Rishi Sunak – latest: Tory civil war deepens as Goldsmith hits back over claim he refused to apologise
Tory peer hits out at Sunak government’s ‘apathy’ – day after Downing Street faced down calls to fire him
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The Tory civil war has grown more fractious as Zac Goldsmith hit out at “misleading” No 10 briefing over his scathing resignation, insisting that Rishi Sunak was “wrong” to claim he had refused to apologise over his Partygate comments.
The outgoing environment minister claimed he was “happy to apologise” for remarks labelled “disturbing” by the privileges committee in their report alleging “interference” from 10 Tories during their investigation which found that Boris Johnson repeatedly lied to parliament.
As he sought to get back on the front foot at a No 10 briefing outlining his plans for NHS reforms, Mr Sunak insisted the Tory peer had resigned after taking a “different course” when asked to apologise for his “incompatible” remarks – despite No 10 insisting just hours earlier that he had the PM’s confidence.
But Lord Goldsmith opened up a new front of criticism for Mr Sunak as he countered the PM’s claims of his refusal to apologise on Friday, insisting the Sunak government’s “lethargy” on climate meant his resignation had been a “long time coming”.
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In addition to the arrival of the the privileges committee’s report, it is a busy day in UK politics, with the Court of Appeal’s rejection of the government’s Rwanda asylum deal and Scotland’s former first minister Nicola Sturgeon appearing before the Covid inquiry.
Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports that the former SNP leader was told off at the Covid inquiry for getting on her “soap box”, after claiming that “every aspect” of Britain’s exit from the EU “has been a false economy”.
Nicola Sturgeon told off for ‘soap box’ attack on Brexit at Covid inquiry
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Sunak backs Goldsmith as No 10 declines to say if he will vote on report’s findings
Rishi Sunak has confidence in Lord Goldsmith, Downing Street has said, after the government minister was named in the Privileges Committee report.
The PM’s official spokesperson also declined to say whether Mr Sunak would vote in the Commons to back the report, which criticised and named several MPs and peers for putting pressure on the committee's inquiry.
The spokesperson said that he would not get into the PM’s movements in advance.
Declining to criticise Mr Goldsmith over his remarks, the spokesperson pointed to the Commons debate scheduled for next month, saying: “That's when individuals will be able to give their view.”
Mr Sunak was absent from the debate and vote earlier this month in which all but seven MPs voted to censure Boris Johnson in line with the privileges committee’s recommendations.
No 10 declines to criticise MPs named in privileges committee report
Downing Street has declined to criticise MPs named in the privileges committee report, but instead pointed to previous remarks by Rishi Sunak.
“You heard direct from the PM himself on this. He said he supported and respected, not just the work of the committee, which he believed to have done a thorough job, but also the decision of the House,” his official spokesperson said.
He said that Downing Street had been clear about the need to avoid “traducing” the committee.
Asked if the PM agreed with the objections of some Boris Johnson allies that it is a free speech issue, the spokesperson said: “It will be for the House to come to a view on Monday. We have facilitated the time for that debate, but you have heard the prime minister talk about his respect for the committee.”
‘Jesus Christ returning as Tory leader’ couldn’t win election, says ex-No 10 adviser
Our political correspondent Adam Forrest reports:
Even the returning Messiah could not win the next general election for Conservative party, according to a former No 10 adviser.
“If Jesus Christ returned to earth today and put the theology aside and becomes leader of the Conservative party – the Conservative party is doomed at the next election,” said Tory pundit Tim Montgomerie.
He told BBC Politics Live that there’s now nothing the Tories can do to turn its “fortunes around” – but will continue to “play the card” of promising to stop the boats.
Watch: Nicola Sturgeon told off for using Covid inquiry to criticise Brexit’s ‘false economy’
Starmer and Rayner say hello to Tory activists
Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner were greeted at Selby train station by Tory party activists as they campaign in the Selby and Ainsty byelections.
But the Labour leader and deputy choose to embrace the moment.
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Sir Keir Starmer has said the privileges committee’s Partygate report was “further evidence of a divided party that is incapable of governing”.
Speaking during a visit to Selby, Sir Keir told the PA news agency: “Rishi Sunak is simply too weak to deal with his MPs and you’ve got yet another story about misbehaviour by Tory MPs, and at the same time we’re in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis.
“So, at the moment you want the government to step it up, it’s sitting it out, arguing about the behaviour of their own MPs, and this is one of the main causes of the fact that we’re in this economic chaos now, and it’s families that are paying the price.”
Angela Rayner criticises ‘disgusting’ treatment of privileges committee
Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner has described the behaviour of MPs highlighted in the privileges committee report as “disgusting” and “clear intimidation”, as she and Keir Starmer visited Selby.
“MPs – cross-party MPs, these are not one particular party – they’re doing a job on behalf of Parliament and to try and undermine it in that way is disgusting behaviour,” Ms Rayner said.
“Rishi Sunak is still not addressing that behaviour. We’ve seen the behaviour and the conduct, even ministers involved in this, that has fell below the ministerial code, that has fell below the standards that Parliament would expect, and yet Rishi Sunak promised a fresh start and we’ve not had that.
“We’ve had this constant merry-go-round. Every day there’s new material of their conduct and it undermines Parliament.
“Labour have set out our ethics and integrity committee. We’ve said that we’d take action and it’s about time that the prime minister did what he promised the people of this country, and he cleans up his party.
“As we’ve seen here in Selby, Conservative MPs don’t seem to think any more that it’s a public duty to be an MP. They see it as their private endeavours to get what they can as an individual.”
Watch: Suella Braverman says she ‘respectfully disagrees’ with Rwanda ruling
Anonymous defiance among Tory ranks in wake of privileges committee
The special report on interference into the privileges committee investigation has been met with defiance by some Tory MPs, underscoring the difficulty of the tightrope act facing Rishi Sunak – who previously promised “integrity, professionalism and accountability at every level”.
In one of the less edifying comments to The Express following the report’s publication this morning, a “Tory source” is quoted as saying: “This report would make Chairman Mao blush.
“Members of parliament have the right to speak freely on matters of their own procedure. This is an ancient right of parliament. The privileges committee is degrading the rights of parliamentarians which is incredibly dangerous. This is not North Korea.”
One anoymous MP was quoted as describing the committee as “clowns”, while another told the paper: “The committee has maligned elected MPs for doing nothing more than upholding the great British tradition of freedom of expression.”
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