Inside Politics: Fine time for Johnson and Sunak
PM and chancellor refusing to resign after getting fines for breaking Covid laws, writes Matt Mathers
Has Boris Johnson’s maxim of “having cake and eating it” finally come back to bite him? He, his wife Carrie and Rishi Sunak have received fines for attending a birthday gathering for the PM in the cabinet room during lockdown in June 2020. Johnson was on a diet of heavy contrition yesterday as he addressed the public to say sorry for his lawbreaking. Whether or not his apology is enough, in the long-term, to placate back bench Tories who had previously called for him to resign remains to be seen. It is they, ultimately, who will decide if the PM ends up eating the humblest of pie by leaving No 10 over the scandal.
Inside the bubble
Parliament is in recess.
Coming up:
– Transport secretary Grant Shapps on ITV GMB at 8.30am
– Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves on Times Radio Breakfast at 8.35am
Daily Briefing
- LAW BREAKERS: The question on the minds of Westminster watchers this morning is: what next for the PM? Opposition parties are calling for Johnson to resign. But so far there has been no serious backlash from some of the Tories who were only a few months ago sending in letters of no confidence to 1922 Committee chair, Graham Brady, calling for a leadership contest. Allies of the PM are using the war in Ukraine and the cost of living crisis to say that now is not the time for a change of leadership. The timing of the fines certainly helps Johnson. Parliament is in Easter recess, meaning potentially mutinous MPs are back in their constituencies for the holidays, well-rested and in better form than usual. That could all change, however, when they arrive back in SW1 following the break and public anger over the fines has not fully subsided. We have still not had the full Sue Gray report on Partygate either. Johnson is probably safe, for now at least, but the scandal has a long way to run yet. Follow our liveblog for all the latest reaction to the fines and other political stories.
- BIDEN DOUBLES DOWN: Joe Biden yesterday accused the Kremlin of “genocide” for the first time since Putin’s troops invaded Ukraine. Over the past few weeks, the US president has committed a number of gaffes while speaking about the conflict. At the end of last month, he said the Russian president “cannot remain in power”, resulting in aides desperately scrambling to put out a statement clarifying that the commander-in-chief was not calling for regime change. But there was no walk-back from the White House or Biden himself on the genocide comments, first made at a domestic policy event in Iowa. “Your family budget, your ability to fill up your tank, none of it should hinge on whether a dictator declares war and commits genocide half a world away,” Biden said. He later doubled down on the comments when questioned by reporters, telling them: “Yes, I called it genocide because it’s become clearer and clearer that Putin is just trying to wipe out the idea of even being Ukrainian.” Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, praised the remarks as those of a “true leader”. We’ll have the latest war updates on our liveblog.
- ROLL UP, ROLL UP: The Independent is launching a new US news newsletter bringing the biggest stories, exclusives and explainers to your inbox. Details of how to sign up here.
- JUST IN: Is there no end to the bad news for Sunak? In a further blow to millions of people across the UK already struggling with the cost of living crisis, the Office for National Statistics has this morning said that inflation rose to 7 per cent in the 12 months to March – the highest rate since 1992 and up from 6.2 per cent in February. Sky-high petrol and diesel prices are driving inflation, which is expected to rise even further as the impact of the lifting of the energy price cap is felt. Jack Leslie, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation think tank, said the figures suggest the cost of living crisis “will continue to worsen before it starts to ease at some point next year.” Responding to the figures, Sunak pointed to the “global pressures in our supply chains and energy markets which could be exacerbated further by Russian aggression in Ukraine.” Rachel Reeves, the shadow chancellor, said: “The Conservatives need to get a grip on the cost of living crisis. But instead they’re distracted by their own scandal and wrongdoing – all while they load taxes on working people. Britain deserves better.”
- ANOTHER SORRY: Johnson and Sunak weren’t the only ones apologising yesterday for questionable behaviour. Following a major backlash – much of it from within his own party – Conservative Crispin Blunt said sorry for criticising the conviction of his fellow MP Imran Ahmad Khan for sexually assaulting a teenage boy. The former minister said he had “decided to retract my statement” defending Khan after the Wakefield MP was found guilty. Blunt added: “I am sorry that my defence of him has been a cause of significant upset and concern, not least to victims of sexual offences. It was not my intention to do this.”
The Independent has a proud history of campaigning for the rights of the most vulnerable, and we first ran our Refugees Welcome campaign during the war in Syria in 2015. Now, as we renew our campaign and launch this petition in the wake of the unfolding Ukrainian crisis, we are calling on the government to go further and faster to ensure help is delivered. To find out more about our Refugees Welcome campaign, click here. To sign the petition click here. If you would like to donate then please click here for our GoFundMe page.
On the record
“And amongst all these engagements on the day that happens to be my birthday, there was a brief gathering in the Cabinet room shortly after 2pm lasting for less than 10 minutes during which people I work with kindly passed on their good wishes.”
PM says gathering lasted less than 10 minutes.
From the Twitterati
“Sunak received conflicting advice from MPs. Some urged him not to walk, warning his epitaph risked being ‘a law-breaking chancellor’. But others said he should take ‘a moral stand, to show that ministers who break the law should not be in the office’”.
FT Whitehall editor Sebastian Payne says Sunak got conflicting advice on how to respond to fine.
Essential reading
- Sean O’Grady, The Independent: Boris Johnson is now a man who can be called a criminal
- John Rentoul, The Independent: Sunak was spotless mere weeks ago – how times have changed
- Gaby Hinsliff, The Guardian: The PM sees votes in a culture war over trans rights, but this issue must transcend party politics
- Aris Roussinos, UnHerd: The PsyOps war comes to west Ukraine
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