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Sat, 1 February 2025

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Boris Johnson MP

Boris Johnson MP

Conservative MP for Uxbridge and South Ruislip and Prime Minister

'Revealing': Lord Norton reviews 'Kingmaker: Secrets, Lies, and the Truth about Five Prime Ministers'
Books & culture
By Lord Norton of Louth
'Revealing': Lord Norton reviews 'Kingmaker: Secrets, Lies, and the Truth about Five Prime Ministers'
Providing great insights into the reality of political life, Lord Brady has produced a highly readable book
'Unleashed' review: Boris Johnson’s excuses wear thin for George Parker
Books & culture
By George Parker
'Unleashed' review: Boris Johnson’s excuses wear thin for George Parker
Self-serving and containing little in the way of self-examination, Boris Johnson’s new book is still more readable than most political memoirs. Perhaps he should have stuck to writing
'A vividly written page-turner': Rupa Huq reviews 'Taken as Red'
Books & culture
By Rupa Huq MP
'A vividly written page-turner': Rupa Huq reviews 'Taken as Red'
Anushka Asthana’s deep dive into the 2024 general election campaign is recommended reading for all those seeking insights into why Labour won by a landslide
A plea to end the Tory regicide
Political parties
By Nadine Dorries
A plea to end the Tory regicide
Some of us have been around long enough to remember the 2005 conference when the leadership battle was between the two Davids: Cameron and Davis.
'You Are Scared”: Uma Kumaran Says Abuse Nearly Made Her Give Up Dreams Of Being An MP
Political parties
"You Are Scared”: Uma Kumaran Says Abuse Nearly Made Her Give Up Dreams Of Being An MP
Former Keir Starmer aide Uma Kumaran talks to Harriet Symonds about working for Loto, a gloomy economic forecast, and fears for her safety. Photography by Louise Haywood-Schiefer
Lord Lexden reviews: 'Bloody Panico! or, Whatever Happened to The Tory Party'
Books & culture
By Lord Lexden
Lord Lexden reviews: 'Bloody Panico! or, Whatever Happened to The Tory Party'
Angry and fast-moving, Geoffrey Wheatcroft’s powerful attempt to understand what has gone wrong in the Tory Party is rooted in despair
'A brilliant little book': Lord Lexden reviews the newly revised, 'Gimson’s Kings & Queens'
Books & culture
By Lord Lexden
'A brilliant little book': Lord Lexden reviews the newly revised, 'Gimson’s Kings & Queens'
Written with a most attractive astringency, Andrew Gimson’s book has been updated to include the passing of Queen Elizabeth II and the succession of her son, Charles III
Government Accused Of Floundering On Transparency
Political parties
Government Accused Of Floundering On Transparency
Constitutional experts and MPs across the political divide, including cabinet ministers, believe the UK government has “floundered” on transparency.
Forensic: Lord Cormack reviews Peter Hennessy’s 'Land of Shame and Glory'
Books & culture
By Lord Cormack
Forensic: Lord Cormack reviews Peter Hennessy’s 'Land of Shame and Glory'
Wise and even prophetic, Lord Hennessy’s examination of the UK’s recent political upheavals will both impress and depress you
Oneweb: Will the UK's gamble on a satellite start-up pay off?
Technology
By Francis Elliott
Oneweb: Will the UK's gamble on a satellite start-up pay off?
Boris Johnson bought a cash-strapped satellite start-up in the middle of the Covid pandemic but it will take Brexit scars to heal for his bet to come good, Francis Elliott reports
All must have prizes: Headmaster Hoyle's 2023 school report
Parliament
By Robert Hutton
All must have prizes: Headmaster Hoyle's 2023 school report
As a tumultuous term draws to a close, Robert Hutton hunts though the debris and hands out gongs
Illustrations by Tracy Worrall
A brutal satire with a pantomime feel: Lord Wood reviews 'Pandemonium'
Books & culture
By Lord Wood
A brutal satire with a pantomime feel: Lord Wood reviews 'Pandemonium'
Very angry, frequently vicious and sometimes moving, Armando Iannucci’s new play is an excoriating lampoon of those who rule us
Rishi Sunak Tells Covid Inquiry 'Eat Out To Help Out' Was The 'Right Thing To Do'
Coronavirus
Rishi Sunak Tells Covid Inquiry 'Eat Out To Help Out' Was The "Right Thing To Do"
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has defended his own decision-making as chancellor during the Covid-19 pandemic, and told the Covid Inquiry that the Eat Out To Help Scheme was the "right thing to do".
Boris Johnson Denies His Approach To Covid-19 Was 'Let It Rip'
Coronavirus
Boris Johnson Denies His Approach To Covid-19 Was "Let It Rip"
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has denied ever saying government's approach to the pandemic should be “let it rip” and allow Covid-19 to kill older and more clinically vulnerable people.
Boris Johnson Blames 'Default Mindset' For Failings In Government's Early Response To Covid-19 Pandemic
Coronavirus
Boris Johnson Blames "Default Mindset" For Failings In Government's Early Response To Covid-19 Pandemic
Former prime minister Boris Johnson has blamed a "default mindset" for the early assumption by government that Covid-19 would not seriously impact the UK, when questioned at the Covid Inquiry.
Michael Gove Says Cabinet Office Was Inherently 'Dysfunctional' During Pandemic
Coronavirus
Michael Gove Says Cabinet Office Was Inherently "Dysfunctional" During Pandemic
The Cabinet Office was inherently “dysfunctional” and unprepared for dealing with the Covid-19 pandemic, according to former Minister for the Cabinet Office Michael Gove.
Chris Whitty Says Government Was 'Too Late' To Act In First Wave Of Covid-19 Pandemic
Coronavirus
Chris Whitty Says Government Was "Too Late" To Act In First Wave Of Covid-19 Pandemic
The UK government was "a bit too late" to intervene in the early months of the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, according to top medical adviser to the government Professor Chris Whitty.
Full through the looking glass: Caroline Nokes reviews 'The Plot'
Books & culture
By Caroline Nokes MP
Full through the looking glass: Caroline Nokes reviews 'The Plot'
Nadine Dorries has actually written a page-turner – but only because I was desperate for it to end
Boris Johnson Was 'Bamboozled' By Scientific Advice During Covid Pandemic
Coronavirus
Boris Johnson Was "Bamboozled" By Scientific Advice During Covid Pandemic
Former prime minister Boris Johnson was "bamboozled" by much of the scientific advice given during the Covid-19 pandemic, according to the government's top scientific adviser.
Senior Civil Servant Warned Government Had No Plan For Covid-19 And Could 'Kill Thousands'
Health
Senior Civil Servant Warned Government Had No Plan For Covid-19 And Could "Kill Thousands"
Helen MacNamara, the former Deputy Cabinet Secretary, has told the Covid inquiry she was extremely concerned the Government did not have an adequate plan to deal with Covid-19 prior to a nationwide lockdown called in March 2020.
Tories Learnt The 'Wrong Lessons' From Narrow By-Election Victory, Labour’s Defeated Candidate Says
Political parties
Tories Learnt The "Wrong Lessons" From Narrow By-Election Victory, Labour’s Defeated Candidate Says
Labour’s defeated candidate from July’s Uxbridge by-election has insisted that the Conservatives learnt the “wrong lessons” from their victory, as parties brace for the possibility of new contests.
Dominic Cummings Says Cabinet Office Was A 'Bombsite' During Covid Response
Coronavirus
Dominic Cummings Says Cabinet Office Was A "Bombsite" During Covid Response
Dominic Cummings, former top advisor to Boris Johnson during the Covid-19 pandemic, has told the Covid Inquiry that the Cabinet Office was a "bombsite" that operated with "inconsistent data and facts".
Government Ignored Scientists And Businesses With 'Eat Out To Help Out' Scheme
Coronavirus
Government Ignored Scientists And Businesses With 'Eat Out To Help Out' Scheme
Lee Cain, the former Director of Communications at No.10 between 2019 and 2020, has told the Covid Inquiry that the government ignored advice from scientists and businesses to implement the Eat Out to Help Out scheme after the first lockdown period, when it was "incredibly clear" the UK would have to enter lockdown again after that point.
Top Civil Servant 'Cannot Recall' Why He Turned On WhatsApp Disappearing Messages During Covid
Coronavirus
Top Civil Servant "Cannot Recall" Why He Turned On WhatsApp Disappearing Messages During Covid
Martin Reynolds, the Principal Private Secretary to the Prime Minister during the key stages of the government's response to the Covid-19 pandemic, told the Covid Inquiry that he could "not recall" why he had turned on a function to make an important WhatsApp group's messages disappear.
George Parker reviews 'All to Play for: The Advance of Rishi Sunak'
Books & culture
By George Parker
George Parker reviews 'All to Play for: The Advance of Rishi Sunak'
The overarching theme of Lord Ashcroft’s revised and updated biography of Rishi Sunak is a portrayal of a politician trying to do the right thing
Ultimately a study in pain: Lord Hennessy reviews 'Politics On the Edge'
Books & culture
By Lord Hennessy
Ultimately a study in pain: Lord Hennessy reviews 'Politics On the Edge'
A truly absorbing and fascinating book, Rory Stewart’s memoir reveals the scarring effect of disillusionment
New Uxbridge MP Wants To Be The “Voice Of The People” And Stop ULEZ
Environment
New Uxbridge MP Wants To Be The “Voice Of The People” And Stop ULEZ
Steve Tuckwell, the newly elected MP for Boris Johnson’s former seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, has said he wants to be the “voice of the people” and continue to push back against the expansion of the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) scheme into outer London.
Engaging, thoughtful and funny: Kathryn Stone reviews 'Code of Conduct'
Books & culture
By Kathryn Stone
Engaging, thoughtful and funny: Kathryn Stone reviews 'Code of Conduct'
A powerful examination of parliamentary conduct and the eroding of standards, Chris Bryant’s book begins on 3 November 2021 – a day I will always remember
Conservatives Hold Boris Johnson's Former Uxbridge Seat In By-Election
Political parties
Conservatives Hold Boris Johnson's Former Uxbridge Seat In By-Election
The Conservatives have held onto Boris Johnson's former seat of Uxbridge and Ruislip with a wafer-thin majority in a by-election characterised by the Ultra Low Emissions Zone (ULEZ) debate.
Conservatives Brace For Triple By-Election With Odds Stacked Against Them
Political parties
Conservatives Brace For Triple By-Election With Odds Stacked Against Them
As by-election polling day approaches in three English constituencies, the odds appear stacked against the Conservatives for hopes that they'll hold onto seats vacated by their MPs.
ULEZ Curveball Is Threatening To Derail A Labour By-Election Victory In Boris Johnson's Uxbridge
Political parties
ULEZ Curveball Is Threatening To Derail A Labour By-Election Victory In Boris Johnson's Uxbridge
The Labour Party is hopeful it can take Boris Johnson's former seat in a symbolic victory at the Uxbridge and South Ruislip by-election on Thursday, but the salience of Sadiq Khan's contentious Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) has made the Tories believe they might still have a fighting chance.
Government Loses Legal Challenge To Avoid Handing Over Boris Johnson's Covid WhatsApps
Coronavirus
Government Loses Legal Challenge To Avoid Handing Over Boris Johnson's Covid WhatsApps
The Cabinet Office has lost a legal challenge to allow them to withhold Boris Johnson's unredacted WhatsApp messages from the Covid inquiry, after it previously claimed they were "unambiguously irrelevant".
Fifth By-Election Looms With Chris Pincher Facing Eight Week Suspension Over 'Shocking' Misconduct
Political parties
Fifth By-Election Looms With Chris Pincher Facing Eight Week Suspension Over "Shocking" Misconduct
The parliamentary standards watchdog has recommended that former government whip Chris Pincher should be suspended from parliament for eight weeks following an investigation into his conduct, likely triggering another by-election.
Boris Johnson Allies 'Undermined' Privileges Committee, Report Concludes
Political parties
Boris Johnson Allies "Undermined" Privileges Committee, Report Concludes
The Privileges Committee has concluded that Tory MPs among Boris Johnson's most loyal supporters, including Jacob Rees Mogg and Nadine Dorries, "undermined" their investigation into whether the former prime minister misled parliament over partygate.
Peers Have Donated Over £50m To Parties Who Appointed Them To Lords
Political parties
Peers Have Donated Over £50m To Parties Who Appointed Them To Lords
Almost a quarter of House of Lords appointees over the last decade were party donors, and almost half have a political connection to party appointees, analysis by PoliticsHome shows.
Tories Are Desperate To Offer 'Hope' As Party Moves On From Boris Johnson Era
Political parties
Tories Are Desperate To Offer "Hope" As Party Moves On From Boris Johnson Era
Moderate Conservative MPs are keen to find new ways to offer "hope" to voters as the chaotic hold former prime minister Boris Johnson has over the party finally seems to have abated.