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Tory MP calls for exam algorithm to be published amid fears it disadvantaged poorer pupils

Cat Neilan
·37-min read
Around 100 protesters marched on Whitehall to demand a Government U-turn on exams - AFP
Around 100 protesters marched on Whitehall to demand a Government U-turn on exams - AFP

A senior Conservative MP has called on the exams regulator to publish details of the algorithm it used to make its calculations, to ensure pupils from poorer areas were not disproportionately marked down.

Protesters have marched on Whitehall demanding the Government act to protect students, after it emerged that nearly 40 per cent had been downgraded by the algorithm.

Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons Education Committee, told the BBC's World At One he was concerned that it appeared as though "disadvantaged students have been penalised again".  The appeals process should not just be for "the sharp-elbowed and well-heeled," he added.

Mr Halfon added: "I am also worried about further education colleges because they have been improving in recent years and yet they seem also to have suffered under this grading system.

"If the model has appealed disadvantaged groups this is very serious and if it has disadvantaged colleges that has to be looked at. Ofqual will have to adjust the grades."

Yesterday, several backbench Tories told the Telegraph they believed Gavin Williamson, the Education Secretary, should resign over the chaos.

Follow the latest updates below.

02:59 PM

And that's it for another day

It's been another bruising day for Gavin Williamson, with MPs on all sides attacking him - including members of his own party. 

Labour have claimed inequality is "baked in" to the system used, while the Lib Dems and SNP have called on the Education Secretary to resign. Perhaps more worryingly for the Government, questions have been raised about the disproportionate affect the algorithm used to determine exam grades seems to have had on pupils from deprived areas by the Conservative Education Committee chair Rob Halfon. 

However, Mr Williamson has a few days grace before entering the second round with next Thursday's GCSE results. 

Grant Shapps has also been facing criticism for yet another late-night change to the quarantine rules, which has left hundreds of thousands of British holidaymakers in a mad scramble to get home before the restrictions come into force. 

But despite calls from some including former Brexit secretary David Davis to consider compensation for those who can't work from home, 66 per cent of you said the Government should hold firm, arguing that they were warned before they travelled. Some 22 per cent want to see some protection for jobs, but only 12 per cent think the Government should step in on salaries. 

That's it for today - I'll be back from 8am on Monday for more from Westminster and beyond. 

02:51 PM

Nine border fines imposed since quarantine introduced, says Home Office

A total of nine fines have been issued at the border since quarantine restrictions were introduced, the Home Office said on Friday.

The department counts the number of fixed penalty notices issued by Border Force under the regulations.

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC), which holds details of the number of quarantine fines issued by forces in England and Wales, was unable to provide the latest figure.

Previously the body said just one person had been fined by police between June 8, when the rules were introduced, and July 27.

02:38 PM

Labour MP Dawn Butler received 'uptick in abuse' after police chief's intervention

A Labour MP who complained of being racially profiled when she and a male friend were pulled over by police officers at the weekend has said she received an "uptick in abuse" after a senior officer's intervention.

The Met's deputy commissioner Sir Steve House complained officers faced "trial by social media" following the stop in Hackney on Sunday.

Today Dawn Butler said she had spoken with Commissioner Cressida Dick who "confirmed that the Met will indeed corroborate that the driver is a black male".

She added that during the meeting she had "made it very clear to Commissioner Dick that we need to see reforms to stop-and-search law".

Ms Butler said the pair have planned a meeting with "organisations and leaders in the field" to improve the system, and also agreed that the MP will visit the Met's training centre "to experience first-hand the training the Met gives it officers".

02:26 PM

Coronavirus R-rate stable, Sage data shows

The coronavirus reproduction rate within the UK as a whole remains unchanged from last week and is between 0.8 and 1, latest figures show.

In England, the R-rate is also between 0.8 and 1, but Sage has repeatedly said it is not confident that R is currently below one in the country. 

Sage data has also revealed the growth rate of coronavirus transmission has narrowed to between minus four per cent and minus one per cent, changing from between minus five per cent and zero last week.

The growth rate reflects how quickly the number of infections is changing day by day, as a way of keeping track of the virus.

02:20 PM

Ambrose Evans-Pritchard: British travel curbs on France are idiotic but Macron's cheap populism is just as bad

Britain and France are behaving as fatuously as each other. Common sense has gone out of the window. 

For a sliver of a margin between rates in the two countries, the British government has caused chaos for some 500,000 Britons currently in France, who cannot return in time to avoid the quarantine because there are not enough trains, ferries, or flights. They will have to isolate on their return, and some will not be able to work – again.

This zero-tolerance absolutism is coming from the same government that allowed passengers to pour in from Milan, Madrid, Paris, and other known Covid hotpots with no controls at the height of the storm in early March, when British state policy was to let the virus run wild.

Yet, argues Ambrose Evans-Pritchard, the French riposte to this British perfidy is no better.

02:06 PM

SNP calls for no confidence vote in Education Secretary after A-levels debacle

The SNP is turning the tables on the UK Government, calling for a vote of no confidence in the Education Secretary Gavin Williamson following the A-levels debacle. 

It comes a day after John Swinney, Scotland's education secretary, survived an equivalent debate in Holyrood. 

SNP MP Pete Wishart has tabled an early day motion (EDM) on the matter. 

He tweeted: "I am going to write to the Speaker to see if Parliament can be recalled.

"We need to hear from the Education Secretary on the exam crisis in England and to offer the opportunity to my English colleagues (and to Scottish Conservative MPs) to seek his resignation."

01:45 PM

How closely have you been paying attention to this week's news?

Gavin Williamson, Boris Johnson and the Queen have all made the headlines in the past few days.

In the week that thousands of students received their A-level results after an academic year like no other, the Telegraph's weekly quiz is here to find out how closely you've been paying attention to this week's news. 

Test your mettle here.

01:34 PM

Take 'exceptional measures' to avoid 'writing off' A-level students' life chances, says Labour

Labour has called for "exceptional measures" to be brought in to avoid "writing off" the life chances of an entire generation. 

Shadow education secretary Kate Green said it may prove impossible for all those individuals seeking appeals to have them processed in time to take up their university places.

"I am concerned that if we have a deluge of appeals, which I think is quite likely given the fiasco we have seen over the last day-and-a-half, there just won't be time for students to have those appeals processed and completed, and universities will fill up those places," she told BBC Radio 4's The World at One.

She added: "As a one-off measure this measure this year, we have to do something for these young people otherwise we are writing them off for the whole of their life chances.

"I think it is right that this year we take exceptional measures, give those young people every possible opportunity to progress with their lives and make use of teacher assessments where we can't be confident that algorithm and the Government's model has delivered fairness to very, very large numbers of students."

01:22 PM

Further eight people die in English hospitals, NHS confirms

A further eight people who tested positive for coronavirus have died in hospital in England. 

That brings the total number of confirmed reported deaths in hospitals to 29,452, NHS England said on Friday.

The patients were aged between 75 and 90 and all patients had known underlying health conditions.

One other death was reported with no positive Covid-19 test result.

01:17 PM

Have your say on: Compensation for quarantine

Grant Shapps has ruled out the idea of paying compensation for people who are forced into quarantine, arguing that people who went on holiday did so with their eyes open. 

This is certainly true, but what is also true is that many people do not have the option of working from home, as he did during his 14 days of isolation. 

But David Davis, the former Brexit secretary, told the Telegraph  "I take the view that the Government should at least guarantee the employment rights and the income for the fortnight people are forced to quarantine."

With much of the quarantine system resting on compliance rather than enforcement, the Government is expecting people to do the right thing. But if people risk losing two weeks' salary - and potentially their job - is it actually going to work? 

Have your say in the poll below:

01:15 PM

UK must stop selling arms to Saudi Arabia while 'demonising' refugees

The UK must stop "demonising" refugees and consider its own role in creating the circumstances they are escaping from, campaigners say.

More than 4,000 people have made the Channel crossing this year alone, with migrants hailing from a number of war-torn countries including Yemen, Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan and Libya. 

SNP MP Alison Thewliss, who is a member of All-Party Parliamentary Group for Yemen, attacked a recent decision by International Trade Secretary Liz Truss to resume arms sales to Saudi Arabia. 

"We are selling arms to one party in a conflict, we really have to step up and take more responsibility than (we) normally would," she told PA. "Saudi Arabia cannot be trusted to use the arms that we sell them responsibly. We should not be selling to them, it's as simple as that."

Andrew Smith, of Campaign Against Arms Trade, said: "The humanitarian crisis in Yemen is the worst in the world... They are people that deserve empathy and solidarity, not the kind of scaremongering and scapegoating that we have seen from Boris Johnson and his colleagues.

"Governments like the UK must stop demonising refugees and consider their own roles in creating the circumstances that people are escaping from."

12:57 PM

Northern lockdown remains for another week, Government confirms

People living in North West, West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and Leicester have been told to "remain vigilant" as the Department for Health said the local lockdown would stay in place for at least another week. 

The latest data does not show a decrease in the number of cases per 100,000 people in the area and shows a continued rise in cases in Oldham and Pendle while numbers remain high in Blackburn with Darwen, the department said.

Health minister Edward Argar said: "I'd like to thank everyone in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, East Lancashire and Leicester for their continued patience in following these vital rules put in place to tackle the spread of the disease - I know it hasn't been easy.

"We will review the measures again next week as part of our ongoing surveillance and monitoring of the latest data.

"It is essential we all remain vigilant and I urge everyone in these areas to continue to follow the rules."

12:48 PM

Quarantine 'triggered' for any country with more than 20 cases per 100,000, Grant Shapps confirms

The UK may impose quarantine on any country with more than 20 cases per 100,000 people, Grant Shapps has said. 

The Transport Secretary said once infection rates reach this level it can "trigger" the removal of travel corridors, meaning travellers will have to self-isolate when they arrive in the UK for 14 days.

He told the Today programme: "With France and these other countries, Netherlands and elsewhere, the numbers have now just gone above the threshold, which is about 20 case per 100,000, but measured on a seven day rolling average. 

"That is what the Joint BioSecurity Centre will be looking at," he said, noting France had "breached" the level. 

In the week to July 25, when the quarantine for anyone returning to the UK from Spain was announced, the case numbers per 100,000 had risen from 20 to 39. As of yesterday, France’s cumulative 14-day total of Covid-19 cases was 32.1 per 100,000; in the Netherlands that figure is 40.2 and Malta 74.8. The UK’s figure by comparison is 18.5.

"The information came out last night, which is why we had to act last night," he added. "There is no perfect way to deal with this virus."

12:48 PM

Tory MP calls for algorithm to be published amid fears it disadvantaged poorer pupils

A senior Conservative MP has called on the exams regulator to publish details of the algorithm it used to make its calculations, to ensure pupils from poorer areas were not disproportionately marked down.

Robert Halfon, chair of the Commons Education Committee, told the BBC's World At One he was concerned that figures suggested "disadvantaged students have been penalised again". 

Mr Halfon added: "I am also worried about further education colleges because they have been improving in recent years and yet they seem also to have suffered under this grading system.

"If the model has appealed disadvantaged groups this is very serious and if it has disadvantaged colleges that has to be looked at. Ofqual will have to adjust the grades."

Mr Halfon said the appeals system needed to be broadened so that every student who felt they had lost out could use it.

"We have to have a wider appeals system, a quick appeals system that is for everyone, not just the sharp-elbowed and well-heeled," he said.

12:35 PM

Watch: 'The system is rigged' says Labour's Angela Rayner on A-Level results chaos

Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner has claimed this year's A-level results system "is rigged" after almost 40 per cent of results were downgraded.

The government is facing growing calls to abandon its grading system, largely based on using a statistical model as well as a rank order drawn up by teachers.

A total of 39.1 per cent of grades in England were lowered from teachers' predictions, data from exam regulator Ofqual revealed. 

Watch the Labour frontbencher below

12:28 PM

Jeremy Warner: Ben and Jerry's can say what it likes, but there is a darker side to corporate political correctness

Round at Ben and Jerry’s, they must have been utterly delighted with the response to this week's effort at virtue signalling.

Their holier than thou series of tweets, urging the Home Secretary, Priti Patel, to show a little humanity over the plight of migrants, prompted a great outpouring of rage on social media, and even succeeded in making the front page of the Financial Times. 

As cynical, brand-boosting, marketing initiatives go, this one was a corker.  

But, argues Jeremy Warner, rather than rising to the bait in spittle-flecked fury, Ms Patel’s supporters should instead have called the company’s bluff, and asked for its social media team’s ideas on how to deal with what is plainly an enormously complex issue. Needless to say, they would have had nothing constructive to offer.

12:15 PM

Protesters march on Whitehall over exams row

A group of protesters, including students who received their A-levels on Thursday, have marched down Whitehall in central London towards the Department for Education building.

Around 100 demonstrators had gathered outside Downing Street, chanting "sack Gavin Williamson" and "teachers not Tories" whilst holding placards.

Protesters hold placards on Whitehall outside Downing Street - AFP

11:59 AM

'Out of his depth' Education Secretary should resign, says Lib Dem MP

Gavin Williamson is "out of his depth" and must resign before further "blunders" happen, the Liberal Democrats have said. 

Layla Moran, who is currently vying to be leader, said his "shambolic" handling of exams results had "created untold confusion and distress", disproportionately affecting those from deprived backgrounds.

She added: "Gavin Williamson is an Education Secretary out of his depth and out of excuses. He must take responsibility for his mistakes and step down with immediate effect. Our young people and our country cannot afford these blunders to continue into September, ahead of a potential second wave.

"If the Government continue to refuse to put their trust in teachers predictions, they must ensure every pupil has the right to appeal free of charge, and the opportunity to sit these examinations should they wish. We also need to see clear guidance from the Government to universities to ensure greater leniency in admissions decisions."

11:56 AM

Rishi Sunak touts UK Government support for Scotland

Rishi Sunak was doing his bit to sell the Government's efforts to boost the economy - and strengthen the union - in Scotland last week.

The results have been uploaded as another one of the Chancellor's now characteristically slick social media videos.

11:25 AM

Have your say on: Compensation for those caught up in quarantine

David Davis is among those arguing that the Government should cover the cost for those who find themselves having to self-isolate as a result of the new measures and can't simply work from home. 

The former Brexit secretary told the Telegraph  "I take the view that the Government should at least guarantee the employment rights and the income for the fortnight people are forced to quarantine.

"The very fear of these circumstances might lead people to cancel their holidays without recompense, costing them yet more money."

Do you agree? Or do you side with Grant Shapps, who this morning argued that people had enough warning before they booked their summer break? 

Have your say in the poll below:

11:18 AM

Number of people in England with Covid-19 level, ONS figures show

An estimated 28,300 people in private households in England had Covid-19 between August 3 and 9, according to new figures 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 estimate is unchanged from the previous week of July 27 to August 2, suggesting that while the percentage of individuals testing positive for Covid-19 in households in England had risen slightly in July, this trend now appears to have levelled off.

It comes after Boris Johnson confirmed that industries including "close work" beauticians, theatres, casinos and bowling alleys will be allowed to reopen in England from this weekend.

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

11:08 AM

Watch: "People may have been aware this would come along', says Grant Shapps

Coronavirus "doesn't play ball" with people's plans for summer holidays, Grant Shapps has said - but people "would have been aware" that quarantine could be reimposed at any point. 

The Transport Secretary this morning defended the decision to remove France, the Netherlands and other countries from the travel corridor list and urged people to contact travel operators before trying to return home. 

Watch again below. 

10:56 AM

Post-Brexit plans for internal market require consensus from devolved nations, MSPs say

Plans for a post-Brexit internal market must not be imposed without consensus and agreement between the devolved nations and the UK Government, MSPs have warned.

The Westminster Government wants to establish a new internal market between the four nations at the end of the Brexit transition period, but Holyrood's finance and constitution committee convener Bruce Crawford criticised the lack of detail about a new trade framework and claimed there was "little scope for meaningful engagement".

Mr Crawford said new structures must not be imposed without devolved governments' agreement because "trade-offs and balances are involved in making an internal market".

He said: "This must be achieved through mutual trust and respect for the existing constitutional arrangements within the UK.

"In particular - as this committee has emphasised on numerous occasions - the UK Government, post-Brexit, must respect the devolution settlement... The significance of the proposals for all citizens across the UK means that the solution cannot be left to the UK Government to decide.

Earlier this week  Scotland's constitution secretary Mike Russell accused Boris Johnson of "running a clear and deliberate anti-devolution policy".

10:44 AM

UK 'clearly lags behind' on quarantine and passenger testing, claims tourism body

The UK "clearly lags behind other countries" in terms of quarantine procedures, and the failure to deploy passenger testing, a global travel and tourism industry body has claimed. 

Last night, the Government removed France, the Netherlands, Malta and a series of other countries from the travel corridor list, meaning people arriving in the UK from those destinations will now have to quarantine for 14 days.

Gloria Guevara, president of the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC), said the body was "deeply disappointed that thousands of British holidaymakers have had their holidays ruined".

She added: "While we agree public health should remain the top priority, this move will crush what little confidence there is left in the fragile travel and tourism sector.

"The UK clearly lags behind other countries, which have shunned quarantines in favour of comprehensive programmes of testing for everyone departing and arriving back into their respective countries.

"International co-ordination and programme of testing for anyone who wants to go on holiday to help stop Covid-19 in its tracks are crucial in order to rescue three million jobs in the UK alone."

10:32 AM

Calderdale's 'serious' coronavirus rates likely pushed up by frontline workers

Calderdale's "serious" coronavirus rates appear to be caused by frontline workers, West Yorkshire's public health director Debs Harkins has warned. 

Ms Harkins has issued a plea to the borough's 200,000 residents, in particular Halifax, where infection rates in some areas of the town are now higher than any part of Leicester, Blackburn with Darwen, or Luton

Ms Harkins wrote to residents "to stress how serious the situation in Calderdale is, and to ask for your help to tackle Covid-19."

She added: "When we look at the trends in confirmed cases in Calderdale, it's clear that too many restrictions were lifted too quickly... There's no evidence at all that these higher rates are because people in Calderdale are less likely to observe social distancing than people in other areas of the country; in fact, the opposite is true."

The information available seemed to indicate that new cases are in people who have been working in essential roles, "the people who care for us, feed us, serve us and transport us," she said.

"Since lockdown has eased, these are the people who are more likely to come into contact with Covid-19. These are the people who should be celebrated rather than blamed."

Calderdale is due to launch is own contact tracing service, subject to final government approval.

10:13 AM

Two-thirds of British holidaymakers won't go abroad if quarantine is in place

Most holidaymakers would be put off going abroad if they faced 14 days of quarantine on their return - but 10 per cent would still be up for travelling overseas, a survey has suggested.

Almost two-thirds (62 per cent) of people said they were very unlikely to travel if they had to self-isolate for two weeks when they got back to the UK, the Office for National Statistics (ONS) said.

The survey results were published hours after Britons holidaying in France, Netherlands and several other countries were told that from 4am on Saturday they will be required to quarantine due to rising numbers of coronavirus cases in the country.

A fifth of adults have reported having cancelled their foreign travel plans due to the possibility of quarantine restrictions, while 14 per cent said they would holiday in the UK instead this year.

A third of people said their household would not be able to afford a week's holiday away from home this year.

09:52 AM

Chopper's Politics: Douglas Ross, Scottish Tory leader, on Brexit, nationalism and football

The new leader of the Scottish Conservatives and football referee, Douglas Ross joins Christopher Hope to discuss moving on from the independence debate, why UK Government-funded projects in Scotland should bear the Union Jack, and why his football background stands him in good stead in Westminster.

Plus, we test his clout in a perilous round of quickfire questions, and find out he's not so hot on Scotland's national snack, the deep-fried Mars bar.

09:38 AM

Reopening industries 'economic rather than epidemiological' decision, warns Sage scientist

A Sage scientist has warned that the move to opening more industries from tomorrow is economic, rather than because the risk of coronavirus has receded. 

Professor John Edmunds,  and epidemiologist, and a professor at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, told the BBC:  "From a scientific point of view, I think we would probably conclude that it's (the situation) not changed very much.

"And if you take other epidemiological indicators, they haven't changed really very much over the last few weeks.

"I think you'd have to ask someone from the Government exactly why they took the decision.

"I don't think it's really been taken on epidemiological grounds, I think it's really been taken primarily for economic reasons and there's of course extremely good reasons for doing that."

However Grant Shapps defended the decision, saying: "We've measured this based on what the Office for National Statistics say about it and they'd expressed concerns about a slight increase in England's test positives.

"And you'll recall that we put on hold the measures which, as you mention, are now coming into place. They've now suggested that that situation has levelled off."

09:31 AM

Lockdown lift on indoor meetings paused in Wales

Lockdown rules in England might be loosening, but plans to allow people to meet indoors in Wales will not be relaxed this weekend, the First Minister has said. 

Mark Drakeford has previously he "would like to be able to offer more opportunities for people to meet indoors" from 15 August - but this is now being paused. 

However, up to four households - up from two - will be able to form an extended household from 22 August, as long as conditions "remain stable".

He also said all hospitality businesses would have to collect customers' contact details to help tracing.

Further enforcement measures are also being introduced to make sure businesses follow Covid-19 safety rules.

09:18 AM

Government urged to trial testing system to reduce quarantine period

The Government has been urged to deploy a testing system for passengers returning from higher risk countries, to cut down the time required for people to quarantine. 

France, the Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks & Caicos and Aruba were all removed from the travel exemptions list, effective from 4am on Saturday. Officials said they were responding to a “significant change in Covid-19 risk” .

The countries join Spain, Belgium and a host of other countries for which people are expected to isolate for 14 days on their arrival in the UK. 

However some countries such as Germany allow passengers to take a test, cutting the amount of time people must quarantine. 

A Heathrow spokesman said: "The UK needs a more sustainable long-term plan for the resumption of travel than quarantine roulette.

"Testing could provide an opportunity to safely reduce the length of quarantine in certain circumstances, protecting both the health and wealth of the nation as we pave a path towards a new normal.

"As ever, our teams will be on hand to support passengers impacted by the travel restrictions but we urge Government to work with us to trial a solution which could help to provide more certainty."

08:55 AM

Have your say on: Compensation for quarantine

Grant Shapps has ruled out the idea of paying compensation for people who are forced into quarantine, arguing that people who went on holiday did so with their eyes open. 

This is certainly true, but what is also true is that many people do not have the option of working from home, as he did during his 14 days of isolation. 

With much of the quarantine system resting on compliance rather than enforcement, the Government is expecting people to do the right thing. But if people risk losing two weeks' salary - and potentially their job - is it actually going to work? 

Have your say in the poll below

08:41 AM

Fraser Nelson: This A-level fiasco is just the start of lockdown’s betrayal of the young

"We have just had our futures stolen from us," one student has told Fraser Nelson after yesterday's exam debacle.

This is true in many ways. The young are the least likely to be affected by Covid but usually the first to be hit by the reaction to it. Schools were closed before lockdown was implemented and kept closed after pubs reopened. Exams could easily have been carried out under social distancing, had anyone thought it important enough to give students the chance.

A study by the Brookings Institute in America has calculated that, even adjusting for online learning, four months out of the classroom cuts future earning power by 2.5 per cent every year. The World Bank reckons that this “lost generation” will, collectively, earn $10 trillion less because of the schooling denied to them.

As Fraser argues, yesterday's fiasco is just the start of the betrayal of the young.

08:13 AM

Government urged to extend furlough for arts sector

The Government is being urged to extend the furlough scheme for struggling sectors of the economy such as the arts and entertainment to prevent "significant" job losses.

The Royal Society for the encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA) said workers have returned relatively quickly in areas such as hospitality, including accommodation and food services.

But only 29 per cent of arts,  entertainment and recreation workers having returned from furlough, according to the study.

Fabian Wallace-Stephens, senior researcher at the RSA, said: "The return to work is encouraging news for the millions of workers in sectors like hospitality and construction.

"However, for some sectors such as the arts and entertainment, the numbers are worryingly low and may prove to be the warning signs of significant redundancies.

"The Government needs to give continued, focused support for these sectors of the economy, linked to a clear recovery strategy."

The furlough scheme, which has sustained the jobs of millions of workers, is ending in October.

07:59 AM

Moving No 10 advisers into Cabinet Office 'power' move by Dominic Cummings, says Bob Kerslake

Number 10's plans to shake up Whitehall by moving policy advisers into the Cabinet Office is a "power" move by Dominic Cummings, a former head of the Home Civil Service has said. 

From next month, the Downing Street policy unit and its chair Munira Mirza will be based in 70 Whitehall, the home of the Cabinet Office. The door which currently connects 70 Whitehall to 10 Downing Street is being removed in a symbolic move that unites the two office complexes.

Theresa May's former adviser Katie Perrior said it was "just an office move - I don't think people should read too much more into it". 

But Sir Bob Kerslake said: "In truth it's about power, the power of the Prime Minister, and his special advisers over Whitehall and actually Dominic Cummings over special advisers".

Advisers are currently "dotted all over Number 10 - this is a way of keeping an eye on them," he added. 

"In itself it's not huge... [but] what is it important to see it as part of a wider set of changes going on. My concern there is not so much about change, it's about transparency and accountability"

07:52 AM

PM accelerates easing of lockdown from this weekend

Boris Johnson has taken the brakes off the easing of lockdown as he announced that plans for wedding receptions, sporting events and indoor performances will resume.

The Prime Minister said the changes will allow people to “get back to more of the things they have missed” since the health crisis began after rising infection rates appeared to have “levelled off”.

Wedding receptions of up to 30 people will now be allowed from Saturday, as will the reopening of casinos, bowling alleys and skating rinks.

Beauty salons, tattoo studios and spas will be able to offer all close “ services and treatments”.

Read the rest of the changes here.

07:42 AM

Grant Shapps rules out compensation for people having to quarantine

Grant Shapps has rejected the idea that travellers should receive compensation for having to quarantine on their return, even if it affected their ability to work.

It has been argued that people who are unable to work from home should be supported for the 14-day period, with critics warning that without this people will have to make an unenviable choice between health and finances. 

But the Transport Secretary told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that although he sympathised with people caught up in the chaos, they had been warned of possible disruption. 

"People this year will have gone away knowing that there was a significant risk, and because of that people will have gone with their eyes open," Mr Shapps said. 

07:39 AM

More students from disadvantaged backgrounds go to university overall, stresses Grant Shapps

Grant Shapps has stressed that more students from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university overall.

On BBC Breakfast, it was suggested to Mr Shapps that he was discounting statistics indicating that children from the most deprived areas have been hardest hit by results being downgraded.

Mr Shapps responded: "I don't (discount it), it's just that I'm reading an actual statistic - 7.3 per cent more children from disadvantaged backgrounds, 18-year-olds, accepted to university this than last year, to which you're coming back and saying I don't agree with that, but you're not providing me any numbers.

"So yes I do think that more students from disadvantaged backgrounds are going to university and overall, as I say, we've got more been accepted to university than previously as well.

"So look, those are the figures. If you've got up some other figures then tell me, but that's the numbers I've got in front of me."

07:38 AM

Grant Shapps rejects exams 'inequality' claims

Grant Shapps has rejected claims that the Government's exams assessment has been unduly fair on students from deprived backgrounds. 

Angela Rayner, Labour's deputy leader, told BBC Breakfast there was "baked inequality in what's happened", with the system benefitting private schools as the expense of those in poorer parts of the country. 

"We believe the only option that the Government have got now is to go back to the teacher-awarded grades because they've made such a fiasco," she added. 

But Mr Shapps insisted that inequality "is not the upshot" of the assessment, adding: "The standardisation model says there hasn't been any bias." 

07:29 AM

Grant Shapps defends Government's quarantine approach

Grant Shapps has defended the Government's approach to quarantine, saying there "has to be a cut-off" in regards to a time period for those being mandated to self-isolate on their return to the UK from abroad.

The Transport Secretary told BBC Breakfast: "I think the truth of this is, as everyone watching realises, there's no perfect way to deal with coronavirus.

"Unless you were going to have a sliding scale that sort of said if you stay another 24 hours the you must quarantine for X amount of time, another 36 hours for Y amount of time, you know, clearly there has to be a cut-off somewhere."

Mr Shapps added: "To be clear, the Joint Biosecurity Centre have cleared our approach to this."

07:28 AM

Estimated 160,000 people trying to return from France, Grant Shapps says

Grant Shapps has said an estimated 160,000 holidaymakers are now looking to return from France to the UK.

Challenged as to why people arriving before 4am tomorrow morning would not have to quarantine, while those arriving just after would have to isolate for 14 days, despite the rate being above the threshold now, the Transport Secretary said: "I accept your point". 

He added: "We have to make a decision on it and we have to do that based on science and medicine, and that's what we've done, we've taken the advice and implemented on that basis."

Asked if he would encourage those returning to the UK if they should self-isolate, even if they fall outside of the official quarantine deadline, Mr Shapps said: "That's not legally required.

"But what I would say to everybody is look out for the signs, everyone knows what we're talking about - the persistent cough, the high temperature, the change in taste or smell, so everyone should look out for those signs.

"But, no, it's not necessary to quarantine unless you're coming back after 4am on Saturday and those are the rules."

07:21 AM

France warns of 'reciprocal measures' as UK imposes quarantine

France is planning to retaliate against the UK Government's late-night decision to impose a quarantine on travellers arriving from the country, a minister said last night. 

The move, announced by Transport Secretary Grant Shapps on Thursday night, means people travelling from the European country will have to isolate for two weeks if they return to the UK after 4am on Saturday.

The Netherlands, Monaco, Malta, Turks & Caicos and the island of Aruba have also been added to the quarantine list.

But, despite imposing a "red zone" around Paris and Marseille, the decision appears to have upset the Elysee, with French junior minister for European affairs Clément Beaune warning of reciprocal measures. 

"A British decision that we regret and which will lead to a measure of reciprocity, hoping that things will return to normal as soon as possible," he said on Twitter at midnight.

07:10 AM

Holidaymakers scramble to get home before quarantine rule comes in

The late night announcement that France was being removed from the UK's travel corridor list has prompted chaos at the borders as holidaymakers attempt to avoid having to quarantine for 14 days.  

Grant Shapps, the Transport Secretary, told Sky News: "We have provided a bit more notice than there was in Spain, where I was when I had to come back and quarantine - the rate is a bit behind where Spain was at the time."

He added there were "The thing with France is there are tree different ways to travel - by air, by sea and by the tunnel."

However many direct flights to the UK on Friday are sold out, while the cheapest ticket on a Eurostar train from Paris to London is £210, compared with £165 on Saturday.

The cost of taking a car through the Channel Tunnel on Eurotunnel Le Shuttle services on Friday morning is £260.

All trains after midday are fully booked.

P&O Ferries has limited availability, but one person travelling with a car from Calais to Dover can buy a ticket for £200.

07:06 AM

French government designates Paris and Marseille 'high risk zones'

Paris and Marseille have been designated as high-risk zones for the coronavirus, granting authorities there powers to impose localised curbs to contain the spread of the disease.

The declaration, made in a government decree yesterday, follows a sharp increase in Covid-19 infections in France over the past two weeks.

France reported more than 2,500 new Covid-19 infections for the second day in a row, levels last seen in mid-April when the country was in the middle of one of Europe's strictest lockdowns.

The government move gives local authorities in Paris and the Bouches-du-Rhone area powers to limit the circulation of people and vehicles, restrict access to public transport and air travel, limit access to public buildings and close restaurants, bars and other establishments.

Paris and Marseille had in recent days already made the wearing of face masks mandatory in busy public areas.

07:04 AM

'Don't just turn up' at French border Grant Shapps warns British holidaymakers

The Transport Secretary has told British holidaymakers "don't just turn up" at French airports, ports and Eurotunnel as they race to get home before the quarantine comes into force. 

The Government announced late last night that France was among the countries being removed from the travel corridor, meaning people will have to isolate for 14 days on their arrival in the UK. 

Grant Shapps told Sky News people had been given "a bit more notice" than those who were in Spain, noting "I do sympathise with people - I have been there myself and ended up having to quarantine as a result."

He also defended the decision from criticism by aviation bosses, saying it is a "dynamic situation" and "we have no real choice but to act".  

06:51 AM

Boris Johnson to stamp Scottish projects with Union flag

Boris Johnson will stamp major schemes in Scotland that are paid for directly by the UK Government with a Union flag from next year, The Telegraph can reveal.

The flag will replace the European Union symbol, which has been used to denote when a bridge or road has been directly funded by Brussels.

The idea has been backed by the new Scottish Conservative leader, Douglas Ross, who said Tories north of the border needed to be "unashamed of our investment in Scotland".

But it was greeted with dismay by senior SNP politicians, with one accusing Mr Johnson's Government of "posturing of the worst order" and "trying to force the union flag down people's throats".