Politics

A minister has rejected calls for beefed up powers for an “unelected, unaccountable” ministerial standards adviser, currently looking into the funding of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat. Speaking to Sky News, Victoria Atkins said the suggestion had “not really been thought through”. She was responding to concerns that the newly-appointed ministerial standards adviser Lord Geidt

Boris Johnson has claimed there isn’t “anything to see here” as he fights inquiries into who paid for his Downing Street flat renovations, as a new poll showed the Tories’ lead undented despite the growing questions. The prime minister, who currently faces three probes, said he will have the final say on any investigation into

Boris Johnson has said he will have the final say on any investigation into ministerial misconduct after appointing an independent adviser to look at how his Downing Street flat refurbishment was paid for. Christopher Geidt, the Queen’s former private secretary, was appointed on Wednesday and launched an investigation straight away, but questions have been asked

Arlene Foster has told Sky News she will step down as DUP leader and Northern Ireland’s first minister, following calls within the party for a leadership contest. In a statement, Mrs Foster said: “It is important to give space over the next few weeks for the Party Officers to make arrangements for the election of

A formal investigation has been launched into Boris Johnson’s refurbishment of his Downing Street flat after a watchdog found “reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred”. An Electoral Commission spokesperson said: “We have been in contact with the Conservative Party since late March and have conducted an assessment of the

Arlene Foster is facing a battle to remain leader of the Democratic Unionist Party. Sky News understands 75% of the Democratic Unionist Party’s Northern Ireland Assembly members have signed a letter demanding a leadership contest. The challenge, first reported by the Belfast News Letter, could signal the end of Arlene’s Foster’s tenure as Northern Ireland’s

A cabinet minister has dismissed continuing questions about how the prime minister’s flat refurbishment was funded by declaring that the public are not interested in “some wallpaper or sofas”. Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, played down the impact of a number of allegations facing Boris Johnson, which have partly come as a result

The refurbishment of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat will be reviewed by the UK’s top civil servant as suggestions the Conservative Party made an initial payment for the extensive work come under scrutiny. Cabinet Secretary Simon Case said the prime minister asked him to look into the matter, after former aide Dominic Cummings claimed Mr

Boris Johnson has denied saying he would rather see “bodies pile high in their thousands” than have another COVID lockdown. The prime minister rebuffed newspaper allegations that he had made the comments to colleagues in October, just prior to England’s second national lockdown. The Daily Mail on Monday reported Mr Johnson told a Number 10

Ventilators are among 600 pieces of life-saving medical equipment being sent from the UK to India as the country battles a surge in COVID-19 cases. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has vowed to “stand side by side” with India as it struggles with its highest numbers of new daily coronavirus cases to date since the pandemic

A Cabinet minister has dismissed claims the prime minister tried to block a Downing Street leak inquiry to protect a friend of his fiancee as “tittle-tattle”. Labour have called for an independent inquiry following a series of astonishing allegations from Boris Johnson’s former chief adviser, Dominic Cummings. Sir Keir Starmer’s party will also attempt to

An investigation is being demanded into how Boris Johnson funded the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat following incendiary claims by his former chief adviser Dominic Cummings. In a bombshell blog post, Mr Cummings accused his former boss of plotting an “unethical, foolish, possibly illegal” plan to get Tory donors to secretly bankroll the work.

Boris Johnson did not need to pick today’s fight with his mercurial former advisor. He is at least 10 points ahead of Labour in the polls, likely to score successes in the May elections and for once there is no pressing crisis at the top of his government’s agenda. That was before the prime minister

Boris Johnson’s former aide Dominic Cummings has denied being the source of the prime minister’s leaked text communications with businessman Sir James Dyson. Several newspapers quoted unnamed Downing Street sources as claiming Mr Cummings had leaked the text messages, first reported by the BBC. In a blog post, Mr Cummings said: “I do have some

Downing Street has mounted a fightback against “sleaze” accusations by planting stories in Tory-supporting newspapers accusing Dominic Cummings of leaking Number 10 texts. The Times, The Daily Telegraph and The Sun quote unnamed Downing Street sources claiming Mr Cummings leaked texts about tycoon Sir James Dyson and Saudi Arabia’s crown prince. The lead story on

David Cameron lobbied the Treasury’s top civil servant on behalf of a financial services firm that later collapsed. Sir Tom Scholar told a committee of MPs that the former prime minister called him on his work mobile and sent him text messages in March and April 2020 in a bid to get Greensill Capital involved