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Minister to 'challenge the French' for failing to stop migrants crossing channel

Cat Neilan
·34 min read
A tiny baby was among the 235 people who made the crossing yesterday - Steve Laws / SWNS
A tiny baby was among the 235 people who made the crossing yesterday - Steve Laws / SWNS

A Government minister will "challenge the French" over what is being done to stop illegal migrants trying to cross the channel during crunch talks next week.

Chris Philp, the immigration minister, is due to travel to Paris next week to meet authorities to discuss the growing issue, with a record 235 people arriving in the UK yesterday, and more than 1,000 making the journey in July.

John Glen, the economic secretary to the Treasury told Talk Radio that Mr Philp would be demanding to know "what they are actually doing to stop people coming over the channel".

He added: "More need to be done to ensure there is maximum pressure on the French authorities... This has been an enduring challenge and the minister will be going to Paris to challenge his counterpart next week."

Mr Glen rejected the claim that the UK Government didn't have a grip on the problem, saying the Home Secretary Priti Patel was "working very closely with  her French counterparts", and that "the Border Force will be resourced to do the job it needs to do".

Yesterday a group of MPs launched an inquiry into the increase in the number of people trying to enter the UK by using small boats to cross the English Channel.

The Home Affairs committee will look at the role of criminal gangs play in facilitating these crossings, as well as the responses of UK and French authorities.

Labour said ministers were "failing to get to grips with the crisis", while local MPs including Dover's Conservative member Natalie Elphicke, have said the "unacceptable situation" must be "brought to an end".

Mr Philp met French deputy ambassador Francois Revardeaux on Wednesday.

Follow the latest updates below

03:05 PM

And that's it for another day

While Britons are being urged to stay away from beaches, another battle is taking place on the water as officials try to intercept more migrants as they attempt to cross the Channel. 

Next week immigration minister Chris Philp will travel to Paris to "challenge" French authorities over what they are doing to stop people from making the journey. 

And from tomorrow morning there is a mini-shake-up of the quarantine list that could upset more travellers as they arrive in the UK. 

Meanwhile cases appear to be rising domestically, with the R-rate range narrowing and another warning that Sage believe it could now be above one. 

With the threat of a second wave looming there are increasing calls for the Chancellor to extend furlough. However you back Rishi Sunak's refusal this morning to do so, with 75 per cent of respondents to today's poll saying he should stick to his guns and wind the scheme up by October. 

I'm off to find somewhere to hide from the heat but I will be back on Monday morning from 8am, with all the news from Westminster and beyond. 

02:37 PM

US imposes sanctions on Hong Kong head Carrie Lam as part of security law response

The US has issued sanctions against 11 senior Chinese and Hong Kong officials, including Hong Kong chief executive Carrie Lam, over Beijing’s imposition of a sweeping national security law on the Asian financial center.

“The United States stands with the people of Hong Kong and we will use our tools and authorities to target those undermining their autonomy,” said Steven Mnuchin, US Treasury secretary.

Senior Conservatives including Iain Duncan Smith have called on the UK Governemnt to do likewise. 

02:34 PM

Further seven people die in Wales

Public Health Wales said a further seven people have died after testing positive for Covid-19, taking the total number of deaths in the country to 1,578.

The number of cases in Wales increased by 17, bringing the total confirmed to 17,406.

02:34 PM

Further 10 coronavirus deaths in English hospitals

A further ten people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in English hospitals, NHS England has confirmed. 

That brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals in England to 29,386.

Patients were aged between 54 and 94 years old. All had known underlying health conditions.

There were no deaths registered in the East of England, Midlands or the North West, with one recorded in both London and the South West. There were two deaths reported in the South East and six in the North East & Yorkshire.   

02:27 PM

Leo McKinstry: Why are we so heavy-handed on quarantine but hand-wringing over Channel crossings?

George Orwell once wrote that “political language is designed to make lies sound truth and murder respectable, and to give an impression of solidity to pure wind.”

Leo McKingstry thinks there could not be a better description of the yawning chasm between the Tory Government’s stern rhetoric on immigration and their shameful record of laxity, feebleness and cowardice.  

In recent days, top Conservatives have been at it again, proclaiming their lion-hearted determination to tackle the surge in Channel crossings by boatloads of illegal migrants while in practice doing nothing practical to stop the flow.  

02:23 PM

Labour demands Boris Johnson 'set record straight' on Dominic Cummings

Labour has called on Boris Johnson to "set the record straight" on Dominic Cummings' lockdown breach, amid new allegations that he returned for a second trip. 

It also comes as a new survey found that his actions resulted in a big loss of public confidence in the Government, with trust not yet having recovered.

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “The Dominic Cummings saga has already done incredible damage to public trust, and the public are rightly angry that there is one rule for the Prime Minister’s chief advisor and one for the rest of us.

“Dominic Cummings has said that there are photos and data proving that he is was in London on April 19, and the Prime Minister has said that he has seen this evidence. The public have a right to know whether the Prime Minister’s chief advisor made a second lockdown-breaching trip to Durham, and it is surely therefore only right that this evidence is produced.

“If Dominic Cummings was in London during both the morning and afternoon of the 19th April, and not in Durham as has been alleged, I’m sure that he the Prime Minister will welcome this opportunity to set the record straight.”

01:53 PM

Have your say on: extending the furlough scheme

The the threat of a second wave looking likely Telegraph columnist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard has joined those calling for an extension to the furlough scheme. pointing out that Britain would be an outlier and risk major economic disruption if Rishi Sunak ploughs ahead with his plan to wind it up in October. 

This morning the Chancellor insisted it couldn't last forever, and that the packages the Government is now offering will help people "look forward", perhaps channelling the views of  Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, who yesterday noted that some sectors would no longer be "viable" after the pandemic. 

But with Andy Burnham claiming people aren't isolating because of job concerns, is it time for a rethink? Have your say in the poll below.

01:36 PM

Watch: Mixed reaction from Eurostar passengers over quarantine rules

People travelling via the Eurostar from St Pancras have been asked about their concerns over countries being added to quarantine lists or closed to travel.

Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas have been removed from the travel corridor, meaning travellers will have to self-isolate for 14 days on their arrival in the UK. 

One traveller suggests the "whole thing has been massively blown out of proportion". 

Watch the video below

01:26 PM

Deploying Navy to tackle migrant crossing crisis 'completely potty', says MoD source

Sending in the Royal Navy to tackle the surge in Channel migrant crossings has been branded a "completely potty" idea which could put people's lives at risk.

A Ministry of Defence source described the suggestion of such action as "inappropriate and unnecessary", saying that military resources should not been drawn upon to address "political failings".

This morning The Telegraph reported that Priti Patel was considering deploying the Navy to deal with the problem, following a record high number of people arrived in one day.  

But an MoD source told the PA news agency the idea of sending in the navy was "completely potty" and had "more holes in it than a slice of Swiss cheese".

They added: "It is a completely inappropriate and disproportionate approach to take. We don't resort to deploying armed force to deal with political failings.

"It's beyond absurd to think that we should be deploying multi-million pound ships and elite soldiers to deal with desperate people barely staying afloat on rubber dinghies in the Channel.

"It could potentially put people's lives at even greater risk. Border Force is effectively the Home Office's own navy fleet, so it begs the question what are they doing."

12:59 PM

England's R-rate and growth rate on the rise

Government advisers are not confident the R-rate is below one, suggesting cases could be on the rise again. 

The latest official figures show England's R-rate is between 0.8 and one - a narrowing of the range from previous weeks - while the growth rate range for the UK is between zero and -five per cent. 

On a regional basis, only the East of England has an R-rate range that does not reach one - the key tipping point where numbers start to rise. 

In terms of the growth rate, London, the North West and the South West all have ranges that run into positive territory - the highest of which is the South West, which ranges from minus three per cent to positive three per cent - suggesting cases are increasing. 

And the Government noted these figures are "several weeks" old, meaning they could be much higher in reality. 

"Estimates that use more timely data reflecting infections, suggest a higher R for England than shown here," it said. "As a result, Sage does not have confidence that R is currently below 1 in England."

12:51 PM

Home Secretary 'working to make Channel route unviable' for migrants

Priti Patel has called on France to help prevent migrants from crossing to the UK via the English Channel, saying getting on top of this crisis is what people mean about "taking back control".

The Home Secretary said the number of people making the journey is "appalling and unacceptably high. The figures are shameful".

She added: "France and other EU states are safe countries. Genuine refugees should claim asylum there, not risk their lives and break the law by coming to the UK."

Ms Patel said she was "working to make this route unviable" by preventing boats from leaving France as well as intercepting and returning those attempting to make a crossing.

"This is complex to do and we face serious legislative, legal and operational barriers," she added.

12:36 PM

Preston poised to enter lockdown as Government announcement looms

The Government is expected to make an announcement shortly on the status of the local lockdown measures in the North West of England and Leicester.

Measures banning mixing between households were reviewed at a meeting chaired by Matt Hancock yesterday, a week after they were brought in for residents in Greater Manchester, parts of east Lancashire and West Yorkshire, as well as Leicester.

Local leaders in Preston have told residents they expect it to  become the latest area to face a Government intervention, amid rising infection rates in the Lancashire city.

The rolling seven-day rate of new cases of Covid-19 in Preston has risen from 20.3 cases per 100,000 people in the seven days to July 27 to 32.8 in the seven days to August 3. A total of 47 new cases have been recorded.

In Blackburn with Darwen, the rate has fallen from 88.8 cases per 100,000 people to 82.2, with 123 new cases. Oldham is in second place, where the seven-day rate has jumped from 55.7 to 67.9, with 161 new cases, while Pendle is third, where the rate has risen from 46.7 to 58.6, with 54 new cases.

The rate in Leicester continues to fall, down from 62.4 to 52.2, with 185 new cases.

12:24 PM

Holiday quarantine: Which country will be next?

The Government threw holiday plans into chaos last month by removing Spain from its list of quarantine-free destinations to which Britons can visit without self-isolating when they get home.

Since then, Luxembourg, Belgium, Andorra and the Bahamas have also found themselves added to the quarantine naughty step, and, with infection rates rising across Europe in recent weeks – due, in no small part, to increased testing – other countries may join them.

Where is next in the firing line? Find out here.

12:08 PM

Debate: The working from home experiment has been too successful

The Government is urging office workers to get back into their workplaces, with growing fears it will destroy our city economy. 

One firm says our understanding of flexible working has 'gone forward 20 years' – but will workers return to offices?

Will workers return to the office? What will happen to the cafés, pubs and restaurants that rely on office workers? Share your view in the comments section of this article.

11:46 AM

Tiny baby among the 235 migrants who crossed Channel yesterday

Around a hundred people are said to have made the crossing from France to the UK this morning already, suggesting today might top the record high set yesterday. 

Among the 235 people who were intercepted by Border Force patrols on Thursday was this tiny baby, who arrived in Dover after crossing the channel in a dinghy, carried in what appears to be a gym bag.  

The unknown family were arriving in the UK from northern France, but it is currently unknown where they originally migrated from. The videos show several other small children, some carried by parents, arriving in Dover following the crossing, as well as one heavily pregnant woman.  

Baby among the migrants who crossed the Channel  - Steve Laws / SWNS

11:36 AM

Coronavirus cases appear to be levelling off, ONS figures show

The number of people with coronavirus appears to be levelling off, despite an increase in testing.

An average of 28,300 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between July 27 and August 2, according to new estimates from the Office for National Statistics (ONS).

This was the equivalent of about 0.05 per cent of the population, or one in 1,900 individuals.

The figures do not include people staying in hospitals, care homes or other institutional settings.

The ONS said that while recent figures had suggested the percentage of individuals testing positive for Covid-19 had risen since the end of June, there is now evidence to suggest that this trend may have levelled off.

11:30 AM

Scotland changes advice on face visors

Face visors are not sufficient to stop the spread of coronavirus, Nicola Sturgeon has said. 

From tomorrow, people in Scotland will have to wear a face mask underneath a visor if they choose to wear one, she said. 

They are required for shops, public transport and other enclosed areas in Scotland. Libraries, museums and places of worship will be included in that guidance from tomorrow, she said. 

The First Minister confirmed new statutory guidance for hospitality from next Friday, to underpin rules such as collecting customer details, having only table service and not allowing queues, following the outbreak in Aberdeen. 

Background music and TVs should also not be played, she said. 

11:07 AM

Have your say on: extending the furlough scheme

It's not just Labour calling for an extension to the furlough scheme. Even Telegraph columnist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard thinks it makes sense, pointing out that Britain would be an outlier and risk major economic disruption if Rishi Sunak ploughs ahead with his plan to wind it up in October. 

This morning the Chancellor insisted it couldn't last forever, and that the packages the Government is now offering will help people "look forward", perhaps channelling the views of  Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, who yesterday noted that some sectors would no longer be "viable" after the pandemic. 

But with Andy Burnham claiming people aren't isolating because of job concerns, is it time for a rethink? Have your say in the poll below.

10:55 AM

Focus on 'rebuilding the future' rather than constitutional matters, says Rishi Sunak

Now is not the time to discuss Scottish independence, the Chancellor has said on a trip north of the border.

Following a visit to generator manufacturers Peak Scientific in Glasgow on Friday morning, Rishi Sunak said: "I don't think now is the time to be talking about these constitutional questions, I think everyone's sole focus and my sole focus right now is doing what we can to protect people's jobs and their livelihoods at what is an incredibly difficult time for our economy.

"That's what I think everyone should be focused on, let's not focus on these divisive constitutional questions, let's focus on rebuilding for the future."

The Chancellor - the fourth UK Cabinet minister to visit Scotland in recent weeks - also said new fiscal powers for the Scottish Parliament should be decided in a "proper way" through a review of the fiscal framework.

10:52 AM

Belgium transit rules explained by Department of Transport

The Department for Transport has provided more clarity in relation to the quarantine rules for people driving through Belgium, with the country poised to be removed from the UK's list of travel corridors.

Belgium joins Andorra and the Bahamas in being placed on the red list as of 4am tomorrow (August 8). 

The Department said in a statement: "If you travelled from Germany or the Netherlands through Belgium, unless all passengers remained in the car and no-one got out or in for the entire time while transiting through Belgium, you need to self-isolate."

Rail travellers returning to or arriving in the UK on journeys which include a stop in Belgium will also need to quarantine unless no new passengers boarded the train and no-one left it before getting back on.

This means Eurostar passengers travelling from Amsterdam to London will need to self-isolate, as the journey involves a change of trains in Brussels.

10:47 AM

Jeremy Warner: Ignore the gloomsters: Britain is in a far stronger position than anyone thinks

How quickly might the UK economy recover from the Covid shock, and what will it look like the other side of the pandemic? The honest answer to these questions would be to say that nobody knows. Don’t believe those who claim they do; if their predictions are proved right, it will be as much luck as judgment.

It is nonetheless the Bank of England’s painful duty to at least try. And perhaps the most striking element of the Bank’s prognosis is the sheer range of other possible outcomes it is prepared to countenance – much wider than it has ever forecast before.

Jeremy Warner makes the case for optimism as the likely outcome.

10:33 AM

Andy Burnham blasts Tory MPs for 'beneath contempt' criticism of Northern lockdown

The Mayor of Greater Manchester has hit back at Conservative MPs who have criticised the decision to impose a regional lockdown in much of the North West. 

Andy Burnham, the former Labour health secretary, said the MPs who included 1922 Committee chair Sir Graham Brady, were “beneath contempt” for blaming him for a decision that was actually taken by "your own Government". 

He has published the letter which he sent to the group last night, and it's pretty damning:

In choosing to write to me in the way that you have it is clear you disagree with your own government’s decision but do not have the courage to say so. Instead, you are clearly seeking to deflect blame and politicise this issue. I would consider this fairly low behaviour at any time But in the middle of a global pandemic, when I am trying to work across party lines and private cross-party support to your government for the difficult decision it is having to take, it is beneath contempt.

10:26 AM

A third of adults fear attending A&E during pandemic, ONS figures show

Around three in 10 adults would not feel comfortable attending A&E for urgent care if they needed it while the pandemic rumbles on, official figures suggest.

Some 61 per cent of adults said they would feel comfortable to attend a hospital appointment if their doctor asked them to, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

Almost a quarter (23 per cent) said they would feel uncomfortable with this, while 29 per cent said they would feel uncomfortable about going to hospital for emergency treatment.

Just over half (55 per cent) said they would feel comfortable about visiting the emergency department if advised.

And 14 per cent said they would not feel comfortable seeing a healthcare professional in person.

10:23 AM

Former Labour MP handed eight month suspended sentence over indecent image of child

Former Labour MP Eric Joyce has been sentenced to eight months in prison, suspended for two years, and ordered to complete 150 hours of unpaid work for making an indecent image of a child.

The 59-year-old, who was MP for Falkirk in Scotland between 2000 and 2012, had on a device a 51-second film depicting what appeared to be seven different children, aged between 12 months old and seven years old.

Joyce, of Worlingworth, Suffolk, pleaded guilty at an earlier hearing at Ipswich Crown Court to the offence, which took place between August 2013 and November 2018.

Judge Mr Justice Edis, sentencing the former shadow minister, said: "That these acts of abuse happened is because there are people like you who want to watch these films.

"If there was no market, those children wouldn't be subjected to these very serious offences."

But the judge added: "You have sought help from people well able to provide it and there's evidence before the court that that has had an effect on helping you reduce, perhaps completely, your impulsive behaviour, and that's happened over a significant period due to the delay in these proceedings."

10:16 AM

Minister to 'challenge the French' over migrant crossing crisis

A Government minister will "challenge the French" over what is being done to stop illegal migrants trying to cross the channel next week, John Glen has said. 

The economic secretary to the Treasury told Talk Radio that Chris Philp, the immigration minister, would be demanding to know "what they are actually doing to stop people coming over the channel". 

He added: "More need to be done to ensure there is maximum pressure on the French authorities... This has been an enduring challenge and the minister will be going to Paris to challenge his counterpart next week."

Mr Glen rejected the claim that the UK Government didn't have a grip on the problem, saying the Home Secretary Priti Patel was "working very closely with  her French counterparts", and that "the Border Force will be resourced to do the job it needs to do". 

09:55 AM

Have your say on: extending the furlough scheme

It's not just Labour calling for an extension to the furlough scheme. Even Telegraph columnist Ambrose Evans-Pritchard thinks it makes sense, pointing out that Britain would be an outlier and risk major economic disruption if Rishi Sunak ploughs ahead with his plan to wind it up in October. 

This morning the Chancellor insisted it couldn't last forever, and that the packages the Government is now offering will help people "look forward", perhaps channelling the views of  Bank of England governor Andrew Bailey, who yesterday noted that some sectors would no longer be "viable" after the pandemic. 

But with Andy Burnham claiming people aren't isolating because of job concerns, is it time for a rethink? Have your say in the poll below.

09:33 AM

Watch: Rishi Sunak says Government 'will not hesitate' to add more countries to quarantine list

Britain "will not hesitate" to add more countries to its quarantine list, Rishi Sunak said today when asked about whether France could join Spain on the list.

The Chancellor said that during a global pandemic, there was a risk that people would have their travel plans disrupted.

It comes as it was revealed that a rise in coronavirus infections in France is being closely monitored by ministers after Norway re-imposed quarantine on it.

France’s weekly rate has overtaken that of Portugal, which has reduced its coronavirus cases to the extent that ministers are considering lifting the travel ban on it next week and allowing flights to the country and its islands of the Azores and Madeira.

09:19 AM

Chopper's Politics Podcast: 'History will remember Boris Johnson's compassion'

Author and FGM campaigner Nimco Ali has said she believes history will judge the Prime Minister as a 'kind and compassionate leader'. 

Talking on this week's edition of Chopper's Politics with Christopher Hope, which you can listen to on the audio player above, Ms Ali spoke about questions she gets online for dealing with Conservative politicians in her fight to end FGM, or female genital mutilation. 

Also on the podcast, Christopher Hope takes an audio journey starting in Washington, where Government trade adviser Shanker Singham talks about the possibility of post-Brexit trade deals, why a deal with the US could affect your favourite tipple and why he thinks Liam Fox is the best choice to lead the WTO. 

09:05 AM

Quarter of adults still working exclusively from home, ONS figures find

A quarter of working adults are still working "exclusively" from home, with just over half of Britons travelling to work in the past seven days, ONS figures have found.

Almost half of working adults (49 per cent) have said the pandemic is having an impact on their work this week – a decrease with last week (57 per cent), ONS figures show. 

Of all working adults, over three-quarters (76 per cent) said they had either worked at home or travelled to work this week – a small decrease when compared with last week (78 per cent).

Over 4 in 10 adults (41 per cent) reported that the coronavirus was affecting their well-being this week, of which 14 per cent were worried about a possible job loss, and 1 in 10 were concerned about returning to work.

08:49 AM

Nearly all adults wearing face mask, ONS figures show

Almost all adults who left their homes wore a face mask this week, the latest ONS figures show. 

Some 96 per cent of adults wore a face covering, up from 84 per cent last week and 71 per cent before that. 

Meanwhile just over a third of adults (37 per cent) said they would feel comfortable or very comfortable eating indoors at a restaurant this week, an increase from last week (34 per cent).

Of those who had left their home, more than one in five (21 per cent) said they had visited a pub, restaurant or cafe, an increase from 10 per cent three weeks ago.

Some 41 per cent of people said coronavirus was affecting their wellbeing this week; with 14 per cent saying they were worried about a possible job loss.

08:34 AM

Treat self-isolation like jury service, says Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham

People are not handing over the names of contacts in the Test and Trace programme for fear of putting friends and family in a "really difficult position" without financial support in place, the Mayor of Greater Manchester has suggested.

Andy Burnham said the contact tracing system should be viewed as something "that's akin to jury duty" with people being able to self-isolate on full pay.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today Programme one of the reasons only 52 per cent of people were being reached through the system in Manchester was because "a number of people in our poorer communities are finding it very, very hard to agree to a request to take 14 days off work when they know they won't be paid, or worse, they will lose their job...

"What I'm saying to the Government is if people get those requests, they should immediately be able to self-isolate and this scheme should work on the jury service principle. They should be able to do it on full pay without any worries about those things."

Mr Burnham added that local lockdown measures in Greater Manchester need to be maintained, saying: ""We're not in a position yet where they can be removed because we're still seeing increases across most of our boroughs.

"Eight out of 10 have recorded a further increase this week so I think it reinforces that this was the right decision, as difficult as it was," he said.  

08:19 AM

Mark Wallace: Failure to speak for England imperils the Union

Rishi Sunak is in Scotland today, as the Government continues to press the case for the union, following a surge in support for independence during the pandemic. 

But Mark Wallace argues that it's not just those north of Berwick who need to feel loved by Westminster. 

As he points out, English voters’ affection for the Union may be deep but it is not bottomless.

08:03 AM

Foreign Office's chief mouser 'retires'

It's not just top civil servants that are being shown the door. 

The FCO's chief mouser Palmerston is to retire from the diplomatic service after spending over four years at the King Charles Street headquarters.

The former rescue cat, who has been at the department since April 2016, will see out his retirement in the countryside, where he has been spending lockdown already at the home of a member of Foreign Office staff. 

Sir Simon McDonald, who is himself on the way out, announced the news on Twitter.

07:56 AM

Stamp duty holiday creates 'mini boom' as house prices reach record high

Rishi Sunak's decision to create a stamp duty holiday has caused a "mini boom", pushing house prices up to a new high after increasing by 1.6 per cent, or £3,770, month on month in July.

Across the UK, the average property value was £241,604 in July, up from £237,834 in June, according to Halifax House Price Index (HPI). 

House prices were up by 3.8 per cent annually.

Russell Galley, managing director, Halifax, said: “Following four months of decline, average house prices in July experienced their greatest month on month increase this year... The average house price in July is the highest it has ever been since the Halifax House Price Index began.

"The latest data adds to the emerging view that the market is experiencing a surprising spike post lockdown. As pent-up demand from the period of lockdown is released into a largely open housing market, a low supply of available homes is helping to exert upwards pressure on house prices."

But he warned that there was "still a great deal of uncertainty around the lasting impact of the pandemic", noting that "a weakening in labour market conditions would lead us to expect greater downward pressure on prices in the medium-term.”

07:41 AM

Public health director urges Government to consider 'economic incentives' for people isolating

A public health director has urged the Government to "go the extra mile" and use financial incentives to persuade people to self-isolate. 

Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, director of public health at Lancashire County Council. told the BBC: "We're asking people to restrict their movements, to limit their livelihoods in a way; generally people do follow our advice and stay at home.

"But, in some areas, particularly where we are seeing more numbers of cases, these are all deprived areas, people may be sole bread-winners in their family.

"So, we think, to encourage that isolation behaviour, perhaps we need to go the extra mile to provide the extra economic incentive as well as the general guidance."

But speaking earlier, Rishi Sunak said the Government had already put forward "significant measures to support people's incomes when they're isolating".

07:35 AM

Preston poised to enter lockdown

Officials in Preston have warned it could become the latest area to face a local lockdown amid rising infection rates, with 47 new cases in the past week.

Yesterday, we reported that the city's council had already taken action as Public Health England figures showed a spike in cases. An announcement is expected at around 11am today.

This morning Dr Sakthi Karunanithi, the director of public health at Lancashire County Council, told BBC Breakfast: "We're not waiting for others to tell us what to do here in Preston, we've already activated our plans, making more tests available and asking people to avoid social contacts."

He said contacts of people with coronavirus symptoms were being encouraged to come for tests even though they may not have symptoms "so that we can find the virus that is hiding in close contacts and stop the transmission".

07:29 AM

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: It’s far too soon to end furlough support

It's not just Labour who are calling for the Chancellor to extend the furlough scheme.

Contrary to what Rishi Sunak said this morning, Ambrose Evans-Pritchard points out that the UK is the last major country in the developed world still planning to end its jobs support scheme this autumn, leaving British companies uniquely exposed as the pandemic wreaks further economic havoc.

If the shock is big enough it could lead to a macroeconomic chain-reaction and tip the economy into a double-dip recession, just as the Brexit process reaches a critical phase. 

07:13 AM

Home Office has 'lost control' over migrant crossings, says charity

The Home Office has "lost control" of the migrant crossing situation, with record numbers of people making the journey, a charity has claimed.  

At least 235 migrants made it across the dangerous waters of the English Channel on Thursday, taking advantage of calm weather. Thursday was the second time in just over a week that a new single-day record has been set, after 202 people crossed to the UK on July 30.

Human rights charity Detention Action has accused the Home Office of "fuelling chaos, criminality and untold trauma".

Director Bella Sankey said: "Trying to make this route 'unviable' through greater enforcement is naive grandstanding and amounts to more of the same.

"What is needed is recognition that people who reach France will have valid claims to protection in the UK and the urgent development of safe and legal routes for them to do so.

"This would end the crossings overnight and ensure we are standing by our age-old tradition of protecting those seeking sanctuary on our shores."

07:10 AM

Brexit deal in September possible, says Chancellor

Rishi Sunak has said he is "confident" that a Brexit deal can be secured next month - but said preparations are underway to provide "certainty" either way. 

The Chancellor told Sky News negotiators had "made good progress on lots of different areas" and the "structure of a deal" was taking shape. 

He noted there were "some considerable gaps, notably on fisheries" still remaining, but stressed both sides were "very committed to working through those."

He added: "Regardless, one way or another we will have certainty. We are making preparations so we can embrace our future with confidence."

It comes as Cabinet Office Minister Michael Gove and Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis head to Northern Ireland to unveil a multi-million pound plan to cushion businesses from Brexit red tape. 

07:07 AM

Rishi Sunak refuses to 'speculate' over future furlough extension

Rishi Sunak has insisted the Government is right to wind down the furlough scheme, but failed to rule out extending it in the event of a second wave. 

The Chancellor told BBC Breakfast: "This has been one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make. But if you look at it from start to finish of the furlough scheme, the Government will have been stepping in to pay people's wages for eight months.

"I think most reasonable people will say 'gosh, that's not something that can carry on forever'. In common with almost all countries around the world ... their versions of this are slowly being wound down toward the end of the year."

Asked if the furlough scheme would be extended if a second wave hit and resulted in another national lockdown, Mr Sunak said: "I don't think it's helpful to sit here and speculate on every potential situation that might arise.

"It's not something that we want to see happen and we're doing everything we can ... to stop that from happening."

06:54 AM

Furlough scheme 'not sustainable' long-term as Chancellor urges people to 'look forward'

Rishi Sunak has said keeping the furlough scheme is "not sustainable". 

There are growing calls for the Chancellor to consider extending the scheme, particularly for at-risk sectors and parts of the country that are forced back into lockdown. 

But he told Sky News it was time to "look forward, provide opportunities for tomorrow". 

He told Sky News: "It's one of the most difficult decisions I've had to make in this job.

"I don't think it's fair to extend this indefinitely, it's not fair to the people on it. We shouldn't pretend there is in every case a job to go back to.

"This is what we need to do now, it's to look forward, provide the opportunities for tomorrow. Yes, there is hardship ahead for many people, we know that, but they shouldn't be left without hope."

06:50 AM

Chancellor tells holidaymakers there is 'always the risk of disruption'

Chancellor Rishi Sunak has told holidaymakers "there is always the risk of disruption" during the pandemic when asked whether France may be the next nation to be added to the quarantine list.

He told Sky News: "It's a tricky situation. What I can say to people is we're in the midst of a global pandemic and that means there is always the risk of disruption to travel plans and people need to bear that in mind.

"It's the right thing for us to do to keep everything under review on a constant basis talking with our scientists, our medical advisers, and if we need to take action as you've seen overnight we will of course not hesitate to do that, and we're doing that to protect people's health."

06:49 AM

'Dominic Cummings effect' has led to major loss of confidence in Government

The "Dominic Cummings effect" has resulted in a big loss of public confidence in the Government, with trust not yet having recovered, new analysis shows.

On May 22, it was reported that Dominic Cummings, the chief adviser to Boris Johnson, had breached lockdown rules to drive 264 miles from his London home to Durham while suffering coronavirus symptoms. 

University College London (UCL), which has been monitoring public attitudes towards the Government during the virus pandemic, found a marked decrease in confidence starting on May 22 and continuing in the days that followed.

On a scale of seven, confidence was between 4.5 and five at the start of lockdown – but it dropped to 3.5 following the Cummings controversy. It has never bounced back, researchers found.