Boris Johnson news: Priti Patel department facing ‘tropical storms’ amid calls for new bullying investigation, and claims Windrush report watered down

Brexit briefing: How long until the end of the transition period?

Home secretary Priti Patel is facing fresh accusations of bullying, as former ministers and civil servants allege “aggressive” and “vile” conduct when she was in charge of the Department for International Development (Dfid).

The union representing civil servants called for a new process for raising complaints and investigating ministers’ behaviour, while the Home Office’s permanent secretary Sir David Normington said the department was facing “tropical storms”.

It comes as MPs warned Boris Johnson’s government not to water down a report into the Windrush scandal after it was reported a section branding the Home Office “institutionally racist” was stripped out.

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Key Points

• Patel hit by allegations of ‘vile’ and ‘aggressive’ behaviour
• Windrush draft report was ‘watered down’, officials claim
• Tory peer tells critics of ‘genius’ Cummings to ‘shut up’
• Sadiq Khan not voting for Rebecca Long-Bailey
• Civil service union demands process to ‘raise complaints’ about ministers

[21 February 2020 13:36 · Lizzy Buchan]

Civil servants union demands independent complaints process amid Priti Patel bullying row

The FDA has issued a statement over reports that Priti Patel, the home secretary, has been accused by staff of belittling officials, taking an angry and aggressive tone in meetings and making unreasonable demands of civil servants.

Read the background here.

Dave Penman, FDA, general secretary, said: “These reports lay bare the inadequacy of the current process that is neither transparent, formal nor independent.

“It is simply not good enough that there is currently no formal process for a civil servant to raise complaints against a minister.

“We’ve recently seen a major win for staff working within the Palace of Westminster, where there will now be a clear and independent process for investigating any complaint made against an MP.

“It’s unconscionable that 100 yards away in Whitehall, if the same type of complaint were raised against a minister in a UK government department then no such investigation would take place and staff would have no access to justice."

[21 February 2020 13:45 · Adam Forrest]

Sadiq Khan won’t be voting for Rebecca Long-Bailey

The Labour mayor of London has said he hasn’t made his mind up who he’ll vote for in the party’s leadership contest – but it won’t be flagbearer of the left Rebecca Long-Bailey.

“Of the three candidates left I would be very surprised if Rebecca Long-Bailey was able to change my view of her,” Khan told the Evening Standard.

“I’ll probably decide over the course of the next few days between Keir [Starmer] and Lisa [Nandy].”

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan (PA)

[21 February 2020 13:55 · Adam Forrest]

Immigration plan ‘disaster for British music scene’, says Labour MP

David Lammy has responded to The Independent’s story about concerns raised by the music industry about the government immigration proposals.

“Priti Patel’s new immigration policy is a disaster for the British music scene,” he tweeted. “What purpose does it serve to put up barriers to bands and musicians?”

[21 February 2020 14:29 · Adam Forrest]

‘They’re unwilling to learn lessons’: Labour MP attacks Home Office

Labour MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy is concerned about the report that a portion of the independent review into the Windrush scandal branding the Home Office “institutionally racist” was stripped out.

She said: “This government is leaning on officials to water down the most damning findings of the Windrush Lessons Learned Review.

“This only proves they’re unwilling to learn any lessons from the scandal and will stop at nothing to maintain the hostile environment.”

Home Office HQ in Westminster (PA)

[21 February 2020 14:41 · Adam Forrest]

Rishi Sunak pictured with northern tea brand

The new chancellor has been posing by the kettle, on the cusp of making tea for his colleagues at the Treasury. There’s speculation Sunak’s first budget with be aimed at keeping new Tory voters in the north of England happy – so the choice of chai is very on brand.

[21 February 2020 14:50 · Adam Forrest]

‘Question Time rant shows immigration myths prevail’

Our associate editor Sean O’Grady has written about the latest Question Time row, after the BBC was criticised for promoting a clip of an angry woman’s extended anti-immigration rant.

“I happened to see a woman on BBC’s Question Time with the Alison Steadman hairdo talking about immigration, and thought three things,” he writes. “First: she’ll probably go viral. Second: she was wrong, and wearily, depressingly so … Third: why were the panel members so weak at answering her?”

Read more on why political leaders have become so bad at challenging immigration myths.

[21 February 2020 15:10 · Adam Forrest]

Varadkar staying on as caretaker premier in Ireland

Leo Varadkar, such as big player in forging the UK’s exit deal in the Brexit process, tendered his resignation as taoiseach on Thursday night. But he will remain in place as caretaker until a new one is elected.

Varadkar, the leader of Fine Gael, and Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin have agreed to meet for exploratory talks next week as efforts to form a government intensify.

On Thursday, the Irish parliament’s lower house failed to elect a taoiseach at its first sitting after the election as none of the leaders of the four main political parties nominated for taoiseach emerged with a majority to secure the role.

Varadkar, Martin, Sinn Fein leader Mary Lou McDonald and Green Party leader Eamon Ryan were all nominated for the role.

Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar (EPA)

[21 February 2020 15:30 · Adam Forrest]

Tenant running ‘Tantric’ massage parlour run from Rory Stewart’s flat was asked to leave

The Independent mayoral candidate has responded to reports a Tantric massage parlour was run out of a property he owns.

According to The Sun, Companies House documents show a business called “Eva’s Tantric Massages” was operating in the basement flat beneath Stewart’s family home.

“The terms of the rental agreements have always stipulated that there can be no business activity in the flat,” a spokesman for Stewart said. 

“As soon as the letting agency became aware that the tenant had acted in contravention of her rental agreement by registering the address as a business address, she was asked to vacate immediately – and the agency apologised to the Stewarts for the breach of the agreement.”

London mayoral candidate Rory Stewart (Getty)

[21 February 2020 16:00 · Ashley Cowburn]

Who is Rebecca Long Bailey? The Labour leadership contender and her key policies

Rebecca Long Bailey might not yet be a household name but that is about to change.

The Salford and Eccles MP has long been touted as a possible successor to Jeremy Corbyn, marking her out as the frontrunner in the minds of many before she even entered the leadership race.

Ms Long Bailey is relatively new to Labour’s ranks, only becoming an MP in 2015. However the 40-year-old’s rise from the backbenches to the top of the party has been swift.

[21 February 2020 16:30 · Ashley Cowburn]

Patel warned her immigration crackdown will ‘cut the legs off’ the UK music industry

Priti Patel’s immigration crackdown will “cut the legs off” the thriving UK music industry, a leading figure has said, warning that artists will be forced to cancel tours and small venues will be put in jeopardy.

In a blistering attack, the Incorporated Society of Musicians said the Home Office has turned its back on the creative arts – worth £111bn a year to the economy, similar to banking – and refused to listen to its pleas for help.

“Enormous” numbers of bands from EU countries will be shut out by the huge cost and frightening bureaucracy of performing, dealing a hammer blow to the venues that host them, it said.