Markus Andrews

An official inquiry has been launched into the alleged leak of information designed to undermine Penny Mordaunt’s campaign to become prime minister.Cabinet secretary Simon Case announced the probe after receiving a complaint over the release of internal government communications relating to Ms Mordaunt’s position on the fraught issue of trans rights.In a letter to Mordaunt supporter David Davis, Mr Case said that the unauthorised released of government information to the media was “clearly inappropriate”.“I have been very clear in writing with the civil service that it is paramount that public resources are not used to support leadership campaigns,” he said.“In light of these facts and the concerns you raise, I can confirm that I have launched a leak investigation into theis matter.”.RecommendedMr Case said that the probe “will be completed as quickly as possible given the importance of the subject”.The Mordaunt camp responded with fury to the publication in the Sunday Times of Government Equalities Office documents dating back to her time as equalities minister, which opponents claimed contradicted her assertion that she had always opposed self-identification for trans people.Ms Mordaunt dismissed the claim as a “toxic” smear. And Mr Davis wrote to Mr Case complaining that the leak was “selective, distortive and misleading” and pointing the finger of blame at Ms Mordaunt’s leadership rival Liz Truss, who is currently equalities minister as well as foreign secretary.“I am concerned that these misleading leaks from government departments, currently run by those seeking election to the Conservative leadership, have compromised the [civil service] code,” Davis said. “It cannot be right that official resources and papers are leaked in order to influence a party-political election, especially if they give a distorted impression of the facts.”The announcement of the leak inquiry may have come too late to assist Ms Mordaunt in her bid to get her name onto the ballot paper for the Tory members’ vote to choose a successor to Boris Johnson as prime minister. It came as Tory MPs cast their ballots in the fifth and last round of voting in Westminster to whittle contenders down to a shortlist of two.The trade minister is facing a tough struggle to see off a late surge from Ms Truss, who is widely expected to join former chancellor Rishi Sunak in the final run-off.Recommended More

Penny Mordaunt’s team has shared an article “in error” that warned Tory MPs will “murder the party” they love if they vote for either Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss in the Tory leadership contest.The column by Telegraph journalist Alison Pearson also argued “obliteration for our party at the 2024 general election is practically guaranteed” if either win the race.The headline of the piece — posted on Mr Mordaunt’s social media — read: “Tory MPs — vote for Rishi Sunak or Liz Truss today and you’ll murder the party you love”.Endorsing Ms Mordaunt, the article added: “Mordaunt is a threat to the old guard who think they are guaranteeing the survival of the Conservative party, but, by plotting to install one of the usual suspects, they are murdering the thing that they love”.However, within minutes of the headline of the article being posted, it was deleted from Ms Mordaunt’s official Twitter feed.RecommendedA source in her campaign told The Independent: “The campaign tweeted this in error without having seen the headline.”It comes as the first stage of the Tory leadership enters its final hours, with Ms Mordaunt, Ms Truss, and the former chancellor Mr Sunak vying for a position in the final two. More

Watch: Boris Johnson’s government wins confidence with 349 votesPenny Mordaunt and Liz Truss are battling it out to secure a place in the run-off to replace Boris Johnson, as Tory MPs vote for the final time, bringing the bitter Westminster stage of the leadership contest to a close.Frontrunner Rishi Sunak appears certain to achieve the votes required from Conservative MPs to guarantee his name will be on the ballot that goes to Tory members over the summer.But foreign secretary Ms Truss and trade minister Ms Mordaunt are scrambling to secure votes for the second spot on the ballot, results of which are due to be announced at 4pm.In a last-ditch attack, Ms Mordaunt’s campaign claimed Ms Truss would lose a general election. The trade minister was calling wavering MPs from early on this morning, highlighting her economic plan as inflation hit a fresh 40-year high.But Ms Truss, the new bookies’ favourite, insisted she was the “only person who can deliver the change” needed.Earlier, Tory MPs gave a standing ovation for Mr Johnson after he claimed “mission largely accomplished” in his final PMQs.RecommendedShow latest update

16583284941922 Committee raises eyebrows with tea-pouring pictureHere is another picture from the 1922 Committee, senior members of which will soon be announcing the Tory leadership ballot results:In addition to drawing comparisons with Alice in Wonderland, the image has raised eyebrows among those pointing out that the sole female to hold a senior role on the executive is pouring the tea.Andy Gregory20 July 2022 15:481658328027Mordaunt allies ‘predict she will be eliminated’ in final Westminster ballotWith just 20 minutes until the result in the final Westminster ballot is declared, the Financial Times reports that senior allies of Penny Mordaunt have predicted that she will be eliminated, claiming Liz Truss has “pushed us out”.Andy Gregory20 July 2022 15:401658327603Tories’ attempt at fresh start like ‘soiling your pants but changing your shirt’, says Labour MPLabour’s Clive Lewis has compared Tory claims of the leadership change being a “fresh start” to “soiling your pants and deciding that you’re going to change your shirt”.He told the BBC: “It doesn’t make an absolute difference. It’s not dealing with the actual issue, which is the Conservative Party and 13 years of failure for my constituents and many other people.“So I think actually, this beauty contest, as soon as it’s done we can get to the business of getting them out, having a general election, and getting a Labour government.”Labour MP says Tories’ attempt at fresh start like ‘soiling your pants but changing your shirt’Tory MP Jonathan Gullis had earlier said the “quality and diversity of candidates is something that Labour could only ever dream of”, adding: “I tell you now that anyone who wins this contest is going to smash Labour at the next general election.”Andy Gregory20 July 2022 15:331658326764Leadership rivals pose with 1922 Committee leaders ahead of ballot resultNusrat Ghani, a joint vice-chair of the 1922 Committee – which is overseeing the Tory leadership race – has shared a photo of the remaining three candidates standing with senior members of the powerful backbench group, minutes before they are whittled down to two.Andy Gregory20 July 2022 15:191658326419‘We won’t have long to wait,’ says Mordaunt as she casts her voteAs she cast her vote in the final ballot of Tory MPs, leadership hopeful Penny Mordaunt was asked if she was optimistic about her chances – to which she replied: “We won’t have long to wait.” A supporter of Kemi Badenoch, who was eliminated in the last round, was quoted by the Press Association as saying that they expected her backers to split between Ms Truss and Rishi Sunak.The MP claimed they were voting for Ms Truss “to have two grown-ups in the final round”.Andy Gregory20 July 2022 15:131658326002Kwarteng becomes third Cabinet minister to dodge grilling by committee MPsA third Cabinet minister has pulled out of an appearance before a House of Commons committee at short notice – following in the footsteps of Priti Patel and Dominic Raab.Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng had been due to answer questions on Wednesday afternoon from MPs on the environmental audit committee on accelerating the transition away from fossil fuels and securing energy supplies.But Mr Kwarteng wrote to the committee’s chairman, Philip Dunne, on Wednesday morning to say he could no longer attend. He gave no reason for pulling out, but offered to rearrange for a date in September, after MPs return from their summer recess.Andy Gregory20 July 2022 15:061658325543Final Tory MPs cast their last vote in leadership electionFormer chief whip Sir Gavin Williamson, a prominent supporter of Rishi Sunak, was one of the the final MPs to vote in the leadership contest.Polls close at 3pm, with the result announced an hour later.Andy Gregory20 July 2022 14:591658325426Cabinet secretary writes to David Davis to announce leak inquiryHere is the letter from cabinet secretary Simon Case to Tory MP David Davis, in which he confirms he has launched a leak investigation into allegations of “the apparent leaking of information designed to influence the Conservative leadership election” (see post below).Mr Case announced the probe after receiving a complaint over the release of internal government communications relating to Penny Mordaunt’s position on the fraught issue of trans rights.“I have been very clear in writing with the civil service that it is paramount that public resources are not used to support leadership campaigns,” he wrote, adding: “Further to that, unauthorised disclosure of government information to the media is clearly inappropriate.”You can read more below about the allegations by Mr Davis, who revealed yesterday that he had urged Mr Case to examine whether government resources had been used to help Ms Mordaunt’s rivals, claiming she had been subjected to “brutal” smears. More

The Tory rebel suspended for failing to support the government at this week’s confidence motion has been allowed to return to the fold temporarily to vote in the leadership contest.Tobias Ellwood said he was “delighted” to be able to cast his ballot in the race to succeed Boris Johnson at No 10 on after the whips’ office relented.“Delighted to report my request for a momentary return of the whip has been granted – just long enough for my proxy vote to be cast!” the Penny Mordaunt supporter tweeted.There was confusion after Mr Ellwood then deleted the tweet, published shortly after 1.30pm on Wednesday afternoon.But the whips’ office confirmed that the MP would be “temporarily unsuspended” so he could vote in the contest, before having the whip suspended again by the end of the afternoon.A spokesperson said decision was made “to ensure that the whips’ office neutrality in the leadership contest can not be questioned”.RecommendedMr Ellwood lost the party whip after he failed to support the government in a cruicial confidence vote on Monday, calling recent weeks a “sad chapter” in the history of the Conservatives.The centrist – a key backer of Ms Mordaunt in the leadership race – declined to get into speculation about why the government moved so swiftly to penalise him.Ms Mordant’s camp were furious at the move to suspend Mr Ellwood, with some of her backers suggesting it was done to help Liz Truss’s campaign for No 10.Mr Ellwood, chairman of the defence select committee, had argued he was unable to travel back from a meeting with the president of Moldova for the confidence vote.This had prompted suggestions, rejected outright by allies of the PM, that in taking the decision to suspend Mr Ellwood, Mr Johnson was working to boost Ms Truss’s chances.With Rishi Sunak practically guaranteed a place in the run-off vote of Tory party members, it is only Ms Mordaunt standing between the foreign secretary and her place in the decisive stage of the contest.Mr Ellwood told Sky News that recent weeks have been a “sad chapter” in the history of the Conservatives, warning that the party had “lost our way”.On his Moldova trip, he said: “There are a few options to get back, but there were problems with travel in the UK. I am very sorry I didn’t make it back.”He also said he did not want to speculate about the reasons why he specifically lost the whip, adding: “I’d be then fuelling the blue-on-blue (attacks), which I’m actually trying to avoid.”RecommendedA final vote of Tory MPs between 1pm and 3pm on Wednesday will select the two candidates to be put to the party’s membership in the race for No 10. Results are expected around 4pmMs Truss and Ms Mordaunt have been battling to win over Kemi Badenoch’s supporters after she was knocked out of the contest. More

Boris Johnson has received a standing ovation from loyal Tory MPs as he signed off his final prime minister’s questions, telling his successor to “always check the rear view mirror”.But the PM sparked speculation that he may be planning a comeback by signing off with Arnold Schwarzegger’s catchphrase “Hasta la vista baby”, and telling MPs: “Mission largely accomplished… for now.” The Spanish phrase “Hasta la vista” means “See you later”.Aides were forced to deny he was trying to swing votes in the Tory leadership election as he took a swipe at the Treasury, formerly led by Rishi Sunak, and hailed the achievements of the Foreign Office, led by his rival Liz Truss.In a breach of Commons etiquette, Tory MPs rose to their feet to applaud Johnson on what is almost certainly his last appearance in the House of Commons as PM. Predecessor Theresa May, who has made little attempt to disguise her distaste for Johnson’s leadership, rose to her feet stony-faced but – almost alone among Tory MPs – did not clap.Labour MPs did not take part in the applause, heading for the exit doors as Johnson signed off with a list of his claimed achievements in office. Moments earlier, opposition MPs had shouted “No!” as veteran Tory MP Sir Edward Leigh asked if he could thank Mr Johnson for his service “on behalf of the House”.RecommendedThe final PMQs of Mr Johnson’s three-year premiership came just 13 days after he was forced out by mass resignations, a cabinet revolt, and dozens of backbench MP expressing no confidence in his leadership of the country.With the House of Commons set to go into the summer recess on Thursday, it is likely to be the outgoing prime minister’s last appearance at the despatch box, with a new Tory leader revealed on 5 September.Addressing his collleagues, Mr Johnson offered “some words of advice” to his successor, “whoever he or she may be” as Rishi Sunak, Penny Mordaunt, and Liz Truss vie to replace him in No 10.“Number one: Stay close to the Americans, stick up for the Ukrainians, stick up for freedom and democracy everywhere,” he said.Recommended“Cut taxes and deregulate wherever you can to make this the greatest place to live and invest, which it is.”In what appeared to be a thinly veiled swipe at his former chancellor Mr Sunak, who precipitated a slew of resignations a fortnight ago as he quit, Mr Johnson added: “I love the Treasury but remember that if we’d always listened to the Treasury we wouldn’t have built the M25 or the Channel Tunnel.”He went on: “Focus on the road ahead, but always remember to check the rear view mirror and remember above all it’s not Twitter that counts.“It’s the people that sent us here, and yes the last few years have been the greatest privilege of my life and it’s true that I helped to get the biggest Tory majority for 40 years and a huge realignment in UK politics.“We transformed our democracy and restored our national independence… I’ve helped to get this country through a pandemic and help save another country from barbarism, and frankly that’s enough to be going on with.”The PM’s press secretary denied that Mr Johnson’s comments were intended to sway Conservative MPs’ votes in the fifth and final Westminster ballot on the leadership, which was taking place in the following hours.“It is a long-standing convention for prime ministers not to comment on leadership elections,” she said.She refused to confirm whether Mr Johnson had voted in the election for his successor or would do so later in the day.And she brushed aside suggestions that his choice of words left the way open for a return, telling reporters: “It was his way of saying farewell.”The Conservative 1922 Committee has received a 2,000-signature petition from Tory activists, calling for Mr Johnson’s name to be added to the ballot paper in this summer’s vote for the new leader, alongside the candidates who take first and second place in the MPs’ vote today.But the PM’s press secretary told reporters: “I think you heard him very clearly saying farewell in his role as prime minister in parliament today and talking about his record over three years and his advice for his successor.”Mr Johnson’s use of the phrase “Hasta la vista” – popularised among English speakers by Schwarzenegger’s Terminator movies – was typical of his practice of peppering political statements with references to popular culture, and followed his comment on his forced resignation: “Them’s the breaks.”Ironically, one of the most recent uses of the phrase in the Commons chamber, in 2011, was by Tory MP Christopher Pincher, whose resignation as a whip after admitting drunken groping in a private club was the final straw which led to Johnson’s downfall.Meanwhile, Labour sources said they were looking forward to a summer of televised hustings and debates between the final two contenders for the Tory leadership, after their compilation of blue-on-blue attacks from earlier clashes scooped more than 2m views on social media.“Given the box office fodder they provide, they are irresistable viewing,” said a senior Labour spokesperson. “We are very happy for the Conservative contest to get all the publicity it has done. It is right that the public get a chance to see the canddiates to be prime minister.” More

The UK government has given the go-ahead for the new Sizewell C nuclear power station to be built. The business secretary has approved the application for the development of the new plant in Suffolk. It has been estimated the nuclear power station will generate enough low-carbon electricity to power six million homes. The Planning Inspectorate said it would help the UK along the way to achieving net-zero emissions. The approval comes nearly two years after the application for Sizewell C to be built was submitted to the government agency. RecommendedThe Planning Inspectorate had recommended its approval only if the water supply strategy was resolved and more information provided to reassure ministers it was in line with habitats regulations. The business secretary approved the project on Wednesday. Campaigners against the site hit out at the decision, vowing to keep fighting against its development. “The government has been forced to ram through a damaging project to shore up its energy strategy but the fact that the Planning Inspectorate recommended Sizewell C be refused consent is a huge victory for all of us,” campaign group Stop Sizewell C said. “The wrong decision has been made but it’s not the end of our campaign to Stop Sizewell C.”RecommendedHundreds marched against the plant back in May, which has faced backlash from campaigners worried about the potential impact on water supply, biodiversity and coastal erosion. Mr Kwarteng said the move was part of a “big week of energy security” in a tweet on Wednesday. More

Boris Johnson has signed off in his last Commons appearance as prime minister by hurling insults at Keir Starmer, branding him a “pointless human bollard”.Speaking from the famous despatch box for the final time, he also called the Labour leader “Captain Hindsight” and boasted his successor would “wipe the floor” with him “like some household detergent”.Sir Keir exploited Tory divisions by highlighting how the leadership candidates had “trashed every part” of Mr Johnson’s record, including on tax and public services.He said Liz Truss, the new favourite to take over at No 10, had hit out at former chancellor Rishi Sunak over his lack of a “plan for growth” – asking the prime minister if he agreed.And he parroted the words of Penny Mordaunt, one of the three surviving candidates, who admitted that public services under the Conservatives are “in a desperate state”.RecommendedBut, calling Sir Keir “Captain Hindsight” once again, Mr Johnson alleged: “Every time something needs to be done, they try to oppose it, he’s a great pointless human bollard, that’s what he is.”Later, in an extraordinary intervention in the race, the outgoing prime minister urged his successor not to “listen to the Treasury” – in a clear attack on Mr Sunak, laying bare years of tension.He said the next prime minister should “cut taxes and deregulate wherever you can’, in what is likely to be seen as an endorsement of Ms Truss, who has promised the biggest tax cuts.Boasting it was “mission largely accomplished”, Mr Johnson also sought to claim some of the credit for Russia’s failure to conquer Ukraine earlier this year.“I want to use the last few seconds to give some words of advice to my successor, whoever he or she may be,” the departing leader said.“Number one: Stay close to the Americans, stick up for the Ukrainians, stick up for freedom and democracy everywhere. Cut taxes and deregulate wherever you can to make this the greatest place to live and invest, which it is.“I love the Treasury but remember that if we’d always listened to the Treasury we wouldn’t have built the M25 or the Channel Tunnel.”He claimed: “We’ve transformed our democracy and restored our national independence.“I’ve helped to get this country through a pandemic and helped save another country from barbarism, and frankly that’s enough to be going on with. Mission largely accomplished, for now.”RecommendedThe prime minister received a standing ovation from the Conservative benches, although – strikingly – his predecessor Theresa May did not join in with the clapping.Mr Johnson also all-but confirmed he plans to hand out gongs to allies in a resignation honours list, telling MPs to “contain their excitement”. More

The Speaker of the House of Commons has paid tribute to Boris Johnson’s conduct during the “dark times” of the Covid-19 pandemic.Lindsay Hoyle was addressing MPs ahead of the prime minister’s final PMQs session on Wednesday afternoon.Before questions were asked, Sir Lindsay accepted that MPs would have “differing views” about Mr Johnson’s legacy. But he said: “It’s only fitting to note this is likely to be the final time the right honourable member for Uxbridge addresses the house as prime minister. I would like to wish him and his family all the best for the future. “Can I say we’ve been through many dark times within this House and non moreso than through the pandemic, and always will be remembered for what this house did and the way that you conducted those duties during those dark times, prime minister.”RecommendedSir Lindsay also urged MPs to conduct the session in a “respectful manner”, quoting from parliamentary handbook Erskine May that “good temper and moderation are the characteristics of the parliamentary debate”.Mr Johnson was criticised for not locking down fast enough during the initial stages of the Covid-19 pandemic, and Britain ultimately paid one of the worst death tolls in Europe.The prime minister was himself hospitalised with a serious case of the disease while in office.His supporters say his approach to the vaccine roll-out gave Britain an advantage in protecting itself against the disease in subsequent waves.As proceedings were about to begin, Sir Lindsay added: “I understand that members will have differing views about the prime minister’s performance and legacy, and those views will be sincerely and passionately held, but I remind members that our constituents and others around the world watch these proceedings. “Let us conduct them in a respectful manner focusing on issues and policies rather than personalities. I take this opportunity to remind members of the words of Erskine May. ‘Good temper and moderation are the characteristics of the parliamentary debate’. I expect to see that reflected today in the proceedings.”RecommendedMr Johnson was booted out of office by his own MPs after a string of corruption, law-breaking and impropriety scandals pushed the Tories below Labour in the polls.His successor will be picked in September after Tory members vote. More