Sunak under pressure over Gavin Williamson and Suella Braverman cabinet appointments
Sir Gavin Williamson must be stripped of his knighthood if bullying claims against him are upheld, the Liberal Democrats have said.
Wendy Chamberlain, the party’s chief whip, has written to the Commons forfeiture committee demanding the gong be withdrawn if the Staffordshire MP is found guilty.
He was knighted by former prime minister Boris Johnson, who sacked him from the education secretary brief over the A-level results fiasco.
Earlier new PM Rishi Sunak said he “obviously regrets” appointing Sir Gavin Williamson to his cabinet after he was forced to resign over allegations that he bullied two colleagues. He denies the claims.
“I obviously regret appointing someone who has had to resign in these circumstances,” the prime minister said in response to a question from Labour leader Keir Starmer at PMQs.
Businesses should tell government to leave EU law alone, says incoming TUC head
British businesses need to tell the government to leave EU law alone, the incoming head of the TUC has said.
Paul Nowak said “scrapping employment laws” inherited from the EU would not be in the top 10 priorities for “most serious businesses in the UK” and company bosses should be “unafraid” in telling the government so.
Christopher McKeon has the story:
Sunak ‘as bad’ as Truss, SNP says
Ian Blackford accused Rishi Sunak of being “as bad” as Liz Truss as he criticised the prime minister’s decision to appoint Sir Gavin Williamson to his government.
Sir Gavin, the MP for Staffordshire South, resigned on Tuesday night amid claims that he bulled two of his colleagues, allegations he continues to deny.
Mr Blackford, the Scottish National Party’s leader in the House of Commons, also asked Mr Sunak if he supported his predecessor Boris Johnson’s attempts to elevate a number of his allies to the House of Lords in his resignation honours list
Watch the exchange below:
Jeremy Corbyn says he lives ‘rent-free’ in Rishi Sunak’s head after third PMQs attack in row
Jeremy Corbyn has said he is living “rent-free” in Rishi Sunak’s ahead after the prime minister retreated into an attack on the former Labour leader at PMQs for the third week in a row.
Mr Sunak again raised Sir Keir Starmer’s previous support for Mr Corbyn as he struggled to cope with questions about his decision to appoint “cartoon bully” Gavin Williamson to the cabinet.
Our politics correspondent Adam Forrest reports:
ICYMI: Gavin Williamson – the text messages that led to his resignation
The events that led to Gavin Williamson’s resignation unfolded over just a few days …
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has this timeline of events that resulted in the South Staffordshire MP’s third exit from government.
Read it here:
Matt Hancock is only “squiring around with maggots” on I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here! for the money, Labour’s Angela Rayner has said.
Labour’s deputy leader scoffed at the Conservative MP’s claim to want to raise awareness about dyslexia and show the positive side of having the learning difficulty.
My colleague Adam Forrest reports:
Best way to avoid poverty is working, says Sunak
Labour MP Barry Sheerman said children in his constituency were going to bed hungry – asking Rishi Sunak what he was doing to tackle the problem, Adam Forrest, our politics correspondent, reports.
The PM replied: “The absolute best way to ensure that children do not grow up in poverty, which is something none of us want to see, is to ensure they do not grow up in a workless household.
Mr Sunak said that “Conservative government create jobs for people, and that’s the best anti-poverty strategy that we have.”
Joseph Rowntree Foundation research shows 70 per cent of children in poverty live in in a household where at least one parent works.
Rishi Sunak refuses to accept Brexit has damaged trade
Rishi Sunak has refused to accept Brexit has damaged the UK’s trade with other countries – despite the government’s own figures showing a sharp drop.
The prime minister was pressed on the issue in the House of Commons on Wednesday after one of Mr Sunak’s Cabinet ministers rejected evidence from the government’s economic watchdog.
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:
Stop Boris Johnson ‘stuffing cronies’ into Lords, Sunak urged
Rishi Sunak has been urged to stop Boris Johnson and Liz Truss “stuffing cronies” into the Lords, Adam Forrest, our politics correspondent, reports.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford described the peerages given to Mr Johnson’s allies such as Nadine Dorries and Scottish secretary Alister Jack as “corrupt” – calling for Mr Jack to be “sacked” of his cabinet role.
SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the Government is ignoring the economic crisis it created (PA)
” height=”726″ width=”982″ layout=”responsive” class=”i-amphtml-layout-responsive i-amphtml-layout-size-defined” i-amphtml-layout=”responsive”> SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the Government is ignoring the economic crisis it created (PA)
“The prime minister clearly doesn’t get how corrupt this all looks … the Scotland Office is now to be led by a Baron-in-waiting,” he said.
“Will he now put a stop to these two predecessors stuffing the House of Lords with cronies?”
Mr Sunak said he would not comment, and any peerages would follow “normal procedures”.
Keir Starmer attacks ‘weak’ Rishi Sunak for hiding behind ‘bully’ Williamson
Keir Starmer has accused Rishi Sunak of giving licence to Gavin Williamson’s “bullying” because he was too “weak” to stand up to the former minister.
“Everyone in the country knows someone like the member for South Staffordshire, a sad middle manager getting off on intimidating those beneath him.
“But everyone in the country also knows someone like the prime minister – the boss who is so weak, so worried the bullies will turn on him, that he hides behind them.”
Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick has the full report:
‘Too weak’
Starmer claims the reason that Sunak hired Williamson is because he is “too weak” to stand up to the bullies in his party.
He asks Sunak what message this sends to the country.
PM responds by saying that the message he wants to send is that “integrity” in public life “matters”.
