Boris Johnson tells planning critics they’re wrong despite by-election humiliation
Boris Johnson is at odds with his chancellor Rishi Sunak over Treasury plans to suspend the “triple lock” on pensions for a year, with frustration over the prime minister’s desire to make expensive policy pledges, according to reports.
The Sunday Times claimed that officials were said to be examining plans to prevent a rise in average wages over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic leading to a 6 per cent increase in the state pension – costing the government £4bn.
It added that there was “growing consternation” over Mr Johnson’s habit of announcing plans that would cost billions of pounds “when there is no means to pay for them”.
It came as former speaker and Tory MP John Bercow revealed he had defected to Labour as he warned that the government needed “to be replaced”.
Mr Bercow said the Conservatives had become “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic” under Mr Johnson’s leadership.
Labour’s shadow justice secretary David Lammy has doubled down this morning on his call for Robert Buckland to resign if record-low prosecution and conviction rates for rape are not reversed in a year:
Conrad Duncan20 June 2021 09:08
Bercow has diminished influence with Labour defection, Tory minister says
Former Commons speaker John Bercow has diminished his influence in politics by announcing that he has defected from the Conservatives to Labour, according to the justice secretary.
The Tory minister told Sky News’ Trevor Phillips on Sunday that Mr Bercow was a private citizen and therefore was “entitled to make decisions about his politics”.
However, Robert Buckland added: “I think as a former speaker he’s somebody that even though he’s left office does carry a degree of authority like his predecessors and I think his predecessors’ authority was enhanced by their refusal to go back into party politics.
“But I think him joining a political party actually has the effect of diminishing the force of his voice in politics, however strong he wants it to be.”
Mr Buckland also said he disagreed “totally” with the former Tory MP’s description of the party today as “reactionary” and at times “xenophobic”.
Conrad Duncan20 June 2021 09:05
Justice secretary denies Hancock withheld promising Covid data from PM
Justice secretary Robert Buckland has denied that Matt Hancock withheld promising Covid-19 data from a key meeting last week to decide on whether to extend lockdown restrictions beyond 21 June.
The Sunday Telegraph reported that the health secretary failed to tell Boris Johnson about a Public Health England study that showed vaccines were effective against the Delta variant, first identified in India.
On Sunday, Mr Buckland insisted that this report was “wrong” and that “data was provided to the PM in the most up to date way before the decision was made”.
You can find his comments in full below:
Conrad Duncan20 June 2021 08:58
Starmer moves top adviser to ‘strategic role’ after by-election disaster
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s top adviser has been moved from his role as chief of staff following his party’s worst ever by-election performance.
Morgan McSweeney will take up a “strategic role” within the leader’s office going forward, according to the party, amid concerns that Labour could also struggle in a key upcoming by-election in Batley and Spen.
Our reporter, Peter Stubley, has the full story below:
Conrad Duncan20 June 2021 08:47
You can find more details on Labour’s scathing criticism of the justice secretary below:
Conrad Duncan20 June 2021 08:24
Justice minister must resign if record-low rape convictions continue, Labour says
Justice secretary Robert Buckland must resign if he cannot reverse plunging levels of prosecutions and convictions for rape within a year, Labour has said.
The party’s shadow justice secretary accused Mr Buckland of shedding “crocodile tears” this week when he apologised for the downward trends in bringing sexual offenders to justice.
Ministers have set out plans for a “system and culture change” to tackle record-low convictions for rape and other sexual offences in England and Wales.
“The justice secretary’s crocodile tears will mean nothing if the government fails to reverse its disastrous failure of rape victims,” David Lammy said.
“The Conservatives’ decade of cuts to the justice system has let rapists and other violent criminals off the hook while denying victims justice.
“Rape convictions and prosecutions have more than halved in three years. If he cannot reverse these figures within a year of his apology, the justice secretary should do the honourable thing and resign.”
The latest CPS figures for 2019-20 show 1,439 suspects were convicted of rape or lesser offences in England and Wales last year – the lowest level since records began.
A Tory spokesperson accused Mr Lammy of choosing to “play politics with such a serious issue” and claimed that the decline could not be reversed “at the drop of a hat”.
Conrad Duncan20 June 2021 08:20
Former speaker John Bercow defects to Labour over ‘reactionary’ Tories
Former Commons speaker John Bercow has announced that he has defected from the Conservatives to Labour over Boris Johnson’s leadership of the party, which he branded as “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic”.
In an interview with The Observer, the former Tory MP said the current government needed to be replaced and that Labour was “the only vehicle that can achieve that objective”.
Our reporter, Matt Mathers, has the full story below:
Conrad Duncan20 June 2021 08:06
Treasury ‘plan to suspend pensions triple lock’ puts Johnson and Sunak on collision course
Boris Johnson and his chancellor Rishi Sunak are thought to be heading for a clash over government spending as Treasury officials are reportedly drawing up plans to suspend the costly “triple lock” on pensions for a year.
The pair are said to be at odds over the PM’s expensive policy commitments, including plans to build a new royal yacht at a cost of £200m, cap social care costs at £50,000 and make further green pledges at the Cop26 climate summit in November.
Our reporter, Peter Stubley, has the full story below:
Conrad Duncan20 June 2021 07:55
Hello and welcome to The Independent’s live coverage of UK politics today.
Conrad Duncan20 June 2021 07:43