Matt Hancock says he is ‘profoundly sorry’ for ‘huge error’ in UK’s pandemic planning – as it happened

Former health secretary Matt Hancock leaves after giving evidence at the UK Covid inquiry. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

5.30pm BST

Afternoon summary

• Matt Hancock has said he is “profoundly sorry” for his part in mistakes that meant the UK was not properly prepared for Covid, telling the public inquiry into the pandemic that he had not properly challenged assurances that sufficient planning was in place.

• Boris Johnson committed an unambiguous breach of the rules when he failed to get permission from the ministerial appointments watchdog before taking a job as a Daily Mail columnist, which has led to calls for reform of the “good chaps” system.

• The Conservatives will not investigate a claim by a TV producer that one of its London mayoral hopefuls groped her at No 10, as a spokesperson for Rishi Sunak said Downing Street was a safe place for women.

• Senior doctors in England have voted to strike in overwhelming numbers for the first time in the row over pay. The announcement came after the Royal College of Nursing said its members have failed to vote in sufficient numbers for further strike action.

• Alex Chalk, the justice secretary, has told MPs the government is abandoning the bill of rights championed by his predecessor, Dominic Raab. As Jason Groves from the Mail reports, Raab has described this as “disappointing”.

NEW: Dominic Raab not happy about decision to ditch Bill of Rights: 'It is disappointing to see this major Conservative reform, which can strengthen free speech and help us deport more foreign criminals, dropped from the government’s agenda. All the wrong people will celebrate' https://t.co/LeidI3sQcs

— Jason Groves (@JasonGroves1) June 27, 2023

Matt Hancock leaving the Covid inquiry. Photograph: Wiktor Szymanowicz/Shutterstock

Updated at 6.08pm BST

5.19pm BST

Reeves leads Hunt by 12 points on who would make best chancellor, poll suggests

Ipsos has published some fresh polling today. It is available in full here, and Keiran Pedley from the firm has a good Twitter thread summing up the main findings which starts here.

NEW from @IpsosUK /@standardnews:

- Labour is ahead on the issues that matter to the public

- But public are in the dark about what Lab would do in office / stand for. Does it matter? 🧵 pic.twitter.com/9NvRflA8Kn

— Keiran Pedley (@keiranpedley) June 27, 2023

There is plenty of interesting material in the survey but, in the light of the importance of the economy in deciding the outcome of elections, two findings stand out.

First, Labour has a big lead over the Conservatives on which party would get best value from public spending.

10/ Will return to that later. First let's dwell a bit on how much Con reputation on the economy has tanked. 48% now think Lab would get best value for money in public spending. 22% say Cons.

Not asked this question for a while but you can see what perceptions used to be. pic.twitter.com/nQW4MCx7Qz

— Keiran Pedley (@keiranpedley) June 27, 2023

And, second, Rachel Reeves has a 12-point lead over Jeremy Hunt on who would make the best chancellor. This is not the first time the shadow chancellor has led on this measure since 2010, but no shadow chancellor has been this far ahead in the last 13 years. Ed Balls came closest, leading George Osborne by eight points in the summer of 2012, after Osborne’s “omnishambles” budget.

11/ And Rachel Reeves leads Jeremy Hunt +12 pts on who would make the best Chancellor. Reeves' share here the highest a Lab shad chancellor has recorded since Lab entered opposition in 2010. pic.twitter.com/EMPSMBfCww

— Keiran Pedley (@keiranpedley) June 27, 2023