Markus Andrews

Boris Johnson and his former ministers are being urged to reject nearly half a million pounds in redundancy pay set to be paid to them for resigning.Under the Ministerial and Other Pensions and Salaries Act 1991, MPs leaving office are entitled to 25 per cent of their annual salaries in severance.This benefit applies even if they voluntarily resign from the government, and even if they do so for political reasons – or leave government in disgrace.Over 50 ministers and parliamentary private secretaries have quit their roles in the last 36 hours in a bid to oust Mr Johnson – meaning Tory infighting could land the taxpayer with a bill of over £420,000.Even Chris Pincher, the Tamworth MP whose alleged behaviour ultimately triggered the governemnt meltdown, is entitled to a £7,920 pay-off for leaving his job as deputy chief whip.In some cases ministers were in office for just two days, having been installed by Boris Johnson in the death throes of his premiership, and then quitting.And Boris Johnson himself is in line for a taxpayer handout of £18,860.The payments have raised eyebrows in the past because ministers are not becoming unemployed, but simply returning to the backbenches – where they will still be paid a basic salary of £84,144 a year.Government ministers are paid between £67,505 and £22,475 on top of their MPs’ salaries, with the prime minister getting an extra £75,440.As a result cabinet ministers like Rishi Sunak and Sajid Javid are in line for £16,876 ‘golden goodbyes’, while ministers of state like Kemi Badenoch could take home £7,920.Even parliamentary private secretaries like Jonathan Gullis are entitled to £5,594 each.Opposition parties are urging the Tory MPs to “do the decent thing” and reject the pay-offs.“Conservative MPs spent months defending Boris Johnson and failed to get rid of him when they had the chance,” said Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain.”The public won’t forgive them for keeping him in place for so long. “Now Conservative infighting and sheer incompetence has cost the taxpayer yet more money during this cost of living crisis.“Conservative ministers who resigned should do the decent thing and pass up their payoffs for the good of the country.”Labour MP Rupa Huq raised the issue in the Commons on Thursday morning.”At the same time we’ve got a government gripped by paralysis, and we have a cost of living crisis,” she said.”Can he confirm now from that despatch box that they will be forfeiting their right to this? Because we do not reward failure.”Michael Ellis, the Cabinet Office minister and Paymaster General responding for the government said: “The measure that the honourable lady refers to is set in statute. So it is a matter for the law and that law would have been passed by this house.” More

Boris Johnson’s new education secretary has quit her post just two days after being appointed, as the Cabinet meltdown continuesMichelle Donelan said she had “no choice” to leave the Cabinet and that the prime minister had put his colleagues in “an impossible situation”. She is among over 50 Tory MPs to leave government jobs in the last 36 hours over Mr Johnson’s conduct.Ms Donelan’s resignation leaves the Department for Education with zero ministers just weeks away from A-Level results day on 18 August this year.She quit shortly after the Mr Johnson’s new chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, also in his job for two days, called on the prime minister to resign – though he has stayed in his role.In her letter Ms Donelan said: “Whilst I remain very worried about the prospect of no ministers in the Department as we approach results day – the impact on students is real – as you know, yesterday I pleaded with you to do the right thing and resign for the sake of our country and our Party, both are more important than an one person“In life we must alwavs do what we believe is right. Above all I am here to serve the British public. I see no way that you can continue in post, but without a formal mechanism to remove you it seems that the only way that this is only possible is for those of us who reman in Cabinet to force your hand.“You have put us in an impossible situation. I am deeply saddened that it has come to this, but as someone who values integrity above all else. l have no choice.”Ms Donelan, the MP for Chippenham, had previously served as higher education minister from 2020 to 2022 before being promoted. More

Rebel Tory MP Steve Baker has revealed he is considering running in any leadership race to replace Boris Johnson, suggesting some individuals are “imploring” him to do so.It comes as the prime minister defies calls to resign, but his ability to “fight on” has been undermined further with a slew of new resignations on Thursday morning, including the Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis.Mr Baker warned the government is now in “free fall” and said: “I think this will come to an end in the next couple of days. It’s now time to think about the future”.Pressed on his own ambitions, the Tory MP who worked in Theresa May’s government, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “I have to think about it very seriously. “As a working class kid from Cornwall I would never have imagined I’d seriously be on your programme, talking to you, about becoming prime minister.“But the reality is some people I deeply respect are telling me, even imploring me, to do it. I must consider it seriously. The Conservative Home poll keeps putting me in the top 10 and I respect that.“It would be wrong of me to take it lightly, but I am realistic it seems to me quite improbable the rebel commander as Guido Fawkes put it… should win.”His remarks came after the dramatic intervention of cabinet minister and attorney general, Suella Braverman, who told ITV last night that “it’s time” for the prime minister to resign and said she would also stand in a contest to replace Mr Johnson in No 10.Ms Braverman said it was her “duty” to continue in her current role, but said: “If there is a leadership contest, I will put my name into the ring.”The attorney general, who acknowledged she may be sacked by Mr Johnson, is due to face MPs in the Commons on Thursday morning.Lord David Frost — a former Brexit minister — also told the BBC that Mr Johnson should not remain in No 10 “because the business of government cannot continue” even during a possible leadership contest.Urging cabinet ministers to quit, he said: “He cannot now credibly be a caretaker Prime Minister while a leadership election is taking place. We have a Deputy PM who can straightforwardly fulfil that role and he should.”Lord Frost added: “If the PM insists on fighting this out then he will cause serious damage to the party and government, and destroy his place in history. If he insists on waiting until another vote of MPs then the 1922 [Executive] should meet and facilitate one more quickly than planned.” More

Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis has become the fourth cabinet minister to resign from the cabinet, telling Boris Jonson that government requires “honesty, integrity and mutual respect”.As the prime minister defies calls to resign from all wings of the Tory party as he haemorrhages support, Mr Lewis said he “cannot sacrifice my personal integrity to defend things as they stand now”.The senior minister, who was appointed to the role in early 2020, published his resignation after Mr Johnson vowed to “fight on” despite a delegation of cabinet ministers pleading with him to step down from No 10 last night.In a dramatic move, the prime minister also sacked cabinet minister Michael Gove, after the levelling up secretary told him he had lost the support of the Conservative Party during a private meeting.But Mr Lewis told Mr Johnson in a letter that he had “given you, and those around you, the benefit of the doubt”, adding:”I have gone out and defended this government both publicly and privately,”“We are, however, now past the point of no return. I cannot sacrifice my personal integrity to defend things as they stand now.“It is clear that our Party, parliamentary colleagues, volunteers and the whole country, deserve better.”Mr Lewis’s letter on Thursday morning also coincided with Treasury minister Helen Whately and security minister Damian Hinds quitting the government, as the mass resginations continued.Ms Whately – a frequent defender of Mr Johnson on the airwaves – told the prime minister there “are only so many times you can apologise and move on”.Mr Hinds said in his own resignation letter: “It shouldn’t take theresignation of dozens of colleagues, but for our country, and trust in ourdemocracy, we must have a change of leadership.”Science minister George Freeman also said he had written to Sir Graham Brady, the chair of the Tories’ 1922 committee, saying he no longer had confidence in the prime minister’s ability to lead the party.He did not make it clear whether he was resigning, but added: “Your leadership, the chaos in No 10, breakdown of cabinet collective responsibility and collapse of public confidence in government represents a constitutional crisis.“It is also now seriously undermining our authority in key negotiations on the world stage at a time of urgent international crisis”.Last night, Suella Braverman, the attorney general who currently remains in post, said said Mr Johnson had handled matters “appallingly” in recent days and “the balance has tipped now in favour of saying that the prime minister – it pains me to say it – but it’s time to go.” Ms Braverman, previously a loyalist, said she would stand in a contest to replace Mr Johnson as Tory leader. More

Campaigners are calling on the Government to make further amendments to the Online Safety Bill, warning that in its current form the proposed internet safety laws are “on the verge of being unworkable”.In a letter sent to Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries and tech minister Chris Philp, the group of 16 organisations say the Bill is currently focused on the wrong areas of regulation.They argue that, at the moment, it “focuses too heavily on trying to regulate what individual people can say online, rather than getting to the heart of the problem and addressing tech companies’ systems and algorithms that promote and amplify harmful content”.“As a result, it risks being the worst of both worlds: failing to keep us safe, while also threatening free speech,” the letter says.It has been signed by the heads of a range of campaign groups, including Hope Not Hate, Fair Vote UK and the 5Rights Foundation.The Online Safety Bill is currently making its way through Parliament and the Government has published a range of initial proposed amendments to the Bill, including cracking down further on Russian and other state-backed disinformation and giving Ofcom more powers to demand firms take more action to find and tackle child sexual abuse content, including on encrypted services.But the campaigners have called for a number of further amendments, including measures to strengthen freedom of expression and rights protections, better protect people from marginalised backgrounds and expand transparency requirements on firms to boost access to data for researchers and academics.In addition, they warn that there are “dangerous loopholes” in the Bill that need closing and call for an amendment to bring paid-for advertising into the scope of the Bill, arguing that extensive research shows content found in ads can cause “the greatest harm online”.They also call for amendments to future-proof the regulations, such as changing how platforms are defined – doing so based on risk rather than size, and standardising the risk assessments and specific duties with which firms have to comply.The campaigners said they were “ready and willing” to work with the Government, MPs and Peers on further amendments.“Taken together, these (amendments) would make the Bill simpler, more effective and easier to enforce,” the letter says.“They would also put the onus on tech giants to stop harmful content going viral or being promoted to vulnerable children, rather than policing what we say. As the Bill makes its way through parliament, this is the last chance to bake in protections that work.” More

Sajid Javid says he will ‘never risk losing integrity’ during PMQs resignation speech
Wales secretary Simon Hart has tendered his resignation, saying there seems “no other option left”.It comes after housing secretary Michael Gove was sacked by Boris Johnson just hours after he told the prime minister he should step down.Mr Johnson continues to defy a chorus of calls from his own team to resign, according to a senior ally.A source close to the prime minister told The Independent he was insisting on staying, even though support for his leadership has collapsed at Westminster, and more than 40 ministers and aides have resigned in 24 hours.In a day of high political drama, even home secretary Priti Patel, one of Mr Johnson’s most staunch supporters, sided with the Cabinet delegation that went to Downing Street to present him with their demand he quit.The group also included Kwasi Kwarteng, transport secretary Grant Shapps and Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis.Mr Shapps is thought to have told Mr Johnson he stood little chance of winning another confidence vote and should instead set out a timetable for a departure on his own terms.Show latest update

1657159200Watch: ‘Enough is enough’, says Sajid Javid as he calls on ministers to oust Boris Johnson’Enough is enough’, says Sajid Javid as he calls on ministers to oust Boris JohnsonEmily Atkinson7 July 2022 03:001657157400‘His reign is over’: How foreign media reacted as Boris Johnson was hit by resignationsWith Boris Johnson battling to sure up his premiership after multiple ministerial resignations, foreign media are trying to assess how much longer the British PM will be in power.Some commentators are certain that the latest events are the nail in the coffin for Mr Johnson’s leadership. However, others are wary of predicting the fall of a leader who has miraculously survived multiple scandals and determinedly clung on as prime minister.“Boris Johnson’s reign is in free-fall”, was the assessment of Rob Harris in the Sydney Morning Herald.My colleague Holly Bancroft has more: Emily Atkinson7 July 2022 02:301657155600Emily Atkinson7 July 2022 02:001657153800Watch: Johnson says Tories need to ‘love each other’ as he faces calls to quitJohnson says Tories need to ‘love each other’ as he faces calls to quitEmily Atkinson7 July 2022 01:301657152000Boris Johnson refuses to resign after dramatic No 10 confrontation with cabinet ministersThe prime minister told the delegation he plans to “fight on” despite an extraordinary collapse in support that included more than 40 resignations.He told colleagues he remains “focused on the important issues facing the country”, The Independent was told. His refusal to resign led to Welsh secretary Simon Hart quitting cabinet hours later and set the scene for further likely walkouts to come.Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports:Emily Atkinson7 July 2022 01:001657150200Matt Hancock rules out leadership bidFormer health secretary Matt Hancock has ruled out running in a potential Tory leadership race, but told ITV’s Robert Peston that he is “happy to serve” in government.Emily Atkinson7 July 2022 00:301657148400Watch: Who could replace Boris Johnson in the role of prime minister?Who could replace Boris Johnson in the role of prime minister?Emily Atkinson7 July 2022 00:001657147532Boris Johnson’s flagship levelling up department left with only one paid minister after Gove sackedFollowing a string of resignations and the sacking of Michael Gove, the head of the department, only one paid minister remained at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities on Wednesday night.Liam James reports:Emily Atkinson6 July 2022 23:451657146374Less than a fifth of MPs support Boris Johnson – reportsEmily Atkinson6 July 2022 23:261657145361Suella Braverman says she will run in Tory leadership raceAttorney General Suella Braverman, who has previously been a Boris Johnson loyalist, has said it is time for the PM “to go”.She has also told ITV’s Robert Peston that she wants to replace Mr Johnson as PM.Emily Atkinson6 July 2022 23:09 More

Boris Johnson sacked Michael Gove after a dramatic confrontation in Downing Street with senior cabinet ministers who pleaded with him to accept that the game is up and resign.The prime minister told the delegation he plans to “fight on” despite an extraordinary collapse in support that included more than 40 resignations.Mr Johnson told ministers he was staying put, The Independent was told by a senior No 10 source, as allies made clear he would remain in place until he is forced out by another confidence vote.His refusal to resign led to Welsh secretary Simon Hart quitting cabinet hours later, while Ed Argar resigned as junior health minister.Mr Johnson’s aide James Duddridge told Sky News: “The prime minister is in buoyant mood and will fight on. He has a 14-million mandate and so much to do for the country.”The Sun also quoted a key ally of the prime minister as saying: “If the party wants to overthrow the elected will of the people, they have to dip their hands in blood.”The prime minister refused to budge despite the tally of Tory MPs who have quit his government reaching 44, in a striking symbol of power ebbing away from the man who won a stunning election less than three years ago.Becoming the third MP to resign from Mr Johnson’s cabinet, Mr Hart wrote in his resignation letter: “Colleagues have done their upmost in private and public to help you turn the ship around, but it is with sadness that I feel we have passed the point where this is possible.”Attorney General Suella Braverman told ITV that she would not resign but that it was “time to go” for Mr Johnson. The cabinet minister – who said she would put her name into the ring in the event of a leadership contest – said Mr Johnson had handled matters “appallingly” in recent days.The 1922 Committee of backbenchers earlier stepped back from an immediate rule change to allow a fresh no-confidence vote – but only because it expected the cabinet to finish the job without the need for it.The delegation was headed by Chris Heaton-Harris, the chief whip responsible for party discipline – which has broken down entirely with MPs furious about the Chris Pincher groping scandal. It included the transport secretary Grant Shapps, Mr Hart and, it is believed, Nadhim Zahawi, who was only promoted to chancellor late on Tuesday.Priti Patel, the home secretary, also headed to No 10 – after switching to the anti-Johnson camp, as the levelling up secretary Mr Gove did earlier, telling the prime minister to quit.But Mr Johnson is believed to have told them that his departure would bring the chaos of a leadership contest during the cost of living crisis, followed by pressure for a general election.In other conversations with wavering MPs, he urged them to recognise that, despite the mass resignations, all other potential leaders would fail to match his popularity with the public.Earlier, in the Commons, there was applause when one Conservative MP accused Mr Johnson of attempting “to blame other people for mistakes”, telling him: “Take responsibility and resign”.Sajid Javid, who started the mass resignations by quitting as health secretary on Tuesday evening, urged fellow Tories to follow him, saying: “The problem starts at the top and that is not going to change.”But some cabinet ministers urged Mr Johnson to refuse to accept the game is up – forming a separate group inside No 10, in a remarkable tussle over power.Nadine Dorries, the ultra-loyal culture secretary, pledged her continued support and, asked if it is possible he would remain in power, told reporters: “It is.”To add to the drama, Mr Johnson broke off from the desperate fight for survival for his regular weekly telephone conversation with the Queen.Both Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, and the Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis made clear they were withdrawing support from their leader.A grim-faced Kit Malthouse, a Johnson ally since his days as mayor of London, emerged from the showdown meeting but refused to discuss what had gone on.Some resigning ministers lashed out at the direction of the government as they left, the equalities minister Mike Freer attacking an “atmosphere of hostility for LGBT+ people”.Rachel Maclean, the safeguarding minister, alluded to the Pincher scandal when she spoke of “heartbreaking” evidence from sexual harassment victims that “these crimes are almost always about power”.And Mark Fletcher, an unpaid aide who witnessed the former deputy chief whip’s alleged groping of two men at the Carlton Club last week, condemned Mr Johnson’s response.Several Tory MPs heard him blame “colleagues who were present for allowing him [Mr Pincher] to drink so much” when he toured the Commons tearoom on Tuesday, he said.“Any person who suggests that anyone other than Mr Pincher is solely responsible for what happened that night is unfit to lead our country,” Mr Fletcher’s resignation letter read.Mr Johnson was confronted with the news of the delegation while giving evidence to a committee of MPs, where he insisted he intends to fight on and that it is his “duty” to do so.At an often-painful meeting of the Commons liaison committee, he failed to deny he had once said “all the sex pests are supporting me” and, of his ex-minister, “Pincher by name, pincher by nature”.Asked “did you say he is a bit handsy?”, the prime minister told the committee: “It’s not a word I use.”Mr Johnson insisted it would be wrong for him to resign, telling MPs he should keep governing during difficult times and refusing to “get into a running commentary on political events”.He eventually, under fierce pressure, agreed he would not seek to call a snap general election to try to stay in power, saying: “Of course, I rule it out.”Earlier, Keir Starmer mocked the government’s implosion, telling Mr Johnson it was “the first case of the sinking ship fleeing the rat”.He told wavering ministers: “As for those who are left, only in office because no one else is prepared to debase themselves any longer – the charge of the lightweight brigade – have some self-respect.” More

Boris Johnson has sacked senior cabinet minister Michael Gove after the levelling up secretary told him he had lost support of the Conservative Party and should now resign.The prime minister is refusing to resign and will “fight on”, his allies say, after confrontations at No 10 with senior cabinet ministers who pleaded with him to accept the game is up.Mr Gove privately told Mr Johnson it is time to quit as PM at a meeting earlier on Wednesday, The Independent understands.Referring to Mr Gove as a “snake”, one No 10 source told the BBC that “you can’t have a snake who is not with you on any of the big arguments who then gleefully tells the press the leader has to go”.Mr Johnson told ministers he was staying put, The Independent was told by a senior No 10 source, as allies made clear he would remain in place until he is forced out by another confidence vote.The PM also reminded ministers that 14 million people voted for him, saying the party would have to “take that mandate off them”.James Duddridge, the PM’s parliamentary private secretary, told Sky News: “The prime minister is in buoyant mood and will fight on. He has a 14 million mandate and so much to do for the county.”A key ally of the prime minister told The Sun: “If the party wants to overthrow the elected will of the people, they have to dip their hands in blood.”The message of defiance sparked another round of resignations and calls for the PM to go. Simon Hart stepped down from his role as Welsh secretary, while Ed Argar quit as junior health secretary saying “change was needed”. Attorney general Suella Braverman also said “it’s time to go” for Mr Johnson, before daring No 10 to sack her. “I don’t want to resign because I have that duty,” she told ITV’s Peston.Ms Braverman also said she will put her name into the ring if there is a leadership contest.Following Mr Gove’s sacking, Tory MP Danny Kruger announced he was quitting as a parliamentary private secretary (PPS) in the levelling up department, followed by James Daly’s resignation as PPS at the Department for Work and Pensions. Home secretary Priti Patel, transport secretary Grant Shapps, Welsh secretary Simon Hart and Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis were seen heading into No 10 on Wednesday evening.Ms Patel told Mr Johnson he has lost the support of MPs during her discussion with the PM. The home secretary told him the overwhelming view of the parliamentary party was that his time at No 10 was up.Mr Shapps is thought to have told Mr Johnson that he stood little chance of winning another confidence vote and should instead set out a timetable for a departure on his own terms.Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng is also understood to have told Mr Johnson he should go. More