The government is not investigating claims that some Tory MPs were “blackmailed” by its whips, despite a minister’s call for an inquiry into the claims.
After business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng said the allegations were “completely unacceptable” and should be investigated, Downing Street distanced itself from his position, saying evidence would only be looked at “if it comes forward”.
This stance comes as Tories clash over Boris Johnson’s future, with Welsh first minister Mark Drakeford likening the infighting to “ferrets in a sack”.
The Conservative politician William Wragg first suggested on Thursday that Tory whips were guilty of blackmailing MPs.
Christian Wakeford, who defected to Labour on Wednesday, then alleged that he had been forced to toe the government line as a Conservative MP or risk losing school funding in his constituency.
The prime minister has denied such allegations, saying he had “seen no evidence, heard no evidence” to support them.
However, rebel MPs are said to possess a secret recording and texts that supposedly back up their claims.
History ‘catching up’ with PM, says Drakeford
It is not just Holyrood that is sensing weakness at Westminster over partygate – so is the devolved Welsh administration.
Speaking on Friday afternoon, Mark Drakeford attacked Boris Johnson for his relationship with the truth.
“If I’m truthful about it, the prime minister is someone who’s been sacked from two previous jobs for not telling the truth,” the country’s first minister said.
“I think what you see is his history catching up with him,” he added.
Mr Drakeford also suggested that Westminster was fully distracted, seeing everything “exclusively through the lens of ‘how does this make a difference to the efforts that are being made to shore up the position of the prime minister?’”.
PM’s position ‘untenable’, SNP reiterates
The SNP has reiterated that Boris Johnson’s position is “untenable” after a series of “boozy lockdown Downing Street parties”.
Kirsten Oswald, the party’s deputy leader at Westminster, said the public and his own MPs know that he should step down.
“The reality is that getting rid of Boris Johnson alone won’t fix the problem. Corruption and scandals are part of a wider culture of Westminster entitlement and contempt for the rules,” she added.
Referring to a recent survey showing partygate had damaged the Union in the eyes of Scots, Ms Oswald said: “This new poll – highlighting the scale of public opposition to the corrupt Tory government and movement in favour of independence – is another reminder that only with independence will we be able to escape the broken and corrupt Westminster system.”
Government hopes to ban opioid 500-times stronger than morphine
The governnment wants to tighten drug legislation on an opioid 500 times stronger than morphine.
Isotonitazene, a synethic opioid, has been connected to 25 deaths as of September last year, according to the Home Office.
Although it is illegal to supply this drug, possessing it does not break the law.
Home secretary Priti Patel has sought advice from the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (ACMD).
“Reports of fatal overdoses linked to this dangerous substance have been deeply disturbing, and I want to act now to ensure no further lives are lost or families torn apart,” she said.
Does Johnson have ‘bat out of hell’s chance’ of still being PM in two years?
A lobby journalist asked a No 10 spokesperson today whether Boris Johnson thinks he has “a bat out of hell’s chance” of being the incumbent prime minister at the next general election.
“Does the PM think he has a bat out of hell’s chance of leading the Conservative party into the next election or will he be gone, gone, gone?” they asked.
The Downing Street spokesperson did not respond directly. “I will point you to the PM’s remarks during PMQs earlier this week,” they said.
In the Commons on Wednesday, Mr Johnson ruled out resigning – at least for the time being.
UK trade deal benefits wiped out by duty changes, Australian wine producers say
Australian wine producers have complained that any benefits from their country’s trade deal with the UK will be undone by changes to wine duties in Britain.
They warn that the £26 million uplift suggested by British foreign secretary Liz Truss will be wiped out through £70 million in extra costs.
Britain is planning on increasing its wine duties from next February for drinks with an alcohol content of 11.5 per cent and above.
Sue Gray report: When will she publish findings of Downing Street party probe?
Sue Gray, who is investing the No 10 lockdown parties, became a household name overnight.
But when is her report likely to be published? What might it contain? And does this bode badly for the prime minister?
Matt Mathers takes a look:
No Downing Street investigation into blackmail claims, despite minister’s call for probe
Downing Street is not conducting an inquiry into allegations of intimidation and blackmail by government whips, despite a cabinet minister’s call for an investigation.
Asked repeatedly at a Westminster media briefing on Friday whether No 10 was looking into allegations from senior Tory William Wragg, a Downing Street spokesperson said only that evidence would be considered “if it comes forward”.
No 10’s refusal to mount an inquiry may encourage rebel Tories to publish evidence which they have been gathering of what they regard as unacceptable behaviour by whips.
Households will not receive help with energy bills until March, says business minister
The public will not be given extra support with energy bills until March, a minister has said.
Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng’s comment comes as household bills are expected to soar later this year when a new energy price cap comes into force.
Another former Tory MP claims party’s whips blackmailed him
Another former Conservative MP has gone on the record to suggest he was blackmailed by the party’s chief whips.
Mr Howlett, who represented Bath between 2015 and 2017, said he was told that a project he backed in his constituency would not get off the ground unless he toed the party’s Brexit line.
“There were some very dicey votes for the government and I was campaigning to receive government funding, and of course one of the tactics used to make sure I fell into line on some of the Brexit rebellions was to threaten the withholding of money to pay for an investigation into whether or not this link road would have been built,” he told the BBC.
Watch: Truss defends PM
Boris Johnson is “doing a fantastic job”, Liz Truss has told reporters in Australia.
Hear more about what she had to say:
