Markus Andrews

Pundit Gary Neville has launched an attack on prime minister Boris Johnson by calling for his resignation and saying “enough is enough” amid “mistruths”.Neville’s rant was published on Twitter in a video amid reports the PM will hold a press conference at 5.30pm to introduce more restrictions in England to help prevent the spread of the new variant Omicron.However, Neville has blasted the conference as “distraction tactics” after the reported Christmas party held at Downing Street last year was made public this week. The former Manchester United player said: “The reports emerging that Boris Johnson is going to announce a press conference at 5.30pm. The distraction tactic is now a predictable one. We’ve seen it for the last two years. This guy lacks integrity. He lies to us constantly. The mistruths that come out of number 10 are just constant. “Not only that but he’s the worst kind of leader. Someone who expects his team to go under with him and come out and lie for him. His ministers and his MPs are constantly forced to do that and enough is enough.”Neville went onto call for Johnson’s resignation, a similar call to that of the Scottish National Party leader in the House of Commons Ian Blackford at Prime Minister’s Questions on Wednesday.“It’s not even about a party or a social gathering on December 18,” Neville added. “Or a secret Santa or a cheese and wine. It’s about actually having a guy at the top of our country who believes he can take us all for a ride and laugh at us. “He does it time after time after time. This cannot be let go. Now is the time to get this guy out of number 10 and start bringing some standards back into politics.”Neville continued his criticism in a series of tweets with one saying “vile” and another reading “this guy is beyond help. It’s up to the @Conservatives MP’s to act . He’s just thrown his staff under the bus and he will throw you as well!”The ex-England player’s criticisms echo those heard at PMQs with Blackford’s being the strongest of the session.The MP said: “Tough decisions will again have to be made to save lives and protect our NHS. Trust in leadership is a matter of life and death. Downing Street wilfully broke the rules and mocked the sacrifices we have all made, shattering the public’s trust.“The Prime Minister is responsible for losing the trust of the people, he can no longer lead on the most pressing issue facing these islands.“The Prime Minister has a duty, the only right and moral choice left to him, it is for his resignation, when can we expect it?”Johnson replied: “The party opposite and the other party opposite are going to continue to play politics, I am going to get on with the job.” More

Boris Johnson should resign if he misled parliament about an illegal Christmas party at Downing Street, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has said.Speaking on Wednesday Douglas Ross said that there was “clearly” a party “of sorts” – contrasting with No.10 denials over the matter.Mr Ross said: “If he knew about the party this time last year or at any point up until he was asked about it in the House of Commons and still said he knew nothing about it and I wasn’t a party, that’s a serious allegations – and I don’t support anyone deliberately misleading parliament, so I’m not going to protect anyone for that.”According to BBC Scotland, the Scottish Tory leader added: “No-one should continue in their post if they mislead parliament in that way.”A poll by Savanta ComRes released on Wednesday found that one third of 2019 Tory voters, and a majority – 54 per cent – of all voters believe Mr Johnson should resign. It comes as former Scottish Tory leader Ruth Davidson described Mr Johnson’s response to Keir Starmer at PMQs as “pathetic” and said Tory colleagues were also “furious”.“None of this is remotely defensible. Not having busy, boozy not-parties while others were sticking to the rules, unable to visit ill or dying loved ones. Nor flat-out denying things that are easily provable,” she said. “And today’s ‘we’ll investigate what we’ve spent a week saying didn’t happen and discipline staff for rules we continue to say weren’t broken’ was pathetic.”More follows… More

The inquiry ordered by Boris Johnson from cabinet secretary Simon Case will look only at allegations of a Downing Street party on 18 December last year and not into wider claims of gatherings on other dates, No 10 has said.And a Downing Street spokesperson said that the civil service chief has been given no deadline to deliver his verdict on the explosive claims.While No 10 said the prime minister wanted answers as quickly as possible, the spokesperson said that it was for Mr Case to decide how long his probe should take.The Daily Mirror article which initially reported that a Christmas party took place in No 10 on 18 December also gave details of a second bash on 27 November to say farewell to a departing aide, which  Mr Johnson is alleged to have attended.And a third party allegedly took place on 13 November, the day of the departure of Mr Johnson’s former top aide Dominic Cummings.Asked whether Mr Case would be free to inquire into these allegations, a No 10 spokesperson said: “He has been asked to establish the facts of any events on the 18th.”Downing Street refused to say whether Mr Case himself was at any party at No 10 on the evening of the 18 December.And spokespeople declined to confirm whether the prime minister himself now believes that a party in fact took place.They would also not say whether Downing Street stands by official statements made over the last week that no party took place and that Covid rules were observed at all times.“You have our previous statements,” said a source. “Now the prime minister has asked the cabinet secretary to establish the facts.“While that is ongoing it wouldn’t be appropriate for me to discuss details.”The PM’s press secretary said that ministers had been pulled from scheduled TV and radio interviews on Wednesday morning because Mr Johnson wanted to announce the Case inquiry directly to MPs himself.But she said that the usual practice of ministers being made available for a morning round of interviews will be resumed on Thursday. More

Boris Johnson has apologised for the “offence” cause by the leaked footage which shows Downing Street staff joking about a Christmas party at No 10 last year.The prime minister said he had asked the cabinet secretary to investigate claims of a festive party on 18 December last year – telling MPs at PMQs that he was “furious” at footage of aides laughing about the issue.“I understand and share the anger of No 10 staff making light of lockdown measures. I was also furious to see that clip, I apologise unreservedly for the offence it has caused up and down the country and the impression it gives,” Mr Johnson said.But the prime minister still refused to admit a festive gathering had taken place at No 10. “I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken.”Mr Johnson added: “I’ve asked the cabinet secretary to establish all the facts and report back as soon as possible – if those rules were broken then there will be disciplinary rules.”Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said the PM’s apology “raises more questions than answers” – reminding Mr Johnson that he and his ministers “spent the week telling the British public there was no party and all guidance was followed completely”.Sir Keir added: “Millions of people now think the prime minister was taking them for fools, that they were lied to. They are right, aren’t they?”Mr Johnson replied: “I apologise for the impression that has been given that staff in Downing Street take this less than seriously – I am sickened myself and furious,” before repeating that he had been personally “assured” by his staff there was no party.The leaked video shared by ITV – recorded on 22 December last year – shows then-press secretary Allegra Stratton appearing to joke about an illicit party at No 10 during a rehearsal for televised daily government media briefings.The prime minister did agree to hand over “everything the government knows” about potentially illegal Christmas parties to the police following pressure from the Labour leader. “Of course we will do that,” said Mr Johnson.Mr Johnson was also asked if there was a party at Downing Street on November 13 following a shock new claim made by Dominic Cummings.Shortly after PMQs began, his former adviser asked on Twitter if the cabinet secretary would “also be asked to investigate the *flat* party on Friday 13 November”.Asked by Labour MP Catherine West if there was festive gathering on that date, the prime minister replied: “No – but I’m sure that whatever happened the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times.”Backbench Tory MP William Wragg accused Mr Johnson of using a “diversionary tactic” – with the PM and senior ministers today expected to agree on the introduction of tighter ‘plan B’ Covid restrictions at an emergency meeting. “No decisions will be taken without consulting the cabinet,” Mr Johnson said.Meanwhile, SNP leader at Westminster Ian Blackford called on Mr Johnson to resign – or for Tory MPs to oust him – over the party controversy, claiming the PM “can no longer lead on the most pressing issue facing these islands”.The SNP MP said: “It’s clear this prime minister has lost the support of the public. It is clear this PM who desperately intends to cling to power. It is time for members in this house to act, if he doesn’t resign, then he must be removed.”Ruth Davidson, the former leader of the Scottish Conservatives, said she was not impressed by Downing Street’s “pathetic” position. The peer said on Twitter that her Tory colleagues are “furious at this too”.She said “today’s ‘we’ll investigate what we’ve spent a week saying didn’t happen and discipline staff for rules we continue to say weren’t broken’ was pathetic”.Conservative MP Sir Roger Gale earlier warned the “game’s up” for Boris Johnson if he deliberately misleads the Commons over any Christmas party, while Tory peer Baroness Warsi also called for anyone found to have attended the festive gathering to resign. More

Boris Johnson has said there will “effectively be a diplomatic boycott” of the Winter Olympics in Beijing – revealing that no UK ministers and no British officials will attend the games.Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith had urged the prime minister to follows the lead of the US by having a full diplomatic boycott of the games in China in February 2022.Mr Johnson told MPs in the Commons: “There will be effectively a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Olympics in Beijing. No ministers are expected to attend and no officials.”However, the prime minister also made clear at PMQs on Wednesday that the British government was not keen on any sporting boycott and Team GB would still take part in the games.“What I can tell the House is I don’t think sporting boycotts are sensible and that remains the policy of the government,” said Mr Johnson.The PM also said the government has no qualms about raising concerns over human rights abuses with Beijing. “The government has no hesitation in raising these issues with China, as I did with President Xi the last time I talked to him,” he added.Labour had called on the government to announce a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games back in July, arguing that a political response was needed to deny China a “PR coup” next year.The opposition said ministers show boycott the 2022 games unless China allowed UN investigators into in Xinjiang in examine alleged human rights.Beijing has strongly denied international claims about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in Xinjiang, despite reports that more than a million people have been arbitrarily detained.The US, Australia and Lithuania have already announced a diplomatic boycott of the Winter Games over China’s human rights record. New Zealand said it would not be sending ministers to the event, but the country’s diplomats may still attend.China has vowed to react to Monday’s announcement by the White House with “firm countermeasures”.Australian prime minister Scott Morrison said on Wednesday that his country would be joining the US in a diplomatic boycott of the Beijing games.As well as citing human rights abuses, Mr Morrison said China had been very critical of Australia’s efforts to have a strong defence force in the region.China responded furiously – saying no Australian officials had been invited to the Olympics and “no one would care about whether they come or not”. More

Boris Johnson has been urged to resign over an illegal Christmas Party that took place in No10 during lockdown restrictions last year.SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford said the prime minister was facing “a moment of moral reckoning” and should either quit or be removed by his party.“Downing Street wilfully broke the rules and mocked the sacrifices we have all made, shattering the public’s trust,” the Scottish nationalist chief said.“The prime minister is responsible for losing the trust of the people. He can no longer lead on the most pressing issue facing these islands. “The prime minister has a duty. The only right and moral choice left to him: it is for his resignation. When can we expect it?”Mr Johnson rejected the call – telling MPs at a heated PMQs session: “I am going to get on with the job and I believe that is what is the right thing to do.”The prime minister accused the opposition of trying to “muddy the waters of events that took place a year ago”.Mr Blackford replied that he had seen “no dignity from a prime minister that quite simply just doesn’t get it”.“It is clear that this prime minister desparately is clinging, onto power and I have nothing left to say to a man whose replies we simply cannot trust … If he doesn’t resign then he simply must be removed.”Labour leader Keir Starmer also criticised Mr Johnson, though he stopped short of calling for the prime minister to resign.The allegations exploded on Tuesday night after ITV News revealed a video showing top No.10 officials laughing about the party.Mr Johnson says all rules were following during the bash, while Downing Street denies that what occurred was a party, but has offered nothing concrete to substantiate its claim.The prime minister issued a half-apology on Wednesday at PMQs, saying sorry for the video of his staff causing offence. But he did not apology for the party, still refusing to acknowledge that it occurred. The Tory leader, whose ministers refused to go on television and radio to defend him this morning, said he would launch an investigation into the get-together led by cabinet secretary Simon Case. More

Priti Patel’s claims that there is a “legal basis” for forcing migrant boats back to France have been called into question by peers.The House of Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee said it was “not convinced” the plans were safe or lawful, as a law that would grant Border Force staff legal immunity over refugee deaths passes through parliament.In a letter sent to the home secretary on Wednesday, committee chair Baroness Hamwee said the recent deaths of at least 27 asylum seekers in the Channel “starkly demonstrate” the risks at stake.“We are not convinced, as yet, that having a policy where boats can be ‘turned around’ is safe and/or lawful,” she added.“We are not aware that the government have published any arguments to substantiate the claim that a legal basis currently exists.”During an evidence session held by the committee, the home secretary said the pushback policy was “based on saving lives and preventing people drowning”.Baroness Hamwee questioned the assertion and wrote: “It is difficult to see how the practical ramifications of the tactics tally with the duty to render assistance.”The committee asked Ms Patel to respond to a series of questions on the legal basis for pushbacks and how it complies with international law by 5 January.Several legal challenges, including one by a union representing Border Force staff, are being launched over the policy and France has said it will not accept pushbacks.The Independent understands that complex rules imposed by the Home Office to prevent the operations violating international law mean that pushbacks can only happen in a certain area of the Channel if numerous conditions are met.In a statement, Baroness Hamwee said:“The so-called ‘turn around’ policy would force fragile small boats crossing the Channel to turn back. It is hard to imagine a situation in which those in them would not be in increased danger or where captains would not be obliged to render assistance.“Instead, the home secretary has set a policy of forcing them to turn around. Even if there is a domestic legal basis, if it were actually implemented, it would almost certainly contravene the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.”Channel deaths fuel UK-France tensions over migrant crisisIt comes after MPs voted against an amendment to the Nationality and Borders Bill that would have prevented the powers from being “used in a manner or in circumstances that could endanger life at sea”.The proposal, brought by Joint Committee on Human Rights (JCHR) chair Harriet Harman, was defeated by 313 votes to 235 on Tuesday night, while a series of other amendments to strengthen protections around pushbacks did not go to a vote.Ms Harman questioned “what reason the government could possibly have to oppose the amendments”, saying they “represent what they say is their intention”.In a report published last week, the JCHR found that planning to push migrant boats back to France was unlawful and will put lives at risk.It said the Nationality and Borders Bill, which would grant Border Force staff partial immunity from prosecution if migrants drown during pushbacks, contained several unlawful clauses and questioned their effectiveness.The committee warned the bill “would effectively criminalise the act of seeking asylum in the UK” by making it a criminal offence to cross the Channel via small boat, or arrive by any other means without entry clearance.“No visa for the purposes of claiming asylum exists and it is not possible to claim asylum without coming to the UK,” the JCHR said.“Setting up a system whereby refugees are unable to travel to the UK to claim asylum without committing a criminal offence is inconsistent with the overall purpose of the UN Refugee Convention.”The law would leave “extremely limited” resettlement schemes as the main legal route to claiming asylum in the UK.The committee, which contains MPs and peers from all main political parties, said the proposals must be scrapped or changed to comply with the law.But the Nationality and Borders Bill is set to clear the House of Commons on Wednesday without any of the changes recommended by the JCHR. It will face further challenge in the House of Lords.A Home Office spokesperson said: “As part of our ongoing operational response and to prevent further loss of life at sea, we continue to evaluate and test a range of safe and legal options to find ways of stopping small boats making this dangerous and unnecessary journey. These all comply and are delivered in accordance with both domestic and international law.“These protections are nothing new. Border Force have existing powers to intercept vessels in UK territorial seas and an officer is not liable in any criminal or civil proceedings, if the court is satisfied that the act was done in good faith, and there were reasonable grounds for doing it.” More

Watch live as Boris Johnson faces Keir Starmer at PMQs as Covid restriction rumours swirlBoris Johnson has ordered an investigation into claims Downing Street staff broke lockdown rules by holding a Christmas party last year – but doubled down on his claim that no such gathering took place. The prime minister apologised “unreservedly” for the offence caused by leaked footage showing senior Downing Street staff joking about holding a Christmas party.But Mr Johnson insisted that he had been repeatedly assured that “there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken”.He said he had asked Cabinet Secretary Simon Case “to establish all the facts and to report back as soon as possible – and it goes without saying that if those rules were broken then there will be disciplinary action for all those involved”.In the video obtained by ITV News, Boris Johnson’s then spokesperson Allegra Stratton joked that the party was “was not socially distanced” and suggested passing it off as “a business meeting”.Show latest update

1638974908Boris Johnson should quit if he misled parliament about party, Scots Tory leader saysBoris Johnson should resign if he misled parliament about an illegal Christmas party at Downing Street, the leader of the Scottish Conservatives has said.Speaking on Wednesday Douglas Ross said that there was “clearly” a party “of some kind”.He told reporters: “If he knew about the party this time last year or at any point up until he was asked about it in the House of Commons and still said he knew nothing about it and I wasn’t a party, that’s a serious allegations – and I don’t support anyone deliberately misleading parliament, so I’m not going to protect anyone for that.”Here is the full story:Tom Batchelor8 December 2021 14:481638973835Peers question legality of migrant boat ‘pushback’ tacticsThe legality of Priti Patel’s plans to turn back migrant boats at sea has been called into question by peers, including senior lawyers and a former judge.The Lords Justice and Home Affairs Committee has written to the home secretary, expressing “concerns” over the legal basis for the so-called pushbacks.The letter adds to “growing concern both in and outside parliament” over the policy proposed in a bid to curb Channel crossings, peers said.The committee’s Liberal Democrat chairwoman, Baroness Hamwee, a former solicitor, said: “Statements, including from the Home Secretary, are that there is a legal basis for the policy of so-called ‘turnarounds’. We question that.“The so-called ‘turnaround’ policy would force fragile small boats crossing the Channel to turn back. It is hard to imagine a situation in which those in them would not be in increased danger or where captains would not be obliged to render assistance.“Instead, the Home Secretary has set a policy of forcing them to turn around. Even if there is a domestic legal basis, if it were actually implemented, it would almost certainly contravene the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea.“Policing borders should be done in full accordance with the principles of national and international law, and we look forward to full engagement with our questions.”Matt Mathers8 December 2021 14:301638972500Ruth Davidson: PM’s response to ‘indefensible’ No 10 party ‘was pathetic’Ruth Davidson has described Boris Johnson’s defence of a Covid lockdown party in No 10 last year as “pathetic”.Speaking after Prime Minister’s Questions, the former Tory leader in Scotland “none of this is remotely defensible”.She added: “Not having busy, boozy not-parties while others were sticking to the rules, unable to visit ill or dying loved ones.“Nor flat-out denying things that are easily provable. Not taking the public for fools.“And today’s “we’ll investigate what we’ve spent a week saying didn’t happen and discipline staff for rules we continue to say weren’t broken’ was pathetic. As a Tory, I was brought up to believe in playing with a straight bat. Believe me, colleagues are furious at this, too.”Matt Mathers8 December 2021 14:081638971761Tory MP accuses PM of ‘diversionary tactic’ over Covid Plan B measuresConservative MP William Wragg accused Boris Johnson of “diversionary tactics” by using Covid rules to deflect attention away from the Christmas party controversy.The PM and senior ministers today expected to agree on the introduction of tighter ‘plan B’ Covid restrictions at an emergency meeting.The backbencher, a leading lockdown sceptic, asked Mr Johnson about the possibility of Covid passports with plan B – and said “very few will be convinced by this diversionary tactic”.Mr Johnson responded: “No decisions will be taken without consulting the cabinet.”Matt Mathers8 December 2021 13:561638971148Boris Johnson reveals UK diplomatic boycott of Winter Olympics in BeijingBoris Johnson has said there will “effectively be a diplomatic boycott” of the Winter Olympics in Beijing – revealing no UK ministers or officials will be attending the games.My colleague Adam Forrest has more details below: Matt Mathers8 December 2021 13:451638970550Watch: Ian Blackford calls for Boris Johnson’s resignation calling it ‘a moment of moral reckoning’Ian Blackford calls for Boris Johnson’s resignation calling it ‘a moment of moral reckoning’Matt Mathers8 December 2021 13:351638969769Sturgeon urges PM to ‘come clean’ over Christmas partyScotland’s first minister has urged the prime minister to “come clean” over the reported party held at Downing Street last year. “The prime minister appears to be not being straight and truthful about it,” Nicola Sturgeon told the BBC.“That really matters because he is likely to be asking people to do difficult things again over this Christmas and it’s really important that he’s straight and honest with people – if mistakes were made, to own them, to apologise for them.”She added: “I think this is a really serious issue for the prime minister and I think he has to come clean.”Tom Batchelor8 December 2021 13:221638969430Watch: ‘They’re laughing at us’: Tom Bradby slams No 10 staff joking about Christmas party‘They’re laughing at us’: Tom Bradby slams No 10 staff joking about Christmas partyTom Batchelor8 December 2021 13:171638967979PM facing questions over further parties at No 10Dominic Cummings has alleged there were further parties being held at No 10 over the period in question last winter. Labour MP Catherine West used PMQs to ask whether there was a Downing Street party on 13 November.Mr Johnson replied: “Mr Speaker, no, but I’m sure that whatever happened the guidance was followed at all times”.Labour MP asks Johnson if Downing St held another Christmas party in NovemberTom Batchelor8 December 2021 12:521638967806Rumours of plan B a ‘diversionary tactic’, says Tory MPTory MP William Wragg has suggested rumours of a move towards Plan B, meaning stricter Covid rules, may be a “diversionary tactic”.Ministers are said to be considering calling for people to work from home and implementing vaccine passports.Speaking against the a tightening of the rules on showing proof of vaccination, the Conservative backbencher suggested Boris Johnson may be attempting to distract from the furore by announcing new measures. Tom Batchelor8 December 2021 12:50 More