Boris Johnson interview live: Ex-prime minister says he regrets apologising for Partygate in ITV grilling

Boris Johnson has defended Brexit and its legacy in a new interview with ITV News.

The former prime minister said: “I think the legacy of brexit is that it saved many lives of elderly, vulnerable people during a very difficult time for this country.

“It allowed us to do things differently and better for the people of this country.”

When asked if he thought Britons are poorer now and likely to be poorer in the future because of Brexit, the former Tory MP insisted: “No, I absolutely don’t.”

Boris Johnson used his ITV interview to hit out at David Cameron’s handling of the aftermath of the Brexit vote, suggesting it was “not normal”for the former prime minister to “evacuate the stage” after the referendum, writes The Independent’s Whitehall Editor Kate Devlin.

Mr Johnson and Michael Gove, who were part of the Vote Leave campaign, have been accused of unleashing chaos on the UK for campaigning for Brexit without a clear plan for what it would mean.

But Mr Johnson tried to turn the blame on Lord Cameron.

He said: “What we expected and what I think, you know, everybody expected was that the Cameron government having called a referendum a ‘yes’, ‘no’ choice for the people - a leave, remain choice for the people - would bring forward a white paper.”

He said he was shocked when Lord Cameron left Number 10 the morning after the vote. He said: “Because every other European leader when their whole referendum decides, you know, once the people have voted, decides what to do and stays in office.

“So, it’s not normal for the prime minister having asked for a referendum vote suddenly to evacuate the stage.”

In response to the privileges committee, Mr Johnson called their conclusions “deranged” and “the final knife-thrust in a protracted political assassination”.

Energy secretary Ed Miliband has called the UK’s current ban on assisted dying “cruel” and confirmed he will support a new Bill when it reaches parliament.

Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, Mr Miliband reiterated his long-standing position on the issue, stating: “I will be voting for the assisted dying Bill. It will be a free vote for Members of Parliament. These are very complex and difficult issues and there are very respectable views on both sides.”

He cited the plight of those in the late stages of terminal illness, arguing that people should have the right to control their own life and death.

Mr Miliband added: “Obviously there have to be proper safeguards and I understand the concerns of some people on these issues, but my personal view will to be vote in favour of this Bill.”

The full Boris Johnson interview is set to air on ITV in a few minutes.

In clips that have already been released, the former prime minister has said he regrets apologising for the so-called partygate scandal over lockdown-era gatherings in Downing Street.

The former Tory MP has also criticised David Cameron’s handling of the aftermath of the Brexit vote.

Sky News political editor Beth Rigby says she has pulled out of an interview with former prime minister Boris Johnson at the Cheltenham Literature Festival after being told she could not make a recording or transcript of the talk.

Mr Johnson is doing press for his new book “Unleashed” and it comes after an interview with the BBC was dropped earlier in the week after presenter Laura Kuenssberg mistakenly sent him her briefing notes.

In a post on X, Ms Rigby said: “I was looking forward to interviewing Boris Johnson at Cheltenham, but regrettably I can’t go ahead with the event because I am not allowed make an audio recording or transcript of the interview.

“As a journalist in conversation with a former PM at a public event, I can only proceed if we do it on the record. I’m sorry to have to pull out.”

Sir Keir Starmer’s £22 billion carbon capture investment is being framed as a cornerstone of the UK’s green future, with promises of safeguarding jobs in industries like glassmaking.

But the prime minister faces a tough challenge in convincing a skeptical public and environmental critics that this technology is more than just a greenwash.

While carbon capture offers a solution for decarbonising energy-intensive industries without job losses, green activists are unconvinced.

A group of climate scientists recently warned energy secretary Ed Miliband that carbon capture is still largely unproven, particularly at the scale needed to make a real impact.

Timing adds another layer of complexity.

The government’s ambitious plans for Teesside and Merseyside won’t materialise until the next election, and with the 2050 net-zero targets looming, doubts remain whether this technology can deliver quickly enough.

Beyond the environmental angle, Sir Keir’s announcement suggests a possible shift in Labour’s fiscal approach.

With speculation mounting that chancellor Rachel Reeves could loosen borrowing rules for capital investment, Labour will need to prove that these big-ticket investments can deliver real benefits to struggling households.

Boris Johnson has criticised David Cameron’s handling of the aftermath of the Brexit vote, suggesting it was “not normal”for the former prime minister to “evacuate the stage” after the referendum.

The former Tory MP told ITV News: “What we expected and what I think, you know, everybody expected was that the Cameron government having called a referendum a ‘yes’, ‘no’ choice for the people – a leave, remain choice for the people – would bring forward a white paper.”

Mr Johnson also claimed he was shocked when Lord Cameron left Number 10, saying: “Because every other European leader when their whole referendum decides, you know, once the people have voted, decides what to do and stays in office.

“So, it’s not normal for the prime minister having asked for a referendum vote suddenly to evacuate the stage.”

Former prime minister Boris Johnson has refused to say whether he regrets apologising to the Queen for parties held on the eve of Prince Philip‘s funeral.

The ex-Tory leader said he should not have apologised for the Partygate scandal, in an interview with ITV.

But he would not be drawn on his conversations with the former monarch.

Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports: