PMQs At Top Of Hour-Johnson Faces Qs On Int Travel, Indian Variant, AUS FTA

Prime ministers' questions in the House of Commons at the top of the hour (link to video here), with Prime Minister Boris Johnson likely to face questions on the muddled gov't advice on travel abroad, the potential impact of the spread of the Indian variant of COVID-19 on the unwinding of England/UK social restrictions, and the brewing row in gov't and the wider Conservative party over a prospective FTA with Australia.

• Just days after England relaxed COVID-19 restrictions further, there is the potential for further disagreement in gov't and the medical community over what to do about the spread of the Indian variant of COVID-19 in England. Some are arguing for the 21 June date where all restrictions are set to end to be pushed back due to rising cases. Others argue the June date must stay and only be pushed back if an increase in cases results in a larger number of hospitalisations.
• The FTA row continues to escalate today. Background:
  • Some in gov't (Int Trade Sec Liz Truss, Cabinet Office minister Lord Frost) have argued for a wide-ranging FTA w/Australia in order to demonstrate the 'global Britain' ambition of the Johnson gov't post-Brexit.
  • Others (Farming minister George Eustice, Cabinet Office Secretary Michael Gove) have argued for protection for British livestock farmers, for fear Australian competition could damage sector and stoke nationalist sentiment in Scotland and Wales)
• Yesterday, BBC's Newsnight political editor Nicholas Watt stated that "There's real concern among the Scottish Conservatives about this plan to grant tariff-free access to Australian food exporters. The same access the EU market has to the UK market. These concerns are being raised in the coming days. The fear is that Highland farmers just simply would not be able to compete with large-scale farming in Australia."