Category Archives: POLITICS

Boris Johnson Was ‘Not Aware Of Specific Allegations’ Against Chris Pincher, Says No.10

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Boris Johnson was “not aware” of any “specific” allegations about Chris Pincher when he appointed him deputy chief whip, No.10 has said.

Pincher resigned from his government post maintaining discipline among Conservative MPs on Thursday evening.

He has been accused of sexually assaulting two male guests at the Carlton Club – a Tory Party private members’ club in London’s Piccadilly, but has been allowed to continue to sit as a Conservative MP.

Pincher said he had “embarrassed myself and other people” after having had “far too much” to drink.

According to Politico, Johnson was made aware of allegations about Pincher’s past behaviour before appointing him deputy chief whip at the last reshuffle in February.

But No.10 disputed the account. “The prime minister was not aware of any specific allegations before the appointment,” the PM’s spokesperson said on Friday.

“There was no basis to stop the appointment in the absence of any formal complaint.”

The spokesperson said Pincher could not be blocked from being given a job on the basis of “unsubstantiated allegations”.

It is the second time Pincher has quit the whips office. He resigned as a junior whip in November 2017 following a complaint that he made an unwanted pass at the former Olympic rower and Conservative candidate Alex Story.

In his resignation letter to the prime minister yesterday, Pincher apologised for his behaviour, saying it had been “the honour of my life” to have served in the Government.

“Last night I drank far too much. I’ve embarrassed myself and other people which is the last thing I want to do and for that I apologise to you and to those concerned,” he said.

“I think the right thing to do in the circumstances is for me to resign as deputy chief whip. I owe it to you and the people I’ve caused upset to, to do this.

“I want to assure you that you will continue to have my full support from the back benches. It has been the honour of my life to have served in Her Majesty’s Government.”

The spokesperson said Johnson and Pincher had “exchanged messages” over the resignation but would not reveal what was said.

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All Of The Sex Scandals Involving Conservative MPs So Far This Year

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Last night, the government was rocked by yet another sex scandal involving one of its MPs — this time, deputy chief whip Chris Pincher.

Pincher resigned from his senior role enforcing party discipline after admitting he “embarrassed myself and others” when he “drank far too much” at the Carlton Club on Wednesday night.

The Tamworth MP is now facing calls to lose the whip entirely after the Sun reported that he had allegedly groped two men.

It is just the latest case in a long line of controversies to rock the government so far this year.

Imran Ahmad Khan

Imran Ahmad Khan was sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008.
Imran Ahmad Khan was sentenced to 18 months in prison for sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008.

Dominic Lipinski – PA Images via Getty Images

In April, Imran Ahman Khan, who was elected the Tory MP elected for Wakefield in 2019, was found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy in 2008.

He resigned his seat and the following month was sentenced to 18 months in prison.

A jury at Southwark Crown Court heard how he forced the then teenager to drink gin and tonic and asked him to watch pornography before the attack at a house in Staffordshire following a party.

The victim, now 29, said he was left feeling “scared, vulnerable, numb, shocked and surprised” by the incident.

He alerted the Conservative Party press office days before Khan was elected, but said he wasn’t “taken very seriously”.

His resignation resulted in last week’s Wakefield by-election, which Labour won with a majority of 4,925 votes.

David Warburton

David Warburton is under investigation by parliament's sleaze watchdog and the parliamentary commissioner for standards.
David Warburton is under investigation by parliament’s sleaze watchdog and the parliamentary commissioner for standards.

UK Parliament via PA Media

The Somerton and Frome MP, who was elected in 2015, was suspended from the Tory Party in April over three allegations of sexual harassment which are being investigated by parliament’s sleaze watchdog.

He is also being investigated by the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards over separate allegations surrounding possible breaches of Commons lobbying rules and the register of interests.

The Sunday Times also reported allegations that Warburton had failed to declare a £100,000 loan from a Russian businessman — something he has denied.

Neil Parish

Neil Parish's resignation resulted in a by-election in Tiverton and Honiton which the Lib Dems won with a near 30 per cent swing.
Neil Parish’s resignation resulted in a by-election in Tiverton and Honiton which the Lib Dems won with a near 30 per cent swing.

Matt Cardy via Getty Images

Neil Parish resigned as the Tory MP for Tiverton and Honiton in May after he admitted watching porn in the Commons chamber.

The farmer later claimed that on the first occasion, he had been trying to look at pictures of tractors before accidentally clicking on an adult website.

Parish lost the whip in the wake of the revelations but initially said he intended to remain as an MP while the allegations against him were investigated. However, he resigned his seat within 24 hours amid mounting political pressure.

Speaking to the BBC at the time, the 65-year-old said: “The situation was, funnily enough it was tractors I was looking at, so I did get into another website with sort of a very similar name and I watched it for a bit, which I shouldn’t have done.

“My crime, my most biggest crime, is that on another occasion I went in a second time, and that was deliberate. That was sitting waiting to vote on the side of the chamber.”

His resignation led to a by-election in his Devon seat which the Liberal Democrats won last week with a swing of almost 30 per cent.

Unnamed Tory MP arrested on suspicion of rape

A male Tory MP in his 50s, who has not been named, was arrested in May on suspicion of rape and sexual assault offences between 2002 and 2009. He was bailed without charge, pending further inquiries.

The MP was also arrested on allegations of abuse of position of trust and misconduct in a public office, according to Scotland Yard.

The MP had been urged to stay away from parliament but was allowed to take part in a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson last month.

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Dominic Raab Rejects Call For Abortion To Be Included In British Bill Of Rights

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Dominic Raab has rejected calls for the right to abortion to be enshrined in his new British Bill of Rights.

Last week the US Supreme Court removed the nationwide right for people to have an abortion when it overturned the Roe v. Wade ruling.

The decision has led to concerns about the rolling back of abortion rights in other countries.

Boris Johnson has described the court’s move as a “big step backwards”.

Speaking during PMQs on Wednesday, Labour MP Rosie Duffield said: “So far this year, 52 women have been killed in the UK.

“Our rights to free speech, safe spaces, fairness in sport and even the words we use to describe our own bodies are all under threat.

“Will the deputy prime minister send a clear signal, as some of his cabinet colleagues have done this week, that Britain respects the rights of women, and will he accept the cross-party amendment to his forthcoming Bill of Rights which enshrines a women’s right to choose in law?”

But Raab, who was standing in for Johnson as the prime minister is abroad, said such a move risked abortion rights “being litigated through the courts”.

“The position, as she knows, is settled in UK law in relation to abortion,” the deputy prime minister and justice secretary said.

“It’s decided by honourable members across this House. It’s an issue of conscience. I don’t think there is a strong case for change.

“What I wouldn’t want to do is find ourselves, with the greatest of respect, in the US position where this is being litigated through the courts rather than settled as it is now settled by honourable members in this House.”

Raab’s British Bill of Rights will work as a successor to the Human Rights Act.

It asserts that the UK Supreme Court is the ultimate decision maker on human rights issues in the UK and the country does not always have to follow case law from the European Court of Human Rights.

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Dominic Raab Winks At Angela Rayner During Prime Minister’s Questions

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Dominic Raab has sparked ridicule after he winked at Angela Rayner as they traded blows during a fiery Commons exchange.

The deputy PM made the gesture as the two politicians stepped in to prime minister’s questions while Boris Johnson is abroad.

Politicians and pundits poked fun at the move, including Labour’s Toby Perkins who said: “I will never unsee Dominic Raab’s wink from the despatch box at Angela Rayner. I feel soiled.”

SNP MP John Nicolson added: “All feels a bit cosy between Dominic Raab and Angela Rayner what with the winks and grins. Very Westminster.”

He made the move during a heated exchange over the cost of living crisis and the recent rail strikes.

Raab told her: “If the Labour Party, if she wants to help working people, they should be clear in standing up against these militant, reckless strikes.”

He accused Rayner of having “flip-flopped” in her position on the strikes, adding: “She talks about working people. Where was she when the comrades were on the picket line last Thursday?

“Where was she when the Labour front bench were joining them rather than standing up for the public?

“She was at the Glyndebourne music festival sipping champagne, listening to opera. Champagne socialism is back in the Labour Party.”

Rayner hit back: “I’ll tell them a few things about militancy, it’s this government that are acting in a militant way.

“While they should have been at the negotiating table, they were at the banqueting table getting hundreds of thousands squeezed out of their donors instead of dealing with the crisis…

“When they were asked about the absent prime minister’s plans to stick around until 2030, one (MP) opposite said he’d lost the plot.”

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Liz Truss Can’t Remember A Single Human Rights Issue She Has Raised With Gulf States

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Liz Truss has refused to name a single human rights issue she has raised with governments of a Gulf state.

The foreign secretary has said the UK must end “strategic dependence on authoritarian regimes for our energy”.

But the government has recently launched trade talks with the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), made up of Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

Appearing at the Commons foreign affairs committee on Tuesday, Truss was asked if she viewed the Gulf states as authoritarian.

“I would describe the Gulf states as partners of the UK,” she said. “Is every country that we work with exactly in line with UK policy on everything? No they are not. But they are important allies of the UK.”

Truss added human rights concerns were “raised regularly” with Gulf state leaders and ministers and said she had done so “personally”.

Labour MP Chris Bryant asked Truss to name the last human rights issue she had raised.

Liz Truss: “I’d have to come back to the committee on the precise timing of that.”

Chris Bryant: “Well tell us anything you have said on human rights?”

Truss: “I certainly have raised it.”

Bryant: “Go on, tell us one now.”

Truss: “I am just trying to remember my recent most visit. But I can assure you I have raised it and I will write to you with the dates.”

Bryant: “You can’t remember a single human rights issue you have raised with a Gulf state leader?”

Truss: “I have raised particular issues when I have been in the Gulf about human rights issues.”

Bryant: “Well name one?”

Truss: “I’m not going to go into all the details of private conversations which I will come back to in due course.”

The foreign secretary told the committee her focus was on the “number one” threat to the UK which was Russia.

She said: “We need to make sure we have alternative energy sources and one of the key sources of energy is the Gulf region. We are not dealing in a perfect world.”

Saudi Arabia recently executed 81 people in one day. Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia’s leader, also stands accused of approving the killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi in 2018, something the crown prince has denied.

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Downing Street Tells Nicola Sturgeon ‘Now Is Not The Time’ For Another Scottish Referendum

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Downing Street has told Nicola Sturgeon that “now is not the time” for another referendum on Scottish independence.

The warning came as the first minister prepares to outline how she plans to hold so-called “indyref2” in October next year.

Speaking ahead of her speech this afternoon, Sturgeon said that since voters elected a majority of pro-independence MSPs at Holyrood, it is “the people’s will which must prevail”.

“That may be an inconvenient truth for our political opponents, but it is a simple and unavoidable truth nonetheless,” she said.

In order for any independence referendum to be legal, Westminster must hand the Scottish Parliament the power to hold one.

But a spokesman for the prime minister said: “Our position remains the same, that now is not the time to be talking about another referendum.

“People across Scotland rightly want and expect to see both governments continuing to work together to focus on the issues that we know are facing people in Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom.”

In the first referendum, which was held in 2014, Scots voted 55 per cent to 45 per cent to stay in the UK.

At the time, Sturgeon and then-SNP leader Alex Salmond repeatedly said it was a “once in a generation” vote.

But the first minister said: “The UK is either a partnership of consent or it is not a partnership worthy of the name.

“Westminster rule over Scotland cannot be based on anything other than a consented, voluntary partnership.

“It is time to give people the democratic choice they have voted for, and then with independence to build a more prosperous, fairer country in a true partnership of equals between Scotland and our friends in the rest of the UK.”

It has been reported that Sturgeon could hold a “consultative” referendum without the need for Westminster’s approval, but that is likely to be boycotted by both Labour and the Conservatives.

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Boris Johnson’s Charm Offensive: BBQs, Zelenskyy And Steel Tariffs

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Operation Save Big Dog moved up a gear today as a raft of tactics were revealed to help the PM hold on to power.

They include “barbecues and drinks” with loyal supporters at his grace-and-favour residence Chequers.

An invitation list has been drawn up to include MPs who publicly said they would back Johnson in the confidence vote, according to the Mail on Sunday.

Johnson’s so-called “summer sausage offensive” is planned for several events in the second half of July, insiders told the paper.

Meanwhile, the prime minister apparently wants to get Volodymyr Zelenskyy to address the Tory party conference, according to the Sunday Times’ Tim Shipman.

The PM's so-called “summer sausage offensive” is planned for several events in the second half of July, insiders told the Mail on Sunday.
The PM’s so-called “summer sausage offensive” is planned for several events in the second half of July, insiders told the Mail on Sunday.

JEREMY SELWYN via Getty Images

Ministers have reportedly discussed offering the Ukrainian president a full-blown state visit to the UK, including an audience with the Queen.

No.10 aides reportedly think it is a long shot but party officials would like him to be “guest of honour” at the Tory Party conference in Birmingham in October – potentially addressing the conference via a video link.

A source told the paper that Tory HQ “likes” the idea but Johnson is wary of “cheapening” a state invitation by adding something party political.

And, in another attempt to reset the prime minister’s leadership, tariffs on steel imports are set to be imposed in a bid to win back support in Red Wall seats.

Johnson will risk fresh allegations that he is breaking international law this week with new import limits designed to protect UK manufacturers from cheaper steel from overseas.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 09, 2022.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv, Ukraine on April 09, 2022.

Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

The PM told reporters at the G7 summit in Germany that lifting the restrictions on cheap supplies from developing countries would not be the “right way forward”.

It comes after a tough few weeks for Johnson including a bruising confidence vote in which 41 per cent of Tory MPs voted for his removal.

Last week the Conservative party was also wiped out in two crunch by-elections in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield.

There were fresh calls for Johnson’s resignation on Thursday, with warnings from two former Tory leaders, Lord Howard and Lord Hague.

The losses have spurred on Tory rebels who are plotting their next move to oust Johnson by pushing for a party rule change to allow a second confidence vote in his leadership.

Tory MPs who want to remove Johnson are seeking election to the 18 most senior posts on the backbench 1922 Committee, which dictates how to conduct confidence votes in Tory party leaders.

Johnson won a confidence vote earlier this month – despite 41 per cent of Tory MPs voting for his removal.

Under current rules, another vote cannot be held for a year. However, rebels want that rule scrapped – which could be possible if 10 out of the 18 senior committee members back it.

However, the PM has brushed off threats to topple him with an astonishing prediction he will lead Britain into the 2030s.

Johnson stunned MPs plotting his downfall by insisting he is already thinking well beyond the next election and planning for his third term.

Rebel Tory Andrew Bridgen, who is leading the charge for a second no confidence vote, told the Sun on Sunday: “When I heard he plans to stay until 2030, I thought he was talking about the 24-hour clock.

“I’m more than happy for him to stay until 20:30. He can even stay until nine o’clock if he wants – so long as he’s gone before parliament breaks up for summer.”

Asked if he was being delusional by talking about being PM into the 2030s, Johnson told reporters at the G7 summit in Germany: “What I’m saying is this is a government that is getting on with delivering for the people of this country and we’ve got a huge amount to do.”

A close ally of Johnson recently told The Telegraph: “You will have to drag him out by his fingernails.”

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‘We’re Not Striking Deals With The Lib Dems Or SNP,’ Labour MP Says

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A Labour MP has insisted they will not strike deals with the Lib Dems or SNP to take down Boris Johnson.

David Lammy said Labour fights for “every single seat” and that they want to win the next election “outright”.

It comes after tactical voting saw Johnson’s party wiped out in two crunch by-elections in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield.

Asked if Labour was ready for an alliance with the SNP, the shadow foreign secretary said they would not be striking any deals.

Sky News host Trevor Phillips told him Labour was “never going to go back to where Labour was in Scotland”.

But Lammy hit back: “That is quite a categorical statement and I’ve got to say that’s a matter for the electorate.”

Pressed on the SNP’s current popularity, Lammy said: “I’m not going to prejudge the outcome of an election that’s likely in two years’ time.

“Let’s see where we get to but on that result in Wakefield, and indeed in Tiverton, we would be forming the next government with a comfortable majority. That’s what that result tells us.”

He added: “We’ve absolutely clear there is no, we’re not striking deals with the SNP or the Liberal Democrats, we want to win outright, and we will be fighting for every single vote in every single constituency, right across the country.”

However, tactical voting enabled Labour and the Lib Dems to take seats from Johnson’s party last week.

David Lammy on Sky News
David Lammy on Sky News

Labour’s win in Wakefield by around 5,000 votes, a 12 per cent swing from the Tories, saw the Lib Dem candidate lose his deposit with only 1.85 per cent of the vote.

Similarly, the Lib Dems’ extraordinary triumph in Tiverton and Honiton, which saw a swing of 30,000, saw the Labour candidate lose her deposit with just over 3 per cent of the vote.

Experts argue that if the two parties work together to divvy up seats they could deprive Johnson of a majority at the next election.

However, the major opposition parties have repeatedly denied there is any formal agreement between them to defeat the Tories by running limited or non-existent campaigns in each others’ target seats.

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Boris Johnson Can Win The Next General Election, Cabinet Minister Insists

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Under fire Boris Johnson can win the next general election, a cabinet minister insisted today.

Brandon Lewis said the prime minister can motivate voters to back the Tories at the next election, despite a renewed campaign by his own MPs to topple him.

The Northern Ireland secretary said Johnson had proved he was an election winner even when he had been “written off.”

It comes as Tory rebels plot their next move to oust Johnson by pushing for a party rule change to allow a second confidence vote in his leadership.

They have been spurred on after the party was wiped out in two key by-elections in Tiverton and Honiton and Wakefield.

However, Lewis praised the PM’s “zest and enthusiasm” and insisted he was the “right person” to lead the Tories into the next general election.

He told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme: “I think he’ll do that successfully.”

Lewis admitted there had been a “difficult backdrop” in both by-election seats and added: “We’ve got to make sure by the next general election we’re motivating those people to come out and vote for us.

“I do think Boris Johnson is the person who can do that. He’s proven that time and again, where people have written him off, both before London elections and before in the 2019 election, and then we’ve been able to come back and win, and win successfully. And I think he’s got the ability to do that.”

Tory MPs who want to remove Johnson are seeking election to the 18 most senior posts on the backbench 1922 Committee, which dictates how to conduct confidence votes in Tory party leaders.

Johnson won a confidence vote earlier this month – despite 41 per cent of Tory MPs voting for his removal.

Under current rules, another vote cannot be held for a year. However, rebels want that rule scrapped – which could be possible if 10 out of the 18 senior committee members back it.

The PM has brushed off threats to topple him with an astonishing prediction he will lead Britain into the 2030s.

Johnson stunned MPs plotting his downfall by insisting he is already thinking well beyond the next election and planning for his third term.

However, rebel Tory Andrew Bridgen, who is leading the charge for a second no confidence vote, told the Sun on Sunday: “When I heard he plans to stay until 2030, I thought he was talking about the 24-hour clock.

“I’m more than happy for him to stay until 20:30. He can even stay until nine o’clock if he wants – so long as he’s gone before parliament breaks up for summer.”

Asked if he was being delusional by talking about being PM into the 2030s, Johnson told reporters at the G7 summit in Germany: “What I’m saying is this is a government that is getting on with delivering for the people of this country and we’ve got a huge amount to do.”

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Mick Lynch Has Come Up With A New Word To Describe Boris Johnson

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Mick Lynch invented a new word to sum up the prime minister on BBC Question Time on Thursday night.

As he was explaining his frustration towards Downing Street – and speaking just hours before the results from two separate by-elections were announced – Lynch described Boris Johnson as “unembarrassable”.

The RMT general-secretary has gained a surprise legion of fans in the past week due to his no-nonsense media appearances amid backlash over the rail strikes, and he may have acquired just a few more after last night.

“I hope he loses both of these elections, and I hope he’s undermined, you wouldn’t expect anything else from me,” Lynch said.

“His main problem is he is ‘unembarrassable’.

“No matter what he does, he’s not embarrassed by his failures, by the image he gives off, and by his behaviour.

“And he’s supported in that by his mates in the establishment.

″We’ve got a very strange society where he’s propped up by the press, propped up by the media, propped by the city.”

Alluding to the fixed penalty notice which Johnson received over attending a party during lockdown, the union boss claimed: “No matter what he does, no matter how badly he behaves – up to and including breaking the law – they won’t go against him.”

Lynch also explained his surprise that Conservative MPs opted to keep Johnson in his role (albeit by a small margin) in last month’s confidence vote.

“Nevertheless, they lie in their own nest and support him,” the RMT boss continued. “So I don’t know what will make him go, but I think ultimately the Tories will get rid of him before the ballot box gets rid of him, because that’s in their interest.”

The prime minister has been heavily criticised in recent months, over everything from partygate and his decision to change the ministerial code to the Rwanda asylum policy.

Following the double whammy of the by-election defeats early this morning, Johnson told the press: “Historically in the last 50 years, more, you’ve seen governments being punished at the polls during mid-term, when people are particularly feeling economic pressures.”

He also blamed Covid and the cost of living crisis, but did not acknowledge how the blows to his reputation may have had an impact.

A particularly loyal member of his cabinet, Tory party chair Oliver Dowden, even resigned over the by-election defeats this morning, claiming that someone “must take responsibility” for the humiliating losses.

In his reply, Johnson thanked Dowden for his time in the cabinet, expressed his sorrow he was leaving but maintained that the current government was elected on a “historic mandate” back in 2019.

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