UK politics live: Boris Johnson calls for referendum on UK’s ECHR membership
Ex-prime minister also brands Rishi Sunak’s ideas ‘zany’ and blames him for election drubbing
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Britain should hold a referendum on its membership of the European Convention on Human Rights, Boris Johnson has said.
The ex-prime minister told The Daily Telegraph there was a strong case to give voters a say on the ECHR, which critics say prevents Britain from having full control of immigration.
Mr Johnson suggested the ECHR did not “provide people with protections that they wouldn’t otherwise have”.
The UK’s membership is a key Tory leadership issue with Robert Jenrick saying the party must back an exit to survive. Earlier this week he also said he was open to Mr Johnson being in his shadow cabinet.
Mr Johnson’s comments come ahead of the publication of his memoir, Unleashed, in which he brands Rishi Sunak’s ideas in government as “zany” and laid the blame for the drubbing suffered by the Tories at this year’s general election at his feet.
He also writes that he regrets not sacking then-political adviser Dominic Cummings over the Barnard Castle row, dismissing the furore as “lefty journalists angry over Brexit”.
Mr Johnson will be questioned about the revelations in his memoir during an appearance on ITV set to air on Friday evening.
The BBC was forced to cancel its interview with him after presenter Laura Kuenssberg accidentally sent the former prime minister her briefing notes.
UK should hold vote on ECHR membership, says Johnson
Britain should hold a referendum on its membership of the European Convention on Human Rights, Boris Johnson has said.
The former prime minister told The Daily Telegraph there is a “strong case” to give the public a say on the ECHR, which critics say prevents Britain from having full control of its immigration policy.
Mr Johnson suggested the ECHR did not “provide people with protections that they wouldn’t otherwise have”.
Tory leadership candidates Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat have both backed the idea of leaving the ECHR.
Watch: Who will be the next Tory leader?
Who will be the next leader of the Conservatives?
Following on from their election defeat and Rishi Sunak departing, the Conservatives have been locked in a leadership campaign to pick the next party leader. Robert Jenrick, Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat are the final four vying to win the leadership and return a fractious party to power, wresting it away from Keir Starmer’s Labour. But who will win and who’s most likely to succeed? Kate Devlin and John Rentoul cast an eye over the field of candidates and pick who they think is next to face Kier Starmer at the dispatch box in Westminster.
Review: Unleashed – A memoir that’s twisted, sour and full of more lies
“Shameless, sour, predictable, self-exculpatory stuff”: Enjoy Sean O’Grady’s review of Boris Johnson’s memoir:
Boris Johnson’s Unleashed: A memoir that’s twisted, sour and full of yet more lies
In his shameless and predictable 772-page account of events, the former PM forgoes the truth to paint a preposterous picture of himself as a man of destiny, too good for his own good
Leader: Johnson’s low moral standards are a warning to Starmer
Boris Johnson’s low moral standards are a warning to Keir Starmer
Editorial: The former prime minister’s memoir is a reminder to the current occupant of No 10 of the danger of taking handouts from donors
Half Tory members want party to merge with Reform, poll for Liz Truss’s thinktank reveals
A new survey commissioned by a rightwing thinktank has suggested that 53 per cent of Conservative Party members would support a merger with Reform UK.
A huge 70 per cent said they would want a closer relationship with Nigel Farage’s party, the survey showed.
The poll, which was conducted between September 23 and 27, spoke to 470 Tory members by the rightwing Popular Conservatism (PopCon) organisation, which founded by disgraced former prime minister Liz Truss.
Read the full article here:
Half Tory members want to merge with Reform, poll for Liz Truss’s thinktank reveals
The claims by the rightwing thinktank come as Jacob Rees-Mogg calls for the Tories to strike an electoral pact with Reform
Blame Sunak for Tory election drubbing, not me, says Johnson
Blame Sunak for Tory election drubbing not me, says Boris Johnson
Boris Johnson believes that the Tories might have won the election this year if they had stuck with his agenda
US hails Chacos deal as ‘win for diplomacy'
US State Department spokesman Matt Miller said of the Chacos deal: “It’s a win for a diplomacy to see a successful, successful outcome of this effort between two US partners after more than a dozen rounds of talks.
“The agreement will secure the future of our joint US-UK military facility on Diego Garcia, which plays a vital role in US efforts to establish regional and global security, respond to crises and counter some of the most challenging security threats of our time.”
Bugging device found in my bathroom after Netanyahu visit, Johnson claims
A bugging device was found in Boris Johnson’s bathroom after a visit by Benjamin Netanyahu when he was foreign secretary, the former prime minister has claimed.
Mr Johnson alleged that his security team made the discovery when they did a sweep of the toilets after the Israeli premier had used them during a meeting in 2017.
Writing in his memoir Unleashed, the former Tory MP said Mr Netanyahu had excused himself during talks at his old office to use the washroom, described as “a secret annex… a bit like the gents’ in a posh London club”.
“Thither Bibi repaired for a while, and it may or may not be a coincidence but I am told that later, when they were doing a regular sweep for bugs, they found a listening device in the thunderbox,” Mr Johnson said.
It is unclear whether the Israeli government was confronted about the incident.
The Israeli embassy in London has been contacted for comment.
ITV interviews Boris Johnson after BBC cancels
ITV has announced it will broadcast an interview with Boris Johnson, after the BBC cancelled an interview with the ex-prime minister because presenter Laura Kuenssberg accidentally sent him her briefing notes.
Boris Johnson: The Interview will go out on ITV1 at 7pm tomorrow. The interviewer is Tom Bradby.
BBC forced to cancel Boris Johnson interview after ‘embarrassing’ mistake
Presenter says ‘embarrassing and disappointing’ error scuppered interview with former PM
WATCH | Which Tory leader came out on top at Conservative Party Conference?
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