Boris Johnson news: PM referred to police regulator over claims of potential misconduct

Downing Street sources accuse City Hall of political move after Greater London Authority decision

Cummings claims Brexit negotiations are a 'walk in the park'

The prime minister has been referred to the independent police watchdog over claims of potential “misconduct” while he was London mayor.

The Greater London Authority (GLA) has asked the Independent Office for Police Conduct to assess whether Boris Johnson should be formally investigated over his relationship with the US tech entrepreneur and former model.

It wants the probe to explore whether Ms Arcuri was allowed to join trade missions, and received large grants, “when she and her companies could not have expected otherwise to receive those benefits”.

The referral does not mean or imply he is guilty, but is a request for an investigation. While London mayor, he was also a police and crime commissioner, which is why the police regulator is now involved.

The prime minister denies any impropriety but the announcement comes at the end of a tumultuous week for Mr Johnson.

His right-hand man Dominic Cummings has continued No 10’s ‘people versus parliament’ rhetoric by saying the anger of Leave voters was “not surprising”.

The controversial aide told Labour MP Karl Turner to “get Brexit done”, after the MP said he had received death threats overnight.

Elsewhere in Westminster the SNP said it could support Jeremy Corbyn’s bid for prime minister, in order to stop a no-deal Brexit.

“Nothing is risk free but leaving Johnson in post to force through no deal – or even a bad deal – seems like a terrible idea to me,” party leader Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter.

An SNP spokesperson said the party was committed to stopping a no-deal Brexit and removing “this dangerous and undemocratic prime minister as soon as possible”.

If you would like to see how the days events unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below

[27 September 2019 21:10 · Zamira Rahim]

A serving British solider is facing investigation over an abusive tweet sent to senior Labour MP Angela Rayner warning she will "perish when civil war comes".

The tweet was sent from the soldier's Twitter account, which has since been deleted, after Ms Rayner, the shadow education secretary, criticised the performance in the Commons of Attorney General Geoffrey Cox.

It read: "Ohh f*** off you stupid bitch, c**** like you will perish when civil war comes and its coming. 17.4 million people are gunning for blood if we don't leave."

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said the message was "unacceptable" and that the soldier concerned was being investigated by both the Army and the civilian police.

[27 September 2019 21:25 · Zamira Rahim]

Andrea Leadsom, the UK's Business Secretary, has claimed that the economy is robust and can withstand a no-deal Brexit, according to The Financial Times.

[27 September 2019 21:40 · Zamira Rahim]

At the end of an increasingly tense week in Westminster, the Archbishop of Canterbury has asked the public to pray for MPs.

"Join me in praying for MPs, their families and staff, across all parties at this difficult time, especially those who face unacceptable abuse and intimidation," Justin Welby tweeted on Friday.

"We must model good disagreement in our debates, and show respect and support for those in public service."

[27 September 2019 21:52 · Zamira Rahim]

The move by the GLA to refer the Prime Minister to the Independent Office for Police Conduct has met with fury from Downing Street.

A senior Government source said it was "a politically motivated attack" and that the timing - on the eve of the Conservative Party conference - was "overtly political".

"No evidence of any allegations has been provided by the monitoring officer nor was the PM given any opportunity to respond to the monitoring officer prior to the publishing of a press release late on a Friday night," the source said.

"The public and media will rightly see through such a nakedly political put-up job."

"It’s important to note that this was a decision by the GLA monitoring officer, who is a completely, independent non political official," John McDonnell, the shadow chancellor, said on Twitter.

[27 September 2019 22:15 · Zamira Rahim]

"During the Conservative leadership election, all candidates committed to holding a specific inquiry into Islamophobia. This was welcomed across the board. I too was hopeful," writes our opinion columnist Harun Khan.

"But on Tuesday, Boris Johnson announced that the inquiry will now only look broadly at prejudice and discrimination, rather than an in-depth dive into Islamophobia."

Read more here: 

[27 September 2019 22:30 · Zamira Rahim]

Britain's government watchdog says there's still a "significant amount" of work to do to make sure the country has an adequate supply of licensed drugs in case of a no-deal Brexit.

In a report issued Friday, Britain's National Audit Office said additional shipping capacity chartered by the U.K. for sending goods across the English Channel might not be operational until the end of November — one month after the Oct. 31 deadline for Britain to leave the European Union. Of the more than 12,300 medicines licensed in the U.K., about 7,000 arrive from or via the EU, mostly across the Channel.

Meg Hillier, who chairs a committee overseeing the audit office, called the findings "deeply concerning." She said she had seen "countless examples" of the British government missing deadlines, but that this one was particularly striking.

"If the government gets this wrong, it could have the gravest of consequences," she said.

[27 September 2019 22:40 · Zamira Rahim]

Boris Johnson may face a vote of no-confidence as early as next week, according to The Telegraph.

The newspaper reports that Labour and the SNP are discussing tabling a vote and that Scottish lawmakers are prepared to support Jeremy Corbyn as the next prime minister, after concluding it was the only way to guarantee that a no-deal Brexit can be avoided.