4:18 PM BST 4:18 PM
The majority of the public thinks that it would be acceptable to change the prime minister now, according to a study by YouGov. But two to one, conservative supporters do not think it would be acceptable.
Some Tory MPs say that although there may be a case of Boris Johnson being replaced, this would now be wrong because of the war in Ukraine.
YouGov (@YouGov)
56% of the British public say it would be acceptable to change the prime minister now
All Britons Acceptable – 56% Unacceptable – 32%
Against voters Acceptable – 29% Unacceptable – 62%
Laboratory voters Acceptable – 86% Unacceptable – 7% pic.twitter.com/MJZUrKgLpb
April 13, 2022
4:11 PM BST 4:11 PM
Priti Patel, the interior minister, did not join other cabinet ministers in tweeting support for Boris Johnson after he was fined yesterday for Partygate. But this should not be taken as some kind of neglect, according to a source in the Interior Ministry. The source said Johnson had Patel’s full support, but that it was difficult for interior ministers to comment on ongoing police investigations.
3:55 PM BST 3:55 PM
The United Kingdom is imposing sanctions on 178 people believed to be “supporting illegally breakaway regions” in eastern Ukraine, Foreign Minister Liz Truss said. Another 28 Russians have also been sanctioned, including six oligarchs. The Foreign Ministry says this means that more than 100 oligarchs and their relatives have been sanctioned since the start of the war in Ukraine.
3:48 PM BST 3:48 PM
Kwasi Kwarteng, business secretary, used Twitter to send a message to Extinction Rebellion activists who stuck to the front of his department today, telling them the government would not abandon domestic oil and gas production.
Kwasi Kwarteng (@KwasiKwarteng)
My message to XR activists who are sticking (?!) To my department:
You can’t – and we won’t turn off domestic oil and gas production.
This would put energy security, jobs and industries at risk – and would simply increase foreign imports, not reduce demand.
April 13, 2022 Activists from Extinction Rebellion, who stuck to the entrance to the Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy in London today. Photo: Hannah McKay / Reuters
3:41 PM BST 3:41 PM
Commenting on the ICO’s decision to suspend its criminal investigation into the leak of Matt Hancock’s video surveillance recordings (see 14.44), the Ministry of Health and Welfare said:
We note the outcome of the ICO investigation and will continue to work with them to learn from this incident.
We take the security of our staff, systems and property very seriously.
Following this incident, we worked with security specialists from across the government to review the procedures and will keep them under constant review.
3:15 p.m. BST 3:15 p.m.
Ruth Davidson campaigns with Douglas Ross – as they disagree on whether prime minister should resign
Severin Karel
Ruth Davidson, the former leader of the Scottish Tories, has renewed her call for Boris Johnson to step down over the Partygate scandal, accusing him of “changing” his job as prime minister.
Now a Tory peer, she said the prime minister had “mocked” British victims during the pandemic, opening the door to Douglas Ross, her close ally and successor as leader of the Scottish Conservatives.
Ross was the first Tory MP to publicly call on Johnson to resign in January, but has since withdrawn his no-confidence motion against the 1922 committee, arguing that it would strengthen Vladimir Putin if the British prime minister is forced to step down. during the war in Ukraine.
Speaking as the two campaigned together in Edinburgh ahead of the May local elections, Ross hinted that his support for the prime minister was temporary and conditional, but declined to discuss what action he could take in the future.
A series of Scottish opinion polls this year equaled the Tories in third place after Labor for the first time in five years, threatening to end a series of strong Scottish election results.
Opposition parties believe the Partygate scandal has significantly damaged public support for the Conservative; both Labor and the Liberal Democrats say they are gaining votes across Scotland.
If true, it means that Davidson’s decision to publicly disagree with her close ally’s position on the prime minister has tactical value for the Tories, signaling to frustrated voters that conservatives remain unhappy and critical of Johnson’s behavior.
Reducing opinion polls, Ross said that if Johnson resigned, it would “create a void, create instability … Allies around the world will know that he is about to leave. And the most important person is all this – Vladimir Putin – will know that he is about to leave and that instability will undermine everything the West is trying to do to help President Zelensky and the people of Ukraine.
Davidson said that if Johnson is sincere in his desire to comply with the law on Ukraine, he must start with his own behavior. She said:
I do not think the Prime Minister’s apology last night [over being fined] it was something other than remorseful and meaningful, and I’m sure he’s very sorry about what happened, but I believe the prime minister should set an example.
I believe that the post of Prime Minister is deceived when you have someone who violates the laws that they themselves have introduced, and I fully understand that there is a really big geopolitics. Right now. There are big international problems. But I still believe that when it comes to supporting a country fighting for freedom and democracy, you have to follow your own rules. You have to.
Douglas Ross and Ruth Davidson are campaigning in Davidson Maines, Edinburgh. Photo: Jane Barlow / PA
Updated at 15.35 BST
2:44 PM BST 2:44 PM
The investigation ended with a leak of video surveillance footage of Matt Hancock after the ICO issued evidence against two very weak suspects
The Office of the Information Commissioner (ICO) said there was not enough evidence to prosecute two people suspected of leaking footage of former Health Minister Matt Hancock kissing his then-assistant at his health ministry office (DHSC).
The footage had leaked to the Sun and led to Hancock’s resignation on the grounds that his behavior violated government rules of social distancing. Hancock later left his wife to continue his relationship with Gina Coladangelo, who was his adviser.
ICO has launched a criminal investigation after receiving a report of personal data breach from DHSC’s CCTV operator, EMCOR Group plc. Last year, two homes in the south of England were searched as part of the investigation.
The ICO said in a statement:
The Office of the Commissioner for Information (ICO) has found insufficient evidence to prosecute two people suspected of illegally obtaining and disclosing videos from the Ministry of Health and Welfare (DHSC) …
Given the seriousness of the report and the wider implications it has for the security of information in government, the ICO had a legal obligation to conduct an impartial assessment of the available evidence to determine whether there was a breach …
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