UK Politics

With British Prime Minister Boris Johnson dealt a heavy blow after surviving a no-confidence vote from his own Conservative Party, questions already are being asked about who might succeed him if he was forced from office. Conservative lawmakers voted 211-148 to keep Johnson as leader Monday following revelations that he and his staff held Downing Street parties that broke Britain’s COVID-19 lockdown rules. But the scale of the revolt was considered more damaging than expected.Although the leadership rules give Johnson a year’s respite from another such vote, he faces other risks.Party rebels could change the rules to force an early vote; he could be seen as a political liability if Conservatives lose special elections this month; he could be forced out if an ethics committee finds he lied to Parliament over the “partygate” scandal; or he could simply get fed up and quit.That would trigger a leadership contest to choose his replacement. While there is no single front-runner, here is a look at some possible contenders:___LIZ TRUSS, FOREIGN SECRETARYTruss, 46, took on the high-profile Cabinet post in September after serving as trade minister. She has been gaining momentum as a contender since then and has made no secret of her ambitions.As Britain’s chief diplomat in the Ukraine crisis, Truss got a frosty reception from her Russian counterpart, Sergey Lavrov, prior to Moscow’s Feb. 24 invasion. She is also the U.K.’s lead negotiator with the European Union on lingering issues following Britain’s exit from the bloc. Once a campaigner for remaining in the EU, Truss has become a Brexit champion. Her former role as international trade secretary saw her signing post-Brexit deals around the world and channeling Johnson’s ambitions for “Global Britain.”Truss is popular with many Conservatives, who see echoes of the party’s first female prime minister, Margaret Thatcher, in the the free-market-loving politician. Truss’ supporters have coined the slogan, “In Liz We Truss.”___RISHI SUNAK, TREASURY CHIEFUntil recently, Sunak was widely regarded as the party’s brightest rising star, the best-known of the contenders — and the bookies’ favorite to succeed Johnson.Sunak, 42, was thrust into the spotlight when he became treasury chief in 2020, tasked with the unenviable job of steering the economy through its worst economic slump on record because of the pandemic. He dished out billions of pounds in emergency spending to help businesses and workers, and his policies have generally been seen in a positive light.But “partygate” changed those fortunes. Like Johnson, he was issued a police fine for attending a lockdown-flouting birthday party at Downing Street in June 2020. He also came under heavy criticism for being slow to respond to Britain’s severe cost-of-living crisis. Sunak also faced pressure following revelations that his wife, Akshata Murthy, avoided paying U.K. taxes on her overseas income, and that the former investment banker held on to his U.S. green card while serving in government. If he succeeds, he would be Britain’s first prime minister of color. Born to Indian parents who moved to the U.K. from East Africa, Sunak attended the exclusive Winchester College private school and studied at Oxford. Some see his elite education and past work for the investment bank Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund as a deficit because he seems out of touch with ordinary voters.___JEREMY HUNT, FORMER CABINET MINISTERHunt, a former health secretary and foreign secretary, ran against Johnson in the 2019 leadership race, billing himself as the more serious candidate. He lost heavily, and was dumped from the Cabinet when Johnson took over.He has openly said he wouldn’t back Johnson, warning that keeping him in power would wreck the party’s chances in the next general election.He is widely expected to make a new bid for the party leadership. In a January interview, the 55-year-old was quoted as saying that his ambition to lead the country hasn’t “completely vanished.”Hunt has remained a lawmaker, and kept himself in the public eye by grilling ministers and experts as head of Parliament’s Health and Social Care Select Committee.As a critic of the government’s response to the pandemic, he may appeal to those seeking a change from Johnson, although some look on him unfavorably for implementing unpopular policies as health secretary.___BEN WALLACE, DEFENSE SECRETARYWallace has won admirers for his straight talk, particularly among Conservative lawmakers who pressed for the U.K. to increase its defense spending.A 52-year-old army veteran, Wallace has raised his profile considerably as a key government voice in Britain’s response to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. ___TOM TUGENDHAT, COMMONS FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE CHAIRTugendhat, 48, is a non-Cabinet Conservative being mentioned as a possible leadership contender. Although he has no ministerial experience, Tugendhat reportedly is favored by some in the party as a good choice for a new start. An opponent of the 2016 Brexit referendum, the former soldier has been a trenchant critic of Johnson. He is also among a group of key Conservatives urging the U.K. to take a tougher stance on China. ___NADHIM ZAHAWI, EDUCATION SECRETARYZahawi, 55, came to prominence as vaccines minister during the pandemic and was credited with playing a key part in the successful rollout of the COVID-19 shot.A co-founder of the market research firm YouGov, Zahawi was elected as lawmaker in 2010. He was born in Iraq to a Kurdish family and came to the U.K. as a child when his parents fled Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s rule.He is seen by some as a safe choice if other candidates such as Truss prove too divisive.___SAJID JAVID, HEALTH SECRETARYJavid, 52, has been health secretary since June 2021, leading Britain’s COVID-19 response. Before that, he served as treasury chief, but resigned in early 2020 after clashing with Johnson over his order to fire his team of advisers.The fact that Johnson brought him back into the government to handle the coronavirus response reflects his reputation for competence.The son of Pakistani immigrants, Javid has billed himself as a common-man alternative to his private school-educated rivals — although he had a lucrative career in investment banking before entering politics.___MICHAEL GOVE, LEVELING UP SECRETARYGove, a party heavyweight, has held many key Cabinet posts and currently is in charge of delivering on the government’s promise to “level up” Britain — to address inequality by increasing opportunities in deprived areas.Gove, 54, played a key role in the Brexit campaign and is widely respected in the party, but is not completely trusted. In the 2016 Conservative leadership campaign, he backed Johnson for leader before deciding to run himself — a betrayal that many Conservatives haven’t forgotten.___PENNY MORDAUNT, TRADE MINISTERMordaunt, 49, has emerged as a surprise potential contender, with supporters saying she could help heal the party’s divisions.Mordaunt played a prominent role in the pro-Brexit campaign and had backed Hunt in the 2019 leadership contest. She was removed as defense secretary as soon as Johnson became prime minister.She has since returned to government as international trade minister and is popular among Conservative lawmakers. More

Boris Johnson says no-confidence vote win ‘decisive’ despite mass Tory rebellionBoris Johnson put on a defiant show as he faced MPs in the Commons for the first time since suffering a damaging result in Monday night’s confidence vote on his leadership.SNP leader Ian Blackford launched a blistering attack on Mr Johnson’s position after the confidence vote, branding him a “lame duck” PM.Mr Blackford likened the prime minister to Monty Python’s Black Knight, who claimed fatal wounds were just flesh wounds, and told him: “It’s over, it’s done.”It transpired that 41 per cent of Tory backbenchers agreed with his repeated calls for the prime minister to quit, the SNP MP claimed.But Mr Johnson dismissed the rebels, saying he had “picked up political opponents all over” because his government had “done some very big and very remarkable things which they didn’t necessarily approve of”.Promising new measures on home ownership and defending NHS waiting times from attacks by Sir Keir Starmer, the PM insisted he would fight to stay in power, and joked that his political career had “barely begun”.Show latest update

1654699987Boris Johnson will cut taxes at a ‘responsible’ time, No 10 saysThe government remains committed to cutting taxes but will only act when it is “responsible” to do so, Boris Johnson’s press secretary has said.Mr Johnson has faced renewed calls from Tory MPs to bring down the level of taxation following Monday’s wounding confidence vote.The press secretary said: “We have been clear we want to cut taxes but we are in a very difficult position following the global pandemic so as soon as it is responsible we will set out plans for doing that.”Andy Gregory8 June 2022 15:531654699203Labour MPs call for mass protests over cost of living crisisLabour MP Richard Burgon has called for mass protests and strikes to force Boris Johnson’s government to take stronger action over the cost of living crisis.Writing in the Morning Star, the former shadow cabinet member said that “over the next year, as the crisis bites even harder, the scale of protest will need to match the scale of crisis”.Mr Burgon called for the Trades Union Congress protest on 18 June to be “a spark for further actions that make 2022 a year of protest against this Tory government”, adding: “That’s key to defeating the living standards emergency the Tories are choosing to force on our communities.”His calls were backed by Diane Abbott, who said: “We need mass mobilisation to make the Tories do something about the cost of living crisis.”Andy Gregory8 June 2022 15:401654697736Priti Patel has not met me once in 14 months, says ‘frustrated’ borders chiefThe government’s borders inspector has expressed his “frustration” at not being able to meet Priti Patel once since his appointment more than a year ago, my colleague Adam Forrest reports.David Neal – appointed the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration 14 months ago – told MPs he was “disappointed” to have had five or six meetings with the home secretary cancelled.“I’ve not met the home secretary yet,” he told the home affairs select committee. “I’ve asked to speak to her on a number occasions, and pre-arranged meeting have been cancelled on maybe five or six occasions now.”Asked if the experience was different from experience with other departments, Mr Neal said: “It is – I’m disappointed I haven’t spoken to the home secretary, and frustrated, because I think I’ve got things to offer from the position I hold.”Andy Gregory8 June 2022 15:151654697142Opinion: Captain Boris will go down with his ship of make-believeThe prime minister’s biggest problem is that he is now in so deep in a world of his own, he can’t even see that nobody believes him any more, writes Tom Peck. Mr Johnson will be in denial to his final breath: Jane Dalton8 June 2022 15:051654696542YouGov ‘banned’ release of 2017 leader poll that was ‘too good for Labour’Bosses at pollster YouGov suppressed publication of a survey during the 2017 election campaign because it was “too positive about Labour“, a former manger at the pollster has claimed. Jon Stone reports:Jane Dalton8 June 2022 14:551654695642Johnson not suited to being PM, ex-girlfriend saysBoris Johnson is not suited to the top job because he gets bored with things quickly, a former girlfriend says. Petronella Wyatt said he was in a “mess of his own making” after the rebellion from 41 per cent of his MPs.“His qualities are very endearing but they’re not necessarily the qualities of a great prime minister,” she said. Thomas Kingsley reports:Jane Dalton8 June 2022 14:401654694571Sir Keir has a year to turn things round, warns MandelsonLabour former spin chief doctor Peter Mandelson has warned that Sir Keir Starmer has “got about a year” to turn things around for the party.“Between now and the next year… we’ve got to see more powerful brushstrokes, put down on that canvas.” he told Times Radio.Tony Blair’s former top adviser is set to make a speech in which he will warn the current Labour Party leader he needs to show more “ambition and hard thinking” if we wants to do better than “sneaking over the finishing line”.He will also suggest there is a “desperate need” for Sir Keir to ape some of Boris Johnson’s policies on research and innovation.Mr Blair had urged Sir Keir to do more to “project his personality” in a bid to win round more voters in the next general election, he revealed.Jane Dalton8 June 2022 14:221654694043HS2 will help us cut tax, claims JohnsonBoris Johnson has insisted HS2 will put the government in a better position to cut taxes in the future after a Conservative former cabinet minister urged him to scrap the new high-speed rail line.During Prime Minister’s Questions, Esther McVey, a vocal critic of HS2, said scrapping the project would save “tens of billions of pounds” from a budget that is “spiralling out of control”.She asked the Prime Minister to scrap the “inflated white elephant”.However, Mr Johnson passionately defended HS2, arguing it would deliver “long-term growth and prosperity for the whole of the country”.HS2 minister Andrew Stephenson said the Government would explore alternatives for how HS2 trains would reach Scotland.Jane Dalton8 June 2022 14:141654693528PM denies barristers not consulted over legal status of scrapping NI ProtocolBoris Johnson said reports that the first Treasury counsel – specialist barristers – had not been consulted over whether plans to rip up the Northern Ireland Protocol would break international law were not correct.SDLP leader Colum Eastwood asked him in the Commons: “Today, we hear reports that the Prime Minister refused to consult the first Treasury counsel on his plans to rip up the protocol.“I know this question might be redundant given he might not be around very much longer, but given the Prime Minister’s casual record of casual law-breaking, will he give a commitment to the people of Northern Ireland that he will not be breaking international law any time soon?”Mr Johnson replied: “I can tell him that the reports that he has seen this morning are not correct. “And what I can also tell him is that the most important commitment that I think everybody in this House has made is to the balance and symmetry of the Belfast Good Friday Agreement.“That is our highest legal international priority and that is what we must deliver.” Rob Merrick reports:Jane Dalton8 June 2022 14:05165469273724 Hours in A&E is government policy, claims Sir Keir Sir Keir Starmer accused Mr Johnson of being “utterly unable” to improve the NHS, warning: “24 Hours in A&E used to be a TV programme – now it’s his policy.”The Labour leader focused his attacks at Prime Minister’s Questions on problems within the health service rather than on Mr Johnson’s leadership woes.Sir Keir responded to the noises heard as Mr Johnson entered the chamber by saying: “I couldn’t make out whether that introductory noise was cheers or boos. The trouble is I don’t know whether it is directed at me or him.”He raised concerns over patients being put at risk by a “failure to fix wanting and inadequate” NHS buildings, a line of attack Mr Johnson labelled “satirical” before arguing: “Attacking our hospital building programme, when they were the authors of the PFI scheme that bankrupted so many hospitals.”Sir Keir said: “Pretending no rules were broken didn’t work, pretending the economy is booming didn’t work, and pretending to build 40 new hospitals won’t work, either…“On top of that he scraps zero-tolerance of 12-hour waits at A&E – 24 Hours in A&E used to be a TV programme, now it’s his policy.”Mr Johnson countered: “We’ve not only raised the standard in the NHS, we’re not only reducing waiting times for those who have had to wait the longest, but what we’re doing more fundamentally is what the people of this country can see is simple common-sense and that’s using our economic strength to invest in doctors and nurses, and get people on the ward, giving people their scans, screens and tests in a more timely manner.”Sir Keir warned “things are getting worse, not better” in the NHS before highlighting two cases of patients who have suffered.MPs heard the first was a semi-professional footballer who tore his anterior cruciate ligament but had to crowdfund for a private operation due to a two-year wait for surgery.The second was of a man who called 999 six times after his mother woke up unable to breathe, with Sir Keir explaining: “In his last call he said: ‘I rang an hour ago for an ambulance as she had difficulty breathing, and now she’s dead.”’Sir Keir pressed Mr Johnson to admit these people “deserve better than a wanting and inadequate Government utterly unable to improve our NHS”.Mr Johnson said he believed all MPs had sympathy with the cases, adding: “I share their feelings, but when you look at what this Government is doing, we are making colossal investments in our NHS, we’re cutting waiting times, we’re raising standards, we’re paying nurses more, we’re supporting our fantastic NHS, and by the way, (Sir Keir) continually came to the House and said we had the worst Covid record in Europe – turned out to be completely untrue, he still hasn’t retracted it.”Johnson faces Starmer After vote of confidenceJane Dalton8 June 2022 13:52 More

Ministers are accused today of drawing up rules that allow billions of pounds of “levelling up” cash to be handed to their favoured areas.A stinging report revealed that the “principles” for successful awards from a flagship £4.8bn fund were decided only after the government knew which of 170 bidders “would win and who would not”.The process suggested Michael Gove’s department was “retrofitting the criteria for success”, the chair of the Commons public accounts committee alleged.The controversy follows the outcry over the “naked pork-barrel politics” that saw almost all of £1bn in Towns fund grants going to Tory-held constituencies last year.Now a similar accusation has been made over the first £1.7bn of allocations from the £4.8bn Levelling Up fund, which is also administered by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.“The department has past form with this,” the report by the committee states, adding: “We remain concerned over the timing of ministerial input for final awards.”Meg Hillier, the chair of the committee, said: “It’s hard to avoid the appearance that the government is just gambling taxpayers’ money on policies and programmes that are little more than a slogan, retrofitting the criteria for success.”The report also warns that:Only around £100m of an expected £600m of funding had been awarded with just four weeks to go before the end of the 2021-22 financial year“Realistic bids” were rejected in favour of projects that claimed to be “shovel-ready” but have “since been beset with delays”The government lacks “a strong understanding of what works” – despite “billions spent on local growth over many decades”Local councils are unable to plan properly because of the “unpredictability of the ‘alphabet soup’ of funding pots to support regeneration”Ms Hillier added: “The nation is being squeezed harder than it has for decades; there is no more to throw away like this. The government must learn again to account to taxpayers for its use of their money.”And Kevin Bentley, chair of the Local Government Association’s People and Places Board, said: “Turning levelling up from a political slogan into a reality will only be achieved if councils have the powers and funding they need.”But a spokesperson for Mr Gove’s department said: “The assessment process was transparent, robust and fair, and the criteria included the need for projects to be deliverable and to fuel regeneration and growth to level up areas most in need.”The much-hyped levelling up strategy has been undermined by Rishi Sunak’s refusal to commit any extra spending, and the absence of new policies in a white paper.Mr Gove, the levelling up secretary, is also quietly taking on the power to abandon the key tests of whether the strategy is working, by arguing that they are “no longer appropriate”. More

Labour has called on tax authorities to investigate the financial affairs of the health secretary, Sajid Javid, The Independent has learned.The party has penned a letter to HMRC requesting a fresh examination of the cabinet minister’s historic tax arrangements.It centres on Mr Javid’s ties to a company called SA Capital. These links raise the “possibility that he has been a beneficiary of a loan scheme designed to avoid paying UK tax”, said the shadow health secretary, Wes Streeting.A spokesperson for Mr Javid said the request for an investigation was a “smear attempt” by the Labour Party.It comes after a series of reports on Mr Javid’s financial status. The health secretary used non-domicile status to reduce his UK tax bill and had an off-shore trust, even while he worked as a parliamentary private secretary in the Treasury.He also disclosed his own use of non-dom status after The Independent revealed Rishi Sunak’s wife, Akshata Murty, had also elected to use the mechanism for tax purposes.Labour’s letter poses a host of questions over the health secretary’s ties to SA Capital, which he co-owned with his brother and their respective wives. Mr Javid was director of the company for one day in May 2005. During that same year, 2005, sizeable loans amounting to nearly £1m were made to the firm, Labour said. The loan arrangement has previously been reported by Private Eye magazine.Only just under half of this amount was raised from banks, leaving the source of the rest of this money unclear, Labour said.A source close to the health secretary said Mr Javid never received any financial benefit from the arrangement. Mr Javid had decided there was a risk the directorship was not compatible with “corporate leadership roles”, the source added.However, Labour said there was a possibility that the “purpose of the loans were to provide a tax-efficient way for money held offshore to enter Britain” and that Mr Javid “potentially avoided paying hundreds of thousands of pounds to HMRC”.It has asked HMRC to overlook time limits for investigations into historic tax affairs given the public interest in how cabinet ministers manage their finances. Senior politicians should not be “above the law when it comes to paying their taxes,” the letter said.It also asked the tax body if it would consider an exemption to the time-limit if “an individual were to self-refer for investigation”.A spokesperson for Mr Javid said: “This is a truly desperate smear attempt by Starmer’s Labour Party. The health secretary has been open and transparent about his previous tax statuses and residencies whilst in the UK and working abroad.“Nearly two decades ago, and many years before entering public life, he helped his brother start a business by investing in it,” the spokesperson added. More

Boris Johnson has been warned against a show-of-strength confrontation with Brussels as he seeks to shore up support among Tory MPs following his near defeat in Monday’s confidence vote.The prime minister has done little publicly to reassure centrist critics since 40 per cent of the parliamentary party demanded his removal, instead vowing to “bash on” with plans for tax cuts, a Thatcherite right-to-buy policy, and legislation to override the Northern Ireland protocol.One former minister told The Independent he expected a lurch to the right as Johnson offers red meat to MPs who are demanding tax cuts and a tough line on Brexit as the price of their support.But there were warnings that this could backfire, fuelling opposition to Johnson among traditionalist Conservatives who are horrified at the prospect of the government breaching international law by way of new legislation, expected to be published within days, that seeks to tear up the protocol.Dublin has already voiced concern that the government’s position has been hardened as a sop to Tory critics. The Irish prime minister, Micheal Martin, urged Mr Johnson to return to negotiations with the European Commission, warning that “unilateralism will not work”. Comparing Mr Johnson to the giant gorilla in the 1933 movie classic, a former cabinet minister predicted that the PM would veer to the right in a show of strength that would please hardline Brexiteers but anger “blue wall” Tories whose southern seats are vulnerable to challenge by the Liberal Democrats.“He is about to push the King Kong strategy for a few days, or a week or two,” said the MP, who has not called publicly for Mr Johnson to go. “But if you are talking about law-breaking, then that is an issue for those in Lib Dem-facing seats.”Another MP rejected the idea that his colleagues would fall in behind the prime minister if Mr Johnson picked a fight with Brussels. “This is about integrity and principle,” he said.And another predicted a “foolhardy charge at enemy lines” over the protocol, warning: “He’s stuck. If he lurches right he risks losing more support than he gains. If he doesn’t then the right might decide they need a new champion too.”Mr Johnson’s call for the rebel MPs to “move on” following the confidence vote, which he won by 211 to 148, appears to have fallen on deaf ears, with backbenchers saying that the fight to remove him is “not over” and even former leader William Hague saying his position is “untenable” in the long term.Disgruntled Tories were discussing the possibility of seeking to amend party rules to allow another leadership vote before the 12-month interval currently required. The chair of the backbench 1922 Committee, Sir Graham Brady, has made clear that such a change is not impossible, but it is understood that it is not currently under discussion by the committee’s executive.Former defence minister Tobias Ellwood said Mr Johnson had “a matter of months” left as prime minister. He called for an immediate cabinet reshuffle, and new policies that would “appeal to the country and not just to our base” by focusing on the cost of living crisis rather than culture-war issues such as imperial measurements and Channel 4 privatisation.And the chair of parliament’s intelligence and security committee, Julian Lewis, hit out at the PM’s approach.“He has an aversion to scrutiny bordering on contempt for the Commons,” said the senior Tory backbencher. “Impropriety at the top of government is impossible to defend, especially when it is habitual.”Meanwhile, former chief whip Mark Harper said the PM had a matter of weeks to deliver “the fruits” of promised reforms, telling the Adam Smith Institute: “We’re going to judge him by what he said.” Mr Harper, who was a candidate in the 2019 leadership contest, said of Mr Johnson’s 80-seat majority: “We’re not using it to deliver Conservative policies.”The PM’s former Brexit negotiator Lord Frost added to the push by the Tory right for tax cuts, warning that the current high-spending economic policy “is not going to deliver prosperity and wealth” and that the government needs to “get onto a different path”.Addressing cabinet for the first time since Monday’s vote, Mr Johnson set out his ambition to reduce taxes and spending, telling ministers there was “ample scope” to “cut the cost of government and cut the costs that businesses and families face”.He is expected to spell out more details of his plans in a joint economic speech with chancellor Rishi Sunak next week.Ahead of that will come a speech on Thursday, reviving David Cameron’s scheme to extend the right to buy for housing association tenants, as well as the launch of controversial legislation on the Northern Ireland protocol, which the PM aims to rush through the Commons by the summer.The legislation, which could be published as early as Thursday, is understood to include a “dual regulatory regime” that would favour the UK internal market over the EU single market, and to allow for the removal of many of the checks on goods crossing the Irish Sea in a manner that critics believe would break international law.Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said he was concerned that Mr Johnson was toughening his position on the protocol in response to threats to his leadership.“That would be a big mistake I think, politically, because I think it’ll cause an awful lot more problems than it solves,” said Mr Coveney. “I certainly hope that’s not the price of the British prime minister maintaining majority support within his own party.” More

It is “disappointing” that government officials did not adhere to the Covid rules put in place to control the spread of the virus, the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance has said.Sir Patrick, 62, was one of the key scientists who updated the public through televised briefings during the pandemic, sometimes accompanied by prime minister Boris Johnson.He was speaking after collecting an honour from the Duke of Cambridge at Buckingham Palace for helping to lead the UK’s battle against coronavirus, against the backdrop of an attempt this week by Tory MPs to remove Mr Johnson from office following the scandal over lockdown breaches in Downing Street.When asked about the Partygate scandal, Sir Patrick said: “It was really important at all stages that everyone stuck to the rules. It worked when people stuck to them. It is disappointing that that wasn’t the case.”Conservative MPs voted 211 to 148 on Monday in support of Mr Johnson, following a bruising few months in which the prime minister and his government came under scrutiny, not only in relation to the lockdown parties, but also for matters relating to standards in political life and the cost of living crisis.Sir Patrick said the darkest days of the pandemic had been when there was still “huge uncertainty” about the fast-spreading virus, including when the prime minister himself was hospitalised after contracting it.He recalled this as a “difficult” time, adding that, while there are likely to be further waves of infection, the nation should now be better placed to deal with the virus.He said: “The darkest days were in many ways the early days of the pandemic, when obviously lots of people became very ill quite quickly – obviously people in the government fell ill, and the prime minister was very ill, and those were very difficult days.“It was mostly about the uncertainty. We did not know much about the virus. We did not know much about exactly how it spread.“We did not know there were going to be vaccines and treatments. We hoped there would be, and we were trying to work on them, but we just did not know. There was huge uncertainty at that time, and that was most difficult.”Prince William joked with him that it was “second time lucky” as he presented Sir Patrick, who was originally knighted in the 2019 new year honours list, with an upgraded award that makes him a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath – an honour that recognises the work of senior military officials and civil servants.Sir Patrick said the most positive time during the pandemic was when the UK became the first place in the world to approve a vaccine.He said: “It was a real moment where we thought, ‘This is going to be a way out of this,’ even though it was over a year before it was finally a way to getting out of it. It was the thing that changed the course of the pandemic.”Sir Patrick believes that next winter could be a testing time, but said that the NHS leadership is aware of the potential difficulties it could face and is making preparations.He said: “We are in a very different position [now] because of the high degree of vaccination and immunity in the population. We will see, I’m afraid, further waves of infection, maybe next winter.”Sir Patrick believes that an “annual vaccine for people over a certain age” could eventually be introduced, and that the spread of the virus could become “more like a flu wave that we get every winter”.He added: “It will be difficult, because there will be some people who are really affected by it, but the key to this is proper vaccination and proper management in the health service.“Then, gradually, over the next two or three years, I think this could settle into a background infection, but we are not quite there yet.”Sir Patrick praised “the most amazing scientists and experts” who helped to ensure that there was evidence-based commentary during the pandemic at a time when people were dealing with some “horrific” things.He added: “It has been one of those experiences where you realise the importance of other people, humanity, and the goodwill, hard work, passion and expertise. It is nice to feel trusted and I am grateful for that.“What I have tried to do, and what others have tried to do, is to make sure we are as honest and straightforward as possible about how we saw the situation at any given moment in the pandemic, and to be as realistic as possible – both in terms of treatments and vaccines coming along, but also on what the course of the pandemic was.” More

Boris Johnson’s own strategist is concerned the prime minister doesn’t have “enough fight in him” for the next general election, Westminster insiders have told The Independent.David Canzini, deputy chief of staff at No 10, has privately expressed concerns about Mr Johnson’s ability and dedication to fighting a nationwide campaign in the next two years.The prime minister’s future is under intense scrutiny after he scraped through a vote of no confidence on Monday night, with 41 per cent of Tory MPs actively voting for him to go.It is Mr Canzini’s job, having been hired in February this year to help with the fallout of the Partygate scandal, to ensure the Conservative Party wins the next general election.However, sources told The Independent that he is worried Mr Johnson has not understood the scale of the battle on his hands and is too complacent about his prospects of winning a fresh mandate.“It’s going to be blood, sweat and tears trying to secure another Tory majority and David’s concerned that Spads [special advisers] and even the PM himself are failing to realise what a mountain there is to climb,” one insider said.“He’s worried that the PM hasn’t got enough fight in him to get through a campaign. It really takes a toll, it’s gruelling,” they added.Downing Street pushed back against the claims. A No 10 spokesperson said they were “untrue and unsubstantiated”.Mr Canzini cuts a relatively enigmatic figure in Westminster. The low-profile strategist is a close ally of Sir Lynton Crosby, the Australian electoral strategist who many credit with Mr Johnson’s political success. He has expressed disdain for Downing Street leakers, scolding aides when details of his briefings subsequently appear in the press.Insiders suggest Mr Canzini has let some measure of frustration with the prime minister’s “hit and miss” work ethic show in recent weeks.“Holding the party together, let alone securing another victory, is not going to fit around the PM’s lifestyle as it stands, and David’s made his views on that pretty clear,” one No 10 staffer said.They added: “He’s there to make sure there’s another strong Tory prime minister after the next general election, not to save ‘Big Dog’ at any cost.”The staffer said Operation Big Dog, the drive to save the Johnson premiership, had also been caught unawares by the sheer scale and pace of rebellion within the Tory party. The prime minister’s core team had not anticipated the level of discontent laid bare in Monday evening’s vote.There has been criticism from Tory MPs about the lack of communication from the whips over the jubilee weekend as discontent grew. Sir Lynton was understood to have been alongside Mr Johnson this weekend after the prime minister was told about the vote of no confidence on Sunday afternoon.Still, Mr Canzini had made some MPs aware of the problems that could arise from the lack of a clear replacement for Mr Johnson, sources said.Figures such as Lord Frost would be critical to Mr Johnson’s future, one senior Tory MP said. His preference for a smaller, less interventionist state is being tested by rhetoric in favour of tax cuts, but little action on the issue, they added. More