UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailEmbattled Tory leader Rishi Sunak will be grilled about his actions during the pandemic when he appears before the Covid inquiry on Monday.The PM is fighting to save his premiership after resignation of immigration minister Robert Jenrick, as he failed to appease the Tory right with his Rwanda legislation.Adding to Mr Sunak’s woes, it emerged that he will be hauled up in front of the public inquiry within days to answer questions about his time as chancellor.He is likely to be questioned about the impact of his controversial policies such as the Eat Out to Help Out scheme to boost the restaurant trade during a resurgence of the virus.Government advisers referred to Mr Sunak as “Dr Death” during the pandemic, WhatsApp messages shown to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry have revealed, because of concerns about the impact of his push to keep economic activity going.The correspondence between epidemiologist Professor John Edmunds and Professor Dame Angela McLean – now chief scientific adviser to the government – took place during a meeting in September 2020.Dame Angela messaged Prof Edmunds, referring to “Dr Death the Chancellor”, the inquiry was told.Sunak will be under scrutiny over ‘Eat Out to Help Out’ Prof Edmunds told the inquiry the reference “could well be” about the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which was devised by then-chancellor Mr Sunak and deployed a month earlier in a bid to kickstart the restaurant industry following lockdown.The announcement that Mr Sunak will face a whole day of questioning on Monday came as former prime minister Boris Johnson began his second day of questioning.Baroness Hallett’s inquiry has heard that scientists and then-health secretary Matt Hancock were left out of discussions around the Eat Out to Help Out scheme, which offered discounted meals in summer 2020 to help the hospitality trade after lockdown measures were lifted.Mr Hancock told the inquiry he was not told about the scheme until the day it was announced and “argued very strongly” against the possibility of extending it at the end of August 2020.The inquiry has also heard that former chief scientific adviser Professor Sir Patrick Vallance, England’s chief medical officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty and their former deputies Dame Angela and Sir Jonathan Van-Tam were also not told about the scheme.Sir Jonathan said: “I would have said ‘This is exactly encouraging what we’ve been trying to suppress and get on top of in the last few months’. So it didn’t feel sensible to me.”Prof Edmunds said he did not want to blame Eat Out To Help Out for the second Covid-19 wave, but the “optics” around the scheme were “terrible”.He said he understood the restaurant sector needed support, but that this “was not really just supporting them”.“They could have just given them money,” he added. “This was a scheme to encourage people to take an epidemiological risk.”In response to the comments, inquiry counsel Hugo Keith said: “To make it clear, there is very little or there’s weak epidemiological evidence to show that infections in the areas in which people took up the scheme went up significantly. Your point is at the optics of it.”Prof Edmunds said advisers were measuring public behaviour in August and at the time there was a change. He added: “I wouldn’t say it was Eat Out To Help Out, but it was contributing.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSuella Braverman has denied trying to oust Rishi Sunak by “spreading poison” in the Tory party, as the PM was left reeling from the shock resignation of Robert Jenrick as immigration minister.Mr Sunak’s premiership has been rocked by the resignation of Ms Braverman’s ally, as the PM failed to appease the Tory right with his plan to “disapply” the UK Human Rights Act in Rwanda deportation cases.Mr Sunak will hold a press conference at 11am this morning as he faces a growing crisis over his Rwanda plans, with No 10 said to be increasingly worried by the number of no-confidence letters being submitted by Tory MPs.In a bruising interview of BBC Radio 4, the sacked home secretary defended her outspoken attacks on Mr Sunak and piled further pressure on him by insisting his Rwanda deportation legislation is doomed to fail. Ms Braverman said she was merely being “honest” and would not “shy away” from make further controversial comments. “If that upsets polite society I am sorry about it,” she said.The right-winger – who has claimed Mr Sunak is “weak” – was challenged by Today programmer interviewer Nick Robinson, who told her: “You are a headline grabber and you do it by spreading poison, even within your own party.”Ms Braverman replied: “Sometimes honesty is uncomfortable, but I’m not going to shy away from telling people how it is and from plain speaking, and if that upsets polite society, then I’m sorry about that.”The tense exchange came as Ms Braverman attacked Mr Sunak’s legislation, saying: “This bill will fail.” She said the reality “is it won’t work and it will not stop the boats.”Former home secretary Suella Braverman said she would not ‘shy away from telling people how it is’ The right of the party furious that the PM chose not to opt out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR). Mr Sunak is reportedly worried by the number of no confidence letters being submitted – amid warnings he could soon face a leadership challenge.In his scathing resignation letter, Mr Jenrick made clear he wanted to bypass the ECHR – calling the bill “a triumph of hope over experience”. And Ms Braverman told the BBC the bill “will allow a merry go round of legal claims and litigation. Ultimately, this bill will fail.”Since being fired, Ms Braverman is widely seen to be plotting a bid to succeed Mr Sunak. On Wednesday she warned the PM that the Tories were heading for “electoral oblivion” if he failied to thwart international human rights law.But she denied speculation she is plotting to bring down Mr Sunak’s government, saying “no one’s talking about leadership or changing leadership”. “That’s nonsense,” she told the BBC.Robert Jenrick said Sunak bill is ‘triumph of hope over experience’ In an extraordinary exchange, Ms Braverman was repeatedly asked whether Mr Sunak was “lying” when he claimed the Rwandan government had threatened to pull out of the deal if Britain breached international treaties. “I don’t know [whether he is lying],” she eventually said.A No 10 accused Ms Braverman of denying reality. A Downing Street source said: “Conservatives need to work within reality. What she wants isn’t available, the Rwandans have said no.”Mr Sunak also fired back at Mr Jenrick – telling him his resignation was based on a “fundamental misunderstanding of the situation”. The PM said Rwanda would “collapse the entire scheme” if he had gone any further.The Tory leader is reportedly ready to threatens to call an election if right-wing MPs threaten to vote against his legislation. The PM is considering making the vital showdown on the legislation next week – with a vote expected on Tuesday – a confidence issue.Convention dictates that the PM would either resign or dissolving parliament and call an election if he loses such a vote. However, No 10 sources have denied that next week’s showdown vote will be treated as a confidence vote in the government.Cabinet minister Chris Heaton-Harris played down the chances of Rishi Sunak facing a vote on his leadership as “very unlikely”. The Northern Ireland secretary told LBC: “I’d say vanishingly small.”Mr Heaton-Harris added: “I don’t think it’s as a big a story as is being made. I don’t like anybody resigning from my party, but when I was Boris Johnson’s chief whip… Pretty much everyone did. Maybe I have a scale of proportion that others don’t have.”Rishi Sunak is under huge pressure from Tory centrists and right-wingers Despite the huge damage done by Mr Jenrick’s resignation, the PM had been warned that he faced an even more damaging rebellion – with the possible resignation of up to 10 moderate ministers – if he had tried to bypass the ECHR.Senior Tory moderate Damian Green, chair of the One Nation group – which boasts support from around 100 MPs – has warned Mr Sunak that he “should think twice before overriding both the ECHR and HRA”.A spokesman for the One Nation group said it welcomed the government’s decision to stick with “international commitments”, and taking legal advice on whether to support the bill.Despite the cautious backing of centrists, senior moderate Tobias Ellwood told Times Radio that he would not support the Rwanda bill if there is “any prospect” of breaking international laws. “We uphold international law. We don’t break it.”Mr Ellwood said the row over Rwanda was “ripping our party in half”. The Tory MP added: “If this infighting continues, it will not just cost us the next general election, it will see our party splinter into two between the centre right and the far right.”The new Sunak bill includes provisions to disapply relevant parts of the Human Rights Act so they cannot be factored into court decisions on deportation cases – but does not try to disapply the ECHR.However, the legislation will ensure UK ministers “retain the decision on whether or not to comply” with interim orders from the European Court of Human Rights – the Strasbourg body that oversees the ECHR.Former Tory attorney general Dominic Grieve told BBC Newsnight: “We are watching Tory splits between those MPs that believe in the rule of law and those Conservatives who do not.”The Tory right are also angry at the legislation still allows for individual legal challenges. Mr Heaton-Harris acknowledged that people faced with being sent on a one-way trip to Rwanda will still have some legal routes to challenge the decision.The right-wing Brexiteer Mark Francois said: “If under this legislation those people could continue to appeal and appeal in order to delay being put on a flight, what’s the point of the bill?” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSenior ToryMPs have called Robert Jenrick’s resignation “deeply worrying” and “very concerning” as the shock announcement Rishi Sunak’s government.The former immigration minister quit on Wednesday after Mr Sunak failed to appease Tory right-wingers with his emergency Rwanda legislation.Mr Jenrick, once a close ally and friend of the PM, issued a scathing resignation letter, accusing Mr Sunak of a “triumph of hope over experience”.And he said the legislation, designed to salvage the government’s Rwanda deportation plan, will not work.Mr Sunak branded the departure “disappointing”, but told Mr Jenrick in a letter he fears it was “based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation”.But former minister Sir Simon Clarke said Mr Jenrick’s departure was “very concerning”.The senior MP said: “Very sorry – and concerned – to see Rob Jenrick leave government this evening.“He understands totally the strength of public feeling on this issue.”Sir Simon said the question now is “simply will this legislation work”.On Wednesday, chairman of the right-wing European Research Group (ERG) of Tory MPs, said: “If the immigration minister, who is a good man, has resigned over this bill that is deeply worrying.”And former minister Andrea Jenkyns, an ardent Boris Johnson loyalist, said Mr Jenrick’s resignation “may be the death knell for Sunak’s leadership”.Tory former attorney general Dominic Grieve said the party is now “seriously split ideologically in a way that I have never seen before”.“What we’re now watching is a split between people who believe in the rule of law, and people who don’t actually believe in the rule of law at all,” he told the BBC.Cabinet minister Chris Heaton-Harris said it was a “great shame” that Mr Jenrick had quit as immigration minister over the Rwanda policy.But he insisted the legislation will work at getting flights off the ground to the east African nation, telling Sky News: “I think it will work.”Labour’s Yvette Cooper said Mr Jenrick’s resignation showed the “starting gun has been fired” on the next Tory leadership election.The shadow home secretary added: “This is the desperate dying days of a party ripping itself apart, clearly totally out of ideas, lost any sense of leadership or direction.”Mr Jenrick’s resignation letter made clear he wanted to bypass the ECHR – revealing that he had been “pushing for the strongest possible” bill that would put “national interests above highly contested interpretations of international law”.It leaves Mr Sunak facing the near-impossible task of winning votes from both the Tory right, who wanted a “full fat” crackdown on the ECHR, and moderate MPs in the “One Nation” group who warn they cannot back legislation that flouts human rights law. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s premiership has been rocked by the resignation of immigration minister Robert Jenrick after the PM failed to appease Tory right-wingers with his emergency Rwanda legislation.Home secretary James Cleverly unveiled a bill in the Commons to “disapply” the UK Human Rights Act in a bid to stop British judges from blocking the deportation of asylum seekers.But the embattled Tory leader has not been able to head off a revolt by MPs on the right of the party, who are furious that the PM chose not to opt out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).In his scathing resignation letter, Mr Jenrick told Mr Sunak he did not believe the new bill “provides us with the best possible chances of success” in getting the Rwanda flights to take off.The hardliner made clear he wanted to bypass the ECHR – revealing that he had been “pushing for the strongest possible” bill that would put “national interests above highly contested interpretations of international law”.In response, Mr Sunak branded the departure “disappointing”, but told Mr Jenrick in a letter he fears it was “based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation”.Rishi Sunak is under pressure from both sides of the divided Tory party Labour said the latest “chaotic chapter” of Tory infighting showed why it was time for a change of power. The Liberal Democrats said Mr Sunak had lost control of government, as another minister “flees this sinking ship”.Mr Sunak now faces the near-impossible task of winning votes from both the Tory right, who wanted a “full fat” crackdown on the ECHR, and moderate MPs in the “One Nation” group who warn they cannot back legislation that flouts human rights law.Adding to the PM’s woes, the sacked home secretary Suella Braverman issued a stinging attack on Mr Sunak – warning that he faces “electoral oblivion” if he fails to get Rwanda flights off the ground before the next election.The new Sunak bill includes provisions to disapply relevant parts of the Human Rights Act so they cannot be factored into court decisions on deportation cases – but does not try to disapply the ECHR.However, the legislation will ensure UK ministers “retain the decision on whether or not to comply” with interim orders from the European Court of Human Rights – the Strasbourg body that oversees the ECHR.In yet another headache for Mr Sunak, the Rwandan government immediately responded to the move by warning that it could pull out of the deal if the UK fails to comply with “the highest standards of international law”.The east-central African country’s foreign affairs minister Vincent Biruta warned: “Without lawful behaviour by the UK, Rwanda would not be able to continue with the Migration and Economic Development Partnership.” Jenrick had ‘pushed’ for stronger version of the new Rwanda billMr Sunak defended his plans at a showdown meeting of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers on Wednesday evening – but failed to keep the right-wingers onside.A source close to Ms Braverman made clear that the bill doesn’t come close to meeting her tests. “It is fatally flawed,” the ally said. “It is a further betrayal of Tory voters.”Some Tory right-wingers submitted letters of no confidence in Mr Sunak on Wednesday, according to ITV. Ex-minister Andrea Jenkyns, an ardent Boris Johnson loyalist, said Mr Jenrick’s resignation “may be the death knell for Sunak’s leadership”.Dozens of hardliners – including members of the 35-strong New Conservatives, the Common Sense Group and the European Research Group – met again on Wednesday evening to decide if they could vote for the new bill.The Independent understands many of them are unhappy with the “middle way” option to disapply the Human Rights Act. One senior MP said there would be “no purpose” to the bill if it fails to thwart ECHR challenges.The PM had been warned that he faced an even more damaging rebellion – with the possible resignation of up to 10 moderate ministers – if he used the emergency legislation to bypass the ECHR. Senior Tory moderate Damian Green, chair of the One Nation group – which boasts support from around 100 MPs – has warned Mr Sunak that he “should think twice before overriding both the ECHR and HRA”.Former home secretary Suella Braverman told Mr Sunak to bypass ECHR or face ‘oblivion’A spokesman for One Nation said it welcomed the government’s decision to stick with “international commitments” – but is now taking legal advice on whether it can now support the bill.The front page of the legislation concedes that the government is unable to say whether the bill is compatible with the ECHR, an admission that may make moderates uneasy about voting for it in parliament in the crucial days ahead.New foreign secretary David Cameron said he was “sorry” that Mr Jenrick had resigned. But he defended the “comprehensive” Rwanda bill – claiming it would “put this policy beyond doubt” and get flights started.In his exit letter, Mr Jenrick told the Tory leader he refused to be “yet another politician who makes promises on immigration to the British public but does not keep them”. Mr Sunak wrote back: “Your resignation is disappointing given we both agree on the ends, getting flights off to Rwanda so that we can stop the boats. I fear that your departure is based on a fundamental misunderstanding of the situation. It is our experience that gives us confidence that this will work.”In another surprise, Ms Braverman made a formal resignation speech in the Commons. She suggested her own previous “stop the boats” legislation should have been scrapped in favour of a “more robust alternative that excluded international and human rights laws”.The Tory hardliner attacked “expansive human rights laws flowing” from the ECHR that were stopping the Rwanda flights. Ms Braverman also said it was “no secret” that she supports quitting the ECHR altogether.Her unusual personal statement to the Commons followed her bitter exit last month. A similar speech by Geoffrey Howe following his resignation in the Commons in 1990 is often credited with ending Margaret Thatcher’s political career.It came despite the government claiming that the new bill would “unambiguously exclude the courts from challenging the fact that Rwanda is safe”. Mr Sunak insisted that his new legislation would make sure his Rwanda plan “cannot be stopped”.Speaking in the Commons, Mr Cleverly said the bill was “lawful, fair and necessary”. The home secretary told MPs that the government was determined to pass its emergency legislation through parliament quickly. He also denied Labour claims that Rwanda was getting cold feet due to the “toxic” deal. The UK’s top court last month blocked the Rwanda policy over concerns that genuine refugees could be wrongly sent back to their countries of origin where they would face persecution.Nick Vineall KC, chair of the Bar Council, said the new bill was still “likely to give rise to legal challenges” over planned deportations – pointing out that it “retains the right of the courts to consider whether Rwanda is a safe country”. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak has stopped short of introducing the Hillsborough Law demanded by campaigners, as he issued an apology to bereaved families in the Commons.Former bishop of Liverpool James Jones set out 25 learning points in his 2017 report following inquests into the disaster at the 1989 FA Cup semi-final in Sheffield – where 97 Liverpool FC fans died.In its long-awaited response on Wednesday, the government has said it had signed up to a Hillsborough Charter – pledging to place the public interest above its own reputation – but said a “Hillsborough Law”, enforcing a legal duty of candour, was not necessary.In the foreword, home secretary James Cleverly and justice secretary Alex Chalk admitted the response had taken “too long, compounding the agony of the Hillsborough families and survivors”. The ministers added: “For this we are deeply sorry.”Mr Sunak said: “The Hillsborough families have suffered multiple injustices and more than 34 years later there can never be too many apologies for what they have been through.”The PM added: “And I want to repeat that apology today and thank the Hillsborough families for their tenacity, patience and courage.”Inquests into the deaths at the match, played between Liverpool and Nottingham Forest on 15 April 1989, concluded in 2016 and found that fans were unlawfully killed and errors by the police and ambulance service caused or contributed to their deaths.The match commander on the day, David Duckenfield, was charged with gross negligence manslaughter in 2017 but he was cleared in 2019 at a retrial, after the jury in his first trial was unable to reach a verdict.Hillsborough campaigner Margaret Aspinall and Manchester mayor Andy Burnham outside Anfield memorial in 2022 In his 2017 report, Mr Jones called for the government to give “full consideration” to a “Hillsborough Law” or Public Authority (Accountability) Bill.The aim was to include a legal duty of candour on public authorities and officials to tell the truth and proactively cooperate with official investigations and inquiries.But the Tory government said it was “not aware” of any gaps in legislation or clarifications needed that would further encourage a culture of candour among public servants in law.It is understood ministers believe that adopting the duty of candour would risk “creating conflict and confusion” because of the framework of duties and obligations already developed since the disaster.In its report, the government said the families and survivors were “entirely justified” in their frustration with the evasiveness they experienced from public officials. But it said much had changed in terms of expectations and requirements on public officials since 1989.Rishi Sunak repeated government apology to Hillsborough families It said that “continuing to drive and encourage a culture of candour among public servants” was essential and an important part of the Hillsborough Charter, which deputy PM Oliver Dowden had signed on behalf of the government.Mr Jones said the government’s response “falls short of the hopes of the Hillsborough families” – but said it was “a serious and substantial response” and welcomed the decision to sign the charter.Former Tory prime minister Theresa May bemoaned the fact it has taken “so long” to respond to Mr Jones’ report. She asked for details on specific steps to ensure a new culture is instilled “across the whole of the public sector”.The justice secretary highlighted efforts to put the charter into effect, saying it will be in training for police officers and induction for civil servants. Mr Chalk added it will “become part of the culture of what it means to be a civil servant in Britain”.Leaders of public bodies who sign up to the charter commit to place the public interest above their own reputations.Other organisations that have already signed up to the charter include the National Police Chiefs’ Council, College of Policing, Crown Prosecution Service and Kensington and Chelsea Council, the report said.The government response also states that it will consult on expanding the provision of legal aid for inquests following public disasters.In 2021, retired officers Donald Denton and Alan Foster and former force solicitor Peter Metcalf, who were accused of amending statements to minimise the blame on South Yorkshire Police after the tragedy, were acquitted of perverting the course of justice.Mr Justice William Davis said the amended statements were intended for a public inquiry into safety at sports grounds led by Lord Justice Taylor, but that was not a course of public justice. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as David Cameron meets with US House Speaker Mike Johnson on Wednesday, 6 December as part of his first visit to the US since becoming foreign secretary.As part of the trip, Lord Cameron was due to hold a series of bilateral meetings – he was expected to speak with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, as well as Republican and Democratic members of Congress.According to the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), the former prime minister’s discussions will focus on supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russian aggression.It comes after Joe Biden urged Congress to pass his national security supplemental request, including funding to support Ukraine, earlier on Wednesday.The US president’s administration has warned Congress that money for the European country will run out by the end of the year as Russia’s invasion continues.Earlier this week, Mr Biden’s national security adviser Jake Sullivan declared that not passing the additional aid would “make it easier for Putin to prevail.” More