Boris Johnson interview live: Ex-prime minister says he regrets apologising for Partygate in ITV grilling
Comes as Sir Keir Starmer faces backlash over Chagos Islands deal with protest planned
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Boris Johnson has said he regrets apologising for the so-called partygate scandal over lockdown-era gatherings in Downing Street in a new interview.
Facing a grilling on ITV tonight, the former prime minister claimed the move had “inadvertently validated the entire corpus” as accusations were also levelled at officials who were “working very hard”.
He went on to defend the revellers, insisting that he does not think officials involved in the Westminster scandal “thought they were setting out to break the rules”.
Meanwhile, Sky News’s political editor Beth Rigby announced she has pulled out of an interview with Mr Johnson at the Cheltenham Literature Festival after being told she could not make a recording or transcript of the talk, marking the second interview the former Tory MP has lost this week.
It comes as a group of indigenous Chagossians, Chagossian Voices, planned to stage a protest in Westminster, claiming they have been “consistently and deliberately ignored” by the UK government over discussions surrounding the handover of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, The Independent understands.
Sir Keir Starmer has defended the government’s decision in the face of significant backlash, claiming that the UK-Mauritius deal ensures continued security of the US-UK Diego Garcia military base.
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Boris Johnson claims bugging device found in his bathroom after Netanyahu visit
Argentina says it will take ‘full sovereignty’ of Falklands after Chagos Islands return
Boris Johnson says he regrets apologising for Partygate in ITV grilling
Boris Johnson has said he regrets apologising for the so-called partygate scandal over lockdown-era gatherings in Downing Street.
The former prime minister claimed the move had “inadvertently validated the entire corpus” as accusations were also levelled at officials who were “working very hard”.
In his interview with ITV News, the former Tory MP and Daily Mail columnist said: “What I was trying to say there was, I think that the blanket apology – the sort of apology I issued right at the beginning – I think the trouble with it was that afterwards, all the accusations that then rained down on officials who’d been working very hard in Number 10 and elsewhere were thought to be true.
“And by apologising I had sort of inadvertently validated the entire corpus and it wasn’t fair on those people.”
Asked whether he regretted apologising to the late Queen, he said: “I don’t discuss my conversations with the Queen.”
The full interview will air at 7pm.
RECAP | Keir Starmer announces £21.7 billion funding for carbon capture in speech
- End of Coal Era: The PM highlighted the significance of this week, marking the closure of the last coal-fired electricity plant. He said: “I know what we lost when we lost coal. But I also know how we can rewrite our story in the ink of the future.”
- Chancellor’s remarks: Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a substantial £21.7 billion investment for the projects, calling it a “massive opportunity” to attract further investment.
- ‘Historic shift’: Energy secretary Ed Miliband praised the end of coal-fired electricity as a “historic week for Britain’s energy system” and condemned the “dither and delay” of the Tories.
- Future focus: Starmer concluded the speech by claiming that the UK is poised to compete globally in clean energy, adding: “We’re putting ourselves in the position not just to be in that global race, but to win that global race.”
Swinney does not rule out snap election if budget fails
First Minister John Swinney has not ruled out a snap election in Scotland if his budget fails to secure enough support to pass in Holyrood.
The SNP currently runs Scotland as a minority administration, needing just two votes from opposition MSPs to pass legislation.
But the Scottish Government’s budget this year – a draft of which will be published in December – is expected to require swingeing cuts to be made to public spending in response to financial pressures.
Appearing on the BBC’s Political Thinking podcast, the First Minister was asked if failing to pass his tax and spending plans would trigger a vote.
“It depends on the actions of other political parties,” he said.
The budget, he added, will be “sustainable” and will balance the books in Scotland.
TV licence fee: Why evasion could be decriminalised and what it means for you
The government is set to support the de-criminalisation of TV licence fee evasion, over concerns it disproportionately affects women.
Around 34,000 were prosecuted for wrongly not paying their TV licence last year, with many saying criminal punishment for not paying the £169.50 annual fee is too harsh.
You can read the full story below:
TV licence fee: Could evasion be decriminalised and why?
Lisa Nandy expected to say fee evasion should not be a criminal offence
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.
Euston station’s controversial advertising board axed
Transport secretary Louise Haigh has ordered the shutdown of a large advertising board at London’s Euston station.
The decision comes as Network Rail responds to mounting criticism over its decision to replace the traditional departure board with a massive advertising display, leaving travellers with smaller train information screens.
A frustrated Ms Haigh said: “For too long, Euston station simply hasn’t been good enough for passengers.
“That’s why I’ve tasked Network Rail with coming up with a clear plan to immediately improve conditions for passengers.
“This includes a shutdown of the advertising boards from today to review their use.”
SNP slams Starmer’s ‘clueless’ snub of Scottish carbon capture project
The SNP has accused Labour of being “clueless” for bypassing a key Scottish carbon capture project in favour of developments in England.
The prime minister announced plans for two £22 billion carbon capture clusters in Merseyside and Teesside, while Scotland’s Acorn project in St Fergus, Aberdeenshire, was overlooked once again.
SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn slammed the move, calling it a missed opportunity for economic growth and job creation in Scotland.
“Labour’s decision to prioritise the North of England over the Scottish cluster leaves us in the lurch,” Mr Flynn said.
“They’ve followed in the footsteps of the Tories.”
The Acorn project was given reserve status after being passed over for funding in 2021 by the previous UK government.
EXCLUSIVE | Indigenous Chagossians plan protest after being ‘excluded’ from talks
A group of indigenous Chagossians are planning to stage a protest in Westminster on Monday over the decision to hand the archipelago over to Mauritius, The Independent understands, accusing the government of excluding them from talks, Millie Cooke reports.
Chagossian Voices, a group representing indigenous people from the Chagos Islands, has claimed their views have been “consistently and deliberately ignored”, demanding full inclusion in the drafting of the treaty.
The group claimed to have learned the outcome of the negotiations through the media, saying indigenous Chagossians feel “powerless and voiceless in determining our own future”.
The protest has been organised for Monday at 11.30 am.
BREAKING | Royal Navy chief apologises over bullying and misogyny in submarine service
The First Sea Lord has apologised after an investigation found “misogyny, bullying and other unacceptable behaviours” in the submarine service.
Admiral Sir Ben Key, the head of the Royal Navy, ordered an investigation in 2022 into allegations made by former lieutenant Sophie Brook, who described a “constant campaign of sexual bullying”.
You can read the full story below:
Royal Navy chief apologises over bullying and misogyny in submarine service
‘I am truly sorry,’ says Admiral Sir Ben Key after investigation confirms claims by female ex-lieutenant
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