ministerial-code

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UK news
www.independent.co.uk
2 weeks ago
UK news

Minister accused of major incompetence' for breach of ministerial code'

Veterans minister accused of incompetence for failing to correct parliamentary record after misleading House of Commons in 2020.
www.independent.co.uk
9 months ago
UK news

Patel and Rees-Mogg should not be given honours, David Lammy says

Former Cabinet ministers Jacob Rees-Mogg and Priti Patel should not be rewarded with honours, a senior Labour politician has said.Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said comments made by Mr Rees-Mogg in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire make him unfit for a knighthood.Mr Rees-Mogg is tipped for the title in Boris Johnson's resignation honours list alongside Ms Patel, who will receive a damehood.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

80 robberies a day closed without identifying a suspect in 2022

Some 80 robberies a day were closed last year without a suspect being identified, the Liberal Democrats have claimed.The party said it had commissioned research showing 30,000 muggings went unsolved in 2022 across England and Wales.It accused Home Secretary Suella Braverman of becoming embroiled in endless scandals while violent criminals are let off the hook.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

80 robberies a day unsolved in 2022, Lib Dems claim

Some 80 robberies a day were closed last year without a suspect being identified, the Liberal Democrats have claimed.The party said it had commissioned research showing 30,000 muggings went unsolved in 2022 across England and Wales.It accused Home Secretary Suella Braverman of becoming embroiled in endless scandals while violent criminals are let off the hook.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

MPs claiming driving fines on expenses is manifestly wrong', Bryant claims

MPs claiming driving fines on expenses is manifestly wrong, the chair of Parliament's sleaze watchdog has said.Labour MP Chris Bryant said members of the public cannot claim fines on their daily expenses, adding that MPs should not be any different.The senior party figure also said the ministerial code is ripe for reform, and the system is not fit for purpose, Mr Bryant's intervention came after The Independent revealed a Tory minister who served under Suella Braverman at the Home Office is among high-profile MPs to have wrongly claimed hundreds of pounds in driving fines on expenses Amanda Solloway, who is now a minister in the energy department, claimed back an 80 fixed penalty notice issued to her while she was driving in London in July 2020, listing it under MP travel expenses.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Ethics adviser seeks more efficient approach to ministers' interests publication

Rishi Sunak's ethics adviser has said he wants a more efficient process for the publication of the register of ministerial interests.Sir Laurie Magnus, the Prime Minister's independent adviser on ministers' interests, also suggested that there was merit in asking ministers to attest annually that they have read the Ministerial Code.
moreUK news
UK politics
www.theguardian.com
1 month ago
UK politics

Ministerial code completely inadequate, civil servants' unions tell MPs

Civil servants had a negative experience with the complaints process against Dominic Raab.
Party leaders need to do more to protect employees from the behavior of MPs.
www.theguardian.com
10 months ago
UK politics

The Guardian view on Johnson's legacy: Sunak is trapped by his own complicity | Editorial

There are many lessons still to learn from the pandemic, but there is no mystery about Boris Johnson's conduct.He broke the rules of lockdown and lied about it.The exposure of his behaviour drained public support away from him and his party.Those facts are not altered by news that fresh allegations relating to the use of the prime ministerial country retreat at Chequers have been reported to police.
BBC News
10 months ago
UK politics

MP on Braverman speeding: We used to have proper scandals

Sir Edward Leigh said the "moral outrage" over Home Secretary Suella Braverman's handling of a speeding fine as "ludicrous".The Conservative MP compared the current case to "proper scandals" about sex and money and the invasion of Iraq on "dodgy evidence".Cabinet Office Minister Jeremy Quin was answering for the government after Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner's urgent question calling for statement on a potential breach of the ministerial code.
BBC News
1 year ago
UK politics

Sacked Tory chairman to 'learn from experience'

Nadhim Zahawi said he "completely accepted the position of the prime minister", who fired him as party chairman last month for what Rishi Sunak described as a serious breach of the ministerial code - Mr Zahawi failing to disclose an investigation into his tax affairs.In his first broadcast interview since he was sacked, Mr Zahawi told the BBC he had "co-operated fully" with the PM's independent adviser on ministerial interests, including providing access to his tax returns "as a whole".
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Rishi Sunak to replace Nadhim Zahawi as Tory party chair in mini-reshuffle

Rishi Sunak is planning a mini-reshuffle to replace Nadhim Zahawi as Conservative party chair as he tries to reassert his grip over his divided party, according to reports.The prime minister is also believed to be considering a shake-up of Whitehall by splitting the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy into two or three new departments to better reflect his priorities.
BBC News
1 year ago
UK politics

PMQs: Rishi Sunak denies being 'hopelessly weak' over Nadhim Zahawi

Political reporter, BBC News

Rishi Sunak defended his decision to launch an ethics inquiry into Nadhim Zahawi rather than sacking him, at Prime Minister's Questions.Sir Keir Starmer said the PM was "hopelessly weak" for not firing the minister for "seeking to avoid tax"."Is he starting to wonder if this job is just too big for him?" the Labour leader asked.
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asylum-seekers
www.independent.co.uk
1 month ago
UK news

Rishi Sunak insists he's not a betting man' after 1,000 Rwanda wager

UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak accepted a 1,000 bet with a TV host that he would deport asylum seekers to Rwanda.
The bet has sparked anger and condemnation from the public and MPs, with accusations that Sunak is betting on the misfortunes of others.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Home Office officials demand apology from Suella Braverman over attack on integrity'

Home Office mandarins are demanding an apology from Suella Braverman for offering praise [to] staff in private only to attack them in public after an email in her name claimed civil servants had blocked attempts to curb migration.A letter sent to the department's most senior civil servant has accused the home secretary of an outrageous attack on the integrity and impartiality of the thousands of Home Office staff and says she most apologise.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Devoted Philp dies on his feet again defending the indefensible | John Crace

When the chips are down.When all else seems lost.At least Rishi Sunak will always have a Chris Philp.When they realised Nadhim Zahawi was not going to be fired and that Richard Sharp was not going to resign, most ministers ran for the hills.Switched off their phones.Hid under the duvet.Refused to answer the door.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Suella Braverman challenges critics to try to get rid' of her - follow live

Close Suella Braverman calls 'broken' immigration system an 'invasion on southern coast' Home secretary Suella Braverman challenged her critics to "get rid" of her after she rejected calls to resign over her response to the migrant crisis.Ms Braverman yesterday defended at the House of Commons overcrowding at a Kent asylum facility and denied ignoring legal advice to procure more lodging amid warnings the temporary holding centre was dangerously overcrowded.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Tory MP accuses Home Office of deliberate' decision to allow asylum centre crisis

The desperate conditions at a Kent asylum seeker centre were caused by a deliberate government decision not to find hotel space, a Conservative MP has alleged.Roger Gale accused his own government of dog whistle politics, suggesting the Home Office saw an opportunity to make the UK look like an unattractive destination for refugees.
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www.theguardian.com
1 month ago
Europe politics

Overhaul UK ministers' ethics system, cross-party commission urges

Ministers should have to swear an oath to uphold ethical standards in public life.
A cross-party commission has set out 100 recommendations to fix problems with the standards system.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

PM insists he didn't let Suella Braverman off the hook' over speeding ticket

Rishi Sunak has insisted he did not let home secretary Suella Braverman off the hook after clearing her of breaching the ministerial code without launching an investigation.The prime minister refused calls to launch an official investigation after she asked officials if she could attend a private speed awareness course for driving too fast.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Labour leads Tories in poll on immigration as figures set to show migration rise

Labour is more trusted than the Conservatives on immigration, a new poll has found as official figures are expected to show a large increase in net migration.After a rise in public confidence in the Tories' immigration, asylum and small boats policies in March, a poll carried out by Ipsos between May 16 and 18 found trust had fallen again, with Labour leading on all three issues.
www.theguardian.com
10 months ago
UK politics

The Guardian view on Suella Braverman: masking failure with bombast | Editorial

Whether the home secretary, Suella Braverman, keeps her job is up to the prime minister, Rishi Sunak.That is in keeping with his prerogative powers to organise the composition of the government as he sees fit.But what happens when ministers hardly hide their disagreements or make a habit of defying the norms of behaviour expected of office-holders?
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Braverman favourite of the Tory right in the spotlight once again

Suella Braverman is once again under fire from critics and opposition parties, amid questions over whether the Home Secretary breached the ministerial code by asking civil servants to arrange a private speed awareness course for her.The row is another headache for the Prime Minister.But it is not the first time Mrs Braverman has found herself at the centre of a political storm.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Charity refuses to delete clip of Holocaust survivor confronting Home Secretary

A charity which supports torture victims has defied Home Office demands to delete a video of Suella Braverman being confronted by a Holocaust survivor over her language on immigration.Freedom From Torture has said the Home Secretary should be ashamed of her dehumanising rhetoric and it will not be pressured into helping her hide it by taking down the clip.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

The Guardian view on Tory immigration failures: from bad to worse | Editorial

The dreadful conditions at the Manston asylum seeker processing centre in Kent, combined with serious questions surrounding Rishi Sunak's decision to reappoint Suella Braverman as home secretary, reveal a Conservative government whose immigration and asylum policies have failed.Opposition to immigration, much of it motivated by xenophobia, was weaponised by the Eurosceptic right to promote its aim of leaving the EU.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Suella Braverman: Sunak insists he did not let her off the hook'

Rishi Sunak insisted he did not let Suella Braverman off the hook after clearing her without an investigation of breaching the ministerial code.The Prime Minister refused calls to launch an official investigation into the Home Secretary for asking officials if she could have a private speed awareness course after being caught driving too fast.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

What did Suella Braverman do and why has she been spared an independent probe?

Suella Braverman has avoided an independent investigation into her handling of a speeding offence after it was decided the matter did not amount to a breach of the Ministerial Code.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ignored calls to launch a formal probe after claims the Home Secretary tried to get Whitehall officials to arrange a private speed awareness course for her.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Live: Sunak faces PMQs as Braverman avoids investigation over speeding fine

Watch live as Rishi Sunak faces Sir Keir Starmer at Prime Minister's questions on Wednesday, 24 May, as Suella Braverman avoids an investigation over her handling of a speeding fine.The home secretary faced criticism after it was reported that she asked officials to try to arrange a private speed awareness course for her, rather than take penalty points on her driving licence after breaking the speed limit last summer.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Live: Sunak speaks at defence conference after Braverman speeding fine controversy

Watch live as Rishi Sunak takes questions at the London Defence conference on Tuesday, 23 May.The prime minister's appearance comes after he vowed that the UK's support for Ukraine will never waver as he spoke with Volodymyr Zelensky at G7 meetings in Japan over the weekend.G7 leaders pledged to support the Ukrainian president's nation for as long as it takes and to increase the costs to Russia and those who support its war.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Live: Braverman and Sunak face Commons questions after speeding ticket controversy

Watch live as Suella Braverman and Rishi Sunak face questions in the House of Commons on Monday, 22 May, following the home secretary's speeding ticket controversy.Over the weekend, reports emerged alleging that Ms Braverman asked officials to try to arrange a private speed awareness course for her rather than take penalty points on her driving licence.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Dominic Raab: more civil servants in bullying complaint than previously thought

A single official complaint regarding the behaviour of the deputy prime minister Dominic Raab represented the concerns of 27 of his officials, the Observer has been told.The group of Ministry of Justice officials are understood to be represented by a memo warning that some colleagues had been forced to take time off for extended periods as a result of having to deal with Raab.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Nadhim Zahawi's position as Tory chair untenable', says Labour

Nadhim Zahawi's position as Conservative party chair is untenable after reports he paid a penalty as part of a seven-figure tax settlement, Labour has said.The former chancellor, who attends cabinet meetings, has faced pressure in parliament and the media after it emerged he agreed to pay millions to HMRC in December after a settlement with the tax agency.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Leaky Sue emerges from hiding with blame guns blazing

She speaks!At last.For the last week or so, Suella Braverman has been rather kept under wraps.Not let out of the Home Office.Both for her own good and Rishi Sunak's.It's been left to ministerial colleagues Robert Jenrick and Jeremy Quin to answer urgent questions that were meant for the home secretary.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Sunak acting fairly' over Braverman claims, says minister

A Cabinet minister has urged patience and said that the Prime Minister was acting fairly, as Rishi Sunak continues to consider whether or not to order an investigation into Suella Braverman's conduct.Labour has accused Mr Sunak of dithering over his response to allegations against the Home Secretary, but Justice Secretary Alex Chalk told broadcasters on Wednesday that high standards in Government included proper standards of process.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Sunak still considering potential investigation into Braverman claims

Rishi Sunak is still mulling over whether or not to order an investigation into Suella Braverman's conduct.Downing Street on Tuesday said that the Prime Minister was still looking at all the requisite information, amid claims the Home Secretary asked officials to help arrange a private speed awareness course for her.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Braverman questions continue as Sunak mulls over potential investigation

Pressure continues to mount on Rishi Sunak to order an inquiry into whether Suella Braverman breached the ministerial code.Labour will use an urgent question from deputy leader Angela Rayner in the Commons to raise the issue.Mrs Braverman smiled as she arrived in Downing Street for a Cabinet meeting chaired by the Prime Minister on Tuesday.
BBC News
10 months ago
UK politics

Rishi Sunak to consult ethics adviser over Suella Braverman speeding claims

Rishi Sunak is to speak with his ethics adviser to discuss Suella Braverman's handling of a speeding offence.The home secretary sought advice via officials and an aide about arranging a private speed awareness course while attorney general in 2022.A government source has denied her actions broke the ministerial code.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Suella Braverman did nothing untoward' by allegedly seeking private speeding course

Suella Braverman is the author of her own misfortune over speeding points allegations but did nothing untoward by reportedly trying to arrange a private awareness course, a lawyer has said.After the home secretary was caught speeding outside London while attorney general last summer, she reportedly asked Home Office aides to help organise a one-to-one course to help her avoid incurring points on her licence.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Suella Braverman asked staff to help her dodge speeding fine'

Rishi Sunak has been urged to investigate claims Suella Braverman asked her staff to help her dodge a speeding fine.The home secretary allegedly asked civil servants to help her avoid a fine and points on her licence by instead organising a private driving awareness course.Such an arrangement would have meant that she would not have had to appear at a public speed awareness course, where other participants would have been able to see that she was in attendance.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Sunak under pressure to come clean over Braverman reappointment'

Labour will try to force the Government to publish its assessments of Suella Braverman's security breach, as the backlash grows against her reappointment as Home Secretary just six days after she was forced out.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has resisted demands to launch an inquiry into Ms Braverman breaking the Ministerial Code by sharing a sensitive document with a Tory backbencher from a personal email without permission.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Sunak urged to launch Braverman probe as contact with ethics team emerges

Rishi Sunak has been urged to launch an investigation into Suella Braverman's handling of a speeding offence, as the scandal that threatens to deepen rifts in the Tory party.The prime minister is said to be considering emails in which Whitehall officials raised concerns to the Cabinet Office's propriety and ethics team about Ms Braverman's request for help to arrange a private speed awareness course.
www.theguardian.com
10 months ago
UK politics

Get a grip, Westminster Suella Braverman speeding is hardly the issue of the day | Simon Jenkins

Trivial is the default mode of British politics.Whether or not the home secretary did ask civil servants and an aide to help her get out of a group speed-awareness course, and if she did, whether she was right to do so, is not the most urgent issue of the day.Yet, as MPs this week gathered round the Westminster village pump, it pushed immigration, the NHS, Ukraine and the G7 off the agenda.
www.theguardian.com
10 months ago
UK politics

Inappropriate' for Braverman to ask for one-to-one speed course, says motoring solicitor

Speed awareness course providers have previously organised one-to-one sessions for high-profile motoring offenders but it would be wholly inappropriate to do this for Suella Braverman, a lawyer has claimed.Manchester-based solicitor Nick Freeman, who earned the nickname Mr Loophole for successfully defending numerous celebrity clients accused of motoring offences, says he has arranged speeding courses for individuals several times with several providers.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Rishi Sunak releases long-awaited tax return

Rishi Sunak has published his long-awaited personal tax returns, showing that he paid more than 1m in UK tax over three years.The returns show the prime minister raked in more than 1.9m last year, including 1.6m in capital gains and more than 300,000 in salary earnings and investment income.He paid more than 1m in UK tax over the past three financial years including just over 432,000 in the past year (2021-22) alone.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

MP who said food bank users cannot budget' appointed deputy Tory chairman

Lee Anderson, an MP who attracted controversy for criticising England footballers for taking the knee and saying food bank users cannot budget, has been appointed deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak used a reshuffle on Tuesday to handed a senior position to Mr Anderson, the MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire and a former miner, making him deputy to new Tory chairman Greg Hands.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Matt Hancock broke rules on post-ministerial jobs, Parliament watchdog says

Matt Hancock has broken Government rules by not consulting Parliament's anti-corruption watchdog before appearing on I'm A CelebrityGet Me Out of Here!, the body's chairman has ruled.Lord Pickles, the Tory chair of the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba)  which advises on post-ministerial jobs, informed Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Dowden of the breach in a letter on Tuesday.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Return of Braverman puts Sunak hopes of survival at risk, says polling guru

The reappointment of Suella Braverman as home secretary could blow a hole in Rishi Sunak's hopes of holding onto power at the general election, polling guru Sir John Curtice has said No government in modern times has ever survived at the ballot box following a fiscal crisis on the scale of last month's market collapse sparked by Liz Truss's mini-Budget, said Prof Curtice, of Strathclyde University.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Top mandarin piles pressure on Braverman to resign over speeding ticket row

Suella Braverman's hopes of surviving as Home Secretary over the speeding ticket row suffered a fresh blow after she came under fire from a former mandarin.Sir Philip Rycroft, who has served in Whitehall under five prime ministers, accused Ms Braverman of a "real lapse of judgement."And the former senior civil servant said the home secretary's actions would have put officials in an impossible position.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Raab accusers wouldn't do it again' thanks to flawed' process, says union boss

Civil servants who accused Dominic Raab of bullying them have said they would not go through the process again because it is flawed, the head of the civil service union has said.Mr Raab resigned from the Cabinet in April after an independent investigation found he had bullied staff engaged in an abuse or misuse of power that undermines or humiliates while foreign secretary.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Tory MP claims civil servant used work email to troll' him

A Tory MP has claimed a civil servant used their work email to send him trolling messages.Elliot Colburn (Carshalton and Wallington) raised the issue in the Commons as MPs discussed the impartiality of the civil service.Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin said he would look into the case if the MP was happy to share the details, and insisted there is a professional relationship between civil servants and the Government.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

SNP signs contract with new auditor weeks before deadline to file accounts

The SNP has signed a contract with a new auditor more than six months after the previous company quit, the PA news agency understands.The party has been without auditors for its accounts since October, with the Westminster group left with just weeks to file with the Electoral Commission or risk losing 1.2 million in funding from UK Parliament authorities to support their work.
www.independent.co.uk
10 months ago
UK news

Scottish Tories make bid to force statement on SNP finances

The Scottish Tories will on Wednesday push for a statement on the turmoil engulfing the SNP, claiming it is in the public interest.Led by Douglas Ross, the party will use its Holyrood debating time to push for clarity on the financial situation within the ruling party.In the past month, both its former chief executive, and Nicola Sturgeon's husband, Peter Murrell and its then treasurer Colin Beattie were arrested in connection with a police probe into the party's finances, overshadowing the first month of First Minister Humza Yousaf's time in office.
www.independent.co.uk
11 months ago
UK news

Legal advice on challenging block on gender reforms unlikely to be published

Legal advice presented to ministers over a potential challenge to the UK Government's blocking of gender reforms is unlikely to be published, a spokesman for the First Minister has said.Throughout his campaign to be leader of the SNP and First Minister, Humza Yousaf said he would challenge the Section 35 order that blocked the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill but in the final debate, he said he would not fight a court battle if legal advice to the Scottish Government said it would fail.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Sunak should have suspended Raab during bullying investigation, says union

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should suspend Dominic Raab from the Cabinet while investigations into alleged bullying are ongoing, according to the leader of the largest trade union in the civil service.Failing that, Mr Raab should step down, said Mark Serwotka, general secretary of the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Rishi Sunak creates new energy department to tackle soaring bills

Rishi Sunak has created a standalone ministry for energy security as he tries to improve economic growth and cut sky-high bills in the face of disastrous poll ratings.In a mini-reshuffle, the prime minister also plumped for an ally to replace Nadhim Zahawi, the Conservative party chair sacked a week ago after he was found to have broken the ministerial code over his tax affairs.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Six in 10 say UK not being run competently or with integrity, says poll

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Only a third of the public believes the Government is running the country properly, competently and seriously, according to a new poll.Just 32% or people told pollster Ipsos they had confidence that the Government was running the country properly, while 30% said they thought the country was being run with integrity.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Rishi Sunak's ethics adviser would expect approval to investigate ministers'

Rishi Sunak's ethics adviser has said would expect to be given the go-ahead to investigate a minister if he believed there had been a breach of the rules.Sir Laurie Magnus told MPs that while he required the Prime Minister's permission to mount an inquiry into alleged violations of the Ministerial Code, he believed it would only be withheld if there was a very, very good reason.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Rishi Sunak's ethics adviser says never say never' to investigating PM

Rishi Sunak's ethics adviser has said you can never say never to the idea of investigating the prime minister should serious allegations about conduct arise.Sir Laurie Magnus told MPs that while he required the PM's permission to mount an inquiry into alleged violations of the ministerial code, he believed it would only be withheld if there was a very, very good reason.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Downing Street distances PM from email attacking civil service blob'

For free real time breaking news alerts sent straight to your inbox sign up to our breaking news emails Sign up to our free breaking news emails Downing Street has distanced Rishi Sunak from an email attacking civil servants that was sent to Tory supporters in the Home Secretary's name.Suella Braverman has insisted she did not sanction the widely criticised message, sent to thousands of Conservative Party members, which blamed an activist blob of left-wing lawyers, civil servants and the Labour Party for blocking previous attempts to tackle illegal migration.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Rishi Sunak plotting mini-reshuffle' as he replaces Zahawi as Tory party chair

Rishi Sunak is expected to unveil a mini-reshuffle as early as Tuesday as he tries to improve his party's disastrous poll ratings, as well as replace the sacked Nadhim Zahawi.It has been a week since the prime minister dismissed Mr Zahawi as Tory party chair for breaching the ministerial code over his tax affairs scandal and, with no successor having yet been named, reports suggest Mr Sunak has been plotting a broader shake-up of his top team.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Nurses leaders urge Rishi Sunak to step in to avert NHS strike

Nurses leaders have issued a direct appeal to Rishi Sunak to intervene in their pay dispute as the NHS faces its biggest day of industrial action in its history.In a letter to the Prime Minister, the Royal College of Nursing (RCN) general secretary Pat Cullen said that a meaningful pay offer from the Government could still avert strike action.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Raab investigation could look at allegations he bullied' anti-Brexit activist

The official investigation into Dominic Raab's behaviour could look at allegations he launched an abusive attack on a prominent anti-Brexit activist.Senior Conservative and former cabinet minister David Davis said no doubt the probe, ordered by Rishi Sunak, would look into the claims.And Labour called on the prime minister to assure the public that every potential breach of the Ministerial Code would be investigated.Downing Street said it was up to the inqury to decide it it would investigate Mr Miller's allegations.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

What the papers say January 30

Nadhim Zahawi leads Monday's papers after he was sacked following a breach of the ministerial code over his tax affairs.The Times reports allies of Rishi Sunak have said the Prime Minister will take a zero-tolerance approach to future breaches of the ministerial code after sacking Mr Zahawi.The Guardian says weeks of damaging headlines have undermined the Prime Minister's efforts to restore government integrity.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

No deadline for thorough' Nadhim Zahawi investigation, says No 10

Rishi Sunak has no placed deadline for his ethics advisor's investigation into Tory chairman Nadhim Zahawi's tax arrangements, Downing Street has revealed.No 10 said the prime minister wanted the probe by Sir Laurie Magnus into any ministerial code breach to be carried out swiftly but also wanted it to be thorough.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Rishi Sunak to come under fresh pressure over Nadhim Zahawi at PMQs

Rishi Sunak will come under fresh pressure over Nadhim Zahawi as he resists firing the Tory party chairman despite him being under investigation over his tax affairs.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is likely to seize on the fallout from Mr Zahawi's multi-million pound settlement at Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Sunak to come under fresh pressure over Zahawi row at PMQs

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak will be braced for further questions about Nadhim Zahawi in the Commons as the Tory chairman fights for his political future.Mr Sunak will face MPs at Prime Minister's Questions after launching an investigation into Mr Zahawi over his tax affairs.Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is likely to seize on the fallout from the multimillion-pound settlement with HM Revenue and Customs at a time when Mr Zahawi was chancellor when he goes head-to-head with Mr Sunak in Parliament on Wednesday.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Sunak defends handling of Zahawi row as pressure on Tory chairman mounts

Rishi Sunak has suggested it would have been politically expedient to sack Nadhim Zahawi but insisted that due process means the investigation into his tax affairs should be allowed to reach its conclusion.The Prime Minister acknowledged that he had not been given the full picture about the Tory chairman's financial matters when he told MPs last week that Mr Zahawi had given a full account.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

What the papers say January 26

Developments in eastern Europe and the latest on Nadhim Zahawi lead the national papers.The US and Germany have joined western allies including the UK in agreeing to send battle tanks to Ukraine, says the Daily Mail, i and Daily Mirror.The Financial Times has Lockheed Martin ready to meet demand for its F-16 aircraft as some of Ukraine's closest European allies revive efforts to provide Kyiv with fighter jets.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Nadhim Zahawi faces questions over source of 30m unsecured loans to wife's property company

Nadhim Zahawi, the beleaguered former chancellor and current chair of the Conservative party, is under pressure to reveal the source of about 30m of unsecured loans made to his wife's UK property company.The loans were used to finance parts of a large UK property portfolio, reported last year as worth about 100m, and were declared in company accounts which span a period from 2017 to 2021 but give no information about who the lenders are.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Jeremy Hunt finally reveals whether he's paid a tax penalty

Jeremy Hunt has finally revealed he has not paid a tax fine to HMRC after refusing three times.The chancellor declined to say whether he has ever paid a penalty to the taxman at a speech in London this morning.However Mr Hunt later said he was willing to disclose that he has never paid a HMRC fine in a BBC interview.
BBC News
1 year ago
UK politics

Key questions about Nadhim Zahawi's tax affairs

The chairman of the Conservative Party, Nadhim Zahawi, is coming under increasing political pressure to fully explain the circumstances of a multimillion-pound tax settlement.The BBC has been told Mr Zahawi paid a penalty over previously unpaid tax while he was chancellor.But despite acknowledging the tax issue, Mr Zahawi has left some questions unanswered.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Sturgeon calls on Zahawi to resign over tax penalty

Scotland's First Minister has urged Nadhim Zahawi to step down after it was revealed he paid a penalty to resolve a multimillion-pound tax dispute.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak ordered an investigation on Monday, asking new ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus on Monday to assess whether the former chancellor breached the ministerial code with the HMRC settlement, with Mr Sunak saying clearly in this case there are questions that need answering.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Rishi Sunak didn't know' Nadhim Zahawi had paid penalty to settle tax case

Rishi Sunak did not know Nadhim Zahawi had paid a penalty to settle a tax dispute when he gave him a cabinet job, it emerged on Monday as a probe began into the affair.The prime minister ordered an investigation into a possible breach of the ministerial code, saying there were clearly questions to be answered.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Sunak must come clean over what he knew about Zahawi's tax affairs Labour

Labour has demanded that Rishi Sunak come clean over Nadhim Zahawi's tax affairs.Deputy leader Angela Rayner said the Prime Minister must reveal what he knew about Mr Zahawi's settlement with HM Revenue & Customs when he appointed him Conservative Party chairman last October.She also called for the release of all correspondence with No 10 prior to Mr Zahawi's various appointments, to clarify whether he was chancellor at the time of the settlement, and to explain how his conduct aligns with the Ministerial Code.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Home Secretary tells Holocaust survivor she won't apologise' for invasion' rhetoric

Suella Braverman has said she will not apologise for her language after a Holocaust survivor told the Home Secretary her description of migrants as an invasion was akin to rhetoric the Nazis used to justify murdering her family.Ms Braverman was confronted by Joan Salter, 83, during a meeting in her Fareham constituency in Hampshire on Friday evening.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Home Secretary won't apologise' to Holocaust survivor over invasion' rhetoric

Suella Braverman has refused to apologise to a Holocaust survivor who said the Home Secretary's description of migrants as an invasion was akin to language the Nazis used to justify murdering her family.Ms Braverman was confronted by Joan Salter, 83, during a meeting in her Fareham constituency in Hampshire on Friday evening.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Damian Green appointed acting chairman of Commons DCMS Committee

Former Cabinet minister Damian Green has become the acting chairman of the Commons Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Committee.The senior Tory, who was effectively deputy prime minister under Theresa May, replaces Julian Knight who has recused himself from Parliament while the police investigate allegations of serious sexual assault.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

MP proposes bill to force government to comply with ministerial code

A new law aiming to force government ministers to comply with their official code of ethics is to be debated in parliament.Labour MP Debbie Abrahams is calling for a bill that would put the ministerial code, which governs standards of behaviour, honesty and accountability, on a statutory footing.Her ten-minute rule bill, which allows backbench MPs to make their case for a new law in a short speech, is due to be debated on 10 January.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Dominic Raab bullying: Five more formal complaints made against deputy prime minister

Five further formal complaints have been filed against Dominic Raab over his behaviour at work, Downing Street has confirmed.A total of eight complaints have now been made against the deputy prime minister amid allegations he bullied colleagues and left officials too scared to enter his office.The latest five related to alleged behaviour at the Ministry of Justice, which Mr Raab has run since September 2021.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Commons suspended in row over Michael Gove's Cumbria coal mine statement

Speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle suspended action in the Commons after a bust-up over cabinet minister Michael Gove's statement on the approval of the coal mine in Cumbria.Mr Gove said approving the controversial coal mine was the right thing to do and insisted he was satisfied that it would be net zero-compliant.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Commons committee says reappointing Suella Braverman sets dangerous precedent'

The reappointment of Suella Braverman as Home Secretary after she broke ministerial rules sets a dangerous precedent, MPs have said.Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has resisted demands to launch an inquiry into Ms Braverman breaking the Ministerial Code by sharing a sensitive document with a Tory backbencher from a personal email without permission.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Moonlighting MPs earn more than ever from second jobs, despite crackdown'

MPs are making more than ever from second jobs despite promises from the government to clamp down on the practice, one year on from the Owen Paterson scandal, an Observer investigation has found.Of the 129 MPs who made more than 2,000 from outside income between October 2021 and September 2022, 86  including the former attorney general Geoffrey Cox  either earned more or the same amount than in the previous year.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Raab insists he always behaved professionally' despite bullying claims

Dominic Raab has insisted he behaved professionally at all times despite facing growing claims of bullying.The deputy prime minister told Sky News on Thursday that he looks forward to dealing with the allegations fully and transparently.It comes after the BBC reported that civil servants who worked for Mr Raab are preparing to file formal bullying complaints.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Raab faces coordinated bullying complaints from a dozen ex-staffers, report says

Dominic Raab faces bullying complaints from around one dozen more former staffers, according to reports, as an investigation begins into claims the deputy prime minister left government workers afraid to approach him.Questions have also been raised over Mr Raab's alleged use of personal email accounts for government business at two different departments including the Ministry of Justice (MoJ), which he currently leads, BBC Newsnight reported.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Dominic Raab bullying inquiry to begin after investigator revealed

An investigation into alleged bullying by deputy prime minister Dominic Raab is to get under way imminently after the appointment of a senior employment lawyer to head the inquiry.Downing Street said that barrister Adam Tolley KC will be able to interview potential witnesses and have access to documents relating to the case including emails and WhatsApp messages.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Sunak appoints leading KC to investigate bullying claims against Raab

A senior lawyer has been appointed by Rishi Sunak to look into complaints of bullying behaviour by Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab.Commercial and employment law specialist Adam Tolley KC will look into the claims made against Mr Raab after two formal complaints were submitted about his conduct.Downing Street has indicated Mr Tolley's remit could extend to other allegations about Mr Raab after a series of claims related to his time as foreign secretary and his first stint in the Ministry of Justice.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Matt Hancock broke government rules over I'm A Celebrity, watchdog rules

Matt Hancock broke government rules by not seeking permission before appearing on I'm A Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!, a watchdog has ruled.The former health secretary  already stripped of the Tory whip for flying off to earn a reputed 400,000 in the jungle  failed to consult the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (ACOBA).
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Psycho Raab's vein goes into throbbing overdrive over bullying claims

Every cloud and all that.What with the threat of world war three, Rishi Sunak probably had better ways of spending his last few minutes at the G20 in Bali than scribbling a brief note to Dominic Psycho Raab agreeing that an investigation into his deputy's behaviour was the right way to proceed.If nothing else, it was all very embarrassing.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Rishi Sunak pledges to release tax returns within first year as PM

Rishi Sunak has promised that he will within the coming year become the first prime minister since 2016 to publish his tax returns in full.Mr Sunak initially made the pledge during his unsuccessful Conservative leadership campaign against Liz Truss in the summer.But he has not yet made the figures public, sparking a warning from Liberal Democrat chief whip Wendy Chamberlain that failure to make good on the promise would risk doing even more damage to public trust in the Conservative Party.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

PM to appoint independent investigator' to examine complaints against Dominic Raab

Rishi Sunak will appoint an independent investigator to examine complaints made by staff who worked for Dominic Raab, but No 10 is unable to say when the probe will start.Work is underway to find a person with requisite experience  in the absence of a permanent ethics adviser, after Boris Johnson failed to fill the role, Downing Street said.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Williamson reported to bullying watchdog over slit your throat' allegation

The civil servant who alleges Gavin Williamson told them to slit your throat has made a formal complaint to parliament's bullying watchdog.The former chief whip is also alleged to have told them to jump out of the window.The Ministry of Defence official said the behaviour had had an extreme impact on their mental health, they told Sky News.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Labour attempt to force Sunak to reveal what he knew about Braverman

Labour will attempt to use a vote in the House of Commons to force Rishi Sunak to reveal what he knew about Suella Braverman's security lapses when he re-appointed her home secretary.The prime minister is facing questions about his judgement after he put her in his cabinet just days after she was forced to resign for a breach of the ministerial code.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Anti-abortion group to launch legal challenge to Northern Ireland legislation

A pro-life group is set to launch a legal challenge to legislation designed to enable the introduction of full abortion services in Northern Ireland.Abortion legislation in the region was liberalised in 2019 following laws passed by Westminster at a time when the powersharing government at Stormont had collapsed.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Matt Hancock may have breached ministerial rules with I'm a Celebrity move

Matt Hancock may have broken ministerial rules by failing to ask the authorities for permission to head to the jungle to appear on ITV's I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out Of Here!The former health secretary did not ask Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) watchdog whether it was appropriate to join the reality show.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Suella Braverman says she will fix UK's broken' asylum system

Under-pressure Home Secretary Suella Braverman has vowed to fix the UK's broken asylum system as she rejected calls to resign over her response to the migrant crisis.In a combative Commons performance on Monday, Ms Braverman denied ignoring legal advice to procure more accommodation amid warnings a temporary holding centre at Manston in Kent was dangerously overcrowded.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Braverman putting lives at risk' with migrant invasion' rhetoric after firebomb

Suella Braverman has been accused of putting lives at risk after claiming the south coast was facing an invasion by migrants, the day after a firebomb attack in Dover.Refugee charities described the embattled home secretary's comments as heinous and dehumanising, while Labour accused her of highly irresponsible language that did not take public safety seriously.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Suella Braverman email: four questions left unanswered

When Suella Braverman resigned as home secretary just under two weeks ago for breaching the ministerial code, she made a series of claims to Liz Truss, the then prime minister, about her conduct.A statement released on Monday to the home affairs select committee (HASC) appears to contradict some of those claims, leaving outstanding unanswered questions which could yet have a bearing on her political survival.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Minister who quit over controversial gender legislation thanks supporters

An MSP who resigned from a ministerial post over her opposition to controversial gender legislation has thanked the hundreds of people who have contacted her to offer support.Ash Regan's surprise resignation from the position of community safety minister was announced shortly before MSPs began debating the first stage of the Gender Recognition Reform (Scotland) Bill at the Scottish Parliament on Thursday.
www.theguardian.com
1 year ago
UK politics

Rishi Sunak hires ITV head of UK news as communications chief

Rishi Sunak has hired Amber de Botton as his director of communications, Downing Street confirmed on Saturday, in the latest in a series of appointments made by the prime minister in his first week in office.De Botton's career as a journalist has included working for ITV News and Sky News.She leaves ITV News, where she was head of UK news and previously politics.Unlike an impartial civil servant, the special adviser will be able to give political advice to ministers, defend the government's actions and criticise opposition parties.ITV's political editor, Robert Peston, tweeted: My colleague Amber de Botton is leaving ITV to be Rishi Sunak's director of communications.
www.independent.co.uk
1 year ago
UK news

Sunak suggests Braverman raised' breach during talks on Cabinet return

Rishi Sunak has suggested Suella Braverman raised the issue of her security breach with him while he discussed reappointing her as Home Secretary, in an apparent clarification of the account he gave to MPs.Mr Sunak sparked a backlash by bringing Ms Braverman back into the Cabinet despite she fact she had quit only days before, having been caught sending a Tory backbencher a sensitive document from a personal email account, twice breaching the ministerial code.
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