Johnson 1) The Prime Minister insists he did not break the Ministerial Code over Partygate, as ethics chief threatens to resign…
“Boris Johnson’s ethics adviser has threatened to quit over the Downing Street parties scandal after concluding that there were “legitimate” questions about whether the prime minister breached the ministerial code. Lord Geidt, the independent adviser on ministers’ interests, said Johnson’s breach of the law threatened to undermine the role and risked leaving the system open to ridicule. The Times has been told that Geidt threatened to quit during a discussion with the prime minister on Tuesday morning unless he issued a public explanation about his conduct. Johnson responded with a public letter to Geidt explaining his actions and claiming that his breach of the rules was “unwitting”. He said his claim in parliament that there had been no parties was “conveyed in good faith” and he has since corrected the record. One source said that Geidt was “60/40” in favour of quitting despite the prime minister’s clarification. The Cabinet Office denied that he was leaving.” – The Times
- Lord Brownlow ‘pitched’ a £115 million exhibition to the Prime Minister – The Times
- Boris Johnson’s allies lobby MPs to stop Tory support draining away – The Guardian
- A confidence vote could happen next week – but Johnson has a decent chance of winning – The I
- Prime Ministerial ally: A vote of no confidence is inevitable – The Financial Times
- Numbers game keen to Johnson’s survival – The Times
- Are plotters so vain they would risk catastrophe for Britain? – Editorial, The Daily Mail
- Shrinking the civil service by quick and dirty means won’t get us anywhere – Stephen Bush, The Financial Times
- Westminster’s gripped by a giant game of Guess Who – Harry Cole, The Sun
- Tory rebels are handing Number 10 to Labour – Andrew Pierce, The Daily Mail
>Today:
Johnson 2)… as he plans ‘Covid-style briefings’ about the economic crisis…
“Boris Johnson is planning to hold monthly pandemic-style press conferences on the economy and the cost of living crisis in an attempt to restore confidence.The prime minister will begin using the £2.4 million No 9 press suite alongside ministers including Rishi Sunak, the chancellor. He is due to make a joint speech with Sunak in the coming weeks on the economy. “He wants to show people he’s on their side,” a government source said. “He also wants to show them what we’re already doing in a bid to build confidence. He has the platform and he wants to use it.” There is mounting disquiet in the cabinet over the government’s failure to capitalise on the “big bazooka” expenditure to tackle the cost of living crisis. Last week Sunak announced a £21 billion package giving households up to £1,650 of support this winter.” – The Times
- The UK to invest £25 billion in ‘world-class research’ after being banned from the EU’s Horizon Europe project – Daily Express
- Johnson is urged to give free school means to all children in universal credit households – The Sun
- The Prime Minister ‘fails to level up Britain’ as London leaves Red Wall behind – The Daily Telegraph
- Over-long waits for the stretched arms of the law – Editorial, Daily Express
- The Government must rethink the role of the state – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
Johnson 3)…and as he warns the civil service cannot escape cost-cutting
“Boris Johnson has warned Britain’s civil servants they must endure the same cost-cutting as families up and down the country as he defended his pledge to axe 91,000 of their jobs. The Prime Minister, in a letter to civil servants, insisted there was no longer a need for Whitehall to have the same ‘colossal presence’ in people’s lives. Although he apologised for the ‘concern and uncertainty’ caused by his promise to slash thousands of roles, Mr Johnson doubled down on his plans to return the civil service to the size it was in 2016. In the first sign of Government action to reduce staff numbers, it emerged that the civil service fast stream graduate recruitment programme will be paused for at least a year. More than 1,000 civil service job offers were made as part of the scheme in 2021. The halting of the programme prompted a furious backlash today, with ministers accused of taking a ‘self-defeating’ and ‘very foolish’ decision.” – The Daily Mail
Patel tells first migrants they will be sent from Britain to Rwanda
“The Home Office has begun formally telling migrants they will be sent from Britain to Rwanda, with the first flight to the east African country due to depart in two weeks’ time. In the final administrative step before a new £120m scheme gets up and running, formal ‘Removal Direction’ letters are being issued to the first group of migrants who will be given a one-way ticket. The Home Office today announced the first flight to Rwanda is expected to take place on 14th June. Home Secretary Priti Patel said: ‘Our world-leading partnership with Rwanda is a key part of our strategy to overhaul the broken asylum system and break the evil people-smugglers’ business model. ‘Today’s announcement is another critical step towards delivering that partnership and, while we know attempts will now be made to frustrate the process and delay removals, I will not be deterred and remain fully committed to delivering what the British public expect.’” – The Daily Mail
- Ministers braced for legal challenge delay – The I
Javid expected by fellow ministers to ask for more money for the NHS
“NHS spending is still out of control despite a £12billion cash injection and Sajid Javid will ask for more money in the Autumn, Cabinet ministers fear. The Sun can reveal growing tensions at the top of Government that the Health Secretary is yet to get a grip on the money-eating health service. April’s National Insurance hike was meant to be conditional on the NHS reforming, but senior Tories say there is “no evidence” that promise has been met. Cabinet colleagues were said to be “baffled” last week when Mr Javid used a long intervention around the top table to talk about housing issues rather than getting the NHS back on its feet after Covid. Sources also claim Mr Johnson was irked at another recent Cabinet meeting where Javid talked at length about the economy – and is said to have even asked how his “day job” at Health was coming along.” – The Sun
Shapps warns tour giants not to over-book flights, amid fears airport chaos could drag on into the summer
“Grant Shapps last night warned tourism firms not to over-book flights and holidays amid fears travel chaos will drag on into summer. The Transport Secretary said scenes over recent days of travellers being reduced to tears after dozens of flight cancellations and delays of up to seven hours ‘must not happen again’. He accused operators of ‘seriously over-selling’ trips which they could not deliver due to a staff shortage crisis. Airlines fear disruption at UK and European airports will continue for months as passenger numbers further ramp up post-pandemic. According to an internal briefing document, Airlines for Europe – the continent’s largest airline association – expects disruption to drag on ‘for a good chunk of the summer season’.” – The Daily Mail
- The Transport Secretary meets with airlines over travel backlog – The Times
- Just how long do airlines and airports need to get their house in order? – Editorial, The Sun
- Time to grip the airport chaos – Editorial, The Daily Telegraph
- Airline bigwigs being paid vast salaries are absent when s**t hits the propeller – Jane Moore, The Sun
Dorries announces Bradford as the 2025 UK City of Culture
“Bradford has been announced as the UK’s City of Culture 2025. Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries made the announcement live on the BBC’s One Show this evening. Bradford secured the prestigious title after beating off bids from three other finalists – Wrexham, Southampton and County Durham. The video is currently unavailable due to corrupted file. BBC presenter Richie Anderson spoke with volunteers and bid teams in Coventry, the UK’s current City of Culture, as the announcement was made on air. The winner was approved by Ms Dorries based on based on independent advice from a panel of experts led by TV writer-producer Sir Phil Redmond. The expert panel were said to be impressed by the ambition of Bradford’s bid, which was centred around celebrating its residents, the power of diversity and aiming to ‘create new opportunities for everyone’.” – The Daily Mail
Leadsom, the Prime Minister’s Vote Leave ally, is the latest MP to publicly question his leadership
“A former Vote Leave ally of Boris Johnson has joined the chorus of Conservative criticism of the Prime Minister over the Partygate scandal. Former Cabinet minister Andrea Leadsom said Mr Johnson was responsible for “unacceptable failures of leadership” in No 10. Ms Leadsom did not directly call for him to quit, but in a letter to constituents said: “Each of my Conservative MP colleagues and I must now decide individually on what is the right course of action that will restore confidence in our Government.” Just hours after her statement, Carlisle MP John Stevenson declared he had submitted a letter of no confidence in the Prime Minister. He condemned the approach taken by Mr Johnson in response to Partygate and said: “The continuing criticism, revelations and questions are debilitating for the Government at a time when there are so many other important and critical issues to be addressed.” – The I
American politicians are the ones putting the Good Friday Agreement at risk, says Burns
“American politicians who accuse the British government of undermining the Good Friday Agreement with plans to dump the Northern Ireland Protocol are the ones standing in the way of restoring the devolved government set up by the historic peace deal, according to Boris Johnson’s envoy to Washington. Conor Burns, a Northern Ireland minister and confidant of Johnson, said his government was simply not planning to ditch the Protocol – a mechanism to ensure the free flow of goods from Northern Ireland to the Republic of Ireland. His comments, during the second of three week-long visits to win over American skeptics, reflect British concern about rhetoric coming from Washington.” – The Daily Mail
Kearns: Putin is now a lone madman, even China is turning on his insane nuclear threats
“Putin’s friend and Russian TV Host Dmitry Kiselyov claimed on the 1st May that “one Sarmat missile will be enough to drown Britain once and for all. Since Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine, the world has seen Russia flatten cities, murder children and subject women to crimes too horrible to repeat. Now, desperate in their failure, Russia has resorted to ill thought out and dangerous threats of nuclear war. Whilst Putin’s Russia has spiralled deeper into its paranoid and insane world view, much of the international community has united in defence of Ukraine. Joint sanctions, diplomatic co-operation and military and humanitarian aid has seen Russia stutter and stall. The UK has led these efforts, and we should all be proud. But there is an elephant in the room – China.” – Daily Express
- Biden’s decision to withhold long-range rockets from Kyiv is wrong – Editorial, The Times
>Yesterday:
- Jack Richardson in Comment: British climate diplomacy should take on the free-riding polluters in Beijing
‘Teals’ from down under spell Tory trouble, says Kanagasooriam
“A beleaguered conservative prime minister adrift in the polls and suffering from an image problem due to his failure to govern effectively. A left-wing party with a dry-as-dust leader struggling to make an impact. A loud group of disaffected liberals making gains in wealthy suburbs. Australia’s election might look familiar to British eyes, but how much of it really transfers to Westminster politics? The most eye-catching detail from last week’s defeat of the centre-right coalition was the energised slate of 20 or so “Teal” independent candidates (so called because of their blue-green politics — fiscal conservatism, pro-environment — and colour scheme). The Teals and Greens ran in mostly wealthy suburbs of Melbourne, Sydney and Perth, ousting just shy of ten high-profile conservative candidates.” – The Times
Starmer and Rayner receive police questionnaires for Beergate
“Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has been sent a formal questionnaire from cops over his Durham curry knees up. Sir Keir and Deputy Leader Angela Rayner were sent notices from Durham Constabulary yesterday demanding an explanation for the ‘Currygate’ bash after they were out campaigning in April 2021. The Labour leader and his deputy have said they will resign if they are issued with fixed penalty notices for breaking Covid rules. Cops recently interviewed two witnesses who took snaps of Sir Keir and local MP Mary Foy sinking San Miguel lager at the do at the Durham Miners Club. Sir Keir has always claimed it was a work event and got back to official business despite finishing up late in the evening. A Labour Party spokesperson said: “Keir Starmer and Angela Rayner have received questionnaires from Durham Constabulary.”” – The Sun
- Britain is a better country thanks to the Queen – Sir Kier Starmer, The Daily Telegraph
News in Brief: 
- My pride in Grannie – HRH Princess Eugenie, The Spectator
- France is desperate for a king – John Lewis-Stempel, UnHerd
- Seeing the big picture – Robert Crowcroft, The Critic
- Don’t listen to the Jubilee grumblers – if anything, Britain needs more pomp and pageantry – Henry Hill, Cap X
- Imperial measures are a painful parody of the Brexit I supported – William Atkinson, The New Statesman