No 10 admits PM meeting with Sue Gray was instigated by Downing Street – UK politics live | Politics

Keir Starmer gave an interview to the media in the present day whereas he was on a go to to a Sainsbury’s retailer in London the place he met prospects and workers. Listed below are the important thing factors.

• Starmer claimed that the revelation that Boris Johnson had had a secret assembly with Sue Grey in regards to the Partygate report was a “new low” for the federal government. He stated:

I at all times had a priority that as we acquired to the publication of the Sue Grey report, there might be makes an attempt by the federal government to undermine her and undermine the report. That’s what we’ve seen occurring over the weekend in latest days, a brand new low for the federal government.

• He stated that Johnson ought to take duty for what occurred at No 10 over Partygate – however that he in all probability wouldn’t. Starmer stated:

The tradition is about on the prime, the can needs to be carried by the prime minister. He has duty. I doubt he’ll, as a result of he doesn’t take duty for something he’s carried out in his life. However the tradition in Downing Road is about from the highest, as it’s with any organisation, and that tradition has led to industrial-scale law-breaking.

• He accused the federal government of “dithering” over offering assist to individuals with the price of dwelling. He stated:

Right here in Sainsbury’s, each workers and prospects been speaking about the price of dwelling and the costs that they’ll’t afford. A part of the reply is staring the prime minister within the face and that’s Labour’s plan for windfall tax on oil and gasoline firms and utilizing that cash straight to cut back payments by as much as £600 for individuals who want it most.

However what’s the federal government doing? It’s dithering, it’s delaying. Final week they voted towards a windfall tax, now they’re saying they’re taking a look at windfall tax.

They should get a grip on this case, as a result of day-after-day they dither and delay, extra individuals are struggling, actually struggling, with their payments.

And here’s a full abstract of the strains from the Downing Road foyer briefing.

• The PM’s spokesperson admitted that Downing Road instigated the assembly between Boris Johnson and Sue Grey that passed off just a few weeks in the past. (See 12.30pm.) The spokesperson stated:

The formal, technical assembly request got here by means of from Sue Grey, but it surely was initially prompt by officers in No 10 that it could be one thing that she would possibly wish to think about.

Requested why the assembly was wanted, the spokesperson stated:

As you’d count on for stories like this, it’s comprehensible that there can be a have to share data on issues like timings and publication course of as a result of clearly there’s a course of for No 10 and the prime minister that will circulation off the again of Sue Grey finishing her report. In order that then helps with our planning functions and issues like that.

• The spokesperson stated there are minutes of the assembly, however that they gained’t be launched. “It was a personal assembly,” he stated. “We wouldn’t publish particulars of a personal assembly.” The Lib Dems have in the present day tabled a “humble deal with” movement which, if handed, would pressure the federal government to publish these minutes. However the social gathering doesn’t have a mechanism for getting it debated as a result of the Labour social gathering will get to selected the movement for the subsequent opposition day debate. The Lib Dems say they’re attempting to influence Labour to undertake their thought.

• The spokesperson rejected recommendations that the assembly compromised the independence of the Gray report. Grey might resolve what conferences she attended, the spokesperson stated. He additionally stated that Grey and Johnson had met across the time her interim report was printed. He went on:

Once more, I level you to the protection of the interim report which definitely didn’t counsel an absence of independence. And I feel it’s then for the general public to guage following the conclusion and publication of the report itself.

• The spokesperson stated Johnson has not but obtained the Grey report.

• The spokesperson stated Johnson doesn’t consider Grey is “enjoying politics” with the report, as some stories have claimed. (See 9.24am.) Requested if that was what the PM thought, the spokeperson simply stated: “No.”

• The spokesperson wouldn’t touch upon Dominic Cummings’ declare that images could quickly be printed that present Johnson lied to MPs when he stated he was not conscious of events going down at Downing Road. (See 11.49am.)

• The spokesperson wouldn’t touch upon recommendations that Simon Case, the cupboard secretary, is perhaps disciplined following the publication of the Sue Grey report. That was a “hypothetical scenario”, the spokesperson stated. Within the Observer yesterday Toby Helm stated Case was being lined up because the scapegoat for the entire affair.

• The spokesperson wouldn’t touch upon the choice by Canada to impose sanctions on Alexander Lebedev, the previous KGB agent turned billionaire whose son, Evgeny, was given a peerage by Johnson. The spokesperson stated “it’s not for me to touch upon the judgment of a distinct nation”. However the UK has taken important acton towards President Putin’s internal circle, the spokespersons stated.

• The spokesperson didn’t deny stories saying Johnson is backing Bernard Hogan-Howe, the previous Met commissioner, to guide the Nationwide Crime Company. It was reported in the Sunday Times yesterday two well-qualified officers have been turned down for the job, however that Hogan-Howe continues to be within the operating, regardless of initially failing to make the ultimate shortlist. The spokesperson stated he had seen the “hypothesis” about Hogan-Howe, and that it will not be acceptable to remark. Hogan-Howe ran the Met whereas Johnson was London mayor, and the 2 have relationship. The spokesperson additionally admitted Johnson had “no formal position” within the course of for the appointment of a brand new head of the NCA.

This morning Simon Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury who was doing the morning interview spherical on behalf of the federal government, stated he thought Sue Grey had instigated the assembly with Boris Johnson just a few weeks in the past at which the Partygate report was mentioned. (See 9.22am.)

However on the foyer briefing in the present day the PM’s spokesperson admitted that Downing Road had instigated the assembly. He stated earlier this month there had been contact, at official stage, between No 10 and Grey’s crew to debate a gathering. Requested who prompt the assembly, he replied: “No 10 officers.”

However, following that dialogue, Grey’s workplace “despatched by means of a technical request for a gathering”, the spokesperson stated.

He confused that the assembly was not requested by the PM.

Requested why Clarke had stated the assembly was instigated by Grey, the spokesperson stated a minister doing interviews wouldn’t essentially know the “granular stage element” of this.

I’ll publish extra from the briefing quickly.

The Downing Road foyer briefing has simply completed, and the PM’s spokesperson advised journalists that Boris Johnson has nonetheless not obtained the Sue Grey report into Partygate. The spokesperson didn’t say when it will be arriving, however it’s not anticipated to be printed in the present day.

Boris Johnson has recorded a clip for broadcasters throughout a go to to a college in south-east London. PA Media has written up the important thing strains.

• Johnson stated that he was not “intrinsically” in favour of latest taxes, however {that a} windfall tax was not off the desk. Requested in regards to the growing clamour (significantly inside his personal social gathering) for a windfall tax, he replied:

I’m not attracted, intrinsically, to new taxes. However as I’ve stated all through, we now have acquired to do what we will – and we’ll – to take care of individuals by means of the aftershocks of Covid, by means of the present pressures on power costs that we’re seeing post-Covid and with what’s occurring in Russia and we’re going to put our arms spherical individuals, simply as we did throughout the pandemic.

That is broadly the road that Johnson was utilizing at PMQs this week. On the prime of presidency there may be nonetheless no choice in regards to the windfall tax. Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, is alleged to be more and more in favour, however Johnson is reportedly being urged to not enable a windfall tax by advisers like David Canzini, the deputy chief of workers, and Andrew Griffith, the top of coverage, who assume it will be “unconservative”.

• Johnson stated that the federal government can be doing extra to assist individuals with the price of dwelling, however that “you’ll simply have to attend somewhat bit longer” for an announcement.

• He insisted that the Sue Gray report into Partygate was unbiased. However he wouldn’t touch upon what occurred when he met Grey just a few weeks in the past to debate the report. Requested if the report was nonetheless unbiased, he replied:

In fact, however on the method you’re simply going to have to carry your horses somewhat bit longer. I don’t consider it will likely be an excessive amount of longer after which I can say a bit extra.

• He stated the federal government was monitoring the monkeypox outbreak – however claimed that at this stage it didn’t appear very critical. Requested about it, he stated:

It’s principally very uncommon illness, and to this point the results don’t appear to be very critical but it surely’s necessary that we keep watch over it and that’s precisely what the the brand new UK Well being Safety Company is doing.

Requested whether or not there needs to be quarantine for guests or using the smallpox vaccine, he replied:

As issues stand the judgment is that it’s uncommon. I feel we’re wanting very fastidiously on the circumstances of transmission.

It hasn’t but proved, deadly in any case that we all know of, definitely not on this nation.

Dominic Cummings, Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser who’s now decided to be his nemesis, has posted about Partygate on his subscription-only Substack account this morning. Listed below are the important thing factors.

• Cummings claims that images of Boris Johnson at No 10 events are set to emerge that can present he lied to MPs when he stated he was not conscious of events going down at Downing Road. Cummings says (daring from the unique):

I count on images of the PM will emerge in a short time, throughout the subsequent 24-48 hours. Any affordable individual taking a look at a few of these images will solely have the ability to conclude that the PM clearly lied to the Commons, and probably to the cops, and there’s no affordable story for the way others have been fined for occasion X however not him.

• Cummings claims Johnson was not fined by the police for attending sure occasions as a result of the police didn’t examine his attendance at these occasions. He claims that Johnson benefited in the same manner when Lord Geidt, the unbiased adviser on ministerial requirements, investigated the funding of the Downing Road flat refurbishment as a result of sure strains of inquiry weren’t pursued. (When the ultimate Geidt report into this was printed, it was clear that some avenues for investigation had been left unexplored.)

• He claims that Johnson attended a second celebration in 2020, in addition to the one for which he was fined, that has not been reported. He says:

Some individuals advised the police (however not Sue Grey, as a result of they didn’t need the PM to learn their proof) that they’d proof concerning the organisation of unlawful occasions from the flat. E.g other than the ‘cake ambush’ there was a separate celebration, uncovered by the media to this point I feel, that night (which nearly no one knew about on the time, together with me). There’s a paper path together with WhatsApps from the flat. Sounds very dangerous for Boris/Carrie proper? Certainly that have to be investigated? No! The police merely ignored it. Easy! PM cleared!

• Cummings says some junior workers at No 10 have been advised to attend occasions for which they’ve now been fined. These workers relied on assurances that the gatherings have been throughout the guidelines, he says.

This course of for checking lawfulness was significantly essential in No10 as a result of No10 itself was exempted from some laws (e.g so it could possibly be a part of the mass testing pilot) so workers didn’t know precisely what guidelines utilized internally from daily. They weren’t advised ‘it’s your job to maintain tabs on all of the rule adjustments’, they have been advised ‘the PPS has a course of to make sure all the things is lawful’. Clearly you knew *an precise social gathering* (comparable to clearly occurred in 2021) can be towards the foundations however most of the fines have been for occasions that junior workers thought have been a standard a part of work and had been authorized as lawful. Such officers’ view, fairly, is: we have been advised X is lawful however now it seems Martin [Reynolds, the PM’s principal private secretary] didn’t do his job and it wasn’t and we’re being fined, but when we’re being fined, how come the PM who was there and appointed Martin, and in contrast to us was advised BYOB was NOT throughout the guidelines, isn’t fined?!’

Cummings was successfully sacked by Johnson and he has made no secret of his need to deliver him down. His critics would query whether or not he’s a dependable witness. However his revelation in January that No 10 workers have been invited to a BYOB social gathering within the Downing Road backyard on 20 Could 2020 was subsequently confirmed by a number of sources and did as a lot as nearly some other single story to escalate the Partygate scandal and set off the Met police investigation.

And here’s a full abstract of the strains from Simon Clarke’s morning interviews.

• Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, stated publication of the Sue Gray report was being held up by a debate about who to call, and whether or not images can be included. He advised Instances Radio:

It’s clearly a really sophisticated one by way of what can or can’t be stated about, for instance, naming junior civil servants, inclusion of questions, like images. These are issues which must be bottomed out as a technical difficulty earlier than publication, and rightly so as a result of there are very appreciable authorized and private sensitivities to that data doubtlessly being disclosed. And it’s that which, as I perceive, it lies on the coronary heart of the remaining discussions earlier than publication.

• He stated the “extraordinary stress” that No 10 workers have been beneath throughout the pandemic helped to elucidate why the Partygate lockdown breaches occurred. (See 9.24am.)

• He stated his understanding was that it was Sue Grey who instigated the assembly at which she met Boris Johnson. There was nothing unsuitable with this occurring, he stated:

I don’t assume it will have been in any manner improper – certainly, it will have been considerably churlish [for Johnson] to have declined to have met.

• He hinted that the common credit score taper fee could possibly be reduce – however dominated out restoring the £20 per week uplift launched throughout the pandemic. (See 10.06am.)

• He confirmed the federal government had not dominated out imposing a windfall tax on power firms. (See 9.52am.)

• He stated the federal government trusted the Financial institution of England to deal with inflation. Some Tories have been essential of the Financial institution in non-public, claiming it has let inflation get uncontrolled. Requested about this, Clarke stated:

We completely trust within the unbiased Financial institution of England to get this proper and it’s vitally necessary that we don’t compromise that their independence. They’ve a mandate, which could be very clear, to ship 2% inflation. We’re going to ship that by the top of subsequent yr on the central forecast.

I don’t assume that any politician needs to be outlined by their private circumstances, they need to be outlined by their efficiency of their job. And I do know that’s the spirit through which Rishi approaches this.

In the end, I don’t assume we might disqualify anybody on the premise that they’d too little cash within the financial institution. And I don’t assume we must always disqualify Rishi on the premise that he’s clearly very lucky.

He brings an actual sense of public service to this position. In the end, he could possibly be doing nearly something together with his life and he chooses to serve this nation and he works ferociously arduous and I feel he does a superb job.

When Simon Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, stated this morning that each one choices have been on the desk as the federal government thought-about its response to the price of dwelling disaster (see 9.52am), he didn’t imply that actually. As he made clear in a subsequent interview, on the At the moment programme, one possibility has been swept off the desk; the federal government is not going to be restoring the £20 per week common credit score uplift paid throughout the pandemic. He stated:

On that query [restoring the uplift], we have been at all times explicitly clear that was a short lived response to the pandemic. That isn’t going to return. The query is how we greatest now take a look at the subsequent vary of options to take care of the challenges we’re going through.

However Clarke did prompt {that a} additional reduce to the common credit score taper fee was being thought-about. He stated:

We took decisive motion again in December with the change to the taper fee, that’s to say the speed at which advantages are withdrawn as individuals’s earnings rise, and we reduce that from 63p within the pound to 55p within the pound. That’s a tax reduce value a mean of £1,000 to 2 million of the bottom earners in society.

I do know that was one thing Iain [Duncan Smith, the Tory former work and pensions secretary] warmly welcomed on the time and which is exactly the type of genuine Conservative answer to this query that we wish to see.

Over the previous few weeks we now have been capable of witness the talk within the Conservative social gathering on the deserves of a windfall tax on power firms evolve to a outstanding extent in public. At one level most Tory MPs have been completely happy to stay to what was then the Treasury line – that it was a nasty thought that will discourage funding. However now an increasing number of senior social gathering figures are popping out to say they’re in favour. Final night time George Osborne, the previous chancellor, advised Channel 4’s Andrew Neil Present he was “positive” there can be a windfall tax (though he additionally stated he didn’t assume it will “massively assist”). And Jesse Norman, the Conservative MP and former Treasury minister, has backed the thought. He advised the At the moment programme:

We have now a scenario through which tens of millions of individuals, due to the huge improve in world oil and gasoline costs, are going through gas poverty and a critical cost-of-living disaster within the subsequent few months.

And so the query is, how ought to authorities reply to that? And, after all, one factor to notice is that these oil and gasoline costs have additionally resulted in a large spike within the income of the oil majors.

Now that may be a spike in income that nobody anticipated even three or 4 months in the past.

They’re not factored into any funding plans and the response of the sector, by and huge, has been to acknowledge that, and to do what many giant firms do which is to have interaction in share buy-backs and different types of dividending again cash to shareholders.

And all a windfall tax says is ‘look that is really inequitable as a result of these individuals weren’t anticipating that cash and these are extraordinary instances and we needs to be occupied with the broader public curiosity’.

Norman has set out his argument in additional element in a Twitter thread beginning right here.

In his interviews this morning, Simon Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, caught to what’s (for now) the federal government’s line – that whereas basically it doesn’t like windfall taxes, it’s not ruling one out. He advised LBC:

The [oil and gas] sector is realising monumental income in the meanwhile.

If these income should not directed in a manner through which is productive for the true financial system, then clearly all choices are on the desk.

And that’s what we’re speaking to the sector, that we clearly wish to see this funding, we have to see this funding.

If it doesn’t occur, then we will’t rule out a windfall tax.

Good morning. Westminster is – but once more – ready for the Sue Grey report. The primary wait was terminated by the announcement of the Metropolitan police investigation, and the Met’s ruling that publication of the Grey findings in full would compromise the inquiry. There was then a anticipate Gray’s interim report – or “replace”, as she referred to as it, as a result of the police veto made it so skinny it couldn’t be referred to as a correct report. However this week we’re lastly anticipating the entire thing. Only a few individuals assume it will likely be damning sufficient to set off a Tory management contest, but it surely ought to present the general public with by far one of the best account of precisely who intensive lockdown rule-breaking was in Downing Road. Till now all we’ve had are information stories, primarily based on proof from unidentified whistleblowers, and restricted data from the Met in regards to the fines issued – which is many respects has begged more questions than it has answered.

Grey is a long-serving and really senior civil servant and she or he could have seen that, when an independent-minded determine is about to ship a verdict hostile to No 10, it’s not uncommon for Downing Road’s allies within the media to launch a success job upfront. Proper on cue, in the present day’s Each day Mail carries a report accusing her of enjoying politics and grandstanding. It says:

“Sue Grey is meant to be impartial however she’s been busy enjoying politics and having fun with the limelight somewhat an excessive amount of,” stated one insider.

The Mail claims Grey’s crew incorrectly stated Downing Road was chargeable for scheduling a gathering some weeks in the past between Grey and Boris Johnson – which prompted claims Johnson was trying to pressurise her when it was reported on Friday night time. The Mail says:

Downing Road insiders are livid on the refusal of Miss Grey’s crew to set the report straight. A supply stated: “It’s infuriating. They’ve let this impression run that the PM has one way or the other tried to nobble the report when nothing could possibly be farther from the reality.

“He needs all of it on the market, nonetheless uncomfortable so we will all transfer on. He even needs the images printed.”

Allies of the PM have been shocked by media briefings from Miss Grey’s crew.

Simon Clarke, the chief secretary to the Treasury, needed to reply on the morning interview spherical this morning on behalf of the federal government. He made three details on Partygate.

I might [condemn it]. I feel the one factor I might say about Sue Grey, and I’ve by no means met her however I’ve heard an important deal about her, is that by reputation she is without doubt one of the most fiercely unbiased {and professional} civil servants in the entire of presidency and brings an unlimited vary of expertise to bear, so I don’t assume there may be any politics.

Under no circumstances do I feel there may be something apart from a sensible dimension to the query of when it comes out, now that the police have concluded their investigation.

• He stated his understanding was that it was Grey who instigated the assembly at which she met Johnson.

• He stated stated the “extraordinary stress” that No 10 workers have been beneath throughout the pandemic helped to elucidate why the Partygate lockdown breaches occurred. He stated:

I feel we additionally want to recollect, with out excusing what occurred, however by the use of context, the extraordinary stress that group of individuals have been beneath throughout the course of the pandemic.

They have been working the longest possible hours beneath probably the most monumental quantity of stress. That by no means diminishes the seriousness of what occurred, but it surely does present some context.

As my colleague Peter Walker argues, this seems like a preview of the case for the defence we’ll hear from No 10 when the total report comes out.

Right here is the agenda for the day.

9.30am: The ONS publishes a report on hybrid working.

Morning: Boris Johnson and Keir Starmer are doing separate visits in or close to London. They’re each on account of report clips for broadcasters.

11.30am: Downing Road holds a foyer briefing.

1pm: Kwasi Kwarteng, the enterprise secretary, provides proof to the Lords science and know-how committee on the UK science technique.

2.30pm: Tim Davie, the BBC director normal, provides proof to the Lords communications and digital committee on the way forward for the BBC licence charge.

After 3.30pm: MPs start the second studying debate on the general public order invoice.

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