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.
WATCH | Which Tory leader came out on top at Conservative Party Conference?
MPs accepting freebies while out of power ‘different’, minister claims
A minister has claimed accepting freebies in opposition is “different” from doing so in government as she attempted to explain why Sir Keir Starmer has paid back the value of some Taylor Swift tickets, but not thousands of pounds worth of other gifts.
Industry minister Sarah Jones suggested Sir Keir and other Labour frontbenchers were taking free tickets to concerts and festivals while in opposition to “build relationships” with businesses.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has the full story below:
MPs accepting freebies while out of power ‘different’, minister claims
Sarah Jones defended frontbenchers taking free tickets to concerts and festivals while in opposition as ‘building relationships’
Osborne urges Reeves to deliver a ‘relaunch Budget’
Rachel Reeves needs to deliver a “relaunch Budget” following the freebies row that hit the Labour government, George Osborne has said.
The former chancellor told his Political Currency podcast: “This Budget was supposed to be the five-year plan for the Starmer government and some tough decisions early on that would reap benefits later, politically and economically.
“The truth is, it’s becoming increasingly a relaunch Budget. The government is in such trouble politically, because of all the things we’ve been talking about.
“There’s a poll out this week that says [the government] is now more unpopular with the British people than the Sunak government it replaced. So this Budget now can’t just be about the long term. It’s got to be about the short term. It’s got to be about getting the government back on track.”
Pictured: New leader of Scottish Conservatives Russell Findlay makes debut
Bill to give ‘choice at end of life’ to be introduced to Parliament this month
Proposals to change the law to give terminally ill people “choice at the end of life” are to be introduced in parliament this month.
Labour MP Kim Leadbeater said she hoped for “honest, compassionate and respectful debate” when her Bill, which will be tabled on 16 October, is considered in the Commons.
The conversation around legalising assisted dying has been increasingly in the spotlight for the past year, with high-profile figures including broadcaster Dame Esther Rantzen calling for a parliamentary debate and vote on change.
Dame Esther said she is “thrilled and grateful” at the news, which she said could mean “terminally ill people like me can look forward with hope and confidence that we could have a good death”.
She said: “I never thought I might live to see the current cruel law change.
“But even if it is too late for me, I know thousands of terminally ill patients and their families will be given new hope.
“All we ask is to be given the choice over our own lives.”
Ms Leadbeater said her private member’s bill (PMB) would establish in law the right for terminally ill eligible adults to have choice at the end of life to shorten their deaths and ensure stronger protections for them and their loved ones in the aftermath.
She said: “Parliament should now be able to consider a change in the law that would offer reassurance and relief – and most importantly, dignity and choice – to people in the last months of their lives.”
Pictured: First copies of Boris Johnson’s book ‘Unleashed’
Row erupts over Chagos Islands as Tories accused of risking loss of key air base in courts
A furious row has erupted over Sir Keir Starmer’s decision to hand hand over the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, securing the future of a secretive military base in the Pacific Ocean.
Rivals battling it out for the Tory leadership accused the prime minister of weakness and said the decision would leave the UK’s allies exposed.
Our political correspondent has the full story below:
Row erupts over Chagos Islands as Tories accused of risking loss of key air base
UK announced decision to hand archipeligo back to Mauritius in deal to secure secretive Diego Garcia base
Boris regrets not sacking ‘weird’ Cummings over Barnard Castle debacle
Boris Johnson has branded his former chief of staff Dominic Cummings as “weird” and compared him to a “homicidal robot” as he blamed him for his downfall as prime minister.
In his new autobiography Unleashed, the Mr Johnson charted the collapse of his relationship with Cummings from the high point of them working to win the EU referendum in 2016.
But he has alleged that Cummings lack of gratitude for his efforts to defend him over potentially breaking lockdown rules with an infamous trip to Barnard Castle in 2020 led to the former chief of staff using Partygate as a form of revenge.
Our political correspondent David Maddox has the full story below:
Boris regrets not sacking ‘homicidal robot’ Cummings over Barnard Castle debacle
Boris Johnson had a blazing row with one of his closest former advisers over not sacking Cummings over alleged lockdown breaches and claims after that things got ‘weirder’
Labour MP criticises ‘disappointing’ Chagos Islands decision
Suella Braverman joins Tories in slamming Chagos Islands deal
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