UK Politics

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is bracing for the conclusions of an investigation into allegations of lockdown-breaching parties, a document that could help him end weeks of scandal and discontent, or bring his time in office to an abrupt close.Senior civil servant Sue Gray could turn in her report to the government as soon as Wednesday. Johnson’s office has promised to publish its findings, and the prime minister will address Parliament about it soon after.Gray’s office wouldn’t comment on timing, and Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said the Conservative government hadn’t yet received the report Wednesday morning.She said she couldn’t guarantee the government would publish the full report, saying there could be “security issues that mean parts of it are problematic to publish. But we will absolutely publish the findings of the report.”Allegations that the prime minister and his staff flouted restrictions imposed on the country to curb the spread of the coronavirus have caused public anger, led some Conservative lawmakers to call for Johnson’s resignation and triggered intense infighting inside the governing party.Johnson has urged his critics to wait for Gray’s conclusions, but his “wait and see” defense weakened Tuesday when police said they had opened a criminal investigation into some of the gatherings.London’s Metropolitan Police force said at “a number of events” at Johnson’s Downing Street office and other government buildings met the force’s criteria for investigating the “most serious and flagrant” breaches of coronavirus rules.Gray is investigating claims that government staff held late-night soirees, boozy parties and “wine time Fridays” while Britain was under coronavirus restrictions in 2020 and 2021.The “partygate” allegations have infuriated many in Britain, who were barred from meeting with friends and family for months in 2020 and 2021 to curb the spread of COVID-19. Tens of thousands of people were fined by police for breaking the rules.Johnson and his allies have tried, without much success, to calm a scandal that is consuming government energies that could be better spent confronting the international crisis over Russia’s military build-up near Ukraine and a far-from-finished coronavirus pandemic.Johnson has apologized for attending one event, a “bring your own booze” gathering in the garden of his Downing Street offices in May 2020, but said he had considered the party a work gathering that fell within the rulesHis office and supporters have also defended a June 2020 surprise birthday party for the prime minister inside Downing Street.Loyal lawmaker Conor Burns said Johnson didn’t know about the gathering in advance.“It was not a premeditated, organized party … He was, in a sense, ambushed with a cake,” Burns told Channel 4 News. More

Cabinet minister Jacob-Rees Mogg has claimed there would have to be a general election if Boris Johnson was ousted by his party and replaced with a new prime minister.There is no rule that requires a new Tory leader who enters No 10 to call a general election – and changes of prime minister between elections have been commonplace over the past century.Yet the Commons leader claimed that Britain had moved to “an essentially presidential system” and said any replacement leader would be “well-advised” to go to the polls.Warning Tory MPs against a leadership challenge in the wake of the partygate scandal, Mr Rees-Mogg urged people to “look at the bigger picture” and not “prejudge” the outcome of the police probe into parties.He told BBC Newsnight: “It is my view that we have moved, for better or worse, to essentially a presidential system and that therefore the mandate is personal rather than entirely party, and that any prime minister would be very well advised to seek a fresh mandate.”Mr Rees-Mogg said cabinet was still behind the beleaguered prime minister. “We have a system of collective responsibility … If [ministers] remain in the cabinet they are supporting the prime minister.”Referring to the birthday gathering at No 10 in June 2020, he added: “We’re taking about a slice of cake – we have no sense of proportionality … Trying to speculate on bits of gossip and tittle-tattle around the report doesn’t really get us anywhere.”Mr Johnson is set to face further questions over a police investigation into partygate as No 10 braces for the submission of a report into possible lockdown breaches.A Downing Street source said that Sue Gray had not, as of Wednesday morning, handed in her findings about alleged coronavirus rule-breaking parties held at the top of government.The senior civil servant’s inquiry had been expected to be finalised this week, with reports suggesting it could be published later on Wednesday afternoon, or possibly on Thursday.Some Conservative MPs have publicly called for Mr Johnson’s resignation, but others have said they will await the publication of the Gray report before trying to trigger a vote of no confidence.One former Conservative minister – who has made up their mind that Mr Johnson must be replaced – told The Independent: “A serving prime minister investigated by the police is a national embarrassment. If the Gray report is really bad there will a deluge [of letters].”One loyal MP claimed Mr Johnson was “ambushed with a cake” during his No 10 birthday gathering held during lockdown restrictions.Conor Burns defended the prime minister over the Downing Street event on 19 June 2020 – and claimed it was not a “pre-mediated” party. More

A fresh Cabinet split over the planned rise to National Insurance is reported to have emerged with Rishi Sunak being warned the measure would hit living standards.National Insurance contributions are set to rise by 2.5 percentage points in April, split between employers and workers. The Treasury expects the move to bring in £12bn a year to fund health and social care.Mr Sunak faces mounting pressure from critics to drop, or at least delay, the rise as new figures showed that the government has been borrowing billions less than expected.The Cabinet backed the tax rise in September when it was voted through parliament but signs of division have emerged in recent weeks as fears of an upcoming cost of living crisis set in.Kwasi Kwarteng, the business secretary, is reportedly the latest of the chancellor’s Cabinet colleagues to oppose the increase. The Telegraph cites allies of the business secretary as saying that he privately voiced concerns with Mr Sunak over the move.Mr Kwarteng was said to be concerned that it would hit living standards by squeezing incomes. He also thinks it would deter employers from hiring as the cost of each staff member would be higher.The chancellor has indicated that he wishes to go ahead with the rise but Boris Johnson was evasive when asked about it on Monday.The prime minister said “we have to pay for” NHS improvements but would not confirm if the National Insurance hike would go ahead when asked directly several times.The planned increase will come after inflation rose to more than double the UK’s 2 per cent target and households are set to suffer another blow as the energy price cap is expected to be raised. The combined cost of rising bills and taxes is estimated to be an average of £600 per household.Earlier this month, Jacob Rees Mogg, leader of the House of Commons, asked the chancellor to abandon the plan, saying it could not be justified amid rising inflation and uncertainty over energy prices.Tory backbenchers have also opposed the tax, with former Brexit secretary David Davis saying on Monday that it was based on the “wrong data”. More

Labour has renewed its call on the government to cut VAT on energy bills as an analysis by the party claims disabled people “trapped in hardship” and poverty has increased by over a million in the last decade.It comes as Boris Johnson’s government faces escalating pressure to provide support to households ahead of an imminent hike in energy bills and the increase in National Insurance contributions from April.According to a Labour analysis of figures from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) since 2010 — when the Conservatives entered office — the number of disabled people living in poverty has increased by 44 per cent, to 3.8 million.The analysis highlighted that over 2.6 million disabled people were living in relative poverty in 2010-11, but by 2019-20 the figure had increased by over 1.1 million.The party said disabled people are “now being disproportionately” impacted by the cost-of-living crisis, as the government scrambles to find a solution.According to The Times, Mr Johnson is set to meet with the chancellor, Rishi Sunak, this week to discuss options, including the possibility of millions been given a tax rebate to limit the impact of a hike in energy bills.Anneliese Dodds, the shadow women and equalities minister, however, said: “The Conservatives’ cost of living crisis has seen poverty explode, with a million more disabled people now trapped in hardship since they took office.”She added: “Instead of taking action to help them, the Tories slashed universal credit, cut £70m in disability benefits, and voted against Labour’s measures to reduce energy bills”.Earlier this month, Labour lost a vote in the Commons seeking to cut VAT on energy bills — a measure partly funded by introducing a temporary “windfall tax” on the profits of North Sea oil and gas companies.At the time, Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, said the plans would “save households £200 off their bills, with up to £600 in total for those who need it most”.Treasury minister Simon Clarke said then: “No-one in this Government is under any illusion about the challenges families are facing with their household finances and we will of course continue to look closely at all the options that exist.“The government recognises the pressure that people are facing on their household finances, including on their energy bills, and we have taken steps already to ease those pressures where and when we can and we will of course continue to look at other things that we can do.”A DWP spokesperson said:“We recognise living with a long-term illness or disability can impact on living costs. That’s why we’ve made extra financial support available to those with disabilities, or those who care for them, through Personal Independence Payment (PIP), Employment Support Allowance (ESA) and Carer’s Allowance.“We are also taking more than £4.2bn worth of action to help people with the cost of living, and providing extra support to the most vulnerable with schemes including the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and the £500m Household Support Fund.”“We are also taking steps to help more than one million more disabled people into work by 2027 as a long-term route out of poverty.” More

The explosive findings of a report into parties at Downing Street are set for publication as early as Wednesday, after police launched a criminal investigation into possible breaches of Covid regulations.With his future as prime minister hanging in the balance, Boris Johnson will mount his fightback in an address to the House of Commons within 24 hours of receiving Whitehall mandarin Sue Gray’s findings.But Conservative critics of the PM told The Independent they expect the report to be “damning” enough to trigger the 54 letters of no confidence from MPs needed to force a vote on the his position within days.And Sir Keir Starmer called on cabinet ministers to break ranks and make clear they can no longer tolerate Mr Johnson as leader of the country.The dramatic announcement by Metropolitan Police commissioner Cressida Dick that her force will investigate an unspecified number of the reported No 10 parties has massively heightened the political peril facing Mr Johnson, who risks becoming the first serving PM to be interviewed as a suspect by officers.He risks a fixed penalty fine of at least £100 – rising to £10,000 in the worse cases – if found guilty of breaking lockdown rules in one of a series of 15 alleged gatherings, ranging from cheese and wine in the No 10 garden to a celebration of his birthday in the cabinet room.Commissioner Dick told the London Assembly that the decision was founded on the belief that those involved “knew, or ought to have known” that what they were doing was an offence and that there was “little ambiguity around the absence of any reasonable defence”.Retrospective investigations of lockdown infringement were conducted only for “the most serious and flagrant type of breach”, she said.Downing Street said the PM and No 10 officials will “fully cooperate” with the police inquiry, making themselves available for interview and handing over any documents, diaries or phones that are requested.A spokesperson said Mr Johnson does not believe he broke the law.After discussions with Ms Gray’s team on Tuesday, the Met cleared the inquiry report to be handed to the PM in full. Although Tory whips reportedly told MPs that Ms Gray’s report will be released on Wednesday, a delay in its intended delivery on Tuesday night to the prime minister means that Thursday is a possibility for its publication.It was earlier thought Mr Johnson could make a statement to MPs immediately after his weekly session prime minister’s questions on Wednesday lunchtime, setting the scene for a determined bid to remove him from office.As he braced for the report’s findings, Mr Johnson spent time with more than a dozen Tory MPs individually in his office on Tuesday night to try and drum up support. Mr Johnson is reported to have said to have told colleagues: “We’ll get through this.”While some details have been redacted by Ms Gray’s team to hide personal information and protect junior staff, it is understood police did not demand that any significant parts of the report should be held back from being published. Mr Johnson has the power to decide whether to publish the report in full or to release only a brief summary of findings. But he will be intensely aware of the danger of a vicious backlash if he appears to be trying to hide anything.As the completion of the Gray report was confirmed, new claims emerged that the senior civil servant has been handed photos of Downing Street parties which feature the prime minister.Ms Gray had been in contact with police ever since being appointed to take over the Partygate inquiry on 18 December, after cabinet secretary Simon Case was forced to step down after admitting he had hosted his own office Christmas drinks.Commissioner Dick took the decision to launch a police probe after receiving “outline findings” from Ms Gray in recent days.Reports suggest that Cabinet Office insiders were aware of a likely police investigation as early as Friday, but Downing Street said Mr Johnson was not informed until Tuesday morning and did not tell ministers at the cabinet meeting which began minutes afterwards.No 10 sparked confusion by briefing reporters that Ms Gray would have to suspend inquiries into those events covered by the police probe, and would initially be able to publish information only about those deemed not to merit criminal investigation.The briefing sparked “complete confusion” in the Cabinet Office and prompted the Met to make clear that it had no objection to the publication of the Gray report in full.Downing Street blamed the flawed briefing on a misunderstanding and insisted there was no intention to block or delay the release of findings which are widely expected to be highly uncomfortable for the PM. Elsewhere in Whitehall, the incident was being described as a case of “crossed wires”.Addressing MPs shortly after Commissioner Dick’s bombshell announcement, Mr Johnson said: “I welcome the Met’s decision to conduct its own investigation because I believe this will help to give the public the clarity it needs and help to draw a line under matters.”But in the corridors and tearooms of Westminster, there was widespread expectation that early publication of the Gray inquiry could hasten a challenge to the PM’s position.One red wall Tory MP opposed to his leadership told The Independent: “I think the Sue Gray report should be damning enough to change minds about sending in a letter – there’s a lot of colleagues considering sending in letters.“Whether we get to 54 letters will depend on just how damning it is.”The MP, who remains “close” to sending in his letter of no confidence, said it was “not realistic” for colleagues to wait for the police to conclude.“People have to make up their mind whether the PM is worth saving, and whether he is now a disaster for the party.”One former Conservative minister – who has made up their mind that Mr Johnson must be replaced – told The Independent: “A serving prime minister investigated by the police is a national embarrassment. If the Gray report is really bad there will a deluge [of letters].”Another ex-minister said the police probe “deepens the hole” the prime minister is currently in, rather than help him by buying more time, as well as heightening the “acute electoral dangers” for the Tory party.Conservative backbencher Sir Robert Syms said the prime minister “really ought to consider his position”, warning of “paralysis in government” for months if Mr Johnson were to cling on to power.“Whether Boris is guilty or innocent isn’t really the issue now, the issue is we need a functioning government,” said the MP for Poole. “Most of us want to just move on and get back to normal politics. We can’t do that with him in place.”Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross repeated his call for Mr Johnson to resign, telling the BBC that the contest stream of stories about gatherings and investigations was “very damaging” and “he should go”.And Sir Keir Starmer said it was time for those members of the cabinet with concerns about Mr Johnson’s leadership to wield the knife.“Trust in Boris Johnson is at an all-time low,” said the Labour leader.“But we need to see the report in full and, frankly, some of his cabinet now need to look themselves in the mirror and ask themselves why they’re still supporting this prime minister.“It’s time that some of those cabinet members spoke out and said we’re not tolerating this any longer.” More

Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors will oversee the Metropolitan Police’s special inquiry team in their investigation into alleged rule-breaking Downing Street parties.Who is Ms Connors and what is the special inquiry team? Here is everything we know:Who is Deputy Assistant Commissioner Jane Connors? More

Boris Johnson was “ambushed with a cake” during his No 10 birthday gathering held during lockdown restrictions, a Conservative MP has claimed.Conor Burns defended the prime minister over the Downing Street event on 19 June 2020 – and claimed it was not a “pre-mediated” party.“It was not a pre-mediated, organised party … that the prime minister decided to have,” the loyal Tory MP told Channel 4 News on Tuesday evening.Mr Burns said: “As far as I can see, he was, in a sense, ambushed with a cake.”The junior minister added: “They came to his office with a cake, they sang happy birthday, he was there for 10 minutes – I don’t think most people looking at that at home would characterise that as a party.”Mr Johnson is battling to save his premiership after police launched a criminal probe into possible breaches of Covid regulations at No 10 and Whitehall departments.Top civil servant Sue Gray’s report into pandemic-era parties in government is set for publication as early as Wednesday – with the PM expected to address the Commons within 24 hours of receiving it.Stuart Anderson, another backbencher loyal to Mr Johnson, urged MPs in the Commons to stop attacking the PM’s authority and claimed it was making Russian president Vladimir Putin “stronger” amid the Ukraine crisis.However, Conservative critics of Mr Johnson told The Independent they expect Ms Gray’s report to be “damning” enough to potentially trigger the 54 letters of no confidence needed to force a vote on Johnson’s position within days.One red wall Tory MP opposed to his leadership told The Independent: “I think the Sue Gray report should be damning enough to change minds about sending in a letter – there’s a lot of colleagues considering sending in letters.”“Whether we get to 54 letters will depend on just how damning it is. People have to make up their mind whether the PM is worth saving, and whether he is now a disaster for the party.”One former Conservative minister – who has made up their mind that Mr Johnson must be replaced – added: “A serving prime minister investigated by the police is a national embarrassment. If the Gray report is really bad there will a deluge [of letters].”MP Andrew Bridgen, who has already sent his letter to the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, said he hoped that Ms Gray’s report would be published as soon as possible since the partygate scandal was “paralysing the government”.Tory whips were said to have told MPs that Ms Gray’s report will be released on Wednesday. But other reports suggested No 10 would not receive the report until Wednesday, raising the possibility it could be be published on Thursday. Mr Johnson will publish it “in full, with no cuts, no censorship, no redactions” a few hours after receiving it, according to ITV’s Robert Peston.It comes as Sky News reported that Ms Gray received photographs of No 10 parties which include Mr Johnson and others standing “close together”.All social gatherings indoors were forbidden under restrictions at the time of Mr Johnson’s birthday gathering on 19 June 2020, with a relaxation of the regulations permitting gatherings of up to six people to take place outside. More