Brexit ‘sausage war’ deepens with Macron-Johnson G7 dispute over Northern Ireland

Group of Seven leaders will reportedly call for a transparent and science-based study into the origins of Covid-19 to be convened by the World Health Organization.

In a draft communique, leaders call for a “timely, transparent, expert-led and science-based WHO-convened Phase 2 Covid-19 Origins study,” according to Reuters.

The communique is reportedly almost finalised.

The Elysee Palace has rejected claims that Emmanuel Macron confused the constitutional status of Northern Ireland in a conversation with Boris Johnson at the G7 summit in Cornwall.

Reports today suggested that the supposed mix-up sparked an outburst from Mr Johnson that EU leaders had to “get into their heads” the importance of the territorial integrity of the UK.

However, Mr Macron’s office has said the French leader had merely been pointing out that mainland Britain and Northern Ireland were on two different islands, after Mr Johnson questioned him on whether he would accept a ban on movements of sausages between Toulouse and Paris.

Andrew Woodcock has more:

British environmentalist David Attenborough called on G7 leaders to take action on the climate crisis on Sunday.

“We know in detail what is happening to our planet, and we know many of the things we need to do during this decade,” he said in a recorded video address on the final day of the summit in Cornwall.

“Tackling climate change is now as much a political and communications challenge as it is a scientific or technological one,” he said, according to Reuters. “We have the skills to address it in time, all we need is the global will to do so.”

US President Joe Biden told a Catholic priest “many serious matters” were discussed at this year’s G7 summit as he attended morning Mass in Cornwall on Sunday.

Mr Biden and First Lady Jill Biden attended the morning Mass at the Sacred Heart and St Ia Catholic Church in St Ives, Cornwall, on the final day of G7 talks.

Father Philip Dyson told the PA news agency that he not been given advance warning that the president and his wife would be attending the service.

“We realised people were coming with security so I thought maybe the president would be coming along so we just welcomed him,” he said.

The priest said he felt nervous leading the service with the Bidens in attendance.

“It’s the President of the United States of America,” he said.

Still, he said: “It’s a great occasion to welcome him into our parish, into the church, and it’s lovely to know he made the time in his busy schedule in order to come to Mass.”

Father Dyson said he even managed to have a “quick word” with the US leader.

“I welcomed him to Cornwall and he said he was enjoying his time here and there were many serious matters they were discussing and just hope it’s going to come to fruition,” he said.

“I think the G7 has been such a great occasion,” he added. “The scripture readings were appropriate because it was about creation and climate, and things growing, so it absolutely suited the occasion.”

Father Dyson said the scriptures had not been inspired by the G7 summit, during which climate talks have been a major focus.

“It’s just the way it always is. The word of God always fits in,” he said.

Boris Johnson, Joe Biden and other world leaders behaved in a Covid-secure way at a beach barbecue and RAF Red Arrows flypast on Saturday night, Downing Street said.

The event came with the prime minister widely expected to use a Downing Street press conference on Monday to announce a delay in the next stage of England’s route out of coronavirus lockdown.

No 10 said there were fewer than 30 guests, the event was outside and all participants in the summit have a daily testing regime.

“The event last night was done in an entirely Covid-secure way within the existing rules,” the prime minister’s official spokesman said.

“This was an informal gathering of the G7 leaders and rightly it is held in private … but you can see it was a relaxed atmosphere and gave the leaders a chance to discuss outside of a formal setting.”

The dinner was cooked by Simon Stallard, from the Hidden Hut in Portscatho, and included beef, lobster and other local fish.

US President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden have attended morning Mass in Cornwall on the final day of the G7 summit.

The couple arrived at the Sacred Heart and St Ia Catholic Church in St Ives, a short drive from where they have been staying in Carbis Bay, at 9.15am and left just after 9.40am.

Asked for his thoughts on the church, Mr Biden said it was “beautiful”.

He did not answer a question about the G7 and China.

The president is open about his Catholic faith and famously visited the St Joseph on the Brandywine Roman Catholic Church in Delaware on the morning of the US election last November.

His speeches regularly include biblical references and he reportedly received a congratulatory phone call from Pope Francis after winning last year’s election.

Joe Biden’s early ambition is running smack into political reality, both at home and abroad, writes my colleague Andrew Naughtie:

Our deputy politics editor, Rob Merrick, has a wrap of the former prime minister’s comments in his interview this morning.

Dominic Raab has accused the EU of “trying to change the status of Northern Ireland” against the will of its people, in a further ramping up of the conflict.

Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick reports:

Ministers need to stop bickering with the EU and find practical solutions on issues surrounding Brexit’s Northern Ireland protocol.

She said a Swiss-style veterinary agreement could be the “most realistic” way forward, a sentiment shared by Irish PM Micheal Martin.

Ms Thornberry, Labour’s shadow trade secretary, also accused the government of not wanting to follow EU rules on food standards because “they want to have the potential to lower our farm standards and our food standards in order to be able to accommodate other future trade deals.”

She told Sky News: “What we should be doing is looking at what is in Britain’s interests. They have always said they will not lower our food and farming standards below what there is in the European Union, so if that is right why can’t we just agree that with the European Union?”

“The irony here is we have the US President saying ‘you know what the most important thing is not a trade deal between Britain and the United States – the most important thing is the Good Friday Agreement. We in America are prioritising that and we think that you in Britain should be doing that too’.”

On Covid-19, Ms Thornberry also accused the government of not acting quickly enough to stop travel from India to stop the spread of the Delta variant.