Inside Politics: Priti Patel hit by bullying claims from third department

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Bad news sports fan – it looks like the summer Olympics in Tokyo could be postponed because of the coronavirus. Maybe our politicians could limber up and fill the void? Boris Johnson has a series of hurdles to leap in his bid for a post-Brexit trade deal, as his officials remain locked in legal jujitsu in Brussels. The PM also has to decide whether Priti Patel is for the high jump – as yet more bullying claims emerge. And the Labour leadership candidates are still running a marathon in which the finishing line feels further away than ever. I’m Adam Forrest, and welcome to The Independent’s daily Inside Politics briefing.

Inside the bubble

Our political commentator Andrew Grice on what to look out in Westminster for today:

Boris Johnson is sure to be asked about his coronavirus battle plan at PMQs. Jeremy Corbyn might also be interested in the meltdown at the Home Office, and whether the Cabinet Office inquiry into Priti Patel’s behaviour is truly independent. Lords committees will get their teeth into the UK’s future relationship with the EU, as environment secretary George Eustice is questioned on fisheries and City minister John Glen is grilled on financial services.

Daily briefing

DARK MATERIALS: Another day, another set of allegations against Priti Patel. Two permanent secretaries in the Department for International Development (Dfid) were told of bullying complaints about Patel when she was a minister there, according to The Times. The BBC’s Newsnight also reported on a “tsunami” of accusations by Dfid officials in Patel’s private office, including claims she “humiliated” civil servants and forged a sense that “everyone is hopeless”. Is it all a conspiracy cooked up by The Blob – that shadowy Whitehall cabal? A Tory party source told the BBC sinister elements in the civil service were trying to “undermine” Patel following claims at two other departments. The source complained of “deeply disturbing ... dark forces”. Meanwhile, special adviser Lynn Davidson has been ousted from her job at the Ministry of Defence after she confronted Dominic Cummings over his “unkindness” to her fellow spads.

SHAKE IT OFF: Nothing quite like a firm handshake from a chap who plays tennis. It has emerged a firm run by Boris Johnson’s rallying partner has been paid £1.4m of government cash to help officials “network” with the super-rich. The Department of International Trade money is being handed over to Quintessentially – a “luxury lifestyle” company co-founded by the PM’s old Etonian pal Ben Elliot. Labour condemned “a blindingly obvious conflict of interest and a shocking waste of money”. Elsewhere, Johnson’s handshakes with the non-rich have raised eyebrows. The PM revealed he “shook hands with everybody” at a recent hospital visit – including some coronavirus patients. Nothing wrong with that, said Matt Hancock. The health secretary said medical advice indicated “the impact of shaking hands is negligible”. It later emerged Johnson had not actually shaken hands with coronavirus patients. Labour MP David Lammy said the incident showed why he is “not the man to lead us in a crisis”.

COMEBACK KID: Nobody puts Joe Biden in a corner. The 77-year-old had been written off weeks ago in the Democratic presidential primaries, but his campaign to reach the White House has come roaring back to life. Biden has taken eight of the 14 “Super Tuesday” states, sweeping Minnesota, Massachusetts, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia and North Carolina. The 78-year-old left-winger Bernie Sanders is projected to win four states – California, Vermont, Colorado and Utah – setting up an intriguing two-horse race between the septuagenarians. Exit poll data suggests the slightly younger man won the majority of African-American voters and the suburban voters most likely to switch from Donald Trump. What does the president make of Biden’s comeback? Trump reserved his late-night Twitter bile for “Mini Mike Bloomberg” – taunting his fellow billionaire over “the complete destruction of his reputation”.

BOSSING IT: Over in Labourland, Rebecca Long-Bailey has the land of the free on her mind. Promising to protect our most sacred institution, the leadership hopeful said: “If Bruce Springsteen were British, he would probably sing “born in the NHS”.” Will Long-Bailey be left dancing in the dark when the result is announced next month? Sir Keir Starmer May appear to be bossing the contest, but RLB’s allies continue to kick up a fuss about the frontrunner’s donations. Shadow cabinet office secretary Jon Trickett – who sits on the NEC – claimed it was “entirely undemocratic” of Starmer to delay publishing a full list of his financial backers until after the race (as he is entitled to do). Soon after Trickett's comments, the register of members’ interests was reportedly updated to include a cash donation of £100,000 from barrister Robert Latham. Is Sir Keir getting rattled?

SCIENCE SCHMIENCE: Warning: head-in-the-sand climate denialism in the Tory party may cause you to put your head in your hands. A startling new poll shows fewer than half of Conservative members believe human activity is responsible for climate change. Around one in three (32.9 per cent) think that “global warming is happening but human activity isn’t driving it”, and nearly a tenth (9.7 per cent) said they didn’t believe global warming was happening at all. Only 48.5 per cent of those taking part in the survey for the ConservativeHome actually agreed with the scientific consensus. ConservativeHome editor, former Tory MP Paul Goodman, said: “Our sense is that Conservative MPs will be very roughly where our panel is – although we have to admit that we’ve no evidence for that.” Wow. Claims without evidence is the whole problem, Paul.

On the record

“The Army of course is always ready to backfill .... But that is under the reasonable worst-case scenario.”

Boris Johnson says the military could step in if the coronavirus reduces police force numbers.

From the Twitterati

“Boris Johnson is now bragging about the fact that he has shaken hands with coronavirus patients, and would do so again. This, surely, did not happen?”

The Independent’s Tom Peck casts doubt on the PM’s bizarre claim...

“Boris Johnson *didn't* shake hands with coronavirus patients at hospital at the weekend. He shook hands with staff.”

...as the i paper’s Jane Merrick points out that the bizarre boast wasn’t even true.

Essential reading

Jess Phillips, The Independent: Labour needs a leader who’ll do what’s best not what’s popular – and that’s Lisa Nandy

Holly Baxter, The Independent: Can Biden beat Trump? The truth is he’s just as much of a risk as Bernie

Stephen Bush, New Statesman: Rebecca Long-Bailey has spent too long legitimising Keir Starmer to attack him now

Thomas L. Friedman, The New York Times: Forget Super Tuesday. It’s the day after that matters

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