Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, is making a statement to MPs now setting out the government’s response to the sacking of 800 workers by P&O Ferries. There are nine measures, he says. First, HM Revenue and Customs will get new resources to check ferry operators are complying with minimum wage law, he says. HMRC will … Read more
Good morning. “Where are all these mansions [being] seized?”, a Ukrainian activist asked Boris Johnson angrily in Poland last week. The question reflected a concern that the UK has not done enough to directly penalise Russian oligarchs who operate in the UK. But this morning Grant Shapps, the transport secretary, said that he had effectively … Read more
12.27pm GMT 12:27 Ruth Edwards (Con) asks about a constituent who collapsed and died during a football game. She asks for VAT to be removed from commerical defibrilators. Johnson offers his condolences to the family of the constituent who died, and says he will meet with Edwards to discuss the VAT point. 12.25pm GMT 12:25 … Read more
6.13pm GMT 18:13 Q What is your response to people who feel the government has lost all credibility leading the country through the pandemic? Javid says it’s right that the PM has accepted there were mistakes and asked for a proper investigation to establish the facts and then come back to parliament. Q Will you … Read more
Apologies are one of the most under-rated devices in politics. It is convention to argue that apologising is a sign of weaknesss, but people don’t expect politicians to get everything right, they know we all make mistakes, and if used sincerely (a big if – we’ll come back to it in a moment) they can … Read more
A lot of families started receiving universal credit because of the pandemic. It is a massive hit to families’ incomes. We want to see immediate action to deal with the cost-of-living crisis facing families as we are entering a pretty tough winter for lots of people, but also businesses too. We have had a lot … Read more
Children and young people have had a tough time during this pandemic and I’ll be listening to them and their families as we accelerate our work to build back better and fairer. From my own experience, I know what a beacon of opportunity this country can be and I want all children, young people and … Read more
“People live by narrative,” Boris Johnson told the Atlantic’s Tom McTague, for a long and revealing profile this week that explains quite a lot about how Johnson views the secret of his political success. But the House of Commons is an arena where fact, argument and repartee tend to count more than narrative and that … Read more
Greg Clark is asking the questions now. Q: Did you engage in unauthorised briefings? Cummings says generally he did not engage with the media. He says that drove the media mad, because in the past people in his position had not done that. But he says he did speak to Laura Kuenssberg, the BBC’s political … Read more
Good morning. Boris Johnson faces a difficult PMQs later – as Aubrey Allegretti and Jessica Elgot report in their overnight story, pressure is growing for him to offer a proper account of the funding of his Downing Street flat – but there is also a fair amount of coronavirus news around today. The science committee … Read more