Paul Hunter, professor of medicine at the University of East Anglia, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I think, as many of us have been saying for quite some time now and particularly the local directors of public health, any infectious disease surveillance system will only work well if it's done close to the population."

He added: "In this country we have had many years of very successful, very effective infectious disease surveillance for a wide range of infectious diseases such as tuberculosis, meningitis and many others, and not to actually have used that skill and that experience, I think it was very clear this was not going to be as effective as it could have been."

Asked if money should go to local councils instead, he said: "Oh absolutely, the local councils are already, in terms of the investigation of local outbreaks, are showing a very effective system and I think it has to be run locally and it has to be resourced so that local government can achieve that and it's reassuring that actually this might now happen."

08:43 AM

Excess deaths data below five-year average for seventh week in a row

England and Wales have recorded excess deaths below the five-year average for the seventh week in a row, official data shows.

A total of 8,946 deaths were registered in England and Wales in the week ending July 31, according to the Office for National Statistics (ONS) - 90 fewer than the five-year average of 9,036. 

Of the deaths registered in the week to July 31, 193 mentioned Covid-19 on the death certificate - the lowest number of deaths involving Covid-19 since the week ending March 20 (103 deaths).

08:28 AM

Labour tells Government to 'wake up' over looming jobs crisis

The Government must "wake up to the scale of this crisis" and change its approach to furlough, following a massive drop in employment, Labour has said. 

ONS figures out this morning showed that 730,000 jobs have dropped from payroll data since March - the largest amount in over a decade. Chancellor Rishi Sunak said this showed the support on offer was "working".

But shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds has a different interpretation.

“Labour has repeatedly warned the Government their one size fits all approach will lead to job losses. These figures confirm what we feared - Britain is in the midst of a jobs crisis," he said. "It is extremely worrying that this increase in unemployment has hit older workers, the self-employed and part-time workers hardest.

"The Government must wake up to the scale of this crisis, and put an end to this jobs crisis and adopt a more flexible approach targeted at the sectors who need it most."

08:12 AM

Analysis: Why the battle to get children back to school will be Boris Johnson's 'Thatcher moment

Every Prime Minister since the reign of the Iron Lady has faced their "Thatcher moment" and, of course, Boris Johnson is no exception.

Tories are calling on the old Etonian to fight with gusto reminiscent of "Maggie and the miners", with some teaching unions seemingly determined to undermine the Government's pledge to get all children back into school next month.

Yet with disgruntled backbenchers comparing Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, to hapless sitcom character Frank Spencer, it seems even Conservatives do not have full confidence in the Government's "back to school" policy.

Read my colleague Camilla Tominey's analysis of why reopening schools could be the PM's defining moment.

08:01 AM

More than 10m meals eaten through Chancellor's discount dining scheme last week

More than 10 million meals have been eaten under the Chancellor's new discount dining scheme for restaurants last week.

The Treasury said that it had received claims for 10,540,394 individual meals from restaurants up and down the country.

More than 83,000 restaurants have signed up for the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which gives diners 50% off their meals, up to £10 per person.

If two people eat out together, that counts as two individual meals in the statistics.

07:44 AM

Minister defends Serco contract after being challenged over links with outsourcer

A minister has defended the Government's decision to outsource the contract tracing system to Serco rather than deploying local teams in the first place. 

Edward Argar, the health minister, was challenged on whether his previous role as head of public affairs at Serco had any bearing on the decision to grand the firm a massive contract, which has since been reduced.  

But he told the Today programme: "As you would expect, that is one of the reasons.... why I have had no involvement with this process."

He added: "If you want to draw a comparison there, I spent almost four times as long as a local councillor... than  I did working for that company.

"If you were pushing that perspective surely you would suspect that I would be more inclined to focus on local government, which is exactly what we have done - focused on both solutions."

Mr Argar told the BBC journalist Nick Robinson that his track record, focusing on public health and social care in Westminster, meant "I know the amazing work local authorities can do".

"That is why our system uses both the scalability of a national system and but also expertise and local knowledge of local councils and local public health officials," he added. 

07:32 AM

Councils could get additional money to support contact tracing, minister suggests

A minister has suggested councils will get additional funding to help with contact tracing once local lockdowns are brought in with the Government deploying a "hybrid" system.

Edward Argar, the health minister, told the Today programme that the contract with Serco for the national call centre approach to contact tracing was still "a vital part of the Test and Trace system" although noted the numbers of people used in call centres were being reduced from 18,000 to 12,000. 

The change to utilise local teams was "strengthening further that relationship - you still have national calls to make contact but for those who can't be reached, we will be taking a door to door approach too".  

Asked specifically if local councils would be given additional funds to support this, he said: "We have already given billions of pounds nationally to councils," suggesting no further cash would be granted at this stage. 

However he noted that when Leicester's lockdown was introduced the council was "given additional money" at that point, adding: "that is certainly something we would be looking to use more broadly".

07:23 AM

Minister plays down study suggesting older children spread virus like adults

A minister has sought to downplay a study suggesting older pupils could spread coronavirus as easily as adults, stressing that parents should feel confident about sending their children back to school in September. 

Edward Argar, the health minister, told BBC Breakfast there were many different studies suggesting children were at much lower risk, adding: "One study does not a consensus make."

He also suggested the details of the study would not be published before the time that schools reopen, saying "it is right that we don't set an arbitrary timelines" for work that has to be peer reviewed.

Mr Argar said: "On the basis of the many studies we have seen so far, parents can have the confidence that it is safe for children to go back to school."

He stressed that wearing face masks in schools was "not something that is in prospect at this point" because it "poses a challenge to the ability to reach and learn in certain contexts".

"We don't think it's necessary," he added.  

07:19 AM

Payroll data fall shows jobs support schemes 'are working', says Chancellor

The Chancellor has said the labour market figures, showing a drop of 730,000 people from British payroll data, suggests the Government's schemes "are working to safeguard millions of jobs".

Some 81,000 jobs were lost last month. However the official unemployment rate is not rising because workers need to be actively looking for a new job, which many have decided not to do yet.

Rishi Sunak said: "Today's labour market stats make it clear that our unprecedented support measures, including the furlough and self-employed support schemes, are working to safeguard millions of jobs and livelihoods that could otherwise have been lost.

"I've always been clear that we can't protect every job, but through our Plan For Jobs we have a clear plan to protect, support and create jobs to ensure that nobody is left without hope."

07:13 AM

Drop of 730,000 workers from payroll 'economic cost' of pandemic, says minister

Some 730,000 UK workers have been removed from the payrolls of British companies since March when the coronavirus lockdown began, according to new data from the Office for National Statistics.

The ONS said that employment rates have continued to decline in the last month, as another 81,000 jobs fell off payrolls across the country.

Yet the official unemployment rate is not rising. To be counted among the unemployed, workers need to be actively looking for a new job, which many have decided not to do yet, the ONS said.

Edward Argar, the health minister, told Sky News: "We always knew sadly that this disease would not only have a health cost but would have an economic cost too.

"We are now seeing consequences of that."

07:08 AM

Research suggesting older pupils spread virus like adults 'work in progress', insists minister

Research suggesting that secondary school students can spread coronavirus as easily as adults has not completed yet and should be treated as a "work in progress" a minister has said. 

This morning The Times reported that despite assurances from ministers that there is little risk of coronavirus being spread in schools, the research in fact shows older children may indeed transmit the virus similarly to adults.

Edward Argar, the health minister, said he would be "cautious" about reading too much into the report at this stage. 

However he didn't reject the overall findings, although stressed that in general children were at much lower risk of catching and transmitting the disease. 

He added: "On the basis of the work that has been completed and those international comparators, we are confident that children and young people are much less at risk from this disease and from passing it on than other adults more broadly in the community.

"On the basis of the evidence we have thus far, we believe that the levels of transmission between young people and the infectiousness is low... at the moment schools are a low-infection, low-risk environment compared to say some of the local lockdown areas."

07:05 AM

Test and Trace 'successful', despite massive overhaul, minister insists

A minister has insisted NHS Test and Trace was a "successful system" amid reports that a third of telephone contract tracers would be cut.

Edward Argar defended the Prime Minister's description of the the system as "world-beating", despite the entire operation having to be overhauled in favour of people on the ground. 

He told Sky News: "I think this is actually, this is a reflection of a successful system that, as we've always said, will flex and evolve to meet our understanding of the disease and the changing needs of our communities.

"But in terms of the 'world beating', the world comparators, we are one of the few countries in the world that actually publishes transparently, quite rightly so you and others can question us on it, our test and trace data."

He added: "We've traced a quarter of a million in the space of about two and half months, that is a significant achievement... so I do think that this is a reflection of an effective system built up rapidly that is now evolving to reflect the changing needs of local lockdowns and a local-centric approach."

06:10 AM

PM pledges new laws to tackle migrants crossing Channel

Boris Johnson has pledged to create new laws to tackle migrants crossing the English Channel once the Brexit transition period comes to an end, as the RAF deployed an aircraft to assist Border Force for the first time. 

The Prime Minister conceded that it was “very, very difficult” to return migrants who arrive in the UK from France via the Channel and said the UK would need to “look at the legal framework that we have” that allows such a situation to develop.

Record numbers of asylum seekers have crossed the Channel to reach the UK this year, with nearly 600 people having made the journey by boat in the last few days alone. 

Today  the Immigration minister, Chris Philp, will hold talks with his French counterparts to discuss the evolving situation.