Close of day summary
Here’s a roundup of the key developments from the day:
- Keir Starmer said it was “a mistake to end free Covid tests” – a measure which Rishi Sunak is pushing – though he stopped short of calling for mandatory isolation to continue in England beyond next week. The Labour leader said in an interview with the Guardian he would reserve judgment on ending isolation until these proposals were put forward next week.
- Ministers’ plans to scale back free PCR Covid tests could weaken the UK’s defences if a new variant of the virus emerged that resulted in “significant new waves” of cases, a group representing local public health chiefs has warned. The group said that despite the government being expected to roll back the last remaining Covid laws from next week, coronavirus was “yet to become endemic”, and added it was “difficult to predict when this state may be attained”.
- Inflation in the UK increased to the highest rate for three decades in January as the impact of rising energy bills fed into a wide range of goods and services, adding to the squeeze on household living standards. The chancellor, Rishi Sunak, responded by saying: “We understand the pressures people are facing with the cost of living. These are global challenges but we have listened to people’s concerns.”
- Workers are entitled to ask for a pay rise after a gruelling pandemic and faced with a severe cost-of-living crisis, Keir Starmer has said as official figures showed wages falling in real terms. The Labour leader’s call came in contrast to comments by the Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, who warned this month that wage rises would fuel inflation
- Dozens of Conservative MPs had been in private contact with Labour leader Keir Starmer expressing dismay at Boris Johnson’s false claim he had failed to prosecute the child abuser Jimmy Savile. The accusation – which the prime minister has “clarified” but never withdrawn – caused many Conservative MPs to get in touch with Starmer privately to express distaste.
- The Cabinet Office has sought to clarify with the Metropolitan police whether it will publish more than 300 photos received as part of the inquiry into alleged parties in Downing Street and across Whitehall. The force is unlikely to reveal the names of any individuals hit with fines linked to the 12 gatherings under investigation, as the identity of people issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) is not usually disclosed by police.
- The Scottish government has confirmed it will offer Covid vaccinations to all children aged five to 11 years, adding to the pressure on UK ministers to do so in England. The Scottish decision follows an announcement on Tuesday from the devolved government in Wales that it would follow unpublished advice from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that all children in that age group should be jabbed.
- Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had not seen any evidence of a Russian withdrawal from the Ukraine border. Arriving at the meeting of Nato defence ministers in Brussels, he said: “So far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground – on the contrary, it appears that Russia continues the military buildup.”
- Russia has the ability to “overwhelm” Ukraine despite claims to have pulled back some forces from the border, defence secretary Ben Wallace has warned. He urged caution about the “direction of travel from the Kremlin” as efforts to resolve the crisis by diplomatic means continued.
- Nato defence ministers have reaffirmed their support for the “territorial integrity and sovereignty” of Ukraine. In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, they warned that any further Russian aggression against the country will have “massive consequences” and “carry a high price”.
Thanks so much for joining me today and for all your tweets, emails and comments below the line. Sorry I couldn’t reply to everyone. We’re closing this blog but I’ll be back again tomorrow and we have some other live blogs which are still live.
Our dedicated blog on the Russia/Ukraine crisis is here:
Meanwhile our global coronavirus blog is here:
Updated
Nato defence ministers have reaffirmed their support for the “territorial integrity and sovereignty” of Ukraine.
In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, they warned that any further Russian aggression against the country would have “massive consequences” and “carry a high price”.
The ministers said:
Nato remains committed to the foundational principles underpinning European security, including that each nation has the right to choose its own security arrangements.
We reaffirm our support for the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Ukraine within its internationally recognised borders.
As stated previously, any further Russian aggression against Ukraine will have massive consequences and carry a high price. Nato will continue to closely co-ordinate with relevant stakeholders and other international organisations including the EU.
Updated
Warm words from Rishi Sunak won’t help fix cost of living crisis, our economics editor Larry Elliott writes in this column for Viewpoint:
Every month the story is the same. The annual inflation rate goes up and the chancellor puts out a statement saying he understands life is tough for the British public.
The only real difference between this month and last was that, in the interim, Rishi Sunak announced his package of measures to soften – but by no means fully offset – the blow from the huge increase in energy costs households are facing in April.
The whopping 54% increase to the average domestic bill will alone add 1.6 percentage points to the annual inflation rate, making the latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics for the cost of living in January something of a temporary respite.
Even so, there was still a rise in the annual rate – as measured by the consumer prices index – from 5.4% in December to 5.5% last month. The figure was actually a bit worse than it looked because without a temporary fall in petrol prices it would have been higher.
Read the full column here:
As the Met police continue to investigate the illegal parties at No 10 and the Cabinet Office, Boris Johnson’s legal advisers are working on his defence.
According to ITV News, they believe that if he can prove he did not get drunk at any of the events he allegedly attended, and resumed normal prime ministerial duties afterwards, he may be able to make the case they were part of his working day.
The prime minister previously admitted he was present for 25 minutes at the notorious “bring your own booze” gathering in the Downing Street garden in May 2020, but said he thought it was a “work event” to thank staff for their efforts during the pandemic.
Downing Street has also admitted that staff “gathered briefly” in the cabinet room in June 2020 in what was reportedly a surprise get-together for the prime minister.
The Met has sent a questionnaire to approximately 50 people as it conducts its inquiry, titled Operation Hillman, which is examining whether Covid restrictions were broken in Downing Street and across Whitehall.
Johnson received his questionnaire on Friday. Downing Street has since said his responses will not be made public.
Asked about reports Johnson requested that police write directly to his lawyer, rather than to him, No 10 said on Monday it would not go into any more detail about “what legal advice the prime minister has or hasn’t received”.
Updated
Cabinet office seeks to clarify whether partygate photos sent to Met will be made public
The Cabinet Office has sought to clarify with the Metropolitan police whether it will publish more than 300 photos received as part of the inquiry into alleged parties in Downing Street and across Whitehall.
The force is unlikely to reveal the names of any individuals hit with fines linked to the 12 gatherings under investigation, as the identity of people issued with a fixed penalty notice (FPN) is not usually disclosed by police.
It is understood the cabinet office is now seeking to clarify whether the photos sent to the Met as part of its inquiry will be made public, given that they could potentially identify those involved, PA News reports.
The Met declined to comment, and it is not thought the cabinet office has yet received a response to its query.
More than 300 photos and 500 pages of information were given to the force by the cabinet office last month.
ITV News reported the query was lodged by the department’s liaison unit, which is separate to senior civil servant Sue Gray’s investigations team. The cabinet office said it will not comment on an ongoing investigation.
It follow reports that a Q&A sheet was sent by the liaison unit to government officials caught up in the inquiry, detailing certain aspects of what information will and will not be published by the police over the course of their investigation.
The document, cited by the Daily Telegraph, reportedly suggests the number of fines issued for the alleged parties – if any – will be made public by the Met. Scotland Yard is also expected to publish its reasons for issuing any tickets, according to the advice sheet.
However, officials were reportedly told the names of those receiving FPNs – if such fines are imposed – will not be revealed and their details will not be shared with the civil service.
The Met confirmed a document had been drawn up by the cabinet office to brief staff and it was “consulted on those aspects relevant to its investigation and legal processes”.
Meanwhile, it has been reported that the prime minister is working with a personal lawyer on his response to the police investigation.
Updated
The Scottish government has confirmed it will offer Covid vaccinations to all children aged five to 11 years, adding to the pressure on UK ministers to do so in England.
The Scottish decision follows an announcement on Tuesday from the devolved government in Wales that it would follow unpublished advice from the Joint Committee for Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) that all children in that age group should be jabbed.
Scottish government officials have started conversations with health boards about how to deliver the vaccinations, following advice circulated by the JCVI to all the UK’s governments earlier this month.
The UK government, which runs health services in England but also oversees the UK-wide purchase and distribution of the vaccines, has delayed making a decision on the recommendation. Ministers in all four governments normally immediately follow JCVI advice but on this occasion, with the Treasury pressing hard for steep cuts in Covid test spending, have decided the need to vaccinate children is not urgent.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, said:
I can confirm that ministers have considered this draft advice and are content to accept its recommendations. Throughout the pandemic it has been our intention that we follow the clinical and scientific evidence available to us and I’d like to once again thank the JCVI for their hard work in scrutinising the science and providing clear guidance.
Discussions with health boards on the best way of delivering vaccinations to five- to 11-year-olds have already begun. These will continue and we will provide further information when this approach is finalised. In the meantime, parents and carers of children aged between five and 11 need not do anything.
This draft advice does not affect children in the five- to 11-year-old age group who have specific medical conditions which place them at greater risk from Covid-19. This group is already being vaccinated.
Read the full story here:
Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said it was “very important that we stand united with our allies, united with Nato” against “Russian aggression”.
He added:
It’s also important that in the UK our political parties are united against Russian aggression.
But I do want to see the government going further in relation to sanctions.
I don’t think they’ve used the powers they’ve already got as much as they should have done and I don’t think they’ve looked closely enough at their own donations.
Starmer added that any donations to the Conservative party that have any link to Putin should be looked at “very, very carefully”.
He said:
I want to see further sanctions put in place as quickly as possible.
We’ve been waiting for an economic crime bill for some time now, that needs to happen, it needs to happen fast and we will push the government all the way on this.
Updated
Keir Starmer said the settlement between Prince Andrew and Virginia Giuffre had ended “a sorry chapter” but it was important not to lose sight of sexual abuse victims.
He said:
I’m not going to comment on the details of the case that’s now been settled.
In any of these issues, whoever is involved, my starting point is always the same – which is to think about the victims of sexual abuse.
Across the world there are many, many victims and we should always start from that perspective.
Whatever the rights and wrongs of this settlement – and it does seem to end a sorry chapter – I think it’s very important we don’t lose sight, don’t lose focus, on the victims of sexual abuse.
Updated
Russia has the ability to “overwhelm” Ukraine despite claims to have pulled back some forces from the border, defence secretary Ben Wallace has warned.
He urged caution about the “direction of travel from the Kremlin” as efforts to resolve the crisis by diplomatic means continued.
Wallace, who is in Brussels for talks with fellow Nato defence ministers, said there needs to be “clear de-escalation” by the removal of Russian troops from the border, PA News reports.
Russia’s defence ministry has claimed troops are returning to base following the conclusion of military exercises, with units crossing out of Crimea on Wednesday.
But Wallace said Russia will be judged by its actions but he has not seen “evidence of withdrawal”.
Reports based on US intelligence sources had suggested Wednesday could see Vladimir Putin launch his invasion, but Wallace said he has never talked about a specific date on which troops might cross the border.
He told Sky News:
I’ve never talked about a date because in all the intelligence I’ve seen dates are not the issue, the issue here is the significant amount of forces.
But he added “there are definitely dates in the mix” and the Russians “haven’t taken the foot off the gas”.
Wallace said Nato will work to “reduce tension and try and de-escalate” but Russia has a “force that would overwhelm Ukraine should it be deployed, and I think that’s why we need to see clear de-escalation by the removal of troops at the same time as enter into discussion with Russia”.
He said there are more than 100 battalion tactical groups of the Russian ground forces - some “60% of the entire Russian land combat power” - on the borders of Ukraine.
The defence secretary warned that there are “130,000-plus troops, both in Belarus and indeed Ukraine, but also out at sea there’s effectively a significant flotilla of Russian and amphibious landing ships, and indeed war ships and missile ships, and from a Ukrainian point of view they’re fairly surrounded by a very large force of ready troops”.
Ministers’ plans to scale back free PCR Covid tests could weaken the UK’s defences if a new variant of the virus emerges that results in “significant new waves” of cases, a group representing local public health chiefs has warned.
Before a meeting of cabinet ministers and the prime minister later this week to discuss the “learning to live with Covid” strategy, the Association of Public Health Directors (APHD) said that forcing people to pay for lateral flow tests would also have a “detrimental impact” on take-up, particularly among disadvantaged communities.
The group said that despite the government being expected to roll back the last remaining Covid laws from next week, coronavirus was “yet to become endemic”, and added it was “difficult to predict when this state may be attained”.
“Significant levels of cases, hospitalisations and deaths continue to disrupt and devastate individuals, public services and the economy,” a briefing note said. “There remains a degree of unpredictability about the course ahead.”
Whitehall sources told the Guardian on Monday that ministers were pressing ahead with plans to start winding down Covid testing and payments for isolation from next week to save more than £10bn.
In a veiled criticism of Boris Johnson, given his investigation by the Metropolitan police for allegedly attending a series of lockdown-breaking parties, the APHD said political leaders had “a responsibility to model good behaviour and foster an environment of trust and collective spirit”.
While the group said it wanted to “avoid strict measures and lockdowns”, it called on Johnson to “chart a sensible path between the extremes of lockdowns and letting the virus rip”.
Read the full story here:
Updated
No evidence of a Russian withdrawal from Ukraine border, says Nato
Nato secretary general Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance had not seen any evidence of a Russian withdrawal.
Arriving at the meeting of the alliance’s defence ministers in Brussels, he said:
So far we have not seen any de-escalation on the ground – on the contrary, it appears that Russia continues the military buildup.
He added that “we have not seen any withdrawal of Russian forces”, and “that contradicts the message of diplomatic efforts” from Moscow.
Stoltenberg said:
We will continue to convey a very clear message to Russia that we are ready to sit down and discuss with them but at the same time we are prepared for the worst.
And if Russia once again invades Ukraine, they will pay a high price.
Updated
Dame Clare Moriarty, the chief executive of Citizens Advice, has called for more support from the government as more and more people are hit by the cost of living crisis.
Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, Moriarty said the organisation is “really worried” about the people coming for help, adding: “We think that for people on low incomes, the government needs to provide more support.
She said:
More and more people are finding that they can’t get to the end of the month and money runs out before the next cheque comes in.
They can’t pay for gas and electric, so we’re hearing about people who are living and sleeping in a single room, who are using coats and hot water bottles to keep warm, and people having to turn to food banks to get by.
That’s a problem that’s happening right now and, as we were hearing prices are still rising, this is a problem that’s going to get worse before it gets better.
Moriarty added that the current government support is not enough for those on the lowest incomes, saying:
There needs to be more support and it needs to come through the benefit system to the people who need it most.
Updated
Responding to the responded to the inflation data released today, Pat McFadden, the shadow chief secretary to the Treasury, said:
With inflation expected to rise even further, and working people already feeling the crunch, the Tories should have taken action by now.
Instead, the chancellor’s buy now pay later scheme on energy bills loads up debt for future years, while his tax rises will only make matters worse.
Updated
Workers are entitled to ask for a pay rise after a gruelling pandemic and faced with a severe cost-of-living crisis, Keir Starmer has said as official figures showed wages falling in real terms.
The Labour leader’s call came in contrast to comments by the Bank of England governor, Andrew Bailey, who warned this month that wage rises would fuel inflation, saying the UK needed to see “restraint in pay bargaining, otherwise it will get out of control”.
Data from the Office for National Statistics on Tuesday showed real wages fell behind increasing inflation, which is likely to exacerbate the cost-of-living squeeze from rising prices, high energy bills and a national insurance rise this April.
In veiled criticism of Bailey’s comments on pay, Starmer said it was reasonable for workers to demand higher wages but said he wanted to put the main onus on the government to tackle the cost of living. “It’s very difficult to universally say to people – you are not entitled to even ask for a pay rise,” he said.
Bailey’s remarks, which were prompted by fears that higher wage demands could push companies to increase prices further, sparked widespread criticism including from trade unions and the chair of Tesco, plus a rebuke from Downing Street.
Read more here:
Dozens of Tories contacted Starmer privately to condemn Johnson’s Savile remark
Dozens of Conservative MPs had been in private contact with Labour leader Keir Starmer expressing dismay at Boris Johnson’s false claim he had failed to prosecute the child abuser Jimmy Savile.
The accusation – which the prime minister has “clarified” but never withdrawn – was a moment for many Conservative MPs. Though only a handful have spoken publicly, Starmer told the Guardian that many had been in touch with him privately to express distaste. “You can see the disquiet because as he drags people down by this way of acting.”
Starmer told my colleague Jessica Elgot that it was clear the public were taking a new look at Johnson’s character since his repeated obfuscations over Downing Street lockdown breaches. Has he changed his mind since saying in his Labour conference speech that Johnson was not bad?
He said:
I don’t know how people judge whether someone’s a bad person or not. What I do know is he’s not fit to run the country. And it’s not surprising that more people think he should now resign than don’t. So that’s a marked change, obviously, in four or five months.
Read more from the interview here:
The chancellor of the exchequer, Rishi Sunak, has responded to the inflation data.
He said:
We understand the pressures people are facing with the cost of living.
These are global challenges but we have listened to people’s concerns and recently stepped in to provide millions of households with up to 350 to help with rising energy bills.
We’re also helping people on the lowest incomes keep more of what they earn by cutting the universal credit taper rate and freezing alcohol and fuel duties to keep costs down.
In total, we’re providing support with the cost of living worth over 20 billion across this financial year and next.
As my colleague Graeme Wearden points out on his live blog, that £350 of help includes a £200 cut to energy bills in October ... which will be recouped with £40 added to bills for the following five years (whether you got the £200 saving or not!)
How the new flat-rate £200 home energy bill loan really works, my 2 min video explainer...
— Martin Lewis (@MartinSLewis) February 4, 2022
(For an auto-subtitled version please go to YouTube: https://t.co/Hbx75U2Ct1) pic.twitter.com/2yCW2CuT5V
Plus, lowering the UC taper rate has only mitigated the impact of ending the £20 per week uplift to Universal Credit last autumn, and won’t help families out of work.
Updated
Inflation in the UK increased to the highest rate for three decades in January as the impact of rising energy bills fed into a wide range of goods and services, adding to the squeeze on household living standards.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the consumer prices index (CPI) measure of inflation increased to 5.5% in January from 5.4% a month earlier, driven by prices for clothing, footwear and furniture.
City economists had forecast the inflation rate to remain at 5.4%. The ONS said inflation was last higher in March 1992, when it stood at 7.1%.
With inflation predicted to hit more than 7% in April, the latest increase is expected to heap further pressure on the government, while putting the spotlight on the Bank of England to raise interest rates again.
Business and consumer groups warned the rise in prices since last summer would harm living standards and push more firms towards insolvency. The CBI lobby group said the government needed to react by cutting taxes on investment to boost productivity and allow businesses to award sustainable annual wage rises.
Suren Thiru, the chief economist at the British Chambers of Commerce, said he expected the Bank to raise rates at its March meeting to 0.75%. Threadneedle Street raised rates in December and February to the current level of 0.5% against a backdrop of surging inflationary pressure.
However, Thiru warned that tightening monetary policy too quickly risked undermining confidence and the wider recovery. “[It] will do little to curb the global factors behind the current inflationary surge,” he said.
“More needs to be done to limit the unprecedented rise in costs facing businesses, including financial support for those struggling with soaring energy bills and delaying April’s national insurance rise.”
Read more here:
You can also follow our business live blog here:
Updated
Defence secretary Ben Wallace said that “until we see a proper de-escalation, I think we should all be cautious about the direction of travel from the Kremlin”.
He told Sky News:
I think what we haven’t seen is evidence of withdrawal that has been claimed by the Kremlin, in fact we’ve seen continued build-up of things like field hospitals and strategic weapons systems.
I think the reality is ... that we’ll take Russia at its word, but we’ll judge them on their actions ... and until we see a proper de-escalation, I think we should all be cautious about the direction of travel from the Kremlin.
Wallace has warned that Russia has a “a very significant force ... that would overwhelm Ukraine should it be deployed”.
On the latest intelligence, he said:
There’s over 100 battalion tactical groups of the Russian ground forces, that’s 60% of the entire Russian land combat power on the borders of Ukraine.
130,000-plus troops, both in Belarus and indeed Ukraine, but also out at sea there’s effectively a significant flotilla of Russian and amphibious landing ships, and indeed war ships and missile ships, and from a Ukrainian point of view they’re fairly surrounded by a very large force of ready troops. That continues, they haven’t taken the foot of the gas.
He added:
That’s why we’re all here at Nato today and tomorrow to try and work together to reduce tensions and try and de-escalate, but it’s a very significant force, it’s a force that would overwhelm Ukraine should it be deployed and I think that’s why we need to see clear de-escalation by the removal of troops at the same time as enter into discussion with Russia.
Updated
Ending free Covid tests would be a mistake, says Keir Starmer
Keir Starmer said it was “a mistake to end free Covid tests” – a measure which Rishi Sunak is pushing – though he stopped short of calling for mandatory isolation to continue in England beyond next week.
No 10, the Treasury and the health department will decide this week on a “living with Covid strategy” due to be unveiled on Monday, which will involve phasing out free Covid testing and all but ending the tracing system.
The Labour leader said in an interview with The Guardian he would reserve judgment on ending isolation until these proposals are put forward next week.
Whitehall sources say the Treasury is driving efforts to reduce costs from an estimated annual £15bn, with an opening suggestion of cutting the budget by more than 90%, to £1.3bn. It is unclear whether the changes will apply to England only or UK-wide.
Under plans for the “living with Covid” strategy, from Monday 21 February people will no longer be advised to test regularly if they are asymptomatic. From this date the government is also likely to end support payments worth £500 to £750 for people isolating, as well as routine contact tracing.
From 31 March the government is likely to end free PCR testing for people with symptoms, apart from in hospitals and high-risk settings and for more than 1 million of the most vulnerable people.
Those with symptoms are expected to be advised to take lateral flow tests (LFTs), although free tests may be limited to older age groups. The government is also likely to stop recommending LFTs on days five and six after a positive test, and to end free LFTs for asymptomatic testing.
Welcome to today’s politics live blog. I’m Nicola Slawson and I’ll be taking the lead today. You can contact me on Twitter (@Nicola_Slawson) or via email (nicola.slawson@theguardian.com) if you have any questions or think I’m missing something.
You can also check out our dedicated Ukraine crisis blog here:
Meanwhile our global coronavirus blog is here:
