Partygate news- live: Johnson vows to ‘set record straight’ on scandal as Tory backbench anger grows

Prime minister adds that Rishi Sunak, who was also fined, is safe in his position as chancellor

Tory MP says Boris Johnson must resign after 'breaking law he put in place'

Boris Johnson has promised to address parliament next week about his fine for breaching Covid laws and “set the record straight in any way that I can” on his previous claims that no rules were broken.

Answering questions following a speech on immigration in Kent, Mr Johnson said that Rishi Sunak - who also faced a £50 fine for attending the prime minister’s lockdown-breaching birthday party in 2020 - was safe in his position as chancellor.

Earlier another back bench Tory MP suggested Mr Johnson should resign over the Partygate scandal, saying the public is “right to expect the highest standards of behaviour from our leaders.

Karen Bradley, a former cabinet minister who represents Staffordshire Moorlands, said: “I will spend the next few days consulting my constituents and will decide on what action to take after listening to them.

“But I do wish to make it clear that if I had been a minister found to have broken the laws that I passed, I would be tendering my resignation now.”

KEY POINTS

• Johnson could receive at least ‘three more fines'
• Hold confidence vote if May elections are bad, senior Tory urges PM
• Justice minister quits in protest at No 10 handling of Partygate

[14 April 2022 14:49 · Matt Mathers]

ICYMI: All the times the UK has changed prime minister during a war

Some Tories have argued they cannot change leader because of the war in Ukraine, John Stone, our policy correspondent, writes.

But changing prime minister during a war or international crisis is not unusual... in fact, it is rather the norm throughout history.

Read John’s full piece here:

[14 April 2022 15:11 · Emily Atkinson]

Sending asylum seekers to Rwanda ‘absurd and despicable stunt’ to distract from Partygate

Anti-fascism and anti-racism campaigners have called the government’s plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda “yet another absurd and despicable stunt” that is distracting from Partygate.

Director of policy at Hope Not Hate, Rosie Carter, said ministers had set out a “completely unworkable and unethical plan” that gives the “green light” to anti-migrant hate”.

She said: “The far right has used revived interest in immigration and asylum as a tactic to mainstream their appeal, feeding on the hostile environment created by the Government.

“In the last few years we have seen repeated explicit targeting of people who are migrants, refugees and asylum seekers, and the organisations that support them.

“In a hostile climate, where migrants and refugees have faced daily harassment from organised far-right political groups, the Home Secretary has offered no safeguards, but instead pursued a line of inflammatory language that incubates the far right.”

[14 April 2022 15:40 · Emily Atkinson]

Labour MP describes Rwanda plans as ‘morally debased’ diversion from Partygate

[14 April 2022 16:04 · Emily Atkinson]

Opinion: Boris Johnson’s Rwanda migrant announcement is a lazy diversion tactic at best

It’s inevitable that when Boris Johnson finds himself in hot water, he looks desperately for ways to deflect the anger felt by the British public. But his latest attempt to shirk responsibility and get people to look the other way comes with a human cost attached, writes Emma Clarke.

The prime minister is set to give a speech today on the government’s “New Plan for Immigration”, which will see migrants and asylum seekers arriving in the UK “offshored” more than 4,000 miles away in Rwanda, while they await the Home Office’s decision on their status.

Not only will this likely prolong the already lengthy and flawed process of asylum decisions, it will serve to strengthen the concept of “otherness”, sending a clear message that we don’t want to help and asylum seekers are “not our problem”.

[14 April 2022 16:08 · Emily Atkinson]