iain watson, bbc news. bbc earlier, the former governor of the bank of england mark carney, outlined his concerns about the situation the uk finds itself in. i think it is recognised that there are two types of issues around if there is a rupture in the relationship. the first is very important logistical challenges that come through more checks at ports and the knock—on effects but then there is the fundamental question of the changing economics of the relationship with europe if there are tariffs in place, if there are other product standards. companies have begun to adjust to those and anticipated some of those. i will say one thing that is important, as the financial sector, my colleagues and the bank of england have helped to ensure that the financial sector is ready for if there is a difficult outcome it is ready for that and so the financial sector will not make this worse, it will be part of the solution but undoubtedly there will be challenges if an agreement is not reached. in other coronavirus ne

our political correspondent iain watson has the latest.music, like the weather, is rather sombre, but take note — both sides are still talking. good morning. how are the talks going? important day. determination. in fact, it's so important that the eu's chief negotiator, michel barnier, is staying in london, not returning to brussels today. and the government says a deal is still possible. we want the eu to recognise that the uk is a sovereign and independent nation, and it is on the basis of that that a deal will be done. it is tricky, but we are working hard. last night, talks went on until late, but government sources accused the eu of tabling something unpalatable and reversing recent progress. now, fishing quotas have always been a bone of contention, but there seemed to be a possible compromise, which included phasing in any changes. more seriously, the government said talks were flagging because brussels hardened its line over what's known to negotiators as the "level playing field" and to the rest of us as "competition rules". the

iain watson in westminster, thank you very much.a former uk trade negotiator and the uk director of the european centre for international political economy. iain watson was saying that a no—deal exit would have cost gdp, but even this brexit, which in the old terms between soft and hard, looks like a hard brexit, has been forecast to cost the uk economically. that's right. there will be new barriers to trade between the uk and eu. the deal doesn't prevent those. we are expecting talks to continue into the new year. it will not be anything like a seamless trading relationship. but it is certainly going to be better than no deal, and it lays the framework down for further cooperation between the uk and eu, so it is significant the prime minister has decided to go for this deal. if you look at the whole framing of the last 4.5 years, we are ina framing of the last 4.5 years, we are in a very tight, close, relationship. the vote, ultimately, didn't hinge on fish. a lot of the other issues were about the idea of sovereignty, immigration.

iain watson, bbc news.n, but first to our correspondent in brussels, nick beake. ursula von der leyen sounding downbeat, would you say?|j ursula von der leyen sounding downbeat, would you say? i would agree with that and i think her mood really mirrored what a lot of people are feeling here in brussels and also in london. she did suggest that they offer on the table represented a good one for the united kingdom. we heard her use the word sovereignty, which of course is one that boris johnson sovereignty, which of course is one that borisjohnson uses in the context of brexit, being all about taking back control. she was making the point that the uk would not necessarily have to raise its rules and regulations and standards in line with the eu but there would be consequences if it didn't. british sources are saying that that might sound like a very friendly offer but actually the uk could be hit by retaliatory taxes or tariffs that wouldn't represent taking back control. we have also heard from president macr

iain watson keeping watch in westminster, gavin lee in brussels, thank you both very much.now to the conservative mp and prominent brexiteer andrew bridgen. andrew, when out at some point emerge with this 2000 page draft deal, what will you be looking for in particular before you give it your backing? well, i will be looking to ensure that the prime minister hasn't crossed any of our brexit red lines, that we are taking back full control of our laws, borders, money. that is what we promised the people at the general election only just promised the people at the general election onlyjust over a year ago, and that is what people voted for at the referendum, and that is what our democracy demands. it is all very encouraging at the moment, and if boris has managed to pull off this deal in record time with the european union, people had said it would take seven years, but we will have done it in nine months. that will be a great christmas present for all of the uk, but of course the devil may be in the detail, and i can't commit my support for a deal until we have read all the d

our political correspondent, iain watson, reports.sels, the briefest of glimpses of the uk's chief negotiator. he is locked in talks behind closed doors with his eu counterparts to see if a deal is possible in the next 2a hours. but indications tonight are not positive. a government source told the bbc talks are continuing overnight and, talks are continuing as things stand, the offer on the table from the eu remains unacceptable. the mood around the talks, like the weather, is rather gloomy. in fact, the only agreement that might be reached this weekend between downing street and the eu is to halt the negotiations and move towards no deal. downing street says, to reach agreement, the eu must recognise that the uk is now a sovereign nation. theresa may's de facto deputy when she was prime minister is urging both sides to focus on avoiding no deal. we are coming to the last knockings now, so, obviously, it is getting very tense and quite emotional. i would advise both sides to keep talking up to and if necessary beyond the final hour b

iain watson, bbc news. our europe correspondent kevin connelly is in brussels. the possibility of a deal. how is it looking at there? generally speaking, in brussels they treat negotiating time as infinitely elastic, but of course it must ultimately come to an end. you get down to the wire, you can't keep stretching the wire. this does seem to be it, and the mood music is not great, talk of the royal navy and the channel, the eu talking about getting talks going again next year. the problem is that that's the sort of thing you do if you honestly think the talks are going to collapse. but it's also the sort of thing you do if you think there's a chance of success if you just keep pushing until the very last minute, and we don't really honestly know which of those two scenarios is playing out behind closed doors at the negotiations. at this stage, in any talks process, you're always waiting for the other side to blink, but the point is of course that we are running out of blinking time. kevin, thank you! kevin connolly there in brussels. world leaders have been ur

we iain watson is in downing street. are very much on that. we are very much on the brink of that. looks like it will go ahead. i guess it would not be brexit if everything ran to time. to missed deadlines, lots of informal deadlines have gone on these talks. this time next week, we are likely to be leaving the eu's rules and regulations behind at the end of the transition period. the most contentious issue seems to be fishing. the negotiations were going on in the evening and into the night, apparently took king out the technical details. discussions were a p pa re ntly technical details. discussions were apparently on a fish by fish species. fishing is still of huge symbolic significance in the uk in terms of winning back the sovereignty and also for french fishing communities. i was told more than two hours ago that ursula von der leyen and the prime minister we re der leyen and the prime minister were going to make an announcement shortly. as far as we are aware, that call between them which seals the brexit deal is yet to happen. it will still have to be endorsed by the uk par

iain watson, bbc news.t kevin connolly has been examining the state of the negotiations from brussels they are talking again this morning. lord frost, the british negotiator, arrived an hour ago and everything is under way again. we know that we are somewhere between breakthrough and break down. between breakthrough and breakdown. that spectrum you always find in talks, and we are definitely somewhat closer to the breakdown end of that spectrum, but we do not know how close. and as iain was saying in the report, it is possible today that borisjohnson and ursula von der leyen will come to the conclusion that there is no point carrying on, but they are too far apart that they are too far apart and the gap can't be bridged, and there is also the possibility they will think with two and a half weeks until the end of the year, what is the point in stopping talking now? the instinct in brussels is always to keep talking. we talk about these things coming down to the wire. in brussels, when you come down to the wi

iain watson, bbc news.rtly will be live to berlin with the views of a political blogger on where the talks are and business coverage in 30 minutes. the united states is about to begin its most ambitious vaccination campaign ever as millions of doses of the pfizer—biontech vaccine arrive in the country. the aim is to vaccinate 100 million people by the end of march. president trump said in a tweet he wasn't curently scheduled to have the jab himself. on saturday, the us recorded a daily toll of 3,309 covid—related deaths. the figure is the highest total in a single day anywhere in the world. lebo diseko has more from washington. it's been a long and painful journey but finally, help is on its way. the first of nearly three million doses of the pfizer vaccine leave the firm's plant in michigan. packed on dry ice, they'll go out to distribution centres in all 50 states. the first immunisation could take place as early as monday. applause. the government says it's aiming to vaccinate 20 million people by the en

iain watson, bbc news.d of a new strain of coronavirus has led to questions about how the uk carries out its vaccination programme. the pfizer/biontech vaccine requires two doses to be fully effective — but a former head of immunisation at the department of health suggests the initial dose should now be given to as many people as possible, rather than preserving stocks so that there's enough for the second jab for a smaller number of people. katharine da costa reports. sharp scratch... more than half a million people have so far received their first dose of the pfizer/biontech vaccine. but with concern about a new variant of coronavirus spreading 50 to 70% more quickly, there have been calls to speed up the roll—out of vaccines by giving more people one dose rather than two. given the circumstances that we are facing with a rapidly expanding number of cases spreading through the country, we have to do what we can to save as many lives as we possibly can as quickly as we can. and therefore giving second dose

iain watson, bbc news.our we'll be speaking to labour's shadow chancellor annaliese dodds. the coronavirus vaccine will be given to millions of people across europe from today, as countries including france, spain and italy begin the rollout of their vaccination programmes. meanwhile there have been confirmed cases of the more contagious variant of covid 19 in several european countries, as well as canada and japan. tim allman reports. time is of the essence in the fight against covid—i9. here at this nursing home in north—east germany, the vaccination programme has begun a day early. health workers said they weren't prepared to wait for the eu's coordinated roll—out, which was due to begin on sunday. clearly, for governments all around the world, it could be a real game changer. but as the vaccine spreads in vans and lorries across the continent, so, too, it seems, does the new variant strain of the virus. it was first identified here in the uk nearly two weeks ago, leading to tough new restrictions for mi

our political correspondent iain watson has the latest. of the uk‘s chief negotiator in brussels. he‘s been locked in discussions behind closed doors with the eu. and negotiating teams continue to talk overnight, but without much progress. a government source told the bbc that, as things stand, the offer on the table from the eu remains unacceptable. the eu commission president ursula von der leyen and borisjohnson will talk today and decide whether it‘s worthwhile continuing with negotiations. theresa may‘s de facto deputy when she was dealing with brexit at number 10 was urging both sides to keep talking. it is hugely in britain‘s interest, and the european union‘s interest, for there to be a deal at the end of this. so although it is long and painful and difficult, it is worth keeping talking. but some in borisjohnson‘s party are calling on him to stand firm. no deal will be some short—term disruption until markets readjust. no deal will mean some short—term disruption until markets readjust. but the long—term effect of signing up to a

our political correspondent iain watson has been looking at the deal in more detail.e minister has insisted he had been willing to go for no—deal when negotiations were going in the wrong direction, but he insisted the deal he achieved would withstand the most ruthless scrutiny by conservative brexiteers. glad tidings and greatjoy, because this is a deal... the full agreement with the eu runs to more than 1,200 pages and has now been published, but it's attracting some criticism. the national federation of fishermen‘s organisations has described the reduction and the value of the eu's catch as paltry and says there is a profound sense of disillusionment and betrayal in fishing communities. changes to fishing quotas will be phased in over 5.5 years, with the value of the eu's catch falling by 25%. senior uk negotiators admitted they compromised somewhat over fishing, but said the eu had done so, too. after 5.5 years the uk would be free to reduce eu access to its coastal waters further, but could face retaliatory action. government sources says any measures taken by th

iain watson, bbc news. so, what's the mood coming out of brussels at this late hour? gavin lee. from conversations we've had in brussels today, i think the sense of optimism leading to a deal is in short supply, as one official told us, "they should call this no deal eve," given the sense this may not lead to anything tomorrow. but that said, these are people that aren't in the room, with talks still going on this evening into the night. the chief negotiators have left a short while ago, and those technical teams are still there and we have another 2a hours to go. we know both borisjohnson and ursula von der leyen, the european commission president, have said it is very likely that there'll be no deal. but it's trying to read the rooms of that and work out, is this just part of that last minute where we will see suddenly a deal tomorrow? 0n the issue today that we heard from iain's piece, about those royal navy patrol boats, four of them suddenly being available if there is no deal next year to patrol the channel. it's been met with a fair amount of european reaction.

iain watson, bbc news.ced form of multiple sclerosis has been launched by the national hospital for neurology. 130,000 people live with ms in the uk and researchers hope the use of an existing statin drug may help slow disability. the bbc‘s caroline wyatt, who has ms and is taking part in the trial, looks at how research is progressing despite setbacks from coronavirus. it's a disease that affects the brain and the central nervous system, the hunt is on for drugs that can help once the damages is done in more advanced ms. that was another explosion... gunfire. as defence correspondent for the bbc, i reported on many wars. but the most frightening thing wasn't bullets or bombs, but the invisible damage being done by ms, a slow insidious shredding of my nerves. i first came to this hospital almost 20 years ago when they told me that i might have ms, but it wasn't finally diagnosed until 2015. and now i'm in the more advanced stages of the disease, i'm coming back to this hospital to take part in a trial to se

iain watson, bbc news, westminster. obstacles to reaching a deal and can they be overcome? our europe editor, katya adler. well, of course, of the three main sticking point still on the table, it's still about eu fishing rights in waters after that make the uk can't have reference to the single market u nless reference to the single market unless it knows that the market and the eu businesses in it are protected against what could be unfair competition. and then there's the governance of the deal. so if either side don't keep to their part of the deal, what punitive action could be taken? so what punitive action could be ta ken? so that's what punitive action could be taken? so that's where they are still stuck. there's enough for the two sides to keep talking, we hear that the talks are constructive, but the big political decisions need to be taken. how easy is it to get a sense of what's going on in these negotiations? because normally european discussions like this, there are whispers and monitors. but are they keepi

iain watson, bbc news, westminster. the british writer john le carre has died.d cornwell, was the author of many spy novels, including tinker tailor soldier spy and the spy who came in from the cold. he sold over 60 million books. in a statement announcing his death, mr le carre's agent paid tribute to his complex plots and beautiful prose, saying "his like will never be seen again and his loss will be felt by everyone interested in the human condition". lizo mzimba looks back at his life. so are you polyakov‘s agent? if polyakov‘s cover for meeting you people is that he is spying on the circus, then he must have a man on the inside, mustn't he? alec guinness in the television version of tinker tailor soldier spy, playing george smiley. the spy master, as sharp as he was shy, wasjohn le carre's most enduring and celebrated creation. please, i don't deserve this. who gave the message forjim prideaux to forget about tinker tailor? a 2011 film of tinker tailor won multiple 0scar nominations, including one for gary 0ldman's portrayal of the retired intelligence chie

iain watson, bbc news.cottish government after the country recorded its highest ever number of drug deaths. figures released this week showed that scotland again had the worst drug death rate in europe — with over 1,200 people dying last year. the chief constable of greater manchester police, the second biggest force in england, has resigned after it was put into special measures. a watchdog had found that the force failed to record 80,000 crimes in the year tojune, closing cases prematurely without proper investigation. in his resignation statement, ian hopkins said he was standing down with immediate effect. our correspondent judith moritz is in salford. yes, greater manchester police was ordered to introduce an improvement plan after it emerged that officers had failed to record an average of 220 crimes per day. inspectors said their findings 220 crimes per day. inspectors said theirfindings were 220 crimes per day. inspectors said their findings were deeply troubling. the force was put into special meas

iain watson, bbc news, westminster.e editor, katya adler, looks at what is likely to happen next. could it be possible that they are only still talking because neither side wants to be the first to walk away? "absolutely not," is what i'm hearing from you contacts close to the talks. -- eu —— eu contacts. they're saying that both sides are trying to be very constructive in the negotiating room — although big political decisions still need to be taken. so where do we go from here? what will both sides decide? what we know is neither side will sign up to this deal unless they can sell it at home as a victory. for the uk, of course, that would say it's protected its national sovereignty after brexit. for the eu, it would mean protecting the single market. and until then, there just won't be any deal. business groups in britain have welcomed the decision to keep talking in the hope of getting a trade deal. but there's also frustration at the effect of the continuing uncertainty. our business correspondent katy austin report

iain watson, bbc news, westminster.l and can they be overcome? 0ur europe editor, katya adler. the three main sticking points are still on the table, about agreeing eu fishing rights in uk waters after brexit, about competition regulations, the eu says that the uk cannot have preferential access to the single market unless it knows that the market and the eu businesses in it are protect it against what could be unfair competition, and then there is the governance of the deal. so if either side don't keep to their part of a deal, what could then, what punitive action could be taken? so that is where they are still stuck. there is enough of the two sides to keep talking, we hear that the talks are constructive, but the big political decisions still need to be taken. how easy is it to get a sense of what is going on in these negotiations because normally at european discussions like this, there are whispers and monitors but are whispers and monitors but are they keeping it under quite tight wraps? they are trying to lea k

iain watson in west munster.katya adler, who's in brussels for us. what you think the extension of the talks means? of course, we have talked many times that neither the government nor the eu wants to get the blame when it comes to no deal. could it be possible that they are only still talking because neither side wants to be the first to walk away? absolutely not is what i am hearing from eu contacts close to the talks. they say both sides are trying to be very constructive in the negotiating room, although big political decision still need to be taken. so, where do we go from here? what are both sides going to decide? we know that neither side is going to sign up to this deal unless they can sell it at home as a victory. for the can sell it at home as a victory. forthe uk, can sell it at home as a victory. for the uk, that would say it has protected its national sovereignty after brexit, for the eu it would mean protecting the single market. until then, therejust mean protecting the single market. until then, t

iain watson, bbc news. jessica parker is in westminster.t much tougher guidance. yes, toughening up of the language and guidance, if not the law. having said that, this toughening up of the guidance seems toughening up of the guidance seems to be pretty significant to different parts of the uk. in wales, you have them saying ideal people should meet in two households not three. scotland, they are saying don't stay overnight if you don't have to. if people asking if you are going to change the guidance to that extent, why not the law? it might be regarded to do that tricky at this stage. i think there is a concern as well that it is simply too late. scotland's first minister saying do so now could even risk undermining compliance. ministers here in westminster, they are emphasising common sense, personal responsibility. borisjohnson common sense, personal responsibility. boris johnson of commons in the last cup did in macau that if you want to criminalise people who had audi made the christmas plans. in terms of public health messaging campa

thank you. —— iain watson.press co nfe re nce — led by the prime minister — this afternoon at 4:30 on bbc one and the bbc news channel. our top story this lunchtime. the uk becomes the first country in the world to approve the pfizer coronavirus vaccine. and still to come — who will get the vaccine and how? we'll answer your questions about the newly—approved covid—19 vaccine. coming up on bbc news. as the second lockdown is lifted in england, charlton athletic is one of a number of football league clubs getting set to welcome back a limited number of fans to their ground for a match this evening. england has returned to a three—tiered system of coronavirus restrictions after the second national lockdown ended at midnight. the tougher new system came into force hours after being approved by mps in a commons vote. more than 55 million people find themselves in the strictest two tiers. in tier1 — which currently only applies to cornwall, the isles of scilly and the isle of wight — up to six people can meet indoor

iain watson in westminster, thank you.ctious disease expert has apologised for suggesting that britain's medical regulator had cut corners in giving approval to the coronavirus vaccine. dr anthony fauci said the decision on the pfizer biontech jab had been rushed. our process is one that takes more time than was taken with the uk. and thatjust is the reality. i did not mean to apply any sloppiness, even though it came out that way. so, if it did, ijust want to set the record straight. i have a great deal of confidence in what the uk does, both scientifically and from a regulatory standpoint. if i somehow came across differently, i apologise for that. the pfizer/biontech vaccine offers up to 95% protection against covid—19. the first consignment has arrived in the uk. the jab was approved in record time which has led to worry amongst some people about its safety. g ra ha m amongst some people about its safety. graham satchell has been getting the reaction on the streets of st albans. a freezing wet day in st albans in hertf

iain watson, bbc news. 0ur political correspondent, jessica parker, says offical advice from ministersed. a toughening up of the language, a toughening up of the guidance, if not the law. having said that, this toughening up of the guidance looks to be pretty significant in different parts of the uk. so, in wales you've got them saying that, ideally, people should meet in two households, not three. in scotland, they're saying don't stay overnight if you don't have to. if people are asking, "well, if you're going to change the guidance to that extent, why not the law?" well, i think it might be regarded as trickier to do that at this stage. of course, there has been this effort to have a four—nations approach, and i think that's a concern, as well, that it's just simply too late. scotland's first minister, nicola sturgeon, saying doing so now could even risk undermining compliance. ministers here in westminster, they're emphasising common sense, personal responsibility. borisjohnson telling the house of commons in the last hour that he didn't want to criminalise people who had already m

iain watson, bbc news.arnings are in place for large parts of the uk, as storm bella continues to bring heavy rain and high winds. gusts of more than 80mph have been recorded, and there's an amber warning for wind in place for much of the south coast of england and parts of wales. emily unia reports. returning to survey the damage. flooding forced debbie redford's father from his house flooding forced debbie redford's fatherfrom his house on flooding forced debbie redford's father from his house on christmas eve. now the water's gone down and the cleaning begins. and it went over the sockets, so they have got to be dried out. in bedfordshire river levels rose on the river whose and police told 1300 households to leave their properties. the immediate threat to life outweighed the need to follow tear for coronavirus restrictions. people we re coronavirus restrictions. people were allowed to seek shelter in friends' homes or emergency support centres. we have ended up doing what we have done in the past few ye

our political correspondent iain watson has the latest.like the weather is rather sombre but take note — both sides are still talking. good morning. how are the talks going? important day, determination. in fact, it's so important, the eu's chief negotiator michel barnier is staying in london — not returning to brussels today. and the government says a deal is still possible. we want the eu to recognise that the uk is a sovereign and independent nation, and it is on the basis of that that a deal will be done. it is tricky but we are working hard. last night, talks went on until late but government sources accused the eu of tabling something unpalatable and reversing recent progress. now, fishing quotas have always been a bone of contention, but there seemed to be a possible compromise which included phasing in any changes. more seriously, the government said, talks were flagging because brussels hardened its line over what's known to negotiators as the level playing field and the rest of it as competition rules. the eu said it had made no

iain watson, bbc news.rime minister, micheal martin, has been speaking to reporters in brussels. let's listen to what he had to say. fundamentally we want to deal, we want an agreement. we believe that's in the best interests of all concerned. and i made that point at the meeting this morning that the irish economy would be damaged in the context of a no—deal brexit, the uk economy would be as well, and the european union. so i hope that common sense will prevail. and ijust wish the negotiators the very best, and i'm sure they'll give it everything they can to bring this over the line. the irish prime minister there. so, what is an australian—style deal? our reality check correspondent chris morris has been giving me more details. it is essentially no deal, because australia doesn't have a free—trade agreement with the european union, so that's your baseline. it means you trade on world trade organization terms. that is a bigger issue for the uk dealing with the eu then for australia. if we look at the term

iain watson, bbc news. irus restrictions next week could trigger a third wave of infections bring the busiest time of infections bring the busiest time of year is for hospitals, according to nhs bosses. nhs providers, which represents hospital trusts in england, has written to the prime minister urging "extreme caution" when moving areas to a lower tier. lisa hampele reports. winter is when hospitals are at their busiest but the pandemic means this year will be unlike any other. hospital leaders in england i worry the high infection rate in the north during the autumn may soon be taking hold in the south. in the letter nhs providers say there were 13,000 covid patients in hospital in england this week compared to 500 in early september. the chief executive has urged caution ahead of the review of tears on wednesday. you just need to be really careful about relaxing the restrictions on social contact —— tiers. because we know that inevitably at the moment, what it means is more covid cases, more pressure on t

iain watson, bbc news. is our political correspondentjessica parker. the mood music feels grim, jessica, is that fair? the mood music is certainly not one of optimism either from the european union side or indeed from the prime minister today. important to point out we don't know exactly what is going on behind closed doors in terms of those negotiations led by lord frost on the uk side and michel barnier on the eu side, but as far as we can tell from what is being said in public, these crucial sticking points that have been the sticking points that have been the sticking points for some time now, they're not really making any headway on them. so ursula von der leyen saying today, look, infuture them. so ursula von der leyen saying today, look, in future the uk can move away from the standards, but there will be consequences, and the uk saying, that's no different to what you've been saying before, that is the so—called ratchet clause where the uk would feel they could face penalties going forward and poten

iain watson, bbc news. let's go to dover now — our correspondent there is damian grammaticas. the end of the year because of brexit, now they have because of coronavirus. what is the latest in dover? a season of difficulties here in the cold and wet. you have the port here behind a closed off to all but traffic will come in and drop off containers to go unaccompanied across the channel. 0therwise, every track that has been coming has been turned around and sent off, so you have these two big routes feeding traffic in from the m20 and along the coast, and also down through the white cliffs here. the police here have been saying basically to the drivers, you got to go and find parking elsewhere, you've got to go up to the motorway, up you've got to go up to the motorway, up the coast to mansfield, manson airfield up in ramsgate further out. up airfield up in ramsgate further out. up there there are facilities being provided but the drivers are getting quite frustrated because they don't know how long they will be struck, and most of these we are seeing, from bulgaria, romania, s

iain watson at westminster, thank you for snapa watson at westminster, thank you for snap a couple ofrmarket worker, will we be high up the list for the vaccine? another question, further to the announcement from the vaccine, i'm interested to know if someone who has received the vaccine might test positive for a while after being vaccinated. and another viewer, will people on the high risk group get vaccinations in the first batch even if they are under 80? we expect to get more detail on the prioritisation and exactly who will get the vaccine and in what order. the health secretary suggested that would be coming out, that information, in a bit more detail today. hopefully the answers to some of those questions and we also have your questions answered at 11:30am. england has returned to a tiered system of coronavirus restrictions, after the national lockdown ended at midnight. more than 55 million people are living in the strictest two tiers — where mixing with other households indoors is banned. the measures were voted in yesterday, despite the prime minister suffering the biggest r

thank you for that update. 0ur political correspondent, iain watson is at westminster.torm really with transmission of the new covid variant growing, a growing list of countries banning travel from the uk, and we are not even mentioning we are ten days away from the brexit transition period, but what is the subject of this cobra meeting first of all? it is freight movements in and out of the country. that what seems to be uniquely different about the french situation. there have been travel bans at various times during the whole coronavirus crisis. the government are saying they are going to put emergency contingency plans in place so that will be one of the main topics of conversation at the emergency cobra meeting later today. earlier grant shapps told the bbc he had been in touch again with his french counterpart to try to see if they could, after this 48 hour ban by france, start to lift the ban and put them in line with other countries which at least would allow hauliers if not general travellers and passages into the country. the most important thing is to get it

iain watson, bbc news. coronavirus lockdown from december the 26th until january coronavirus lockdown from december the 26th untiljanuary 20 4000 the country fights to bring down its coronavirus infection rates. for the first three weeks, 90 central stores will close as well services such as hairdressers. a planned series of mast testing will be carried out next month and from january the 18th, stores and restaurants will open again for those who test negative and for those that don't ta ke negative and for those that don't take part in the mass testing, they will have to stay in quarantine until the end of that date of the 24th of january. now, until the end of that date of the 24th ofjanuary. now, to until the end of that date of the 24th of january. now, to sweden, where the first time it's recommended that people wear facemasks on public transport. the measures against coronavirus, the government has so far to revisit —— resisted lockdown, but said that people should wear masks when travelling at peak t

thank you very much, iain watson at westminster.of kent county council. thank you for taking the time to talk to us. i know you have been getting the assessment of the latest situation in the county, bring us up to date? overnight, operation brock was put into effect, a different approach to the m20 compared with 0peration stack, which is what we have used so far, and we think there are about 800 vehicles in that on the m20. in the course of yesterday munster airport in sunetra, a bit further to the north—east, was also brought into operation. —— the airport in thanet, and there are about 900 vehicles there. things have moved on from yesterday, initially there were very strong measures to stay out of kent if at all possible, but had some effect but may be less now, we have had some vehicles come in and the message is still bad vehicles if at all possible should stay back because clearly we do not wish to see the back—up increase any further. our more drivers choosing to park on roadsides in an ad hoc manner, rather than being boxed

they said they would "go the extra mile" to try to find a solution. 0ur political correspondent iain watsone still barriers in the way of a trade deal with brussels? today the latest deadline was discarded. but the prime minister says some distance still remains between the two sides. as things stand, i'm afraid we're still very far apart on some key things. but where there's life, there's hope. we are going to keep talking to see what we can do. the uk certainly won't be walking away from the talks. and the eu commission president said both sides will make a last gasp effort to reach agreement. despite the exhaustion after almost one year of negotiations and despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, we both think that it is responsible at this point in time to go the extra mile. so, why does a tangible gap remain between the two sides? well, there is still squabbling over what access eu fishing fleets would have to uk waters. and over how any wider trade deal would be policed, if the two sides adopt different rules in the future. as well as talking to the eu commissio

our political correspondent iain watson has this report.ll barriers in the way of a trade deal with brussels? today the latest deadline was discarded. but the prime minister says some distance still remains between the two sides. as things stand, i'm afraid we're still very far apart on some key things. but where there's life, there's hope. we are going to keep talking to see what we can do. the uk certainly won't be walking and the eu commission president said both sides will make a last gasp effort to reach agreement. despite the exhaustion after almost one year of negotiations and despite the fact that deadlines have been missed over and over, we both think that it is responsible at this point in time to go the extra mile. so, why does a tangible gap remain between the two sides? well, there is still squabbling over what access eu fishing fleets would have to uk waters. and over how any wider trade deal would be policed, if the two sides adopt different rules in the future. as well as talking to the eu commission president today, borisjo

the night in brussels and are continuing to hammer out the details. 0ur political correspondent, iain watson westminster. we hope to get an announcement soon. the press conference has been delayed, we were expecting it earlier this morning. we were told that boris johnson earlier this morning. we were told that borisjohnson is talking to the european commission president. we have had to wait for this announcement. it should still be a historic day. we are one week away from when we leave the eu rules and regulations behind, the so—called transition period will conclude. it is uncertain what will replace it. we don't know what the trade relationship will be between the eu and the uk but we should get that today in a 2000 page document. we are expecting borisjohnson to tell the nation's media to tell us his promises on sovereignty, bring back control to the united kingdom, but also going through some of the details of the document to see where compromises have been made. we know that with fishing, compromises have been made there. sources have said that any changes made to the fishing rules wi

but first, this report from our politicial correspondent, iain watson.lf a merry little christmas, says the prime minister. that is, if you don't live in a tier 4 area in england where households aren't allowed to mix indoors, even on december 25th. the government is unlikely to impose new restrictions before christmas for areas in tiers one to three. but any festive fun could be short—lived, as there could be changes as soon as boxing day. on monday the chief scientific adviser warned that more areas could face tougher restrictions in due course. just 48 hours later, ministers have been meeting to discuss the next move. we will be looking at the number of cases in all parts of the country and in particular what the variant is doing. we know it is very concentrated in london and the south—east but it is also now prevalent to a lesser extent in other parts of the country as well. and so a judgment needs to be made as to whether the tiered system is strong enough. london and much of the south—east is already in tier 4, with the highest level of restriction