Inside Politics: Boris Johnson faces anger and tension in Northern Ireland

The dust settles on another transfer deadline day. Amazingly, England’s cash-strapped football clubs managed to get a flurry of last-minute deals done, as players jet in from all over Europe. Boris Johnson’s cash-strapped government has managed to secure the services of another 40 million vaccine doses from Europe. But the prime minister’s last-minute Brexit deal continues to cause huge problems. Johnson is now getting it in the neck from fishermen, fashionistas and the DUP.

Inside the bubble

Senior political commentator John Rentoul on what to look out for today:

Cabinet meeting by Zoom this morning, before Boris Johnson speaks by video at the launch of a report on biodiversity. Michael Heseltine is giving his thoughts on English devolution to the constitutional affairs committee, followed by a Commons statement from Matt Hancock on the response to the South African variant.

Daily briefing

SHARE AND SHARE ALIKE: Matt Hancock has hinted the UK could start to send vaccines to other countries before all British adults have had their jab. The health secretary said the government would be generous “at the same time” as carrying out its domestic vaccination programme. It comes as the UK orders 40 million doses from the French company Valneva – which should become available later in the year. Ursula von der Leyen is in conciliatory mode. The European Commission president said she and Boris Johnson had promised that vaccines manufactured in UK factories will be delivered to Europe, and vice versa. Von der Leyen also blamed one of her deputies for last week’s humiliating U-turn on the Northern Ireland Protocol. Her spokesperson said vice president Valdis Dombrovskis was in fact responsible, saying “mistakes can happen … only the Pope is infallible”. Johnson said he was confident of a constant supply of jabs, despite all the EU’s “to-ings and fro-ings”.

DO ME A FAVOUR, OPEN THE DOOR: An intense door-to-door testing operation is under way in eight postcode areas – in London, Surrey, Kent, Hertfordshire, Southport and Walsall – after 11 cases of the South African variant were found. Matt Hancock said it was vital to “come down hard” and find every single case of the variant. “This is so important … we’ve got to bring this virus to heel.” Boris Johnson will face new questions about whether he’s done enough to stop the arrival of the variant. The Times reports that Sage scientists warned No 10 weeks ago that “geographically-targeted travel bans” would not stop the arrival of new variants – recommending the blanket ban Keir Starmer has been calling for. The PM surprised everyone on Monday by suggesting he will abandon the local tier system after lockdown. “It may be that a national approach, going down the tiers in a national way, might be better this time round,” he said.

C’MON ARLENE: Anger is building in Northern Ireland over ongoing Brexit problems, which appear to have slipped down the government’s priority list. First minister Arlene Foster accused Boris Johnson of a “dereliction of duty” to the people of the province. The DUP leader also said it was “patronising and offensive” to described trade disruption as “teething problems” and called on the PM to act. Downing Street hopes to show Foster action is being taken: the government has announced new “flexibility” when it comes to moving mixed loads of food products moving from GB to NI (which has caused some of the supermarkets’ woes). But there’s also some worrying news about rising tensions in the six counties. Animal-based food checks at NI ports have been suspended, after inspection staff were withdrawn over security concerns. It all comes as the Irish government revealed trade between the Republic of Ireland and Great Britain routes has fallen by 50 per cent on this time last year.

DECIMATED FOLLOWERS OF FASHION: Britain’s £35m fashion industry is facing “decimation” because of Brexit red tape complications, sector leaders have told the government. Twiggy and Yasmin Le Bon were among 400 figures signing the open letter asking for an urgent meeting with ministers to discuss their issues. Shellfish companies have even more immediate issues, which could prove fatal. EU officials have told the industry that UK fishermen will no longer be allowed to send live cockles and mussels from ‘class B’ waters. Shellfish bosses had hoped it was temporary, but Brussels has indicated it will be a permanent block. In other news, the government is facing a Tory backbench rebellion over unsafe cladding on buildings. At least 35 Conservative MPs have now signed an amendment aimed at making sure costs do not fall on leaseholders. Labour’s motion for a national cladding taskforce passed unopposed last night, but isn’t binding on the government.

MY CHER-RY, NO MORE: The SNP used to be a ruthlessly efficient and unified political machine. Not anymore. The ousting of Joanna Cherry from the frontbench team at Westminster has the party is an almighty tizzy. The Edinburgh South West MP complained she’d been sacked from the justice position “despite hard work, results and a strong reputation”. Cherry had been getting a lot of flak from activists over her views on SNP plans to make gender self-identification possible, and has irritated Nicola Sturgeon by piping up in support of Alex Salmond. Scotland’s Daily Record thinks it’s merely a tremor before the “volcano explodes” over the whole Sturgeon-Salmond business. Meanwhile, MSPs are set to vote on whether Sturgeon’s government should order an investigation into Donald Trump’s Scottish golf resorts. Wednesday’s opposition-led vote at the Scottish parliament is aimed at pressuring Sturgeon to seek an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO).

SQUIRMING OVER WORMS: Donald Trump’s semi-loyal ally Lindsey Graham has threatened to drag out the impeachment trial if Democrats call even one witness. Graham warned them against “opening that can of worms”, arguing it would be “bad” for America to discuss the attack on the US Capitol in great detail. “You open up Pandora’s Box if you call one witness,” he said. Meanwhile, there has been an outpouring of support for Democratic congresswomen Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who revealed that she is a survivor of sexual assault. She likened the aftermath of the assault to how some people were telling her not to become fixated on the attack on the Capitol building. “These are the tactics that abusers use, the folks who are saying, ‘We should move on,’ [and] ‘We shouldn't have accountability,’ etc, are saying: ‘Can you just forget about this so we can do it again?’”

On the record

“Only the pope is infallible. Mistakes can happen along the way. The important thing is that you recognise them early on … and then you correct it.”

Ursula von der Leyen’s spokesperson on the vaccine row.

From the Twitterati

“Mildly irritated by the widespread suggestion that opposing Brexit would somehow necessitate seeing the EU Commission’s conduct last Friday as anything other than outrageous, dangerous & profoundly wrong.”

James O’Brien says you’re allowed to hate Brexit and be appalled by the EU Commission…

“Could you imagine if everyone critiquing Ursula von der Leyen for her mistakes, criticised Boris Johnson, the Tories and the Brexit Party with the same vigour?”  

…but Dr Jennifer Cassidy suggests the criticism has been too much.

Essential reading

Sean O’Grady, The Independent: Von der Leyen should go – she’s even made Johnson look good

Sadiq Khan, The Independent: After the pandemic, I’ll build a better future for the arts in London

Anoosh Chakelian, New Statesman: The cladding crisis affecting millions is about to hit the government too

Jim Newell, Slate: Why there won’t be a bipartisan Covid bill in Washington

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