Pressure is growing on Robert Jenrick, the housing secretary, after documents indicated that he “insisted” a planning decision for a £1bn property development should be fast-tracked so a Tory donor’s company could reduce costs by £45m. Text messages released by Robert Jenrick show he told Richard Desmond he hoped to see him soon, after sitting next to him at a dinner the night before.
The UK risks a surge in carbon emissions as lockdown eases, the government’s climate advisers have warned. Lord Deben, chair of the committee on climate change, said ministers must act fast if the UK is to avoid a massive rebound in carbon emissions after the restrictions ease. The committee said there is a lack of clear leadership and direction from Boris Johnson.
The International Monetary Fund says the decline in global growth is worse than forecast. The group now predicts a decline of almost 5% in 2020, substantially worse than its forecast only 10 weeks ago in April. The UK economy is expected to contract more than 10% this year. The BBC says this would be one of the most severe declines, although not as deep as forecast for Italy, France or Spain.
New York has asked people travelling from states where virus cases are rising to go into self-isolation for 14 days. Connecticut and New Jersey have made the same move, with the governor of the latter state saying people there had been “through hell and back” and did not want “another round” of virus infections. The US has recorded more than 2.3m cases and more than 121,000 deaths.
Foreign holiday bookings have surged by more than 50% in two weeks. Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, says that quarantine-free “air bridges” would be announced to countries that have a coronavirus test-and-trace system comparable to the UK's. The countries are expected to include Spain, Italy, Greece and France. Portugal may also be included despite a spike in Covid-19 cases.
The Times says more police officers will be deployed on roads to combat drink-driving, phone offences and failure to wear seatbelts. The government wants to curb dangerous driving and reduce the number of people killed and seriously injured in crashes. The Parliamentary Advisory Council for Transport Safety, which advises MPs and peers, warned that the number of roads police had “decreased substantially” over the past decade.
The Burnley fan who was responsible for the “white lives matter” banner flown above a football stadium has been sacked from his job at an engineering firm. Jake Hepple, 24, was dismissed from Lancashire-based Paradigm Precision yesterday. Sky News says his girlfriend has also had her employment terminated in connection to posts she made on social media.
Joe Biden will accept the presidential candidate nomination at a mostly virtual convention in Milwaukee. The Democratic National Committee says delegates will not be asked to travel to the event. The conventions usually attract tens of thousands of people to the host city. The crowded events even continued during the Second World War and Civil War.
Victims of child abuse are to sue Celtic Football Club in a ground-breaking civil action. The Guardian says three men aim to use a civil trial to “knock down the defence wall” they say Celtic has erected in order to distance itself from the Boys’ Club, where the abuse occured. They have also criticised the Scottish government for failing to set up an independent public inquiry into the scandal.
Forecasters say soaring temperatures across the UK will be followed by thunderstorms and torrential rain over coming days. Today could be even hotter than yesterday, which was the hottest day of the year so far. The Met Office said that thunderstorms are expected to form in the afternoon, bringing heavy rain, lighting and hail.
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