UK politics live: minister defends expected U-turn on jabs for NHS staff as No 10 poised for Sue Gray report

Some Conservative commentators (like Allister Heath in the Telegraph last week) and MPs have suggested that, as part of his promised shake-up of No 10 following the publication of the Sue Gray report, Boris Johnson should make David Frost, his former Brexit minister, chief of staff. This argument appeals to those who believe that what Downing Street needs is not so much a dose of administrative efficiency but an ideological shift to a low-tax, less interventionist agenda.

This morning Frost says he could not take the job (which has not been offered to him, and was never likely to be, according to some reports) because of his opposition to the national insurance contributions (NICs) increase, which Johnson confirmed at the weekend will definitely go ahead.

Boris Johnson is in Essex this morning in a George Osborne outfit (the former chancellor specialised in photocalls featuring hard hats and hi-vis jackets – his lasting contribution to British political imagery). For Johnson, it makes a change from being in a hospital.

The PM has also recorded a broadcast interview. We are expecting to hear it shortly.

© Provided by The Guardian
Boris Johnson visiting Tilbury Docks in Essex this morning. Photograph: Reuters

In his interview in Essex Boris Johnson said Sajid Javid, the health secretary, will make a statement on vaccination policy for NHS workers later. Johnson said he believed health workers should get vaccinated, but he would not confirm that the government would continue to make this compulsory for them.

Asked about the reports of a U-turn, he said:

My view on NHS workers, everybody involved in looking after vulnerable people, all healthcare professionals should get a vaccine. That’s absolutely clear.

I think that Sajid Javid, the health secretary, is saying a bit more later on about how you might deal with different variants of coronavirus because they have different implications when it comes to transmission.

These are from the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg.

Good morning. The most moving feature on the BBC’s Today programme this morning was Rory Cellan-Jones talking about the death of his much-loved dog, Cabbage. But the main news agenda today is dominated by another tale of canine mortality, and it appears that the No 10 “Big Dog”, after two weeks in fear of being put down by his own party, has staged a comeback. Yesterday in the Sunday Times (paywall) Tim Shipman said that Johnson’s team are now “confident” that he is not facing an imminent no-confidence vote (unless there is some surprise development), and this morning it is hard to find anyone saying that Shipman, or his sources, are wrong.

Two weeks ago we saw No 10 embark on an “Operation Red Meat” strategy that flopped. Priti Patel, the home secretary, announced that the military would take charge of Channel crossings, only to annoy the Tory rightwingers who were supposed to be impressed and who felt it was a pointless stunt. And Nadine Dorries, the culture secretary, announced the end of the BBC licence fee – before having to retreat somewhat 24 hours later.

This week we have another raft of “Red Meat” initiatives that seem to contain a bit more substance. A Brexit freedoms bill has been announced today, the levelling up white paper is expected on Wednesday, and Johnson is expected to visit Ukraine. My colleague Jessica Elgot has a summary here.

Related: Boris Johnson to try to regain control with Brexit bill and policy blitz

Of course, “Operation Red Meat” was all about protecting Johnson from the fallout from Sue Gray’s report into partygate. The intervention of the Met police on Friday means that when the report does appear, all the most incriminating passages will be removed or redacted. But it is still a potentially difficult moment for Johnson, and it may very well come today (although, given reporters have been saying that since last Wednesday, you will be forgiven for concluding it might just be best to wait).

As we do wait, in another “Red Meat” concession, ministers are also reportedly on the verge of dropping the requirement for frontline NHS staff to be fully vaccinated. In December 62 Conservative MPs voted against this plan, and in the Daily Telegraph (paywall) Gabriella Swirling and Ben Riley-Smith report: “Multiple government sources said ministers are expected to end the requirement because the Omicron Covid variant, now dominant in the UK, is milder than previous strains.”

Simon Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, was doing the morning interview round this morning. Without formally making an announcement, he come close to confirming the U-turn. He said the original policy was drawn up when Delta was the dominant variant, but that a rethink was justified because people are now catching the Omicron variant, which is “more transmissible but less dangerous”. Speaking to LBC, he said: “Obviously we will reflect that new reality in any decision that’s made, and that’s the right thing.”

The Royal College of Nursing has welcomed the expected move. In a statement, Patricia Marquis, its England director, said:

If these reports are correct, this climbdown by government is long overdue. Vaccination is hugely important but this was the wrong policy, especially as it added to the current pressure on NHS and care services.

My colleague Peter Walker has more on this story here.

Related: No 10 set for U-turn over mandatory Covid jabs for NHS staff in England

Here is the agenda for the day.

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

Morning: Boris Johnson is doing a visit, where he is expected to record a pooled TV interview.

12pm: Mourners attend Jack Dromey’s funeral.

I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone.

If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow.

Alternatively, you can email me at [email protected]