UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailScotland’s former first minister Nicola Sturgeon fought back tears at the Covid public inquiry as she denied using the pandemic for political purposes.The ex-SNP leader choked up as she rejected claims that she had pushed for fights with Boris Johnson’s government to boost her Scottish independence cause.She insisted that she had not been “thinking of political opportunity”, as she was grilled about WhatsApps which showed she wanted public arguments with Mr Johnson.Ms Sturgeon also finally admitted that she had deleted her own WhatsApp messages with officials and ministers, but attempted to play down the importance of the messages.The former first minister said she “did not make extensive use of informal messaging” – claiming that her officials’ discussion of deleting messages was merely “light-hearted” banter.Ms Sturgeon became visibly emotional as she spoke of being “overwhelmed” at times during the crisis. “There’s a large part of me wishes that I hadn’t been, but I was, and I wanted to be the best first minister.”Former first minister Nicola Sturgeon arrives at the Covid inquiry Tory cabinet minister Michael Gove previously accused the Scottish government of seeking “political conflict” with Westminster government during the pandemic.Messages between Ms Sturgeon and her top adviser Liz Lloyd showed they had discussed a “good old-fashioned rammy” with the Tory government on furlough scheme, while Ms Lloyd has conceded to seeking a “spat with a purpose”.The former SNP leader, fighting back tears, told the inquiry: “The idea that in those horrendous days, weeks, I was thinking of political opportunity” was “not the case”. She added: “It wasn’t true.”Amid the storm of controversy over deleted messages, Ms Sturgeon conceded that WhatsApp had become “too common” a means of communication within the Scottish government during the crisis.But she insisted that she exchanged WhatsApps with no more than a “handful” of people – including key ally Ms Lloyd, and the now first minister Humza Yousaf, who was health secretary.She admitted that she deleted these informal messages – but said it was in line with official advice because “salient” points were all recorded on her government’s corporate record.Nicola Sturgeon admits she deleted her WhatsApp messages during Covid inquiryThe ex-SNP leader also dismissed message sent by senior civil servants and officials about the deletion of WhatsApp messages as “light-hearted”.Ken Thompson, the Scottish government’s director-general for strategy, wrote in August 2020 that “plausible deniability are my middle names”. He also told colleagues they should “know where the ‘clear chat’ button is” on WhatsApp.Ms Sturgeon said: “I look at that exchange and what I don’t see is an exchange about the decisions that were taken, I see a light hearted discussion between officials.”Ms Sturgeon also rejected accusations of “secrecy” during the pandemic. She claimed she did not have “carte blanche” to make decisions on her own, as she was grilled about her “gold command” meetings of only senior cabinet ministers.Inquiry counsel Jamie Dawson KC put it to her that she “did not like light to be shone” on the way decisions were taken.“I would very strongly refute that,” Ms Sturgeon replied. “I did not have carte blanche, wide latitude to take decisions – and nor should I have had.”Ms Sturgeon confirmed that no minutes were taken of the ‘gold command’ meetings. “There were not minutes taken of them in the way you would have cabinet minutes because they were not decision-making meetings.”Defending small meetings, she told the inquiry she did “not have a great deal of patience” with the idea of “everybody” wanting to be in the room – saying said there was a tendency for a “cast of thousands” to wanted to be in the room with her.And Ms Sturgeon also admitted that it was a mistake to use a SNP email account to conduct some government business with public health expert Professor Devi Sridhar. “On reflection, perhaps I shouldn’t have done that.” More

Related video: Brexit to blame for food shortages in Britain, chair of Save British Food says Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insightNew post-Brexit checks on food and drink imports have come into force today amid concerns that fresh checks at the border will lead to increased costs for businesses.The new rules mean that health certificates will now be needed on a wide range of EU goods such as meat, fruit and vegetables. A further system for physical checks at the border is coming into force on 30 April.But fears have been expressed about disruption to supply chains, with businesses concerned about delays and increased costs.Conservative health minister Dame Andrea Leadsom played down concerns about more red tape, saying that checks at the UK/EU border are the “price you pay” for leaving the EU.She told Times Radio: “It was very clear in the Brexit discussions a long time ago now, today is the fourth anniversary of leaving the EU, it was very clear that we would be leaving the single market.“What that does mean is that there is some friction in trade. However, we also have huge trading arrangements with other countries around the world.”Show latest update 1706712300UK government is ‘Brexit-betraying’, says DUP MPThe UK government has been accused of being spineless, weak-kneed and “Brexit-betraying” by a DUP MP.Speaking in the Commons, Sammy Wilson, MP for East Antrim, said: “When the Northern Ireland assembly sits, ministers and assembly members will be expected by law to adhere to and implement laws which are made in Brussels, which they had no say over and no ability to amend, and no ability to stop.“This is a result of this spineless, weak-kneed, Brexit-betraying Government, refusing to take on the EU and its interference in Northern Ireland.”He added: “Is Northern Ireland going to find it’s got the ability to stay tied to the United Kingdom, or will the Government proceed happily to change laws here regardless of the impact it has on Northern Ireland?”Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris replied: “On the fourth anniversary of leaving the European Union, I can tell him absolutely that this agreed package of measures will not change the freedoms and powers we have secured through Brexit or through the Windsor framework. Joe Middleton31 January 2024 14:451706709080Labour will look again at EU relationship if businesses are ‘struggling’ with new checksLabour said the party, should it win this year’s expected general election, would look again at the trading relationship with Brussels if businesses are “struggling” with the new checks.Tulip Siddiq, a shadow Treasury minister, told Sky News: “If there are things that aren’t working, then of course we need to review it and look at it.“We would look at look at where businesses are struggling, where the economy is struggling, and go and see if we can get a better deal for our country.“That is what anyone who is in charge should be doing.“They (voters) may have voted to leave the European Union, but they didn’t vote to get a bad deal.”Joe Middleton31 January 2024 13:511706705489Boris Johnson celebrates four years of BrexitBoris Johnson marked four years since Brexit took effect with a warning of any watering down of the current arrangements.It comes with the government set to publish the details of its deal with the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), setting the stage for the return of the Stormont powersharing institutions.But some Tories have concerns it could limit the UK’s post-Brexit freedom to diverge from EU rules.The former prime minister, in a post on X, hit out at “artificial” concerns about the border on the island of Ireland and warned against any return to the kind of deal pushed unsuccessfully by Theresa May.In a post on X, formerly Twitter, he said: “Four years on from Brexit we celebrate the restoration of this country’s democratic power to make its own laws and rules.“With those Brexit freedoms we have introduced improved standards for animal welfare, cut taxes on sanitary products, created greater flexibility for cutting edge industries from financial services to bioscience, done many global free trade deals – and it was at least partly thanks to Brexit that this country had the fastest covid vaccine rollout in Europe.“We must retain the appetite and the courage to diverge from the low-growth high-regulation European model.“We must at all costs avoid a return to anything remotely like the disastrous ‘Chequers’ formula whereby artificial concerns about the border between Northern Ireland and Ireland are used to keep the whole of the UK in alignment with EU rules.”Joe Middleton31 January 2024 12:511706702886Brexit a ‘seismic moment’ and will take time to ‘filter through’, says ministerBrexit was a “seismic moment in British politics” and “something of that magnitude is going to take time to filter through”, Cabinet minister Victoria Atkins said.The health secretary told reporters that the Covid vaccine rollout was an example of Britain’s ability to move quicker than the EU after leaving the bloc.She said: “I’ll give you one very positive example of how being free from the EU enabled us to make real change to our society and that, of course, was through the vaccination programme during Covid.“We were able to come out of lockdown faster than any other country, because we were able to make those decisions about the vaccination programme and roll it out as quickly as we did.”She claimed the pharmaceutical industry viewed the UK’s position outside the EU as a “real game changer for them” and “I think we really are going to see some really exciting opportunities in the years ahead of us to the things”.Joe Middleton31 January 2024 12:081706702352Labour vows to ‘review’ Brexit deal in governmentLabour would look again at the trading relationship with the European Union if businesses are “struggling” with new checks that have come into force, a shadow minister has suggested.Tulip Siddiq, a shadow Treasury minister, told Sky News: “If there are things that aren’t working, then of course we need to review it and look at it.”She added: “We would look at look at where businesses are struggling, where the economy is struggling, and go and see if we can get a better deal for our country.“That is what anyone who is in charge should be doing.“They [voters] may have voted to leave the European Union, but they didn’t vote to get a bad deal.“[The EU] are still our closest trading partners. If we can work to get some sort of negotiation which is good for our country, I don’t think any British person is going to say no to our economy improving or our trade deals getting better.”Joe Middleton31 January 2024 11:591706700612Watch: Stormont powersharing set to return after DUP executive backs dealStormont powersharing set to return after DUP executive backs dealJoe Middleton31 January 2024 11:301706698812Tory Brexiteer dismisses cost of new food checks as ‘price you pay’ for BrexitConservative minister Andrea Leadsom has dismissed the concerns of business chiefs over the costly new checks imposed on imports from the EU as the “price you pay” for Brexit.The leading Brexiteer defended the “friction” in the new system for physical checks at the border – describing it as “the costs of doing business”.Ms Leadsom said British firms must “adapt” and could even consider “changing their trading arrangements with the EU” if they wanted to bring down their costs.Adam Forrest and Zoe Grunewald reportJoe Middleton31 January 2024 11:001706697522New Brexit border regime could pose ‘serious biosecurity risks’Concerns have been expressed as new post-Brexit rules come into force.The long-delayed new rules, coming into force today, are part of the UK Government’s introduction of a series of checks this year.But fears have been expressed about disruption to supply chains, with MPs saying the new border regime could present “serious biosecurity risks” to the UK.Joe Middleton31 January 2024 10:381706696485Former BBC journalist says he ‘doesn’t remember Brexit campaigners saying the cost of doing business was going to rise’Earlier today Conservative minister Andrea Leadsom dismissed the concerns of UK small business owners regarding increased costs and checks at the UK/EU border.She said it was the “price you pay” for Brexit and said that “businesses are used to the costs of doing business”, as the new rules on food imports came into force today.Former BBC journalist and now podcast host Jon Sopel has responded to the comments on X, formerly Twitter, and raised some interesting points.He said: “Sorry. Maybe I have false memory syndrome, but I don’t remember the Brexit campaigners during referendum warning companies that cost of doing business was going to rise steeply and become ever more bureaucratic. Maybe I wasn’t paying attention.”Joe Middleton31 January 2024 10:211706695837Parma hams and Spanish chorizos to disappear from UK shelves due to new Brexit checks, Rishi Sunak warnedSpecialist meats such as Parma hams and Spanish chorizo sausages could begin disappearing from the shelves of UK supermarkets and delis because of costly new Brexit checks, food sector chiefs have told The Independent.Rishi Sunak’s government has been warned of major supply problems with EU meat and dairy products when extra red tape and inspections are imposed on imports from April.Some suppliers of specialist products, like French cheeses, will give up on Britain because of the extra expense and “huge hassle” involved in sending goods, say industry bosses.Adam Forrest reports.Joe Middleton31 January 2024 10:10 More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Rishi Sunak faces Sir Keir Starmer during PMQs on Wednesday 31 January.The pair will go head-to-head after the prime minister suffered three new devastating blows which threaten to kill off any hopes the Conservatives can avoid a general election defeat.Mr Sunak’s plans for a pre-election tax cut to woo voters were thrown into question after the International Monetary Fund said the government could not afford them.It has also emerged that several Tories – including business secretary Kemi Badenoch – are in a WhatsApp group called the “Evil Plotters.”Meanwhile, in a deeply embarrassing development for Mr Sunak’s Brexiteer credentials, it emerged that the UK population is set to rise by another 6.6 million by 2036.With the prime minister on the rocks, Sir Keir could stick the boot in during PMQs again this week, after a bruising battle at the despatch box last week.Mr Sunak, meanwhile, could attack Labour after Rachel Reeves claimed the party will not scrap Liz Truss’s decision to lift the cap on bankers’ bonuses. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch live as Nicola Sturgeon faces questions in the UK Covid inquiry on Wednesday 31 January.The former first minister will give evidence for a full day as the inquiry, before Baroness Heather Hallett, holds hearings in Edinburgh.Several figures in Ms Sturgeon’s government have already faced questions about their deletion of WhatsApp messages during the pandemic.Ms Sturgeon has conceded that messages had not been retained on her own devices but said she has managed to retrieve copies to submit to the probe.She has said informal messages were handed over to the inquiry last year.Scottish government ministers and officials have said decisions were routinely recorded on the official system even if messages were deleted in line with policy.In one message already seen by the inquiry, as former chief of staff Liz Lloyd gave evidence, Ms Sturgeon referred to then prime minister Boris Johnson as a “f****** clown.” More