Boris Johnson has quit as an MP with immediate effect – and criticised Rishi Sunak in a blistering resignation letter.
The former prime minister also attacked the panel of MPs who are investigating whether he lied to the Commons over partygate.
The privileges committee has now confirmed it will meet on Monday to conclude its inquiry, with a spokesman vowing to publish its report “promptly”.
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From journalist to prime minister
In a combative 1,000 word statement, Mr Johnson claimed:
• A “tiny handful of people” are using their investigation to “drive him out” of parliament
• MPs on the privileges committee haven’t “produced a shred of evidence” to suggest he misled the Commons – and their report is “riddled with inaccuracies and reeks of prejudice”
• The committee is a “kangaroo court” that is determined to find him guilty
• A “witch hunt” is under way to “take revenge for Brexit” and reverse the referendum result
• The Conservatives’ gap in the polls has “massively widened” since he left power, and taxes must be cut
Mr Johnsonwas especially critical of Labour MP Harriet Harman, the chair of the privileges committee, and alleged that she was overseeing a panel driven by “egregious bias”.
The Conservatives may face an uphill struggle to hold on to Mr Johnson’s seat in Uxbridge, west London, with polling data from Savanta suggesting that Labour currently has a 14-point lead in the constituency.
It reads like a declaration of war – but in reality, Friday’s resignation statement matters because Boris Johnson is throwing in the towel on his political career.
Yes, there are hints of a third political comeback in his kinetic resignation statement. “Never write him off,” say the pundits in the cheap seats.
Yes, there will be MPs bemoaning his departure if the Tories underwhelm at the next general election and calling for him to return. But he will not be there.
There is no conceivable path to him becoming leader again.
The privileges committee, meanwhile, hit back at Mr Johnson’s comments in a statement – insisting that proper procedures had been followed “at all times” and would continue to be so.
A spokesperson said: “Mr Johnson has departed from the processes of the House and has impugned the integrity of the House by his statement.”
The cross-party privileges committee, which is led by Ms Harman but has a Tory majority, has been assessing whether Mr Johnson misled parliament with his statements claiming all COVIDrules and guidance were followed by Number 10 during lockdown gatherings.
Mr Johnson was facing the prospect of a by-election if MPs recommended a suspension from the Commons of 10 days or more as a punishment for lying.
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‘Johnson wasn’t good Uxbridge representative’
Public ‘sick of never-ending Tory soap opera’
Conservative MP Sir Michael Fabricant – who received a knighthood in Mr Johnson’s resignation honours list on Friday – said the former prime minister had been the subject of “disgraceful treatment”.
He tweeted: “Disgraceful treatment of a political leader who has made world history by achieving Brexit and leading the Conservatives to a landslide general election victory.”
Richard Mills, chairman of Uxbridge & South Ruislip Conservative Association, said it had been an “honour and privilege” to work with Mr Johnson since he was elected in 2015 – and called his commitment to the constituency over the last eight years “outstanding”.
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Thornberry: “I think Boris Johnson brought this on himself”
Former Tory MEP and current chair of the Conservative Democratic Organisation, David Campbell Bannerman, also said he believed Mr Johnson would return to politics in the future.
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, Mr Campbell Bannerman – who served as UKIP deputy leader from 2006 to 2010 – said: “There are big questions about the fairness of this [privileges committee] procedure.
“I think it is a very bad day for democracy, and Boris is right to call it undemocratic.
“And I do hope that he does come back – I believe he will.”
When challenged on the fact that four out of seven of the MPs on the privileges committee are fellow Conservatives, he said: “I’ve got respect for them as individuals – I know them well – but I’m afraid the way this was conducted was outrageous.”
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Ex-Tory MP: ‘Good’ if Johnson disappeared
‘He blames everybody but himself’
However, many MPs have welcomed Mr Johnson’s departure.
Deputy Labour leader Angela Rayner said: “As Boris Johnson exits in disgrace, the British public are sick to the back teeth of this never-ending Tory soap opera played out at their expense.
“After 13 years of Conservative chaos, enough is enough. It’s time for a fresh start for Britain with a Labour government.”
Green MP Caroline Lucas tweeted: “Everyone knew he was not fit to hold public office before he was even an MP. Yet Tories made him their leader and look what happened. Evading scrutiny to the last and choosing to quit just hours after gifting gongs and peerages in atrocious act of patronage and sleaze.”
Meanwhile, former Number 10 communications chief Alastair Campbell said: “His statement is utterly Trumpian.
“It blames everybody but himself – it rewrites history.”
Former Tory MP Anna Soubry also told Sky News that she believed Mr Johnson had resigned because he feared he would lose a vote on any punishment recommended by the privileges committee in the Commons.
“It’s really important to remind everybody that this privileges committee has a Conservative majority,” she said.
“The idea that this is some sort of stitch-up is for the birds.”
Former anti-corruption minister Tulip Siddiq has been named in a third inquiry being launched by authorities in Bangladesh investigating money laundering and power misuse.
At a media briefing in Dhaka held hours after Ms Siddiq resigned as a minister, investigators confirmed they were working on another probe involving the Labour MP.
It is the third Bangladesh inquiry and comes on top of questions about London properties she lives in or has lived in with links to her aunt, the ousted Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina and her Awami League party.
Director general of the Anti-Corruption Commission Akhtar Hossain told Sky News the organisation was “preparing another investigation against Tulip Siddiq and her uncle Tarique Siddique for money laundering, power misuse, and illegally occupying Bangladesh government property”.
Mr Hossain also said the investigation team in Bangladesh would contact the UK authorities if additional information was required.
A spokesperson for Ms Siddiq said: “No evidence has been presented for these allegations.
“Tulip Siddiq has not been contacted by anyone on the matter and totally denies the claims.”
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Tarique Siddique is Ms Siddiq’s uncle – the husband of her mother’s younger sister – and previously served as a defence and security adviser to her aunt Sheikh Hasina.
The new government has since accused Ms Hasina’s Awami League administration of crimes and corruption while in office.
Ms Siddiq quit as anti-corruption minister on Tuesday after links with her aunt and her political regime came under scrutiny.
It is claimed she has benefited financially from three London properties linked to her aunt and her allies.
She referred herself to the prime minister’s standards adviser Sir Laurie Magnus who said he had “not identified evidence of improprieties” but added it was “regrettable” Ms Siddiq had not been more alert to the “potential reputational risks” of the ties to her aunt.
Ms Siddiq said continuing in her role would be “a distraction” for the government but insisted she had done nothing wrong.
Earlier this week, Sky News revealed Bangladesh investigators were looking into Ms Siddiq as part of a separate corruption inquiry into the illegal allocation of land in a new town development outside of Dhaka.
Labour sources suggested these accusations were not genuine and Ms Siddiq had not been contacted by anyone in Bangladesh about the inquiries.
Nobel peace-prize winning economist Muhammad Yunus, who is leading Bangladesh’s interim government, said the London properties used by Ms Siddiq should be investigated and returned if she is found to have benefited from “plain robbery”.
Following her resignation, Professor Yunus said there will be a thorough investigation into properties and assets “tied to stolen Bangladeshi funds, including those linked to individuals with connections to the previous regime” and if it is proven they have benefited from embezzlement “we expect those assets to be returned to Bangladesh, where they rightfully belong”.
“Tulip Siddiq may not have entirely understood the source of the money and property that she was enjoying in London, but she knows now and should seek forgiveness from the people of Bangladesh,” he added.
Singer Linda Nolan, who rose to fame alongside her sisters in The Nolans, has died after several years of battling cancer.
The Irish star, 65, and her sisters Coleen, Maureen, Bernie, Denise and Anne, had a run of hits in the late 1970s and ’80s – including the disco classic I’m In The Mood For Dancing.
Paying tribute on The Nolans‘ X account, her sisters described her as “a pop icon and beacon of hope”, who “faced incurable cancer with courage, grace and determination, inspiring millions”.
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Linda died peacefully in hospital this morning, “embraced with love and comfort” with her siblings by her side, her agent Dermot McNamara said in a statement.
“As a member of The Nolans, one of the most successful girl groups of all time, Linda achieved global success; becoming the first Irish act to sell over a million records worldwide, touring the world and selling over 30 million records,” he said.
“Her distinctive voice and magnetic stage presence brought joy to fans around the world, securing her place as an icon of British and Irish entertainment.
“Beyond her incredible career, Linda dedicated her life to helping others, helping raise over £20m for numerous charities, including Breast Cancer Now, Irish Cancer Society and Samaritans, amongst countless others. Her selflessness and tireless commitment to making a difference in the lives of others will forever be a cornerstone of her legacy.”
Linda’s death came after she was admitted to hospital with pneumonia over the weekend. She began receiving end-of-life care after slipping into a coma on Tuesday, Mr McNamara said.
Details of a celebration of the star’s “remarkable life” will be shared in due course, he added.
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Linda was born to Tommy and Maureen Nolan in Dublin on 23 February 1959, the sixth of eight children.
Her parents were both singers and keen to turn their young family into a musical troupe. Linda made her stage debut aged just four.
Those early years put the siblings on track for a career in show business which lasted for decades. As well as I’m In The Mood For Dancing, The Nolans had hits with Gotta Pull Myself Together, Attention To Me and Don’t Make Waves, and they also had their own TV specials.
At their height, they toured with Frank Sinatra and were reported to have outsold The Beatles in Japan.
Linda left the group in 1983, but later reformed with her sisters for several comeback performances. She also became known for musical theatre, most notably performing the role of Mrs Johnstone in Blood Brothers for three years from 2000.
Four siblings struck by cancer
Linda was first diagnosed with breast cancer in 2006, and underwent a mastectomy to remove her left breast two days before her 47th birthday.
The sisters were diagnosed with different forms of the disease just days apart after they returned home from filming a series of their show, The Nolans Go Cruising. Linda had cancer of the liver, while Anne had breast cancer.
They went on to write Stronger Together, an account of their journey that included frank details of their treatments and the side effects.
But in 2023, Linda revealed the cancer had spread to her brain and she was beginning treatment as part of a new drug trial.
The Nolans lost their second-youngest sister, Bernie, to cancer in 2013, aged 52.
Linda’s husband of 26 years, Brian Hudson, died in 2007 after being diagnosed with skin cancer.
Anne Nolan is now cancer-free.
Tributes to star ‘who was always a joy’
TV star and singer Cheryl Baker and comedian Tommy Cannon are among those who have paid tribute.
“I’m heartbroken to hear about the passing of Linda Nolan,” Cannon wrote on X. “I had the pleasure of working with her on so many occasions, and she was always a joy – full of warmth and love. My thoughts and love are with the Nolan girls and the whole family.”
“The most incredible voice, the wickedest sense of humour, such a massive talent,” Baker wrote. “You’re with Brian now, Lin.”
Loose Women also sent its love to her family. Linda appeared as a guest panellist on the ITV chat show over the years, alongside her sister Coleen.
The Blackpool Grand Theatre described her as “a true Blackpool icon”.
Two teenagers and a woman have been arrested after a 14-year-old boy was stabbed to death on a bus in southeast London.
Kelyan Bokassa was on the 472 service in Woolwich when he was attacked just before 2.30pm on Tuesday 7 January.
The teenager died at the scene shortly after medical help arrived.
Two boys, aged 15 and 16, were arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of murder, and a 44-year-old woman was arrested on suspicion of assisting an offender.
Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lee said: “While these arrests mark a significant step forward in this investigation, we continue to appeal for anyone with information about Kelyan’s murder to come forward and speak to us.
“I would like to thank officers for working around the clock in order to locate our suspects and praise the Woolwich community for their ongoing support and patience whilst we have carried out our investigation.
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“I know that this incident deeply affected you all, and I hope that these two arrests reassure you that we are doing everything to tackle violent offenders across London.”
The Metropolitan Police called the stabbing a “horrific attack”, while London mayor Sir Sadiq Khan said the “heartbreaking violence has absolutely no place in our city”.
Kelyan was an aspiring rapper, who was described as having “briefly” been a student at St Columbia’s Catholic Boys School in Bexleyheath.
Following his death, his mother Mary Bokassa described his troubled childhood to journalists.
She said he was taken into care, moved from school to school, and eventually fell into the clutches of criminal gangs.
Met Police officers were called to reports of a stabbing on a Route 472 bus at 2.28pm on 7 January on Woolwich Church Street, near its junction with the A205 South Circular Road.
Paramedics from the London Ambulance Service and London’s Air Ambulance attended the scene.
Police say Kelyan’s family are being supported by specialist officers as the investigation “remains ongoing”.