borisjohnson says the uk's response to the coronavirus pandemic shows the "sheer might" of the united kingdom. the prime minister is on his first visit to scotland since last year's general election. i think the union — the merits of the union — are very, very strong. they've been proved throughout this crisis. but the snp says the visit shows borishjohnson is in a panic about rising support for scottish independence. we'll have the latest. also this lunchtime... face coverings are compulsory in shops and supermarkets in england from midnight tonight. the eu's chief brexit negotiatior says there's a real risk of the uk leaving the eu without a deal. a huge increase in calls to domestic violence charities during lockdown,

mainly from women. and leeds united defend their decision to parade the championship trophy from an open—top bus in front of thousands of fans. and coming up in the sport later in the hour on bbc news, we'll look ahead to england's deciding test against the west indies that starts tomorrow at old trafford. good afternoon, welcome to the news at one. the prime minster says the response to the coronavirus pandemic shows the united kingdom is a fantastically strong institution. speaking on a visit to scotland on the first anniversary of entering number ten,

borisjohnson promised to be a prime minister for every corner of the uk. but latest opinion polls in scotland suggest support for independence is climbing, and there's a significant gap between boris johnson's approval ratings and those of scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon. here's our scotland correspondent james shaw. the prime minister is coming to one of the most northerly parts of the united kingdom to make the case for the union. boris johnson is here a year after he became prime minister to highlight the benefits which have flowed from the four nations of the uk working together to tackle coronavirus. but why visit the fishing communities and businesses of orkney at this particular time? recent opinion polls in scotland have suggested that support for independence is growing. perhaps partly because of a perception that the scottish government's approach

to the coronavirus has been better than that of the uk government, a perception the prime minister wants to counter. the scottish first minister is not meeting mrjohnson today, but she had this message for him. i don't think any of us, and i include myself in this, should be trying to use covid and the crisis situation we continue to face as some kind of political campaigning tool. this is a pandemic that has taken the lives of more than 50,000 people across the uk. military testing centres are just one way that uk resources have been deployed in scotland. the treasury's income support schemes are reckoned to have helped a third of the workforce here. whether scotland has coped better with the virus is hard to assess. there have been more than 4000 deaths, nearly half in care homes, but will the prime minister's visit change perceptions of him and

his government in scotland? what you have seen throughout this crisis is the union working together with the money for supporting people through furlough, the army working on the testing, moving people around, but now we need to build back better together with a green recovery. the tories have done nothing for scotland. it is time for a change. all these people around the country are not... i don't really know. i can't say anything bad about him and not a lot good either. london has behaved so badly with us over the past 200 years, just progressively got worse and worse. opinion polls suggest the coronavirus crisis has had a significant impact on how voters feel about their political leaders. it happens to be the case, despite the fact that in many respects the record looks similar as

far as deaths are concerned. at least until recently the scottish government's handling of coronavirus is rated much more highly than is borisjohnson‘s. is rated much more highly than is boris johnson's. that is rated much more highly than is borisjohnson‘s. that is due south of the border as well. this cartoon from the times newspaper sums up the dilemma for boris johnson. from the times newspaper sums up the dilemma for borisjohnson. this visit is designed to help bolster support for the union but those in favour of independence will hope his unpopularity in scotland will unintentionally help their cause. james shaw, bbc news. let's speak now to bbc scotland's political editor, brian taylor. we had a flavour of it there but give us a sense of your assessment to the response to this visit. the argument that boris johnson to the response to this visit. the argument that borisjohnson is support for the union based on power play, based on the might of the union, arguing it is the treasury

billions that have brought about the cash injection to temporarily counter the decline in jobs, cash injection to temporarily counter the decline injobs, and it is the availability of the armed forces, the uk armed forces, to put in there might if you like, to support efforts to counter this hideous plague. boris johnson support efforts to counter this hideous plague. borisjohnson i think it is also aware that an argument founded on might could sound too jingoistic so he modulates that by putting in the argument saying it's also in terms of the union about the combined efforts, the common good, the common interests, the shared endeavours of the scottish and english people's. in response to that nicola sturgeon said at her briefing a short time ago that she didn't believe leaders should be crowing, as she put it, about their efforts to counter coronavirus. they should stick to that rather than making constitutional points. she also said the money coming from the treasury was not a boom to scotland, it was

borrowing, and if scotland had the power scotland could also borrow. she argued independence would allow scots to choose their own future. brian taylor, thank you. it's compulsory to wear a face covering in shops in england from midnight, but the government has been accused of confused messaging about the rules. the full guidance is due to be released later today, and people with certain disabilities are exempt, but ministers have confirmed that a covering is needed when buying takeaway food in england unless you're eating in. breaching the rules could result in a £100 fine. theo leggett has more details. face coverings are already compulsory in shops in scotland and from tomorrow that will be the case in england as well, but in wales you won't need to wear them. and ministers in northern ireland are still discussing the issue. the government in westminster say face coverings are needed to help limit the spread of covid—i9 as the economy opens up after the lockdown and people get out and about more. so how will it all actually work?

well, if you want to go into a shop or supermarket you will have to wear a face covering — something like this. on the other hand, if you go into a pub or restaurant you won't have to. and where it gets all a little bit complicated is if you go into a takeaway that also serves food where you can sit down. the difference that people may not have been aware of and what will be outlined in the regulations today is if you are going into a takeaway and you are eating in somewhere that's got a takeaway, then that's like hospitality. you are eating, it's not practical to wear a face mask, we recognise that. but if you are going in to buy a product and leaving again then you are treating it like a shop and you should be wearing a face mask. there will be exemptions from the new requirements. children under 11 and people with certain disabilities won't be expected to wear face coverings, for example. for the rest of us, though, failing to wear one could mean a £100 fine. but small retailers in particular say they should not be responsible for making sure their customers cover up.

we are saying that retailers and their colleagues should not be challenging people if they are not wearing a face covering. last year in the uk there were 50,000 incidents of violence and convenience stores against colleagues and against retailers. we are not going to create another flashpoint through this. we are not going to put those colleagues or retailers in a position where they are challenging people who may then react and create very, very serious incidents. retailers insist they are doing all they can to make sure people are aware of the changes coming in tomorrow, but some customers still seem unsure. as you can see, no one is anywhere near me. i'm maintaining two metres, so i don't see the need in wearing it. so if it costs £5, some people will say that, ok, i'm not going to wear it, if someone is going to fine me, that's fine, i'll pay £5. they can do thousands, hundreds, that's the same thing, you have to wear the mask. consumers across the country have already become used to many of the changes

we've seen in shops, like socially distant queueing and one—way systems. now ministers hope the wearing of face coverings will simply become another part of the new normal. theo leggett, bbc news. the eu's chief brexit negotiator, michel barnier, has said there is a real risk of the uk leaving the eu without a deal, and he said the eu is willing to negotiate up until the last moment. he's been speaking in the last hour. our assistant political editor norman smith has been listening. we have heard the phrase before. what is your assessment of everything else michel barnier has been saying? i suspect many others have slightly lost the plot on the brexit negotiations because we have had other things to worry about, but it does seem as if no deal is becoming a real possibility. at least that is the view of michel barnier. in these situations public posturing is all part of the game to try and crank up the pressure on

your opponents, a bit like the sort of stern stare in a poker game, you try to psych out your opposite number. but there are clear signs of serious strains with michel barnier saying he doesn't think the uk are serious about trying to find solutions, that we have reneged on previous commitments. and in terms of some of our individual demands such as on fishing waters, he said oui’ such as on fishing waters, he said our stance would lead to the destruction of the eu's fishing industry which they will never accept. our man david frost is not quite so doom and gloom, but he was sounding pretty exasperated this morning, saying i can't understand why the eu is finding it so difficult to give us the sort of deal they have already given to the canadians. where does it leave us? yes, no deal is becoming a possibility but we have surely learned in all these negotiations

with the eu that they always go right down to the wire. these negotiations will probably be no exception, so set your brexit alarm for one minute to midnight. norman smith, thank you. fears that the lockdown would see a rise in domestic abuse have been confirmed today. new figures show the national domestic abuse helpline has received more than 40,000 calls and contacts over the past three months. the charity refuge, which runs the helpline, says most have been from women suffering abuse. and, with restrictions easing, there is now a big increase in women seeking refuge places. june kelly reports. home — for most, a place of safety under lockdown. but, for others, a prison with no escape from the perpetrator. lockdown has affected my whole life and made the abuse more obvious than ever before.

claire says her ex—partner has exploited the delay in court hearings during the lockdown to breach custody arrangements — at one point, refusing to hand back their five—year—old daughter. lockdown has opened the door for him to control me more than he did when we were together. i'm a nervous wreck. i hand her overand i'm thinking, "am i going to see her again?" she is one of the thousands of women who have contacted the national domestic abuse helpline, run by the charity refuge. he's put his hands on my shoulders and around my neck and held me really tight. i felt like i couldn't escape. staff have been working from home, offering 24—hour support. that must have been incredibly frightening. have you told anyone else about his behaviour? no. all my friends are his friends, too. hundreds too frightened to make a phone call have sent messages to refuge's live chat service, appealing for help. we've been able to talk to women even when their perpetrators

are home with them. it can be easier to grab ten, 15 minutes in the bathroom on your phone, doing something that is silent. and, now, as restrictions ease, a rising number of women finally free to seek help, are asking for refuge places. these were already in short supply before the pandemic. this is a perfect storm, in some ways, in terms of not having really sustainable provision across england and where and, now, across england and wales and, now, thinking about a much greater increase in demand. so many have suffered abuse under lockdown. the men's advice line is also reporting a big increase in male victims seeking help. emergency government money is due to run out in the autumn. everyone working in the sector says what's needed now is a long—term funding plan. june kelly, bbc news.

details of organisations which offer support and information about domestic abuse can be found online, at bbc.co.uk/actionline. the coronavirus test and trace system is still missing thousands of people, according to the latest figures. in the week to 15thjuly, just under 80% of people who tested positive were reached and 78% of their contacts were told to self—isolate. our health editor hugh pym has been looking at the figures. what more does this tell us? there has been an improvement. the test and tray system in england was only set up in may and it has gradually got towards the 80% level. that is seen as really important if the virus is to be controlled, but the system virus is to be controlled, but the syste m gets virus is to be controlled, but the system gets to 80% or more of those who test positive to find their

recent contacts and then to 80% of those contacts. it has not reached that yet. the people running it say we are making progress, learning as we are making progress, learning as we go along, and testing capacity will be greatly expanded. the ba roness will be greatly expanded. the baroness who runs the system in england spoke to me in an interview and told me about plans to boost the number of walking test centres across the country. the big priority is to make sure that we've got sufficient testing capacity when the flu season hits and people have flu or covid and we need to test everybody with those sorts of symptoms. so that means scaling up the laboratory capacity to process at least 500,000 tests a day by the end of october, but it also means making it easier for all of us to get access to a test. so by the end of october we want to make sure that the majority of people living in urban environments are within 30 minutes' walk of a walk—in testing centre.

that was baroness dido harding running test and trace. i also put to her that had been concerns about data security with passing on people's details and processing them, and she strongly denied there was any breach of any regulations. some local authorities, including blackburn with darwen, who are coping with their own outbreaks, are saying that the national system hasn't particularly helped them, that only 50% of so of people's contacts there have been reached and could do better, and again the message is we could do better, and again the message is we are could do better, and again the message is we are trying to work more with local officials and we no further progress will be required. hugh pym, thank you for now. the time is 1.17. our top story this lunchtime... on a visit to scotland, borisjohnson says the uk's response to the coronavirus pandemic shows the "sheer might" of the united kingdom. for the first time, female artists outnumber men on the shortlist for the mercury prize.

coming up in the sport on bbc news... leeds united defend their decision to parade the championship trophy in front of their fans, despite asking them to stay away from elland road. nearly £600 million has been promised by the government to upgrade the rail network in the north of england. much of the money will be used to electrify the transpennine main line between manchester and leeds, and a new body is to be set up, nina warhurst has all the details. train horn blares. we're not cattle, we're people. peeved passengers. two carriages full, you can't get on, people can't sit down, they're overheated, they leak. cross commuters. can i swear on camera? no. i can't, then, i can't say. these travellers are tired. this isn't worth £30 a day.

it's not worth 30p a day. from crewe to carlisle, from manchester to middlesbrough, four years, they've been telling us they are angry. here's why. they say there's overcrowding, cancelled services, chaotic timetables, changes in ownership. and all as prices go up. i'm regularly late for work, i have to work through my lunch break to make up the time. i was late every day to work for, like, the first month. the season tickets are increasing, but the service is progressively getting worse. it's absolutely ridiculous. you feel like cattle. by the time we get closer into manchester, you won't even be able to do this interview because there'll be so many people on the train. £270 a month for a season ticket, which would be fine, if the trains ran or were on time, or you could actually get on. delayed upgrades, out—of—date models. broken promises. old, a bit worn out now. the old ones are a load of rubbish. they are very, very bad. very unreliable, very uncomfortable.

they're hopeless. they're obsolete, they should have been phased out years ago. they point to poor connections in the places that need it most and underinvestment compared to other parts of the country. this train is a lot older and it's probably slower. it smells quite bad compared to the trains in london. it's just too slow and, sort of, compared to london rail links, ijust think it's really behind the times. i go down to see friends in the south and round london and the train quality there isjust so much better. there's so many more carriages and whatnot and, the north, the train system isjust so poor compared to what they've got down south. today's headlines — well, fresh cash and a fresh body to work out the region's rail problems. it could be a promising fresh start. the problem is, these passengers say they've heard it all before. nina warhurst, bbc news. president trump says he's going to send what he described as a "surge" of federal officers into three democrat—run cities.

he says the move is needed to combat an explosion of violent crime in chicago, kansas city and albuquerque in new mexico. our north america correspondent david willis sent this report. amidst the chaotic demonstrations against police brutality that have been taking place in portland are federal agents in military fatigues, sent in on a mission to protect federal property. critics say their presence here has only served to exacerbate tensions. president trump, however, defends their deployment and is now planning to send federal law enforcement officers to other american cities to combat what he calls "a rampage of violent crime". we want to make law enforcement stronger, not weaker. what cities are doing is absolute insanity. many of the same politicians who want to slash resources for law enforcement have also declared

that their cities are sanctuaries the next city on the list, chicago, where 15 people were shot outside a funeral parlour on tuesday night. as in portland, president trump blames the violence on the failure of local democratic leadership, and while chicago's mayor is cautiously welcoming the deployment of federal officers, the leaders of some other major cities are saying no way. so what we see in portland is that the federal presence is actually making the situation worse. and we cannot allow that here in new york city nor anywhere else in the country. in the wake of george floyd's death at the hands of white police officers back in may, some have called for the defunding of the police. in response, donald trump has sought to depict himself as a law and order president and the democrats as weak on crime. my vision for america's cities could not be more different from the lawlessness being pushed by the extreme radical left. while others want to defund, defame, and abolish the police,

i want to support and honour our great police. for a president who once saw the booming economy as his ticket to a second term, the protests over police racism represent an opportunity to fashion a new political strategy, as well as the chance to boost his standing in the opinion polls. david willis, bbc news, los angeles. the social mobility commission has warned that there are "stark inequalities" between those who can afford to move to london and the south east, and those who remain in other parts of the uk, with those who do move in their 20s earning on average a third more than those who don't. dan johnson reports. where you come from and where you go are still big factors in what you earn. leaving somewhere like stoke, for a city like london, can build careers, but it keeps deepening disparities across the country.

people who move earn more than people who don't, and people from better off backgrounds are more likely than those from less well—off backgrounds to move home, so there isa backgrounds to move home, so there is a double whammy here, that those who move do better but the people are already more well off are more likely to move. the urge to escape one employment already casts a long shadow over these streets —— the urge to escape unemployment. there is no production, no industry, nothing has replaced the pots, when the pots went nothing replaced it. we became a service industry, there was lots of nail bars and hairdressers but it doesn't put food on the table for most people. my family have stayed in the area but at times it was concerning that they might have to move elsewhere to get work. tough times have traditionally seen work. tough times have traditionally seen people on the move in search of more secure work, especially from places that have come to rely on a

fragile foundation of zero—hours contracts, but the unpredictable backspin of coronavirus could also mean there are opportunities for places like stoke. the university he has tried to keep the brightest and best close to home and now there are new possibilities for online learning and remote working.|j new possibilities for online learning and remote working. i guess one of the things that covid has done, it will remove the geographic barriers to potentially securing positions across the uk and globally, so we are doing some brilliant work at the moment with companies down in london and across the globe really to offer different types of experiences. bars and restau ra nts types of experiences. bars and restaurants have had a tough time but here too there are some positive signs. we found that a lot of people are staying local and we think that might be down to the fact that... safety. safety, they might feel nervous about going elsewhere happy to stay local. do you think it could good for stoke in the long run.

definitely, retail and hospitality, yeah. our habits have been challenged and our priorities, family, quality of life, may not be sacrificed in future for a career but with old inequalities looking far less certain it's possible they may not need to be. danjohnson, bbc news, stoke—on—trent. leeds united have defended their decision to parade the championship trophy from an open—top bus in front of thousands of fans after their last game of the season last night, after previously telling people to stay away. and, in liverpool, several thousand fans gathered outside anfield, despite a police dispersal order, as the club lifted the premier league trophy. katie gornall‘s report contains flashing images. it was the moment leeds united finally got their hands on the prize. after 16 years, they were not only returning to the premier league but taking the championship trophy with them. outside elland road, thousands of supporters had gathered and, despite the club previously

having told people to stay at home, an open—top bus appeared for the players to celebrate with them. in a statement afterwards, the club defended the system, saying... "the safety group believe that a brief appearance of the players "with the championship trophy would help to signal an end "to the proceedings, encouraging fans to head home safely. "in challenging circumstances, fans‘ safety has always "been our priority." but the change of heart has proved controversial. yesterday, there were all those messages on twitter, you know, stay at home, support leeds at home, so we decided not to take emma and obviously we have woken up today and seen all the pictures of the players on the open—top bus with the trophy, so, yeah, it's a bit disappointing. they shouldn't have really rewarded those people who didn't do as they were told. joining leeds in the premier league will be west brom, whose fans also gathered outside their stadium as they secured promotion on a final day of drama in the championship. liverpool's fate has seemed certain for months. keita's shot! oh, i say, what a strike!

after a thrilling win over chelsea, the european and world champions finally lifted the trophy that means the world to them. champions of england again. outside anfield, around 3,000 fans ignored calls to stay away and celebrated long into the night. police confirmed there were nine arrests. unlike in leeds, there was no opportunity to see the players. probably the only downside is that the fans aren't here, you know, to share the moment with us, but i'm sure they're celebrating at home and i know how happy they will be for all of us, for the club, for the team, for the lads and i look forward to that moment when we come back in the stadium and we can have it together. after 30 years, liverpool's long—awaited coronation is complete and the real party is yet to come. katie gornall, bbc news. for the first time in its 29 year history, female artists and female—fronted bands outnumber men on the shortlist for the mercury prize — which recognises the best album

of the year by british and irish artists. our entertainment correspondent colin paterson has all the details. # if you don't wanna see me, dancing with somebody... it's females to the fore at the mercury prize. this album of the year award started way back in 1992, but, for the very first time, women make up the majority of the 12—strong shortlist. # don't show up. # don't come out. with brit winner dua lipa... # i like, i like, i like... ..charli xcx for an album she made at home during lockdown... # i like everything about you. # i don't have material gifts for you... ..and drummer—turned—singer georgia all on there. # stay a while. # you've picked up some tricks that you've learned on the way. laura marling is shortlisted for the fourth time in her career with song for our daughter, and says the recognition for females is well deserved. it's always been a strong time for women in music. i think you know, most

of my favourite musicians growing up were women... i don't know what that is. i mean, there has been a huge cultural shift in the last couple of years, i guess, but they've always been there. # for god's sake, look at me straight. as for why the mercury prize still matters, well, take the example of lanterns on the lake. the newcastle band have been going for 13 years, have never made the charts, and lead singer hazel wilde has an office job to help make ends meet. they are on the list and say the exposure could be a complete game—changer. i don't know where to start, it's difficult to talk about without feeling a little bit, light, emotional, really. you always hope that there might just be this little spark, something that happens, that helps the work get out there much more. and this is, like, the pinnacle thing, you know? # if the heartbreak changed me...