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 17:46 · Emily Atkinson]

UK promotes boosting Ukraine’s weapons supply

The UK foreign secretary has called for more weapons to be supplied to Ukraine to combat the Russian invasion.

Liz Truss said: “We also need even more weapons of the type the Ukrainians are asking for.

“The fact is that being tough is the only approach that will work. Putin has escalated this war and this approach is vital to ensuring he loses in Ukraine and that we see a full withdrawal of Russian troops and Ukraine’s hand is strengthened at the negotiating table.”

[4 April 2022 17:56 · Emily Atkinson]

Watch: Truss calls on Russia to be suspended from UN human rights council after Bucha atrocities

[4 April 2022 18:15 · Emily Atkinson]

Government’s ‘ethics chief’ supplied karaoke machine for Downing Street party

The government’s former chief advisor on ethics has apologised after being fined by police for attending a lockdown party on Whitehall.

Helen McNamara is among the first group of people to be given a Fixed Penalty Notice in connection to the ‘partygate’ scandal.

The Daily Telegraph newspaper reports that Ms MacNamara brought a karaoke machine to a leaving bash for Downing Street aide Hannah Young.

Jon Stone has the story here:

[4 April 2022 18:21 · Emily Atkinson]

UK to convene UN security council meeting over Bucha ‘atrocities'

The UK called a UN security countil meeting to take place on Tuesday to discuss reports of a civilian “massacre” in the Ukrainian town of Bucha.

A Politico journalist cited the UK ambassador to the UN as saying the session will also be used to review the military offensive in Ukraine more broadly.

[4 April 2022 18:40 · Emily Atkinson]

Russia must be hit with ‘maximum level’ of sanctions for Ukraine atrocities, UK says

Russia must be hit with the “maximum level” of sanctions for its atrocities in Ukraine, Liz Truss has insisted, as Vladimir Putin faces further accusations of war crimes.

The foreign secretary stressed “nothing is off the table” as she hit out at the “butchery” of Moscow’s forces, including the indiscriminate killing of civilians in the town of Bucha.

“The idea that we should wait for something else bad to happen is just completely wrong,” she said. “The worst has already happened, we’ve already seen appalling atrocities committed in Ukraine with complete impunity”.

Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn reports: