Summary

  • Boris Johnson faced questions from MPs why the UK's coronavirus death toll is the highest in Europe

  • The prime minister said the focus is on the vaccination programme

  • On Tuesday, Mr Johnson said he was "deeply sorry" for every life lost to coronavirus

  • As the UK passed 100,000 deaths, Boris Johnson said: "We truly did everything we could"

  • The PM will make a statement later on England's lockdown restrictions

  • Home Secretary Priti Patel is expected to announce criteria for travellers who will need to quarantine in hotels in England

  • Criteria for easing the lockdown in England are expected to be published next month

  1. Starmer calls for all teachers to be vaccinated in Februarypublished at 12:16 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    Sir Keir says the greatest criticism on borders is coming from Conservatives, bringing up recent reports that Home Secretary Priti Patel urged for much tougher measures back in March.

    Turning to schools, he says it should be a national priority for schools to re-open to all pupils as soon as possible but he says there needs to be a plan and the PM has not gone one.

    He goes on to call for all teachers and support staff to be vaccinated during the February half term, saying there is a window to do this.

    The PM says he wants schools to reopen, pointing out that all teachers within the top 9 priority groups will be vaccinated, adding he wants the opposition leader to say schools are safe.

  2. Starmer: Why are borders still open?published at 12:14 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    StarmerImage source, HoC

    Sir Keir says "the problem with the prime minister avoiding the question of why, is vital lessons won't be learned".

    He lists a number of areas where Labour thinks the PM has been "too slow", including going into lockdowns, protecting care homes and implementing testing.

    Sir Keir says the "latest example" is on shutting the borders.

    "Surely the prime minister can see what is required now is everybody coming into the country from anywhere in the world should be tested and subject to quarantine in a hotel," he asks.

    The PM accuses the opposition leader of first supporting the government's approach, then turning to "attack it and twist and turn it".

    He says the UK has "one of toughest regimes in the world" and more details on "even tougher measures for red list countries" would be announced later.

  3. PM will have to explain death toll 'one day'published at 12:12 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    PMQsImage source, HoC

    The Labour leader says the UK has one of the highest death rates in the world and the PM will have to explain why "one day", adding that he should "have the decency to do that today".

    Sir Keir presses the PM on whether he ignored advice from government scientists to act "hard and fast" over restrictions over the past year.

    In response, the PM says there were no "easy choices" during the crisis and "perpetual lockdowns were no answer".

    Confirming that 6.9 million people have now been vaccinated, Johnson says he hopes to announce details in the coming days and weeks of how the UK will "exit" from the pandemic.

  4. Starmer: Why is our death toll the highest in Europe?published at 12:09 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    StarmerImage source, HoC

    Sir Keir Starmer begins his questioning, by video link from self-isolation, and joins the PM's tributes on Holocaust Memorial Day.

    The Labour leader points straight to the "tragic milestone" of 100,000 Covid deaths in the UK, announced yesterday.

    "The question on everyone's lips this morning is why," he asks.

    "The prime minister must have thought about that question a lot so could he tell us why he thinks the UK has ended up with a death toll of 100,000 - the highest in Europe?"

    Boris Johnson says he mourns "every death in this pandemic", adding: "We share the grief of all those who have been bereaved."

    He says he and the government "take full responsibility" for its actions.

    But while the PM says there will be a time to learn the lessons, "I don't think that moment is now", while the pandemic is still here.

  5. First question on vaccination roll outpublished at 12:07 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    ChisitiImage source, HoC

    Conservative MP Rehman Chishti is up first and asks why some of his elderly constituents are yet to receive a coronavirus vaccine.

    The prime minister says he shares his colleague's frustrations, and that the government is looking at setting up a vaccine centre in the area.

  6. PM marks Holocaust Memorial Daypublished at 12:05 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    The prime minister begins by remembering the six million Jewish men, women and children murdered during the Holocaust.

    It's part of commemorations for Holocaust Memorial Day.

    It kicks off a busy day in the Commons for the PM who will have a quick break after PMQS before coming back to make a statement on lockdown restrictions in England.

    JohnsonImage source, HoC
  7. PMQs begins...published at 12:01 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    Boris Johnson has taken to the dispatch box for Prime Minister's Questions to begin.

    Stay with us for all of the updates from the Commons.

  8. Analysis: Expect a sombre mood in PMQspublished at 12:01 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    Jessica Parker
    BBC political correspondent

    Boris Johnson will stand up in the Commons twice today to face MPs - first at Prime Minister’s Questions and, shortly after that, to make a statement on Covid-19.

    A day after the UK passed that terrible milestone of over 100,000 deaths the mood will likely be sombre.

    And of course with far fewer MPs in the chamber these days, the atmosphere was already muted.

    While the country’s death rate has prompted renewed questions about how the pandemic’s been handled in past months, it seems likely there will also be some focus on the future.

    Tory MPs tell me they want to hear more detail about this “broad brush” roadmap out of lockdown that’s set to emerge next month.

    And the prime minister, in his statement, is expected to give more detail on how long restrictions are likely to last in England.

    He will also address that huge issue of when schools can return which continues to hang over the government.

    Many people may wish to pause and reflect on the tragic toll this pandemic has taken but, with the country still in the grip of Covid-19, ministers must continue to make decisions and answer for them.

  9. Any hints on lockdown roadmap?published at 11:57 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    Empty street in LincolnImage source, PA Media

    We’ll be watching out for the PM giving any further hints about his promised roadmap out of the lockdown.

    The criteria the government may use, is not expected to be published for another couple of weeks, but Tory backbenchers are clamouring for the PM to come up with a plan for restrictions to be lifted.

    Some Tory MPs have set their sights on the 8th March, three weeks after all those in the most vulnerable groups should be vaccinated.

    Read more here.

  10. Johnson heads to PMQspublished at 11:53 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    JohnsonImage source, Reuters

    The prime minister has just left No 10 Downing Street for the Commons, so we're poised for the start of this week's PMQs - do stay with us.

  11. More details on hotel quarantine plan?published at 11:50 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    A plane flies over a hotel near Heathrow AirportImage source, EPA

    The question of hotel quarantine for British travellers arriving in to the UK is likely to be raised with the PM.

    But he may defer to his Home Secretary, Priti Patel to give any details on the government's plan, as she will make a statement in the Commons later this afternoon.

    She is expected to tell MPs that British people arriving from certain virus hot spots will have to isolate in hotel rooms at their own expense rather than at home.

    But Labour argues this doesn’t go far enough and wants it to be mandatory for everyone arriving in to the UK.

    We already know Patel wanted the government to close borders much sooner last year so it could be an awkward moment for the government.

    Read more here.

  12. Analysis: PM looks at criteria to end the lockdownpublished at 11:44 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    Adam Fleming
    Chief political correspondent

    Last week the government wouldn't allow any mention of the lockdown ending.

    Now it's talking openly about how officials are finessing the criteria that will be used to start lifting it.

    We can speculate about why.

    Pressure from Conservative backbenchers? The prime minister's optimistic personality? To help the country deal with the 100,000 Covid death toll, or to distract from it?

    Or it's just what you need to do when civil servants and businesses and schools need to start planning for when this phase of the pandemic inevitably ends?

    It's probably a bit of all of them.

    But this upcoming document could be quite vague. It will be about how decisions are made, not necessarily what they are.

    And it could all take a very long time.

    Remember when the first lockdown was lifted? The government published a plan on 11 May but English pubs didn't re-open until 4 July.

  13. PM to give Commons statement at 13:30 on lockdown restrictionspublished at 11:39 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    Boris JohnsonImage source, UK Parliament

    We have just had it confirmed Boris Johnson will be appearing for a second time in the Commons today, after PMQs.

    The prime minister will give a statement on the pandemic at 13:30 GMT, which was originally going to come from Health Secretary Matt Hancock.

    BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg says the statement is expected to give more details on how long restrictions are likely to last in England.

    And she hears it will also include an update on whether schools can reopen after half-term.

    After we wrap up PMQs, head over to the BBC's coronavirus live page for all the updates from Mr Johnson's statement.

  14. Starmer questions PM from homepublished at 11:34 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    Sir Keir StarmerImage source, Reuters

    Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be leading the questioning of the prime minister today - but like many of us, he is working from home.

    Sir Keir is isolating for the third time since the pandemic started, having been in contact with someone who tested positive for the virus - but he is not showing any symptoms.

    Despite his quarantine, the Labour leader has a full schedule today, and is due to hold a video call after PMQs with some of the bereaved families who lost loved ones to Covid-19.

    And we expect he will point to yesterday's grim milestone of 100,000 deaths in the UK during his exchanges with PM.

    Sir Keir released a statement on Tuesday calling it "a national tragedy" and criticising the government for being "behind the curve at every stage".

    We are sure he will have more to say on the subject today.

  15. Why is the UK's 100,000 death toll so bad?published at 11:26 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    Nick Triggle
    Health Correspondent

    NHS staff in full PPE unload patient from ambulanceImage source, Getty Images

    More than 100,000 people in the UK have died from a virus, that, this time last year, felt like a far-off foreign threat.

    How did we come to be one of the countries with the worst death tolls?

    There is no quick answer to that question, and there is sure to be a long and detailed public inquiry once the pandemic is over.

    But there are plenty of clues that, when pieced together, help build a picture of why the UK has reached this devastating number.

    Read more here from Nick, Christine Jeavans & Robert Cuffe.

  16. Questions facing PM on pandemic responsepublished at 11:17 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    Boris JohnsonImage source, PA Media

    As the UK passed 100,000 coronavirus deaths on Tuesday, Boris Johnson faced criticism from some scientists for "a legacy of poor decisions" before and during the pandemic.

    Labour also criticised "monumental mistakes" by the prime minister in delaying acting on scientific advice over lockdowns three times.

    It came after the PM told a Downing Street press conference last night: "We truly did everything we could."

    Questioned about the death toll again this morning, Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said ministers took the "best possible" expert advice.

    You can read the latest on the situation here.

  17. Good morningpublished at 10:50 Greenwich Mean Time 27 January 2021

    BBC Politics

    Hello and welcome to our live coverage of this week’s Prime Minister’s Questions.

    We’ll bring you all the updates as it happens, with analysis from our political correspondent Jessica Parker, external and the BBC Reality Check team

    Do stay with us.