Boris Johnson news – live: PM launches Conservative election campaign after day of gaffes and mishaps
Follow all the latest developments
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson launched his general election campaign with a rally in Birmingham, where he attacked Labour’s Brexit stance as a “Bermuda Triangle” barren of intelligence, and compared Nigel Farage to “candle sellers on the dawn of the electric lightbulb”.
But Labour party deputy leader Tom Watson stole the headlines as he announced his decision to stand down as an MP in the middle of Mr Johnson’s speech, citing reasons “personal, not political” and a desire to campaign about ”the public health challenge facing our country”.
Boris Johnson’s campaign had earlier been thrown into disarray as Alun Cairns quit as Welsh secretary after being accused of “brazenly lying” about his knowledge of an allegation that his former aide sabotaged a rape trial.
The Tories were also accused of doctoring footage to falsely suggest Labour’s Sir Keir Starmer was unable to answer a question about Brexit, while James Cleverly was brutally “empty-chaired” after missing a Sky News interview.
Mr Johnson was criticised for comparing Jeremy Corbyn’s “hatred” of wealth creators to the persecution of the Kulaks – a group of landowning peasants killed by Stalin in the 1930s.
One Tory MP admitted it hadn’t been a “great day” for the party and said “people cocked things up”.
Foreign aid department could be scrapped if Conservatives win general election, minister says
The department delivering Britain’s foreign aid could be scrapped if the Conservatives win the general election, a minister has said.
Harriet Wheeler came under fire after refusing to confirm a “stand-alone” department for international development (Dfid) would survive a Tory victory.
The threat was raised amid ongoing suspicions that Boris Johnson has Dfid in his sights, after previously calling for it to be swallowed up into the Foreign Office.
EU says it did not amend Theresa May’s Brexit deal for Boris Johnson and only ‘clarified’ it
Brussels has poured cold water on Boris Johnson’s claim to have negotiated an entirely new Brexit deal with the EU, and insisted that it never reopened the withdrawal agreement for him.
A spokesperson for the European Commission raised eyebrows on Wednesday by insisting that the EU had merely made “clarifications” to Theresa May’s Brexit deal and that it had not been “amended” in any meaningful way.
The sensational claim is at odds with Downing Street’s presentation of negotiations: the prime minister hopes to get his agreement through parliament on the basis that it is not the same as his predecessor’s, which was rejected three times by MPs.
Nigel Farage says he is willing to compromise
According to Sky News's Lewis Goodall, the Brexit Party leader is in a compromising mood.
Tory cabinet minister resigns over 'sabotaged' rape trial
Alun Cairns has dramatically quit as Welsh secretary after being accused of lying over an aide’s sabotaging of a rape trial.
The resignation plunged Boris Johnson’s election campaign into deeper trouble, after the furores over Jacob Rees-Mogg’s comments about Grenfell and a doctored video.
Mr Cairns had faced growing calls to quit after he claimed he had been unaware that evidence given by the aide, Ross England, led to the collapse of the case in Cardiff in April last year.
The government’s housing promises are a complete sham - Hannah Fearn
Tory minister scrambles to defend doctored video
The Conservative chairman has been ridiculed after denying the party “doctored” a video to portray a senior Labour figure stumbling on Brexit – insisting it had merely been shortened.
James Cleverly faced a storm of criticism after the social media clip showed Keir Starmer appearing to falter when, in reality, he had provided a full answer to the question he was asked.
But, quizzed on why the video had been tampered with, Mr Cleverly refused to apologise or even accept it was misleading.
Corbyn has 'spoken with Barnier and EU officials' about further Brexit extension'
The Labour leader has told Sky News' Beth Rigby that he is confident of securing an extension in order to spend three months renegotiating a deal, and six months holding a referendum.
“I’ve discussed this with Keir Starmer, with many officials in the EU and heads of government elsewhere,” he said.
He also brushed off Boris Johnson's campaign launch jibe that, under his leadership, Labour attacked billionaires "with a relish and a vindictiveness not seen since Stalin persecuted the kulaks".
"He has a very strange use of language," Mr Corbyn replied.
Private landlords raking in taxpayers’ cash for housing vulnerable people in squalid and dangerous conditions
An exclusive from our social affairs correspondent May Bulman sheds further light on the depths of the housing crisis.
Campaigners warn the government is paying millions of pounds in housing benefit into a system that often “perpetuates” homelessness, as one man placed in "exempt accommodation" reveals:
"It was dirty, filthy – rats and all sorts. Really dangerous. Never saw a staff member again after I got the keys. I stayed for about 10 days, then slept on a park bench for two. I was sexually assaulted in that park and I was terrified, confused, the lot."
Read the full article here:
More on Corbyn’s Sky News interview…
The Islington North MP refused to join John McDonnell and Rebecca Long-Bailey in saying that he would stand down as leader if Labour fails to win the snap election.
“John McDonnell got enticed into areas of discussion that I’m not prepared to get inticed into,” he said.
↵EU says it did not amend Theresa May’s Brexit deal for Boris Johnson and only ‘clarified’ it
Brussels has poured cold water on Boris Johnson’s claim to have negotiated an entirely new Brexit deal, and insisted that it never reopened the withdrawal agreement for him, our Europe correspondent Jon Stone reports.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments