Boris Johnson apology: MPs to vote on whether Boris Johnson should be investigated
The Prime Minister is expected to make a “full-throated apology” to MPs after he was fined by police for attending a birthday bash in breach of Covid rules.
In the Commons, Sir Lindsay Hoyle confirmed Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer will be allowed to table a motion for debate on Thursday regarding the PM and parties in Downing Street.
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Hide AdMr Johnson is widely expected to make a statement in the Commons today, as MPs return to Westminster following the Easter recess.
As well as addressing MPs in the Commons, Mr Johnson will also reportedly speak to a meeting of the entire Conservative parliamentary party on Tuesday evening.
RECAP: Boris Johnson set to address MPs over partygate fine
Boris Johnson has urged ministers to get their officials back behind their Whitehall desks.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Clearly the Prime Minister feels that it is important that we make best use of taxpayer-funded departments which are not returning, currently, to the levels we saw before the pandemic.
“This is not simply just about value-for-money for taxpayer-funded buildings, but also it’s a benefit to the staff – particularly junior staff who benefit from face-to-face working – and obviously we know there are benefits that can help, therefore, delivery for the public as well.
“So, it’s right that we continue to push for a return to pre-pandemic levels.”
The spokesman acknowledged there was not enough desk space for all civil servants to be in the office permanently.
“We do want to see the buildings being used at full occupancy,” the spokesman said.
Boris Johnson will seek to work with allies to provide countries like India with alternative options to Russia for supplies of energy and defence equipment, Downing Street has said.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said Mr Johnson briefed the weekly meeting of the Cabinet on his forthcoming visit to India to meet prime minister Narendra Modi.
“When it comes to India and other democratically-elected countries we think the best approach is to engage with them constructively, to try to broaden the alliance of democratic states against Russia,” the spokesman said.
“We want to provide alternative options to countries which are perhaps more dependent on energy and security. That is the approach we think will be most effective.
“We do not think that pointing fingers or shouting from the sidelines are effective ways of engaging with democratically-elected countries.”
Ministers have been criticised for the slow delivery of humanitarian aid to Ukraine following the disclosure that less than a third of the £220 million promised has so far been sent.
The chair of the Commons International Development Committee Sarah Champion said she was “shocked and disappointed” after Foreign Secretary Liz Truss said that as of the end of March, the Government was “on track” to have disbursed up to £60 million.
In a letter to the committee dated April 1, Ms Truss said: “We are scaling up at speed whilst ensuring that risks are managed appropriately and aid is targeted effectively.”
In a statement, Ms Champion said: “I am shocked and disappointed that less than £60 million of the UK’s promised £220 million humanitarian aid package for Ukraine has been delivered so far.
People wanting to vote by post in elections taking place across the UK next month have only a few hours left to apply.
Contests are being held on May 5 in each of the four nations, with every council seat in Scotland, Wales, London and many parts of England up for grabs, along with the election of a new Northern Ireland assembly.
It is too late to register to vote, but people in England, Wales and Scotland still have a few hours to apply for a postal vote ahead of the deadline at 5pm on April 19.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has rejected the “offensive” assertion that Boris Johnson could not be removed while the Ukraine war was raging.
“I don’t really buy into this idea, by the way, that Johnson is the only person of any importance in the Ukraine crisis,” he told ITV’s Lorraine.
Any Tory successor would share similar views on Ukraine and there was support across the party’s for the UK’s position, he said, meaning there was no need to keep Mr Johnson in place.
“He is using that, really, as a shield and I think that’s pretty offensive.”
The Labour leader added: “I understand the argument that the Conservative Party is making, which is ‘we are not going to bring him down, we are prepared to go out and parrot his ridiculous defences’.
“I think for the public it is different, I think people still talk about this, they really hurt about it.
“I think any Conservative MP that thinks this is just going to go away is making a huge mistake.”
Boris Johnson being fined for breaking the coronavirus rules he set is similar to former ministers receiving speeding fines, a Cabinet minister appeared to suggest.
Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis said other ministers, including former prime minister Tony Blair, had received fixed-penalty notices (FPN) and remained in office.
Mr Lewis told Sky News the Prime Minister was not the first No 10 incumbent to receive a penalty for a legal infringement.
“I think we do see consistently, whether it is through parking fines or speeding fines, ministers of both parties over the years have been in that position,” said the former Conservative Party chairman.
“We’ve had prime ministers in the past who have received penalty notices, from what I can see, and also front bench ministers.
“I saw there was a parking notice that Tony Blair had once. We’ve seen front bench Labour ministers and, let’s be frank, Government ministers as well.”
He added: “You’ve asked me, can someone who sets the laws and the rules, can they also be someone who breaks the rules?
“That clearly has happened with a number of ministers over the years.”
Boris Johnson will address MPs in the House of Commons today (Tuesday 19th April) after he was fined by police for attending a birthday bash in breach of Covid rules.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he expected Boris Johnson to “apologise and then excuse himself” over the partygate fine.
Sir Keir told ITV’s Lorraine: “The Prime Minister makes the laws, tells the country to obey the laws, then breaks them and then – in my view – lies to Parliament about it.”
He added: “For millions of people, complying with the rules really, really hurt. This is why it has gone so deep – we’ve all heard of terrible cases of funerals that people couldn’t attend.”
Sir Keir dismissed the argument put forward by some of the Prime Minister’s allies that Mr Johnson’s punishment was “like a speeding fine”.
The former director of public prosecutions said: “I have never had anybody break down in front of me because they couldn’t drive at 35mph in a 30mph zone; I have had no end of people in tears – in real bits – about complying with rules that really, really hurt them.”
There has been a “pathetic display of Tory MPs going out to defend the indefensible” and it is “something they all ought to be ashamed of”.