BREAKING: The Electoral Commission tells me it was an "error" to redact the names of so many Conservative donors on their annual accounts yesterday.

"This was overly cautious and an error on our part, which we are rectifying." The full donations will now be republished on the Electoral Commission site:

https://twitter.com/AdamBienkov/status/1694998551699280006?s=20

Rishi Sunak's family's business Infosys boasts of its partnership with "two of the top five integrated oil and gas companies, three of the top four oilfield services providers, and five of the top 10 upstream enterprises across the oil and gas landscape.”
https://t.co/VPiKDthqarbylinetimes.com/2022/07/19/ris…
A reminder that none of this is currently declared in Rishi Sunak's register of ministerial interests because he doesn't deem it "relevant" bylinetimes.com/2023/04/19/ris…

Incredible. So after Boris Johnson overruled security service advice not to send the son of a KGB agent to the House of Lords, officials felt they had no choice but to ask the Queen to intervene and block it instead.

theguardian.com/media/2023/jun… Questions that still need answering about Boris Johnson's relationship with the Lebedevs:

1) Why did Johnson leave a NATO summit discussing the attempted assassination of Sergei Skripal, ditch his security detail and meet privately with Alexander Lebedev?

BREAKING: Rishi Sunak who promised a new era of "accountability" and "integrity", is now taking the Covid Inquiry to court in order to avoid handing over all the ministerial WhatsApps it requested. Despite Boris Johnson's claim yesterday to have suppled a "full and unredacted" archive of his Whatsapps, the Cabinet Office says what he sent only covers *some* of the pandemic.

They also say they have removed "unambiguously irrelevant" material from them.

BREAKING: Neil Coyle, who was suspended for drunken abuse and making racist comments to a journalist, and who previously had a sexual harassment complaint upheld against him, has now been given the whip back by the Labour Party Coyle was suspended from Parliament for five days earlier this year after an investigation. Decision to reinstate the whip comes after he quit drinking and apologised.

On the morning it’s revealed that our former prime minister used the chair of the BBC to secure an undeclared loan from a millionaire backer, the BBC’s flagship Sunday morning political programme has his sister on to talk about the week’s events #bbclaurak “All the parties involved have given statements to the Sunday Times, which suggests they did everything aboveboard and everything was transparent,” Rachael Johnson tells the BBC about her brother’s secret arrangement with the BBC chairman and a millionaire backer. #bbclaurak

Jacob Rees-Mogg talking to Mark Littlewood of the IEA, urges shoppers to move chocolate oranges to checkout counters as a "silent protest".

"Freedom for chocolate oranges," he says. Jacob Rees-Mogg denies that his plans to slash EU-derived regulations will lead to children being sent up chimneys, even if it would be a "good income stream" for his own family.

At 'The Freedom Zone' outside Tory conference where Conservative MPs are discussing "Getting Brexit Done" and "Restoring conservatism in the Conservative Party." CPC22 "The size of the state is at the heart of the problems we face today" says Bruges Group Chairman Barry Legg, who says that "Reductions in the size of the state should take priority..."

Conservative Party members sipping G&Ts here in Birmingham as they discuss 'What does 'levelling up' really mean?' Levelling up minister Dehenna Davison says the 45p tax cut was a "distraction" and "we need to focus on what we are doing."

IEA chief Mark Littlewood introduces their first panel at Conservative Party conference, where the Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Philp is due to appear.

Littlewood: "Contrary to some media reports I am not the head of policy at number 10 Downing Street." The Chief Secretary to the Treasury Chris Philp joins representatives from the IEA and Taxpayers' Alliance to discuss "How to build a more pro-enterprise exonomy." #CPC22

First question to Boris Johnson during his Mumsnet Q+A:

"Why should we believe anything you say when it has been proven you are a habitual liar?”

Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts tells Johnson that this is “a typical question that sums up the mood on Mumsnet." Boris Johnson appears to blame Remainers for allegations that he’s a liar.

“People throw all sorts of accusations at me about all sorts of things, ever since I drove around with a sign on a bus and they have all sorts of reasons for saying that."

Boris Johnson's standards adviser says the prime minister may have broken the ministerial code by being fined by the police, and suggests he is undermining public trust by refusing to either refer himself for investigation or explain why he won't. Amazingly Boris Johnson's standards adviser says he considered advising the Prime Minister on the need to follow the ministerial code but realised the PM would reject this advice and he would then have to quit his job as Johnson's adviser.

So he didn't bother

The Times reports that Downing Street had access to drafts of Sue Gray's report in advance and intervened to get details of the Abba party in Boris Johnson's flat removed. thetimes.co.uk/article/muzzle… Earlier this week Boris Johnson's spokesman repeatedly denied that anyone in Downing Street had access to Sue Gray's report in advance.

BREAKING: Boris Johnson blocks publication of security service advice he received on Evgeny Lebedev.

MPs voted to compel release of all documents surrounding his peerage.

However, docs released today do not contain any such advice.

Total whitewash.

bylinetimes.com/2022/05/12/bor… Here's the Lebedev documents, which haven't been published at all online and are only available inside parliament.

Just eight pages of heavily redacted correspondence, none of which deals with the security advice given to Boris Johnson.

BREAKING: Keir Starmer says he will resign if fined by Durham Police.

“If the Police decide to issue me with a fixed penalty notice, I would, of course, do the right thing and step down." Asked if his offer to resign if fined is a gamble, Keir Starmer says: "this is a matter of principle and honour for me. It’s about who I am, what I stand for, and I stand for honour and integrity."

No, Durham Police are not re-examining allegations that Keir Starmer broke lockdown rules adambienkov.substack.com/p/no-durham-po… Something strange happened with the Mail’s coverage of this. Their original story last night (accurately) said Durham Police “face demands” to review the case but said the force's reply to Holden was “a courtesy” and not a sign that it was under review.
adambienkov.substack.com/p/no-durham-po…

Letters I obtained between Boris Johnson and Evgeny Lebedev reveal:

- Lebedev lobbied Johnson to back festival with 'substantial support' from Kremlin
- Johnson ’thrilled’ to get Lebedev support
- Pair met dozens of times for dinners, drinks and parties

bylinetimes.com/2022/03/12/bor… Lebedev argued that:

- MI6 may be to blame for Litvinenko’s poisoning
- Putin’s annexation of Crimea was fault of 'far-right elements’ in Ukraine
- Called on UK to ally with Putin.

bylinetimes.com/2022/03/12/bor…

Looks like Downing Street has abandoned its earlier attempt to block the publication of Sue Gray’s report. Still unclear when it will be published and what, if anything, will be excluded from it. Downing Street now saying they never sought to block its publication, despite Boris Johnson's spokesman insisting earlier today on the record that it wouldn't be published while the Met Police investigation continues.

Boris Johnson and his ministers say Islamophobia has "no place" in the Conservative Party.

In reality all the evidence shows it is endemic and goes right to the very top of his government.

bylinetimes.com/2022/01/24/isl… Boris Johnson has previously:

- Compared Muslim women to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers”
- Said Islamophobia is only “natural”.
- Called for people to "get 18th century on Islam's medieval ass"

bylinetimes.com/2022/01/24/isl…

Boris Johnson met by boos in the chamber as he apologises for the "offence caused" and "impression" given by the Stratton clip but bizarrely still insists there was "no party." #pmqs Boris Johnson says there will be an investigation and anyone found to have broken rules will be disciplined. Doesn't seem to include himself #PMQs

"Corruption is happening in plain sight and is rife throughout this government," says Angela Rayner as she launches Labour's plan to "clean up politics" in the UK. Reports from @paulwaugh @siennamarla and others suggest Keir Starmer may have just started a reshuffle of the Labour frontbench while Rayner speaks here...