‘Carrie-gate’ swells as Downing Street admits it did speak to The Times before story about £100k job for Boris Johnson’s girlfriend was dropped June 20, 2022 In a dramatic new development, Downing Street reluctantly admitted this afternoon there were indeed talks between Number 10 and The Times before Rupert Murdoch-owned newspaper dropped a story that claimed Boris Johnson tried to appoint his now wife to a Government role when he was Foreign Secretary. According to the story in The Times on [...]
Mystery deepens around Times story that claimed Boris Johnson planned to make girlfriend Carrie £100k chief of staff June 20, 2022 Questions are growing about a story that appeared in The Times newspaper, claiming that Boris Johnson planned to hand his then-girlfriend Carrie a £100k a year role. The story, which ran on page 5 of an earlier edition of The Times late last week, disappeared in later editions. According to multiple reports, there were concerns [...]
Boris Johnson touches down in Kyiv for surprise meeting with Ukraine’s president Zelensky June 17, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson touched down in Ukraine this afternoon meeting with President Vlodymyr Zelensky. The embattled Tory leader shared an image on social media which said: Mr President, Volodymyr, It is good to be in Kyiv again”, adding that “Great Britain’s support for Ukraine is firm and resolute.” This comes after leaders from Italy, [...]
‘It would be quite a big mistake’ to scrap ethics adviser role after Lord Geidt quit, PM’s ex anti-corruption chief says June 17, 2022 The Prime Minister’s former anti-corruption chief has warned against scrapping the role of ethics adviser following the shock resignation of Lord Geidt. John Penrose made his comments after Downing Street hinted yesterday that the government could get rid o the position altogether, launching a review. Speaking to the BBC, Penrose, who left the job earlier [...]
Lord Geidt resignation: Ethics adviser quit after being asked for advice on steel tariffs June 16, 2022 The Prime Minister’s ethics adviser resigned after being asked to approve tariffs on steel which the government itself acknowledges would break part of a World Trade Organisation treaty. Lord Geidt resigned last night, and in his letter to the Prime Minister said he was “tasked to offer a view about the Government’s intention to consider [...]
Government to make statement today on resignation of ethics adviser Lord Geidt, says deputy PM Raab June 16, 2022 The government will make a statement later today about the sudden resignation of ethics adviser Lord Geidt, following reports he was about to extend his role for another six months. Deputy prime minister Dominic Raab told BBC Breakfast he is expecting a “further update” from the government, but declined to confirm if Boris Johnson himself [...]
Mark Kleinman’s exclusive column: Downing Street business adviser pondering exit? June 15, 2022 Raging inflation, labour shortages, a weakening currency, supply chain chaos and – in the eyes of many colleagues and opponents alike – a lame duck prime minister: if you thought that being a CEO in such a climate was tough, spare a thought for his own business liaison chief. Alex Hickman, a co-founder of the [...]
Dominic Raab intervened to increase legal watchdog’s fining powers June 15, 2022 Justice secretary Dominic Raab personally intervened to push forward plans to increase the solicitor’s watchdog’s fining powers, after MPs called for a toughening up of the regulator, to deter law firms from working for oligarchs. The Deputy Prime Minister “sought the views” of the Law Society, Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA), and Legal Services Board, whilst [...]
Boris Johnson has until autumn to save his job, Lord Frost says June 10, 2022 Prime Minister Boris Johnson has until the autumn to set out a clear Conservative vision for the future or face being ousted by his own MPs, his former Brexit minister, Lord Frost, has warned. Despite having survived a bruising vote of confidence on Monday, Lord Frost said the Prime Minister could not afford to ignore [...]
Growth warning should inject some urgency into Tories’ economic plans June 9, 2022 PERHAPS it was the fact that Boris Johnson was so close to losing his own that has converted him to the cause of expanding home ownership. Either way, he’s a welcome addition to the cause to – in the words of the popular twitter meme – build some bloody houses. The question is whether, scarred [...]