Markus Andrews

Labour has unexpectedly beaten off a Tory challenge to one of its seats in West Yorkshire, edging home with a significantly reduced majority of just 300 votes.Expectations were rock-bottom for Labour ahead of the contest in Batley and Spen, where a by-election was held on Thursday to replace former MP Tracy Brabin.The narrow surprise victory is good news for Keir Starmer, who has been fearing a leadership challenge were he to lose yet another seat to the Conservatives. Sir Keir called the defence a “fantastic result for the brilliant and brave” Kim Leadbeater.“Kim ran a positive campaign of hope, in the face of division,” he said. “She will be an outstanding Labour MP for Batley and Spen.”It was only in the very latest stages of the campaign that things started to look up for the party on the doorstep, following an earlier poll during the campaign that had shown the seat falling to the Conservatives by a solid margin. Ms Leadbeater saw off a confident Tory candidate and an insurgent challenge from former MP George Galloway. She took the seat with 13,296 votes, a majority of 323 over Tory candidate Ryan Stephenson after a bitter contest. She won 35.19 per cent of the vote to the Conservatives’ 34.33 per cent.“I’m absolutely delighted that the people of Batley and Spen have rejected division and they’ve voted for hope,” Ms Leadbeater said.She thanked her family, saying “without them I could not have got through the last five years nevermind the last five weeks” of “gruelling” campaign.And she added: “I want to say a huge thank you to the police who, sadly, I have needed more than ever over the last few weeks.”Asked why Labour had lost so many votes compared to its 2019 showing under Jeremy Corbyn, Ms Leadbeater referenced the 2019 election election, result, stating: “It was very close. But you know, We’re under no illusion in the Labour Party that we’ve had two really tough election defeats in recent years and we’ve got some work to do.”But she denied there was something “fundamentally wrong” with Labour.George Galloway, who targeted voters in traditionally Labour areas with the aim of toppling Sir Keir, came a relatively strong third with 8,264 votes, or 21.87 per cent.Mr Galloway said he would apply to have the result set aside by the courts, claiming his efforts had been damaged by a “false statement” that he had laughed while Labour’s Kim Leadbeater was abused on the campaign trail.”The whole election campaign was dominated by lazy and false tropes about our campaign, about the thousands of people that voted for us, about their motives for doing so, in a way which defamed them as much as it defamed me,” he said.”So on multiple grounds we will apply to the courts for this election result to be set aside.”The Conservatives failed to take the seat despite the Brexit Party not standing, which some observers suggested would help them.Much coverage of the campaign focused on disaffected former Labour voters, many of them from the towns’ British Asian community taking issue with Sir Keir’s stances on issues like Palestine and Kashmir. But enough voters ultimately turned out for Labour, saving Sir Keir the humiliation of losing another constituency in the party’s so-called “red wall” across the north and Midlands.Less than two months ago on 6 May the party lost the seat of Hartlepool at a similar contest, which has historically supported Labour, including at the two most recent elections under former leader Jeremy Corbyn.But the same fate did not befall Batley and Spen, the former constituency of Jo Cox, who was assassinated by a far-right extremist during the 2016 EU referendum campaign. Ms Leadbeater, now the Labour MP for the seat, is Ms Cox’s sister.Ms Cox’s widower Brendan tweeted: “We are all incredibly proud of [Kim Leadbeater] today and Jo would have been too”.”The people of Batley and Spen have voted for decency and positivity once again.” More

Canadian socialite Jasmin Hartin, who shot dead a policeman on a beach in Belize, has saidshe feels abandoned by her former partner, the son of Tory grandee Lord Ashcroft, and his family.Ms Hartin, who has been charged with manslaughter by authorities after accidentally shooting Henry Jemmott with his own gun, was granted bail during a court hearing last month.She was released on bail on Wednesday after a family friend, Wendy Auxillou, reportedly posted her bail.In an online clip teasing an extended interview with Hartin, which will air on local television, the socialite discusses her treatment.“Since the accusation of the manslaughter, from what I’ve been told from the family they have been told to distance themselves from me immediately, that they couldn’t have bad press associated with their reputation,” Ms Hartin said.She went on to say that no family members visited her in jail and that she wasn’t able to speak to her two children, although some friends visited her in jail.She said that her parents, who were “worried sick” were told by Mr Ashcroft that she was getting visitors every day, which she said was “a little bit exaggerated”.Despite enduring a “complicated” and sometimes “hostile” relationship with Mr Ashcroft, Ms Hartin said: “I can’t believe how I’ve been treated.”The Independent has reached out to Lord Ashcroft for comment. More

Plans to force multinational companies to pay fairer tax by setting a global minimum have taken a step forward with the backing of 130 countries and jurisdictions, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development announced on Thursday. The US-backed deal sets a corporation tax rate of no less than 15 per cent in a bid to discourage companies from moving from one country to another to exploit lower rates. G7 leaders gave their approval at the summit in Cornwall last month. Collectively, countries that have agreed to the plan represent more than 90 per cent of the world’s GDP. “Today is an historic day for economic diplomacy,” treasury secretary Janet Yellen said in a statement.“For decades, the United States has participated in a self-defeating international tax competition, lowering our corporate tax rates only to watch other nations lower theirs in response. The result was a global race to the bottom: Who could lower their corporate rate further and faster?”She added that the agreement showed that “the race to the bottom is one step closer to coming to an end. In its place, America will enter a competition that we can win; one judged on the skill of our workers and the strength of our infrastructure”.“We have a chance now to build a global and domestic tax system that lets American workers and businesses compete and win in the world economy. President Biden has spoken about a ‘foreign policy for the middle class,’ and today’s agreement is what that looks like in practice,” she added.Ireland, Barbados, Hungary, and Estonia are among the OECD members who have not yet agreed to the deal.The OECD said the new plan “updates key elements of the century-old international tax system” that is no longer fit for purpose in today’s global and digital economy. The framework was decided over negotiations “for much of the last decade” and would ensure that global corporations “pay tax where they operate and earn profits”. The OECD said that this would add “much-needed certainty and stability to the international tax system”. The first “pillar” of the plan will “ensure a fairer distribution of profits and taxing rights among countries” concerning large international companies, including digital ones. This part of the plan is also meant to “reallocate some taxing rights” over multinational enterprises “from their home countries to the markets where they have business activities and earn profits, regardless of whether firms have a physical presence there”. The second pillar “seeks to put a floor on competition over corporate income tax, through the introduction of a global minimum corporate tax rate”. The OECD said countries can use the minimum rate to “protect their tax bases”. The organisation said the new framework would help countries “repair their budgets and their balance sheets” as they try to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic. Taxing rights on more than $100bn worth of profits will be reallocated to “market jurisdictions” every year. The minimum global corporate income tax rate of at least 15 per cent is estimated to generate around $150bn in additional global tax revenue each year. “After years of intense work and negotiations, this historic package will ensure that large multinational companies pay their fair share of tax everywhere,” OECD secretary general Mathias Cormann said. “This package does not eliminate tax competition, as it should not, but it does set multilaterally agreed limitations on it. It also accommodates the various interests across the negotiating table, including those of small economies and developing jurisdictions. It is in everyone’s interest that we reach a final agreement among all Inclusive Framework Members as scheduled later this year,” he added.The “deadline for finalising the remaining technical work on the two-pillar approach” is set for October of this year and the new system’s implementation is scheduled for 2023. Each country that has agreed to the new framework will have to implement their own policies in their home countries, which might become an issue in the US as some Republicans have indicated that they’re not happy with this new development. The ranking member on the House Ways and Means Committee, Texas Republican Rep Kevin Brady, said in a statement: “In negotiations with the OECD, the Biden Administration has already given up significant US ground.” He said the new framework would give a leg up to companies with headquarters outside of the US. “This is a dangerous economic surrender that sends US jobs overseas, undermines our economy, and strips away our US tax base,” he added. More

A Tory MP has sparked a row over the location of his own constituency after insisting the seat is in Essex – while it sits within a London borough.Andrew Rosindell, who represents Romford in the London Borough of Havering, suggested “historical and geographical boundaries that have existed for centuries” put the seat firmly in the county of Essex.He said those who referred to Romford as east London because of its location within one of the capital’s 33 boroughs were “mixing up the boundaries of local authorities” with the “historical boundaries of counties”.“Romford is Essex! Romford has always been part of the County of Essex, never ‘East London’ of which there is no actual definition,” he wrote in a Twitter exchange on Thursday.Allie Hodgkins-Brown, a BBC editor, responded: “Don’t agree – it hasn’t been part of Essex since 1965. It’s in Havering, a London borough & served by the Met Police.”Mr Rosindell replied: “The local government changes of 1965 did not take Romford out of the County of Essex, only from under the administration of Essex County Council.“Romford is Essex and will always be Essex, whatever administrative, organisational or electoral boundaries come and go over time.”According to British History Online, a digital library based at University of London’s Institute of Historical Research, the boundary of the district of Romford has been altered several times, including in 1937 when it became a municipal borough.In 1965, Romford was united with Hornchurch to form the London Borough of Havering. Romford now hosts the borough’s council offices and shares many of London’s public services, including red double decker buses operated by Transport for London, police officers employed by London’s Metropolitan Police force, and paramedics working for the London Ambulance Service.However local phone numbers – 01708 – differ from the London dialing codes beginning 020.The Romford row also plays into a wider cultural debate over whether the area’s residents feel a closer attachment to the metropolitan identity of the capital, or suburban or rural communities in neighbouring Essex.One person on Twitter, whose name was given as Alex Usher, accused the MP of ignoring “every actual definition” of where Romford was now located in favour of historical boundaries.Speaking to The Independent, Mr Rosindell claimed council workers were pursuing a “corporate agenda” by referring to the area as within London, and accused “certain parts of the media” of “rebranding our towns and communities without our consent”.“This is a complete non-starter,” he said. “The people who argue about this are completely muddled, they are mixing up the boundaries of local authorities which change, they come and go, they are what they are at the moment but in a few years’ time a government may come in and alter them again.“Local government boundaries alter constantly, but what never changes is the historical boundaries of counties and they are fully recognised by the government as historic counties.”The row is a familiar one to many parts of the UK which sit on the border of two distinct regions. Similar debates have taken place over the location of Bromley, Kingston and Ilford – all of which straddle the border between London and neighbouring counties – to name but a few. More

Boris Johnson has been urged to urgently overhaul “fundamental flaws” to the ministerial code that has been “severely weakened” and undermined during his time at No 10, a new report claims.Highlighting the explosive resignation of ex-health secretary Matt Hancock, the Institute for Government (IfG) said the episode once again made clear that “more than just piecemeal updates are needed”.In a scathing paper, the authors also suggested Mr Johnson’s response to cabinet ministers “accused of misbehaviour show that he is willing to sacrifice” high standards in government, “in return for short-term political benefit”.It claims the existing ministerial code contains “several fundamental flaws”, including the inability of the independent adviser to act without the prime minister’ permission and lack of clarity over how ministers should respond to lobbying – an issue highlighted by the Greensill scandal.The IfG recommends putting the text as well as the existence and role of an independent adviser – a position currently held by Lord Christopher Geidt – into statute and making clear what particular sanctions apply to different breaches of the ministerial code. And it also suggests strengthening the role of the adviser, updating the code to reflect concerns over social media, and requiring ministers to publicly abide by the code to “strengthen its importance”.“Recent revelations about the lack of transparency in government, particularly around meetings with Greensill Capital, and the questions of accountability prompted by the Hancock affair make clear that more than just piecemeal updates are needed,” the organisation said.“How and why Gina Coladangelo was first appointed as an adviser and then a non-executive director in the Department of Health and Social Care, the apparent conflicts of interest even before any romantic relationship started and wider reports of Hancock’s use of a personal email account are all controversies the ministerial code should have warded against.”The report – Updating the Ministerial Code – which is published today, also cited the resignation of Sir Alex Allan, who quit as the prime minister’s independent adviser on ministerial interests after Mr Johnson rejected his assessment that Priti Patel had broken the code by bullying staff.It added: “In both the version of the ministerial code Johnson issued on becoming prime minister, and in his more recent ‘declaration on government reform, he has claimed that he expects high standards in government. “But he has not acted in a way that matches his rhetoric. His dealings with ministers accused of misbehaviour show that he is willing to sacrifice those high standards in return for short-term political benefit”.“By calling on Conservative MPs to ‘former a square around the Pritster [Patel], and by saying he ‘considered the matter closed’ when the news of Hancock’s breach of Covid rules broke, Johnson has undermined the code.”Referring to Mr Johnson’s commitment to publish a new code in “due course”, the authors said the prime minister “should now take the opportunity for a more fundamental refresh of the code”.Tim Durrant, an associate director at the think-tank, said: “The prime minister claims to value high standards of behaviour in government, but under his watch the system upholding them has been severely weakened.“His decision to publish a new version of the ministerial code is an opportunity to repair some of the damage”.A Cabinet Office spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister, as ultimate arbiter of the Ministerial Code, expects his ministers to maintain the high standards of behaviour set out in the code.”We note the Institute for Government’s report and are already considering the recommendations from the Committee on Standards in Public Life’s Standards Matter 2 Review, which is due in the autumn.” More

Travel restrictions on British tourists will be at the top of the agenda when Boris Johnson and Angela Merkel meet for the German chancellor’s last official visit to the UK as chancellor.Ms Merkel, who is stepping down as Germany’s leader later this year, is paying her 22nd visit to Britain since taking office in 2005 – when her British counterpart was Tony Blair. In what is expected to be her final trip across the channel as chancellor, she will address a virtual meeting of the British cabinet – the first foreign leader to do so since President Clinton addressed Cabinet in 1997.And she will meet Mr Johnson at his Chequers country residence, where the prime minister will push her to loosen Covid-19 restrictions on British tourists.UK travellers currently have to quarantine for two weeks on arriving in Germany, but Mr Johnson wants the rule relaxed for people who have been double-vaccinated. Many countries have extra restrictions on UK travellers because Britain has been the European focal point for two Covid-19 variants of concern: one originating in Kent and the other spread from India.The German and British relationship has come under pressure since Brexit. Ms Merkel and Mr Johnson previously held discussions at the G7 summit in Cornwall.While Ms Merkel is in the country the two leaders are also expected to unveil a new academic award to cement British and German scientific ties.The medal will see £10,000 given to a UK- or Germany-based female scientist who has excelled in the field of astrophysics. It will be named after Caroline Herschel, a German-born British pioneer of the subject.Speaking ahead of the visit Boris Johnson said Ms Merkel’s legacy on the Anglo-German relationship would last for “generations”.“The UK and Germany have a steadfast friendship and a shared outlook on many issues. Our scientists, innovators and industrialists work together every day to make the world a better place,” he said. “Over the 16 years of Chancellor Merkel’s tenure the UK-Germany relationship has been re-energised and re-invigorated for a new era. And the new joint ventures we will agree today will leave a legacy that will last for generations.” More

Boris Johnson has said some “extra precautions” may remain in place to protect against coronavirus when he relaxes rules later this month.During a visit to a Nissan plant in Sunderland, the Prime Minister told reporters he would spell out which measures might still be necessary in due course.The government has said it is lifting social distancing regulations on 19 July, following a delay of its earlier June date.But Mr Johnson told reporters: “I know how impatient people are to get back to total normality, as indeed am I.”I will be setting in the course of the next few days what step four will look like exactly.”But I think I’ve said it before, we’ll be wanting to go back to a world that is as close to the status quo, ante-Covid, as possible. Try to get back to life as close to it was before Covid.”But there may be some things we have to do, extra precautions that we have to take, but I’ll be setting them out.”The admission could upset anti-lockdown Conservative MPs, some of whom want all measures scrapped as soon as possible. A final decision on exactly what the fourth phase of lockdown lifting will look like after 19 July is reportedly yet to be agreed by ministers, who are expected to balance public health with political considerations. Two days ago Mr Johnson had said on 19 July people would be able to return to “pretty much life before Covid”.Though polls generally suggest the public is overwhelmingly favour of lockdown measures when they are seen as required for public health reasons, a small minority, which includes many Tory MPs, are hostile to extending the restrictions. Sajid Javid, the new health secretary, said this week that 19 July was “the end of the line” for Covid restrictions, while Mr Johnson has repeatedly called it a “terminus date”.Asked what Mr Johnson meant by “extra precautions”, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “I think what’s right is the prime minister said he will set out further detail about what post-Step 4 looks like. “I’ve said repeatedly and it suggests that in our roadmap that we aim to reduce or remove as many restrictions as it’s safe to do so. We will continue to monitor the latest data and latest evidence carefully and then we will update.”Pressed on whether they could mean face masks and social distancing remaining in place post 19 July, they replied: “I’m not going to get into speculation — we want to remove as many restrictions as is safe to do so.”If all regulations are dropped, people would be allowed to meet in groups of any size, and nightclubs would be allowed to reopen. Major events like music festivals could also be given the green light, while pubs and restaurants would be able to operate without the need for table service.The initial delay in lifing restrictions was to allow more time for vaccination, which is now estimated to have prevented 7.2 million infections and 27,000 deaths in England, according to new joint analysis conducted by Public Health England and Cambridge University.But a further 116,287 cases have been recorded in the past seven days – a sharp 70 per cent increase compared to the previous week’s total. Vaccination appears to be preventing the most serious illnesses, however, with fewer than 1 in 1,000 infections leading to a death, compared to one in 60 during the previous winter wave. More

Related video: Boris Johnson says ‘extra precautions’ against Covid may be needed after July 19Voters are heading to the polls in the Batley and Spen by-election today in what is being described as a key test of Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership.Labour is defending a majority of more than 3,000 in the seat with Kim Leadbeater – the sister of former Batley and Spen MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in the constituency in 2016 –the party’s candidate.Her main rival is the Tories’ Ryan Stephenson, but the arrival of veteran campaigner George Galloway in the constituency has provided an extra headache for Labour’s campaign managers. Mr Galloway said he was targeting Labour voters in an explicit attempt to topple Sir Keir.Labour activists said they were pelted with eggs and kicked in the head while on the campaign trail at the weekend and West Yorkshire Police said an 18-year-old man from Batley was arrested on suspicion of assault in connection with an attack on canvassers.Show latest update

1625150795John Rentoul | A change of Labour leader is the wrong answer – the party’s troubles go much deeperAn early challenge to Starmer is unlikely because you cannot beat somebody with nobody – an adage favoured by Nick Brown, the Labour chief whip who stepped down from his post after the last by-election defeat in Hartlepool in May. There is no plausible candidate to replace Starmer who would obviously do a better job, writes John Rentoul.What is more, the party rule book makes it hard for such a candidate to emerge suddenly from the primordial soup of talent. Leaders with some profile among party members, such as Andy Burnham, mayor of Manchester, and Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, are not eligible to stand for leader because they are not members of the Parliamentary Labour Party.Here is his full analysis of the consequences for Labour of today’s vote:Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 15:461625145333Nissan deal ‘costing taxpayers £100m’ splits opinion along Brexit linesBoris Johnson has said the level of public money the government has used to support Nissan building a new electric model and huge battery plant in the UK is “confidential”, with reports putting it at around £100m.The deal has divided opinion, with those on the Leave side claiming the news as a vote of confidence in Brexit Britain.Those opposed to leaving the EU have suggested British taxpayers will foot a large bill.Commenting on the broader economic landscape, Kay Van-Petersen, global macro strategist at Saxo Group, said on Thursday: “The UK has a scarcity factor that cannot be easily replicated anywhere else; there is only one London, one Oxford and one Cambridge, in it’s in the sweet time zone between Asia and the Americas. “The UK will always be a destination for the global elite in the form of capital, talent, education and demand for assets.”Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 14:151625144479PM says ‘extra precautions’ may be needed after 19 JulyBoris Johnson has pledged to reveal details of what the end of lockdown restrictions will look like in the coming days as he acknowledged some “extra precautions” may be needed after restrcitions are eased in the step 4 of the government’s roadmap.The prime minister said it is “ever clearer” that vaccines are reducing deaths, despite increasing levels of infections involving the Delta variant of coronavirus.He said he has increasing confidence that he can go ahead with the final phase of his plans to end England’s lockdown on 19 July to “get back to life as close to it was before Covid”.‘There may be some things we have to do, extra precautions that we have to take, but I’ll be setting them out,” he added.Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 14:011625143519UK fails to secure post-Brexit finance sector deal with EUThe UK and EU have failed to strike a deal over the British financial sector’s role in Europe, the chancellor has said.Rishi Sunak confirmed that the two sides have failed to sign an agreement for mutual recognition of financial services rules between London and Brussels since the Brexit transition period ended in January.Ministers has previously hoped to sign a so-called “memorandum of understanding” by March this year, since no deal for the sector was signed ahead of the UK’s withdrawal from the EU.He told a room of young chief executives and entrepreneurs at Mansion House in London: “Our ambition had been to reach a comprehensive set of mutual decisions on financial services equivalence. That has not happened.”Mr Sunak added that there is no reason why an agreement cannot be signed with the EU and said fears that regulatory standards could slip are wide of the mark.“The EU will never have cause to deny the UK access because of poor regulatory standards,” he said.Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 13:451625142319Johnson admits to using petrol cars on trip to promote greener vehiclesBoris Johnson has conceded he is still largely driven in vehicles running on polluting fossil fuels when asked if he has an electric car.During a visit to a Nissan plant in Sunderland, which was arranged in order for the prime minister to promote the announcement of a significant investment in cleaner car technology, he told reporters: “I, at the moment, am driven in a variety of machines most of which are still run on hydrocarbons but I can tell you we will be phasing it out as soon as we conveniently and economically can.”Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 13:251625141119Tory MP in row over location of own constituencyTory MP Andrew Rosindell has claimed Romford, which lies within his constituency and is the administrative centre of the London Borough of Havering, is actually in Essex.Igniting a row that appears to have played out on the pages of the Romford Recorder for several years, the backbencher intervened in a discussion between two journalists on Twitter relating to the estate agent – from Romford – who was filmed accosting Chris Whitty. “Romford is Essex! Romford has always been part of the County of Essex, never “East London” of which there is no actual definition,” Mr Rosindell wrote. BBC journalist Allie Hodgkins-Brown replied: “Don’t agree – it hasn’t been part of Essex since 1965. It’s in Havering, a London borough & served by the Met Police. (When I said east London I meant geographically to place it).”The MP tweeted back: “Sorry Allie, you have got this completely wrong. You are muddling up local government and administrative boundaries that constantly change, with historical and geographical boundaries that have existed for centuries. Please don’t try to alter the local identity of my town!”Romford was in Essex until 1965, when it joined with Hornchurch to form the London borough of Havering. It serves as the administrative centre of the London borough, home to the council offices.Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 13:051625139919Batley and Spen by-election ‘Ask Me Anything’ hosted live by political commentator John RentoulThe Batley and Spen by-election has been one of the most keenly anticipated for years, with speculation swirling around a possible challenge to Sir Keir Starmer’s leadership if Labour loses its second seat to the government since he took over.John Rentoul will be here at 4pm on Friday to answer your questions. If you have a question, submit it now, or when he joins live at 4pm. All you have to do is register to submit your question in the comments on the story below:Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 12:451625138753Double jabs will be a ‘liberator’, says JohnsonBoris Johnson has raised hopes that those who have received both doses of a Covid vaccine will be able to travel more freely later this summer after telling reporters that “double jabs will be a liberator”.The prime minister is under pressure from the travel industry and some of his own backbenchers to enable easier foreign trips for vaccinated Britons.Asked during a visit to a Nissan plant in Sunderland about reports that fully vaccinated people may be able to travel from amber list countries without needing to quarantine by 26 July, he said: “Everybody who is frustrated about travel over the summer – double jabs will be a liberator.“I want travel to be possible but I’ve got to stress that this year will not be like every other year because of the difficulties with Covid. People shouldn’t expect it will be completely hassle free.”Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 12:251625137847Rayner ‘focused entirely on her jobs’ amid leadership bid rumourLabour deputy leader Angela Rayner has denied she is part of a possible bid to challenge Sir Keir Starmer if the party loses the Batley and Spen by-election.After a report in The Times suggested she was considering a move, Ms Rayner described the suggestion as “news to me”.Her spokesman later said that anyone gauging support is “not doing it under instructions from Angela or with Angela’s backing” and that she is “focused entirely on her jobs”.“She is also perfectly capable of speaking for herself and doesn’t need anyone to claim to speak for her,” the spokesman added.Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 12:101625137297Hancock made ‘grave mistake’ and rightly lost his job – Rees MoggFormer health secretary Matt Hancock made a “grave mistake” and rightly lost his job, the Commons Leader Jacob Rees-Mogg has told MPs.The Cabinet minister said Mr Hancock had been replaced by “super sub” Sajid Javid.“He made a grave mistake for which, because the rules are enforced fairly, he resigned and he resigned the day after the story was printed in the newspapers,” Mr Rees-Mogg said.“And here we get the splitting of hairs between the resignation and the sacking – the man has gone, he has lost his job, as has the non-executive director in the Department of Health with whom he seemed to be closely associated.“And that is quite the right way for it to have happened – [Mr Hancock] is no longer in office.”Tom Batchelor1 July 2021 12:01 More