UK Politics

Boris Johnson has claimed he did not break Covid rules in place during the run-up to last Christmas by hosting a Christmas quiz for staff at Downing Street.The prime minister is facing claims he breached regulations by attending the virtual event on 15 December while tier 2 rules which banned household mixing were in force in London.Responding to claims he violated curbs – after he was photographed leading the virtual quiz at No 10 alongside two aides – Mr Johnson told broadcasters: “I can tell you that I certainly broke no rules.”Despite his denial, the PM confirmed that cabinet secretary Simon Case’s investigation into a series of festive events at No 10 last year would be expanded to include the quiz.Asked if the top civil servant would be investigating the virtual quiz, Mr Johnson said: “Is that the thing with the Zoom quiz? Yeah.”Speaking to broadcasters during a visit to a vaccination clinic in west London, the prime minister said: “The whole thing will be looked into by the cabinet secretary … He’s looking at all these things.”He added that the results of the probe would come back “as soon as we reasonably can”. Downing Street also confirmed on Monday that the PM’s appearance at the virtual quiz will be included in the Case inquiry.The head of the civil service was already investigating claims of a December Christmas party and November staff leaving do at No 10, as well as festive drinks at the Department for Education.An image published by the Sunday Mirror shows Mr Johnson flanked by colleagues, one draped in tinsel and another wearing a Santa hat, in the No 10 library for the festive quiz.The newspaper quoted a source who said many staff were huddled by computers in their Downing Street offices, conferring on questions and drinking alcohol while the quiz was taking place.Labour said the PM “might have misled” MPs after he told the Commons he had been given assurances that social distancing regulations were not broken by No 10 last year.Sir Keir Starmer said it is “very hard” to see how the tier 2 rules could have been adhered to in the quiz. Official guidance set out there should be no work lunches or parties “where that is a primarily social activity” and they were not exempted for “work purposes”.Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said Mr Johnson’s credibility was “in tatters” and said the quiz appeared to be a clear breach of the rules. “He’s not Anne Robinson. He was conducting a quiz at the time you should not have been socially mixing in London.”Asked on BBC Breakfast why Sir Keir stopped short of calling for Mr Johnson to resign, instead saying he was “unfit to lead”, Mr Lammy said: “Well, that must, in the end, be a matter for the prime minister.” More

At least one Covid patient in hospital has been confirmed to have died after contracting the omicron variant, Boris Johnson has said.“Omicron is producing hospitalisations and sadly at least one patient has been confirmed to have died with omicron,” said the prime minister during a visit to a vaccination clinic in west London.Mr Johnson repeatedly declined to rule out further Covid restrictions ahead of Christmas, as he warned the variant posed a risk to the NHS unless there was a huge expansion of booster jabs.“I think the idea that this is somehow a milder version of the virus, I think that’s something we need to set on one side and just recognise the sheer pace at which it accelerates through the population,” he said.The PM said that omicron now represents about 40 per cent of Covid cases in London and warned that tomorrow “it’ll be the majority of the cases” in the capital.Pressed on the possibility of further curbs before Christmas, Mr Johnson said: “Throughout the pandemic I’ve been at great pains to stress to the public that we have to watch where the pandemic is going and we take whatever steps are necessary to protect public health.”He added: “We think the steps that we are taking – so plan B, combined with a hugely ambitious acceleration of the booster campaign, bringing it forward by a month … we think that’s the right approach.”Health secretary Sajid Javid said earlier on Monday that 10 people in England have now been hospitalised with omicron.The PM repeated the government’s goal to “offer a booster” to every adult by the end of December. He has set the new deadline of getting everyone over 18 a booster by the end of the month – which would mean jabbing almost a million people every day.The NHS booking system will be open for those over the age of 18 from Wednesday, though many will be able to use vaccination walk-in centres from today, as 42 military planning teams set up additional vaccine sites.Mr Johnson insisted that there is still a “ready supply” of lateral flow tests in the UK, after the government’s own website said on Monday that “there are no more home tests available”.The PM told broadcasters: “They can get those tests – we do have a ready supply of lateral flow tests. If you can’t get one online for any reason, then there are ample supplies in the shops.” He suggested that the website problems showed “people are doing the sensible thing and getting tests as well.”It comes as the NHS booking site has been hit with technical problems amid a rush of 100,000 people booking their booster jabs on Monday morning.Meanwhile, Mr Johnson warned Conservative MPs thinking of rebelling against plan B measures at a crucial Commons vote on Tuesday that they had to recognise there was “no room for complacency” in dealing with omicron.“We have the vaccines, our position remains incomparably better than it was last year. And I hope that people will also understand – colleagues in Westminster, around the country – will also see that the measures we’re putting in place are balanced and proportionate.” More

The investigation into last year’s Downing Street Christmas parties held during strict Covid curbs could be expanded to include Boris Johnson’s hosting of a quiz night, a cabinet minister has confirmed.The prime minister is facing calls to answer allegations he broke Covid rules by attending a No 10 staff quiz on December 15 while tier 2 rules which banned household mixing were in force in London.Health secretary Sajid Javid said cabinet secretary Simon Case’s investigation could include Mr Johnson’s quiz event, after he was photographed leading the virtual event alongside two aides.“Simon Case has been given a broad remit to investigate anything he thinks should be [investigated], any type of gathering at Downing Street that should be looked at, on any particular day he wants to,” the minister told Sky News.“So if he wants to look at this he will. It’s going to be a decision for him,” Mr Javid added. “He will have seen that photo, I’m sure, himself. But let him do his job.”The Times reported that the online quiz will be included as part of Mr Case’s investigation into potential rule-breaking. The Cabinet Office has pointed to the terms of reference for the probe – which state that the inquiry can be widened “where there are credible allegations relating to other gatherings”.The cabinet secretary is reportedly set to announce his findings into the festive parties at both Downing Street and the Department for Education later this week.Asked if there was a possibility the probe could be pushed beyond Christmas, Mr Javid said: “I’m sure if he can publish the results sooner rather than later I’m sure he will – there’s no reason not to.”Meanwhile, Labour said Mr Johnson “might have misled” MPs after he told the Commons he had been given assurances that social distance regulations were not broken by No 10 last year.The party is demanding that Mr Johnson attend parliament on Monday to “fess up” about whether he and staff partied and socialised while Covid restrictions were imposed on the public.Sir Keir Starmer told the BBC that the latest revelation about Mr Johnson playing the part of impromptu quiz master alongside two aides meant it was “very hard” to see how tier 2 rules could have been adhered to.Labour MP Neil Coyle said the Metropolitan Police should investigate the Downing Street gatherings and question the prime minister.“There are people who were fined on the same days last year – why should it be any different for the prime minister,” said the backbencher. “Everyone who was there should be questioned by the cops, including the prime minister.”It comes as The Sun said Mr Johnson and his-then fiancee Carrie Johnson had been seen flouting lockdown rules during a dinner at a London restaurant in October 2020.The paper quotes eyewitnesses who said Mr Johnson was seen approaching the tables of other guests while not wearing a face covering, and that the couple did not leave the premises until after the 10pm curfew had passed.At the time, venues in the capital were subject to strict rules which, as well as the curfew, required diners to wear face coverings when moving around and banned different households mixing.A No 10 spokeswoman said: “It is categorically untrue to suggest the PM did not adhere to curfew rules in place at the time. Any small delay would have been for operational security reasons.” More

Boris Johnson’s plan to introduce voter identification in the UK risks disenfranchising voters and reducing turnout at elections, a cross-party group of MPs has warned.The Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee (PACAC) urged the government to stop the passage of the Elections Bill – which would make photo ID mandatory at polling stations.“There is a concern that a voter ID requirement will introduce a barrier preventing some people from exercising their vote,” warned a committee report released on Monday.The report said that when the requirement to produce photo ID at polling stations in Northern Ireland in 2003, “the turnout at the 2004 Northern Ireland Assembly elections dropped by 2.3% as a direct consequence”.The cross-party group of MPs said the ease with which people can vote in the UK was and “admirable and crucial tenet of our democratic process” and warned that compulsory ID would “remove an element of the trust inherent in the current system.”Conservative MP William Wragg, chair of the committee, said the government’s aim of preventing potential voter fraud was a “noble cause” – but said the cross-party group “remains unconvinced that the scale of the problem justifies the solutions as they have been put forward”.The influential Tory backbencher also warned against parts of the bill which could give Downing Street more power over the Electoral Commission.The Elections Bill would allow the government to set out the watchdog’s priorities and direction in a strategy. The Electoral Commission chair John Pullinger warned last week that this would be “inconsistent” with the body’s status as an independent body.“Any government proposal which might directly or indirectly influence the independent regulator over its operations and decision-making will invite suspicion, especially when plans have been drawn up behind closed doors,” said Mr Wragg.The Tory chair said the majority of his committee now wanted the bill “paused” to make sure the electoral system can be protected.“We feel that the Elections Bill proposals lack a sufficient evidence base, timely consultation, and transparency, all of which should be addressed before it makes any further progress,” he said.The report claims the committee received a significant number of pieces of evidence raising concern that voter ID would cause additional barriers to voting for particular groups – such as disabled people, transgender voters and non-binary voters and black and ethnic minority groups.On concerns raised by groups representing LGBTQ+ communities, the report said: “The LGBT Foundation for example raised concerns about transgender voters and non-binary voters being able to access appropriate forms of ID.”According to the report, the Runnymede Trust also raised concerns that introducing a voter ID requirement “would add further barriers to voting for black and ethnic minority groups who are already less likely to be registered to vote and significantly less likely to hold forms of ID such as a driving licence”.Responding to the report, a spokesperson for the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) said: “We should not be complacent when it comes to ensuring our democratic process remains secure.“Our Elections Bill will stamp out the potential for voter fraud, and will bring the rest of the UK in line with Northern Ireland, which has had photo identification to vote in elections since 2003.The DLUHC spokesperson added: “The UK government will be providing additional funding to cover the costs of implementing our reforms, and voters who do not have one of the required forms of photographic ID can apply for a free local Vote Card.” More

All adults in England will be offered a booster jab by the end of the year, Boris Johnson has announced in what is a sharp acceleration of the vaccination programme.In a televised address on Sunday night the prime minister warned that the UK was “facing an emergency in our battle with the new variant, omicron”.The PM said he was launching a “national mission” to get everyone jabbed, stating: “No one should be in any doubt: there is a tidal wave of omicron coming.”Over 1 million people a day will need to be vaccinated to reach the ambitious target – double the 530,000 jabbed on Saturday and exceeding the previous record of 844,000 set in March.All adults over 18 will become eligible for a jab from Monday, with the devolved nations expected to follow suit.It comes after scientists advising the government recommended raising the Covid alert level to 4 – meaning there is a “rapidly increasing risk to public”.“A fortnight ago I said we would offer every eligible adult a booster by the end of January,” Mr Johnson said.“Today, in light of this omicron emergency, I am bringing that target forward by a whole month. Everyone eligible aged 18 and over in England will have the chance to get their booster before the new year.”Mr Johnson said some other medical appointments would need to be postponed until the new year to make way for the inoculation programme. He also promised to deploy 42 military planning teams across the UK to try and reach the new target – which would require the NHS to exceed its previous record rate of vaccination.Both the Welsh and Scottish first ministers Mark Drakeford and Nicola Sturgeon said more measures may be necessary to stop omicron. “Given the expected volume of cases in the weeks ahead … [it] is also possible that further, proportionate protective measures or advice will be necessary,” Ms Sturgeon warned.”This is true even if Omicron proves to be slightly less severe than delta. The number of cases will still put significant pressure on the NHS and the economy. The government will therefore consider the latest data tomorrow [Monday] ahead of a cabinet meeting on Tuesday and I will set out any decisions to parliament later that day.”Mr Drakeford said: “We are facing a very serious situation and we may need to take further steps to keep Wales safe.” In a joint statement on Sunday evening the chief medical officers and NHS England said they had recommended to ministers that the alert level go up from level 3 to level 4.“Transmission of Covid-19 is already high in the community, mainly still driven by delta, but the emergence of omicron adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and healthcare services,” they said.“Early evidence shows that omicron is spreading much faster than delta and that vaccine protection against symptomatic disease from omicron is reduced. Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but admissions to hospital from omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly.“When vaccine protection is reduced in the way that is happening with omicron it is essential to top-up that protection with a booster. Both booster vaccines [Pfizer and Moderna] increase the immune response substantially and show good effectiveness although with some reduction compared to delta.”Level 4 is the second highest level in the alert system. According to the government’s scale it means Covid “is in general circulation” and that “transmission is high or rising exponentially”.It also means that “pressure on healthcare services is widespread and substantial or rising”.The UK reported 1,239 additional omicron cases on Sunday, nearly doubling the previous daily high. It takes the total reported number of cases of the new variant to 3,137 in the UK. Speaking after Mr Johnson’s address, Sir Keir Starmer, Labour’s leader, urged people to “keep our foot on the pedal” with regards to vaccination.“The vaccine is safe and effective. It protects us and those around us. We will always support the NHS and act in the public interest. Therefore the government has our support in the effort to accelerate the booster programme. It’s also vital that we use the Christmas holidays to get the vaccine out to eligible children,” he said. “I urge everyone to get boosted as soon as you can – and if you haven’t had your first or second jab yet, now is the time to come forward.”The prime minister’s announcement comes as he tries to regain control of the political narrative, after a torrid few weeks embroiled in scandals over sleaze, corruption, and alleged breaches of Covid rules at Downing Street. More

Labour has demanded Boris Johnson come to parliament and answer questions about whether he misled MPs over alleged Christmas lockdown rule-breaking. The prime minister last week told the Commons there was no party and that no Covid rules were broken in Downing Street – shortly before photos emerged of him hosting a Christmas quiz.Some Conservatives, including Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross, have said Mr Johnson’s position would be untenable were he found to have lied about the party at his home address.But Conservative ministers spent Sunday trying to downplay the latest revelations of Mr Johnson’s festivities in No 10.Education secretary Nadhim Zahawi took to the airwaves to claim the quiz could not have been a party because there was no alcohol. When it was pointed our that Mr Johnson was flanked by two colleagues in Christmas garb, the minister told the BBC: “I don’t think there’s a rule against recognising Christmas with tinsel or a hat.” But Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is a former director of public prosecutions, said it appeared that the prime minister had broken the rules.Sir Keir, asked on the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show whether the prime minister had been breaking the law, said: “Well, it looks as though he was. He must have known that other groups were in other rooms in his own building.”But the opposition leader stopped short of calling for Mr Johnson to resign over his participation in the event.Instead he branded the PM the “worst possible leader at the worst possible time”, arguing that trust in new measures to control the fast-spreading omicron variant could have been undermined by recent rule-breaking allegations.Mr Zahawi meanwhile argued the prime minister’s case, telling Sky News: “What do we see in that picture? We see a prime minister on a virtual quiz night for 10 to 15 minutes, to thank his staff – who by the way had no choice but to come in every single day.“Sitting in his office with the two people who are closest working with him, no alcohol on the table, not drinking – on a Zoom call or teams call, virtual call – respecting the lockdown rules.“Many people would have had similar Zoom quiz nights around the country. They are in his office, they work with him.”Social events outside household bubbles were banned under government rules at the time, including with colleagues who might otherwise have been working together.Official guidance stated: “You must not have a work Christmas lunch or party, where that is a primarily social activity and is not otherwise permitted by the rules in your tier.”It comes during ongoing anger about a separate party held at Downing Street, which is now the subject of an investigation by the cabinet secretary.Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “Despite repeated denials of parties in No 10, it has now transpired that there were numerous parties, gatherings and the prime minister even took part in a festive quiz. “It appears that Boris Johnson lied to the country and broke the law. It is increasingly clear that the prime minister presided over a culture of ignoring the rules that he told everyone else to follow. It’s time to fess up. “Boris Johnson and the Conservatives really believe it’s one rule for them, another for everyone else.”A No 10 spokeswoman said: “This was a virtual quiz. Downing Street staff were often required to be in the office to work on the pandemic response so those who were in the office for work may have attended virtually from their desks.“The prime minister briefly took part virtually in a quiz to thank staff for their hard work throughout the year.”Mr Johnson on Sunday night dodged questions from the press over the affair by pre-recording his statement to the country. More

Ministers have raised the UK’s Covid alert level amid concern about the spread of the new omicron variant of the disease.In a joint statement on Sunday evening the chief medical officers and NHS England said they had recommended to ministers that the alert level go up from Level 3 to Level 4.“Transmission of COVID-19 is already high in the community, mainly still driven by Delta, but the emergence of Omicron adds additional and rapidly increasing risk to the public and healthcare services,” they said.“Early evidence shows that omicron is spreading much faster than Delta and that vaccine protection against symptomatic disease from Omicron is reduced. Data on severity will become clearer over the coming weeks but hospitalisations from Omicron are already occurring and these are likely to increase rapidly.“When vaccine protection is reduced in the way that is happening with Omicron it is essential to top up that protection with a booster. Both booster vaccines (Pfizer and Moderna) increase the immune response substantially and show good effectiveness although with some reduction compared to Delta.”In comes after scientists advising the government said the variant had the potential to cause tens of thousands of deaths over the winter if addition restrictions were not imposed.Boris Johnson is set to address the nation at 8pm in a prerecorded message, without taking questions – meaning he will avoid scrutiny over allegations that he broke the rules.Level 4 is the second highest level in the alert system. According to the government’s scale it means Covid “is in general circulation” and that “transmission is high or rising exponentially”.It also means that “pressure on healthcare services is widespread and substantial or rising”.The alert level has never dropped as far as Level 2 since the system was created. Level 2 would imply low cases and transmission. The UK was previously at Level 3, which implies Covid is in “general circulation”.Level 5, the highest level, would mean there was a “material risk” of the NHS being overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases. Raising the Covid alert level has no immediate practical effect on policy but is supposed to indicate the general level of threat. More