UK Politics

A Cabinet minister has said she has “no idea” when the Sue Gray inquiry report will be delivered, as the wait for the bombshell document continues.Thérèse Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said she also did not not know why the report was delayed – amid reports that it is being subjected to last-minute “legal scrubbing”.Ms Coffey, represented the government on the morning news programmes ahead of what could be a difficult day, said she had not attended any of the No10 parties during lockdown – the focus of the probe.The internal inquiry was widely expected in Westminster to report on Wednesday but did not materialise.There are now suggestions that if the document is not delivered today it could be delayed into next week, because MPs will start heading back to their constituencies on Thursday.Asked about the reason for the delays, Ms Coffey said”I really don’t know. I know the Government has committed to publishing the full findings of the report but the timing I have absolutely know idea about.”Downing Street says it is yet to receive the report from the senior civil servant who is carrying it out. More

The planned rise in national insurance contributions will push inflation higher, MPs have warned Boris Johnson in a report. Inflation hit 5.4 per cent in December, the highest rate in 30 years, and is expected to rise further by April, when the 1.25 per cent NI rise will come into effect.Households are already under pressure as prices rise in shops and energy bills continue to go up, sparking fears of an impending cost-of-living crisis. In its report on chancellor Rishi Sunak’s autumn budget, the Commons Treasury Committee said the NI rise will drive inflation up and cause prices to rise even higher.The MPs also noted that the Bank of England has raised interest rates since the budget in October and is likely to raise them again, driving up mortgage costs for millions of homeowners.The report said: “The OBR forecast states that the policy mix chosen at this budget will act as a boost to inflation, identifying in particular the increase in employer national insurance contributions, and the large fiscal loosening that took place in the Spending Review.“The chancellor showed that he is alert to the fiscal risks of higher inflation and higher interest rates becoming entrenched. The Treasury should keep these risks at the forefront of their thinking when designing policies at future fiscal events.”The warning follows reports of a cabinet split over the NI policy, with Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, said to be the latest minister to privately speak out against the rise.Despite protests from ministers and Tory backbenchers, Mr Sunak has indicated he will not change course.In the report, the MPs also warned that the prime minister’s desire to drive up wages could have dangerous consequences if it is not accompanied by a rise in productivity.They said that this could lead to a wage price spiral, wherein employees seek higher wages in response to higher prices, in turn driving prices higher and so on.The government has faced repeated calls to take measures to tackle the rise in the cost of living as families face being forced into poverty. Economic indicators for the year ahead are bleak and suggest that the outlook is only set to get worse.The IMF has downgraded its UK growth forecast for 2022 to 4.7 per cent, from the 5 per cent predicted in October. It estimates higher inflation will not subside globally until 2023.But the chancellor has been given some reprieve as new figures showed that government borrowing since the budget was £13bn less than forecast.The NI rise is expected to bring in £12bn for the Treasury. The 1.25 per cent increase would cost a person earning £30,000 – above the national median – £255 this year.The cost will be borne by employers as well as individuals. A survey by the Institute of Directors found that almost four in 10 businesses expect to raise prices to offset some or all of the cost of higher employers’ contributions.Around one in five said they would “employ fewer people”, while 15 per cent said they would cut investment. More

‘I’d rather be lead by a lawyer than a liar’: MP Russell-Moyle demands Johnson’s resignationMPs and the British public will have to wait at least another day to hear from Boris Johnson about the findings of Sue Gray’s Partygate report, after it was revealed that legal checks delayed its publication.Officials in Westminster are now said to be fearful the document may not become public until Monday due to a process of “legal scrubbing” currently taking place. This ensures that the final report does not unfairly identify junior staff or cut across the separate investigation by Metropolitan Police.Ms Gray, the senior civil servant who is leading the Cabinet Office investigation into alleged lockdown-breaching parties at No 10, was given the green light by police to publish her report in full on Tuesday night. Reports from Sky News suggested she was in possession of photographs showing parties in Downing Street, including images of the PM, alcohol bottles and people stood close together.Despite this, Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said today he was “sure” Mr Johnson would “survive” the current storm. “He’s done so much for the country,” the Tory MP said of his boss, citing the furlough scheme and Covid vaccine rollout.Show latest update

1643243065Kwarteng signals Gray report could be delayed until next weekBusiness secretary Kwasi Kwarteng has indicated the Sue Gray Partygate report might not be published until next week.Speaking to ITV’s Peston programme this evening, he said he is “100 per cent behind the prime minister”.Asked whether the Gray report might not be published until Monday, he said: “I don’t know, I mean it hasn’t come out today. I read it might be the end of the week. But as you say it could be early next week. “Let’s wait and see.”When pressed if Boris Johnson would have to resign if it is discovered he lied outside parliament, Mr Kwarteng added: “All I’m saying is that he’s bound, as you would expect, by the ministerial code.”Sam Hancock27 January 2022 00:241643241660Tories will decide whether to oust PM in ‘next few days’Former Conservative leader Sir Iain Duncan Smith has said the party’s MPs will decide on Boris Johnson’s future in “the next few days”.The senior Tory figure said he was reserving “judgement” on the PM until the release of the Sue Gray report into parties in Downing Street during lockdown restrictions, but made clear Mr Johnson was now battling to save his premiership.Sir Iain condemned the “appalling” social gatherings at No 10 and Whitehall, saying the government’s culture during the pandemic needed “serious leadership” – suggesting it had been lacking from those at the top.Adam Forrest reports:Sam Hancock27 January 2022 00:011643238752Ministers urged to act as GPs in poor areas ‘have less funding’In news not related to parties at No 10, government ministers have been urged to act after a report found people living in poor areas face worse GP services with less staff and funding compared to more wealthy parts of the country.GP services in poorer areas are underfunded, under-doctored and have worse-quality outcomes, according to a report shared with The Independent from the Health Foundation.In its report, the think tank warned the problem, if not addressed, would put the government’s levelling-up promises at risk, reports our health correspondent Rebecca Thomas. It added that 30 years of policies have failed to address inequalities in parts of the country and if ministers are serious about levelling up, they must “urgently” boost GP numbers in poorer areas and address unequal funding for these practices.Sam Hancock26 January 2022 23:121643237160Watch: Alastair Campbell brands PM a ‘global embarrassment’Alastair Campbell brands Boris Johnson a ‘global embarrassment’Sam Hancock26 January 2022 22:461643236637Man who lost family to Covid explains significance of No 10 rule breakingRichard Macvicar, who lost his mother, father and one of his sisters to Covid two yeasrs ago, told Sky News earlier why the government’s alleged law-breaking is such a big deal to him.“We haven’t had the chance to grieve properly, as a family, and every time I see these reports on the television it just brings it all back,” he said.“I would have loved 10 minutes with any of them just to say ta-ra. It breaks my heart.”Sam Hancock26 January 2022 22:371643235818Opinion: My birthday is the same as the PM’s, we celebrated differentlyCake is about the only thing Hannah Fearn believes makes her birthday comparable to the PM’s in 2020. It didn’t take much effort to remember exactly what I was doing on the afternoon of 19 June 2020. Boris Johnson was celebrating his birthday – and so was I. But while he marked the occasion by sharing cake and tea with 30 colleagues, his wife and a designer of garish wallpaper, my afternoon looked a little different. There was cake, but that’s where the similarities end.The afternoon of my birthday was the first time I’d seen my parents, who live locally and are usually a central part of my family’s life, since the beginning of the first lockdown. I saw them alone that day because if my husband and then two-year-old daughter had come with me there would have been no way to explain why she couldn’t have a cuddle from her grandparents. As a journalist it’s not beyond my imaginings that somebody I know could have told me, that day, what was going on in Downing Street that same afternoon in celebration of the PM’s special day. If they had I would have been devastated: my family felt hollowed out that summer, constantly anxious. We were all lonely without each other. Would I have preferred to meet my parents indoors and with their granddaughter? Of course. Would a 10-minute catch-up with 30 acquaintances have been invigorating at a personally tough time? Absolutely. But, of course, we were following the rules.Sam Hancock26 January 2022 22:231643234237Govt ‘hiding’ amid refusal to answer questions on Channel crossingLet’s step away from Partygate for a moment. The government has been accused of “hiding from questions” after it refused to put forward a minister or official to give evidence to MPs on the military’s increased involvement in tackling small boat crossings.Former senior Navy and Border Force officials have meanwhile raised concerns about placing Royal Navy vessels in the Channel, warning they could serve as a “honey pot” and encourage more asylum seekers to cross, writes our social affairs correspondent May Bulman.It emerged last week that the Royal Navy was to be put in charge of cross-Channel counter migration operations on the English coast, taking over from Border Force to take “operational primacy” of the situation.Sam Hancock26 January 2022 21:571643231424ICYMI: GMB shows empty chair after ministers fail to attendGood Morning Britain shows empty chair after govt ministers fail to attend interviewsSam Hancock26 January 2022 21:101643230104‘Innocent until proven guilty,’ minister says of PM’s positionMore from Jacob Rees-Mogg now, who says the PM would not need to resign if he was interviewed by police over Partygate as people are “innocent until proven guilty”.Speaking on Channel 4 News, the cabinet minister said in his experience, “very few people do lie in public life” and he added that “lying in public life is not a sensible thing to do, because it gets found out”.Asked if Mr Johnson would need to resign if he was interviewed under caution by police, he said: “No, of course that wouldn’t be a resigning matter, because people are innocent in this country until proved guilty.“And it is worth bearing in mind that the police themselves have said that the fact that they are investigating something doesn’t mean that any crime has necessarily been committed, that they are investigating because that is what the police do.”It comes after comparisons were made between Boris Jonson’s current position and ex-PM Tony Blair, the latter of which was the last sitting PM to be interviewed by police over the cash for honours scandal. At the time, Mr Blair said if he was interviewed under caution, he would have to resign. Sam Hancock26 January 2022 20:481643228595Legal checks delay release of Partygate reportFinal legal checks have delayed the publication of the long-awaited “partygate” report, sparking fears in Westminster that its findings may not become public until Monday.Sources close to Sue Gray’s inquiry confirmed that her report is complete and is expected to be handed to Boris Johnson within days, report our political editor Andrew Woodcock and economics editor Anna Isaac. But a process of “legal scrubbing” has been taking place, to ensure that the final report does not unfairly identify junior staff or cut across the separate investigation by Metropolitan Police.Sam Hancock26 January 2022 20:23 More

Universal credit claimants will be forced to search for jobs outside their preferred sector after just four weeks or face the prospect of sanctions, under a controversial tightening of the benefits system.Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said the move would help people “to get any job now” and forms part of a new government drive to get 500,000 jobseekers back into work by the end of June.But ministers were immediately warned the new policy — dubbed “Way to Work” — was “callous”, risked “creating huge amounts of anxiety and stress” and could force people to accept insecure short-term employment.Labour also described the move as “tinkering around the edges” and said it had “more to do with trying to save” Boris Johnson’s premiership after weeks of controversy over allegations of parties during Covid lockdowns.Under the existing rules, claimants are given three months to find a job in their preferred sector, before facing the possibility of benefits sanctions.But the new system will mean jobseekers will be forced to widen their search outside their area after just four weeks. They will face the possibility of sanctions if they are deemed not to be making reasonable efforts to secure a job in any sector, or if they turn down an offer of employment, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) said.The government claimed that the current data showed the demand for workers was there, with 1.2 million vacancies, and insisted jobseekers will get more face-to-face time with a work coach and more tailored support.But Wendy Chamberlain, the Liberal Democrats’ work and pensions spokesperson, said rather than supporting people find secure long-term employment, ministers were “now attempting to force people into accepting any job going”.She added: “This callous move could see skilled workers forced to accept insecure short-term employment, for fear of having the rug pulled out from under them, and create a cycle of unemployment. What is worse, these harsh sanctions could be applied within weeks of applying for universal credit — before people’s first payment even arrives.”Labour’s shadow employment minister Alison McGovern said: “This announcement has more to do with trying to save the prime minister’s job than supporting people into work. It’s just tinkering at the edges – long-term unemployment is 60 per cent higher than before the pandemic.“People should be supported into good jobs that match their skills, which would give them a better chance of secure work long-term.”Anastasia Berry, policy manager at the MS Society and policy co-chair of the Disability Benefits Consortium (DBC), also criticised the move, saying it “worryingly implies that if some people on universal credit — which includes some living with MS — don’t get a job, they’ll risk losing their benefits”.“MS is unpredictable and different for everyone, and living with a fluctuating condition can often mean that, sadly, many jobs are completely unsuitable.”She added: “Taking a forceful approach will not help everyone, especially disabled people, get into and remain in high quality and appropriate work. “Instead it risks creating huge amounts of anxiety and stress — and could force people to do unsuitable, poorly paid and insecure jobs. The prime minister must understand that to help disabled people find work it has to be free from fear and threats”.Announcing the new policy, Ms Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said: “Helping people to get any job now, means they can get a better job and progress into a career.“Way to Work is a step change in our offer to claimants and employers, making sure our job centre network and excellent work coaches can deliver opportunities, jobs and prosperity to all areas of the country.“As we emerge from Covid, we are going to tackle supply challenges and support the continued economic recovery by getting people back into work. Our new approach will help claimants get quickly back into the world of work while helping ensuring employers get the people they and the economy needs”.The chancellor Rishi Sunak added: “It’s important that everyone has the opportunity and support to find a good job to help them get on in life.“That’s why we’re doubling down on our plan for jobs with this new campaign to harness the talent of jobseekers and support employers to fill vacancies, find work and create new opportunities. Together we will boost this country’s job-led recovery”. More

Final legal checks have delayed the publication of the long-awaited “partygate” report, sparking fears in Westminster that its findings may not become public until Monday.Sources close to Sue Gray’s inquiry confirmed that her report is complete and is expected to be handed to Boris Johnson within days.But a process of “legal scrubbing” has been taking place, to ensure that the final report does not unfairly identify junior staff or cut across the separate investigation by Metropolitan Police.Sources insist that there has been no interference from Downing Street in the process of finalising the document, which is expected to be highly uncomfortable for the prime minister.Ms Gray is believed to be determined to deliver the report to No 10 in a state which will ensure that further redactions are not required before publication.No day has yet been fixed for it to be handed over, and senior backbencher Chris Bryant said that, with Tory MPs on a one-line whip on Thursday and most MPs absent on Friday, it now appeared that Monday was the most likely day for publication.Bryant said No 10 had to give “plenty of time to allow people to read it before the prime minister comes to the House”, so they could “digest it properly”.Business secretary Kwasi Kwarteng echoed this to ITV’s Peston when asked when the report could surface, saying: “I don’t know, I mean it hasn’t come out today. I read it might be the end of the week. But as you say it could be early next week. Let’s wait and see.”Downing Street said it was Mr Johnson’s “intention” to publish the report as received from the Whitehall mandarin as soon as possible after it reaches No 10, with a statement to MPs following shortly afterwards.But the prime minister refused to rule out further changes at No 10’s hands, sparking demands from Labour for publication unchanged and in full.Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting said that the prime minister’s conduct over alleged breaches of Covid restrictions at No 10 had become a “national embarrassment” and a distraction from vital issues like Russian aggression in Ukraine.“You aren’t telling me that all of those people in No 10 right now are focused on the crisis in Ukraine, the cost of living crisis or the ongoing challenges for the NHS,” said Mr Streeting.“I think Boris Johnson is trying to fight a war of attrition here. He’s hoping that we’ll all get bored and move on. Bluntly, I am bored of talking about Boris Johnson’s lies and deceit. I’d much rather be talking about the central issues facing the country.“But we can’t let Boris Johnson get away with it, because we have basic standards to uphold.”But appearing before MPs in the House of Commons, Mr Johnson accused the opposition of putting questions about the inquiry ahead of the pressing matters which he said were preoccupying ministers.Buoyed by a wall of cheers from packed Tory benches at prime minister’s questions, the PM told Sir Keir Starmer he was “getting on with the job”.And asked directly by the Labour leader if he would resign, Mr Johnson replied flatly: “No.”The prime minister appeared to acknowledge the dissatisfaction of his own MPs, some of whom have signed letters of no confidence in his leadership, telling the Commons that he could not deny that “for all sorts of reasons, many people may want me out of the way”.But he said that Starmer wanted him out because “he knows that this government can be trusted to deliver”.Sir Keir retorted that Johnson and his government had shown “nothing but contempt for the decency, honesty and respect that define this country”.“We now have the shameful spectacle of a prime minister of the United Kingdom being subject to a police investigation, unable to lead the country, incapable of doing the right thing,” said Sir Keir. “And every day his cabinet fail to speak out they become more and more complicit.”There were indications that a concerted effort by Mr Johnson to shore up support among wavering MPs may be bearing some fruit.Red Wall MP Mark Logan, who last week issued a call for “honest leadership”, said that a conversation with the PM had persuaded him Johnson has the “heart” to make the changes necessary to restore public confidence.“He was very genuine in accepting that changes have to happen and we have to get the vehicle between the hedges again,” said the Bolton North East MP. “I think there’s been a bit of aquaplaning, we’ve hit a few puddles on the road and when you are at the wheel you have to steady the car.”One former minister told The Independent that the alternative whipping team set up by Mr Johnson had reassured MPs frustrated with the performance of chief whip Mark Spencer that there was now “the semblance of a proper party operation in place”.But rebels insisted that they remain confident that the eventual publication of the Gray report – whose findings are expected to be uncomfortable for the PM – will trigger the 54 letters needed to force a confidence vote.The Guardian reported that a group of senior Tory backbenchers – potentially including more than two dozen former ministers – are ready to move as a collective to force a no confidence vote if the Gray report provides evidence of criminal wrongdoing.And behind the scenes discussions were already starting on who his successor might be. MPs belonging to the Tory Reform Group met for informal preliminary talks about who they could back, with support voiced for Michael Gove and Tom Tugendhat by some members of the “One Nation” group on the more liberal wing of the party. More

Boris Johnson has been accused of body-shaming a political rival after asking him “who has been eating more cake?” as he replied to a question in parliament.At prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader in Westminster, challenged Mr Johnson on his handling of the “partygate” scandal.He said the affair was “sucking attention from the real issues facing the public”, such as the cost of living crisis.Mr Blackford added that the looming increase to national insurance contributions was hanging over the public “like a guillotine” while those in Downing Street “eat cake” – a reference to the revelation that Mr Johnson was presented with a cake in the No 10 cabinet room during a Covid lockdown.Mr Johnson, who had been attempting to lose weight after being hospitalised with Covid, fired back: “I don’t know who has been eating more cake?” in an apparent jibe at Mr Blackford’s weight.Kirsten Oswald, the SNP’s equalities spokesperson, claimed the offhand remark was yet more evidence that the PM “is completely unfit for office”.“Whether it’s his body-shaming jokes, his racism, his homophobia, or his wider misconduct in public office, Mr Johnson is giving people another telling insight into his odious character,” Ms Oswald said.Mr Johnson has previously denied being racist or homophobic and has apologised for “mistakes” made during Covid lockdowns.”The prime minister’s frequently offensive remarks will have a damaging impact on many young people and need to be called out,” Ms Oswald added.“He is sending an appalling message to society, that the most powerful person in the UK government thinks it’s OK to mock people because of their bodies, race, sexual orientation and religion.”The longer Tory MPs allow Mr Johnson to cling on to power, the more damage they will do to any remaining public trust in this discredited government.”The exchange came during another fiery PMQs, where Mr Johnson faced further questions about partygate, which has now dogged his premiership for nearly two months.An MP was forced to withdraw claims labelling Boris Johnson a “liar” during the session.During his clashes with Keir Starmer, the PM criticised the Labour leader for opposing Brexit and added: “The problem with the Labour Party today is he’s a lawyer, not a leader.”After the cheers subsided from the Tory benches, Mr Johnson went on: “We’ve taken the tough decisions, we’ve got the big calls right and we – and in particular I – are getting on with the job.”MPs are still awaiting the publication of a civil servant-led inquiry into the partygate affair. More