Boris Johnson news: PM referred to police regulator over claims of potential misconduct
Downing Street sources accuse City Hall of political move after Greater London Authority decision
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Your support makes all the difference.The prime minister has been referred to the independent police watchdog over claims of potential “misconduct” while he was London mayor.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) has asked the Independent Office for Police Conduct to assess whether Boris Johnson should be formally investigated over his relationship with the US tech entrepreneur and former model.
It wants the probe to explore whether Ms Arcuri was allowed to join trade missions, and received large grants, “when she and her companies could not have expected otherwise to receive those benefits”.
The referral does not mean or imply he is guilty, but is a request for an investigation. While London mayor, he was also a police and crime commissioner, which is why the police regulator is now involved.
The prime minister denies any impropriety but the announcement comes at the end of a tumultuous week for Mr Johnson.
His right-hand man Dominic Cummings has continued No 10’s ‘people versus parliament’ rhetoric by saying the anger of Leave voters was “not surprising”.
The controversial aide told Labour MP Karl Turner to “get Brexit done”, after the MP said he had received death threats overnight.
Elsewhere in Westminster the SNP said it could support Jeremy Corbyn’s bid for prime minister, in order to stop a no-deal Brexit.
“Nothing is risk free but leaving Johnson in post to force through no deal – or even a bad deal – seems like a terrible idea to me,” party leader Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter.
An SNP spokesperson said the party was committed to stopping a no-deal Brexit and removing “this dangerous and undemocratic prime minister as soon as possible”.
If you would like to see how the days events unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below
As Tory MPs head off to Manchester for the Conservative party conference, they have been told to operate a “shift rota”, with everyone under orders to hop back on the train to parliament when necessary.
There was initial puzzlement after the Commons voted against a recess yesterday, with the Tory whips reportedly sending out two different messages.
The first explained “we will need as many as possible of you in London”, before a second message said “we will need as many of you in Manchester as possible”.
Paranoia appears to have been induced by Labour, after Jeremy Corbyn hinted at “parliamentary action” to block a no-deal Brexit next week.
Ministers still have a “significant amount” of work to do to ensure the continued supply of vital medicines to the NHS in the event of a no-deal Brexit, the Whitehall spending watchdog has warned.
All the details here.
DUP MP Sammy Wilson has said Boris Johnson is “absolutely right” to use the term “surrender” in discussing the Benn bill.
According to the Belfast Telegraph, Wilson also suggested MPs backing Remain could be described as “fifth columnists” – the term for any group of people who undermine a larger group from within, usually in favour of an enemy group or nation.
“That’s what it is, a surrender document. And the PM hit the nail on the head yesterday and also I think the fact that the Labour Party were so incandescent with rage about it, they knew that this was the kind of allegation that was going to hurt them,” the DUP MP said.
Dominic Cummings appearance at a London book launch last night is still the talk of the town this morning. So what was being launched, exactly?
The No 10 chief played host at an event for Stuart Wheeler’s autobiography Winning Against the Odds. Wheeler is a former Tory donor booted out of the party for donating to Ukip.
Cummings told the gathered crowd the current political crisis “is a walk in the park compared to the referendum. We’re enjoying this.”
And – in his most controversial remarks – he said the only way for threats against MPs to “respect the result” of the 2016 referendum.
Dominic Cummings at Stuart Wheeler book launch (PA)
A British-flagged oil tanker Stena Impero, held by Iran for more than two months, has been released by Tehran.
On Friday morning the vessel and its crew were heading for freedom after leaving the port of Bandar Abbas, on the southern coast of Iran.
Foreign secretary Dominic Raab said: “The Stena Impero was unlawfully seized by Iran. It is part of a pattern of attempts to disrupt freedom of navigation.
“We are working with our international partners to protect shipping and uphold the international rule of law.”
Boris Johnson has said it would be a matter of “impoverishing the language” if he were to stop using words like “surrender”.
Speaking on a visit to a hospital in Harlow, Essex, said: “I think the threats against MPs and particularly female MPs are absolutely appalling and we’re doing a lot of work to give MPs the security that they need.
“But then there’s another question which is - can you use words like ‘surrender’ to describe a certain act or a certain bill?
“And quite frankly I think that you can and if you say that you can’t then you’re kind of impoverishing the language and impoverishing political debate because, after all, the use of that kind of metaphor has been going on for hundreds of years.”
He added: “I genuinely think that once you do that [leave the EU], the heat and anxiety would come out of the debate … get it done, and we’ll all be able to move on.”
Boris Johnson visits hospital in Essex (PA)
The prime minister’s spokesman has distanced No 10 from Sir John Major’s extraordinary suggestion that the Privy Council will be used to escape the law that would require Boris Johnson to delay Brexit.
The former prime minister suggested Johnson would issue an order to suspend the Benn Act – requiring the prime minister to seek an Article 50 extension, to stop a crash-out on 31 October – until after exit day.
Asked if the wheeze could be used, the spokesman replied: “I do not recognise that at all.”
A senior government source went further, describing the idea as “total cobblers” – and it did appear clear that Downing Street was as bemused by Sir John’s warning as everyone else.
Nevertheless, such hares will keep running because No 10 has refused to explain how Johnson will “comply with the law” while also insisting he will not seek a delay, even if the law orders it.
The Benn Act sets a deadline of 11pm on 19 October for the request to be sent to Brussels if, as seems increasingly likely, no deal has been passed by that date.
Dominic Cummings has had a dig at TV news.
“Everyone watching at home should know – don’t watch the news. Because it’s almost all bull****,” he told Sky News’ Lewis Goodall.
Asked about obeying the law by MPs to block a no-deal Brexit, he said: “Of course the prime minister will obey the law … We’ll see what we do about the Benn Act when we get to the right date.”
“I don’t have a masterplan,” he added. “People say all sorts of. You say all sorts of things – you don’t know what you’re talking about.”
Here’s Boris Johnson’s claim that to stop using the term “surrender” would be a matter of “impoverishing language”:
Nicola Sturgeon has offered support for the idea of Jeremy Corbyn becoming a caretaker prime minister, in a bid to secure an extension to the Brexit deadline.
The Scottish first minister tweeted on Friday that she agrees with the idea of installing the Labour leader as PM through a vote of no confidence in the Conservative administration so he can secure a Brexit extension.
All the details here.
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