Boris Johnson news – live: PM denies he is ‘habitual liar’ in Mumsnet interview

‘People throw all sorts of accusations at me,’ Johnson says in his defence

Mumsnet user asks why public should believe 'habitual liar' Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson today denied he was a “habitual liar” when asked why the public should believe anything he says.

In an interview with the prime minister, Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet, said users of the online forum asked about his “trust and integrity”.

One user asked: “Why should we believe anything you say when it’s been proven you’re a habitual liar?”

Mr Johnson said he did not accept the description or the premise of the question. “People throw all sorts of accusations at me about all sorts of things ... you’ve just got to look at the record of what I deliver,” he said.

The prime minister went on to be asked if he would resign over the Partygate scandal. “I cannot see how it would be responsible right now, with everything that’s going on, simply to abandon … the project on which I embarked,” he said.

Earlier, Dominic Raab dismissed the idea that his boss could face a confidence vote as early as next week – describing the speculation as “Westminster froth”.

Key points

• Mumsnet asks PM why public should believe a ‘habitual liar’
• Quitting would be irresponsible, claims PM
• Johnson will not face confidence vote, Raab insists
• PM has ‘legitimate question’ to answer on whether he broke ministerial code
• Quarter of Britain convinced by Sunak’s cost of living splurge

[2 June 2022 05:19 · Stuti Mishra]

Johnson’s ministerial code shake-up will not restore public trust, says watchdog

Boris Johnson has failed to counter the view that he and his ministers consider themselves above the rules, the leader of a powerful parliamentary ethics watchdog has said.

Jonathan Evans, the chair of the Committee on Standards in Public Life, said Mr Johnson’s planned changes to the ministerial code were “highly unsatisfactory” and undermined the role of the prime minister’s ethics adviser.

Downing Street announced last week that the code would be updated to remove the expectation for ministers to resign over any breach of the code but would not allow the adviser, currently Lord Geidt, to launch his own investigation into potential breaches.

Read more:

[2 June 2022 05:30 · Stuti Mishra]

Tory MP handed knighthood by Boris Johnson days after calling for him to quit

Boris Johnson has handed a knighthood to a senior Conservative MP who turned against his leadership and called for his resignation earlier this week.

Former cabinet minister Jeremy Wright, Tory MP for Kenilworth and Southam, has been given the gong as part of the Queen’s platinum jubilee birthday honours.

The timing of the announcement is awkward for the prime minister, coming only days after Mr Wright condemned Mr Johnson over Partygate and asked him to resign “for the good of this and future governments”.

[2 June 2022 05:42 · Stuti Mishra]

Queen's Jubilee celebrations dominate the front pages

The Daily Express says “a grateful nation” salutes the Queen, while the Daily Mirror says a four-day party begins for “our Queen” and “our Britain”.

Here are some of the front pages of today's papers:

[2 June 2022 06:00 · Stuti Mishra]

Which MPs have called for Boris Johnson to resign or face a vote?

Nearly 30 Tory MPs have now called for Boris Johnson to go, or publicly moved to trigger a confidence vote over his leadership, as he seeks to weather the fallout from the partygate scandal.

Here is a round-up of all of those MPs and what they have said on the matter:

[2 June 2022 06:15 · Stuti Mishra]

The Queen’s relationships with her 14 prime ministers

The Queen’s 70 years as sovereign has seen 14 prime ministers, from Second World War statesman Sir Winston Churchill to present premier Boris Johnson.

Political leaders have consistently paid tribute to the monarch for her sage advice and impressive knowledge on home and world affairs during her private weekly audiences with her PMs.

[2 June 2022 06:30 · Stuti Mishra]

How Johnson played Lord Geidt for a fool and left him in a difficult position

One of the most surprising revelations in Geidt’s annual review of his work was that he hasn’t met the prime minister to discuss the protracted period of lawlessness in Downing Street commonly known as Partygate. Unlike the Queen, Johnson appears to have had literally no time for his adviser, writes Sean O'Grady.

Apparently, there was a “failure of communication between our offices” according to Johnson, who adds that he was unaware of the of the importance Geidt had placed on him making explicit reference to the ministerial code over the Partygate fixed penalty notice.

[2 June 2022 06:46 · Stuti Mishra]

Johnson says it would be irresponsible to quit over ‘miserable’ partygate

#ICYMI

Boris Johnson claimed quitting as Prime Minister over the “miserable” partygate scandal would be irresponsible.

He cited “huge pressures” on the economy, the war in Ukraine and his “massive agenda which I was elected to deliver” as his reasons for remaining in post and not seeking to “abandon” ship.

But Mr Johnson is under increasing pressure from Tory MPs to consider his position in the wake of Sue Gray’s report on lockdown parties in Downing Street.

[2 June 2022 07:10 · Stuti Mishra]

Editorial: After Brexit, Covid and Boris Johnson, a dollop of platinum jubilee pudding is just what the country needs

“The Independent isn’t hostile to the notion of a rationalised, accountable, constitutional monarchy; one that commands the respect of the people, and is of use to the nation. Over the centuries, however, such traits have not always been evident.”