France’s foreign minister has said the EU will not be “blackmailed” by the UK on Covid vaccines.
Speaking after President Macron’s failed gambit to block exports of the vaccine, Jean-Yves Le Drian said Europe would not “pay the price” for the UK’s decision to prioritise the number of people getting a first dose “knowing there will be problems with the second one”.
"You can't be playing like this, a bit of blackmail, just because you hurried to get people vaccinated with a first shot, and now you're a bit handicapped because you don't have the second one," he told France Info radio.
"The UK is proud to have vaccinated many people with the first dose, but they will have a problem with the second dose,” he added. "We are fully vaccinated with two doses, not one. Today we have the same number of fully vaccinated people in France and the United Kingdom."
Ahead of this week's summit Ursula von der Leyen told European Union leaders that Britain is dependent on vaccine supplies from the EU to complete the second phase of its vaccination rollout.
However Dr Sarah Schiffling, senior lecturer in supply chain management at Liverpool John Moores University, said the UK is "not that dependent on the EU" for vaccine supplies.
A Government spokesman said: "We're on track to meet our vaccination targets and everyone will get their second dose within 12 weeks of their first."
Follow the latest updates below.
03:59 PM
David Cameron's Greensill activities 'fall outside criteria' for lobbyists watchdog
David Cameron reportedly sent a number of texts to the Chancellor's private phone asking for support for Greensill Capital - Anadolu
A lobbying watchdog has concluded that David Cameron's activities "do not fall within the criteria" that requires registration on the Register of Consultant Lobbyists.
The Office of the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists said that the former prime minister was an employee at Greensill and so not required to register, following an investigation into whether he engaged in unregistered consultant lobbying.
Mr Cameron reportedly sent a number of texts to the Chancellor's private phone asking for support for Greensill Capital through the Government's Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF).
His activities were investigated by Harry Rich, the Registrar of Consultant Lobbyists - a post set up in legislation passed by Mr Cameron's Government in 2014.
"Based on detailed information and assurances provided, Mr Cameron's activities do not fall within the criteria that require registration on the Register of Consultant Lobbyists," the watchdog's decision said.
03:56 PM
Government denies EU claim about UK's vaccine dependence
The Government has denied reports from France that the UK could struggle to secure second doses due to the row in the EU.
Ursula von der Leyen briefed member states that the UK was dependent on supplies from the EU to meet its rising demand for second doses.
That was channelled by French foreign minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, who claimed the UK was "handicapped" by its approach.
A Government spokesman said: "We're on track to meet our vaccination targets and everyone will get their second dose within 12 weeks of their first."
03:40 PM
Batley school shuts after row over Mohammed cartoon
The school at the centre of a row over the showing of a cartoon of the Prophet Mohammed in class closed today after crowds gathered at the gates for a second day.
Batley Grammar School in West Yorkshire has switched to remote learning as around 50 protesters again called for the sacking of the teacher who showed pupils the image.
Crowds gathered again on Friday to complain about the image, which parents said had been taken from the French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo.
03:38 PM
Police chief issues stern warning ahead of third Kill the Bill protest
A senior police chief has warned violent protesters they will "face the full weight of the law" ahead of further expected demonstrations this weekend.
A third Kill the Bill demonstration against the Government's Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Bill, which will see the police handed new powers to tackle demonstrations, is expected to take place in Bristol today.
National Police Chiefs' Council chairman Martin Hewitt warned of groups wanting to "hijack" legitimate protests.
"I would ask people planning to protest this weekend to think carefully and consider whether joining a large gathering outside, in the midst of a pandemic, and potentially being near the scene of violence like we saw last weekend, is something that is safe for them as individuals to do," he told reporters.
"Any person who is identified committing such acts of violence as we saw can expect to face the full weight of the law."
03:16 PM
SNP attacks Alex Salmond's 'self-interested' return to politics
Alex Salmond unveiled his new pro-independence party today - AFP
The SNP has attacked Alex Salmond's "self-interested" return to politics during the pandemic, saying it "raises real questions about the appropriateness" of him taking any public office.
A spokesperson for his former party said Mr Salmond's launch of the Alba Party (see below) was "perhaps the most predictable development in Scottish politics for quite some time".
They added: "At this time of crisis, the interests of the country must come first and should not be obscured by the self interest of someone who shows no sign whatsoever of reflecting on serious concerns about his own conduct - concerns which, to put it mildly, raise real questions about the appropriateness of a return to public office."
03:12 PM
Government extends opening hours for shops to avoid crowds as lockdown eases
The Government is relaxing laws to allow shops to stay open until 10pm six days a week, in a bid to avoid crowds.
The changes will help people to avoid peak times and ease transport pressures when non-essential shops open on April 12, according to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick said: "This will provide a much-needed boost for many businesses – protecting jobs, reducing pressure on public transport and supporting people and communities to continue to visit their high streets safely and shop locally."
The Government is also extending flexible working hours on construction sites, allowing food deliveries to supermarkets over more time periods, and keeping the flexibility for pubs and restaurants to put up marquees to help increase seating capacity in a Covid-secure way
03:04 PM
Labour calls on Government to reinstate gender pay gap reporting following Asda case
Labour has called on the Government to "immediately" reinstate gender pay gap reporting, in the wake of the the Supreme Court ruling against Asda in workers' equal pay case.
Marsha de Cordova, shadow minister for women and equalities, said the decision was "a historic victory for women and trade unions in the fight for equal pay."
She added: “It's been over fifty years since The Labour Party enshrined The Equal Pay Act in law but too many women still face pay discrimination. Women should not have to battle through the courts for years because of Tory negligence.
"The pandemic has had a huge impact on women's employment but the Tories have suspended gender pay gap reporting. Labour is calling for reporting to be immediately reinstated to monitor the impact of the pandemic on equal pay."
02:53 PM
Five parliamentarians vow to 'redouble' efforts after China sanctions
Five of the parliamentarians sanctioned by China have released a joint statement vowing to "redouble" their efforts to campaign against human rights abuses.
MPs Sir Iain Duncan Smith, Nusrat Ghani, Tim Loughton and peers Lord Alton and Baroness Kennedy said: "Today's sanctions have unmasked the Chinese Communist Party.
"These actions are not only an attack on us as individuals but an attempt to stifle the free and open debate that is at the heart of our parliamentary democracy.
"Intimidation will only serve to encourage us to redouble our efforts. We will continue to advocate on behalf of the Uighurs, Tibetans, Hong Kongers and all other persecuted groups in China. These are the true victims of the Chinese government's authoritarian rule, not us."
They, like the Government, called for "international investigations into the alleged abuses" in Xingjian against the Uighur people.
02:42 PM
Further 456,000 Covid vaccines given in England
A further 456,000 Covid vaccines were given out in England yesterday, including more than 250,000 first doses.
Since the programme started on December 8, a total of 27,166,754 jabs have been deployed, according to NHS England data, including first and second doses.
That is is a rise of 456,256 on the previous day.
NHS England said 24,940,005 were the first dose of a vaccine, a rise of 258,050 on the previous day, while 2,226,749 were a second dose, an increase of 198,206.
Which areas of England have vaccinated the most? (weekly updates)
02:22 PM
Further 43 people die with Covid
A further 43 people who tested positive for coronavirus have died, bringing the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 86,096.
Patients were aged between 47 and 94 years old. All except three, aged 47 and 66 years, had known underlying health conditions. The date of death ranges from 29 January to 25 March 2021.
The North West was the worst-affected region, with 15 deaths registered, followed by the North East & Yorkshire, with 10, and the Midlands, with six.
There were five deaths registered in the South East, four in the East of England, two in London and one in the South West.
02:20 PM
Alex Salmond insists his new party will help SNP secure independence
Alex Salmond has insisted his Alba Party will work with the SNP to secure Scottish independence.
It seems highly likely that the former first minister will eat into his old party's share of the vote, however Mr Salmond stressed that Alba will only "stand on the regional list to secure the supermajority for independence in our Parliament".
"At the last election there were nearly one million wasted SNP votes on the regional list," he said in his launch speech. "Only four SNP MSPs were elected in that way. In yesterday’s Survation poll the SNP would elect no regional seats at all from a million votes on the list. They would all be totally wasted independence votes.
"If Alba wins regional list seats the wasted votes end. The number of independence supporting MSPs in the Parliament could reach 90 or even more."
Mr Salmond added: "Boris Johnson has already said No to the SNP proposals. He will find it much more difficult to say no to a Parliament and a country, and the independence debate will be recast not as the Tories against the SNP but Boris Johnson against Scotland’s Parliament representing Scotland’s people."
02:06 PM
Alex Salmond unveils new Scottish independence party ahead of Holyrood elections
Alex Salmond has launched a new political party as he unveils plans to gain seats in Holyrood "from every area of Scotland".
The Alba Party will contest the elections on May 6 on a ticket of Scottish independence, the former SNP leader said.
"Over the next six weeks we will promote new ideas about taking Scotland forward giving primacy to economic recovery from the pandemic and the achievement of independence for our country," he said.
Scotland's former first minister Alex Salmond unveils the Alba Party
02:02 PM
Yvette Cooper backs mass testing plan for hauliers
A senior Labour MP has praised plans to implement a mass testing regime for lorry drivers arriving in the UK just days after Boris Johnson promised tougher measures to prevent variants arriving from Europe.
Whitehall will announce this weekend that those previously exempted will instead have to take a customised test, the Telegraph revealed this morning. Those staying longer than two days will have to have a test within 48 of arriving and then every 72 hours, with fines similar to the £2,000 penalties for travellers who fail to test during home quarantine.
Yvette Cooper said a testing regime for hauliers was "workable" after similar arrangements were put in place at Christmas.
"I hope this news is correct. We need confirmation from the Government and we need this in place as fast as possible," the home affairs committee chair added.
"Too often there have been delays introducing border measures to stop Covid or new variants spreading. The Government needs to learn those lessons and act swiftly now."
01:54 PM
How the US is about to overtake Britain's vaccine rollout
The United States is set to overtake the UK in its vaccination rollout as it surges back toward normality.
America's distribution programme forged ahead after Donald Trump bought up vast supplies, then Joe Biden put the country on a wartime footing, poured in money, and appointed a vaccine tsar from Facebook known as “Mr Fix-It”.
The UK currently has the fourth most successful national vaccination programme in the world, having delivered 45 doses per 100 people.
But the US is in fifth place and closing, with 38 doses injected per 100 people. The US's is the largest vaccine rollout in the world, having delivered 130 million doses, about a quarter of the global total.
R-rate in five out of seven English regions reaches key tipping point
The upper range of England's R-rate has risen to one for "five of the seven areas", official figures show.
The latest estimate for the whole of the UK puts the R-rate at between 0.7 and 0.9 and the growth rate estimate for the UK is now between -5 and -2.
However it has risen to 0.8-1 on average in England, up from 0.7-0.9 last week, although there is "significant variation in transmission locally within regions, with indications of some levelling off in a number of areas and communities", the Sage update said.
Regions touching the tipping point - which means infections are increasing - are East of England, the Midlands, the North East and Yorkshire, the North West and the South East. Only London and the South West are below that point.
Because of the lag factor, the latest figures cannot account for the most recent policy changes, and do not yet fully reflect the re-opening of schools in England.
01:30 PM
Have your say: How confident are you that our vaccine targets will be met?
Ursula von der Leyen has been overruled by EU member states in her bid to impose an export ban - for now. France continues to rattle the sabres and while some countries are concerned about retaliatory measures, many more are under pressure to boost domestic vaccination numbers.
Experts have suggested there will be a slight slowdown in the UK's rollout - but that this is more to do with a rise in global demand than because of the row with the EU.
So with the situation in India and elsewhere looking uncertain, how confident are you that the Government's vaccination targets will still be met? Have your say in the poll below.
01:23 PM
Analysis: EU has a loaded gun on the negotiating table, but it won't pull the trigger
Ursula von der Leyen will think twice without the support of her masters in the Council - Shutterstock
European Union leaders have left the gun of a vaccine export ban on the negotiating table with Britain but they don’t want to pull the trigger in case they shoot themselves in the collective foot, writes James Crisp.
The heads of state and government of the remaining 27 member states held a video summit on Thursday night to discuss stricter export controls on coronavirus vaccines.
Europe is faced with a third wave of coronavirus, a slow vaccination rate and huge shortfalls of supplies of the AstraZeneca jab.
Ursula von der Leyen, the European Commission president, hoped for backing for her new tougher rules, which allows Brussels to stop exports to countries, like the UK, with higher vaccination rates than the EU and low exports to it.
Don't call it a comeback: Alex Salmond to make mystery statement this afternoon
Alex Salmond: Guess who's back - Getty
Former Scottish first minister Alex Salmond is to make a public statement this afternoon - prompting rumours he might announce his return to frontline politics.
Mr Salmond said he will make his statement and then hold a virtual question and answer session at 2pm on Friday.
It comes after he announced plans to take legal action over the "conduct" of the Scottish Government's top civil servant Leslie Evans.
The topic of his statement has not been disclosed.
01:11 PM
Halix factory gets the greenlight to produce AstraZeneca jabs for EU
The European Medicines Agency has approved production of Covid vaccines in two factories, which the European Union is banking on to increase deliveries in the second quarter and accelerate the weak pace of inoculations.
EMA said in statement it had cleared the Halix production site in the Netherlands that makes the AstraZeneca vaccine and the facility in Marburg, Germany, of BioNTech/Pfizer.
The Halix factory is at the centre of the row between the EU and UK over vaccine exports, as it is listed as a supplier to both.
"The Brits are insisting that the Halix plant in the Netherlands must deliver the drug substance produced there to them. That doesn’t work,” the official told Reuters on Sunday. "What is produced in Halix has to go to the EU".
01:03 PM
AstraZeneca suspension had no impact on British public's view of vaccine: study
The suspension of the AstraZeneca vaccine by some countries over blood clotting concerns had no impact on the UK public's intention of getting the jab, new research suggests.
Comparing data from March 12-15, before the story reached its peak, with that from March 17, the day after the story peaked, they found no drop in intentions or attitudes towards getting the jab.
Dr David Comerford, of the University of Stirling's Behavioural Science Centre, said: "Our data provided time-lapse footage of the public's response to the story.
"We found no effect of the press stories on intentions to take the vaccine or on intentions to refuse it. Furthermore, there was no change to the perceived costs and benefits of being vaccinated.
"This is not to say that the UK public were not concerned by the news. Google Trends data shows increasing search activity for the terms 'vaccine' and 'safe' as the AstraZeneca suspension story was unfolding, but that concern did not translate into mistrust of the vaccination programme in the UK."
12:37 PM
Dominic Raab summons Chinese ambassador over 'weak' sanctions move
The Foreign Secretary said the Chinese ambassador would be summoned over the decision to apply sanctions and that the actions were a "sign of weakness" from Beijing.
Dominic Raab told reporters: "The ambassador here will be summoned and we will explain in very clear terms the position both in relation to the MPs and other figures who have spoken out, but also that we will not be silenced in terms of speaking out about these human rights abuses."
Highlighting sanctions that were imposed on those responsible for abuses against Uighur Muslims this week, he added "that pressure continue to grow and to rise."
Mr Raab said Britain would not "look the other way" when it came to human rights abuses.
He added: "This action is really a sign of weakness from Beijing and we will not be deterred from speaking up for human rights."
12:31 PM
Batley MP condemns those who 'fan the flames' of Prophet Mohammed row
Tracy Brabin said there was "no excuse for that" for teachers to receive "intimidation or threats" - Andrew Crowley
Labour's MP for Batley and Spen has attacked those who "seek to fan the flames" in the Prophet Mohammed row at a school in her constituency.
Tracey Brabin, who is currently campaigning as a candidate for West Yorkshire mayor, said: "No teacher should be facing intimidation or threats, there is no excuse for that. The focus must be on the welfare and education of the children at this school.
"I welcome the school's apology and recognition of the offence this has caused but conversations between the school, parents and local community must proceed in a dignified and respectful matter.
"Those who seek to fan the flames of this incident will only provoke hate and division in our community and I would encourage all involved to work together and calm the situation."
12:24 PM
Government in 'total solidarity' with sanctioned MPs, says Dominic Raab
Dominic Raab said the sanctions imposed by China in retaliation to those by the UK would not stop Britain from speaking out about the "industrial-scale human rights abuses taking place in Xinjiang".
The Foreign Secretary told broadcasters on Friday: "We stand in total solidarity with the nine individuals who were sanctioned today.
"It is not going to stop them, it is not going to stop the British Government from speaking up about the industrial-scale human rights abuses taking place in Xinjiang.
"If the Chinese government want to continue with these blanket denials that anything wrong is taking place in Xinjiang, the obvious thing for them to do would be to allow access to the United Nations' high commissioner for human rights Michelle Bachelet.
"As long as they continue to resist and refuse to do so, the international pressure will only continue to grow."
12:14 PM
AstraZeneca told to deliver EU 30m doses 'according to the contract'
The European Commission has renewed its call for Anglo-Swedish pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca to deliver on the vaccines ordered by Brussels.
Spokesman Stefan de Keersmaecker told a press briefing in Brussels: "It is obviously up to the company to ensure the production of the doses following the contract they have signed. What's important for us is that AstraZeneca should fulfil its obligations to the Commission, member states and indeed to the European Union's population.
"That means, for example, ensuring that for the first quarter there will be 30 million doses delivered, as they had announced.
"It is up to the company to ensure that these deliveries and productions take place and that it takes place in the factories according to the contract," he added.
Asked about the Halix facility in the Netherlands, where some AstraZeneca vaccines are being made for UK deployment, chief EC spokesman Eric Mamer said: "I understand that an announcement about certification is in the pipeline, it is imminent."
12:03 PM
End of an era: Looking back at the speech that launched 'Mondeo Man'
Ford has announced plans to stop making the Mondeo as part of a shake up of its manufacturing strategy to make more battery packs for electric cars and a hybrid engine.
While that news might be more meant for a business audience, it has got politicos of a certain persuasion nostalgic for the New Labour creation of 'Mondeo Man', the everyman voter they sought with such success.
Tony Blair's 1996 speech that launched the behemoth catchphrase actually referenced a different car - a Ford Sierra - but it is testament to the symbol that it has been imitated by campaigners and strategists since, including most recently "Workington Man".
Have a read of the key excerpts below:
I can vividly recall the exact moment that I knew the last election was lost. I was canvassing in the Midlands on an ordinary suburban estate. I met a man polishing his Ford Sierra, self-employed electrician, Dad always voted Labour. He used to vote Labour, he said, but he bought his own home, he had set up his own business, he was doing quite nicely, so he said I’ve become a Tory. He was not rich but he was doing better than he did, and as far as he was concerned, being better off meant being Tory too.In that moment the basis of our failure - the reason why a whole generation has grown up under the Tories - became plain to me. You see, people judge us on their instincts about what they believe our instincts to be. And that man polishing his car was clear: his instincts were to get on in life, and he thought our instincts were to stop him. But that was never our history or our purpose.
11:56 AM
Rishi Sunak exclusive: ‘Workers could quit if forced to stay at home’
Rishi Sunak: Firms who axe their offices altogether might find staff “vote with their feet” - Getty
Workers must be allowed to return to the office or they may “vote with their feet” and quit, the Chancellor has warned.
Rishi Sunak has declared working from home inferior to convening with colleagues in the workplace, which fosters “meetings that happen by chance” and “people riffing off each other”.
In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, he urged companies that have benefitted from the pandemic, collectively amassing cash reserves of more than £100 billion, to embark on an investment and hiring spree to fuel the economic recovery.
Throwing his support behind physical workplaces, he said: “You can’t beat the spontaneity, the team building, the culture that you create in a firm or an organisation from people actually spending physical time together.”
The European Commission, asked about the progress of negotiations with the UK on sharing coronavirus vaccines, said discussions were "ongoing".
Chief spokesman Eric Mamer told a press briefing in Brussels: "All I can tell you is that discussions with the UK are ongoing.
"We don't have any comments to make at the moment on the gist and content of those discussions.
"Our common aim is to ensure we have good co-operation in terms of supply chains and producing the vaccine."
Asked whether the commission was worried the issue with vaccine supply from India into the UK could hinder a Brussels-London sharing agreement, Mr Mamer added: "We have noted the India decision.
"I have no comment to make on the link between the Indian decision and any possible discussions under way with the United Kingdom."
11:20 AM
Exclusive: EU attacks call into question AstraZeneca vaccine pricing, warns Oxford's Sir John Bell
EU attacks on AstraZeneca call into question its decision not to profit from its coronavirus vaccine, according to a leading member of the scientific team that delivered the breakthrough.
Sir John Bell, the Oxford University professor who helped mastermind the AstraZeneca Covid vaccine, warned that the company's morale is being damaged by unwarranted criticism of its safety and efficacy.
He said AstraZeneca had "never had credit" for its early decision not to profit from the vaccine and that repeated attacks from the EU and figures including Emmanuel Macron have called it into question.
Sir John said: "There's a point at which AstraZeneca could just say, 'you've got to be joking, we're going to stop [charging cost price] now because we're not getting any credit for what we're doing.
"The share price has gone down, not up. We're making more vaccines than everybody else. This is a safe and effective vaccine, but nobody seems to care."
11:01 AM
Have your say: How confident are you that our vaccine targets will be met?
Ursula von der Leyen has been overruled by EU member states in her bid to impose an export ban - for now. France continues to rattle the sabres and while some countries are concerned about retaliatory measures, many more are under pressure to boost domestic vaccination numbers.
Experts have suggested there will be a slight slowdown in the UK's rollout - but that this is more to do with a rise in global demand than because of the row with the EU.
So with the situation in India and elsewhere looking uncertain, how confident are you that the Government's vaccination targets will still be met? Have your say in the poll below.
10:44 AM
China sanctions 'a direct assault on British democracy', says Tom Tugendhat
China's sanctions on British parliamentarians is "a direct assault on British democracy", a senior Conservative MP has said.
Tom Tugendhat, who is one of nine individuals and five MPs to be sanctioned, told the BBC it was "an attempt to silence the people who the British people have chosen to speak for them".
The foreign affairs committee chairman added: "If that isn't an assault on British sovereignty, I don't know what is."
10:40 AM
Sanctions imposed over 'lies of the century', claims Chinese Embassy
A spokesman for the Chinese Embassy in the UK said "lies of the century" were being spread about what was going on in Xinjiang and criticised the UK's deployment of sanctions.
He told a press briefing on Friday: "Human rights in Xinjiang cannot be defined by a few satellite images, fake reports cobbled together by people thousands of miles away."
The spokesman added: "For some time, potent forces... have fabricated a large amount of lies of the century about Xinjiang and used these lies to demonise China and interfere in China's internal affairs in order to serve their political agenda.
"Some countries, including the UK, even proposed so-called sanctions against China. We strongly oppose and reject this."
10:32 AM
Protesters return to Batley school as row over Mohammed cartoon continues
Protesters have gathered outside Batley Grammar School in West Yorkshire for a second day, with police also at the scene.
It follows claims a member of staff had shown students a cartoon, widely reported as taken from the French satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo, deemed offensive to the Islamic faith during a religious studies lesson this week.
Robert Jenrick this morning said the protests were "very disturbing" and that teachers should not be made to feel "intimidated".
His comments came as Cabinet colleague Gavin Williamson came under fire for amplifying divisions after he branded the protests "completely unacceptable".
Mohammed Shafiq, chief executive of Manchester-based Ramadhan Foundation, said: "It is alarming that the Department for Education chose to amplify those divisions by attacking the parents and pupils rather than looking how we can come together to have a respectful discussion and seek an end to this issue."
10:19 AM
Prime Minister stands 'firmly' with sanctioned MPs over China row
Boris Johnson has said he stands "firmly" with the MPs who have been sanctioned by China.
The Prime Minister tweeted: "The MPs and other British citizens sanctioned by China today are performing a vital role shining a light on the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims.
"Freedom to speak out in opposition to abuse is fundamental and I stand firmly with them."
The MPs and other British citizens sanctioned by China today are performing a vital role shining a light on the gross human rights violations being perpetrated against Uyghur Muslims.
Freedom to speak out in opposition to abuse is fundamental and I stand firmly with them.
Vaccine talks resume as EU leaders pull back from the brink of export ban
Talks between the UK and EU over Covid vaccines are continuing today, after member states voted to block Ursula von der Leyen's export ban last night.
France, Italy and Spain had pushed for the European Council to publicly back the new rules, but were overruled by the Netherlands, Belgium, and Ireland, who warned that Britain may retaliate by blocking exports of raw materials for vaccines to the EU.
This morning, Robert Jenrick said it was "unhelpful" to discuss whether the UK would get into a tit-for-tat with the EU over the row. "We are continuing to talk to our partners in the European Union," he added.
The Communities Secretary told Sky News: "None of us want to see any harm to international supply chains, we've got to work together and co-operate to ensure we can get the vaccine and have a win-win situation both in the UK and the European Union."
But he dodged a direct question about how many doses the UK had exported to the EU, instead highlighting the "complex global supply chains", noting there are "elements of the vaccines being produced in the UK".
09:45 AM
Iain Duncan Smith: I will continue to speak out against Uighur 'genocide'
Iain Duncan Smith said it was a badge of honour - Heathcliff O'Malley
Iain Duncan Smith has said it is "more than likely to be certain" that genocide is taking place in Xinjiang, as he remains unbowed after having sanctions imposed on him.
The former Conservative leader was one of nine people to be sanctioned by Beijing overnight, which he said would not silence him. He told Sky News that China was "aggressive and dangerous now" and "does not care a damn what the world thinks of it".
Mr Duncan Smith added: "I intend to continue to speak out. We have had attempts to silence us already... I will continue speaking out for the Uighur people... We are literally seeing genocide take place there.
"It is a deliberate attempt to rid a problem for them, which is an ethnic group that doesn't server their purposes."
The UK should "not be contemplating any special trade relationship" with such a "dreadful and intolerant government", he added.
09:28 AM
James Crisp: Come back, Jean-Claude Juncker. All is forgiven
The wily veteran put the boot into Mrs von der Leyen again and again - Reuters
The former European Commission president will have had many Britons looking back fondly on his time in charge during the heady days of the first years of the Brexit negotiations yesterday, when he issued a stern rebuke to his successor for her attempts to wage a “stupid” vaccines trade war on Britain.
“What the EU is asking for cannot be dealt with in a war atmosphere. We are not in war and we are not enemies - we are allies," Jean-Claude Juncker said, displaying the acumen and political nous that saw him last 17 years as prime minister of Luxembourg.
The wily veteran put the boot into Ursula von der Leyen again and again, as EU leaders met virtually for a summit where vaccine export bans to Britain will be discussed.
As James Crisp writes, Mr Juncker has an undeserved reputation for being an out-of-control booze-fuelled euro zealot in Britain. Read his latest Brexit Bulletin here.
09:17 AM
China 'will not succeed' in silencing critics, says shadow foreign secretary
China will "not succeed" in silencing British criticism of human rights abuses following the decision to apply sanctions, the shadow foreign secretary has said.
Responding to Beijing's move overnight, Lisa Nandy said: "These sanctions are a blatant attempt to silence British parliamentarians who are shining a spotlight on the appalling persecution of the Uighur people.
"They will not succeed.
"The UK has a moral duty to continue to raise the horrific abuses taking place in Xinjiang and we will continue to press the Government to lead the international community to hold the Chinese government to account for their actions."
09:09 AM
Batley Mohammed row 'hijacked by extremists' to create culture war, says Baroness Warsi
Baroness Warsi was the UK's first Muslim cabinet minister - Clara Molden for The Telegraph
The row over a teacher showing students cartoons of the Prophet Mohammed has been "hijacked by extremists" to create another culture war, Baroness Warsi has said.
The former chairwoman of the Conservative party told the Today programme: "I think this is about children, it's about child safeguarding and making sure the school look again, as should every school, to ensure that every pupil in their school is being taught in a way which creates a positive, unifying learning environment.
"Unfortunately, this matter has been hijacked by extremists on both sides to kind of create this culture war. What we're forgetting in all of this is the most important party in all of this, which is the kids and their learning."
The peer said she had spoken to pupils and parents over the past 24 hours, and "it's obvious that many pupils were left distressed because of what happened".
09:06 AM
'No need to worry' about UK's vaccine supply chain, says Robert Jenrick
Robert Jenrick said the UK was not reliant on any one manufacturer or country - Reuters
Robert Jenrick said there was "no reason to worry" when it came to UK vaccine supply, as he emphasised the broad base from which doses were being procured.
The Communities Secretary told ITV's Good Morning Britain he would not "discuss our supply chains", but added: "We're getting our vaccines from multiple manufacturers, from all over the world with complex international supply chains.
"None of them are reliant on any one factory or any one country.
"What I can assure your viewers of is our absolute commitment and confidence that we will be able to deliver on the targets that the Prime Minister has set out, so there is no reason to worry - the vaccine programme will continue and it is going to continue to be a world-leading one."
09:00 AM
UK 'not that dependent' on EU for vaccine supplies, says expert
The UK is "not that dependent on the EU" for vaccine supplies, senior lecturer in supply chain management has said.
Dr Sarah Schiffling, from Liverpool John Moores University, told Sky News that despite the row between the UK and the bloc: "We have a lot of supply of AstraZeneca within the country... we're not that dependent on the EU for imports of AstraZeneca.
"We have been importing a lot of doses of Pfizer vaccine from the EU, (but) this doesn't seem to be right, now, in the eye of the European Commission.
"So the blockage of AstraZeneca, we have alternative supplies for that."
08:56 AM
Prepare for change on vaccine supplies, JCVI member says
Britons should be "prepared for the possibility of changes" in the vaccine rollout as global demand increases, placing pressure on limited supplies, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said.
Professor Adam Finn told BBC Breakfast: "I think people should be prepared for the possibility of changes going forward, because we will see different vaccines coming through, all of them are slightly different from each other and there will be different supplies.
"Having said that, at the moment, the plans remain very much as we already announced."
Global vaccine rollout - top 10
08:47 AM
Global demand will cause vaccine slowdown in UK, warns JCVI member
Global demand for the Covid vaccine worldwide will cause a "slight slowdown" in the UK's programme, a member of the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) has said.
Professor Adam Finn told BBC Breakfast: "The demand for vaccine is racking up massively faster, so all the different programmes in different countries are really getting going, and so we're moving into a phase where the rate-limiting step is vaccine supply.
"The other part of it is that the process of making vaccines is enormously complicated, it involves literally dozens if not hundreds of steps, and so getting those supplies going and making sure that all of the vaccine is in good quality, good shape, and good purity if you like, is always going to lead to some delays along the way.
"We're just in a phase now where that's accelerating and the supply will be racking up over the coming weeks to meet the enormously rising demand.
"But this is not a complete standstill, it's just a slight slowdown, and things are still moving forward really fast."
Continent lags behind UK in rollout
08:44 AM
UK needs 'sensible approach from EU' to meet vaccine capacity, says Robert Jenrick
The UK's ability to continue vaccinating to capacity "does require a sensible approach from the EU", Robert Jenrick has said.
The Communities Secretary said it would be "a shame" if the infrastructure that has been put in place was not put to good use.
"We don't want to see our relations strained, and medicines not being able to cross international borders," he told ITV's Good Morning Britain.
"It would be to everyone's detriment if we get into a climate of vaccine nationalism," he added, as he urged dialogue to take place "sensibly and pragmatically".
08:40 AM
Boris Johnson will 'hold EU to account' on vaccine contracts, says minister
Robert Jenrick has said the UK will 'hold the EU to account' on its commitment to allow vaccine doses to cross borders.
The Communities Secretary told ITV: "We are confident we have got the supplies we need, both to meet the mid-April target... and the bigger target which is that every adult has had their first jab - at least - by the end of July.
There was "no need to worry" about getting second doses in time, he added.
The Cabinet minister said the UK sought a "sensible and cooperative relationship with the EU, with no drawbridges pulled up and that contracts are honoured".
He added: "That is the commitment the EU made to the Prime Minister and we will be holding them to account for it.
08:36 AM
Former minister says she will not be intimidated by China sanctions
A former minister has said the move by China to impose sanctions against her will "make me even more determined" to fight abuses being carried out against the Uighur minority in Xinjiang.
Conservative MP Nus Ghani told the Today programme: "This is a wake-up call for all democratic countries and lawmakers that we will not be able to conduct our day-to-day business without China sanctioning us for just attempting to expose what's happening in Xinjiang and the abuse against the Uighurs.
"To sanction MPs who are just doing their jobs here in the UK is extraordinary.
"I know I won't be intimidated, this has now made me feel even more determined to speak about the Uighur."
08:31 AM
China sanctions 'completely wrong', says minister
Communities Secretary has said China's move to sanction British institutions and MPs is "completely wrong", saying the backbenchers were "simply exercising their democratic right" to criticise the regime.
Robert Jenrick added: "Knowing those MPs, I doubt that they will be silenced or intimidated by this action and the UK certainly won't step back from its important role in calling out China for its human rights abuses.
"We've been leading the world in that respect, at the United Nations and with our international partners, and I know the Foreign Secretary (Dominic Raab) will continue that work," he told Times Radio.
"We've already applied restrictions on certain Chinese individuals and we're taking action against companies which are importing products into the UK and other markets from those provinces in China - that's the right course and the Foreign Secretary will keep up that work on the international stage.
"But we completely condemn the action we've heard from China this morning."
08:23 AM
China sanctions 'speaks volumes' about Beijing's credibility, says Foreign Secretary
The Foreign Secretary has said China's move to sanction several high profile Conservative MPs "speaks volumes" about the regime's credibility.
Dominic Raab said: "It speaks volumes that, while the UK joins the international community in sanctioning those responsible for human rights abuses, the Chinese government sanctions its critics.
"If Beijing want to credibly rebut claims of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, it should allow the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights full access to verify the truth."
While the UK joins the international community to sanction human rights abuses, Chinese govt sanctions its critics. If Beijing want to credibly rebut claims of human rights abuses in Xinjiang, it should give @UNHumanRights access to verify facts. https://t.co/FP3676fFlB
China sanctions 'a badge of honour', says Iain Duncan Smith
Former Conservative Party leader Iain Duncan Smith said he considered being the target of Chinese sanctions as a "badge of honour".
He said: "It is our duty to call out the Chinese government's human rights abuses in Hong Kong and their genocide of the Uighur people.
"Those of us who live free lives under the rule of law must speak for those who have no voice. If that brings the anger of China down upon me the I shall wear that as a badge of honour."
It’s our duty to call out the Chinese Govt’s human rights abuse in #HongKong & the genocide of the #Uyghurs. Those of us who live free lives under the rule of law must speak for those who have no voice. If that brings the anger of China down on me, I’ll wear that badge of honour. pic.twitter.com/kLqgd6Krpy
Senior Conservative backbenchers have been left unfazed by China's decision to sanction them, in retaliation for similar moves by the UK over the treatment of people in Xinjiang.
Former leader Iain Duncan Smith, Tory MPs Tom Tugendhat Neil O'Brien Tim Loughton, Nusrat Ghani and Labour's Baroness Helena Kennedy are among those to have been banned from entering China mainland, Hong Kong or Macao.
Any property in China will be frozen, and Chinese citizens and institutions will be prohibited from doing business with them.
Here is how foreign affairs committee chairman Mr Tugendhat has reacted.
Britain puts sanctions on individuals who violate the human rights of Chinese citizens.
China puts sanctions on individuals who defend the human rights of Chinese citizens.
Passports for pubs won't be used until 'whole country has been vaccinated', says minister
Passports for pubs will not be imposed until after the "whole country has been vaccinated", the Communities Secretary has said.
Covid passport checks could be introduced at theatres, football matches, business conferences, wedding venues and even some workplaces, The Telegraph understands.
Robert Jenrick told Times Radio he was conscious of the "reservations" both MPs and members of the public had, saying: "We're looking into the practical issues, the ethical concerns and we're being guided by the best medical and scientific opinion and we will be bringing forward the outcome of that work in the coming weeks.
"We don't have an immediate plan to take action. Our focus at the moment is the vaccine rollout - that has to be our priority."
Mr Jenrick told LBC radio that vaccine passports were part of a "wide range of options" which were being considered "in the longer-term, once the whole country has been vaccinated".
08:12 AM
Batley school protests over Mohammed row 'very disturbing', says minister
The Communities Secretary said protests outside a school in West Yorkshire where a teacher was suspended for reportedly showing pupils a caricature of the Prophet Mohammed are "very disturbing".
Robert Jenrick told Sky News it was right that the school investigated the matter, while liaising with the Department for Education (DfE).
He stressed the need for an "appropriate balance" between free speech and teaching in a "respectful and tolerant way".
Mr Jenrick added: "I was disturbed to see scenes of people protesting outside the school - that is not right.
"We shouldn't have teachers, members of staff of schools feeling intimidated, and the reports that a teacher may even be in hiding is very disturbing. That is not a road we want to go down in this country, so I would strongly urge people who are concerned about this issue not to do that."
08:08 AM
Emmanuel Macron backs EU vaccine export ban but is overruled
Emmanuel Macron on Thursday night backed EU export bans on AstraZeneca vaccines to Britain, saying that no company that broke contracts with Brussels should be allowed to ship jabs out of the bloc.
Despite the French president’s support, EU leaders refused to jointly back Ursula von der Leyen’s plans for tougher export controls on vaccines on Thursday night amid fears of sparking a vaccine trade war.
The European Commission president has introduced legislation giving Brussels the power to impose vaccine export bans on countries with higher vaccination rates than the EU, such as Britain.
“It's the end of naivety,” Mr Macron said, “I support export control mechanisms put in place by the European Commission. I support the fact that we must block all exports for as long as some drug companies don't respect their commitments with Europeans”.
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