Senior people in Boris Johnson’s government are blocking a street harassment law aimed at giving women and girls more protection, a top adviser has suggested.

       Nimco Ali – a close friend of Mr Johnson and his wife Carrie – said her plan to create a new harassment offence had been subject to “pushback” despite support from home secretary Priti Patel.

       Ms Ali, appointed an independent advisor to Ms Patel in 2020, appeared to suggest that the prime minister was personally opposed to the plan when she appeared on BBC’s Political Thinking podcast.