Covid-19: UK could face 50,000 cases a day by October without action - Vallance - BBC News

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The UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action, the government's chief scientific adviser has warned.

Sir Patrick Vallance said that "would be expected to lead to about 200 deaths per day" a month after that.

It comes as the PM prepares to chair a Cobra emergency committee meeting on Tuesday morning, followed by a statement in the House of Commons.

On Sunday, a further 3,899 daily cases and 18 deaths were reported in the UK.

Speaking at Downing Street alongside chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick stressed the figures given were not a prediction, but added: "At the moment we think the epidemic is doubling roughly every seven days.

"If, and that's quite a big if, but if that continues unabated, and this grows, doubling every seven days... if that continued you would end up with something like 50,000 cases in the middle of October per day.

"Fifty-thousand cases per day would be expected to lead a month later, so the middle of November say, to 200-plus deaths per day.

"The challenge, therefore, is to make sure the doubling time does not stay at seven days.

"That requires speed, it requires action and it requires enough in order to be able to bring that down."

Prof Whitty added that if cases continued to double every seven days as Sir Patrick had set out, then the UK could "quickly move from really quite small numbers to really very large numbers because of that exponential process".

"So we have, in a bad sense, literally turned a corner, although only relatively recently," he said.

Prof Whitty and Sir Patrick also said:

• The rising case numbers could not be blamed on an increase in testing as there is also an "increase in positivity of the tests done"
• Around 70,000 people in the UK are estimated to currently have the disease - and about 6,000 per day are catching it (based on an ONS study)
• Less than 8% of the population has been infected, although the figure could be as high as 17% in London
• The rising transmission is a "six-month problem that we have to deal with collectively"
• The virus is not milder now than in April, despite claims to the contrary
• It is possible "that some vaccine could be available before the end of the year in small amounts for certain groups" but "the first half of next year" is much more likely

The government's most senior science and medical advisers are clearly concerned about the rise in cases that have been seen in recent weeks.

The warning about 50,000 cases a day by mid-October is stark. We don't know for sure how many cases there were at the peak in spring (as there was very limited testing in place) although some estimates put it at 100,000.

However, they were also at pains to point out it was not a prediction.

Even among the government's own advisers there is disagreement over whether what we are seeing is the start of an exponential rise or just a gradual increase in cases, which is what you would expect at this time of year as respiratory viruses tend to circulate more with the reopening of society.

Instead, what was quite telling was the clear social messaging. Even those who are not at a high risk of complications should, they say, play their part in curbing the spread of the virus because if it spreads then difficult decisions will be needed that have profound societal consequences.

But the big unanswered question is what ministers will do next. There is talk of further restrictions being introduced, but that is far from certain.

A couple of things are in our favour that were not in the spring. Better treatments for those who get very sick are now available, while the government is in a better position to protect the vulnerable groups.

Should ministers wait and see what happens? Or should they crack down early, knowing that will have a negative impact in other ways?

Prof Whitty also said that even though different parts of the UK were seeing cases rising at different rates, and even though some age groups are affected more than others, the evolving situation "is all of our problem".

He added that evidence from other countries showed infections were "not staying just in the younger age groups" but were "moving up the age bands".

He said mortality rates from Covid-19 were "significantly greater" than seasonal flu, which killed around 7,000 annually or 20,000 in a bad year.

The briefing comes as areas in north-west England, West Yorkshire, the Midlands and four more counties in south Wales will face further local restrictions from Tuesday.

And additional lockdown restrictions will "almost certainly" be put in place in Scotland in the next couple of days, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is to speak with leaders of devolved administrations later.

"Hopefully this will be with four-nations alignment, but if necessary it will have to happen without that," Ms Sturgeon said.

Welsh Health Minister Vaughan Gething added: "It may be the case that UK-wide measures will be taken but that will require all four governments to exercise our varying share of power and responsibility to do so."

On Sunday, the prime minister held a meeting in Downing Street with Prof Whitty, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock to discuss possible further measures for England.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the view from No 10 was that while doing nothing "was not an option", neither was a full national lockdown, and that whatever measures are imposed could be turned "off and on" throughout the winter.

Asked about reports of disagreements among cabinet ministers about whether or not to impose a second lockdown, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Breakfast: "A conversation, a debate, is quite proper and that is exactly what you'd expect.

"Everyone recognises there is a tension between... the virus and the measures we need to take, and the economy and ensuring people's livelihoods are protected."

'Damage to our economy'

Labour, meanwhile, has urged the government to avoid a second national lockdown.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "This rapid spike in infections was not inevitable, but a consequence of the government's incompetence and failure to put in place an adequate testing system.

"Labour's priority is that there must be a national effort to prevent another national lockdown.

"The government must do what it takes to prevent another lockdown, which would cause unimaginable damage to our economy and people's wellbeing."

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2020-09-21 12:21:06Z
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Covid-19: UK could face 50,000 cases a day by October without action - Vallance - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action, the government's chief scientific adviser has warned.

Sir Patrick Vallance said that "would be expected to lead to about 200 deaths per day" a month after that.

The briefing at Downing St comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson considers whether to introduce further measures in England.

On Sunday, a further 3,899 daily cases and 18 deaths were reported in the UK.

Speaking alongside the government's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick stressed the figures given were not a prediction, but added: "At the moment we think the epidemic is doubling roughly every seven days.

"If, and that's quite a big if, but if that continues unabated, and this grows, doubling every seven days... if that continued you would end up with something like 50,000 cases in the middle of October per day.

"Fifty-thousand cases per day would be expected to lead a month later, so the middle of November say, to 200-plus deaths per day.

"The challenge, therefore, is to make sure the doubling time does not stay at seven days.

"That requires speed, it requires action and it requires enough in order to be able to bring that down."

Prof Whitty added that if cases continued to double every seven days as Sir Patrick had set out, then the UK could "quickly move from really quite small numbers to really very large numbers because of that exponential process".

"So we have, in a bad sense, literally turned a corner, although only relatively recently," he said.

Prof Whitty and Sir Patrick also said:

• The rising case numbers could not be blamed on an increase in testing as there is also an "increase in positivity of the tests done"
• Around 70,000 people in the UK are estimated to currently have the disease - and about 6,000 per day are catching it (based on an ONS study)
• Less than 8% of the population has been infected, although the figure could be as high as 17% in London
• The rising transmission is a "six-month problem that we have to deal with collectively"
• The virus is not milder now than in April, despite claims to the contrary
• It is possible "that some vaccine could be available before the end of the year in small amounts for certain groups" but "the first half of next year" is much more likely

The government's most senior science and medical advisers are clearly concerned about the rise in cases that have been seen in recent weeks.

The warning about 50,000 cases a day by mid-October is stark. We don't know for sure how many cases there were at the peak in spring (as there was very limited testing in place) although some estimates put it at 100,000.

However, they were also at pains to point out it was not a prediction.

Even among the government's own advisers there is disagreement over whether what we are seeing is the start of an exponential rise or just a gradual increase in cases, which is what you would expect at this time of year as respiratory viruses tend to circulate more with the reopening of society.

Instead, what was quite telling was the clear social messaging. Even those who are not at a high risk of complications should, they say, play their part in curbing the spread of the virus because if it spreads then difficult decisions will be needed that have profound societal consequences.

But the big unanswered question is what ministers will do next. There is talk of further restrictions being introduced, but that is far from certain.

A couple of things are in our favour that were not in the spring. Better treatments for those who get very sick are now available, while the government is in a better position to protect the vulnerable groups.

Should ministers wait and see what happens? Or should they crack down early, knowing that will have a negative impact in other ways?

Prof Whitty also said that even though different parts of the UK were seeing cases rising at different rates, and even though some age groups are affected more than others, the evolving situation "is all of our problem".

He added that evidence from other countries showed infections were "not staying just in the younger age groups" but were "moving up the age bands".

He said mortality rates from Covid-19 were "significantly greater" than seasonal flu, which killed around 7,000 annually or 20,000 in a bad year.

The briefing comes as areas in north-west England, West Yorkshire, the Midlands and four more counties in south Wales will face further local restrictions from Tuesday.

And additional lockdown restrictions will "almost certainly" be put in place in Scotland in the next couple of days, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has said.

She confirmed that a meeting of the UK government's Cobra emergency committee would take place, and that she would be speaking to Mr Johnson directly after the briefing.

"Hopefully this will be with four-nations alignment, but if necessary it will have to happen without that," she said.

On Sunday, the prime minister held a meeting in Downing Street with Prof Whitty, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock to discuss possible further measures for England.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the view from No 10 was that while doing nothing "was not an option", neither was a full national lockdown, and that whatever measures are imposed could be turned "off and on" throughout the winter.

Asked about reports of disagreements among cabinet ministers about whether or not to impose a second lockdown, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Breakfast: "A conversation, a debate, is quite proper and that is exactly what you'd expect.

"Everyone recognises there is a tension between... the virus and the measures we need to take, and the economy and ensuring people's livelihoods are protected."

'Damage to our economy'

Labour, meanwhile, has urged the government to avoid a second national lockdown.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "This rapid spike in infections was not inevitable, but a consequence of the government's incompetence and failure to put in place an adequate testing system.

"Labour's priority is that there must be a national effort to prevent another national lockdown.

"The government must do what it takes to prevent another lockdown, which would cause unimaginable damage to our economy and people's wellbeing."

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2020-09-21 12:00:00Z
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Covid-19: UK faces 50,000 cases a day by October without action - Vallance - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further action, the government's chief scientific adviser has warned.

Sir Patrick Vallance said that "would be expected to lead to about 200 deaths per day" a month after that.

The briefing at Downing St comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson considers whether to introduce further measures in England.

On Sunday, a further 3,899 daily cases and 18 deaths were reported in the UK.

Speaking alongside the government's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick stressed the figures given were not a prediction, but added: "At the moment we think the epidemic is doubling roughly every seven days.

"If, and that's quite a big if, but if that continues unabated, and this grows, doubling every seven days... if that continued you would end up with something like 50,000 cases in the middle of October per day.

"Fifty-thousand cases per day would be expected to lead a month later, so the middle of November say, to 200-plus deaths per day.

"The challenge, therefore, is to make sure the doubling time does not stay at seven days.

"That requires speed, it requires action and it requires enough in order to be able to bring that down."

Prof Whitty added that if cases continued to double every seven days as Sir Patrick had set out, then the UK could "quickly move from really quite small numbers to really very large numbers because of that exponential process".

"So we have, in a bad sense, literally turned a corner, although only relatively recently," he said.

Prof Whitty and Sir Patrick also said:

• The rising case numbers could not be blamed on an increase in testing as there is also an "increase in positivity of the tests done"
• Around 70,000 people in the UK are estimated to currently have the disease - and about 6,000 per day are catching it (based on an ONS study)
• Less than 8% of the population has been infected, although the figure could be as high as 17% in London
• The rising transmission is a "six-month problem that we have to deal with collectively"
• The virus is not milder now than in April, despite claims to the contrary
• It is possible "that some vaccine could be available before the end of the year in small amounts for certain groups" but "the first half of next year" is much more likely

The government's most senior science and medical advisers are clearly concerned about the rise in cases that have been seen in recent weeks.

The warning about 50,000 cases a day by mid-October is stark. We don't know for sure how many cases there were at the peak in spring (as there was very limited testing in place) although some estimates put it at 100,000.

However, they were also at pains to point out it was not a prediction.

Even among the government's own advisers there is disagreement over whether what we are seeing is the start of an exponential rise or just a gradual increase in cases, which is what you would expect at this time of year as respiratory viruses tend to circulate more with the reopening of society.

Instead, what was quite telling was the clear social messaging. Even those who are not at a high risk of complications should, they say, play their part in curbing the spread of the virus because if it spreads then difficult decisions will be needed that have profound societal consequences.

But the big unanswered question is what ministers will do next. There is talk of further restrictions being introduced, but that is far from certain.

A couple of things are in our favour that were not in the spring. Better treatments for those who get very sick are now available, while the government is in a better position to protect the vulnerable groups.

Should ministers wait and see what happens? Or should they crack down early, knowing that will have a negative impact in other ways?

Prof Whitty also said that even though different parts of the UK were seeing cases rising at different rates, and even though some age groups are affected more than others, the evolving situation "is all of our problem".

"What we've seen in other countries, and are now clearly seeing here, is that they're not staying just in the younger age groups, and moving up the age bands and the mortality rates will be similar to - slightly lower than they were previously - but they will be similar to what we saw previously."

He said mortality rates from Covid-19 were "significantly greater" than seasonal flu, which killed around 7,000 annually or 20,000 in a bad year.

The briefing comes as areas in north-west England, West Yorkshire and the Midlands, will face further local restrictions from Tuesday, taking the number of people affected by increased local measures in the UK to around 13.5 million.

On Sunday, the prime minister held a meeting in Downing Street with Prof Whitty, Chancellor Rishi Sunak and Health Secretary Matt Hancock to discuss possible further measures for England.

BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the view from No 10 was that while doing nothing "was not an option", neither was a full national lockdown, and that whatever measures are imposed could be turned "off and on" throughout the winter.

Asked about reports of disagreements among cabinet ministers about whether or not to impose a second lockdown, Transport Secretary Grant Shapps told BBC Breakfast: "A conversation, a debate, is quite proper and that is exactly what you'd expect.

"Everyone recognises there is a tension between... the virus and the measures we need to take, and the economy and ensuring people's livelihoods are protected."

'Damage to our economy'

Labour, meanwhile, has urged the government to avoid a second national lockdown.

Shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said: "This rapid spike in infections was not inevitable, but a consequence of the government's incompetence and failure to put in place an adequate testing system.

"Labour's priority is that there must be a national effort to prevent another national lockdown.

"The government must do what it takes to prevent another lockdown, which would cause unimaginable damage to our economy and people's wellbeing."

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2020-09-21 11:06:51Z
52781072910965

Covid-19: UK faces 50,000 cases a day by October without action - Vallance - BBC News

Media playback is unsupported on your device

The UK could see 50,000 new coronavirus cases a day by mid-October without further restrictions, the government's chief scientific adviser has warned.

Sir Patrick Vallance said that "would be expected to lead to about 200 deaths per day" a month after that.

The briefing at Downing St comes as Prime Minister Boris Johnson considers whether to introduce further measures in England.

On Sunday, a further 3,899 daily cases and 18 deaths were reported in the UK.

Speaking alongside the government's chief medical adviser, Prof Chris Whitty, Sir Patrick stressed the figures given were not a prediction, but added: "At the moment we think the epidemic is doubling roughly every seven days.

"If, and that's quite a big if, but if that continues unabated, and this grows doubling every seven days... if that continued you would end up with something like 50,000 cases in the middle of October per day.

"50,000 cases per day would be expected to lead a month later, so the middle of November say, to 200-plus deaths per day.

"The challenge, therefore, is to make sure the doubling time does not stay at seven days.

"That requires speed, it requires action and it requires enough in order to be able to bring that down."

• What are the rules for meeting my friends?
• How many cases are there in my area?

Prof Whitty added that if cases continued to double every seven days as Sir Patrick had set out, then the UK could "quickly move from really quite small numbers to really very large numbers because of that exponential process".

"So we have, in a bad sense, literally turned a corner, although only relatively recently," he said.

The government's most senior science and medical advisers are clearly concerned about the rise in cases that have been seen in recent weeks.

The warning about 50,000 cases a day by mid-October is stark. We don't know for sure how many cases there were at the peak in spring (as there was very limited testing in place) although some estimates put it at 100,000.

However, they were also at pains to point out it was not a prediction.

Even among the government's own advisers there is disagreement over whether what we are seeing is the start of an exponential rise or just a gradual increase in cases, which is what you would expect at this time of year as respiratory viruses tend to circulate more with the reopening of society.

Instead, what was quite telling was the clear social messaging. Even those who are not at a high risk of complications should, they say, play their part in curbing the spread of the virus because if it spreads then difficult decisions will be needed that have profound societal consequences.

But the big unanswered question is what ministers will do next. There is talk of further restrictions being introduced, but that is far from certain.

A couple of things are in our favour that were not in the spring. Better treatments for those who get very sick are now available, while the government is in a better position to protect the vulnerable groups.

Should ministers wait and see what happens? Or should they crack down early, knowing that will have a negative impact in other ways?

Prof Whitty also said that even though different parts of the UK were seeing cases rising at different rates, and even though some age groups are affected more than others, the evolving situation "is all of our problem".

"What we've seen in other countries, and are now clearly seeing here, is that they're not staying just in the younger age groups, and moving up the age bands and the mortality rates will be similar to - slightly lower than they were previously - but they will be similar to what we saw previously."

He said mortality rates from Covid-19 were "significantly greater" than seasonal flu, which killed around 7,000 annually or 20,000 in a bad year.

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2020-09-21 10:52:30Z
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Matt Hancock admits Christmas wont be normal with Covid vaccine roll out unlikely before early 2021 - Daily Mail

Matt Hancock admits Christmas WON'T be normal as he confirms vaccine roll-out is unlikely before early 2021

• Health Secretary spoke to Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning
• Said 'as close to normal as possible' was the best Christmas available this year
• Warned even that would be dependent on new rules being followed now

By David Wilcock, Whitehall Correspondent For Mailonline

Published: 10:46 BST, 21 September 2020 | Updated: 11:12 BST, 21 September 2020

Matt Hancock today conceded that a completely normal Christmas is impossible this year.

The Health Secretary admitted it was unlikely a Covid vaccine would be rolled out before early next year as he said that 'as close to normal as possible' was the best that could be hoped for during the festive period.

And he used a grilling by Philip Schofield and Holly Willoughby on This Morning to warn even that would be dependent on rules being followed now to crush an up-spike in coronavirus cases.

Asked by Ms Willoughby whether people would be able to 'hug grandma this Christmas', he said: 'I want Christmas to be as normal as possible. The more that we can control the virus now to stop the spread now, the easier it is going to be to have a Christmas that is as close to normal as possible.  

'I know that is what so many people are looking forward to. It is what I hope for, for my family, and I just hope that we can get there. It means taking decisions now.'

The Health Secretary admitted it was unlikely a Covid vaccine would be rolled out before early next year as he said that 'as close to normal as possible' was the best that could be hoped for during the festive period.

And he added: 'If this runs out of control now we will have to take heavier measures in the future.'

On the possibility of a vaccine, Mr Hancock said: 'For the mass rollout we're talking about the first bit of next year, if all goes well.

'Hopefully in the first few months - there's still a chance of it coming on stream before Christmas, but we've then got to roll it out and the first people who will get it are the people who are most vulnerable - people in care homes, older people.

'There's a series of different vaccines, but we are talking about - essentially, for it to have an impact on how we live our lives - we're talking about the start of next year.'

It came as Professor Chris Whitty and Sir Patrick Vallance prepared to warn the UK is at a 'critical point' in the fight against coronavirus after a surge in cases as Boris Johnson faces a Cabinet war over reimposing lockdown measures.

The Chief Medical Officer and the Chief Scientific Adviser will deliver a stark televised address to the nation this morning, with Prof Whitty expected to say that the UK is facing a 'very challenging winter'.

He will say Britain is currently heading in 'the wrong direction' with Government sources warning the UK is now in the 'last chance saloon'.

Mr Johnson held talks with Prof Whitty and Sir Patrick yesterday as he draws up a virus battle plan that could see the country face more draconian restrictions for as long as six months.

The fact Mr Johnson's two top scientists are addressing the nation today will likely be seen as an attempt by the Government to 'roll the pitch' for the PM to announce new restrictions.

It is thought Mr Johnson will set out new measures in a press conference as early as tomorrow and Health Secretary Matt Hancock today refused to guarantee that pubs will still be allowed to open at the weekend as he said it is socialising which is driving the spike in cases.

Mr Hancock said any new lockdown measures 'will be different to last time'

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2020-09-21 09:46:51Z
52781072742698

Coronavirus poll: Should Boris call for another nationwide lockdown? VOTE HERE - Express

Last week, daily case numbers began to rise levels not seen since the peak of the lockdown. Government officials are now considering new lockdown measures to contain a second wave of the virus. With that in mind, Express.co.uk is asking in our exclusive poll: “Should Boris call for another nationwide lockdown?”

The Government is considering putting curfews on pubs and a ban on households mixing in order to try and stop the spread of the virus.

Areas in the North East and West have also been placed into lockdown as case numbers rise to the highest in the country.

Following the lockdown for areas in the North East and West, London Mayor, Sadiq Khan, also warned changes may be needed in the capital.

With London’s case rate per 100,000 standing at 503.4, sources close to the Mayor have indicated changes might be needed now to stop an outbreak similar to what has been seen in the north.

A source told the HuffPost: “It's clear that cases in London are only moving in one direction, we are now just days behind hotspots in the North West and North East.

“We can't afford more delay.

“Introducing new measures now will help slow the spread of the virus and potentially prevent the need for a fuller lockdown like we saw in March, which could seriously damage the economy once again.”

The UK’s case number rose by 3,889 on Sunday taking the overall total to 394,257 at the time of writing.

JUST IN: Here we go! Trade talks with major UK ally start TODAY - huge boost

“I think some additional measures are likely to be needed sooner rather than later.

“We have in some sense a perfect storm right now of people, as they have been told to, getting back to normal – schools reopening, a surge in cases, so therefore the testing system is under strain.”

Ahead of a fresh lockdown across the country, Mr Johnson is planning to hold a press conference on Tuesday.

Amid the rise in cases, stricter coronavirus fines have now been drawn up by the Government.

A £10,000 fine will now be imposed if anyone who has been advised to do so, fails to self-isolate in England.

While Health Secretary, Matt Hancock, did warn of a second lockdown, he insisted it was the Government’s last line of defence.

He said: “I don't rule it out, I don't want to see it.

"If everybody follows the rules then we can avoid further national lockdown.”

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2020-09-21 09:46:15Z
52781072133712

Brexit LIVE: Boris Johnson confident his Internal Market Bill will pass next stage today - Daily Express

The legislation will continue its Committee Stage reading this afternoon ahead of the next round of formal talks between the UK and EU next week. The bill sparked controversy on the continent following its introduction to the Commons earlier this month. However, Mr Johnson agreed a deal with Tory rebels in order to stop a potential revolt. The compromise means MPs will be given a vote on when to use the powers within the UK Internal Market Bill.

UK and EU officials will hold informal talks later this week as the two sides attempt to agree a deal. 

If the legislation passes, some EU officials have threatened to take legal action against the UK. 

One EU diplomatic source told Express.co.uk: "What we have discussed amongst ourselves is that we will take a look at the end of September, early October, to see what the options are.

"The next negotiating round on September 27 is quite an important one because we really need to get an indication that progress is being made on two fronts [trade talks and the UK Internal Market Bill].

"And if not, then we will carefully consider our options.”

FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES: 

9am update: Nigel Farages agrees with Michel Barnier in cheeky tweet 

NIGEL Farage has revealed he is in complete agreement with EU Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier on one aspect of Britain's relationship with the European Union - while making his outright hostility towards the bloc abundantly clear.

The Brexit Party leader was reacting after quotes attributed to Mr Barnier were tweeted by the European Democrats, the political group to which he belongs. 

Mr Farage said in response: "Barnier says 'Farage simply wanted to destroy us' and he’s absolutely right.

"I believe in independent, democratic nations in Europe being friends and trading with each other - not the new Soviet Union in Brussels."

7.59am update: Trade talks begin with Australia 

Brexit talks with Australia started today, International Trade Secretary, Liz Truss has announced today. 

She said: "The second round of UK-Australia trade talks starts today.

"We're intensifying talks and pushing UK interests hard in vital areas like tech, telecoms, financial services and food & drink.

"We want a gold standard agreement that delivers for the whole of Britain."

7.31am update: UK Internal Market Bill returns to Commons 

The Prime Minister's new legislation returns to Parliament today for its latest Committee stage reading. 

The controversial legislation is intended to maintain trade between the four nations and is scheduled to have its final report stage on September 29. 

Controversy sparked earlier this month, after it was discovered the legislation violates elements of the withdrawal agreement. 

Particularly the provisions surrounding state aid in Northern Ireland and customs declarations.

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2020-09-21 06:48:00Z
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