Sir Keir Starmer has offered to swap places with Boris Johnson after the prime minister repeatedly questioned the Labour leader during a fiery PMQs, as he sought to deflect questioning on rising child poverty, the grim financial picture for councils, and the government’s recent propensity for U-turns.
Mr Johnson – whose Jaguar was dented in a collision caused by a protester as he left the House of Commons – was also told by opposition MPs that his £900m red, white and blue “Brexit jet” constitutes an “unacceptable use of public funds”. It came after Matt Hancock revealed the PM did not consult Cabinet on his decision to scrap the foreign aid department, a move Oxfam warned will have “deadly consequences”.
Meanwhile, the health secretary was caught slapping a fellow MP on the back, in a blatant breach of social distancing rules, hours after admitting he may have had “Harry Potter on the mind” after mistakenly calling England footballer Marcus Rashford “Daniel”, of whom he said he was “very proud” for his agenda-setting campaign for free school meals.
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Cecil Rhodes statue to come down at Oxford University after anti-racism protests
The controversial statue of Cecil Rhodes at a University of Oxford college is set to be removed following anti-racist protests.
Oriel College’s governing body announced its wish to remove the statue of the 19th century British imperialist and said it was launching an independent inquiry into the key issues surrounding the monument.
Demonstrations have recently taken place outside Oriel College calling for the statue to be removed from the High Street entrance of the building.
The Rhodes Must Fall campaign received renewed support as Black Lives Matter protests spread across the UK following the death of George Floyd in the US.
The campaign argued the statue of Rhodes glorified racism, but the college had previously resisted calls to remove it.
Oxford University dons slam vice-chancellor over ‘inappropriate’ Mandela comments
The row over Oxford University‘s Cecil Rhodes statue has deepened after the university's vice-chancellor used Nelson Mandela‘s words to defend the memorial to the British imperialist, who is seen by historians as an architect of apartheid, Matt Mathers reports.
Fourteen dons at the university criticised Professor Louise Richardson in a letter after she appeared to suggest that Mandela would not have backed removing the controversial statue, which has been the focus of renewed protests amid the Black Liver Matter movement.
In an interview last week, Prof Richardson said Rhodes was a man of “deep nuance” who needed to be considered in the context of his era.
She referenced a speech made by Mandela in 2003 at the launch of the Mandela Rhodes Foundation, a partnership that offers Oxford scholarships to African students.
Prof Richards said the late South African president had recognised “that we have to acknowledge our past but focus on the future,” adding hiding history was not the “route to enlightenment”.
Protective boarding around Churchill statue coming down ahead of Macron’s London visit
The statue of Sir Winston Churchill in Parliament Square, one of several monuments boarded up to protect against potential vandalism, will be uncovered in time for French president Emmanuel Macron’s visit to London, Kate Ng reports.
The statue, along with monuments to Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandhi, were covered ahead of protests last weekend that saw far-right demonstrators clashing with police as they swarmed near the Palace of Westminster and Trafalgar Square.
The previous weekend, a Black Lives Matter protest sparked by the killing of George Floyd in the US at the hands of the police resulted in the toppling of a statue of a 17th century slave trader in Bristol.
In London, the statue of Churchill daubed with graffiti accusing him of being a racist. The graffiti has since been cleaned off and the statue was covered up to prevent further vandalism.
A spokesman for Sadiq Khan said the boards around the statue will be removed on Wednesday ahead of Mr Macron’s visit on Thursday. However, the boards around the statues of Mandela and Gandhi, which the mayor is also responsible for, will stay in place “under review”.
Protest against refugee living conditions in Glasgow deemed 'unsafe'
A protest against the living conditions of refugees in Glasgow has been cut short as it has been deemed "unsafe".
No Evictions Glasgow said it had been made aware that far-right groups would be turning up at George Square an hour before the planned event at 6pm.
Organisers said: "It's been decided the location of the demo at this time is not safe so we are going to leave the area as a group. If you haven't made it in don't try get in and stay away from the square. Try + make sure you are not alone if you are at the demo or in the vicinity."
Justice minister Humza Yousaf tweeted: "Briefed by Police Scotland on disorder in George Sq. Let's not mince our words, this has nothing to do with statues and everything to do with racist thuggery. Police have made a number of arrests already and will continue to take all necessary action against those responsible."
Divorce law reforms have been compared to how witches were dealt with centuries ago, as Conservative MPs warned the government has lost its "moral compass".
Ministers faced a fierce backlash over their attempt to introduce "no-fault" divorce in a bid to make separation less traumatic for couples.
Tory former minister Sir Christopher Chope warned the legislation would enable irretrievable breakdown of a marriage to be proved by "mere assertion" without the need for any evidence.
He told the Commons: "If any more evidence was needed that our Government has lost its moral compass, I think this Bill provides that evidence.
"I never thought I'd be asked by a Conservative government to support a change in the law which gives unilateral access to the courts without any requirement to establish facts."
He added: "Reliance on mere assertion was how we used to deal with witches and it's still a favourite tool of dictators, such as Putin and Erdogan who govern by decree.
"I didn't think we were going to venture down that route in this Parliament under a Conservative government."
It's another historic first in the commons - albeit a slightly smaller one than others observed in recent months.
For the first time MPs are voting using a contactless tap-in system in the voting lobbies in the latest bid to keep parliament distanced.
Matt Hancock has apologised after breaking social distancing rules in the house of commons earlier today.
Mr Hancock said in a statement: "I'm so sorry for a human mistake on my part.
"Like all of us, I instinctively wanted to reach out to a friend I'd just seen - in this case, for the first time in many weeks. I realised my mistake and corrected myself.
"It shows how hard social distancing can be but it is so important that we all keep trying to do our bit."
Civil servants react with shock and anger after decision to merge DfID with Foreign Office
Civil servants have reacted with shock and anger after Boris Johnson announced that the Department for International Development (DfID) will be merged with the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) – having found out about the move via news reports, Samuel Lovett reports.
The government has been accused of putting politics ahead of the needs of the world’s poorest by bringing together the two departments, in a move that is likely to see financial aid cut from a number of developing countries.
The FDA union, which represents senior civil servants, told The Independent it had not been consulted over the merger and found out about the decision via the media.
“The staff were really upset and despondent yesterday afternoon, made worse by the fact we only found about this through the media before the employer told them,” said Allan Sampson, who represents members in DfID.
Culture secretary says fans could return to stadiums before audiences allowed back into theatres
Mr Dowden indicated that fans could return to stadiums before audiences would be allowed back into theatres.
He told the Downing Street press conference: "I understand the need for all of these venues to return with people in them and, indeed, eventually without social distancing.
"But that can only be done if the public health allows it to happen.
"I think you see different scenarios - in relation to stadiums where people are outside and they are much bigger and there is more scope for social distancing, it may be that you could do that sooner.
"I know particularly with the performing arts and theatres, when you are doing that in a confined space there are greater risks there."
Social distancing rules make it 'exceptionally difficult' for theatres to reopen
Mr Dowden said it would be "exceptionally difficult" for theatres to reopen because of social distancing rules.
He made the comments following a question from the public on how theatres were expected to start paying a furlough contribution from August.
Speaking at the daily Downing Street press conference, he said: "I know for theatres in particular as we open - and we've set the challenging target of 4 July - it is going to be exceptionally difficult to open, consistent with social distancing.
"And that is why I continue to have discussions across government to see what further support we can give theatres during this challenging time."
Return of Premier League 'hugely symbolic moment' in nation's recovery, culture secretary says
Oliver Dowden has hailed the return of the Premier League as a "hugely symbolic moment" in the coronavirus recovery.
The culture secretary told the daily Downing Street press conference: "In just under one hour's time, the best league in the world will be back up and running after a 100-day pause.
"All but five countries will be airing tonight's games - underlining football's global reach and the soft power of UK sport.
"The Premier League is returning and the world will be watching.
"Of course it will be a very different event to what we're used to, but there's no doubt that this is a hugely symbolic moment.
"An important step forward in our careful journey back towards normality."
UK coronavirus death toll rises by 184 to 42,153
NHS contact-tracing app may not be ready until winter, health minister admits
The much-anticipated smartphone app to trace contacts of Covid sufferers may not be ready for national rollout until the winter and "isn't a priority for us", a health minister has told MPs, political editor Andrew Woodcock reports.
The NHSX was initially slated to play a central role in the government's test and trace system to track down contacts and ask them to self-isolate, with its nationwide launch pencilled in for the end of May.
But when innovation minister Lord Bethell was asked about when the app, currently being piloted in the Isle of Wight would be ready, he told the Commons Science and Technology Committee: "We are seeking to get something going for the winter, but it isn't a priority for us at the moment."
Brexit trade deal with New Zealand will have 'close to zero' benefit to UK economy, government admits
The government's planned post-Brexit trade deal with New Zealand will have a negligible effect on the British economy and could actually make it shrink slightly and leave people worse off, according to government forecasts, policy correspondent Jon Stone reports.
An official strategic outline of the government's plans for the deal unveiled on Wednesday says the effect on GDP (gross domestic product) from the deal will be "close to zero" according to government modelling.
But under one modelled scenario of a more ambitious trade deal, government statisticians think it is possible the UK economy could contract by -0.01 per cent. They also expect the overall welfare of the UK of the population to be slightly lower as a result of the deal.
Man arrested after Boris Johnson's car involved in collision
A man has been arrested after Boris Johnson's ministerial car was involved in a shunt when a protester blocked the road outside the Palace of Westminster.
The demonstrator, who had been protesting about Turkish action against Kurdish rebels, ran into the road outside the gates to Parliament as Mr Johnson left following Prime Minister's Questions.
This forced the lead vehicles in the convoy - a police motorbike and the Prime Minister's Jaguar - to stop, with a support vehicle running into the back of the luxury saloon carrying Mr Johnson.
The Metropolitan Police said there were no reported injuries and a man had been arrested for offences under Section 5 of the Public Order Act and for obstructing the highway.
The vehicles drove off shortly afterwards in the direction of Downing Street, with a large dent visible on the rear of the Jaguar.
A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Two police vehicles were involved in a collision in Parliament Square.
"The police vehicles were part of a security movement.
"A pedestrian is reported to have stepped onto the road, causing the vehicles to suddenly stop, which has led to two of the vehicles in the convoy being involved in a damage-only collision.
"No injuries have been reported."
UK coronavirus death toll rises by 184 to 42,154
The number of deaths from coronavirus in the UK has risen by 184 over 24 hours, bringing the total to at least 42,154.Boris Johnson has sparked anger by falsely claiming child poverty has fallen – despite soaring numbers below the breadline and official forecasts of worse to come, our deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports.
The prime minister was confronted over the Conservatives’ record, which has left 600,000 more youngsters living in relative poverty since the party came to power in 2010.
That total grew by 100,000 last year, statistics released in March showed, which means 4.2 million youngsters in the UK – or 30 per cent – are existing below the poverty line, following steep cuts to benefits paid to families, the disabled, the low-paid and the jobless as part of George Osborne’s austerity drive.
But the prime minister failed to set out any measures, instead apparently denying the statistics set out by his own experts, claiming: “Absolute poverty and relative poverty have both declined under this government and there are hundreds of thousands – I think 400,000 – fewer families living in poverty now than there were in 2010,” failing to back this up."
Asked later, Mr Johnson’s spokesman was unable to produce any evidence to back up his claim of a fall in poverty.
"At every stage, we have undertaken to ensure value for money," No 10 has said.
A senior Downing Street source today refused three times to say whether Boris Johnson has had contact with property developer Richard Desmond while prime minister, amid continuing controversy over a disputed planning application, our political editor Andrew Woodcock reports.
Government links with the former Daily Express and Daily Star publisher have come under intense scrutiny after housing secretary Robert Jenrick admitted that his decision to overturn the recommendations of a local council and planning inspector to give the go-ahead for a 1,500-property development in east London was unlawful.
Asked three times directly at a Westminster media briefing whether the PM had been in touch with Mr Desmond since entering No 10 last July, the source said only: "No-one at No 10 has discussed this application with Mr Desmond and No 10 has had no involvement with the Secretary of State's appeal decision."
The source said he had "no detail" on any contacts with Desmond.
Video footage showed a man running in the road outside the Palace of Westminster as Mr Johnson left through the gates following prime minister's questions on Wednesday, our political correspondent Lizzy Buchan reports.
The lead car was forced to stop to avoid the protester, who had been demonstrating about Turkish action against Kurdish rebels, prompting an escort vehicle to shunt into the back of Mr Johnson's car.
The vehicles then drove off, with a dent clearly visible in the back of the prime minister's Jaguar.
Downing Street confirmed the prime minister was inside the car at the time of the incident.
