Boris Johnson news – live: Latest updates as Brexit isn’t over, ‘Frost’s position shows’

New government guidance has acknowledged that some barriers have emerged for UK businesses trading with Ireland following the end of the Brexit transition period.

As the BBC’s Faisal Islam notes, the Foreign Office and Department for International Trade guidance (which can be found here) references “supply-chain challenges and non-tariff trading barriers” under the new post-Brexit arrangements.

New government guidance has acknowledged that some barriers have emerged for UK businesses trading with Ireland following the end of the Brexit transition period.

As the BBC’s Faisal Islam notes, the Foreign Office and Department for International Trade guidance (which can be found here) references “supply-chain challenges and non-tariff trading barriers” under the new post-Brexit arrangements.

Full results from the upcoming Scottish parliament election may take days to be announced after a decision was made to not count votes overnight.

The counting of ballots usually begins when polls close at 10pm, but local authority areas will not begin the process of counting this year until between 9am and 10am the next day.

Malcolm Burr, convener of the Electoral Management Board (EMB) for Scotland, said: “Returning officers must ensure that the first ballot boxes are opened no earlier than 9am and no later than 10am on Friday 7 May 2021, to allow the verification and counting of constituency and regional ballots in their constituencies.

“For the avoidance of doubt, there is to be no overnight counting of votes.

“For local government elections in Scotland, a ‘next day count’ is well-accepted procedure and is acknowledged to allow a greater level of resilience within election teams.”

Mr Burr added that the decision was due to the expectation that the counting process would take “significantly longer” than normal, with venues “subject to enhanced hygiene and capacity limits… most appropriately managed during daytime hours”.

He said it was also hoped that the move would “significantly reduce the mingling of count and polling staff”.

The UK economy continued to decline in the first two weeks of February amid England’s third national lockdown and Brexit-related trade disruption, according to new data.

The IHS Markit/CIPS Flash UK Composite PMI report came in at 49.8 (anything below 50 is seen as a market in contraction) – an improvement on January’s figure of 41.2.

Manufacturers have reported severe supply chain disruption due to international shipping delays, strong worldwide demand for raw materials and trade friction.

However, the sector still grew, recording a flash PMI of 54.1 as new orders increased, although exports remained problematic with many reporting difficulties fulfilling orders to existing clients in the EU due to higher costs and transportation delays.

Chris Williamson, chief business economist at IHS Markit, which compiles the data, said: “The UK economy showed welcome signs of steadying in February after the severe slump seen in January, albeit with business activity remaining sharply lower than late-last year due mainly to the ongoing national lockdown.

“Although the hospitality sector, including hotels and restaurants, reported a further steep decline, as did the transport and travel sector, rates of contraction eased considerably.”

The Scottish Tory leader at Holyrood has accused the SNP of being “clearly rattled” over the prospect of Alex Salmond’s claims about Nicola Sturgeon being published as part of the inquiry into the handling of harassment complaints against the former first minister.

Ms Sturgeon’s party has claimed that the decision to publish Mr Salmond’s dossier could “jeopardise” the anonymity of women who were involved in the legal case against him.

Our reporter, Adam Forrest, has the full story below:

Labour’s Ed Miliband has called for the government to “clarify the mandate” for its new scientific research agency, which is expected to be modelled on the Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (Darpa) in the US.

The shadow business secretary said: “Labour has long called for investment in high ambition science.

“But government must clarify the mandate and mission of the new agency after engagement with the UK’s science community – and crucially address the wider funding crisis facing researchers.”

The government must “prioritise” delivering on previous commitments ahead of the Queen’s Speech, such as bringing forward long-awaited legislation to ban gay conversion therapy, MPs have said.

Sir Bernard Jenkin, the chair of the Commons Liaison Committee, noted that the coronavirus pandemic had “understandably” impacted the government’s agenda but ministers now needed to deliver on promises.

Our political correspondent, Ashley Cowburn, has the full story below:

The international community should not overlook Iran’s breaches of the 2015 deal aimed at curbing its nuclear ambitions, a Foreign Office minister has said.

“It is absolutely right that Iran must come back into compliance with the JCPOA [Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action]. We’ve called upon them to do so,” James Cleverly told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme on Friday.

“Ultimately it is in their hands. They are calling for the international community to ease sanctions and that kind of stuff, but ultimately that is in their hands.”

When asked if sanctions on Iran should be lifted to “unlock” talks, Mr Cleverly added: “I don’t think that we should be sending a signal that we are going to overlook this non-compliance or just brush it under the carpet.

“This is in Iran’s hands. They are the ones breaching the conditions of the JCPOA. They are the ones that can do something about this and they should come back into compliance.”