Speaker condemns ‘disgraceful behaviour directed at’ Sir Keir Starmer
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has urged people to “move on” from the row over false claims Boris Johnson made about Sir Keir Starmer’s failure to prosecute peadophile Jimmy Savile.
It comes a day after Sir Keir was rescued by police after a crowd heckled him outside parliament, including slurs about Savile and the Labour leader being a “traitor”. Asked about the situation on Tuesday, Mr Gove described it as a “uniquely sensitive issue” but said only “the sooner we move on the better.”
Earlier, Commons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle intervened to warn Mr Johnson that his “words have consequences”, branding the remarks “inappropriate”. Senior Conservative MPs have also asked the PM to apologise, but Downing Street insisted earlier this would not happen.
Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, today described the abuse Sir Keir suffered as “sickening”, claiming it “is a reflection of the toxic cocktail of conspiracy theories, smears and lies that swirl around our politics now”. She added the PM had “weaponised” such issues and urged him to “fully, unreservedly and unequivocally apologise”.
Anger over PM’s reshuffle as ex-chief whip gets promotion in Islamophobia row
Boris Johnson has been accused of having “complete disregard for standards in politics” after using a reshuffle to promote chief whip Mark Spencer, who has been accused of “blackmail” against MPs and is currently under investigation for alleged Islamophobia.
In a shake-up of his top team, designed to help him draw a line under the Partygate scandal, the prime minister made Mr Spencer leader of the Commons, a role in which he must act as custodian of the Westminster complaints system as well as upholding the rights and interests of backbench MPs.
But Mr Spencer is the subject of an official investigation into claims, which he denies, that he told Tory MP Nusrat Ghani she was being demoted from a ministerial position because her “Muslimness” made others uncomfortable.
Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has the full report:
Sam Hancock8 February 2022 20:29
Reshuffle news: Chris Pincher returns as deputy chief whip
On that note, Downing Street in the last hour announced that Chris Pincher has been given the role of deputy chief whip in the current reshuffle.
The Conservative MP for Tamworth was moved from his previous position as a minister in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities in the process.
Mr Pincher previously held the position during Theresa May’s time as prime minister.
Sam Hancock8 February 2022 20:06
Watch: Ministers leave No 10 as PM reshuffles top team
Government ministers leave Downing Street as Boris Johnson reshuffles Cabinet
Sam Hancock8 February 2022 20:00
Tory MP reacts to ‘grim’ news Savile smear could be a ‘taste’ of next election
Sticking with this story for the moment, further reports suggest the Jimmy Savile smear by Boris Johnson was not “off the cuff” at all.
One Tory MP reportedly told HuffPost “this is something we know people are talking about”, saying it had been mentioned on the doorstep during the Batley and Spen by-election last summer and the PM “knew what he was doing” when he made the false claim in the Commons.
The unnamed representative went as far as saying they “expect to see some more of this sort of thing in the run-up to the next general election”.
Another Conservative MP Mark Harper responded to this claim, saying it was “grim” and “this is *not* the kind of country we want to be”. He finished with the following warning to Mr Johnson:
Sam Hancock8 February 2022 19:58
‘New PPS’ Lia Nici previously highlighted Starmer-Savile smear
The news that Lia Nici has been made a PPS is especially interesting considering this thread by political pundit, and i newspaper commentator, Paul Waugh.
In it, Waugh details claims made by Ms Nici, the MP for Great Grimsby, that the Savile-Starmer smear was considered a serious issue in her town – before the PM even made the link.
“This was absolutely, utterly the No 1 issue for people,” Ms Nici told BBC 5 Live, adding her constituents have said they “don’t want [Sir Keir Starmer] to be the Labour party leader” due to their feeling he failed to prosecute Jimmy Savile.
Sam Hancock8 February 2022 19:43
PM ‘doubling number of PPSs’ from two to four – report
As part of his mini-reshuffle, Boris Johnson will increase his number of parliamentary private secretaries (PPSs) from two to four, according to a report by The Telegraph.
The four will be Sarah Dines, Lia Nici, Joy Morrissey and James Duddridge, according to the paper, three of who are 2019ers.
It could prove a significant move due to the most recent cohort of MPs being some of Mr Johnson’s harshest critics.
Sam Hancock8 February 2022 19:28
‘Robust security’ in place for MPs, Met claims – day after Starmer mob
Our home affairs editor Lizzie Dearden reports:
A spokesperson added: “The Met works closely with parliamentary authorities on issues relating to the security of Members of Parliament and we continue to provide relevant updates to the Parliamentary Security Department in relation to our ongoing enquiries into the incident in Westminster yesterday evening.”
A review of MPs’ security that was commissioned following the murder of Sir David Amess in October is ongoing, involving police, the Home Office and parliamentary authorities.
The National Police Chiefs’ Council said MPs were also contacted individually after the alleged terror attack to discuss bespoke arrangements and offer advice. A spokesperson said on Tuesday: “We continue to strongly encourage MPs to immediately report any security concerns to their local police force in order to keep themselves, their staff and others safe. Nobody should have to experience abuse or threats of harm, especially when they are simply doing their job.”
Anti-vaxx groups are currently considered mainly as a public order threat, because of the nature of their frequent protests and targeting of vaccination and testing centres. However, the growth of Covid and vaccine-related conspiracy theories is also being monitored by counter-terror police, who are concerned about any potential for violence.
Officers view the pattern of radicalisation by conspiracy theorists and more traditional extremists as similar, and believe vulnerable people are being targeted.
Speaking to journalists last year, Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Matt Twist said he was concerned that the pandemic was “creating an environment where extremists find it easier to identify, target and potentially radicalise vulnerable people”.
He said it had distrust in authority and inspired conspiracy theories that have more easily reached the mainstream, at a time when people were increasingly isolated and spending more time online.
“Put together, that is a potent mix which is of real concern,” Mr Twist added. “Recent analysis suggests that conspiracy theories are particularly engaging for a younger audience, and that extremists on both sides – but particularly in the right wing terrorism space – are using memes and conspiracy theories as a way of hooking in young and vulnerable people on social media platforms before luring them to closed chatrooms and other encrypted channels where they expose them to more extreme narratives and illegal material.”
Sam Hancock8 February 2022 19:20
Javid defends ex-chief whip’s appointment as Commons leader
More from Sajid Javid now who, during the same post-hospital-visit-Q&A, defended the PM’s decision to move Mark Spencer from being the government’s chief whip to leader of the House of Commons.
The health secretary said Mr Spencer, who is paying the price for a series of missteps in managing the parliamentary party, “will do a very good job in the position he has been given”.
It comes amid anger at the appointment owing to the fact Mr Spencer is currently under investigation over Islamophobia allegations by MP Nusrat Ghani, but will now oversee the complaints process in his new role.
Speaking after a hospital visit in east London, Mr Javid, who was one of the ministers that called for an inquiry into Ms Ghani’s claims, said the “serious” matter was being investigated by the Cabinet Office.
He continued: “It is also fair to put on the record that Mark, who is a friend and colleague, as well as Nusrat Ghani, who made the allegations and they are both friends and colleagues, that Mark has said that he doesn’t recognise any of those words that have been attributed to him. He is a friend and a colleague and I think he will do a very good job in the position he has been given.”
Asked whether Boris Johnson takes the accusation of Islamophobia seriously enough, Mr Javid pointed to his boss’ decision to open an investigation as proof he took “them very seriously”.
Sam Hancock8 February 2022 19:09
Sajid Javid heckled by cyclist over Savile jibe response
Sajid Javid has been heckled by a member of the public as he said “the protesters themselves” are to blame for the abuse targeted at Sir Keir Starmer yesterday.
The health secretary, who had just been on a visit to the Mile End Diagnostics in east London, was answering press questions about the scenes in Westminster which saw Sir Keir needing police to escort him to safety when a passing cyclist shouted: “Well then, why isn’t Boris apologising for his remarks?”
Asked if Boris Johnson should apologise for his controversial attack on Sir Keir over Jimmy Savile, Mr Javid said: “I saw those scenes yesterday of Keir Starmer and David Lammy.
“First of all, I think that what happened to them was completely disgraceful in every way. No politician in our country, it doesn’t matter who they are, should have to put up with anything like that.”
After being interrupted by the cyclist, he continued: “I do think though, that when you look at what happened itself, the people that are to blame are the protesters themselves.”
Andy Gregory8 February 2022 18:54
What is the ‘Brexit Opportunities Unit’ that Jacob Rees-Mogg will run?
Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:
Jacob Rees-Mogg has been appointed minister for Brexit opportunities, in Boris Johnson’s latest reshuffle – and will likely work closely with the Brexit Opportunities Unit set up last year by Lord Frost, who has since left government complaining of Boris Johnson’s political direction.
Ministers say the department is involved in “setting the strategy for the government’s ambitious approach to regulation, reviewing and reforming existing policy and regulation, and supporting the scrutiny and introduction of new regulation”.
Appointing Mr Rees-Mogg as the minister for the area looks like an attempt to throw “red meat” to the Tory base. He is considered a dogmatic Thatcherite and Tories who want the government to be more radically right-wing on economic policy trust him.
You can read more details here:
Andy Gregory8 February 2022 18:41