UK Politics

Tory MPs warn a double by-election defeat this week will pile further pressure on Boris Johnson’s leadership as the embattled prime minister tries to move on from the Partygate scandal.Rebels say Mr Johnson, whose faced criticism when his ethics adviser resigned on Wednesday, would suffer a “loss of authority” if the Conservatives were to lose Tiverton and Honiton, which would require one of the largest ever overturned majorities in a by-election.MPs from across the party told The Independent they were privately expecting a “big defeat” on Thursday in the Yorkshire seat of Wakefield – a former Labour heartland Sir Keir Starmer hopes to seize back.A senior Tory MP – pointing to the “enormous majority” in the Devon seat – told The Independent: “To lose it by one would be a disaster. It will be the scale of defeat [in Wakefield] that will be really telling”. Another Conservative MP agreed, saying: “The scale of the results is important. If we lose Wakefield by a lot and Tiverton by a few thousand people will think, bloody hell.” Reflecting on Mr Johnson, one Tory representing a red-wall constituency told The Independent: “Losing both by-elections will increase the pressure. There will be a loss of authority.“If we lose Wakefield, it’s a real kick in the teeth for MPs who have been backing him and hoping to keep support in the red wall.”While hopeful, Sir Ed Davey’s party cautioned that success in Tiverton and Honiton would represent “the largest majority ever overturned” at a by-election, defeating a previous record in Liverpool Wavertree in 1935. Other contests, however, have recorded bigger swings.But the Conservatives are gloomy, with one senior MP saying that Wakefield was “gone, gone, gone” and that most MPs expected a Lib Dem victory in the southwest.“Look at North Shropshire. It’s a further opportunity for people to send a message to Downing Street that they are not happy,” they warned.One Tory backbencher predicted that if the recent confidence vote in the prime minister had taken place after two by-election losses “it may well have tipped the other way”.But with voters heading to the polls just a fortnight after he narrowly survived, the consensus among the parliamentary party appears to be that he will continue in No 10 for the summer.Under the current rules, Mr Johnson cannot face a challenge from MPs for another 11 months, leading one senior MP to suggest the Tories’ 1922 Committee will be under pressure to change the rules in the wake of any by-election defeat.Many MPs told The Independent that Mr Johnson’s most perilous moment would arrive when the privileges committee published its report into whether he deliberately misled parliament over the Partygate scandal, expected in late autumn.The PM triggered outrage in Westminster during the week with plans to abolish the post of Downing Street ethics adviser, after Christopher Geidt quit in protest at being asked to endorse deliberate rule-breaking by the prime minister. Lord Geidt – the second adviser to resign in less than two years during Mr Johnson’s premiership – said he was put in an “impossible and odious” position when asked to advise on a plan to maintain tariffs on Chinese steel in a way which would breach UK obligations under the World Trade Organisation (WTO).One senior MP suggested the 1922 Committee would not change its rules to allow another no-confidence ballot this year, whatever the by-election results. But they added: “I think he’s much more vulnerable if the privileges committee resolves he knowingly misled the House, in which case he must go.”A second backbencher said: “If the privileges inquiry finds against him, that’s a moment of danger. It will be difficult for him to command a majority of MPs. There could be a delegation going to Sir Graham Brady [to change the rules].”A third added: “I think a lot of people who reluctantly backed him last time would struggle to support him if the privileges committee was to find against him.”Speaking to The Independent ahead of Thursday’s by-elections, polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice suggested that Wakefield was a “write-off” for the Conservatives, who won the seat at the 2019 election with a 3,358 majority. A recent poll by JL Partners found a 20-point lead for Labour in the constituency, with the Tories trailing.He said it is “very difficult for any government to defend, and it doesn’t matter if it’s red wall, blue wall, pink wall, or purple wall, you only need a 3.5 per cent swing”. He added: “It should be inconceivable that the government hangs on to it.”Sir John said that the Tiverton and Honiton by-election was “much more difficult to call” and highlighted the 20-point-plus swing the Lib Dems need to wipe out the Conservatives’ 24,239 majority from 2019.“But of course that’s what happened in North Shropshire,” he added. “It will give you an idea of the extent of discontent in what is pretty firm Tory territory.”A Lib Dem source said winning the seat on Thursday was “doable” but cautioned: “This is one big old heck of a majority. If we overturn this majority, it will be the largest majority ever overturned in the history of British politics.“We’re throwing everything at it,” they added. “What’s coming through loud and clear is a sense of neglect – very similar to Chesham and Amersham, very similar to North Shropshire.” More

Thousands of people are set to join a mass demonstration in London urging Boris Johnson’s government do do more in the cost of living crisis and provide a better deal for workers.The Trade Union Congress, which is organising the event on Saturday, said workers are suffering the “longest and hardest” squeeze on their earnings in modern history. Frances O’Grady, the head of the TUC, said millions had been left “without a safety net as bills and prices skyrocket”, with the Bank of England forecasting that inflation could reach 11 per cent in the autumn. More

Government officials have accepted that a four-day week “may work” for some businesses, as the world’s largest trial of shorter working hours kicks off in the UK.The Independent understands that officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS) are keeping a close eye on the pilot programme and have already met the study’s organisers to find out more.A group of civil servants from BEIS discussed the design of the project and how the policy of cutting working hours with no loss of pay would work in practice. More

A Labour MP has written to Priti Patel to demand the removal of the person she selected to lead an inquiry into London mayor Sadiq Khan’s handling of the resignation of Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick.Streatham MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy claimed that Sir Thomas Winsor was not a fit person to run the inquiry because he had “a history of taking positions which are politically in favour of the government”.She pointed to Sir Thomas’s 2012 review of police officer and staff pay, which she said was “widely criticised as a vehicle to pursue the then home secretary’s controversial policing agenda rather than a genuinely independent review”.After the review, Sir Thomas was made chief inspector of constabulary, a post he still holds.Ribeiro-Addy said that his report into the Met’s policing of a vigil for Sarah Everard, murdered by a serving police officer, “went above and beyond” in defending the heavy-handed actions of officers and in criticising Mr Khan’s response.Dame Cressida was forced out as head of London’s police service in February after Mr Khan made it clear she no longer enjoyed his confidence in the wake of a number of scandals, including the botched investigation of serial killer Stephen Pond, the murder of Ms Everard and evidence of a culture of misogyny at Charing Cross police station.Ms Patel was said to have been blindsided by the mayor’s action. She announced a review of the affair after Dick’s deputy, Sir Stephen House, suggested that City Hall did not follow due process.The home secretary will choose Dame Cressida’s successor and is legally required to take Khan’s opinion into account, but reports suggest she has asked Winsor to consider whether the mayor’s role should be scaled back to reduce political influence on England’s top policing role.In her letter, seen by The Independent, Ms Ribeiro-Addy demanded confirmation of whether these claims were correct.And she said that, if the inquiry could not be called off altogether, Sir Thomas should be replaced as its head.“To attempt to influence the outcome of the review before it is complete would be an abuse of power and further calls into question the independence of the review and its subsequent findings,” she said.“The focus now should not be on a politicised review of the past, but on working with the mayor of London to appoint a new commissioner capable of delivering the widescale reforms urgently required to rebuild trust in London’s police going forward, while continuing to reduce serious violence in our capital.”A Home Office spokesperson said: “Sir Thomas Winsor has a well-established reputation for providing robust, well-evidenced and independent reports to government, so to suggest otherwise is offensive and wrong.“In the interests of transparency, the terms of reference for the review have been published online, and the home secretary has committed to report back to parliament on the review’s outcomes.” More

Cost of living crisis protest underway in LondonThe head of the TUC, which has organised thousands of people to rally against the cost-of-living crisis, has warned the prime minister not to put responsibility for it on workers.“Let me say this to Boris Johnson – don’t you dare shift the blame for inflation on to working people,” she told crowds.“Don’t you dare, not after a decade of austerity, privatisation and pay cuts. Don’t you dare tell working families we have to put up with more pain.”Earlier, Mr Johnson said Britain would get through the crisis and “come through on the other side strongly” as he said he sympathised with people facing pressure.The TUC says workers have lost almost £20,000 since 2008 because pay has not kept pace with inflation.Meanwhile, home secretary Priti Patel said the “absolutely scandalous” European court decision that effectively grounded the first flight to send asylum-seekers to Rwanda was politically motivated.Mr Johnson said the government would press ahead with its Rwanda plan, and defended Home Office plans to electronically tag some asylum-seekers arriving in the UK.Show latest update

1655583008Boris Johnson’s former ethics adviser quit ‘over PM’s readiness to break law’Former Downing Street ethics adviser Christopher Geidt has prompted fresh calls for Boris Johnson’s resignation, by declaring that his decision to quit his post was prompted by the prime minister’s willingness to deliberately breach international law.In a second letter to explain his shock resignation on Wednesday, Lord Geidt said that the details of the row over steel tariffs which finally provoked his departure were a “distraction” from his real motivation. Andrew Woodcock reports:Jane Dalton18 June 2022 21:101655581208Opinion: Return power to the people to tackle twin challengesWe face the twin challenges of building a country that fires on all cylinders and the climate emergency, writes Lisa Nandy for The Independent.The solution must be tilting the balance of power back in favour of the people who have stake in the outcome We have to ensure every area has a local growth plan and the powers to deliver on it, and we must smash up a century of centralisation and restore power to people who can use it to rebuild their parks, libraries, high streets and youth clubs that make up the social fabric of a place:Jane Dalton18 June 2022 20:401655580008Tory rebels to pile pressure on PM as by-election ‘disaster’ loomsTory MPs warn a double by-election defeat on Thursday will pile further pressure on Boris Johnson’s leadership as the embattled prime minister tries to move on from the Partygate scandal:Jane Dalton18 June 2022 20:201655578808Four-day week may work well, government admits, as pilot startsGovernment officials have accepted that a four-day week “may work” for some businesses, as the world’s largest trial of shorter working hours kicks off in the UK, writes Jon Stone.The Independent understands that officials from the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are keeping a close eye on the pilot programme and have already met the study’s organisers to find out more. Jane Dalton18 June 2022 20:001655576408Beware Ukraine fatigue setting in, warns JohnsonBoris Johnson has said the West must continue to support the Ukrainians as they seek to recover territory seized by Russia, saying it would be a catastrophe if President Vladimir Putin was able to claim victory.After visiting Kyiv yesterday, the Prime Minister warned that Ukraine should not be encouraged to accept a “bad peace” which would simply be the prelude to a renewed Russian offensive.Mr Johnson also defended his decision to pull out of a conference of northern Tories on Friday so he could meet Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.The timing of the visit led to accusations that he was snubbing the north ahead of a crucial by-election in Wakefield in West Yorkshire which the Tories are widely expected to lose.However, speaking to reporters at RAF Brize Norton on his return, Mr Johnson said it was important to demonstrate the UK’s support at a time when the Ukrainians were “suffering terribly” in the face of the ongoing Russian offensive in the Donbas.“I think it is very important to go to Ukraine at a particularly critical time. The worry that we have is that a bit of Ukraine-fatigue is starting to set in around the world,” he said.Jane Dalton18 June 2022 19:201655573408Opinion: Trade war with Europe is the latest in PM’s string of deflections and deceptionBoris Johnson is trying to bait the EU into a trade war as he also trashed the UK’s international reputation by breaking international law and amplifying division in Northern Ireland, writes Caolán Magee. Other recent deflections include imperial measurements on pint glasses, a smoking ban, and sending refugees to Rwanda:Jane Dalton18 June 2022 18:301655570408Judges who blocked Rwanda flight racist, claims Priti PatelThe European judges who stopped the Rwanda deportations on Tuesday are racist, home secretary Priti Patel has claimed.Rwanda has a recent history of genocide and human-rights abuses, she said, but it was rebuilding.“If it was France, if we were sending people to Sweden, New York, Sydney, would they [the critics] change their mind?” she asked. “That actually speaks of inbuilt prejudice and, I would even go as far as to say, racism,” The Times reports.Jane Dalton18 June 2022 17:401655567408Angela Rayner joins London demonstratorsLabour deputy leader Angela Rayner has joined protests in London calling for action on the cost-of-living crisis. More

Northern Conservatives have warned Boris Johnson that voters must see action on his promise to “level up” the country or face “annihilation” in the red wall at the next general election.Red wall Tory MPs told The Independent they are worried about the sluggish pace of infrastructure and improvement projects – saying they need be able to “point” to visible signs of progress before voters go to the polls.“There isn’t a single spade in the ground yet,” one Tory MP said on work planned in his constituency. “We need to get spades in the ground and deliver more, because people need to see they’re not going to be ignored.” More

Boris Johnson has insisted Ukraine should be given the opportunity to host the Eurovision Song Contest in 2023, despite the country’s ongoing conflict with Vladimir Putin’s Russia.Returning from a surprise trip to Kyiv, the prime minister said the Ukrainians won the 2022 contest “fair and square”, and suggested that the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) should reconsider its proposal that next year’s contest be hosted elsewhere.In statement on Friday, the EBU revealed it had started “discussions” with the BBC about hosting the annual contest in the UK after concluding that Ukraine would not be able to fulfil “security and operational guarantees”.Speaking at RAF Brize Norton on Saturday, Mr Johnson said he believed it should be possible for the music contest to go ahead in Ukraine despite intense fighting in the country’s eastern regions.“I have just been to Kyiv. I won’t say it is completely jiving and buzzing and popping, but it is far, far more lively. People are much more confident,” the prime minister told reporters.“People are out in the streets, eating in cafes and restaurants, in a way that they weren’t a even few weeks ago.”He added: “The Ukrainians won the Eurovision Song Contest. I know we had a fantastic entry, I know we came second, and I’d love it to be in this country. But the fact is that they won, and they deserve to have it. “I believe that they can have it, and I believe that they should have it. I believe that Kyiv, or any other safe Ukrainian city, would be a fantastic place to have it.“I hope the European Broadcasting Union will recognise that. It’s a year away; it’s going to be fine by the time the Eurovision Song Contest comes round.”The Ukrainian entry by Kalush Orchestra won the competition in Turin, Italy this year, and it is traditional that the winning country hosts the event the following year.However, the EBU has stated that following a “full assessment and feasibility study” it has concluded that the “security and operational guarantees” required to host the event cannot be fulfilled by Ukraine’s public broadcaster, UA:PBC.Mr Johnson also told reporters on Saturday that he was concerned that Ukraine “fatigue” was starting to set in around the world, with Russia’s invasion now in its fifth month.“We’ve got to understand Ukrainians are suffering terribly in the east of their country,” the prime minister said.“The Russians are grinding forward inch by inch, and it’s vital for us to show what we know to be true, which is that Ukraine can and will win.” More