Boris Johnson news: PM faces Tory rebellion over HS2 go-ahead, as EU chief ridicules ‘Australia-style’ Brexit trade plan
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Your support makes all the difference.EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said she was “a little bit surprised” to hear Boris Johnson propose an “Australian-style” Brexit – suggesting it would amount to a no-deal scenario at the end of 2020.
It comes as retail chiefs warned consumers to expect price hikes and food shortages at the end of the Brexit transition period – even if a deal is forged. It follows an admission by Michael Gove there would be trade “friction” and checks on goods at the border.
The PM faced backbench Tory anger after telling the Commons HS2 had been given the “green signal”. Jeremy Corbyn mocked Mr Johnson’s plan for a bridge connecting Scotland and Northern Ireland – noting his record of failed “shiny” projects.
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Kids’ TV superhero would do better job than cabinet, says Dominic Cummings
Boris Johnson’s closest adviser was doorstepped this morning, and offered the BBC an Eric Cantona-esque response to question about why HS2 has been allowed to go ahead.
“The night time is the right time to fight crime,” said Cummings.
If you Google it, you’ll find it’s the lyrics to the theme tune from children’s TV show PJ Masks.
“It think we need PJ Masks on the job,” Cummings said.
Asked about cabinet reshuffle, he replied: “PJ Masks will do a greater job than all of them put together.”
17 people on Jamaica deportation flight, No 10 confirms
Downing Street said that 17 individuals were on board this morning’s deportation flight to Jamaica while 25 remained in the UK because of a Court of Appeal ruling.
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman said the government would be urgently appealing against the court decision. “There are 25 foreign national offenders who the court ruled could not be removed and all therefore still in the country,” the spokesman said
“We bitterly regret this decision which prevents the removal from our country of foreign criminals convicted of rape, manslaughter, sexual offences, violence and drug offences which spread misery across our communities.
“We make no apology whatsoever for seeking to remove serious foreign national offenders. We will be urgently appealing.”
Those who avoided removal are being held in removal centres but are now able to launch applications for release on bail.
The prime minister will conduct a reshuffle of his ministerial team on Thursday and then chair a meeting of cabinet on Friday, his official spokesman also confirmed.
EU chief ‘fine’ with UK moving onto WTO rules without deal
Our Europe correspondent Jon Stone has more on this morning’s speech by EU Commission president Ursula von der Leyen – and chief negotiator Michel Barnier.
Von der Leyen said she was “surprised” to hear the prime minister propose an “Australia-style” Brexit because “the European Union does not have a trade agreement with Australia”. She also said that if the UK wanted to leave without a deal, the bloc was “fine with that”.
The EU also wants fishing rights for its fleets in British waters, while the UK wants access for its financial services firms to European markets – but Barnier offered a warning.
The chief negotiator stated: “I’d like to make it clear to certain people in the UK in authority that they shouldn’t kid themselves. There will not be general, open-ended, ongoing equivalence in financial services. We’ll retain a free hand to take our own decisions.”
All the details here:
Ministers urged to act over insufficient funding for abuse survivors
Only 16 per cent of child sexual abuse victims say NHS mental health services meet their needs, according to a new report by the All-Party Parliamentary Group on adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.
Led by Labour MP Sarah Champion, the group heard from nearly 400 victims from across the country in its inquiry – and found one in five did not report abuse to the police due to fear of further violence from perpetrators.
Our correspondent Ashley Cowburn has the details:
Who or what is PJ Masks?
The Google search term “PJ Masks” enjoyed a spike after Dominic Cummings’s bizarre remarks this morning.
When asked about HS2 and a cabinet reshuffle, the No 10 strategist replied: “PJ Masks will do a greater job than all of them put together.”
So who or what is PJ Masks? Well, it’s the animated children’s TV series about a crime-fighting trio known as the “PJs” for short.
By night Amaya, Greg, and Connor don their masks, become Owlette, Gekko and Catboy and shout: “PJ Masks, we’re on our way. Into the night, to save the day!”
Defence secretary Ben Wallace appeared to have an older cartoon in mind – Thomas the Tank Engine? – when he was asked about HS2 this morning. He replied: “choo choo, choo choo, choo.”
Economy languishes, as ONS reports zero growth
Ministers have been keen to talk up the UK economy, but the latest figures show it completely stalled in the final quarter of 2019 – with no growth at all on the previous three months.
GDP remained flat between October and the end of December, down from a rise of 0.4 per cent in the third quarter, the Office for National Statistics revealed.
All the details here:
HS2 will be ‘albatross around this government’s neck’, says Tory MP
North West Leicestershire MP Andrew Bridgen said HS2 could rob the Tory party of hard-won support in the Midlands and north of England.
“People are going to say, ‘Well, this is what the Conservatives have done to you – they’re just driving this railway through,” the backbencher told BBC Radio 5 Live.
Asked if it would cost the Conservatives’ votes, Bridgen said: “I’m afraid it will – I think it will be an albatross around this government’s neck. The Labour party will vote for it because it’s a stick with which they will beat the government for many years to come.”
Michael Gove refuses to say whether he wants COP26 climate change summit role
The senior cabinet minister has acknowledged that the government needs to do more to show leadership on global warming, as the UK prepares to host the crucial COP26 UN climate change conference in Glasgow.
But Gove refused to be drawn on whether he would be given the role of president of the November summit – or even whether he would want the top job.
The Tory MP was pressed on whether he would like the role after speaking at conference held by environmental think-tank Green Alliance. He replied: “I am very happy with the job that I have and there are many, many, many, many talented people who could do the job of COP president better than I ever could.”
In an implicit criticism of the climate stance of Donald Trump and Brazil’s Jair Bolsonaro, Gove said the government’s ambitions for the talks, including working with people at a state and city level in countries such as Brazil and the US.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove (Reuters)
PM approves HS2 – and promises ‘transport revolution’
Boris Johnson has finally approved the HS2 rail project, telling in the House of Commons it had been given the “green signal” and promising to bring about a “transport revolution”.
He has outlined the government plan for £5bn investment in 4,000 zero-emission buses, new bus routes, and more cycle paths – pledging to create “mini-Hollands blooming like so many tulips”.
Turning his attention to HS2, he criticised those in charge of the planning so far. “When it comes to HS2 it must be said the task has not been made easier by HS2 Ltd,” he said.
“Poor management has not detracted in my view from the fundamental value of the project.”
He stated: “So today the cabinet has given high-speed rail the green signal.”
Boris Johnson speaking in Commons (Parliament TV)
PM claims HS2 will show Britain ‘still has vision to dream’
Boris Johnson has confirmed that the HS2 rail line has been formally approved.
He also promised the second phase linking northern cities will also go ahead, arguing any improvements to rail network in the north of England wouldn’t make sense without the “spine” of HS2.
But the PM indicated that phase 2B of the multi-billion pound project, extending the lines to Manchester and Leeds, was now under review.
Johnson finished his speech by saying the ambition infrastructure project would show Britain “still has the vision to dream big dreams and the courage to bring those dreams about”.
Our political editor has more here:
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