Markus Andrews

Boris Johnson has claimed that he could not remember Matt Hancock calling for an immediate lockdown in mid-March 2020, before it was officially implemented.The former prime minister appeared to give evidence before the Covid inquiry on Wednesday (6 December).His evidence came after the former health secretary claimed he told Mr Johnson the country should go into lockdown on 13 March 2020, 10 days before it was officially in place.Asked if he remembered that call, Mr Johnson said: “I’m afraid I don’t, but it’s been a long time.” More

Suella Braverman has warned the Conservatives face “electoral oblivion in a matter of months” if they introduce emergency Rwanda legislation which is “destined to fail”.The former home secretary delivered the warning in a personal statement to the Commons on Wednesday (6 December).Her statement focused on what she called “mass, uncontrolled, illegal immigration” involving thousands of “mostly young men, many with values and social mores at odds with our own”.Mrs Braverman, who was sacked from her Cabinet job last month, questioned if the Government understands the “unsustainable pressure” placed on public finances and services, and the impact on community cohesion and national security. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailBoris Johnson has been given an hour for lunch after two and a half hours of grilling at the Covid inquiry.The former prime minister has appeared remarkably composed, and has refused to criticise those working alongside him during the pandemic, insisting he takes “personal responsibility for all the decisions” his government made.But, while his evidence session so far has seen less mud-slinging than others’, notably Dominic Cummings, there have still been several striking revelations.Here are the key things we have learned from Mr Johnson so far:Mr Johnson’s 5,000 missing WhatsAppsAbout 5,000 WhatsApp messages on Boris Johnson’s phone from January 30, 2020 to June 2020 were unavailable to the inquiry.Mr Johnson, somewhat remarkably, said: “I don’t know the exact reason, but it looks as though it’s something to do with the app going down and then coming up again, but somehow automatically erasing all the things between that date when it went down and the moment when it was last backed up.”He was asked by inquiry counsel Hugo Keith KC about a factory reset that was carried out on the phone, but appeared not to know what one was, replying: “A factory reset?”The ex-PM accepts he “unquestionably made mistakes”Boris Johnson opened his evidence with an apology to those who lost loved ones during the pandemic, admitting he “unquestionably” made mistakes.But, as Mr Johnson was saying sorry “for the loss, pain and suffering”, he was interrupted by four protesters who had to be booted out of the hearing room.The protesters were unconvinced by Mr Johnson, saying they “didn’t want his apology”.They said they stood up as he began apologising to hold up signs that read: “The Dead can’t hear your apologies.’Prime minister was not keen on reading Sage minutesBoris Johnson admitted that he had only read the minutes of Sage meetings “once or twice” during the pandemic.He said he instead asked Sir Patrick Vallance and Sir Chris Whitty to sum them up.His cabinet pushed back on lockdown measuresBoris Johnson claimed his cabinet was more reluctant “on the whole” to impose measures to curtail the pandemic than he was.“There were some really excellent and candid discussions about the trade offs,” Mr Johnson said.But he added: “I think it would be fair to say that the cabinet was on the whole more reluctant to impose NPIs (non-pharmaceutical interventions) than I was.”Pandemic meetings were ‘too male dominated’Boris Johnson admitted that meetings held during the pandemic were “too male dominated”, a criticism which has been heard frequently during the inquiry.He said he tried to rectify the problem by recruiting women, including a former colleague from City Hall when he was London mayor.He has apologised to Helen MacNamaraBoris Johnson revealed that he had personally apologised to the former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara, who was referred to as a “c***” by his top aide Dominic Cummings.The inquiry previously saw WhatsApp messages from Mr Cummings in which he talked about “dodging stilettos from that c**t”, referring to Ms MacNamara.“I’ve apologised to one particular person who suffered abuse in one of those publicised WhatsApp exchanges,” Mr Johnson revealed.But he said some of the vulgar language used in government WhatsApp groups seen by the inquiry was “completely unknown” to him.Boris Johnson thought Matt Hancock had ‘defects’, but backed him overallBoris Johnson said Matt Hancock had “defects” as health secretary, but that Dominic Cummings’s summary of him as useless was “wrong”.Mr Johnson defended his former health secretary, saying: “I thought that he was doing his best in very difficult circumstances and I thought he was a good communicator.”The government was focused on comms, not actionA WhatsApp exchange seen by the inquiry revealed Boris Johnson and his two top advisers were focused on “comms” as Covid struck in February 2020.Mr Keith pressed the former PM on why their focus was communications, and not “steps to deal with infection control”.Mr Johnson was ‘rattled’ by scenes in Italy, but thought the biggest damage of Covid would be overreactingBoris Johnson said he was “rattled” by the scenes unfolding in Italy in the early stages of the pandemic, and admitted he should have “twigged” what was happening sooner.But a set of notes seen by the inquiry shortly after showed that Mr Johnson was concerned the “biggest damage” of Covid would be “done by overreacting”.Mr Johnson was not on holiday in February 2020The inquiry accepted Mr Johnson’s defence that he was not in fact on holiday in February 2020, an accusation levelled by Dominic Cummings.The former PM said he was “working throughout the period and the tempo did increase”.Inquiry counsel Hugo Keith KC said “nobody is suggesting you put your feet up at Chevening”.One person has been impressed by Mr Johnson’s testimony so far.Perhaps unsurprisingly Nadine Dorries, the former PM’s most staunch backer, said it is now “clear who was the grown up in the room”.The scores of bereaved family members gathered outside the inquiry building clearly take a different view. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSacked home secretary Suella Braverman has hit out at Rishi Sunak‘s Rwanda plans in a speech to the House of Commons as a Tory revolt over the controversial policy grows. The prime minister has been warned of rebellion by Tory MPs on both sides over his party, as well as possible resignations, over plans to get around human rights law. Ms Braverman branded the prime minister a failure and accused him of betraying a secret deal on small boats in an incendiary letter, after she was ousted in a reshuffle last month. In an excoriating criticism, she also accused him of “magical thinking” over his approach to stopping migrants crossing the English Channely, of which Rwanda is a major plank.In what was seen as a future leadership pitch, she also said she would support “authentic Conservative” government policies.Her speech comes as the government prepares to publish emergency legislation designed to save the prime minister Rwanda plan, after it was branded unlawful by the Supreme Court. Mr Sunak is thought to have ruled out a radical move to opt out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – despite a rebellion by the Tory right, including Ms Braverman’s allies. He also faced a revolt from a powerful group of Tory moderates that they could not support the legislation if he did try to flout the ECHR – arguing it was a “red line”.But one senior MP told the Independent there would be “no purpose” in the bill if it failed to address the use of human rights law to block the policy. Former home secretary Suella Braverman has added to pressure on Rishi Sunak (Justin Tallis/PA)Ms Braverman is making a personal statement to the Commons following her bitter exit last month. A similar speech by Geoffrey Howe in 1990 following his resignation in the House of Commons in 1990. Lord Howe’s resignation is often credited with ending Margaret Thatcher’s political career. Mr Sunak was not expected to watch the speech, as it clashed with a phone call between leaders of the G7 nations on a number of issues including Ukraine and the war in Gaza.MPs were asked to leave the chamber if they felt they could not abide by convention that Ms Braverman’s speech was heard in silence and without interruption. More

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emailsSign up to our free breaking news emailsWatch live as former home secretary Suella Braverman makes a personal statement to the House of Commons on Wednesday (6 December).The former home secretary has been granted permission to make a personal statement to the House of Commons.The Commons Speaker’s office confirmed the Conservative MP, who was sacked from her Cabinet role last month, is expected to make a speech in the chamber after Government statements on the Hillsborough report and the Gender Recognition Order 2023.With statements usually taking an hour, it means Mrs Braverman is expected to speak after 2.30pm.Following her sacking, Mrs Braverman wrote an excoriating letter to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak in which she accused him of “magical thinking” over his approach to stopping migrants crossing the English Channel. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak is said to have ruled out a radical move to opt out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – despite a rebellion by the Tory right that threatens his ‘plan B’ Rwanda legislation.It comes as the leading right-winger Suella Braverman, sacked by Mr Sunak as home secretary last month, is set to question the PM’s immigration policies in a dramatic statement in the Commons.Mr Sunak is facing revolt by Ms Braverman and other hardliners who are pushing him go for “full fat” legislation by “disapplying” the ECHR in a bid to stop judges from blocking deportations.But the PM has also been warned by a powerful group of Tory moderates that they cannot support his legislation if he does try to flout the ECHR – arguing that it would be “red line” that cannot be crossed.Mr Sunak will try to appease the Tory right by disapplying parts of the UK Human Rights Act in the legislation, according to The Times – a move described as a “middle way” option.The PM has also been warned he faces up to 10 moderate ministers quitting government if he uses emergency legislation to get around ECHR, according to The Telegraph.Tory MPs on right – including members of the New Conservatives, Commons Sense Group and European Research Group – will convene a “star chamber” of legal experts to decide with the upcoming Rwanda legislation is tough enough to support.Mark Francois, chair of the ERG, said Mr Sunak’s plan B bill must “fully respect the sovereignty of parliament” and put their wishes to get flights in the air above international law.However, Tory moderates in the ‘One Nation’ caucus – which boasts around 100 MPs – have urged Mr Sunak to remain committed to both the ECHR and the UK Human Rights Act.They too have warned of rebellion over the legislation expected to be set out on Thursday. Its chair Damian Green said Mr Sunak “should think twice before overriding both the ECHR and HRA”.Rishi Sunak is under huge pressure to get flights to Rwanda under way Stephen Hammond, deputy chair, said moderate MPs would “struggle to support a so-called full-fat” option of flouting the ECHR, while fellow moderate Matt Warman MP said overriding the ECHR would be a “red line”.As the Tory rift deepened, right-winger Simon Clarke, who wants to opt out of the ECHR, fired back at the moderates by tweeting: “Failing to stop the boats would be a red line for a number of Conservatives – namely our voters.”Home secretary James Cleverly is thought to have met ‘One Nation’ before his trip to Rwanda this week – angering the right-wing groups.The Independent understands there has been no attempt by No 10 or ministers to reach out to Tories on the right. One senior MP said there would be “no purpose” in the bill if it fails to address human rights law to block legal challenges.Suella Braverman set to add to pressure on Sunak in Commons speech Ms Braverman is expected to make a formal resignation statment in the Commons this afternoon following her bitter exit last month. She could join calls for an ECHR opt-out, or push for Mr Sunak to show he is willing to quit the convention. Some Tory MPs on the right submitted letters of no confidence in Mr Sunak on Wednesday, according to ITV presenter Robert Peston.Conservatives from the Common Sense Group, New Conservatives and the ERG are set to meet again at 6pm this evening to discuss Mr Sunak’s government Rwanda bill. Immigration minister Robert Jenrick – an ally of Ms Braverman – is still pushing for the hardline, “full fat” approach, according to The Telegraph.One option said to be under consideration is considered is giving ministers reserve powers in the legislation to ignore ECHR rulings if the court attempted to block the Rwanda policy – although opting out of the convention for asylum cases would not be automatic.Mr Sunak could try to ward off a Tory rebellion against the bill by suggesting he is willing to consider pulling the UK out of the ECHR altogether if the courts again block Rwanda flights.The row follow’s Mr Cleverly’s move to sign another treaty with Rwanda. But Mr Cleverly still could not guarantee flights would leave by next spring, as Mr Sunak hopes – as he became the third minister in less than two years to sign an agreement with the African nation.James Cleverly and Rwandan foreign minister Vincent Biruta sign the new treatyMr Cleverly promised that the “emergency” legislation would come before parliament “soon”. He also said that he could see “no reason” why migrants could not be sent from the UK to Rwanda in the coming months.Emergency legislation aimed at saving the Rwanda plan will do “whatever it takes” to protect the deal from further setbacks in the courts, a Home Office minister Chris Philp said on Wednesday. He said the bill will ensure the Rwanda deal is “legally watertight”.But former Labour home secretary David Blunkett said the government’s Rwanda deal was “stupid and impractical”. He told The House magazine that Labour should not engage in a “bidding war” with the Tories with deportation promises. The UK’s top court last month blocked the Rwanda policy over concerns that genuine refugees could be wrongly sent back to their countries of origin where they would face persecution.In an attempt to rectify this, the new treaty means British and Commonwealth judges will preside over a newly established appeals process within Rwanda’s high court for exceptional cases.Another key measure is a commitment that no-one will be removed by Rwanda to any other country except the UK. Experts from the UK will also be seconded to Rwanda to assist with the processing of asylum decisions. More

Sir Keir Starmer mocked Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda treaty during Wednesday’s PMQs (6 December).“I would say that this treaty’s got more holes in it than Swiss cheese, but I don’t want to wind up the prime minister by talking about a European country again,” said the Labour leader.Sir Keir also responded to the report that the government may pay Rwanda more money after the new deal was signed on Tuesday.“You can only imagine their delight, their sheer disbelief when having already banked £140 million of British taxpayer money without housing a single asylum seeker, the prime minister appears again with another offer they can’t refuse,” he added. More

Rishi Sunak was accused of taking food from the mouths of poor children during Prime Minister’s Questions on 6 December.The Prime Minister was questioned by Labour MP for Rotherham Sarah Champion over the Government’s decision to end the Household Support scheme in March 2024.“With the government’s cost of living crisis in full swing and energy prices about to increase again, how does the prime minister justify taking foods from the mouths of my poorest children?” questioned Ms Champion. More