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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

4 Jan

I understand that the Joint Biosecurity Centre is moving the Covid-19 alert level up to 5 for the first time, the highest level. This means there is “a material risk of healthcare services being overwhelmed in 21 days".

@TimesRadio

It's currently at Level 4, “a high or rising level of transmission". It is this that has prompted the PM to impose a 3rd national lockdown tonight, sources close to him say, as well as today's new case numbers, described to me as "horrific". More on @TimesRadio after 4pm.

A reminder;

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

13 Dec 20

Where is the Brexit trade deal negotiation now, after the PM and UVDL agreed to extend their 'final' deadline of today?
1. Boris Johnson insists the UK and EU are still "very far apart" on key areas, but everyone expects them to "go the extra mile", so they will.

2. Boris Johnson publicly and Downing Street privately are refusing to discuss whether either side has moved overnight - which very much suggests one/both have. And UVDL described the 11am call as "useful", + made no mention of big gaps continuing.

@nickgutteridge

3. In what would be a crucial break through, @nickgutteridge reports the EU has dropped its demand for a ratchet clause to impose lightening tariffs for LPF divergence. No10 also refusing to discuss this.

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

11 Nov 20

More on the internal power struggle raging in No10. I understand that Lee Cain, his current Director of Comms, tendered his resignation last week. Argued that he would be sidelined by the appointment of a new Chief of Staff and new on-air spokeswoman Allegra Stratton (1/5)

Cain told his staff he was going, and didn't return to No10 for several days. One source tells me it amounted to an ultimatum from Cain to the PM - if you sideline me, you lose me. This is what sparked the conversation between them about Cain taking the Chief of Staff role (2/5)

Cain’s promotion is bitterly opposed by others, not least PM’s fiancee and closest unofficial adviser Carrie Symonds. Some say appointment is ”close to done deal” but others say the PM is now very undecided. One source says there is just “a 20% chance of it happening now” (3/5)

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

13 Sep 20

@TimesRadio

NEW: Boris Johnson's former Attorney General Geoffrey Cox tonight reveals he will vote against the Internal Markets Bill in protest at the Government's plan to break international law - an act he calls "unconscionable". I have spoken to him. Full story on @TimesRadio now.

Geoffrey Cox insists the UK must uphold the Withdrawal Agreement, that he signed off as the PM’s most senior legal officer in October 2019. But he backs No10 / David Frost in their dispute with Michel Barnier over the NI Protocol, and believes the EU is now acting in bad faith.

Instead, Cox QC wants the Government to trigger the dispute resolution mechanism in the Withdrawal Agreement. Then, as an interim measure, HMG can act unilaterally and legislate to override the WA - but it will be done lawfully, he argues.

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

31 Aug 20

The PM owes the future king one, I hear. Boris Johnson had to ring Prince William personally last week to ask if he could pinch his man to be the new Cabinet Secretary. Highly rated Simon Case didn't apply for the job, and wanted to return to KP when his No10 secondment ended (1)

Instead, Boris appealed to Case to insist the country (and he) needed him, and asked the same of William. I'm also told William - who had hoped Case would get him to the throne one day as his long serving Private Secretary - took it "very well" and immediately agreed (2)

An ally of the prince says he is "taking one for the team", adding: "How can anyone not be supportive given the scale of the challenge coming". William and Boris have a good relationship going way back to their 2010 failed bid for England to host the World Cup. Which is handy (3)

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Tom Newton Dunn

@tnewtondunn

21 Jul 20

Westferry - a Sorry Affair. A thread follows on Robert Jenrick, Richard Desmond, Ben Elliot, and an (until now) secret apology (1)

@TimesRadio

"The case is closed” and Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick has done no wrong, No10 declared defiantly last month over the Westferry property deal furore. Which doesn’t quite stack up with what’s being going on behind closed doors, @TimesRadio has learned (2)

In fact, the Conservative Party’s two co-chairmen Ben Elliot and Amanda Milling gave a grovelling apology to the party’s most senior committee of grandees over the messy donor scandal last week (3)

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