Boris Johnson's grip on power has been pushed to the brink by documented revelations surrounding lockdown events in Downing Street but for weeks each phase of the crisis has been driven by the interventions of a man he sacked more than a year earlier, Dominic Cummings.
Mr Johnson faced the House of Commons on Wednesday after a week of precautious isolation when a member of his own household tested positive for Covid-19. Minutes before he stood up it was announced that Christian Wakeford, a recently elected "Red Wall" MP and one of the 45 new members who conquered previous Labour seats, had defected to the opposition.
An hour earlier his official spokesman was forced to tell reporters that Mr Johnson had not shed tears after a 14-minute grilling by a TV reporter – in which he gulped for breath – on Tuesday. "The story about Boris crying is completely untrue," the spokesman told the daily huddle with the press.
The trigger for the feverish atmosphere in Westminster was a new blog on Tuesday in which Mr Cummings said he would swear on oath that Mr Johnson was told a gathering on May 20 at Downing Street broke the Covid-19 lockdown rules. Martin Reynolds, Mr Johnson's private secretary, had organised the party in the garden but the prime minister said he "implicitly believed" it was a work event at which he spent 25 minutes.
Mr Cummings first recommended newspapers expose the party, without giving full details, last year. It was only when the email invite was leaked last week that the furore consumed Downing St. The former aide, who was being protected from calls to quit over a Covid lockdown trip to North-east England at the time of the May party, said Mr Johnson had been warned.
“Not only me but other eyewitnesses who discussed this at the time would swear under oath this is what happened," he wrote on his blog. "I said to the PM something like: ‘Martin’s invited the building to a drinks party, this is what I’m talking about, you’ve got to grip this madhouse’. The PM waved it aside.”
“The events of May 20 alone, never mind the string of other events, mean the PM lied to Parliament about parties."
Mr Cummings's campaign is gaining traction because the party revelations, including a clutch that took place on the eve of Prince Philip's funeral in 2021, are triggering a massive backlash among the electorate. Mr Johnson admitted on Tuesday that he had personally apologised to Queen Elizabeth about those parties during a time of national mourning.
Mr Wakeford's Bury South was one of 43 Red Wall seats identified as vulnerable to a Conservative collapse in a poll released on Wednesday.
A voter survey by JLPartnersPolls on Wednesday put Labour on 48 per cent and the Conservatives on 37 per cent with Boris Johnson's satisfaction rating down to minus 35 per cent having peaked at 10 per cent favourable last March. Even among voters who supported the UK's exit from the EU in the north, satisfaction has now fallen to minus 20 per cent.
"The Red Wall is looking far more Blue Cliff as far Boris Johnson's ratings are concerned," said Tom Lubbock of the polling group. "The situation for the Conservatives in the Red Wall maybe even worse than our polling suggests. Half the fieldwork took place before the apology to the queen and the latest revelations."
Last week the same polling firm carried out research in the seats that gave Mr Johnson an 80-seat majority in 2019. James Johnson, the former Conservative Party pollster who runs the group, said the allegations were provoking anger among voters.
“It’s the fact that he lied. If he turned round and said 'yep, I’ve done it, I’m sorry', that would have been okay. But he lied. What else has he been lying about?" one Bolton voter told the focus group.
Mr Johnson has asked for time for civil servant Sue Gray to complete a report on the rule-breaking incidents at No 10. The northern voters found that position was evasive. "I think he’s completely lost everyone’s trust,” the Bolton voter said.
That is the raw material that Mr Cummings is pivoting with as he moves to oust the man for whom he was instrumental in bringing to power.
Having laid the traps along the way, Mr Cummings has proved a dangerous foe of the UK leader.
Singham Again
Director: Rohit Shetty
Stars: Ajay Devgn, Kareena Kapoor Khan, Ranveer Singh, Akshay Kumar, Tiger Shroff, Deepika Padukone
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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The UAE's journey to space
Moon Music
Artist: Coldplay
Label: Parlophone/Atlantic
Number of tracks: 10
Rating: 3/5
MATCH INFO
CAF Champions League semi-finals first-leg fixtures
Tuesday:
Primeiro Agosto (ANG) v Esperance (TUN) (8pm UAE)
Al Ahly (EGY) v Entente Setif (ALG) (11PM)
Second legs:
October 23
WWE Super ShowDown results
Seth Rollins beat Baron Corbin to retain his WWE Universal title
Finn Balor defeated Andrade to stay WWE Intercontinental Championship
Shane McMahon defeated Roman Reigns
Lars Sullivan won by disqualification against Lucha House Party
Randy Orton beats Triple H
Braun Strowman beats Bobby Lashley
Kofi Kingston wins against Dolph Zigggler to retain the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
Mansoor Al Shehail won the 50-man Battle Royal
The Undertaker beat Goldberg
The bio
Favourite book: Peter Rabbit. I used to read it to my three children and still read it myself. If I am feeling down it brings back good memories.
Best thing about your job: Getting to help people. My mum always told me never to pass up an opportunity to do a good deed.
Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.
Favourite holiday destination: Malaysia. I went there for my honeymoon and ended up volunteering to teach local children for a few hours each day. It is such a special place and I plan to retire there one day.
Results
4pm: Maiden (Dirt) Dh165,000 1,600m
Winner: Moshaher, Pat Dobbs (jockey), Doug Watson (trainer).
4.35pm: Handicap (D) Dh165,000 2,200m
Winner: Heraldic, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
5.10pm: Maiden (Turf) Dh165,000 1,600m
Winner: Rua Augusta, Harry Bentley, Ahmad bin Harmash.
5.45pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,200m
Winner: Private’s Cove, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav.
6.20pm: Handicap (T) Dh190,000 1,600m
Winner: Azmaam, Jim Crowley, Musabah Al Muhairi.
6.55pm: Handicap (D) Dh190,000 1,400m
Winner: Bochart, Richard Mullen, Satish Seemar.
7.30pm: Handicap (T) Dh190,000 2,000m
Winner: Rio Tigre, Mickael Barzalona, Sandeep Jadhav.
The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont
Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950
Engine 3.6-litre V6
Gearbox Eight-speed automatic
Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm
Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm
Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km
Dhadak
Director: Shashank Khaitan
Starring: Janhvi Kapoor, Ishaan Khattar, Ashutosh Rana
Stars: 3
Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
Graduated from the American University of Sharjah
She is the eldest of three brothers and two sisters
Has helped solve 15 cases of electric shocks
Enjoys travelling, reading and horse riding
Palestine and Israel - live updates
Warlight,
Michael Ondaatje, Knopf
Who has been sanctioned?
Daniella Weiss and Nachala
Described as 'the grandmother of the settler movement', she has encouraged the expansion of settlements for decades. The 79 year old leads radical settler movement Nachala, whose aim is for Israel to annex Gaza and the occupied West Bank, where it helps settlers built outposts.
Harel Libi & Libi Construction and Infrastructure
Libi has been involved in threatening and perpetuating acts of aggression and violence against Palestinians. His firm has provided logistical and financial support for the establishment of illegal outposts.
Zohar Sabah
Runs a settler outpost named Zohar’s Farm and has previously faced charges of violence against Palestinians. He was indicted by Israel’s State Attorney’s Office in September for allegedly participating in a violent attack against Palestinians and activists in the West Bank village of Muarrajat.
Coco’s Farm and Neria’s Farm
These are illegal outposts in the West Bank, which are at the vanguard of the settler movement. According to the UK, they are associated with people who have been involved in enabling, inciting, promoting or providing support for activities that amount to “serious abuse”.
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Transmission: ten-speed
Power: 420bhp
Torque: 624Nm
Price: Dh325,125
On sale: Now
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Set-jetting on the Emerald Isle
Other shows filmed in Ireland include: Vikings (County Wicklow), The Fall (Belfast), Line of Duty (Belfast), Penny Dreadful (Dublin), Ripper Street (Dublin), Krypton (Belfast)
MATCH INFO
Uefa Champions League, semi-final result:
Liverpool 4-0 Barcelona
Liverpool win 4-3 on aggregate
Champions Legaue final: June 1, Madrid
