Speculation has mounted in Westminster that another Conservative MP could demand the resignation of Boris Johnson as he faces Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions.
It comes after Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the select committee, said a vote of no confidence was “inevitable” as he confirmed he would submit a letter to the 1922 Committee today.
Mr Ellwood, the chairman of the defence committee, told Sky News the ongoing row over alleged parties at Downing Street was “horrible” for Conservative MPs to continue to have to defend.
Follow the latest below.
12:13 PM
‘That’s not going to work with the police’
“Lots of words, lots of bluster, no answer,” retorts Sir Keir Starmer. “That’s not going to work with the police!”
Sir Keir accuses the Conservative Party of putting taxes up to hide “low growth… much, much weaker than under the last Labour government”.
“If the Tories matched our record on growth we would have £30 billion more to spend on public services without having to raise tax. Surely even this Prime Minister doesn’t need someone else to tell him that they are having to raise taxes because they failed to grow the economy over a decade?”
Boris Johnson responds “everyone in the country can see we’ve been through the biggest pandemic for 100 years” and highlights the achievements of the furlough scheme.
“Everyone knows the costs of that. It is despite the difficulties we now have the fastest growth in the G7, we’ve got youth unemployment at a record low, we’ve got three times as much tech investment as there is in France, twice as much as there is in Germany.
“If you want to know about Labour economies, never forget… when they were finally booted out, they left a note saying ‘there is no money left’. That’s the way Labour run the country.”
12:11 PM
We’re helping people into work, insists PM
Sir Keir Starmer accuses the Government of “stealth tax on working people”, with local authorities forced to increase council tax to meet social precepts.
“You can be as stealthy as you like but you can’t hide reality,” Sir Keir says. “We have the highest tax burden in 70 years during record levels of inflation.
“Why do he and the Chancellor keep raising taxes on working people?”
Mr Johnson notes taxes are being cut for those on Universal Credit, “doing all the things this country would expect” and says the National Living Wage is being raised.
“Above all, the most important thing that we are doing is helping people into work. There’s never been a Labour government that left office with unemployment lower.”
12:09 PM
‘Why do these alleged tax-cutters keep raising taxes on working people?’
Sir Keir Starmer says one of the most absurd claims made on behalf of ‘Operation Save Big Dog’ is Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak’s claims they are “tax-cutting Conservatives”.
“Why do these alleged tax-cutters keep raising taxes on working people?” he asks.
Boris Johnson says he does not want to “make any weather on this” but says he is informed that Sir Keir “apologised and took full responsibility for what had happened on his watch” over the Jimmy Savile case, in which he had not been directly involved.
“On what we’re doing to tackle cost of living and taxation, our Covid recovery plan is absolutely vital in helping people with the cost of living, lifting up Universal Credit payments by cutting the tax that people effectively pay, lifting the living wage, helping councils with another half billion pounds for those facing particular hardship.”
He says it is “absolutely vital” to increase the number of “high-wage” jobs in the country and reminds MPs of the “fastest exit from Covid of any European economy”.
12:08 PM
‘It’s time to restore some dignity’
Sir Keir Starmer says to Tory MPs: “Theirs is the party of Winston Churchill. Our parties stood together as we defeated fascism in Europe. Now their leader stands in the House of Commons parroting the conspiracy theories of violent fascists to score cheap political points.
“He knows exactly what he is doing. It’s time to restore some dignity.”
12:07 PM
Esther McVey presses PM on mandatory vaccination
Esther McVey, the Tory MP for Tatton, asks mandatory vaccinations for NHS staff and care workers to be abandoned “no ifs, no buts”.
She asks whether those who have already lost their jobs will get compensation.
Mr Johnson thanks Ms McVey for her “thoughtful work on this” and stresses vaccines “remain our best line of defence – I do think the NHS staff and all those who work in the care sector have a professional responsibility to get vaccinated.
“But as my Rt Hon friend the Health Secretary told the House on Monday… it is right, she is right that we revisit the balance of risks and opportunities.”
12:06 PM
Boris Johnson pays tribute to Queen at start of PMQs
Boris Johnson, who is met with jeering, notes that the Queen will on Sunday become the first monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee.
“While it will be a day of national celebration it will be a day of mixed emotions for Her Majesty as the day also marks 70 years since her beloved father George VI.
“I know the whole House will want to join me in thanking Her Majesty for her tireless national service.”
12:03 PM
Do not call each other liars, Sir Lindsay reminds MPs
Before PMQs, Sir Lindsay Hoyle makes a statement about House practices on accusing members of lying.
“I recognise there are frustrations around the House’s practices,” he says.
“Firstly let me say that there are means by which accusations of lying may be brought before the House, including by means of a substantive motion.
“However, members may not accuse each other of lying or misleading the House unless a substantive motion is under consideration.
“Erskine May is clear that it is to preserve the character of Parliamentary debate.”
He says whoever in the Speaker’s chair will “in general not tolerate accusations of lying” in line with a longstanding convention.
“If the House decided it wanted a different approach… it’s not for me to change the practice unilaterally. Therefore, I ask members to respect this approach. I know feelings run high on the current issues we discuss but there are plenty of ways to make strong feelings felt, without placing the Chair in an invidious position.”
12:02 PM
Boris cheered on by backbenchers
Boris Johnson’s arrival in the Chamber for PMQs is greeted with raucous cheers by his own MPs.
This doesn’t best please Sir Lindsay Hoyle, the Speaker of the Commons, who calls for “good order” and people to listen to the last question put to Allister Jack, the Scotland Secretary, at his weekly oral questions slot.
11:56 AM
On his way
Boris Johnson waved to photographers as he was snapped leaving Downing Street on his way to Prime Minister’s Questions.
11:52 AM
Coming up in the Commons
Boris Johnson will take on Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister’s Questions in just under 10 minutes.
It comes after another blow for Mr Johnson’s authority in his party after Tobias Ellwood used a breakfast television interview to publicly demand that he calls a vote of no confidence.
11:49 AM
Michael Gove: I was wrong on Christmas Covid rules
Michael Gove has said “I was wrong” to argue for additional coronavirus restrictions over the Christmas period.
“I was wrong, the Prime Minister and the Chancellor were right,” he told TalkRadio.
“At Cabinet a couple of weeks ago I was wrong and they were right, and you have it here, a scoop, a revelation of what actually went on in Cabinet – I said I’m sorry, on this occasion, I made a mistake.
“Lots of people make mistakes when they’re dealing with complex and fast-moving situations like a pandemic.”
11:44 AM
Could another MP call for Boris Johnson to go?
Speculation is mounting that another Conservative MP could demand the resignation of Boris Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions.
It comes after Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the select committee, said a vote of no confidence was “inevitable” as he confirmed he would submit a letter to the 1922 Committee today.
Mr Ellwood, the chairman of the defence committee, told Sky News the ongoing row over alleged parties at Downing Street was “horrible” for Conservative MPs to continue to have to defend.
11:36 AM
Majority of public think Boris Johnson should resign over alleged Downing Street parties
The majority of the public think the investigation into Downing Street parties should continue and only a quarter feel Boris Johnson should remain as Prime Minister, new polling shows.
Four in five Britons also believe Boris Johnson “broke the coronavirus regulations with parties in Downing Street” amid a criminal investigation into the “partygate” scandal, according to surveys carried out by JL Partners.
Out of 2,000 respondents, 55 per cent said the investigation into the Downing Street parties should continue, while 36 per cent believed the country must now move on from the allegations, which have presented the greatest threat to Mr Johnson’s leadership to date.
Seventy-one per cent of 2019 Conservative voters who were surveyed believed Mr Johnson had not followed the rules and 63 per cent of those who supported his party at the last general election felt investigations by Sue Gray and the Metropolitan Police should continue.
Full story: Two-thirds of Tory voters believe Johnson did not follow rules
11:31 AM
Ben Wallace overtakes Liz Truss as most popular Cabinet minister among grassroots
Ben Wallace has overtaken Liz Truss for the top spot as the most popular Cabinet minister among Tory members, writes Danielle Sheridan.
In a monthly poll by the ConservativeHome site, Tory party members have rated the Defence Secretary as their favourite, as a result of his recent conduct during the Afghanistan withdrawal and his robust response to the unfolding crisis in Ukraine.
His work ethic has pushed him up from 62 points to 80 points, putting him ahead of the Foreign Secretary after her year at the top of the table. Ms Truss has dropped from 74 points to 67 points.
Meanwhile Boris Johnson remains in negative ratings, while Rishi Sunak’s score at 39 points is his lowest as Chancellor.
Read more: Defence Secretary’s efforts land him the top spot
11:19 AM
Government ‘cannot delay’ on Levelling Up
David Davis has warned ministers they “cannot delay” on levelling up ahead of the launch of Michael Gove’s Levelling Up White Paper this afternoon.
“Access to good work is vital,” wrote Mr Davis, who has publicly called on Boris Johnson to resign – telling him “in the name of God, go” at Prime Minister’s Questions a couple of weeks back.
“This new report offers a framework and clear measurements to make levelling up a success – but the Government cannot delay.”
Mr Gove said this morning that the Department of Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) was “laying out the plan for 2030”.
11:05 AM
Jonathan Van-Tam goes 5-8 up
Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, wished the inimitable Jonathan Van-Tam a happy birthday this morning as England’s deputy chief medical officer turns 58.
Prof Van-Tam resigned from his post last month and will leave his post at the end of March to take up a new role as the pro-vice chancellor for the faculty of medicine and health sciences at the University of Nottingham.
A familiar face as he sought to explain the pandemic via the medium of metaphor, he provided us with many memorable moments during all of those Covid press conferences.
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10:57 AM
Boris Johnson’s ‘partygate’ shake-up is already unravelling
Antonia Romeo, one of the UK’s most senior female civil servants, has decided not to seek the newly created permanent secretary role in Number 10, The Telegraph understands.
Downing Street is already facing challenges to fill the position, announced by Boris Johnson as he attempted to draw a line under the “partygate” report findings published on Monday.
There are concerns that permanent secretaries of government departments with tens of thousands of staff will be reluctant to take up the job, which oversees just a few hundred people.
Ben Riley-Smith has this exclusive report
10:40 AM
Senior diplomat and military commander at heart of new parties
Three of the dozen events which Ms Gray said were being looked at by the Metropolitan Police had not been fully reported on in public when she revealed her findings on Tuesday, write Hary Yorke and Ben Riley-Smith.
But The Telegraph can reveal that a senior British diplomat in America, a military commander and a senior culture department official are at the heart of the gatherings.
The first of the three newly-documented events happened on June 18 2020 in the Cabinet Office and involved “the departure of a No 10 private secretary”, according to Ms Gray’s report.
The Telegraph understands the official in question is Hannah Young, who left Downing Street to take up the role of deputy consul general in New York.
Partygate: Catch up with all the latest in this report
10:23 AM
Is time running out for Boris Johnson?
Join Tony Diver, Mutaz Ahmed, Olivia Utley and David Knowles as they discuss what the future has in store for the Prime Minister.
In our now-regular “post-match analysis” of Prime Minister’s Questions, they will be live on Twitter at 12.45pm.
We’ll have the best of their commentary on this live blog – and if you have any questions for our experts, respond to the tweet below and they will be picked up.
10:16 AM
Allison Pearson: Partygate has left me sickened
If only – if only – history had been inverted. Boris Johnson could have been Prime Minister for Brexit and Theresa May Prime Minister for Covid and this whole excruciating fiasco might have been averted.
Instead, we got a thin-lipped Mother Superior taking us out of the EU with all the enthusiasm of a school matron coaxing a sanitary towel out of a blocked lavatory while the irrepressible Mr Toad (“Parp! Parp!”) was required to preside over one of the saddest, most solemn periods of self-abnegation in living memory. Apart from anything else, it’s such lousy casting.
I don’t know whether you watched the Prime Minister on Monday afternoon responding to Sue Gray’s meagre “update” on Partygate. Five hundred further pages about 12 Downing Street “gatherings”, including two in the PM’s own flat, and 300 photos are still under consideration by the Metropolitan Police.
Congratulations to those who decided to stick with A Place in the Sun over on Channel 4. Halfway through this shameful spectacle, many viewers, among them loyal Brexiteers, will have felt like leaving the country for a place in the sun or, indeed, a place that was grey and overcast so long as it was miles away from the asylum formerly known as the Commons.
Allison Pearson: I was a long-time champion of Boris – but I’m conflicted
09:55 AM
Jeremy Hunt: We must hold firm against Russia’s threats
Bill Clinton once told me the key thing was to look not at the headlines but the trendlines, writes Jeremy Hunt. It’s a useful exercise when it comes to working out what is happening in Ukraine. It can help us understand, in particular, how much of what Putin is doing is bluff and how much is genuinely a prelude to an invasion.
The headlines tell us that 100,000 Russian troops are poised to invade its democratic neighbour. The trendline tells us this is part of a well-worn pattern of expansionism: do something outrageous, expect a bit of huffing and puffing from the West, wait for it all to calm down and then bank your gains.
That is what happened after the murder of Alexander Litvinenko in 2006, the invasion of two provinces of Georgia in 2008, the invasion of Crimea in 2014 and arguably the poisoning of Sergei Skripal in 2018 – at least if you look at the entire European response rather than Britain’s, which was admirably robust.
With a GDP the size of Spain, Russia is not economically strong. But it knows how to punch above its weight, exploiting hesitation and weakness in its opponents. When you look at the pattern – the trendline – surely the answer is that the Russians will do whatever they think they can get away with without having to put up with any long-term consequences.
Jeremy Hunt: The worst thing to do is reward Putin’s aggression
09:48 AM
Full list of Tories calling for Boris Johnson to resign
Boris Johnson is facing the largest threat to his premiership as calls mount for his resignation and reports are growing of letters of no confidence being handed in.
The Prime Minister rejected accusations that he lied to Parliament over allegations of attending a Covid-rule breaking party in No 10 on May 20, 2020, insisting that “nobody told me that what we were doing was against the rules”.
He repeated his apology after the publication of an update by Sue Gray, the top civil servant, which found “failings of leadership and judgment” in No 10 and across Government during the pandemic.
Only yesterday did Peter Aldous confirm he was submitting a letter of no confidence and called for Mr Johnson to go, saying he had been put in an “invidious position” amid the ongoing uproar over alleged Downing Street parties.
Have a look at the full list here
09:34 AM
What would a vote of no confidence mean for Boris Johnson?
Tobias Ellwood suggested a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson’s leadership is now “inevitable” and urged him to call one himself as he confirmed he had lost confidence in his party leader.
Fifty-four is the so-called “magic number” of letters that need to be submitted by disillusioned Tory MPs to trigger a no-confidence vote and determine whether the Prime Minister remains in office.
Should the threshold be reached, recent history suggests Boris Johnson’s fate could be decided within hours rather than days.
However, even if the Prime Minister were to survive a challenge, it is by no-means certain that he could continue to cling onto power having lost the support of so many of his backbenchers.
Harry Yorke, our Whitehall Editor, has this explainer
09:26 AM
‘Medieval court’ of No 10 leaves Boris facing regicide
As he settled into his seat for the flight to Ukraine yesterday, Boris Johnson might have allowed himself a chuckle of quiet satisfaction, writes Philip Johnston.
He had survived the moment of greatest peril to his premiership; and even if the road ahead is not exactly clear of obstacles, well, they can be negotiated when reached.
Those who want to see Mr Johnson toppled still hope that the Met police or photographs of him cavorting in a party hat while swigging from a bottle of champagne will deliver the coup de grace. But that ship has sailed.
The focus now will be on the burgeoning crisis in eastern Europe and a domestic cost-of-living crunch in the spring. Inevitably, the passage of time will see tempers cool over the lockdown breaches and distaste with the shenanigans in No 10 diminish. What it will not do, however, is dissipate the great harm that has been done to trust between the Government and the governed.
Philip Johnston: In the court of King Boris, little is likely to change
09:18 AM
The big question: Is Boris Johnson’s record enough?
Are Boris Johnson’s achievements in office to date enough for him to stay on as Prime Minister in the face of the current “partygate” row?
That is the question Conservative MPs will now have to answer as Tobias Ellwood, the chairman of the defence select committee, said that getting Brexit done and 138 million vaccine doses rolled out can no longer justify Mr Johnson’s position (see 9.03am).
Allies of Mr Johnson – including Dominic Raab, the Deputy Prime Minister and Nadine Dorries, the Culture Secretary – have urged the Prime Minister to “get on with the job”, while Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons leader, stressed the “mood was positive” in Tory ranks.
“Of course he’s sorry, you can feel the remorse and upset and empathy with how people feel,” Ms Dorries told Radio 4 yesterday. “But we do have to get on with the job, the country just can’t stop running.”
What some on the backbenches will be wondering is if the current scandal is preventing this. After all, the PM had to cancel a call with Vladimir Putin on Monday as he fielded almost two hours of bruising questions about alleged partying at the centre of power while millions of Britons were told to stay at home for the greater good.
The mood of Mr Johnson’s MPs at Prime Minister’s Questions will be telling. On Monday, they sat and listened to Sir Keir Starmer in subdued silence as he criticised Mr Johnson over “partygate”. Whether there will be a stronger show of support this lunchtime is yet to be seen.
09:07 AM
Watch: The moment Tobias Ellwood urged Johnson to call no-confidence vote
09:03 AM
Tobias Ellwood: Brexit and vaccines can’t save Boris Johnson
Getting Brexit done and the success of the vaccine rollout cannot save Boris Johnson’s premiership, the Tory chairman of the defence committee has said.
Tobias Ellwood, who confirmed to Sky News he will submit a letter of no confidence, said in a candid interview with Kay Burley: “We’ve had lots of reminders, of course, of why we’ve got Boris to thank. Brexit impasse, he solved that, resolute election winner, yes, phenomenal vaccine rollout, absolutely right.
“But it’s not the previous battles that matter, it’s the domestic and international ones ahead of us that count.
“And the question is now for all of us: Is the Prime Minister to lead the party moving forward?”
08:48 AM
Breaking: Tobias Ellwood to submit letter of no confidence
Tobias Ellwood, the former defence minister, confirmed he will submit a letter of no confidence in Boris Johnson to the 1922 Committee later today.
Asked whether Boris Johnson being found to have attended parties during lockdown would move the goalposts, he told Sky News: “For me it already has. For me, the situation is the Sue Gray report wasn’t published in full so once again we’re having to wait for a police report which could then be months away.
“[There’s] the prospect of a steady drip of stories as we’ve seen in the press today which all dominate the news cycle, and this is just horrible for all MPs to continue to have to defend this to the British public.
“Now the Government’s acknowledged the need for fundamental change, culture, makeup, change, discipline, the tone of No 10 but the strategy it seems has been one of survival, of rushed policy announcements, the Navy taking over the migrant Channel crisis, and attacking Keir Starmer with Jimmy Savile. Who advised the Prime Minister to say this?
“I believe it’s time for the Prime Minister to take a grip of this, he himself should call a vote of confidence rather than waiting for the inevitable 54 letters to be eventually submitted. It’s time to resolve this completely so the party can get on with governing. And yes, I know the next question you’ll ask, I will be submitting my letter today to the 1922 Committee.”
08:42 AM
Dominic Cummings: Furlough success could make a Prime Minister of Rishi Sunak
Rishi Sunak is “obviously the frontrunner” in any leadership contest to replace Boris Johnson, Dominic Cummings has said.
“He’s way ahead in the polls and unlike Liz Truss/Jeremy Hunt/Tom Tugendhat was pro-Brexit,” Mr Cummings wrote in an ‘ask me anything’ session on his blog.
“His team conceived and executed furlough in very tough circumstances, and which was one of most popular things a politician has done in a very long time,” he added. “That will be a big strength when the contest comes.”
On Mr Tugendhat, who last weekend told the Times it would be a “huge privilege” to serve as Prime Minister, Mr Cummings noted he has never held a ministerial position.
“It is hard to imagine Tory MPs promoting someone straight to the top job who has not been in Cabinet. I’m not aware of what TT has done… is he just another speech-giver?!”
08:35 AM
12 commandments for levelling up Britain to be set in stone
A dozen pledges to “level up” Britain are to be enshrined in law in an attempt to set the Government’s agenda for the rest of the decade, Michael Gove will announce later today.
The flagship Levelling Up White Paper promises improved infrastructure, research and development funding, educational outcomes and quality of life across Britain, to be delivered in a range of targets ministers hope to reach by 2030.
It also offers greater devolution to towns and cities over the next eight years, in what officials describe as a “devolution revolution” and a “huge shift of power from Whitehall to local leaders”.
Wednesday’s long-awaited paper provides the most comprehensive definition yet of levelling up, which some MPs have complained is a vague policy agenda.
Tony Diver and Camilla Turner have more on Gove’s 12 pledges
08:32 AM
Boris Johnson in Downing Street flat on night of party being investigated by police
Boris Johnson was in the Downing Street flat the night of a gathering being investigated by police for potential Covid law breaches, The Telegraph can reveal.
The Prime Minister was seen heading up to his flat on November 13 2020 – the day Dominic Cummings, his former senior adviser, was forced out of Downing Street.
Abba songs including The Winner Takes It All were heard blaring from the flat, the Mail on Sunday has reported. Mr Johnson has denied there was a party.
The Prime Minister yesterday declined to say whether he was in the flat that night. Carrie Johnson, the Prime Minister’s wife, was reportedly there that evening.
In a question and answer session online, Mr Cummings claimed there were photographs of the Downing Street flat gathering. He called it a “party” and said music could be heard by others in the building.
Ben Riley-Smith and Harry Yorke have the story
08:30 AM
Ministers have ‘a lot to do’ on levelling up, Michael Gove admits
Michael Gove said ministers have “a lot to do” to counter scepticism towards politicians and deliver on levelling up after 12 years in office.
Mr Gove recalled Liam Byrne, the former Labour chief secretary to the Treasury, leaving a note for his successor which said: “I’m afraid there is no money”.
The Levelling Up Secretary stressed the need for “difficult economic decisions” under the David Cameron administration, and the Brexit vote marked a turning point.
“Boris Johnson was elected in 2019 as the leader of a new government determined to change that economic model,” he said.
“We had two years of Covid when we were preparing our proposals for levelling, and indeed laying the groundwork with our Levelling Up Fund and other transfusions of cash to the frontline. And now we’re laying out the plan for 2030.”
08:23 AM
You can’t always get what you want
Michael Gove appeared to confirm he did not get everything he wanted from Rishi Sunak when asked about news he asked the Chancellor for more funding.
Mr Gove said the Spending Review saw money “put in departmental bank accounts” by Mr Sunak which was now being allocated to mayors and other local leaders.
Asked about reports he asked Mr Sunak for more money to put financial heft behind his ideas, the Levelling Up Secretary said: “I did ask the Chancellor for a lot. And he gave it to me, that was what was happening in the Spending Review.”
But pressed on if he got “everything you wanted”, Mr Gove replied: “In this life we never get everything we want, but in the words of Mick Jagger ‘you might not always get what you want, but sometimes you get what you need’.”
That doesn’t quite sound like complete Satisfaction.
08:15 AM
Michael Gove: Vladimir Putin must ‘back off’
Asked about Russian media having a field day portraying the “partygate” scandal as an example of British incompetence, Michael Gove said it was a “badge of pride [that] Russian television is attacking our Prime Minister”.
Russia’s state-owned news channel Rossiya 24 ridiculed the Prime Minister’s demeanour in the Commons on Monday and said he “does not look that cheerful any longer”.
“One of the reasons that Russian television is attacking the Prime Minister is the Prime Minister is leading the West’s efforts in order to ensure that we defend Ukraine’s territorial integrity against Putin,” Mr Gove said.
“In the Ukraine there is a recognition that Britain and Poland are its two strongest allies. We were told Britain after Brexit would be on the margins, on the sidelines of the big international issues… Far from being criticised by democrats internationally, we are leading the fight for democracy.”
On Boris Johnson cancelling a call with Vladimir Putin on Monday because he took almost two hours of questions on the Downing Street party row, Mr Gove insisted: “I don’t think you necessarily need to dial Vladimir Putin on his mobile phone for him to get the message that he should back off.”
08:10 AM
Some party allegations ‘speculation and not true’, claims Michael Gove
Some of the allegations around Downing Street parties are “speculation and not true”, Michael Gove has claimed.
Mr Gove said it was a “hypothetical question” as to whether Boris Johnson should resign if found to have misled Parliament.
“All of these allegations are being investigated by the Metropolitan Police… I think it’s only right that we allow the Met to get on with their work and appropriate conclusions can be drawn at the end,” he told Sky News.
“As I know, there [are] all sorts of allegations and speculation in the media. Fair enough. But the Met are doing their job and until they’ve concluded I don’t think it would be right for me to comment.
“All I would say is that there are sorts of allegations that have been made. I know that some of the allegations that have been made in some parts of the media are speculation that is not true… The Met are looking at those facts.”
08:07 AM
Wake up to Levelling Up
Good morning from Westminster where a dozen different pledges to “level up” Britain will be enshrined in law today to set the Government’s agenda for the rest of the decade.
Here’s the front page of your Daily Telegraph:
