Boris Johnson news - live: PM ‘misled public’, says Starmer as ethics chief apologises for Partygate fine

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says prime minister presided over ‘widespread criminality’

Jacob Rees-Mogg defends calling Partygate row 'fluff'

A former government ethics chief has said she is “sorry for the error of judgement I have shown” after being fined as part of a police investigation into No 10 parties.

Helen MacNamara said she has paid the fine she was handed reportedly in connection with a leaving do held in the Cabinet Office on June 18 2020 to mark the departure of a private secretary.

Downing Street has confirmed that Boris Johnson has not yet been informed whether he is to be fined over lockdown-breaking parties he allegedly attended.

Meanwhile, Sir Keir Starmer said Boris Johnson has “misled the public” and presided over “widespread criminality” at No 10 – saying again that PM is “unfit for office”.

He also called for the names of all senior officials fined for Downing Street parties to be made public.

However, Downing Street continues to refuse to accept the law had been broken, despite the Met issuing 20 FPNs.

KEY POINTS

• Former government ethics chief apologies after being fined over partygate
• Prime Minister has not yet received a fine
• Jacob Rees-Mogg defends his description of partygate as “fluff”
• PM presides over ‘widespread criminality,’ says Labour leader

[4 April 2022 10:04 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Jacob Rees-Mogg says Boris Johnson was given wrong information about parties in Downing Street

The minister told LBC: “The fact that the prime minister was given wrong information does not mean he mislead people.”

Watch the full clip here:

[4 April 2022 10:19 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Government minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said he felt “sorry” on a “personal level” about David Warburton’s position

The Brexit opportunities minister, whose constituency borders Mr Warburton’s Somerton and Frome seat, was asked on LBC Radio if he would offer a word of comfort to a neighbouring MP.

“I obviously feel sorry for somebody on a personal level but it’s really important that the inquiry is carried out and people feel safe working in Parliament,” the former Commons leader said.

“There’s a need for personal sympathy but there is also a need for a proper process to be followed.”

Mr Rees-Mogg said it was “really important that people who are worried about their working relationship in Parliament have an independent body that they can go to”.

[4 April 2022 10:37 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Rising food costs ‘nothing to do with Brexit’, insists Jacob Rees-Mogg

Mr Rees-Mogg also claimed that post-Brexit trade deals would help ease the cost of living crisis – despite predictions food inflation will hit 15 per cent this year.

My colleague Adam Forrest reports:

[4 April 2022 10:52 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

MP Simon Harts says there are many decisions ‘we’d wish we’d taken differently’ over Partygate

The secretary of state for Wales tells GB News: “‘There are many things, many decisions and judgements that we probably all made at the time that we wish we’d taken differently.”

See the full clip here:

[4 April 2022 11:01 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Rees-Mogg says Old Testament right on trans issues

Asked on the LBC phone-in if a woman can have a penis, cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said “no” and referenced Genesis 1: 27.

He said: “God made man in his own image. He made man and he made woman. He made both of them. I think God making us in his own image is quite good enough for me.”

However, Rees-Mogg also added: “The issue is a complex one. There are issues of tolerance, and there are issues of kindliness, and I think it’s very important to allow people to make whatever choices in their life.”

[4 April 2022 11:36 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Brexit Opportunities minister blasted by caller for ‘lying to us'

A caller on LBC tells Jacob Rees-Mogg he lied to the public for promising “lower energy prices and cheaper food” if we left the EU.

[4 April 2022 11:59 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

While the first partygate fines are being handed out, and Brexit Opportunities minister said this morning that some Covid restrictions were “inhuman”, the Chief Inspector at Ofsted spoke to talkRADIO about the devastating effects of lockdown on children’s learning.

Watch the full clip here:

[4 April 2022 12:21 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Boris Johnson has not received a fine

No 10 confirmed that Boris Johnson has not been informed whether he is to be fined over gatherings he attended during the pandemic.

Asked if Mr Johnson had received a fixed penalty notice, his official spokesman said: “No – no change.”

Downing Street continue to refuse to accept the law had been broken, despite the Met issuing 20 fixed penalty notices (FPNs).

Asked if the PM now accepted that Covid rules had been breached, the spokesman said: “The prime minister wants to comment at the conclusion of the process and not in the middle of it … we will have more to say at the conclusion of the process.”

[4 April 2022 12:34 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Thousands of UK workers to take part in ‘biggest ever’ four day week trial

From June this year 60 companies will give their 3,000 employees a three day weekend without any reduction in pay.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:

[4 April 2022 12:50 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

Domestic oil and gas will play ‘important part’ of UK strategy, Downing Street says

Downing Street said domestic oil and gas will play an “important part” of the UK strategy after minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said “every last drop” of oil should be extracted from the North Sea.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Certainly it’s right that domestic-produced oil and gas will play an important part of the transition to net zero.”