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enior Tory MP Tobias Ellwood has called on Boris Johnson to resign and announced he would submit a letter of no confidence in his leadership.
Mr Ellwood, the chair of the defence select committee, said it was “time to resolve” the partygate issue and admitted the scandal was dragging the Conservative party into an “ugly place”.
He told Sky News that he wanted to break the “holding pattern” the party is currently in, claiming it was “horrible for all MPs to have to defend this to the British public”.
It came as Boris Johnson refused to confirm whether he would resign if fined by police for breaching Covid rules.
The prime minister told The Sun he would reveal whether he had received a fixed penalty notice – but declined to say whether he would offer his resignation as a result.
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Elsewhere, Mr Johnson is facing fresh claims that he attended a leaving party held at No10 for a special adviser on January 14, 2021 at the height of the third lockdown. He is said to have given a short speech at the event and stayed for five minutes, the Guardian reported.
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1643794787Gove: ‘I have deep reservoir of affection for Dominic Cummings’
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has said he has a “deep reservoir of affection” for Dominic Cummings.
The Prime Minister’s former chief aide has made a series of damaging claims about Boris Johnson since leaving Downing Street in November 2020.
Mr Gove told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I enjoyed working with him and have a deep reservoir of affection for him.
“But I think that the criticisms that he’s been making of the Prime Minister recently are wrong, and I think that it’s entirely understandable that those who look at political dramas can… you know, will want to follow the twists and turns of this.
“But I think my job is to concentrate on delivering the detail which we’ve been discussing in the Levelling Up White Paper, and that is what I’m focused on.”
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Watch: Ellwood withdraws support for PM
Boris Johnson ‘no longer enjoys support’ of Senior Tory MP
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Ellwood slams Boris’ Savile slur
Mr Ellwood went on: “The Government’s acknowledged the need for fundamental change, culture, make-up, discipline, the tone of Number 10, but the strategy has been one, it seems, of survival, of rushed policy announcements like the Navy taking over the migrant Channel crossings.
“And attacking this week Keir Starmer with Jimmy Savile… I mean who advised the Prime Minister to say this?
We’re better than this, we must seek to improve our standards and rise above where we are today.”
He added: “I don’t think the Prime Minister realises how worried colleagues are in every corner of the party, backbenchers and ministers alike, that this is all only going one way and will invariably slide towards a very ugly place.”
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Breaking: Senior Tory withdraws support for PM
Senior Tory MP Tobias Ellwood has withdrawn his support for Boris Johnson.
The chairman of the defence and select committee told Sky News he would be submitting a letter of no-confidence in the prime minister as it is “time to resolve” the partygate scandal.
Mr Ellwood warned the Conservative Party was “slipping into a very ugly place” under Mr Johnson’s premiership.
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Gove: Boris does not need to apologise for Savile slur
Michael Gove has denied that Boris Johnson needs to apologise for a baseless slur claiming that Sir Keir Starmer failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
Asked whether the PM should apologise, he told BBC Breakfast: “No”.
Earlier, he told Sky News: “I think this is a uniquely sensitive issue and it does need to be handled with care, and I listen with enormous respect to those who act for victims of the actions of a terrible, terrible criminal.
“But – and it’s not a subject that I want to dwell on because it is uniquely sensitive – it is the case that the CPS apologised for the handling of this case and what happened in 2009, and I think we should acknowledge that an apology was given at the time and respect that.”
He added: “Keir Starmer acknowledged that mistakes had been made by the organisation of which he was head, to his credit. He was very clear about those mistakes.”
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Labour mayor praises ‘levelling up plan’ but says ‘devil is in the deta
Tracy Brabin, the Labour mayor of West Yorkshire, has said there is “lots to be pleased about” in Levelling Up Secretary Michael Gove’s plan for the UK but said “the devil is going to be in the detail”.
She told BBC’s Today programme: “It’s like a love letter to levelling up, isn’t it?
“Lots of ambition, lots of hope, but unless you actually have the money and the resources, you are going to be struggling.”
She went on to say: “I think we were collateral damage, actually, between a fight between Number 10 and Number 11.
“Boris Johnson likes to put his finger on a map and say ‘let’s do that, I want a Crossrail of the north ‘ and the Treasury saying ‘well, you’re not having it’.
“So, this is the tension and it can’t just be down to Michael Gove. Every single department in Government must get on the levelling-up agenda.”
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Police ‘will determine the ultimate truth’ of partygate, says Gove
The Met Police will “determine the ultimate truth” of the partygate saga, levelling up secretary Michael Gove has said.
The cabinet minister refused to be drawn on new allegations of lockdown-breaking by the prime minister, including claims that he attended a leaving do for an adviser during the third national lockdown.
Pressed on the allegations, Mr Gove told BBC Breakfast: “There’s a limit to what I can say because there’s an ongoing Met Police investigation.”
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Morning rundown
Good morning and welcome to the Evening Standard’s live political coverage.
It’s set to be another busy day in Westminster – here’s a quick rundown of the latest stories:
– The prime minister is under renewed pressure over lockdown parties in Downing Street, amid reports he attended more gatherings under investigation by the police. Various reports last night linked Mr Johnson to a further three parties held during lockdown
– The Government has revealed its “levelling up” agenda, with a white paper published this morning setting out “12 big missions” to address regional inequalities across the UK. Levelling up secretary Michael Gove said people in the North and Midlands had been “overlooked and undervalued” and the policies – which cover a range of fields from education to transport – would help correct the imbalance in the country
– The row over Boris Johnson’s Jimmy Savile slur directed at Sir Keir Starmer earlier this week continues, with the prime minister telling The Sun he stood by his comment despite heavy criticism. Mr Gove said he had “nothing to apologise” for after falsely suggesting the Labour leader had failed to prosecute Savile during his time as Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP)
– Boris Johnson has warned Vladimir Putin that a Russian invasion of Ukraine would be a political, humanitarian and military “disaster”. During a visit to Ukraine yesterday, he urged Russia to “step back” amid fears an invasion could be imminent.
https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/london-politics-latest-news-watch-pmqs-boris-johnson-keir-starmer-lockdown-party-b980131.html
