Boris Johnson news: PM referred to police regulator over claims of potential misconduct
Downing Street sources accuse City Hall of political move after Greater London Authority decision
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Your support makes all the difference.The prime minister has been referred to the independent police watchdog over claims of potential “misconduct” while he was London mayor.
The Greater London Authority (GLA) has asked the Independent Office for Police Conduct to assess whether Boris Johnson should be formally investigated over his relationship with the US tech entrepreneur and former model.
It wants the probe to explore whether Ms Arcuri was allowed to join trade missions, and received large grants, “when she and her companies could not have expected otherwise to receive those benefits”.
The referral does not mean or imply he is guilty, but is a request for an investigation. While London mayor, he was also a police and crime commissioner, which is why the police regulator is now involved.
The prime minister denies any impropriety but the announcement comes at the end of a tumultuous week for Mr Johnson.
His right-hand man Dominic Cummings has continued No 10’s ‘people versus parliament’ rhetoric by saying the anger of Leave voters was “not surprising”.
The controversial aide told Labour MP Karl Turner to “get Brexit done”, after the MP said he had received death threats overnight.
Elsewhere in Westminster the SNP said it could support Jeremy Corbyn’s bid for prime minister, in order to stop a no-deal Brexit.
“Nothing is risk free but leaving Johnson in post to force through no deal – or even a bad deal – seems like a terrible idea to me,” party leader Nicola Sturgeon said on Twitter.
An SNP spokesperson said the party was committed to stopping a no-deal Brexit and removing “this dangerous and undemocratic prime minister as soon as possible”.
If you would like to see how the days events unfolded, please see what was our live coverage below
"The only real question left to answer about Dominic Cummings, the former strategic genius whom you would now no longer trust to light one of his own farts without hospitalising himself, is whether he is Finchy to Johnson’s David Brent or the other way around," writes our parliamentary sketch writer Tom Peck.
"After watching the full six minutes of his perambulatory WTFgasm with Sky News’s Lewis Goodall, it is hard to decide which of The Office’s most iconic scenes it most closely represents."
Reads more here:
The German government says it's still possible to reach a deal for Britain to leave the European Union on good terms next month, but cautioned that time is running out.
Government spokesman Steffen Seibert said Friday that "with goodwill, it's doable."
Britain's government watchdog says there's still a "significant amount" of work to do to make sure the country has an adequate supply of licensed drugs in case of a no-deal Brexit.
In a report issued Friday, Britain's National Audit Office said additional shipping capacity chartered by the U.K. for sending goods across the English Channel might not be operational until the end of November — one month after the Oct. 31 deadline for Britain to leave the European Union. Of the more than 12,300 medicines licensed in the U.K., about 7,000 arrive from or via the EU, mostly across the Channel.
Meg Hillier, who chairs a committee overseeing the audit office, called the findings "deeply concerning." She said she had seen "countless examples" of the British government missing deadlines, but that this one was particularly striking.
"If the government gets this wrong, it could have the gravest of consequences," she said.
Alan Boyd of the Academy of Medical Royal Colleges said people with epilepsy were a particular concern in the event of any drug shortages, noting that "one seizure can have a life-changing impact."
According to the British government's "reasonable worst-case " scenario, the flow of goods could be cut by half on Day One of a no-deal Brexit and could take a year to recover. It said time was "extremely limited" if the shipping issues were to be resolved by the end of October.
Dr. David Nicholl, a neurologist who helped draft the U.K.'s no-deal Brexit planning and went public with his concerns this month, said he felt vindicated by the audit office report. He said during his work consulting for the government, there were fears about adequate supplies for treatments for conditions including epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, diabetes and certain cancers including leukemia.
The British government plans to publish "concrete proposals" for reaching a Brexit deal with the EU in the next week.
The plans are expected to be revealed after next week's Conservative Party conference, according to the BBC.
Simon Coveney, the Irish foreign minister, has warned that time is running out for Britain and the EU to hammer out a divorce deal.
After meeting with Michel Barnier in Brussels, Mr Coveney said negotiations had to be on the basis of a "serious" British offer.
"That hasn't happened yet and until there is a serious proposal in writing ... then the gaps that are wide at the moment will remain. And time is running out," he said.
If you missed it earlier, Ellie Cooper, the daughter of Labour MP Yvette Cooper, has written about her fears for her mother.
"After the chilling scenes in parliament last night I just don’t think I can stay quiet anymore. There’s a group of young people and children that need to be spoken for," the teenager said in comments first published on Twitter.
"The language used by our prime minister – not a far-right populist or provocative journalist, but our prime minister – is just beyond words. The fact that the head of our government is actually using language that helps incite violence toward MPs is so beyond dangerous I can’t even comprehend it in a modern society.
"This isn’t funny anymore."
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"The House of Commons has refused to release data about the most visited websites from the parliamentary estate – despite the data being publicly available for four years on its own website," reports Chris Stokel-Walker.
"The Independent requested updated versions of the most visited websites and services from the parliamentary estate, using freedom of information (FOI) legislation.
"The information – past versions of which are still available online – was classed as a national security risk by the House of Commons, despite the fact that versions of it are still available on the internet."
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The Liberal Democrats have dashed Labour hopes for a Jeremy Corbyn-led caretaker government after Nicola Sturgeon gave her backing for the move to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
The party's announcement comes after Nicola Sturgeon gave her backing for the move to prevent a no-deal Brexit.
Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson has called Mr Corbyn unfit to govern, and a party spokesman made clear on Friday that they do not believe he can win the backing of the Commons.
"The question of whether or not we would support Corbyn in an emergency government is futile. He does not command the support of the House," a spokesperson said.
"Liberal Democrats are clear that we need to bring people together and find a candidate that can command the support of the House, and to push this disgraceful Conservative Government out of office."
"Dominic Cummings, the man who seems to enjoy much influence over the prime minister, believes that we will have a “violent, popular uprising” if a second referendum was held and Remain won," writes Sean O'Grady.
"How much of that, one wonders, is mere objective analysis, the product of that vast analytical intellect of his; and how much is in fact wishful thinking. “I predict a riot” is often a self-fulfilling prophecy."
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Boris Johnson has been referred to the independent police watchdog over claims of potential "misconduct" while he was London mayor.
The prime minister is facing accusations he allowed a US businesswoman to join trade missions and receive sponsorship.
The Independent Office for Police Conduct is being asked to assess whether it is necessary to investigate Mr Johnson for the criminal offence of misconduct in public office.
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