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Ladybbird · 24-03-20, 06:54

A National Emergency

UK Placed Under Lockdown as Trump Insists US Will 'Reopen' Soon

Police to enforce UK lockdown; UN calls for global ceasefire; WHO says virus accelerating.

The Guardian UK 24 MAR 2020

Boris Johnson orders UK lockdown to be enforced by police

On a historic day for Britain, all of the national newspapers have given over their front pages to news of the unprecedented coronavirus lockdown.

The Guardian says today that Boris Johnson will order police to enforce a strict coronavirus lockdown, with gatherings of more than two people banned. The headline: “PM: Stay at home, this is a national emergency”.

The Daily Mail gives the first 22 pages of the paper to Johnson’s Monday evening announcement. Describing it as an unprecedented move, it reported all non-essential shops would close during a lockdown that is expected to last at least three weeks, and that police would have powers to fine those breaking the new rules. “Lockdown Britain” is the headline.

The Times goes with: “You must stay at home” and says fines for breaking the new rules will range from £30 to £1,000 once legislation passes on Thursday. It carries a sketch from Quentin Letts who notes that the “absence of melodrama” in Johnson’s televised address made it all the more striking and urgent.

Boris Johnson will order police to enforce a strict coronavirus lockdown, with a ban on gatherings of more than two people and strict limits on exercise, as he told the British public: “You must stay at home.”

The prime minister ratcheted up Britain’s response with an address to the nation on Monday evening, warning that people would only be allowed outside to buy food or medication, exercise alone once a day, or to travel to work if absolutely necessary.

All non-essential shops will close with immediate effect, as will playgrounds and libraries, he said in the address from Downing Street.

After days of being accused of sending mixed messages about what the public should do, Johnson significantly escalated his language as he urged people to comply with the more stringent measures.

“You should not be meeting friends. If your friends ask you to meet, you should say no. You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home. You should not be going shopping except for essentials like food and medicine – and you should do this as little as you can,” he said.

“If you don’t follow the rules, the police will have the powers to enforce them, including through fines and dispersing gatherings.”

The decision follows Friday’s announcement that all pubs, restaurants and gyms should shut down, then the continuation of commuters packing into trains on Monday, and of sun-seekers crowding into parks over the weekend.

After weeks of being reluctant to copy the draconian measures seen elsewhere in Europe, Johnson announced the plan after coming under pressure from his own cabinet and Tory backbenchers as well as Labour.

“In this fight, we can be in no doubt that each and every one of us is directly enlisted. Each and every one of us is now obliged to join together. To halt the spread of this disease. To protect our NHS and to save many many thousands of lives,” he said.

“And I know that as they have in the past so many times, the people of this country will rise to that challenge. And we will come through it stronger than ever

In the past few days, there had been concern about announcing a lockdown before police had the proper powers to enforce one – it will only come into law when the emergency coronavirus legislation is passed later in the week.

However, Johnson has been pressured into action by the scale of worry in his own party and signs that the UK’s deaths from coronavirus are following the same pattern as Italy with a two-week lag. The total confirmed death toll rose to 335 on Monday – a sixfold increase on this time last week.

“Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there won’t be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses,” Johnson said.

“And as we have seen elsewhere, in other countries that also have fantastic health care systems, that is the moment of real danger. To put it simply, if too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to handle it - meaning more people are likely to die, not just from coronavirus but from other illnesses as well. So it’s vital to slow the spread of the disease.”

Over the weekend, the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, had appeared to take a much clearer stance on physical distancing than the prime minister, telling the capital’s residents to stay at home. “This isn’t advice, as far as I’m concerned. These are instructions and these are rules that we should all obey to stop people dying,” he said.

The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, welcomed the measures. “Something did have to change. We’re seeing more and more people lose their lives to this virus and the social distancing measures that the government had announced have simply not been working,” he said.

“You see beaches full of people, parks full of people, bustling markets. So we were encouraging the PM to go further this morning: we called on him to take emergency action to enforce social distancing, and it looks like that’s what he’s done this evening. So we do support it, and the drastic measures he’s taken tonight.”

Some in policing are dubious whether they currently have the powers to enforce a lockdown. One source said police were being told they would be given the powers within days, possibly being included in the emergency laws being passed through parliament now.

It is seen as anathema to the British style of policing by consent, and officers being citizens in uniform: “There is absolute reluctance,” said another source. “It’s a total change of policing style.”

The chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Martin Hewitt, said: “We are working with the government and other agencies to consider how these new rules can be most effectively enforced.”

The NPCC quickly squashed suggestions that police would be assisted by troops on the streets or road blocks deployed to enforce the lockdown. A spokesperson told the Guardian: “Neither are being considered in any way.”

The national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter, said: “The practicalities of policing this lockdown will be challenging … policing will do all it can to keep the public safe, but we need the public to support us. I ask that the public heed the advice and stay at home unless absolutely necessary.

“This will allow police officers to concentrate on keeping the streets safe and deal with all the regular calls we receive. This is about saving lives and supporting our NHS. I ask that the public gives us their support in this time of crisis.”

Many Tory MPs are worried that No 10 has not moved fast enough to enforce stricter distancing measures, amid public alarm about evidence of people ignoring advice.

Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary, had a stark message for No 10 that a lockdown rule was needed immediately if the UK was to have any chance of avoiding a situation like that in Italy, where the health service is overwhelmed and many hundreds are dying every day.

“It may be too late to avoid Italy. But to have any chance, we need to move to lockdown rules now that ban non-essential travel. It’s time to stop asking people to do social distancing – we must enforce it. Not this week, not tomorrow, but today,” Hunt said.

As the prime minister’s statement was broadcast, MPs were debating emergency legislation giving the government the powers to ban gatherings, forcibly quarantine suspected sufferers, and compel schools to remain open, for a period of two years.

Ministers announced on Monday that the legislation could be reviewed by MPs every six months – a significant concession aimed at preventing a potential rebellion.

Labour had broadly supported the legislation, but sought more regular scrutiny of its sweeping powers. MPs debating measures sat widely dispersed on the green benches of the House of Commons, with many choosing to stay away.

After the compromise amendment was announced, Labour agreed to allow the legislation to pass without being forced to a vote.

Ladybbird · 28-03-20, 01:31

UPDATE;

England's Health Secretary Matt Han**** said he had also tested positive while England's Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has shown symptoms.

Ladybbird · 16-04-20, 18:26

Captain Tom Moore, 99yrs Young, Completes 100th Lap of Garden and Raises £13m for NHS

Captain Tom Moore, who served during WW2, has completed the hundredth length of the garden of his family home in Bedfordshire, raising over £13million for the NHS in the process

Daily Mirror UK, 16 APR 2020

Captain Moore completed his walk with a guard of honour (Credit: BBC Breakfast) (Image: BBC)

Captain Tom Moore has completed 100 lengths of his garden and raised more than £13million for the NHS in the process.

How to Donate to Captain Tom Moore

Captain Tom has said that he will keep walking as long as donations keep coming in.
His daughter, Hannah, has set up a Just Giving page.

Tom Moore was a captain in the British Army during WW2

The 99-year-old veteran has been walking up and down the length of his 25metre garden over the past week.

This morning he completed the task as donations passed the £13million mark.

His achievements - which started at a modest target of £1,000 last week, ahead of his 100th birthday on April 30 - were singled out by Matt Han****.

The Health Secretary called the veteran an "an inspiration to us all".

"I saw the video a little while ago, a few days ago, and I was just inspired," Mr Han**** told BBC Breakfast.

"And then I've been following him since, as the amount he has raised has gone up and up and up.

Show Your Support for Our NHS Heroes

We are building a map of appreciation for the NHS heroes looking after us through the coronavirus crisis.

Place your heart on our live updating map at

www.thanksamillionnhs.co.uk.

Add your partial postcode (eg: CF5 1) to put a heart on the map and you can add a thank you message too.

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Share the page to encourage others to show their support!

Captain Tom Moore, 99yrs Young, Completes 100th Lap of Garden...

Millions Across Britain Raise The Roof to Clap for NHS Heroes and Key Workers Fighting COVID-19

Ladybbird · 18-04-20, 20:45

You'll Never Walk Alone: Captain Tom Moore's Charity Single with Michael Ball Goes Straight to Top of iTunes - Pipping Vera Lynn - as Hero's Fundraising Passes £23million

Fundraising hero Capt Tom Moore's charity song has shot to top of iTunes chart

He collaborated with singer Michael Ball for a version of You'll Never Walk Alone
It narrowly pipped Vera Lynn's stirring rendition of We'll Meet Again to top spot
Capt Moore has raised over £23million for the NHS, despite aiming for £1,000

Daily Mail UK, 18 APR 2020

The 99-year-old war veteran is raising millions for NHS Charities Together amid the coronavirus pandemic, after initially expecting to raise just £1,000 by completing 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday

Captain Tom Moore's charity single has gone straight to the top of the UK iTunes chart as the hero's fundraising total passed a staggering £23million.

The 99-year-old war veteran collaborated with singer Michael Ball for a heartwarming version of You'll Never Walk Alone.
It has narrowly pipped Vera Lynn's stirring rendition of We'll Meet Again to the top spot.

Capt Moore's (pictured) single has narrowly pipped Vera Lynn's stirring rendition of We'll Meet Again to the top spot

Capt Tom has been raising money for NHS Charities Together to help frontline medics battle the coronavirus pandemic, which has killed 14,576 in the UK.

He initially expected to raise £1,000 by completing 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.

He finished the walk ahead of schedule on Thursday - after starting out on 13 April - and has seen more than a million donors help the fundraiser soar past £23million.

After capturing the hearts of the nation, Capt Tom joined forces with Ball to create their own uplifting version of You'll Never Walk Alone.

The pair recorded the duet of the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein tune, which has become an anthem for medical staff during the pandemic, featuring the NHS Voices of Care Choir.

The song was instigated after Ball spoke to Captain Tom on BBC Breakfast and was recorded within 24 hours

The track has a spoken work introduction from Capt Moore, where he says: 'Hold your head up high and don't be afraid of the dark.'

It has already climbed to the top of the iTunes chart ahead of the Second World War veteran's 100th birthday on 30 April

Originally from Keighley in West Yorkshire, Captain Moore trained as a civil engineer before enlisting in the Army for the Second World War, rising to captain and serving in India and Burma

Robert Jenrick says Captain Tom Moore Will be Guest of Honour at opening of 3rd Nightingale Hospital

Second World War hero Captain Tom Moore will be the guest of honour when the new NHS Nightingale Hospital for the Yorkshire region is opened in Harrogate next week.

The 99-year-old's bid to raise money for the NHS by walking laps of his garden hit £23 million this afternoon - less than two weeks after he started the challenge.

Mr Jenrick thanked Captain Moore for his fundraising efforts for the NHS, stating: 'We have all been humbled by the gestures, large and small, by people across the country to show support for those working so hard to protect the NHS and save lives.

'None more so than Captain Tom Moore, who has raised an astonishing £23 million this week for NHS charities.

'I can't think of a more worthy person to be the guest of honour at the opening of the new Nightingale Hospital in Harrogate next week.'

The country has taken to the war veteran, with this sign in Piccadilly Circus in central London congratulating him

Quote:

How Captain Tom and Michael Ball pulled a hit record together in 24 hours

After being inspired by Captain Tom's outstanding charitable efforts, Michael Ball devised a plan.

'That was the exact moment I got the idea. I was listening to him (Captain Tom) mouthing along to it – and singing along to it – and I said "ah Tom we should make it a duet,"' Ball explained.
'But I came off air and thought, well I have got a few minutes... let's see if we can do this.'

Captain Tom's words on BBC Breakfast were quickly edited into place, as Ball and the backing choir went about providing the foundations for the iconic track.

Ball continued: 'So I made some calls – called my record producer. 'I had the idea the NHS voices of care could form the background voices for us.

'Crucial though was talking to Tom and to (his daughter) Hannah.'
Using the plentiful time provided by lockdown restrictions, Ball and his producers quickly got to work on the track and brought the creation to life.

The track was recorded in different segments from various locations due to people remaining at home. It was then stitched together by producers and smoothed out to create the finished product.

Capt Tom said:
'I never in my wildest dreams imagined I would be releasing a single with Michael Ball, but I also never thought it possible for me to walk in the garden and raise millions.
'So why not sing, spread some cheer and again - raise money for our national heroes. NHS this one is for you!'
,

From Yorkshire to India: Captain Tom Moore's Career in The Military

Captain Tom Moore was conscripted into the British Army in June 1940 when he was 20, alongside all men aged 20 to 35.

He began his military career in Otley, West Yorkshire, where he joined the 8th Battalion, the Duke of Wellington's Regiment under Lieutenant Lord George Saville.

The Regiment was sent to train in Wadebridge, Cornwall where they were tasked with coastal defence amid a predicted German invasion.

A young Captain Moore was soon promoted to Corporal and sent to the officer cadet training unit in Droitwich Spa.

Here, he celebrated his 21st birthday after he passed as a Second Lieutenant.

In August 1941, he was sent to the DWR headquarters in Halifax where he joined the 9th Battalion at Winchcombe.

The infantry battalion then converted to an armoured regiment 146th Royal Armoured Corp, though the majority of the soldiers could not drive.

In October, the unit was posted to Bombay, now Mumbai, in India.

The journey took six weeks by sea, with a four-day delay in Freetown, Sierra Leone and a four-day stop in Cape Town.

Captain Moore then took a train from Bombay to Poona, before arriving at Kirkee, a town now known as Khadki.

The 9th DWR formed the 50th Indian Tank Brigade under the command of Brigadier Schreiber.

Captain Moore was then asked by the Brigadier to start a motorcycling course for the Brigade due to his expertise for the sport.

The Brigade was then ordered to move to Calcutta - the road journey was in a monsoon and took three weeks.

His Battalion was stationed in the Lohardaga district near Ranchi.
They then took part in two exercises in the Arakan before moving further east and south to Rangoon.

Captain Moore was then sent on a course at the approved vehicle depot in Bovington, England.
He remained here as an instructor until it was closed.

You'll Never Walk Alone - Captain Tom Moore, Michael Ball & The NHS Voices of Care Choir

Ladybbird · 01-05-20, 06:42

NHS Hero Captain Tom Moore Celebrates 100th Birthday with an Incredible Flypast From RAF. Captain Tom was Also Promoted to COLONEL by The Queen Today

A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast of a Spitfire and a Hurricane has been organised by the RAF to mark Capt Moore's birthday and he has been appointed as an honorary colonel of the Army Foundation College

Captain Tom has also been awarded a Defence Medal, after experts realised he was owed one decades ago.
It will now be added to the 1939-1945 Star, Burma Star and War Medal he wore on his walk, which also earned him a Pride of Britain Award.

Daily Mirror UK, 30 APR 2020

Captain Tom Moore given flypast by Spitfire and Hurricane planes

The colonel has also had letters from members of the royal family including Prince William, which he said he "never anticipated".

He has had more than 120,000 birthday cards from members of the public.

The nation's hero Captain Tom Moore has been honoured on his 100th birthday with a special flypast over his home.

Appearing emotional, he watched the RAF flypast surrounded by family this morning - before he also became an honorary member of the England cricket team.

Special video birthday messages from the Prime Minister, his daughter and grandson were also shown in a touching morning of celebrations before he hit £30million in his record-breaking fundraising effort for the NHS.

Singer Michael Ball, who along with Captain Tom reached number one in the charts with a cover of You'll Never Walk Alone, also sang Happy Birthday to him live on air.

Tom, who was also promoted to colonel by the Queen today, said: "Never ever three weeks ago did I ever think I would get anything like this.

"It's difficult to put into words."

In a birthday message he told the nation: "To have such kind people who have made such an effort - thank you all."

Captain Tom's grandson Benjie, 16, told the BBC: "It's incredible - I've been so proud of him since I was three.

"I couldn't be more proud of him as a person and the character he has shown throughout this."

Reflecting on what he has made of the worldwide reaction, Captain Tom said: "It's hard to describe. There's been so much kindness shown and so many people making kind remarks.

"It really is outstanding. I never, ever anticipated ever in my life anything like this. It really is amazing.

"I will say to everyone, thank you very much to everyone, wherever you are."

He added: "When you see all those cards from children, it really makes you ... well, if you were a weepy person it would make you weep.

"All the work and the thought all these children have put into their cards."

He joked that he "can't promise to read them all".

Captain Tom's daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, added in a statement: "I want to look the great British and overseas public in the eye; I sincerely want you to know that for all the joy, hope and inspiration my father has given you; you have re-energised him and given him renewed purpose.

"Watching him talking and engaging with all of you, has been one of the most joyous things in my life. I cannot thank you enough."

Captain Tom told BBC Breakfast this morning being 100 felt 'the same' but he was still delighted: "It hardly feels any different to yesterday.

"I don't know what it feels like, I've never been 100 before.

"But I must say I'm absolutely delighted with all the people who have come to wish me a happy birthday and who have been so kind, thank you very much."

Boris Johnson in a special message to him said: "I know I speak for the whole country when I say we wish you a very happy 100th birthday.

"Your heroic efforts have lifted the spirits of the entire nation."

He added: "I recognise you as a point of light."

Captain Tom said the message from the PM was "outstanding" and thanked him for the message.

RAF Flypast in Honour of Captain Tom - BBC News

The Queen Promotes Captain Tom Moore to Honorary Colonel in Heartwarming Honour

Ladybbird · 21-05-20, 17:06

Colonel Tom Moore is Knighted by the Queen in Incredible New Honour for NHS Hero

Colonel Tom Moore, an inspirational war veteran, raised more than £33 million for NHS Charities Together by walking laps of his garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire

Daily Mirror UK, 21 MAY 2020

Captain Tom Moore is promoted to Honorary Colonel by Royal assent on his 100th birthday (Image: MOD/AFP via Getty Images)

Captain Tom, the 100-year-old Army veteran who raised £33million for the NHS in the coronavirus crisis, is being knighted.

The old soldier was promoted to Colonel on his centenary last month – and a Second World War Spitfire and Hurricane carried out a fly past to mark his birthday.

On Tuesday it was revealed he would become Colonel Sir Tom Moore, in a rare honour by the Queen outside of the usual calendar for such announcements.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Colonel Tom’s fantastic fundraising broke records, inspired the whole country and provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus.

“On behalf of everyone who has been moved by his incredible story, I want to say a huge thank you. He’s a true national treasure.”

The Second World War veteran and proud Yorkshireman became a national hero after walking 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden, with service medals pinned to his jacket and clutching his walking frame, to fundraise for the health service.

The country, shocked from the mounting Covid-19 death toll and the unprecedented curbs on freedom as part of the lockdown, rallied behind Captain Tom.

Some 150,000 birthday cards from the public were displayed in the hall of his grandson Benjie Ingram-Moore's school.

The Prime Minister personally recommended to the Queen that Col Tom be exceptionally honoured.

Political leaders from across the spectrum welcomed the accolade.

British Army Captain Tom Moore in his army uniform

Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “On behalf of the Labour Party I congratulate Captain Tom Moore on his knighthood.

“In these difficult times for our country, Tom brought inspiration to millions and helped all of us to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our NHS.

“After serving his country during the war, Tom recognised that today’s heroes are our frontline NHS and care workers.

“In his actions, Tom embodied the national solidarity which has grown throughout this crisis, and showed us that everyone can play their part in helping build a better future.”

Lib Dem acting leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Tom is a hero, not only because he raised so much cash for the NHS but because he has become a symbol of hope in a difficult time.

“He has inspired many others to raise funds in their own ways, the way Tom and others have got behind our key workers has shown the true spirit of our country.”

The Government is also set to give further details on plans for how frontline heroes who have been fighting coronavirus will be honoured in the coming months – fuelling hopes No10 will back the Mirror's campaign to Give NHS Heroes A Medal when the Covid-19 crisis eases.

A Government spokeswoman said: “We know there is huge appetite to say thank you to all those supporting the nation during this emergency and doing incredible things day in, day out, up and down the country.

“We will ensure these unsung heroes are recognised in the right way, at the right time.”

Last month all five, living former prime ministers threw their weight behind the Mirror's campaign.

Sir John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May revealed their backing for the drive.

Ladybbird · 28-05-20, 16:36

Police say Dominic Cummings Breached Lockdown When He Drove to Barnard Castle

Dominic Cummings said he took a 30 minute drive to the beauty spot of Barnard Castle to 'test his eyesight' over concerns it had been affected by a suspected case of coronavirus

Daily Mirror UK, 28 MAY 2020

Cummings spent his isolation period in Durham, not his main London home (Image: Phil Harris)

Barnard Castle was about a 30-mile drive from where Mr Cummings was staying (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

However the force, which according to the most recent data, has issued 137 fines for lockdown breaches, said it would not be any further action against Mr Cummings.

It also stated that the initial trip was not a breach of the lockdown.

In an extraordinary press conference in the Rose Garden at Downing Street, Mr Cummings said that he, his wife and son made a trip in the car so that he could check his eyesight was good enough for him to make the drive to the capital after he had struggled with it during a bout of illness which he thought could have been coronavirus.

The PM's top aide gave a highly unusual press conference to explain himself (Image: PA)

The force's statement said: "Durham Constabulary have examined the circumstances surrounding the journey to Barnard Castle (including ANPR, witness evidence and a review of Mr Cummings’ press conference on 25 May 2020) and have concluded that there might have been a minor breach of the Regulations that would have warranted police intervention.

"Durham Constabulary view this as minor because there was no apparent breach of social distancing.

Mr Cummings breached lockdown when he drove to Barnard Castle (Image: AFP via Getty Images)

"Had a Durham Constabulary police officer stopped Mr Cummings driving to or from Barnard Castle, the officer would have spoken to him, and, having established the facts, likely advised Mr Cummings to return to the address in Durham, providing advice on the dangers of travelling during the pandemic crisis.

"Had this advice been accepted by Mr Cummings, no enforcement action would have been taken."

A No10 spokesman said in response: "The police have made clear they are taking no action against Mr Cummings over his self-isolation and that going to Durham did not breach the regulations.

"The Prime Minister has said he believes Mr Cummings behaved reasonably and legally given all the circumstances and he regards this issue as closed."

The Prime Minister, the Health Secretary and other cabinet ministers have insisted that Mr Cummings's journeys fell within the lockdown rules.

But today Durham Police have concluded that the senior aide did, in fact, breach the rules.

Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, said: “The police have confirmed what we all knew, that Dominic Cummings broke the rules he helped to write. The country cannot afford for this saga to carry on. Only Boris Johnson can draw a line under it.

“Keir Starmer has said that if he was Prime Minister, he would have sacked Dominic Cummings. Boris Johnson should follow that advice.

"If he does not act then he will send a clear message that there is one rule for his closest adviser and another for the British people.”

At an extraordinary press conference on Monday evening Mr Cummings explained why he had left the property where he was staying on his father's estate to travel to Barnard Castle.

He said: "My wife was very worried, particularly as my eyesight seemed to have been affected by the disease," he said.

"She did not want to risk a nearly 300 mile drive with our child given how ill I had been.

"We agreed we should go for a short drive to see if I could drive safely. We drove for roughly half an hour and ended up on the outskirts of Barnard Castle town.

"We did not visit the castle, we did not walk around the town."

More than 35 Tory MPs have now called for Mr Cummings to quit but the Prime Minister has stood by his aide.

Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said:

"The Durham Police have now confirmed what the public already knew - Dominic Cummings should not have done what he did. The fact that Minister after Minister have tried to pretend otherwise has been an insult to each and every one of us following the rules to keep each other safe from the virus.

"Either the Prime Minister and his Ministers lied or they have no understanding of the rules they have written.

"This behaviour over the past few days has entirely eroded the public's trust in the Government. The Prime Minister has said he wants to move on so that all efforts can be focused on the UK's response to the pandemic, but the only way to do that would be for him to ask for Dominic Cumming's resignation.

"Over the past two months the British public have made huge sacrifices - losing their freedom, their livelihoods, and in many tragic instances - someone they loved.

"The longer Dominic Cumming stays in post, the more people will feel that there is one rule for him and one for everyone else, seriously threatening public health. Unless he resigns, the sacrifices everyone has made are at risk of being entirely undermined."

Ladybbird · 19-07-20, 10:57

Queen's Sweet Words to Captain Tom Moore as She Knights Him in Unique Service. He Raised £33mil for NHS

19 Jul 2020 The Telegraph UK

The Queen carried out her first official royal duty since lockdown when she knighted Sir Tom Moore at Windsor Castle, just hours after attending Princess Beatrice's secret wedding

The Queen thanked fundraising hero Sir Tom Moore for his incredible work as she knighted him during a special investiture at Windsor Castle.

In her first engagement since lockdown was introduced, the Monarch handed the war veteran his well-deserved medal.

The 100-year-old became a national hero during the Covid-19 pandemic when he raised a record sum of £33million by walking 100 laps of his garden with the aid of a walking frame.

His fundraiser touched the hearts of Brits everywhere and inspired people across the globe, resulting in Prime Minister Boris Johnson nominating Sir Tom for the award.

During the unique ceremony today, which took place outside to lower coronavirus risk, the Queen and Sir Tom exchanged a few words.

The Monarch said: “Thank you so much. An amazing amount of money you raised”

“A hundred is a great age.

“Anyway it’s a nice day. Best of luck to you.”

She also called his family forward and chatted to them before returning to the castle.

The Queen used a sword that belonged to her father, George VI, for the ceremony and presented him with the insignia of Knight Bachelor.

His family joined him for the occasion (Image: Getty Images)

Other investitures have been postponed because of the coronavirus, along with all of the Queen's face-to-face engagements.

There was no extravagant wedding like Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank (Image: Getty)

The Queen's first engagement came on the same day she watched her granddaughter Princess Beatrice marry her fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi.

The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, were among a small group of close family and friends who attended the intimate ceremony at All Saints Chapel, Windsor Great Park, this morning.

The Queen smiled as she thanked him for his hard work (Image: Getty Images)

Sir Tom proudly poses with the insignia of Knight Bachelor (Image: Getty Images)

The Queen left promptly after the ceremony as she wanted to get back to get ready to present Captain Moore with his knighthood.

Speaking about his knighthood, Sir Tom tweeted: "I could never have imagined this would happen to me.

"It is such a huge honour and I am very much looking forward to meeting Her Majesty The Queen. It is going to be the most special of days for me."

Queen Elizabeth II poses after awarding Captain Sir Thomas Moore with the insignia of Knight Bachelor (Image: Getty Images)

The ceremony took place entirely within the confines of Windsor Castle, with no viewing positions for the public.

Members of the public were asked not to attend Windsor town centre or gather in the hope of seeing any of the ceremony, which will not be visible from any external viewpoint.

Captain Tom had set out to raise £1,000, but his incredible gesture won him fans around the world and saw his fundraising efforts soar.

In honour of his incredible achievement, he was given a flypast on his 100th birthday.

Captain Tom also became the oldest person to ever score a UK Number One single with his rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone, recorded with Michael Ball and the NHS Voices Of Care Choir.

And his incredible efforts saw him awarded a special Pride Of Britain award.

Captain Tom said the response to his charitable efforts had been "outstanding".

He said: "It's hard to describe there's been so much kindness shown and so many people making kind remarks.

"It really is outstanding, I never anticipated in my life anything like this. It really is amazing.

"I really must say to everyone thank you very much to everyone wherever you are."

Ladybbird · 21-08-20, 14:30

Where's Boris Johnson? How PM's Highland Holiday Compares to Other Political Staycations

Through the decades, Prime Ministers have often enjoyed staycations if it was either impossible - or not politically advisable - to chase the sun. Here's how Boris Johnson's highland getaway stacks up...

Daily Mirror UK, 21 AUG 2020.

Boris Johnson has been pictured enjoying a highland getaway, even as his government faces a string of crises over exams and coronavirus.

While he has claimed in public to be a fan of the Great British Holiday, the PM is more often seen enjoying luxury stays overseas - like his 10-day break on a private Caribbean island over New Year.

But with millions of Brits tearing up their holiday plans due to France and Croatia being placed on coroanvirus quarantine lists, a foreign jaunt probably wasn't on the cards for Boris Johnson this year.

Instead, it appears, he's chosen to enjoy the bracing winds of the Scottish highlands.

Slightly bleak images emerged overnight of the PM's cliff-side bolt hole - complete with a massive tent in the grounds.

The tent itself is understood to be a 'bell tent', the likes of which are available for around £259 from Boutique Camping.

Mr Johnson was seen chatting to his security team, dressed in a blue checked shirt and tan trousers, topped off with a black, woolly bobble hat.

One tourist who saw the couple told the Mail : "It looked like any other normal family day out."

Of course, Boris Johnson isn't the first PM to plump for a UK staycation when an overseas holiday is either impossible or not politically advisable.

Here's how Johnson's tent on a hill compares to his predecessors' staycations. (Image: PETER JOLLY NORTHPIX)

PM David Lloyd George 1913 didn’t go far during the holidays, choosing his homeland for a summer break.
(Image: PA)

Here the Welsh Wizard is seen on a camping holiday at Moel Hebog, in North Wales. He began the long, uncomfortable tradition of PMs posing for the cameras on a chilly UK break designed to demonstrate they’re ‘one of us’. Later Liberal Lloyd George proved he knew all the tricks when he made sure he was captured planting veg.

A news reel from 1922 of the Welsh Wizard on hols is titled, Premier’s Simple Life Holiday: Mr Lloyd George Finds Brief Relief From His Great Political Worries by Planting Potatoes.

He’s caught, spade in hand ... sporting a three-piece suit.

Once described as “a quiet man with a lot to be quiet about”, Clement Attlee certainly took that to heart when it came to vacation time. He chose to relax in the small Welsh seaside town of Nefyn with his family where he would mostly row boats and sit on the beach.
(Image: Getty)

He also opted for British seaside towns like Weymouth and Seaton, where his wife Violet played cricket on the beach with the children - while he sat reading on a deckchair or playing golf nearby.

Tory Harold Macmillan could be found on a rather different UK break – here he is dressed in tweed during a grouse-shooting holiday on Barden High Moor in the Yorkshire Dales, with the Duchess of Devonshire and the Duke of Devonshire’s agent.
(Image: PA)

A year earlier in 1961, as soon as the August grouse season had started he was off for three days shooting at Swinton, where his party managed 600 brace, followed by six days at Bolton Abbey, where six guns bagged nearly 1,000 brace.

Rumour had it Gordon Brown had to be pushed into holidaying by his wife Sarah to make him look more at ease. He never really managed it for the cameras, though.
(Image: PA)

The family holidayed in Norfolk during his leadership, taking in Whitlingham country park near Norwich. Although it wasn’t quite the at ease picture opportunity it was meant to be – it looked like he’d only taken his tie off. He and his family stayed at Shadingfield Hall, a grade II listed building set in five acres of wooded grounds. It cost £4,500 a week to rent. It was billed as ‘secluded’ – which he needed when local campaigners in nearby Southwold announced they would form a human chain at the promenade to protest at plans to cut spending on sea defences to mark his arrival.

Workaholic Margaret Thatcher notoriously disliked a holiday. However she and husband Denis did find one place to relax – Cornwall. The prime minister fell in love with Constantine Bay, near Padstow, and, during her years in power, she and Denis were often seen on the beach and in the surrounding area.
(Image: PA)

The PM wasn’t quite so relaxed when she holidayed in Theresa May ’s favoured destination of Switzerland – also her choice on numerous occasions. She regularly stayed with retired Tory MP Sir Douglas Glover and his wife Eleanor at their home in Schloss Freudenberg, Switzerland. But R&R was the last thing she wanted and commentators have described how Lady Glover would “scour Switzerland” looking for brainy folk to invite to dinner to keep the iron lady entertained.

Cornwall was the first place David Cameron headed on holiday as PM, and he returned numerous times – he and SamCam always managing to do a much better job of looking relaxed, accept the time he attempted to get changed under his beach towel in front of the paps.
(Image: PA)

His youngest daughter Florence was even born there – her third name, Endellion, is after St Endellion, the village where the family stayed.

Although the Camerons tried their best to look like they really enjoyed their ‘staycation’ they were also snapped holidaying in Portugal and Italy.

May: Walking in Wales (Image: Jake Garbett /SWNS.COM)

Theresa May infamously decided to call a snap general election in 2017 while walking in the mountains of Snowdonia.

She told ITV at the time: "Before Easter I spent a few days walking in Wales with my husband, thought about this long and hard, and came to the decision that to provide that certainty and stability for the future, that this was the way to do it, to have an election.

"I trust the British people. The British people gave the government a job to do to in terms of coming out of the EU and I‘m going to be asking the British people to put their trust in me in ensuring we deliver a success of that."

As history has shown, that didn't go entirely as she hoped.

Her mountain epiphany led to her losing her Commons majority and limping powerless to the premature end of her premiership.

Hmph - TRUMP goes golfing & Boris, his protégée, goes on holiday - What a pair eh? > tweedle DUMP & tweedle DUM...

Ladybbird · 12-11-20, 15:23

Feuding at No.10 Explodes Into Open as Top Aide Quits After Opposition to Dominic Cummings

PM Boris's adviser quits in power battle - Fears more aides will follow Lee Cain after revolt led by Carrie Symonds, the PM's fiancee

Carrie Symonds is at odds with several of key No 10 advisers

BBC News, 11 NOV 2020

Mr Cain, right, with fellow Vote Leave veteran Dominic Cummings Credit: Adrian Dennis/PA

Boris Johnson was trying to prevent an exodus of Downing Street staff on Wednesday night after a key aide resigned following a public power struggle with the Prime Minister's fiancée Carrie Symonds....

Key aide Lee Cain, No 10's director of communications, resigned last night Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson's most senior adviser, is understood to now be considering his position.

Mr Cain announced he would quit after Ms Symonds effectively vetoed his promotion to chief of staff and amid an extraordinary briefing battle.

Lee Cain arrived for work on Thursday, having already handed in his notice to No 10

He will leave next month, despite being offered a promotion to chief of staff.

His departure prompted speculation about the future of the PM's chief adviser Dominic Cummings, but the BBC was told he would stay for now.

No 10 denied Mr Johnson had been distracted by the saga, saying he was "fully focussed" on tackling Covid.

Mr Cain has been at the PM's side since he was a press officer for the Vote Leave campaign under Mr Cummings.

Many will not have heard of him before the story broke, but his resignation comes at a time when the government is facing big decisions over its coronavirus strategy and the future of post-Brexit trade with the EU.

After a number of rows and U-turns within government in recent months, No 10 will see communications as key in connecting with the country and trying to gain support for its decisions.

The news that Mr Cain - who worked with Mr Cummings and the PM in the Vote Leave campaign to get Britain out of the EU - could become Mr Johnson's chief of staff had led to consternation among some MPs and ministers, said BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg.

One Tory source even suggested that Mr Johnson's fiancee, Carrie Symonds - a former head of communications for the Conservatives - had misgivings about that plan.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told LBC Radio: "This is pathetic. I think millions of people will be waking up this morning, scratching their heads, saying what on earth is going on?

"We're in the middle of a pandemic, we're all worried about our health and our families, we're all worried about our jobs, and this lot are squabbling behind the door of No 10. Pull yourselves together, focus on the job in hand."

But the PM's spokesman said Mr Johnson was concentrating on fighting coronavirus, adding: "You can see the progress we are making, in terms of rolling out mass testing, in securing vaccines and also in terms of making improvements to test and trace."

Until now, the cracks spreading through Team Johnson during the Covid crisis had been largely under wraps.

Ladybbird · 14-11-20, 08:22

Dominic Cummings Marches Out of No.10 For Good With Things in a Cardboard Box

Cummings exits Number 10 with parting shot at Boris Johnson. Chief aide accuses Prime Minister of 'dithering' as he is ordered out of Downing Street

The Prime Minister's chief advisor marched out of the front door of 10 Downing Street with a bulging cardboard box in what appeared to be his final bizarre stunt

The Telegraph UK, 14 NOV 2020.

Dominic Cummings was ordered OUT on Friday night after being accused of briefing against the Prime Minister.

Mr Cummings, until now regarded as Boris Johnson's most trusted adviser, left with a broadside against his boss, telling allies Mr Johnson was "indecisive" and that he and Lee Cain – who resigned as director of communications earlier in the week – had to rely on the Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, to make decisions.

Mr Johnson's chief adviser cleared his desk after a lunchtime meeting in Number 10 and left the building for the last time carrying his possessions in a cardboard box. Mr Cain was also asked to leave in the same meeting.

Both men had intended to stay in Number 10 until the end of the year to see out the Brexit project that had brought them and Mr Johnson together, but the last straw reportedly came after Mr Johnson heard claims that the faction headed by Mr Cummings and Mr Cain was briefing against him and his fiancee, Carrie Symonds.

They will remain employed until mid-December, with Mr Cummings expected to complete some work on mass testing, but neither is expected to set foot in Number 10 again.

Now the Telegraph has tipped ex-Chancellor Sajid Javid for the Chief of Staff job in what would be another blow to Cummings' faction in No10.

Ladybbird · 31-01-21, 19:38

Captain Tom Moore, 100, in Hospital as he Battles Coronavirus and Pneumonia. He Raised £33mil for NHS

Captain Tom Moore has been rushed to Bedford Hospital with breathing difficulties after testing positive for coronavirus during treatment for pneumonia in recent weeks

Daily Mirror UK, 1 FEB, 2021.

Captain Tom Moore is in hospital with coronavirus (Image: PA)

The Queen knighting Captain Tom at Windsor Castle (Image: Getty Images)

The 100-year-old WW2 veteran has raised more than £30million for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.

In a statement released by his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore today, she said her dad tested positive for coronavirus last week while being treated for pneumonia.

Sir Tom was reportedly unable to have his Covid vaccine before catching the disease because of his pneumonia medications.

He was taken to a ward at Bedford Hospital today after requiring extra help with his breathing but is not in intensive care.

The statement reads: "I wanted to update everybody that today my father was admitted to hospital.

"Over the last few weeks he was being treated for pneumonia and last week tested positive for Covid-19.

"He was at home with us until today when he needed additional help with his breathing.

"He is being treated in a ward, although he is not in ICU.

"The medical care he has received in the last few weeks has been remarkable and we know that the wonderful staff at Bedford Hospital will do all they can to make him comfortable and hopefully return home as soon as possible.

"We understand that everyone will be wishing him well. We are of course focusing on my father and will update you when we are able to. Hannah x"

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter: "My thoughts are very much with @CaptainTomMoore and his family. You've inspired the whole nation, and I know we are all wishing you a full recovery."

He previously encouraged the British public to stay strong as the country entered its second lockdown.

His charity - The Captain Tom Foundation - launched a campaign called Walk and Talk which aims is to get as many people as possible walking and talking, spreading hope and easing loneliness.

Sir Tom said: "I would like us all to stand shoulder to shoulder - metaphorically!

"Let's try not to get downhearted, we will get through this, whatever is thrown at us and together we can ensure that tomorrow will be a good day."

Ladybbird · 01-02-21, 12:39

Captain Sir Tom Moore Couldn't Get Covid Jab Because of His Pneumonia Treatment

The WW2 veteran, who was knighted by the Queen for raising millions for the NHS, was admitted to hospital today with pneumonia and has tested positive for coronavirus

225 frontline health and care workers died from COVID virus during pandemic

Daily Mirror UK, 1 FEB, 2021.

Captain Sir Tom Moore was unable to have his Covid jab before he caught the virus because he was on medication for pneumonia.

The WW2 veteran, who was knighted by the Queen for raising millions for the NHS, was admitted to hospital today with pneumonia and coronavirus.

A spokeswoman for the family of the 100-year-old NHS hero said he was not allowed to make the journey to his local vaccination centre.

He would have been one of the first wave of Brits to be given the jab.

She said: “Because of the medication he was taking for his pneumonia he couldn’t have the Covid jab.

“But other than that, the information that was in his daughter Hannah’s statement is all we can share at the moment.

“Everyone is sending positive thoughts his way.”

Ladybbird · 02-02-21, 19:33

Captain Sir Tom Moore Dead: NHS Hero, 100, Dies After Covid Fight as Nation Mourns

Captain Tom Moore captured the hearts of the nation with his incredible NHS fundraising during the coronavirus pandemic - the second time the World War Two veteran has come to his country's aid

The Telegraph UK, 2 FEB 2021.

Capt Sir Tom served in India in World War Two

A spokesman for Sir Tom's family also told the BBC that he had not yet received a Covid-19 vaccine because of the medication he was taking for pneumonia.

A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "The Queen is sending a private message of condolence to the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore.

"Her Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Cpt Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year."

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Captain Sir Tom Moore was a hero in the truest sense of the word. In the dark days of the Second World War he fought for freedom and in the face of this country's deepest post war crisis he united us all, he cheered us all up, and he embodied the triumph of the human spirit.

"It is quite astonishing that at the age of 100 he raised more than £32 million for the NHS, and so gave countless others their own chance to thank the extraordinary men and women who have protected us through the pandemic.

"He became not just a national inspiration but a beacon of hope for the world. Our thoughts are with his daughter Hannah and all his family."

"He was so passionate about The Foundation’s vision for a more hopeful world and equal society and was immensely proud of the growing legacy it was establishing in his name.

"We have been working with Captain Tom to create positive impact around causes close to his and the families hearts, from combating loneliness to championing education and equality and of course supporting the incredible NHS carers and frontline workers whom he held in such high regard.

"Captain Tom’s actions inspired people across the world and he was extremely honoured that The Foundation might inspire a new generation of Captain Toms.

"We can all make a difference and through our continued work we will aspire to ensure Tom’s message of hope becomes an enduring legacy.

"Whilst we mourn his loss, we celebrate his life and will be forever grateful for his optimistic philosophy and wonderful spirit.

Captain Tom was determined to hold the memory of his comrades close to him when he took on his epic second challenge to raise much-needed funds for the NHS.

He honoured them by donning medals as he embarked on his daily 10 laps of his garden.

The proud veteran said: "It's important. It shows that I was part of a very important and super army at the time who were all battling for our country, which we're all so proud of.

"I still very proud of our country. There is nowhere like ours."

After the war he returned to the UK and went to Bovington, Dorset, where he became an instructor at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle School.

And it was here that he finally met the love of his life, Pamela.

Colonel Tom admitted he had "given up on love" but when he was 50 when he met his future wife, who was 35 and working as an office manager.

He said: "As it so happened, the office manager in Gravesend was a rather attractive young lady – she looked terrific to me, like a model – so I had to do various trips and, shall we say, the *attraction with the office manager became stronger and I eventually married her."

He described their marriage as "a happy time" and the devoted couple loved the simple things in life.

Captain Tom joked: "Pamela loved nothing more than a trip to Marks & Spencer. That was her dream day out, so we did that a lot."

Heartbreakingly, Pamela's health started to decline 20 years ago and her devoted husband cared for her for two years.

When her condition needed extra medical attention, Pamela was moved into a care home but Captain Tom was still her main carer.
He would visit her every, single day and he was the one who fed her her meals and would sit with her for hours on end until she passed away 14 years ago.

The couple tied the knot in 1968 and went on to have two daughters, Lucy and Hannah.

Colonel Tom Moore and his bride Pamela during their 1968 wedding

He also received tens of thousands of 100th birthday cards, with his grandson, Benji's, school being used to house them all.

At midnight on his 100th birthday, Captain Tom officially ended his NHS challenge after smashing both his fundraising target and aim to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.

At the end of January his family released a statement saying he tested positive for coronavirus while being treated for pneumonia.

They explained he hadn't been able to have the vaccine because of the medication he was on for the condition.

Captain Tom is survived by his two daughters and his grandchildren.

RIP Captain Tom

Ladybbird · 17-02-21, 11:45

Captain Sir Tom Moore Would Have Been Broken if He Knew About Cruel Abuse, Says Daughter

Daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore has blasted the "vile minority" who criticised a family trip to the Caribbean, which took place just over a month before her father passed away

Daily Mirror / BBC UK, 17 FEB, 2021.

Sir Tom raised more than £32million for the NHS during the first lockdown (Image: Getty Images)

Captain Sir Tom Moore, who died with coronavirus earlier this month, has left "a legacy he could never have imagined", his daughter has said.

The 100-year-old Army veteran, who raised almost £33m for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden, died in Bedford Hospital on 2 February.

Hannah Ingram-Moore said her father had been determined to beat the virus and continue raising funds.

"For him this was all about 'tomorrow will be a good day' and being hopeful."

Capt Sir Tom had tested positive for Covid-19 the week before he was admitted to hospital.

His family said due to other medication he was receiving for pneumonia, he was unable to be vaccinated.

Captain Sir Tom Moore's heart would have been "broken" if he had known about the trolling his family received in the days leading up to his death, his daughter has said.

Hannah Ingram-Moore has blasted the "vile minority" who criticised a trip to the Caribbean before Christmas while discussing her father's legacy.

She said she and other relatives kept the hurtful comments away from Sir Tom, who passed away in hospital on February 2 after testing positive for coronavirus.

The war veteran captured the hearts of the nation when he raised more than £32million for the NHS during the first lockdown by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday.

Sir Tom, from Bedfordshire, managed to visit Barbados shortly before his death, which his family said was a bucket list trip for the centenarian

But the holiday drew ire from certain corners of the internet - which Ms Ingram-Moore said relatives decided to keep from her father in his dying days.

She told BBC Breakfast: "I couldn't tell him.

"I think it would have broken his heart, honestly, if we'd said to him people are hating us.

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"Because how do you rationalise to a 100-year-old man that something so incredibly good can attract such horror, so we contained it within the four of us and we said we wouldn't play to...that vile minority, we wouldn't play to them, we're not, because we are talking to the massive majority of people who we connect with."

Ms Ingram-Moore added that Sir Tom had a wonderful time on the holiday.

Ladybbird · 28-02-21, 10:14

Queens' Sweet Wreath Tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore as He's Laid to Rest in Funeral

The fundraising hero was honoured by royalty as he was laid to rest by eight members of his family in Bedfordshire on Saturday who said his "message and his spirit lives on"

Daily Mirror UK, 28 FEB2021.

David Pearson, Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, lays a wreath at the Sir Tom Moore memorial plaque in Keighley on behalf of the Queen (Image: PA)..

The Queen left a heartfelt tribute for Captain Sir Tom Moore at his funeral today.

The monarch sent a wreath of 100 white roses to be laid for the NHS fundraising hero.

The World War 2 veteran's life was honoured with a fly-past today after his efforts to raise £32million for the health service.

He captured worldwide attention after his feat of walking100 laps of his garden on his walking frame drew mammoth levels of donations.

Sir Tom died on February 2 after testing positive for coronavirus at the beginning of this year.

The deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, David Pearson, laid a wreath in Keighley, which was the birthplace of Sir Tom, on behalf of the Queen.

The touching tribute came after Sir Tom was knighted by the royal during an open-air ceremony at Windsor Castle last summer in honour of his efforts during the pandemic.

The fundraising hero was laid to rest by eight members of his family in Bedfordshire today.

They said his "message and his spirit lives on".

The Queen knighted Sir Tom in a special open-air ceremony during the pandemic

RIP Captain Tom

Ladybbird · 27-04-21, 12:53

The ‘Chatty Rat’ and The Lockdown Leak

Dominic Cummings’ ‘NUCLEAR’ blogpost is likely to send shockwaves around Westminster for weeks

Boris Johnson 'said he'd rather see bodies pile high in thousands' than do 3rd lockdown

The government has denied the 'comedy chapter gossip' of the Prime Minister’s explosive alleged remarks - at the time he reluctantly agreed a second lockdown last autumn

The Guardian, 27 APR 2021.

Photograph: Peter MacDiarmid/Rex/Shutterstock...

The political fallout from Dominic Cummings’ latest incendiary blogpost, which has been called a “nuclear dom” in Westminster, caused some immediate tremors and is likely to lead to aftershocks for weeks to come.

Months after being turfed out of Downing Street, Boris Johnson’s once most senior adviser and trusted ally has turned on him in a blame game over leaks.

The final straw seems to have been a text exchange between the prime minister and the entrepreneur James Dyson, in which the prime minister promised to “fix” a tax issue. The most explosive row, however, is focused on who leaked news of England’s second national lockdown, nicknamed the search for the “chatty rat”.

‘It is beyond moronic’: fury at how PM set the stage for Cummings’s revenge

What happened?

Various newspapers including the Times, the Daily Mail and the Sun reported on 30 October last year that the government was planning to announce a national lockdown.

Having denied for months that another lockdown would be necessary and after resisting Labour’s calls for a “circuit breaker” in England like the one introduced by the Welsh government, Downing Street seemed caught by surprise when the news emerged.

A Whitehall inquiry was ordered, but more than six months on, no culprit has been publicly identified. Asked repeatedly to give an update on the investigation, a No 10 spokesperson has simply said they have no new information to offer.

Who’s in the frame?

According to a coordinated briefing to three Conservative-friendly newspapers by “No 10 sources” on Friday, Johnson believes Cummings has been “engaged in systematic leaking”.

Downing Street did not deny the reports, and some have speculated that a more pro-authoritarian Cummings leaked the news to bounce Johnson into taking action. But after the direct attacks on him earlier this week, Cummings came out swinging to defend his reputation and pointed the finger of blame at another No 10 staffer.

Cummings said in his blog on Friday that a meeting was had been held last year with him, Johnson, the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, and the No 10 head of communications, Lee Cain, about the investigation. Cummings claimed Case had exonerated him and Cain, and said that “all the evidence definitely leads” to a man called Henry Newman, a special adviser who moved from Michael Gove’s office to No 10 and is a close personal friend of Carrie Symonds, the prime minister’s fiancee.

Cummings alleged that Johnson was “very upset” and told him that if Newman was confirmed as “chatty rat”, he would have to fire him, which would “cause me very serious problems with Carrie”, so the prime minister suggested the leak inquiry be quashed. Johnson has since dismissed the claim and No 10 sources deny that Newman was the leaker.

Will we ever know?

The inquiry may well fail to deliver a definitive verdict on the leaker’s identity. A cabinet minister, Liz Truss, has said the investigation is still ongoing.

The Sunday Times reported MI5 as saying it had been roped in to help make a breakthrough, and that so far it had found one person who had sent a WhatsApp message from the cabinet room at around 6pm the day after the meeting where the lockdown was discussed. Present, they said, were Johnson, Cummings, Cain, an unnamed political aide and two civil servants.

Which other leaks have aroused suspicion?

A separate inquiry has been set up into how the texts between Johnson and Dyson fell into the BBC’s hands.

The Daily Mail also revealed that the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, told Johnson in a text message that UK-Saudi relations would be damaged if the British government failed to intervene to “correct” the Premier League’s decision not to allow a £300m takeover of Newcastle United last year.

Boris Johnson has a text addiction and it’s bad news for all of us -Marina Hyde

It was also revealed this year that an extensive redecoration had taken place of the Downing Street flat where Johnson lives with Symonds and their son, Wilfred, reportedly of a cost up to £200,000. The issue has caused particular embarrassment because of another leaked email from a Tory donor and peer, Lord Brownlow, to the Conservative co-chairman Ben Elliot, which confirmed a £58,000 payment to the party “to cover the payments the party has already made” on renovations.

What do all these leaks tell us?

Whereas Cummings’ departure from Downing Street and a new chief of staff being brought in was meant to “professionalise” operations, it seems the old turf wars are still playing out in No 10 between those sympathetic to Symonds and to Cummings.

The leaks are damaging, but the Conservatives are far ahead in the polls. Labour is hoping that its attacks on alleged cronyism and sleaze will start to penetrate more, and stick on not just Johnson but others around him – including cabinet ministers who may be thinking about running to replace him when the time comes.

The answers to some questions are still unknown. Did the cabinet secretary really exonerate Cummings for leaking and instead blame Newman? Was the prime minister loaned money to pay for Downing Street refurbishments, to cover up an original plan for the party to pay for them? And who is responsible for the leaks causing such a headache for No 10?

Cummings is expected to appear before a select committee next month, and has promised to “answer questions about any of these issues to parliament … for as long as the MPs want”. We may not have to wait much longer for some answers.

5 Scandals Circling Boris Johnson This Week

The Prime Minister faces questions about a 'bodies' remark, a leak inquiry, the No10 flat, Dominic Cummings' revelations and the Super League. Here's a guide to the allegations

Ladybbird · 10-05-21, 14:04

Boris Johnson Under Investigation by Standards Watchdog Over £15,000 Caribbean Break

The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is probing how the Prime Minister paid for a luxury break to the island of Mustique - with key questions still unanswered 17 months on

Boris Johnsons’ flat refurbishment is also being investigated

Daily Mirror UK,.10 MAY 2021.

Prime Minister Boris Johnsons' financial affairs are under investigation

Boris Johnson's partner Carrie Symonds during the Caribbean trip

Boris Johnson is being investigated by Parliament's standards watchdog over the funding of a £15,000 break he enjoyed to the Caribbean.

The Prime Minister and fiancee Carrie Symonds jetted to the island of Mustique for a New Year getaway following the Tories' 2019 election landslide.

But a row quickly erupted of how exactly the luxury trip to the private paradise isle was funded.

New transparency rules today meant the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has revealed she is investigating the Prime Minister for a possible breach of the MPs' Code of Conduct.

It comes a year and five months after he and Carrie Symonds enjoyed a trip to the elite island

The investigation is likely to raise fresh questions about whether Mr Johnson is relying on friends and allies to maintain his lifestyle.

He has still not declared whether he took a loan from a Tory donor to fund a £58,000 refurbishment of the Downing Street flat.

And he has refused to deny a Tory donor was approached about the prospect of funding a nanny for his and Carrie Symonds' son Wilfred.

The flat refurbishment is already facing three separate inquiries, including one by the Electoral Commission into whether an offence was committed over donations.

Mr Johnson and Miss Symonds, who announced their engagement less than three months later, stayed on a villa on the island, part of St Vincent and the Grenadines, between Boxing Day and January 5, 2020

Ladybbird · 27-05-21, 08:47

Dominic Cummings' 33 Most Damning Revelations of Covid Incompetence That Killed Thousands

The former chief aide took aim at Boris Johnson, Matt Han**** and other key officials in a seven-hour hearing painting a picture of chaos in the heart of government.

While he is a biased witness, his claims accused the Prime Minister of being unfit to lead Britain and claimed tens of thousands of lives had been lost unnecessarily.

Han**** to answer Cummings claims

Daily Mirror UK. 27 MAY 2021.

Dominic Cummings has given a searing assessment of incompetence, failure and arrogance at the top of government as the Covid-19 pandemic killed thousands of people “who didn’t need to die”.

In a seven-hour marathon appearance at a joint Committee of MPs, Boris Johnson ’s former top aide said his old boss had ‘ignored advice’ and was late to introduce both the first and second lockdowns.

Mr Cummings claimed the PM was consistently anti-lockdown, ignored scientific advice and failed to take Covid seriously - even ranting last summer that he should never have done Lockdown 1.

MPs heard that No 10 was warned the UK was “absolutely f****d” and coronavirus would “kill thousands of people” as Mr Johnson dragged his feet over bringing in the first lockdown last year - something Cummings said he “bitterly” regrets.

He painted a picture of a chaotic and dysfunctional Downing Street in denial over the scale of the disaster ahead.

Dominic Cummings: The Seven Most Explosive Claims

1. The Government 'Failed'

"Tens of thousands of people died, who didn't need to die," Mr Cummings said.

Earlier, he said sorry for ministers, officials and advisers "like me" for falling "disastrously short of the standards that the public has a right to expect".

"When the public needed us most the government failed," he added, apologising to "the families of those who died unnecessarily".

Mr Cummings said the government was not on a "war footing" when the virus emerged in January and February last year and "lots of key people were literally skiing".

2. PM 'Not Fit for Office'

Mr Cummings made a series of allegations against his former boss Boris Johnson, including:

He dismissed the emerging coronavirus as "the new swine flu" and "just a scare story" - and pledged to be injected "live on TV with the virus so everyone realises it's nothing to be frightened of'"
He was a "thousand times too obsessed with the media" and appeared to be persuaded by the Daily Telegraph's view of events on any given day
He said he would rather see "bodies pile high" than order a third lockdown in the autumn of 2020, seeming to confirm a BBC report and contradict the prime minister's denials

Describing a decline in his relationship with Mr Johnson after the summer of 2020, he said "it was clear in July that our relations were very far from where they had been".

He added: "They took another terrible dive after the second lockdown in October because the prime minister knew that I blamed him for the whole situation - and I did - and by 31 October our relations were essentially already finished...

"The heart of the problem was, fundamentally, I regarded him as unfit for the job. And I was trying to create a structure around him to try and stop what I thought would have been bad decisions, and push things through against his wishes."

Asked later by Labour MP Sarah Owen whether Boris Johnson was a "fit and proper person to get us through this pandemic", Mr Cummings replied: "No."

Downing Street rejected many of the remarks and Mr Johnson insisted his government at "every stage tried to minimise loss of life".

3. Han**** 'should have been fired'

Mr Cummings appeared to reserve his harshest criticism for Health Secretary Matt Han****.

Mr Han**** "should have been fired for at least 15 to 20 things", Mr Cummings said, as he alleged the health secretary:

Displayed "criminal, disgraceful behaviour" as he held back coronavirus tests and meddled in efforts to build a mass testing system in order to meet a "stupid" pledge of 100,000 tests per day in April 2020
Lied during meetings held in the Downing Street cabinet room, including about testing people before they were discharged from hospital into care homes during the first wave
Used the UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and chief medical adviser Chris Whitty as a "shield" for government failings at Downing Street news conferences
Mr Cummings and the UK's then most senior civil servant Sir Mark Sedwill recommended to the prime minister that Mr Han**** be sacked in April 2020
The prime minister did not sack Mr Han**** because some felt he would be a convenient fall guy during any future public inquiry

A spokesman for Mr Han**** later said: "We absolutely reject Mr Cummings' claims about the health secretary."

Mr Han**** added he had not seen Mr Cummings' evidence to MPs in full "and instead I've been dealing with getting the vaccination rollout going, especially to over-30s, and saving lives".

He said he would make a statement in the Commons on Thursday when he would "have more to say".

4. First lockdown delay

Mr Cummings said it was "obvious" in retrospect that the UK should have locked down in the first week of March at the latest - and it was a "huge failure" on his part not to alert the prime minister.

"I bitterly regret that I didn't hit the emergency panic button earlier than I did," he added.

Mr Cummings said that, on 14 March, Boris Johnson had been told that models showing the peak of infections was "weeks and weeks and weeks away" in June were "completely wrong".

Mr Cummings said that meeting came after the then deputy cabinet secretary, Helen MacNamara, relayed concerns that there was "no plan... we're in huge trouble".

He said the PM was warned: "The NHS is going to be smashed in weeks. Really we've got days to act."

Mr Johnson announced a national lockdown nine days later on the evening of 23 March.

5. Bombs, quarantine... and Dilyn

Mr Cummings painted a vivid picture of the chaotic atmosphere in Downing Street on one "crazy" day in March 2020 when the government was considering a national lockdown - at the same time as officials considered a bombing campaign in Iraq.

One morning, he claimed, the "national security people came in" and said "[US President Donald] Trump wants us to join a bombing campaign in the Middle East tonight" and this "totally derailed" meetings about quarantine and the coronavirus.

At the same time, he said, "the prime minister's girlfriend was going completely crackers" over a story in Times newspaper with the headline "Downing St dog to be reshuffled".

The article reported a Whitehall source as saying they were not sure Carrie Symonds' dog Dilyn would "make it through the next reshuffle" due to the mess he had created in her and Mr Johnson's No 11 flat.

Mr Cummings said: "So, we have this sort of completely insane situation in which part of the building was saying, 'are we going to bomb Iraq?', part of the building was arguing about whether or not we're going to do quarantine or not do quarantine, the prime minister has his girlfriend going crackers about something completely trivial."

6. 'Chicken pox parties'

Mr Cummings said that, as late as 12 March last year, the UK's top civil servant championed a plan of rapid herd immunity involving "chicken pox parties" for the virus.

Then cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill is alleged to have suggested to Mr Johnson: "Prime minister, you should go on TV tomorrow and explain the herd immunity plan and that it is like the old chicken pox parties. We need people to get this disease because that's how we get herd immunity by September."

But Mr Cummings said he told him not to use the analogy, which was "not right", as - according to data expert Ben Warner - Covid was "spreading exponentially and killing hundreds of thousands of people".

7. PM 'ignored' second lockdown advice

Asked about more recent decisions over a second lockdown in the autumn of 2020, Mr Cummings alleged Mr Johnson rejected a recommendation last September for a shorter stay-at-home order in England.

"He was ignoring the advice," he added, saying the prime minister believed he had been pushed into imposing the first one and that the economic harm done by lockdown would be worse than Covid itself.

He added: "All credible serious people in my opinion were saying essentially the same thing so I was very, very clear with him about it.

"He wasn't taking any advice, he was just making his own decisions, he was going to ignore the advice. Cabinet wasn't involved or asked.

"I've been very critical of Matt Han**** but I think Han**** agreed with me actually in September about acting then."

Mr Cummings also turned his guns on Carrie Symonds, suggesting she had pursued “completely unethical and clearly illegal” attempts to pack No 10 with her own friends.

But his most vicious broadsides were reserved for Health Secretary Matt Han****, whom he branded “disgraceful” - and potentially “criminal.”

Mr Cummings said there were around 20 reasons why Mr Han**** should have been thrown out of the Cabinet - including, he claimed, lying both in meetings and publicly.

But he had no such venom for Brexiteer allies Dominic Raab, Michael Gove - and particularly Rishi Sunak, whom he described as “competent and extremely able”.

With Mr Sunak long touted as a future leader, and Mr Cummings having a string of personal scores to settle, that will raise questions over the motivation behind his claims today.

Tens of thousands of Brits died needlessly due to government failure

In what’s ultimately his most damning admission, the ex-adviser said bluntly: "Tens of thousands of people died, who didn't need to die."

Mr Cummings claimed the PM was consistently anti-lockdown, ignored scientific advice and failed to take Covid seriously.

The former top aide began his evidence with a mea culpa: “The truth is senior ministers, officials and advisers like me fell short of standards the public has a right to expect.

“When the public needed us most, we failed. I’d like to say to all the families how sorry I am for the mistakes we made”.

Han**** in Spotlight After Cummings Attack

A scathing attack on Matt Han****’s handling of the pandemic by the prime minister’s former aide Dominic Cummings has put the health secretary in the spotlight. During a seven-hour appearance before MPs at the health and science select committees on Wednesday, Mr Cummings made a number of explosive claims about the government’s handling of the pandemic.

He argued that mistakes meant "tens of thousands of people died, who didn't need to die", plus he portrayed the government as unprepared and with no useful plan for handling a pandemic.

As part of his evidence, Mr Cummings said Mr Han**** should have been “fired for at least 15 to 20 things”, including lying on multiple occasions to him and others in government and in public. He described the health secretary as "completely incapable of doing the job", criticising him over PPE, or personal protective equipment, shortages and "stupid" testing targets.

Mr Han****’s spokesman said “we absolutely reject Mr Cummings' claims”, with the health secretary later saying he hadn’t seen the evidence session in full because he was “dealing with getting the vaccination rollout going… and saving lives”.

He faces MPs in the House of Commons this morning to answer an urgent question tabled by Labour. Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Cummings' "very grave allegations" appeared to be "well-founded" and the health secretary would have to "give us an explanation" in order for the country to "maintain confidence in him".

Ladybbird · 27-05-21, 12:44

Matt Han**** Responds to Dominic Cummings Brutal 'Liar' Claims

Daily Mail UK 27 MAY 2021.

Matt Han**** today hit back at Dominic Cummings' vicious attacks on his pandemic record including allegations he lied repeatedly, failed care home residents and should have been 'sacked daily' for 'criminal, disgraceful behaviour'.

The Health Secretary told the Commons that the government had been 'straight with people' about the challenges that coronavirus posed and the difficult decisions.

'These unsubstantiated allegations around honesty are not true,' he said. 'I have been straight with people in public and in private throughout.'

Mr Han**** also dismissed Mr Cummings' criticism of his testing target, saying it was 'how you get stuff done in government'.

Ladybbird · 28-06-21, 15:26

Disgraced Matt Han**** Looks Set to Turn Down £16,000 Exit Payment After Outcry

The Health Secretary was warned it would be 'disgusting' to accept the severance payment when he resigned in disgrace after breaking his own Covid rules

Daily Mirror UK, 26 JUN 2021

Matt Han**** looks set to turn down a £16,000 golden goodbye after he resigned in disgrace for breaking Covid rules.

It’s understood the former Health Secretary intends to reject the exit payment, after Labour said taking it would be “disgusting”.

Mr Han**** has not, however, made a public statement about rejecting the money. The public may only have final confirmation when Department of Health accounts are published in summer 2022.

Boris Johnson's official spokesman said: “It’s a matter for the former Health and Care Secretary whether he seeks to accept that payment or not. I haven’t had final confirmation either way.”

Mr Han**** finally resigned on Saturday night, two days after learning he had been caught on CCTV in a passionate clinch with his mistress.

But Labour ’s Lucy Powell said the public would be “appalled” he will now be given a £16,000 “golden goodbye” – after months of criticism over his handling of the pandemic including the PPE scandal and sending Covid OAPs to care homes.

Ladybbird · 29-06-21, 16:18

Boris Johnson Accused of Misleading Rape Victims Over Missing £1bn

EXCLUSIVE: Labour has written to the stats watchdog after the PM wrongly claimed the huge sum was being poured into clearing court backlogs

Daily Mirror UK, 29 JUN 2021

Boris Johnson stands accused of misleading rape victims over claims the Government is pumping £1bn into clearing court backlogs.

Labour's David Lammy has accused the Prime Minister of "either a deliberate lie or a terrible mistake" after he made the false statement during Prime Minister's Questions, as the Government is investing a small fraction of the sum.

The Shadow Justice Secretary has written to the PM telling him he misled MPs and to the stats watchdog to demand an investigation.

The PM was hitting back at Keir Starmer, who was lambasting the Government over the country's record-low conviction rate for rape and the Tories' closure of 295 courts since 2010.

Mr Johnson, who later came under fire for dismissing questions about rape as "jabber", said minister were "fixing that by investing another £1 billion in clearing the court backlogs".

In fact, the Spending Review revealed the Government is investing “£275 million to manage the downstream demand impact of 20,000 additional police officers and reduce backlogs in the Crown Court.”

Mr Lammy's letter to the PM, and the UK Statistics Authority, says: “In Parliament you not only dismissed Keir Starmer’s questions about the record-low conviction and prosecution rates for rape as ‘jabber’, you misled the House about the amount of funding your government is prepared to invest to fix it.

“This is either a deliberate lie, or a terrible mistake which shows you have no grasp of the scale of the problem for victims in the justice system.

“Will you come to the House urgently to correct the record and apologise, once again, to rape victims for failing them?”

A source close to Justice Secretary Robert Buckland called the claims "a misleading gimmick", adding Mr Johnson was "clearly" referring to cash for victims support "over a number of years".

He said: "It's time for David to drop his Talk Radio show, spend less time on Twitter and engage with the issues."

During PMQs Mr Johnson apologised to rape victims for the trauma and delays they have faced in securing justice but came under heavy criticism after he took aim at Labour at the end of the exchange, saying: “We are getting on with the job. They jabber, we jab. They dither, we deliver. They vacillate, we vaccinate.”

Labour's Jess Phillips was among those who called the comments "disgraceful".

A party spokesman later clarified that the PM was aiming the comments at the Labour leader rather than shrugging off questions about the issue.

Ladybbird · 10-10-21, 12:01

Boris Johnson Jets off on Holiday as Brits Face Soaring Bills, Cuts and Shortages Crisis

Boris Johnson jetted to the Costa del Sol as millions face soaring UK energy bills, a cruel benefit cut, empty supermarket shelves and higher petrol prices

Daily Mirror 10 OCT 2021.

The PM is enjoying a sunshine break in a luxury villa while Brits suffer ( Image:AFP via Getty Images)

TRUMPs' protégée Boris Johnson is on a sunshine break in Marbella... as a cloud of misery engulfed Britain.

The Prime Minister jetted to the Costa del Sol as millions face soaring UK energy bills, a cruel benefit cut, empty supermarket shelves and higher petrol prices – if they can get any.

Mr Johnson arrived on Friday and is understood to be staying in a luxury villa until Thursday.

Hillside properties around Marbella typically boast private pools, swanky bedrooms and sweeping views across the countryside.

Temperatures in “Marbs” – a favourite with stars of TV’s The Only Way Is Essex – are set for 24C today.

In London it will be 18C – though angry Brits are much hotter under the collar at government bungling over the ongoing supplies and bills crisis.

Should the PM have gone on his hols? Have your say in the comment section

Temperatures in “Marbs” are set for 24C

A Westminster source said: “It’s fine the PM taking a break, but the timing shows just how out of touch he is with ordinary Brits facing bills, bills and yet more bills.”

And a Spanish police source told the Sunday Mirror last night: “Officially we can’t confirm, but unofficially he’s in a big luxury villa on the border between Mar-bella and Benahavis.

"We have been made aware that the British Prime Minister is staying and so we are all being extra vigilant. We know how important he is globally and what a potential target he is so there are extra patrols over the next few days.”

Critics claim the PM is out of touch with the current mood of the nation

It was unclear whether Mr Johnson’s pregnant wife Carrie, 33, and their year-old son Wilfred were with him in Marbella.

Spain had been on the Government’s amber list, before green and amber countries were merged into one list on Monday.

And Mr Johnson wasted no time jetting off soon after the Tory conference ended , leaving Brits back home to cope with the pain.

As he flew out, store shelves back home were left empty across the country with many shoppers unable to buy essential foods as Britain’s supply chain crisis continued.

Some supermarket aisles were stripped bare of meat, fruit and frozen goods as customers panic-bought items, including toilet roll and water bottles.

There were even warnings of shortages of festive favourites like Quality Street. Meanwhile, millions of households were facing up to yet tougher times ahead following the £20-a-week cut in Universal Credit benefits.

Mr Johnsons’s trip comes as something of a surprise as a senior government source had claimed only in August: “The PM’s going to staycation this year.”But the same month the PM said: “We need to get the travel industry moving again”.

Boris Johnson's serial adultery gets him thumbs down from 70% of voters in new poll

'Generous Tories help the poor by taking money off them as the wealthy hide trillions'

Last year, the Johnsons had a summer holiday on the west coast of Scotland – renting a house on the Applecross peninsula. And in December 2019, the PM and his then fiancé took a luxurious winter break to Mustique, a private island in the archipelago nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines.

The PM was later criticised by the MPs standards watchdog for failing to properly explain how the £15,000 holiday was funded.

Marbella, meanwhile, is a popular spot with other leading Tories too. Zac Goldsmith has a sprawling property there.

Ladybbird · 13-10-21, 12:58

Boris Johnson Relaxes and Paints Picture in £25k-a-WEEK Villa as UK Crisis Grips

The country’s in crisis and his deadly mishandling of Covid is being condemned by bereaved families and MPs... So where’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson? >He’s playing with his paint set at his billionaire pal’s villa - having fun Boris?

Daily Mirror 13 OCT 2021.

Boris Johnson painting at the Goldsmith’s Ranch in Benahavis, Marbella, Spain. 12.10.2021 The PM is reportedly in a 'super bubble'

As Boris Johnson stood at his easel trying to emulate his hero Winston Churchill, at home he was being condemned for failing to lead the nation through its worst crisis since the Second World War.

Families of those who died of Covid-19 were calling on the Prime Minister to apologise for his Government’s appalling failings during the pandemic, after a devastating report by MPs.

And as Mr Johnson relaxed in the Spanish villa owned by his billionaire pal, Zac Goldsmith, who he made a peer, industry chiefs were warning soaring energy prices could shut factories, costing thousands of jobs.

The country was also tackling labour shortages, price hikes, and a brutal Universal Credit cut, and with Cop26 less than a month away, the PM was advised to “get off his sun lounger and start being a statesman” amid warnings he needs to take the climate talks in Glasgow seriously to avoid a “greenwash” summit.

But Mr Johnson carried on his holiday with wife Carrie and their year-old son Wilfred regardless, leading the Spanish press to react to his sunshine break with disbelief. The El Pais newspaper said: “Boris Johnson spends a week in Marbella with his family while the United Kingdom tackles its greatest crisis since the pandemic.”

Mr Johnson has failed to comment on a report on ministers’ handling of the pandemic by the Health and Social Care and Science and Technology committees.

It concluded that 20,000 lives could have been saved if the country had gone into lockdown earlier in March last year.

Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay, who was sent out to defend the Government, admitted he had not even read the report and refused more than a dozen times to apologise – even though 150,000 people have died.

Asked if he wanted to say sorry for the failings, he said: “We’ve followed throughout the scientific advice. We got the vaccine deployed extremely quickly, we protected our NHS.”

Another Tory minister George Freeman said: “It’s too early for any proper discussion about blame and fault. This was a biomedical Battle of Britain and I suspect mistakes were made.”

Rivka Gottlieb, 49, believes the decision not to lock down earlier last spring cost her dad Michael, 73, his life in April.

She said: “I remember at the time, so many voices clamouring for an earlier lockdown, including from the scientific community.

“So the finger pointing, and the blaming the scientists, I just don’t accept it, I don’t buy it.

“Ultimately, the buck stops with the Government. They are responsible for the decisions and they made very poor decisions.”

"Everybody is entitled to a holiday, including the Prime Minister, but Boris Johnson has had 3 or 4 this past year that we know of. Now he has undeniably chosen a particularly bad time to escape a worried country by booking this trip to Spain.

While he enjoys painting pictures in the sunshine, back home many millions of workers, families and businesses are fighting serious crises on multiple fronts.

While he indulges in the luxury of a grand villa in Marbella courtesy of a Conservative Government Minister gifted a peerage, companies in the glass, steel, ceramic, paper and cement industries are concerned soaring crippling fuel bills could shut them down.

While he relaxes abroad, shortages of lorry drivers and agricultural workers are emptying supermarket shelves and making life tougher for those who couldn’t go away.

While he decides whether to swim or play tennis, households he callously hit hard by snatching £20 a week Universal Credit face choosing between hearing and eating.

And while he contemplates life, mourning relatives are asking why he isn’t apologising for the thousands of Covid victims needlessly killed by his and his Government’s incompetence.

The angry public voices raised about this ill-judged holiday are entitled to be heard and in a democracy it is demonstrably in the public interest for voters to read and see what their absent Prime Minister is doing while they grapple With making ends meet.

Yes, Johnson’s suffered Covid himself last year and his mother died recently so he could do with a break like everybody else.

Yet when he’s contributing to the woes of those hardworking grafters, families and businesses rather than giving them a break at what is a stressful time, Britain screaming our for incisive leadership, Johnson’s reinforcing growing evidence that he’s a trivial figure when a serious Prime Minister’s required.

The picture he’s painting by abandoning Downing Street this week isn’t pretty.

A good PM would be at work, not on holiday. Going awol tells us much about Johnson that is disturbing."

What the PM thinks he looks like - British statesman Winston Churchill painting a view of the Sorgue River while on vacation....

...whilst the nation Sees...

.

Ladybbird · 24-10-21, 22:39

Boris Johnson Pumps Out 21 Tons of CO2 in Flurry of Trips in Tycoon's Private Jet

The Prime Minister's green credentials went up in smoke as he gained an election advantage by travelling 1,200 miles aboard a private Gulfstream jet owned by JCB magnate Lord Bamford

BBC News 24 Oct 2021

Boris Johnson also borrowed Lord Bamford's helicopter

Blustering Boris Johnson’s green “credentials” went up in smoke as he made a flurry of trips on a tycoon’s gas-guzzling plane and helicopter.

The polluting PM pumped 21 tons of CO2 into the air in just two weeks with jaunts on a £47million Gulfstream jet owned by JCB digger magnate Lord Bamford.

The Sunday Mirror can reveal Boris travelled more than 1,200 miles by jet for campaign visits in the fortnight before May’s local elections.

And it’s understood the PM made at least two more journeys in Lord Bamford’s helicopter.

Using the train would have caused a fraction of the damage to the environment. And it would have taken a typical petrol-driven car ONE YEAR to emit the carbon dioxide spewed out by the Gulfstream in just ONE HOUR.

The revelations come on the eve of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow – and after Boris himself accused other leaders of “hot air” over green issues.

Greenpeace’s chief scientist Dr Doug Parr stormed: “Prime Ministerial actions have consequences far beyond those of any Hollywood star or royal, and Prime Ministerial hypocrisy is deeply corrosive of public trust.”

Matthew Lawrence, of campaign group Common Wealth, added: “The PM’s words yet again don’t match reality.”

The flights on the Gulfstream G650 would have released an estimated 21.2 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, about a third of what the average person creates in a year.

The PM would have to plant around 130 trees to offset the greenhouse gases emitted during the jet journeys alone.

Making the same journeys by rail would have released just 0.1 tons of CO2 per passenger.

On polling day, May 6, the PM appeared virtually at Germany’s Petersberg Climate Dialogue, urging world leaders to come up with more than “hot air” at next week’s COP26 conference.

He said: “I’ll be seeking commitments from the G7 members to use their voices and their votes, wherever and whenever possible to support the transition to net zero (carbon emissions), kickstart a green industrial revolution, and build economies that withstand whatever our changing climate throws at us.”

The following day he made two journeys on private aircraft, first on the helicopter to open an academy school in Coventry, then on the private jet to the North East to celebrate his party’s victory in the Hartlepool by-election – releasing around 13,000lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere.

The Common Wealth think tank has called for a ban on fossil fuel-powered private jets by 2025 – arguing the climate crisis is driven by the wealthiest in society, and has consequences for the most vulnerable.

Director Mathew Lawrence said: “Promising a green revolution then jetting off in a Tory donor’s fossil fuel guzzling plane might be hypocritical, but it is not how we tackle the climate emergency.

“To ‘level up’ and reach net-zero we need to ground the private jets and get on with building a clean, affordable transport future that works for everyone.”

According to charter flight operator Paramount Business Jets, the Gulfstream G650 emits around 10,614lbs or 4.7 imperial tons of CO2 per hour of flight.

It’s not possible to accurately estimate the emissions of Mr Johnson’s helicopter trips, due to incomplete flight data. But similar helicopters emit up to half a ton of CO2 for every hour they’re in the air.

Lord Bamford’s jet was purchased from Gulfstream in 2014 and was delivered to its base in East Midlands Airport.

The PM’s flights were declared as donations in kind to the Conservative Party, at an estimated cost of £40,254.71.

Gulfstream G650 fact file

Cost: £47.2 million ($65m)

Maximum passengers: 15

Range: 11,263km (6998 miles)

Emissions: 10,614 lbs (4.7 imperial ton) per hour of flight time

Luxury interior: Meeting space, sofas, reclining armchairs, a 42-inch flat screen TV, in-flight WiFi, a kitchen including microwave and oven, fridge freezer and an espresso machine.

Also owned (or formerly owned) by: Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, James Dyson, David Geffen, Ralph Lauren,

Mr Johnson posed for photographs with Lord Bamford, 76, last week to promote his firm’s new eco-friendly hydrogen-powered digger.

News of the PM’s carbon footprint comes as up to 300,000 ordinary motorists are set to be hit with a £12.50 a day charge to drive in London’s newly-expanded Ultra Low Emission zone.

And the flights storm could embarrass the PM’s wife Carrie, an ardent environmental champion. She was not on board.

A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “It has long been the case that party leaders make visits across the country during election campaigns, using a wide variety of transport.

“Such visits are an important part of the democratic process, so politicians, including Prime Ministers, can visit as many places as possible, within time constraints.

“As part of the Government’s levelling up agenda, it is entirely right that ministers meet and listen to people in every part of the United Kingdom.

“Under this government, we’ve reduced carbon emissions faster than any other G7 country, are producing a record amount of electricity from renewable sources and are a world-leader in offshore wind.”

Next week, Mr Johnson and other world leaders are set to travel to COP26 on so-called “green flights” using sustainable fuel produced from food waste.

But Greenpeace branded the move “greenwashing”.

Research commissioned by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy was pulled from the Government’s website last Wednesday, shortly after it was published.

The document recommended the Government make strong “interventions” to tackle aviation emissions and reduce demand among frequent business flyers.

Ladybbird · 12-11-21, 07:25

Boris Johnson Repeatedly Refuses to Apologise for Sleaze Debacle - or Condemn Geoffrey Cox

With a sleaze storm brewing in parliament, Boris Johnson insists UK not ‘remotely corrupt’ & seeks shelter where he can

Former Tory Attorney General Geoffrey Cox Accrued at Least £6m From Second job While a Parliamentarian
-also recently skipped 12 Commons votes on days when he was engaged in paid legal work

Blundering Boris Johnson gets two world leaders mixed up at COP26 climate summit

The Prime Minister said he had been 'moved' by a quote from the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, when actually it was said by UN Secretary António Guterres

The Guardian UK 12 NOV 2021.

Hugely encouraging to find Boris Johnson treating Monday’s emergency debate on sleaze like the birth of a lovechild. Which is to say, he was unfortunately washing his hair. Metaphorically, of course. I get a strong “Mate, after eight weeks, hair cleans itself” energy from the prime minister.

The House of Commons isn’t going to clean itself, unfortunately, which makes it all the more regrettable that Johnson always feels the need to get away from his mistakes. By next year, he’ll have billed the taxpayer for a full-scale Fortress of Solitude, with the only locked-on certainty being that Kwasi Kwarteng will assure us the £38bn crystal cave is a non-story.

Yesterday, though, we had Anne-Marie Trevelyan defending outside earnings. The trade secretary didn’t think the ability to maintain lucrative consultancies should be removed, she said in one interview, because it brought a “richness” to the Commons. Jesus, Anne-Marie: YOU HAD ONE JOB. Unlike half the Tory backbenches, obviously, who have three jobs.

Good to know that ongoing performance art piece Chris Grayling takes a full £100,000 a year from Hutchison Ports Europe, where I imagine his advice runs to “Quick one: did you remember to acquire some ports? Seems obvious but I once ballsed up on this front with ferries.”
The latest emanation from the WTF files is the revelation that Torridge and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox has spoken once in a single parliamentary debate since February 2020, and spent part of this year working and voting remotely out of the British Virgin Islands, where he pocketed £150,000 of his £900,000 extra-parliamentary earnings for advising the tax haven’s government on Foreign Office corruption charges.

I mean … Just get an OnlyFans, Geoffrey. It’s so much more dignified. Incidentally, it’s nice to remember how many people wanged on about what a nice voice this #massivelegend had, back when he was a scenery-chewing attorney general for Theresa May. You can bet they feel pretty ahead of the curve now.

They could get Cox to record their voicemail greeting for them. He’s bound to be on Cameo. Indeed, perhaps that’s the logical next step in democracy’s voiding of its bowels: Boris Johnson charging a grand a pop to gibber “Build Back Birthday!” for paying members of the electorate.

Amazingly, Cox is just one element in what’s becoming a category 5 ****storm for Johnson. There are honestly too many fronts to fit in here, from Johnson’s own byzantine arrangements for paying for £840-a-roll gold wallpaper, to the grotesque racket of Tory treasurers donating £3m and reliably ending up in the Lords. (Johnson has appointed a full 96 peers in less than two years, meaning the Lords itself now runs to nearly 800 members and is bigger than the entire EU parliament.)

All this is before we even get to Delyn MP Rob Roberts, who has somehow just been allowed to rejoin the Conservative party and sit as an independent in the Commons despite an investigation having found he sexually harassed a junior member of staff.

Mind you, I’ve very much enjoyed the gentlemen across Fleet Street who’ve been pontificating along the lines of: “Can you imagine a sexual harasser in any other workplace simply being allowed to carry on working there?”

Yes, guys. I can.

ANYHOW. In the absence of Johnson, you might have ordinarily expected Monday’s debate to be opened by leader of the house Jacob Rees-Mogg. As one of the architects of the catastrophic Paterson amendment, however, Rees-Mogg was evidently deemed too much of an oratorical liability. He and his fellow blunderer, chief whip Mark Spencer, could instead be found sitting boot-faced and silent on the frontbench like Crabbe and Goyle – a pair of not-very-hench men who knew their blond ringleader wasn’t going to show up.

At the dispatch box, honours were instead done by Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay, a political entity I find it very difficult to have an opinion about one way or the other. Ever since he was appointed from the ether as Brexit secretary in 2018, Barclay has somehow always seemed a placeholder minister, who materialises only as a temporary proxy – the human equivalent of the apologetic parenthesis [sorry this bit to follow later].

But look: Steve didn’t exactly have great material to work with – and it should obviously never even have been his script. The bottler who should have done it had instead spent the morning at a hospital in Northumberland, floundering to the cameras that he couldn’t get back in time.

Boris Johnson is the most extraordinarily bad liar, which is really embarrassing for him considering how long he’s spent practising. I heard if you spent 10,000 hours doing something you were supposed to be an expert in it. In which case, Johnson should be able to compete intergalactically in this particularly discipline. He should be good enough to be Earth’s tribune in the Bull**** Games.

Instead, we found the PM skulking in a radiology department, trying to change the subject to Covid. That in itself tells you quite how bad things are. Changing the subject to talk about something he’s handled as badly as Covid has the ring of “Can we talk instead about how I can’t live on £160,000 and two free houses?”, or “Can we talk instead about how my wife’s five years older than my daughter?” I suppose you have to concede the quality of the white goods he’s hiding in has improved. He’s graduated from a fridge to a CT scan machine.

Arguably the darkest news this week, though, is the discovery that the standards commissioner, Kathryn Stone, now requires increased security after threats against her. What a moment for pause. It was barely two weeks ago that some in the Commons were calling for “David’s Law”, in memory of the brutally murdered MP David Amess, explaining that sky-rocketing abuse of members was fuelled by the internet.

And yet, what is abuse of the previously pretty anonymous standards commissioner fuelled by, if not some hugely unnecessary and disgracefully targeted attacks on her led by some MPs themselves? If only they’d spend a little less time on the second jobs, and a little more considering the duties and honour of the first.
In the meantime, Johnson has reminded his MPs he’s a weak man masquerading as a strong one, which is why serving ministers are now giving quotes to the Times like: “We put up with him as long as he’s popular. As soon as he’s not, we should get rid.” Oof. That time may not have come. But I’m reminded of a great Hemingway line from The Sun Also Rises.

“How did you go bankrupt?” “Two ways. Gradually and then suddenly.”

Ladybbird · 13-11-21, 15:11

Fresh Sleaze Claims as Tories Take 1.5million From Oil and Gas Donors under Boris Johnson

No 10 faces legal challenge to PM’s support for Priti Patel on bullying claims Senior civil servants’ union move for judicial review allegations adds to pressure on Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson holiday villa linked to Zac Goldsmith firms accused of tax evasion -Costa del Sol property firms owned by Goldsmith family ordered to pay €24m in unpaid taxes and fines

Boris Johnson has been blasted for climate change hypocrisy over Tory party funding as Electoral Commission records shows donations stretching back to 2019 linking the Conservatices with oil and gas magnates

BBC News 13 NOV 2021.

Boris Johnson decided Priti Patel Home Secretary, had not breached the ministerial code. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/UK PARLIAMENT/AFP/Getty Images

The government faces a legal challenge to Boris Johnson’s decision to back Priti Patel over bullying allegations, throwing a fresh spotlight on the prime minister’s approach to ethics in public life.

Alex Allan, Johnson’s independent adviser on the ministerial code, resigned last year after the prime minister chose not to act on a critical report about Patel.

After a Cabinet Office investigation, citing instances in which she had shouted and sworn at staff, Allan found Patel had displayed “behaviour that can be described as bullying” and that she had “not consistently met the high standards expected of her”.

His report suggested she had breached the ministerial code, even if unintentionally.

Boris Johnson says the UK is not ‘remotely a corrupt country’. Is it?

Johnson decided she had not breached the code, however, and subsequently urged his colleagues to “form a square around the Prittster”.

The FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, has brought a judicial review of his decision, probing the legal status of the ministerial code, which will be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice next Wednesday and Thursday.

Dave Penman, the FDA’s general secretary, said: “Civil servants should expect to work with ministers without fear of being bullied or harassed.

“The prime minister’s decision, which he said reflected the home secretary’s assertion that her actions were unintentional, also potentially allows ministers to avoid the consequences of their behaviour in future by pleading that it should be the intent of their actions which is important, not the consequences.

“The result is that civil servants’ confidence in challenging unacceptable behaviour from ministers has been fatally damaged.”

He added that 90% of civil servants in a recent survey carried out by the union said they had no confidence in the ministerial code as a way of dealing with bullying or harassment by ministers.

Johnson took the unusual step earlier this week of insisting the UK is “not remotely a corrupt country”, amid a slew of sleaze claims after his botched bid to protect disgraced former MP Owen Paterson from a 30-day suspension for paid lobbying.

Decisions on whether backbench MPs have breached their code of conduct are taken by the cross-party committee for standards, after an investigation by the independent watchdog, Kathryn Stone, and must then be rubber-stamped by the House of Commons.

But the prime minister is the ultimate arbiter of whether the ministerial code has been broken – and Johnson chose to override Allan’s findings in Patel’s case.

The home secretary subsequently reached a six-figure settlement with the former permanent secretary of her department, Sir Philip Rutnam, after claims that he was forced out of his job for intervening in her alleged bullying.

Whitehall sources said that Rutnam received a £340,000 settlement with a further £30,000 in costs. He had threatened to take the home secretary to an employment tribunal hearing.

Resigning in February last year, Rutnam claimed he had been the victim of a “vicious and orchestrated campaign against him”, which Patel had organised. Patel has consistently denied that claim and rejected allegations of bullying.

A report from the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life, published last week, urged the government to strengthen the powers of the independent adviser on ministers’ interests – currently Lord Geidt, who was appointed to succeed Allan.

The committee said he should be able to launch his own investigations; his reports should be published promptly; and the government should publish the range of sanctions that could be applied to ministers who breach the rules in future.

“Meaningful independence is the benchmark for any effective form of standards regulation and current arrangements for the adviser still fall below this bar,” the committee said.

Zac Goldsmith (left) is a longstanding friend of Johnson and his wife, Carrie. In 2019, the PM personally appointed Goldsmith to the House of Lords. Photograph: Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images

Under strain Boris Johnson faces a crisis over sleaze

Villa Tramores, where Johnson stayed

The luxury villa where Boris Johnson stayed on holiday last month is linked to Costa del Sol property businesses owned by Zac Goldsmith’s family that engaged in a multimillion-pound tax evasion scheme, according to Spanish courts.

Court papers obtained by the Guardian show tax inspectors ordered two property companies owned by the Goldsmith family to pay €24m (£20m) in unpaid taxes and fines after investigating what they said was a suspicious property deal.

The tax authority’s findings have been upheld by one of Spain’s highest courts, with judges agreeing the companies effectively engaged in a deliberate effort to evade tax and committed “serious” violations of the law.

Documents indicate Spanish authorities are still seeking to recover the funds and could even seize parts of the family’s land, which is spread across more than 600 hectares (1,480 acres) of private woodland about 10 miles from the Marbella coastline.

A Swiss lawyer for one of the companies denied the case amounted to a “tax evasion” issue, describing it as a dispute that resulted from a mistaken land valuation by Spanish tax authorities. She said the finding against her client was “extremely hard to understand, to put it mildly”. Court papers indicate there will be a further appeal.

However, the revelation raises difficult questions for the prime minister, who has already faced criticism for refusing to declare his use of the luxury property in the MPs’ register of interests, which would require him to disclose the monetary value of the gift from the Goldsmith family.

Villa Tramores, where Johnson stayed, was not owned by a company involved in the tax investigation but forms part of the Goldsmiths’ property holdings. Photograph: Tramores

Downing Street has insisted the holiday at the villa, which costs £25,000 a week to rent, was “unconnected with the PM’s parliamentary and political activities”. Zac Goldsmith, a Conservative minister, is a longstanding friend of Johnson and his wife, Carrie. In 2019, Johnson personally appointed Goldsmith to the House of Lords after his friend lost his seat as an MP.

Johnson is now likely to be asked how much he knew of the Spanish tax investigation into companies owned by the Tory minister’s family before staying at their villa, which is in a secluded corner of an estate beside swimming pools, a tennis court and an organic farm.

The revelations raise questions for both Goldsmith, a senior minister, and his brother Ben, a non-executive director at the environment department, about the extent to which they were aware of or involved in the property deal .

Neither brother responded in detail to questions about the extent of their knowledge or involvement in the transactions at the heart of the tax investigation. In an email, Ben Goldsmith said: “This whole thing serves as a warning to any Brit thinking of owning a property in Spain.”

The Goldsmith brothers inherited their wealth from their father, Sir James Goldsmith, who died in 1997 with a £1.2bn fortune. Goldsmith senior’s wealth now resides in a discretionary trust run for the benefit of his children. It is understood that not all of the children have an interest in the Spanish property portfolio.

The family first acquired the Tramores estate, the site of the villa where Johnson stayed, in the 1980s. By 1999, the Goldsmiths are understood to have used a company linked to a Cayman Islands structure to acquire additional land bordering the villa, effectively expanding their estate.

More recently, separate Goldsmith-owned offshore companies have been used to own the patchwork of land and properties, which are all situated in the same hills surrounding the quiet mountain village of Benahavís.

The Swiss lawyer, who represents one of the companies accused of evading tax, Guadalmansa Administraciones, said the villa where Johnson stayed was “entirely separate” from the property ensnared in the tax dispute.

However, while the villa Johnson stayed in was not owned by a company involved in the tax investigation, public records suggest it forms part of the Goldsmiths’ wider sprawling property holdings in Benahavís.

It is unclear why Zac Goldsmith has only declared one of at least three companies that own parts of his family’s land outside the village. The Lords register of interests lists only a Spanish and Maltese company as holding an interest in land in Andalucía.

But documents suggest a more complex trust structure has been used to hold land in the area and generate income from holiday rentals, including companies that have not been declared. A spokesperson for the peer insisted: “All reportable interests have been correctly and transparently declared.”

Spain’s tax agency first began investigating the Goldsmith family’s companies in 2012. Inspectors homed in on an unusual property deal when one of the companies transferred land on a large estate to a related company.

According to court papers, in 2008 – two years before Goldsmith became an MP – the minister’s family segregated parts of its land near Benahavís village and transferred it from one of their companies – Guadalmansa Administraciones – to another called Benaltos Inversiones in exchange for satisfying a €5m debt owed to the company.

However, inspectors alleged the debt was in fact “fictitious” and the companies should have treated the transaction as a “profitable transfer” rather than a debt repayment. They alleged the transaction significantly undervalued the land, which they estimated was in fact worth €23.2m.

After a year-long investigation, the agency ordered the companies to pay a combined €24m in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties. It alleged the companies had violated a law requiring the transfer of assets between related parties to be valued at their normal market value.

Crucially, inspectors alleged the companies failed to properly declare the financial gains arising from the transfer by filing inaccurate tax returns.

In 2016, Spain’s central economic-administrative court (CEAT) rejected an appeal by the companies against the agency’s decision.

Lawyers for the companies had argued the €5m debt owed by Guadalmansa to Benaltos was genuine and a valuation of the property commissioned by the tax agency was flawed. They claimed the fines were disproportionate.

Downing Street has insisted the holiday at the villa was ‘unconnected with the PM’s parliamentary and political activities’

The court, however, accepted the debt was artificial and not a normal commercial arrangement, noting that “several companies domiciled in tax havens” were involved “for no apparent economic reason”.

The court also accepted the tax agency’s valuation of the property and noted that just eight months after the transfer the land was used as security for a loan and valued at €23m. According to the ruling, there was “no doubt” Benaltos was guilty and its improper actions had “resulted in a loss to the public treasury”.

Two years later, one of Spain’s highest courts, the audiencia nacional, upheld the tax court’s ruling. Documents suggest a further appeal has been filed before Spain’s supreme court, but the companies can only appeal against the 2018 ruling on a point of law rather than on the facts of the case.

The Swiss lawyer representing Guadalmansa maintains the Spanish tax agency significantly overvalued the property. It said the assessment was “based entirely on one wildly aberrant valuation” by an agency-appointed valuation company which has since acknowledged they “made a mistake”.

It added: “The purchase was proper, and all taxes associated with the property have always been paid in full.”

Meanwhile, the two Goldsmith companies investigated by tax authorities appear to be in financial jeopardy. Both were placed into voluntary insolvency in 2019. Documents suggest that by April last year, as a result of the dispute, they owed more than €20m to their biggest creditor: the Spanish state.

Ladybbird · 17-11-21, 11:24

Boris SLEAZE: Johnson to Face Questions Over MPs' Second Jobs Row

Boris Johnson will face questions from across Parliament later, as a row about MPs' second jobs continues to engulf Westminster.

BBC News 17 NOV 2021

The PM announced plans on Tuesday to stop MPs working as political consultants, ahead of a Commons debate later.

Owen Paterson, who has resigned as an MP, denies breaking Commons lobbying rules

Labour wants to ban all second jobs, apart from "public service" roles or professions requiring registration.

The row comes after ex-Tory MP Owen Paterson broke Commons lobbying rules.

MPs will vote later on whether to back the government's or Labour's blueprint for resolving the increasingly fraught debate over outside roles.

Before that, Mr Johnson will face MPs during Prime Minister's Questions at 12:00 GMT, and appear before a committee of senior MPs at 15:00.

In his surprise announcement on Tuesday, Mr Johnson said MPs should no longer be able to hold jobs advising firms on how Parliament works.

He also proposed a new rule that any outside role, paid or unpaid, should be "within reasonable limits" and not stop MPs fully serving their constituents.

This is yet to be defined, but International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has suggested 15 hours a week as a reasonable limit.

Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she added there was a "common sense test there that we all understand" on what was appropriate.

Labour has welcomed the ban on paid political consultancy, which it has been proposing for a number of years.

In addition, the party wants a wider ban, with exemptions only for MPs holding jobs as doctors or nurses, or in the police and as Army reservists.

The proposed ban on political consultancy is yet to be finalised, with both sides in agreement that the cross-party Commons Standards Committee should draw up detailed rules.

That committee, which has been reviewing the rules for some months, is due to publish its own report on the matter in the coming weeks.

On Wednesday afternoon, MPs will debate competing visions for how the crisis over second jobs should be resolved.

Labour's suggestion would order the standards committee to draw up rules by 31 January to implement the consultancy ban.

If the government did not offer MPs a vote on these rules within 15 days, backbench MPs would gain the power to force one.

However, the government has tabled an amendment - or proposed an alternative - to this plan.

'Dirty Tricks'

This proposal would see the committee coming up with recommendations by the same date, but what happens next is left unclear.

Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire accused the government of playing "dirty tricks" by using less specific language in its motion.

The PM announced his political consultancy ban on Tuesday, whilst Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was holding a press conference on his party's own proposals.

Speaking to reporters afterwards, Sir Keir described Mr Johnson's move as a "significant victory for the Labour Party".

He told reporters: "Be under no illusion, the prime minister has only done this U-turn because his back was against the wall."

Arguments over second jobs held by MPs outside of Westminster have intensified in recent weeks in the wake of the Mr Paterson's case.

The Conservative MP was found to have broken Commons rules by using his position to lobby for two companies paying him.

Mr Paterson, who has always denied wrongdoing, called the investigation into his conduct unfair.

The government then tried to block his suspension from Parliament, and get the whole disciplinary process for MPs reviewed.

But it abandoned the plan a day later, after an outcry from opposition MPs and some Tories. Mr Paterson then resigned as an MP.

'Deflection'

Since then, the work of a number of MPs has come under scrutiny, including Tory MP and former Attorney General, Sir Geoffrey Cox, who earned more than £700,000 doing legal work in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) on top of his MP salary.

Senior backbench Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has said he has "no problem" with a ban on paid consultancy work.

But, speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he warned that going further could deter people with "good skills" from entering Parliament.

The SNP's Alison Thewliss told BBC Newsnight that voters should treat the government's plan "with the same cynicism that many of us in [the Commons] treat it with, because nothing is changing."

"It is just deflection by this government, trying to cover up and hide this scandal," she adds.
END

NB: He is back on 'The COKE'....Note his bloodshot RED EYES & SWOLLEN DRY PINK LIPS....

Ladybbird · 23-11-21, 09:55

Boris Johnson Loses His Place -Compares Himself to Moses & Rambles About Peppa Pig in BIZARRE Business Speech

The Prime Minister also jokingly quoted Lenin, talked about how he used to scorn wind farms and electric cars, and impersonated a car saying: “Broom broom brah brah!”

Daily Mirror 23 NOV 2021.

He lost his place and spent 20 seconds rifling through his notes, muttering: “Forgive me” before then rambling about Peppa Pig in a bizarre speech to business leaders.

The Prime Minister had hoped to steady wobbles to his leadership over high-speed rail,care and sleaze with a speech to the CBI conference.

Trumping the speech ahead of time, No10 announced new homes in England will have to include electric vehicle charging points, adding "up to" 140,000 new points per year.

But it went off the rails after he lost his place and spent just over 20 seconds rifling through his notes, muttering “forgive me” three times and "blast it". Business leaders in the tent appeared unsure how to react.

He then went into a lengthy diversion about Peppa Pig World - which is almost 6 hours' drive from South Shields - after visiting it yesterday.

He demanded to know why business leaders in South Shields had not visited the children’s attraction 330 miles away in Hampshire

The Prime Minister also jokingly quoted Lenin, referred to himself as Moses, talked about how he used to scorn wind farms and electric cars, and impersonated an accelerating car saying: “Broom broom brah brah!”

The Labour Party tweeted: “The joke’s not funny any more”.

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “Businesses are crying out for clarity. Instead, all they got was Boris Johnson rambling on about Peppa Pig.

“It is a perfect metaphor for Johnson’s chaotic, incompetent Government as it trashes our economy, but it is not worthy of a British Prime Minister.

All the ridiculous moments from Boris Johnson's 'shambolic' Peppa Pig business speech

"The Prime Minister famously said he was going to “f” business - the least he could do is to deliver a decent f-ing speech.”

North East businessman Richard Swart, who is global sales and quality director at County Durham manufacturer Berger Group and chairman of the Advanced Manufacturing Forum, told the Mirror the speech was "catastrophic".

He said: "This was way below par for a Prime Minister, especially given the multitude of challenges this country is facing.

"We are desperate for statesmanlike behaviour to help us navigate through Covid, Brexit, labour shortages and other challenges we face.

Boris Johnson was seen enjoying a day at Peppa Pig World theme park in the New Forest with his one-year-old son

"It is time for the Tory Party to put ideological loyalties to one side, focus on what's good for the country and choose more responsible leadership."

An ITV reporter even asked Mr Johnson "is everything OK?" to which he replied: "I think people got the vast majority of the points I wanted to make and I thought it went over well."

Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: "The PM's shambolic CBI speech shows how unseriously he takes British business, and how he lacks any plan for growth."

Mr Johnson's surprise reference to Peppa Pig came shortly after he regained his place in his speech.

He said: "Yesterday I went, as we all must, to Peppa Pig World."I don’t know if you’ve been to Peppa Pig world, who’s been, hands up anyone who’s been to Peppa Pig World? ...Not enough."

Peppa Pig World is almost six hours' drive from the venue he was speaking at in South Shields.

He added: "I loved it and Peppa Pig World is very much my kind of place. It has very safe streets, err… discipline in schools, heavy emphasis on new mass transit systems, even if they’re a bit stereotypical about Daddy Pig."

Praising the character as an example of British innovation, he continued: "Who would have believed that a pig that looks like a hairdryer or possibly a Picasso-like hairdryer, a pig that was rejected by the BBC, would now be exported to 180 countries with theme parks both in America and China?"

Boris Johnson gave a rambling speech to business leaders in South Shields

The BBC has later confirmed it had not rejected Peppa Pig.

Mr Johnson made eyebrow-raising claims about high-speed rail and business.

He boasted: "Last week we announced three vast new high speed lines, cutting the time from London to Manchester by an hour and creating a new Crossrail of the North."

That is despite the fact the "three vast new high-speed lines" were in fact the fragments left over after previous plans for new high-speed track were slashed.

He also said “I’ve never been anything other than business’s number one fan,” despite privately saying “f*** business” in a 2018 row over Brexit.

Meanwhile Mr Johnson predicted workers will come back to offices despite soaring Covid cases.

He said: "There are also sound evolutionary reasons why Mother Nature does not like working from home, so I prophesise people will come back.

Mr Johnson predicted workers will come back to offices despite soaring Covid cases

Ladybbird · 04-12-21, 11:23

Labour MPs Report BORIS Johnson to Police Over 2020 Christmas Parties

Met asked to investigate reports of alleged breaches of COVID Lockdown Rules at No 10

The Guardian UK, 4 DEC 2021.

Oliver Dowden has said No 10 and central Conservative party will continue with Christmas functions despite the arrival of the Omicron variant in the UK. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty

The prime minister has been reported to the police by Labour MPs over allegations there were at least two parties in Downing Street during lockdown restrictions last year.

Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, wrote to the Met police commissioner, Cressida Dick, asking her to investigate reports that the prime minister spoke at a leaving do in November and also allowed a staff Christmas party to go ahead in December.

At the time, there were lockdown restrictions in place preventing socialising. After sending the letter, Coyle said: “I believe they broke the law. Most of my constituents followed the rules; those that didn’t faced penalties. Johnson is not above the law, despite his bloated self-entitlement.”

Barry Gardiner, the former shadow international trade secretary, also asked the Met to investigate, adding: “If these events did take place, it implies there is one rule for the government and another for everyone else.

Johnson has not explicitly denied the parties took place but No 10 has insisted “all Covid rules were followed”. Earlier on Friday, the Metropolitan police had said it had not yet received any complaints about the parties.

Separately, the former regional chief prosecutor, Nazir Afzal, called for the forthcoming public inquiry into the pandemic to examine alleged lockdown breaches at the two Downing Street parties last year as well as Dominic Cummings’s journeys to the north-east.

Afzal wants the inquiry, which is due to start in the new year, to examine how compliant officials were with the government’s own rules and guidance and the impact of the alleged breaches on public compliance.

In a letter sent to the prime minister on Friday, Afzal’s lawyers said the inquiry should have “full authority to explore the role of individuals in government, and those connected to the government, in devising the regulations, complying with them themselves and, in turn, ensuring the public’s confidence and compliance with those regulations, as well as the impact of non-compliance”.

The letter cited Afzal’s concerns about Cummings travelling to Durham and Barnard Castle at the height of the first lockdown when he was chief aide to the prime minister.

It added: “This was not the only example of non-compliance to emerge at the time and, in the light of recent revelations about a party held at Downing Street last Christmas, it is likely that more will emerge.”

It comes as the Conservatives said they were pressing ahead with this year’s Christmas party in spite of scientists’ fears over the spread of Omicron, as their co-chair told people to “keep calm and carry on” with festivities.

“We obviously wouldn’t set out details of private functions in No 10 but, as I say, there will be festive events in the run-up to Christmas,” said Oliver Dowden.

He told Sky News: “The message to people, I think, is fairly straightforward – which is: keep calm, carry on with your Christmas plans. We’ve put the necessary restrictions in place, but beyond that keep calm and carry on.”

Asked about the Tories’ own party plans, he told BBC Breakfast: “I think it is still planned, and I don’t intend to cancel it as chairman of the Conservative party.”

Ladybbird · 08-01-22, 17:04

‘Funds For Favours’: Geidt Pressed to Reopen Investigation Into PM’s Flat

Emergence of ‘great exhibition’ messages seems to undermine ethics adviser’s finding, says Labour

The Guardian UK 8 JAN 2022.

Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser has been accused of failing to investigate a potential “funds for favours” scandal after the prime minister was cleared of rule-breaking over his Downing Street flat refurbishment.

Christopher Geidt shut his investigation without commenting on Johnson seeking funds for the works from a Conservative donor while promising to consider plans for a “great exhibition”. Expectations also faded that another inquiry, led by parliament’s standards commissioner Kathryn Stone, would go ahead.

However, it emerged that the UK’s data watchdog has launched an investigation into the Cabinet Office after a complaint that it failed to release WhatsApp messages exchanged between Boris Johnson and the Tory peer who financed his flat renovation,.. David Brownlow.

Pressure on Lord Geidt to reopen his investigation mounted on Friday night when Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said his decision to close the case “raises a number of serious concerns and questions”.

She claimed the original finding that Lord Brownlow had “altruistic and philanthropic motives” for paying for the flat refurbishment, and that there was “no reasonably perceived conflict”, appeared undermined by the WhatsApp messages.

The existence of the messages emerged as part of a probe by the Electoral Commission that concluded in December but their contents were only published on Thursday.

They showed Johnson told Brownlow parts of his No 11 flat were a “tip” and he was keen for his decor designer to “get on with it”, asking if he could put her in touch “for approvals”. The prime minister added: “PS am on the great exhibition plan Will revert.”

In his reply, Brownlow said he would “get it sorted” and “approval is a doddle as it’s only me and I know where the £ will come from”, adding: “Thanks for thinking about GE2.”

The great exhibition plan was backed by Brownlow, who several weeks later met to discuss it with the then culture secretary, Oliver Dowden. On Friday, Johnson’s spokesperson confirmed that No 10 passed on an inquiry about the suggested event to Dowden’s department.

Johnson was forced to offer a “humble and sincere apology” for not recalling the messages, and blamed “security issues” – thought to relate to when his personal phone number was posted online – for not having access to the phone they were on.

Rayner said it was “irrelevant” whether Brownlow’s motives were altruistic, and added: “The issue is that a reasonable person could surely perceive that his financial relationship with the prime minister has provided him with privileged access to government, and that relationship was undeclared at the time.”

Rayner accused Geidt of holding Johnson to a “far weaker” standard for potential conflict of interests than that set out in the MPs’ code of conduct, adding: “This suggests that you will hold ministers to a lower standard of transparency than backbench MPs.”

She called on Geidt to publish a new or amended report, but senior Whitehall sources downplayed such a possibility. “It’s probably not going to get anywhere,” said one. “I’m sure Lord Geidt will issue a polite reply.”

While Stone was waiting for the Electoral Commission and Geidt’s inquiry to conclude before proceeding, the standards commissioner was said to be unlikely to launch an investigation of her own. This is because Johnson’s flat was used by him in a ministerial capacity, meaning any potential wrongdoing would need to be judged against the ministerial code.

Rayner called on 9 December for Stone to launch an investigation into whether Johnson broke the rule that MPs have to be honest, given the non-disclosure of the texts with Brownlow. However, even if Stone dismisses it, Labour could make a separate complaint based on the new evidence that emerged this week.

The MPs’ code of conduct makes clear that ministers are bound by the ministerial code, which is not enforced by the standards commissioner. But it adds allegations about “failure to abide by the rules on lobbying for reward or consideration” are within Stone’s scope.

In further criticism of Geidt’s inquiry, Labour’s lawyers wrote to him on 4 January after stories appeared in the press suggesting Johnson would be cleared of breaching the ministerial code. The solicitors’ firm Edwards Duthie Shamash said the “apparent failure” of Geidt’s investigation to obtain the WhatsApp messages was “more than unfortunate”.

Geidt was accused in the letter of “failure to ask the searching questions necessary to get to the truth of this matter and that such failures should not allow the prime minister to escape the consequences of apparent breaches of the ministerial code”.

The lawyers added: “The recent briefings have done little to restore my client’s faith in the processes over which you preside.” Geidt did not respond, but his office said in reply to another letter sent several weeks previously that it “is not generally appropriate” for him to “engage in legal correspondence in respect of the discharge of his functions”.

Separately, the Cabinet Office is being investigated after it was asked in a Freedom of Information request for all correspondence between Johnson and Brownlow but claimed there was nothing to hand over.

The data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), received a letter from Rayner in December raising “concerns” because the Electoral Commission report had unearthed texts exchanged between Johnson and Brownlow. “We are now conducting inquiries about the handling of this request,” a senior official at the ICO confirmed in response, saying it was a “live case”.

Sajid Javid, the health secretary, defended Geidt, saying he was “very well respected and has a very fiercely independent role”.

Downing Street said Brownlow was given no special treatment. “Ministers have a range of ideas and proposals put to them by various people – through MPs, through other parties,” Johnson’s spokesperson said.

Ladybbird · 12-01-22, 10:36

Downing Street Partygate: Tory MPs Demand Answers From Boris Johnson

Conservative and opposition MPs are demanding answers from Boris Johnson on whether he attended a drinks event in the No 10 garden during lockdown.

‘No longer a question of if PM will go, it is when’

BBC News 12 JAN 2022.

The PM is set to face questions he has so far declined to answer

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said that if he was there, and he lied about it, his position is "untenable".

And Tory MPs have been expressing their anger and concern over the reports.

Mr Johnson will appear at Prime Minister's Questions later - his first public appearance since details of the May 2020 event emerged.

The prime minister has so far declined to say whether he attended the gathering, but witnesses have told the BBC both he and his wife were among 30 people at the drinks.

On Monday, ITV published a leaked email from Mr Johnson's principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, inviting staff to "socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden" on 20 May 2020 - when lockdown rules in England banned large outdoor gatherings.

The invitation encouraged people to "bring your own booze" and "make the most of the lovely weather".

Mr Johnson has said it is a matter for Sue Gray - the senior civil servant investigating a series of reported parties in Downing Street and in Whitehall in 2020 - to determine what happened.

The PM's official spokesman has also refused to confirm whether Mr Johnson attended the May 2020 Downing Street gathering. He added that the prime minister retained full confidence in Mr Reynolds.

"Boris Johnson must now resign," says Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey

But backbencher Nigel Mills told BBC Newsnight an inquiry was not needed to establish whether the prime minister was there.

"He knows whether he was there or not. Just come out and say what happened," he said.

Mr Mills said it would be "utterly untenable" for any senior figure who attended the gathering to be responsible for setting Covid-19 policy.

"If the prime minister knowingly attended a party, I can't see how he can survive," he said.

Conservative MP Huw Merriman insisted "more clarity" was needed from the prime minister on what took place and whether he attended, adding that people were "in the dark" about what went on.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he didn't believe Mr Johnson should resign, adding that people should be judged on the positives and negatives, citing government achievements including the successful vaccination rollout and the prime minister "holding his nerve" on refusing to introduce further Covid rules in England.

On Tuesday, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said Mr Johnson must quit if he was found to have broken Covid rules.

Tory MP Charles Walker said the week's events have been damaging, adding: "The prime minister and the No 10 team will know that there were significant errors of judgment made back in May 2020."

But he added: "Not in mitigation but it was a fact they were all working extremely hard as many people were - they were working extremely hard in a sort of bunker environment - and I just think there was some poor decision making - I don't think it was malicious in intent."

Another Conservative, Christian Wakeford, tweeted: "How do you defend the indefensible? You can't! It's embarrassing and what's worse is it further erodes trust in politics when it's already low."

Questions are being raised about the role of the civil service too, with former senior civil servant Sir David Normington telling Radio 4's Today programme calling a party in the middle of lockdown was "inexplicable".

"It's a terrible misjudgement, brings disrepute on the civil service. This isn't just about the responsibilities of PMs and politicians, it's also about the behaviour and responsibilities of senior civil servants. That's a very serious matter."

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner told BBC Breakfast if Mr Johnson had broken Covid rules and lied to the public and parliament, then his position as prime minister was now "untenable".

"The prime minister cannot break the law, lie to the British public and not be held to account for that," she added.

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey told BBC Breakfast if the prime minister had a "shred of decency left", he should resign today.

He added Mr Johnson was "incapable of leading our country through this public health crisis", accusing him of being a "threat to the health of the nation" as the public would not listen to anything he had to say.

If the prime minister won't resign, it was the duty of Conservative MPs to "do the right thing" and ensure he does "in the interests of the country", Sir Ed argued.

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will return to Prime Minister's Questions later, having missed last week's session after contracting Covid.

The BBC has been told that Mr Johnson will not make a separate statement on parties in the House of Commons but a senior government source didn't rule out him making some remarks at the start of Prime Minister's Questions.

Analysis by Laura Kuenssberg, Political Editor

The goodwill-to-all-men moment the Christmas holidays promised is very much over.

The subject of conversation among Tories on Tuesday was not the government's planned menu of policy fare for the week, but whether or not the moment had arrived when Boris Johnson, election-winner, had become Boris Johnson, discredited liability.

Whether or not, in the words of that senior MP, the party should "get rid of him".

The party has not reached that conclusion. The government has an enormous majority. Administrations go through rocky times.

But the latest, and continuing, stream of revelations, has made the question of the prime minister's survival the central one again.

On Tuesday, Mr Johnson sent Paymaster General Michael Ellis to respond on his behalf to an emergency Commons question on the issue tabled by Labour.

The Conservative benches were sparsely populated, while no senior ministers appeared publicly to defend Mr Johnson.

During the session, DUP MP Jim Shannon was brought to tears when speaking of the death of his mother-in-law during the pandemic.

In December, the prime minister asked for an independent inquiry to investigate a series of allegations about events taking place in government buildings in 2020 despite coronavirus restrictions being in force.

Ms Gray's probe is investigating specific events including a leaving drinks for a No 10 aide on 27 November, a Department of Education gathering on 10 December and a Christmas quiz for No 10 staff on 15 December.

It is also examining the Downing Street Christmas party on 18 December, and on Tuesday, Mr Ellis said drinks events held in the Downing Street garden on 20 and 15 May 2020 would also be added to the inquiry.

Ladybbird · 14-01-22, 07:47

What Will Sue Gray's Inquiry Mean for UK PM Boris Johnson? -

BBC News 14 JAN 2022.

Senior civil servant Sue Gray is carrying out an Investigation into alleged Covid rule breaking in Downing Street and government departments.

The purpose of the investigation is to establish "a general understanding of the nature" of gatherings that took place and whether any "individual disciplinary action" should be taken, the inquiry's terms of reference said.

Her report is likely to be a largely factual account of any gatherings, and she cannot rule on whether lockdown laws were broken.

The findings will be made public, but not necessarily the full report.

Parties Held at Number 10 as Her Majesty Mourned

BBC 14 JAN 2022.

Downing Street is embroiled in a fresh party controversy. The Telegraph can reveal that staff drank alcohol into the early hours at two leaving events the night before Prince Philip's socially-distanced funeral. Some attendees played music in the basement and danced as a senior No 10 adviser acted as DJ, a witness said. It is also alleged that one person present went to a nearby Co-op with a suitcase to collect bottles of wine.

The next day, the Queen sat alone at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in St George's Chapel because of Covid-19 restrictions. Political Correspondent Tony Diver has the full revelations. Speaking to today's Chopper's Politics podcast, Andrew Bridgen becomes the fifth Tory MP to call for Mr Johnson to resign, confirming he has submitted a letter of no confidence to the 1922 Committee. And Sir Keir Starmer was branded an "absolute hypocrite" for drinking beer with staff in lockdown.

Meanwhile, the co-founder of Downing Street's "Nudge Unit" has suggested scare tactics were misused during the pandemic to get the public to follow lockdown. Simon Ruda, a behavioural scientist, said he feared the "most egregious and far-reaching mistake" made during the Covid crisis was the "level of fear willingly conveyed on the public". While defending behavioural science for driving improvements in policy, he warned the trend could have unintended consequences.

Boris Johnson: Senior Tories urge PM to quit after party apology....

BBC 14 JAN 2022.

Boris Johnson is facing calls from senior Tories to resign after he admitted attending a drinks party during lockdown.

The prime minister apologised for the way he handled the event in the Downing Street garden in May 2020 and said he understood the public's "rage" over it.

Cabinet members including deputy PM Dominic Raab rallied round Mr Johnson.

But Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross and MPs William Wragg, Caroline Nokes and Roger urged him to go.

Mr Ross, an MP and a Member of the Scottish Parliament, said he had had a "difficult conversation" with Mr Johnson after he apologised on Wednesday in the House of Commons.

He said he would write to the 1922 Committee, which organises Conservative leadership contests, to register his lack of confidence in the prime minister.

"He is the prime minister. It is his government that put these rules in place, and he has to be held to account for his actions," Mr Ross said.

Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said those calling for Mr Johnson were "people who are always unhappy" and dismissed Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross as "quite a lightweight figure".
Conservative MP Andrew Percy criticised Mr Rees-Mogg, saying: "As someone who apparently loves the Union, his personal attack on Douglas... is a gift to the petty nationalists in the SNP who want to break this country up."

A minimum of 54 Conservative MPs must send letters to the committee in order to trigger a leadership challenge.

The drinks gathering, held on 20 May 2020 and described in the invitation as "socially distanced", was attended by around 30 people, who were invited to bring their own alcohol. Food, including sausage rolls and crisps, was reportedly laid out on trestle tables,

Mr Johnson admitted at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday that he had joined colleagues at the event for around 25 minutes to "thank groups of staff" for their hard work during the pandemic, but had "believed implicitly that this was a work event".

He added: "With hindsight I should have sent everyone back inside. I should have found some other way to thank them, and I should have recognised that - even if it could have been said technically to fall within the guidance - there would be millions and millions of people who simply would not see it that way."

Ladybbird · 14-01-22, 21:56

EXCLUSIVE: Boris Johnson's 'Wine Time Fridays' - No10 Staff Held Drinks EVERY Week During Pandemic

Staff invested in drinks fridge to keep their bottles cool

Daily Mirror 14 JAN 2022

Downing Street held yet MORE parties throughout the Cvid pandemic with events taking place every Friday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson encouraged staff to "let off steam" even though indoor socialising was strictly banned.

Ladybbird · 15-01-22, 08:24

How to Replace a Tory Prime Minister

15 Jan 2022 Sky News

With Boris Johnson facing his most perilous moment as prime minister, will there be a leadership challenge and if so, how does it work?

Ladybbird · 19-01-22, 07:28

MPs Plot to OUST Boris Johnson - BBC Newsnight

Could the PM face a confidence vote in the coming days?

BBC News 19 Jan 2022

Boris Johnson has "categorically" denied he was warned a drinks party in the No 10 garden risked breaking lockdown rules....

"Nobody warned me that it was against the rules," the prime minister said.....

Former aide Dominic Cummings says he warned the PM at the time, and has accused him of misleading MPs about it.

Pressure is now mounting on the prime minister and there are reports the target of 54 letters to trigger a vote of confidence will be met in the coming days.

Newsnight’s political editor Nick Watt reports. Kirsty Wark is joined by Conservative peer Lord Marland, Delyth Miles from Grassroots Conservatives and former Conservative cabinet minister David Gauke.

Ladybbird · 19-01-22, 19:01

In the name of God -GO David Davis Calls on Boris Johnson to Quit During Lively PMQs

19 Jan 2022 The Telegraph

The former Brexit minister has demanded Boris Johnson's resignation during Prime Minister's Questions, as he told the PM: "In the name of God, go!"

David Davis said he spent "weeks and months defending the Prime Minister" and reminded constituents of his success in delivering Brexit and the vaccine rollout.

"But I expect my leaders to shoulder the responsibility for the actions they take," he told MPs. "Yesterday, he did the opposite of that.

"So I'll remind him of a quotation altogether too familiar to him - of Leo Amery to Neville Chamberlain -

'You have sat there too long, for all you have done. In the name of God, go!'"

Ladybbird · 20-01-22, 18:47

No 10 Accused of Blackmailing and Intimidating Rebel MPs

Boris Johnson Branded Mafia Boss After Tory Says Police Should Probe Blackmail of MPs

Conservative William Wragg said rebel MPs had faced intimidation over opposition to Boris Johnson and urged them to report it to the police

20 Jan 2022 Sky News

A Conservative MP has said Tories who have expressed a lack of confidence in Boris Johnson have faced intimidation from the party and should contact the police if they have been blackmailed.

William Wragg, chair of the public administration and constitutional affairs committee, said a "number of MPs have faced intimidation" after declaring, or assumed to have declared, their desire for a vote of confidence in the PM.

He said it is "not the function" of the government whips office to breach the ministerial code by "threatening to withdraw investments in constituencies funded by the public purse".

But Tory MP Michael Fabricant corroborated Mr Wragg’s bombshell claims - in the same sentence as trying to dismiss them.

He tweeted: “If I reported every time I had been threatened by a Whip or if a Whip reported every time I had threatened them, the police wouldn’t have any time to conduct any other police work! What nonsense from WW.”

Asked if Boris Johnson was behaving like a mafia boss, his spokesman said: “Well, er, obviously we’ve been clear again that there is no evidence to support the claims put forward.

"This is a matter for the whips’ office and not one for me to comment on.”

The PM’s spokesman added: “We’d expect everyone to act within any requisite rules and guidance.”

Asked if the PM condemned all forms of bullying and harassment the spokesman replied: “Yes.”

But asked if there would be an inquiry he replied: “Certainly not that I’m aware of.”

Asked “how does the Prime Minister sleep at night?”, his spokesman replied: “It’s not a question I’ve asked him”.

Commons Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle said it would be a "contempt" to obstruct MPs from doing their jobs by trying to "intimidate" them.

He expressed concern at the "serious allegations" made by Mr Wragg.

Sir Lindsay told MPs: "Those who work for them are not above the criminal law. The investigation of allegedly criminal conduct is a matter for the police and decisions about prosecution are for the CPS. It will be wrong of me to interfere with such matters.

"While the whipping system is long-established, it is of course a contempt to obstruct members in the discharge of their duty or to attempt to intimidate a member in their parliamentary conduct by threats."

It comes as Labour was working to win more Tory defectors in the aftermath of Christian Wakeford’s bombshell decision to join Keir Starmer's party.

A source told the Mirror the "door is always open", but added: “I’m not expecting an imminent second one - but that doesn’t mean there won’t be one.

“We’ll have to see what happens over the next few weeks.”

Four out of 10 grassroots Tories want 'utterly deceitful liability' Boris Johnson to quit
Nothing surprises me anymore with Johnsons Government, for the sake of the Country get rid of the lot of them now.

Ladybbird · 22-01-22, 13:51

Police to Meet MP Over Blackmail Claims

Senior Tory to meet police over 'blackmail' claims against Boris Johnson's whips

William Wragg accuses Downing Street of blackmailing MPs

22 Jan 2022 Sky News

William Wragg (r) campaigning with Boris Johnson in 2015

Police will meet with a senior Conservative MP after he accused the government of "blackmail" amid calls for the Prime Minister to resign

William Wragg, who chairs the who chairs the Commons Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee, said he will be meeting a Scotland Yard detective in the House of Commons early next week.

A Senior Tory who accused Downing Street of trying to blackmail MPs who want to remove Boris Johnson is set to meet police over the claims.

It could lead to the police opening an investigation into whips' behaviour.

The disclosure came after Downing Street said it would not be mounting its own inquiry into the claims, despite calls to do so by both Conservative and opposition MPs.

A No 10 spokesman said it would only open an inquiry if it was presented with evidence to back up Mr Wragg's assertions.

However the MP said he believed an investigation should be for the "experts" in the police.

He told The Daily Telegraph that he would outline "several" examples of bullying and intimidation, in some cases involving public money.
"I stand by what I have said. No amount of gas-lighting will change that," he told the newspaper.

"The offer of Number 10 to investigate is kind but I shall leave it to the experts. I am meeting the police early next week."

Former Tory MP Jerry Hayes threw his support behind Mr Wragg and said the claims should be investigated.

Mr Hayes told the BBC : "We've got William Wragg, who is actually a serious figure, he's not a snowflake, he's not someone who can easily be bullied.

"Something has happened and he's gone all the way to the Metropolitan Police. I just hope that we have an investigation. If he's gone to the Metropolitan Police there must be something there, otherwise his career falls apart, doesn't it?"

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said: "As with any such allegations, should a criminal offence be reported to the Met, it would be considered."

Boris Johnson warned alleged threats to withhold constituency cash from MPs may be unlawful

Mr Wragg's latest intervention comes as No 10 is braced for the expected delivery next week of the report of Sue Gray, the senior civil servant investigating lockdown parties in Downing St elsewhere in Whitehall.

It is likely to lead to renewed calls from opposition parties for a police investigation if there is any evidence Covid rules were broken - including at a drinks do in May 2020 attended by Mr Johnson.

Mr Wragg, one of seven Tory MPs to have called publicly for the Prime Minister to resign, stunned Westminster with his allegations this week of a campaign of intimidation by No 10 amounting to criminal conduct.

He said Conservative MPs trying to trigger a no confidence vote in Mr Johnson had been told public funding for projects in their constituencies would be cut off and threatened with stories in the press to embarrass them.

Christian Wakeford, the Bury South MP who defected to Labour, later described how the Tory whips had warned him over funding for a new school in his constituency if he rebelled in a vote over free school meals.

Ministers have sought to dismiss the allegations, insisting the whips had no role in the allocation of public funding.

Business Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng however acknowledged on Friday that Mr Wakeford's allegation was "very serious" and he was "sure" that it would be investigated.

But a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "We're not aware of any evidence to support what are clearly serious allegations.

"If there was any evidence to support it, it would of course be looked at."

Boris Johnson's spokesman said he was not aware of any evidence

Ladybbird · 22-01-22, 15:03

Boris Johnson’s 50 Lies, Gaffes and Scandals as PM's Future Hangs in The Balance....

The Prime Minister is facing calls to quit from mutinous Tories as he awaits the results of Sue Gray's inquiry into lockdown-breaking parties - which could determine his future....

Daily Mirror 22 JAN 2022

Boris Johnson's is battling for his political life as he awaits the findings of Sue Gray's inquiry into lockdown-busting parties which could determine the fate of his premiership.

The Prime Minister will spend the weekend at his Chequers retreat while he desperately tries to woo mutinous Tories who have been openly plotting his downfall.

Top civil servant Sue Gray is expected to deliver her report next week after gathering evidence on a string of potentially rule-breaking gatherings.

The PM has begged MPs to wait for the results of her probe as he tried to wriggle out of censure - despite admitting to the Commons that he briefly attended a "BYOB" drinks party in the Downing Street garden in May 2020.

His former aide Dominic Cummings has openly accused him of lying to MPs over his claim he was not warned about the event.

Boris Johnson is facing pressure from all sides

Tory anger boiled over when it emerged that two leaving drinks had been held in No 10 on the eve of Prince Phillip's funeral in April 2021, which the PM did not attend.

Speculation has mounted over a potential leadership contest, with feverish chatter about how many letters of no confidence have been submitted to the Tory 1922 Committee.

As MPs return to their constituencies this weekend to plot their next moves, we have compiled a list of his gaffes, lies and scandals in case they need help making their minds up.

Some are harmless, or even funny. Others have raised questions about his integrity and his fitness to govern.

1. When he was sacked for making up a quote

The Times sacked Boris Johnson in 1988 for making up a quote in a front-page story.

The then-journalist, aged 23, fabricated a claim by his godfather, academic Colin Lucas, that Edward II and his lover Piers Gaveston would have cavorted in a newly-discovered Rose Palace.

In what he later called “my biggest ****-up”, it emerged the Palace was only built long after Gaveston was murdered.

Rather than admit his lie Mr Johnson wrote a further story saying “the mystery had deepened”. He then admitted in 2013: “I mildly sandpapered something somebody said, and yes it’s very embarrassing and I’m very sorry about it.”

Viscount Althorp's 21st Birthday Party. Boris Johnson (2nd Right) Arrives With Sister Rachel (right).

2. When he was sacked for lying about an affair

In 2004 he was sacked as Shadow Arts Minister after aides to leader Michael Howard decided he had lied about an affair.

Mr Johnson denied reports of a four-year fling with journalist Petronella Wyatt, saying: “I have not had an affair with Petronella. It is complete balderdash.”

But her mother said the affair did happen - and Petronella had an abortion as a result.

Lady Verushka Wyatt added: “The reason she went out with him was because he said he was going to marry her.” Ms Wyatt admits the pair had a “tendresse”.

Michael Howard added: “My director of communications at the time was convinced Boris had lied to him.”

Three-quarters of Brits believe Boris Johnson is 'dishonest' and 'lacks integrity'

Downing Street party investigator Sue Gray finds e-mail 'warning BYOB bash broke rules'

3. When he discussed having a journalist beaten up

Boris Johnson had a 1990 phone call with former Eton pal Darius Guppy, who was jailed for five years in 1993 for his part in an insurance fraud.

Mr Guppy wanted contact details for News of the World journalist Stuart Collier, who was investigating his affairs.

Darius Guppy pictured in 1993

Asked by Mr Johnson “how badly are you going to hurt this guy”, he replied the journalist “will not be seriously hurt” but “will probably get a couple of black eyes and... a cracked rib.”

Mr Johnson could be heard seeking assurances he would not get in "trouble" before saying: "OK, Darrie, I said I'll do it."

No attack ever took place and Mr Johnson said in 2013 he was just “humouring” his old pal.

4. When he endangered a British mum jailed in Iran

Boris Johnson worsened the plight of Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe in loose comments he made as Foreign Secretary in 2017.

He wrongly told MPs the British mum, held in Iran on spying charges, was “teaching people journalism”.

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe was arrested in Iran in 2016

That undermined her defence that she was on holiday - one backed up by her employers.

Four days after Mr Johnson’s comments she was threatened with five more years’ jail on charges of “propaganda against the regime”.

5. When he called black people 'piccaninnies'

He wrote in the Telegraph in 2002: "It is said that the Queen has come to love the Commonwealth, partly because it supplies her with regular cheering crowds of flag-waving piccaninnies."

Speaking of Tony Blair ’s trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo, he said: “No doubt the AK47s will fall silent, and the pangas will stop their hacking of human flesh.

“And the tribal warriors will all break out in watermelon smiles to see the big white chief touch down in his big white British taxpayer-funded bird.”

Mr Johnson later defended his comments, branding them “wholly satirical”.

6. When he mocked Muslim women as 'letterboxes'

In August 2018 he branded Muslim face veils “oppressive”, “weird and bullying” and said it was “absolutely ridiculous that people should choose to go around looking like letterboxes."

Any female student who turned up to school "looking like a bank robber" should be asked to remove their face covering, he added.

He went on to argue against banning the burqa in public, but his snide remarks prompted outrage, including from senior Tories.

He refused to apologise and was cleared of breaching the Conservative Party code of conduct.

7. When he used racist terms to describe Barack Obama

Mr Johnson used a racist description of Barack Obama at the height of the EU referendum in 2016.

He claimed a bust of Winston Churchill in the Oval Office had been removed around the time the US President moved in.

He remarked: “Some said it was a symbol of the part-Kenyan President's ancestral dislike of the British Empire, of which Churchill had been such a fervent defender." Those condemning his “nasty” comments included Winston Churchill’s Tory grandson.

Former US President Barack Obama - who was born in the US - revealed he had actually moved the bust to a prime spot outside his private office, saying: "I love Winston Churchill. Love the guy."

8. When he propagated the £350m-a-week Brexit lie

Boris Johnson was a figurehead of the 2016 Vote Leave campaign, fuelling their lie that the UK sent the EU £350million a week.

He rode the infamous battle bus emblazoned with the figure and appeared in front of a banner that said: “Let’s give our NHS the £350million the EU takes every week.”

The UK Statistics Authority said the figure was £285m a week, without factoring EU payments to the UK. With only the most basic EU payments (directly to the UK public sector) factored in, that dropped to £190m.

He carried on using the debunked figure for more than a year and was accused of a “clear misuse of official statistics” by the data watchdog.

9. When he repeatedly ignored conflict-of-interest rules

Boris Johnson broke rules on financial interests three times in less than a year. He breached the Ministerial Code in August 2018 by starting a £275,000-a-year newspaper column just three days after quitting as Foreign Secretary.

In December 2018 he was ordered to apologise for failing to declare £52,723 of income on time.

And in April 2019 he was 11 months late registering his 20% share in a property in Somerset.

Parliament’s Standards Commissioner accused him of a “lack of respect” for the system adding: "I do not accept that this was an inadvertent breach of the rules."

10. When he blew millions on his Garden Bridge ‘vanity project’

As mayor, Boris Johnson backed a failed plan for a “floating paradise” across the River Thames that blew £43million of public money.

The Garden Bridge was beset by controversy from the start until it was finally scrapped by his successor Sadiq Khan in 2017.

Critics blasted the link for being privately run, yet publicly-subsidised, while there was a more pressing need for Thames crossings elsewhere.

Yet Boris Johnson was a doughty defender of the “vanity project” - even making a secretive trip to San Francisco in 2013 in a bid to get Apple to sponsor it.

Boris Johnson's bonkers Northern Ireland bridge cost almost £1m and it wasn't even built

Tory chiefs 'threatened to scrap new school' if MP backed Marcus Rashford campaign

11. When he wasted £300,000 on illegal water cannon

As London mayor he paid £322,000 for three second-hand water cannon devices after the 2014 riots.

The bill included £32,004 for low emission zone compliance, £19,035 for re-painting and almost £1,000 to fit CD players.

But he bought them before they had been licensed for use in Britain.

And they were left to rust in a police firing range after their use was ruled illegal by then-Home Secretary Theresa May .

Finally in 2018 they were sold for scrap - for the princely sum of £11,025.

12. When he had a blazing row with his partner in her flat

Police were called to the flat Boris Johnson, 55, shared with 31-year-old girlfriend Carrie Symonds after a blazing row in June 2019.

Neighbour Tom Penn dialled 999 after he heard "get off me" and "get out of my flat”, and "a loud scream and banging, followed by silence."

He then handed a tape of the incident to the Guardian newspaper - prompting a furious backlash from Boris Johnson supporters.

Boris Johnson refused to comment on the incident, citing his privacy.

But he was accused of hypocrisy when a “staged” loved-up photo of him and Ms Symonds was then leaked to the press.

13. When it took years to confirm how many children he had

Boris Johnson has at least seven children but he has spent years refusing to confirm the exact number.

He split from wife Marina Wheeler. The couple, who married in 1993, had four children - Lara, Milo Arthur, Cassia Peaches, and Theodore Apollo.

But he has had multiple affairs, including the one with Petronella Wyatt (above) which led to a pregnancy that was terminated.

And a 2013 court ruling said the public were entitled to know about claims that one affair - with art consultant Helen Macintyre - resulted in a daughter who was his, Stephanie.

Finally he has had two children, Wilfred and Romy, with wife Carrie. Before Romy’s birth he told a US interviewer he had six kids.

14. When he called gay men 'tank-topped bum boys'

In a 1998 Telegraph column about Peter Mandelson's resignation, Johnson said the announcement would lead to the blubbing of “tank-topped bumboys" in "the Ministry of Sound" nightclub.

Two years later in a Spectator article, he attacked what he called "Labour's appalling agenda, encouraging the teaching of homosexuality in schools, and all the rest of it."

And in a 2002 book he said: “If gay marriage was OK… I saw no reason in principle why a union should not be consecrated between three men, as well as two men, or indeed three men and a dog.”

15. When he made a glib remark about ‘dead bodies' in Libya

The then-Foreign Secretary was slammed in 2017 for saying the Libyan city of Sirte had a bright future - as soon as they "clear the dead bodies away".

The crass gaffe drew gasps at an event during the Conservative Party conference.

"They've got a brilliant vision to turn Sirte, with the help of the municipality of Sirte, to turn it into the next Dubai,” he said.

"The only thing they've got to do is clear the dead bodies away and then we'll be there."

Boris Johnson came under for his comments to a Tory conference event

16. When he recited a colonial-era poem in Myanmar

In an incredible diplomatic gaffe in 2017, he recited the opening verse to Rudyard Kipling's The Road to Mandalay at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar's capital Yangon.

Kipling’s poem captures the nostalgia of a retired serviceman looking back on his colonial service and a Burmese girl he kissed.

The ambassador, Andrew Patrick, said between gritted teeth "probably not a good idea" and added: "Not appropriate".

17. When he boasted about whisky in a Sikh temple

The Foreign Secretary was berated at a Sikh temple for talking about whisky exports to India – despite alcohol being forbidden in the faith.

He said at the Bristol temple in 2017: “Whenever we go to India, to Mumbai or to Delhi, we have to bring ‘clinkie’ in our luggage.

“We have to bring Johnnie Walker, we have to bring whisky because as you may know there is a duty of 150% in India on imports of Scotch whisky so we have to bring it in duty free for our relatives. But imagine what we could do if there was a free trade deal with India – which there will be.”

A woman reportedly told Mr Johnson: "How dare you talk about alcohol in a Sikh temple?"

Boris Johnson made the blunder on a visit to a Sikh temple

18. When he insulted the entire city of Liverpool

Tory leader Michael Howard forced the MP to visit Liverpool to apologise in 2004 after he blamed fans for Hillsborough - and accused citizens of “wallowing in victim status”.

The Spectator - which he was editing at the time - printed an editorial saying the tragedy was “no excuse for Liverpool’s failure to acknowledge, even to this day, the part played in the disaster by drunken fans at the back of the crowd who mindlessly tried to fight their way into the ground that Saturday afternoon.”

Smearing Liverpudlians the editorial added: “They see themselves whenever possible as victims, and resent their victim status; yet at the same time they wallow in it.”

An independent report and the 2016 inquests ruled there was nothing to suggest fans’ behaviour contributed to the disaster.

In 2012 Mr Johnson apologised again, admitting claims about football fans' behaviour were a “lie”.

19. When he insulted the entire country of Papua New Guinea

Boris Johnson apologised to the entire country of Papua New Guinea in 2006 for joking about their "orgies of cannibalism."

The then shadow higher education minister wrote in the Telegraph: "For 10 years we in the Tory Party have become used to Papua New Guinea-style orgies of cannibalism and chief-killing."

But Papua New Guinea's High Commissioner in London, Jean L Kekedo, branded the remarks "an insult" to her nation's "integrity and intelligence".

She added: "I am shocked and appalled by such comments from a seemingly well-educated person."

Mr Johnson later said: "I meant no insult to the people of Papua New Guinea who I'm sure lead lives of blameless bourgeois domesticity in common with the rest of us."

20. When he said Africa needs its old Colonial powers to come back

The former journalist wrote a lengthy Spectator column in 2002 headlined "cancel the guilt trip".

It argued Africa "is a mess" with "too many people dying" but it was unfair to blame the bloody legacy of British colonialism.

He concluded: "The best fate for Africa would be if the old colonial powers, or their citizens, scrambled once again in her direction; on the understanding that this time they will not be asked to feel guilty."

Showing the supposed superiority of those "colonial powers" 14 years later, he memorably called Africa "that country". Africa is a continent of more than 50 countries.

Boris Johnson was editor of The Spectator magazine

21. When he claimed money probing child abuse was 'spaffed up a wall'

In March 2019, Boris Johnson said police spending on child sexual abuse investigations was "spaffed up a wall".

He said: "Keeping numbers high on the streets is certainly important. But it depends where you spend the money and where you deploy the officers.

"And one comment I would make is I think an awful lot of money and an awful lot of police time now goes into these historic offences and all this malarkey.

"You know, £60 million I saw was being spaffed up a wall on some investigation into historic child abuse."

The NSPCC said the former Foreign Secretary’s language was “crass.”

22. When he ‘made up’ a story about small Italian penises

As the Daily Telegraph's Brussels correspondent in 1991, he wrote a story claiming EU chiefs had rejected Italian demands for a smaller minimum condom width.

Mr Johnson claimed the decision had left "Italian egos smarting". But aptly-named former top EU chief Willy Hélin told The Guardian the story was a "load of bulls***".

"We had had requests from medical institutions across Europe to check on the safety of condoms," he said. "That has nothing to do with the size of dicks."

While in Brussels Mr Johnson popularised a new style of anti-EU journalism, sowing seeds of resentment that helped cause Brexit 25 years later.

Tory rebels 'consider publishing messages' amid claims of Government 'blackmail'

23. When he enraged Italy with a threat about Prosecco

Boris Johnson angered Italy in 2016 by threatening to stop buying Prosecco in a bad Brexit deal.

"We drink more Italian wine than any other country in Europe - 300m litres of Prosecco every year,” he said. “They are not going to put that at risk.”

But Economy minister Carlo Calenda branded the Foreign Secretary's approach "insulting" and "wishful thinking".

He sad: "I said 'yeah, maybe we're going to lose some Prosecco. You're going to lose some fish and chips exports. The difference is I'm going to lose to one country - you to 27.'"

24. When he called the French ‘turds’ who ‘shafted Britain’

In June 2019 it was claimed Boris Johnson branded the French "turds" who "shafted Britain" over Brexit.

He made the remark, during filming for a BBC documentary, out of frustration over France refusing a better deal.

According to the Daily Mail, the BBC removed the word "turds" from the finished documentary at the request of the Foreign Office.

A leaked Whitehall memo allegedly said the remark becoming public would make Anglo-French relations “awkward.”

He refused to deny making the slur, saying with a grin: “I have no recollection of this comment.”

25. When he compared the EU to Adolf Hitler

During the 2016 EU referendum campaign Boris Johnson compared the EU to Adolf Hitler - saying they both wanted a united Europe.

“Napoleon, Hitler, various people tried this out, and it ends tragically,” he wrote. “The EU is an attempt to do this by different methods.”

Hilary Benn, who was the shadow foreign secretary, said the comparison was "offensive and desperate".

But Boris Johnson refused to apologise over what he called an “artificial media twit storm”.
26. When he proclaimed ‘f*** business’

Boris Johnson ranted “f*** business” over Brexit at a reception to mark the Queen's birthday.

The Foreign Secretary was said to have uttered the reply in 2018, at an event for EU diplomats, when he was asked about business leaders' fears over leaving the EU.

He and allies repeatedly refused to deny using the phrase.

Instead a source said he was “attacking lobbyists like the EU-funded CBI who are more interested in doing what's right for big multinational corporations."

27. When he allegedly said ‘f*** the families’ of the 7/7 bombings

The number 30 double-decker bus in Tavistock Square

Another alleged outburst came when he was Mayor of London and being briefed about the cost of inquests into the 2005 London terror attacks, which killed 52.

Brian Coleman, who was chair of the London Fire and Emergency Planning Authority, claims Boris Johnson erupted in fury and said: “F*** the families! F*** the families!”

A second source told the Sunday Mirror he was certain Boris used the offensive words.

But a third source, at the meeting, disputed Mr Coleman’s account.

28. When he branded Hillary Clinton a ‘sadistic mental health nurse’

Boris Johnson compared Hillary Clinton to a “sadistic” mental health nurse in a 2007 column.

Saying he wanted her to be President, he wrote: “She's got dyed blonde hair and pouty lips, and a steely blue stare, like a sadistic nurse in a mental hospital.”

After becoming Foreign Secretary he was grilled on the comment in his first joint press conference with US Secretary of State John Kerry.

But he said: “It would really take me too long to engage in a full global itinerary of apology.”

Boris Johnson insulted Hillary Clinton in a 2007 column

29. When he refused to back our Ambassador to the US

Boris Johnson faced a storm in July 2019 for refusing to stand up for Britain's Ambassador to the US.

Sir Kim Darroch quit after Mr Johnson failed to promise he could keep his job over leaked memos about the "inept" White House.

Mr Johnson - who stands to gain by installing a more pro-Brexit envoy - was accused by a serving Foreign Office minister of throwing the diplomat “under the bus”.

He later confessed he was a "factor" in the diplomat's resignation, adding: "I probably should have been more emphatic that Kim personally had my full support."

30. When he took a £20,000 flight to avoid scrutiny on Heathrow Airport

As Foreign Secretary he blew more than £20,000 of taxpayers’ cash on a visit to Kabul - conveniently timed to miss a Commons vote on expanding Heathrow Airport.

In 2015 Boris Johnson - whose constituency is near the hub - promised to lay down before the bulldozers to stop a third runway.

But his trip to Afghanistan meant he didn’t have to vote one way or the other - a decision which could have prompted either constituents’ fury or a sacking from the Cabinet.

Mr Johnson has since weakened his opposition to Heathrow. In June 2019 he only said he had “grave reservations” rather than vowing to block it.

31. When be branded his £250k-a-year pocket money ‘chicken feed’

He made more than £700,000 in earnings alongside his job as an MP through the year after he quit as Foreign Secretary.

They included a £275,000-a-year column in the Daily Telegraph and more than £400,000 for speeches, including £42,580 for a single speech promoting a No Deal Brexit .

In 2009 he described his column, which at the time paid £250,000, as “chicken feed”
.

And in July 2019 he claimed he’d set aside “self-interest” by giving up these outside earnings when he becomes Prime Minister.

He said: “It is obviously possible to make more money by not being a full time politician.”

32. When he was accused of a major conflict of interest

A string of ethics probes were launched into Boris Johnson in September 2019 after the Sunday Times revealed his friendship with the model-turned-tech entrepreneur Jennifer Arcuri.

The London Assembly - whose rules forbid favourable treatment to friends - launched an investigation after the relatively novice American went on three trade missions Mr Johnson led as mayor in 2014 and 2015.

Ms Arcuri - who later said they had an affair - admitted Mr Johnson visited her combined flat and office in Shoreditch a "handful" of times.

The PM was branded “unfit for office” after insisting there was “no interest to declare”.

33. When he purged Churchill’s grandson from the Tories to shore up his base

The Prime Minister faced outrage in September 2019 when he brutally purged some of the longest-serving Tories from the party.

Winston Churchill’s grandson Sir Nicholas Soames and longest-serving MP Ken Clarke were among 21 who lost the whip - followed later by a 22nd, Amber Rudd.

Their crime? Backing a bid to delay Brexit beyond October 31 to prevent no-deal.

Just months earlier, the Conservative Party had been tolerant of these moderates who wanted to stop a disastrous crash-out from the EU.

But Boris Johnson opted for the hardline approach to shore up the Brexit vote, despite his long history as a fairly liberal One Nation Tory.

Ten of the 21 were later let back in but Clarke and Soames quit before the election.

34. When he kept trying to use public money to attack Labour in the election

As the general election got under way in October 2019, he made political comments standing in front of police cadets (one of whom fainted).

He also spent a day after an election was confirmed touring hospitals and police - paid for by public funds.

He was accused of misusing taxpayer cash too when he put out a string of Facebook adverts - later banned - which promoted left-behind towns.

And his bid to use Treasury civil servants to cost Labour ’s policies was blocked at the last moment by the Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill.

35. When he unlawfully shut down Parliament

In September 2019, the Supreme Court ruled he acted unlawfully by shutting down Parliament over Brexit.

The PM faced demands to resign after the UK's highest court ruled unanimously that he acted unlawfully.

11 justices said shutting down the Commons for five weeks before the Brexit deadline - which he claimed was a bog standard prorogation - had an "extreme" effect on democracy.

Declaring the prorogation of Parliament "unlawful, void and of no effect", Supreme Court President Lady Hale declared: "Parliament has not been prorogued."

Baroness Hale

36. When his ‘clear plan’ for social care did not appear

Boris Johnson promised he had a plan for social care in a speech on the steps of Downing Street in July 2019.

But more than two years on, this clear plan has not materialised.

Last September he announced a hike to National Insurance from April 2022 to fund social care and slash the NHS backlog caused by the pandemic.

The majority of the £36bn will go to the NHS in England, with only £5.4bn over the three years earmarked for social care.

When a plan was finally published in December, the 10-year vision was branded "incredibly thin" on detail.

37. When tens of thousands of people died ‘who didn’t need to’

“Tens of thousands of people died, who didn't need to die".

That was the explosive claim from the PM's former aide Dominic Cummings.

Mr Cummings told MPs that the PM was consistently anti-lockdown, ignored scientific advice and failed to take Covid seriously.

He also claimed the PM ranted “we should never have done lockdown 1” and any border control would ruin the travel industry.

Dominic Cummings has become a ferocious critic of his former boss Boris Johnson since leaving No 10

Mr Cummings said: "It’s completely crackers that someone like me should have been in there, just as it’s crackers that Boris was in there and the choice at the last election was Jeremy Corbyn.

“The problem in this crisis was very much lions led by donkeys over and over again.”

38. When he claimed to have ‘got Brexit done’

Mr Johnson won the 2019 election on a manifesto promising to "get Brexit done" - which he duly claimed to have achieved on entering office.

The Brexit deal passed in the Commons in December 2019 and the UK severed its ties with Brussels in January 2020.

The PM then claimed he had "got Brexit done", despite lengthy trade negotiations continuing until a deal was agreed before Christmas 2020.

But the UK then spent most of 2021 trying to unpick parts of the deal and threatening the EU that it would unilaterally tear up a key party relating to Northern Ireland.

Talks are ongoing and Brexit is not exactly done.

39. When he boasted about shaking hands despite Covid threat

Back in March 2020, the PM insisted the Covid threat would not stop him sharing a handshake with people.

Mr Johnson bragged that he had shaken the hands of everyone at a hospital where Covid patients were being treated.

No10 officials stressed at the time that he had not shaken hands with any patients.

40. When he ranted about ‘bodies piling high’ and 80-year-olds getting Covid

The PM reportedly declared he would rather "let the bodies pile high in their thousands" than call another lockdown in the autumn of 2020.

The alleged remarks, which emerged first in the Daily Mail, were dismissed by Downing Street.

But Dominic Cummings told MPs that he heard the PM make the comment after his decision to implement a second lockdown on 31 October 2020.

Boris Johnson also allegedly claimed coronavirus patients “live longer”, according to bombshell text messages shown by the BBC.

In texts to aides, Mr Johnson said: “I must say I have been slightly rocked by some of the data on Covid fatalities.

“The median age is 82 – 81 for men 85 for women. That is above life expectancy. So get COVID and live longer.”

41. When lucrative Covid contracts went to Tory allies

The Government awarded thousands of contracts to private companies as they battled to get vital equipment such as PPE and tests at the start of the pandemic.

Billions of pounds worth of deals were handed to associates of ministers and officials during the early months of the pandemic.

The High Court ruled earlier this month that a so-called VIP lane to hand out PPE contracts to two firms was unlawful.

In a challenge brought by the Good Law Project and campaign group EveryDoctor, a judge ruled the operation of the "high priority lane" was "was in breach of the obligation of equal treatment… the illegality is marked by this judgment."

But Mrs Justice O'Farrell found both of the companies' offers "justified priority treatment on its merits" and were "very likely" to have been awarded contracts even without the VIP lane.

42. When he refused to sack Dominic Cummings

The controversial former aide became a household name when the Mirror revealed he had travelled to Durham during the first lockdown, including the famous trip to Barnard Castle.

Mr Cummings refused to resign despite widespread public anger - and Boris Johnson stood by him.

The PM's failure to sack Mr Cummings at the time cost him a significant amount of political capital.

Dominic Cummings gave a press conference after news of his lockdown trip to Durham

43. When he cut help to the world’s poorest

Another U-turn on the Tories’ 2019 manifesto was the decision to slash billions in aid cash.

Rishi Sunak cut foreign aid from 0.7% to 0.5% of national income, prompting fury including from many Tories.

The Chancellor later extended the cut, saying aid spending will only return to normal by 2024/25.

44. When he broke his manifesto promise over National Insurance and pensions

Boris Johnson U-turned on his central manifesto vow not to increase taxes in September by hiking National Insurance to fix health and social care.

The tax will rise from 12% to 13.25% from April 2022 to raise £12bn a year. Mr Johnson claimed the rise was unavoidable after Covid and will fix the care crisis.

But only £5.4bn of the £36bn raised in the first three years will go to social care.

He also scrapped the pensions triple lock for a year from April 2022 in another manifesto breach.

45. When he repeatedly battled Marcus Rashford over free school meals

The PM was forced into two U-turns by footballer Marcus Rashford over feeding hungry children during the holidays.

The Tories went to war with the Manchester United forward - and lost - in a damaging battle over free school meals.

In June 2020 the PM caved to Rashford’s demand to give more than a million kids supermarket vouchers over the summer break.

Footballer Marcus Rashford took on the Government over free school meals

The government had refused to issue £15-a-week vouchers, instead pledging a £63m pot for the worst-hit.

But hours after forcing ministers to defend the position, Boris Johnson changed his mind in a Cabinet meeting.

In November, the PM made another U-turn on kids’ food over half term.

Tory MPs had refused to extend the £15 vouchers over the October half term - prompting fury, and businesses and charities to step in.

But the PM then announced a £170m Covid Winter Grant Scheme for Christmas. It provided extra help - though it no longer gave £15 vouchers to every eligible family, and went further than just paying for food.

46. When he spent taxpayer cash on THREE vanity photographers

Mr Johnson was accused of splurging public cash on "vanity" snappers when it emerged had had three photographers working in Downing Street.

Press photographers cover the PM's activities for newspapers but the PM hired a new promotional photographer last February on a salary of up to £60,635 a year.

He already had photographer Andrew Parsons working part-time as a special adviser and another civil service photographer is thought to have been on secondment to No10 from the Ministry of Defence since early 2020.

47. When he blew £1m on a non-existent bridge to Northern Ireland

Boris Johnson's madcap plan for a bridge to Northern Ireland cost the taxpayer almost a million pounds - although it was never built.

A study commissioned by the Prime Minister found a fixed link between Scotland and Northern Ireland would be too expensive.

The study alone cost almost £900,000.

48. When he tried to tear up ethics rules to save a mate

Owen Paterson resigned as MP for North Shropshire

The PM ordered Tory MPs to rip up ethics rules and block a 30-day suspension of Conservative Owen Paterson for lobbying breaches.

The vote passed, but more than 100 Conservatives refused to back the plans and Keir Starmer accused the government of corruption.

Mr Johnson U-turned less than 24 hours later, as Labour boycotted the body which would have drawn up new standards.

Mr Paterson later resigned as a Tory MP.

The Liberal Democrats pulled off a sensational upset in the by-election in his North Shropshire seat the following month.

49. When he tried to get others to pay for a lavish revamp of his flat

Boris Johnson has been dogged by questions over the funding of the luxury makeover of his No 11 flat.

The PM originally assumed a charitable trust, led by Tory donor Lord Brownlow, would fund the work.

But the idea fell apart and he had to settle the bill himself after a media storm.

Lord Geidt conducted a probe into the funding of the Downing Street flat

The Conservative Party was fined £17,800 by the Electoral Commission in December for breaching electoral law over the way the money was recorded.

The watchdog also uncovered texts from Mr Johnson to Lord Brownlow about the project, which had not been given to the PM's ethics adviser Lord Geidt when he investigated.

Mr Johnson apologised to Lord Geidt, who issued a furious rebuke to the PM but decided he had not broken the ministerial code.

50. And finally… When he ‘lied to Parliament’ over Downing Street parties

In what could be the final straw for Tory MPs and the public, Mr Johnson has been accused of misleading Parliament over a BYOB bash in the No10 garden in May 2020.

He admitted to going into the garden for 25 minutes but claimed he thought it was a work event.

Dominic Cummings said Mr Johnson's principle private secretary (PPS) Martin Reynolds agreed to speak to the PM ahead of the event when another official sent an email saying that it broke the rules.

Mr Cummings also said he personally raised the “drinks party” but the Prime Minister "waved it aside".

If true, this means the PM lied to the house in his apology last week. Ministers are normally expected to resign for misleading Parliament.

Tory rebels 'consider publishing messages' amid claims of Government 'blackmail'

Three-quarters of Brits believe Boris Johnson is 'dishonest' and 'lacks integrity'

Ladybbird · 24-01-22, 03:02

No 10 Staff Have Swipe Card Data Logged in Probe of Partygate

Security logs crucial to future of key staff as Sue Gray also ‘has details of new social event’

The Guardian UK 24 JAN 2022.

The senior civil servant investigating allegations of at least nine lockdown-breaking parties at Downing Street has been given access to a detailed log of staff movements in and out of the building from security data including swipecards.

Whitehall figures say the inquiry by Sue Gray – who is expected to publish a report of about 25 pages this week – has been “forensic”, looking in “granular detail” at who was in the building for social gatherings, some of which went on into the early hours, and the precise timings of their arrivals and departures.

Johnson and his staff, as well as civil servants and others who attended the events under investigation, are anxiously awaiting Gray’s conclusions this weekend. She has been assisted by six civil servants with HR experience.

Many Tory MPs say they are holding off from deciding whether to call for the prime minister to resign until they see its conclusions, and hear the reactions of their constituents.

Rumours have also been circulating in government in recent days that Gray may have details of yet another gathering in Downing Street, possibly in the PM’s flat and involving close friends of his wife, that has not yet come to light. Discovery of a 10th get-together when Covid restrictions were in place would seriously undermine Johnson’s attempts to survive the crisis.

Sue Gray may have found details of another gathering, possibly in Boris Johnson’s flat.

But senior Whitehall sources also say the information from data logs that record movements for security reasons could be decisive, as they will have given Gray conclusive proof of who was where and when, and how many people remained after normal working hours – details that she would otherwise have lacked.

“This information is conclusive,” said a source who knows Gray. “This is not someone saying ‘I saw him or her at a party’. This is the proof of who was where, how many people were inside the building at any one time.

“She will have been looking at all that information, which is far more valuable than people’s say so. It is the evidence.”

The source added that the security logs would also have allowed Gray to draw conclusions about the culture at No 10, which appears to have allowed parties to have become regular events. “If you get the data and you find a large group all swiped out at 1am in the morning, then it looks very much like it was a party and if that was going on regularly you can judge from that.”

Friends of Gray who have worked with her say she will be scrupulously fair but also “ruthless” in pursuit of the truth. One former colleague and friend said she was in no mood to allow civil servants alone to take the flak. “She has shown before in previous inquiries that she will hold civil servants to account because she is very strong on civil service behaviour, but if she thinks politicians or others should take responsibility she will make that very clear,” the source said.

While it is possible that Gray will name some very senior civil servants and high-up figures in government in her main 25-page report, she is expected to follow precedent and not make public the identities of junior civil servants or special advisers.

Their names are expected to be listed in another document that will remain confidential and be sent to human resources teams in their respective departments, who would then be responsible for determining what sanctions, if any, should be imposed.

After another torrid week for Johnson, which saw the defection of the Tory MP Christian Wakeford to Labour, the prime minister has been spending the weekend calling backbenchers to try to shore up his position.

Fewer than a dozen Tory MPs are believed to have written to the chair of the 1922 Committee to demand a vote of confidence, but many more say they will do so if the Gray report concludes that the PM broke lockdown rules, and more incriminating information emerges. If 54 or more write in, a vote of confidence must be held. If Johnson loses that, he has to resign. A meeting of the 1922 Committee on Wednesday will be a key judge of the Tory mood.

Wakeford told the Observer that Johnson was doomed. “If Boris Johnson is hoping Sue Gray’s report will save his skin then he’s in for a shock. The rot has already set in and many of my former colleagues have already reached the conclusion that he’s unfit to lead the Conservative party. Not just because he’s an electoral liability but because he’s actually unfit to run the country.

“Are there enough of them to trigger a leadership election? I’m sure there are. Will they go through with it? That’s a matter for them. What I do know is that in seats like Bury South the voters have made up their minds about him. So it’s just a question of whether MPs choose to listen to their constituents or the party whips.”

Ruth Davidson, the former Scottish Tory leader, said the PM was not fit for office. “I think one of the reasons he is in such a perilous situation is not just because of the apparent rule-breaking, although that is a big part of it, but because there is a fatigue even within the party and certainly by my MP colleagues for the drama that has been emanating from No 10,” she said.

Ladybbird · 24-01-22, 10:11

Downing Street Police Give Sue Gray Extremely Damning Partygate Statements

Members of the Metropolitan Police’s Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command are said to have been interviewed as part of the investigation into Boris Johnson and Downing Street's 'partygate'

Officers were said to have been 'only too willing' to co-operate

Downing Street police officers have reportedly been quizzed by Sue Gray as part of her 'partygate' probe.

Daily Mirror 24 JAN 2022

Sue Gray is expected to release her report soon

Members of the Metropolitan Police's Parliamentary and Diplomatic Protection Command are said to have been interviewed as part of the investigation.

The unit would have been on duty when a series of gatherings are alleged to have taken place, potentially breaching lockdown rules.

According to reports, their statements have been described as 'extremely damning' and could form a key part of the probe.

Top civil servant Sue Gray is expected to deliver her report next week after gathering evidence on a string of potentially rule-breaking gatherings.

The Daily Telegraph reports that the senior official has also spoken to Boris Johnson, civil servants and political advisers, as well as accessed security pass logs and the Prime Minister’s official diary.

While police officers cannot be compelled to speak to investigators, unlike Downing Street staff, the outlet claims they were “only too willing” to co-operate.

A source said: “Met officers have spoken to Sue Gray now, as you would expect, and have been able to provide a lot of information.”

Boris Johnson has faced calls to quit

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Asked how significant the material they had disclosed was, they added: “Put it this way, if Boris Johnson is still Prime Minister by the end of the week, I’d be very surprised.”

A Scotland Yard spokesman added: “The Met has ongoing contact with the Cabinet Office in relation to this inquiry.”

It was also claimed that Ms Gray as part of her investigation has had access to the system that records when staff use their swipe cards to enter and exit Downing Street.

'Liar Boris Johnson's rancid regime is now rapidly collapsing around him'

A log of all visitors and the names of those who sponsor their visit are also kept on the same system.

The inquiry comes after explosive claims emerged that Mr Johnson attended a leaving do before Christmas 2020 during which he gave a speech to mark the departure of his defence adviser Captain Steve Higham.

That claim, revealed by the Mirror, is the latest in a long line of allegations about rule breaking in Downing Street, with Ms Gray looking into a litany of possible events.

These include a "bring your own booze" garden party during the first coronavirus lockdown that Mr Johnson has admitted he attended - although he insists he understood it to be a "work event".

Previously, Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi insisted Mr Johnson was safe in his job after being repeatedly asked about his future.

Mr Zahawi said the Prime Minister had done the right thing by apologising - and added: "He's human and we make mistakes".

Met Police Commissioner Cressida Dick to face questions on Downing Street parties

MORE

PM Asks Cabinet Office to Investigate Allegations of Islamophobia

24 Jan 2022 Sky News

- Boris Johnson faces crunch week as he awaits report into lockdown Downing Street parties

- Investigation launched into MP's claim she was sacked as a minister due to her Muslim faith - we speak to Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi

Ladybbird · 26-01-22, 01:59

Full Sue Gray Report Could be Published TODAY Despite Police Probe in Chaotic U-turn

PM to be Questioned by Police as Investigation Starts

Boris Johnson has 'no escape from partygate' as police probe casts cloud over No10

A day of chaos erupted after the Met Police announced it was investigating Downing Street parties. First Sue Gray's report date was to be delayed, then it could be split in two - and now it's thought the whole thing could be published in days after all

Daily Mirror 26 JAN 2022

Police will investigate "a number of events" where Covid lockdown rules were allegedly broken

Two years ago, Boris Johnson became the first Prime Minister to deliver a landslide victory since Tony Blair. Now he may have another, more dubious honour also held by his predecessor. Mr Johnson could be interviewed by detectives as part of the criminal investigation into "partygate", Scotland Yard has confirmed.

The Metropolitan Police Service has now launched its own inquiry into claims that illegal gatherings were held in Downing Street and Whitehall, during lockdown. Mr Blair was under investigation over cash for honours when he was interviewed by police in 2006 and Martin Evans has spoken to a police source who reveals why Mr Johnson "will not get the same treatment" as the former Labour leader.

Mr Johnson has welcomed the investigation as an opportunity to "draw a line" under the debacle.

He may avoid a criminal record if fined for a Covid rule breach.

A full report into parties across Downing Street and Whitehall could be published as soon as TODAY despite a police investigation as officials mull a dramatic U-turn.

Sources have told the Mirror that despite earlier suggestions it would be delayed or split in two, No10 was now expecting to get the report from Sue Gray at some point last night.

The PM would then hold urgent meetings with top officials before publication today.

It came as shock reports emerged that top civil servant Sue Gray has been handed photos of No10 parties that show Boris Johnson and others close together with wine bottles.

Sky News reported the latest revelation - though it is not thought such photos would be included in any final report.

Chaos erupted this morning when the Metropolitan Police announced it will finally investigate claims of multiple lockdown-flouting bashes.

Met Police Commissioner Dame Cressida Dick confirmed her officers will investigate "a number of events" where Covid lockdown rules were allegedly broken.

That raised the extraordinary prospect of Boris Johnson being interviewed by police officers over his role in the multiple breaches.

But it briefly meant top civil servant Sue Gray might have had to “pause” key parts of her hotly-awaited report into the parties.

Whitehall enforcer Sue Gray has been mounting an inquiry

That would have held Boris Johnson’s fate with Tory MPs in limbo while he waited weeks or months for the final parts of Sue Gray’s report.

At lunchtime today, the PM’s spokesman suggested Sue Gray’s report could be split in two. He said Sue Gray "won't publish anything that relates to the work of the police” - while continuing to work on allegations that do not reach the police "threshold".

But it’s understood this stance changed moments later, when Scotland Yard made it clear they do not believe her report would prejudice a trial.

This is because punishments for breaking lockdown were mostly fixed penalty notices, which do not require a jury or a full court process.

Boris Johnson on the day of his birthday in 2020 when a gathering was held for him in No10

Since this lunchtime, the Cabinet Office has been in talks with Scotland Yard about whether a full report could be published.

At 4pm today The Times reported that Ms Gray has cleared publication with the Metropolitan Police and plans to hand her report over to Boris Johnson later this week.

A government source told the Mirror No10 getting hold of Sue Gray’s report "could happen as quickly" as today if there are no major obstacles.

If so, the report could be published by No10 on Wednesday just before PMQs, the source said.

This afternoon the Prime Minister’s spokesman would not be drawn - saying only that discussions around details are still being worked through between police and the investigations team

The Prime Minister is already fighting for his political life ahead of the Whitehall probe.

Scotland Yard's announcement threatened to blow apart his attempts to shore up support among mutinous Tory MPs who are already plotting his downfall.

Mr Johnson signalled he is willing to speak to police but believes he has not broken the law.

He told MPs it is "right" for Scotland Yard to investigate and that he believes it will "help to draw a line under matters".

Downing Street confirmed the PM was prepared to be interviewed saying he would "cooperate fully" with the police inquiry - including handing over diaries and phone records.

Asked if the PM thinks he has not broken the law, his spokesman said: "I need to be cautious about what I say but I think that's fair to say that he does not."

However, Mr Johnson is believed to have attended at least half a dozen of the social gatherings, even if only for a short time, while the rest of the country faced restrictions.

The last time a PM was interviewed by police was Tony Blair during the cash-for-honours row which began in 2006 but lasted 16 months, overshadowing the final days of his leadership.

The Mirror understands Scotland Yard has not objected to the publication of any part of Sue Gray’s report.

Cabinet Office officials are understood to be in discussions with the Met over how much of the report can be released, and when.

In a statement, her office said: "The investigation being carried out by Sue Gray is continuing. There is in ongoing contact with the Metropolitan Police Service."

Downing Street had earlier faced claims of trying to hide behind the police investigation.

A Government source had told the Mirror: "If you join the dots it's an almost inescapable conclusion that we cannot publish the investigation until the Met have finished their inquiry".

Ms Gray is also looking into surprise birthday party thrown for the PM by wife Carrie during the first lockdown despite indoor social events being banned.

More than 30 officials gathered for the PM's birthday bash in the Cabinet Room for up to half an hour in the afternoon of June 19, 2020, according to ITV News.

Mrs Johnson led the staff in a chorus of happy birthday while the PM was presented with a cake by his wife and interior designer Lulu Lytle, before tucking into picnic food from M&S.

Appearing before the London Assembly police and crime committee, the Met chief insisted that her force "police without fear or favour" when challenged about why Scotland Yard hasn't investigated reports of No 10 parties to date.

But she added: "I absolutely understand there is deep public concern about the allegations that have been in the media over the last several weeks.

“Many many people including many Londoners, and indeed my colleagues have made huge sacrifices and they've suffered considerable loss during the pandemic."

Mr Johnson kept Cabinet ministers in the dark over the police investigation having been launched during their Cabinet meeting.

Only Jacob Rees-Mogg came out to defend Mr Johnson minutes after the Met announced its decision.

"The leadership this country has had under Boris Johnson has been so brilliant - he has got all the big decisions right," he said.

Scots Tory leader Douglas Ross repeated his call for the PM to resign, saying "the whole thing is very damaging".

Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said: "We welcome this investigation by the Metropolitan police. With Boris Johnson's Downing Street now under police investigation, how on earth can he think he can stay on as Prime Minister?

“Millions of people are struggling to pay the bills, but Boris Johnson and his government are too wrapped up in scandal to do anything about it. Boris Johnson is a national distraction.

“Conservative MPs should stop propping him up and he should finally do the decent thing and resign."

Ladybbird · 28-01-22, 15:03

Met POLICE Demand Sue Gray’s Partygate Report is Watered Down With Minimal Reference to Crimes

POLICE chiefs have asked for details to be left out of the upcoming report into No 10 parties - throwing its publication into doubt.

The release of the report into alleged Downing Street parties has been thrown into doubt after the Metropolitan Police asked for "minimal reference" to be made to the events it is investigating.

28 Jan 2022 The Sun

The Met confirmed today it has told Whitehall enforcer Sue Gray to redact parts of her dossier that cover the events officers are investigating.

In a statement the force said including anything more than "minimal" information about the most serious bashes could prejudice its own probe.

Scotland Yard added: "For the events the Met is investigating, we asked for minimal reference to be made in the Cabinet Office report.

"The Met did not ask for any limitations on other events in the report, or for the report to be delayed.

"But we have had ongoing contact with the Cabinet Office , including on the content of the report, to avoid any prejudice to our investigation."

The full Gray Report will still be published but only after police inquiries have wrapped up, which could take weeks.

It leaves the top civil servant now facing the choice of putting out a watered down version in the meantime or withholding the whole thing.

There have been almost 20 alleged parties, with officers only probing those that would represent the most serious breaches of Covid laws at the time.

Technology minister Chris Philp said No 10 still hadn't received this report as of this morning and doesn't know when it will be published.

Boris Johnson yesterday reaffirmed his commitment to release the dossier in full but wouldn't definitely say some parts wouldn't be redacted

Ladybbird · 31-01-22, 18:45

First Look at The Sue Gray Partygate Report

31 Jan 2022 Sky News

Sue Gray's report into the multiple parties held at Downing Street during lockdown says the events are "difficult to justify" and show a "failure of leadership and judgment by different parts of No 10 and the Cabinet office at different times".

Ladybbird · 01-02-22, 09:41

Gray Finds Failure of Leadership’ at No 10 as Police Investigate 300 Photos

Sue Gray: No 10 Pledges Updated Report After Police Inquiry Finishes

An updated report on lockdown parties in No 10 will be published by Sue Gray once police finish their inquiries, Downing Street has said.

Angry Tories confront Boris Johnson as report finds many of 16 lockdown events ‘difficult to justify’

The Guardian UK 1 FEB. 2022.

Boris Johnson faced a barrage of criticism from his own MPs in the House of Commons.

Boris Johnson has been left desperately trying to shore up his premiership after the Sue Gray report as detectives were revealed to be investigating 300 photos and 12 events in Downing Street, including a party in the prime minister’s private flat.

Johnson faced a wall of anger from Conservative MPs in the House of Commons after Gray’s investigation concluded that many of the 16 parties were “difficult to justify” and condemned “failures of leadership and judgment” in No 10 and the Cabinet Office.

Scotland Yard officers have obtained more than 300 photographs and 500 pages of documents. The images include pictures taken at alleged parties and from security-system cameras showing people entering and exiting buildings, the Guardian understands.

Tory grandees were among those who made stinging interventions criticising Johnson’s conduct, with his predecessor, Theresa May, questioning his comprehension of the rules and the former chief whip Andrew Mitchell saying the prime minister no longer had his support.

Angela Richardson, a Tory aide, said she had resigned her government job last week citing “disappointment” with the prime minister, while Aaron Bell, an MP from the 2019 intake, gave an emotionally charged speech accusing Johnson of making him look like a fool after he stuck to the rules during his grandmother’s funeral.

However, Johnson appeared to have staved off an immediate challenge by pledging a shakeup of his Downing Street operation and belatedly promising to publish Gray’s full blow-by-blow account of the parties once the police have finished investigating.

He later made a rare address to all his MPs, announcing changes to his No 10 staff in the coming days. He suggested that his former election guru, Sir Lynton Crosby, would be returning to help in an unofficial role.

Conservatives were initially dismayed by Johnson’s defiant Commons performance in which he refused to commit to publishing Gray’s full report, which was redacted following the announcement of a Metropolitan police inquiry.

'I get it and I will fix it': Boris Johnson responds to Sue Gray report –

But after former ministers including Mark Harper and Tobias Ellwood pressed him for a full and unredacted publication, he was forced into a U-turn.

Several Tory MPs opposed to the prime minister’s continued leadership said they were witnessing “death by 1,000 cuts” and questioned why more of their colleagues were not submitting letters of no confidence. At least 54 are needed for a ballot on Johnson’s leadership, but even sharp critics like Mitchell are not believed to have handed in letters.

One MP said Johnson’s determination to keep fighting meant removing him would be “extremely painful” and cause huge damage to the party, while another said it was clear Tory MPs would at some point need to “get the screwdrivers out to prise his hands off the doors of Downing Street”.

The 12-page Gray report identified “failures of leadership and judgment” but left many questions unanswered, including whether Johnson had misled the Commons by denying parties took place and saying all Covid rules were followed.

Ian Blackford, the SNP Westminster leader, was thrown out of the Commons for breaching protocol by repeatedly accusing the prime minister of having “lied and misled” parliament.

MPs said the most damaging allegation was of a party on 13 November 2020, the evening that former aide Dominic Cummings quit, in Boris and Carrie Johnson’s flat. There had been reports of loud music and partying heard in the press office below and the alleged gathering is now under police investigation.

The prime minister refused to tell parliament whether he was present in the flat that evening. He had previously denied in the Commons that any party took place on that date. Johnson was also present for at least one other of the parties under investigation by police – the “bring your own booze” affair in the Downing Street garden on 20 May 2020.

Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, said: “There can be no doubt that the prime minister himself is now subject to criminal investigation.”

'A man without shame': Keir Starmer says Boris Johnson will not resign after Sue Gray report

Johnson rebuffed questions about his own conduct, but promised to overhaul the structure of No 10 to address some of Gray’s criticisms. “I get it and I will fix it,” he told MPs. He also sought to turn his fire on the opposition by making discredited claims about Starmer having failed to prosecute paedophile Jimmy Savile when he was director of public prosecutions.

One cabinet minister said there was significant concern about the continued centralisation of No 10, however: “One of the reasons this situation has evolved has been a reluctance from some people around the PM to take outside advice.” Another senior minister said: “Departments are constantly frustrated by nameless people in No 10 – is this the moment to add another layer of them.”

Tory MPs initially said they were unimpressed by Johnson’s Commons performance and accused him of misjudging the mood – but many are continuing to withhold judgement until the Met investigation is complete, a new test of whether Johnson will personally get a sanction for breaching Covid rules.

In her report, Gray did not criticise the prime minister personally or pass judgment on his past statements, but she highlighted failures at the heart of government.

Gray listed 16 gatherings on 12 dates across 20 months in 2020-21 that she had examined for evidence of rule-breaking, of which 12 are being investigated by police.

Gray said her report was limited by the Met’s request for her to make only minimal reference to gatherings that they were investigating. She said she had decided not to publish factual accounts of the other four dates as she did not feel able to do so without detriment to the overall balance of findings.

It is understood that a more detailed full report currently exists and that Gray is keen to see that put into the public domain.
Mark Harper, the former chief whip, said he was still uneasy about the prime minister’s commitment to publishing the full document, saying that Johnson had to commit “at the despatch box”.

Gray Report - Gray report

Ian Blackford told to leave Commons after saying Johnson had lied

Ukraine Crisis-Missed Putin Call Demonstrates 'Systemic Chaos' in Number 10

Ladybbird · 03-02-22, 10:40

Tories Brace for Inevitable' Challenge to Boris -FIVE MORE MPs Mull No-Confidence Letters

PM could face £12,000 fine for SIX lockdown-busting parties and anger about Savile 'slur' at Starmer - but he vows to stay

BBC News 3 FEB. 2022

Boris Johnson is still being buffeted by the Partygate storm with warnings that he could face £12,000 in fines if police found to have broken lockdown rules by attending six Downing Street bashes.

The premier has voiced defiance insisting he has a 'lot more to do', will fight the next election and wants to be in power until the end of the decade. However, worryingly for Mr Johnson the Conservative anger at him has been breaking through into open opposition, with three more MPs announcing they have written to 1922 committee chair Sir Graham Brady in just 24 hours.

Sir Gary Streeter, Mr Johnson's 'slur' about Keir Starmer failing to prosecute Jimmy Savile - as he scrambled to distract attention from his own woes - seems to have further infuriated many on his own benches with swipes that he is a 'pound shop Trump'.

It takes the number who have declared sending letters to seven - although the true figure is thought to be several times that as most do not reveal their intentions. Another five MPs, including members of the government, are considering submitting their letters, although it is not known if they will announce doing so.

In a round of interviews this morning, Foreign Office minister James Cleverly insisted the PM is focused on 'delivery' - and suggested Tories should not be staging a revolt when Russia is on the verge of invading Ukraine.

Ladybbird · 04-02-22, 23:48

Four Senior Aides to Boris Johnson Resign From No 10

No 10 chief of staff Dan Rosenfield and senior civil servant Martin Reynolds are the latest to quit.

Outgoing adviser skewers ‘scurrilous’ Johnson

BBC 4 Feb 2022

The resignations leave significant questions over the Downing Street operation

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been rocked by a string of resignations from his team of aides in Downing Street.

Policy adviser Elena Narozanski is the latest to leave her role, after four senior staff members quit on Thursday.

Mr Johnson attempted to rally staff at a meeting on Friday morning, telling them "change is good".

The PM is battling to save his premiership as Conservative MPs consider whether to oust him over lockdown parties in Downing Street.

A No 10 spokesman confirmed the PM quoted The Lion King character Rafiki, telling them "change is good", at a meeting with his team and acknowledged it was a "challenging time".

They added that Mr Johnson "reflected on the privilege of working in No 10" and "thanked those who are leaving for their contribution alongside the whole team for their work".

On Friday morning, backbencher Huw Merriman told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the PM should "shape up or ship out".

But Energy Minister Greg Hands told BBC Breakfast the resignations came after Mr Johnson "made it clear there would be a shake-up" of the Downing Street operation, following criticism from senior civil servant Sue Gray in her report on rule-breaking parties.

When asked about Ms Gray's findings, Health Secretary Sajid Javid said the prime minister had "started making changes" and supported his leadership.

Three of the departed aides were caught up in the lockdown parties row, including senior civil servant Martin Reynolds, who sent out an invitation to a "bring your own booze" party.

But policy chief Munira Mirza quit over the PM's false claim that Labour leader Sir Keir failed to prosecute Savile when he was director of public prosecutions, and his refusal to apologise.

In a scathing resignation letter, Ms Mirza - who worked alongside the PM for 14 years - described the his comments about Savile as "scurrilous".

Chancellor Rishi Sunak publicly distanced himself from the PM's original comment, saying: "Being honest, I wouldn't have said it."

And asked if Mr Johnson should apologise, he said: "That's for the prime minister to decide."

Education policy adviser Elena Narozanski - a keen amateur boxer - is the latest No 10 aide to resign

The director of communications, Jack Doyle, confirmed his exit shortly after the departure of Ms Mirza.

Mr Doyle told staff that "recent weeks have taken a terrible toll on my family life", but that he had always intended to leave after two years.

A statement from a No 10 spokeswoman said chief of staff Dan Rosenfield had offered his resignation to the prime minister earlier on Thursday, but would stay on while his successor was found.

And Mr Reynolds - the prime minister's principal private secretary - will do the same, but then return to a role at the Foreign Office.

Ms Narozanski - who quit on Friday morning - is understood to have been loyal to Ms Mirza.

Ms Mirza's resignation was the "most significant", Labour's shadow secretary for climate change Ed Miliband told the BBC.

Condemning the "terrible slur" against Sir Keir, Mr Miliband said the PM had become "a stain on our politics" and called on Tory MPs to oust him.

Sunak's Stance

Analysis by Nick Eardley, Political Correspondent

Rishi Sunak is a politician who likes to stick to the script - and choose his words carefully.

As the favourite to take over from Boris Johnson - the chancellor knows any criticism of the prime minister is highly significant.

So his decision on Thursday to very publicly distance himself from Mr Johnson made many in Westminster sit up and take notice.

At a press conference, Mr Sunak made it perfectly clear he disagreed with Mr Johnson's comments about Sir Keir's time as director of public prosecutions.

The prime minister said earlier this week that Sir Keir had failed to prosecute Savile - despite the Labour leader not being involved in that decision. You can read a Reality Check here.

Asked about the PM's controversial comments, the chancellor replied: "I wouldn't have said that."

There are further comments in The Sun this morning too, making light of the controversy over parties in Downing Street.

"We've always been the party of sound money, we'll always continue to be on my watch, and that's the only kind of party I'm interested in," writes Mr Sunak.

The chancellor has always insisted he works well with the PM.

But at a time when Mr Johnson is under pressure over his judgement, even mild mannered criticism from Mr Sunak will lead many to question what the chancellor is up to.

Sunak on PM's Savile claims: "I wouldn't have said it."

Letters of Ho Donfidence

The resignations of aides come as backbench unrest is growing within the Conservative Party.

The BBC is aware of 17 Tory MPs who have submitted letters of no confidence in the prime minister - 54 are needed to trigger a leadership contest.

Many have cited the PM's participation in parties with staff in No 10 during lockdowns as their motivation to challenge Mr Johnson.

These gatherings included a "bring your own booze" garden party in May 2020 - the email invite to which was sent by Mr Reynolds.

The Metropolitan Police has launched an investigation into 12 of the parties and a full report by Ms Gray is expected to be published afterwards.

Aides Who have Quit

Who Are The Aides Who Resigned?

The head of policy at No 10, Munira Mirza worked for Boris Johnson for 14 years, including when he was mayor of London, and was seen as one of his most trusted advisers.

Jack Doyle worked as a Daily Mail journalist before joining Downing Street. He is reported to have attended one of the Christmas gatherings in December 2020, where he thanked staff for their work.

Martin Reynolds is a civil servant and worked as Mr Johnson's Principal Private Secretary. In that role, he headed up the PM's private office. He is responsible for sending an email invitation to staff inviting them to socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden in May 2020.

Dan Rosenfield joined Number 10 as chief of staff in January 2021, and had worked in the Treasury for former chancellors Alistair Darling and George Osborne.

Elena Narozanski - Education policy specialist. Former adviser to Michael Gove and Theresa May, who headed the New Schools for London programme, when Mr Johnson was mayor. Amateur boxer in her spare time.

Speaking to Channel 5 News after Ms Mirza quit - but before the news of the other resignations was made public - the prime minister said he was "sorry to lose Munira".

But asked about her conclusion that his remarks about Sir Keir had been "inappropriate and partisan", Mr Johnson replied: "Well, I don't agree with that."

He said: "No-one is commenting, least of all me, about the personal involvement of the leader of the opposition in the handling of that case.

"All that I've said is that the leader of the opposition apologised for the CPS's handling of that issue during his tenure and that's all frankly that needs to be said on that matter."

Ladybbird · 23-02-22, 10:52

Leak Confirms Partygate Questionnaire Includes Police Caution

Met’s questionnaire asks recipients if they have ‘reasonable excuse’ for attending gatherings in lockdown

“You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you subsequently rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

BBC 23 FEB 2022

Boris Johnson has already returned his replies to the Metropolitan police’s questions, and is believed to have argued that he attended social events in No 10 in a work capacity.

The first glimpse of a Partygate questionnaire confirms that Downing Street insiders are being questioned under police caution – and asked if they have a “reasonable excuse” for attending lockdown-busting gatherings.

A copy of one of the official questionnaires, obtained by ITV, shows it includes the police caution: “You do not have to say anything but it may harm your defence if you do not mention when questioned something which you subsequently rely on in court. Anything you do say may be given in evidence.”

Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said: “This is an embarrassment that for the first time in UK history we have a PM interviewed under police caution.”

As well as asking the recipient to confirm their attendance at a specific event, the leaked questionnaire shows they were also asked: “What was the purpose of your participation in that gathering?” and “did you interact with, or undertake any activity with, other persons present at the gathering. If yes, please provide details.”

Recipients were offered the opportunity to give a “lawful exception” or “reasonable excuse” for attending. Johnson is understood to have hired a lawyer to help him draw up his responses, which Downing Street has confirmed were submitted before the deadline of last Friday.

Questionnaires are still being sent to some officials. The Met will then have to decide whether to impose fixed penalty notices for breaking lockdown rules.

The Met investigation into 12 social events, several of which the prime minister is known to have attended, was triggered by evidence uncovered by the senior civil servant Sue Gray, whose full report on her inquiry will not be published until the police have completed their work.

Johnson’s allies are convinced he has a justification for attending events that took place at No 10, which is his home as well as his workplace. He initially denied reports that parties had been held in Downing Street, telling MPs: “All guidance was followed completely.”

Receiving a fixed penalty notice for breaching rules that he himself drew up is regarded as unacceptable to many backbenchers, and would be likely to prompt more letters calling for a vote of no confidence.

If 54 such letters are submitted to the chair of the 1922 Committee, Graham Brady, a vote of no confidence in Johnson would be triggered, and if he lost such a vote, his premiership would be over.

Ladybbird · 29-03-22, 20:56

Partygate: Met Police to Issue First Fines -Arrests Expected

The first fines for breaches of Covid-19 lockdown rules as part of a police inquiry into government parties will be issued soon, the BBC has been told.

BBC News 29 MAR 2022.

The Metropolitan Police will issue at least 15 fixed-penalty fines initially and could start on Tuesday, Westminster sources suggest.

The investigation of 12 events held across government began in January.

It came after an internal inquiry passed information to the force. The Guardian said fines were "imminent".

Downing Street and the Met have not commented, but government sources told the BBC officers could be about to begin issuing the fines.

For months, Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his government were dogged by reports of staff parties in Downing Street when Covid restrictions were in place.

Several Conservative MPs had called for Mr Johnson to resign over the parties, but some have changed their stance in recent weeks since the war in Ukraine started.

Education Minister Will Quince told Radio 4's Today programme the "events that took place shouldn't have happened" and added that there had been "considerable change" in Downing Street since the revelations of lockdown events.

Don't Forget How Much Trouble The PM Was In....

Quite rightly, the WAR in Ukraine has been sucking up much of the government's and Parliament's focus in recent weeks.

That has released one form of pressure on Prime Minister Boris Johnson - and replaced it with another more serious in nature as he, together with allies, try to cope with a grave conflict.

But don't forget how much trouble Mr Johnson and his team were in, over multiple allegations of breaking the Covid-19 regulations they themselves set.

Even the minimalist version of the official Whitehall report into what went on was scathing.

24-03-20, 06:54	#1
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	BORIS, THE LORD, The Russian SPY & Partygate A National Emergency UK Placed Under Lockdown as Trump Insists US Will 'Reopen' Soon Police to enforce UK lockdown; UN calls for global ceasefire; WHO says virus accelerating. The Guardian UK 24 MAR 2020 Boris Johnson orders UK lockdown to be enforced by police On a historic day for Britain, all of the national newspapers have given over their front pages to news of the unprecedented coronavirus lockdown. The Guardian says today that Boris Johnson will order police to enforce a strict coronavirus lockdown, with gatherings of more than two people banned. The headline: “PM: Stay at home, this is a national emergency”. The Daily Mail gives the first 22 pages of the paper to Johnson’s Monday evening announcement. Describing it as an unprecedented move, it reported all non-essential shops would close during a lockdown that is expected to last at least three weeks, and that police would have powers to fine those breaking the new rules. “Lockdown Britain” is the headline. The Times goes with: “You must stay at home” and says fines for breaking the new rules will range from £30 to £1,000 once legislation passes on Thursday. It carries a sketch from Quentin Letts who notes that the “absence of melodrama” in Johnson’s televised address made it all the more striking and urgent. Boris Johnson will order police to enforce a strict coronavirus lockdown, with a ban on gatherings of more than two people and strict limits on exercise, as he told the British public: “You must stay at home.” The prime minister ratcheted up Britain’s response with an address to the nation on Monday evening, warning that people would only be allowed outside to buy food or medication, exercise alone once a day, or to travel to work if absolutely necessary. All non-essential shops will close with immediate effect, as will playgrounds and libraries, he said in the address from Downing Street. After days of being accused of sending mixed messages about what the public should do, Johnson significantly escalated his language as he urged people to comply with the more stringent measures. “You should not be meeting friends. If your friends ask you to meet, you should say no. You should not be meeting family members who do not live in your home. You should not be going shopping except for essentials like food and medicine – and you should do this as little as you can,” he said. “If you don’t follow the rules, the police will have the powers to enforce them, including through fines and dispersing gatherings.” The decision follows Friday’s announcement that all pubs, restaurants and gyms should shut down, then the continuation of commuters packing into trains on Monday, and of sun-seekers crowding into parks over the weekend. After weeks of being reluctant to copy the draconian measures seen elsewhere in Europe, Johnson announced the plan after coming under pressure from his own cabinet and Tory backbenchers as well as Labour. “In this fight, we can be in no doubt that each and every one of us is directly enlisted. Each and every one of us is now obliged to join together. To halt the spread of this disease. To protect our NHS and to save many many thousands of lives,” he said. “And I know that as they have in the past so many times, the people of this country will rise to that challenge. And we will come through it stronger than ever In the past few days, there had been concern about announcing a lockdown before police had the proper powers to enforce one – it will only come into law when the emergency coronavirus legislation is passed later in the week. However, Johnson has been pressured into action by the scale of worry in his own party and signs that the UK’s deaths from coronavirus are following the same pattern as Italy with a two-week lag. The total confirmed death toll rose to 335 on Monday – a sixfold increase on this time last week. “Without a huge national effort to halt the growth of this virus, there will come a moment when no health service in the world could possibly cope; because there won’t be enough ventilators, enough intensive care beds, enough doctors and nurses,” Johnson said. “And as we have seen elsewhere, in other countries that also have fantastic health care systems, that is the moment of real danger. To put it simply, if too many people become seriously unwell at one time, the NHS will be unable to handle it - meaning more people are likely to die, not just from coronavirus but from other illnesses as well. So it’s vital to slow the spread of the disease.” Over the weekend, the London mayor, Sadiq Khan, had appeared to take a much clearer stance on physical distancing than the prime minister, telling the capital’s residents to stay at home. “This isn’t advice, as far as I’m concerned. These are instructions and these are rules that we should all obey to stop people dying,” he said. The shadow health secretary, Jonathan Ashworth, welcomed the measures. “Something did have to change. We’re seeing more and more people lose their lives to this virus and the social distancing measures that the government had announced have simply not been working,” he said. “You see beaches full of people, parks full of people, bustling markets. So we were encouraging the PM to go further this morning: we called on him to take emergency action to enforce social distancing, and it looks like that’s what he’s done this evening. So we do support it, and the drastic measures he’s taken tonight.” Some in policing are dubious whether they currently have the powers to enforce a lockdown. One source said police were being told they would be given the powers within days, possibly being included in the emergency laws being passed through parliament now. It is seen as anathema to the British style of policing by consent, and officers being citizens in uniform: “There is absolute reluctance,” said another source. “It’s a total change of policing style.” The chair of the National Police Chiefs’ Council, Martin Hewitt, said: “We are working with the government and other agencies to consider how these new rules can be most effectively enforced.” The NPCC quickly squashed suggestions that police would be assisted by troops on the streets or road blocks deployed to enforce the lockdown. A spokesperson told the Guardian: “Neither are being considered in any way.” The national chair of the Police Federation of England and Wales, John Apter, said: “The practicalities of policing this lockdown will be challenging … policing will do all it can to keep the public safe, but we need the public to support us. I ask that the public heed the advice and stay at home unless absolutely necessary. “This will allow police officers to concentrate on keeping the streets safe and deal with all the regular calls we receive. This is about saving lives and supporting our NHS. I ask that the public gives us their support in this time of crisis.” Many Tory MPs are worried that No 10 has not moved fast enough to enforce stricter distancing measures, amid public alarm about evidence of people ignoring advice. Jeremy Hunt, the former health secretary, had a stark message for No 10 that a lockdown rule was needed immediately if the UK was to have any chance of avoiding a situation like that in Italy, where the health service is overwhelmed and many hundreds are dying every day. “It may be too late to avoid Italy. But to have any chance, we need to move to lockdown rules now that ban non-essential travel. It’s time to stop asking people to do social distancing – we must enforce it. Not this week, not tomorrow, but today,” Hunt said. As the prime minister’s statement was broadcast, MPs were debating emergency legislation giving the government the powers to ban gatherings, forcibly quarantine suspected sufferers, and compel schools to remain open, for a period of two years. Ministers announced on Monday that the legislation could be reviewed by MPs every six months – a significant concession aimed at preventing a potential rebellion. Labour had broadly supported the legislation, but sought more regular scrutiny of its sweeping powers. MPs debating measures sat widely dispersed on the green benches of the House of Commons, with many choosing to stay away. After the compromise amendment was announced, Labour agreed to allow the legislation to pass without being forced to a vote. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

28-03-20, 01:31	#2
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: UK Prime Minister & Health Minister Have Covid-19. UPDATE; England's Health Secretary Matt Han** said he had also tested positive while England's Chief Medical Officer, Prof Chris Whitty, has shown symptoms. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL** ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

16-04-20, 18:26	#3
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: WAR HERO/POPSTAR Captain Tom's Single Raises £23mil for NHS >You'll Never Walk Alone *Captain Tom Moore, 99yrs Young, Completes 100th Lap of Garden and Raises £13m for NHS* Captain Tom Moore, who served during WW2, has completed the hundredth length of the garden of his family home in Bedfordshire, raising over £13million for the NHS in the process Daily Mirror UK, 16 APR 2020 Captain Moore completed his walk with a guard of honour (Credit: BBC Breakfast) (Image: BBC) Captain Tom Moore has completed 100 lengths of his garden and raised more than £13million for the NHS in the process. How to Donate to Captain Tom Moore Captain Tom has said that he will keep walking as long as donations keep coming in. His daughter, Hannah, has set up a Just Giving page. Tom Moore was a captain in the British Army during WW2 The 99-year-old veteran has been walking up and down the length of his 25metre garden over the past week. This morning he completed the task as donations passed the £13million mark. His achievements - which started at a modest target of £1,000 last week, ahead of his 100th birthday on April 30 - were singled out by Matt Han**. The Health Secretary called the veteran an "an inspiration to us all". "I saw the video a little while ago, a few days ago, and I was just inspired," Mr Han** told BBC Breakfast. "And then I've been following him since, as the amount he has raised has gone up and up and up. Show Your Support for Our NHS Heroes We are building a map of appreciation for the NHS heroes looking after us through the coronavirus crisis. Place your heart on our live updating map at www.thanksamillionnhs.co.uk. Add your partial postcode (eg: CF5 1) to put a heart on the map and you can add a thank you message too. If you're an NHS worker, you'll also find a... handy list of all the places and brands currently offering you well-deserved discounts. Share the page to encourage others to show their support! *Captain Tom Moore, 99yrs Young, Completes 100th Lap of Garden...* *Millions Across Britain Raise The Roof to Clap for NHS Heroes and Key Workers Fighting COVID-19*

01-05-20, 06:42	#5
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: WAR HERO COL Tom is Knighted by the Queen >He Raised £33mil for NHS NHS Hero Captain Tom Moore Celebrates 100th Birthday with an Incredible Flypast From RAF. Captain Tom was Also Promoted to COLONEL by The Queen Today A Battle of Britain Memorial Flight flypast of a Spitfire and a Hurricane has been organised by the RAF to mark Capt Moore's birthday and he has been appointed as an honorary colonel of the Army Foundation College Captain Tom has also been awarded a Defence Medal, after experts realised he was owed one decades ago. It will now be added to the 1939-1945 Star, Burma Star and War Medal he wore on his walk, which also earned him a Pride of Britain Award. Daily Mirror UK, 30 APR 2020 Captain Tom Moore given flypast by Spitfire and Hurricane planes The colonel has also had letters from members of the royal family including Prince William, which he said he "never anticipated". He has had more than 120,000 birthday cards from members of the public. The nation's hero Captain Tom Moore has been honoured on his 100th birthday with a special flypast over his home. Appearing emotional, he watched the RAF flypast surrounded by family this morning - before he also became an honorary member of the England cricket team. Special video birthday messages from the Prime Minister, his daughter and grandson were also shown in a touching morning of celebrations before he hit £30million in his record-breaking fundraising effort for the NHS. Singer Michael Ball, who along with Captain Tom reached number one in the charts with a cover of You'll Never Walk Alone, also sang Happy Birthday to him live on air. Tom, who was also promoted to colonel by the Queen today, said: "Never ever three weeks ago did I ever think I would get anything like this. "It's difficult to put into words." In a birthday message he told the nation: "To have such kind people who have made such an effort - thank you all." Captain Tom's grandson Benjie, 16, told the BBC: "It's incredible - I've been so proud of him since I was three. "I couldn't be more proud of him as a person and the character he has shown throughout this." Reflecting on what he has made of the worldwide reaction, Captain Tom said: "It's hard to describe. There's been so much kindness shown and so many people making kind remarks. "It really is outstanding. I never, ever anticipated ever in my life anything like this. It really is amazing. "I will say to everyone, thank you very much to everyone, wherever you are." He added: "When you see all those cards from children, it really makes you ... well, if you were a weepy person it would make you weep. "All the work and the thought all these children have put into their cards." He joked that he "can't promise to read them all". Captain Tom's daughter, Hannah Ingram-Moore, added in a statement: "I want to look the great British and overseas public in the eye; I sincerely want you to know that for all the joy, hope and inspiration my father has given you; you have re-energised him and given him renewed purpose. "Watching him talking and engaging with all of you, has been one of the most joyous things in my life. I cannot thank you enough." Captain Tom told BBC Breakfast this morning being 100 felt 'the same' but he was still delighted: "It hardly feels any different to yesterday. "I don't know what it feels like, I've never been 100 before. "But I must say I'm absolutely delighted with all the people who have come to wish me a happy birthday and who have been so kind, thank you very much." Boris Johnson in a special message to him said: "I know I speak for the whole country when I say we wish you a very happy 100th birthday. "Your heroic efforts have lifted the spirits of the entire nation." He added: "I recognise you as a point of light." Captain Tom said the message from the PM was "outstanding" and thanked him for the message. RAF Flypast in Honour of Captain Tom - BBC News The Queen Promotes Captain Tom Moore to Honorary Colonel in Heartwarming Honour __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

21-05-20, 17:06	#6
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: WAR HERO COL Tom is Knighted by the Queen >He Raised £33mil for NHS Colonel Tom Moore is Knighted by the Queen in Incredible New Honour for NHS Hero Colonel Tom Moore, an inspirational war veteran, raised more than £33 million for NHS Charities Together by walking laps of his garden in Marston Moretaine, Bedfordshire Daily Mirror UK, 21 MAY 2020 Captain Tom Moore is promoted to Honorary Colonel by Royal assent on his 100th birthday (Image: MOD/AFP via Getty Images) Captain Tom, the 100-year-old Army veteran who raised £33million for the NHS in the coronavirus crisis, is being knighted. The old soldier was promoted to Colonel on his centenary last month – and a Second World War Spitfire and Hurricane carried out a fly past to mark his birthday. On Tuesday it was revealed he would become Colonel Sir Tom Moore, in a rare honour by the Queen outside of the usual calendar for such announcements. Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Colonel Tom’s fantastic fundraising broke records, inspired the whole country and provided us all with a beacon of light through the fog of coronavirus. “On behalf of everyone who has been moved by his incredible story, I want to say a huge thank you. He’s a true national treasure.” The Second World War veteran and proud Yorkshireman became a national hero after walking 100 laps of his Bedfordshire garden, with service medals pinned to his jacket and clutching his walking frame, to fundraise for the health service. The country, shocked from the mounting Covid-19 death toll and the unprecedented curbs on freedom as part of the lockdown, rallied behind Captain Tom. Some 150,000 birthday cards from the public were displayed in the hall of his grandson Benjie Ingram-Moore's school. The Prime Minister personally recommended to the Queen that Col Tom be exceptionally honoured. Political leaders from across the spectrum welcomed the accolade. British Army Captain Tom Moore in his army uniform Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “On behalf of the Labour Party I congratulate Captain Tom Moore on his knighthood. “In these difficult times for our country, Tom brought inspiration to millions and helped all of us to celebrate the extraordinary achievements of our NHS. “After serving his country during the war, Tom recognised that today’s heroes are our frontline NHS and care workers. “In his actions, Tom embodied the national solidarity which has grown throughout this crisis, and showed us that everyone can play their part in helping build a better future.” Lib Dem acting leader Sir Ed Davey said: “Tom is a hero, not only because he raised so much cash for the NHS but because he has become a symbol of hope in a difficult time. “He has inspired many others to raise funds in their own ways, the way Tom and others have got behind our key workers has shown the true spirit of our country.” The Government is also set to give further details on plans for how frontline heroes who have been fighting coronavirus will be honoured in the coming months – fuelling hopes No10 will back the Mirror's campaign to Give NHS Heroes A Medal when the Covid-19 crisis eases. A Government spokeswoman said: “We know there is huge appetite to say thank you to all those supporting the nation during this emergency and doing incredible things day in, day out, up and down the country. “We will ensure these unsung heroes are recognised in the right way, at the right time.” Last month all five, living former prime ministers threw their weight behind the Mirror's campaign. Sir John Major, Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, David Cameron and Theresa May revealed their backing for the drive. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

28-05-20, 16:36	#7
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	UK PM's Top Aide Investigated for Lockdown Breach Whilst Infected with COVID Police say Dominic Cummings Breached Lockdown When He Drove to Barnard Castle Dominic Cummings said he took a 30 minute drive to the beauty spot of Barnard Castle to 'test his eyesight' over concerns it had been affected by a suspected case of coronavirus Daily Mirror UK, 28 MAY 2020 Cummings spent his isolation period in Durham, not his main London home (Image: Phil Harris) Barnard Castle was about a 30-mile drive from where Mr Cummings was staying (Image: AFP via Getty Images) However the force, which according to the most recent data, has issued 137 fines for lockdown breaches, said it would not be any further action against Mr Cummings. It also stated that the initial trip was not a breach of the lockdown. In an extraordinary press conference in the Rose Garden at Downing Street, Mr Cummings said that he, his wife and son made a trip in the car so that he could check his eyesight was good enough for him to make the drive to the capital after he had struggled with it during a bout of illness which he thought could have been coronavirus. The PM's top aide gave a highly unusual press conference to explain himself (Image: PA) The force's statement said: "Durham Constabulary have examined the circumstances surrounding the journey to Barnard Castle (including ANPR, witness evidence and a review of Mr Cummings’ press conference on 25 May 2020) and have concluded that there might have been a minor breach of the Regulations that would have warranted police intervention. "Durham Constabulary view this as minor because there was no apparent breach of social distancing. Mr Cummings breached lockdown when he drove to Barnard Castle (Image: AFP via Getty Images) "Had a Durham Constabulary police officer stopped Mr Cummings driving to or from Barnard Castle, the officer would have spoken to him, and, having established the facts, likely advised Mr Cummings to return to the address in Durham, providing advice on the dangers of travelling during the pandemic crisis. "Had this advice been accepted by Mr Cummings, no enforcement action would have been taken." A No10 spokesman said in response: "The police have made clear they are taking no action against Mr Cummings over his self-isolation and that going to Durham did not breach the regulations. "The Prime Minister has said he believes Mr Cummings behaved reasonably and legally given all the circumstances and he regards this issue as closed." The Prime Minister, the Health Secretary and other cabinet ministers have insisted that Mr Cummings's journeys fell within the lockdown rules. But today Durham Police have concluded that the senior aide did, in fact, breach the rules. Nick Thomas-Symonds MP, Labour’s Shadow Home Secretary, said: “The police have confirmed what we all knew, that Dominic Cummings broke the rules he helped to write. The country cannot afford for this saga to carry on. Only Boris Johnson can draw a line under it. “Keir Starmer has said that if he was Prime Minister, he would have sacked Dominic Cummings. Boris Johnson should follow that advice. "If he does not act then he will send a clear message that there is one rule for his closest adviser and another for the British people.” At an extraordinary press conference on Monday evening Mr Cummings explained why he had left the property where he was staying on his father's estate to travel to Barnard Castle. He said: "My wife was very worried, particularly as my eyesight seemed to have been affected by the disease," he said. "She did not want to risk a nearly 300 mile drive with our child given how ill I had been. "We agreed we should go for a short drive to see if I could drive safely. We drove for roughly half an hour and ended up on the outskirts of Barnard Castle town. "We did not visit the castle, we did not walk around the town." More than 35 Tory MPs have now called for Mr Cummings to quit but the Prime Minister has stood by his aide. Acting Leader of the Liberal Democrats Ed Davey said: "The Durham Police have now confirmed what the public already knew - Dominic Cummings should not have done what he did. The fact that Minister after Minister have tried to pretend otherwise has been an insult to each and every one of us following the rules to keep each other safe from the virus. "Either the Prime Minister and his Ministers lied or they have no understanding of the rules they have written. "This behaviour over the past few days has entirely eroded the public's trust in the Government. The Prime Minister has said he wants to move on so that all efforts can be focused on the UK's response to the pandemic, but the only way to do that would be for him to ask for Dominic Cumming's resignation. "Over the past two months the British public have made huge sacrifices - losing their freedom, their livelihoods, and in many tragic instances - someone they loved. "The longer Dominic Cumming stays in post, the more people will feel that there is one rule for him and one for everyone else, seriously threatening public health. Unless he resigns, the sacrifices everyone has made are at risk of being entirely undermined." __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

19-07-20, 10:57	#8
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: DISGRACEFUL Boris -NO Pay Rise for HERO Nurses & Healthcare Staff Queen's Sweet Words to Captain Tom Moore as She Knights Him in Unique Service. He Raised £33mil for NHS 19 Jul 2020 The Telegraph UK The Queen carried out her first official royal duty since lockdown when she knighted Sir Tom Moore at Windsor Castle, just hours after attending Princess Beatrice's secret wedding The Queen thanked fundraising hero Sir Tom Moore for his incredible work as she knighted him during a special investiture at Windsor Castle. In her first engagement since lockdown was introduced, the Monarch handed the war veteran his well-deserved medal. The 100-year-old became a national hero during the Covid-19 pandemic when he raised a record sum of £33million by walking 100 laps of his garden with the aid of a walking frame. His fundraiser touched the hearts of Brits everywhere and inspired people across the globe, resulting in Prime Minister Boris Johnson nominating Sir Tom for the award. During the unique ceremony today, which took place outside to lower coronavirus risk, the Queen and Sir Tom exchanged a few words. The Monarch said: “Thank you so much. An amazing amount of money you raised” “A hundred is a great age. “Anyway it’s a nice day. Best of luck to you.” She also called his family forward and chatted to them before returning to the castle. The Queen used a sword that belonged to her father, George VI, for the ceremony and presented him with the insignia of Knight Bachelor. His family joined him for the occasion (Image: Getty Images) Other investitures have been postponed because of the coronavirus, along with all of the Queen's face-to-face engagements. There was no extravagant wedding like Princess Eugenie of York and Jack Brooksbank (Image: Getty) The Queen's first engagement came on the same day she watched her granddaughter Princess Beatrice marry her fiance Edoardo Mapelli Mozzi. The Queen, 94, and Prince Philip, 99, were among a small group of close family and friends who attended the intimate ceremony at All Saints Chapel, Windsor Great Park, this morning. The Queen smiled as she thanked him for his hard work (Image: Getty Images) Sir Tom proudly poses with the insignia of Knight Bachelor (Image: Getty Images) The Queen left promptly after the ceremony as she wanted to get back to get ready to present Captain Moore with his knighthood. Speaking about his knighthood, Sir Tom tweeted: "I could never have imagined this would happen to me. "It is such a huge honour and I am very much looking forward to meeting Her Majesty The Queen. It is going to be the most special of days for me." Queen Elizabeth II poses after awarding Captain Sir Thomas Moore with the insignia of Knight Bachelor (Image: Getty Images) The ceremony took place entirely within the confines of Windsor Castle, with no viewing positions for the public. Members of the public were asked not to attend Windsor town centre or gather in the hope of seeing any of the ceremony, which will not be visible from any external viewpoint. Captain Tom had set out to raise £1,000, but his incredible gesture won him fans around the world and saw his fundraising efforts soar. In honour of his incredible achievement, he was given a flypast on his 100th birthday. Captain Tom also became the oldest person to ever score a UK Number One single with his rendition of You'll Never Walk Alone, recorded with Michael Ball and the NHS Voices Of Care Choir. And his incredible efforts saw him awarded a special Pride Of Britain award. Captain Tom said the response to his charitable efforts had been "outstanding". He said: "It's hard to describe there's been so much kindness shown and so many people making kind remarks. "It really is outstanding, I never anticipated in my life anything like this. It really is amazing. "I really must say to everyone thank you very much to everyone wherever you are." __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

21-08-20, 14:30	#9
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: HERO Capt Tom Moore 100, in Hospital with COVID & Pneumonia Where's Boris Johnson? How PM's Highland Holiday Compares to Other Political Staycations Through the decades, Prime Ministers have often enjoyed staycations if it was either impossible - or not politically advisable - to chase the sun. Here's how Boris Johnson's highland getaway stacks up... Daily Mirror UK, 21 AUG 2020. Boris Johnson has been pictured enjoying a highland getaway, even as his government faces a string of crises over exams and coronavirus. While he has claimed in public to be a fan of the Great British Holiday, the PM is more often seen enjoying luxury stays overseas - like his 10-day break on a private Caribbean island over New Year. But with millions of Brits tearing up their holiday plans due to France and Croatia being placed on coroanvirus quarantine lists, a foreign jaunt probably wasn't on the cards for Boris Johnson this year. Instead, it appears, he's chosen to enjoy the bracing winds of the Scottish highlands. Slightly bleak images emerged overnight of the PM's cliff-side bolt hole - complete with a massive tent in the grounds. The tent itself is understood to be a 'bell tent', the likes of which are available for around £259 from Boutique Camping. Mr Johnson was seen chatting to his security team, dressed in a blue checked shirt and tan trousers, topped off with a black, woolly bobble hat. One tourist who saw the couple told the Mail : "It looked like any other normal family day out." Of course, Boris Johnson isn't the first PM to plump for a UK staycation when an overseas holiday is either impossible or not politically advisable. Here's how Johnson's tent on a hill compares to his predecessors' staycations. (Image: PETER JOLLY NORTHPIX) PM David Lloyd George 1913 didn’t go far during the holidays, choosing his homeland for a summer break. (Image: PA) Here the Welsh Wizard is seen on a camping holiday at Moel Hebog, in North Wales. He began the long, uncomfortable tradition of PMs posing for the cameras on a chilly UK break designed to demonstrate they’re ‘one of us’. Later Liberal Lloyd George proved he knew all the tricks when he made sure he was captured planting veg. A news reel from 1922 of the Welsh Wizard on hols is titled, Premier’s Simple Life Holiday: Mr Lloyd George Finds Brief Relief From His Great Political Worries by Planting Potatoes. He’s caught, spade in hand ... sporting a three-piece suit. Once described as “a quiet man with a lot to be quiet about”, Clement Attlee certainly took that to heart when it came to vacation time. He chose to relax in the small Welsh seaside town of Nefyn with his family where he would mostly row boats and sit on the beach. (Image: Getty) He also opted for British seaside towns like Weymouth and Seaton, where his wife Violet played cricket on the beach with the children - while he sat reading on a deckchair or playing golf nearby. Tory Harold Macmillan could be found on a rather different UK break – here he is dressed in tweed during a grouse-shooting holiday on Barden High Moor in the Yorkshire Dales, with the Duchess of Devonshire and the Duke of Devonshire’s agent. (Image: PA) A year earlier in 1961, as soon as the August grouse season had started he was off for three days shooting at Swinton, where his party managed 600 brace, followed by six days at Bolton Abbey, where six guns bagged nearly 1,000 brace. Rumour had it Gordon Brown had to be pushed into holidaying by his wife Sarah to make him look more at ease. He never really managed it for the cameras, though. (Image: PA) The family holidayed in Norfolk during his leadership, taking in Whitlingham country park near Norwich. Although it wasn’t quite the at ease picture opportunity it was meant to be – it looked like he’d only taken his tie off. He and his family stayed at Shadingfield Hall, a grade II listed building set in five acres of wooded grounds. It cost £4,500 a week to rent. It was billed as ‘secluded’ – which he needed when local campaigners in nearby Southwold announced they would form a human chain at the promenade to protest at plans to cut spending on sea defences to mark his arrival. Workaholic Margaret Thatcher notoriously disliked a holiday. However she and husband Denis did find one place to relax – Cornwall. The prime minister fell in love with Constantine Bay, near Padstow, and, during her years in power, she and Denis were often seen on the beach and in the surrounding area. (Image: PA) The PM wasn’t quite so relaxed when she holidayed in Theresa May ’s favoured destination of Switzerland – also her choice on numerous occasions. She regularly stayed with retired Tory MP Sir Douglas Glover and his wife Eleanor at their home in Schloss Freudenberg, Switzerland. But R&R was the last thing she wanted and commentators have described how Lady Glover would “scour Switzerland” looking for brainy folk to invite to dinner to keep the iron lady entertained. Cornwall was the first place David Cameron headed on holiday as PM, and he returned numerous times – he and SamCam always managing to do a much better job of looking relaxed, accept the time he attempted to get changed under his beach towel in front of the paps. (Image: PA) His youngest daughter Florence was even born there – her third name, Endellion, is after St Endellion, the village where the family stayed. Although the Camerons tried their best to look like they really enjoyed their ‘staycation’ they were also snapped holidaying in Portugal and Italy. May: Walking in Wales (Image: Jake Garbett /SWNS.COM) Theresa May infamously decided to call a snap general election in 2017 while walking in the mountains of Snowdonia. She told ITV at the time: "Before Easter I spent a few days walking in Wales with my husband, thought about this long and hard, and came to the decision that to provide that certainty and stability for the future, that this was the way to do it, to have an election. "I trust the British people. The British people gave the government a job to do to in terms of coming out of the EU and I‘m going to be asking the British people to put their trust in me in ensuring we deliver a success of that." As history has shown, that didn't go entirely as she hoped. Her mountain epiphany led to her losing her Commons majority and limping powerless to the premature end of her premiership. Hmph - TRUMP goes golfing & Boris, his protégée, goes on holiday - What a pair eh? > tweedle DUMP & tweedle DUM... __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

12-11-20, 15:23	#10
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: HERO Capt Tom Moore 100, in Hospital with COVID & Pneumonia Feuding at No.10 Explodes Into Open as Top Aide Quits After Opposition to Dominic Cummings PM Boris's adviser quits in power battle - Fears more aides will follow Lee Cain after revolt led by Carrie Symonds, the PM's fiancee Carrie Symonds is at odds with several of key No 10 advisers BBC News, 11 NOV 2020 Mr Cain, right, with fellow Vote Leave veteran Dominic Cummings Credit: Adrian Dennis/PA Boris Johnson was trying to prevent an exodus of Downing Street staff on Wednesday night after a key aide resigned following a public power struggle with the Prime Minister's fiancée Carrie Symonds.... Key aide Lee Cain, No 10's director of communications, resigned last night Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson's most senior adviser, is understood to now be considering his position. Mr Cain announced he would quit after Ms Symonds effectively vetoed his promotion to chief of staff and amid an extraordinary briefing battle. Lee Cain arrived for work on Thursday, having already handed in his notice to No 10 He will leave next month, despite being offered a promotion to chief of staff. His departure prompted speculation about the future of the PM's chief adviser Dominic Cummings, but the BBC was told he would stay for now. No 10 denied Mr Johnson had been distracted by the saga, saying he was "fully focussed" on tackling Covid. Mr Cain has been at the PM's side since he was a press officer for the Vote Leave campaign under Mr Cummings. Many will not have heard of him before the story broke, but his resignation comes at a time when the government is facing big decisions over its coronavirus strategy and the future of post-Brexit trade with the EU. After a number of rows and U-turns within government in recent months, No 10 will see communications as key in connecting with the country and trying to gain support for its decisions. The news that Mr Cain - who worked with Mr Cummings and the PM in the Vote Leave campaign to get Britain out of the EU - could become Mr Johnson's chief of staff had led to consternation among some MPs and ministers, said BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg. One Tory source even suggested that Mr Johnson's fiancee, Carrie Symonds - a former head of communications for the Conservatives - had misgivings about that plan. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told LBC Radio: "This is pathetic. I think millions of people will be waking up this morning, scratching their heads, saying what on earth is going on? "We're in the middle of a pandemic, we're all worried about our health and our families, we're all worried about our jobs, and this lot are squabbling behind the door of No 10. Pull yourselves together, focus on the job in hand." But the PM's spokesman said Mr Johnson was concentrating on fighting coronavirus, adding: "You can see the progress we are making, in terms of rolling out mass testing, in securing vaccines and also in terms of making improvements to test and trace." Until now, the cracks spreading through Team Johnson during the Covid crisis had been largely under wraps. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

14-11-20, 08:22	#11
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: HERO Capt Tom Moore 100, in Hospital with COVID & Pneumonia Dominic Cummings Marches Out of No.10 For Good With Things in a Cardboard Box Cummings exits Number 10 with parting shot at Boris Johnson. Chief aide accuses Prime Minister of 'dithering' as he is ordered out of Downing Street The Prime Minister's chief advisor marched out of the front door of 10 Downing Street with a bulging cardboard box in what appeared to be his final bizarre stunt The Telegraph UK, 14 NOV 2020. Dominic Cummings was ordered OUT on Friday night after being accused of briefing against the Prime Minister. Mr Cummings, until now regarded as Boris Johnson's most trusted adviser, left with a broadside against his boss, telling allies Mr Johnson was "indecisive" and that he and Lee Cain – who resigned as director of communications earlier in the week – had to rely on the Cabinet Office minister, Michael Gove, to make decisions. Mr Johnson's chief adviser cleared his desk after a lunchtime meeting in Number 10 and left the building for the last time carrying his possessions in a cardboard box. Mr Cain was also asked to leave in the same meeting. Both men had intended to stay in Number 10 until the end of the year to see out the Brexit project that had brought them and Mr Johnson together, but the last straw reportedly came after Mr Johnson heard claims that the faction headed by Mr Cummings and Mr Cain was briefing against him and his fiancee, Carrie Symonds. They will remain employed until mid-December, with Mr Cummings expected to complete some work on mass testing, but neither is expected to set foot in Number 10 again. Now the Telegraph has tipped ex-Chancellor Sajid Javid for the Chief of Staff job in what would be another blow to Cummings' faction in No10. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

31-01-21, 19:38	#12
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris on HOL AGAIN as Brits Face Cuts & Shortages Crisis Captain Tom Moore, 100, in Hospital as he Battles Coronavirus and Pneumonia. He Raised £33mil for NHS Captain Tom Moore has been rushed to Bedford Hospital with breathing difficulties after testing positive for coronavirus during treatment for pneumonia in recent weeks Daily Mirror UK, 1 FEB, 2021. Captain Tom Moore is in hospital with coronavirus (Image: PA) The Queen knighting Captain Tom at Windsor Castle (Image: Getty Images) The 100-year-old WW2 veteran has raised more than £30million for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic. In a statement released by his daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore today, she said her dad tested positive for coronavirus last week while being treated for pneumonia. Sir Tom was reportedly unable to have his Covid vaccine before catching the disease because of his pneumonia medications. He was taken to a ward at Bedford Hospital today after requiring extra help with his breathing but is not in intensive care. The statement reads: "I wanted to update everybody that today my father was admitted to hospital. "Over the last few weeks he was being treated for pneumonia and last week tested positive for Covid-19. "He was at home with us until today when he needed additional help with his breathing. "He is being treated in a ward, although he is not in ICU. "The medical care he has received in the last few weeks has been remarkable and we know that the wonderful staff at Bedford Hospital will do all they can to make him comfortable and hopefully return home as soon as possible. "We understand that everyone will be wishing him well. We are of course focusing on my father and will update you when we are able to. Hannah x" Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Twitter: "My thoughts are very much with @CaptainTomMoore and his family. You've inspired the whole nation, and I know we are all wishing you a full recovery." He previously encouraged the British public to stay strong as the country entered its second lockdown. His charity - The Captain Tom Foundation - launched a campaign called Walk and Talk which aims is to get as many people as possible walking and talking, spreading hope and easing loneliness. Sir Tom said: "I would like us all to stand shoulder to shoulder - metaphorically! "Let's try not to get downhearted, we will get through this, whatever is thrown at us and together we can ensure that tomorrow will be a good day."

01-02-21, 12:39	#13
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris on HOL AGAIN as Brits Face Cuts & Shortages Crisis Captain Sir Tom Moore Couldn't Get Covid Jab Because of His Pneumonia Treatment The WW2 veteran, who was knighted by the Queen for raising millions for the NHS, was admitted to hospital today with pneumonia and has tested positive for coronavirus 225 frontline health and care workers died from COVID virus during pandemic Daily Mirror UK, 1 FEB, 2021. Captain Sir Tom Moore was unable to have his Covid jab before he caught the virus because he was on medication for pneumonia. The WW2 veteran, who was knighted by the Queen for raising millions for the NHS, was admitted to hospital today with pneumonia and coronavirus. A spokeswoman for the family of the 100-year-old NHS hero said he was not allowed to make the journey to his local vaccination centre. He would have been one of the first wave of Brits to be given the jab. She said: “Because of the medication he was taking for his pneumonia he couldn’t have the Covid jab. “But other than that, the information that was in his daughter Hannah’s statement is all we can share at the moment. “Everyone is sending positive thoughts his way.” __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

02-02-21, 19:33	#14
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris on HOL AGAIN as Brits Face Cuts & Shortages Crisis Captain Sir Tom Moore Dead: NHS Hero, 100, Dies After Covid Fight as Nation Mourns Captain Tom Moore captured the hearts of the nation with his incredible NHS fundraising during the coronavirus pandemic - the second time the World War Two veteran has come to his country's aid The Telegraph UK, 2 FEB 2021. Capt Sir Tom served in India in World War Two A spokesman for Sir Tom's family also told the BBC that he had not yet received a Covid-19 vaccine because of the medication he was taking for pneumonia. A Buckingham Palace spokesperson said: "The Queen is sending a private message of condolence to the family of Captain Sir Tom Moore. "Her Majesty very much enjoyed meeting Cpt Sir Tom and his family at Windsor last year." Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: "Captain Sir Tom Moore was a hero in the truest sense of the word. In the dark days of the Second World War he fought for freedom and in the face of this country's deepest post war crisis he united us all, he cheered us all up, and he embodied the triumph of the human spirit. "It is quite astonishing that at the age of 100 he raised more than £32 million for the NHS, and so gave countless others their own chance to thank the extraordinary men and women who have protected us through the pandemic. "He became not just a national inspiration but a beacon of hope for the world. Our thoughts are with his daughter Hannah and all his family." "He was so passionate about The Foundation’s vision for a more hopeful world and equal society and was immensely proud of the growing legacy it was establishing in his name. "We have been working with Captain Tom to create positive impact around causes close to his and the families hearts, from combating loneliness to championing education and equality and of course supporting the incredible NHS carers and frontline workers whom he held in such high regard. "Captain Tom’s actions inspired people across the world and he was extremely honoured that The Foundation might inspire a new generation of Captain Toms. "We can all make a difference and through our continued work we will aspire to ensure Tom’s message of hope becomes an enduring legacy. "Whilst we mourn his loss, we celebrate his life and will be forever grateful for his optimistic philosophy and wonderful spirit. Captain Tom was determined to hold the memory of his comrades close to him when he took on his epic second challenge to raise much-needed funds for the NHS. He honoured them by donning medals as he embarked on his daily 10 laps of his garden. The proud veteran said: "It's important. It shows that I was part of a very important and super army at the time who were all battling for our country, which we're all so proud of. "I still very proud of our country. There is nowhere like ours." After the war he returned to the UK and went to Bovington, Dorset, where he became an instructor at the Armoured Fighting Vehicle School. And it was here that he finally met the love of his life, Pamela. Colonel Tom admitted he had "given up on love" but when he was 50 when he met his future wife, who was 35 and working as an office manager. He said: "As it so happened, the office manager in Gravesend was a rather attractive young lady – she looked terrific to me, like a model – so I had to do various trips and, shall we say, the attraction with the office manager became stronger and I eventually married her." He described their marriage as "a happy time" and the devoted couple loved the simple things in life.* Captain Tom joked: "Pamela loved nothing more than a trip to Marks & Spencer. That was her dream day out, so we did that a lot." Heartbreakingly, Pamela's health started to decline 20 years ago and her devoted husband cared for her for two years. When her condition needed extra medical attention, Pamela was moved into a care home but Captain Tom was still her main carer. He would visit her every, single day and he was the one who fed her her meals and would sit with her for hours on end until she passed away 14 years ago. The couple tied the knot in 1968 and went on to have two daughters, Lucy and Hannah. Colonel Tom Moore and his bride Pamela during their 1968 wedding He also received tens of thousands of 100th birthday cards, with his grandson, Benji's, school being used to house them all. At midnight on his 100th birthday, Captain Tom officially ended his NHS challenge after smashing both his fundraising target and aim to walk 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. At the end of January his family released a statement saying he tested positive for coronavirus while being treated for pneumonia. They explained he hadn't been able to have the vaccine because of the medication he was on for the condition. Captain Tom is survived by his two daughters and his grandchildren. RIP Captain Tom

17-02-21, 11:45	#15
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris on HOL AGAIN as Brits Face Cuts & Shortages Crisis Captain Sir Tom Moore Would Have Been Broken if He Knew About Cruel Abuse, Says Daughter Daughter Hannah Ingram-Moore has blasted the "vile minority" who criticised a family trip to the Caribbean, which took place just over a month before her father passed away Daily Mirror / BBC UK, 17 FEB, 2021. Sir Tom raised more than £32million for the NHS during the first lockdown (Image: Getty Images) Captain Sir Tom Moore, who died with coronavirus earlier this month, has left "a legacy he could never have imagined", his daughter has said. The 100-year-old Army veteran, who raised almost £33m for NHS charities by walking laps of his garden, died in Bedford Hospital on 2 February. Hannah Ingram-Moore said her father had been determined to beat the virus and continue raising funds. "For him this was all about 'tomorrow will be a good day' and being hopeful." Capt Sir Tom had tested positive for Covid-19 the week before he was admitted to hospital. His family said due to other medication he was receiving for pneumonia, he was unable to be vaccinated. Captain Sir Tom Moore's heart would have been "broken" if he had known about the trolling his family received in the days leading up to his death, his daughter has said. Hannah Ingram-Moore has blasted the "vile minority" who criticised a trip to the Caribbean before Christmas while discussing her father's legacy. She said she and other relatives kept the hurtful comments away from Sir Tom, who passed away in hospital on February 2 after testing positive for coronavirus. The war veteran captured the hearts of the nation when he raised more than £32million for the NHS during the first lockdown by walking 100 laps of his garden before his 100th birthday. Sir Tom, from Bedfordshire, managed to visit Barbados shortly before his death, which his family said was a bucket list trip for the centenarian But the holiday drew ire from certain corners of the internet - which Ms Ingram-Moore said relatives decided to keep from her father in his dying days. She told BBC Breakfast: "I couldn't tell him. "I think it would have broken his heart, honestly, if we'd said to him people are hating us. Sign up to get the latest news in your inbox here. "Because how do you rationalise to a 100-year-old man that something so incredibly good can attract such horror, so we contained it within the four of us and we said we wouldn't play to...that vile minority, we wouldn't play to them, we're not, because we are talking to the massive majority of people who we connect with." Ms Ingram-Moore added that Sir Tom had a wonderful time on the holiday.

28-02-21, 10:14	#16
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris on HOL AGAIN as Brits Face Cuts & Shortages Crisis Queens' Sweet Wreath Tribute to Captain Sir Tom Moore as He's Laid to Rest in Funeral The fundraising hero was honoured by royalty as he was laid to rest by eight members of his family in Bedfordshire on Saturday who said his "message and his spirit lives on" Daily Mirror UK, 28 FEB2021. David Pearson, Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire, lays a wreath at the Sir Tom Moore memorial plaque in Keighley on behalf of the Queen (Image: PA).. The Queen left a heartfelt tribute for Captain Sir Tom Moore at his funeral today. The monarch sent a wreath of 100 white roses to be laid for the NHS fundraising hero. The World War 2 veteran's life was honoured with a fly-past today after his efforts to raise £32million for the health service. He captured worldwide attention after his feat of walking100 laps of his garden on his walking frame drew mammoth levels of donations. Sir Tom died on February 2 after testing positive for coronavirus at the beginning of this year. The deputy Lord Lieutenant of West Yorkshire, David Pearson, laid a wreath in Keighley, which was the birthplace of Sir Tom, on behalf of the Queen. The touching tribute came after Sir Tom was knighted by the royal during an open-air ceremony at Windsor Castle last summer in honour of his efforts during the pandemic. The fundraising hero was laid to rest by eight members of his family in Bedfordshire today. They said his "message and his spirit lives on". The Queen knighted Sir Tom in a special open-air ceremony during the pandemic RIP Captain Tom

27-04-21, 12:53	#17
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris on HOL AGAIN as Brits Face Cuts & Shortages Crisis The ‘Chatty Rat’ and The Lockdown Leak Dominic Cummings’ ‘NUCLEAR’ blogpost is likely to send shockwaves around Westminster for weeks Boris Johnson 'said he'd rather see bodies pile high in thousands' than do 3rd lockdown The government has denied the 'comedy chapter gossip' of the Prime Minister’s explosive alleged remarks - at the time he reluctantly agreed a second lockdown last autumn The Guardian, 27 APR 2021. Photograph: Peter MacDiarmid/Rex/Shutterstock... The political fallout from Dominic Cummings’ latest incendiary blogpost, which has been called a “nuclear dom” in Westminster, caused some immediate tremors and is likely to lead to aftershocks for weeks to come. Months after being turfed out of Downing Street, Boris Johnson’s once most senior adviser and trusted ally has turned on him in a blame game over leaks. The final straw seems to have been a text exchange between the prime minister and the entrepreneur James Dyson, in which the prime minister promised to “fix” a tax issue. The most explosive row, however, is focused on who leaked news of England’s second national lockdown, nicknamed the search for the “chatty rat”. ‘It is beyond moronic’: fury at how PM set the stage for Cummings’s revenge What happened? Various newspapers including the Times, the Daily Mail and the Sun reported on 30 October last year that the government was planning to announce a national lockdown. Having denied for months that another lockdown would be necessary and after resisting Labour’s calls for a “circuit breaker” in England like the one introduced by the Welsh government, Downing Street seemed caught by surprise when the news emerged. A Whitehall inquiry was ordered, but more than six months on, no culprit has been publicly identified. Asked repeatedly to give an update on the investigation, a No 10 spokesperson has simply said they have no new information to offer. Who’s in the frame? According to a coordinated briefing to three Conservative-friendly newspapers by “No 10 sources” on Friday, Johnson believes Cummings has been “engaged in systematic leaking”. Downing Street did not deny the reports, and some have speculated that a more pro-authoritarian Cummings leaked the news to bounce Johnson into taking action. But after the direct attacks on him earlier this week, Cummings came out swinging to defend his reputation and pointed the finger of blame at another No 10 staffer. Cummings said in his blog on Friday that a meeting was had been held last year with him, Johnson, the cabinet secretary, Simon Case, and the No 10 head of communications, Lee Cain, about the investigation. Cummings claimed Case had exonerated him and Cain, and said that “all the evidence definitely leads” to a man called Henry Newman, a special adviser who moved from Michael Gove’s office to No 10 and is a close personal friend of Carrie Symonds, the prime minister’s fiancee. Cummings alleged that Johnson was “very upset” and told him that if Newman was confirmed as “chatty rat”, he would have to fire him, which would “cause me very serious problems with Carrie”, so the prime minister suggested the leak inquiry be quashed. Johnson has since dismissed the claim and No 10 sources deny that Newman was the leaker. Will we ever know? The inquiry may well fail to deliver a definitive verdict on the leaker’s identity. A cabinet minister, Liz Truss, has said the investigation is still ongoing. The Sunday Times reported MI5 as saying it had been roped in to help make a breakthrough, and that so far it had found one person who had sent a WhatsApp message from the cabinet room at around 6pm the day after the meeting where the lockdown was discussed. Present, they said, were Johnson, Cummings, Cain, an unnamed political aide and two civil servants. Which other leaks have aroused suspicion? A separate inquiry has been set up into how the texts between Johnson and Dyson fell into the BBC’s hands. The Daily Mail also revealed that the Saudi crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman, told Johnson in a text message that UK-Saudi relations would be damaged if the British government failed to intervene to “correct” the Premier League’s decision not to allow a £300m takeover of Newcastle United last year. Boris Johnson has a text addiction and it’s bad news for all of us -Marina Hyde It was also revealed this year that an extensive redecoration had taken place of the Downing Street flat where Johnson lives with Symonds and their son, Wilfred, reportedly of a cost up to £200,000. The issue has caused particular embarrassment because of another leaked email from a Tory donor and peer, Lord Brownlow, to the Conservative co-chairman Ben Elliot, which confirmed a £58,000 payment to the party “to cover the payments the party has already made” on renovations. What do all these leaks tell us? Whereas Cummings’ departure from Downing Street and a new chief of staff being brought in was meant to “professionalise” operations, it seems the old turf wars are still playing out in No 10 between those sympathetic to Symonds and to Cummings. The leaks are damaging, but the Conservatives are far ahead in the polls. Labour is hoping that its attacks on alleged cronyism and sleaze will start to penetrate more, and stick on not just Johnson but others around him – including cabinet ministers who may be thinking about running to replace him when the time comes. The answers to some questions are still unknown. Did the cabinet secretary really exonerate Cummings for leaking and instead blame Newman? Was the prime minister loaned money to pay for Downing Street refurbishments, to cover up an original plan for the party to pay for them? And who is responsible for the leaks causing such a headache for No 10? Cummings is expected to appear before a select committee next month, and has promised to “answer questions about any of these issues to parliament … for as long as the MPs want”. We may not have to wait much longer for some answers. 5 Scandals Circling Boris Johnson This Week The Prime Minister faces questions about a 'bodies' remark, a leak inquiry, the No10 flat, Dominic Cummings' revelations and the Super League. Here's a guide to the allegations __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

10-05-21, 14:04	#18
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris on HOL AGAIN as Brits Face Cuts & Shortages Crisis Boris Johnson Under Investigation by Standards Watchdog Over £15,000 Caribbean Break The Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards is probing how the Prime Minister paid for a luxury break to the island of Mustique - with key questions still unanswered 17 months on Boris Johnsons’ flat refurbishment is also being investigated Daily Mirror UK,.10 MAY 2021. Prime Minister Boris Johnsons' financial affairs are under investigation Boris Johnson's partner Carrie Symonds during the Caribbean trip Boris Johnson is being investigated by Parliament's standards watchdog over the funding of a £15,000 break he enjoyed to the Caribbean. The Prime Minister and fiancee Carrie Symonds jetted to the island of Mustique for a New Year getaway following the Tories' 2019 election landslide. But a row quickly erupted of how exactly the luxury trip to the private paradise isle was funded. New transparency rules today meant the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards has revealed she is investigating the Prime Minister for a possible breach of the MPs' Code of Conduct. It comes a year and five months after he and Carrie Symonds enjoyed a trip to the elite island The investigation is likely to raise fresh questions about whether Mr Johnson is relying on friends and allies to maintain his lifestyle. He has still not declared whether he took a loan from a Tory donor to fund a £58,000 refurbishment of the Downing Street flat. And he has refused to deny a Tory donor was approached about the prospect of funding a nanny for his and Carrie Symonds' son Wilfred. The flat refurbishment is already facing three separate inquiries, including one by the Electoral Commission into whether an offence was committed over donations. Mr Johnson and Miss Symonds, who announced their engagement less than three months later, stayed on a villa on the island, part of St Vincent and the Grenadines, between Boxing Day and January 5, 2020 __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

27-05-21, 08:47	#19
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: BORIS Investigation-Ex Aides' Damning Revelations Before Panel of MPs-UNFIT to Le Dominic Cummings' 33 Most Damning Revelations of Covid Incompetence That Killed Thousands The former chief aide took aim at Boris Johnson, Matt Han and other key officials in a seven-hour hearing painting a picture of chaos in the heart of government. While he is a biased witness, his claims accused the Prime Minister of being unfit to lead Britain and claimed tens of thousands of lives had been lost unnecessarily. Han to answer Cummings claims Daily Mirror UK. 27 MAY 2021. Dominic Cummings has given a searing assessment of incompetence, failure and arrogance at the top of government as the Covid-19 pandemic killed thousands of people “who didn’t need to die”. In a seven-hour marathon appearance at a joint Committee of MPs, Boris Johnson ’s former top aide said his old boss had ‘ignored advice’ and was late to introduce both the first and second lockdowns. Mr Cummings claimed the PM was consistently anti-lockdown, ignored scientific advice and failed to take Covid seriously - even ranting last summer that he should never have done Lockdown 1. MPs heard that No 10 was warned the UK was “absolutely f**d” and coronavirus would “kill thousands of people” as Mr Johnson dragged his feet over bringing in the first lockdown last year - something Cummings said he “bitterly” regrets. He painted a picture of a chaotic and dysfunctional Downing Street in denial over the scale of the disaster ahead. Dominic Cummings: The Seven Most Explosive Claims 1. The Government 'Failed' "Tens of thousands of people died, who didn't need to die," Mr Cummings said. Earlier, he said sorry for ministers, officials and advisers "like me" for falling "disastrously short of the standards that the public has a right to expect". "When the public needed us most the government failed," he added, apologising to "the families of those who died unnecessarily". Mr Cummings said the government was not on a "war footing" when the virus emerged in January and February last year and "lots of key people were literally skiing". 2. PM 'Not Fit for Office' Mr Cummings made a series of allegations against his former boss Boris Johnson, including: He dismissed the emerging coronavirus as "the new swine flu" and "just a scare story" - and pledged to be injected "live on TV with the virus so everyone realises it's nothing to be frightened of'" He was a "thousand times too obsessed with the media" and appeared to be persuaded by the Daily Telegraph's view of events on any given day He said he would rather see "bodies pile high" than order a third lockdown in the autumn of 2020, seeming to confirm a BBC report and contradict the prime minister's denials Describing a decline in his relationship with Mr Johnson after the summer of 2020, he said "it was clear in July that our relations were very far from where they had been". He added: "They took another terrible dive after the second lockdown in October because the prime minister knew that I blamed him for the whole situation - and I did - and by 31 October our relations were essentially already finished... "The heart of the problem was, fundamentally, I regarded him as unfit for the job. And I was trying to create a structure around him to try and stop what I thought would have been bad decisions, and push things through against his wishes." Asked later by Labour MP Sarah Owen whether Boris Johnson was a "fit and proper person to get us through this pandemic", Mr Cummings replied: "No." Downing Street rejected many of the remarks and Mr Johnson insisted his government at "every stage tried to minimise loss of life". 3. Han 'should have been fired' Mr Cummings appeared to reserve his harshest criticism for Health Secretary Matt Han. Mr Han "should have been fired for at least 15 to 20 things", Mr Cummings said, as he alleged the health secretary: Displayed "criminal, disgraceful behaviour" as he held back coronavirus tests and meddled in efforts to build a mass testing system in order to meet a "stupid" pledge of 100,000 tests per day in April 2020 Lied during meetings held in the Downing Street cabinet room, including about testing people before they were discharged from hospital into care homes during the first wave Used the UK's chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and chief medical adviser Chris Whitty as a "shield" for government failings at Downing Street news conferences Mr Cummings and the UK's then most senior civil servant Sir Mark Sedwill recommended to the prime minister that Mr Han be sacked in April 2020 The prime minister did not sack Mr Han because some felt he would be a convenient fall guy during any future public inquiry A spokesman for Mr Han later said: "We absolutely reject Mr Cummings' claims about the health secretary." Mr Han added he had not seen Mr Cummings' evidence to MPs in full "and instead I've been dealing with getting the vaccination rollout going, especially to over-30s, and saving lives". He said he would make a statement in the Commons on Thursday when he would "have more to say". 4. First lockdown delay Mr Cummings said it was "obvious" in retrospect that the UK should have locked down in the first week of March at the latest - and it was a "huge failure" on his part not to alert the prime minister. "I bitterly regret that I didn't hit the emergency panic button earlier than I did," he added. Mr Cummings said that, on 14 March, Boris Johnson had been told that models showing the peak of infections was "weeks and weeks and weeks away" in June were "completely wrong". Mr Cummings said that meeting came after the then deputy cabinet secretary, Helen MacNamara, relayed concerns that there was "no plan... we're in huge trouble". He said the PM was warned: "The NHS is going to be smashed in weeks. Really we've got days to act." Mr Johnson announced a national lockdown nine days later on the evening of 23 March. 5. Bombs, quarantine... and Dilyn Mr Cummings painted a vivid picture of the chaotic atmosphere in Downing Street on one "crazy" day in March 2020 when the government was considering a national lockdown - at the same time as officials considered a bombing campaign in Iraq. One morning, he claimed, the "national security people came in" and said "[US President Donald] Trump wants us to join a bombing campaign in the Middle East tonight" and this "totally derailed" meetings about quarantine and the coronavirus. At the same time, he said, "the prime minister's girlfriend was going completely crackers" over a story in Times newspaper with the headline "Downing St dog to be reshuffled". The article reported a Whitehall source as saying they were not sure Carrie Symonds' dog Dilyn would "make it through the next reshuffle" due to the mess he had created in her and Mr Johnson's No 11 flat. Mr Cummings said: "So, we have this sort of completely insane situation in which part of the building was saying, 'are we going to bomb Iraq?', part of the building was arguing about whether or not we're going to do quarantine or not do quarantine, the prime minister has his girlfriend going crackers about something completely trivial." 6. 'Chicken pox parties' Mr Cummings said that, as late as 12 March last year, the UK's top civil servant championed a plan of rapid herd immunity involving "chicken pox parties" for the virus. Then cabinet secretary Sir Mark Sedwill is alleged to have suggested to Mr Johnson: "Prime minister, you should go on TV tomorrow and explain the herd immunity plan and that it is like the old chicken pox parties. We need people to get this disease because that's how we get herd immunity by September." But Mr Cummings said he told him not to use the analogy, which was "not right", as - according to data expert Ben Warner - Covid was "spreading exponentially and killing hundreds of thousands of people". 7. PM 'ignored' second lockdown advice Asked about more recent decisions over a second lockdown in the autumn of 2020, Mr Cummings alleged Mr Johnson rejected a recommendation last September for a shorter stay-at-home order in England. "He was ignoring the advice," he added, saying the prime minister believed he had been pushed into imposing the first one and that the economic harm done by lockdown would be worse than Covid itself. He added: "All credible serious people in my opinion were saying essentially the same thing so I was very, very clear with him about it. "He wasn't taking any advice, he was just making his own decisions, he was going to ignore the advice. Cabinet wasn't involved or asked. "I've been very critical of Matt Han but I think Han agreed with me actually in September about acting then." Mr Cummings also turned his guns on Carrie Symonds, suggesting she had pursued “completely unethical and clearly illegal” attempts to pack No 10 with her own friends. But his most vicious broadsides were reserved for Health Secretary Matt Han, whom he branded “disgraceful” - and potentially “criminal.” Mr Cummings said there were around 20 reasons why Mr Han should have been thrown out of the Cabinet - including, he claimed, lying both in meetings and publicly. But he had no such venom for Brexiteer allies Dominic Raab, Michael Gove - and particularly Rishi Sunak, whom he described as “competent and extremely able”. With Mr Sunak long touted as a future leader, and Mr Cummings having a string of personal scores to settle, that will raise questions over the motivation behind his claims today. Tens of thousands of Brits died needlessly due to government failure In what’s ultimately his most damning admission, the ex-adviser said bluntly: "Tens of thousands of people died, who didn't need to die." Mr Cummings claimed the PM was consistently anti-lockdown, ignored scientific advice and failed to take Covid seriously. The former top aide began his evidence with a mea culpa: “The truth is senior ministers, officials and advisers like me fell short of standards the public has a right to expect. “When the public needed us most, we failed. I’d like to say to all the families how sorry I am for the mistakes we made”. Han** in Spotlight After Cummings Attack A scathing attack on Matt Han**’s handling of the pandemic by the prime minister’s former aide Dominic Cummings has put the health secretary in the spotlight. During a seven-hour appearance before MPs at the health and science select committees on Wednesday, Mr Cummings made a number of explosive claims about the government’s handling of the pandemic. He argued that mistakes meant "tens of thousands of people died, who didn't need to die", plus he portrayed the government as unprepared and with no useful plan for handling a pandemic. As part of his evidence, Mr Cummings said Mr Han should have been “fired for at least 15 to 20 things”, including lying on multiple occasions to him and others in government and in public. He described the health secretary as "completely incapable of doing the job", criticising him over PPE, or personal protective equipment, shortages and "stupid" testing targets. Mr Han’s spokesman said “we absolutely reject Mr Cummings' claims”, with the health secretary later saying he hadn’t seen the evidence session in full because he was “dealing with getting the vaccination rollout going… and saving lives”. He faces MPs in the House of Commons this morning to answer an urgent question tabled by Labour. Labour's shadow health secretary Jonathan Ashworth said Mr Cummings' "very grave allegations" appeared to be "well-founded" and the health secretary would have to "give us an explanation" in order for the country to "maintain confidence in him". __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL** ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

27-05-21, 12:44	#20
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	Re: BORIS Investigation-Ex Aides' Damning Revelations Before Panel of MPs-UNFIT to Le Matt Han Responds to Dominic Cummings Brutal 'Liar' Claims Daily Mail UK 27 MAY 2021. Matt Han** today hit back at Dominic Cummings' vicious attacks on his pandemic record including allegations he lied repeatedly, failed care home residents and should have been 'sacked daily' for 'criminal, disgraceful behaviour'. The Health Secretary told the Commons that the government had been 'straight with people' about the challenges that coronavirus posed and the difficult decisions. 'These unsubstantiated allegations around honesty are not true,' he said. 'I have been straight with people in public and in private throughout.' Mr Han also dismissed Mr Cummings' criticism of his testing target, saying it was 'how you get stuff done in government'. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL** ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

28-06-21, 15:26	#21
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris on HOL AGAIN as Brits Face Cuts & Shortages Crisis Disgraced Matt Han** Looks Set to Turn Down £16,000 Exit Payment After Outcry The Health Secretary was warned it would be 'disgusting' to accept the severance payment when he resigned in disgrace after breaking his own Covid rules Daily Mirror UK, 26 JUN 2021 Matt Han looks set to turn down a £16,000 golden goodbye after he resigned in disgrace for breaking Covid rules. It’s understood the former Health Secretary intends to reject the exit payment, after Labour said taking it would be “disgusting”. Mr Han has not, however, made a public statement about rejecting the money. The public may only have final confirmation when Department of Health accounts are published in summer 2022. Boris Johnson's official spokesman said: “It’s a matter for the former Health and Care Secretary whether he seeks to accept that payment or not. I haven’t had final confirmation either way.” Mr Han finally resigned on Saturday night, two days after learning he had been caught on CCTV in a passionate clinch with his mistress. But Labour ’s Lucy Powell said the public would be “appalled” he will now be given a £16,000 “golden goodbye” – after months of criticism over his handling of the pandemic including the PPE scandal and sending Covid OAPs to care homes. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL** ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

29-06-21, 16:18	#22
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris on HOL AGAIN as Brits Face Cuts & Shortages Crisis Boris Johnson Accused of Misleading Rape Victims Over Missing £1bn EXCLUSIVE: Labour has written to the stats watchdog after the PM wrongly claimed the huge sum was being poured into clearing court backlogs Daily Mirror UK, 29 JUN 2021 Boris Johnson stands accused of misleading rape victims over claims the Government is pumping £1bn into clearing court backlogs. Labour's David Lammy has accused the Prime Minister of "either a deliberate lie or a terrible mistake" after he made the false statement during Prime Minister's Questions, as the Government is investing a small fraction of the sum. The Shadow Justice Secretary has written to the PM telling him he misled MPs and to the stats watchdog to demand an investigation. The PM was hitting back at Keir Starmer, who was lambasting the Government over the country's record-low conviction rate for rape and the Tories' closure of 295 courts since 2010. Mr Johnson, who later came under fire for dismissing questions about rape as "jabber", said minister were "fixing that by investing another £1 billion in clearing the court backlogs". In fact, the Spending Review revealed the Government is investing “£275 million to manage the downstream demand impact of 20,000 additional police officers and reduce backlogs in the Crown Court.” Mr Lammy's letter to the PM, and the UK Statistics Authority, says: “In Parliament you not only dismissed Keir Starmer’s questions about the record-low conviction and prosecution rates for rape as ‘jabber’, you misled the House about the amount of funding your government is prepared to invest to fix it. “This is either a deliberate lie, or a terrible mistake which shows you have no grasp of the scale of the problem for victims in the justice system. “Will you come to the House urgently to correct the record and apologise, once again, to rape victims for failing them?” A source close to Justice Secretary Robert Buckland called the claims "a misleading gimmick", adding Mr Johnson was "clearly" referring to cash for victims support "over a number of years". He said: "It's time for David to drop his Talk Radio show, spend less time on Twitter and engage with the issues." During PMQs Mr Johnson apologised to rape victims for the trauma and delays they have faced in securing justice but came under heavy criticism after he took aim at Labour at the end of the exchange, saying: “We are getting on with the job. They jabber, we jab. They dither, we deliver. They vacillate, we vaccinate.” Labour's Jess Phillips was among those who called the comments "disgraceful". A party spokesman later clarified that the PM was aiming the comments at the Labour leader rather than shrugging off questions about the issue. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

10-10-21, 12:01	#23
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris Relaxes & Paints in £25k-a-WEEK Villa as UK Crisis Grips Boris Johnson Jets off on Holiday as Brits Face Soaring Bills, Cuts and Shortages Crisis Boris Johnson jetted to the Costa del Sol as millions face soaring UK energy bills, a cruel benefit cut, empty supermarket shelves and higher petrol prices Daily Mirror 10 OCT 2021. The PM is enjoying a sunshine break in a luxury villa while Brits suffer ( Image:AFP via Getty Images) TRUMPs' protégée Boris Johnson is on a sunshine break in Marbella... as a cloud of misery engulfed Britain. The Prime Minister jetted to the Costa del Sol as millions face soaring UK energy bills, a cruel benefit cut, empty supermarket shelves and higher petrol prices – if they can get any. Mr Johnson arrived on Friday and is understood to be staying in a luxury villa until Thursday. Hillside properties around Marbella typically boast private pools, swanky bedrooms and sweeping views across the countryside. Temperatures in “Marbs” – a favourite with stars of TV’s The Only Way Is Essex – are set for 24C today. In London it will be 18C – though angry Brits are much hotter under the collar at government bungling over the ongoing supplies and bills crisis. Should the PM have gone on his hols? Have your say in the comment section Temperatures in “Marbs” are set for 24C A Westminster source said: “It’s fine the PM taking a break, but the timing shows just how out of touch he is with ordinary Brits facing bills, bills and yet more bills.” And a Spanish police source told the Sunday Mirror last night: “Officially we can’t confirm, but unofficially he’s in a big luxury villa on the border between Mar-bella and Benahavis. "We have been made aware that the British Prime Minister is staying and so we are all being extra vigilant. We know how important he is globally and what a potential target he is so there are extra patrols over the next few days.” Critics claim the PM is out of touch with the current mood of the nation It was unclear whether Mr Johnson’s pregnant wife Carrie, 33, and their year-old son Wilfred were with him in Marbella. Spain had been on the Government’s amber list, before green and amber countries were merged into one list on Monday. And Mr Johnson wasted no time jetting off soon after the Tory conference ended , leaving Brits back home to cope with the pain. As he flew out, store shelves back home were left empty across the country with many shoppers unable to buy essential foods as Britain’s supply chain crisis continued. Some supermarket aisles were stripped bare of meat, fruit and frozen goods as customers panic-bought items, including toilet roll and water bottles. There were even warnings of shortages of festive favourites like Quality Street. Meanwhile, millions of households were facing up to yet tougher times ahead following the £20-a-week cut in Universal Credit benefits. Mr Johnsons’s trip comes as something of a surprise as a senior government source had claimed only in August: “The PM’s going to staycation this year.”But the same month the PM said: “We need to get the travel industry moving again”. Boris Johnson's serial adultery gets him thumbs down from 70% of voters in new poll 'Generous Tories help the poor by taking money off them as the wealthy hide trillions' Last year, the Johnsons had a summer holiday on the west coast of Scotland – renting a house on the Applecross peninsula. And in December 2019, the PM and his then fiancé took a luxurious winter break to Mustique, a private island in the archipelago nation of St Vincent and the Grenadines. The PM was later criticised by the MPs standards watchdog for failing to properly explain how the £15,000 holiday was funded. Marbella, meanwhile, is a popular spot with other leading Tories too. Zac Goldsmith has a sprawling property there. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

13-10-21, 12:58	#24
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris Relaxes & Paints in £25k-a-WEEK Villa as UK Crisis Grips Boris Johnson Relaxes and Paints Picture in £25k-a-WEEK Villa as UK Crisis Grips The country’s in crisis and his deadly mishandling of Covid is being condemned by bereaved families and MPs... So where’s Prime Minister Boris Johnson? >He’s playing with his paint set at his billionaire pal’s villa - having fun Boris? Daily Mirror 13 OCT 2021. Boris Johnson painting at the Goldsmith’s Ranch in Benahavis, Marbella, Spain. 12.10.2021 The PM is reportedly in a 'super bubble' As Boris Johnson stood at his easel trying to emulate his hero Winston Churchill, at home he was being condemned for failing to lead the nation through its worst crisis since the Second World War. Families of those who died of Covid-19 were calling on the Prime Minister to apologise for his Government’s appalling failings during the pandemic, after a devastating report by MPs. And as Mr Johnson relaxed in the Spanish villa owned by his billionaire pal, Zac Goldsmith, who he made a peer, industry chiefs were warning soaring energy prices could shut factories, costing thousands of jobs. The country was also tackling labour shortages, price hikes, and a brutal Universal Credit cut, and with Cop26 less than a month away, the PM was advised to “get off his sun lounger and start being a statesman” amid warnings he needs to take the climate talks in Glasgow seriously to avoid a “greenwash” summit. But Mr Johnson carried on his holiday with wife Carrie and their year-old son Wilfred regardless, leading the Spanish press to react to his sunshine break with disbelief. The El Pais newspaper said: “Boris Johnson spends a week in Marbella with his family while the United Kingdom tackles its greatest crisis since the pandemic.” Mr Johnson has failed to comment on a report on ministers’ handling of the pandemic by the Health and Social Care and Science and Technology committees. It concluded that 20,000 lives could have been saved if the country had gone into lockdown earlier in March last year. Cabinet Office Minister Steve Barclay, who was sent out to defend the Government, admitted he had not even read the report and refused more than a dozen times to apologise – even though 150,000 people have died. Asked if he wanted to say sorry for the failings, he said: “We’ve followed throughout the scientific advice. We got the vaccine deployed extremely quickly, we protected our NHS.” Another Tory minister George Freeman said: “It’s too early for any proper discussion about blame and fault. This was a biomedical Battle of Britain and I suspect mistakes were made.” Rivka Gottlieb, 49, believes the decision not to lock down earlier last spring cost her dad Michael, 73, his life in April. She said: “I remember at the time, so many voices clamouring for an earlier lockdown, including from the scientific community. “So the finger pointing, and the blaming the scientists, I just don’t accept it, I don’t buy it. “Ultimately, the buck stops with the Government. They are responsible for the decisions and they made very poor decisions.” "Everybody is entitled to a holiday, including the Prime Minister, but Boris Johnson has had 3 or 4 this past year that we know of. Now he has undeniably chosen a particularly bad time to escape a worried country by booking this trip to Spain. While he enjoys painting pictures in the sunshine, back home many millions of workers, families and businesses are fighting serious crises on multiple fronts. While he indulges in the luxury of a grand villa in Marbella courtesy of a Conservative Government Minister gifted a peerage, companies in the glass, steel, ceramic, paper and cement industries are concerned soaring crippling fuel bills could shut them down. While he relaxes abroad, shortages of lorry drivers and agricultural workers are emptying supermarket shelves and making life tougher for those who couldn’t go away. While he decides whether to swim or play tennis, households he callously hit hard by snatching £20 a week Universal Credit face choosing between hearing and eating. And while he contemplates life, mourning relatives are asking why he isn’t apologising for the thousands of Covid victims needlessly killed by his and his Government’s incompetence. The angry public voices raised about this ill-judged holiday are entitled to be heard and in a democracy it is demonstrably in the public interest for voters to read and see what their absent Prime Minister is doing while they grapple With making ends meet. Yes, Johnson’s suffered Covid himself last year and his mother died recently so he could do with a break like everybody else. Yet when he’s contributing to the woes of those hardworking grafters, families and businesses rather than giving them a break at what is a stressful time, Britain screaming our for incisive leadership, Johnson’s reinforcing growing evidence that he’s a trivial figure when a serious Prime Minister’s required. The picture he’s painting by abandoning Downing Street this week isn’t pretty. A good PM would be at work, not on holiday. Going awol tells us much about Johnson that is disturbing." What the PM thinks he looks like - British statesman Winston Churchill painting a view of the Sorgue River while on vacation.... ...whilst the nation Sees... . __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

24-10-21, 22:39	#25
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris SLEAZE:He Rambles-Compares Himself to Moses & Praises Peppa Pig in Bizarre Boris Johnson Pumps Out 21 Tons of CO2 in Flurry of Trips in Tycoon's Private Jet The Prime Minister's green credentials went up in smoke as he gained an election advantage by travelling 1,200 miles aboard a private Gulfstream jet owned by JCB magnate Lord Bamford BBC News 24 Oct 2021 Boris Johnson also borrowed Lord Bamford's helicopter Blustering Boris Johnson’s green “credentials” went up in smoke as he made a flurry of trips on a tycoon’s gas-guzzling plane and helicopter. The polluting PM pumped 21 tons of CO2 into the air in just two weeks with jaunts on a £47million Gulfstream jet owned by JCB digger magnate Lord Bamford. The Sunday Mirror can reveal Boris travelled more than 1,200 miles by jet for campaign visits in the fortnight before May’s local elections. And it’s understood the PM made at least two more journeys in Lord Bamford’s helicopter. Using the train would have caused a fraction of the damage to the environment. And it would have taken a typical petrol-driven car ONE YEAR to emit the carbon dioxide spewed out by the Gulfstream in just ONE HOUR. The revelations come on the eve of the COP26 climate conference in Glasgow – and after Boris himself accused other leaders of “hot air” over green issues. Greenpeace’s chief scientist Dr Doug Parr stormed: “Prime Ministerial actions have consequences far beyond those of any Hollywood star or royal, and Prime Ministerial hypocrisy is deeply corrosive of public trust.” Matthew Lawrence, of campaign group Common Wealth, added: “The PM’s words yet again don’t match reality.” The flights on the Gulfstream G650 would have released an estimated 21.2 tons of CO2 into the atmosphere, about a third of what the average person creates in a year. The PM would have to plant around 130 trees to offset the greenhouse gases emitted during the jet journeys alone. Making the same journeys by rail would have released just 0.1 tons of CO2 per passenger. On polling day, May 6, the PM appeared virtually at Germany’s Petersberg Climate Dialogue, urging world leaders to come up with more than “hot air” at next week’s COP26 conference. He said: “I’ll be seeking commitments from the G7 members to use their voices and their votes, wherever and whenever possible to support the transition to net zero (carbon emissions), kickstart a green industrial revolution, and build economies that withstand whatever our changing climate throws at us.” The following day he made two journeys on private aircraft, first on the helicopter to open an academy school in Coventry, then on the private jet to the North East to celebrate his party’s victory in the Hartlepool by-election – releasing around 13,000lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere. The Common Wealth think tank has called for a ban on fossil fuel-powered private jets by 2025 – arguing the climate crisis is driven by the wealthiest in society, and has consequences for the most vulnerable. Director Mathew Lawrence said: “Promising a green revolution then jetting off in a Tory donor’s fossil fuel guzzling plane might be hypocritical, but it is not how we tackle the climate emergency. “To ‘level up’ and reach net-zero we need to ground the private jets and get on with building a clean, affordable transport future that works for everyone.” According to charter flight operator Paramount Business Jets, the Gulfstream G650 emits around 10,614lbs or 4.7 imperial tons of CO2 per hour of flight. It’s not possible to accurately estimate the emissions of Mr Johnson’s helicopter trips, due to incomplete flight data. But similar helicopters emit up to half a ton of CO2 for every hour they’re in the air. Lord Bamford’s jet was purchased from Gulfstream in 2014 and was delivered to its base in East Midlands Airport. The PM’s flights were declared as donations in kind to the Conservative Party, at an estimated cost of £40,254.71. Gulfstream G650 fact file Cost: £47.2 million ($65m) Maximum passengers: 15 Range: 11,263km (6998 miles) Emissions: 10,614 lbs (4.7 imperial ton) per hour of flight time Luxury interior: Meeting space, sofas, reclining armchairs, a 42-inch flat screen TV, in-flight WiFi, a kitchen including microwave and oven, fridge freezer and an espresso machine. Also owned (or formerly owned) by: Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, James Dyson, David Geffen, Ralph Lauren, Mr Johnson posed for photographs with Lord Bamford, 76, last week to promote his firm’s new eco-friendly hydrogen-powered digger. News of the PM’s carbon footprint comes as up to 300,000 ordinary motorists are set to be hit with a £12.50 a day charge to drive in London’s newly-expanded Ultra Low Emission zone. And the flights storm could embarrass the PM’s wife Carrie, an ardent environmental champion. She was not on board. A Conservative Party spokesperson said: “It has long been the case that party leaders make visits across the country during election campaigns, using a wide variety of transport. “Such visits are an important part of the democratic process, so politicians, including Prime Ministers, can visit as many places as possible, within time constraints. “As part of the Government’s levelling up agenda, it is entirely right that ministers meet and listen to people in every part of the United Kingdom. “Under this government, we’ve reduced carbon emissions faster than any other G7 country, are producing a record amount of electricity from renewable sources and are a world-leader in offshore wind.” Next week, Mr Johnson and other world leaders are set to travel to COP26 on so-called “green flights” using sustainable fuel produced from food waste. But Greenpeace branded the move “greenwashing”. Research commissioned by the Department for Business Energy and Industrial Strategy was pulled from the Government’s website last Wednesday, shortly after it was published. The document recommended the Government make strong “interventions” to tackle aviation emissions and reduce demand among frequent business flyers. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

12-11-21, 07:25	#26
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris SLEAZE:He Rambles-Compares Himself to Moses & Praises Peppa Pig in Bizarre Boris Johnson Repeatedly Refuses to Apologise for Sleaze Debacle - or Condemn Geoffrey Cox With a sleaze storm brewing in parliament, Boris Johnson insists UK not ‘remotely corrupt’ & seeks shelter where he can Former Tory Attorney General Geoffrey Cox Accrued at Least £6m From Second job While a Parliamentarian -also recently skipped 12 Commons votes on days when he was engaged in paid legal work Blundering Boris Johnson gets two world leaders mixed up at COP26 climate summit The Prime Minister said he had been 'moved' by a quote from the Prime Minister of Barbados Mia Mottley, when actually it was said by UN Secretary António Guterres The Guardian UK 12 NOV 2021. Hugely encouraging to find Boris Johnson treating Monday’s emergency debate on sleaze like the birth of a lovechild. Which is to say, he was unfortunately washing his hair. Metaphorically, of course. I get a strong “Mate, after eight weeks, hair cleans itself” energy from the prime minister. The House of Commons isn’t going to clean itself, unfortunately, which makes it all the more regrettable that Johnson always feels the need to get away from his mistakes. By next year, he’ll have billed the taxpayer for a full-scale Fortress of Solitude, with the only locked-on certainty being that Kwasi Kwarteng will assure us the £38bn crystal cave is a non-story. Yesterday, though, we had Anne-Marie Trevelyan defending outside earnings. The trade secretary didn’t think the ability to maintain lucrative consultancies should be removed, she said in one interview, because it brought a “richness” to the Commons. Jesus, Anne-Marie: YOU HAD ONE JOB. Unlike half the Tory backbenches, obviously, who have three jobs. Good to know that ongoing performance art piece Chris Grayling takes a full £100,000 a year from Hutchison Ports Europe, where I imagine his advice runs to “Quick one: did you remember to acquire some ports? Seems obvious but I once ballsed up on this front with ferries.” The latest emanation from the WTF files is the revelation that Torridge and West Devon MP Geoffrey Cox has spoken once in a single parliamentary debate since February 2020, and spent part of this year working and voting remotely out of the British Virgin Islands, where he pocketed £150,000 of his £900,000 extra-parliamentary earnings for advising the tax haven’s government on Foreign Office corruption charges. I mean … Just get an OnlyFans, Geoffrey. It’s so much more dignified. Incidentally, it’s nice to remember how many people wanged on about what a nice voice this #massivelegend had, back when he was a scenery-chewing attorney general for Theresa May. You can bet they feel pretty ahead of the curve now. They could get Cox to record their voicemail greeting for them. He’s bound to be on Cameo. Indeed, perhaps that’s the logical next step in democracy’s voiding of its bowels: Boris Johnson charging a grand a pop to gibber “Build Back Birthday!” for paying members of the electorate. Amazingly, Cox is just one element in what’s becoming a category 5 ***storm for Johnson. There are honestly too many fronts to fit in here, from Johnson’s own byzantine arrangements for paying for £840-a-roll gold wallpaper, to the grotesque racket of Tory treasurers donating £3m and reliably ending up in the Lords. (Johnson has appointed a full 96 peers in less than two years, meaning the Lords itself now runs to nearly 800 members and is bigger than the entire EU parliament.) All this is before we even get to Delyn MP Rob Roberts, who has somehow just been allowed to rejoin the Conservative party and sit as an independent in the Commons despite an investigation having found he sexually harassed a junior member of staff. Mind you, I’ve very much enjoyed the gentlemen across Fleet Street who’ve been pontificating along the lines of: “Can you imagine a sexual harasser in any other workplace simply being allowed to carry on working there?” Yes, guys. I can.* ANYHOW. In the absence of Johnson, you might have ordinarily expected Monday’s debate to be opened by leader of the house Jacob Rees-Mogg. As one of the architects of the catastrophic Paterson amendment, however, Rees-Mogg was evidently deemed too much of an oratorical liability. He and his fellow blunderer, chief whip Mark Spencer, could instead be found sitting boot-faced and silent on the frontbench like Crabbe and Goyle – a pair of not-very-hench men who knew their blond ringleader wasn’t going to show up. At the dispatch box, honours were instead done by Cabinet Office minister Steve Barclay, a political entity I find it very difficult to have an opinion about one way or the other. Ever since he was appointed from the ether as Brexit secretary in 2018, Barclay has somehow always seemed a placeholder minister, who materialises only as a temporary proxy – the human equivalent of the apologetic parenthesis [sorry this bit to follow later]. But look: Steve didn’t exactly have great material to work with – and it should obviously never even have been his script. The bottler who should have done it had instead spent the morning at a hospital in Northumberland, floundering to the cameras that he couldn’t get back in time. Boris Johnson is the most extraordinarily bad liar, which is really embarrassing for him considering how long he’s spent practising. I heard if you spent 10,000 hours doing something you were supposed to be an expert in it. In which case, Johnson should be able to compete intergalactically in this particularly discipline. He should be good enough to be Earth’s tribune in the Bull** Games. Instead, we found the PM skulking in a radiology department, trying to change the subject to Covid. That in itself tells you quite how bad things are. Changing the subject to talk about something he’s handled as badly as Covid has the ring of “Can we talk instead about how I can’t live on £160,000 and two free houses?”, or “Can we talk instead about how my wife’s five years older than my daughter?” I suppose you have to concede the quality of the white goods he’s hiding in has improved. He’s graduated from a fridge to a CT scan machine. Arguably the darkest news this week, though, is the discovery that the standards commissioner, Kathryn Stone, now requires increased security after threats against her. What a moment for pause. It was barely two weeks ago that some in the Commons were calling for “David’s Law”, in memory of the brutally murdered MP David Amess, explaining that sky-rocketing abuse of members was fuelled by the internet. And yet, what is abuse of the previously pretty anonymous standards commissioner fuelled by, if not some hugely unnecessary and disgracefully targeted attacks on her led by some MPs themselves? If only they’d spend a little less time on the second jobs, and a little more considering the duties and honour of the first. In the meantime, Johnson has reminded his MPs he’s a weak man masquerading as a strong one, which is why serving ministers are now giving quotes to the Times like: “We put up with him as long as he’s popular. As soon as he’s not, we should get rid.” Oof. That time may not have come. But I’m reminded of a great Hemingway line from The Sun Also Rises. “How did you go bankrupt?” “Two ways. Gradually and then suddenly.” __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL** ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

13-11-21, 15:11	#27
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	BBC Chairman, Sunaks' Pal, QUITS After SCANDAL of Boris £80,000 Loan Fresh Sleaze Claims as Tories Take 1.5million From Oil and Gas Donors under Boris Johnson No 10 faces legal challenge to PM’s support for Priti Patel on bullying claims Senior civil servants’ union move for judicial review allegations adds to pressure on Boris Johnson Boris Johnson holiday villa linked to Zac Goldsmith firms accused of tax evasion -Costa del Sol property firms owned by Goldsmith family ordered to pay €24m in unpaid taxes and fines Boris Johnson has been blasted for climate change hypocrisy over Tory party funding as Electoral Commission records shows donations stretching back to 2019 linking the Conservatices with oil and gas magnates BBC News 13 NOV 2021. Boris Johnson decided Priti Patel Home Secretary, had not breached the ministerial code. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/UK PARLIAMENT/AFP/Getty Images The government faces a legal challenge to Boris Johnson’s decision to back Priti Patel over bullying allegations, throwing a fresh spotlight on the prime minister’s approach to ethics in public life. Alex Allan, Johnson’s independent adviser on the ministerial code, resigned last year after the prime minister chose not to act on a critical report about Patel. After a Cabinet Office investigation, citing instances in which she had shouted and sworn at staff, Allan found Patel had displayed “behaviour that can be described as bullying” and that she had “not consistently met the high standards expected of her”. His report suggested she had breached the ministerial code, even if unintentionally. *Boris Johnson says the UK is not ‘remotely a corrupt country’. Is it?* Johnson decided she had not breached the code, however, and subsequently urged his colleagues to “form a square around the Prittster”. The FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, has brought a judicial review of his decision, probing the legal status of the ministerial code, which will be heard at the Royal Courts of Justice next Wednesday and Thursday. Dave Penman, the FDA’s general secretary, said: “Civil servants should expect to work with ministers without fear of being bullied or harassed. “The prime minister’s decision, which he said reflected the home secretary’s assertion that her actions were unintentional, also potentially allows ministers to avoid the consequences of their behaviour in future by pleading that it should be the intent of their actions which is important, not the consequences. “The result is that civil servants’ confidence in challenging unacceptable behaviour from ministers has been fatally damaged.” He added that 90% of civil servants in a recent survey carried out by the union said they had no confidence in the ministerial code as a way of dealing with bullying or harassment by ministers. Johnson took the unusual step earlier this week of insisting the UK is “not remotely a corrupt country”, amid a slew of sleaze claims after his botched bid to protect disgraced former MP Owen Paterson from a 30-day suspension for paid lobbying. Decisions on whether backbench MPs have breached their code of conduct are taken by the cross-party committee for standards, after an investigation by the independent watchdog, Kathryn Stone, and must then be rubber-stamped by the House of Commons. But the prime minister is the ultimate arbiter of whether the ministerial code has been broken – and Johnson chose to override Allan’s findings in Patel’s case. The home secretary subsequently reached a six-figure settlement with the former permanent secretary of her department, Sir Philip Rutnam, after claims that he was forced out of his job for intervening in her alleged bullying. Whitehall sources said that Rutnam received a £340,000 settlement with a further £30,000 in costs. He had threatened to take the home secretary to an employment tribunal hearing. Resigning in February last year, Rutnam claimed he had been the victim of a “vicious and orchestrated campaign against him”, which Patel had organised. Patel has consistently denied that claim and rejected allegations of bullying. A report from the independent Committee on Standards in Public Life, published last week, urged the government to strengthen the powers of the independent adviser on ministers’ interests – currently Lord Geidt, who was appointed to succeed Allan. The committee said he should be able to launch his own investigations; his reports should be published promptly; and the government should publish the range of sanctions that could be applied to ministers who breach the rules in future. “Meaningful independence is the benchmark for any effective form of standards regulation and current arrangements for the adviser still fall below this bar,” the committee said. Zac Goldsmith (left) is a longstanding friend of Johnson and his wife, Carrie. In 2019, the PM personally appointed Goldsmith to the House of Lords. Photograph: Ben Pruchnie/Getty Images Under strain Boris Johnson faces a crisis over sleaze Villa Tramores, where Johnson stayed The luxury villa where Boris Johnson stayed on holiday last month is linked to Costa del Sol property businesses owned by Zac Goldsmith’s family that engaged in a multimillion-pound tax evasion scheme, according to Spanish courts. Court papers obtained by the Guardian show tax inspectors ordered two property companies owned by the Goldsmith family to pay €24m (£20m) in unpaid taxes and fines after investigating what they said was a suspicious property deal. The tax authority’s findings have been upheld by one of Spain’s highest courts, with judges agreeing the companies effectively engaged in a deliberate effort to evade tax and committed “serious” violations of the law. Documents indicate Spanish authorities are still seeking to recover the funds and could even seize parts of the family’s land, which is spread across more than 600 hectares (1,480 acres) of private woodland about 10 miles from the Marbella coastline. A Swiss lawyer for one of the companies denied the case amounted to a “tax evasion” issue, describing it as a dispute that resulted from a mistaken land valuation by Spanish tax authorities. She said the finding against her client was “extremely hard to understand, to put it mildly”. Court papers indicate there will be a further appeal. However, the revelation raises difficult questions for the prime minister, who has already faced criticism for refusing to declare his use of the luxury property in the MPs’ register of interests, which would require him to disclose the monetary value of the gift from the Goldsmith family. Villa Tramores, where Johnson stayed, was not owned by a company involved in the tax investigation but forms part of the Goldsmiths’ property holdings. Photograph: Tramores Downing Street has insisted the holiday at the villa, which costs £25,000 a week to rent, was “unconnected with the PM’s parliamentary and political activities”. Zac Goldsmith, a Conservative minister, is a longstanding friend of Johnson and his wife, Carrie. In 2019, Johnson personally appointed Goldsmith to the House of Lords after his friend lost his seat as an MP. Johnson is now likely to be asked how much he knew of the Spanish tax investigation into companies owned by the Tory minister’s family before staying at their villa, which is in a secluded corner of an estate beside swimming pools, a tennis court and an organic farm. The revelations raise questions for both Goldsmith, a senior minister, and his brother Ben, a non-executive director at the environment department, about the extent to which they were aware of or involved in the property deal . Neither brother responded in detail to questions about the extent of their knowledge or involvement in the transactions at the heart of the tax investigation. In an email, Ben Goldsmith said: “This whole thing serves as a warning to any Brit thinking of owning a property in Spain.” The Goldsmith brothers inherited their wealth from their father, Sir James Goldsmith, who died in 1997 with a £1.2bn fortune. Goldsmith senior’s wealth now resides in a discretionary trust run for the benefit of his children. It is understood that not all of the children have an interest in the Spanish property portfolio. The family first acquired the Tramores estate, the site of the villa where Johnson stayed, in the 1980s. By 1999, the Goldsmiths are understood to have used a company linked to a Cayman Islands structure to acquire additional land bordering the villa, effectively expanding their estate. More recently, separate Goldsmith-owned offshore companies have been used to own the patchwork of land and properties, which are all situated in the same hills surrounding the quiet mountain village of Benahavís. The Swiss lawyer, who represents one of the companies accused of evading tax, Guadalmansa Administraciones, said the villa where Johnson stayed was “entirely separate” from the property ensnared in the tax dispute. However, while the villa Johnson stayed in was not owned by a company involved in the tax investigation, public records suggest it forms part of the Goldsmiths’ wider sprawling property holdings in Benahavís. It is unclear why Zac Goldsmith has only declared one of at least three companies that own parts of his family’s land outside the village. The Lords register of interests lists only a Spanish and Maltese company as holding an interest in land in Andalucía. But documents suggest a more complex trust structure has been used to hold land in the area and generate income from holiday rentals, including companies that have not been declared. A spokesperson for the peer insisted: “All reportable interests have been correctly and transparently declared.” Spain’s tax agency first began investigating the Goldsmith family’s companies in 2012. Inspectors homed in on an unusual property deal when one of the companies transferred land on a large estate to a related company. According to court papers, in 2008 – two years before Goldsmith became an MP – the minister’s family segregated parts of its land near Benahavís village and transferred it from one of their companies – Guadalmansa Administraciones – to another called Benaltos Inversiones in exchange for satisfying a €5m debt owed to the company. However, inspectors alleged the debt was in fact “fictitious” and the companies should have treated the transaction as a “profitable transfer” rather than a debt repayment. They alleged the transaction significantly undervalued the land, which they estimated was in fact worth €23.2m. After a year-long investigation, the agency ordered the companies to pay a combined €24m in unpaid taxes, interest and penalties. It alleged the companies had violated a law requiring the transfer of assets between related parties to be valued at their normal market value. Crucially, inspectors alleged the companies failed to properly declare the financial gains arising from the transfer by filing inaccurate tax returns. In 2016, Spain’s central economic-administrative court (CEAT) rejected an appeal by the companies against the agency’s decision. Lawyers for the companies had argued the €5m debt owed by Guadalmansa to Benaltos was genuine and a valuation of the property commissioned by the tax agency was flawed. They claimed the fines were disproportionate. Downing Street has insisted the holiday at the villa was ‘unconnected with the PM’s parliamentary and political activities’ The court, however, accepted the debt was artificial and not a normal commercial arrangement, noting that “several companies domiciled in tax havens” were involved “for no apparent economic reason”. The court also accepted the tax agency’s valuation of the property and noted that just eight months after the transfer the land was used as security for a loan and valued at €23m. According to the ruling, there was “no doubt” Benaltos was guilty and its improper actions had “resulted in a loss to the public treasury”. Two years later, one of Spain’s highest courts, the audiencia nacional, upheld the tax court’s ruling. Documents suggest a further appeal has been filed before Spain’s supreme court, but the companies can only appeal against the 2018 ruling on a point of law rather than on the facts of the case. The Swiss lawyer representing Guadalmansa maintains the Spanish tax agency significantly overvalued the property. It said the assessment was “based entirely on one wildly aberrant valuation” by an agency-appointed valuation company which has since acknowledged they “made a mistake”. It added: “The purchase was proper, and all taxes associated with the property have always been paid in full.” Meanwhile, the two Goldsmith companies investigated by tax authorities appear to be in financial jeopardy. Both were placed into voluntary insolvency in 2019. Documents suggest that by April last year, as a result of the dispute, they owed more than €20m to their biggest creditor: the Spanish state. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

17-11-21, 11:24	#28
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: Boris SLEAZE:He Rambles-Compares Himself to Moses & Praises Peppa Pig in Bizarre Boris SLEAZE: Johnson to Face Questions Over MPs' Second Jobs Row Boris Johnson will face questions from across Parliament later, as a row about MPs' second jobs continues to engulf Westminster. BBC News 17 NOV 2021 The PM announced plans on Tuesday to stop MPs working as political consultants, ahead of a Commons debate later. Owen Paterson, who has resigned as an MP, denies breaking Commons lobbying rules Labour wants to ban all second jobs, apart from "public service" roles or professions requiring registration. The row comes after ex-Tory MP Owen Paterson broke Commons lobbying rules. MPs will vote later on whether to back the government's or Labour's blueprint for resolving the increasingly fraught debate over outside roles. Before that, Mr Johnson will face MPs during Prime Minister's Questions at 12:00 GMT, and appear before a committee of senior MPs at 15:00. In his surprise announcement on Tuesday, Mr Johnson said MPs should no longer be able to hold jobs advising firms on how Parliament works. He also proposed a new rule that any outside role, paid or unpaid, should be "within reasonable limits" and not stop MPs fully serving their constituents. This is yet to be defined, but International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan has suggested 15 hours a week as a reasonable limit. Speaking on BBC Breakfast, she added there was a "common sense test there that we all understand" on what was appropriate. Labour has welcomed the ban on paid political consultancy, which it has been proposing for a number of years. In addition, the party wants a wider ban, with exemptions only for MPs holding jobs as doctors or nurses, or in the police and as Army reservists. The proposed ban on political consultancy is yet to be finalised, with both sides in agreement that the cross-party Commons Standards Committee should draw up detailed rules. That committee, which has been reviewing the rules for some months, is due to publish its own report on the matter in the coming weeks. On Wednesday afternoon, MPs will debate competing visions for how the crisis over second jobs should be resolved. Labour's suggestion would order the standards committee to draw up rules by 31 January to implement the consultancy ban. If the government did not offer MPs a vote on these rules within 15 days, backbench MPs would gain the power to force one. However, the government has tabled an amendment - or proposed an alternative - to this plan. 'Dirty Tricks' This proposal would see the committee coming up with recommendations by the same date, but what happens next is left unclear. Shadow Commons leader Thangam Debbonaire accused the government of playing "dirty tricks" by using less specific language in its motion. The PM announced his political consultancy ban on Tuesday, whilst Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer was holding a press conference on his party's own proposals. Speaking to reporters afterwards, Sir Keir described Mr Johnson's move as a "significant victory for the Labour Party". He told reporters: "Be under no illusion, the prime minister has only done this U-turn because his back was against the wall." Arguments over second jobs held by MPs outside of Westminster have intensified in recent weeks in the wake of the Mr Paterson's case. The Conservative MP was found to have broken Commons rules by using his position to lobby for two companies paying him. Mr Paterson, who has always denied wrongdoing, called the investigation into his conduct unfair. The government then tried to block his suspension from Parliament, and get the whole disciplinary process for MPs reviewed. But it abandoned the plan a day later, after an outcry from opposition MPs and some Tories. Mr Paterson then resigned as an MP. 'Deflection' Since then, the work of a number of MPs has come under scrutiny, including Tory MP and former Attorney General, Sir Geoffrey Cox, who earned more than £700,000 doing legal work in the British Virgin Islands (BVI) on top of his MP salary. Senior backbench Tory MP Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown has said he has "no problem" with a ban on paid consultancy work. But, speaking to BBC Radio 4's Today programme, he warned that going further could deter people with "good skills" from entering Parliament. The SNP's Alison Thewliss told BBC Newsnight that voters should treat the government's plan "with the same cynicism that many of us in [the Commons] treat it with, because nothing is changing." "It is just deflection by this government, trying to cover up and hide this scandal," she adds. END NB: He is back on 'The COKE'....Note his bloodshot RED EYES & SWOLLEN DRY PINK LIPS.... __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

23-11-21, 09:55	#29
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: BORIS Sleeze: MPs Who Want PM to GO are Intimidated & Blackmailed Boris Johnson Loses His Place -Compares Himself to Moses & Rambles About Peppa Pig in BIZARRE Business Speech The Prime Minister also jokingly quoted Lenin, talked about how he used to scorn wind farms and electric cars, and impersonated a car saying: “Broom broom brah brah!” Daily Mirror 23 NOV 2021. He lost his place and spent 20 seconds rifling through his notes, muttering: “Forgive me” before then rambling about Peppa Pig in a bizarre speech to business leaders. The Prime Minister had hoped to steady wobbles to his leadership over high-speed rail,care and sleaze with a speech to the CBI conference. Trumping the speech ahead of time, No10 announced new homes in England will have to include electric vehicle charging points, adding "up to" 140,000 new points per year. But it went off the rails after he lost his place and spent just over 20 seconds rifling through his notes, muttering “forgive me” three times and "blast it". Business leaders in the tent appeared unsure how to react. He then went into a lengthy diversion about Peppa Pig World - which is almost 6 hours' drive from South Shields - after visiting it yesterday. He demanded to know why business leaders in South Shields had not visited the children’s attraction 330 miles away in Hampshire The Prime Minister also jokingly quoted Lenin, referred to himself as Moses, talked about how he used to scorn wind farms and electric cars, and impersonated an accelerating car saying: “Broom broom brah brah!” The Labour Party tweeted: “The joke’s not funny any more”. Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “Businesses are crying out for clarity. Instead, all they got was Boris Johnson rambling on about Peppa Pig. “It is a perfect metaphor for Johnson’s chaotic, incompetent Government as it trashes our economy, but it is not worthy of a British Prime Minister. All the ridiculous moments from Boris Johnson's 'shambolic' Peppa Pig business speech "The Prime Minister famously said he was going to “f” business - the least he could do is to deliver a decent f-ing speech.” North East businessman Richard Swart, who is global sales and quality director at County Durham manufacturer Berger Group and chairman of the Advanced Manufacturing Forum, told the Mirror the speech was "catastrophic". He said: "This was way below par for a Prime Minister, especially given the multitude of challenges this country is facing. "We are desperate for statesmanlike behaviour to help us navigate through Covid, Brexit, labour shortages and other challenges we face. Boris Johnson was seen enjoying a day at Peppa Pig World theme park in the New Forest with his one-year-old son "It is time for the Tory Party to put ideological loyalties to one side, focus on what's good for the country and choose more responsible leadership." An ITV reporter even asked Mr Johnson "is everything OK?" to which he replied: "I think people got the vast majority of the points I wanted to make and I thought it went over well." Shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves said: "The PM's shambolic CBI speech shows how unseriously he takes British business, and how he lacks any plan for growth." Mr Johnson's surprise reference to Peppa Pig came shortly after he regained his place in his speech. He said: "Yesterday I went, as we all must, to Peppa Pig World."I don’t know if you’ve been to Peppa Pig world, who’s been, hands up anyone who’s been to Peppa Pig World? ...Not enough." Peppa Pig World is almost six hours' drive from the venue he was speaking at in South Shields. He added: "I loved it and Peppa Pig World is very much my kind of place. It has very safe streets, err… discipline in schools, heavy emphasis on new mass transit systems, even if they’re a bit stereotypical about Daddy Pig." Praising the character as an example of British innovation, he continued: "Who would have believed that a pig that looks like a hairdryer or possibly a Picasso-like hairdryer, a pig that was rejected by the BBC, would now be exported to 180 countries with theme parks both in America and China?" Boris Johnson gave a rambling speech to business leaders in South Shields The BBC has later confirmed it had not rejected Peppa Pig. Mr Johnson made eyebrow-raising claims about high-speed rail and business. He boasted: "Last week we announced three vast new high speed lines, cutting the time from London to Manchester by an hour and creating a new Crossrail of the North." That is despite the fact the "three vast new high-speed lines" were in fact the fragments left over after previous plans for new high-speed track were slashed. He also said “I’ve never been anything other than business’s number one fan,” despite privately saying “f* business” in a 2018 row over Brexit. Meanwhile Mr Johnson predicted workers will come back to offices despite soaring Covid cases. He said: "There are also sound evolutionary reasons why Mother Nature does not like working from home, so I prophesise people will come back. Mr Johnson predicted workers will come back to offices despite soaring Covid cases __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL** ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

04-12-21, 11:23	#30
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: BORIS Sleeze: MPs Who Want PM to GO are Intimidated & Blackmailed Labour MPs Report BORIS Johnson to Police Over 2020 Christmas Parties Met asked to investigate reports of alleged breaches of COVID Lockdown Rules at No 10 The Guardian UK, 4 DEC 2021. Oliver Dowden has said No 10 and central Conservative party will continue with Christmas functions despite the arrival of the Omicron variant in the UK. Photograph: Dan Kitwood/Getty The prime minister has been reported to the police by Labour MPs over allegations there were at least two parties in Downing Street during lockdown restrictions last year. Neil Coyle, Labour MP for Bermondsey and Old Southwark, wrote to the Met police commissioner, Cressida Dick, asking her to investigate reports that the prime minister spoke at a leaving do in November and also allowed a staff Christmas party to go ahead in December. At the time, there were lockdown restrictions in place preventing socialising. After sending the letter, Coyle said: “I believe they broke the law. Most of my constituents followed the rules; those that didn’t faced penalties. Johnson is not above the law, despite his bloated self-entitlement.” Barry Gardiner, the former shadow international trade secretary, also asked the Met to investigate, adding: “If these events did take place, it implies there is one rule for the government and another for everyone else. Johnson has not explicitly denied the parties took place but No 10 has insisted “all Covid rules were followed”. Earlier on Friday, the Metropolitan police had said it had not yet received any complaints about the parties. Separately, the former regional chief prosecutor, Nazir Afzal, called for the forthcoming public inquiry into the pandemic to examine alleged lockdown breaches at the two Downing Street parties last year as well as Dominic Cummings’s journeys to the north-east. Afzal wants the inquiry, which is due to start in the new year, to examine how compliant officials were with the government’s own rules and guidance and the impact of the alleged breaches on public compliance. In a letter sent to the prime minister on Friday, Afzal’s lawyers said the inquiry should have “full authority to explore the role of individuals in government, and those connected to the government, in devising the regulations, complying with them themselves and, in turn, ensuring the public’s confidence and compliance with those regulations, as well as the impact of non-compliance”. The letter cited Afzal’s concerns about Cummings travelling to Durham and Barnard Castle at the height of the first lockdown when he was chief aide to the prime minister. It added: “This was not the only example of non-compliance to emerge at the time and, in the light of recent revelations about a party held at Downing Street last Christmas, it is likely that more will emerge.” It comes as the Conservatives said they were pressing ahead with this year’s Christmas party in spite of scientists’ fears over the spread of Omicron, as their co-chair told people to “keep calm and carry on” with festivities. *“We obviously wouldn’t set out details of private functions in No 10 but, as I say, there will be festive events in the run-up to Christmas,” said Oliver Dowden.* He told Sky News: “The message to people, I think, is fairly straightforward – which is: keep calm, carry on with your Christmas plans. We’ve put the necessary restrictions in place, but beyond that keep calm and carry on.” *Asked about the Tories’ own party plans, he told BBC Breakfast: “I think it is still planned, and I don’t intend to cancel it as chairman of the Conservative party.”* __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

08-01-22, 17:04	#31
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: BORIS Sleeze: MPs Who Want PM to GO are Intimidated & Blackmailed ‘Funds For Favours’: Geidt Pressed to Reopen Investigation Into PM’s Flat Emergence of ‘great exhibition’ messages seems to undermine ethics adviser’s finding, says Labour The Guardian UK 8 JAN 2022. Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser has been accused of failing to investigate a potential “funds for favours” scandal after the prime minister was cleared of rule-breaking over his Downing Street flat refurbishment. Christopher Geidt shut his investigation without commenting on Johnson seeking funds for the works from a Conservative donor while promising to consider plans for a “great exhibition”. Expectations also faded that another inquiry, led by parliament’s standards commissioner Kathryn Stone, would go ahead. However, it emerged that the UK’s data watchdog has launched an investigation into the Cabinet Office after a complaint that it failed to release WhatsApp messages exchanged between Boris Johnson and the Tory peer who financed his flat renovation,.. David Brownlow. Pressure on Lord Geidt to reopen his investigation mounted on Friday night when Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader, said his decision to close the case “raises a number of serious concerns and questions”. She claimed the original finding that Lord Brownlow had “altruistic and philanthropic motives” for paying for the flat refurbishment, and that there was “no reasonably perceived conflict”, appeared undermined by the WhatsApp messages. The existence of the messages emerged as part of a probe by the Electoral Commission that concluded in December but their contents were only published on Thursday. They showed Johnson told Brownlow parts of his No 11 flat were a “tip” and he was keen for his decor designer to “get on with it”, asking if he could put her in touch “for approvals”. The prime minister added: “PS am on the great exhibition plan Will revert.” In his reply, Brownlow said he would “get it sorted” and “approval is a doddle as it’s only me and I know where the £ will come from”, adding: “Thanks for thinking about GE2.” The great exhibition plan was backed by Brownlow, who several weeks later met to discuss it with the then culture secretary, Oliver Dowden. On Friday, Johnson’s spokesperson confirmed that No 10 passed on an inquiry about the suggested event to Dowden’s department. Johnson was forced to offer a “humble and sincere apology” for not recalling the messages, and blamed “security issues” – thought to relate to when his personal phone number was posted online – for not having access to the phone they were on. Rayner said it was “irrelevant” whether Brownlow’s motives were altruistic, and added: “The issue is that a reasonable person could surely perceive that his financial relationship with the prime minister has provided him with privileged access to government, and that relationship was undeclared at the time.” Rayner accused Geidt of holding Johnson to a “far weaker” standard for potential conflict of interests than that set out in the MPs’ code of conduct, adding: “This suggests that you will hold ministers to a lower standard of transparency than backbench MPs.” She called on Geidt to publish a new or amended report, but senior Whitehall sources downplayed such a possibility. “It’s probably not going to get anywhere,” said one. “I’m sure Lord Geidt will issue a polite reply.” While Stone was waiting for the Electoral Commission and Geidt’s inquiry to conclude before proceeding, the standards commissioner was said to be unlikely to launch an investigation of her own. This is because Johnson’s flat was used by him in a ministerial capacity, meaning any potential wrongdoing would need to be judged against the ministerial code. Rayner called on 9 December for Stone to launch an investigation into whether Johnson broke the rule that MPs have to be honest, given the non-disclosure of the texts with Brownlow. However, even if Stone dismisses it, Labour could make a separate complaint based on the new evidence that emerged this week. The MPs’ code of conduct makes clear that ministers are bound by the ministerial code, which is not enforced by the standards commissioner. But it adds allegations about “failure to abide by the rules on lobbying for reward or consideration” are within Stone’s scope. In further criticism of Geidt’s inquiry, Labour’s lawyers wrote to him on 4 January after stories appeared in the press suggesting Johnson would be cleared of breaching the ministerial code. The solicitors’ firm Edwards Duthie Shamash said the “apparent failure” of Geidt’s investigation to obtain the WhatsApp messages was “more than unfortunate”. Geidt was accused in the letter of “failure to ask the searching questions necessary to get to the truth of this matter and that such failures should not allow the prime minister to escape the consequences of apparent breaches of the ministerial code”. The lawyers added: “The recent briefings have done little to restore my client’s faith in the processes over which you preside.” Geidt did not respond, but his office said in reply to another letter sent several weeks previously that it “is not generally appropriate” for him to “engage in legal correspondence in respect of the discharge of his functions”. Separately, the Cabinet Office is being investigated after it was asked in a Freedom of Information request for all correspondence between Johnson and Brownlow but claimed there was nothing to hand over. The data watchdog, the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), received a letter from Rayner in December raising “concerns” because the Electoral Commission report had unearthed texts exchanged between Johnson and Brownlow. “We are now conducting inquiries about the handling of this request,” a senior official at the ICO confirmed in response, saying it was a “live case”. Sajid Javid, the health secretary, defended Geidt, saying he was “very well respected and has a very fiercely independent role”. Downing Street said Brownlow was given no special treatment. “Ministers have a range of ideas and proposals put to them by various people – through MPs, through other parties,” Johnson’s spokesperson said. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

12-01-22, 10:36	#32
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: BORIS Sleeze: MPs Who Want PM to GO are Intimidated & Blackmailed Downing Street Partygate: Tory MPs Demand Answers From Boris Johnson Conservative and opposition MPs are demanding answers from Boris Johnson on whether he attended a drinks event in the No 10 garden during lockdown. *‘No longer a question of if PM will go, it is when’* BBC News 12 JAN 2022. The PM is set to face questions he has so far declined to answer *Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner said that if he was there, and he lied about it, his position is "untenable".* And Tory MPs have been expressing their anger and concern over the reports. Mr Johnson will appear at Prime Minister's Questions later - his first public appearance since details of the May 2020 event emerged. The prime minister has so far declined to say whether he attended the gathering, but witnesses have told the BBC both he and his wife were among 30 people at the drinks. On Monday, ITV published a leaked email from Mr Johnson's principal private secretary, Martin Reynolds, inviting staff to "socially distanced drinks in the No 10 garden" on 20 May 2020 - when lockdown rules in England banned large outdoor gatherings. The invitation encouraged people to "bring your own booze" and "make the most of the lovely weather". Mr Johnson has said it is a matter for Sue Gray - the senior civil servant investigating a series of reported parties in Downing Street and in Whitehall in 2020 - to determine what happened. The PM's official spokesman has also refused to confirm whether Mr Johnson attended the May 2020 Downing Street gathering. He added that the prime minister retained full confidence in Mr Reynolds. "Boris Johnson must now resign," says Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey But backbencher Nigel Mills told BBC Newsnight an inquiry was not needed to establish whether the prime minister was there. "He knows whether he was there or not. Just come out and say what happened," he said. Mr Mills said it would be "utterly untenable" for any senior figure who attended the gathering to be responsible for setting Covid-19 policy. "If the prime minister knowingly attended a party, I can't see how he can survive," he said. Conservative MP Huw Merriman insisted "more clarity" was needed from the prime minister on what took place and whether he attended, adding that people were "in the dark" about what went on. He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme he didn't believe Mr Johnson should resign, adding that people should be judged on the positives and negatives, citing government achievements including the successful vaccination rollout and the prime minister "holding his nerve" on refusing to introduce further Covid rules in England. On Tuesday, Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross said Mr Johnson must quit if he was found to have broken Covid rules. Tory MP Charles Walker said the week's events have been damaging, adding: "The prime minister and the No 10 team will know that there were significant errors of judgment made back in May 2020." But he added: "Not in mitigation but it was a fact they were all working extremely hard as many people were - they were working extremely hard in a sort of bunker environment - and I just think there was some poor decision making - I don't think it was malicious in intent." Another Conservative, Christian Wakeford, tweeted: "How do you defend the indefensible? You can't! It's embarrassing and what's worse is it further erodes trust in politics when it's already low." Questions are being raised about the role of the civil service too, with former senior civil servant Sir David Normington telling Radio 4's Today programme calling a party in the middle of lockdown was "inexplicable". "It's a terrible misjudgement, brings disrepute on the civil service. This isn't just about the responsibilities of PMs and politicians, it's also about the behaviour and responsibilities of senior civil servants. That's a very serious matter." Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner told BBC Breakfast if Mr Johnson had broken Covid rules and lied to the public and parliament, then his position as prime minister was now "untenable". "The prime minister cannot break the law, lie to the British public and not be held to account for that," she added. Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey told BBC Breakfast if the prime minister had a "shred of decency left", he should resign today. He added Mr Johnson was "incapable of leading our country through this public health crisis", accusing him of being a "threat to the health of the nation" as the public would not listen to anything he had to say. If the prime minister won't resign, it was the duty of Conservative MPs to "do the right thing" and ensure he does "in the interests of the country", Sir Ed argued. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will return to Prime Minister's Questions later, having missed last week's session after contracting Covid. The BBC has been told that Mr Johnson will not make a separate statement on parties in the House of Commons but a senior government source didn't rule out him making some remarks at the start of Prime Minister's Questions. Analysis by Laura Kuenssberg, Political Editor The goodwill-to-all-men moment the Christmas holidays promised is very much over. The subject of conversation among Tories on Tuesday was not the government's planned menu of policy fare for the week, but whether or not the moment had arrived when Boris Johnson, election-winner, had become Boris Johnson, discredited liability. Whether or not, in the words of that senior MP, the party should "get rid of him". The party has not reached that conclusion. The government has an enormous majority. Administrations go through rocky times. But the latest, and continuing, stream of revelations, has made the question of the prime minister's survival the central one again. On Tuesday, Mr Johnson sent Paymaster General Michael Ellis to respond on his behalf to an emergency Commons question on the issue tabled by Labour. The Conservative benches were sparsely populated, while no senior ministers appeared publicly to defend Mr Johnson. During the session, DUP MP Jim Shannon was brought to tears when speaking of the death of his mother-in-law during the pandemic. In December, the prime minister asked for an independent inquiry to investigate a series of allegations about events taking place in government buildings in 2020 despite coronavirus restrictions being in force. Ms Gray's probe is investigating specific events including a leaving drinks for a No 10 aide on 27 November, a Department of Education gathering on 10 December and a Christmas quiz for No 10 staff on 15 December. It is also examining the Downing Street Christmas party on 18 December, and on Tuesday, Mr Ellis said drinks events held in the Downing Street garden on 20 and 15 May 2020 would also be added to the inquiry. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

14-01-22, 07:47	#33
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: BORIS Sleeze: MPs Who Want PM to GO are Intimidated & Blackmailed What Will Sue Gray's Inquiry Mean for UK PM Boris Johnson? - BBC News 14 JAN 2022. Senior civil servant Sue Gray is carrying out an Investigation into alleged Covid rule breaking in Downing Street and government departments. The purpose of the investigation is to establish "a general understanding of the nature" of gatherings that took place and whether any "individual disciplinary action" should be taken, the inquiry's terms of reference said. Her report is likely to be a largely factual account of any gatherings, and she cannot rule on whether lockdown laws were broken. The findings will be made public, but not necessarily the full report. Parties Held at Number 10 as Her Majesty Mourned BBC 14 JAN 2022. Downing Street is embroiled in a fresh party controversy. The Telegraph can reveal that staff drank alcohol into the early hours at two leaving events the night before Prince Philip's socially-distanced funeral. Some attendees played music in the basement and danced as a senior No 10 adviser acted as DJ, a witness said. It is also alleged that one person present went to a nearby Co-op with a suitcase to collect bottles of wine. The next day, the Queen sat alone at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral in St George's Chapel because of Covid-19 restrictions. Political Correspondent Tony Diver has the full revelations. Speaking to today's Chopper's Politics podcast, Andrew Bridgen becomes the fifth Tory MP to call for Mr Johnson to resign, confirming he has submitted a letter of no confidence to the 1922 Committee. And Sir Keir Starmer was branded an "absolute hypocrite" for drinking beer with staff in lockdown. Meanwhile, the co-founder of Downing Street's "Nudge Unit" has suggested scare tactics were misused during the pandemic to get the public to follow lockdown. Simon Ruda, a behavioural scientist, said he feared the "most egregious and far-reaching mistake" made during the Covid crisis was the "level of fear willingly conveyed on the public". While defending behavioural science for driving improvements in policy, he warned the trend could have unintended consequences. Boris Johnson: Senior Tories urge PM to quit after party apology.... BBC 14 JAN 2022. Boris Johnson is facing calls from senior Tories to resign after he admitted attending a drinks party during lockdown. The prime minister apologised for the way he handled the event in the Downing Street garden in May 2020 and said he understood the public's "rage" over it. Cabinet members including deputy PM Dominic Raab rallied round Mr Johnson. But Scottish Tory leader Douglas Ross and MPs William Wragg, Caroline Nokes and Roger urged him to go. Mr Ross, an MP and a Member of the Scottish Parliament, said he had had a "difficult conversation" with Mr Johnson after he apologised on Wednesday in the House of Commons. He said he would write to the 1922 Committee, which organises Conservative leadership contests, to register his lack of confidence in the prime minister. "He is the prime minister. It is his government that put these rules in place, and he has to be held to account for his actions," Mr Ross said. Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg said those calling for Mr Johnson were "people who are always unhappy" and dismissed Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross as "quite a lightweight figure". Conservative MP Andrew Percy criticised Mr Rees-Mogg, saying: "As someone who apparently loves the Union, his personal attack on Douglas... is a gift to the petty nationalists in the SNP who want to break this country up." A minimum of 54 Conservative MPs must send letters to the committee in order to trigger a leadership challenge. The drinks gathering, held on 20 May 2020 and described in the invitation as "socially distanced", was attended by around 30 people, who were invited to bring their own alcohol. Food, including sausage rolls and crisps, was reportedly laid out on trestle tables, Mr Johnson admitted at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday that he had joined colleagues at the event for around 25 minutes to "thank groups of staff" for their hard work during the pandemic, but had "believed implicitly that this was a work event". He added: "With hindsight I should have sent everyone back inside. I should have found some other way to thank them, and I should have recognised that - even if it could have been said technically to fall within the guidance - there would be millions and millions of people who simply would not see it that way." __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

14-01-22, 21:56	#34
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: BORIS Sleeze: MPs Who Want PM to GO are Intimidated & Blackmailed EXCLUSIVE: Boris Johnson's 'Wine Time Fridays' - No10 Staff Held Drinks EVERY Week During Pandemic Staff invested in drinks fridge to keep their bottles cool Daily Mirror 14 JAN 2022 Downing Street held yet MORE parties throughout the Cvid pandemic with events taking place every Friday as Prime Minister Boris Johnson encouraged staff to "let off steam" even though indoor socialising was strictly banned. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

15-01-22, 08:24	#35
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: BORIS Sleeze: MPs Who Want PM to GO are Intimidated & Blackmailed How to Replace a Tory Prime Minister 15 Jan 2022 Sky News With Boris Johnson facing his most perilous moment as prime minister, will there be a leadership challenge and if so, how does it work? __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES

19-01-22, 07:28	#36
Ladybbird Join Date: Feb 2011 Posts: 47,529 Thanks: 27,621 Thanked 14,456 Times in 10,262 Posts Awards Showcase Total Awards: 8	re: BORIS Sleeze: MPs Who Want PM to GO are Intimidated & Blackmailed MPs Plot to OUST Boris Johnson - BBC Newsnight Could the PM face a confidence vote in the coming days? BBC News 19 Jan 2022 Boris Johnson has "categorically" denied he was warned a drinks party in the No 10 garden risked breaking lockdown rules.... "Nobody warned me that it was against the rules," the prime minister said..... Former aide Dominic Cummings says he warned the PM at the time, and has accused him of misleading MPs about it. Pressure is now mounting on the prime minister and there are reports the target of 54 letters to trigger a vote of confidence will be met in the coming days. Newsnight’s political editor Nick Watt reports. Kirsty Wark is joined by Conservative peer Lord Marland, Delyth Miles from Grassroots Conservatives and former Conservative cabinet minister David Gauke. __________________ PUTIN TRUMP & Netanyahu Will Meet in HELL ..................*SHARKS are Closing in on TRUMP*.......................... *TRUMP WARNS; 'There'll Be a Bloodbath* If I Don't Get Elected'..MAGA - MyAssGotArrested...IT's COMING** PLEASE HELP THIS SITE..Click DONATE & Thanks to ALL Members of ... 1.. THIS SITE IS MORE THAN JUST WAREZ...& TO STOP SPAM-IF YOU WANT TO POST, YOUR FIRST POST MUST BE IN WELCOMES