Rishi Sunak – latest: Tory civil war deepens as Goldsmith hits back over claim he refused to apologise
Tory peer hits out at Sunak government’s ‘apathy’ – day after Downing Street faced down calls to fire him
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Your support makes all the difference.The Tory civil war has grown more fractious as Zac Goldsmith hit out at “misleading” No 10 briefing over his scathing resignation, insisting that Rishi Sunak was “wrong” to claim he had refused to apologise over his Partygate comments.
The outgoing environment minister claimed he was “happy to apologise” for remarks labelled “disturbing” by the privileges committee in their report alleging “interference” from 10 Tories during their investigation which found that Boris Johnson repeatedly lied to parliament.
As he sought to get back on the front foot at a No 10 briefing outlining his plans for NHS reforms, Mr Sunak insisted the Tory peer had resigned after taking a “different course” when asked to apologise for his “incompatible” remarks – despite No 10 insisting just hours earlier that he had the PM’s confidence.
But Lord Goldsmith opened up a new front of criticism for Mr Sunak as he countered the PM’s claims of his refusal to apologise on Friday, insisting the Sunak government’s “lethargy” on climate meant his resignation had been a “long time coming”.
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UK government's Rwanda asylum plan is unlawful, says Court of Appeal
In a further blow to Rishi Sunak this morning, the Court of Appeal has ruled that his government’s £140m Rwanda deal is unlawful, with judges concluding that it is not a safe country to receive asylum seekers from the UK.
Flights will remain suspended ahead of an expected showdown at the UK Supreme Court.
Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden has the full report here:
Rwanda deal unlawful as country ‘not safe’ for asylum seekers, court rules
Appeal judges reverse decisions that Rwanda is ‘safe third country’, warning deportations will be unlawful until ‘deficiencies in its asylum processes are corrected’
Breaking: MPs to debate new Partygate ‘interference’ report
The House of Commons will debate the new privileges commitee report into Partygate interference on 10 July, Penny Mordaunt has announced.
She told MPs: “I hope this reassures the House how seriously the Government takes these matters of privilege.’’
Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire responded that she was “glad” MPs would be allowed to approve the report, adding: “It’s conclusions are clear. It found senior Tory parliamentarians took it upon themselves to undermine the procedures of this House.
“Shamefully, this includes a serving government minister, and a former leader of the House.”
The Labour frontbencher added: “This undermines democracy, it undermines this House, we owe it to the members of the privileges committee to give them our support, and frankly it’s about time the prime minister showed up and showed some leadership.
“If he doesn’t stand up for standards, what does he actually stand for? I urge this House to endorse the report.”
'I’m actually going to church’: Rees-Mogg bats away reporter’s questions
Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg dodged questions from journalists after being named in the Privileges Committee report.
In footage aired on Sky News, he declined to comment on the criticism contained in the report.
He said: “I’m actually going to church, because it is the feast of St Peter and St Paul and a holy day of obligation and I would encourage you all to do the same. Then I shall be at the Test match, which I am looking forward to.”
Sunak must sack Goldsmith, say Lib Dems
The Lib Dems said Rishi Sunak should now sack Lord Goldsmith – who remains minister for Commonwealth, energy and the environment at the Foreign Office – “if he wants to show any shred of integrity”.
The party’s Lords leader Lord Newby said: “This report was already damning enough but to now see a serving government minister named as interfering with the report’s findings is truly shocking.”
He said the Tories were “wrapped up in dealing with sleaze and chaos”.
Sunak urged to ‘condemn’ those named in report
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell reports:
Labour has accused Rishi Sunak of standing by while “senior members of his party undermine and attack” democracy.
As calls mounted for Lord Goldsmith to be sacked, Labour said his position as a minister “is an example of Mr Sunak’s weakness”.
Shadow leader of the House of Commons Thangam Debbonaire said: “Rishi Sunak has allowed senior members of his own party to undermine and attack Britain’s democratic institutions. This includes a serving government minister and two former Cabinet ministers.
“While Rishi Sunak focuses on keeping the Boris Johnson sycophants in his own party happy, people up and down the country are left facing the cost of the Tory mortgage penalty and soaring rents. Keir Starmer will restore trust in politics, show leadership on the issues that matter to working people and act immediately to bring down the cost of living.”
Ms Debbonaire called for Mr Sunak to “condemn” those named in the report, and to “make time to allow MPs to approve it in full”.
Johnson allies ‘overstepped the mark’, says Wes Streeting
Allies of Boris Johnson “overstepped the mark” in their criticism of the privileges committee, a Labour frontbencher has said.
Shadow health secretary Wes Streeting told TalkTV: “I think the privileges committee had a very difficult job to do, and an important job because part of cleaning up our politics is holding MPs to the standards the public expect of us.
He added: “The privileges committee was trying to hold Boris Johnson to account and to do that in an evidence-based way, and they came under some pretty heavy fire and criticism from Boris Johnson’s allies and supporters.
“I think they overstepped the mark in their criticism of the committee, actually. And I think the committee had a difficult enough job to do without having that sort of criticism levelled.
“I accept that the report today and the defence the committee’s made of themselves and the whole furore about parliamentary process effectively and our conduct pales into insignificance compared to the pressures people are under with their bills, with their mortgages, with the state of the NHS, and I know there is a bit of a danger of people going, ‘bloody MPs talking about themelves again’.
“But I think it is important that the privileges committee is able to hold us all to account ... and to do it without fear or favour.”
‘Spare me their victimhood’: Tory MP named in report labelled ‘snowflake'
Labour’s Jess Phillips has described Brendan Clarke-Smith as a “snowflake” after the Tory MP claimed to be “shocked and disappointed” to be named in the privileges commitee report into interference in their Partygate probe.
“Oh spare me their victimhood, absolute snowflakes. Actions have consequences, suck it up,” wrote the Labour MP.
The Tory MP was reprimanded for referring to the committee’s inquiry into the former PM as a “witch-hunt which would put a banana republic to shame”.
In the wake of the committee’s Partygate report earlier this month, he had tweeted:
The eight Tories named and shamed in Partygate report
Nadine Dorries and Jacob Rees-Mogg are among eight senior Tories who attempted to undermine the work of the Priviliges Committee as it probed Boris Johnson, a fresh Partygate report has found.
In a damning annex to its orginal report, the MPs spelled out a series of the most “disturbing” attacks on its inquiry into Mr Johnson’s lies to Parliament.
Our political correspondent Archie Mitchell has more details in this report:
Partygate: The 8 Tories who undermined democracy from Dorries to Rees-Mogg
In a damning new report, the Privileges Committee slammed ‘disturbing’ attacks on its Partygate inquiry
Inclusion of Zac Goldsmith leaves ‘big questions’ for government
Here is some of the immediate reaction by journalists to the priviliges committee’s special report:
The BBC’s Nick Eardley says the inclusion of serving minister Zac Goldsmith leaves “big questions” for the government:
Mikey Smith of the Daily Mirror suggests some are deliberately misinterpreting the report’s conclusions:
Peter Walker of The Guardian is bracing for a discussion around “free speech”:
Tim Shipman of the Sunday Times was less sympathetic, however:
‘Astounding’ criticism of Goldsmith unlike any in 44 years at parliament, peer says
Questions have been raised in parliament over whether Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park can continue as a minister following criticism of his conduct by the privileges committee.
The Tory frontbencher had been due to present two statutory instruments to the upper chamber on Thursday, but instead this was carried out on his behalf by government whip Lord Davies of Gower.
Lord Goldsmith is minister for overseas territories, Commonwealth, energy, climate and environment at the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
Raising the report’s findings in the Lords, Labour former minister Lord Foulkes of Cumnock said: “Lord Goldsmith is one of the subjects of this report produced by the Privileges Committee. It is an extraordinary report the like of which I have never seen before.
“Lord Goldsmith, a minister of the House of Lords, is severely criticised by the privileges committee for interfering in the procedures of the House of Commons. In my 44 years in Parliament I have never known such a criticism. It is astounding. What is happening to Lord Goldsmith? Is he able to, in the light of this criticism, to continue as a minister of the Government?”
Lord Davies noted the peer’s comments.
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