Boris Johnson news - live: Fresh Partygate fines ‘issued’ as PM warned no-confidence vote ‘inevitable’
Polling expert says party MPs will have say within months
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At least two Downing Street staffers have received police fines for attending a ‘bring your own booze’ event on 20 May, 2020, sources told The Independent.
This is the second event that Boris Johnson is known to have attended at which revellers have been given fixed penalty notices.
It comes as senior Conservatives have warned the prime minister that a no-confidence vote on him is now inevitable over the Partygate scandal, with one warning the mood had “turned against him”.
Tory peer Lord Hayward, the party’s influential polling expert, predicted a vote within months, and former defence minister Tobias Ellwood said a ballot on Boris Johnson’s future was a matter of “when not if”.
Polling guru Sir John Curtice says Partygate is set to be a major problem for the Tories at the May local elections, after MPs voted for the Privileges Committee to investigate whether the prime minister misled Parliament.
Voting Intention: Labour ahead with 39% of vote to Conservatives' 33%
Labour has retained its lead over the Conservatives, latest voting intention figures reveal.
According toYouGov polling, Labour remains ahead with 39 per cent of the vote - up one point from its previous survey on 13-14 April - to the Conservatives’ 33 per cent, which has seen no change.
Meanwhile, the Liberal Democrats have 10 per cent of the vote, while the Greens have 7 per cent and Reform UK have 5 per centof the vote.
Boris Johnson avoids mentioning Ukraine, in bid not to ruffle host’s feathers on India trip
Boris Johnson failed to mention Russia or Ukraine as he appeared before the press alongside India’s prime minister Narendra Modi following talks this morning.
The Ukraine war is a sore point in UK-India relations, as Delhi has maintained a neutral stance, condemning killings in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha but not the invasion itself and calling for diplomatic dialogue to end the conflict.
Mr Johnson vowed not to “lecture” Modi on his stance during his two-day visit, and he avoiding ruffling feathers by skating over the issue as he appeared alongside his host to face the press on Friday.
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more:
PM avoids mentioning Ukraine, in bid not to ruffle host’s feathers on India trip
‘Done by Divali’: UK prime minister urges speed in concluding free trade deal with India
Harper claims a number of MPs have already put letters in for no-confidence vote ‘and not made it public’
Former Tory minister Mark Harper, who this week called on Boris Johnson to step down, has indicated that a number of his party colleagues have privately submitted letters to the 1922 Committee.
Speaking of his own submission to Sir Graham Brady, Mark Harper told The Telegraph’s Chopper’s Politics podcast: “For me, I have been willing to give the PM the benefit of waiting to have the facts. He asked us earlier this year to do that, I thought that was a reasonable request.
“I think deciding whether or not you want the PM is a big deal and you need all the facts at your disposal.
He later added: “I have had quite a lot of colleagues indicate to me that they thought I was right. Some colleagues have already put letters in and not made it public.
Mr Harper refused to specify the number of letters submitted behind closed doors or the names of any colleagues who had done so.
He continued: “I think quite a lot of colleagues want to wait for all of the police work to be finished. Some of then will then want to see Sue Gray’s full report.”
The senior Tory MP also touted the local elections as a possible trigger for a wave of submissions to the committee.
Breaking: UK to reopen embassy in Ukraine capital Kyiv, Boris Johnson announces
The UK government will re-open the British embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kyiv next week, Boris Johnson has announced.
The embassy was moved away from the city in mid-February, shortly before Vladimir Putin’s Russian forces launched a brutal invasion of the country.
The prime minister said it was now safe for UK diplomats to return to Kyiv, after Ukrainian forces successfully fought off Russian advances on the capital.
Mr Johnson has not pressure his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi to strengthen his position against Putin over the invasion of Ukraine, Downing Street has conceded.
Adam Forrest reports:
UK to reopen embassy in Ukraine capital Kyiv, Boris Johnson announces
Diplomats were moved out two months ago
When asked why he did not press Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on condemning Vladimir Putin’s military operation in Ukraine, Boris Johnson said the Indian relationship with Russia was well known, but added: “They can see what is going on and there is an increasing appetite to do more with the UK.”
He continued: “Talking to prime minister Modi today, it’s clear... he’s intervened several times with Vladimir Putin to ask him what on earth he thinks he doing”
When asked if he will still be prime minister by the time the UK hopes to firm up its trade deal with India in October, Boris Johnson said: “Yes.”
It comes as simmering disquiet over Mr Johnson’s premiership appears to have reached boiling point from within the Tory party ranks.
Watch live as Boris Johnson and Narendra Modi give joint briefing
Britain is looking to send tanks to countries like Poland to “backfill” so they can send their own armoury into Ukraine, the PM has announced.
Watch: Boris Johnson announces UK will reopen embassy in Ukraine capital Kyiv
UK will make moves to ‘fix’ NI protocol if needed, says PM
Boris Johnson has said the UK is ready to take measures if necessary to “fix” the Northern Ireland Protocol with the EU.
He told a news conference in New Delhi: “The protocol really does not command the confidence of a large, large component of the population in Northern Ireland. We have to address that, we have to fix that.
“We think we can do it with some very simple and reasonable steps. We have talked repeatedly to our friends and partners in the EU. We will continue to talk to them.
“But as I have said many times now we don’t rule out taking steps now if those are necessary.”
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