Day: October 12, 2020

Boris Johnson is braced for a fresh onslaught of resistance as he today reveals Downing Street’s hotly anticipated three-tier system for enforcing local lockdowns.

The new measures are intended to simplify the patchwork of rules currently covering more than 15 million Britons – approximately a quarter of the UK population – as Covid-19 infection rates and related deaths continue to increase.

But the plans are already under fire from across the political spectrum, with a senior Conservative MP telling Politico London Playbook’s Alex Wickham that “we are back to where we were in March – this is going to be shit and it may get shitter yet”.

Local holdouts

In a lone breakthrough for the government, Liverpool Mayor Steve Rotheram released a statement yesterday outlining what will happen when Merseyside enters the highest tier of restrictions.

“Pubs and bars, betting shops, casinos and adult gaming centers and gyms will close,” says the statement, which omits any mention of restaurants. Liverpool will also get an “enforcement package, with laws, not just guidance and advice”, a devolved “local Track, Trace and Isolate package” and “a specific package of financial support”.

Rotheram had previously said that he would refuse to back economically damaging measures to curb infections, so his statement is a win for the government.

But local leaders elsewhere are still proving to be a thorn in Downing Street’s side.

The leaders of Lancashire County, Blackburn with Darwen and Blackpool last night issued a joint statement calling for “more detail from government about their proposals and in particular what the differences will be between the tiers in the planned system”.

This demand for greater clarity has been echoed by Sheffield City Mayor Dan Jarvis. In a separate statement, the Labour MP calls on Johnson to provide a “substantial package of powers and resources we need to get the virus under control”.

“As it stands, we are trying to fight this virus with one hand tied behind our back because the government is providing inadequate support,” Jarvis adds.

Westminster rebels

Liverpool’s mayor is one of only a handful of northern MPs backing Johnson’s Covid strategy, with many others openly criticising the Tory leader.

Labour MP Andrew Gwynne, who represents Denton and Reddish in Stockport, last night tweeted that he would not support “the closure of hospitality”, adding that “like the daft 10pm curfew, it will drive people from Covid secure businesses where measures can be enforced into illegal mixing in homes”.

MPs on Johnson’s own backbenches are voicing dissenting opinions too. William Wragg, who holds the Hazel Grove seat in Greater Manchester, tweeted that “talk of closing pubs, restaurants & cafes is misplaced, given that very limited transmission of covid seems to take place there”.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told Sky News this morning that “we are taking the measures that are necessary in order to protect people through this difficult period”.

But even ministers loyal to the prime minister have admitted that the local lockdown measures will be “very challenging” for staff from hospitality businesses.

And Johnson is “facing a rebellion” from Tory MPs who “want the prime minister to improve his Job Support Scheme” in areas that are about to be placed under tight restrictions, the Financial Times reports.

An unnamed Tory MP who represents a constituency in northern England told the paper that if “the government is shutting people’s businesses down and preventing people from working, it probably should make up their entire pay”.

The rebel Tories want “the lowest-paid workers to receive 80% of their wages”, as was the case under the original furlough scheme, rather than the two-thirds being promised by Chancellor Rishi Sunak under the new system, the FT adds.

On the agenda

Johnson was chairing a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee this morning to finalise the three-tier plans.

The most contentious issue still on the table is the “the infection rate at which each tier will kick in”, a point that is dividing the “hawks” and “doves” in Johnson’s cabinet, according to Politico’s Wickham.

Various local leaders are also continuing negotiations with Communities Secretary Robert Jenrick and Cabinet Office officials over which tiers of the new restrictions will apply to their areas.

Once these issues have been ironed out – or even if they are not – Johnson will deliver a statement to the House of Commons at 3.30pm outlining the new system, before leading a televised press conference at 6pm to explain the measures to the public.

It was revealed at the weekend that two of England’s biggest football clubs are behind plans to radically reform the Premier League.

In a “world exclusive” The Daily Telegraph broke the news that Liverpool and Manchester United are proposing the “biggest changes to English football in a generation” and an “extraordinary overhaul” of the country’s top division.

A document titled “Revitalisation”, which was seen by the Telegraph, has been authored by Liverpool’s American ownership Fenway Sports Group with support from Man Utd.

“Project Big Picture” would reshape the finances of the game, following the impact of Covid-19, meanwhile the Premier League would be reduced to 18 teams and controlling power put in the hands of the biggest clubs.

In reaction to the story, the big clubs have been called out for their “power grab” attempt and Premier League bosses and the UK government have also spoken out against the plans.

What is Project Big Picture?

Proposals include reducing the Premier League from 20 to 18 teams, increasing funding for the English Football League (EFL) and axing the League Cup and Community Shield.

Another major talking point is for the big clubs to “gain control over the running of the top flight in return for redistributing greater funding down the football pyramid”, The Guardian reports. The nine longest-serving top-flight clubs would be given preferential votes under the new proposals.

The Telegraph says that the remarkable set of proposals, which will “send shockwaves through the game”, will see 25% of the Premier League’s annual revenue go to the EFL clubs with £250m paid up front to see it through the current crisis. There would also be a gift of £100m to sustain the Football Association.

While the Premier League would be reduced to 18 clubs, the Championship, League One and League Two would each retain 24 teams. The bottom two sides in the Premier League would be relegated automatically and the 16th-placed team would join the Championship play-offs.

Who is backing the plans?

No other clubs are yet on the record supporting the proposals created by Liverpool and Man Utd, BBC Sport reports. But “crucially” it has been approved by the EFL, says the Guardian.

Current EFL boss Rick Parry, who was the original Premier League CEO and a former chief executive of Liverpool, has publicly endorsed the project and calls it a “great idea”.

Parry said: “This is two of our great clubs showing leadership and exercising responsibility. The message from Liverpool and Manchester United is that they do genuinely care about the pyramid.

“The Premier League could have come up with a plan like this at any time. How long has it taken to get a rescue package? Months. It was May when the government was saying we need the Premier League to step up to the plate. What’s wrong with us talking about a plan that is demonstrably in the best interest of the pyramid and our clubs? We genuinely think that this is in the best interests of the game as a whole.”

Who is against it?

The Premier League says the proposed plans could have a “damaging impact”.

A statement read: “Football has many stakeholders, therefore this work should be carried out through the proper channels enabling all clubs and stakeholders the opportunity to contribute. In the Premier League’s view, a number of the individual proposals in the plan published could have a damaging impact on the whole game and we are disappointed to see that Rick Parry, chair of the EFL, has given his on-the-record support.

“The Premier League has been working in good faith with its clubs and the EFL to seek a resolution to the requirement for Covid-19 rescue funding. This work will continue.”

Meanwhile, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport said it was “surprised and disappointed” by “backroom deals being cooked up”, the BBC reports.

Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden told BBC Breakfast: “Now is not the right time. The challenge facing football is ensuring particularly the EFL has the resources to enable its clubs to survive. This deal does not command support throughout the Premier League at all.

“There are the resources there. I have to say that if they can’t get together and work together to sort this out, we will have to return to what we promised in our manifesto, which is a fan-led review of football governance because I think many fans will be concerned about what they are reading today.”

How the football media reacted

Project Big Picture dominates today’s newspaper back pages. The Guardian says football is “at war” with the big clubs’ plan to reshape the game sparking Premier League “anger”. The Daily Star says it’s “revolting” and the project has caused a “big stink” while The Times reports the “fury” at the plans.

In the Daily Mail Martin Samuel says Liverpool and United’s Project Big Picture is “nothing but a disgusting power grab”.

He wrote: “This is about six clubs controlling the wealth and seizing the power, right down to deciding who gets into their competition. This is about closed shop protectionism that will end the Premier League as a vibrant competition. This is about getting your round in with another man’s money.

“Project Big Picture? Far from saving our game, all it would do is reduce. Reduce what makes football fun. Reduce its unpredictability, reduce the excitement, reduce the chances for Wolves or Leicester or Aston Villa. Reduce the hope of a change of ownership at Newcastle. Reduce your chances of promotion. Reduce your hopes of success if you get there. Reduce, reduce, reduce.”

The Telegraph‘s chief football correspondent Jason Burt agrees that the “brazen power grab” is a “hostile takeover spun as a rescue package”. He said: “We need to be clear this plan is not what it seems and would surrender control of English football to six clubs and empower them as a cartel.”

Boris Johnson is in the market for a chief of staff as part of a bid to shore up his Downing Street operation that could weaken the influence of No. 10 strategist Dominic Cummings.

The prime minister has already tapped up former Conservative Party chair Andrew Feldman, aka Lord Feldman of Elstree, for the role, The Sunday Times reports. But Feldman is said to have turned down the job, with a source telling the newspaper that “Dom was one of the issues”.

The recruitment drive has “got tongues wagging” in Westminster, and “all eyes are on” Culture Secretary Oliver Dowden as the next most likely candidate for the role, says Politico London Playbook’s Alex Wickham. Having previously served a special adviser under David Cameron, Dowden has the required experience, although questions remain as to how much of a “Boris person” he really is, Wickham adds.

Other possibles include Isaac Levido, the Australian political strategist credited with masterminding the Tories’ landslide victory at last December’s election. Levido is “in the unusual position of having the respect of Cummings without being his lackey”, but the “hirsute Aussie” has also just launched a new agency, “so Johnson probably can’t afford him”, says Wickham.

Mulling the other likely candidates, the Politico pundit notes that George Bridges, a former Department for Exiting the European Union minister, is said to be “exactly the sort of ‘graybeard’ Johnson is said to be after”, while Vote Leave veteran Paul Stephenson has the advantage of being a “huge Cummings ally” and “trusted enough by the Johnson regime to do the job”.

Ben Gascoigne, the PM’s long-time political secretary, and Munira Mirza, Johnson’s policy chief, are also believed to be in the running for the new role.

Whoever Downing Street has in mind, the exact brief and title for the job could both prove crucial. When Cummings joined Johnson’s No. 10 team, the senior aide did not wish to be known as the PM’s chief of staff but also said he would not serve under anyone else with that title.