EXCL: Kemi Badenoch is a member of a Tory WhatsApp group called “Evil Plotters” despite telling party rebels to “stop messing around” and get behind Rishi Sunak.
theguardian.com/politics/2024/… In recent weeks, Badenoch has messaged Michael Gove, regarded as a key backer, and others on the WhatsApp group of similarly minded Tories who are rallying round the business secretary’s longer-term ambitions.

There’s been a LOT of noise about this @YouGov MRP poll for @telegraph which finds that Labour would win 120-seat majority if election held tomorrow:

Lab: 385 seats (+183 from GE2019)
Con: 169 (-196)
LD: 48 (+37)
SNP: 25 (-23)
Plaid: 3 (-1)
Green: 1 (=)
Reform: 0 Including that eleven current cabinet ministers - including Jeremy Hunt, Grant Shapps and Gillian Keegan - would lose their seats…

Tory peer Michelle Mone has finally admitted that she stands to benefit from tens of millions of pounds of profit from PPE sold to UK during pandemic. A huge vindication of my colleague @david_conn's diligent journalism...
bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politi… Mone and her husband Doug Barrowman point the finger of blame at the government. "I don't accept that," deputy PM Oliver Dowden tells @TrevorPTweets

NEW: Rishi Sunak plans to row back on some of government’s net zero policies that impose a direct cost on consumers as Tories attempt to create dividing line with Labour ahead of election. We've been told that in major speech on Friday he will:
- delay ban on sales of new petrol/diesel cars to 2035
- water down phasing out of gas boilers by 2035
- drop energy efficiency targets for private rented homes
- BUT will stick to target of net zero carbon emissions by 2050

EXCL: Government officials asked whether Queen would block Evgeny Lebedev’s peerage because of national security concerns, @C4Dispatches documentary claims

theguardian.com/media/2023/jun… Aides contacted Buckingham Palace in July 2020 to request monarch intervene after Boris Johnson decided to press ahead despite warnings from intelligence agencies over Lebedev’s father’s links to Putin regime.

BREAKING: Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list finally published.

Includes host of former Tory aides, some implicated in Partygate scandal.

Several former City Hall advisors. And friends of his wife Carrie. Peerages go to:

Shaun Bailey
Ben Gascoigne
Ben Houchen
Ross Kempsell
Charlotte Owen
Kulveer Ranger
Dan Rosenfield

But no Tory donors or family members as tipped.

EXCL: Boris and Carrie Johnson hosted a close friend, who helped plan their wedding, overnight at Chequers when a number of Covid restrictions were in place.
theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/j… The friend stayed at the grace-and-favour country mansion on 7 May 2021 when indoor gatherings between different households were banned except when “reasonably necessary” for reasons such as work or childcare.

Boris Johnson’s allies issue a dramatic warning to Rishi Sunak, saying they will meet on Wednesday to “consider options” about how to force the government to stop “witch-hunts” as police began investigating new Partygate claims - @breeallegretti reports
theguardian.com/politics/2023/… Downing Street rejects suggestions Boris Johnson is victim of a politically motivated stitch up.

Rishi Sunak's spokesman stresses PM had no involvement in decision to refer his predecessor to police over further potential lockdown breaches.

BREAKING: Rishi Sunak decides that there will be no investigation by his ethics adviser into whether Suella Braverman broke the ministerial code over speeding awareness course In a letter to Home Secretary, the PM says: "I have consulted with my Independent Adviser. He has advised that on this occasion further investigation is not necessary and I have accepted that advice."

The revelations that Boris Johnson has been referred to police over alleged lockdown parties at Chequers only came to light because Rishi Sunak’s government agreed to foot his legal bills for the Covid inquiry...

theguardian.com/politics/2023/… Source tells Guardian the ex-PM's diaries revealed “fairly clear evidence of criminality” given strict lockdown rules in force at time.

No 10 parties were with government employees, but no work exemption could be claimed for all Chequers invitees, they said.

Rishi Sunak under intense pressure to launch investigation into whether Suella Braverman broke ministerial code - as Downing Street appears to distance itself from beleaguered home secretary.
theguardian.com/politics/2023/… One senior Tory source says there's “no appetite” in No 10 to defend home secretary. “It’s a totally unforced error."

Downing Street insiders even suggest they're content with Braverman “blowing herself up”, but that there's was not yet appetite to make overt move against her.

Rishi Sunak has declared wife’s shareholding in childcare company that could benefit from new government policy - just four years after she invested in it… But new register of member’s interests - the first one published since May 2022 - is far from transparent.

It doesn’t say anything about what else either Akshata Murty’s venture capital firm or the PM’s “blind” trust invests in.

NEW: Liz Truss will also vote against Rishi Sunak’s Northern Ireland protocol deal today.

She is concerned that it might impinge on UK’s ability to diverge from EU rules and regulations. She joins former Home Secretary Priti Patel in voting against Windsor Framework this afternoon.

Patel tells @christopherhope: "I will not be buying shares on the Government's smoke and mirrors on Windsor."

NEW: Boris Johnson has now made his formal submission to the HoC privileges committee.

MPs on the committee now need to go through his dossier to check it before publication.

It may not be published today - could come tomorrow or even Wednesday morning. 🎉Johnson's defence is set to rest on several key areas - including that there was a "general assumption" that events were compliant.

Yet committee has already said evidence "strongly suggests" breaches of guidance would have been "obvious" to him at time.

EXCL: A £4bn expansion of free childcare for one and two-year-olds in England to be announced in budget tomorrow theguardian.com/uk-news/2023/m… As well as 30 hours a wk free childcare for one and two-year-olds there will be more funding for existing programme of free childcare for three year-olds with an increase in hourly rate paid to providers, which they’ve long called for.

BREAKING: Boris Johnson will give evidence to the privileges committee inquiry on whether he misled the Commons over partygate week commencing March 20. Privileges committee says the evidence “strongly suggests” that breaches of guidance would have been “obvious” to Boris Johnson at the time he was at gatherings in No 10.

BREAKING: Rishi Sunak sacks Nadhim Zahawi for breaking the ministerial code over his tax affairs In letter to Tory party chair, Sunak says ethics adviser Sir Laurie Magnus has concluded there was a "serious breach" of ministerial code.

"As a result, I have informed you of my decision to remove you from your position in His Majesty’s Government."

EXCL: Dominic Raab facing much broader bullying investigation than originally anticipated with at least 24 civil servants involved in formal complaints against him.

Govt insiders believe severity of claims means DPM will struggle to survive in post.
theguardian.com/politics/2023/… Officials close to inquiry said to have been shocked by some claims including individuals being physically sick before meetings, regularly in tears and, in more than one case, left feeling suicidal by alleged behaviour.

BREAKING: Rishi Sunak admits that he has used private healthcare. He says he’s now registered with an NHS GP (doesn’t say since when). Our original story in November, which revealed that Rishi Sunak was registered with a private GP. 👇🏼amp.theguardian.com/politics/2022/…

EXCL: Dominic Raab was warned about his behaviour towards officials by Foreign Office’s top civil servant, who then informally reported concerns to Cabinet Office chiefs.
theguardian.com/politics/2022/… The Guardian understands Simon McDonald, then permanent secretary at FCDO, spoke to Raab on several occasions during tenure about how he treated staff.

EXCL: Senior civil servants at Ministry of Justice were offered “respite or a route out” of department when Dominic Raab was reappointed last month amid concerns over his behaviour.
theguardian.com/politics/2022/… MoJ insiders claim the permanent secretary spoke to Raab when he returned to department to warn him to treat staff professionally, with one source, who was not in room, claiming she had “read him the riot act”.