Boris Johnson has risked angering northern Tories by cancelling an appearance at a conference they are holding in Yorkshire on Friday afternoon.
Tory MP Jake Berry, chair of the Northern Research Group, said he had been told by No 10 that some government business had “come up”.
“It’s really disappointing,” said Mr Berry. “It’s an unfortunate thing, but at the end of the day he’s the prime minister of this country and things come up. It’s up to No 10 to explain what has come up.” It was later announced that Mr Johnson was on a surprise visit to Kyiv.
The cancelled visit comes after northern Conservative MPs warned the prime minister his “levelling up” plan would fail unless the north was given devolved tax powers and greater funding.
Meanwhile, the government has faced a backlash over reports it will not appoint a new ethics adviser after the resignation of Lord Geidt.
John Penrose, who quit as the anti-corruption tsar earlier this month over the prime minister’s response to the Partygate scandal, said: “You can’t just pretend it doesn’t matter, and that there’s no job to be done.”
Ministers told to boost school meal funding as children ‘getting smaller portions’
Children are getting fed less at school as the cost of food soars, The Independent has learned.
Anne Longfield, the former children’s commissioner for England, called on the government to increase the amount spent on each meal.
Speaking to The Independent, she said: “Schools must receive the resources they need to meet the soaring demand for free school meals, so they don’t have to cut back on the quality or quantity of the food they provide.
“Children growing up in poverty should not be the victims of a failure to plan for the inevitable impact on school budgets of the cost of living crisis.”
UK among countries to sign first ever declaration imposing limits on bombing urban areas
The UK, the US, France, and Japan are among the signatories of a new political declaration to avoid bombing and shelling populated towns and cities.
The move will “lead to countless lives being saved”, Emily Tripp, director of Airwars, a UK-based monitoring group.
“We welcome the UK’s announcement that it intends to sign the Political Declaration, we urge the UK to stick to its commitment, for other states to follow suit and for clarity on how states expect to implement it,” Ms Tripps told The Independent.
Campaigners denounce UK block on move to improve access to Covid vaccine in developing world
The UK’s involvement in blocking a waiver on intellectual property rights for Covid-19 vaccines is “utterly shameful”, campaigners have said.
A compromised deal was reached at the WTO in Geneva on Friday, but it fell short of giving developing countries the freedom to produce their own jabs.
The People’s Vaccine Alliance described it as “a technocratic fudge aimed at saving reputations, not lives”, while Oxfam’s Max Lawson said the behaviour of wealthy countries at the WTO was “utterly shameful”.
Our politics editor Andrew Woodcock reports:
Lord Geidt resignation: A short history of government ethics advisers
After Lord Geidt’s resignation, Boris Johnson has indicated that he might not replace him.
Here’s Joe Sommerlad with a history of government ethical advisers:
Assange will ‘fight back’ against extradition order, says wife
Earlier today, the Home Office confirmed that Priti Patel had signed the order to extradite Julian Assange to the US, where he faces espionage charges over some of his WikiLeaks revelations.
Responding to the announcement, Stella Assange, his wife, said: “It is extremely difficult when his life is being decided by third parties – making life or death decisions based on politics.
“He’s very strong… we have to fight back.
“His instinct is to fight back and so is mine.
“We’re going to fight back harder.”
Mr Assange has two weeks to launch a challenge against Ms Patel’s order.
Senior Tory MP ‘really disappointed’ as PM skips conference
Boris Johnson will not be going to Doncaster for the Northern Research Group (NRG) conference, despite telling the group of red wall Tory MPs he would appear on Friday afternoon.
Tory MP Jake Berry, chair of the NRG, said he had been told by No 10 that some government business had “come up”.
“It’s really disappointing,” said Mr Berry. “It’s an unfortunate thing, but at the end of the day he’s the prime minister of this country and things come up. It’s up to No 10 to explain what has come up.”
“I would have loved for him to come. We were all ready with an over ready set of policies … We will make sure he hears everything is said today. I’m going to phone him tomorrow.”
Downing Street defends PM over ethics adviser debacle
Downing Street has said Boris Johnson does not have to appoint a new ethics adviser.
“He (the prime minister) will take advice from advisers within No 10 and others with expertise in this area and it may be that the prime minister decides to make a like-for-like replacement, or it might be that we set up a different body that undertakes the same functions.
“But the prime minister thinks it’s right to take the time to reflect on those issues which are well highlighted.”
Lord Evans, the chairman of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, vehemently disagrees, warning that “removing this independent voice on standards issues at the heart of government would risk further damage to public perceptions of standards”.
Priti Patel has agreed to extradite Julian Assange
Inside Politics
Here’s today’s politics round-up, courtesy of my colleague Matt Mathers:
Inside Politics: Ethics meltdown
Boris Johnson planning not to replace outgoing ethics adviser as Bank of England warns inflation to rise to 11 per cent, writes Matt Mathers
More than 11,000 asylum seekers reach UK this year
More than 11,000 people have reached Britain this year by crossing the Channel, the latest figures show.
By comparison, 5,911 people made the dangerous crossing over the same period last year.
On Thursday, 146 people arrived in Britain on four small boats.
In attempt to reduce crossings, the Home Office plans to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda. However, the first flight was cancelled earlier this week due to legal challenges.
