Boris Johnson news – live: Chris Pincher appointment ‘showed PM’s bad judgement’

Boris Johnson showed “bad judgement” in appointing Chris Pincher to the whips’ office despite knowing of sexual misconduct allegations against him, Sir Keir Starmer said.

Downing Street today admitted the prime minister was aware of claims against the now-suspended MP when he made him deputy chief whip in February.

Asked about Mr Johnson’s position, Sir Keir told Sky News: “I have got no sympathy with a prime minister who repeatedly makes bad judgment calls.

“We have been living with a version of this story for month after month after month. Bad judgment by a man who puts himself above everything. I don’t have any sympathy for him.”

Mr Pincher, who was hit with a string of other misconduct claims over the weekend, previously resigned from the whips’ office in 2017 amid claims he made an appropriate pass at a Conservative Party candidate.

The scandal has once again brought Mr Johnson’s leadership into question, with senior Tory MP Sir Roger Gale warning his party “cannot go on like this”.

Key Points

• Boris Johnson ‘was aware’ of Chris Pincher allegations, No 10 admits

• Starmer: PM showed ‘bad judgement’ in appointing grope claim MP

• ‘We cannot go on like this,' senior Tory warns

• Pincher facing string of separate misconduct claims

• Labour: ‘Tell us who knew what and when'

Monday 4 July 2022 22:16 , Liam James

That will be all for The Independent’s live coverage of politics for this evening. Make sure to check back tomorrow for updates.

Boris Johnson claims Scottish independence could be ‘utterly tragic for the whole world'

Monday 4 July 2022 21:40 , Liam James

Boris Johnson has claimed Scottish independence would be “utterly tragic for the whole world” if it caused the UK’s armed forces to be divided.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Conservative MP Brendan Clarke-Smith claimed Scottish nationalists would cut defence spending and “unilaterally disarm” if they achieved independence.

Mr Johnson replied: “The Scottish contribution to our armed services is immense, everybody knows it, it’s a fantastic thing, it helps to make the UK what it is.

“It would be utterly tragic for the whole world if the UK armed services were to face a division of that kind or a loss of that kind.”

Defence is an issue that Scots have said is a key benefit of being part of the UK.

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon has outlined plans to hold a second vote on Scottish independence on 19 October next year. Mr Johnson said a referendum was not a priority for the government.

Porn Tory says wife ‘chases him with scissors’

Monday 4 July 2022 21:15 , Liam James

The former Tory MP who resigned for watching porn in the House of Commons said his wife chases him around the kitchen with scissors aiming for “part of my anatomy” (Matt Mathers writes).

Neil Parish was forced to quit in May after it emerged that he twice watched adult content in parliament in view of female colleagues.

Speaking to ITV’s Lorraine today, he revealed his wife’s reaction to the incident: “She knows I’m no angel,” he said. “In fact she chases me around the kitchen with the scissors going, ‘snipper-snap’ knowing full well which part of my anatomy she’s after.”

A shocked looking Ms Kelly replied by saying, “OK,” before Mr Parish added: “She knows what I’m like.”

Ms Kelly then suggested that he must have had some “very awkward conversations” with his wife after the reports first came to light.

“You’ve said she knows what you’re like, she accepts that I guess, but that conversation must have been very difficult,” she said.

Mr Parish said that his wife has supported him throughout his career in Westminster and “she’s done so much with me.”

Neil Parish says wife ‘chases me around the kitchen with scissors

Jacob Rees-Mogg defends Boris Johnson for promoting grope claim MP

Monday 4 July 2022 20:50 , Liam James

Jacob Rees-Mogg has defended Boris Johnson’s decision to appoint Chris Pincher to the whips’ office in knowledge of sexual misconduct claims against him.

The Brexit opportunities minister told LBC’s Tonight With Andrew Marr: “There were rumours. I think prime ministers have to be just, they can’t just say, ‘I’ve heard a bit of gossip and I think you’ve done something that I wouldn’t approve of’.

“You can’t judge people on rumours, that’s fundamentally unjust. There are rumours about all sorts of people that turn out never to come to anything.”

Before the latest round of allegations against him, Mr Pincher had resigned in 2017 over claims he groped a Tory activist in 2001. He denied the allegations and a party investigation ruled in his favour.

Give MPs vote on assisted dying, says Matt Hancock

Monday 4 July 2022 20:30 , Liam James

MPs should have the opportunity to debate assisted dying in the House of Commons, Matt Hancock said in a Westminster Hall debate on the healthcare question.

The Conservative former health secretary said it had been seven years since the last Commons vote on assisted dying.

He went on: “I can speak as a former health secretary to say that the medical movement as a whole is changing its view and I think it is appropriate that we raise this question in a voteable manner on the floor of the House of Commons once again.

“I can’t see how the minister can argue other than that we need an informed, compassionate debate on the floor of the House of Commons. For 50 years we have had a legal choice over who to love, for a decade we have had a legal choice over who we can marry.

“So let’s have an informed debate over when the end is inevitable and when the pain is insufferable, how we die.”

In Westminster Hall this evening MPs are debating a petition, which has received more than 155,000 signatures, calling for assisted dying to be legalised for “terminally ill, mentally competent adults”.

Labour peer reveals nightmare 999 call as wife lay dying in his arms

Monday 4 July 2022 20:10 , Liam James

A leading scientist has revealed how he faced a “litany of questions” after calling for an ambulance as his wife lay dying in his arms.

The renowned broadcaster and fertility expert Robert Winston said such a “waste of time” was critical when seconds count in dealing with a cardiac arrest.

The Labour peer spoke of the deeply traumatic experience as the House of Lords heard that “thousands” of people were dying because of delays to the arrival of paramedics.

This has been blamed on hold-ups in being able to hand patients over and getting ambulances back on the road to answer new calls – meaning people calling 999 wait longer than they should.

Speaking in the chamber, Lord Winston said: “Some months ago, as my wife lay dying in my arms, I phoned the 999 service. The man answering the call asked me a litany of questions and asked me to count her number of heartbeats per minute.

That waste of time is critical. With a cardiac arrest you have only a few seconds ... When eventually the man backed down, it was obvious that he had not been trained to ask the right questions.”

He added: “Can the minister assure the House that there is proper training for people who answer these calls at these critical times, when they are dealing with someone who may recognise that their close relative is dying, and that the latter can hear what they are saying on the telephone?

Thanking the peer for sharing his “very personal story”, health minister Lord Kamall said “clearly, there are too many incidents of this kind,” and promised to take the question to his department.

Jacob Rees-Mogg says Starmer has copied Tories on Brexit

Monday 4 July 2022 19:49 , Liam James

Jacob Rees-Mogg accused Sir Keir Starmer of pitching a “half-cock” copy of the Conservatives’ post-Brexit plans for Britain.

Speaking ahead of the Labour leader’s speech in which he laid-out the plans for dealing with the EU in future, the Brexit opportunities minister told LBC’s Tonight With Andrew Marr: “I’m fascinated by what he’s got to say, or reports of it ... and what he wants to do, by and large, is things either that the Conservatives are doing [because] they want to change the Northern Ireland Protocol, so I hope he’ll support us on our bill.

“And he wants recognition of qualifications, which we’ve already legislated for. So you do wonder if he was half asleep last year.

“I think all that Sir Keir is going to be saying later on today is that he wants to do what the Conservatives are doing but half-cock, so it’s not much of an announcement by him today.”

Starmer pitches five-point plan to ‘make Brexit work'

Monday 4 July 2022 19:30 , Liam James

Sir Keir Starmer has laid out a five-point plan to “make Brexit work” in a speech to the Centre for European Reform on how a Labour government would chart Britain’s future course in the world.

The Labour leader said his party was “claiming the centre ground of British politics once again”, not from a “mushy place of compromise”, but driven by “purpose” and “optimism”.

He said he would say more about how it intends to get the country’s economy growing again “in the weeks and months to come”, but the first step is to make a success of leaving the EU.

Speaking at the Irish Embassy in London, he said: “There are some who say, ‘We don’t need to make Brexit work - we need to reverse it’. I couldn’t disagree more.

“Because you cannot move forward or grow the country or deliver change or win back the trust of those who have lost faith in politics if you’re constantly focused on the arguments of the past.

“We cannot afford to look back over our shoulder because all the time we are doing that we are missing what is ahead of us.

“So let me be very clear. Under Labour, Britain will not go back into the EU. We will not be joining the single market. We will not be joining a customs union.”

Starmer rules out rejoining EU under Labour government

Monday 4 July 2022 19:17 , Liam James

Sir Keir Starmer said he would not take Britain back into the EU if Labour were in government.

The opposition leader, who is setting out his approach to the UK-EU relationship in a keynote speech this evening, said he did not want to reopen old arguments.

He told Sky News: “We’re not going back. We’re not going back into the EU, not going back into the single market, the customs union or freedom of movement.”

EU far-right tries to postpone debate on UK Brexit lawbreaking

Monday 4 July 2022 18:27 , Liam James

The European Parliament’s far-right group has tried to stop MEPs from discussing the British government’s breaches of international law on Wednesday (Jon Stone writes).

MEPs are due to discuss Boris Johnson’s overriding of the Northern Ireland Brexit protocol later in the week – with the prime minister expected to be blasted from across the EU political spectrum.

But the ID group, which represents parties like French National Rally, Italy’s Lega, and the German AfD appears to have come to the UK’s aid and tried to get the debate postponed.

In a request submitted this week the MEPs said the debate, which is planned to take centre stage in the parliament on Wednesday, should be postponed and relegated to an unspecified “later part session”.

They want the discussion replaced with a debate about the bloc’s aviation industry.

EU far-right tries to postpone debate on UK Brexit lawbreaking

Ukraine parliament shares Boris Johnson appreciation video

Monday 4 July 2022 18:08 , Liam James

In a reminder that the prime minister is popular outside Britain (where more than two-thirds say he is doing a bad job), the Ukrainian parliament’s twitter account has shared the video for a song of appreciation for Boris Johnson.

The video features an audio track from the band Muesli played over a montage of famous clips of Mr Johnson, including the time he, as foreign secretary in 2018, offered cups of tea to journalists waiting outside his country home to ask about his description of women in burkas as “letterboxes”.

Recent polling by Lord Ashcroft, a pollster and Conservative peer, found Mr Johnson was the most popular foreign leader among Ukrainians, closely followed by Joe Biden.

Keir Starmer says Boris Johnson showed ‘bad judgement’ in appointing Pincher

Monday 4 July 2022 17:53 , Liam James

Sir Keir Starmer said Boris Johnson’s appointment of Chris Pincher as Tory deputy chief whip was another example of poor judgment by the prime minister.

Downing Street today admitted that Mr Johnson was aware of sexual misconduct claims against Mr Pincher when he promoted him to the whips’ office in February.

Asked about Mr Johnson’s position, Sir Keir told Sky News: “I have got no sympathy with a prime minister who repeatedly makes bad judgment calls.

“We have been living with a version of this story for month after month after month. Bad judgment by a man who puts himself above everything. I don’t have any sympathy for him.”

Mr Pincher quit government over two groping allegations last week and he has since been accused of other similar acts by anonymous Tory figures.

He was earlier accused of groping by a Tory activist in 2017, leading him to resign from Theresa May’s whips office.

Boris Johnson says Saudi Arabia needs to up oil production to meet Russia gap

Monday 4 July 2022 17:30 , Liam James

Boris Johnson said Saudi Arabia needed to produce more oil to help lower the cost of living as Western countries turn away from Russian supplies of fossil fuels.

Conservative former cabinet minister Robert Jenrick told the Commons: “The single most impactful thing we could do now to bear down on the cost of living would be to encourage Opec [Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries], and in particular Saudi Arabia, to pump more oil.

“What is the government going to do to encourage our partners like Saudi Arabia to do that?

Mr Johnson replied: “He’s right about the role of Saudi. There may be some question about how much more the Saudis could pump out at this particular moment, but there’s no doubt we’re going to need a lot more Opec Plus oil.

“The UK has strong and productive relations with Saudi Arabia, we need to make sure the whole of the West does as well, and we make that point to the Saudis. But that is the way forward, they need to produce more oil, no question.”

The UK is looking for suppliers to fill the gap in demand that will be left after phasing out Russian oil, which accounted for 8 per cent of the British supply before the war in Ukraine. The government’s oil taskforce said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates were arguably the suppliers most capable of increasing production to meet the increased demand.

Saudi Arabia, which like other Middle Eastern states has taken a neutral stance on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, has not acceded to Western requests to increase oil production.

Boris Johnson admits higher defence spending is only a ‘prediction’

Monday 4 July 2022 17:12 , Liam James

Boris Johnson has watered down his target for higher defence spending made only four days ago, calling it a “prediction” and not a firm commitment (Rob Merrick writes).

The prime minister raised alarm on the Tory benches when he said it is “likely” the UK will be spending 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030 – and then hinted it will depend on “the size” of the economy then.

Mark Harper, a former Conservative chief whip, told him last week’s announcement had “appeared to be really quite solid”, but no longer did so after his Commons statement.

“Is it a commitment? And, secondly, how are we going to pay for it? Because you have to have a credible plan to pay for it. Are we going to put up taxes?” Mr Harper asked.

In reply, Mr Johnson pointed to spending announcements already made, including on the Aukus security pact with Australia and the US and a new air combat system.

PM admits higher defence spending is a ‘prediction’ and not a commitment

Scottish independence referendum ‘shouldn’t be priority', says Boris Johnson

Monday 4 July 2022 16:49 , Liam James

Boris Johnson dismissed the case for a Scottish independence referendum, saying it should not be a priority at this time.

Last week, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon set 19 October 2023 as the date for a new vote on the constitutional question – though she accepted that the Westminster government was likely to block it.

After Mr Johnson’s statement to the Commons earlier, Alba MP Neale Hanvey asked him: “I listened carefully to the prime minister’s warm words about the Commonwealth and the relationship between independent countries, and of course, in 1941, it was then prime minister Churchill that signed the Atlantic Charter with the United States, committing both Britain and the United States to delivering people’s right to choose their own form of government and self-government.

“This respect for the principle of equal rights and self-determination of peoples was incorporated into the United Nations charter in paragraph two of articles 173 and 76. In light of this, can the prime minister set out what mandate he has won which allows him to breach this UN principle, deny Scotland’s claim of right and hold Scotland’s democracy hostage?”

Mr Johnson replied: “I know that the first minister has asked for another referendum. I just point out that we had one in 2014. I think right now the priorities of the country should be rebuilding after Covid. They should be taking us forward together as a united country, and that’s what we want to do.”

The prime minister responded in much the same way when the date for a vote was set last week; then replying: “The focus of the country should be on building a stronger economy, that’s what we’re doing with our plan for a stronger economy and I certainly think that we’ll be able to have a stronger economy and a stronger country together.”

Watch: Boris Johnson updates Commons on diplomatic trip

Monday 4 July 2022 16:31 , Liam James

Below is the prime minister’s statement on the recent G7 and Nato summits in full:

UK to raise military spending ‘very considerably’, says Boris Johnson

Monday 4 July 2022 16:23 , Liam James

Julian Lewis, Conservative chair of the Intelligence and Security Committee, asked Boris Johnson about increased military spending.

Referring to the UK’s proportionally higher defence budget of the cold War era, he said: “Before there was a shooting war in Europe, in the 1980s, does the Prime Minister accept that it was right for this country to spend 5 per cent of GDP on defence, and if he does, why does he think it is adequate for us to spend only half that percentage by the end of this decade?”

The prime minister replied: “I have to say that I think that we will have to spend more, and logically, if you protract the commitments that we are making under Aukus, and under the future combat aircraft system, we will be increasing our spending very considerably.

“What we want to do is make sure other allies are doing the same and that is the most important ... that is why Jens Stoltenberg is, we hope, going to be setting a new target and allowing the whole of the alliance to increase their funding.”

The prime minister last week vowed to increase the UK’s defence budget to 2.5 per cent of GDP by 2030, up from the 2 per cent target for Nato members which the UK already exceeds.

SNP Commons leader says Boris Johnson risks losing trust of world leaders

Monday 4 July 2022 16:07 , Liam James

Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, asked Boris Johnson how he plans to maintain the trust of other world leaders after threatening to break international law over post-Brexit arrangements and with his Rwanda migration policy.

He asked: “Can the prime minister therefore explain, how in this moment of many crises, how exactly breaking international law and threatening to start a trade war with our neighbours helps anyone?”

Mr Johnson responded to say that world leaders at the recent G7 and Nato summits asked him about Ukraine not domestic policies.

Watch: Starmer criticises Johnson’s ‘lack of influence’ over Nato

Monday 4 July 2022 16:01 , Liam James

Sir Keir Starmer responded to Boris Johnson’s statement on the Nato summit to accuse the prime minister of “undermining Britain’s credibility” with threats to break international law over post-Brexit arrangements.

Boris Johnson said Ukraine shopping centre attack ‘strengthened resolve’ of G7 leaders

Monday 4 July 2022 15:49 , Liam James

Boris Johnson said the Russian attack on a shopping centre in central Ukraine rallied G7 leaders behind the defence of the invaded country.

“This barbaric attack on an obviously civilian target strengthened the resolve of my fellow leaders to provide Ukraine with more financial and military backing for, and I quote the communique again, ‘as long as it takes’”, Mr Johnson said in reference to the strike on the Kremenchuk mall last Monday which killed at least 18 people.

Western leaders have condemned the strike, which Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky called a terrorist act. Vladimir Putin said the strike was aimed at a nearby weapons depot and denied the mall was a target.

Boris Johnson making statement to MPs

Monday 4 July 2022 15:38 , Liam James

Boris Johnson has told MPs that Britain’s “immediate priority” is working with allies to help Ukraine to conter the Russian invasion.

“All of us understand that if [Vladimir] Putin is not stopped in Ukraine he will find new targets for his revanchist attacks; and we are not defending some abstract ideal but the first principle of a peaceful world, which is that large and powerful countries cannot be allowed to dismember their neighbours,” he said.

The prime minister is making a statement on on the recent Nato, G7 and Commonwealth summits.

Boris Johnson to address Commons shortly

Monday 4 July 2022 15:26 , Liam James

The prime minister will make a statement on the recent Nato, G7 and Commonwealth summits at 3.30pm.

He is also likely to be asked what he knew about sexual misconduct allegations against Chris Pincher after Downing Street admitted he had heard of claims against the MP when promoting him to deputy chief whip.

Hunt refuses to rule out leadership bid

Monday 4 July 2022 15:05 , Matt Mathers

Tory MP Jeremy Hunt has not ruled out a second run at the leadership of the Conservative Party, saying: “We’ll have to see what the circumstances are.”

The former cabinet minister also stood by his view that the Tories will lose the next general election if Boris Johnson remains leader, but stressed that the result would be decided on the economy rather than the Partygate scandal.

Our politics correspondent Ashley Cowburn reports here.

Ukraine needs Marshall-style plan to rebuild Ukraine

Monday 4 July 2022 14:49 , Matt Mathers

Foreign secretary Liz Truss called for a Marshall Plan-style programme for Ukraine, echoing the one used to rebuild Europe after the Second World War.

She told a recovery conference in Switzerland on Monday that the UK is "resolute" in its support of Ukraine's territorial integrity and will "continue to lead in supporting the Ukrainian government's reconstruction and development plan".

Ms Truss said: "This needs to be a new Marshall Plan for Ukraine and it needs to be driven by Ukraine itself.

"We will push for immediate investment and to drive economic growth because it's absolutely imperative we get the Ukrainian economy going.

"We need to be able to support Ukrainians to Ukraine, we need to give people hope about the future, and we need to give them the means to be able to support themselves."

Replace House of Lords with Senate-type chamber, Scottish Labour says

Monday 4 July 2022 14:30 , Matt Mathers

The House of Lords would be scrapped and replaced with an elected senate of nations and regions under proposals from Scottish Labour.

As part of a paper on constitutional change set out by Anas Sarwar on Monday, the new chamber would have a specific mandate to ensure the smallest regions around the UK are not marginalised.

Elections for the senate would take place at a different time to general elections and votes for the devolved parliaments, with term times being longer than those for MPs.

The paper on constitutional change was released as Mr Sarwar spoke at a Fabian Society event in London.

It also set out plans for "joint governance councils" between UK and devolved ministers with a legal duty to co-operate.

The Scottish Labour leader said: "The House of Lords, in its current form, is an institution that has no place in 21st-century politics.

"It is unacceptable, and has been for far too long, to have unelected representatives wielding such power.

"The House of Lords must be abolished and replaced with an institution which better reflects the make-up and the identity of the United Kingdom."

Labour now ‘indistinguishable’ from Tories on Brexit, SNP says

Monday 4 July 2022 14:05 , Matt Mathers

The Labour Party is now "indistinguishable" from the Tories on Brexit, an SNP MP has said, Adam Forrest, our politics correspondent, reports.

Ian Blackford, the party's Westminster leader, made the comments as Labour leader Keir Starmer prepared to deliver a speech on the party's stance on the issue, following two years of near silence.

Stamer was expected to say that a future Labour government would not seek to rejoin the single market and aim to fix the Northern Ireland protocol, without threatening unilateral action to override it.

Mr Blackford said: “By running scared of the Tories and mutating into a pale imitation of Boris Johnson, Starmer is offering no real change at all.

“Keir Starmer has strengthened the case for independence by embracing the Tories’ hard Brexit.”

Channel crossings resume after three-day hiatus

Monday 4 July 2022 13:50 , Matt Mathers

A young girl was carried to safety by a member of the armed forces as more migrants arrived on the Kent coast.

Crossings resumed after a three-day hiatus, with a woman also seen being helped ashore and then pushed away in a wheelchair in Dover.

So far this year, around 12,700 people have made the crossing after navigating busy shipping lanes from France in small boats such as dinghies.

Some 3,136 migrants crossed the Channel to the UK in June, the highest monthly total this year, PA news agency analysis of government figures showed.

But Monday was the first day of crossings in July, with none recorded by the Ministry of Defence between Friday and Sunday.

It comes as the National Crime Agency vowed to continue trying to tackle people smuggling after a series of arrests were made over the deaths of 27 people trying to cross the Channel last year.

State of economy not Partygate will decide next election, Hunt says

Monday 4 July 2022 13:35 , Matt Mathers

It will be the state of the UK economy rather than concerns about Partygate that will determine who wins the next general election, senior Tory Jeremy Hunt has said.

The Boris Johnson critic, who has already said that the Conservatives will lose the next election if he remains as leader, said: "The next election won't be decided on whether or not there were inappropriate parties in Downing Street during the pandemic.

"I think the next election will be decided on the economy. And the core reason that ordinary voters vote Conservative is because they think that we will look after the economy better and therefore there'll be better prospects for them and their families.

"But at the moment, because of all the global shocks that we've had, people don't feel that confidence. So I think that the biggest single challenge is to get the economy growing again," the former Cabinet minister told the Institute for Government.

Asked if he would stand again as Tory leader, he said: "We have to see what the circumstances are and then make the decision on that one."

ICYMI: Tory warnings of a ‘coalition of chaos’ in a hung parliament may be absurd – but effective

Monday 4 July 2022 13:11 , Matt Mathers

Boris Johnson is preparing to re-run David Cameron’s campaign against Ed Miliband in 2015, writes John Rentoul.

Read John’s full piece here:

Tory warnings of a ‘coalition of chaos’ may be absurd – but effective | John Rentoul

Boris Johnson ‘was aware’ of allegations of sexual misconduct against Chris Pincher, No 10 admits

Monday 4 July 2022 12:59 , Andy Gregory

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has this breaking update:

Boris Johnson “was aware” of previous allegations of sexual misconduct against Chris Pincher when promoting him this year, No 10 has admitted.

The prime minister spokesman also did not deny he used the phrase “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” against the former deputy chief whip – who quit and is now being investigated for alleged groping.

Last week, No 10 insisted Mr Johnson was unaware of any specific allegations against the MP – but its story has shifted, deepening the latest scandal to engulf Mr Johnson.

The spokesman acknowledged he “was aware of media reports” and of “allegations that were either resolved or did not progress to a formal complaint”, when Mr Pincher was appointed in February.

However, he continued to insist that – in the absence of any formal complaint against him – it would not have been “appropriate” to block him from a role with responsibility for MPs’ welfare.

PM ‘was aware’ of sexual misconduct allegations against Chris Pincher, No 10 admits

Opinion: Tax the childless? There’s a dark side to this debate

Monday 4 July 2022 12:45 , Matt Mathers

Surely no one takes on the responsibility of parenthood just for the tax breaks? If they do, I doubt that they’d make very good parents, writes Sean O’Grady.

Read Sean’s full piece here:

Opinion | Tax the childless? There’s a dark side to this debate

Childcare plan won’t ‘significantly’ cut costs for parents, admits minister

Monday 4 July 2022 12:30 , Matt Mathers

Boris Johnson’s government has been accused of offering only “pathetic” changes to childcare in a bid to bring down costs for parents and boost availability.

Our politics correspondent Adam Forrest has the story:

Childcare plan won’t ‘significantly’ cut costs for parents, admits minister

Pincher allegations do ‘huge damage’ to trust in parliament

Monday 4 July 2022 12:15 , Matt Mathers

Allegations against Chris Pincher do “huge damage” to trust in parliament, a government minister has said.

Will Quince, the children and families minister, spoke to Sky News earlier.

Mr Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip last week after being accused of drunkenly groping two men at a private members club for Tories in central London.

He is now facing a string of other misconduct allegations, all of which he denies. Mr Quince described the claims as “appaling”:

Neil Parish: Wife chased me with scissors after porn revelation

Monday 4 July 2022 11:59 , Matt Mathers

Neil Parish says his wife chased him around the kitchen with scissors after it was revealed he watched porn in front of female colleagues in the Commons chamber.

The former MP, who was forced to stand down as the MP for Tiverton and Honiton, said his wife “knows I’m no angel.

Watch part of his interview with ITV’s Lorraine below:

Holyrood and Westminster need to cooperate

Monday 4 July 2022 11:29 , Matt Mathers

Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar called for "cooperation and not conflict" to be put at the heart of government as he unveiled the first in a series of papers on reform of Scotland and the UK.

In a speech hosted by the Fabian Society at Westminster, he called for "a legal duty to cooperate" between governments in Holyrood and Westminster, new joint governance councils, and a new Senate of the Nations and Regions to replace the House of Lords.

He said: "The political game-playing of recent years has wounded the devolution settlement.

"We need these new rules of engagement to heal it."

The new governance councils would "bring together the leaders of the UK and the nations on an equal footing", he said.

On the House of Lords, he said it is "unacceptable" to have unelected representatives wielding such power and called for something "more reflective of modern Britain" and gives Scotland a greater say.

PM cannot act on ‘rumour or gossip’, minister says

Monday 4 July 2022 11:17 , Matt Mathers

Boris Johnson cannot “act on rumour or gossip” when appointing people to government roles, junior minister Will Quince has said, Adam Forrest, our politics correspondent, reports.

The prime minister is under growing pressure to reveal what he knew of claims about Chris Pincher before he was made deputy chief whip in February.

“If I had a pound for every rumour that I'd heard about another MP, then I’d be a very wealthy man,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme.

ICYMI: Chris Pincher scandal bolsters Tory rebel plot to oust Boris Johnson

Monday 4 July 2022 11:04 , Matt Mathers

Conservative party rebels have said Boris Johnson’s handling of allegations that MP Chris Pincher groped two men has made it more likely he will face a fresh confidence vote in the months ahead.

Our politics correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

Chris Pincher scandal bolsters Tory rebel plot to oust Boris Johnson

No one deserves special treatment, ex-cabinet minister says

Monday 4 July 2022 10:42 , Matt Mathers

Former cabinet minister Liam Fox has said that "no-one deserves special treatment" or to be "pilloried" because they are a friend of the prime minister, after reports questioned whether Boris Johnson was aware of allegations against Chris Pincher of inappropriate sexual behaviour before appointing him deputy chief whip.

When asked about Mr Pincher’s appointment, the former defence secretary told Times Radio: "Well, over the weekend, I’ve seen a great deal of hearsay - ‘sources close to somebody close to said’ - you know, I think we need to be above tittle tattle and gossip at Westminster.

"All I would say is that no-one deserves special treatment because they’re a friend of the prime minister and no-one deserves to be pilloried just because they’re a friend of the prime minister. We cannot have our politics operated by proxy in this way."

‘We cannot go on like this'

Monday 4 July 2022 10:22 , Matt Mathers

The Tories "cannot go on like this" and require an urgent change "at the top", an exasperated senior MP has said.

Sir Roger Gale, who has already submitted a no confidence letter in Boris Johnson, spoke to the BBC earlier about the prime minister's handling of allegations against MP Chris Pincher, who quit as deputy chief whip last week after being accused of drunkenly groping two men.

More comments from Mr Gale below:

Starmer will stick by promise to quit if he's fined over Partygate, says Labour frontbencher

Monday 4 July 2022 10:06 , Matt Mathers

Labour peer Baroness Jenny Chapman, a shadow minister of state at Cabinet Office, has said Keir Starmer is sticking with his promise to resign as Labour leader if fined by police.

There are reports the Durham Police decision on whether to fine Starmer over the “Beergate” saga could come as early as today – though Labour sources told The Independent they do not know how soon the announcement could come.

Asked if Labour could be looking for a new leader this week, Baroness Chapman told Sky News: “I don’t think so. We have to wait and see what Durham Police say.”

There are also reports that Labour’s National Executive Committee (NEC) could refuse to accept Starmer’s resignation.

Asked if his resignation could be refused, Baroness Chapman said: “I think Keir has been very clear how he views this.”She added: “Because he is someone with a huge amount of integrity, he had been very clear about what he will do. What the NEC would do if clearly a matter for the NEC.”

Boris Johnson ‘failed to act’ on sexual misconduct claims, say Tory staff

Monday 4 July 2022 09:45 , Matt Mathers

Tory party staff working in parliament have criticised Boris Johnson for a “failure to act” on claims of sexual misconduct, as the PM faces growing calls to explain what he knew about allegations against Chris Pincher.

Our politics correspondent Adam Forrest reports:

Boris Johnson ‘failed to act’ on sexual misconduct claims, say Tory staff

Minister didn’t ask No 10 about Cummings claims before broadcast round

Monday 4 July 2022 09:32 , Matt Mathers

Will Quince admitted that, before appearing in the media on Monday morning, he had not asked Downing Street about allegations by Dominic Cummings that Boris Johnson had referred to Chris Pincher as "Pincher by name, pincher by nature".

The former No 10 adviser alleged that the prime minister had referred to the MP in that way long before appointing him in February.

The children's minister also denied on ITV's Good Morning Britain that Downing Street's handling of the allegations sends a poor message to the young people under his portfolio.

He said that any kind of unacceptable behaviour should be reported to the police and any relevant authorities.

Labour: Tell us ‘who knew what and when' on Pincher allegations

Monday 4 July 2022 09:04 , Matt Mathers

Boris Johnson must set out exactly "who knew what and when" about allegations against suspended MP Chris Pincher, Labour has said.

Tamworth MP Mr Pincher resigned as deputy chief whip on Thursday after he was accused of drunkenly groping two men at a private memberss' club for Tories in London the night before.

He was suspended from the party on Friday.

The prime minister is coming under pressure to explain why he appointed Mr Pincher to the role despite him resigning over a similar allegation, which he denies, in 2017.

"We want to know who knew what and when and why those decisions were made the way they were," Baroness Jenny Chapman told BBC Breakfast on Monday morning.

"I don't think anybody in Westminster believes that Boris Johnson did not know about the allegations about Mr Pincher," she added.

Quince denies junior ministers being rolled out to defend PM

Monday 4 July 2022 08:45 , Katy Clifton

Will Quince has also denied reports that junior ministers are being sent onto the airwaves to defend the prime minister over the controversy, instead of reluctant Cabinet ministers.

He said: “I’m certainly not going to defend the former deputy chief whip.

“The allegations are incredibly serious and I’m appalled by them. But that isn’t the case today, because I was booked in four days ago, in fact five days ago I think it was, to talk about a very important childcare announcement.”

He said the allegations were “indefensible”.

Monday 4 July 2022 08:15 , Katy Clifton

Asked whether the allegations against Chris Pincher were serious enough for the police to become involved if any incident is reported to them, Will Quince said: “I think that is a matter for the police.

“I think the key thing is that we create an environment where everybody feels that if they witness or if they are the victim of sexual assault or predatory behaviour of this nature in line with these allegations, that they feel able to go to the police and the authorities because that’s exactly how investigations can follow and due process take its course.”

The junior minister also declined to say whether his party colleague should resign his seat if the allegations against him are proven.

He said: “That’s a matter for parliament and we have clear processes and procedures in place around recall.”

'You can’t act on rumour’

Monday 4 July 2022 08:00 , Katy Clifton

Junior Minister Will Quince has been quizzed on Sky News about why the prime minister gave former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher a job in the first place.

The Tory MP insisted that Boris Johnson was not aware of any specific allegations against Mr Pincher and said he had spoken to No 10 to seek assurances on the matter.

“I have been given categorical assurance that the prime minister was not aware of any serious specific allegation with regards to the former deputy chief whip,” he said.

He continued: “I think these cases are hard because, like any professional organisation, you can’t act on rumour or gossip. As you know, in Westminster there is a lot of rumour or gossip.

“It’s why it’s also so important that when people do witness something which is clearly appalling, well below the standard behaviour we should rightly expect from members of parliament and those who work on the parliamentary estate that it’s reported, and we encourage everybody to come forward and whether it’s the police or the parliamentary authorities, so action can be taken like it was in this case.”

Labour: Tory response to Brexit issues ‘irresponsible’

Monday 4 July 2022 07:45 , Katy Clifton

Baroness Jenny Chapman denied that Labour has plans to “unpick” Brexit.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will latertoday vow not to take the UK back into the single market or restore freedom of movement as he sets out his plan to “make Brexit work”.

He will use a speech to say a government under his leadership would not join a customs union with the EU, in maintaining the hard Brexit deal brokered by Boris Johnson.

“I think that would be the last thing the country wants to see,” the Labour politician told BBC Breakfast. “We’ve had so much division since 2016. I think the last thing certainly Keir Starmer wants to do is to revisit any of that.

“But we do think that the Conservatives, because they have this way of dealing with problems, which is all about, if we need to create a fight to garner some political support within our party, we’ll do that.

“They’re taking that approach to issues like Northern Ireland and we think that that’s irresponsible, and we want to see these issues resolved.”

‘We want to know who knew what’

Monday 4 July 2022 07:30 , Katy Clifton

Labour has said that Boris Johnson still has questions to answer over the Chris Pincher controversy.

“We want to know who knew what and when and why those decisions were made the way they were,” Baroness Jenny Chapman, a shadow minister of state at Cabinet Office, told BBC Breakfast.

“I don’t think anybody in Westminster believes that Boris Johnson did not know about the allegations about Mr Pincher.”

New ‘bill of rights’ exempts government from free speech protections

Monday 4 July 2022 07:12 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A new “bill of rights” exempts the government itself from having to comply with its new free speech protections, legal experts have warned.

Justice secretary Dominic Raab said last week that the new charter would stop free speech from being “whittled away” by “wokery and political correctness”.

But clauses included in the bill specifically exempt laws created by ministers from its new free speech test, which means, it will not protect people from the “various threats to free speech posed by the government”.

Jon Stone has more.

New UK ‘bill of rights’ exempts government from free speech protections

Chris Pincher ‘seeking medical support’

Monday 4 July 2022 06:57 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Chris Pincher, the former deputy chief whip who resigned after he was accused of groping two men, has said he is seeking “professional medical support”.

In a statement, he said: “I respect the Prime Minister’s decision to suspend the whip whilst an inquiry is underway, and I will co-operate fully with it.

“As I told the prime minister, I drank far too much on Wednesday night, embarrassing myself and others, and I am truly sorry for the upset I caused.

“The stresses of the last few days, coming on top of those over the last several months, have made me accept that I will benefit from professional medical support.

“I am in the process of seeking that now, and I hope to be able to return to my constituency duties as soon as possible.”

Tory MP claims he was groped twice by Chris Pincher

Monday 4 July 2022 06:48 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

A Conservative MP has claimed he was groped on two occasions by Chris Pincher, who was suspended from the party on Friday after sexual misconduct allegations.

Speaking exclusively to The Independent on the condition of anonymity, the man claims he was targeted twice by Mr Pincher, first in December 2021 and again last month.

One alleged assault took place within the parliamentary estate in June, when the man claims Mr Pincher deliberately touched his genitals through his clothing and refused to remove his hand when asked.“He put his hand on my crotch and moved it around,” the MP said.

“I shook my head and said no, I don’t want that, but he [Mr Pincher] just smiled… he carried on until I was able to move away.”

Anna Isaac reports.

Chris Pincher: Male Tory MP claims he was groped twice by former deputy chief whip

Parliament not safe for workers, MPs warn

Monday 4 July 2022 06:14 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Parliament is not a safe environment for staff, MPs have warned following growing controversy over Boris Johnson’s delay in suspending a senior politician facing groping allegations.

As “pestminster” allegations engulf Westminster for the third time in five years, shadow armed forces minister Luke Pollard warned that Parliament was “not a safe place to work” and that “higher standards” were needed in politics, in an interview with Sky News.

Meanwhile, a Conservative MP told The Independent he did not bring interns in to parliament and would let them work only in his constituency office.“Staffers and other people who work in the House of Commons should be able to expect a minimum standard of behaviour,” he said. “But they can’t.”

Kate Devlin reports.

Parliament not safe for workers, MPs warn

Tory men do not have particular problem with sexual harassment, says cabinet minister

Monday 4 July 2022 05:31 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Male Conservatives do not have a particular problem with sexual harassment, cabinet minister Therese Coffey said in the wake of the latest misconduct scandal engulfing the party.

Tory MP Chris Pincher, who quit as deputy chief whip and was suspended by his party over allegations he groped two men in Westminster this week, is facing six further claims of inappropriate behaviour.

Ms Coffey defended prime minister Boris Johnson and denied the Tories had a particular problem, despite being reminded that five Tory male MPs have been suspended or had to resign in the past year over sexual misconduct allegations.

Asked on Sky News if there was problem with Conservative men, the work and pensions secretary sighed, before saying: “I don’t think that’s the case at all.”

PM called upon to explain what he knew about Chris Pincher allegations

Monday 4 July 2022 05:21 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Prime minister Boris Johnson is facing growing calls to set out what he knew about allegations of inappropriate behaviour centring on Chris Pincher before appointing him to the Tory whips’ office.

The prime minister is alleged to have referred to the MP as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” before making him deputy chief whip in February.

The MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire resigned from the role after being accused of drunkenly groping two men in a private members’ club in London.

It was the second time he resigned from the whips’ office after Conservative candidate Alex Story accused him of making an inappropriate advance in 2017.

Sam Blewett has more.

PM facing growing calls to explain what he knew about Chris Pincher allegations

PM and Sunak pledge ‘single biggest tax cut in a decade’

Monday 4 July 2022 05:10 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

Prime minister Boris Johnson and chancellor Rishi Sunak have penned a joint article to outline what they are calling “the single biggest tax cut in a decade” in a show of unity on the cost-of-living crisis.

Writing in The Sun on Sunday, the prime minister and chancellor said when the National Insurance threshold rises overnight this coming Wednesday from £9,880 to £12,570 it will save 30 million British workers up to £330 a year.

They added that the historic tax cut will amount to £6 billion in value and lift 2.2 million people out of paying “any National Insurance or income tax on their earnings at all”, with “around 70 per cent of British workers” paying less National Insurance.

Mr Johnson said there is a “big chance” to fix unnecessary cost pressures for people and businesses across the UK.

Alana Calvert reports.

PM and Chancellor unified in announcing ‘single biggest tax cut in a decade’

Monday 4 July 2022 04:51 , Alisha Rahaman Sarkar

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