Boris Johnson could still face MPs over a highly-anticipated report into parties in No 10 before the week is out, a Cabinet minister has suggested, as No 10 braced for the results of the investigation which could determine the Prime Minister’s future.
A report by senior official Sue Gray was expected to be handed to Downing Street on Wednesday but reports suggested the final document was still being pored over overnight.
Tory MPs have held off until the publication of the report to pass judgment on their leader over multiple alleged parties across No 10 and Whitehall during coronavirus restrictions.
This comes after Mr Johnson came under increasing pressure to explain his role in the evacuation of animals from Afghanistan amid reports he did influence their removal from Kabul – despite his denials.
No 10 has repeatedly said Mr Johnson had no involvement in pushing for help for the charity Nowzad, after accusations that officials’ time was taken up supporting the charity rather than people who could have been brought to the UK.
Leaked emails surfaced on Wednesday in which Foreign Office officials suggest the Prime Minister “authorised” their rescue, despite Mr Johnson previously saying it was “complete nonsense” that he had intervened.
Elsewhere, North Korea fired two suspected ballistic missiles into the sea on Thursday in its sixth round of weapons launches this month, according to South Korea’s military.
Experts say North Korea’s unusually fast pace in testing activity underscores an intent to put pressure on Joe Biden’s administration over long-stalled negotiations aimed at exchanging a release of crippling US-led sanctions for the North’s denuclearisation steps.
Meanwhile, an estimated 2.5 million UK households missed payments in January, a significant increase on the month before, as increases in the cost of living start to “hit hard”, research suggests.
The number of households to miss or default on at least one mortgage, rent, loan, credit card or bill payment rose from an estimated 1.7 million in December last year to 2.5 million in January, according to the latest findings from Which?’s consumer insight tracker.
These are just some of the national and international news stories making headlines this morning after breaking overnight.
Others include:
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Struggling households could get help with £140 one-off payment for energy bills
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Ex-Tory Cabinet minster wants assisted dying law change to be debated
Read on to find out more.
Boris Johnson could still face MPs as wait for Sue Gray's report continues
It is not clear what the report has discovered but an indication of how damaging it could be for the Government came when Scotland Yard chief Dame Cressida Dick announced a police inquiry was being carried out, based in part on evidence obtained by the Gray investigation.
There was speculation that after the report was not delivered on Wednesday, MPs and the public may have to wait until after the weekend for its publication, as Mr Johnson had promised to address the Commons shortly after it was released.
There were suggestions that due to Thursday being Holocaust Memorial Day and many MPs being back in their constituencies from Thursday afternoon, No 10 may hold off on publishing the report once it was received.
However, Leader of the Commons Jacob Rees-Mogg said the conclusions would be important enough to bring to the House straight away.
PM under pressure to explain role in Afghan animal airlift
Boris Johnson is coming under increasing pressure to explain his role in the evacuation of animals from Afghanistan amid reports he did influence their removal from Kabul – despite his denials.
No 10 has repeatedly said Mr Johnson had no involvement in pushing for help for the charity Nowzad, after accusations that officials’ time was taken up supporting the charity rather than people who could have been brought to the UK.
Sky News reported that Conservative MP Trudy Harrison, who was then parliamentary private secretary (PPS) to Mr Johnson, had contacted a private charter company to try to secure a plane to help with the Nowzad evacuation, and a source at the company told the broadcaster it was implicit that she was acting with the PM’s backing.
Ms Harrison previously wrote to former Royal Marine Paul “Pen” Farthing, who ran the Nowzad shelter, to inform him the evacuation would go ahead.
North Korea said to have fired two missiles in its sixth launch this year
The renewed pressure comes as the pandemic further shakes the North’s economy, which was already battered by the sanctions over its nuclear weapons programme and decades of mismanagement by its government.
South Korea’s Joint Chiefs of Staff said the weapons, which were likely short-range, were launched five minutes apart from the eastern coastal town of Hamhung and flew 100 miles before landing at sea.
Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida said there has so far been no reports of damage to vessel and aircraft around the Japanese coast.
Rising costs of living results in 2.5 million households missing payments in January
An estimated 2.5 million UK households missed payments in January, a significant increase on the month before, as increases in the cost of living start to “hit hard”, research suggests.
The number of households to miss or default on at least one mortgage, rent, loan, credit card or bill payment rose from an estimated 1.7 million in December last year to 2.5 million in January, according to the latest findings from Which?’s consumer insight tracker.
More than half of those surveyed (58%) said they had recently been affected by increased food prices, and 56% said they had been affected by energy price rises.
Just under a fifth (17%) reported a recent increase in their housing costs, and the same proportion reported an increase in the price they pay for broadband and mobile services.
Struggling households could get help with £140 one-off payment for energy bills
Utility bills have soared in recent months and are expected to rocket up even more over the next 15 months following the increased price cap in October.
Another update on February 7 is set to inflate energy bills further before potentially two more price cap increases by April 2023, where it is predicted to rise by 50% to an average of £2,000 a year.
Over 15 million homes were affected by last October's increase, which saw default tariffs increase by £139 to £1,277 a year. Prepayment customers have seen bills rise by £153 from £1,156 to £1,309.
However, there is still support available at some energy suppliers to help alleviate the financial struggles, if households are eligible for the £140 payment towards utility bills - the Warm Home Discount scheme.
Ex-Tory Cabinet minster wants assisted dying law change to be debated
Parliament should be allowed to fully consider a change in the law on assisted dying, a Tory former Cabinet minister has said.
Speaking at Westminster, Lord Forsyth of Drumlean argued the case for the Government to introduce draft legislation that would enable terminally ill, mentally competent adults to legally end their own lives with medical assistance, with the aim of enabling politicians to debate the contentious issue.
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