Indy TV

Dominic Cummings acted as prime minister in “all but name” during his time as Boris Johnson’s chief adviser, Sajid Javid has told the UK Covid-19 Inquiry.Mr Javid said he resigned as chancellor in February 2020 because Mr Cummings made “many key decisions” on behalf of the former prime minister.“I felt that the elected prime minister was not in charge of what was happening in his name and was largely content with Mr Cummings running the government,” he told the inquiry on Wednesday 29 November.The inquiry was also shown a diary entry by former chief scientific adviser, Sir Patrick Vallance, in which he accused Mr Javid – the former health secretary – of “making policy on the hoof”. More

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer accused Rishi Sunak of “losing his marbles” in a Greek artifact jibe during Prime Minister’s Questions.In his opening remarks, Starmer joked:” In an effort to hide from his failures, the Prime Minister spent this week arguing about an ancient relic that only a tiny minority of the British public have any interest in – Mr Speaker, that’s enough about the Tory Party.”Starmer added: “Never mind the British Museum – it’s the prime minister who has obviously lost his marbles”. A diplomatic row over the sculptures was triggered when Prime Minister Rishi Sunak cancelled Tuesday’s planned meeting with Greek counterpart Kyriakos Mitsotakis. More

James Cleverly apologised in the Commons for using “inappropriate language” against a Labour MP but denied he called Stockton a “s*******”.The Home Secretary was accused of making the remark after Labour’s Alex Cunningham challenged Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the level of child poverty in his Stockton North constituency. Mr Cleverly told MPs on Monday (27 November): “I know what I said. I rejected the accusation that I criticised his constituency.“My criticism, which I made from a sedentary position, about the honourable gentleman used inappropriate language for which I apologise.“But I will not accept that my criticism was of his constituency because it was not.”Mr Cunningham said: “He has not apologised to me, he’s not apologised to the people of my constituency, he has apologised for using unparliamentary language.” More

Lord Cameron visited Israel on Thursday 23 November, following the announcement of a truce in the war with Hamas.The foreign secretary arrived amid uncertainty about when the pause in the fighting will begin, as an agreement for a four-day ceasefire in Gaza appears to have hit a last-minute snag.A senior Israeli official said it would not take effect before Friday, a day later than originally expected.The deal will see the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, with Palestinian prisoners expected to be freed by Tel Aviv.The lull in the fighting is also expected to clear the way for humanitarian aid to enter Gaza to ease the suffering of citizens who have been bombarded and besieged by Israel following the 7 October Hamas attack. More

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has been compared to Oliver Twist’s Fagin after the autumn Budget.Sky News presenter Kaye Burley told Mr Hunt: “I heard you described this morning, by somebody I was coming in, as a 21st Century Fagin, picking pockets where you went.”Mr Hunt smiles and explains that the taxes he has brought down are the ones that are going to help “businesses grow” and that will “increase long-term prosperity”.The chancellor was heckled yesterday (Wednesday 22 November), as he announced a new crackdown on welfare payments as part of his autumn statement. More

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves attacked Jeremy Hunt’s announcements, stating Britain is worse off now than when the Conservatives won power in 2010.Ms Reeves highlighted The Independent’s disclosure that Richard Huntington, strategy chief of Saatchi and Saatchi, the advertising firm that helped Margaret Thatcher become Prime Minister, had attacked the “cruel” Conservatives and forecast a Labour election victory.Ms Reeves said: “The ravens are leaving the Tower when even Saatchi and Saatchi are saying the Tories are not working.”Her comment was a reference to Saatchi and Saatchi’s famous 1979 election poster attacking unemployment under the then Labour Government which featured a picture of a long dole queue with the slogan ‘Labour Isn’t Working.’ More

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt is heckled as he announces benefits will be stopped during his autumn statement.After announcing £1.3 billion of funding to help 300,000 people who have been unemployed for a year, Hunt said the Government will “ask for something in return”.He said: “If after 18 months of intensive support jobseekers have not found a job, we will roll out a programme requiring them to take part in a mandatory work placement to increase their skills and improve their employability. And if they choose not to engage with the work search process for six months, we will close their case and stop their benefits.” More

Rishi Sunak has defended his interview with Elon Musk at the UK’s AI summit earlier this month, after a Labour MP criticised his “fawning welcome”.Daniel Zeichner said the “world cringed” over the prime minister’s discussion with the tech billionaire, and questioned what he has learnt from “an unelected, super-rich individual who had taken over a once successful organisation and plunged it into a death spiral.”Mr Sunak hit back by saying it was “extraordinary” that Mr Zeichner did not “understand the importance of technology sectors and companies to the growth of our economy”.“What the rest of the world saw was the UK playing a lead in defining the regulations and approach to a technology that is going to transform how we live.” More