Boris Johnson faced a Prime Minister's Questions on Wednesday dominated by the "partygate" affair with doubts over losing their leader appearing to have focused minds among Tory MPs - some were referring to the seriousness of the events as "nothing more than a parking fine".
Each time someone from the opposition called for his resignation, roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson and there was no undercutting interventions from his own side to trip the party leader up.
Senior civil servant Sue Gray is getting ready to deliver her report on alleged rule-breaking parties at Downing Street, with some speculation that it could be released as soon as today. Mr Johnson spoke at the weekly question session and faced a series of allegations he had misled MPs from Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the opposition.
Mr Johnson's political future seems to be hanging in the balance, with other MPs furious at reports of Downing Street lockdown rule-breaking.
Every seat in the galleries overlooking the Common’s chamber was taken, with more than 100 journalists looking down on proceedings for each twitch and grimace from the assembled MPs.
As questions on Northern Ireland came to an end, Mr Johnson noted that the coming anniversary of the 1972 Bloody Sunday massacre in Derry was a dark stain for the UK government.
Pushing his hand through his freshly trimmed blond hair, Mr Johnson rose and fell on his seat on the front bench, appearing confident but tired.
There were some chuckles when Mr Johnson outlined his diary for the day, stating he had met “colleagues and others …”. It is expected the prime minister will be interviewed by the Metropolitan Police over the alleged breaking of lockdown rules.
Before Prime Minister's Questions there was a mixture of nerves and defiance among the government benches. “He has to go, this has gone too far for too long,” one former junior minister told The National.
Another Conservative MP called for some perspective in the commentary. “For goodness sake, we need to get a sense of perspective on this. Yes he did wrong but it’s not Watergate,” he said, referring to the scandal that toppled former US president Richard Nixon.
The MP, who represents a West Country constituency, said during a meeting with rural constituents that although many were angry with Mr Johnson they said they would still vote for him. “There’s just no one with his electability to replace him currently,” he added.
Inside Portcullis House, the large atrium building where politicians and advisers gather, there was a heightened atmosphere of uncertainty and hurried conversations taking place in quiet corners.
“Whips, the whips are about,” said one rotund MP, looking nervously about for the government enforcers.
Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
The fear for the government is that once Ms Gray’s report is released then the required number of 54 letters of no confidence will be put forward, triggering a Conservative Party leadership election. An Ipsos MORI poll released on Wednesday showed that lack of faith in politics has become a major new concern for the public since the “partygate” allegations emerged. The issue was cited by 25 per cent or respondents, second only to coronavirus at 43 per cent.
There are many who believe Mr Johnson will ride out the report and subsequent police investigation only to be dislodged later in the year. “The Tories are not a sentimental lot,” said one political insider. “If Boris appears to have lost his electability then he will be out because that’s why so many of his MPs supported him.”
Sir Keir Starmer noted Mr Johnson's changing narrative on lockdown-era gatherings in the seat of government. “The ministerial code says that ministers who knowingly mislead parliament will be expected to offer their resignation,” he said. “Does the prime minister believe that applies to him?”
Mr Johnson said there would be a full reckoning when the process of reports and investigations came to a conclusion. “Let me tell the House that I think he is inviting a question about an investigation which is — as you know, Mr Speaker, I cannot comment — and which he, as a lawyer, will know that I can’t comment on.”
In the coming hours, it will become clear whether Conservative MPs back their leader or if there will be another intervention, such as that from Conservative MP David Davis last week, who told Mr Johnson: “In the name of God, go.”
Ms Gray, who works for the Cabinet Office, is investigating claims that government staff held parties involving alcohol and non-socially distanced events while Britain was under tight coronavirus restrictions in 2020 and 2021.
Mr Johnson’s office has promised to publish her report in full as soon as it becomes available.
The prime minster is also facing a police investigation into the alleged parties. London’s Metropolitan Police force said it is looking at “a number of events” at Mr Johnson’s Downing Street office.
In another extraordinary Prime Minister’s Questions, Mr Johnson revelled in the support of his party. Several times the roof was raised with cheers as the prime minister responded to Labour calls for his resignation.
In response Mr Johnson grew more assured over the half hour, delivering a confident and combative performance.
Given the support that he appears to have won back, it seems that, for now, Mr Johnson has appeased many of his rebellious backbenchers.
Boris Johnson under pressure – in pictures
Results
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What is graphene?
Graphene is extracted from graphite and is made up of pure carbon.
It is 200 times more resistant than steel and five times lighter than aluminum.
It conducts electricity better than any other material at room temperature.
It is thought that graphene could boost the useful life of batteries by 10 per cent.
Graphene can also detect cancer cells in the early stages of the disease.
The material was first discovered when Andre Geim and Konstantin Novoselov were 'playing' with graphite at the University of Manchester in 2004.
GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Tamkeen's offering
- Option 1: 70% in year 1, 50% in year 2, 30% in year 3
- Option 2: 50% across three years
- Option 3: 30% across five years
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
'I Want You Back'
Director:Jason Orley
Stars:Jenny Slate, Charlie Day
Rating:4/5
Three ways to limit your social media use
Clinical psychologist, Dr Saliha Afridi at The Lighthouse Arabia suggests three easy things you can do every day to cut back on the time you spend online.
1. Put the social media app in a folder on the second or third screen of your phone so it has to remain a conscious decision to open, rather than something your fingers gravitate towards without consideration.
2. Schedule a time to use social media instead of consistently throughout the day. I recommend setting aside certain times of the day or week when you upload pictures or share information.
3. Take a mental snapshot rather than a photo on your phone. Instead of sharing it with your social world, try to absorb the moment, connect with your feeling, experience the moment with all five of your senses. You will have a memory of that moment more vividly and for far longer than if you take a picture of it.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
World ranking (at month’s end)
Jan - 257
Feb - 198
Mar - 159
Apr - 161
May - 159
Jun – 162
Currently: 88
Year-end rank since turning pro
2016 - 279
2015 - 185
2014 - 143
2013 - 63
2012 - 384
2011 - 883
Married Malala
Malala Yousafzai is enjoying married life, her father said.
The 24-year-old married Pakistan cricket executive Asser Malik last year in a small ceremony in the UK.
Ziauddin Yousafzai told The National his daughter was ‘very happy’ with her husband.
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Specs
Engine: 51.5kW electric motor
Range: 400km
Power: 134bhp
Torque: 175Nm
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
How has net migration to UK changed?
The figure was broadly flat immediately before the Covid-19 pandemic, standing at 216,000 in the year to June 2018 and 224,000 in the year to June 2019.
It then dropped to an estimated 111,000 in the year to June 2020 when restrictions introduced during the pandemic limited travel and movement.
The total rose to 254,000 in the year to June 2021, followed by steep jumps to 634,000 in the year to June 2022 and 906,000 in the year to June 2023.
The latest available figure of 728,000 for the 12 months to June 2024 suggests levels are starting to decrease.
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Score
Third Test, Day 1
New Zealand 229-7 (90 ov)
Pakistan
New Zealand won the toss and elected to bat
Company%20Profile
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Citadel: Honey Bunny first episode
Directors: Raj & DK
Stars: Varun Dhawan, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Kashvi Majmundar, Kay Kay Menon
Rating: 4/5
GAC GS8 Specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm
Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh149,900
What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
TOUR RESULTS AND FIXTURES
June 3: NZ Provincial Barbarians 7 Lions 13
June 7: Blues 22 Lions 16
June 10: Crusaders 3 Lions 12
June 13: Highlanders 23 Lions 22
June 17: Maori All Blacks 10 Lions 32
June 20: Chiefs 6 Lions 34
June 24: New Zealand 30 Lions 15
June 27: Hurricanes 31 Lions 31
July 1: New Zealand 21 Lions 24
July 8: New Zealand v Lions
Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.
Based: Riyadh
Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany
Founded: September, 2020
Number of employees: 70
Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions
Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds
Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices
David Haye record
Total fights: 32
Wins: 28
Wins by KO: 26
Losses: 4
PROFILE OF HALAN
Started: November 2017
Founders: Mounir Nakhla, Ahmed Mohsen and Mohamed Aboulnaga
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport and logistics
Size: 150 employees
Investment: approximately $8 million
Investors include: Singapore’s Battery Road Digital Holdings, Egypt’s Algebra Ventures, Uber co-founder and former CTO Oscar Salazar
White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
The%20specs
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more from Janine di Giovanni
The specs
Engine: 77.4kW all-wheel-drive dual motor
Power: 320bhp
Torque: 605Nm
Transmission: Single-speed automatic
Price: From Dh219,000
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 502hp at 7,600rpm
Torque: 637Nm at 5,150rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Price: from Dh317,671
On sale: now
Cultural fiesta
What: The Al Burda Festival
When: November 14 (from 10am)
Where: Warehouse421, Abu Dhabi
The Al Burda Festival is a celebration of Islamic art and culture, featuring talks, performances and exhibitions. Organised by the Ministry of Culture and Knowledge Development, this one-day event opens with a session on the future of Islamic art. With this in mind, it is followed by a number of workshops and “masterclass” sessions in everything from calligraphy and typography to geometry and the origins of Islamic design. There will also be discussions on subjects including ‘Who is the Audience for Islamic Art?’ and ‘New Markets for Islamic Design.’ A live performance from Kuwaiti guitarist Yousif Yaseen should be one of the highlights of the day.
The specs
Engine: 2.9-litre twin-turbo V6
Power: 540hp at 6,500rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 2,500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Kerb weight: 1580kg
Price: From Dh750k
On sale: via special order
Key facilities
- Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
- Premier League-standard football pitch
- 400m Olympic running track
- NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
- 600-seat auditorium
- Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
- An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
- Specialist robotics and science laboratories
- AR and VR-enabled learning centres
- Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
Four tips to secure IoT networks
Mohammed Abukhater, vice president at FireEye in the Middle East, said:
- Keep device software up-to-date. Most come with basic operating system, so users should ensure that they always have the latest version
- Besides a strong password, use two-step authentication. There should be a second log-in step like adding a code sent to your mobile number
- Usually smart devices come with many unnecessary features. Users should lock those features that are not required or used frequently
- Always create a different guest network for visitors
The%20specs
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Punchy appearance
Roars of support buoyed Mr Johnson in an extremely confident and combative appearance
