UK Politics

Boris Johnson receives legal questionnaire over partygate from policeFormer health secretary Matt Hancock did not comply with a public sector equality duty when appointing Conservative peer Baroness Dido Harding and Mike Coupe to posts in 2020.Lord Justice Singh and Mr Justice Swift granted a declaration to the Runnymede Trust on Tuesday after considering arguments at a High Court hearing in December.Campaign group the Good Law Project joined the trust in making complaints – arguing that the Government had not adopted an “open” process when making appointments to posts “critical to the pandemic response” – but their claim was dismissed.Meanwhile, Boris Johnson is expected to deny any wrongdoing in relation to the partygate scandal and argue that his presence at the No10 gatherings during lockdown was part of his working day.The prime minister has until Friday to answer a questionnaire sent by Met Police who are investigating parties in Downing Street while the country was under strict Covid curbs.Elsewhere, Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden has denounced what he claimed was a “painful woke psychodrama” sweeping the West as he gave a speech on so-called “cancel culture” hosted by a right-wing think tank.Follow live updates belowShow latest update

1644936024Boris Johnson says Russian troops near Ukraine border is ‘not encouraging’Joe Middleton15 February 2022 14:401644935360Influential Tory MP warns of ‘lies’ over Russian withdrawalPeople should not pretend “we can believe anything that is coming out of Moscow”, the Tory chair of the Commons foreign affairs committee has said.Asked on BBC Radio 4’s World At One programme whether he thinks a de-escalation is possible, Tom Tugendhat said: “Well, I think it’s far too early to tell … Don’t forget he’s announced the withdrawal of 10,000 troops just before Christmas. “None of them went anywhere. And the build-up continued so, you know, let’s not pretend that we can believe anything that’s coming out of Moscow. They have lied and lied and lied, and surprisingly, are continuing to lie.”Mr Tugendhat also suggested people should be “cautious” when listening to the Russian Foreign Ministry, saying: “It’s basically an irrelevance today, it ceased to have the importance that it did in the Soviet period, and is now simply the barking dog outside a house of a Mafia don.“In that sense, it’s just there to make a noise. If it ever shuts up, it’ll be cut loose, but nobody really cares what it says, least of all the Kremlin.”Andy Gregory15 February 2022 14:291644934067PM and Scottish Tories in ‘absurd’ position, says SNPKirsten Oswald MP, the SNP’s deputy Westminster leader has said it is “utterly absurd that Boris Johnson and Douglas Ross believe that they can both remain in office”, Adam Forrest reports.It follows Mr Johnson’s claim that “of course” both he and Mr Ross can lead the Tories into the next election – despite the Scottish Conservatives leader’s call for him to resign.“How can Ross and the Scottish Tories possibly fight an election under a leader they think is unfit for office and should resign,” said Ms Oswald.Ms Oswald added: “If Boris Johnson refuses to do the right thing and resign, then people will rightly question if they can take Douglas Ross seriously if he continues to limp on.”Andy Gregory15 February 2022 14:071644933065Tory MP claims she criticised Boris Johnson for damaging UK’s reputation by ‘mistake’Joy Morrissey, the Conservative MP who was appointed to be Boris Johnson’s parliamentary private secretary in last week’s reshuffle, has said she wrote a letter criticising him for damaging the UK’s international reputation “in error”.The MP had argued in a letter to a concerned constituent that the government’s cuts to international aid were “a mere drop in ocean compared with what the government is currently borrowing, and will do little to alleviate the current domestic economic crisis” but will “have a massive impact on the world’s most vulnerable people”.When approached about the letter, in which she she says the cuts send “completely the wrong message”, Ms Morrissey initially told the Daily Mail that it was a fake – before U-turning and admitting to writing the missive, but insisting it had been sent by “mistake”.Our policy correspondent Jon Stone has the full report here:Andy Gregory15 February 2022 13:511644932027New laws to tackle ‘dirty money’ will be brought forward, Boris Johnson saysThe government’s Economic Crime Bill will be brought forward in the next Queen’s speech, Boris Johnson has said in the wake of today’s Cobra meeting on the Russia-Ukraine crisis.Asked about reported concerns from some of his Conservative colleagues that the government has not done enough to stop the flow of dirty money into the UK, he said: “I don’t think that it’s fair to say the UK hasn’t done a huge amount on dirty money, whether it’s from Russia or anywhere else.”He added: “What we want to do is strengthen now the package that we have, strengthen the measures we have against potential ill-gotten Russian money, whether here or anywhere for … which we have responsibility with new measures that will hit the companies and concerns that I’ve talked about.“But also open up the Matryoshka doll, if you like – you know what I’m talking about  – so that we see … who really owns the companies that we’re talking about, who really owns the properties that we’re talking about, and those measures, yes, we will be bringing forward from the Economic Crime Bill.”Andy Gregory15 February 2022 13:331644931150Exclusive: Delay in toughening up air pollution laws ‘costing lives’, government warnedIt is nine months and counting since a coroner said the UK needed to toughen up limits on air pollution to prevent deaths such as nine-year-old Ella Kissi-Debrah’s in the future.The government is yet to do this – and this delay “will cost lives”, her mother told The Independent.Rosamund Kissi-Debrah accused the government of kicking the issue “into the long grass” by promising to launch a consultation – that has not yet opened – on new legal targets for an air pollutant instead.Ella, who lived in Lewisham in south London, died exactly nine years ago from an asthma attack. In 2020, a coroner ruled exposure to air pollution contributed to this, making her the first person in the UK to have this listed as a cause of death.My colleague Zoe Tidman has the full, exclusive report here:Andy Gregory15 February 2022 13:191644930525Boris Johnson warns of ‘mixed signals’ from RussiaFollowing today’s Cobra meeting, Boris Johnson has described “mixed signals” over the crisis at Ukraine’s border with Russia.After US and UK officials said they feared Vladimir Putin could invade Ukraine this week, the Kremlin claimed that it was pulling some troops away from the border.Mr Johnson said: “Last night going into today, clearly there are signs of a diplomatic opening.”But he added that the “intelligence that we are seeing today is still not encouraging”, with Russian field hospitals being built close to Belarus’s border with Ukraine.That could only be “construed as preparation for an invasion”, the PM said, adding that – despite Russia’s claims about troop withdrawals – “you have got more battalion tactical groups being brought closer to the border”.“We think they have a huge preparation ready to go virtually at any moment,” Mr Johnson said. “130,000 troops or more, a huge number of battalions – more than 90 battalions, tactical groups – and they are stationed around the Ukrainian border.”“So, mixed signals, I think, at the moment,” Mr Johnson said.Andy Gregory15 February 2022 13:081644929684Labour’s deputy leader has shared the letter she has written to the Cabinet Office and the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments regarding Boris Johnson’s newly-appointed No 10 spin doctor, Guto Harri – after it was alleged that he lobbied the government for controversial Chinese tech firm Huawei.Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has more details on Mr Harri’s alleged work for the consultancy firm Hawthorn Advisers, here:Andy Gregory15 February 2022 12:541644929049Stormont cannot introduce three-year budget due to Brexit crisis, minister announcesThe power-sharing crisis at Stormont – sparked by discontent over the Brexit trade deal – means that a draft three-year budget for Northern Ireland cannot be introduced, the finance minister has announced. After seeking legal advice from the attorney general on whether he could bring the draft budget for 2022 to 2025 to the Assembly despite ministers having not signed off on it, Conor Murphy announced that single-year budget for 2022/23 could also not be set, with departments instead forced to operate on emergency funding arrangements until the impasse is resolved.The spending plan had been out for public consultation when the DUP withdrew first minister Paul Givan from the administration as part of its protest against the Northern Ireland Protocol.The draft budget had proposed a 10 per cent increase in health spending in Northern Ireland, with £21bn earmarked for services over the next three years.Andy Gregory15 February 2022 12:441644927164PM: Of course I can still lead the Tories in the next general electionBoris Johnson has insisted that “of course” he can lead the Tories in the next general election, despite ongoing questions over his leadership linked to lockdown parties in Downing Street.Revelations about events in Downing Street during coronavirus lockdowns have resulted in Scottish Tory leader, Douglas Ross, calling for the Prime Minister to quit, claiming his position is no longer tenable.But Mr Johnson, who did not meet with the Scottish Conservative leader on a trip north of the border on Monday, insisted Mr Ross was doing a “very good job”.And he insisted they could both still be in post as party leaders at the next general election – despite Mr Ross’s demands for him to go.Asked whether he believed they will both lead the Conservatives into the next general election, Mr Johnson said: “Of course.”His comments came as he again made clear his view that Scottish independence is “just not going to happen”.The Prime Minister told the Daily Mail newspaper that over the course of the Covid pandemic, “Scotland and the whole of the UK has benefited massively from the might of the UK Exchequer”, highlighting the impact of schemes such as furlough.He declared: “I think most people could see that it would be an economic disaster to split up our country. That is why it is just not going to happen.”Joe Middleton15 February 2022 12:12 More

Former health secretary Matt Hancock broke equality law when appointing Conservative peer Dido Harding to an emergency health job during the Covid crisis, the High Court has ruled.Judges ruled that then-health secretary Matt Hancock failed to comply with public sector equality duty in the process of appointing Baroness Harding and her ex-Sainsbury colleague Mike Coupe to senior posts in 2020.It marks a victory for the Runnymede Trust following the think tank’s legal battle over appointments – having argued that the jobs were handed out without fair competition.Dr Halima Begum, head of the Runnymede Trust, said it showed the importance of equality law in protecting people “from the closed shop of government appointments”.She added: “Across the country, there are countless talented and well qualified public health specialists and administrators who could have successfully fulfilled the roles handed to Baroness Harding and Mr Coupe.”Two judges ruled that Mr Hancock broke the law by appointing Baroness Harding as chair of the National Institute for Health Protection (NIHP) and Mr Coupe as director of testing at Test and Trace.The High court declared that the ex-health secretary “did not comply with the public sector equality duty in relation to the decisions how to appoint” the two senior officials.The judgement added: “There is no evidence from anyone saying exactly what was done to comply with the public sector equality duty when decisions were taken on how each appointment was to be made.”Lawyers representing Runnymede and the campaign group the Good Law Project suggested that people “outside the tight circle” in which senior Conservatives and their friends moved were not being given opportunities.The legal team argued in court that people “less likely to be known or connected to decision-makers” were at a disadvantage. However, the judges dismissed a claim by the Good Law Project that the government did not adopt an “open” process when making appointments.They found that “the evidence provides no support” for the legal group’s claim that Baroness Harding and Mr Coupe won their appointments due to “personal or political connections with the decision-maker”.The ruling stated: “Baroness Harding had previous relevant experience of senior positions in large retail businesses and in the NHS. Mr Coupe had vast experience of managing complex public-facing organisations.”A spokesperson for Mr Hancock said he was “delighted” that the Good Law Project’s claims of bias on the basis of personal or political connections “have been quashed and thrown out by the High Court”.He said: “What the judgement does make clear is that ‘the claim brought by Good Law Project fails in its entirety’, therefore highlighting the fact this group continues to waste the court’s time.”Mr Hancock’s spokesperson also pointed to the court judgment stating these were “urgent recruitment processes which needed to find highly specialised, experienced and available candidates within a short space of time”.He added: “Let’s not forget, we were dealing with an unprecedented global pandemic, where time was of the essence in order to protect and save lives.”Describing the judgement as a “landmark verdict”, Good Law Project director Jo Maugham said it should change the way the government recruits for top jobs. “Change doesn’t happen, things don’t get better for those who are disadvantaged, unless those in power care,” he said.Mr Maugham added: “That means making sure they ask themselves: ‘How do I level society up for the disabled and ethnic minorities?’ And it means taking the time to find the best people – not the best connected people – for the job.”Angela Rayner MP, Labour’s deputy leader, said it showed why the public inquiry into Covid should begin immediately “to uncover exactly how this government made decisions in a national emergency”.She added: “Boris Johnson and his cabinet seem to find themselves on the wrong side of the law time after time … This time they have failed in their duties to those from disabled and Black, Asian and minority ethnic communities.”The Independent has contacted the Department of Health and Social Care for comment. More

The chair of the Conservative party provided a speech at a think-tank that is funded by tobacco companies and the fossil fuel industry, it has emerged.Oliver Dowden used the speech to complain that “a social media mob can cancel you” and blasted a “painful woke psychodrama” that he claimed was afflicting the UK.He made the comments in a speech at the Heritage Foundation – a notorious US think-tank that has spent years denying the scientific consensus on climate change and lobbying against action on smoking.Coincidentally, the organisation has also repeatedly accepted millions of dollars in funding from the two controversial industries. Mr Dowden was accused of “legitimising” the think-tank and was told by opposition parties that he “should be more careful of the company he keeps”.The Heritage foundation accepted donations from cigarette maker Altria, owner of Philip Morris, in at least 2012, 2013, 2014 and 2016, according to an investigation by the Guardian newspaper in 2019.It has repeatedly lobbied against raising taxes on cigarettes in the US, including in 2007 opposing a tax rise on tobacco to fund children’s healthcare.The organisation has also lobbied to stop action against the climate emergency, and is described as a “climate denial front” by the organisation Greenpeace.Between 1997 and 2017 the organisation accepted $6.1 million (£4.5 million) from Koch foundations, drawn from the oil fortune in the Koch family. The website ExxonSecrets also says the think-tank has received at least $780,000 from ExxonMobil since 1998. It has lobbied vigorously in favour of new oil pipelines and issued studies claiming that climate change will not damage the US economy. In 2010 the organisation arguably helped delay climate action in the US by misrepresenting the Royal Society’s view of climate change, which is claimed had “significantly softened” when this was not the case.And it senior staff have argued that “global warming is clearly not a crisis and should not be addressed as one”. It also maintains a database of “experts” that includes climate deniers.The Heritage Foundation says that “total corporate support of Heritage is less than five percent of total operating contributions”. However much financial support in the US is channeled through “foundations”, meaning this figure could be misleading.Wera Hobhouse, the Liberal Democrats’ environment spokesperson, told The Independent: “By speaking at this event Oliver Dowden is legitimising the Heritage Foundation and seemingly backing their dangerous view that climate change is not real. “As a senior Cabinet Member who is already facing questions over his close links to Tory donors, he should be more careful of the company he keeps.“Climate change is real and is the biggest threat facing humanity, yet this Conservative Government is too entangled with oil and gas barons to deliver the decisive action we need.”Mr Dowden has previously been criticised for being too close to Tory donors. Last year he endorsed a telecoms firm that gave £21,500 to Conservative MPs, giving a speech for the firm at the launch at one of his products. He was at the time culture secretary and responsible for regulating the industry.He gave his latest speech attacking “cancel culture” during a visit to the US capital Washington DC, where he met with other right-wing groups. His speech was at the Heritage foundation’s DC headquarters and was billed as being about a “threat to democracy”, with the headline: “defeating cancel culture by defending the values of the free world”.In it he said that a west that was “confident in its values” should not be “obsessing over pronouns or indeed seeking to decolonise mathematics” –apparently mocking the concerns of trans rights campaigners. More

British foreign secretary Liz Truss has said Russia must commit to a “full-scale removal” of troops from the Ukrainian border before the west can be assured that the prospect of an invasion is off.Hopes of a diplomatic path out of the crisis rose after Russia’s defence ministry announced on Tuesday morning that some troops taking part in military exercises would return to their bases.But Ms Truss stressed the threat of an invasion remained, as she insisted on a complete withdrawal order to believe the Russians when they say they have no plans to invade Ukraine.Asked about reports by the Interfax news agency about the pull-out of some Russian troops, Ms Truss told LBC: “I haven’t seen the reports that you’re referring to.”She added: “The Russians have claimed that they have no plans for an invasion, but we will need to see a full-scale removal of troops to show that is true.”Ms Truss said the latest UK intelligence still suggests “that an invasion is imminent, that it’s highly likely, and that we’ve seen 100,000 troops stationed around the border”.When pressed further on the reports of a partial withdrawal, Ms Truss added: “I would need to see more details to understand if that has any major implications.”Asked about the reliability of Russian claims during the crisis, the foreign secretary said: “What we are hearing from them, in terms of the rhetoric, is very different from what they are actually doing … I do not trust what they have said.”Ukrainian foreign minister Dmytro Kuleba also called on Moscow to pull back all of its remaining troops from the border. “We have a rule – don’t believe what you hear, believe what you see. When we see a withdrawal, we will believe in a de-escalation.”Earlier on Tuesday, Ms Truss said an invasion remained “highly likely”, as she shared fears that “we could be on the brink of a war in Europe”.A Downing Street source said there was “some hope” that diplomacy could work and president Vladimir Putin could step back, but the government is still waiting to assess the scale of the reported Russian withdrawal.Tory MP Bob Seely, a member of the foreign affairs select committee, said reports of Russian troop withdrawals should not be seen as “the end of the story” – warning that Moscow could “redeploy more at short notice”.The senior backbencher said Mr Putin had “already taken victories from the crisis”, including having more troops stationed in Belarus.Boris Johnson and US president Joe Biden stressed on Monday evening there remains “a crucial window for democracy” as they maintained there is still time for a diplomatic solution to the crisis following a call on Monday evening.The prime minister is to chair Tuesday’s Cobra meeting at No 10, after receiving a briefing on the latest intelligence from the UK’s spy chiefs.Meanwhile, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borell said the bloc was ready to discuss Russia’s security concerns. “In order to fulfil the concerns of everybody, the only way is speaking on the table and discuss,” he told BBC Radio 4.Mr Borrell, criticised for his cautious approach to the crisis, also warned Moscow: “If there is a war between Russia and Ukraine, Nord Stream 2 would not become operational.” More

Conservative Party chairman Oliver Dowden has attacked the “decadent” ideology of woke culture – claiming it is putting the west in danger.In a speech to a right-wing US think tank, the Tory cabinet minister said woke ideas were a “dangerous form of decadence” at a time when “our attention should be focused on external foes”.Decrying that woke ideology was now “everywhere”, Mr Dowden said a west confident in its values would not be “obsessing over pronouns or indeed seeking to decolonise mathematics”.Mr Dowden told the Heritage Foundation in Washington: “Rogue states are seeking to challenge the international order. And at the precise point when our resolve ought to be strongest, a pernicious new ideology is sweeping our societies.”He added: “It goes by many names. In Britain, its adherents sometimes describe themselves as ‘social justice warriors’. They claim to be woke, awakened to the so-called truths of our societies. But wherever they are found, they pursue a common policy inimical to freedom.”The senior minister, appointed Tory chair by Boris Johnson last year, claimed that the dangerous ideology had swept through universities, schools, government bodies, and corporations on both sides of the Atlantic.“I tell you, it is a dangerous form of decadence. Just when our attention should be focused on external foes, we seem to have entered this period of extreme introspection and self-criticism,” he told his US audience.Attacking the “new group think”, Mr Dowden added: “Neither of us can afford the luxury of indulging in this painful woke psychodrama.“Too many people have already fallen for the dismal argument that standing up for freedom is reactionary or that somehow it’s kind or virtuous to submit to these self-righteous dogmas. Well, it plainly is not.”Senior Labour MP Chris Bryant said Mr Dowden’s speech was both “vacuous” and “dangerous”, adding: “It implies we should all just tug the forelock to authoritarian views of the world.”Former Brexit minister Lord Frost said last month that Mr Johnson should clear out the “woke crowd” and “neo-socialists” at No 10 if he wants to cling on to power.The Tory peer, who quit government at the end of last year, said he agreed “the neo-socialists, green fanatics and pro-woke crowd” should be “exiting immediately”.Mr Johnson’s policy chief Munira Mirza – said to be central to the government’s attempt to create a dividing line over woke culture – quit earlier this month over the prime minister’s Jimmy Savile smear attack.In her resignation letter, Ms Mirza said it was “desperately sad” the prime minister had let himself down with a “scurrilous” and false accusation that Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had failed to prosecute Savile while he was director of public prosecutions in 2009. More

A Russian invasion of Ukraine remains highly likely, British foreign secretary Liz Truss has warned, as she shared fears that “we could be on the brink of a war in Europe”.Boris Johnson and US president Joe Biden stressed on Monday evening there remains “a crucial window for democracy” as they maintained there is still time for a diplomatic solution to the crisis.However, Ms Truss offered a downbeat assessment on Tuesday. The senior cabinet minister said the risk of “immediate” attack remains “very high”, and warned that Russian troops could advance soon on Kyiv.When asked how quickly Russian forces could move on the Ukrainian capital, Ms Truss told Sky News: “Very, very quickly. They have troops stationed around Ukraine. So, there could be an attack on Kyiv. There could be an attack from the east.”Ms Truss said: “It’s still the case that an invasion could be imminent and it is highly likely. What we are doing is pursuing the path of deterrence and diplomacy, urging Vladimir Putin to step back from the brink.”The foreign secretary noted Russian president Vladimir Putin could still “change his mind”, adding: “We know or we believe that Vladimir Putin has not yet made a decision about whether to invade Ukraine.”But she said war remained “highly likely”, warning: “This could be a long, protracted war, which would, of course, create huge damage for both the people of Ukraine and the people of Russia as well as threatening European security.”At a made-for-television meeting with Mr Putin, foreign minister Sergey Lavrov hinted that Russia was ready to keep talking about the security grievances that have led to the crisis.Mr Lavrov said possibilities for talks “are far from being exhausted” – noting that Washington has offered to discuss limits for missile deployments in Europe, restrictions on military drills and other confidence-building measures.Moscow ultimately wants guarantees that Nato will not allow Ukraine to join as members.But Ms Truss voiced scepticism about the latest Russian rhetoric. “I’m afraid that in the past we’ve seen Russia claim that things aren’t going to happen – then we saw the illegal annexation of Crimea.”The foreign secretary echoed politicians in the US who have warned that a so-called “false flag” operation which could be used by Moscow to trigger a conflict.She also said that Russian aggression might “not stop at Ukraine” – warning that the Kremlin could do the same with other countries in eastern Europe.Ms Truss acknowledged that a war in Ukraine “would have a very damaging impact on oil and gas prices across Europe”, telling BBC Breakfast: “This is why we need to reduce dependence on Russian gas, find alternative sources.”The foreign secretary also revealed that some UK embassy staff had been moved to Lviv in the west of Ukraine, but there is still a British “presence” in Kyiv as it is “important that we are supporting British citizens” in the country.In a call on Monday evening, Mr Johnson and Mr Biden agreed western allies should stay “united in the face of Russian threats”, and will keep in close contact as the situation developsMr Johnson had pointed to warnings from the US that Russia could invade imminently, but also said there is still time for Russia to step back from the “edge of a precipice”.The prime minister cut short a planned overnight stay in Cumbria on Monday, instead returning to No 10 to chair Tuesday’s Cobra meeting, after receiving a briefing on the latest intelligence from the UK’s spy chiefs. More

John Bercow has branded Boris Johnson a “narcissist” in a blistering attack in which he accused him of being “responsible for a catalogue of failures”. The former Speaker of the House of Commons said that it is time that he quit as prime minister and “beetled off into the distance”.Mr Bercow, a staunch supporter of the European Union, was a Tory MP for Buckingham before he defected to Labour last year. He appeared on Sky News’ The Great Debate on Monday evening and told host Trevor Phillips that Mr Johnson is “ritually dishonest”. Mr Bercow said: “Never has a prime minister wielded so much power, made so little effective use of it and been and been seen to be in quite such an indecent haste to blow his own trumpet. “I’ve been aware of 12 prime ministers in my lifetime, by a country mile Boris Johnson is the worst.“He is a narcissist, he doesn’t do the detail, he’s ritually dishonest – having a nodding acquaintance with the truth at best only in a leap year. “He is responsible for a catalogue of failures, he is the most inarticulate public speaker and prime minister I have ever known, he has no redeeming virtues, he has stayed there far too long. “It is time that he gave up office and beetled off into the distance, which would be an enormous relief – not just to this country and to the European continent, but to the world.”Mr Bercow then jokes: “And one of these days, Trevor, I’ll try to tell you what I really think.”Last month on his podcast Absolute Power, he called on Mr Johnson to resign, and blasted him as “shameless” and “totally narcissistic”.Mr Bercow criticised Mr Johnson over the ‘Partygate’ scandal after it was revealed that events were held in a number of government buildings while strict coronavirus lockdown rules were in force – 12 of which are being investigated by police. Mr Bercow said that the prime minister’s apology in parliament after it was reported that he attended a Downing Street garden party, and insisting he believed it was a work event, was “absolutely dreadful”.Before he stood down as Speaker and Buckingham MP in 2019, the pair often locked horns over the Withdrawal Agreement’s passage through the Commons ahead of Britain’s departure from the EU in 2020.Mr Bercow has been embroiled in his own scandal involving allegations that he bullied a number of Commons staff, which he was found guilty of by an inquiry that he denounced in January as a “kangaroo court”. More