Boris Johnson news – live: PM warned to ‘get a grip’ of ministers as government accused of cladding ‘betrayal’
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Your support makes all the difference.A senior Tory MP has warned Boris Johnson to "get a grip" of his ministers following, what he referred to as, "unacceptable behaviour" from various secretaries of state.
Vice-chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers Sir Charles Walker, who said he was "very disappointed", named Matt Hancock and Grant Shapps in his interview with BBC Radio 4's World at One programme. In response to the travel threats introduced by the health secretary, Sir Charles scoffed: "Ten years [in prison] for crying out loud".
Meanwhile, the government has received backlash from both Conservative and Labour MPs for its refusal to pay for cladding removal from shorter buildings (below 18m), forcing many leaseholders to take out loans to cover the costs.
Communities secretary Robert Jenrick made the announcement in the Commons today following Mr Johnson's weekly PMQs session, sparking Tory MP Stephen McPartland to call it a "betrayal of millions of leaseholders". Shadow housing secretary Thangam Debbonaire responded by blaming "government choices" for "repeated undelivered promises".
"As a result of government choices, three-and-a-half years on from the Grenfell tragedy in which 72 people lost their lives, hundreds of thousands of people are still trapped in unsafe homes, many more unable to move," she told MPs.
Morning, and welcome to The Independent's rolling UK politics coverage.
First weeks of Brexit bumpier than anticipated, says Frost
Relations between the UK and the EU have been "more than bumpy", Boris Johnson's chief Brexit negotiator has said.
David Frost cited the vaccine row and trade disruption in Northern Ireland as examples of friction in the past six weeks.
“I think the EU is still adjusting somewhat – as we thought they might – to the existence of a genuinely independent actor in their neighbourhood," he told a Lords committee on Tuesday.
Talks between Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove and European Commission vice-president Maros Sefcovic will take place in London on Thursday in an attempt to iron our recent difficulties.
First weeks of Brexit bumpier than expected, admits Boris Johnson’s chief negotiator
Michael Gove says Brexit turbulence like plane take-off, admitting: ‘We’re not at the gin and tonic and peanuts stage yet’
SNP in ‘unprecedented’ turmoil, warns Cherry
Joanna Cherry, who was recently removed from the SNP's frontbench at Westminster, has struck out at problems within her party.
She was sacked following criticism of her stance on transgender issues.
Writing in the New Statesman, she wrote: "The turmoil in the SNP is unprecedented, but I’m comforted by the knowledge that the party is bigger than any individual, and we are strong enough to withstand this"
‘Very blokey mentality’ dominates government, senior Tory MP says
Caroline Nokes, a former immigration minister, has criticised the government for its "very blokey mentality", compounded by the number of ministers who were educated at single-sex schools.
Speaking to BBC Radio 4's Woman's Hour, the chair of the Women and Equalities Select Committee said: “I think it's still a very blokey mentality at the very top. I don't think that we're done many favours by the predominance of single-sex education round the cabinet table."
Ms Nokes added that there were some “serious questions about the calibre of the women” chosen for top government posts.
Our women's correspondent Maya Oppenheim reports:
‘Very blokey mentality’ dominates Boris Johnson’s government, senior Tory MP says
'I don't think that we're done many favours by the predominance of single-sex education round the cabinet table,' says Caroline Nokes
Former attorney general criticises government over 10-year jail sentences for people hiding ‘red-zone’ trips
The government's announcement that people who conceal trips to "high-risk" countries could face up to 10 years in prison has caused a public backlash.
Health secretary Matt Hancock said those lying on their passenger locator form could be fined £10,000 or be jailed for up to a decade.
Commenting on the measures, former attorney general Dominic Grieve said: “Ten years is entirely disproportionate.
“But this is a regulatory offence and no regulatory offence I can think of this type attracts a 10-year maximum sentence. The reality is no-one would get such a sentence anyway. The courts are simply not going to impose it," he added.
Ashley Cowburn has more details:
‘Completely disproportionate’: Threat of 10-year prison term for people hiding ‘red zone’ trip prompts backlash
'I was trying to work out why this figure had been plucked out of the air,' says former Conservative attorney general
Inside Politics
In today's political round-up, Adam Forrest looks ahead to PMQs, community secretary Robert Jenrick's speech on cladding and talks between the UK and the EU on Thursday.
Michael Gove promises smooth flying after Brexit ‘turbulence’ – your daily politics briefing
Government admits relationship with Brussels has become ‘bumpy’ ahead of meeting with EU Commission, writes Adam Forrest
Hotel quarantine policy ‘far too little, far too late’, says Labour
Labour has condemned the government's delay in introducing hotel quarantine for people travelling from "red-list" countries, a measure it says does not do enough to protect the UK from new coronavirus variants.
Angela Rayner, the party's deputy leader, tweeted on Wednesday that ministers have "left our country wide open to people bringing in Covid and new variants for a full year".
She added that the new policy "is far too little, far too late".
Grant Shapps reveals his father is in hospital with Covid-19
Transport secretary Grant Shapps has revealed that his father has been in a coronavirus ward for the past few months.
Speaking to ITV's Good Morning Britain programme, the minister said: "Coronavirus that gets everybody, got my Dad. We're all very worried."
He added that hospitals are still under "immense pressure" and praised NHS staff for all their work.
Workers risked lives because of inadequate PPE stockpile, report finds
Frontline workers and their family's lives were put at risk because of the UK's inadequate stockpile of personal protective equipment at the beginning of the pandemic, a Commons committee has said in a new report.
Meg Hillier, the Labour MP who chairs the public accounts committee, said: "We’re at a dangerous new phase of the pandemic, in our third national lockdown, with no defined end in sight. The government needs to acknowledge the errors and be better prepared.”
Our Whitehall editor Kate Devlin has more:
Workers were left to risk lives because of low stocks of PPE, report finds
'Government needs to acknowledge the errors and be better prepared,’ says Labour MP
‘Too soon’ to book a holiday, says transport secretary
Grant Shapps has told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that "people shouldn't be booking holidays right now - not domestically or internationally".
He said it was "too soon" to do so because it was unclear how quickly coronavirus cases and deaths will decline.
The transport secretary added that Boris Johnson will give more details about lifting lockdown in a speech on 22 February.
Anna Soubry, the former Conservative MP, tweeted that this was yet more "mixed messaging" from the government, after health secretary Matt Hancock said he had a booked a summer holiday to Cornwall.
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