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 05:11 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Fine issued to Downing Street staff

Fines have been issued to Downing Street staff over a party that took place the night before Prince Philip’s funeral.

There were two parties that evening -- one for the prime minister’s director of communications, James Slack, and another for one of Boris Johnson’s personal photographers.

According to The Guardian, No 10 staff were got so drunk that they broke the swing used by Mr Johnson’s son. A staff member was sent out to a local supermarket to pack a suitcase full of wine and another acted as a DJ, the report said.

[4 April 2022 05:31 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Tory MP admitted to psychiatric hospital after sexual harassment allegations

Tory MP David Warburton has been admitted to a psychiatric hospital after an investigation was launched into allegations of sexual harassment.

He is reportedly being treated for shock and stress after it emerged his conduct was being examined by the parliamentary harassment watchdog following sexual harassment and drug use claims.

Two women had filed formal complaints to parliament’s Independent Complaints and Grievance Scheme (ICGS) about Mr Warburton’s behaviour, while a third woman made allegations about his conduct.

Chiara Giordano reports.

[4 April 2022 05:45 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

PM condemns ‘despicable attacks’ by Russian troops on Ukrainians

Prime minister Boris Johnson has condemned Russia’s “despicable attacks” against civilians in Irpin and Bucha after Ukrainian authorities said dead civilians were found on the streets.

The prime minister said “no denial or disinformation from the Kremlin” can conceal that president Vladimir Putin is “desperate” and “his invasion is failing”. In a statement, Mr Johnson said the UK is “stepping up” its sanctions and military support, and “bolstering” humanitarian help for those on the ground.

He said: “Russia’s despicable attacks against innocent civilians in Irpin and Bucha are yet more evidence that Putin and his army are committing war crimes in Ukraine.

[4 April 2022 06:04 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

Prepare to ration oil and gas, Labour tells government

The Labour party is urging the British government to prepare to ration oil and gas as the energy crisis deepens following Russia’s war on Ukraine.

Germany, Austria and the Netherlands are among the European countries considering restrictions on supplies because of their heavy dependence on Russian energy.

Asked if the UK should “do the same”, Jonathan Reynolds, the shadow business secretary, replied: “We should be making those plans.”

“The government should be preparing, not necessarily in public, for that situation. There’s a lot of complacency in this country about the relative lower exposure to Russian gas that we have,” he told BBC.

Rob Merrick reports.

[4 April 2022 06:36 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

ICYMI | How much will Downing Street staff be fined by Met Police?

The Metropolitan Police has announced that 20 cases of lockdown breaches in Downing Street and Whitehall will be made the subject of fixed penalty notices, the first tranche of fines to be issued over the “Partygate” scandal that rocked Boris Johnson’s government.

Although the Met said it would not disclose the identities of the recipients of the fines, officers were working through a “significant amount of investigative material” as part of its probe into 12 social events.

The recipient of a fixed penalty notice for breaching Covid restrictions will be fined £100 for a first offence, rising to £200 if they fail to pay it within 14 days.

Joe Sommerlad explains.

[4 April 2022 06:56 · Alisha Rahaman Sarkar]

People find it reassuring that Tories care only about power: Tony Blair

Former prime minister Tony Blair, when asked how he would win an election for Labour today, said: “The first thing is to realise that the psychology of the country towards Labour and the Conservatives is different”.

“Unfortunately, if you look back on, what, 120 years of Labour’s existence, we’ve been in power for less than a third, roughly a quarter, of that time. And half of it was New Labour, and there are parts of the Labour Party that are not too keen on remembering that part”.

John Rentoul has more.

[4 April 2022 07:24 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

ICYMI- Former Whitehall ethics chief reportedly fined in connection with a party held during lockdown

A former Whitehall ethics chief has reportedly been fined in connection with a party held during lockdown.

Helen MacNamara, an ex-deputy cabinet secretary, is said to be among the first wave of people to be dealt a fixed-penalty notice (FPN) by the Metropolitan Police as part of its investigation into the Partygate scandal.

My colleague Emily Atkinson has more:

[4 April 2022 07:39 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

MP Simon Hart says ‘the world has moved on a considerable distance’ from partygate

Speaking to Sky News presenter Kay Burley this morning about whether the Prime Minister should resign over partygate, the Welsh secretary said: “I have 65,000 constituents in west Wales where I represent, and they are not shy in coming out and expressing a view about this and a number of subjects.

“And throughout all of this saga of Downing Street parties they have said one thing very clearly.

“They said they want contrition and an apology but they don’t want the resignation.

“As I’ve said before we’ve all made judgments which if we have time to reflect on we wish we made them differently.

“For me, personally speaking, the world has moved a considerable distance.

“But the idea that every politician, or indeed every journalist for that matter, that makes a misjudgment along the way should automatically be sacked is not something I subscribe to.”

[4 April 2022 07:54 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

‘People are going to die,’ Labour’s former Director of Policy warns as cold-related deaths expected to rise amidst soaring energy prices

Andrew Fisher, Labour’s former Director of Policy, warned of the bleak future that awaits households in the cost of living crisis.

He told LBC this morning: “The reality is that this is as bad as the pandemic people, this is going to get bad.

“People are going to, frankly, die.

“We have poorly-insulated homes which the government hasn’t really done anything about.

“We’ve got huge rises in cost of living. It’s not just energy bills because of course fuel prices go up.

“People are going to see a big hit to their incomes and that will mean more destitution, more poverty, more hunger, more people at food banks, more people being evicted from their homes as well because they can’t afford to pay the rent.”

Watch the full clip here:

[4 April 2022 08:06 · Maryam Zakir-Hussain]

David Warburton affair: MP Simon Hart says ‘it is insulting’ to suggest that MPs cannot hire their spouses

The Welsh secretary also commented on the David Warburton scandal as Mr Warburton’s wife’s position has drawn questions due to sexual harassment allegations from two members of parliamentary staff, according to the Sunday Times, which reported the staff members had to leave his office because Mrs Warburton handled HR.

Simon Hart - who also employs his wife - was asked on Times Radio whether MPs should be allowed to give family members jobs.

He said: “I think that’s actually pretty insulting towards so many husbands wives and partners who do a really good job in Parliament, work bloody hard, and provide the taxpayer real value for money.”

He likened the situation to family businesses and added: “As far as every circumstance that I know where an MP works closely with or pays a family member, whether it’s in this Parliament or others, actually the relationship - the professional relationship - is really productive, if anything that taxpayer gets more bang for their buck than they (would) do anyway because it’s a 24/7 arrangement.”

He said there was “nothing new about this” and added: “Ever since I’ve been an MP I’ve been a staunch defender of this particular situation, I continue to be so, I think it’s a lot of nonsense to suggest that there’s something wrong with it or say it doesn’t provide value for money. I think that is demonstrably untrue.”

The Welsh Secretary said he was a “staunch defender” of MPs being able to employ their spouses after the wife of Tory MP David Warburton - who works in his office - said she was standing by him after allegations of drug taking and sexual harassment.