Boris Johnson has insisted sleaze allegations levelled at the Conservatives will not affect voters’ choice in upcoming by-elections. The prime minister visited Sidcup on Friday afternoon ahead of a vote next month to replace former minister James Brokenshire who died of cancer last month. He said the local candidate in Old Bexley and Sidcup was
Politics
Boris Johnson has warned the rising COVID cases in Europe could be seen in the UK if people do not get their booster jabs fast enough. Both the Netherlands and Austria today announced fresh lockdown rules in the coming days as cases rise again in some European countries. The prime minister said: “I’m seeing the
Hospital bosses have spoken out after Boris Johnson was pictured speaking to staff without a face mask. The prime minister chatted and bumped elbows with masked nurses at Hexham General Hospital in Northumberland on Monday morning. Soon after the photo opportunity, Mr Johnson put a mask on after an aide handed him one. Mr Johnson
The government needs to “do better” amid sleaze allegations against MPs “and we know that”, the chancellor has told Sky News. Speaking to economics editor Ed Conway as scrutiny continues into lobbying by MPs and their outside earnings through second jobs, Rishi Sunak said: “On the broader point and just reflecting over recent events, I
Boris Johnson has said MPs who break parliamentary rules on second jobs “must be investigated and should be punished”. In the last week, the government has come under fire over its backing of former MP Owen Paterson, who was found to have breached rules on lobbying. It has since emerged that former attorney general Sir
A senior Conservative MP under scrutiny over his extra earnings for legal work has defended himself – and declared it is up to his constituents to vote him out if they are unhappy about it. Sir Geoffrey Cox’s entry in the register of members’ interests shows he earned more than £800,000 for law firm Withers,
MPs should not use their parliamentary office for work relating to their second jobs, a cabinet minister has told Sky News, as a senior Conservative faces allegations he misused his Commons office to carry out legal work. According to The Times, former attorney general Sir Geoffrey Cox used his parliamentary office to undertake some of
The Metropolitan Police has confirmed it has received a letter from the SNP asking it to investigate cash for honours allegations against the Conservatives. A spokesman for the force said it is currently “considering the contents of the correspondence” but an investigation or formal assessment into the allegations has not started. SNP MP Pete Wishart
The deputy prime minister has defended Boris Johnson, after the PM was pictured not wearing a mask during a visit to a hospital. “He followed all the advice and all the guidance that he got at all times, I think that’s the right thing for all of us to do,” Dominic Raab told Kay Burley.
Sir Keir Starmer has said Boris Johnson has “corroded trust” in MPs after a U-turn on reforming the disciplinary system for MPs and veteran Tory Owen Paterson’s breach of lobbying rules. The Labour leader told an emergency debate in the Commons that the prime minister gave the “green light to corruption” last week when Conservatives
Prime Minister Boris Johnson must apologise to the country for his handling of the Owen Paterson sleaze row, Sir Keir Starmer has said. The Labour leader said Mr Johnson must also confirm that Mr Paterson, a former cabinet minister, will not be nominated for a peerage. Ahead of an emergency Commons debate on standards at
Boris Johnson is being warned against triggering Article 16 of the Northern Ireland Protocol to suspend parts of post-Brexit arrangements for the Irish border. There is growing speculation that the prime minister could soon trigger Article 16 as ongoing talks between the EU and UK continue to fail to resolve problems such as the “sausage
A cabinet minister has dismissed the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal as a “Westminster storm in a teacup” and admitted a “frustration” that the row has shifted focus from the COP26 climate change summit. Environment Secretary George Eustice became the latest cabinet minister to admit to a “mistake” in the government’s handling of the row over
Sir John Major has accused Boris Johnson and his government of actions that are “damaging at home and to our reputation overseas”. Sir John, a former Conservative prime minister, was commenting on the government’s handling of Owen Paterson, who stood down as an MP last week. Mr Paterson, who had been an MP for 24
As the UN Climate Conference continues, thousands will take to the streets in Glasgow today, alongside millions more in other towns and cities across the world, in a Global Day of Action against climate change. In Glasgow, a crowd will march to the city for a rally in the afternoon where teenage climate activist Greta
Police officers were called to a local council meeting after a member, who brought a megaphone with him, repeatedly interjected the proceedings. The meeting of Maldon District Council, which took place on Thursday evening, was abandoned after several frustrated members walked out. After arriving at the scene, police deemed independent councillor Chrisy Morris to be
A cabinet minister has admitted it was “a mistake” for the government to attempt to overhaul parliament’s disciplinary processes in combination with saving a Conservative MP from immediate suspension. Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi told Sky News that ministers had reflected on the “conflation” of ripping up the current standards system with the case of Owen
Owen Paterson will resign as the MP for North Shropshire in order to escape “the cruel world of politics” following a furious row over his proposed ban from the House of Commons. The Conservative former cabinet minister has been at the centre of a scandal after it was recommended he be suspended for 30 days.
A cabinet minister has questioned the future of parliament’s sleaze investigator after her recommendation of a 30-day suspension for a Conservative MP was blocked by the prime minister and his Tory colleagues. Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng told Sky News that it was “difficult” to see a future for Kathryn Stone, the independent parliamentary commissioner for
Owen Paterson has said he “wouldn’t hesitate” to act in the same manner “tomorrow” after he was heavily criticised by a standards body for breaching lobbying rules. Speaking to Sky News, the former minister said he would “absolutely” do the same thing again after he was reprimanded by the Committee on Standards. He also admitted