“Boris Johnson is planning to publish a detailed defence of his behaviour over Partygate before he is grilled by MPs on Wednesday, The Mail on Sunday has learned. The former Prime Minister has compiled a comprehensive legal case, arguing that he received clear advice at the time that lockdown gatherings in Downing Street were within Covid rules, which will be made public in the coming days. His defence is also expected to call into question the fairness of the Commons Privileges Committee, which could decide his political fate when it questions him. Photos of Mr Johnson and Cabinet Secretary Simon Case surrounded by Downing Street staff… form the core of his defence that he did not intentionally mislead the House over Covid-era parties at No 10.” – Mail on Sunday
More:
Comment:
“Migrants who arrive in the UK illegally face deportation to Rwanda this summer after Suella Braverman said the country is “clearly ready” to start receiving asylum seekers. Those claiming to be victims of modern slavery will face deportation after the Home Secretary signed a revised deal with the African state’s foreign minister closing loopholes that could have prevented removals. On a two-day visit to Kigali, Mrs Braverman expressed her determination to “move quickly” with deportation flights. She also indicated that the UK could be prepared to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) if European judges block the legislation.” – Sunday Telegraph
More:
“The Met Police has “clearly got a problem” and it’s not just one or two bad apples, the Justice Secretary has said. Dominic Raab insisted it wasn’t right to “pretend” it was just “an isolated incident or two” and top cops must face their issues “head on”. It came as it was claimed that an upcoming review into the Met Police – commissioned after Sarah Everard was murdered by a serving cop, Wayne Couzens – is to say the force is riddled with racism, sexism and homophobia. The interim findings of the Louise Casey investigation last year found hundreds of officers had got away with breaking the law, serious misconduct, and handling allegations poorly.” – Sun on Sunday
“It is often said that charity starts at home. But if you are over 50, the Work and Pensions Secretary thinks that charity starts with returning to work. Mel Stride believes that early retirees who return to the workplace should be celebrated in much the same way as those who take up voluntary work. “If you’re over 50 and you’ve retired early, I think we as a society should recognise that it’s fantastic when people, for example, go out and engage with the voluntary sector,” he tells me from his office in Westminster… It might not seem the most obvious argument to deploy when trying to tempt would-be retirees back to the office, but Mr Stride does his best to make the moral case.” – Sunday Telegraph
“Rishi Sunak will this week seek to face down opponents of his landmark deal with Brussels and secure his reputation as the man who finally got Brexit done. MPs will vote on a centrepiece of the PM’s “Windsor Framework”, designed to give the UK the power to veto new EU rules on goods in Northern Ireland when requested by Stormont. It is hoped it will persuade the DUP to share power with Sinn Fein and comes ahead of visits by US President Joe Biden and former president Bill Clinton to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. But Brexiteers in the DUP have warned it does not address problems with the Northern Ireland Protocol.” – Sunday Express
>Today: ToryDiary: How the Coronation might shield Sunak from leadership speculation after the local elections
“James Cleverly looks ready fur business on an official visit to Kazakhstan. The Foreign Secretary was in the central Asian nation to discuss export support, bypassing former ally Russia. He met Kazakh president Kassym-Jomart Tokayev and senior officials before signing a memorandum on supplies of critical minerals. Mr Cleverly also said the UK “greatly appreciates” the refusal of Kazakhstan to support Russia’s invasion of Ukraine… Mr Cleverly discussed the disruptions in Kazakh oil exports. He also discussed ways to support the development of alternative routes such as the so-called Middle Corridor.” – Sun on Sunday
“Ministers are planning a British electronics revolution to protect the country if China invades Taiwan and cripples the global microchip market. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt and Science Secretary Michelle Donelan are drawing up a ‘semiconductor strategy’ as part of wider moves to ease the UK’s reliance on the Asian market for vital electronic components. Taiwan – which China regards as a breakaway ‘province’ that will eventually be placed under Beijing’s control, by force if necessary – produces an astonishing 90 per cent of the world’s most advanced microchips used in smartphones, computers, cars and military hardware.” – Mail on Sunday
“Jeremy Hunt does not have the confidence of the public, a new poll has shown, with just 39 percent of people saying they back the Chancellor on the economy in the wake of his budget. A poll, conducted by Techne UK for the Daily Express, asked voters who they trust on the economy, between Rishi Sunak and Jeremy Hunt or Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves. Just 39 percent of people backed the Mr Sunak and Mr Hunt, 19 percent said they don’t know, while 42 percent said they back Sir Keir and Ms Reeves. Jeremy Hunt unveiled his spring Budget on Wednesday. He said the UK will avoid a recession, with the British economy “proving the doubters wrong”.” – Sunday Express
“We live in an age where politicians, for understandable reasons, want to solve problems, introduce fixes and, in general, improve the functioning of that complex organism we call society. The problem is that the more they prod, poke and interfere, the more they increase the complexity and unpredictability of the system. Indeed, I’d suggest we need to amend or at least supplement the famous saying often misattributed to Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good people to do rather too much.”” – Sunday Times
“Over the past two decades, the pair have helped transform the SNP — and by extension the independence cause — from a fringe movement into the dominant force in Scottish politics. It was something of a cruel irony, therefore, that less than 24 hours later Sturgeon sent shockwaves through Britain’s political class and announced her resignation as first minister. What has followed in the five weeks since has been nothing short of an SNP meltdown, culminating yesterday in Murrell’s resignation after 23 years at the top of the party. In their wake, they leave behind a party in freefall, with both support for the SNP and the independence cause plummeting in a recent string of polls.” – Sunday Times