Boris Johnson news – live: Senior Tory says PM unfit for office after Partygate fine
He called Mr Johnson’s apology ‘indefensible’
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Your support makes all the difference.Mark Harper, senior Conservative MP for the Forest of Dean, has said he believes Boris Johnson is “no longer worthy of the great office that he holds”.
It followed the PM’s address to the House of Commons in his first statement to MPs since he was fined by the Metropolitan Police for attending a birthday party – thrown in his honour – at No 10 while strict Covid restrictions were in place.
Mr Harper said: “I strongly support the government’s actions in standing up to Putin’s aggression and helping Ukraine defend itself and our values and it’s exactly at times like this that our country needs a Prime Minister who exemplifies those values.
“I regret to say that we have a Prime Minister who broke the laws that he told the country they had to follow, hasn’t been straightforward about it and is now going to ask the decent men and women on these benches to defend what I think is indefensible.
“I’m very sorry to have to say this, but I no longer think he is worthy of the great office that he holds.”
‘Not in country’s interests’ to replace PM right now – 1922 committee treasurer
More Conservatives are backing Boris Johnson, with the treasurer of the 1922 committee of Tory backbench MPs saying now is not the time for the PM to step down over Partygate.
“And it is certainly not in the country’s interests to think about replacing the prime minister”, Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme this morning.
Citing the UK’s worsening cost of living crisis, the “bloody war” in Ukraine and a “slowdown of the world economy”, Sir Geoffrey said it would be a mistake to “force the prime minister out and have instability at the top of government for at least two months” while a new leader is chosen.
He said he wanted to see “all the evidence” before a decision is made on Mr Johnson’s future, which would include whether more fines are issued, what Sue Gray has to say and what the verdict of the British people is in the local government elections.
Conservative MPs are not calling for the PM to go at the moment because “they are withholding their judgment and waiting to see what happens”, he said, adding he was “absolutely certain” Mr Johnson had not intentionally misled the Commons.
“The culture in Number 10 has to be advised by the most senior senior civil servants and at the time that the prime minister made that statement in parliament I am absolutely certain that he believed he had not broken any rules.”
Watch: PM has ‘consistently made right decisions’, cabinet minister claims
Johnson should allow vote of confidence to go ahead, says Tory MP
A senior Conservative says Boris Johnson should give MPs the opportunity to show that they support him in a vote of confidence.
Tobias Ellwood, chairman of the Commons defence committee, told BBC Breakfast that now was the time for a vote on Mr Johnson’s future as leader.
“Unfortunately, many, many MPs continue to be very numbed by this, very, very concerned by where we’re going,” he said, adding:
“We have to defend this at the next general election. We’ve got some more fixed penalty notices likely to come forward, Sue Gray’s report to conclude, and, of course, those important local elections on 5 May.
“If I was the prime minister, I would show leadership here, recognise this requires crisis management as such, and say that ‘these are difficult times, I will give you the opportunity to support me through an actual vote of confidence’.”
The former soldier also said No 10 should refrain from using the war in Ukraine as a distraction against the Partygate saga, saying potential new PMs would likely want to support the eastern European country as much as Mr Johnson has.
Sturgeon apologises after police speak to her over breaching face mask law
Over in Scotland, FM Nicola Sturgeon has issued an apology after being reminded by police “of the importance of wearing a face covering when there is a legal requirement to do so”.
It comes after leaked footage appeared to show Ms Sturgeon breaching Scotland’s Covid face mask laws over the weekend – days before they were dropped.
“Local officers have spoken to the first minister,” Police Scotland said in a statement yesterday, before adding the politician would not be fined.
Until Monday, it was legally required for people to wear face coverings in many indoor settings in Scotland, including shops, hairdressers and public transport. The law has now become guidance.
Read the full report:
Police speak to Nicola Sturgeon over suspected breach of face mask law
Officers not taking further action after Scottish FM says she is ‘sorry’ for seconds-long rule break
PM ‘not the first leader’ to break the rules, insists Tory MP
More from Brandon Lewis now, who, in the same Sky News interview as mentioned in my last post, has suggested Boris Johnson’s Partygate fine was akin to ministers who have previously received parking fines.
“I think we do see consistently, whether it is through parking fines or speeding fines, ministers of both parties over the years have been in that position,” the Northern Ireland secretary told presenter Kay Burley.
“We’ve had prime ministers in the past who have received penalty notices, from what I can see, and also front bench ministers.
“I saw there was a parking notice that Tony Blair had once. We’ve seen front bench Labour ministers and, let’s be frank, government ministers as well.”
In an apparent attempt to muddy the waters, Mr Lewis insisted the PM was not first minister to break the rules, so should not be penalised as though he is.
“You’ve asked me, can someone who sets the laws and the rules, can they also be someone who breaks the rules,” he said, adding:
“That clearly has happened with a number of ministers over the years.”
Cabinet minister denies PM lied to parliament over Partygate
This week’s defence for Boris Johnson has begun, with cabinet minister Brandon Lewis denying that Boris Johnson is a liar.
Mr Lewis, who is the Northern Ireland secretary, claimed his boss did not mislead parliament over the so-called Partygate allegations, having initially insisted that coronavirus guidance was followed in No 10.
Speaking to Sky News, Mr Lewis denied that Mr Johnson was a liar, saying:
“As he said last week in his statement, and the prime minister will be talking to parliament later today to make a statement, but at every point he has been clear with what he believes to be the truth.
“What he also accepts is that the police have looked into this particular issue and taken a view that a fine should be issued - he accepts that, he has paid that fine, he has apologised for that.”
Asked whether Mr Johnson accepts that he broke the rules, Mr Lewis insisted that the fact the PM had paid his fine was evidence of this. He added:
“But that doesn’t mean that anything he said to parliament was inaccurate at the time. What he said to parliament, he believed to be true at the time.”
Good morning
Hello, and welcome to The Independent’s rolling politics coverage.
Stay tuned as we bring you the latest, including live updates on Boris Johnson’s scheduled address to the House of Commons, in which he will apologise to MPs after being fined by the police in relation to the Partygate saga.
Faith in justice system has collapsed, Labour says
Labour has claimed that the justice system has collapsed under Tory management.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, a former director of public prosecutions, argued that belief in the criminal justice system is being “devastatingly undermined” under the Conservatives, adding that “Britain deserves better”.
According to a new analysis from the party a quarter of reported crimes are going unpunished due to victims not pursuing charges.
Amy Gibbons has more:
Faith in justice system has collapsed under Tories, Labour claims
A quarter of reported crimes are going unpunished due to victims not pursuing charges, new analysis from the party has suggested.
NHS leader urges mask usage as Tories 'pretend Covid doesn't exist'
NHS leader Chris Hopson has said that there should be a debate about Covid restrictions as infections surge.
He was quoted as saying to The Sunday Times that infections were surging partly because of pretending Covid “doesn’t exist any more and that nobody needs to take any precautions”.
He highlighted the need for mask usage and outdoor socialising and said that “no one is arguing” for a return to lockdown.
“There is concern across the NHS that the government doesn’t seem to want to talk about coronavirus any more.
“We think we need a proper grown-up national debate about what living with Covid actually means.”
Nearly 2,000 people have died in the last week in the UK within 28 days of a positive Covid test - similar to the last peak in January, reported The Mirror.
Tory rebels plotting to oust Johnson will regroup today
While some of the Tories who had previously called for Boris Johnson’s resignation over partygate have withdrawn their pleas citing the Russian war in Ukraine, a senior Conservative has said that rebel Tories will regroup when they return to Westminster on Tuesday.
Ex-International Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell has hinted at a renewed revolt against Mr Johnson after the Easter recess.“I haven’t changed the view I expressed,” he was quoted as saying to The Mirror.
“But Parliament is in recess so colleagues have not had a chance to discuss the fact that the Prime Minister has been fined for committing a criminal offence and when Parliament returns no doubt we will look at these matters.”
It takes 54 letters of no confidence from Tory MPs to trigger a leadership contest.
More Tory MPs say Boris Johnson should go
Former Cabinet minister Karen Bradley is among those to criticise the prime minister
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