A defiant Boris Johnson is clinging on to power, insisting he won’t quit even if his enemies in the Tory party force a vote of confidence in his leadership The prime minister is determined to fight back, boosted by an apparent split among the Tory plotters on when to launch their coup and on who
Politics
The Omicron variant of coronavirus is “in retreat” and England is in the “next chapter” of its fight against the virus, the health secretary has said. Speaking at a Downing Street news conference, Sajid Javid said the lifting of Plan B COVID-19 measures is a moment “we can all be proud of”. He said Omicron
Boris Johnson is preparing to face MPs in the Commons amid claims that support among Tory MPs is “haemorrhaging away” and he is on the brink of being removed from office. After a potentially brutal Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson will attempt to launch a fightback by announcing he is ripping up Plan B COVID
Dominic Cummings will be interviewed as part of an investigation into parties and gatherings at Downing Street during coronavirus restrictions. Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser confirmed to Sky News that he will be involved in the probe, which is looking at events in Number 10 and other government departments. And a Cabinet Office source told
Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser has said the prime minister knew in advance about a Downing Street drinks party during the first coronavirus lockdown and agreed that it could go ahead. In an updated post on his Substack page, Dominic Cummings said he raised his concerns about the event in the Number 10 garden in
Alerts about foreign interference in British politics will become more common in the future, the home secretary has said. Delivering a statement to MPs in the Commons, Priti Patel said the government would introduce new legislation to give the security services and agencies the “tools they need to disrupt the full range of state threats”.
Boris Johnson has reportedly been questioned by a senior civil servant over allegations of Number 10 rule-breaking. The Daily Telegraph said Boris Johnson “is understood to have shared what he knows” with Sue Gray ahead of the publication of her investigation this week into claims about lockdown rule-breaking parties in Downing Street. What parties are
Lord Myners, a Treasury minister under former prime minister Gordon Brown, has died aged 73. He advised Mr Brown on the historic bailout of the British banking system following the 2008 financial crash. Lord Myners died in the early hours of Sunday morning and is survived by his five children and five grandchildren Image: Lord
A sixth Conservative MP is calling for the prime minister to quit over the ever-growing list of alleged lockdown-breaking parties in Downing Street, as Boris Johnson is reportedly preparing to strike back by ousting members of his inner circle. Tim Loughton, former children’s minister and East Worthing and Shoreham MP, said Mr Johnson’s position had become “untenable”
Boris Johnson should be kicked out in the national interest, the Labour leader has said following fresh claims of Downing Street boozing in defiance of lockdown restrictions. Sir Keir Starmer has further ramped up the pressure on the embattled prime minister arguing he had lost his moral authority and was too preoccupied in “defending his
Sir Keir Starmer is turning up the heat on Boris Johnson on Downing Street drinking after new allegations of “wine time Fridays” in Number 10. In a major speech, the Labour leader will claim the partying allegations of the past few days reveal that the prime minister is guilty of “deceit and deception” and unable
The head of the taskforce responsible for leading the government’s COVID-19 response held an office leaving bash at a time when indoor socialising was banned, it has been revealed. Kate Josephs, the former director general of the Cabinet Office’s COVID taskforce, said she was “truly sorry” for the gathering on 17 December 2020. She also
Downing Street has failed to deny reports that two parties took place at No 10 the night before Prince Philip’s COVID-restricted funeral – at a time when indoor mixing was banned. In fresh claims that will further fuel the “partygate” crisis afflicting the prime minister, it is claimed that Downing Street staff drank alcohol into
MI5 has warned that a Chinese government agent has been working in parliament “to subvert the processes”, MPs have been told. Iain Duncan Smith told the Commons that Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has written to MPs to let them know he has been contacted by MI5 over the matter. The MP said: “I understand that Mr
Boris Johnson is battling to survive as prime minister, despite throwing himself on the mercy of MPs and apologising for the “bring your own booze” Downing Street party. With top Tories joining Opposition leaders in calling for him to resign, he faces a perilous few weeks that could see his two-and-a-half-year premiership brought to a
Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross has demanded the resignation of Boris Johnson over the Downing Street drinks party row. Mr Ross claimed the prime minister’s position was “no longer tenable” and revealed he had spoken to Mr Johnson on Wednesday afternoon to “set out my reasons and I explained to him my position”. The Scottish