air hello, this is bbc news. i'm ben brown. our top stories. air hello, this is bbc news. i'm ben brown. ourtop stories. many air hello, this is bbc news. i'm ben brown. our top stories. many people in england and wales told to stay home as tough new coronavirus restrictions come into force. similar restrictions coming to scotland. the netherlands bans passenger flights from the uk as it detects its first k of the new covid variant surging through southern england.

many people in england and wales are waking up to new tougher lockdown restrictions. at midnight. similar restrictions came into force for all of wales at midnight. plans to relax restrictions over the christmas holiday have now been abandoned for those in the new tier, who can no longer spend any of the festive period with people outside their household. the labour party have accused prime minister boris johnson of being indecisive. nick eardley reports. london last night, where some made a last—minute journey before lockdown started. but there won't be the usual christmas getaway this year. significant restrictions are now in place in large parts of england and in the whole of wales. and they are coming in scotland. and for millions, christmas visits will be considerably shortened or cancelled altogether.

for lesley nelson, who has terminal cancer, that means she won't be able to spend time with her sister. literally, i just sat in my chair in floods of tears. and messaging my family, you know, what are we going to do? itjust seems so unfair. for somebody like me, i'm terminally ill, i won't be here next christmas. people may think, 0k, that's all right. we'll celebrate christmas in the summer. i don't know if i'm going to be here in the summer. in london, the east and south east of england, people are being urged to stay at home. nonessential shops are closed, plans to allow christmas baubles have been cancelled. —— bubbles. in the rest of england, in scotland and in wales, christmas has been cut back significantly. instead of meeting for five days, christmas baubles will only be allowed for one, christmas day itself. it is with a very heavy heart,

i must tell you we cannot continue with christmas as planned. in wales, lockdown was brought forward and came in at midnight. nicola sturgeon has said nobody should travel to scotland from the rest of the uk, and that she will be bringing a lockdown on the mainland from boxing day. i know how unfair it is, but this virus is unfair. the changes will come as a blow to many. the end of this tough year is going to be no easier, but politicians and scientists believe the risk was just too great. nick eardley, bbc news, westminster. the netherlands has banned passenger flights from britain from this morning. flights were stopped as of 6am after the country detected its first case of the highly—contagious variant of coronavirus that's surging through southern england. anna holligan has this update from the hague. the decision by the dutch government

has made almost immediately after the british prime minister revealed the british prime minister revealed the rapid rise of cases in and around london was due to this mutant strain of the virus. the new variant is thought to spread more quickly and also be harder to detect. it is not thought to be more deadly. the dutch government said that sampling here revealed that one case of this new variant, so they are now investigating that individual and how they became infected and whether there are in other individual cases beyond that one. they are inching juicing additional travel bans that would affect ferries and trains between the two countries. there are also talking about potentially restricting travel between the uk even further due to the rapid rate of infection coming from this mutant strain of the virus.

you are watching bbc news. andy moore is at oxford street in central london. last night, people piling into the shops to do some very last minute christmas shopping after they heard boris johnson's announcement. a christmas shopping after they heard borisjohnson's announcement. a very different scene this morning. what a difference a day makes. if i had been studied 2a hours ago, there would have been crowds hustling and bustling bay. now it is virtually deserted and i don't think it is going to get any busier during the day. this should be the busiest time of the year for the shops. they should be making millions, if not billions of pounds, so that revenue

is going to be lost in the time up until christmas. the shops here in the west end say it is catastrophic for business and are asking for more government aid. cbi say these new regulations are a kick in the teeth. the reaction in london last night when these new regulations were announced, while chris whitty was announced, while chris whitty was announced what advice he would give people who are packing up their bags to get out of london before the restrictions were enforced, and he said his advice was to one pack their bags and stay here. a lot of people did not hear that advice or heed it and there were very busy scenes in the london train stations last night. st pancras was very busy. within a few hours of the press c0 nfe re nce busy. within a few hours of the press conference yesterday afternoon, the train seats were booked and people are getting on those chains and it was very difficult to maintain social distance. the mayor of london says people will want to get away for

christmas and stick to those plans to see their families, but he is urging them to stick to the new rules and stay at home. unless you have been self isolating for ten days and you are sure that you have not got the virus, you may be taking that virus with you from london to your mum and dad and elderly relations, and you know what, we are fiow relations, and you know what, we are now getting a vaccine rolled out. you can see light at the end of the tunnel. how are you going to feel if you pass the virus on to an elderly relation, someone you love, whose life may be prolonged due to the vaccine. and you pass it on. you can't leave now, because you would be breaking the rules, but even if you could, please don't. it is interesting to see what people think of the new restrictions, and there was an opinion poll carried out after the press currents yesterday. more than 70% of people said they

thought these new restrictions and tea rful thought these new restrictions and tearful when needed. 78% of people, the vast majority said they would have to change their christmas plans. i'm sure that comes as no surprise for most people. only about 1196 surprise for most people. only about 11% said they intended to break the regulations. thank you very much indeed. let's speak to our political correspondentjessica parker. the labour party have accused boris johnson of being indecisive, one—day promising there will be semblance of christmas, and the next day being accused of effectively cancelling christmas by his critics. there were exchanges earlier this week on that very subject, and keir starmer had fought for tougher measures over christmas. the prime minister had hit back at him and said he did not wa nt to hit back at him and said he did not want to cancel christmas. he thought that would be an inhuman thing to

do, and of course last night we heard major curbs announced in terms of christmas celebrations, also big changes in scotland and wales as well. the timing of this with all uk leaders is incredibly difficult, because with just days away from those christmas bubbles, they were set to kick in. the christmas plan across the four nations was agreed backin across the four nations was agreed back in november, and earlier this morning, the health secretary matt hancock was asked about whether they really went too soon in deciding to go ahead with that relaxation. we made a commitment, not knowing, of course we didn't know in the same way you didn't know that there was going to be a new variant that spreads so much faster, which we found out about... we found out about the existence of it last weekend, and then we found out about this property it has, the fact it

spread so much more easily, we found out about that on friday. i understand how people are feeling, andl understand how people are feeling, and i feel it. i had to call my mum la st and i feel it. i had to call my mum last night and say we were not going to see each other over christmas. because of this new strain, it is really a very serious situation we'll find ourselves in. that is the health secretary matt hancock. the government are saying that it is this new variant and strain that has brought this dramatic change in policy. hearing last night, that it may be up to 70% more transmissible. important to point out that the evidence suggest so far that in terms of this new variant, it does not cause more illness. it does not cause significantly more disease, but it does spread more easily. a

couple of other points to pick up from matt hancock's interview that he has just from matt hancock's interview that he hasjust done from matt hancock's interview that he has just done with so few ridge and sky news. as whether he might have a vote on this. injanuary. the rules have already kicked in, and i'm pretty sure that many conservative mps were not happy about that. many want to see parliament recalled from the christmas break to a vote on the rules. matt hancock was asked about how long this tearful restriction would last and he said it would be difficult to keep the new variant under control until the vaccines are rolled out. a suggestion there that the tearful restrictions could be affecting areas for quite some time to come. thank you very much. jess parker, our political correspondent. sir mark walport is a former uk government chief scientific adviser and a member of the government's sage advisery group. hejoins me now.

thank you very much for your time this morning. tell us a bit more about this new variant which is clearly dictating these dramatic changes in government policy. the government are responding to new evidence and what is happening as it isa evidence and what is happening as it is a new viral strain emerging which is a new viral strain emerging which is more transmissible, u nfortu nately. is more transmissible, unfortunately. what tends to happen with viruses is that they do mutate slowly. most of the mutations are of no significance at all in the vast majority, but from time to time, one then imagines it gives the virus a competitive virus —— a competitive advantage. the one that transmits more easily will give it a competitive advantage and that is what has happened. we have seen this new variant which has over 20 changes from the one that has been circulating, and is about 67% more

transmissible. that is written in terms of the prevalence of it. the mutation in the south and south—east of england, from about 23% in the middle of november to about 60% in london. it is moving quite quickly. it explains one of the reasons that the measures so far have not helped to bring the measure is down in london and south—east particularly. this is happening on top of the fact that there is quite a lot of virus around the country, and although there are parts in which the levels are coming down, nevertheless, they are coming down, nevertheless, they are very high overall. the nhs is under considerable stress. to be clear then, the new variant makes it more infectious but not more dangerous, and it won't stop the vaccines, the pfizer vaccine that is now on stream, and the one that is about to be used very soon, the

oxford vaccine. that is correct. the evidence so far is that there isn't any change in the diseases associated with this variant and there is every reason to think that there is every reason to think that the vaccine will be preserved to work. scientists are that, but in 99% of cases they should still be very effective. in terms of future variants like this, you say this one is particularly difficult in that it makes it more transmissible, but will they be more of these in the coming months that just will they be more of these in the coming months thatjust give the virus new legs, as it were, and make it spread more rapidly once again, and how do we stop that? the answer is that the only way you can stop it is that the only way you can stop it is by stopping the transmission, getting the numbers right down, getting the numbers right down, getting people vaccinated, getting it right down to where small

outbreaks in that care. given this had to happen, there is a vaccine and it is being rolled out. this virus has been changing from the very beginning, and all viruses do the same. in the case of flu, which has much —— much more capacity to vary, that is why the vaccine is needed every year. people have recognised all along that it may well be that the vaccines will need to be adapted as the strains adapt because what will happen is that once the vaccine is rolled out, viruses that canter is extent escape it will have an advantage. it is important that the vaccine will be kept up—to—date, but it is much easier to do that then create a vaccine from scratch. the difficult bit of making the vaccine has been done, with what appears to be extraordinary success. what would you say to people who are extraordinaire —— who are extremely angry with the government who just a few days ago were saying that they could have christmas with some of

their loved ones another health households and now been told they can't. they have to change in a band abandon their plans at the last minute? it is extremely disappointing, but the problem here is the virus. there is no use in being angry with the virus because it is nonsense —— none sentiment. it isa it is nonsense —— none sentiment. it is a parasite and an unpleasant one, but none sentience. the government had to respond to the scientific evidence —— evidence. this new variant is harder to control. if you think of it in terms of its reproduction number, if the reproduction number, if the reproduction number, if the reproduction number had been .9 where the rates are coming down slowly, it puts it up to three. that means that on average... with that sort of reproduction number, you are

getting doubling quite quickly. the government found that the infection in and around london doubled in abound a week or so. we can all be angry, but at the end of the day, the government has to make the very difficult decisions about how it protects us and the best way. everyone recognises there will be other terrible consequences as well. all the harms of not seeing the family at christmas, the homes of people who have lost theirjobs, the harms to the economy, it's a very difficult balancing act. but at the end of the day, saving lives is pretty important. with this desperately bleak christmas in view now, we are all looking for some light at the end of the tunnel. we are told that with the vaccine, perhaps based it we will get to some semblance of normality. the oxford vaccine, the one we are pinning our hopes and, because there is so much on it —— of it. it has not finally

got approval yet. the answer is that there is a licensed vaccine and it is being rolled out. the results of the oxford trial have been published and regulators are looking at it, so decisions will be made quite quickly, but it is clear that vaccines have been made, they are successful, and we have every reason to think that they will be successful, because —— so there is much more light at the end of the tunnel then there was six weeks ago. this is a very unpleasant intervening event, but it does not alter the fundamental principle that the vaccines are here and they should be rolled out to the people looking forward to it. it is great that people have already received their first dose of the vaccine. great to talk to you as ever. thank you for your time. former uk

government chief scientific adviser. merry christmas to you. warehouse workers are packing the newly—approved moderna vaccine, ready for it to be sent to thousands of sites across the united states. general gus perna, who's leading operation warp speed for the us government, said trucks would start to roll out on sunday. he said shipments would begin to reach health care providers as soon as monday. but he's had to apologise to state governors, saying he'd made an error estimating the number of doses cleared for shipment. this week many of heard concerns about allegations of vaccine doses being cut. i want to assure everybody, and i want to take personal responsibility for the miscommunication. i know that is not done much these days, but i am responsible and i take responsibility for the

miscommunication. the agreement reached between republicans and democrats paves the way for a stimulus package on sunday. it will provide additional unemployment payments to millions of americans who have lost theirjobs asa americans who have lost theirjobs as a result of the pandemic, as well as a result of the pandemic, as well as help for renters and loans to state governments. a report by the public accounts select committee in the uk says the government should name the companies that have taken furlough money. it says the two schemes the coronavirus job support scheme and the self employment income support scheme have cost over £55 billion by october 2020 yet some freelance workers have not received any money. let's talk now to meg hillier chair of the public accounts select committee who joins us now. i water only large amounts of money.

the government has said this is unprecedented in its generosity, but what do you see in the scheme when you look through it and pick it apart that you would like to change? first of all, it was fair to say that it was introduced at speed and did an amazingjob, that it was introduced at speed and did an amazing job, but now we are nine months in and we would like to receive a full list of companies that have received fellow money, because that transparency. there are still many who have not received any money, and down moments on... the government needs to beat clear, so is it if it is changing it, with an extension to help april, there is a bit more notice than the last one. maybe, hopefully learning a bit as they go along, but very concerned about those people who are all still

excluded. when you talk about fraud, what sort of thread are you talking about and how much fraud? because of the speed at which it has rolled out, hms had to acknowledge they had to get companies to self certify and sendin to get companies to self certify and send in their list of employees. at the moment h ms are pursuing companies in single figures who have defrauded the taxpayer. there are other areas where companies have taken the fellow money but as their staff to work as well and that is where the publication of a detailed list will help bring that to the fore. i'm surprised there isn't a list at the moment. i would have thought that was given that the government will publishing that. they have said they want to list from now on, but we are saying put it all out there. they have come back with reason saying that people

should be in —— could be intimidated. no one should have any shame in taking fellow money. if people are taking it for legitimate reasons, there is no problem. the purpose was to keep people on the payroll, but not working. if people are still working while on furlough, i think there are some changes to the latest scheme, you couldn't work while on furlough and then you could doa while on furlough and then you could do a bit of both later. if you didn't have that information, and that makes it clear end lot harder to hide if you're trying to defraud the taxpayer. you are saying the government needs to work harder on closing those loopholes, but also getting more of the help to people that need it, those who have not really managed to access this fellow money. and we're very concerned as well that some people would have gone on to self employment scheme is precisely because the h the tax office wanted them to do that and

then they have fallen out of it. sometimesjust then they have fallen out of it. sometimes just because of their short—term contracts or starting just on the wrong date. i bet constituents who have had exactly the same work situation but because of the day 2a as difference in their contract have had nothing. nine months on, we are into the next texture. there is data from last year that hmrc could work and we are encouraging a look at all the data available. the chancellor and repeatedly the treasury minister after treasury minister says it is a very after treasury minister says it is a very generous scheme after treasury minister says it is a very generous scheme and don't want to engage with these forgotten individuals who have not had a penny since march. how do you think the scheme in the uk compares with similar schemes with our european competitors in other countries. how well are we doing in this country compared to other nations? not too badly. international comparisons are

tricky. it depends on the information the tax office has about you. the it systems and hmrc were not up to speed to gather the data they needed to help some of the self employed people. had that been in a better state it would have been easier to give that money out. it is easy to make simple comparisons, but actually it is not as simple as that. the first quick reaction was the committee feels it is a good one. where there are these problems, we need clarity about what the problems are and how we are resolving them. £55 billion up until the end of april of taxpayers money is there for a reason and we need to make sure it is delivering what it is supposed to. many thanks.

although we might have been spending more time at home than usual over the last few months, one thing has definitely brought a bit of sparkle to our saturday nights. 2020's strictly come dancing came to a typically glamorous end with last night's final as we found out who took home the glitterball. if you've still to catch up, it might be time to go and pop the kettle on. our entertainment correspondent colin paterson was watching. ican i can now reveal the strictly come dancing champions 2020 are bill and 0t. strictly come dancing champion, and at the age of 55, older then any big that came before. it feels surreal, it feels extraordinary, it feels wonderful. i never thought that we would get this far. i never thought we would get to the final,

but i have the most extraordinary teacher, the most extraordinary dancer. indeed his partner came the most the only professional to win two years most the only professional to win two yea rs in most the only professional to win two years in a row. who believed in me right from the beginning, and she found something in me, ten b into this, into a dancer. thank you. earlier they had scored a perfect score to their show dance by queen the show must go on. hello, it's your old friend brian. just to say i don't think you need any luck for this next bit. it's in the back. we a lwa ys this next bit. it's in the back. we always knew you were a bit of a

genius in comedy music, but who would guess you would transform that into incredible dancing skills. each couple had to do three dances in the final. thejudges made the pair revisit their do little theme quickstep. while their own choice was to go back to the rappers delight routine, and for the first time all series, the pair were top of the leader board when it came to thejudges vote. of the leader board when it came to the judges vote. they were joined by east end as maisie smith whose scored a perfect 30 for her show dance and the singer hrvy who landed full marks to his american smooth. when it comes to strictly, craig

revel horwood —— bill was given a three for his chacha chair. now he is the chacha champion. now it's time for a look at the weather. like yesterday, it is another day of sunshine and showers, some of those that heavy and thundery, but in scotland, them a bit heavier than yesterday, but in other parts who may stay dry. you will the strongest of the wind in the far west of scotland, it a0 or 50 miles an hour. as we go into this evening and overnight, an initial dip in temperatures down to two or three celsius, and more cloud and persistent rain later in the south pushing on. temperatures will start to rise into the morning. these are

the lows for a while, but by the morning we could see temperatures of nine to ii celsius in the southern counties. turning dry run, but some patchy rain or drizzle. moving up towards scotland in the afternoon, but six or seven celsius and up to 15 in south—east.