as coronavirus cases soar, london faces a move to tier 3 — england's highest level of restrictions. with ministers and officials said to be "deeply concerned" — all pubs, bars, and restaurants in the capital face closure. london probably does need to go into tier 3, because otherwise, we are going to have just even more problems — we are coming up to christmas, and then we are looking down the track at problems in january, february. if the government decides to move london into tier 3, they need to do it with open eyes and realise the catastrophic consequence to our hospitality sector, our cultural sector and parts of our retail sector. as we await a decision — we'll be getting the latest from our health editor. also this lunchtime: gps in england begin offering vaccinations as part of the next stage of the programme's roll—out.

yes, this is a different vaccine and logistically it is a bit different in terms of how we handle it and how we deliver it. but we feel ready and we deliver it. but we feel ready and we are raring to go to get it started for our community. as another deadline is passed, talks over a post—brexit trade agreement resume — the uk and eu agreeing to "go the extra mile" for a breakthrough. i must apologise for my friend's misbehaviour. i think you bloody well should! the doyen of espionage writing — tributes to spy turned authorjohn le carre, who's died at the age of 89. and coming up on bbc news: liverpool will be forever grateful. the world of football pays tribute to gerard houllier, as the former liverpool manager dies at the age of 73. good afternoon, welcome

to the bbc news at one. london and essex — an area covering more than nine million people — looks likely to be moved into tier 3 of covid restrictions. health ministers and officials are understood to be "deeply concerned" about the sharp rise in virus cases across the capital. it comes as the mayor of london, sadiq khan, is calling for secondary schools and fe colleges to close early if there's no mass testing available — ahead of christmas. schools in greenwich became the first in england to move to online. downing street says it expects all schools and colleges in england to remain open until end of term on thursday. andy moore reports. mobile testing units have been sent the parts —— parts of london, kent and essex which have expensed recent rapid rises in infection rates. london is currently in tier 2 and could go into tier 3 f rights continue to escalate. if the government decides to move london to tier 3 they must provide additional

financial support of those businesses who otherwise will go bust, hundreds of thousands ofjobs will be lost and it's far better for the government to keep these businesses afloat by additional financial support rather than the alternative, which is these businesses going bust and hundreds of thousands of londoners losing theirjobs. scientists are concerned about the speed of the rise in infection rates in parts of london and the south—east. infection rates in parts of london and the south-east. london probably doesn't need to go into tier 3 because otherwise we are going to just have even more problems, we're coming up to christmas and the relaxation of the rules for the christmas period, and then we are looking down the track had problems injanuary, looking down the track had problems in january, february. looking down the track had problems in january, february. parents and children arriving this morning at primary schools in greenwich what is now going to be the last day of term. parents at these schools were informed yesterday that they would be closing a few days early and switching to online learning where possible. what can we do? we need to just go on with it and get of the

way. at least it would help the incidents, that's fine. it is too short notice to get any sort of child in place. so we will be taking the day off unpaid, coming up to christmas, which is not doable. people mix while they are dropping the kids at school so we can see that the cases are rising. they have to do what they have to do. it's a shame things have been left till the last minute, this should have been done ages ago. the labour leader of greenwich borough council said he had to take immediate action because of what he called the exponential rise in covid cases in the borough. they have risen by about 60% in one week and now stand at 248 per 100,000 people. in the letter to pa rents, 100,000 people. in the letter to parents, danny thorpe said...

london mps have been briefed on the increasingly serious situation in the capital. he move to tier 3 now looks highly likely and that announcement could come as early as this afternoon. andy moore, bbc news, greenwich. with me now is our health editor, hugh pym. what are we expecting? we are certainly expecting a statement from the health secretary, matt hancock, at half past three and more detail will be set out their photo but certainly talking to mps, london mps we re certainly talking to mps, london mps were briefed this morning by health officials and council leaders across the capital are all expecting a move up the capital are all expecting a move up to the highest tier in england, tier 3, possibly even tomorrow or in the ensuing days. what does that involve 7 the ensuing days. what does that involve? it is already being imposed on certain other areas of england,

it pubs, bars, restaurants have to stop taking customers into their premises, it will be taken away only. if that is imposed in london it will hit a very big sector of the hospitality industry, really, for the whole of england. and it prohibits meeting people indoors or in private gardens. we can only meet people outside your household or your support bubble in a public park 01’ your support bubble in a public park or somewhere like that. essex is also likely to move up to tier 3, kent is already in that highest tear, and looking at the top 20 hotspots, 19 of them are in the south—east of england at the moment including some of the london boroughs. london has the highest case rate per 100,000 of any area of england, even though it is in tier 2. so that is the expectation, and certainly, talking to some people in local authorities, they feel urgent action is needed because case rates have risen so rapidlyjust in the

last week. and there is debate even going on about whether it needs to be tier 3 with extract restrictions to try to curb what looks like a rapid spread of the virus. 0ur political correspondent helen catt is in westminster. a difficult decision and a political one? it is, we should be hearing from matt hancock later this afternoon, he is due to give a statement to the house of commons. but as you heard just now, there was a briefing earlier this morning for mps from london and also from some of the surrounding counties like kent and essex. i'm told the picture that was painted was pretty bleak, they were told cases were rising exponentially, one mp saying the figures were alarming and while there wasn't any specific discussion about moving areas tier 3 or not, as west put it, they might not have set it in words but they did say it in figures. there were some concerns raised earlier too, one mp asking, why they did not seem to have been any impact on the rights in kent,

which went international lockdown and came out into tier 3, why that didn't seem to have had an impact and there were also concerns raised about this plan to relax some of the guidelines on household mixing over christmas. the prime minister's official spokesperson has said there are no plans to review the christmas guidelines although i did urge the public to continue to be cautious and to follow the guidelines. —— they did urge. about a hundred gp practices in england are receiving doses of the pfizer biontech coronavirus vaccine today, to start immunising patients over the age of 80. the surgeries will operate seven days a week, from 8am to 8pm, and people eligible for a jab will be contacted by their gp. there's some flash photography in sophie hutchinson's report. batches of the coronavirus vaccine being prepared for delivery today and this warehouse in the midlands. each box here contains almost 1000

doses and this centre has distributed more than 40,000 doses this morning. the vaccine is being taken to more than 100 gp practices in england, most of their patients will get it tomorrow. but a tiny minority, like the surgery in hell isa minority, like the surgery in hell is a line on the outskirts of birmingham, will have the jabs as early as this afternoon and this gp will be one of the first to administer one of them. covid-19 and the pandemic has been unprecedented in the nhs. we have used to delivering a mass vaccination, we do the flue programme every year, this isa the flue programme every year, this is a different vaccine, yes, logistically it is different in terms of how we handle it and deliver it but we feel so ready. gps have to work at speed. the vaccine has to be stored at ultra low temperatures. it is then thawed out and practices have just temperatures. it is then thawed out and practices havejust three temperatures. it is then thawed out and practices have just three and a half days to use it. this one in central london is aiming to vaccinate as many as 1000 people in

the next few days. that will mean injecting up to 40 patients every hour. nevertheless, many will have to wait for hour. nevertheless, many will have to waitforan hour. nevertheless, many will have to wait for an appointment, and doctors are urging people to be patient. inevitably, with the relatively small number of centres, not everybody will have access to it straightaway. but over the months working through the list, the expectation is that perhaps the 30 million or so people in the country that acquire the vaccine will actually receive it. the roll-out to gp surgeries comes less than a week since margaret keenan made history by becoming the first person to receive the vaccine as part of the nationwide roll—out. people aged 80 and over along with health care staff are being prioritised in what is the largest immunisation programme the nhs has ever undertaken. it's taken a huge amount of work, lots of people with lots of different backgrounds and experience. we worked with scientists, people from the army,

supply, scientists, people from the army, supply, logistics, estates, all sorts of people who have come together to make sure that we can offer vaccinations as gps come as pharmacists come as nurses, so we are pharmacists come as nurses, so we a re really pharmacists come as nurses, so we are really very lucky and it's been are really very lucky and it's been a phenomenal endeavour so far. and some gps will be running a mass vaccination programmes from larger centres, such as this one at epsom racecourse. nhs staff plan to vaccinate up to 300 patients a day here. to be able to do this at scale and get the number of patients vaccinated in a timely fashion, is really good to do in in a central hub where everything on —— is on site and set up correctly, where the right precautions are taken and we can be sure it is a safe and quality service. centres like this are part ofa service. centres like this are part of a rapid scaling up what will be over 1000 vaccination sites in the coming weeks, in the hope the virus‘s race may soon be run. sophie hutchinson, bbc news. a 90—year—old woman

in south lanarkshire has become the first care home resident in scotland to receive the coronavirus vaccine. older people in care homes and staff have been prioritised in the vaccine roll out. the health secretary for scotland said distribution of the vaccine to care homes was a challenge, but she was delighted the programme had begun. this from our scotland correspondent james shaw. you might end up with a wee bit of a bruise. oh, i'm full of bruises anyway. an historic moment over in seconds. hey! well done. annie innes, a former carer, became the first of thousands of residents in scottish care homes to be given the pfizer vaccine. the start of a process which should allow a return to some sort of normality. oh, it's been a terrible year, terrible. i would like to see it a lot brighter for everybody else then.

all 52 residents and the staff who look after them at abercorn house care home in hamilton will get the vaccine. in this health board area alone, there are nearly 9000 residents and carers to be vaccinated, a huge logistical challenge. the last week has been really, really challenging. just trying to overcome each of the logistic hurdles that has come at us with this vaccine. however, the staff across lanarkshire, across the so far, scotland has enough doses of the vaccine for around 33,000 people to get a first injection and then a booster three weeks later. much more will be needed just to protect those most vulnerable. over a period of time, particularly once we get

for the oxford and the moderna vaccines, the space and the pace will be able to be increased. we are all working as fast as we can but it will be a slow start and then gathering speed. the process of protecting people from coronavirus and ending the long nightmare of the pandemic has begun but no one yet knows how long this beginning of the end will take. james shaw, bbc news, glasgow. for the past 11 months, our medical editor, fergus walsh, has followed the team at oxford university and astrazeneca as they designed, developed, manufactured and trialled their covid—19 vaccine. this evening there's a special programme in which he charts their progress. fergus is with me now. this is a remarkable story.

they were really quick off the mark. they were really quick off the mark. they design their vaccine over a weekend. they were first to take their vaccine in europe into human trials and now we could be days away from it being approved by the regulator. now the issue is how do you get the 3 billion planned doses for the world which astrazeneca has promised? i went along to one of the sites where they make it and they grow up the vaccine in human cell culture and it is a bit like watching vaccine masterchef. their role these people in ultra clean room doing their bit to the recipe. the team at oxford had to find a way to get production up from a small university level to a huge scale. to get production up from a small university level to a huge scalem isa

university level to a huge scalem is a little bit like developing the recipe for coke. it takes quite a long time to get the recipe just right but once you have that recipe, it is like a template and it can be transferred to all sorts of different manufacturing organisations around the world and that's exactly what we've done. i hope the programme tonight will reassure people about the speed at which this has been done. there haven't been compromises on safety, the trials have been huge, and 0xford actually are ahead of all the other companies in being transparent about its data and publishing it all ina about its data and publishing it all in a medicaljournal. thank you very much. and you can see fergus's full report in panorama tonight on bbc one at 9:05pm, and afterwards on the iplayer. it is just after it isjust after 1:15pm. 0ur it isjust after 1:15pm. our top story this lunchtime: as coronavirus cases soar, london faces a move to tier 3 — england's highest level

of restrictions and, coming up, blood donation rules for gay and bisexual men are being relaxed across the uk. coming up on bbc news: liverpool will face last year's semifinalists rb leipzig in the next round of the champions league. i'll bring you all the details of today's draw as manchester city and chelsea also discover their fate. the head of the eu commission ursula von der leyen had said there is movement in the brexit trade talks. she was speaking as negotiators from both sides resumed intensive discussions in brussels on their outstanding differences. in the last hour, downing street said that a no deal outcome was still possible but that work continues to try and reach an agreement. jessica parker reports. where are we going with this? hopes forfinding a deal go down and edge up again. arriving to brief ambassadors, the eu's chief negotiator. the cameras can follow michel barnier out here but not into the negotiating room.

fishing rights still unresolved, also shared competition rules and standards and what happens should they diverge. today, claims there is movement in the talks but... if the uk wants a seamless access to the single market, and the single market of the european union is the largest one in the whole world, they are welcome, but they either have to play by our rules, because this is a matter of fairness for our companies in the single market, or the other choice is there is a price on it and price is tariffs. in brussels, four further discussions today, lord frost, the uk's chief negotiator. both sides saying they will go the extra mile. it is what businesses want, it is what people in our country want and that is precisely what we're doing. we are not going be walking

away from these talks. if we are going to get a deal with the eu, it has to be on the basis that the eu understands that the uk is a sovereign nation and an independent nation. the uk left the eu injanuary but it has been following eu rules and regulations since then while the two sides work towards a future relationship, but there is not long left now until that arrangement expires. borisjohnson briefed his cabinet yesterday after another phone call with brussels. both sides agreeing to stretch sunday's deadline a little further. so yesterday's deadline came and went and notably a new one wasn't set, but of course there is that ultimate deadline of the 31st of december, in just over two weeks' time, when the brexit transition period comes to an end. but a senior uk government source says talks can't go on that late because both sides need time to ratify any agreement. we all want to get a deal over the line. we are up against the wire. the prime minister went to the country with one promise

a year ago, that he would get brexit done. he as good as said he had a deal. he needs now to deliver on it. but both sides need to keep negotiating, both sides need to compromise. yesterday, the prime minister said a no deal, which would mean new trade taxes called tariffs, was still the most likely picture. a different relationship with the eu is just around the corner, it's just not quite clear exactly what the new year will bring. jessica parker, bbc news. nick beek is in brussels for us. they are going the extra mile but in what direction? it's hard to say, isn't it? it is worth reminding ourselves that these talks are taking place behind closed doors so i don't think anybody can say with great certainty what the exact detail is, but we know that this morning michel barnier has been updating the 27 eu ambassadors and this is always a significant moment because these are the people who have the direct hotline to their respective capital cities and they have all got to be kept happy if

there is going to be a trade deal. all 27 countries need to be able to sign up to it. previously, michel barnier‘s assessments have been pretty gloomy over the last few weeks or so. today, i am told, he was more positive. he said on competition rules, the so—called level playing field, there had been movement and that potentially this was pointing towards a deal on this specific angle. however, when it comes to fishing, the two sides said to be very far apart. however, mr barnier said if there is a deal on fish, if they manage to bridge their disagreements, he thinks a deal could fall into place in a matter of days. so for the optimists here who wa nt to days. so for the optimists here who want to deal, that could be viewed as good news. 0bviously, another brexit deadline has come and gone yesterday once more. they passed by this deadline. we know the end of the year is a true deadline but in the year is a true deadline but in the short term assignment, neither side is talking about having to do

something in the coming 48 hours, 72 hours. does that give the exhausted negotiator is a bit more time for manoeuvre? thank you very much. the government has set out what it calls historic plans to clean up the energy system — and keep bills affordable — as the uk shifts to a low carbon economy. one part of that plan includes increasing nuclear capacity, and today the government has announced it is beginning formal negotiations with the french nuclear giant edf on the building of a new nuclear power station at sizewell in suffolk. let's get more from our environment analyst roger harrabin. it is better say you have been waiting some time for these proposals from the government. very long time. it does look like a cautious green light for new clea ra nce cautious green light for new clearance at sizewell. not going to but the government has decided clearly that it wants to have new nuclear as part of its energy mix for the future and it is in talks now about trying to bring down the cost which is still extremely high. and bringing down the cost to

consumers too, one way or another? bringing down the cost for consumers. this is really interesting. what is happening now, we are in the middle now of an energy relevant elution in which electricity is going to become a premium fuel for heating our homes and running ourcars premium fuel for heating our homes and running our cars and all sorts of processes but the government is concerned, and other people are too, that it did it make if it is not careful, the poorest in society will have to foot the bill and they are determined, or at least they say they are determined, for that not to happen. 0ne they are determined, for that not to happen. one of the initiatives that has been announced today is that the government will try to look into this syndrome under which when you signed up for this syndrome under which when you signed upforan this syndrome under which when you signed up for an electricity bill with the company, you signed up on what appeared to be a good tariff and the switch the tariff so they end up paying more. the government says this has to stop and they have to find a way now. thank you very much. blood donation rules for gay and bisexual men are being relaxed across the uk in a move the government is calling

a "landmark change". we can speak now to our lgbt correspondent ben hunte. they are describing it as a landmark. how has it been seen elsewhere? what i found interesting from my social media scrolling today is that a lot of people were not aware that the gay blood ban was even a thing. until now, gay and bisexual men or men who have six with men, —— men who have sex with men, were not allowed to donate blood at all if they had had sex in the last three months. it listed blanket ban and focuses on individual behaviour. the rules across the uk from summer 2021 will me that anyone can now donate blood unless, in the last three months, they have had multiple partners or in all sex. whilst they are saying this is a line change, others have been saying something different. 0ne person said that a straight man can still sleep with as many people as

he likes and still give blood but 93v he likes and still give blood but gay men have to be in a monogamous, long term relationship. this makes me feel dirty and not trusted. so as you can see, the government is clear that it carries the highest rate of risk regardless of sexual identity. this is based on protecting the safety of the blood supply and not eve ryo ne safety of the blood supply and not everyone is happy with that. ben, thank you very much. the government is to give more money to victims of the windrush scandal, which saw hundreds of people wrongly threatened with deportation. the home secretary priti patel will announce later that the minimum payment will rise from £250 to £10,000, and the maximum from £10,000 to £100,000. there will be higher payments in "exceptional" circumstances, with money being paid to claimants quicker than before. the former liverpool manager, gerard houlier, has died aged 73. the frenchman led the club to five major trophies, including the fa cup,

league cup and uefa cup treble. in a statement the club said they were "deeply saddened" to hear of his death, with players past and present paying tribute. katie gornall reports. in the pantheon of great liverpool managers, gerard houllier is often overlooked and yet the former schoolteacher transformed the club's fortu nes schoolteacher transformed the club's fortunes and modernise their approach to the game.|j fortunes and modernise their approach to the game. i came but i didn't makea approach to the game. i came but i didn't make a revolution. ijust wa nted didn't make a revolution. ijust wanted to have a sort of revolution of things and to convince people you could do things differently and be more performing. having managed psg in the french national team, houlier arrived at anfield in 1998 as a joint manager with roy evans then taking sole charge. he sought a major change in the squad. his best year came major change in the squad. his best yearcame in the major change in the squad. his best

year came in the 2000, 2001 campaign where he guided them to an unprecedented league cup, uefa cup and fa cup treble. cheering michael owen was the mini to pay tribute, describing him as a great manager and a genuinely caring man will stop at football took a heavy toll. in 2001, houlier nearly died after suffering from chest pains during a match against leeds. he left liverpool in 2004, seven years later, he would take charge of aston villa, but heart problems forced him to quit afterjust nine months. gerard houllier will be remembered as an intellectual and passionate manager and a fierce servant of the clu b manager and a fierce servant of the club he adored. one of the great post—war novelists. a literary giant. among the tributes to one of britain's best—known novelists, john le carre — who died yesterday aged 89. in his writing, he drew on his own experiences as an intelligence agent, and for many he re—shaped their idea of cold war espionage through characters like his most famous, spy master george smiley.

will gompertz looks back at his life. do you know what is killing western democracy, george? greed. and constipation. nothing is as it seems in tinker tailor soldier spy.|j constipation. nothing is as it seems in tinker tailor soldier spy. i hate america very deeply. the economic repression of the masses. institutionalised. john le carre's literary masterpiece is set in a secret world of spies, lies and double—crossing double agents. secret world of spies, lies and double-crossing double agents. he is right about the state of affairs down there. slovenly. the story revolves around the wise and wily george smiley. his supremely intelligent intelligence officer. you might call it balancing the books. david cornwell was still working for mi6 in the early 1960s when he started writing his slogans spy when he started writing his slogans spy cirrus, hence the need for a pen

name. he named himselfjohn le carre, once again under cover. he said it was a guide into the secret world of espionage which started when spying on his fellow students at oxford university. what he did professionally would inform his novels for the next decade but perhaps not as much as his early private life. he was a wounded character from his childhood. private life. he was a wounded characterfrom his childhood. he had been left by his mother when he was young. the personal wound gave his writing a real edge. the pain of his mothers disappearance... his cover for meeting new people is he is spying on the circus and he must have a man on the circus and he must have a man on the circus and he must have a man on the inside, mustn't he? the good quys on the inside, mustn't he? the good guys might be the bad guys, the truth, as george smiley knew only too well, is elusive. worrying really about the absence of strong

alliances, the clarity of our position in the world, britain was not position the world, you're as position the world, and this absolutely open future and for george smiley, can you imagine what he thinks about trump? john le carre was an exceptional storyteller whose spy was an exceptional storyteller whose spy thrillers will be read for generations to come. he was also an astute chronicle of temporary life in politics, a man who cared deeply about the state of the world. his dark character is reflected what he saw but not necessarily the man himself whom friends described as being warm and tomorrow with a barely concealed romantic streak. john le carre, who died yesterday. at the age of 89. let's have a look at the weather. thank you very much. good afternoon. a decidedly un—settled flavour to the weather this week. no shortage of rain in the forecast at times but not all the time. it will often be

windy and mild.