Markus Andrews

Downing Street has disowned claims that a parliamentary inquiry into the Partygate scandal will be a “kangaroo court”, insisting that Boris Johnson trusts the cross-party committee to deliver a fair verdict.However, a spokesperson for No 10 would not commit to the prime minister giving evidence to the inquiry in public and before the TV cameras, saying only that Downing Street would “assist” the committee in its work.No 10 appeared to have mounted a whispering campaign against the crucial probe into whether the prime minister knowingly misled parliament, after it announced that whistleblowers can give anonymous evidence.Allies of Mr Johnson told The Daily Telegraph of their fears of “hearsay evidence” being used against him, also questioning why Labour veteran Harriet Harman will chair the investigation by the Commons Privileges Committee.But foreign secretarty Liz Truss and defence secretary Ben Wallace dismissed questions about the credibility of the process.And a No 10 spokesperson told reporters: “We trust the committee to take its responsibilities seriously.”Asked whether this meant the PM trusted the committee to come to a fair verdict, he replied: “I think that is what that statement alludes to. It’s a parliamentary process and, as I say, we trust the committee to take its responsibilities seriously.”The Telegraph quoted one No 10 source as saying it would be impossible for Mr Johnson to challenge anonymous evidence, when he testifies to the Commons privileges committee in the autumn.“It is bonkers. Going on hearsay evidence is not in the spirit of it. How can you interrogate someone who has not turned up? If you don’t trust the process how can you trust the result?” the paper quoted one pro-Johnson MP saying.But asked if she feared “a Kangaroo court”, Ms Truss told Sky News: “No. We have these processes in parliament. The process has kicked off. We now need to wait for the result.”She told BBC Radio 4: “We need to allow that process to continue. I trust implicitly my parliamentary colleagues to listen properly to the evidence and make the right decision.”The Downing Street spokesperson said that Mr Johnson had been clear he was ready to “assist them in their work”.But he refused to confirm that the PM will give evidence in person, saying that the committee must first determine the format for evidence-taking sessions.No decision has yet been taken on whether questioning of witnesses will take place in public and whether TV cameras will be allowed in.Chris Bryant, who stood aside from chairing the inquiry for Ms Harman because he has called for Mr Johnson to resign, accused him of trying to “throw over the rules” before it has begun.“They’re scared of being caught out. The committee members are thorough, fair and meticulous. They’re advised by the former head of the tribunal service,” he tweeted.“But this is what Johnson always does, throw over the rules or the body that adjudicates on them.”Although anonymous evidence will be allowed, that will only be where Ms Harman is “able to identify the individual’s identity in conjunction with committee staff”.The committee has appointed Ernest Ryder, a former appeal court judge who recently reviewed the standards system that disciplines MPs, as an adviser.The foreign secretary also took a swipe at colleagues using abusive language about Russia’s leader, after Mr Johnson called him “evil” and Mr Wallace said he had “small man syndrome”.“I’ve never met Vladimir Putin. I don’t pretend that I can conduct a psychological analysis of him, nor do I think it’s helpful,” Ms Truss said.And, asked about the prime minister’s argument that Putin would not have invaded if her were a woman, she said: “I believe that both men and women are capable of doing evil things.”Ms Truss also hinted the UK should send weapons to Taiwan, which is threatened by China, saying: “We need to learn the lessons of Ukraine. We could have ensured a Ukraine had the defensive capability earlier.” More

The UK is “at war” with the United States over Ireland and Brexit, Gordon Brown has said.The former Labour prime minister said Boris Johnson’s government would never be able to sign a trade deal with the US until the issues were solved.It comes as Boris Johnson escalates the row over the territory with controversial new legislation.Many Democrats in the US Congress see themselves as the guardians of Good Friday Agreement, which ended the Troubles.They have taken a dim view of what they see as UK brinkmanship over the border with the republic, which is related to Brexit.”We’re at war with America over Ireland because America will not sign a trade treaty with Britain as long as we cannot sort out the issues related to Ireland,” Mr Brown, who was prime minister between 2007 and 2010, told the Beth Rigby Interviews programme on Sky News.The ex prime minister said that even if Joe Biden came around to a trade deal, many in the US congress would not.”He may think that but the American congress will not think that,” he said.”There’s no chance of a trade deal between Britain and America unless we can sort out the problems that are arising in Ireland, and, of course, there’s no chance of getting better trade relationships with Europe unless we can sort these problems out as well.”And that’s very much part of our future because if we cannot export to the leading markets in the world, and cannot do so successfully with these new industries and new technologies, then the cost-of-living crisis will be with us for years and not just temporarily.”The UK and EU agreed a solution to the Northern Ireland border issue during Brexit talks which would keep the frontier with the Republic open, in accordance with the Good Friday arrangements.But as part of the solution the UK agreed to impose new checks on trade between Northern Ireland and Great Britain.Though the protocol has general support in the territory, it has angered some in the unionist community, and Boris Johnson and his ministers now say the arrangements they negotiated are not working. He has brought forward new legislation to give himself powers to override the agreements, which the EU’s chief negotiator Maros Sefcovic last night described as a “gun on the table”.In September 2020 Joe Biden summarised US fears over UK policy by stating: “We can’t allow the Good Friday Agreement that brought peace to Northern Ireland to become a casualty of Brexit.”Any trade deal between the US and UK must be contingent upon respect for the Agreement and preventing the return of a hard border. Period.” More

Tony Blair has warned Keir Starmer he cannot win power until voters are “clear what Labour stands for”, as he holds a festival to push forward new political ideas.The Future of Britain conference has raised eyebrows because of appearances by former Conservative Cabinet ministers – but without boasting any senior Labour figures.Sir Tony denied he has “given up on Labour” and praised his party’s leader for an “enormous amount of progress” since its disastrous 2019 election defeat under Jeremy Corbyn.But he urged Sir Keir to consider “the ideas we are putting forward”, pointing to three huge challenges; a technology revolution, the ‘net zero’ commitment and the damage from Brexit. “If Labour sets out its stall with those type of ideas, that is what can seal the deal with the British people,” the three-times election winner told BBC Radio 4.He added: “We’ve got to be absolutely frank with ourselves. If we want to win, it’s going to be on the basis that people are absolutely clear what Labour is and what it stands for.”The comments reflect wider fears among the architects of New Labour’s 1997 triumph that a cautious Sir Keir is still failing to set out a clear policy agenda.Peter Mandelson told The Spectator magazine: “At the moment, too many voters have no clear idea of who Starmer is. He needs to define himself before his opponents do it for him.”Sir Tony noted that the Labour leadership is promising new policy ideas “later this year”, after Sir Keir confirmed he has ripped up the doomed 2019 manifesto.“In a way, this conference, I mean the ideas we’re putting forward are available for anybody,” he said.The next election would be “as much about Labour as it is about the Conservatives”, he argued, adding: “People will think ‘Yeah, OK, in principle, we should put the Conservatives out’.“But, before they make that change, they’ve got to be sure of Labour.” Sir Keir is “entirely capable of doing that”, he added.The former Labour leader said he had been approached in the past by people seeking start a new party”, but insisted: “I was not involved in creating a new party.”The Future of Britain conference will feature appearances by former Conservative big-hitters Rory Stewart and David Gauke, plus the party’s former Scottish leader Ruth Davidson.Sir Tony was left disappointed after hopes of attracting Emmanuel Macron – who achieved a centrist march to power in France – were thwarted by a clash with the Nato conference.Sir Keir has calmed some of the criticism of his leadership with the Wakefield byelection win, but remains under pressure ahead of a crucial autumn conference. More

A former SNP MP who embezzled almost £25,000 from two pro-independence groups has been jailed for two yearsNatalie McGarry, 40, who represented Glasgow East between 2015 and 2017, was convicted of two charges of embezzlement – totalling £24,635 – in May following a trial at Glasgow Sheriff Court.A jury found her guilty by majority of a charge of embezzling £19,974 while she was treasurer of Women for Independence (WFI) between April 26 2013 and November 30 2015.She was also found guilty by majority of a second charge of taking £4,661 between April 9 2014 and August 10 2015 when she was treasurer, secretary and convener of the Glasgow Regional Association of the SNP.

Through your role in these offences you have not only betrayed the trust placed in you by others, but your standards have fallen well short of those the public should have a right to expect from MPs.Sheriff Tom HughesSentencing McGarry, Sheriff Tom Hughes said she had betrayed people who put their trust in her and that a custodial sentence was inevitable.He told her: “It’s quite clear that society has a right to expect the highest standards from those who seek and eventually achieve high public office.”He added: “Through your role in these offences, you have not only betrayed the trust placed in you by others, but your standards have fallen well short of those the public should have a right to expect from MPs.”Over the course of the six-week trial, the court heard from dozens of witnesses, including Scotland’s former health secretary Jeane Freeman, who said she reported McGarry after noticing a significant shortfall in WFI accounts. More

The EU has issued a plea to the UK to “come back to the table” to solve the crisis over Northern Ireland, as it set out the huge economic damage from Brexit.In a speech in London, the vice-president of the European Commission joked that it is now Brussels that wants to get “Brexit done” – while London has refused face-to-face talks for four months.Maros Sefcovic called for a fresh push to find “genuine joint solutions” to the battle over the Northern Ireland protocol, telling the event: “We are absolutely ready. Let’s come back to the table.”It would allow the two sides to “move to the next, I hope, brighter stage of our working relationship”, he argued, calling the UK and the EU “natural allies”.But the chief Brexit negotiator insisted the EU will not back down in fighting the UK’s “unilateral and illegal” bill to rip up the protocol, which has sparked renewed legal action.And he warned of “consequences” if the government hints it will “slash EU regulation” in financial services, data and food standards, despite promises made when the Brexit deal was signed.“An end to mutual recognition is a possibility if the UK changes its standards. We will therefore be watching developments closely,” Mr Sefcovic told the event hosted by the Bloomberg news agency.He set out, in stark terms the growing evidence of economic harm from Brexit, including a 25 per cent plunge in UK good exports to the EU since 2019 and a 7 per cent fall in services trade.“In times of economic strain, this hurts businesses on both sides of the channel,” Mr Sefcovic warned.He condemned the protocol bill – which cleared its first Commons hurdle this week – warning it would “lead to constant uncertainty”.“Put simply: it would not work. Ministers in London would have the freedom to change the rules on a whim,” Mr Sefcovic said.“A dual regulatory regime, where businesses opt for EU or UK regulations, would bury them under a mountain of bureaucracy.“This would clearly be a lose-lose situation – for EU-UK relations and, first and foremost, for Northern Ireland.”He opened his speech by referring to a speech made by then-prime minister David Cameron at Bloomberg in 2013, which set the UK on its the path to the 2016 Brexit referendum.“I hope we are close to reaching the end of this particular cycle. You may not hear this often from a European commissioner, but it is high time we got Brexit done,” he said.But Mr Sefcovic refused to say what form the EU retaliation might take if the protocol legislation becomes law – which is not expected to happen until next year, at the earliest. More

Boris Johnson‘s pledge to crack down on Russian dirty money in London will fail because of a lack of funding and expert staff, MPs have warned.The prime minister’s “rhetoric” in quickly pushing through the Economic Crime Act – following the Ukraine invasion – is not matched by the “reality” of resources available, a foreign affairs committee report said.The committee also demanded to know if action will be taken against wealthy foreign investors handed fast-track residency “without due diligence” before the scheme was hurriedly scrapped.And it called for prosecutions of Russian oligarchs in the UK who are allies of Vladimir Putin to be considered, saying sanctions imposed on them are “not enough”.When Moscow launched its assault on Ukraine, the government ended years of stalling by cracking down on corrupt money flowing through what has been dubbed “Londongrad”.The highly critical report, published on Thursday, called it “shameful” that it took the war for ministers to act and echoed previous warnings that the legislation does “not go far or fast enough”.“The government’s rhetoric is not matched by reality,” said Tom Tugendhat, the committee’s Conservative chair.“Sanctions against Russian individuals and businesses can only achieve so much. We need much more fundamental – and long-lasting – legislative changes to weed out the scourge of dirty money.”The rising Tory star added: “New laws are only half the battle. Enforcement agencies need funding, resources and highly specialised staff in order to do their job effectively.”The report warned against sanctions becoming a form of “criminal justice light” in which “assets are held indefinitely without subsequent prosecution”.It recommended that authorities “now take advantage of the time these asset freezes provide to consider if there is a criminal case for asset seizure”.The Queen’s Speech promised a further Economic Crime Bill to ensure “Putin’s cronies do not benefit from the UK’s open society”, following an initial crackdown after the invasion.But fears have been raised that it will still be possible to “cloak the real property owners in anonymity”, using nominee directors and companies.Crown dependencies and overseas territories are still enabling corruption and money laundering by resisting open registers of beneficial ownership of companies, critics say.And Companies House allows 300,000 firms a year to be registered with no proper checks – in “moments, at minimal cost”, a former minister who quit over fraud warned.The foreign affairs committee demands powers for the company registrar to verify information and to “remove corporate entities from the register for wrongdoing”.It also criticised the Foreign Office for being slow to impose sanctions when the war broke out, calling it “underprepared and under-resourced”.On past failings, it states: “The government’s unwillingness to bring forward legislation to stem the flow of dirty money is likely to have contributed to the belief in Russia that the UK is a safe haven for corrupt wealth.” More

The Home Office is being pressured to urgently reform the UK’s “joke” citizenship test, which quizzed immigrants on a series of “random” facts under threat of deportation. People who want to permanently settle in the UK are made to take the bizarre quiz on British history and culture, but a parliamentary committee says its content is not fit for purpose. Content covered by the Life In The UK Test includes how a person should react when spilling beer over someone in a pub – and where the founder of the UK’s first curry house eloped with his wife.It also includes subjective assertions and opinions, such as the claim that the British empire was a “force for good in the world”.People taking the test are also expected to memorise a dubious version of history which claims Britain fought alone against Nazi Germany.Failing the trial-by-trivia could lead to a person being deported, the loss of their livelihood, and potential separation from family, the critical parliamentary report notes.“‘Trivial’, ‘outdated’, and ‘undermining British values’ were some of the terms used by witnesses to our inquiry into the Life in the UK Test,” Baroness Hamwee, chair of the House of Lords justice and home affairs committee, said.“It is – or should be – no joke that the question most identified with the UK test related to the appropriate action to take after spilling a beer on someone at the pub. The test is not respected in the UK or abroad.”She added: “Should candidates be required to memorise content referring to the Enlightenment and where the founder of the UK’s first curry house eloped with his wife? The UK today is about more than stereotypes such as roast beef and pantomimes. “A multiple-choice question puts ‘freedom of speech’, ‘the right to a fair trial’, ‘long lunchbreaks on Fridays’ and ‘free groceries for everyone’ on an equal footing as potential citizens’ rights. The rights and responsibilities of active citizens can be dealt with seriously without being stodgy or impenetrable. “Reform of the Life in the UK Test and of its associated handbook should be treated by the government as urgent. Not to do so disrespects those people who wish to become citizens or permanent residents of our country.” The Life In the UK Test is a requirement for anyone who wants indefinite leave to remain in the UK, or who wants to naturalise as a British citizen.The test was first introduced by the last Labour government under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, which was steered through parliament by then home secretary David Blunkett. In 2018 then Tory home secretary, Sajid Javid, announced plans to include more questions on “British values” in the Life in the UK test. He has previously also criticised the exercise, describing it as akin to a “pub quiz”.Responding to the report, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The Life in the UK test is important for anyone applying to settle permanently in the UK to ensure they have an understanding of the democratic principles underlying British society and aspects of our culture and traditions.“We intend to set out our plans to review the handbook as part of wider nationality reforms in the next 12 months and we will take on board the findings of the committee as part of that process.” More

Male MPs have tried out vests that simulate the feeling of menopausal hot flushes – and they couldn’t take the heat.Taking part in an event to raise awareness for the sharp increase in demand for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs amid widespread shortages, politicians – including Wes Streeting, Stephen Kinnock and Nick Thomas-Symonds – donned the garments which contained heated pads which are said to mimic the bothersome and often debilitating symptom.“It’s deeply unpleasant and an enveloping heat,” said the shadow health secretary after trying on the vest.“How you would crack on with life, I don’t know. I can’t wait to take this off.”The idea for the contraption was spearheaded by Over the Bloody Moon – a group that offers menopause advice to individuals and companies. Shadow minister for immigration, Mr Kinnock, called the sensation “a very intense kind of heat and an internal feeling, not like being warmed by the sun, but almost volcanic inside”.More than one million women in the UK use HRT, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is prescribed to treat the symptoms of the menopause by boosting oestrogen levels and other hormones.The drug is used to alleviate the impact of a range of associated conditions such as hot flushes, anxiety, joint pain, disturbed sleep, night sweats and vaginal dryness.Just moments after slipping into the vest, former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith said: “I’m feeling this on my back now. Imagine making a speech in the House of Commons and suddenly getting a hot flush. If [men] had this, we’d be complaining a lot.” Carolyn Harris MP, who co-chairs the menopause taskforce, in jest replied: “If you pass out.“Welcome to my world. I don’t need the vest to be hot and bothered.”The soaring demand for HRT has been blamed on an uptick in campaigning and media coverage about its benefits.Labour’s Wes Streeting said: “Women are having to go private. For something that is so common like the menopause, it is outrageous.”Lesley Salem, founder of Over the Bloody Moon, said: “Hot flushes are one of top three symptoms that impact on the lives of menopausal women – disrupting sleep, increasing levels of anxiety and often affecting women’s performance at work.“For those who haven’t experienced the feeling, it is easy to underestimate its intensity and fail to appreciate just what an impact it has on daily life.” More