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Ione Wells
9,763 posts
Ione Wells
@ionewells
Foreign Correspondent @BBCNews. I cover: UK Politics, South America, US, Middle East. @TEDTalks speaker. Investigations & interviews. Agent: @GreeneAndHeaton.
- New - I'm told by senior Conservatives that there are MPs talking about triggering by-elections if Boris Johnson is serious about standing to be leader again. I've heard from MPs tempted to, and gathering evidence of defections and resignations in the event of his return.
- Grant Shapps appears to have now deleted a tweet that had deleted the former PM Boris Johnson from a photograph of the two of them...
Why has former PM Boris Johnson been removed from this photo? @beisgovuk is working on a statement I'm told. - Liz Truss says she’ll “save £8.8bn” by paying public workers less in poorer regions. This would start with new civil servants and “if it works” be extended to public sector workers, meaning £8.8bn comes from nurses/police/teachers etc in Sunderland paid less than ones in Surrey.
- I was stood next to the heckler. In quite a soft tone he said “there’s no such thing as gender ideology” as Braverman was listing things she thought “woke” institutions were adopting. Security immediately swarmed him and escorted him out.Heckler at Suella Braverman’s speech has just been kicked out… #CPC2023
00:00 - 🚨A flavour of some reaction from Tory MPs today: One elected 2019: "Last night I was getting emails into my inbox every minute from Tory activists & Tory voters. Out of 250 emails I received yesterday, only 5 said leave Boris Johnson alone. The rest were saying his time is up."
- New: A group of cabinet ministers are about to tell the PM to resign in No10, including the chief whip, the BBC understands. Simon Hart is also one of them. He made it clear to No10 yesterday that it was “game over” but it shouldn’t have to come by ministerial resignations.
- This is big - the Tories have lost control of Monmouthshire, the only council they held in Wales. Usually solid Welsh Tory seat, not Lab since 1995. This isn’t a good day for the Tories in Wales - and their Senedd leader has said the U.K. wide sentiment worked against them.
- New: Pensions Minister Guy Opperman has told the BBC he feels emotional about the Downing St party on May 20 because around that time restrictions prevented him offering support to his wife & twins as they were ill in hospital. The two boys subsequently died shortly after birth.
- 🚨 New: Tory MP tells me they personally raised concerns about Mr Pincher’s behaviour to senior figures in No10 and the Conservative Party - including Chief Whip Chris Heaton-Harris, Nigel Adams, government whips and one of the prime minister’s top advisers Ben Gascoigne.
- A senior Labour MP has told the BBC she is frustrated with the “oxygen” that the row over Rosie Duffield’s views on transgender issues was getting. She added: "It's all the same arguments as the gay panic in the 80s rehashed."
- As per Times/Guido, I understand invites were sent out for a 'Christmas Party!' on 17 Dec 2020 at the private office of Simon Case. He didn't take part in quiz, but was present. The BBC understands his position as chair of the inquiry into Downing St parties now being considered.
- 🚨 Excl: A No10 spokesman confirms the prime minister has tonight received a questionnaire from the Metropolitan Police and will respond as required.
