If the power draining away from Boris Johnson's premiership was visible during what might be his final Prime Minister’s Questions the whole ornate chamber would have quickly emptied.
There was even space on the government front bench where cabinet ministers are normally packed shoulder-to-shoulder. Not one minister risked the cosy positioning that is a weekly feature of the proceedings.
That was true of the new chancellor, Nadhim Zahawi who was next to the prime minister but keeping a polite distance from Mr Johnson’s increasingly toxic brand, knowing that a leadership contest was imminent and one in which the Iraq-born MP could be a front-runner.
On the other side was Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab, who made no eye contact with the prime minister throughout an extraordinary 45 minutes of a government in free fall.
The opposition benches were lively with boos, shouts and at one point — much to the Speaker’s distress — they clapped a Tory MP who stated the prime minister should go because he “always tries to blame other people for his mistakes”.
Throughout, those on the government benches sat in grim, icy silence. The whips, whose authority has almost entirely disappeared with the departure of the disgraced deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, and more than 20 government resignations, had not even bothered to attempt to drum up support for Mr Johnson.
It was a one man act. A rather sorrowful, repetitive one at that, but still playing to a sold-out House of Commons.
The packed gathering was there to witness the last rites of a man whose legacy will be of bringing down one prime minister and taking Britain away from its biggest trading partner, the European Union. That and the dissembling that has marked much of the last eight months of his downward spiral.
“I'm going to hang on in there, that’s what I’m going to do,” Mr Johnson pledged to sniggers, reinforcing the views of many backbenchers who may now oust him quicker than first thought.
Greeted by boos and few cheers, Mr Johnson had initially attempted to make light of the resignations. “Today is a big day,” he said in response to opposition jeers. “I suspect I will have further such meetings,” he added, in reference to possible further resignations.
That prompted laughter from Labour but stony silence from those sitting behind him.
Sir Keir Starmer, the Labour leader, launched a withering assault, striking with some of his sharpest phrases, honed from his days as a criminal prosecutor.
A deep silence descended as he outlined the grim mechanics of Mr Pincher’s alleged sexual assault from the young male victim’s witness statement.
Whatever happens next, the British parliament will need to significantly reform how it deals with people in power taking advantage of those who are not.
That is unlikely to be on Mr Johnson’s watch. He could only look on bemused as Sir Keir skewered him with verbal rapiers. “The sinking ship is fleeing the rat,” Sir Keir said, referring to the raft of ministerial resignations. Those left in the government were attempting the “charge of the lightweight brigade”, he went on, and Mr Johnson’s most recent appointments were the “dying act of a political career”.
There was no killer blow from the government benches. “Does the prime minister think there any circumstances in which he should resign?” asked one of his exasperated MPs.
“The job of a PM in difficult circumstances is to keep going,” Mr Johnson retorted. “That’s what I’m going to do.” His sentiment seemed to merely reinforce the will of those who want him out.
As Mr Johnson stood up to leave a Labour backbencher shouted “bye Boris!” It was perhaps the nicest thing something had said to him all day.
The biog
Mission to Seafarers is one of the largest port-based welfare operators in the world.
It provided services to around 200 ports across 50 countries.
They also provide port chaplains to help them deliver professional welfare services.
What is an FTO Designation?
FTO designations impose immigration restrictions on members of the organisation simply by virtue of their membership and triggers a criminal prohibition on knowingly providing material support or resources to the designated organisation as well as asset freezes.
It is a crime for a person in the United States or subject to the jurisdiction of the United States to knowingly provide “material support or resources” to or receive military-type training from or on behalf of a designated FTO.
Representatives and members of a designated FTO, if they are aliens, are inadmissible to and, in certain circumstances removable from, the United States.
Except as authorised by the Secretary of the Treasury, any US financial institution that becomes aware that it has possession of or control over funds in which an FTO or its agent has an interest must retain possession of or control over the funds and report the funds to the Treasury Department.
Source: US Department of State
Feeding the thousands for iftar
Six industrial scale vats of 500litres each are used to cook the kanji or broth
Each vat contains kanji or porridge to feed 1,000 people
The rice porridge is poured into a 500ml plastic box
350 plastic tubs are placed in one container trolley
Each aluminium container trolley weighing 300kg is unloaded by a small crane fitted on a truck
ULTRA PROCESSED FOODS
- Carbonated drinks, sweet or savoury packaged snacks, confectionery, mass-produced packaged breads and buns
- margarines and spreads; cookies, biscuits, pastries, cakes, and cake mixes, breakfast cereals, cereal and energy bars;
- energy drinks, milk drinks, fruit yoghurts and fruit drinks, cocoa drinks, meat and chicken extracts and instant sauces
- infant formulas and follow-on milks, health and slimming products such as powdered or fortified meal and dish substitutes,
- many ready-to-heat products including pre-prepared pies and pasta and pizza dishes, poultry and fish nuggets and sticks, sausages, burgers, hot dogs, and other reconstituted meat products, powdered and packaged instant soups, noodles and desserts.
LILO & STITCH
Starring: Sydney Elizebeth Agudong, Maia Kealoha, Chris Sanders
Director: Dean Fleischer Camp
Rating: 4.5/5
Points tally
1. Australia 52; 2. New Zealand 44; 3. South Africa 36; 4. Sri Lanka 35; 5. UAE 27; 6. India 27; 7. England 26; 8. Singapore 8; 9. Malaysia 3
AI traffic lights to ease congestion at seven points to Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Street
The seven points are:
Shakhbout bin Sultan Street
Dhafeer Street
Hadbat Al Ghubainah Street (outbound)
Salama bint Butti Street
Al Dhafra Street
Rabdan Street
Umm Yifina Street exit (inbound)
The biog
Name: Mariam Ketait
Emirate: Dubai
Hobbies: I enjoy travelling, experiencing new things, painting, reading, flying, and the French language
Favourite quote: "Be the change you wish to see" - unknown
Favourite activity: Connecting with different cultures
if you go
The flights
Emirates fly direct from Dubai to Houston, Texas, where United have direct flights to Managua. Alternatively, from October, Iberia will offer connections from Madrid, which can be reached by both Etihad from Abu Dhabi and Emirates from Dubai.
The trip
Geodyssey’s (Geodyssey.co.uk) 15-night Nicaragua Odyssey visits the colonial cities of Leon and Granada, lively country villages, the lake island of Ometepe and a stunning array of landscapes, with wildlife, history, creative crafts and more. From Dh18,500 per person, based on two sharing, including transfers and tours but excluding international flights. For more information, visit visitnicaragua.us.
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
The biog
Favourite car: Ferrari
Likes the colour: Black
Best movie: Avatar
Academic qualifications: Bachelor’s degree in media production from the Higher Colleges of Technology and diploma in production from the New York Film Academy
LA LIGA FIXTURES
Friday
Granada v Real Betis (9.30pm)
Valencia v Levante (midnight)
Saturday
Espanyol v Alaves (4pm)
Celta Vigo v Villarreal (7pm)
Leganes v Real Valladolid (9.30pm)
Mallorca v Barcelona (midnight)
Sunday
Atletic Bilbao v Atletico Madrid (4pm)
Real Madrid v Eibar (9.30pm)
Real Sociedad v Osasuna (midnight)
