UK coronavirus live: England had highest levels of excess deaths in Europe in first half of 2020, ONS says

Data comparing 29 European countries shows England had longest continuous period of excess mortality; second wave rolling across Europe', says Hancock

• GP consultations should be online by default'
• Isolation period may rise to 10 days
• Country quarantine list could be added to in days
• Global coronavirus live: latest updates

5.28pm BST

The headlines from the ONS report into excess deaths in Europe have focused on England, because the main report treats the four nations of the UK as four separate countries. It justifies this by saying that each of the four nations of the UK has its own health services and policies, and has made different decisions around responses to the pandemic such as the date and extent of implementation of lockdown measures" and that it is therefore meaningful to report on each of the nations of the UK separately."

But the ONS has also produced data for the UK as a whole and this shows that, although England's record is worse than the UK's, the UK's was worse than any other country too in the relevant period.

5.14pm BST

Jackson Carlaw has resigned suddenly as Scottish Tory leader, claiming he is not the right person to lead his party into the forthcoming Holyrood elections

Hours after a combative session at first ministers questions, Carlaw issued a statement saying he had reached a simple if painful conclusion" over the last few weeks that the Scottish party needed a new and better leader.

In the last few weeks, I have reached a simple if painful conclusion - that I am not, in the present circumstances, the person best placed to lead that case over these next vital months in Scottish politics prior to the Holyrood elections.

Given the importance I attach to the job, I've therefore decided to stand down with immediate effect.

Related: Scottish Conservatives leader Jackson Carlaw quits