Tuesday briefing: Brexit and Covid shortages ‘to get worse’

Top story: ‘Massive exodus of non-UK labour’

Hello, Warren Murray at least able to supply you with some news – including freshly minted gold in the sailing down in the sport section.

Gaps on supermarket shelves are likely to continue for several months, suppliers have warned, unless the government does more to tackle the shortage of qualified HGV drivers worsened by Brexit and Covid. Logistics and hauliers’ organisations said August would be a pinch point in the shortage as workers take summer breaks. Tesco is among firms offering incentives of GBP1,000 or more to lure HGV drivers. Rod McKenzie of the Road Haulage Association said: “This is a real problem because all they are doing is buying talent from somewhere else. They are not creating talent.”

James Bielby, the chief executive of the Federation of Wholesale Distributors, said an aluminium supply issue meant products such as soft drinks and beer were scarce, while Brexit-related labour shortages were affecting fresh goods such as meat and milk. “It’s going to get worse before it gets better,” he warned. Shane Brennan, the chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, said the issue was getting worse. “We’ve seen a massive exodus of non-UK labour during the pandemic and we don’t know if they are able to come back.”

‘Amber watchlist’ dumped – Boris Johnson has ditched plans for a travel “amber watchlist” entailing stricter quarantine for some holidaymakers. Fears popular destinations such as Spain, Greece and Italy could have been put into the new “amber watchlist” category prompted alarm among Tories that millions planning trips to those countries would be in limbo. It has emerged there is currently no permanent head of the Joint Biosecurity Centre, which advises on travel rules, after the incumbent’s departure. In Covid research, the optimal vaccination schedule to protect pregnant women is to be explored in a UK clinical trial that researchers hope will also allay concerns about getting the jab. More coronavirus news at our live blog.

Black barrister to oversee police – The National Police Chiefs Council has appointed a new chair who has previously said black people fear calling on officers for help. The barrister Abimbola Johnson will head a new independent scrutiny and oversight board as part of a promised suite of changes to policing meant to boost confidence among minority ethnic groups. As a barrister, Johnson has fought racial bias in the legal profession and courts. She will chair a board whose members will now be recruited.

Johnson said of her appointment that policing needed systemic change: “Black people have been disproportionately affected by policing for decades … . Many of us have had personal experiences with the police that have been unsatisfactory, unfair or even harmful and many of us know of others with similar stories … I hope the creation of an action plan and a parallel independent board to inform, oversee and scrutinise that plan marks a recognition by the police that the onus is on them to look inwards.”

Scammers rack up millions – The UK’s biggest banks are failing to properly help fraud victims, leaving them “feeling abandoned” and exposed to future scams, Which? has said. It found customers were struggling to contact their bank after being scammed, potentially costing thousands of pounds as fraudsters empty accounts unchecked. Which? has estimated GBP700,000 is being lost to bank transfer scams every day. There is even “recovery fraud” where victims are scammed again by fraudsters pretending to help them recoup their losses. Which? has called for the voluntary code on bank transfer scams to be replaced with mandatory reimbursements. UK Finance, which represents the banks, said GBP188.3m has been returned under the code but it supported “a regulated code, backed by legislation”. It said the government must also act on vulnerabilities in “telecoms and online platforms [that] are facilitating these crimes”.

Cannabis spray for brain tumours – Cancer charities and the NHS are preparing to investigate whether a cannabis-based mouth spray can treat brain tumours and help patients to live longer. Doctors will give patients across the UK with a recurrent brain tumour called a glioblastoma the drug, which is known as Sativex, alongside a chemotherapy medication – temozolomide – in a clinical trial in an attempt to kill off cancerous cells. It will be the first such study in the world. The Brain Tumour Charity, which is funding the trial, will recruit 232 patients early next year from at least 15 hospitals, including specialist cancer centres, across the UK.

Today in Focus podcast: Too many secrets

Plans to update and expand the Official Secrets Act have been attacked as a “licence for cover-ups” that could be used to thwart legitimate investigative journalism.

Lunchtime read: You’re OK, boomer

It can feel as if the generation gap is wider than ever – but not when people really talk. Here, four 60-somethings offer advice to those in their teens and 20s.

Sport

At the Tokyo Olympics, Team GB sailors have put the first gold of the day in the bank. There was nothing in it in the medal race as Dylan Fletcher and Stuart Bithell held off Germany by little more than a few centimetres in the men’s skiff 49er gold. The win hands Team GB their first Olympic gold in this class and after a disappointing day on the track it is just the tonic. More gold is on offer at the velodrome where Jason and Laura Kenny are aiming for a historic double team pursuit triumph. Pat McCormack in the boxing ring and 19-year-old Keely Hodgkinson in the women’s 800 metres also have their sights set on gold. Otherwise, all eyes will be on Simone Biles’s return to the Games later today, on the balance beam. You can follow the latest at our liveblog here. Yesterday, Emily Campbell became Team GB’s first female Olympic weightlifting medallist, taking silver in the super-heavyweight contest. The 27-year-old’s story is an inspirational one, going, in five years, from never having touched a barbell to medallist, and all without any lottery funding.

Away from Tokyo, Harry Kane has sparked anger by refusing to report for pre-season training at Spurs as part of his exit strategy – aka the nuclear button – that he hopes will see him move to Man City. The move by the England captain will result in a fine and is likely to see club chairman Daniel Levy dig his heels in. The Premier League has toughened up the criteria referees will use to decide spot-kicks, bringing them more into line with club and player desires to have them awarded for “proper fouls” only. Head of refereeing Mike Riley said officials will look at the degree of contact, its effect, and the motivation of the attacking player (eg diving). You can dive into our club by club season previews here – the latest is Brentford. Joe Root has said he wants Ben Stokes to take as much time as he needs to recover from his struggles after seeing how much the all-rounder was suffering. “From my point of view, I just want my friend to be OK,” he said.

Business

Asia-Pacific stock markets have followed Wall Street lower. US jobs data due out this week will be watched for signs of the health of the world’s biggest economy. The FTSE is set to open lower as well. Sterling is worth $1.389 and EUR1.169 at time of writing.

The papers

The Guardian’s print splash today is “Johnson ditches travel watchlist plan amid chaos at advisory body“. Our Pegasus project coverage continues with the revelation that a British human rights lawyer fighting to free Dubai’s Princess Latifa had his mobile phone compromised by Pegasus spyware, according to a forensic analysis by Amnesty International.

The Daily Mail leads with “Pings can only get better”, which is partly about the NHS app being tweaked to potentially reduce the number of people told to self-isolate as Covid contacts. The Metro calls that “Pinging the changes”. (The Briefing hereby copyrights “Pings for the memories” for when the app is wound down.) “Boris ditches rules to get Britain moving” – that’s the Express on first-name terms as usual. The Telegraph says “PM steps in to save holidays on Continent” with a capital C no less. The i sees it differently: “PM flip-flops on changes to amber travel”.

The Times paraphrases Rishi Sunak as telling the young and career-driven to “Go back to the office if you want to get on”. “Grealish wag: my 200 death threats a day” – that is the Sun’s rather depersonalising way of referring to Sasha Attwood who has talked about being targeted with online abuse. “Energy bills sickener” – the Mirror on prices going up. The Financial Times has “US group’s GBP7bn bid for Meggitt sparks national interest concerns” – the FTSE 250 engineering company and defence supplier has recommended that shareholders accept the 800p-a-share approach from Parker Hannifin. Nils Pratley says it is a fat offer but questions whether commitments to UK jobs and the government are sufficient.

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