Markus Andrews

I didn’t believe it at first. It has taken a long time to absorb and understand it. It seems so contrary to everything we have always known about politics in Britain that it requires a big adjustment of our world view. The link between class and voting has been reversed. People are now more likely to vote Tory if they are working class than if they are middle class – and the other way round for Labour.It was not until the elections last week that this fact suddenly became a staple of political analysis. But when Hartlepool, a name that might as well mean “Always Labour” in ancient Norse, fell to Boris Johnson’s Conservatives, everyone knew that something was up. And when Labour gained Chipping Norton in the local council elections on the same day, and the mayoralties of the West of England and of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, we knew that the world had been turned upside down. Realisation had been dawning for some time. When Labour won Canterbury and Kensington in 2017, it felt as if the ground was moving beneath our feet; and when it lost so many working-class seats in the north and Midlands in 2019. I knew that the association between class and voting had weakened since 2005. At each election since then the correlation declined, until it seemed to disappear altogether in 2019, with some pollsters such as YouGov suggesting it had gone into reverse. More

Campaigners have urged the government to bring forward a full ban on conversion therapy in the Queen’s Speech over fears of a loophole for religious groups. Opponents say the practise is a form of abuse and warn it that can lead to long-term physical and mental harm. Almost three years after Theresa May first committed to ending conversion therapy in Britain, a ban will be announced when the government sets out its legislative programme tomorrow. But it is thought the government will consult on the exact scope of a ban, including on how to protect religious freedoms. Nancy Kelley, chief executive officer at Stonewall, said she welcomed a ban on what she said were “inhumane and degrading practices”. But she said ministers “must publish a full and comprehensive bill that bans conversion practices in all forms, for all people and in all settings, including religious and faith-based settings, and it must also provide statutory support for victims and survivors”.Jayne Ozanne, who quit as a government equality adviser last month over this issue, said: “The government simply needs to protect the lives of all LGBT+ people by doing what the UN has advised and banning all forms of conversion therapy, including religious practices. They have consulted long enough, now it is time to act and bring forward legislation that protects all LGBT+ people, without exception.” Ms Ozanne told The Independent: “The government has been heavily lobbied by the religious right who want to be able to continue practicing conversion therapy with impunity, with sympathetic MPs and advisers giving them more air time than the voices of survivors.  It is hard to understand why there is yet more delay given there is now good international precedents to follow, and clear guidelines from the UN about the need to include religious practices and protect all LGBT+ people from this degrading abuse.”In a letter last month to the Evangelical Alliance, which represents 3,500 churches across Britain, Boris Johnson said he wanted to reassure the religious community that the government takes “freedoms of speech and freedoms of religion very seriously”.“As the government made clear in 2018, when we first made our commitment to end conversion therapy, we will continue to allow adults to receive appropriate pastoral support (including prayer), in churches and other religious settings, in the exploration of their sexual orientation or gender identity,” he added.At the time Stonewall condemned what it said was a “loophole” that would leave vulnerable people at risk of further harm.The government’s Equalities Office declined to comment.Ministers are also facing growing anger that there will be no bill to reform the faltering adult social care sector in the Queen’s Speech.A letter organised by the Local Government Association, and signed by Conservative councillors, warned that would be a “bitter blow” to the millions of people who rely on and work in “these vital services”. Mr Johnson also briefly triggered controversy by suggesting that plans to demand identification at polling stations would apply to first-time voters, who are more likely to vote Labour than Conservative. But senior government sources later made clear the measures would apply to all voters. The prime minister also said new legislation designed to create a new post-16 adult education, training and loans system will be “rocket fuel” for his levelling-up agenda. The Bill will set out the legislation behind the ‘lifetime skills guarantee’ Mr Johnson announced last October.Meanwhile, former Conservative attorney general Dominic Grieve has also called for a public interest defence to be included in plans to update the Official Secrets Acts in the Espionage Bill.  He said security had to be balanced with accountability and it was time for a statutory public interest defence so legislation “cannot be used to suppress the exposure… of improper or criminal acts and abuse of power by government.” More

After his bruising first encounter with the voters and a botched first reshuffle, there are growing doubts inside Labour that Keir Starmer can turn the party’s prospects around.With all eyes on him, Sir Keir needs to put in a strong performance in the Commons on Tuesday when he responds to the Queen’s Speech. In fact, Sir Keir has done well in his recent weekly jousts with Boris Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions. The big test for the former director of public prosecutions is not persuading the Commons judges, but the jury of public opinion.Sir Keir needs to explain urgently what he and his party stand for, so he will launch a policy review. But when the-then Labour leader Neil Kinnock did that in the 1980s, it took two years. Sir Keir doesn’t have that much time. More

Boris Johnson has had expensive silk ties, bespoke chinaware and other lavish goods confiscated by Cabinet Office officials because they would have broken corruption rules, the government has revealed.Luxury food hampers from the Sultan of Brunei were among the items taken away from the prime minister because they all exceeded strict limits on freebies.The ministerial code, aimed at preventing individuals exerting indue influence over our politicians, means MPs cannot accept any gifts valued over £140.Mr Johnson was also gifted a leather writing folder and handbag, a painting and another artwork of unspecified value – but won’t get to keep them. They have been removed for “disposal” for exceeding limits.The latest Cabinet Office data release also revealed that Mr Johnson held a series of meetings with newspapers editor and BBC new chiefs in November and December of 2020.The PM met with the Daily Mail editor Geordie Grieg, The Sun’s editor Victoria Newton, The Sunday Telegraph editor Alister Heath, the Daily Telegraph’s director of content Chris Evans on 27 November. The BBC’s director of news Fran Unsworth and chief executive Tim Davie also attended the meeting.Mr Johnson also met the editor of the Sunday Times on 3 December and editor of The Times five days later, before holding a meeting with the editor of the Daily Express and Financial Times on 17 December.Downing Street did not share any of the details from the discussions, saying only that the prime minister conducted regular meetings with newspaper editors.The Cabinet Office transparency data also shows that Mr Johnson declared £2,320 in travel costs for flying to Brussels on 9 December last year, part of his bid to help secure a Brexit trade deal. More

Alastair Campbell calls for Boris Johnson to be interviewed during GMB presenting debutLabour’s Angela Rayner has told Boris Johnson to stop using his office for private gain, following the revelation he is under investigation for a £15,000 Christmas holiday he took in the Caribbean back in 2019. A list of MPs being probed by Kathryn Stone, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, was released today and it shows she is looking into the mystery of who funded Mr Johnson’s vacation to Mustique. The PM claimed at the time the trip was paid for by David Ross, a Tory party donor, who owns a property on the island, but Mr Ross has since denied this version of events. Taking to Twitter after the scandal came to light, Ms Rayner, the newly instated shadow chancellor of the duchy of Lancaster, said it was just “another day, another investigation into [Mr Johnson] for more sleaze and dodgy dealings”.The deputy leader of the Labour Party went on to warn Mr Johnson to “stop using the office of prime minister as an opportunity to fund his lavish lifestyle and enrich his mates”.It comes as the re-elected Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham critiqued his own party for being “too cautious” under leader Keir Starmer, which he said is the reason Labour was penalised at the ballot box.He said Labour should have set out more clearly how much it believes nurses and care workers should be paid, and accused his party of failing to back him sufficiently last autumn when he battled plans by Mr Johnson’s government to pay people in his area on furlough 67 per cent of their wages.The so-called “King of the North” was re-elected at the weekend, taking 69 per cent of the vote. The size of his victory almost immediately led to suggestions Mr Burnham could be a future leader of the party.Read more:Show latest update

1620658332What does holiday probe mean for Boris Johnson?The prime minister is under investigation by parliament’s standards watchdog amid questions about how he paid for a £15,000 luxury break to the island of Mustique in 2019. But what does that actually mean? Our policy correspondent Jon Stone lays out all the details.Sam Hancock10 May 2021 15:521620658036Sturgeon underestimating Covid recovery, says SarwarScottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar has said he accepts there will be another Scottish independence referendum “when the time is right”, but noted Nicola Sturgeon and Boris Johnson have “misjudged” how long recovery from the pandemic will take.Mr Sarwar suggested the constitutional status quo was broken but insisted the immediate focus must be on recovering from coronavirus.The SNP has called for another referendum to be held before the end of 2023, once the coronavirus crisis is over, although a campaign could still happen during any recovery phase.But Mr Sarwar has called for a “relentless focus” on rebuilding the country from the impact of the pandemic and urged the first minister, his friend, and prime minister to put an end to “arguments and fights” about independence until the country had recovered.“We promised to focus on the recovery, let’s focus on that recovery,” he told the PA news agency on Monday. “But when the time is right, of course, we’re going to have to think about what an alternative position is that doesn’t go on to break the United Kingdom, but also doesn’t say that things as they are, are good enough.” More

Boris Johnson is under investigation by parliament’s standards watchdog amid questions about how he paid for a £15,000 luxury break to the island of Mustique.Here’s everything you need to know about the investigation and what it means for the prime minister.Who is investigating the prime minister?The watchdog investigating the prime minister is called the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards – whose name is Kathryn Stone.An independent officer of the House of Commons, the Commissioner is responsible for investigating whether MPs have breached the MPs’ code of conduct. Separately she also has oversight of investigations into complaints against MPs about harassment bullying, and abuse, and keep tabs on MPs’ Register of Members’ Financial Interests – a record of any potential conflicts of interests. The nature of the allegations means the prime minister is being investigated as an MP, rather than in this role as the head of the government.What is the allegation against Boris Johnson?Boris Johnson went on a luxury £15,000 trip to Mustique with his fiancé Carrie Symonds over a year ago. He stated on his register of interests that the trip was paid for as a “benefit in kind” from David Ross, co-founder of the company Carphone Warehouse.But Mr Ross subsequently told the Daily Mail newspaper that he had not paid for Mr Johnson’s trip and did not own the villa – and had only helped put him in touch with companies providing the accommodation. 17 months later the PM has not said who paid for the trip, as rules say he should.Which rule is he alleged to have broken?The Commissioner says the prime minister may have broken the rule that “members shall fulfil conscientiously the requirements of the house in respect of the registration of interests in the register of members’ financial interests. “They shall always be open and frank in drawing attention to any relevant interest in any proceeding of the house or its committees, and in any communications with ministers, members, public officials or public office holders.”What sanctions could be imposed by the commissioner? This would depend on how serious the offence is. If found in breach of the rules, the prime minister could merely be forced to apologise. But if the commissioner determines the breach is serious enough, it could be a referred to a committee that would have the power to recommend further sanctions.These range from temporary suspension from the Commons to expulsion – though this is incredibly rare. What does the prime minister say about it?The prime minister’s spokesperson on Monday perhaps deliberately glossed over the details of the case outlined in this article, telling reporters: “The prime minister transparently declared the benefit in kind in the Commons register of interests … Clearly the rules are set out and it’s important that everyone abides by them, as the prime minister has done throughout.” More

Britain’s parliamentary ethics watchdog confirmed Monday that she is investigating Prime Minister Boris Johnson over a vacation in the Caribbean just before the coronavirus pandemic.Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards Kathryn Stone listed Johnson as one of nine lawmakers who are under investigation for potential breaches of Parliament’s code of conduct.The probe concerns a New Year’s break on the island of Mustique that Johnson took with his fiancée Carrie Symonds in December 2019 and January 2020.Johnson has declared the stay as a as a “benefit in kind” from businessman David Ross who has a villa on the island. Ross initially said he did not pay for the vacation, but later said he “facilitated” accommodation valued at 15,000 pounds ($21,000).Johnson’s spokesman, Max Blain, said the prime minister “transparently declared the benefit in kind.”“Clearly the rules are set out and it’s important that everyone abides by them, as the prime minister has done throughout,” he said.Johnson is facing a separate probe into who paid for renovations to his official Downing Street residence in London The Electoral Commission is looking into whether any funds used to pay for renovating the apartment should have been declared under the law on political donations, amid claims Johnson received a loan from his Conservative Party for the work. More

Labour has been “too cautious” under Sir Keir Starmer and has been penalised for it at the ballot box, one of the party’s victors in last week’s elections has suggested. Andy Burnham, the re-elected mayor of Greater Manchester, said Labour should have set out more clearly how much it believes nurses and care workers should be paid.He also accused his party of failing to back him sufficiently last autumn when he battled plans by Boris Johnson’s government to pay people in his area on furlough 67 per cent of their wages. Mr Burnham’s vocal in his condemnation of the proposals, less than the 80 per cent that had been paid during a nationwide scheme earlier in the year, made him a hero among many Labour activists.He was re-elected at the weekend, taking 69 per cent of the vote. The size of his victory almost immediately led to suggestions Mr Burnham could be a future leader of this party.He played down that idea, telling the BBC’s World At One programme he intended to serve a full second term. Under Labour rules, the party’s leader must be an MP.But Mr Burnham did have a message for the current leadership.“The problem we have had – there is a caution that stops people putting forward clear policies,” he said. “On nurses pay I thought we should have been clearer about exactly what we thought was the right level of nurses pay coming out the pandemic.”  Equally, on pay rates for those in social care, he said: “That’s a Labour issue where we should speak without caution, being really clear that it is just wrong for anyone that looks after people’s relatives gets paid less than a real living wage.”On his furlough row with the government, he added: “They were too cautious then in their response to that issue and they did not back me as strongly as they should have done.”Earlier Sir Keir Starmer told his shadow cabinet that he took full responsibility for Labour’s defeat in the Hartlepool by-election.The Labour leader met his top team for the first time since the party lost the so-called ‘red wall’ seat to the Tories last week.In the wake of that defeat and results in local elections across England, Sir Keir held a strained reshuffle in which he sacked his shadow chancellor and chief whip but was forced to give his demoted deputy so many new roles she now has a 24 word long job title.Sources said Sir Keir told them there was no escaping the scale of the defeats which said “something profound about the size of the journey we have to go”.He was said to have told the meeting: “To be clear, I take responsibility. Nobody else. I lead the Labour Party and it is entirely on me.”Sir Keir said that deputy leader Angela Rayner had “a big, new role, taking the fight to the Tories”. More