Boris Johnson news: Government suffers first parliamentary defeat since election, as EU warns Brexit trade talks may not start until March
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Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson is under fire over plans to impose strict new restrictions on EU immigration at the beginning of 2021 – two years earlier than promised by Theresa May. Labour said the proposed limits on lower-skilled migrants were “damaging, ill-informed and reactionary”.
The prime minister is also facing pressure over the mounting costs of the controversial HS2 rail project. Critics dubbed it “white elephant”, as a widely leaked government-commissioned review suggested the total cost could spiral up to £106bn.
It comes as the European Commission said it might take until March to finalise its mandate for trade deal negotiations. Meanwhile, prospective Labour members have until 5pm on Monday to join and vote in the leadership contest – with over 100,000 people believed to have signed up in recent weeks.
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Release the Russia report, Boris Johnson is told
The SNP’s leader at Westminster Ian Blackford has written to Boris Johnson demanding his government publishes the report into alleged Russian interference in UK politics.
Calling Russian interference in elections “widespread and well documented”, Blackford told the prime minister in his letter: “There is no need for delay.”
He urged the government to appoint members of the intelligence and security committee so the report could then finally be released.
He added: “If this report, as you have recently claimed, shows that Russia has never interfered in any democratic event in the UK then it is inexplicable that you chose not to restore public trust and publish this report before the 2019 general election.”
UK will stop aid money to countries supporting coal
More from Boris Johnson at the UK-Africa Investment Summit. The prime minister has said the UK government will no longer commit aid money to any African states – or any country – that supports thermal coal mining or coal power plants.
“There’s no point in the UK reducing the amount of coal we burn if we then trundle over to Africa and line our pockets by encouraging African states to use more of it,” he told the conference.
“So from today the British government will no longer provide any new direct official development assistance … investment, export, credit or trade promotion for thermal coal mining coal or coal power plants overseas.”
The government has provided financing worth £620m to support projects and UK exports to Africa, international trade secretary Liz Truss announced.
Truss told the summit the money will be used to support infrastructure projects including financing hospital beds and healthcare centres in Ghana and Zambia, a business park in Uganda and road upgrades in Gabon.
The minister said: “Africa is home to eight of the 15 fastest growing economies in the world and its economic prosperity matters to the UK.”
“We want the UK to be the partner of choice in Africa so I am delighted that, with UKEF’s support, British expertise will form a key component of these infrastructure projects that will directly improve millions of lives.”
Boris Johnson at UK-Africa Investment Summit (Reuters)
Dominic Cummings thinks he’s a quasi-evil genius, says sci-fi writer
Earlier this morning the legendary science fiction writer William Gibson was asked about the PM’s closest adviser Dominic Cummings – who recently recommended that people interested in a job in Downing Street must be like the novelist’s “weirdo” characters.
According to Gibson, Cummings “must almost certainly – if unconsciously – be likening himself to Hubertus Bigend, the quasi-evil genius” in his book Pattern Recognition.
EU nationals without proof of ‘settled status’ being wrongly denied basic rights
Thousands of EU nationals are already being denied employment, housing and other basic rights if they cannot prove their “settled status”, according to a new report.
Research by campaign group the3million suggests more than one in 10 EU citizens and their relatives have been wrongly told to provide proof of settlement – despite the fact that it is not required until after Britain leaves the EU (and people have until June 2021 to apply).
It has prompted fears Brexit will expose millions more people to the government’s “hostile environment” policy.
Our social affairs correspondent May Bulman has all the details:
‘We will continue the fight’, says Verhofstadt
Guy Verhofstadt, the EU parliament’s Brexit co-ordinator said the Renew Europe – the liberal, pro-European political grouping at the parliament – would still give British people a “voice” in Brussels.
“We will continue the fight for the citizens rights and prepare the ground for a new generation to re-enter the EU,” he tweeted – responding to departing Lib Dem MEP Caroline Voaden.
Last week Verhofstadt predicted the UK would “re-enter” the EU in future.
‘You just need to adapt’, says Thornberry of Labour hustings format
More now on complaints by Labour leadership hopefuls on the hustings events. Although Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips have both criticised the format – which gives candidates just 40 seconds to speak – rival Emily Thornberry says she is accustomed to keeping her answers brief.
Speaking to the PoliticsHome website, the shadow foreign secretary said “formats are formats, and it’s the same for everyone”.
She added: “I think when you’ve spent many years in frontbench roles like I have, and filled in at PMQs, you get used to the discipline of getting your point across in 30 or 60 seconds, because that’s just how the job is.
“And you know, we can’t have the new leader turning round in six months and saying: ‘I know I’m rubbish at PMQs and I never lay a glove on Boris Johnson, but it’s just because of the format.’ That’s not how it works … you just need to adapt.”
Leadership contender Emily Thornberry (PA)
Bercow may have to join Labour if he wants peerage
Former speaker John Bercow may have to join the Labour Party in order for Jeremy Corbyn to nominate the former Commons Speaker for election the House of Lords, political editor Andrew Woodcock writes.
Reports over the weekend suggested Bercow is on a list of nominees for peerages from the Labour leader, alongside his aide Katie Murphy.
It is understood that No 10 has yet to receive any opposition nominations for the dissolution honours list, published shortly after the end of any parliament.
Boris Johnson’s official spokesman declined to comment on whether the PM has seen a list, but indicated that Corbyn might be breaching convention if he put former Tory MP Bercow’s name forward.
“It is a long-standing convention that leaders of the opposition can nominate individuals representing their party for peerages,” said the spokesman.
Bercow, who angered Brexiteers by allowing MPs to use parliamentary procedure to ensure scrutiny of the government’s EU withdrawal plans, is the first speaker in generations not to receive a peerage on leaving the Commons chair.
Former Commons speaker John Bercow (PA)
Moving ermine-clad ‘cronies’ to York would be ‘tokenistic tinkering’, say reformers
Campaigners have warned the unelected House of Lords needs more than simply a move up north, amid reports that the government are considering radical options for Lords reform.
Willie Sullivan, senior director of the Electoral Reform Society, said: “Ministers are right to look at the rotten state of the unelected House of Lords. But they must do more than simply reshuffling an unreformed travesty to York or Birmingham.
“Just moving this private members’ club without changing its composition is tokenistic tinkering …
“Rather than just moving ermine-clad cronies somewhere else, it’s time for real democracy in this country – ending the scandal of unelected privilege, and giving voters a real voice … In 2020, it’s finally time to mend the sinking ship of politics – not just reshuffle the deckchairs.”
Zac Goldsmith was sworn in as a peer last week (PA)
Boris Johnson jumps up and down
The prime minister is having fun at the UK-Africa Investment Summit. He was captured jumping up and down at the Pavegen stand, a company that converts footsteps into energy.
Johnson makes new friends (Reuters)
Deadline for voter registration in Labour contest looms
A reminder that any prospective Labour members wanting to vote in the leadership election have until Monday afternoon to join the party.
Applications need to be submitted by 5pm in order to take part in the contest.
All those eligible to vote will receive an online ballot by email and those without a verified email address in
Labour’s system will receive a ballot by post – consisting of candidates’ statements and lists of any nominations.
After the second round of the contest – nominations from Constituency Labour Parties (CLPs) – has concluded, the ballot for electing the next leader will then open on 21 February.
More details here:
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