UK Politics

Prime minister Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak have been issued with fixed penalty notice fines by police investigating breaches of Covid law.There were immediate calls for both men to resign from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, who said they were “unfit to govern”.Mr Johnson’s wife Carrie has also been told she will receive an FPN, a spokesperson confirmed.The fines are among at least 30 imposed over the past fortnight and announced today by the Metropolitan Police, bringing the total number of penalties in relation to lockdown-breaching parties in Downing Street and Whitehall to more than 50.And police said they were continuing to assess “significant amounts of investigative material” which could lead to further fines.Mr Johnson is the first UK prime minister to be penalised for breaking the law while serving at 10 Downing Street. News of his fine threatens to undermine the Conservative campaign for local elections across the country on 5 May.There was a notable absence of Tory MPs coming forward to defend the PM in the wake of his fine. Loyalist MP Michael Fabricant said that “when the prime minister told the House he didn’t think he was breaking any law, I don’t think he did think he was breaking any law”, and a number of Mr Johnson’s Tory critics said that it would not be right to remove the PM during the Ukraine crisis. But in the hours after the news broke there were no public statements of support from members of Mr Johnson’s cabinet.Representatives for families who lost loved ones in the Covid pandemic said that there was “no way” that either the PM or Mr Sunak could continue in office.Lobby Akinnola, spokesman for Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice, said it was “unbelievably painful” to think of the PM breaking his own lockdown rules to party at a time when loved ones were dying and relatives were attending funerals limited to a handful of attendees.“The fact that Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak then lied about it, and would have continued to do so if the police hadn’t intervened, is truly shameless,” he said. “They broke the law. But even worse, they took us all for mugs. “When we met the PM in the Downing Street garden – the same one where they had these parties – he looked us in the eyes and said he had done everything he could to save our loved ones. We now know that that was a lie. “There is simply no way either the prime minister or chancellor can continue. Their dishonesty has caused untold hurt to the bereaved.” Confirming the fines, a No 10 spokesperson said: “The prime minister and the chancellor of the Exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan Police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices. We have no further details, but we will update you again when we do.”Sir Keir said: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign.“The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern. Britain deserves better.”No details were released by either the Metropolitan Police or Downing Street over the size of the fines or the events to which they relate.It is believed that Mr Sunak is being punished for his presence at a surprise birthday party for the prime minister on 19 June 2020, which is thought to be the only event which he attended out of the 12 under investigation by the Met’s Operation Hillman.A Treasury source previously said that the chancellor attended the event by accident, having gone to the Cabinet Room in No 10 expecting a Covid strategy meeting.As well as the birthday party, Mr Johnson was present at a “bring your own booze” gathering in the garden of No 10 on 20 May 2020 and took part in a Christmas Zoom quiz on 15 December 2020, when he was photographed flanked by two staff members.It is also thought he may have been present at an “Abba party” held by wife Carrie in their flat above 11 Downing Street to celebrate the departure of former aide Dominic Cummings on 13 November 2020.It is not yet known whether Mr Johnson has been issued with notices relating to multiple events, which could considerably increase the size of the fine. Penalties for Covid breaches were set at £100 at the highpoint of the pandemic, but could be doubled with subsequent offences up to a maximum of £6,400. Attendance at a large gathering could attract a fine of £400 on a first offence and organisers of a large event faced maximum penalties of £10,000.News of Mr Johnson’s fine will reignite demands for him to admit having misled the House of Commons about parties in No 10, which doubles as his workplace and his home.The prime minister told the Commons in December that he had been “repeatedly assured there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken”.And Mr Sunak assured MPs on 21 November 2021: “No, I did not attend any parties.”Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey called for parliament to be recalled from its Easter break for a vote of no confidence in the prime minister.“This is a government in crisis neglecting a country in crisis,” said Sir Ed.But the prospects of an imminent revolt by Tory MPs to oust the PM seemed slight, with arch-critic Sir Roger Gale, who previously submitted a letter of no confidence in Johnson, saying that it would not be right to change leader while war is raging in Ukraine.“I don’t think the PM will lead us into the next election,” said the veteran Conservative MP. “There will come a time the PM will have to face this, but that time is not now.“We are in the middle of an international crisis and I am not prepared to give Vladimir Putin the comfort of thinking that we are about to unseat the prime minister of the United Kingdom and destabilise the coalition against Putin.“This is going to have to wait until we hav dealt with the main crisis which is Ukraine and the Donbas.”Sir Roger was among around a dozen Tory MPs to declare publicly that they had submitted confidence letters at the height of the Partygate scandal in February. Others are believed to have done so privately, but the total never reached the threshold of 54 needed to trigger a vote on Mr Johnson’s leadership, and some letters have been withdrawn following the outbreak of war in Ukraine.Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross, who withdrew his call for the PM to go in the wake of the Russian invasion, said: “In the middle of war in Europe, when Vladimir Putin is committing war crimes and the UK is Ukraine’s biggest ally, as President (Volodymyr) Zelensky said at the weekend, it wouldn’t be right to remove the prime minister at this time.”However, demands for Mr Johnson’s head are likely to be revived when the full report by Whitehall mandarin Sue Gray into the Partygate scandal is published following the completion of the Met inquiry. Tory MP for Broxtowe Darren Henry called for a public apology from Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak, but said he would not make any further statement until after the Gray report. More

Carrie Johnson, the UK prime minister’s wife, is to be fined for Covid lockdown breaches, her spokesperson has said. She will join husband Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the British chancellor, in receiving a fixed penalty notice for breaking the law during the pandemic.It came as police investigate parties in Downing Street and Whitehall during Covid restrictions.The Metropolitan Police said on Tuesday it would be handing out 30 more fines in connection with Operation Hillman, bringing the total number issued to more than 50.On the same day, a spokesperson for the prime minister’s wife said: “In the interests of transparency, Mrs Johnson can confirm she has been notified that she will receive a fixed-penalty notice (FPN).” They added: “She has not yet received any further details about the nature of the FPN.”Also on Tuesday, No 10 confirmed the prime minister and the chancellor had been notified by the Met that they would also be fined. “We have no further details, but we will update you again when we do,” a Downing Street spokesperson said.The announcement has sparked calls for both men to quit government.“Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign,” Sir Keir Starmer, the opposition leader, said.Police have been investigating 12 gatherings at Downing Street and the Cabinet Office after an inquiry found his staff had enjoyed alcohol-fuelled parties.Mr Johnson has admitted his presence at a few of the events, but has always denied knowingly committing any wrongdoing.Some of the gatherings took place when people could not attend funerals or say farewell to loved ones dying in hospital because they were following rules set by Mr Johnson’s government.The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice hit out at the prime minister and chancellor after news broke of their fines for breaching Covid laws. “The fact that the prime minister and his chancellor then lied about it, and would have continued to do so if the police hadn’t intervened, is truly shameless,” a spokesperson for the group said.“They broke the law. But even worse, they took us all for mugs.” More

Tory MP leaves court after being found guilty of sexually assaulting 15-year-old boyBoris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will be fined amid the police probe into lockdown parties at Downing Street.A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices.”The announcement was met with immediate calls for Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak to resign, including from Labour leader Keir Starmer, who said the Conservatives were “totally unfit to govern.”It comes as the Met announced it would issue more than 50 fines for breaches of Covid lockdown rules in Whitehall and Downing Street.It is understood this includes 30 additional referrals for fixed penalty notices on top of the 20 issued in late March.Police said they were still assessing large quantities of “investigative material” that could lead to further fines.Show latest update

1649774235Sturgeon calls on PM and Chancellor to resign after finesNicola Sturgeon said the prime minister “broke the law and repeatedly lied to parliament about it.”She wrote on twitter: “The basic values of integrity and decency – essential to the proper working of any parliamentary democracy – demand that he go.“And he should take his out of touch chancellor with him.”You can read the full story below.Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 15:371649773095Partygate: All the excuses and denials by Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak for law-breaking events“All guidance was followed completely in No 10”, Boris Johnson told the Commons in December after it emerged gatherings had been held during periods of strict Covid curbs the previous Christmas.When senior No 10 aide Allegra Stratton was captured laughing about a “cheese and wine” party in a leaked video, Mr Johnson claimed: “I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken.”It’s since emerged that Boris Johnson attended a number of events.Now, he is going to be fined by the Metropolitan Police.Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 15:181649771973‘They took us all for mugs’: Bereaved families call for Johnson and Sunak to quitBereaved families have called for the prime minister and chancellor to quit, saying the pair “broke the law” and “took us all for mugs”.“If they had any decency they would be gone by tonight,” Lobby Akinnola, spokesman for the Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group.“After everything that’s happened it’s still unbelievably painful to know that the prime minister was partying and breaking his own lockdown rules – while we were unable to be at our loved ones’ sides in their dying moments, or in miserable funerals with only a handful of people – because we were following the rules.”“The fact that the prime minister and his chancellor then lied about it, and would have continued to do so if the police hadn’t intervened, is truly shameless. They broke the law. But even worse, they took us all for mugs.“When we met the PM in the No 10 garden – the same one where they had these parties – he looked us in the eye and said he had done everything he could to save our loved ones. “We now know that that was a lie. There is simply no way either the prime minister or chancellor can continue. “Their dishonesty has caused untold hurt to the bereaved. Not only that, but they have lost all credibility with the wider public, which could cost lives if new variants mean restrictions are needed in the future.”
Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 14:591649770833Sadiq Khan joins calls for Boris Johnson to resignMayor of London Sadiq Khan has joined calls for Boris Johnson to resign. He tweeted: “A Prime Minister who breaks the laws his government makes and then lies about it isn’t fit for office.“Families made huge sacrifices and obeyed the law. Many said their last goodbyes to loved ones on the phone while the prime minister partied.“Boris Johnson must resign.”Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 14:401649770003Carrie Johnson ‘will be issued Partygate fine’The prime minister’s wife will be handed a fixed penalty notice alongside Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the paper says.Her spokeswoman said: “In the interests of transparency, Mrs Johnson can confirm she has been notified that she will receive a Fixed Penalty Notice (FPN). She has not yet received any further details about the nature of the FPN.”You can read the story below.Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 14:261649769609Johnson and Sunak must resign – David LammyShadow foreign secretary David Lammy has joined calls for the PM and the chancellor to step down.“Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak must resign now for breaking the laws they enforced on us all,” he said.Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 14:201649768536Starmer calls for Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak to resignLabour leader Sir Keir Starmer is calling for the prime minister and the chancellor to resign.Sir Keir said: “Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak have broken the law and repeatedly lied to the British public. They must both resign.“The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern. Britain deserves better.”Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 14:021649768313Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak will be fined over PartygatePrime minister Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak will be fined amid the police probe into lockdown parties at Downing Street.A No 10 spokeswoman said: “The prime minister and chancellor of the exchequer have today received notification that the Metropolitan police intend to issue them with fixed penalty notices.“We have no further details, but we will update you again when we do.”Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 13:581649767648PM and Sunak will get Partygate fines, BBC reportsThe prime minister and the chancellor will be fined amid the Partygate investigation, according to the BBC’s deputy political editor Vicki Young.Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 13:471649767458Widespread rule-breaking in Downing St ‘indisputable’ – bereaved familiesIt is “now indisputable” that widespread rule-breaking occurred in and around Downing Street, bereaved families have said, after police investigating allegations of lockdown parties made more than 50 referrals for fines.The Covid-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group repeated calls for the Prime Minister to resign after the Metropolitan Police said at least 30 more fixed penalty notices will be issued.Matt Fowler, co-founder of the group, said it is “plain as day” there was a “culture of boozing and rule-breaching at the highest level of Government” while up and down the country the public made “unimaginable sacrifices” to protect their loved ones.He continued: “The man responsible for that culture is the Prime Minister. The same man that looked bereaved families in the eye last year and told us that he had done ‘everything he could to protect their loved ones’.“If Boris Johnson had any decency he would do the right thing and resign immediately.”Downing Street has said it will confirm if Mr Johnson is handed a fine.You can read the full story below.Laurie Churchman12 April 2022 13:44 More

Boris Johnson and the chancellor are facing calls to resign after being told they will be issued with fines as part of the Metropolitan Police probe into No 10 parties during Covid restrictions.Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said the prime minister and the chancellor had broken the law and “repeatedly lied to the British public” over the scandal, as he insisted: “They must both resign”.“The Conservatives are totally unfit to govern. Britain deserves better,” he added.It comes after a No 10 spokesperson admitted the two most senior members of government had “received notification that the Metropolitan Police intend to issue them with fixed-penalty notices”.“We have no further details, but we will update you again when we do,” they said.The Liberal Democrat leader, Sir Ed Davey, however, said Parliament must be recalled for a no confidence vote in the Mr Johnson.Nicola Sturgeon, the SNP leader and Scotland’s first minister, also called on Mr Johnson to resign, saying: “He broke the law and repeatedly lied to Parliament about it.“The basic values of integrity and decency – essential to the proper working of any parliamentary democracy – demand that he go. And he should take his out of touch chancellor with him.” Lobby Akinnola, a spokesperson for the Covid-19 bereaved families for justice, added: “There is simply no way either the prime minister or Chancellor can continue. Their dishonesty has caused untold hurt to the bereaved. “Not only that, but they have lost all credibility with the wider public, which could cost lives if new variants mean restrictions are needed in the future. If they had any decency they would be gone by tonight.”But Sir Roger Gale, a Conservative MP who has previously called on Mr Johnson to resign over the scandal, said that while the fine was “serious”, now is not the time to “unseat” the prime miniser.He said: “My position remains that the fact that the prime minister has effectively misled the House of Commons is a very serious issue indeed, but we are in the middle of an international crisis and I am not prepared to give Vladimir Putin the comfort of thinking that we are about to unseat the prime minister of the United Kingdom and destabilise the coalition against Putin.”So any reaction to this is going to have to wait until we have dealt with the main crisis which is Ukraine and the Donbas.”Earlier on Tuesday, the force announced 30 additional fines in relation to Operation Hillman, which is investigating breaches of Covid-19 regulations in 12 separate events in government buildings.Police have opted not to name those facing fines, citing traditional practices when dealing with out-of-court matters such as speeding fines, but Downing Street said it would confirm if Mr Johnson was among those being penalised.Scotland Yard said on Tuesday that it had made at least 50 referrals for fixed-penalty notices (FPNs) – up from 20 at the end of March – to ACRO Criminal Records Office, which is responsible for issuing the fines. More

Prime minister Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak have been issued with fixed penalty notice fines by police investigating breaches of Covid law.The Metropolitan Police has announced more than 50 fines for government staff members over law-breaking parties held at Downing Street and Whitehall during the Covid pandemic.Labour has called on both the PM and chancllor to go, saying they are “unfit to govern”. So what exactly have Mr Johnson, his officials and ministers said about social gatherings during the partygate saga?‘All guidance follow’ – Partygate story breaksOn 1 December, Boris Johnson told the Commons “all guidance was followed completely in No 10” after it emerged gatherings had been held during periods of strict Covid curbs the previous Christmas.Labour leader Keir Starmer accused of holding “boozy parties”. Mr Johnson’s press secretary said she didn’t “recognise the reports” of Christmas parties in Downing Street.‘No rules broken’ – Stratton videoSenior No 10 aide Allegra Stratton was captured laughing about a “cheese and wine” party in a leaked video which emerged on 7 December. She later resigned.Mr Johnson apologised “unreservedly” for any offence caused the clip in the Commons, but also claimed: “I have been repeatedly assured since these allegations emerged that there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken.”Sunak’s Christmas party denialMr Sunak was asked by Labour MP Karl Turner on 7 December if “he or any of his officials or spads attended any of the Downing Street Christmas parties on 27 November or 18 December last year?The chancellor replied: “No, I did not attend any parties.”Sobbing Allegra Stratton resigns over No 10 party video‘Work event’Mr Johnson was grilled again in the Commons on 12 January – admitting he did attend an event in the No 10 garden in May 2020 organised by his private secretary Martin Reynolds.The PM said: “I believed implicitly that this was a work event, but with hindsight, I should have sent everyone back inside.” He also referred to the event as “people at work, talking about work”.Mr Johnson also suggested that the event “could be said technically to fall within the guidance”, and said: “No 10 is a big department with a garden as an extension of the office”.He later said: “Nobody told me that what we were doing was against the rules, that the event in question was something – that we were going to do something that wasn’t a work event.”‘Ambushed by cake’In emerged on 25 January that No 10 staff held a birthday party for Mr Johnson. No 10 said “staff gathered briefly in the Cabinet Room” and said the PM “was there for less than 10 minutes”.Conservative MP Conor Burns, Northern Ireland minister, said it was not a “premeditated” party – saying: “He was, in a sense, ambushed with a cake.” The Tory minister later claimed he was told there was no cake.‘Farewell speech’Further reports emerged in January of two leaving drinks parties held at No 10 the night before Prince Philip’s funeral in April 2021. No 10 said James Slack, former comms director, “gave a farewell speech” to thank staff at his leaving event.Furious Labour MP condemns ‘spineless’ ministers for breaching Covid rules‘Didn’t get drunk’ defence?Robert Peston reported in Ferbruary that Mr Johnson’s legal defence would be that he went back to “proper” work immediately after the drinks events he attended under scrutiny by Met police detectives.The ITV host also claimed that “if he can prove that he didn’t get drunk and incapacitated … his legal advisors seem to think there is a chance he can prove said events were simply part of his working day”.Wearing of suits and ‘fluff’ defencesAmong the other defences and excuses offered, cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said it was important to consider whether rules and regulations were “too hard on people.”Rees-Mogg also dismissed concerns over parties as “fluff” and “fundamentally trivial” earlier this month, given the scale of the Ukraine crisis.Asked about a photo showing Downing Street staff having a drink on May 15, 2020, deputy PM Dominic Raab said the fact people were in suits showed it was a business meeting.Foreign secretary Liz Truss said people should simply “move on” after the prime minister apologised for partygate events.Theresa May tells PM he either didn’t understand Covid rules or thought he was exempt‘Do the right thing’Confirmation that No 10 and Whitehall staff broke Covid laws – specifically the Health Protection Regulations – has also raised the question of hypocrisy once again.Matt Hancock, Nadine Dorries and other ministers attacked “selfish” people for not following the lockdown rules to stay at home during the first lockdown months of the pandemic in 2020.It emerged earlier this year that Mr Johnson had written to a seven-year-old girl in March 2020 after she had cancelled her own birthday party because of Covid rules. “Josephine sets a great example to us all,” the PM tweeted at the time.Announcing £800 fines for anyone attending house parties last January, home secretary Priti Patel condemned the “small minority that refuse to do the right thing … If you don’t follow rules then the police will enforce them”. More

The leader of the TUC has announced she will stand down from the post after 10 years at the end of 2022.Frances O’Grady was the Trade Union Congress’s first woman general secretary when she succeeded Brendan Barber at the start of 2013, having served as deputy for the previous decade.She led the organisation through years of austerity, the fight against the Conservative government’s Trade Union Act and the Covid crisis, when the TUC developed proposals which led to chancellor Rishi Sunak’s introduction of the furlough scheme to support workers from being laid off. She was a prominent campaigner for Remain during the 2016 EU referendum.Her successor will be elected at the TUC congress in September, with each affiliated union entitled to nominate a candidate.Announcing her decision to retire, Ms O’Grady, 62, said: “Leading the TUC has been the greatest honour of my life. It has been a privilege to serve the trade union movement.“Unions are a force for good in British society.  I am proud of what we achieved during the pandemic – from securing furlough, to keeping people safe at work, championing equality, and keeping vital services running.“And I’m proud of the work we do every day protecting workers’ jobs, pay, rights and working conditions.“The last decade has been turbulent – with three general elections, two anti-trade union bills, an EU referendum and a pandemic to contend with.“But on every occasion unions have risen to the challenge and fought for working people.”The daughter of a shop steward at the Leyland car plant in Oxford, Ms O’Grady worked for the TGWU union before being appointed TUC campaigns officer in 1994, later launching an organising academy scheme which boosted female union membership.She has served on the Low Pay and High Pay commissions and been a been a member of the Court of the Bank of England since 2019.Her departure comes at a time of growing union membership, with numbers increasing for the last four years in a row by over 300,000 to 6.6 million. More

Recurring traffic gridlock at Dover is damaging the reputation of the UK overseas as well as to the economy, business and logistics chiefs have said.Several days of chaos at the port has been blamed on the suspension of sailings by P&O Ferries – but the failure of Brexit IT system and the burden of new customs checks have also added to the hold-ups.Food producers have warned perishable goods were going bad and losing their value due to the congestion, with some saying delays were costing their business up to £800 per lorry.“We cannot keep seeing this,” said Rod McKenzie, head of policy at the Road Haulage Association (RHA). “It is expensive and damaging for the economy and reputation of the UK. It is time to take decisive action and deal with this long-term problem.”Shane Brennan, chief executive of the Cold Chain Federation, said Britain had developed a “post-Brexit perception problem”.He told the Financial Times: “Businesses that we want to do business with are increasingly seeing us as too much hassle to deal with and that has to change if we are to recover lost ground.”Nick Allen, chief executive of the British Meat Processors Association, said his industry could lose customers if the delays stuck in traffic and clearing checks continued.“Hauliers are reporting that they are struggling to get drivers willing to go to the UK if they are going to get delays getting home again and with the international shortage of drivers they are able to be selective about what jobs they take,” he said.Several issues have converged to cause a perfect storm at Dover. P&O Ferries suspended operations last month after an attempt to replace 800 staff with lower-paid workers led to criminal and civil probes from UK authorities.That loss of capacity was exacerbated by 10 days of technical problems with a government customs website that provides documentation needed since Brexit.The HMRC had “issues” with its new GVMS system for customs declarations needed by hauliers, so drivers lack scannable barcodes needed for the rapid check of lorries for several days.The revenue and customs service said on Tuesday that the system was back to normal after 10 days. “We apologise for any inconvenience caused while we investigated the issue,” HMRC said.Richard Ballantyne, the head of the British Ports Association, said P&O Ferries’ suspension has been the “main cause” of the traffic congestion but conceded it was also partly down to “Brexit scenarios”.Environment minister George Eustice rejected calls for a priority lane for lorries carrying fresh food at the weekend. “The right thing to do is to clear this backlog and get things moving again.”It comes as new data from HMRC shows that the number of UK firms exporting to the EU fell 33 per cent during 2021.“These are really worrying numbers and show the scale of the difficulties UK businesses now face in exporting their products to the EU,” said Michelle Dale of accountancy firm UHY Hacker Young.Last month The Independent revealed that the government is exploring a delay to new controls on imports set to come in July 2022 because of growing alarm over the cost of living crisis.Logistics chiefs and local politicians have warned that road congestion in Kent will get worse when further checks come into force in July and September.The government has asked National Highways to identify new sites for lorries, but ministers have not yet committed to building an extra park.Meanwhile, one British farmer in Staffordshire said 500 tonnes of beetroot was being left to rot because of a collapse in demand after Brexit.“I’ve been trying to get rid of it left, right and centre, trying food schemes and various things,” Will Woodhall told the BBC. “But haulage is an issue and no one wants to pay for it.” More

Conservative MP Crispin Blunt has apologised for criticising the conviction of his fellow MP Imran Ahmad Khan for sexually assaulting a teenage boy.The former Tory minister said he had “decided to retract my statement” defending Khan after the Wakefield MP was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.Mr Blunt added: “I am sorry that my defence of him has been a cause of significant upset and concern, not least to victims of sexual offences. It was not my intention to do this.”He also resigned as chair of the all-party parliamentary group (APPG) on Global LGBT+ Rights. “To be clear I do not condone any form of abuse and I strongly believe in the independence and integrity of the justice system,” he added.The MP has also removed a post from his website in which he had claimed that Khan was the victim of a “dreadful miscarriage of justice” – where he had also referred to the verdict as “an international scandal”.Khan was thrown out of the Tory party following the verdict, and Mr Blunt had come under huge pressure from top Conservatives at the party’s HQ to withdraw his statement.Shortly before the Reigate MP deleted his statement on Tuesday, a senior Tory source said his views were “wholly unacceptable” and “we expect the statement to be retracted first thing this morning”.Apparently unimpressed by his apology, the LGBT+ Conservatives group said it had suspended Mr Blunt as a patron, pending an investigation and vote by the membership.“Regardless of whether comments have now be retracted, Crispin Blunt’s statement yesterday was inappropriate, misjudged and in the present circumstances we do not feel it is appropriate for Crispin to remain one of our patrons,” the group said in a statement.Labour has condemned Mr Blunt’s “disgraceful” defence of Khan. Senior Labour MP Chris Byrant said the Conservatives should launch an investigation and withdraw the whip from Mr Blunt in the meantime.“The Conservative party need to do a proper investigation into what on earth Crispin thought he was doing,” he told Sky News. “It undermines parliament … when a lawmaker decides that a court of law has behaved completely inappropriately.”Asked on Times Radio whether Mr Blunt’s apology draws a line under the matter, Mr Bryant said: “I don’t think so,” adding that he had demonstrated “a complete lack of judgement”.The Labour MP added: “This is a series of cases that we’ve had, where Conservative MPs have suddenly leapt to the defence of their colleague, and the victim has rather been left out in the cold. It was true in the Charlie Elphicke case … And it’s true in this case again.”Anneliese Dodds, Labour chair, called on Boris Johnson and Tory chair Oliver Dowden to “take action” against the former minister.Prior to his resignation as chair, members of the APPG on Global LGBT+ Rights – including Mr Bryant and the SNP’s Stewart McDonald and Joanna Cherry – had said they were quitting the cross-party body.Responding to his apology, the APPG said members had been “shocked” the comments made by Mr Blunt in a personal capacity, and explained that an “extraordinary general meeting” will be held soon to elect a new chair. A jury at Southwark Crown Court took about five hours to decide Khan, 48, was guilty of sexually assaulting a teenage boy, who is now 29, in 2008.The court heard how Khan forced the then-teenager to drink gin and tonic, dragged him upstairs, pushed him on to a bed and asked him to watch pornography before the attack at a house in Staffordshire in January 2008.However, in the now-retracted statement published on his website on Monday, Mr Blunt claimed that the jury’s decision in Khan’s case was “nothing short of an international scandal”.Mr Blunt, who came out as gay in 2010, had also claimed that the case “relied on lazy tropes about LGBT+ people” and argued the result had “dreadful wider implications” for LGBT+ Muslims “around the world”.He and fellow Tory MP Sir Peter Bottomley, the father of the Commons, attended court on Monday, while a third Conservative MP, Adam Holloway, earlier provided a character statement used as part of Khan’s defence case.Asked about comments made by Mr Blunt – and if the government distanced itself from them – defence minister James Heappey replied: “Yes … it’s not something the government associates itself with.”The minister told Sky News on Tuesday: “In a court of law yesterday Mr Khan was found guilty and I think every one of us who believes in the judicial system and the rule of law has to respect that judgment.”Mr Heappey also said there were now “mechanisms” through which Khan can be removed from his seat and a by-election forced – referring to recall petitions.He added: “The way that parliament works is that you are elected as an individual, so his seat in the House of Commons is his until he personally chooses to vacate it.”A Conservative spokesperson said: “A jury of Mr Khan’s peers has found him guilty of a criminal offence. We completely reject any allegations of impropriety against our independent judiciary, the jury or Mr Khan’s victim.”Khan’s legal team said he plans to appeal against the conviction.Mr Bryant said: “I think if I were in his position, I would resign my seat, and not wait for everybody to wait for the appeal. He can fight his appeal outside parliament if he wants to. But I don’t think he’ll ever be able to return to representing his constituents properly.” More