ben wright, many thanks, re ttortin and then. ben wright, many thanks, reporting from _ and then.om westminster. - and the scottish government has just announced that critical staff and services are to be exempt from self—isolation rules. the scheme will apply to a range of sectors, including health and social care, with exemptions allowed when certain criteria are met. the latest government figures show 39,906 new infections in the latest 24—hour period, which means an average of 46,460 new cases per day in the last week. there are 4,861 people in hospital with coronavirus, and 84 deaths were recorded in the last 24 hours. nearly 46.5 million people have now had theirfirstjab — that's 87.8% of the adult population. and more than 36.5 million people are now fully vaccinated — 69.2% of all uk adults. health unions say they intend to consult members about industrial action following the government's 3% pay offer for most nhs staff in england. nursing leaders said staff were angry, and deserved a bigger rise. the government said it recognised the extraordinary effort of nhs workers,

ben wright, bbc news.est daily figures on coronavirus show a fall in the number of new infections for a fifth day. our health correspondentjim reed is here to go through the data. what are the numbers, jim? good evening. the uk reported 29,173 further cases over the last 24—hour period, meaning the average of new cases over the last week was 38,268. you can see on the graph, a further 28 deaths in the last 2a hours. looking at the graph you can see the effect of the vaccine on reducing hospital admissions as well. you can see on the right—hand side, far below infections. in terms of vaccines, more than 46 million people have had their first vaccines, more than 46 million people have had theirfirstjab vaccines, more than 46 million people have had their firstjab and more than 37 million people have had the second dive and fully vaccinated.— the second dive and fully vaccinated. .,, , , ., ., vaccinated. those figures showing a dro in the vaccinated. those figures showing a dmp in the new _ vaccinated. those

ben wright, bbc news.n for the fifth successive day. overall, 29,173 new cases were reported across the uk in the last 2a hours and a further 28 deaths were recorded — that's of people who tested positive for coronavirus in the past 28 days. a6.5 million people have now had at least one vaccine dose — that's 88% of the adult uk population. a little earlier, my colleague spoke to professor paul hunter about the data. he is a professor in medicine at the university of east anglia. he gave his reaction to the declining case numbers. the trend is continuing, and we're seeing quite substantial reductions in case numbers over the last few days, and today's figures are about a0% lower than they were last sunday, which is roughly the same drop as we saw yesterday compared to the previous saturday as well, so it is looking very encouraging at the moment. we're not quite a week from freedom day, and you'll want the two weeks presumably to give an accurate picture and what impact that may have had, if anything, on in

faisal islam, bbc news. 0ur political correspondent ben wright is at westminster.ing on the government to do something about the rising number of people being pinged? yes, at the pressure is certainly building and we are still waiting for the updated guidance on which critical workers will be exempt from self—isolation if they are double jumps. m0 self-isolation if they are double 'ums, ., ' ii self-isolation if they are double “ums. ., ' :: , ., self-isolation if they are double “ums. .,':: ., , ., self-isolation if they are double “ums. .,':: ., jumps. no 10 says that should come to da but jumps. no 10 says that should come to day but there _ jumps. no 10 says that should come to day but there has _ jumps. no 10 says that should come to day but there has been _ jumps. no 10 says that should come to day but there has been a - jumps. no 10 says that should come to day but there has been a week. jumps. no 10 says that should come to day but there has been a week of| to day but there has been a week of confusion about this, not least on the question about whether or

correspondent ben wright. have had we let's speak now with our political correspondent ben wright. havend law. the two methods of being told to self—isolate are different. with the cacophony of pinged are in the country they concern about what this is doing to the workforce and staff shortages in many sectors in the economy. there is concern about how this works in practice. paul scully business minister was asked what people should do if they are pinged by the app this morning. the legal position hasn't changed, you are supposed to isolate when you are contacted by nhs test and trace or collecting isolation payments but not everyone has the app, for example. it is not mandated. it is a very important tool alongside the vaccination programme and we estimated it saved over 8000 lives over the last few months we are encouraging people to still use it. that wasn't as emphatic as i was expecting you to be, actually. should people self—isolate if they are pinged by the app? i would absolutely encourage people to do that but they can make an informed decision. paul scully talking to victoria

our political correspondent ben wright has the latest.g a stand against racism at wembley on sunday. england took the knee before every game of the european championship, but, following defeat in the final, there was a torrent of racist online abuse against three of the teen�*s black players. in withington, a mural of marcus rashford was defaced before being covered up. and, in the commons this lunchtime, boris johnson said there would be action taken. ~ . ., ., , ., taken. what we are doing is today takin: taken. what we are doing is today taking practical— taken. what we are doing is today taking practical steps _ taken. what we are doing is today taking practical steps to _ taken. what we are doing is today taking practical steps to ensure i taking practical steps to ensure that the — taking practical steps to ensure that the football— taking practical steps to ensure that the football banning - taking practical steps to ensure that the football banning order| that the football banning order regime — that the football banning order reg

ben wright reports. he has been health secretary for just a month. nice to meet you. job. first visit to a hospital on the “ob. �* . yesterday, sajid javid said people get vaccinated and learn to live with covid rather than cower from the virus. the rebuke from opposition parties and bereaved families was swift.— families was swift. we're very disappointed _ families was swift. we're very disappointed at _ families was swift. we're very disappointed at yet _ families was swift. we're very disappointed at yet another . families was swift. we're very - disappointed at yet another barbed comment from a minister of the government. we find that the comments are distasteful, disrespectful to our loss, and insensitive, quite friendly. labour said sa'id insensitive, quite friendly. labour said sajid javid — insensitive, quite friendly. labour said sajid javid had _ insensitive, quite friendly. labour said sajid javid had insulted - insensitive, quite friendly. labour said sajid javid had insulted many said sajid javid had insulted many people still shielding from covid and tr

ben wright, bbc news.nst racism, for equality. good afternoon._ i know| afternoon. good afternoon. i know ou have afternoon. good afternoon. i know you have written _ afternoon. good afternoon. i know you have written a _ afternoon. good afternoon. i know you have written a letter, - afternoon. good afternoon. i know you have written a letter, is i afternoon. good afternoon. i know you have written a letter, is it i afternoon. good afternoon. i know you have written a letter, is it to l you have written a letter, is it to all conservative mps? explain who you have written to and what you are outlining to them, what you are trying to get across here. yes. trying to get across here. yes, absolutelv- — trying to get across here. yes, absolutely. yesterday - trying to get across here. yes, absolutely. yesterday i i trying to get across here. yes, absolutely. yesterday i wrote. trying to get across here. yes, | absolutely. yesterday i wrote a letter to all conservative mps. absolutely. yesterday i wrote a lette

ben wright, bbc news, westminster.is is the village of schulz, and so many of the homes here that were not washed away by the flood water were made completely uninhabitable and unsafe by it. many people, politicians, weather experts, have blamed a monumental failure in the system, because flood alerts were given 24 hours in advance, and yet, this is the distruction, —— destruction, and remarkably, in this village, everyone managed to get out alive, but, if you look through some of these windows, you can see they're entirely gutted, inside these homes. and the receding flood waters have revealed not only the extensive damage, but the politicians have to answer three questions. the first, from the people here — when will the proposed aid package of 300 million euros reach the people who need it most? so many of these people clearly evacuated from their homes. will it change anything? that the politicians are saying, on policies on climate change, and should they have acted earlier? how can this have happened in one of th

ben wright reports. he has been health secretary forjust a month. nice to meet you.a tweet announcing his own recovery from coronavirus yesterday, sajid javid said people should get vaccinated and learn to live with covid rather than cower from the virus. the rebuke from opposition parties and bereaved families was swift. we're very disappointed at yet another barbed comment from a minister of the government. we find that the comments are distasteful, disrespectful to our loss, and insensitive, quite frankly. labour said sajid javid had insulted the many people still shielding from covid and trying to stay safe and, this morning, the health secretary deleted his original tweet and said he was wrong to say the word cower. but mrjavid's bullish tone reflects a government pushing on with opening up england in the face of very high infections. about 70% of adults have now had both jabs and ministers want to put pressure on younger people to get vaccinated. earlier this week, the prime minister announced that vaccine passports would be used at night clubs in england from

ben wright, bbc news.coverings on public transport. we have already heard from the mayor of london that that is going to be mandatory, even after restrictions are listed on the 19th. we are hearing we are hearing from liverpool, and the west of england as well who is speaking here, tablets and.— as well who is speaking here, tablets and. _, , . , as well who is speaking here, tablets and. , . , ., tablets and. recovery in the west of en . land tablets and. recovery in the west of england and — tablets and. recovery in the west of england and getting _ tablets and. recovery in the west of england and getting people - tablets and. recovery in the west of england and getting people here - tablets and. recovery in the west of. england and getting people here back to normal. i have written to the planets are today, because i get this is a ridiculous mismatch right across the uk. my constituents get on buses and trains for the rest of england into wales and london, every single day, and yet when they get off and

let's discuss this with our political correspondent ben wright. ben, it seems like there is also a mixed message and going around. there is, and a divergence in policy now notjust between the nations of the uk, but within england too. it's not the first time that has happened during the pandemic. different policies have been pursued by various parts of the uk throughout, and that continues particularly in relation to this question of facemasks. the government at westminster, borisjohnson has said that the last two or three weeks, and this will kick in on monday, that whether to wear a mask or not is a matter of personal responsibility, a decision for people to take themselves, although they have put guidance in place which they have hardened in the last week or two advising that people should wear them in crowded areas like public transport. the london mayor, sadiq khan, thinks that is not good enough. he has been urging the government to keep that mask mandate in place and he has used his powers as london mayor to say that on public transport in l

our political correspondent ben wright reports.n government. at the side of the parameter throughout much of the covid crisis but since quitting his job the covid crisis but since quitting hisjob in november dominic cummings has been scornful of his former friend. speaking to the bbc, he claimed the prime minister had resisted a second lockdown, is covid crept back last autumn. his resisted a second lockdown, is covid crept back last autumn.— crept back last autumn. his attitude was at that point _ crept back last autumn. his attitude was at that point a _ crept back last autumn. his attitude was at that point a weird _ crept back last autumn. his attitude was at that point a weird mix - crept back last autumn. his attitude was at that point a weird mix of - was at that point a weird mix of partly, it is all nonsense, lockdown stunt work anyway, and partly, well, this is terrible, but people who are dying are essentially over 80, and we can't kill the economyjust because of people dying over 80. that's a very serious claim to make,

our political correspondent ben wright is in westminster.ave been under — happen next. absolutely, they have been under enormous _ happen next. absolutely, they have been under enormous pressure - happen next. absolutely, they have| been under enormous pressure from businesses, in parliament, from some mps and more broadly to push ahead with the opening up. it has been delayed a bit and the reason for that delay was the arrival of the new variant, the delta variant and that in itself, the fact that is spreading and spreading quite fast now is the reason for the pressure the other way, which is also coming from some scientists, from some of the independent scientists who are putting out reports on the spread of the pandemic from health organisations like the bma and from other politicians as well. we have seenin other politicians as well. we have seen in manchester, andy burnham in london sadik khan, the mat as well, little bit about the impacts. they are worried about the impacts of relaxing the final restriction now and accelerating the spr

i'm joined now by ben wright at westminster.lease this list when so many people have already been forced forced to self—isolate? already been forced forced to self-isolate?— self-isolate? it is clear that the government has _ self-isolate? it is clear that the i government has been scrambling over the past few days to come up with a plan and now we have as of thursday evening, two schemes in place and one will apply to the food industry which will allow potentially thousands of people to return to work, you know they have been pinged. another will allow double jab workers, including chemicals, medicine and border control, to return to work but it is a different scheme and will require their managers to apply to the government for permission for their workers to return to work if they have been toured to self—isolate. and this set of schemes and the government is resisting all pressure and politicians, including tory mps to discard now the self isolation for people who are paying. the rules are set to change on august the 16th. b

we're joined now by our political correspondent ben wright. good morning. seems to be some differentiation at least between nations over facemasks. yes. differentiation at least between nations over facemasks. yes, and even within _ nations over facemasks. yes, and even within nations, _ nations over facemasks. yes, and even within nations, now- nations over facemasks. yes, and even within nations, now you - nations over facemasks. yes, and | even within nations, now you have london doing its own thing, as caroline was saying, from monday, if you travel on the london underground, a bus or the overground, you will have to wear a mask as a condition of travel, just as it is a condition not to drink alcohol on the london underground. you will have to wear a face covering unless you are exempt from the rule. there will be enforcement officers making sure you can't get on the tube or bus unless you are wearing a mask. sadiq khan had been arguing that there should be a a national mandate which continued on monday but instead he's doing his own thing, saying that

our political correspondent ben wright is in westminster. more revelations from dominic cummings? from dominic cumminus? , ., ., ., , , cummings? yes, more “aw-dropping stuff from theh cummings? yes, more “aw-dropping stuff from the pen _ cummings? yes, more “aw-dropping stuff from the pen and _ cummings? yes, more jaw-dropping stuff from the pen and a _ cummings? yes, morejaw-dropping stuff from the pen and a for- cummings? yes, more jaw-dropping stuff from the pen and a for my - stuff from the pen and a for my chief adviser dominic cummings who of coursejoined the chief adviser dominic cummings who of course joined the prime minister at number ten of course joined the prime minister at numberten in of course joined the prime minister at number ten injuly 2019 after theresa may had been booted out of the job. theresa may had been booted out of thejob. and then, helped mastermind —— stewart —— tory election victory in december 2019 and borisjohnson got the ec majority. in the interview he has done with the rector to break he went on to describe how by january 2020, he, dominic cum

ben wright.? good morning. that's exactly right. boris johnson i being sold? good morning. that's exactly right. boris johnson will i exactly right. boris johnson will say levelling up doesn't mean levelling down as he makes a speech that tries _ levelling down as he makes a speech that tries to — levelling down as he makes a speech that tries to flesh out and define a slogan _ that tries to flesh out and define a slogan that we hear a lot from ministers _ slogan that we hear a lot from ministers. it was at the heart of the manifesto in 2019 by the tories. the idea _ the manifesto in 2019 by the tories. the idea of— the manifesto in 2019 by the tories. the idea of transferring money and resources — the idea of transferring money and resources to poorer parts of england, — resources to poorer parts of england, the midlands and the north of england, government money, encouraging investment, shrinking the equality gap, the equality of opportunity gap between north and south _ opportunity gap between

our political correspondent ben wright is at westminster., they will go. so, in that respect, there will go. so, in that respect, there will be a bonfire of regulations and laws to be replaced by guidance and advice about what the responsible sort of behaviour we should be following bob are involved, and i think the tone that the ministers in prime minister will take over the course of today will be interesting. but they say, let rip, effectively, will they be urging caution, as the question of face axe is fascinating, and ministers will be asking themselves, what the mandate will be, and helen whately the chemist was asked about this this morning. i don't particularly like wearing a face mask, i think that's something that many people will share with me. i also know that it's really hard for some people, particularly those who are hard of hearing, to hear well when somebody's speaking to them in a facemask. but i will, of course, follow the guidance that we'll set out on when people should think of wearing one and not. and i think to make a

let's discuss this with our political correspondent ben wright. so, where and when and how are we going to have to be wearing masks? it depends where you are in the uk. if you get a tube through london, you will have to wear a mask from monday. that is what sadiq khan has told transport for london he wants told transport for london he wants to see, and there will be members of tfl on the tubes and on the buses, enforcing those rules, although as sadiq khan said, british transport police would not be able to enforce it because it won't be the law from monday. but throughout the rest of england, the mask mandate has gone, so it will not be compulsory. but in scotland and wales, the law to wear a mask will remain. there was a different picture depending where you are in the uk. this morning, sadiq khan, the london mayor, has been expending why he feels it's necessary to keep this mask requirement in place —— he has been explaining. what would have been far better is for the national rules to continue to apply across the country, notjust in london, bu

let's speak to our political correspondent, ben wright.ortly, but do tell us, what is levelling up? but do tell us, what is levelling u? . ., ., , but do tell us, what is levelling u . ? . ., ., , ., but do tell us, what is levelling up? what does it 'am at spreading amount to? — up? what does it jam at spreading amount to? some _ up? what does it jam at spreading amount to? some of— up? what does it jam at spreading amount to? some of the - up? what does it jam at spreading amount to? some of the phrases l up? what does it jam at spreading i amount to? some of the phrases from this speech have been pre—briefed, as they always are, before the prime minister speaks in coventry and we will be waiting to see what this speech amounts to. it is certainly being pitched as an appeal to traditional tory voters in the south—east of england he may feel they have been forgotten about as they have been forgotten about as the government talks a lot about levelling up deprived parts of england, the midlands, some places in the north, which are clearly t