“Met Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley today denied Scotland Yard is institutionally racist in the wake of the most damning report in its near 200-year history and calls for it to be broken up and started again. Britain’s top police officer also refused to resign as ministers gave him their backing after he vowed to turn the force around after Dame Louise Casey said its ranks are riven with racism, misogyny and homophobia. Baroness Casey, who spent a year examining the Yard’s culture and practices following the abduction, rape and murder of Sarah Everard by PC Wayne Couzens, said today it is ‘time to clean up the Met’ because of a ‘rot’ at its heart that allowed racism to go unchallenged and predatory behaviour to ‘flourish’.” – Daily Mail
“It is a deeply depressing document but, for me, not a surprising one. As the former Commissioner of Thames Valley Police – the largest force in the country outside London, Birmingham and Manchester – I was only too aware of the appalling problems at the Met. During my time in post for almost a decade from 2012, I could sense that in the sprawling mass of the capital, public confidence in the police was evaporating as violent crime worsened, corruption became rife and woke ideology triumphed, distorting everything from recruitment of officers to the fight against Islamist terrorism.” – Daily Mail
“Allies of Boris Johnson allies have accused MPs investigating whether he misled Parliament over partygate of deliberately “sitting on” evidence that would exonerate him. The former prime minister submitted his legal case, said to run to between 50 and 60 pages, to the privileges committee early on Monday afternoon. It includes “bombshell” evidence, including text messages his camp say show that he was assured gatherings in Downing Street did not breach lockdown restrictions. Mr Johnson is facing an investigation into whether he “knowingly or recklessly” misled Parliament by telling MPs at the time that no Covid rules were broken.” – Daily Telegraph
Comment:
>Today: ToryDiary: Our special survey. A majority of Party activists support Johnson in all respects save perhaps the most important.
“Boris Johnson told the Commons that social-distancing guidance had been followed “at all times” in Downing Street without an explicit assurance from his aides, The Times has been told. The former prime minister submitted a legal dossier yesterday to the privileges committee investigating allegations that he misled MPs over the No 10 parties scandal. He will be questioned in a four-hour session tomorrow. Johnson’s allies accused the committee last night of “sitting on” his dossier because they “did not like the strength of the arguments and evidence”. This was rejected by the committee, which said it needed to review the submission to protect the anonymity of witnesses.” – The Times
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: Johnson ponders his future
“Rishi Sunak today confirmed Tory MPs will be given a free vote on punishing Boris Johnson if the ex-PM is found guilty of lying to Parliament. Mr Sunak insisted a free vote would be following “general process” and added it’s not for him to interfere with “matters for Parliament”. It comes as the investigating Privileges Committee will today release Boris’ defence dossier ahead of tomorrow’s partygate probe showdown. Allies of the former PM insist the bombshell documents will vindicate him – and prove he did not knowingly mislead MPs over lockdown gatherings at the heart of government. It came as one of Boris’ close colleagues warned against a McCarthy-style “witch hunt” against him led by enemies determined to bring him down for good.” – The Sun
“A new poll by the respected Tory grassroots website Conservative Home reveals party members overwhelmingly believe the investigation into whether Boris Johnson misled the House of Commons over Partygate is “unfair”. Just 29 percent of activists say the Harriet Harman-led probe is fair. However members aren’t keen to see Boris back as Prime Minister. The Conservative Home poll of 650 activists shows Tory members narrowly believe Boris did break lockdown rules. Despite being fined by the Metropolitan Police, under half – 49 percent – say he broke Covid rules partying in Downing Street, with 38 percent saying he didn’t.” – Daily Express
“The Democratic Unionist Party will oppose Rishi Sunak’s Northern Ireland Brexit deal in a Commons vote on Wednesday, warning that the agreement struck with Brussels has “fundamental problems”. In a blow to the prime minister, Sir Jeffrey Donaldson, the DUP leader, said that his party’s eight MPs would all oppose the deal rather than abstain as Downing Street had hoped. The decision by the main unionist party is expected to increase the number of Tory MPs who also vote against the government on the so-called Windsor framework. The European Research Group of Brexiteer Tory MPs is likely to publish its own highly critical analysis of the deal on Tuesday.” – The Times
>Yesterday: John Baron MP in Comment: The Windsor Framework. Conservatives and Unionists must not make the perfect the enemy of the good.
“Rishi Sunak has defended his pledge to stop small boat Channel crossings. The Prime Minister, who made the issue one of his top five priorities, insisted “no illegal immigration is acceptable”… It comes after he and Home Secretary Suella Braverman unveiled the Illegal Migration Bill earlier this month to crackdown on small boats. Mr Sunak has also struck a new deal with France as part of fresh efforts to curb Channel crossings. A record of over 45,000 migrants made the perilous journey in flimsy dinghies across the English Channel last year.” – Daily Express
>Yesterday: Dr Richard Ekins in Comment: Insulate Britain, obstruction and the law. Will the Government take this third chance to get it right?
“Justice Minister Dominic Raab said the UK will ‘consider’ backing a special tribunal to look into possible war crimes in Ukraine, after Zelensky urged nations to back the idea. It follows the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue a warrant for Putin’s arrest, accusing him of bearing personal responsibility for the abduction of children from Ukraine. Justice ministers from around the world met yesterday in London to ‘boost international support for the independent ICC’s vital investigations into war crimes’, where Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan KC demanded Russia ‘return’ deported children to Ukraine. Russia has admitted to transporting thousands of children out of Ukraine but claims it is a ‘humanitarian’ campaign to protect abandoned and orphaned youngsters.” – Daily Mail
“Ripping up pensions rules for doctors is rewarding those who work hard, a top minister insisted last night. Oliver Dowden backed Jeremy Hunt’s scrapping of tax hits on rich pensioners — which the Chancellor hopes will encourage experienced staff to stay in work. He said it defended the “basic decent principle” of protecting those who save and work hard. Labour had dubbed it a bung for the richest — although admitting they backed it for doctors. Experts say it could keep another 15,000 people in work for longer. Cabinet Office minister Mr Dowden said: “We’ve taken this action and we’ll have more senior workers in the public sector, helping deliver on our core priorities, whether that’s cutting the waiting list, because we’ll have more consultants.”” – The Sun
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“Derby is to be named the new headquarters of Britain’s rail network by ministers this week, the Guardian understands. The delayed result of the competition to become the official home of Great British Railways is expected as early as Tuesday, with the Midlands city the frontrunner on a shortlist of six including Birmingham, Crewe, Doncaster, Newcastle and York. The new strategic body’s HQ will house a limited number of direct top-level railway jobs, but will be a big symbolic boost to the winner. Contenders to host GBR have had to demonstrate their railway heritage and also how the move could contribute to the government’s levelling up agenda.” – The Guardian
>Yesterday: Trudy Harrison MP in Comment: In the spirit of Attenborough, the Government is committed to expanding our precious woodlands
“Britain will move ahead with the troubled £5.5bn Ajax armoured vehicle programme and resume payments to the US defence contractor in charge, even as ministers admitted the vehicles would enter service eight years later than planned. The Ministry of Defence on Monday said it would restart payments to General Dynamics with an initial transfer of £480mn. The MoD had withheld payments since December 2020 as it probed serious noise and vibration problems during trials that caused hearing damage to some crews. The department said 589 Ajax vehicles, mostly built in Merthyr Tydfil, would be delivered. But the first vehicles will not enter service until 2025 at the earliest — some eight years later than an original date of 2017.” – FT
“Police Scotland is under pressure to act after Nicola Sturgeon disclosed she and her husband had not yet been spoken to as part of an investigation into alleged missing SNP funds. The First Minister, in one of her final interviews before she formally steps down, said that she would not comment on the ongoing investigation, but denied any knowledge about a potential interview with the force. Police are investigating what happened to £600,000 of “missing” funds the SNP raised from party members to fight an independence referendum campaign. It comes amid mounting concern about the management of the SNP and the dominance Ms Sturgeon and her husband Peter Murrell had over the party.” – Daily Telegraph
Comment:
Editorial: