Category Archives: POLITICS

Rishi Sunak’s Role In Greensill Lobbying Scandal To Be Probed By MPs

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Rishi Sunak’s role in the Greensill lobbying scandal will be investigated by MPs.

The cross-party Commons Treasury committee will examine the response by the chancellor and his team to lobbying from David Cameron, who tried to secure Covid rescue funding for Greensill Capital.

The former prime minister, who was working as an adviser to the firm, last year repeatedly sent text messages to Sunak to try to secure support through the government’s Covid Corporate Financing Facility (CCFF).

It came as Commons public administration committee chair William Wraggg said Cameron’s activities were “tasteless, slapdash and unbecoming”, and said his group of MPs would also be “giving these matters proper consideration”, suggesting a separate inquiry could be launched.

Text messages released last week following a Freedom of Information request revealed Sunak eventually rebuffed Cameron’s demands, but only after he “pushed” officials to explore an alternative plan that could have helped Greensill.

Greensill has now collapsed into insolvency, rendering Cameron’s reported millions of share options worthless.

The Treasury committee said its inquiry would “focus on the regulatory lessons from the failure of Greensill Capital and the appropriateness of [the] Treasury’s response to lobbying in relation to Greensill Capital”.

Conservative MP Mel Stride, who chairs the committee, said: “The Treasury committee had previously decided to carefully consider these issues as part of its regular and upcoming evidence sessions with HM Treasury and its associated bodies, including the Financial Conduct Authority and Bank of England.

“In addition to this, we have now decided to take a closer look by launching an inquiry to investigate the issues that fall within our remit. We will publish further details when we launch the inquiry officially next week.”

Earlier, Tory MPs voted down Labour plans to set up a wider-ranging new committee to investigate the Greensill scandal, and the wider lobbying rules.

Shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves argued a bigger probe was needed and that Boris Johnson’s proposed review was “wholly inadequate” as it was being led by a “good friend” of the Tory government in City lawyer Nigel Boardman.

It came after Keir Starmer said the row over Cameron’s lobbying marked the “return of Tory sleaze”.

The Labour leader said financier Lex Greensill was brought into the government as an adviser by Cameron, before then hiring the former prime minister to act as a lobbyist contacting Cabinet ministers including Sunak and health secretary Matt Hancock.

The row has intensified this week after it emerged that the former head of civil service procurement, Bill Crothers, became an adviser to Greensill Capital while still working as a civil servant, in a move approved by the Cabinet Office.

Responding at PMQs, Johnson said he shared the “widespread concern about some of the stuff that we’re reading at the moment”.

“I do think it is a good idea in principle that top civil servants should be able to engage with business and should have experience of the private sector,” Johnson said.

“When I look at the accounts I’m reading to date, it’s not clear that those boundaries had been properly understood and I’ve asked for a proper independent review of the arrangements that we have to be conducted by Nigel Boardman, and he will be reporting in June.”

Downing Street meanwhile defended Boardman, describing him as a “distinguished legal expert”.

“He was asked to lead this review independently. He has been asked to do it thoroughly and promptly and we trust him to do that,” Johnson’s official spokesperson told reporters.

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Keir Starmer Blasts Shadow Cabinet ‘Cowards’ Who Brief Against His Staff

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Stefan RousseauPA

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer

Keir Starmer has angrily rounded on “cowards” who brief against his staff and warned shadow ministers that they should quit if they’re unhappy with his leadership team.

The Labour leader told the weekly meeting of Labour’s shadow cabinet that he was appalled by recent criticism of his aides, saying those responsible should “either stop now or have the guts to get out” of his frontbench team.

In a rare flash of anger, Starmer said that if anyone wanted to criticise his leadership they should direct that at him rather than act like “cowards who attack my staff”.

Most of his shadow ministers strongly welcomed Starmer’s words, although one insider said that there was “stony silence” from some on the Zoom call meeting.

Among those who then spoke up to strongly support his approach were shadow home secretary Nick Thomas-Symonds, shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens and shadow work and pensions secretary Jonathan Reynolds.

Shadow transport secretary Jim McMahon, shadow communities secretary Steve Reed and shadow housing secretary Thangam Debbonaire stressed just how damaging such briefing was to the party particularly in an election period.

Unnamed shadow ministers have in recent weeks criticised Starmer’s aides, including his chief of staff Morgan McSweeney, policy chief Claire Ainsley and political director Jenny Chapman, blaming them for Labour’s caution or its reliance on focus groups of former “Red Wall” voters.

Starmer is also understood to be furious at recent briefings against frontbenchers Anneliese Dodds and Rachel Reeves.

“We’ve got a vital set of elections next month and this stuff just shouldn’t be happening. It’s deeply disloyal,” one of those on the call told HuffPost UK.

The May elections are Starmer’s first electoral test since he became leader a year ago, and he faces the added challenge of Labour defending its once safe seat of Hartlepool in a by-election.

The Labour leader has campaigned on crime and policing, council tax hikes and the planned 1% nurses pay rise in the run-up to the May 6 polling day.

Covid restrictions and the week-long pause to mark the passing of Prince Philip have derailed the party’s hopes to get reaching more voters directly.

While Starmer has pointed out the party’s poll ratings have suffered from a “vaccine bounce” for Boris Johnson and the Tories, some MPs believe he needs to do more to set out his plans for a future Labour government.

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Greensill Scandal: Whitehall Chief Under David Cameron Took Job With Finance Firm

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Since 2018, Greensill has filed for insolvency after failing to secure support through the government’s Covid corporate financing facility. Its collapse threatens thousands of jobs in Liberty Steel.

In a letter to the cabinet secretary Simon Case, shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds and Reeves called for a “full, transparent and thorough investigation” into Greensill’s links with the Conservative government.

“The irresponsible behaviour of Greensill Capital and its almost unparalleled access to the heart of government raises serious questions about what kind of businesses the government is engaging with,” they said.

The latest claims came after Labour said it had been handed a business card dating from Greensill’s time working as an adviser in the Cabinet Office, describing him as a senior adviser in the prime minister’s office.

The card, which was said to have been given to an industry figure in 2012 shortly after Greensill became an unpaid adviser on supply chain finance issues, included a Downing Street telephone number and email address.

After he left office, Cameron became an adviser to Greensill Capital, and reportedly personally lobbied chancellor Rishi Sunak for cash support for the firm through the Covid Corporate Financing Facility.

He took the job two years after leaving No 10 and therefore it did not require the approval of Acoba.

Asked about Cameron’s approach, Sunak told ITV News: “I think it’s important that, whoever people are, whether they’re prime ministers or anyone else, that they follow the rules and the guidelines that we have in place for lobbying.

“We have the rules in place for good reason. And I think whoever you are, it’s important processes are appropriately followed.”

Prime minister Boris Johnson, meanwhile, has failed to back a parliamentary inquiry into government links with Greensill but has committed to a review of how the company was able to secure government contracts. 

The independent probe will be led by lawyer Nigel Boardman. 

Johnson told broadcasters on Tuesday, it will be given the “maximum possible access” to those involved.

“I’ve asked Nigel Boardman to have a look at this whole issue of supply chain finance and given him pretty much carte blanche to ask anybody whatever he needs to find out,” Johnson said. 

“I would like it to be done quickly, but I want him to have the maximum possible access so we can all understand exactly what has happened, and that will of course be presented to parliament in due course.”

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Rushed Vaccine Passports Would Do More Harm Than Good

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With drinkers huddled around makeshift heaters outside pubs trying to enjoy the latest taste of freedom, the biggest item in Boris Johnson’s in-tray as he considers the next stages of the government’s lockdown exit roadmap is the vexed question of Covid passports. 

A government review is ongoing. It will not report until June, but two weeks ago Johnson came out in favour of their domestic use. Covid passports are already set to become a feature of international travel, given disparities in infection rates and vaccination schedules around the world. 

The prime minister said passports would be piloted at mass events, including football matches and concerts; they could be used in theatres and nightclubs; and he would not rule them out in shops, bars, restaurants and, yes, pubs. 

Johnson faces opposition across parliament, while scientists, business owners, civil liberties groups and others have all voiced concerns. Yet when pressed on his rationale, he has been evasive. 

No one should expect the prime minister to be able to present the exact workings of a future system – the whole point of the review and the pilots is to look at options. But in the coming weeks, a crucial phase in the vaccine rollout and lifting of lockdown, he will need some better answers. A new Institute for Government report sets out eight questions that the government needs to address, from what problem passports could solve to where and how they could feasibly work.

Johnson may understandably be keen to avoid another broken promise. But a rushed or poorly thought through passport scheme could spread the virus and harm vaccine confidence

Johnson’s main rationale is that he view Covid passports as the only way to meet his target of removing social distancing measures entirely by 21 June. Scientific advisers are against this following major outbreaks in Europe, with modelling suggesting a third wave in the UK remains likely. A delay to the full easing of restrictions would allow further progress on vaccination, they argue, while there are also calls to tighten the border quarantine. 

The prime minister may understandably be keen to avoid another broken promise. But a rushed or poorly thought through passport scheme could spread the virus and harm vaccine confidence. 

First there is the question of enforcement. Large sports and music venues, which already have security and scan tickets on entry, may be able to implement a scheme. Piloting them in these venues and developing some capability makes sense as an insurance policy given the uncertainties ahead, including the threat of vaccine-resistant variants.  

But pubs and theatres have warned that they lack the capability and resources to do so. Ministers may think that reduced social distancing offers a sufficient incentive. Yet cash-strapped venues may end up operating without social distancing or proper enforcement – the worst of all worlds. It is hard to see how the government could check that all pubs in the land were complying.

The experience of the NHS contact tracing app – four months late and beset with problems – does not inspire confidence

Israel’s “green pass” is frequently cited in government documents, but the closer you look the less of a model it appears. True, the pass has been widely adopted, but bars and cafes have enforced it weakly, with many complaining of additional costs. Israeli venues are also still following social distancing measures, and (unlike in the UK) the government hasn’t announced any plans to change this. 

Next is technology. Developing an app that integrates vaccine status, PCR tests and rapid tests securely while protecting privacy and guarding against fraud would be a major challenge. The experience of the NHS contact tracing app – four months late and beset with problems – does not inspire confidence. There are questions, too, about the role of testing: the government may have a surplus of rapid tests, but their suitability as a “test and release” measure is unclear.

The government will also need to think very carefully about vaccine confidence and the risk of exclusion. Some passport proponents argue requiring passes for bars or clubs would incentivise the young to get vaccinated. Perhaps, but threatening exclusion from core activities also appears to reduce confidence among those least likely to take the vaccine, who often lack trust in government. This has happened in Israel and could happen here, where uptake already varies across groups. Vaccine confidence already faces a stern test following evidence of a link between the Oxford/AstraZeneca vaccine and incredibly rare blood clotting.  

Covid passports could have real benefits in helping countries bridge the gap between lockdowns and the “new normal”. Examining what is possible is sensible. But there is a risk of the government seeing them as another “moonshot” or a shortcut back to normality while glossing over the major difficulties and risks involved. Without more compelling answers, it will be hard for parliament – or the public – to have confidence in its plan. 

Tom Sasse is an associate director at the Institute for Government and co-author of Covid Passports: Questions for the Government. Follow him on Twitter at @tom_sasse

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Shirley Williams, Lib Dem Peer And Former Cabinet Minister, Dies Aged 90

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The former cabinet minister and Lib Dem peer Baroness Shirley Williams has died aged 90.

In an announcement on Monday, Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said it was “heartbreaking for me and for our whole Liberal Democrat family”.

Williams was one of the disenchanted ex-Labour cabinet ministers who became the gang of four founders of the breakaway and short-lived Social Democratic Party (SDP).

As a Labour minister, Lady Williams, served in the governments of Harold Wilson and James Callaghan in the 1970s rising to become education secretary.

Throughout her political career, both in the Labour Party and subsequently the SDP and then the Lib Dems, Williams was a passionate pro-European.

Davey said: “Shirley has been an inspiration to millions, a Liberal lion and a true trailblazer. I feel privileged to have known her, listened to her and worked with her. Like so many others, I will miss her terribly.

“Political life will be poorer without her intellect, her wisdom and her generosity. Shirley had a limitless empathy only too rare in politics today; she connected with people, cared about their lives and saw politics as a crucial tool to change lives for the better.

“As a young Liberal, Shirley Williams had a profound impact on me, as she did on countless others across the political spectrum. Her vision and bravery, not least in founding the SDP, continues to inspire Liberal Democrats today.

“Rest in peace, Shirley. My thoughts and prayers are with your family and your friends.”

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Boris Johnson Orders Independent Probe Into Cameron Lobbying Row

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Boris Johnson has ordered an independent review of David Cameron’s lobbying of the government on behalf of finance firm Greensill Capital.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson announced that City lawyer Nigel Boardman will lead a probe into links between the company and ministers, including personal approaches made by Cameron.

MPs have demanded answers after it emerged that the former premier had personally emailed and texted Chancellor Rishi Sunak and others to help Greensill win Whitehall contracts and financial roles.

Sunak is under huge political pressure for his admission that he sent a text to Cameron in which he said he had “pushed” Treasury officials to look at helping the firm with access to multi-million pound Covid support schemes.

In a new move, Speaker Lindsay Hoyle granted shadow chancellor Anneliese Dodds an urgent question to be answered on Tuesday into the row.

Dodds’ question calls on Sunak to deliver “a statement on the process by which Greensill Capital was approved as a lender for the Coronavirus Large Business Interruption Loans Scheme”.

Cameron broke his silence on the row on Sunday, saying he should have acted “through only the most formal of channels” rather than personally texting Sunak. 

Johnson wants the new probe to be completed “promptly”, the spokesperson said.

“The Cabinet Office is commissioning an independent review on behalf of the prime minister to establish the development and use of Supply Chain Finance and associated activities in government, and the role Greensill played in those,” he said.

“This independent review will also look at how contracts were secured and how business representatives engaged with government.

“The PM has called for the review to ensure government is completely transparent about such activities, and that the public can see for themselves if good value was secured for taxpayers money.”

Greensill collapsed into administration in March, which in turn put at risk one of its biggest clients, steelmaker Liberty Steel.

The Financial Times and Sunday Times have revealed how the firm’s founder Lex Greensill had unprecedented access within Whitehall as he sought to get the government to use his finance firm to offer loans for public services.

And Cameron, who was hired by Greensill after he left office, piled pressure onto ministers in the Treasury to grants access to Covid support funds for the firm over the past year.

The ex-PM also lobbied health secretary Matt Hancock. He brought Lex Greensill and director Bill Crothers to private drinks with Hancock in 2019, when they lobbied for the adoption of a payment scheme for doctors and nurses that was later rolled out within the NHS.

After weeks of refusing to comment, Cameron issued a statement on Sunday to the PA news agency, in which he said that having “reflected on this at length” he accepts there are “important lessons to be learnt”.

On Monday morning, former PM Gordon Brown called for tougher rules to prevent ex ministers lobbying within government, claiming it “brings public service into disrepute”.

Cameron insists that he broke no codes of conduct on former ministers’ links to government, but several MPs from all parties have called for tighter rules.

Labour insists that Sunak has questions to answer over whether he broke the ministerial code in “pushing” officials to help Greensill on Cameron’s behalf.

The chancellor last week voluntarily published his texts to the ex-PM under the Freedom of Information Act, although Cameron’s texts have not yet been published. Treasury sources insist that officials rebuffed Cameron’s main request in the proper way.

Boardman, who has spent years as a partner at the City law firm Slaughter and May, is a non-executive board member of the Department for Business and chair of the government’s Audit, Risk and Assurance committee.

He conducted a review of the Cabinet Office’s procurement processes which was published in December, 2020.  “He seems like he is an experienced person to lead this independent review,” the PM’s spokesperson said.

But shadow Cabinet Office minister Rachel Reeves said: “This has all the hallmarks of another cover-up by the Conservatives.

“Just as with the inquiry into Priti Patel’s alleged bullying, this is another Conservative Government attempt to push bad behaviour into the long grass and hope the British public forgets.

“The Conservatives can’t be trusted to yet again mark their own homework. We need answers on Greensill now – that means key players in this cronyism scandal like David Cameron, Rishi Sunak and Matt Hancock appearing openly in front of Parliament as soon as possible to answer questions.”

Boardman’s former firm Slaughter and May, which is part of the so-called “Magic Circle” of corporate law companies, came under fire in 2018 during collapse of public-private sector construction giant Carillion.

Labour had accused such corporate law firms of “circling Carillion like vultures, squeezing every last penny of fee income as the company was going down”.

Boardman, whose late father was Tory cabinet minister Tom Boardman, would “access to the documents that he needs”, No.10 said.

Asked whether Johnson believed lobbying rules needed to be changed, the prime minister’s official spokesperson replied: “As you have seen from what we have announced today, the prime minister understands the significant public interest in this and wants to look at the issues raised and get more details.

“But I think you can judge from his actions.”

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Black Lives Matter May Have Reduced Spread Of Covid, Says Sage

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JUSTIN TALLIS via AFP via Getty Images

The Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement may have helped reduce the spread of Covid, scientists advising the government have said.

Experts on the ethnicity subgroup of the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies (SAGE) said the anti-racist movement “fostered greater empowerment within the Black African and Black Caribbean community and enabled these groups to express their frustrations of many years”.

“This new empowerment may have created a sense of optimism and facilitated open dialogue which increased knowledge and contributed to greater use of cultural, religious and collaborative approaches to reducing risk and transmission of Covid-19 in Black communities in the UK,” the scientists said.

“Strategies include sharing videos of elders having the vaccine and hosting a Covid-19 vaccine event to address misinformation stemming from historic issues of unethical scientific research and religious beliefs.”

Ethnic minorities have been disproportionately impacted by Covid, suffering higher death rates than the white population. 

In the paper prepared on March 26 and made public on Friday, the scientists warned Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups “have not reported similar feelings of empowerment”.

“Establishing and/or rebuilding trust may take longer, particularly for Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups in the absence of a national movement such as BLM,” it states.

The experts also said the failures in public health messaging during the first wave of Covid due to “inaccessible language, modes of delivery and mistrust towards formal organisations” meant Bangladeshi and Pakistani groups “feel more wary or sceptical” of current government communication.

The BLM movement, which began in the US in 2013, had a global resurgence in 2020 following the killing George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Senior UK government ministers have criticised the BLM movement in the UK, including foreign secretary Dominic Raab who revealed he incorrectly thought the gesture of taking a knee was inspired by Game of Thrones.

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Labour MP Stephen Timms Condemned For Praising ‘Anti-LGBTQ’ Church

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A Labour MP has been condemned for his “upsetting” decision to praise a church with a history of anti-LGBTQ campaigning – just hours after Keir Starmer was forced to apologise for visiting it.

Stephen Timms said he applauded the “extraordinary work” of Jesus House For All The Nations church in Brent, north London.

The East Ham MP’s tweet came the same day the Labour leader said he was sorry for visiting the church over Easter and endorsing its work despite well publicised anti-LGBTQ statements made by one of its senior leaders.

The Labour Campaign for LGBT+ Rights had branded Starmer’s visit and subsequent praise for the church’s work in a video as “unacceptable”.

Starmer eventually accepted it had been a “mistake” to visit the church, which is serving as a vaccination centre. He said he was “not aware” of its views on LGBTQ rights – despite Theresa May having been called out for the same reason after she visited it in 2017.

Timms opposed same-sex marriage ahead of its introduction in 2014 because he said marriage was “ordained for the procreation of children”.

He told HuffPost UK on Wednesday he had “checked” with Jesus House, which told him it regarded “homophobia as anti-Christian”.

But the church’s senior pastor, Agu Irukwu, has previously spoken against same-sex marriage and equality legislation.

In 2006 he signed a letter to The Daily Telegraph condemning the then Labour government for its position that “homosexuality is equal to heterosexuality”, something Irukwu said he did not “believe”.

“The latest discrimination against Christians is the new law called the Sexual Orientation Regulations, said to combat the problem of homophobia in Britain,” the letter said.

“It alarms us that the government’s only evidence for a problem actually existing is ‘accounts in national newspapers’.”

A separate letter in The Daily Telegraph, signed by Irukwu in 2013, said “marriage is and always will be distinctively a union between a man and a woman” and argued same-sex marriage would be “devaluing” the institution.

A survey run by the church in 2015, uncovered by Yahoo News, grouped homosexuality, being bisexual or transgender in with beastiality. 

Eloise Stonborough, associate director of policy and research at Stonewall, told HuffPost UK: “It’s disappointing to see politicians praising organisations which speak out against LGBT+ equality.

“This kind of acknowledgement is even more upsetting when so many faith groups welcome and support LGBT+ people of faith, and are doing crucial work to support their communities.

“Last December, over a hundred faith leaders came together from across the major religious traditions specifically to support a ban on conversion therapy.

“At a time when many LGBT+ people face huge challenges, we should all be focused on tackling prejudice and creating a world where everyone can thrive no matter who they are.”

Responding to Timms’ tweet, Labour MP Kate Osborne said: “Another day of disappointment.

“I also applaud the work of churches and faith groups who support their communities but, I do not applaud those who hide their bigotry behind their so-called religious beliefs.”

Timms told HuffPost UK: “Churches and mosques in Newham – including one of the Jesus House affiliates in East Ham – have done a superb job during the pandemic in distributing food to people who would otherwise not have had any. 

“The hardship of the pandemic would have been even worse without their efforts.

“They have been especially important for those with no recourse to public funds. 

“Given concerns expressed yesterday, I checked with Jesus House who told me that they don’t do anything like conversion therapy, and regard homophobia as anti-Christian.”

In an interview on Wednesday with Premier Christian News, Irukwu said the church does “not engage in any form of conversion therapy”.

Downing Street has also defended Boris Johnson’s own recent visit to the church.

The prime minister’s press secretary Allegra Stratton said “one of the main jobs inside government over the last few weeks and months has been driving up vaccine take-up in communities that are hesitant about taking it, most notably the black community”.

“It was an incredibly important visit. Making sure every aspect of the population feels confident in and takes the vaccine is a top priority for this government.”

She added: “This is a government that is fully committed to advancing LGBT rights and championing equality.”

Jesus House and the Labour Party has been approached for comment.

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Boris Johnson Accused Of Breaking Ministerial Code With ‘Political’ Attack On Sadiq Khan

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Stefan RousseauPA

Prime Minister Boris Johnson, during a media briefing in Downing Street, London, on coronavirus (Covid-19). Picture date: Monday April 5, 2021.

Boris Johnson broke ministerial rules and misled the public when he launched on “unprompted political attack” on Sadiq Khan using the government’s new £2.6m Downing Street press room, Labour has said. 

The prime minister was reaching the end of a televised briefing on the Covid pandemic when he made false claims about the London mayor and Transport for London (TfL) budget. 

Johnson, Khan’s predecessor at City Hall, claimed he left TfL’s finances in “robust, good order”, and the current mayor had blown a “black hole” in the budget with a fares freeze. 

The complete collapse in passenger numbers since Covid hit, however, has seen government agree a £1.6bn bailout in May, followed by a £1.8bn deal in November.

A TfL report published a month before Johnson left office in 2016 also showed TfL had a nominal debt of £9.1bn.

Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner has now written to cabinet secretary Simon Case calling for him to investigate and for the PM to apologise. 

She alleges Johnson broke the ministerial code by using government resources – the Downing Street press room – for political campaigning during an election period. 

It comes ahead of local elections in May, including at City Hall. 

The code, which governs ministers’ conduct, states: “Official facilities and resources may not be used for the dissemination of party political material”.

Rayner writes: “The attack was political in nature, unprompted, and entirely unrelated to either the topic of the press conference or the question the prime minister was asked.” 

The deputy leader also hit out at Johnson’s decision not to sack home secretary Priti Patel after a formal investigation found evidence that she bullied civil servants. 

Ethics adviser Alex Allan quit after Johnson ruled Patel should stay in post. 

Rayner said: “The ministerial code, by which government ministers are bound, clearly states that official facilities and resources may not be used for the dissemination of party political material.

“This includes the prime minister’s new media briefing room, which cost the British taxpayer £2.6 million.

“The prime minister has a lot of experience with the ministerial code – his home secretary was found to have breached it after bullying staff, prompting his independent advisor on ethics and ministerial standards to resign.

“The British people would rightly not expect a prime minister who has spent so much first-hand experience of dealing with matters relating to the Code to be so blatant in flouting it during a pre-election period.”  

Rayner states that in the four years Sadiq Khan was mayor before Covid hit, he reduced the operating deficit of TfL, left by the previous mayor, by 71%. 

But Johnson said during the press briefing on Monday: “As for the finances of TfL I must respectfully remind you that I left them in robust, good order. It is not through any fault of my own the current Labour mayor decided to blow them all on an irresponsible fares policy. 

“We are doing our best to help them out and we will continue to do so. But I’m afraid you have to look at some of the decisions that were taken by the current Labour mayor as well.

“I hesitate to make a point like that but since you rightly draw attention to the fact I’m a proud former mayor of London I do think we could look at the way TfL is being run.” 

The Cabinet Office confirmed the letter had been received.

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Labour MPs Told The Party Will Vote Against Domestic Vaccine Passports

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Labour MPs have been told the party will vote against coronavirus vaccine passports as things stand, setting up a high stakes showdown between Boris Johnson and Tory rebels.

A briefing sent to Labour MPs from the parliamentary Labour party (PLP) office said that the current position is to oppose in a Commons vote any measures to require people to show proof of vaccination to access shops or pubs.

The government on Monday said vaccine passports could be used by pubs and restaurants to relax social distancing rules, from May 17 at the earliest.

More than 40 Tory MPs have already signed a cross-party letter opposing the idea.

If that many rebelled in a future vote, it could be enough to join forces with Labour an other opposition parties to defeat the prime minister, if he decides to roll out the measures.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi told Times Radio that “of course we will go to parliament for a vote” if Johnson decides to proceed with passports.

The briefing confirms Labour will vote against the measures, as things stand, as the party believes they will be discriminatory.

It asks the question “how will Labour vote on vaccine and test certification”, before answering: “On the basis of what we’ve seen we would oppose domestic vaccine passports.

“Labour’s focus would be on getting the vaccine out, fixing self-isolation and contact tracing”.

But the party left the door open to backing testing certification that could, for example, allow people to attend large events after a negative Covid test.

Earlier, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth told the BBC: “I’m not going to support a policy that, here in my Leicester constituency, if someone wants to go into Next or H&M, they have to produce a vaccination certificate on their phone, on an app.

“I think that’s discriminatory.”

A senior Labour source said: “On the basis of what we’ve seen and discussed with ministers, we oppose the government’s plans for domestic vaccine passports.

“They appear poorly thought-through, will put added burdens on business and run the risk of becoming another expensive Whitehall project that gets outsourced to friends of Tory ministers.”

On Monday, a government review said ministers believe “that there are some settings (such as essential public services, public transport and essential shops) where Covid-status certification should never be required, in order to ensure access for all”.

But it added: “Equally, Covid-status certification could potentially play a role in settings such as theatres, nightclubs, and mass events such as festivals or sports events to help manage risks where large numbers of people are brought together in close proximity.

“It is possible that Covid-status certification could also play a role in reducing social distancing requirements in other settings which people tend to visit more frequently, for example in hospitality settings.”

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