The north-west of England will not accept being treated “as canaries in the coal mine for an experimental regional lockdown strategy” that even the government’s own medical advisers don’t think will work, the mayor of Greater Manchester has said. London is to be formally moved up to the second tier of coronavirus restrictions later this week, a decision backed by the mayor, Sadiq Khan, but which prompted protests from a number of Conservative MPs in the capital. Italy is being removed from the UK’s travel corridor in a fresh blow to holidaymakers who will have to quarantine for a fortnight on their return from the country. The Welsh government’s plan to ban people entering Wales from coronavirus hotspots in other parts of the UK risks stirring “division and confusion”, Simon Hart, the Welsh secretary, has claimed. The Metropolitan police has said it will not charge the MP Margaret Ferrier with breaching Covid travel restrictions, because her positive test took place three days before the legal requirement to self-isolate came into force. France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, has led EU leaders in sending Boris Johnson an uncompromising message at a summit in Brussels – that the UK must swallow the bloc’s conditions or expect to face a no-deal outcome in the ongoing trade negotiations. As Daniel Boffey reports, far from seeking to sugar-coat the EU position as the prime minister considers whether he should walk out on the Brexit talks, Europe’s heads of state and government called on Downing Street to “make the necessary moves to make an agreement possible”. In a summit communique issued on Thursday afternoon, the leaders noted “with concern that progress on the key issues of interest to the union is still not sufficient for an agreement to be reached”. David Frost, the UK’s negotiator, has responded on Twitter.
Sir Keir Starmer has faced a series of resignations as he suffered a major rebellion over the so-called “spy cops” law. As PA Media reports, the Labour leader ordered his MPs to abstain on the third reading of the covert human intelligence sources (CHIS) bill. But 34 decided to oppose the legislation, including former leader Jeremy Corbyn, ex-shadow chancellor John McDonnell and former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott. Margaret Greenwood tendered her resignation as shadow schools minister and Dan Carden quit his post as a shadow Treasury minister so they could vote against the bill. That’s all from me for today. But our coverage continues on our global coronavirus live blog. It’s here.