Downing Street

The Civil Service has been weakened by Brexit and the growth of court politics. But a rearguard action is underway. Plucked from relative obscurity at the age of 41 to become cabinet secretary, Simon Case could hardly have imagined his present role as head of the Downing Street shovel brigade, clearing up mess largely of […]

Agreeing a post-Brexit free trade deal between Britain and the United States will take “some time”, US secretary of state Antony Blinken has warned. Blinken said President Joe Biden’s new trade negotiator, Katherine Tai, would be taking time to review the discussions that had taken place with the Trump administration before progressing with the talks. […]

Boris Johnson has not said whether key social care proposals, as promised when he was elected, will be detailed in next week’s Queen’s Speech. The prime minister said proposals for the long-term reform of the sector and its funding will be brought forward in the “next few months”. Care groups, charities and politicians have been […]

A former aide to Boris Johnson advised him on new planning laws while being employed by two major property firms, a report claims. Industry insiders told the Mirror that Eddie Lister, who stepped down from No 10 over a conflict of interest, had been advising on the proposals. Whitehall sources suggested that Lord Udny-Lister had been […]

The former deputy leader of the Conservative Party has claimed people are getting “worked up over nothing” over the refurbishment of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat. Talking to Times Radio, Lord Peter Lilley said: “We are unique in that people get worked up where nothing bad has happened. “In Russia, public money was used to […]

Boris Johnson has insisted he is a fan of retailer John Lewis after the leader of the opposition mocked the scandal surrounding the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat. The prime minister was asked about reports he and his fiancee Carrie Symonds had rejected furnishings by the department store left in the Number 11 flat […]

Boris Johnson’s mobile phone number was freely available on the internet for the last 15 years, according to reports. A contact number for Johnson was listed on the bottom of a press release when he was still shadow higher education minister in 2006 – a document which was still available online in 2021. Reports earlier […]

Alba Party leader Alex Salmond has said a “puff of wind” could currently blow Boris Johnson over, and has said he is not even sure if the prime minister will remain in place after the May elections. Johnson has been under fire in recent weeks over a number of issues, including the recent announcement by […]

Robbie Gibb, a former communications director at No 10 under Theresa May, has been appointed to the BBC’s board. It is understood that Sir Robbie, who had a 25-year career at the BBC before spending two years in Downing Street under the Conservative prime minister, was appointed by the government. The BBC reported that he […]

Boris Johnson has said that he doesn’t “think there’s anything to see here” with regards to an investigation into the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat despite the Electoral Commission saying there are “reasonable grounds” to suspect an offence. The prime minister has said he will comply with “whatever” the Commission wants after it launched a […]

From the very beginning, makeovers of the PM’s place of abode have often been a source of antagonism, controversy… and expense. ROBERT WALPOLE (1721-1742)Offered 10 Downing Street by King George II, Walpole refused it as a personal gift and suggested it be the official residence for him and future First Lords of the Treasury. It […]

Keir Starmer has claimed an investigation into the refurbishment of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat could be “over in five minutes” if he revealed “who paid for it in the first place”. The PM has insisted he has not broken any laws over renovations of his Number 11 residence after the Electoral Commission launched a […]

Department store John Lewis appeared to mock Boris Johnson as he faced a probe into the controversial refurbishment of his Downing Street flat. The lavish update of the Downing Street decor was reportedly inspired by a desire to get rid of the “John Lewis furniture nightmare” left over by Theresa May. As the Electoral Commission […]

Boris Johnson “certainly won’t be resigning” amid accusations of sleaze against him and his government, a minister has insisted. Scottish secretary Alister Jack was peppered with questions about the PM, including over the controversial refurbishment of his Downing Street flat and why he is not due to visit Scotland ahead of next week’s Holyrood elections. SNP […]

The Electoral Commission has announced it will investigate the refurbishment of Boris Johnson’s Downing Street flat, saying it was “satisfied that there are reasonable grounds to suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred”. The election and donations watchdog said it had been in contact with the Conservative Party on the matter since March. […]

Michael Gove’s wife has come to the defence of Boris Johnson over allegations surrounding his flat refurbishment, by claiming that he “can’t be expected to live in a skip”. Sarah Vine, who is married to the Cabinet Office minister, said the prime minister must live “to a certain standard” and that it is “perfectly reasonable” for […]

Downing Street is said to be alarmed by reports circulating that Dominic Cummings will release explosive WhatsApp messages exposing the chaos during the early days of the fight against Covid-19. Insiders are said to be sifting through the phones in search of information that could cause them trouble. This comes as a bitter spat between Boris […]

Boris Johnson reportedly claimed he could not afford the £200,000 cost of revamping his Downing Street flat, following suggestions he wanted donors to “secretly pay” for the work. It is the latest allegation about the refurbishment of Number 11, and comes after Downing Street attempted to draw a line under the issue. A No 10 spokeswoman […]

Labour has called for an investigation into whether Boris Johnson’s former press secretary “knowingly misled” journalists over the Downing Street flat refurbishments. On March 8, Allegra Stratton told reporters: “Conservative Party funds are not being used to pay for any refurbishment of the Downing Street estate.” The Conservative HQ “supports the leader of the Tory party […]

A union representing senior public servants has been given the go-ahead to bring a High Court challenge against the government. The FDA union launched judicial review proceedings in February over the prime minister’s decision to disregard the findings of his adviser on ministerial standards last year. Sir Alex Allan left his advisory role in Downing […]

Boris Johnson has told his cabinet to prepare for cuts as part of an ‘efficiency review’. Ministers were told that the “savings and efficiency review” will take place later in the year as the chancellor looks to make savings following the pandemic. A statement from Downing Street said: “The prime minister highlighted that departments are being asked […]

A cabinet minister has downplayed concerns over the refurbishment of Boris Johnson’s official residency by Tory Party donors, declaring the public was not interested in “some wallpaper or sofas”. Work and pensions minister Therese Coffey also said “the right declarations will be made” in due course showing the prime minister is personally paying for the £200,000 refurbishment. Questions have […]

Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s fresh jail term is a signal that Iran will detain her until the UK resolves a long-running debt dispute with Tehran, her husband has said. Richard Ratcliffe said he fears his wife is facing an “open-ended detention” after she was sentenced to an additional year’s imprisonment and a further year-long ban on leaving […]

Boris Johnson has been accused of telling aides he would rather let coronavirus “rip” than impose a second lockdown. It was claimed he argued during a government debate in September that lockdowns were “mad” as he raised concerns about the economic harm they cause. Downing Street described the claims in the Times as “gross distortions” of […]

Number 10 has refused to deny that Boris Johnson personally briefed editors of pro-Tory newspapers over a number of leaks against him. The Telegraph, Sun, and Times last week all claimed that Dominic Cummings was to blame for “systematic leaking” of the prime minister’s texts with James Dyson and Saudi prince Mohammed Bin Salman. The […]

Boris Johnson did not try to block the investigation into who leaked the decision to impose the second lockdown, the top civil servant has suggested, as he said a culprit is yet to be identified. Simon Case declined to comment on Monday on whether the prime minister’s former chief aide Dominic Cummings had been cleared […]

The Tories have suffered a slump in public support as allegations of sleaze and cronyism continue to mount, a new poll suggests. The results come as voters across the UK head to the polls in less than 10 days. Ipsos MORI found the prime minister’s party on 40%, down from 45% in March, with Labour on 37%, down from […]

Downing Street has said the idea of a European Super League was not discussed when the prime minister was introduced to Manchester United executive vice chairman Ed Woodward days before the announcement. Reports suggest Boris Johnson may have given the impression he would back the proposal just four days before its launch following a meeting […]

Downing Street has said it is too busy dealing with the pandemic to launch a public inquiry into its handling of the crisis. In a letter seen by The Guardian to lawyers representing bereaved families, the government said “an inquiry now is not appropriate” because “the very people who would need to give evidence to an […]

The SNP is demanding that Boris Johnson should resign if reports he said he would rather see “bodies pile high in their thousands” than have a third English lockdown are true. Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, said Johnson had a “duty to resign” and called for the PM to address the reports in parliament and […]

The UK’s most senior civil servant is expected to indicate he has not cleared Boris Johnson’s former adviser Dominic Cummings over the so-called “chatty rat” leak of plans for a second lockdown. Simon Case, the cabinet secretary, is expected to say his inquiry into the leak last autumn is still “live” when he appears before the […]

Labour is demanding Boris Johnson explain whether he signalled his backing for the ill-fated European Super League. The plan by the so-called Big Six Premier League clubs for a breakaway competition dramatically unravelled within just 48 hours after it was vehemently condemned by fans and government ministers – including Johnson – alike. However, the Sunday […]