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Politics news – latest: ‘No cake was eaten’ – Boris Johnson expresses bewilderment at COVID fine for birthday party
Boris Johnson’s written partygate defence has been published, ahead of his appearance in front of MPs on the privileges committee tomorrow.
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Key points
Boris Johnson’s partygate evidence published before questioning at 2pm tomorrow View post
Former PM denies it was ‘obvious’ gatherings were against the rules and hits out at ‘highly partisan’ probe View post
Privileges committee says submission contains no new evidence View post
‘No cake was eaten’: Johnson bemused at fine for 2020 birthday party View post
Ali Fortescue breaks down the key parts of the former PM’s defence View post
Amanda Akass: The battle lines have been drawn View post
Group of Brexit-backing MPs say Stormont brake ‘practically useless’ View post
Joe Pike: More rebels expected in Brexit vote – but does it really matter? View post
Live reporting by Tim Baker and Katie Williams
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12m ago
11:15
The key parts of Johnson’s partygate defence
Political correspondent Ali Fortescue has read all 52 pages of Boris Johnson’s partygate defence so you don’t have to.
She picks out the key parts of the former prime minister’s defence ahead of his appearance before the privileges committee at 2pm tomorrow:
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17m ago
11:09
Starmer dodges questions on Boris Johnson
Sir Keir is also questioned on the big political story of the day that is former prime minister Boris Johnson’s partygate defence dossier.
He’s asked whether he thinks Mr Johnson has a case that he didn’t intentionally mislead the House of Commons, but dodges the question.
“The committee is going to have to do their work tomorrow,” he says.
“He will start his evidence at two o’clock and I’m just going to have to let them get on with it”.
Sky News also presses Sir Keir on whether Labour MPs will be allowed a free vote on any sanctions imposed on Mr Johnson by the privileges committee.
“I don’t want to get ahead of ourselves. He hasn’t begun his evidence yet,” he says.
“The committee hasn’t come to a finding yet or a recommendation yet. When they do, we’ll make a decision about where we go from then.”
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25m ago
11:02
‘How long would you give Met leader to turn things around?’
The BBC asks Sir Keir how long, if he were leader, he would give Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley to turn things around in his force.
The Labour leader declines to give a specific timeframe, instead repeating his call for Sir Mark to go “further and faster”.
He did, however, welcome action already taken by the commissioner to make changes in the Met.
“This has to be a radical change… the likes of which we saw in Northern Ireland with the Royal Ulster Constabulary as it transformed the police service of Northern Ireland,” he says.
Sir Keir says it can’t be a case of “tinkering around the edges”.
“It requires extraordinary leadership”, he adds.
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40m ago
10:46
Starmer says damning review into Met ‘pulls no punches’ as he sets out how Labour would reform policing
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer and shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper are holding a news conference following Baroness Casey’s scathing review of the Metropolitan Police.
The report, released today, is a damning assessment of Britain’s largest police force – particularly with regards to protecting women.
The Met is “institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic” and may have more officers like killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick, Baroness Casey said.
The conference begins with a speech from Ms Cooper, who is critical of the Conservative government’s approach to policing and public protection.
She says “we cannot have an endless cycle of watershed moments and warm words when nothing changes,” adding that Labour would “not stand for this”.
Sir Keir follows, and says Baroness Casey’s review “pulls no punches” in exposing the “poor management” and “basic lack of workforce planning” of the Met.
“Predatory and unacceptable behaviour has been allowed to flourish,” he says, adding that Londoners have been “let down” by “public protection failures that have put women and girls at greater risk”.
He says the findings of the report can’t be separated from politics, and says there has been a “hands-off” approach to policing for 12 years.
Sir Keir sets out Labour’s mission for effective policing and safer streets.
He says a Labour government would “accept the findings of the report in full” and push for “deep reforms and changes”.
The Labour leader adds that Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley “must go further and faster”, adding that he will be “relentless in demanding progress and change”.
A Labour Party in power would bring in national standards for all police forces to include mandatory vetting, training and disciplinary procedures and stronger accountability regimes to turn around failing forces, Sir Keir says.
It would also “rebuild neighbourhood policing” with 13,000 more police officers, as well as ensure specialist 999 call handlers trained in domestic violence are in every control room.
A dedicated rape unit would also be set up in every police force in the country, he says.
“There has to be a reckoning.”
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46m ago
10:40
Cummings dismisses Johnson’s defence as ‘further misinformation’
Dominic Cummings has come out strongly against his former boss’s partygate defence, calling it “further misinformation” and “obviously false”.
This is turning into somewhat of a “he said, he said” row.
Boris Johnson claims in his submission that the “discredited” Mr Cummings had not been truthful when the former adviser said he warned the ex-PM against going to a gathering in the Downing Street garden on 20 May 2020.
Mr Cummings has now addressed this, insisting that he and Lee Cain, the Downing Street communications chief at the time, warned Mr Johnson the gathering was against the rules.
In an email to his Substack subscribers, he said Mr Johnson’s defence is “not just obviously false, it’s further misinformation from him.
“Officials were fined therefore the cops concluded it was against the rules, as Cain and I warned that morning and which is referred to in emails” given to Sue Gray for the former senior civil servant’s report into lockdown-breaking parties.
Mr Cummings said that he will be giving his opinion on Mr Johnson’s live evidence session before the committee in real time.
Mr Johnson will be speaking at 2pm tomorrow, and you can follow live with Sky News.
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57m ago
10:29
Johnson’s defence is ‘sickening’, say bereaved families
Boris Johnson’s claim that he unintentionally misled parliament over partygate while acting in “good faith” has been labelled “sickening” by bereaved families and campaigners.
The COVID-19 Bereaved Families for Justice group says it’s “obvious” that the former PM “deliberately misled parliament” and called for him to resign as an MP.
“Far worse though is the lies he deliberately told to families like mine, after failing to protect our loved ones. His claim that he did so in ‘good faith’ is sickening”, Becky Kummer, a spokesperson for the group, said.
Ms Kummer said Mr Johnson will be remembered for partying while the UK endured one of the highest COVID death tolls in the world on his watch.
“Like many thousands of others, my family followed the rules and will have to live with the consequences of not being with our loved ones at the end, for the rest of our lives.”
Mr Johnson “disrespect[ed]” bereaved families when he was prime minister and it is “something we’ll never forgive”, Ms Kummer said.
“He isn’t fit for public office and the fact he still thinks he can lie his way out of it tells you all you need to know about his character.”
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1h ago
10:26
Johnson claims he did not see ‘bring your own booze’ emails
One of the main revelations from the Sue Gray report was that Downing Street staff were told to “bring your own booze” to an event on 20 May 2020.
This is also the event that Dominic Cummings has said he warned Boris Johnson not to go to – claims Mr Johnson denied in his submission today.
Mr Johnson said in his evidence that he can “categorically state that no one at the time expressed to me any concerns about whether the event complied with the rules or guidance”.
He added that he “did not see any of the emails” to do with the event, after the Sue Gray report showed 200 people were messaged to bring alcohol.
“It is simply inconceivable that I would have allowed an event to go ahead if I had known that it would breach the rules or guidance,” the former prime minister wrote.
“Of course, I wish, in retrospect, that we had given some thought to how these events could be perceived.
“We should have found a way to make it clearer that these were work events, with the specific purpose of thanking and motivating colleagues for their tireless efforts in fighting COVID-19.
“Hindsight is a wonderful thing.”
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1h ago
10:00
Met labelled ‘institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic’ | Submit a question for live Q&A
At 7pm, live on Sky News, a panel of experts will answer your questions after Baroness Casey labelled the Metropolitan Police “institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic”.
You can submit your question below:
Met labelled ‘institutionally racist, sexist and homophobic’ | Submit a question for live Q&A
Sky News
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1h ago
09:41
Johnson attacks Cummings: ‘He is not a credible witness’
In his submission, Boris Johnson dismisses claims by Dominic Cummings, his former chief adviser, that he advised him against attending a gathering of Downing Street staff during lockdown.
The former prime minister says Mr Cummings’s assertions were not true and borne of a grudge.
Mr Johnson admits food and drink was consumed at the gathering in the Number 10 garden on 20 May 2020, and that he knew as much in advance.
But in his view, he says in the submission, it was “essential for work purposes” that he took an “opportunity to thank staff and boost morale”.
He says: “I understand that Dominic Cummings has said that I was warned by him and another adviser that the event ‘seemed to be against the rules and should not happen’.
“Lee Cain [the Downing Street comms director at the time] has also raised the possibility that he raised a concern with me, although he has said that he does not recall if he did so.
“I do not recall having any conversation with Lee Cain in relation to the event. I do recall a conversation with Dominic Cummings on the afternoon of the event, but he did not mention the event, let alone express any concerns that the event would breach the rules or guidance.
“It is no secret that Dominic Cummings bears an animus towards me, having publicly stated on multiple occasions that he wanted to do everything that he could to remove me ‘from power’.
“He cannot be treated as a credible witness. It is not clear what, if any, work the committee has done to test the credibility of what is now said by Dominic Cummings, including his animosity towards me.
“If the committee intends to rely on his evidence, it is essential that his evidence is properly tested by the committee, allowing me a fair opportunity to participate in that process.”
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1h ago
09:40
The battle lines between Johnson and MPs have been drawn
The privileges committee has been under intensifying attack from allies of Boris Johnson throughout the countdown to his appearance before MPs tomorrow.
Loyalists have described it as a “kangaroo court” and a “politically motivated witch hunt” – notwithstanding the fact that the inquiry was established by a vote of all MPs and the committee has a Tory majority.
Today, of course, we have Boris Johnson’s own opening broadsides, accusing the committee of going “significantly beyond its terms of reference” and critiquing their presumption in considering whether he could have “recklessly” misled parliament – as opposed to “inadvertently” or “intentionally” – as “unprecedented and absurd”.
But the committee has hit back with a fairly withering statement issued alongside the publication of the former prime minister’s defence submissions, highlighting what seems to be Team Johnson’s apparently rather haphazard approach to the document, which they say contained “a number of errors and typos” which were not corrected until this morning.
It’s a rather embarrassing riposte to complaints from Mr Johnson’s allies about the length of time it’s taken the document to be published.
What’s more – and most crucially in terms of the crux of tomorrow’s arguments – the committee helpfully points out that contrary to expectations, the defence statement “contains no new documentary evidence”.
Boris Johnson’s allies dispute even this. A source has told Sky News it’s not correct to suggest there were errors in the document, that “a typo about a date” was corrected and the complete statement was sent in its “substantially complete form” to the committee at 2.32pm yesterday.
His team also argue the document does include new evidence not previously published by the committee (although this evidence was in its possession) – including a whatsapp from an advisor which read: “I think you can say ‘I’ve been assured there was no party and no rules were broken’.”
Mr Johnson’s team have been adamant that he would be vindicated by this dossier.
But it does suggest that without any blockbuster new information not currently in the public domain – what is at stake is a debate about interpretation, understanding and intention.
The battle lines have been clearly drawn – today’s skirmishes are clearly a mere taster of the arguments we are going to hear exploding in public tomorrow.
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2h ago
09:13
‘This should now exonerate him’ – MP says not a ‘single piece of evidence’ suggests Johnson intentionally misled parliament
There is not a “single piece of evidence” that suggests Boris Johnson intentionally misled parliament, a Conservative MP has said.
Brendan Clarke-Smith said the former prime minister’s partygate defence confirms he made statements to the House in “good faith”.
“This should now exonerate him,” he said, describing the process Mr Johnson has gone through as “unjust” and “unprecedented”.
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2h ago
08:45
I have no idea why I was fined for birthday with ‘no cake’, Johnson says
One of the more memorable moments of the partygate saga was when Conservative MP Conor Burns said Boris Johnson was “ambushed with a cake” at a birthday gathering in 2020.
This is an event for which both Mr Johnson and Rishi Sunak, the chancellor at the time, received a fine for law-breaking from the Met Police.
In his partygate defence dossier, Mr Johnson says he still does not know how he committed an offence – and guesses Mr Sunak feels the same.
And he also says there was no cake eaten at the gathering.
The former PM says: “I have never been provided with any rationale by the police, in particular how some individuals that attended did not receive a fixed penalty notice.
“We had a sandwich lunch together and they wished me happy birthday. I was not told in advance that this would happen.
“No cake was eaten, and no one even sang happy birthday.
“The primary topic of conversation was the response to COVID-19.”
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2h ago
08:43
Johnson says he corrected record ‘at earliest opportunity’
In his submission, Boris Johnson concedes that what he said to parliament “did not turn out to be correct”.
But the former prime minister claimed he corrected the record at “the earliest opportunity”.
“It is of course true that my statements to parliament that the rules and guidance had been followed at all times did not turn out to be correct, and I take this opportunity to apologise to the House for that,” he said.
“As soon as the Sue Gray investigation and the Metropolitan Police investigation had been concluded, I corrected the record.
“I believed – and I still believe – that this was the earliest opportunity at which I could make the necessary correction.”
Mr Johnson also said that there was “not a single document that indicates that I received any warning or advice that any event broke or may have broken the rules or guidance”.
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2h ago
08:41
‘Can we now get back to reducing inflation?’ – MP backs Johnson over partygate evidence
A Tory MP and ally of Boris Johnson has backed his partygate defence and expressed his exasperation at what he clearly considers to be a distraction from more pressing issues.
In a tweet after the publication of the former prime minister’s dossier, Sir James Duddridge said it supports Mr Johnson’s argument that he “did not intentionally mislead” parliament.
“For God’s sake can we now get back to reducing inflation, cutting the deficit and growing the economy,” he pleaded.
One Liberal Democrat MP suggested some Tory MPs backing Mr Johnson are making excuses for him.
Liberal Democrats MP Sarah Olney criticised those who describe Mr Johnson as “the best person” to lead the UK while also saying he “can’t be expected to understand the detail of the legislation he passed”.
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3h ago
08:24
Committee: Johnson submission ‘had a number of errors and typos’ and contains no new evidence
When the Commons privileges committee released Boris Johnson’s evidence submission this morning, it was accompanied by a scathing statement.
The House authorities said the initial document “had a number of errors and typos” and a correct version was not received until 8.02am today.
Allies of Boris Johnson had criticised the body for not publishing the dossier yesterday, when it was first submitted.
The statement this morning clearly explains why it wasn’t…
“The committee initially received the written evidence from Mr Johnson on Monday afternoon at 2.32pm in unredacted form,” the committee said.
“The evidence submitted had a number of errors and typos, and, a final corrected version was not submitted to the privileges committee until 8.02am this morning.
“Redactions have been made in the published version to protect the identity of some witnesses, in consultation with Mr Johnson, particularly junior-ranking civil servants.
“Mr Johnson’s written submission contains no new documentary evidence.”
A source close to Mr Johnson said that a typo about a date was corrected to make sure the submission was “fully accurate”, and that the committee received the report in its “substantially complete form” at 2.32pm on Monday.
They added that it was “not right” to suggest the document had errors.
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3h ago
08:20
Stormont brake is ‘significant step’ and a ‘good deal’ for Northern Ireland, says No 10
More on the Stormont brake now, which has been heavily criticised from a number of MPs.
The mechanism, which is part of the Windsor Framework, has been described as “practically useless” by the European Research Group, and the DUP has already said it will vote against it when it comes to the Commons tomorrow.
The government has come out in strong defence of the brake today, with the prime minister’s spokesman describing it as a “significant step” and a “good deal” for the people of Northern Ireland.
In the past few moments, he has urged MPs to back the major element of the Windsor Framework – the new deal over post-Brexit trading arrangements intended to solve issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol.
“The Stormont brake is important and the most significant part of the framework, and we continue to urge parliamentarians to back it,” he said.
The brake goes “significantly beyond” the protocol, he said, and it’s “important that it is recognised”.
The government believes the Windsor Framework addresses the “outstanding issues” of the protocol, he added, and it has been “as transparent as possible on solutions” the deal has found.
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3h ago
08:20
It seems highly likely many Tory MPs in the ERG will rebel in Brexit vote – but does it really matter?
After the DUP’s decision yesterday to vote against the Stormont brake, it seemed highly likely the European Research Group of Conservatives would follow suit.
Yet rather unexpectedly, the ERG led by Mark Francois have said they will make a final decision on voting tomorrow while attacking the key “brake” mechanism in the PM’s deal as “practically useless”.
It seems almost certain that many in the ERG will rebel.
Rishi Sunak would have rather avoided this situation, but does it really matter?
This band of Eurosceptic MPs is certainly far less influential than during its glory days at the height of parliament’s Brexit battles.
Back then, ERG chairman Steve Baker caused merry hell for Theresa May and ruined any chance her Brexit deal would be approved.
Now Mr Baker and many other prominent Brexiters (Dominic Raab, Chris Heaton-Harris, James Cleverly, Suella Braverman and indeed Rishi Sunak) are in senior jobs within government and will back the latest deal with the EU.
Boris Johnson has said he would find it “very difficult” to vote for the plan.
His close ally Sir James Duddridge became the first MP to confirm he would vote against the renegotiation he sees as “betrayal of Brexit”.
And while Mr Sunak will want to minimise the number of Tory rebels (likely between 10 and 20), support from Labour means the Windsor Framework will comfortably pass through parliament.
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3h ago
08:15
Johnson denies it would have been ‘obvious’ to him what guidelines were
More now from Boris Johnson’s submission to the inquiry investigating whether he misled parliament over partygate.
In one part of the former PM’s 52-page submission, he tries to counter the argument it would have been “obvious” to him that rules were being broken.
He says this would also be an allegation against the people who worked with him in Downing Street.
The submission says that “the committee appears to be mounting a case that, despite the absence of any evidence of warnings or advice, it should have been ‘obvious’ to me that the rules and guidance were not being followed, because of the gatherings that I attended”.
“It is important to be frank: this amounts to an allegation that I deliberately lied to parliament.
“But it is also an allegation that extends to many others.
“If it was ‘obvious’ to me that the rules and guidance were not being followed, it would have been equally obvious to dozens of others who also attended the gatherings I did.
“The vast majority of individuals who have given evidence to the committee and the Cabinet Office investigation have not indicated that they considered that their attendance at the events contravened the rules or the guidance.”
Mr Johnson also points out that photographs were taken of several events by the Number 10 photographer.
“A suggestion that we would have held events which were ‘obviously’ contrary to the rules and guidance, and allowed those events to be immortalised by the official photographer, is implausible,” he says.
The former PM went on to criticise the privileges committee, which is chaired by a Labour MP but has a Conservative majority.
He said it was “important to record my disappointment at the highly partisan tone and content” of the most recent report from the committee.
You can read more in our breaking story here:
Boris Johnson accepts he misled parliament over partygate – but says his statements were ‘in good faith’ | Politics News | Sky News
Sky News
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3h ago
08:06
Johnson’s evidence shows his team think attack is the best form of defence
As anticipated, the former prime minister’s team have clearly concluded attack is in some ways the best form of defence.
He takes aim at the scope of the privilege committee’s inquiry and their intention to look at whether he “recklessly” misled parliament by relying on the advice of officials when answering questions in parliament.
He says there is “no precedent” to this concept of recklessness and would have “serious implications” for whether or not ministers are able to rely on the advice they are given by their teams when addressing MPs.
Again this is clearly going to be a real focus of argument at tomorrow’s session – with the committee’s own interim report concluding it would have been “obvious” to the PM himself that the rules were being broken, whatever his advisers said.
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3h ago
07:59
Stormont brake ‘practically useless’, says group of Brexit-backing MPs
The European Research Group (ERG) is holding a news conference ahead of a Windsor Framework vote in the House of Commons tomorrow.
The group of Brexit-backing Conservative MPs has said the Stormont brake – a key feature of the new agreement that aimed to resolve issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol – is “practically useless”.
Mark Francois, the group’s chairman, says parts of the brake need to be “urgently discussed”.
At the moment, he says, the Windsor Framework has no legal exit other than a very complex mechanism.
The group has not taken a collective decision on how to vote on the Stormont brake yet, but Mr Francois says members will meet tomorrow to decide.
The DUP said yesterday that its MPs would vote against the Stormont brake in the Commons tomorrow.
What is the Stormont brake?
The Stormont brake is a mechanism that gives the Northern Ireland assembly the power to object to changes to EU rules that apply to the nation.
It was agreed as part of the Windsor Framework – a UK-EU agreement that changed the Northern Ireland Protocol.
The brake would allow a minority of MLAs at Stormont to formally flag concerns about the imposition of new EU laws in Northern Ireland – a move that could see the UK government veto their introduction in the region.
