Related video: Boris Johnson says stop and search policy is ‘kind and loving’
Boris Johnson has claimed his plan to spend more than £200m on a new royal yacht will let Britain “show off” to the world.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has urged the prime minister to ditch plans for the luxury vessel and spend create the money on a fund to tackle anti-social behaviour.
But Mr Johnson insisted building a “flagship” boat would act as a hub for attracting wealthy investors.
Meanwhile, it has emerged the government failed to consult Britain’s most senior police officers about Mr Johnson’s new crime plan – and some were not even aware it was being drawn up.
The measures include electronic tags on burglars, longer sentences for some crimes, and an extension of controversial blanket stop-and-search powers.
But police bodies and victims’ advocates say they were only sent the full details on Tuesday – a day after it had been distributed to members of the media.
Priti Patel arrives in Birmingham to meet families of 1974 pub bombings victims
The home secretary has arrived in Birmingham to meet the families of the 1974 pub bombings victims.
Boris Johnson’s government had been urged by a group of city MPs to explain why it wants to “close the book” on the blasts, which killed 21 people.
Priti Patel arrived at the West Midlands Combined Authority offices to meet with the victims’ families after Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis set out plans this month to introduce legislation to create a statute of limitations – ending all prosecutions for incidents up to April 1998, including of military veterans as well as ex-paramilitaries.
Alex Cole-Hamilton launches Lib Dem leadership bid to ‘offer new hope’
Alex Cole-Hamilton has launched his campaign to become the leader of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
The Edinburgh Western MSP, who was first elected to Holyrood in 2016, said he has witnessed Scotland going backwards on the key issues of education, child poverty, mental health, drug deaths and cancelled operations during his time in parliament.
Speaking to PA news agency at his campaign launch outside the Boardwalk Beach Club in Edinburgh, Mr Cole-Hamilton said Scotland was “gripped” by the nationalisms of the SNP and “Boris Johnson’s Brexiteers”.
The leadership contest was triggered after Willie Rennie announced he was standing down after 10 years at the top of the Scottish Liberal Democrats.
PM has ‘lost control’ of yacht costs, claims Labour
Responding to Ben Wallace’s remarks revealing a new royal yacht will cost as much as £250m, Labour’s shadow home secretary said: “Boris Johnson has lost control of his vanity yacht.”
Referring to last week’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) tender document – which showed the department’s budget for the project to be £150m – Nick Thomas-Symonds added: “It is absolutely staggering that costs have rocketed by £100m in a week.
“Labour would scrap the government’s latest pet project and invest taxpayers’ money wisely to tackle crime and the surge in antisocial behaviour under this Conservative government.”
Royal yacht could cost £50m than previously estimates, says defence secretary
A new “national flagship” to succeed the Royal Yacht Britannia could cost as much as £250 million, the defence secretary has said.
Ben Wallace said the costs of the “floating embassy” could be a £50 million increase on previously reported estimates.
The vessel is due to be paid for out of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) budget, even though No 10 has confirmed the ship will be for trade rather than defence purposes.
Cabinet split grows over China’s role in UK’s electric car industry
A growing Cabinet split is developing over China’s role in the UK electric car supply chain as the Government wrestles over how to handle economic ties to the superpower, The Independent can reveal.
Senior Conservatives fear the UK is “falling into a trap” by handing over sensitive aspects of a green industrial revolution to a regime that threatens British security.
Anna Isaac has the full details in this exclusive report:
Historic steel company bought by Ministry of Defence
Unions have welcomed moves to nationalise a historic steel company, saying it ends years of instability.
The Ministry of Defence will buy Sheffield Forgemasters, saying it intends to invest up to £400 million into the firm for defence-critical plant, equipment and infrastructure over the next decade.
The cost of the acquisition is £2.56m for the entire share capital of the company plus debt assumed.
People should get vaccinated out of ‘self-interest’, says Dominic Raab
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said people should get vaccinated out of “self-interest”.
It comes after Cabinet colleague Michael Gove said it was “selfish” not to take up the offer a vaccine, with the UK government set to make being double-jabbed a condition of entry to nightclubs in September in a bid to increase the number of young people coming forward for inoculation.
Asked by the PA news agency what he made of the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster’s comments, Mr Raab said: “Look, I think people should get vaccinated for their own self-interest because it is far safer to do so, and I would encourage everyone to do so.
“But it is true that it is also the best way to protect your family, your friends, your neighbourhood, your community and the country at large as we try and boost the rate beyond the 70% of the adult population who have been vaccinated.
“So I certainly encourage and urge anyone who hasn’t yet got vaccinated and is eligible to do so.”
Generals call for faster efforts to resettle Afghan interpreters in UK
Leading former generals have warned “time is of the utmost essence” to help Afghans who served alongside British forces to settle in the UK.
More than 40 former military commanders have signed an open letter calling for efforts to resettle Afghan interpreters in the UK to be stepped up in the face of a “resurgent Taliban”.
Those who have signed the letter include leading former military commanders Lord Dannatt, Lord Boyce and Lord Houghton.
Former National Security Adviser Lord Ricketts is also a signatory, as is Plymouth Moor View MP Johnny Mercer, a former Defence minister who also served in Helmand Province.
The letter reads: “We remain gravely concerned about the situation faced by our former interpreters and the supporting staff who stood shoulder to shoulder with us on the battlefield, despite recent initiatives from the Government.”
UK government to face legal challenge over support for oil and gas in North Sea
The UK is to face a legal challenge over its continued support for fossil fuel production in the North Sea after a case brought by a trio of climate activists was given the green light by the High Court.
Our climate correspondent Daisy Dunne has more on this story:
Join the Green Party to save planet, says Boris Johnson’s climate spokesperson
Boris Johnson’s spokesperson for the upcoming COP26 summit in Glasgow has said people can “join the Green Party” if they want to help tackle climate change.
Allegra Stratton, former Downing Street press secretary, told The Independent joining the Greens was one of the ways Britons could help protect the planet from rising carbon emissions.
Harry Cockburn and Adam Forrest have more details in this exclusive report:
