British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been hit by a whirlwind of sleaze allegations as the latest scandal to engulf Downing Street adds to his woes.
Mr Johnson “was aware of some allegations” made against Chris Pincher when he appointed him Tory deputy chief whip in February, the prime minister’s official spokesman admitted on Monday. However, his representative insisted such accusations had either been resolved or were deemed not serious enough to prevent his elevation to the government post.
Questions are mounting over precisely how much Mr Johnson knew about Mr Pincher's past actions, and the opposition Labour Party is pressing Downing Street over the handling of the issue.
Mr Pincher last week quit his government post after claims he had drunkenly groped two men at a private members’ club in London. Within 24 hours of handing in his resignation letter to Number 10 he was suspended from the Conservative Party. The MP for Tamworth in Staffordshire will sit as an independent in the House of Commons while an official investigation is conducted.
Mr Pincher had already quit the whips’ office in 2017 after a complaint that he had made an unwanted pass at former Olympic rower and Conservative candidate Alex Story. Mr Story, who was a young Tory activist at the time, alleged that year that the MP untucked the back of his shirt, massaged his neck and whispered: “You’ll go far in the Tory Party”.
New allegations came to light at the weekend after Mr Pincher said he was seeking “professional medical support”. The Mail on Sunday alleged that he threatened to report a parliamentary researcher to her boss after she tried to stop his “lecherous” advances to a young man at a Conservative Party conference. The Sunday Times alleged that he made unwanted passes at two Tory MPs in 2017 and 2018. A Conservative politician told The Independent he was groped on two occasions by Mr Pincher, first in December 2021 and most recently in June.
As Mr Johnson began his week in Number 10 following an eight-day international trip which took him to Rwanda, Germany and Spain, he faced demands to lay out clearly what he knew about Mr Pincher before elevating him to a role in his administration.
Dominic Cummings, the former adviser to the prime minister turned arch-critic, alleged that Mr Johnson had referred to the MP as “Pincher by name, pincher by nature” long before appointing him in February.
The prime minister’s official spokesman confirmed that Mr Johnson “was aware of some reports and some allegations” about Mr Pincher when he was appointed to the whips' office.
“At the time the PM was not aware of any specific allegations,” he said. “In the absence of any formal complaint it wasn’t deemed appropriate to stop the appointment because of any unsubstantiated allegations.”
Veteran Tory backbench MPs have criticised Boris Johnson for handing Mr Pincher a top job due to the lawmaker’s “risky behaviour”.
A former minister told The National that Mr Pincher’s appointment to the post in February this year had “raised a few eyebrows”, given widespread knowledge on the MP’s past actions.
“It was quite well known within Westminster that he drank,” he said. “I think the problem here was that the prime minister appointed a man who had got a track record of, how can I put it, ‘risky behaviour’. No one ever thought he would go back to the whips’ office and that certainly raised a few eyebrows.”
Mr Johnson is reeling from a succession of defeats in recent months including the “partygate” affair in which he was fined for breaking his own Covid-19 lockdown rules and two by-elections defeats, each triggered by the resignation of a disgraced Tory MP. Neil Parish resigned after admitting he had watched pornography in the Commons, while Imran Ahmad Khan stepped down after being found guilty of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old boy.
In June the prime minister survived a vote of confidence, but 41 per cent of MPs in his party voted against him.
Earlier this year Mr Johnson caused widespread anger when he falsely claimed Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer had failed to prosecute notorious sex offender Jimmy Savile when he ran the Crown Prosecution Service.
Late last year Mr Johnson’s government was rocked by allegations of sleaze after attempting to rewrite MP standards in a bid to save Conservative Owen Paterson from suspension. Mr Paterson was found to have breached lobbying rules and dramatically resigned after the prime minister was forced to do an about-turn on plans to save his skin.
On Monday Education Minister Will Quince became the latest member of Mr Johnson’s Cabinet sent out to defend him in the media. The junior minister questioned the credibility of Mr Cummings, but declined to fully deny that he was aware of general rumours linked to Mr Pincher.
Mr Quince, who repeatedly said Mr Johnson was not aware of specific allegations against Mr Pincher, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “There are a lot of rumours and gossip around Westminster … If I had a pound for every rumour that I’d heard about another MP, then I’d be a very wealthy man.”
Labour shadow minister of state Baroness Jenny Chapman told BBC Breakfast: “We want to know who knew what and when and why those decisions were made the way they were.
“I don’t think anybody in Westminster believes that Boris Johnson did not know about the allegations about Mr Pincher.”
The Pincher scandal will add to fears within the Conservative Party that keeping Mr Johnson as leader will damage the party's prospects of winning the next general election.
Jeremy Hunt, who served as foreign secretary and health secretary in former prime minister Theresa May’s administration, said the next election would be decided not by the “partygate” affair, but by the state of the economy.
Mr Hunt, a persistent backbench critic of Mr Johnson, contested the 2019 Conservative leadership contest and has not ruled out standing in any future race.
“The next election won’t be decided on whether or not there were inappropriate parties in Downing Street during the pandemic,” he told guests at an event to promote his new book.
“I think the next election will be decided on the economy. And the core reason that ordinary voters vote Conservative is because they think that we will look after the economy better and therefore there’ll be better prospects for them and their families.
“But at the moment, because of all the global shocks that we’ve had, people don’t feel that confidence.
“So I think that the biggest single challenge is to get the economy growing again.”
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Ferrari
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Thanksgiving meals to try
World Cut Steakhouse, Habtoor Palace Hotel, Dubai. On Thursday evening, head chef Diego Solis will be serving a high-end sounding four-course meal that features chestnut veloute with smoked duck breast, turkey roulade accompanied by winter vegetables and foie gras and pecan pie, cranberry compote and popcorn ice cream.
Jones the Grocer, various locations across the UAE. Jones’s take-home holiday menu delivers on the favourites: whole roast turkeys, an array of accompaniments (duck fat roast potatoes, sausages wrapped in beef bacon, honey-glazed parsnips and carrots) and more, as well as festive food platters, canapes and both apple and pumpkin pies.
Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse, The Address Hotel, Dubai. This New Orleans-style restaurant is keen to take the stress out of entertaining, so until December 25 you can order a full seasonal meal from its Takeaway Turkey Feast menu, which features turkey, homemade gravy and a selection of sides – think green beans with almond flakes, roasted Brussels sprouts, sweet potato casserole and bread stuffing – to pick up and eat at home.
The Mattar Farm Kitchen, Dubai. From now until Christmas, Hattem Mattar and his team will be producing game- changing smoked turkeys that you can enjoy at home over the festive period.
Nolu’s, The Galleria Mall, Maryah Island Abu Dhabi. With much of the menu focused on a California inspired “farm to table” approach (with Afghani influence), it only seems right that Nolu’s will be serving their take on the Thanksgiving spread, with a brunch at the Downtown location from 12pm to 4pm on Friday.
DUBAI WORLD CUP RACE CARD
6.30pm Meydan Classic Trial US$100,000 (Turf) 1,400m
7.05pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
7.40pm UAE 2000 Guineas Group Three $250,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
8.15pm Dubai Sprint Listed Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,200m
8.50pm Al Maktoum Challenge Round-2 Group Two $450,000 (D) 1,900m
9.25pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,800m
10pm Handicap $135,000 (T) 1,400m
The National selections
6.30pm Well Of Wisdom
7.05pm Summrghand
7.40pm Laser Show
8.15pm Angel Alexander
8.50pm Benbatl
9.25pm Art Du Val
10pm: Beyond Reason
Keep it fun and engaging
Stuart Ritchie, director of wealth advice at AES International, says children cannot learn something overnight, so it helps to have a fun routine that keeps them engaged and interested.
“I explain to my daughter that the money I draw from an ATM or the money on my bank card doesn’t just magically appear – it’s money I have earned from my job. I show her how this works by giving her little chores around the house so she can earn pocket money,” says Mr Ritchie.
His daughter is allowed to spend half of her pocket money, while the other half goes into a bank account. When this money hits a certain milestone, Mr Ritchie rewards his daughter with a small lump sum.
He also recommends books that teach the importance of money management for children, such as The Squirrel Manifesto by Ric Edelman and Jean Edelman.
Overview
What: The Arab Women’s Sports Tournament is a biennial multisport event exclusively for Arab women athletes.
When: From Sunday, February 2, to Wednesday, February 12.
Where: At 13 different centres across Sharjah.
Disciplines: Athletics, archery, basketball, fencing, Karate, table tennis, shooting (rifle and pistol), show jumping and volleyball.
Participating countries: Algeria, Bahrain, Comoros, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Syria, Tunisia, Qatar and UAE.
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
2) Visit an RTA centre to change registration only after receiving payment
3) Be aware of people asking to test drive the car alone
4) Try not to close the sale at night
5) Don't be rushed into a sale
6) Call 901 if you see any suspicious behaviour
Volvo ES90 Specs
Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)
Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp
Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm
On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region
Price: Exact regional pricing TBA
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
SPEC%20SHEET%3A%20SAMSUNG%20GALAXY%20S24%20ULTRA
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UAE SQUAD
Mohammed Naveed (captain), Mohamed Usman (vice captain), Ashfaq Ahmed, Chirag Suri, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Imran Haider, Tahir Mughal, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed, Fahad Nawaz, Abdul Shakoor, Sultan Ahmed, CP Rizwan
Record breaker
- The most total field goals made in NBA history, as well as the most consecutive games scoring 10 or more points
- The only player in NBA history to reach 10,000 rebounds and 10,000 assists
- Four-time regular season MVP and four-time NBA Finals MVP
- Six-time NBA All-Defensive selection. Rookie of the Year in 2004
- The most All-NBA selections with 21 in a row, including a record 13 first team selections
- The most consecutive All-Star selections with 21
- The only player to play alongside his son; Bronny James was chosen by the Lakers in the 2024 NBA draft
Company%20profile
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Sonchiriya
Director: Abhishek Chaubey
Producer: RSVP Movies, Azure Entertainment
Cast: Sushant Singh Rajput, Manoj Bajpayee, Ashutosh Rana, Bhumi Pednekar, Ranvir Shorey
Rating: 3/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
RACECARD
6pm Emaar Dubai Sprint – Conditions (TB) $60,000 (Turf) 1,200m
6.35pm Graduate Stakes – Conditions (TB) $100,000 (Dirt) 1,600m
7.10pm Al Khail Trophy – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,810m
7.45pm UAE 1000 Guineas – Listed (TB) $150,000 (D) 1,600m
8.20pm Zabeel Turf – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 2,000m
8.55pm Downtown Dubai Cup – Rated Conditions (TB) $80,000 (D) 1,400m
9.30pm Zabeel Mile – Group 2 (TB) $180,000 (T) 1,600m
10.05pm Dubai Sprint – Listed (TB) $100,000 (T) 1,200m
Why it pays to compare
A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.
Route 1: bank transfer
The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.
Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount
Total received: €4,670.30
Route 2: online platform
The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.
Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction
Total received: €4,756
The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.
MATCH INFO
Day 2 at Mount Maunganui
England 353
Stokes 91, Denly 74, Southee 4-88
New Zealand 144-4
Williamson 51, S Curran 2-28
BRAZIL%20SQUAD
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