UK Politics

Boris Johnson’s leadership has been plunged deeper into crisis by the resignation of four top aides within a few hours – including an ally of 14 years who quit in protest at his “scurrilous” smear linking Sir Keir Starmer with the paedophile Jimmy Savile.In a scathing resignation letter, policy chief Munira Mirza said there was “no fair or reasonable basis” for Monday’s attack and made clear that Mr Johnson had resisted pleas from advisers to apologise.The chancellor, Rishi Sunak – tipped as Mr Johnson’s most likely successor if he is forced from office – distanced himself from the PM, telling reporters: “Being honest, I wouldn’t have said it.”And Mr Johnson’s former chief aide turned bitter enemy Dominic Cummings gleefully declared Ms Mirza’s departure “an unmistakeable signal the bunker is collapsing and this PM is finished”.Just three hours after Ms Mirza’s bombshell letter dropped, the Downing Street director of communications, Jack Doyle, announced to No 10 staff that he too was leaving.Mr Doyle – who had been named in the “partygate” scandal for handing out awards at a 2020 Christmas drinks event in No 10 – insisted his departure was not linked to Ms Mirza’s walkout, saying it had always been his plan to go at this point and recent weeks had taken “a terrible toll” on his family life.One Downing Street staffer told The Independent: “I think he’d wanted to leave for some time and he had been under huge pressure. He didn’t get everything right, but he tried his best for the PM.”Soon afterwards, more resignations were announced – this time involving Mr Johnson’s principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, who penned the email inviting No 10 staff to a “bring your own booze” party during lockdown, and the prime minister’s chief of staff, Dan Rosenfield.Unlike Ms Mirza’s, these resignations appeared to be part of a planned clearout of senior Downing Street staff designed to help Johnson avoid personal blame for the string of 12 allegedly lockdown-breaching social events currently being investigated by the Metropolitan Police. Both will remain in their roles until successors are appointed.Many Tory MPs have made a shake-up of senior personnel at No 10 a key demand if they are to hold back from ousting Mr Johnson in a vote of no confidence. In his partygate apology earlier this week, he promised to reshape the operation as an Office of the Prime Minister under a civil service permanent secretary.The insider said the atmosphere at No 10 had been “agonising” as officials wait for the outcome of the police investigation into 12 allegedly lockdown-breaching parties as well as the publication of the full Sue Gray report.“The atmosphere is terrible,” said the staffer. “And several people have been horrified by the Savile comment and the failure to apologise. I wouldn’t be surprised if there are more resignations soon. People are exhausted.”The walkouts came on a fraught day for Mr Johnson’s administration, with power-sharing arrangements in Northern Ireland threatened by the resignation of the DUP first minister, Paul Givan, in protest over the impact of the protocol negotiated by the PM as part of his Brexit deal.And the cost-of-living crisis facing millions of families across the UK was brought starkly home by a £693-a-year hike in the cap on domestic energy bills, forcing Mr Sunak to offer a package of assistance worth up to £350.It is understood that advisers urged Mr Johnson not to make the claim in the House of Commons debate on Monday that Sir Keir, when he was the director of public prosecutions, “spent more time prosecuting journalists and failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile, as far as I can see”.It was seen as a classic “dead cat” move of the type deployed repeatedly by Mr Johnson in order to distract attention away from his own difficulties.But it horrified many Tory MPs, and was branded “disgraceful” and “Trumpian” by the former home secretary Amber Rudd.After standing by the unfounded allegation in a newspaper interview and at prime minister’s questions in the Commons – when Starmer accused him of “parroting the conspiracy theories of violent fascists” – Mr Johnson finally backed down on Thursday, telling reporters: “I totally understand that he had nothing to do personally with those decisions.”But Ms Mirza’s letter made clear that aides had urged him to go much further and apologise to the Labour leader, who was cleared of any responsibility for decisions relating to Savile in an official QC-led report more than a decade ago.In her resignation letter, obtained by The Spectator magazine, she condemned the PM’s “inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse”.“I believe it was wrong for you to imply this week that Keir Starmer was personally responsible for allowing Jimmy Savile to escape justice,” she said.“There was no fair or reasonable basis for that assertion. This was not the usual cut and thrust of politics.”And she added: “You tried to clarify your position today but, despite my urging, you did not apologise for the misleading impression you gave.“You are a better man than many of your detractors will ever understand which is why it is so desperately sad that you let yourself down by making a scurrilous accusation against the leader of the opposition.”Confronted with Ms Mirza’s comments in an interview with 5News during a trip to the northwest to publicise his “levelling up” strategy, Mr Johnson said: “I don’t agree with that.” He again refused to apologise.Mr Sunak found himself assailed by questions about the Savile slur at a Downing Street press conference to promote his assistance for families hit by soaring energy bills.“Being honest, I wouldn’t have said it, and I’m glad the prime minister clarified what he meant,” said the chancellor.But he insisted he continues to back the PM, saying: “He has my support and I’m glad that he is doing what he is doing.”Sunak’s deputy at the Treasury, chief secretary Simon Clarke, came to the PM’s defence, telling BBC2’s Newsnight: “I have the highest regard for the chancellor … but it is my view that it was a perfectly reasonable remark for the PM to have made.”But Mr Clarke did not attempt to hide the stress recent events were inflicting within government, telling Channel 4 News: “I think the last days of Rome were more fun.” However, the Tory mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, refused to give Mr Johnson his backing over the partygate scandal.He told the Birmingham Post: “What he’s done, very clearly, is wrong. It’s bad by any measure. And I find it very hard to understand how on earth it could have happened.”The blow of Ms Mirza’s departure is all the more devastating for Mr Johnson because she was one of few remaining members of his inner circle to have stuck with him through his time as mayor of London and survived recent years’ vicious infighting at No 10. He once hailed her as one of the five women who have most inspired him.Nikki da Costa, a former Downing Street director of legislative affairs, said: “Munira was the very best of No10 – this is a huge loss.”Downing Street announced the appointment of the MP Andrew Griffith as her replacement, saying: “We are very sorry Munira has left No 10 and are grateful for her service and contribution to government.” More

Boris Johnson’s leadership was plunged into further turmoil today after the resignation of one of his longstanding advisers.Munira Mirza, No10s head of policy and a known Johnson loyalist, quit over his use of a smear against Sir Keir Starmer, in which he incorrectly claimed the Labour leader was responsible for the failure to prosecute paedophile Jimmy Savile during his time as director of public prosecutions.In her resignation letter Ms Mirza said it was “desperately sad” the prime minister had let himself down with a “scurrilous accusation” aimed at Sir Keir.Just hours later Jack Doyle, No 10’s director of communications, chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and principal private secretary Martin Reynolds all also resigned, although their departures are not thought to be linked to Ms Mirza’s.Here is Ms Mirza’s letter of resignation to the PM in full:Dear Prime Minister,It is with great regret that I am writing to resign as your Head of Policy.You are aware of the reason for my decision: I believe it was wrong for you to imply this week that Keir Starmer was personally responsible for allowing Jimmy Savile to escape justice. There was no fair or reasonable basis for that assertion. This was not the normal cut-and-thrust of politics; it was an inappropriate and partisan reference to a horrendous case of child sex abuse. You tried to clarify your position today but, despite my urging, you did not apologise for the misleading impression you gave.I have served you for fourteen years and it has been a privilege to do so. You have achieved many important things both as Prime Minister and, before that, as Mayor of London. You are a man of extraordinary abilities with a unique talent for connecting with people.You are a better man than many of your detractors will ever understand which is why it is desperately sad that you let yourself down by making a scurrilous accusation against the Leader of the Opposition.Even now, I hope you find it in yourself to apologise for a grave error of judgement made under huge pressure. I appreciate that our political culture is not forgiving when people say sorry, but regardless, it is the right thing to do. It is not too late for you but, I’m sorry to say, it is too late for me.Yours sincerely,Munira More

The top Downing Street aide behind the “bring your own booze” email is to step down from his role, as Boris Johnson battles to save his premiership amid the ongoing partygate scandal.Martin Reynolds, principal private secretary to the prime minister, is leaving No 10 in an apparent clear-out of top staff in the wake of public anger over lockdown parties and a growing revolt by Tory MPs.The senior figure was named by ITV News as the official who invited staff by email to a “socially distanced drinks” in the No 10 garden on 20 May 2020 – an event now under investigation by the Metropolitan Police.Downing Street chief of staff Dan Rosenfield has also had his resignation accepted by the PM, according to a surprise announcement by No 10 on Thursday evening.Their exits follow the departure of communications director Jack Doyle, who left No 10 earlier on Thursday and reportedly told staff that recent weeks had taken “a terrible toll” on his family life.The exodus comes as Mr Johnson was rocked by the unexpected resignation of his policy chief Munira Mirza – who quit in protest at his “scurrilous” smear linking Sir Keir Starmer with the case of paedophile Jimmy Savile.Ms Mirza said there was “no fair or reasonable basis” for Mr Johnson’s false claim that the Labour leader had failed to prosecute Savile, and made clear that the PM had resisted pleas from advisers to apologise.Mr Johnson’s former aide-turned-nemesis Dominic Cummings seized upon Ms Mirza’s departure “an unmistakable signal the bunker is collapsing and this PM is finished”.Mr Doyle – named during the partygate scandal for handing out awards at a 2020 Christmas drinks event in No 10 – insisted it had always been his plan to go at this point, following news of his departure on Thursday afternoon.Following reports that two more senior figures were leaving, a No 10 spokesperson announced: “Dan Rosenfield offered his resignation to the prime minister earlier today, which has been accepted.”The statement added: “Martin Reynolds also informed the prime minister of his intention to stand down from his role as principal private secretary and the prime minister has agreed to this.”Unlike Ms Mirza’s, these agreed resignations appeared to be part of a planned purge of staff intended to help Mr Johnson reset his premiership despite the police probe into 12 allegedly lockdown-breaching social events.The Independent revealed two weeks ago that is Mr Johnson was drawing up a list of officials to offer resignations over partygate as part of a plan dubbed “Operation Save Big Dog”.The prime minister attempted to placate angry Tory backbenchers earlier this week by promising a shake-up at Downing Street. “I get it and I will fix it,” he said of the No 10 operation.He promised a new office of the prime minister will be created with a new permanent secretary to streamline the chain of command.It followed an “update” report by top civil servant Sue Gray into lockdown gatherings at Downing Street and Whitehall – which blasted “failures of leadership” but was stripped of any telling detail following an intervention by Scotland Yard.Confronted with Ms Mirza’s comments about the Savile smear in an interview with 5News, Mr Johnson said “I don’t agree with that” – before he again refused to apologise.Downing Street announced the appointment of the Tory MP Andrew Griffith as her replacement, saying: “We are very sorry Munira has left No 10 and are grateful for her service and contribution to government.”Mr Reynolds and Mr Rosenfield are set to continue in their roles while successors are appointed, with recruitment for both posts now underway. More

Four of Boris Johnson’s most senior staff quit on Thursday, triggering new turmoil for the embattled British prime minister.Johnson’s office said chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and principal private secretary Martin Reynolds had both tendered their resignations. Director of Communications Jack Doyle and senior adviser Munira Mirza also said they had left Downing Street.Reynolds is a key figure in the “partygate” scandal over lockdown-breaching parties held by Johnson and his staff during the coronavirus pandemic. He sent an invitation to about 100 staff to a “bring your own booze” garden party in May 2020, when Britons were banned from socializing in groups as part of restrictions to slow the spread of COVID-19.The garden gathering is one of 16 alleged parties under investigation by senior civil servant Sue Gray. A dozen of the events are also being investigated by the Metropolitan Police.This week Gray released an interim report looking at the four parties police are not investigating. She found that “failures of leadership and judgment” allowed events to occur that “should not have been allowed to take place” and described a Downing Street operation marked by excessive drinking and dysfunctional dynamics.Johnson has apologized and pledged to fix the problems in his office, but has not admitted personal wrongdoing.The prime minister’s grip on power has been shaken by revelations that his staff held “bring your own booze” office parties, birthday celebrations and “wine time Fridays” in 2020 and 2021 while millions in Britain were barred from meeting with friends and family.Lawmakers in Johnson’s Conservative Party are mulling whether to seek a no-confidence vote in the leader who won them a big parliamentary majority just over two years ago. Under party rules, such a vote is triggered if 15% of party lawmakers — currently 54 people — write letters calling for one. If Johnson lost such a vote he would be replaced as party leader and prime minister.It’s not known how many letters have been sent, though a handful of lawmakers said this week that they were seeking a no-confidence vote. Conservative discontent grew after Johnson accused opposition Labour Party leader Keir Starmer in the House of Commons on Monday of “failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile” when he was the U.K.’s director of public prosecutions. Savile was a veteran television personality who was revealed after his death in 2011 as one of Britain’s worst serial sexual abusers.Starmer said it was “a ridiculous slur peddled by right-wing trolls,” and some Conservatives also recoiled at the attack. Mirza, who has worked for Johnson since he was mayor of London a decade ago, resigned over the Savile comment.“You are a better man than many of your detractors will ever understand, which is why it is so desperately sad that you let yourself down by making a scurrilous accusation against the leader of the opposition,” she wrote in a resignation letter, published by the Spectator magazine — of which Johnson is a former editor.As Johnson’s troubles mounted Thursday, a government minister, Chief Secretary to the Treasury Simon Clarke, was asked by Channel 4 news whether it felt like the “last days of Rome” in Downing Street. “The last days of Rome, I think, were more fun,” he said. More

Northern Ireland’s DUP first minister Paul Givan has resigned, bringing the power-sharing executive, which governs the province under the terms of the Good Friday Agreement, to the brink of collapse.In an emotional statement delivered at a Belfast hotel, Mr Givan said that the Northern Ireland protocol, agreed as part of Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, had disturbed the “delicate balance” between communities that was established by the 1998 agreement and the 2006 St Andrews deal on devolution.Mr Givan’s departure will automatically force Michelle O’Neill, his Sinn Fein deputy, out of office.Announcing his resignation, the outgoing first minister said: “The delicate balance created by the Belfast and St Andrews agreements has been impacted by the agreement made by the United Kingdom government and the European Union, which created the Northern Ireland protocol. “The consent principle is a cornerstone of the Belfast Agreement. And it is my earnest desire that all sections of the community will soon be able to give consent to the restoration of a fully functioning executive through a resolution to the issues that have regrettably brought us to this point.”The turmoil comes after the DUP unilaterally announced a halt to agri-food checks at ports, in an apparent breach of the protocol and the EU withdrawal agreement.Brussels accused the UK of breaking the agreement, with European commissioner for financial stability Mairead McGuinness branding the move “an absolute breach of international law”.But the Westminster government attempted to distance itself from the decision, insisting the implementation of port checks was a matter for the devolved authority.Although the rest of the Stormont executive can remain in place without the first minister, it is not able to take significant decisions, preventing the coalition from agreeing a crucial three-year budget.Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis called for Mr Givan’s urgent reinstatement.“The decision by the DUP to withdraw the first minister from the Northern Ireland executive is extremely disappointing,” he said.“I urge them to reinstate the first minister immediately to ensure the necessary delivery of public services for the citizens of Northern Ireland.”DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson said his party had focused minds on tackling the problems created by the protocol, which he said represents “an existential threat to the future of Northern Ireland’s place within the union”.“We have reminded the government of their promise, in the New Decade, New Approach agreement, to protect Northern Ireland’s place within the UK internal market,” said Sir Jeffrey.“This commitment was the basis upon which we re-entered the executive in early 2020 and have participated in the political institutions since then. To date, this commitment has not been honoured by the UK government.”Irish premier Micheal Martin described Mr Givan’s resignation as “a very damaging move”.He urged the DUP to “return to full engagement with all the institutions of the Good Friday Agreement and avoid any action that could damage peace and stability in Northern Ireland”.Mr Martin’s spokesperson said: “It is absolutely vital for peace and prosperity in Northern Ireland that the executive is delivering for the people of Northern Ireland, particularly now as we emerge from the Covid pandemic.“The protocol is part of an international treaty agreed and ratified by the UK and EU, to protect the Good Friday Agreement in all its dimensions.“The UK has an obligation under international law, and under its own domestic law, to ensure it meets its obligations under the protocol.“The current talks between the EU and the UK must be given every chance to succeed. The commission has put forward serious proposals which directly address the concerns about outstanding issues on implementation of the protocol.” More