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.
Boris Johnson refuses to say whether he regrets apology to Queen over party on eve of Prince Phillip’s funeral
Diego Garcia blame game deepens as Liz Truss hits out at Boris Johnson for island ‘surrender’
Boris Johnson’s Unleashed: A memoir that’s twisted, sour and full of yet more lies
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
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
Diane Abbott criticises Starmer over freebies: ‘What’s he hiding?'
Diane Abbott has launched a scathing attack on Sir Keir Starmer, accusing him of “admitting wrongdoing” by returning £6,000 worth of luxury gifts after weeks of defending his actions.
Speaking on Sky News, the veteran Labour MP claimed the prime minister’s U-turn revealed a deeper issue.
Ms Abbott said: “He’s spent weeks insisting everything was above board, but now he’s had to give them back, What’s he hiding?”
She added that Sir Keir’s misjudgement shows a disconnect with ordinary people, adding: “He doesn’t understand how taking freebies looks to the public.”
Boris Johnson admits Leonardo DiCaprio snubbed him during cringe encounter
Boris Johnson has described how Leonardo DiCaprio “quirked his pace” to walk away from him after a mortifying conversation in which he recited lines from his films in a “South African” accent.
The former prime minister found himself starstruck as he came face-to-face with the Hollywood actor at the Cop 26 summit in November 2021.
You can read the full story below:
Boris Johnson admits Leonardo DiCaprio snubbed him during cringe encounter
Former prime minister began reciting lines from DiCaprio’s 2006 film Blood Diamond in a “South African accent”
Starmer dodges Gibraltar question amid Chagos Islands backlash
The prime minister has avoided confirming whether other British overseas territories, like Gibraltar, could face a similar fate to the Chagos Islands after handing them to Mauritius.
Pressed on whether his government would commit to not signing away territories like Gibraltar, Sir Keir Starmer sidestepped the question.
He focused instead on securing the joint US-UK military base on Diego Garcia.
“The single most important thing was ensuring that we had a secure base,” he told reporters during his speech in Cheshire.
A No 10 spokesperson later clarified that the Chagos Islands decision “does not change our policy approach to other overseas territories.”
The islands had been under British control since 1814 but were ceded as part of an agreement aimed at resolving a longstanding legal dispute.
Ed Davey backs Chagos islands decision despite Tory criticism
Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey has thrown his support behind the government’s Chagos Islands deal.
Despite growing criticism from the Tories, he stressed the importance of adhering to international law, adding that people “need to realise that this had to be done”.
He added: “I have seen the Conservatives complaining about it but they started all the talks. I think it was James Cleverly when he was foreign secretary.”
David Davis: Boris Johnson ‘at best ill-informed’ on ECHR
In a rebuke, David Davis has criticised Boris Johnson’s stance on the European Convention of Human Rights (ECHR).
The Conservative MP accused the former prime minister of being “at best ill-informed” over the topic.
Mr Johnson recently suggested a referendum on the UK’s ECHR membership should be brought forward as it fails to offer unique protections.
Speaking to the Telegraph, Mr Davis didn’t hold back.
He compared Mr Johnson’s remarks and those of leadership hopeful Robert Jenrick, whose recent campaign video sparked widespread backlash.
The Tory veteran said: “I am afraid Boris Johnson’s comments that the European Convention on Human Rights does not ‘provide people with protections that they wouldn’t otherwise have’ are, much like Robert Jenrick’s unwise video earlier this week, at best ill-informed.”
EXCLUSIVE: High-flying women suffer from same workplace problems 30 years on
Gender equality in the workplace has stalled as women report experiencing many of the same challenges as they did nearly 30 years ago, a new survey of high-flyers suggests.
The group is calling for higher salaries and more effort to tear down the ‘glass ceiling’, the invisible barriers that hold women back, saying it was “deeply concerning” that many felt too little had changed since the Nineties.
Our Whitehall correspondent has the full story below:
Businesswomen say gender equality in the workplace has stalled
Survey of high-flyers shows many ‘still feel they face the same workplace challenges as they did in the Nineties’
ANALYSIS | Can Starmer convince the public that carbon capture will deliver?
Sir Keir Starmer’s £22 billion carbon capture investment is being framed as a cornerstone of the UK’s green future, with promises of safeguarding jobs in industries like glassmaking.
But the prime minister faces a tough challenge in convincing a skeptical public and environmental critics that this technology is more than just a greenwash.
While carbon capture offers a solution for decarbonising energy-intensive industries without job losses, green activists are unconvinced.
A group of climate scientists recently warned energy secretary Ed Miliband that carbon capture is still largely unproven, particularly at the scale needed to make a real impact.
Timing adds another layer of complexity.
The government’s ambitious plans for Teesside and Merseyside won’t materialise until the next election, and with the 2050 net-zero targets looming, doubts remain whether this technology can deliver quickly enough.
Beyond the environmental angle, Sir Keir’s announcement suggests a possible shift in Labour’s fiscal approach.
With speculation mounting that chancellor Rachel Reeves could loosen borrowing rules for capital investment, Labour will need to prove that these big-ticket investments can deliver real benefits to struggling households.
Nadhim Zahawi ‘went looking for fights’ as a young football hooligan
Former chancellor Nadhim Zahawi has admitted that he used to be a football hooligan and would “go out looking for fights”.
The 57-year-old, who served under Boris Johnson, revealed he was a member of Liverpool Football Club’s firm as a younger man.
Speaking at the Henley Literary Festival, a partner of The Independent, Mr Zahawi said: “I was part of Liverpool’s firm and would go out looking for fights as a football hooligan.”
You can read the full story below:
Former chancellor admits football hooligan past: ‘I went out looking for fights’
Zahawi was sacked by Rishi Sunak as Tory party chairman over his tax affairs
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