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       Keir Starmer warns of a ‘summer of chaos and confusion’

       The UK’s sleaze watchdog has called for a crackdown on “dark money” in British politics, with stronger enforcement needed for campaign finance rules, particularly concerning online campaigns.

       The Committee on Standards in Public Life will urge the government to close a loophole allowing firms to make political donations from profits made abroad, but the watchdog has admitted that it does not have the power to change the rules.

       It came as Boris Johnson’s government was under pressure following the launch of two official investigations, including one into the use of private emails for government work.

       Health minister Lord Bethell, alongside former health secretary Matt Hancock, reportedly routinely used private email accounts to conduct official business, raising concerns about transparency and security.

       At the same time, the Lords Commissioner for Standards is investigating a complaint that Lord Bethell sponsored a parliamentary pass for Mr Hancock’s former aide Gina Coladangelo - who he was caught kissing on leaked CCTV footage.

       Recommended Watchdog launches investigation into ministers’ use of private email Boris Johnson warned he could ‘accidentally’ disenfranchise Tory voters with photo ID plan Boris Johnson said it would be ‘ludicrous’ for him to be prime minister, claims Dominic Cummings Policing Bill: MPs vote for ‘draconian’ protest laws despite mounting opposition

       Key Points Sleaze watchdog calls for crackdown on ‘shadowy’ funding of British politics Starmer challenges Johnson over predictions for Covid deaths and hospitalisations Health minister under pressure as investigation launched into use of private email Greensill given access to Covid loans without detailed checks, National Audit Office says UK ministers and royals should boycott 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, Labour says

       Show latest update 1625661323 PM: ‘Very serious problems’ remain on NI protocol

       Boris Johnson said "very serious problems" remain in how the Northern Ireland protocol is being applied.

       Conservative former minister David Jones welcomed the extension of the grace period to ensure chilled meats can move between Great Britain and Northern Ireland, but said it amounts to a "temporary sticking plaster".

       He added in the Commons: "Can (Mr Johnson) please confirm that unless the European Union adopts a more proportionate approach to the application of the Northern Ireland Protocol, this country will do whatever is necessary - legislative or otherwise - to fix the problem permanently?"

       Mr Johnson replied: "(Mr Jones) is sadly completely right in his analysis.

       "There remains very serious problems in what I believe is the misapplication, the excessively legally purist application of that deal, of that protocol, and what we're hoping for is some progress from the European Commission, some repairs that I think they should make to the way that this is working.

       "To echo what he has said, we certainly rule nothing out in our approach."

       Matt Mathers 7 July 2021 13:35

       1625660216 Furious Labour MP attacks PM over defence of Covid breaches

       A furious Labour MP has attacked Boris Johnson for defending breaches of Covid rules.

       Speaking in the Commons Tanmanjeet Singh Dhesi, the member for Slough, criticised "sycophantic, spineless, hypocritical ministers" for defending those who breached guidelines.

       "It's not one rule for him and his elite chums and another for the rest of us plebs," he said.

       More below:

       Matt Mathers 7 July 2021 13:16

       1625658988 Boris Johnson falsely claims MPs turned down a vote on his overseas aid cuts

       Boris Johnson has falsely claimed that MPs were offered a vote on his huge overseas cuts – yet “mysteriously” chose not to take it up.

       An “estimates” vote was held last week – but this was on all government spending and could not be used to reverse cuts that will means “thousands of children will die”, Tory rebels are protesting.

       Our deputy politics editor Rob Merrick reports:

       Boris Johnson falsely claims MPs turned down a vote on his overseas aid cuts Boris Johnson has falsely claimed that MPs were offered a vote on his huge overseas cuts – yet “mysteriously” chose not to take it up.

       Matt Mathers 7 July 2021 12:56

       1625658725 SNP Commons leader suggests government is ‘trying to rob people of right to vote’

       SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford has suggested that the government is “trying to rob people of their democratic right to vote” over its Electoral Integrity Bill, which aims to introduce voter ID for people casting their ballot.

       “This week the Tory government introduced its so-called electoral integrity Bill, in reality the Bill is designed to do anything but increase the integrity of our elections,” Mr Blackford said.

       “It is a solution in desperate search of a problem that simply does not exist. What the Bill will do is impose for the first time Trumpian voter ID laws in the UK. The Electoral Reform Society says it could lead to voter disenfranchisement on an industrial scale.”

       He added: “Disenfranchising people from working class communities, BAME communities and others already marginalised in society, creating barriers to vote. Prime minister, why is this Tory government trying to rob people of their democratic right to vote?”

       You can find his comments and Boris Johnson’s response below:

       Conrad Duncan 7 July 2021 12:52

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       Sir Keir Starmer’s tribute to new Labour MP Kim Leadbeater at the start of Prime Minister’s Questions today can be found in full below:

       Conrad Duncan 7 July 2021 12:36

       1625657383 Starmer suggests Johnson is trying to ‘wish away’ problems with reopening

       Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has suggested that Boris Johnson is trying to “wish away” the practical problems that will come with a possible 100,000 coronavirus infections a day after the planned reopening of society later this month.

       “We should open up in a controlled way, keeping baseline protections such as masks on public transport, improving ventilation, making sure the Track and Trace system remains effective, and ensuring proper payments for self-isolation,” Sir Keir told the Commons.

       “The prime minister can't just wish away the practical problems 100,000 infections a day are going to cause.”

       He later added: “The question was simply how many people are going to be asked to self-isolate if there are 100,000 infections a day and he won't answer it.

       “We know why he won't answer it and he pretends I'm asking a different question, he ignored the problems in schools and now there are 700,000 children off per week.

       “Now he's ignoring the next big problem that's heading down the track and going to affect millions of people who have to self-isolate.”

       Conrad Duncan 7 July 2021 12:29

       1625657217 Johnson fails to deny millions will be forced into isolation after Covid reopening

       Boris Johnson has failed to deny that as many as 3.5 million people a week could be forced into self-isolation due to his decision to scrap all coronavirus restrictions on 19 July.

       Our political editor, Andrew Woodcock, has more details on this breaking story below:

       Boris Johnson fails to deny millions will be forced into isolation after Covid reopening Prime minister Boris Johnson has failed to deny that as many as 3.5m people a week will be forced into self-isolation by his decision to scrap all coronavirus restrictions on 19 July.

       Conrad Duncan 7 July 2021 12:26

       1625656978 Starmer challenges Johnson over predictions for Covid deaths and hospitalisations

       Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has challenged Boris Johnson to reveal how many deaths, hospitalisations and cases of long Covid are expected to emerge following the easing of coronavirus restrictions in England on 19 July.

       Speaking at Prime Minister's Questions, Sir Keir told the Commons: “We all want our economy to open and to get back to normal. The question is whether we do it in a controlled way or a chaotic way.”

       Highlighting remarks by health secretary Sajid Javid that infections could reach 100,000 a day, the Labour leader asked what that would mean for cases of serious illness.

       “If infections reach that level - 100,000 per day - what does the prime minister expect the number of hospitalisations, deaths and the number of people with long Covid will be in that eventuality?” he asked.

       Mr Johnson replied: “There are a number of projections and they're available from the Spi-M graphs, but what's certainly true is that we're seeing a wave of cases because of the Delta variant.

       “But scientists are also absolutely clear that we have severed the link between infection and serious disease and death. Currently there are only a 30th of the deaths that we were seeing at an equivalent position in previous waves of this pandemic.”

       (PA)

       Conrad Duncan 7 July 2021 12:22

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       Sir Keir Starmer has branded the Delta variant as the “Johnson variant” today following accusations that the mutated virus was able to enter the UK due to the prime minister’s failure to put India on the travel red list more quickly:

       Conrad Duncan 7 July 2021 12:17

       1625656336

       Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has opened Prime Minister’s Questions today by paying tribute to his party’s new MP for Batley and Spen, Kim Leadbeater - the sister of MP Jo Cox, who was murdered in 2016.

       Sir Keir said that it took “incredible courage and bravery” for Ms Leadbeater to stand in the same constituency as her sister.

       Conrad Duncan 7 July 2021 12:12

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