“Male migrants who cross the Channel in small boats will be sent to Rwanda in a multimillion-pound deal to be announced by Priti Patel today. The Rwandan government will be given an initial £120 million under a trial scheme. The migrants will be flown to the small African country while their claim for asylum in the UK is processed, The Times understands. The cost will be funded by the British taxpayer and is likely to reach thousands of pounds per person. Patel, the home secretary, will sign the “migration and economic development partnership” in Kigali, the capital, today.” – The Times
“Boris Johnson suffered a fresh blow over the “partygate” scandal on Wednesday when his justice minister quit over “repeated rule-breaking and breaches of the criminal law” in Downing Street. Lord David Wolfson said he could not remain a minister following the revelations about Number 10 parties held during coronavirus lockdowns. Wolfson’s resignation came as senior Tories expressed concern the scandal has much further to run, with the prime minister facing the possibility of more fines over Downing Street parties and the risk of photographs of gatherings being leaked to the media.” – FT
“Boris Johnson faces a further “partygate” police fine after giving a speech at a Downing Street leaving party for a long-standing aide, The Telegraph can disclose. The Prime Minister is facing another punishment after attending and giving a speech at the party for Lee Cain, his outgoing director of communications, on Nov 13, 2020, according to sources close to the investigation. Alcohol was consumed by some at the event, but it is not known whether Mr Johnson had a drink. However it is understood that he remained at the gathering for some time…” – Daily Telegraph
>Yesterday: ToryDiary: The circumstances in which Johnson would have to go
“My view is that at the moment the case for the Prime Minister’s resignation is not made. One fixed penalty notice simply does not justify it. But the issue is not closed down. I am a supporter of the Prime Minister. I want his government to succeed. He has got some huge things right. He can connect with people and take them with him like few others. But our constitutional rules must be observed and the political consequences must be assessed clearly. Partygate seems capable of changing perceptions fundamentally. The Government’s success in handling Ukraine does not seem to have changed Labour’s lead in the polls.” – Daily Telegraph
“Developers face a ban on building any more homes if they refuse to pay to remove cladding from Grenfell-style death traps. In all, 36 firms including giants Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey have pledged £5billion to strip away the flammable material still on high rises. But around 16 companies have yet to cough up any cash and are running out of time to do so. Housing Secretary Michael Gove has vowed to punish those failing to commit to his funding agreement and threatened to refuse them future planning permission.” – The Sun
>Today: ToryDiary: You haven’t been bullied because you think you have
“Hundreds more British soldiers could be sent to the Russian border after Estonia appealed to Nato to double the number stationed in the Baltics. There are 1,650 British soldiers in Estonia, a country of 1.3 million people, with 850 of those deployed since Russia invaded Ukraine. Estonia, which joined Nato in 2004, is asking for further reinforcements to bolster its defensive capabilities. It is more than doubling the size of its territorial army and procuring rocket launchers capable of hitting targets in St Petersburg, Russia’s second-largest city.” – The Times
>Today: Garvan Walshe’s column: Imran Khan’s fall shows how far Pakistan’s democracy has revived. But will the recovery last?
>Yesterday:
“Government goons today abandoned their leak probe into The Sun’s Matt Hancock story in a huge victory for the free press. The Information Commissioner’s Office admitted there was “insufficient evidence” to continue its aggressive witch-hunt. Last summer The Sun published CCTV footage of the then Health Secretary breaking Covid rules by snogging his married lover. Despite the clear public interest – Mr Hancock was forced to resign – the ICO launched a chilling investigation to snuff out the whistleblower. Heavies from the ICO raided homes and seized a staggering six phones in an inquiry bankrolled by the taxpayer. ” – The Sun