UK politics - latest: Inflation falls as Peter Bone suspension triggers byelection for Rishi Sunak in 2024
Falling petrol prices help drive a bigger-than-expected fall inflation
UK inflation eased back to its lowest level for more than two years last month as falling petrol prices helped drive a bigger-than-expected fall, official figures show.
The Office for National Statistics (ONS) said the rate of Consumer Prices Index inflation fell to 3.9 per cent in November, down from 4.6 per cent in October, and the lowest level since September 2021.
Most economists had been expecting inflation to fall to 4.3 per cent last month.
Elsewhere, Rishi Sunak will face another by-election test early next year after MP Peter Bone lost his seat in parliament in a recall petition.
The Northamptonshire MP was suspended from the Commons for six weeks in October after an inquiry found he had subjected a staff member to bullying and sexual misconduct.
Some 13.2 per cent of eligible voters – 10,505 people – in Mr Bone’s Wellingborough constituency voted for the recall petition, surpassing the 10 per cent threshold needed to trigger a by-election.
Michelle Mone faces calls to be barred from House of Lords
Sir Keir Starmer has said Lady Mone should be expelled from the Lords, as he urged Tory ministers to “come clean” about the scandal that he described as a “shocking disgrace”.
He added: “I think this is a shocking disgrace from top to bottom. And, as every day goes past, there are more questions that need to be answered. The government needs to come clean.”
He followed Tory peer and energy efficiency minister Lord Callanan who said Baroness Mone should be removed from the House of Lords or quit, adding: “I would hope that she would not be coming back”.
Watch: Michael Gove reveals he has co-operated with NCA probe
Starmer piles pressure on Gove to answer ‘serious questions'
Sir Keir Starmer has piled pressure on Michael Gove and others in government to answer “serious questions” about what they knew – including who started the conversations with Michelle Mone in the first place.
Labour has urged Mr Gove to make a statement in the Commons – while the Liberal Democrats have called for a Cabinet Office probe into the issue.
Michelle Mone says there were 1,000 pieces of correspondence with government on PPE
Defending herself again today, Michelle Mone accused the Cabinet Office of “using us to hide their own shocking failures on PPE!”
A spokesperson for Lady Mone told Sky News that there were over 1,000 pieces of correspondence between her, Mr Gove, the Cabinet Office and the health department about the procurement of PPE.
What proceedings is PPE Medpro facing?
The government issued breach of contract proceedings last December against PPE Medpro over the 2020 deal on the supply of sterile gowns. The firm is defending the legal action.
The company is also being investigated by the NCA for suspected criminal offences in the procurement of PPE contracts.
Michelle Mone hits out at Lord Bethell’s ‘mysterious messages'
Baroness Mone has insisted that Mr Gove and other ministers knew “all about” her involvement with a PPE firm “from the very beginning”.
And today, she hit out at ex-health minister Lord Bethell after he accused her of being dishonest about her assertion – mocking him for “mysteriously” discovering messages from October 2020, after the Tory peer claimed to have lost many messages from that period after breaking and changing his phone.
But he fired back that her assertions were not true:
Watch: Lying to press over PPE contract was ‘not a crime’ says Michelle Mone
Michelle Mone accuses Michael Gove of overseeing ‘huge waste in PPE contracts'
Michelle Mone has accused Michael Gove of overseeing “huge waste in PPE contracts” as she hit out against the government on Monday.
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mr Gove said: “If there are further questions to ask about PPE procurement, and I believe the government has a strong record, then I’m more than happy to do so with the Covid inquiry.”
Gove rows back on claims he wants criminal case ‘brought as quickly as possible'
Michael Gove told reporters on Tuesday that he wanted to see a criminal case “being brought” against Baroness Michelle Mone “as quickly as possible”.
But the levelling up secretary’s aide later said he had “misspoke” – insisting that the minister had only meant to say that he hoped the NCA would conclude its inquiries soon.
Michael Gove reveals he has ‘co-operated’ with NCA probe into PPE Medpro
Cabinet minister Michael Gove has revealed that he has being cooperating with the National Crime Agency (NCA) investigation into the scandal surrounding Baroness Michelle Mone’s firm PPE Medpro.
Baroness Mone has insisted that Mr Gove and other ministers knew “all about” her involvement with a PPE firm “from the very beginning” – as she continues to lash out at Rishi Sunak’s government.
Asked about Lady Mone, Mr Gove said: “There is a National Crime Agency investigation going on. I’ve cooperated with that inquiry, because I want to ensure that it reaches its conclusion quickly, that justice can be served.”
Our political correspondent Adam Forrest has the full report on today’s developments so far:
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