Summary
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has told the Metropolitan police to conduct a “lessons learned” review of the way protests were policed at the coronation. (See 4.15pm.) He issued his demand as some Tories joined opposition MPs in expression concern about the way six anti-monarchy protesters from Republic were arrested and detained on Saturday, under powers in the new Public Order Act, despite having negotiated with the police in advance about what protest would be permissible. Responding to an urgent question on this, Chris Philp, the policing minister, was unable to explain why if, as the police now say, the arrests were a mistake, it took 16 hours for the activists to be released. Khan said the review must answer this question. Earlier Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, said those arrests were “unfortunate”. (See 1.35pm.) But Rowley also praised the actions of his officers overall, saying intelligence about threats that could have caused “multiple serious injuries” led to the arrest of suspects who are still being investigated (see 2.14pm.)
Updated
In the Commons Wes Streeting, the shadow health secretary, complained that there was “no date or deadline” in the government plans announced today to free up GPs’ time to help patients who need care most.
Responding to the announcement from Steve Barclay, the health secretary, Streeting said:
This announcement was meant to be the prime minister’s relaunch after he received a drubbing in the local elections, and unfortunately for the members opposite, it seems the prime minister is bouncing back in true Alan Partridge style …
[Barclay] says patients will get an appointment within two weeks as if it is some kind of triumph. Two weeks? When we were in government, we delivered GP appointments within two days. And when will this pitiful promise be delivered? There is no date or deadline.
When can patients expect the 8am scramble to be ended by? There is no date or deadline. When will patients with urgent needs be seen on the same day? There is no date or deadline.
Updated
RCN announces dates for ballot on further strike action over pay
The Royal College of Nursing has said that it will start balloting its members on further strike action in England on 23 May. The government is imposing its pay deal on nurses and other NHS workers, but the RCN is the most important of the unions still opposed to the offer, and if members vote in favour, it will hold further strikes.
Our strike ballot for members working for the NHS in England will open on 23 May.
— The RCN (@theRCN) May 9, 2023
Check your details now in MyRCN to take part in the postal ballot and vote 'yes' to #RCNStrike action for fair pay, patient safety and to protect our NHS.
Read more.https://t.co/cdq1t2T5xz
Starmer echoes Peter Mandelson by declaring he is 'very relaxed about people being rich and getting rich'
Peter Mandelson famously said that New Labour was “intensely relaxed about people getting filthy rich as long as they pay their taxes”. In his interview with the Labour leader, the BBC’s Chris Mason asked Keir Starmer if that was his view too.
In his reply, Starmer came out with a slightly watered down version of the quote that might be described as vanilla New Labour (which is how some critics see the whole Starmer project). Starmer replied:
I’m very relaxed about people being rich and getting rich.
I know what aspiration is. I came from a working class background and I was able to not only head up the Crown Prosecution Service, but now lead the Labour party.
So my story is one of aspiration and opportunity. I understand that in other people. But I want, obviously everybody to pay their taxes, and I want fairness and I want equality and I want every child to have that opportunity. That’s why it’s one of our five missions.
Updated
Starmer refuses to rule out deal with Liberal Democrats if Labour fail to win outright majority
In his BBC interview Keir Starmer also refused to rule out doing a deal with with Liberal Democrats.
The local election result has renewed speculation that the next general election could result in Labour being the largest party in a hung parliament. In those circumstances Starmer could either govern as a minority party, and trust that the other opposition parties would not unite with the Tories to vote him out of office; negotiate a coalition agreement with a party with enough MPs to create a majority government; or strike a deal, short of a coalition, with another party (or parties) that would allow Labour to pass budgets and key legislation. The Tories did this with the DUP after 2017, and Labour with the Liberals in the 1970s.
Asked if he would deal with the SNP, Starmer repeated his opposition to this. He told the BBC:
No deal with the SNP. And I’ll tell you for why. Because there’s a fundamental disagreement, I will never do a deal with a party that thinks that the separation of the United Kingdom is the way forward and putting a border between Scotland and England.
But when asked if he would do a deal with the Liberal Democrats, Starmer gave a different answer, just saying he would not answer because that was a hypothetical question. He did, though, stress that he was working for a Labour majority.
Updated
Starmer refuses to commit to repealing Public Order Act, and urges Met to view coronation arrests as 'learning experience'
Keir Starmer has told the BBC that the Metropolitan police should view the mistaken arrest of six anti-monarchy protesters at the coronation as a “learning experience”. In an interview, Chris Mason, the BBC’s political editor, asked if the police were wrong to arrest them. Starmer said the police did need to take action against groups such as Just Stop Oil. But, he went on:
On the other hand, obviously, we need to protect legitimate protests. So it’s a judgment call.
They got some of those judgments wrong as they accepted.
And I think that’s a learning experience for them, that as we go forward, we need to ensure that perhaps there’s better guidance or something.
But Starmer also refused to commit to repealing the Public Order Act, the new legislation that was used to arrest the six republican activists. (See 2.14pm.) He said that the authorities did need powers to deal with groups like Just Stop Oil and he said it was “early days” in terms of assessing how the new act worked.
He also said that, just because a new law was on the statute book, that did not mean the police would have to use it. Case law and guidance could sometimes lead to a “better framework for decision-making”, he said.
Updated
Sunak uses helicopter for trip that would have taken just over an hour by train
Rishi Sunak flew to the south coast and back by helicopter on Tuesday morning in the latest example of the UK prime minister’s fondness for short-distance air travel, Pippa Crerar reports.
Blair tells Labour not to be 'complacent' about its election prospects
Tony Blair, the last Labour leader to win a general election, has urged his party not to be complacent about the challenges it faces if it wants to beat the Conservatives.
In an interview with Bloomberg, Blair said Starmer had “done a pretty good job pulling the Labour party back from where it was”. He went on:
But of course you can’t be complacent about these things at all.
Blair also suggested that Labour needed a more compelling vision for the future. He said:
One of the biggest problems for Britain at the moment is the sense that we don’t have that strong forward momentum behind a plan for the country’s future.
Blair told Bloomberg he expected Labour to set out more detail abut its policy proposals in the coming months to construct a “modern agenda” that would give people “optimism”.
Updated
Hilary Benn (Lab) says, given what happened to the six activists from Republic, why should campaigners who liaise in advance with the police about what will and will not be allowed at a protest accept the assurances they are given?
Philp says “in the heat of a live operation” things are not always clear. He suggests other protesters were not being cooperative.
Updated
Daisy Cooper, the Lib Dem deputy leader, asks why a journalist was among those arrested.
Philp says the Public Order Act includes protections for journalists.
Back in the Commons, Jeremy Corbyn, the former Labour leader, also called for a review of the Public Order Act. He said that would be an example of how democracies are willing to admit when they get things wrong.
In response, Philp did not accept the need for a review of the act.
Updated
Sadiq Khan tells Met to review coronation policing, including explaining why Republic activists detained for so long
Sadiq Khan, the mayor of London, has written to Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, calling for a “lessons learned” review of the policing of protests at the coronation. Here is an excerpt.
Despite the welcome efforts of so many committed officers, it is clear that some of the arrests made have given rise to concerns and, in my oversight role as mayor, I am seeking assurance from you that the issues related to these will be subject to a review and lessons learned. In particular, I would ask that you urgently provide me with further information on:
-The arrests of six members of the “Republic” group, and why the arresting officers did not appear to know or take into account, the liaison Republic had undertaken with Met in advance of the event?
-Why the protest liaison officer was not part of the decision-making process on the arrests or even contacted?
-Why there was not a faster resolution in respect of these arrests following the initial decision to arrest?
-What role the new legislation played in the arrests, and what consideration was given to concerns raised by City Hall that section 2 Public Order Act 2023 “being equipped to lock on” was so broadly drawn, that it could interfere with peaceful protest if not carefully interpreted?
-What liaison took place with Westminster city council after the arrests of the “Night Star” volunteers?
-What briefing was provided to officers who were drafted in from outside of Westminster borough area to ensure they were aware of local partnership arrangements?
In his letter Khan also accepted that “balancing public safety requirements against the fundamental right to peaceful protest is not easy” and he thanked the police for their success in making the coronation a global success.
Updated
Tom Hunt (Con) asks for an assurance that there is not a loophole in the Public Order Act to allow slow marching.
Philp says Just Stop Oil have changed their tactics, and are using slow walking. But the police have adapted by applying a cumulative disruption test. As a result, they have been able to clear roads after recent protests within 10 minutes.
Clive Lewis (Lab) says this act is doing what it is meant to do: stopping peaceful protest.
Philp says Lewis is talking “nonsense”.
Updated
Michael Fabricant (Con) says he is getting “pretty fed up of the police apologising all the time”. He says the police said they would deal robustly with protesters, and then did just that.
Philp says the Met were apologising for the fact that the six people were not able to join others taking part in the protest.
Alistair Carmichael (Lib Dem) says he is amused by Chris Philp’s declaration that the Met apologises to people who were lawfully arrested. (See 3.46pm.)
He calls for post-legislative scrutiny of the Public Order Act.
Updated
Philp unable to explain why, if arrest of six Republic activists a mistake, it took 16 hours for them to be released
Sir Desmond Swayne (Con) says there was a misunderstanding. But why did it take 16 hours (the time for which the six were detained) for this to be resolved?
Philp says there was a lot going on that day. He says he does not know why it took so long for the matter to be resolved. But, he says, there are complaints mechanisms in place.
UPDATE: Swayne said:
There’s been a misunderstanding clearly, despite the police doing a brilliant job. That’s why there has been an apology.
But wouldn’t the minister expect that misunderstanding to have been resolved well within the 16 hours for which the six were incarcerated, and surely there should be some questions asked about that?
And Philp said:
Exactly what happened is an operational matter for the police. Clearly on that day … the police had a lot going on in central London.
Updated
James Daly (Con) says the Met did a great job. Earlier Michael Ellis (Con) also made the same argument, saying the Conservatives were on the side of the police.
Ellis seemed to have forgotten about Lee Anderson, the Tory deputy chair, who is not a supporter of the Met.
Updated
Alison Thewliss, the SNP’s home affairs spokesperson, says Graham Smith, the head of Republic, says the right to protest peacefully no longer exists. That is unacceptable, she says.
Philp says it is “nonsense” to say the right to protest does not exist. People protested on Saturday, he says. What does not exist is the right to cause disruption to other people, he says.
Updated
Sarah Jones, the shadow Home Office minister, says there are “serious concerns” about the arrest of the six anti-monarchy protesters.
She asks if the government accepts the review proposed by the mayor of London, so that any problems with the Public Order Act can be identified.
She says the government needs to strike a balance between looking after the interests of the police and the people.
Philp says he agrees on the need for balance.
Philp says it has not been established that six anti-monarchy protesters were wrongly arrested
David Davis (Con) says the six protesters were wrongly arrested. If the home affairs committee recommends changes to the Public Order Act, will the government accept that advice?
Philp says Davis is wrong to say that the six were definitely wrongly arrested. He says he does not think that has been established. There is a legal threshold that applies, he says.
Philp is responding to Cherry.
He says ministers were briefed by the Met in advance. But the Labour party had a briefing too, he says.
And he tells Cherry that neither of them know exactly what happened when the six anti-monarchy protesters were arrested.
SNP's Joanna Cherry calls for inquiry into coronation arrests of anti-monarchy protesters
Joanna Cherry, the SNP who tabled the UQ, is responding.
She says the police who arrested the six activists from Republic showed no interest in contacting the police officers who the group had been liaising with in advance.
She asks what political pressure was brought to bear on the police.
And she asks for an inquiry into the arrests.
Will he review the legislation and set up an inquiry into what happened to these six citizens on Saturday?
Updated
Policing minister Chris Philp responds to Commons urgent question about protests at coronation
Chris Philp, the policing minister, is responding to the urgent question on the policing of protests at the coronation.
It was a moment of national pride, he says. He thanks those involved.
He says Sir Mark Rowley has outlined the intelligence picture in the run-up to the coronation. There was more than one plot, he says.
There were “multiple, well-organised plots” to disrupt the coronation.
All the plots were foiled by intelligence work and proactive, vigilant policing on the ground.
He says extensive planning also ensured protests could take place, including by a large group numbering in the hundreds.
He says 64 arrests were made, including “a person wanted for sexual offences, people equipped to commit criminal damage with large quantities of paint and arrests on suspicion of conspiracy to cause public nuisance, often backed by intelligence”.
He says the Met has expressed regret about the arrest of six people.
The Met is operationally independent, he says. And he says it is principally held to account by the London mayor.
Updated
Rishi Sunak did not find time to speak to a reporter from the Daily Echo in Southampton when he visited the city earlier. Big mistake. He was brought up in the city, and the paper takes the snub personally. These are from its editor, Ben Fishwick.
Unbelievable - @RishiSunak is in Southampton making an announcement about pharmacies. Mr Sunak is from Southampton - but will not be taking any questions from the @dailyecho. We weren't invited or told about the visit but did go.
— Ben Fishwick (@ben_fishwick) May 9, 2023
.@Journo_Jose has been at Weston Lane Surgery waiting to hear/speak with the Prime Minister - he's been kept out in the cold with no access - and the PM has now left by a side door, avoiding our reporter & other media
— Ben Fishwick (@ben_fishwick) May 9, 2023
This flies in the face of culture secretary @lucyfrazermp's words at a Downing Street Local Media Champions reception where she told me: "Local journalists capture the heart of our communities and make sure politicians are doing their jobs better by holding them to account."
— Ben Fishwick (@ben_fishwick) May 9, 2023
It turns out that words are easy - I can't understand why the PM would refuse to speak to a local journalist in his home city. Boris Johnson last year agreed to a sit-down interview at Southampton Airport with the Echo. What's changed?
— Ben Fishwick (@ben_fishwick) May 9, 2023
I'm told by the No 10 press office that it's standard practice to have a pool reporter and this is due to security reasons. To me - and others - this will no doubt look like a PM dodging tough questions from the local press.
— Ben Fishwick (@ben_fishwick) May 9, 2023
Updated
Adam Wagner, a barrister specialising in human rights law, claims Sir Mark Rowley’s Evening Standard article (see 2.14pm) shows the Met is not taking its duty to protect the right to protest seriously.
Here the Met Police Commissioner spends 100s of words defending policing of the Coronation - makes a few fair points. What he totally fails to mention is the right to protest under the Human Rights Act, which the police have a responsibility to protect. https://t.co/cZw49WzcXh
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) May 9, 2023
This is what Met get wrong again and again - they don't take human rights to protest seriously. No surprise after years of govt saying disruption is the enemy they go after it like it's the biggest threat. Perhaps police should worry less about being applauded and cheered and… pic.twitter.com/nskJcj3wtD
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) May 9, 2023
This was a relatively small protest (maybe in part because of public police discouragement in the build up). Wait until the police start to flex their huge new powers at large scale protests, and especially when they feel that public opinion is on their side.
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) May 9, 2023
As an aside, slow hand clap (if not a slow walk) for Parliamentarians who thought it would be a good idea to make it an offence to have in possession with "intent" the string, tape and glue you need to put up protest banners, and allow suspicion-less search for the same.
— Adam Wagner (@AdamWagner1) May 9, 2023
The SNP’s Westminster leader, Stephen Flynn, says he hopes a “compromise” can be found in the ongoing row between fellow MP Joanna Cherry and the Stand comedy club, after her event there was cancelled because key staff refused to work with her as a result of her gender-critical views.
Flynn told BBC Radio Scotland:
As a point of principle I don’t agree with Joanna on this wider topic but I defend her right to be able to ensure that her voice is heard and hopefully a compromise can be found.
Asked if he would be making this point to Tommy Sheppard, who co-founded the club but is no longer involved in its day to day operation, Flynn added:
It’s not my position to delve into an issue directly relating to a business. Joanna knows she very much has my support on this issue.
Flynn has previously taken a more conciliatory approach to trans rights matters than some SNP colleagues, telling the Guardian in February that politicians’ opposition to gender recognition reform – former FM Nicola Sturgeon’s flagship reform and one that new FM Humza Yousaf is now defending against UK government veto in the courts - should be “respected like any other conscience issue”.
Cherry is continuing to threaten legal action, unless the Stand issues an apology and reinstates the event, saying that her cancellation is “symptomatic of a wider problem in our society”. She said:
I am very concerned that those who hold perfectly legitimate views on a variety of issues, including women like me, are regularly being misrepresented, de-platformed and, in some cases, facing damage to or the loss of our livelihoods. This is often accompanied by online abuse and threats. The debate on gender self-identification is a very important one which must be allowed to take place.
Flynn also used the interview to set out his hopes for a “progressive alliance” with Labour should they require support for a minority government at the next general election – of course on the condition that Labour grants Holyrood the powers to hold a second independence referendum.
It’s a tightrope position that Sturgeon held over successive elections, promising not to put the Tories back in power but also only giving support to Labour if particular conditions were met.
But after last week’s local election results, it’s evident that Labour will probably have the Lib Dems to negotiate with too, so Flynn’s referendum ask won’t be the only game in town.
Updated
Met was 'extremely concerned' by Friday night over new intelligence about threat to coronation, says Rowley
Sir Mark Rowley’s article in the Evening Standard, defending “Operation Golden Orb”, the policing of the coronation, is a lot more interesting than the usual PR stuff that comes from the Met, and is worth reading in full. But here are the highlights.
Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, says that by Friday night the Met had become “extremely concerned” about intelligence it has received about threats to the event the following day. He says:
By Friday evening, only twelve hours from the coronation, we had become extremely concerned by a rapidly developing intelligence picture suggesting the Coronation could suffer. This included people intent on using rape alarms and loud hailers as part of their protest which would have caused distress to military horses. We also had intelligence that people intended to extensively vandalise monuments, throw paint at the procession, and incur on to the route.
Adding to our concerns, military colleagues shared their worries about how some of this disruption would significantly unsettle their 160 strong mounted regiments, with the potential of causing multiple serious injuries and compromising public safety.
He said the threat was so serious that Suella Braverman, the home secretary, and Sadiq Khan, the mayor, were given late night briefings on Friday. He also said officers worked through the night “to identify the full criminal network, establish the detail of their plans, and make arrests”.
Rowley said this intelligence led to multiple arrests. He explained:
The intelligence and subsequent investigative work led to officers making arrests across multiple locations. These included arrests made for sex offences, illegal drugs and fighting but also groups who were believed to be involved in the type of criminal activities our intelligence had indicated. Officers have told me how the celebrating crowds applauded and cheered as they made 17 arrests in the Mall area close to the processional route and imminent to the start of the procession …
While our investigations continue, I can report that we found people in possession of possible lock-on devices and people that appeared to be purporting to be stewards of the event in possession of plastic bottles containing white paint which we believe were specifically to be used to criminally disrupt the procession and resulted in arrests for going equipped to commit criminal damage.
He said that the Met was focusing on people “intent on causing serious disruption and criminality” and that “the risks were very real”. He said that, following the arrests, 53 people had been bailed, and investigations will continue.
He said it was “unfortunate” that six anti-monarchy protesters were arrested under suspicion of being equipped for locking on. These were the only arrests under the new Public Order Act, he said. (Critics of the act may conclude it is telling that the only arrests that Rowley seems to regret were the arrests under this legislation.) See 1.35pm.
He said there was no ban on protests at the coronation. He said:
While we said that our tolerance for disruption of the coronation celebrations was low, it was not zero. I must challenge those claiming there was a ‘protest ban’ around the coronation. This is simply not accurate. There were hundreds of undisturbed protestors along the route including a large group in Trafalgar Square, although small in comparison to the tens of thousands seeking to enjoy the event.
He said the Met has a long history of policing protests. It policed 500 protest-specific events last year, more than half of which passed without any arrests, he said.
He said Operation Golden Orb was the largest ever security operation led by the Met. Some 11,500 officers and staff were involved, alongside more than 6,500 military ceremonial troops. He also said 312 world leaders and dignitaries were present, guarded by 800 close protection officers.
Updated
In his column in the Times today William Hague, the former Tory leader, argues that the Conservatives did surprisingly well in the local elections, given the cost of living problems people are facing. Referring to assessmements that Labour was either nine or seven points ahead of the Conservatives, and that this lead would not be enough to provide Keir Starmer with a majority at a general election, Hague said:
Such a figure does not indicate an opposition riding high, as I know from my own electoral experience. In 2000, as Tory leader, I won the local elections with an 8 per cent lead over Tony Blair’s Labour. You might recall that Blair did not have much difficulty beating me in the general election the following year. The next election is not in the bag.
But Beyond the Topline, an electoral blogger, says that Hague’s analogy does not hold up because the Tories tend to do better in local elections when they are in opposition than Labour does in local elections when it’s in opposition, and that another statistic from 2000 disproves Hague’s argument.
Again, can't compare an 8 pt lead in the Locals under a Tory govt to an 8 pt lead under a Labour government.
— J (@Beyond_Topline) May 9, 2023
Hague achieved this while being 13 pts behind in the polls.
*That's why he lost the GE*. Because he was 13 pts behind. Not 15 pts ahead. https://t.co/HbljazTCkf pic.twitter.com/vsWLAxtGLD
Met commissioner says arrest of six anti-monarchy protesters at coronation 'unfortunate'
Sir Mark Rowley, the Metropolitan police commissioner, has described the arrest of six anti-monarchy protesters at the coronation on Saturday as “unfortunate”.
In an article for the Evening Standard, Rowley said:
Much of the ill-informed commentary on the day is wholly inaccurate – for example protest was not banned. I want to be absolutely clear – our activity was targeted at those we believed were intent on causing serious disruption and criminality. Serious and reliable intelligence told us that the risks were very real. Fifty-three individuals have been bailed and most of the following investigations will be lengthy as we work towards criminal charges.
However, on reviewing the evidence we will be taking no further action against the six Republic protesters arrested. Officers searched a vehicle on Saturday morning and found items which at the time they believed could have been used as part of a ‘lock on’-style protest. As I would expect the arresting officers were vigilant, curious and proactive. They formed the ‘reasonable suspicion’ necessary to arrest for the new section 2 Public Order Act 2023 offence of being equipped to lock on, and these were the only arrests under the new legislation. Having now reviewed the evidence and potential lines of inquiry we do not judge that we will be able to prove criminal intent beyond all reasonable doubt.
While it is unfortunate that the six people affected by this were unable to join the hundreds of peaceful protesters, I support the officers’ actions in this unique, fast-moving operational context.
I will post more from his article shortly.
Updated
In his speech this morning at the Victory Day parade in Moscow, Vladimir Putin claimed that war had been “unleashed” against Russia. Harry Taylor has coverage on our Ukraine live blog.
Asked about the speech, Rishi Sunak said in his clip for broadcasters that only Putin was to blame for the war. He said:
There is only one person who is responsible for the illegal and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine, and that is President Putin. The crimes that are being committed are appalling.
Updated
No 10 declines to say it is endorsing Truss's decision to visit Taiwan to give speech
At the Downing Street lobby briefing the PM’s spokesperson would not say that No 10 has endorsed Liz Truss’s decision to visit Taiwan next week. Where MPs visit “is a matter for them”, the spokesperson said.
He said the government’s longstanding policy on Taiwan had not changed; the UK had no diplomatic relations with Taiwan, but it had a “strong, unofficial relationship based on deep and growing ties”, he said.
The spokesperson also said he did not know if Truss had spoken to the Foreign Office in advance about her trip. (Truss’s team say the Foreign Office is fully aware of the visit.)
Updated
At the Downing Street lobby briefing, echoing what Rishi Sunak himself said (see 12.07pm), the PM’s spokesperson defended the Public Order Act and suggested it would be wrong to criticise it just on the basis of how it was used on Saturday. (The act allows people to be arrested if they possess items that could be used for “locking on”; on Saturday anti-monarchy campaigners were detained for having luggage straps, which would be the last thing any proper protester would use for “locking on” because they are easy to cut.)
The spokesperson said:
I think the public has been alarmed by the chaos caused by highly disruptive protesters over the last few years and the legislation was brought in to balance the fundamental rights of protesters with the rights of others to go about their business without fear of serious disruption to their daily lives.
It wouldn’t be right to judge a whole piece of legislation based on one example.
The spokesperson also confirmed that the Home Office spoke to the Metropolitan police in advance about the policing of the coronation, saying that was normal for an event like this. But operational decisions were matters for the police, he said.
Updated
Rishi Sunak has been using Twitter to point out that, under his plan to enable people to get prescriptions for some conditions from pharmacies, women will be able to get the contraceptive pill, or antibiotics fo UTIs, without needing to see a GP.
From now on, if you have an earache or a sore throat you'll be able to get the prescription medication you need direct from your pharmacy.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 9, 2023
This will free up millions of GP appointments and help deliver on my promise to cut waiting lists. pic.twitter.com/OunQYsoRMg
We’re making oral contraception available direct from your pharmacy.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 9, 2023
Almost half a million women will no longer need to speak to a practice nurse or GP to access oral contraception and will instead be able to get it through their local pharmacy. pic.twitter.com/bZtLcqTQLg
We’re making it easier to get treatment for UTIs.
— Rishi Sunak (@RishiSunak) May 9, 2023
Around half of women in the UK will experience a urinary tract infection at some point in their life.
This is another common condition that pharmacies will be able to prescribe medication for, without a GP appointment. pic.twitter.com/RMK0wraR6F
Home Office minister to face Commons urgent question on policing of protests during coronation
There will be an urgent question in the Commons at 3.30pm on the policing of protests during the coronation. It has been tabled by Joanna Cherry, the SNP MP, and a Home Office minister will respond.
After that, at around 4.15pm, Steve Barclay, the health secretary, will make a statement on the primary care recovery plan.
Final result in English local elections declared – with another Tory defeat
The final result in the England council elections is now in after a third recount in Longbeck ward in Redcar & Cleveland, with Labour’s Luke Myer and independent Vera Rider elected, the latter just four votes ahead of Conservative Andrea Turner, PA Media reports. PA says:
The council remains under no overall control, after Labour gained eight seats to become the biggest party, and the Conservatives gained six, with independents losing 11 seats and the Liberal Democrats losing three.
With results in from all 230 councils, the Conservatives lost 957 seats, with Labour gaining 643, the Lib Dems gaining 415 and Greens gaining 200.
The Conservatives lost control of 48 councils, with Labour gaining control of 22, the Lib Dems 12 and Greens one, while an additional 16 are now under no overall control.
PA Media, which provides the results used by the Guardian and many other news organisations, counts seats gained or lost by looking at changes in council composition from just before the elections were held. The BBC and Sky News compile their own figures, and they count seats gained or lost from 2019, when these seats were last up for election. That is why their trackers have the Conservatives losing more than 1,000 seats, while the PA figures, used by the Guardian, have Tory losses at just under 1,000.
Updated
Sunak restates his claim that focusing on his five pledges best response to Tory local elections defeat
In his broadcast clip in Southampton Rishi Sunak was also asked if it had sunk in just how bad the local elections were for his party. The interviewer asked if it was going to be enough to just go on about his five pledges, as Sunak did in his initial response to the results on Friday.
And Sunak responded by – banging on again about the five pledges. He replied:
Obviously disappointing to lose hard-working Conservative councillors. I know that the country wants us to focus on their priorities. I have set out five very clear priorities – to halve inflation, to grow the economy, reduce debt, cut waiting lists and stop the boats.
But Sunak also cited the pharmacies announcement as an example of something the government was doing that would “make a difference to people’s lives”.
Sunak refuses to criticise Met over coronation arrests and rejects calls for review of Public Order Act powers
Rishi Sunak has recorded a clip for broadcasters in Southampton. Asked about the arrest of some anti-monarchy protesters at the coronation, for which the Met has now apologised, Sunak refused to criticise police for what they did.
Asked if the arrests made him feel uncomfortable, Sunak said the police were “operationally independent of government”. He went on:
They make the decisions on the ground in the way they see fit.
It wouldn’t be right for me to interfere with their operational decisions, but it is right for the government to give the police the powers to tackle serious disruption.
Asked if he thought the Public Order Act, which was brought into force by the government only days before the coronation and which was used by the police on Saturday, was too wide-ranging and should be reviewed, Sunak made it clear that he thought the answer was no.
After saying he was very grateful to everyone involved in the coronation, including the police, he went on:
With regard to protest, of course people have the right to protest freely but peacefully, but it is also right that people have the ability to go about their day-to-day lives without facing serious disruption.
What the government has done is give the police the powers that they need to tackle instances of serious disruption to people’s lives.
I think that is the right thing to do and the police will make decisions on when they use those powers.
Updated
Here is a comment from a reader worth flagging up above the line.
Pharmacies in Wales have been able to prescribe certain medicines for a year now, so this is just the government stealing a Labour policy again. Why does the media happily report everyone Tory slur on the Welsh NHS but never point out the positives? As another example, there have been several stories in the Guardian recently about pregnant women being chased for prescription charges because they didn’t do the correct paperwork, but no mention that this would not have happened in Wales, where all prescriptions are free!
He’s right. Plans for a “Wales-wide pharmacy prescribing service” were announced by the Welsh government in December 2021.
Local election results 'devastating' for party, says Tory MP
Tory backbench discontent at the party’s poor local election showing is continuing to reverberate, with an MP in a key seat targeted by Labour describing the results as “devastating” and “off the scale”.
Justin Tomlinson, who took north Swindon from Labour at the 2010 general election, warned in an interview on Times Radio that the party “don’t have a coherent message” and are in “a fight for our lives”. He said:
“The results were devastating. It’s frankly an insane thing for anybody to try and spin otherwise,” said Tomlinson, after Labour last week took control of Swindon borough council, a key target in its local election campaign, for the first time in 20 years.
If you are going to fight a set of elections – whether it’s a parliamentary byelection, local elections or the general election, you must have a coherent message.
Tomlinson’s comments came as the former leader Iain Duncan Smith also heaped pressure, in an article for the Telegraph, on Rishi Sunak to cut taxes and warned that “the results can’t be spun away”.
Comparisons with 1996 and the “inevitability” of Labour’s win the following year were wrong, he insisted, and the Tories could still win by delivering on voters’ priorities which he listed, along with lower taxes, as including “lower cost of living, lower immigration and most of all growth”.
Updated
Johnson would have demoted or sacked Sunak as chancellor if he had not resigned, says Harri
In his LBC interview this morning Guto Harri, Boris Johnson’s former communications director, also claimed that if Rishi Sunak had not resigned as chancellor, then Johnson would have soon demoted or sacked him, because the pair disagreed so much on policy. Harri said there was a “fundamental disagreement of policy between the two of them”. He told LBC:
The tension between them was building. Boris was desperate to give something to the party, did not want to put up corporation tax. He didn’t want to cut taxes. He did want to bring the bread and butter benefits of Brexit to ordinary punters.
Rishi was reluctant to do all of that. So frankly, to cut to the chase, if things hadn’t turned out as they did last July, I think over the summer we’d have had a reshuffle and Rishi would have been offered a different job, should we say.
Harri also used the interview to claim that Johnson regarded Sue Gray as a “psycho”. (See 9.39am.)
Updated
Liz Truss to visit Taiwan, saying she wants to show solidarity in face of 'increasingly aggressive' stance taken by China
Liz Truss, the former prime minister, is to visit Taiwan next week, where she will deliver a speech likely to anger Beijing and potentially upset the UK government’s careful approach to China relations.
Speaking ahead of her visit, she said:
Taiwan is a beacon of freedom and democracy. I’m looking forward to showing solidarity with the Taiwanese people in person in the face of increasingly aggressive behaviour and rhetoric from the regime in Beijing.
The former Tory leader’s office said today that she was also expected to meet senior members of the Taiwanese government.
However, the trip comes after a warning by the foreign secretary, James Cleverly, that Britain should not “pull the shutters down” on China, as it would be counterproductive to the national interest.
Updated
Barge set to house 500 migrants arrives in Falmouth for refurbishment
A port where a barge housing asylum seekers is set to dock has reportedly removed its cruise ship schedule from its website in a bid to deter far-right protests, PA Media reports. PA says:
The Bibby Stockholm arrived in Falmouth, Cornwall, this morning where the accommodation barge will undergo an assessment and refurbishment.
The vessel, which will house around 500 migrants, is then expected to be moved into position at the port of Portland in Dorset in the next few weeks.
According to the Times, the Portland port has looked to deter anti-migrant demonstrations, which are expected in protest at the barge’s presence, from targeting the arrival of tourists coming into the area on cruise ships.
The newspaper said the south Dorset harbour usually advertised the arrival and departure dates on its website of the 40 or more cruises set to dock at the port during the year.
But the Times said that, after criticism of its plans to allow the Bibby Stockholm to moor in its waters, the port’s website had removed the dates.
The paper cited a source involved in the planning as saying the dates were taken down because of concerns that far-right activists could organise anti-migrant protests on days when thousands of tourists are due to arrive on cruise ships.
Updated
Sunak claims primary care recovery plan will free up 15m GP appointments over next two years
Downing Street has put out a news release about what it describes as Rishi Sunak’s “primary care recovery plan”. The main feature is the plan to allow pharmacies in England to issue prescriptions for seven basic conditions, but the government is also investing £240m in new telephone systems for GP surgeries.
Sunak claims his plans will “free up around 15m GP appointments over the next two years”.
Updated
Labour says ‘something has gone wrong’ over arrest of coronation protesters
At the weekend shadow ministers were relatively careful about what they said about the way new anti-protest laws were deployed against anti-monarchy protesters at the coronation. But this morning Lisa Nandy, the shadow levelling up secretary, was more critical, telling BBC Breakfast:
Clearly, something has gone wrong in this case.
Nandy went on:
Peaceful protest is an important part of British democracy. The Met accepted that and I think the mayor of London is right to ask for a review to determine what exactly went wrong in this case.
Whatever it was, this was a very complex policing operation. It largely went off without a hitch and I think the police deserve credit for that. But where there are incidents like this, we have to take them seriously and I think that it’s right that we learn the lessons and take steps to rectify that.
Jamie Grierson has the story here.
Boris Johnson viewed Sue Gray as ‘psycho’ as she carried out Partygate probe, says his former spin chief, Guto Harri
Good morning. With the coronation over, politics is back in spades after three days where it has been effectively marginalised. There is plenty around.
Rishi Sunak is announcing his latest plan for NHS reform – a move that should make it easier for patients to get prescriptions for basic conditions, because pharmacists will be allowed to issue them.
Keir Starmer is capitalising on his victory in last week’s local elections, meeting Labour council leaders and the shadow cabinet, and telling them that the Tories have misjudged the mood of voters by focusing on culture war issues.
The Metropolitan police continues to face criticism for the arrest of anti-monarchy protesters on Saturday. There is very likely to be an urgent question on this in the Commons after 3.30pm.
But let’s start with the latest instalment of the Boris Johnson Tory psychodrama. Guto Harri, Johnson’s communications director when Johnson was PM, is launching a new podcast about his time in No 10 and, in an article for the Daily Mail, he claimed that Johnson and King Charles had a big row after the king reportedly described the government’s Rwanda policy as “appalling”.
This morning, in an interview with LBC plugging the podcast, Harri also said that, when Sue Gray was carrying out her inquiry into Partygate, Johnson regarded her as “psycho”.
Harri said that Johnson originally respected her a lot but that, as she was carrying out her inquiry, he was “getting suspicious”. Other No 10 staff felt the same way, Harri said, because Gray was taking advice from a Labour-supporting lawyer, and using her own press officer. “Why do you need a press officer when you’re writing a report for the prime minister?” Harri asked. He went on:
So this was not this objective, dispassionate view of what really went on … There are many people who behave badly during that period. None of them are in the public domain, none of them have been mentioned. It was all landed on one guy because he happened to be the guy at the top.
Asked how Johnson described Gray at the time, Harri said he did not want to give away everything, because he wanted people to listen to his podcast on Thursday. But he went on:
If I were to say one word, maybe, that will be recurring in [the podcast], ‘Psycho’ Sue Gray would be part of it. There was a sense that she lacked perspective as to what he had done.
Harri also claimed that Gray “must have been” talking to Keir Starmer at the time she was compiling her report, because she has now agreed to become his chief of staff. But in fact Gray, and the Labour party, say talks about a job did not start until months after the Partygate report was finished.
In one respect, these claims are ridiculous. No one has disputed any of the facts set out in the Sue Gray report into Partygate, and Johnson himself told MPs at the time that fully he accepted its findings, and its criticism of the culture within Downing Street. The notion that she published it as part of some plot to lever Starmer into Downing Street is just a conspiracy theory.
But it is a conspiracy theory embraced by some of the small band of Johnsonites in the party who continue to believe that he was somehow a victim. Last week Sunak linked the Tory poor performance in the local elections to voters being fed up with the Conservatives running politics like a “box-set drama”. Harri has just demonstrated that the drama is not yet over, and that the Johnsonites will continue to air their grievances about his downfall.
Here is the agenda for the day.
Morning: Rishi Sunak chairs cabinet.
10am: Claire Coutinho, the minister for children, gives evidence to the Commons education committee about support for childcare.
Morning: Keir Starmer chairs a meeting the leaders of the 22 councils won by Labour in the local elections last week. In the afternoon he will chair a meeting of the shadow cabinet.
Morning: Sunak visits a pharmacist in Southampton, where he grew up and where his mother was a pharmacist, to publicise government plans to give pharmacies the power to issue prescriptions for seven common conditions.
11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.
2.30pm: Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, takes questions in the Commons.
If you want to contact me, do try the “send us a message” feature. You’ll see it just below the byline – on the left of the screen, if you are reading on a PC or a laptop. (It is not available on the app yet.) This is for people who want to message me directly. I find it very useful when people message to point out errors (even typos – no mistake is too small to correct). Often I find your questions very interesting too. I can’t promise to reply to them all, but I will try to reply to as many as I can, either in the comments below the line, privately (if you leave an email address and that seems more appropriate), or in the main blog, if I think it is a topic of wide interest.
Updated
