Watch excruciating exchange as Boris Johnson dodges Partygate questions 17 times
Boris Johnson will lose the support of at least two cabinet ministers if he is fined for breaching his own coronavirus laws, according to a report.
Allies of the prime minister have said that he will not resign if he is handed a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for attending parties in Downing Street.
But a source close to a member of the cabinet told The Times: “If he gets an FPN he’ll have to go. How can you have a prime minister who has been found guilty of breaking the law?”
A minister and ally of another cabinet member said his position would be made “extremely difficult” if police found he had broken regulations.
Meanwhile, Liz Truss will meet with EU officials to seek agreement over how to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol of the Brexit deal.
The foreign secretary said a settlement of the fraught issue would allow both sides to “focus on external issues” such as the Ukraine crisis.
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ICYMI: Tory donors put on secret ‘advisory council’ with access to ministers in return for £250,000
Conservative Party donors are being put on a secret “advisory council” with access to ministers and advisors in return for large donations, it has been revealed.
The Sunday Times reports that property tycoons, hedge fund managers, and a Russian banker are among a secret club of donors to be given access to government.
The board has 14 regular members, most of whom have given at least £250,000 to the Tory party as part of a supposedly “transactional arrangement”, the newspaper says.
Our policy correspondent, Jon Stone, has the full story below:
Thomas Kingsley21 February 2022 09:20
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Exclusive: Benefits changes could have serious consequences on mental health, warns UK psychologists’ body
The planned tightening of the benefits system is “deeply concerning” and could have “serious negative consequences” on claimants’ mental health, according to a leading body representing psychologists in the UK.
The warning from the British Psychological Society (BPS) comes after work and pensions secretary Therese Coffey last month hailed a new government target to get 500,000 jobseekers back into work by June.
Under the existing benefits rules, individuals claiming universal credit while looking for work are given three months to find a job in their preferred sector – or face the possibility of sanctions.
Our political correspondent, Ashley Cowburn, has the full story below:
Thomas Kingsley21 February 2022 09:05
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Solving NI Brexit row would help focus on Ukraine, UK says
Settling a Brexit dispute over Northern Irish trade would enable London and Brussels to focus on external issues such as Ukraine, British foreign secretary Liz Truss will tell the European Union on Monday.
Britain and the EU have been locked in talks for months to rework a politically divisive Northern Ireland protocol that was agreed by London as part of its exit from the EU two years ago.
The protocol kept Northern Ireland in the EU’s single market for goods in order to preserve a politically sensitive open border with EU member state Ireland.
“It is important we all work together to preserve peace and stability in Northern Ireland, allowing us to focus on building a stronger relationship and focus on external issues, not least the situation in eastern Europe and standing up to Russian aggression,” she said in a statement.
Thomas Kingsley21 February 2022 08:50
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‘High bar’ needed to get rid of a PM, a business minister said
There should be a “real high bar to get rid of any prime minister”, a business minister has said.
Paul Scully said he needed to “see the context” before he made any decision on Boris Johnson’s future over the Partygate saga.
Asked about an alleged gathering for Mr Johnson’s birthday, Mr Scully said: “I understand this is one that’s not actually being investigated by the police… so in terms of lawbreaking, that’s not going to meet the reach the threshold of evidence.
“But nonetheless, that’s what I mean about context, that’s why I want to see the Sue Gray report, see what the police find and then we can work through… have that conversation at that point.
“I’m going to wait until I see context before I really make any more judgment on it.”
Thomas Kingsley21 February 2022 08:35
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UK and EU set for NI Protocol meeting in Brussels today
The body which oversees the Northern Ireland Protocol will meet in Brussels later as efforts continue to agree on how to implement the deal.
The Joint Committee is chaired by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss and European Commission Vice-President Maroš Šefčovič. Their officials have been engaged in technical talks since October.
However, there is not expected to be an announcement of a major breakthrough on Monday.
The protocol is the Brexit deal which prevents a hard Irish border by keeping Northern Ireland inside the EU’s single market for goods. The talks were formerly led by Brexit minister Lord David Frost before he resigned in December over the government’s Covid strategy
(PA Wire)
Thomas Kingsley21 February 2022 08:26
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Boris Johnson refuses 17 times to answer questions about Downing Street lockdown parties
Boris Johnson refused 17 times to answer questions about rule-breaking lockdown parties at Downing Street in an excruciating interview broadcast on Sunday morning.
The prime minister was grilled on the subject for a total of 11 minutes by a BBC presenter but refused to say what had happened or whether he felt ashamed – despite there being no obvious legal barrier to him doing so.
Repeatedly pushed on the matter during the interview the prime minister attempted to change the subject many times, and at other points simply refused to answer.
Our policy correspondent, Jon Stone, has the full story below:
Thomas Kingsley21 February 2022 08:18
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Boris Johnson will ‘have to go’ if found guilty of Covid breaches
Boris Johnson will lose the support of at least two cabinet ministers if he is fined for breaching his own coronavirus laws, according to a report.
Allies of the prime minister have said that he will not resign if he is handed a fixed penalty notice (FPN) for attending parties in Downing Street during lockdown.
But a source close to a member of the cabinet told The Times “If he gets an FPN he’ll have to go. How can you have a prime minister who has been found guilty of breaking the law?”
A minister and ally of another cabinet member said his position would be made “extremely difficult” if police found he had broken regulations.
The prime minister is awaiting the conclusion of a police investigation into claims he broke Covid laws on several occasions.
He yesterday refused 17 times to answer questions about rule-breaking lockdown parties at Downing Street in an excruciating interview on the BBC.
Foreign office minister James Cleverly rejected suggestions Mr Johnson should resign when asked on Sunday, saying Britain did not need a “vacuum at the centre of government” amid current crises in Ukraine and in the NHS.
Liam James21 February 2022 08:13
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/boris-johnson-party-news-brexit-latest-uk-b2019476.html
