Boris Johnson news - live: PM and Macron fail to discuss migrant crossings at G7

At the G7 summit, Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron failed to discuss the subject of thousands of migrants risking their lives to cross the English Channel.

The British and French leaders met at the summit in Germany’s Bavarian Alps, where they spoke about geopolitical crises such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But they did not address the situation which has seen more than 12,000 people cross the Channel so far this year.

When asked why the boat crossings weren’t discussed, Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said: “There are very significant issues of geopolitical concern to discuss, not least the crisis in Ukraine.

“They have talked about those issues previously and I’m sure they will again. But, obviously, on the eve of the G7, that’s pretty much, I’m sure, at the forefront of both of their minds.”

Mr Johnson is expected to use the G7 to urge France and Germany to provide more military support to Ukraine.

Back in the UK, he remains under pressure after a series of scandals and two damaging by-election losses.

Key Points

• Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron fail to discuss migrant crossings at G7

• Johnson to urge France and Germany to provide more military support to Ukraine

• PM tells Macron he is ‘looking well’

• Johnson aiming to stay in Downing Street until 2030s

Good morning

07:23 , Joe Middleton

Hello and welcome to Sunday’s politics blog bringing you the latest news and analysis from the heart of Westminster.

Boris Johnson aiming to stay in Downing Street until 2030s

07:31 , Joe Middleton

Boris Johnson has said he is planning to be prime minister into the 2030s despite Conservative critics plotting to oust him after voters rejected the Tories in a double by-election defeat.

Mr Johnson insisted he was “thinking actively” about fighting the next two general elections to become the longest-serving post-war leader.

He urged Tory MPs plotting to oust him not to focus on the issues he has “stuffed up” after his authority was further diminished by a Cabinet resignation.

Mr Johnson earlier insisted the “endless churn” of allegations was “driving people nuts”, as he pushed on with his Rwanda trip despite suggestions further ministerial resignations could follow.

Oliver Dowden resigned as Tory party co-chairman, saying he and Conservative supporters were “distressed and disappointed by recent events” and telling the Prime Minister that “someone must take responsibility”.

But Mr Johnson set his sights on being in office in the “mid 2030s”, in a run that would see him outlast Margaret Thatcher’s reign.

Asked by journalists at the British high commissioner’s residence in Kigali if he would lead his party into the next election, he said: “Will I win? Yes.”

In a buoyant mood, the Prime Minister added: “At the moment I’m actively thinking about the third term and what could happen then, but I will review that when I get to it.”

Labour, meanwhile, challenged the Tories to call an early election, with leader Sir Keir Starmer telling Mr Johnson: “Bring it on.”

Johnson’s 2030 ambition branded ‘delusional’

07:39 , Joe Middleton

Backlash to Boris Johnson ambitions to stay in power for another decade has been swift.

One unnamed ex-cabinet minister told The Observer the Prime Minister was “completely delusional”, while a Red Wall MP told the newspaper he was “showing increasing signs of a bunker mentality, and that never ends well.”

It comes after a defiant interview with the Prime Minister on Saturday, in which he said criticism from rebels ‘didn’t matter’ and he had no plans to change.

Boris Johnson rules out ‘psychological transformation’ to change his character

08:02 , Joe Middleton

UK and allies to ban Russian gold in order to ‘strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine’

08:12 , Joe Middleton

The UK, US, Canada and Japan will ban imports of Russian gold in the latest stage of the effort to cripple Russia’s economy in response to the war in Ukraine.

Gold exports were worth £12.6 billion to Russia in 2021 and its importance has increased since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine as oligarchs have rushed to buy bullion to avoid the impact of sanctions, Downing Street said.

Officials believe that because London is a major gold-trading hub, UK sanctions will have a huge impact on Mr Putin’s ability to raise funds to finance his war effort.

Boris Johnson confirmed the move as he arrived at the G7 summit in Bavaria, Germany.

He said: “The measures we have announced today will directly hit Russian oligarchs and strike at the heart of Putin’s war machine.

“Putin is squandering his dwindling resources on this pointless and barbaric war. He is bankrolling his ego at the expense of both the Ukrainian and Russian people.

“We need to starve the Putin regime of its funding. The UK and our allies are doing just that.”

Legislation to implement the ban will be introduced in Parliament in the coming weeks. The prohibition will apply to newly mined or refined gold.

Government ‘misleading’ over role in rail strikes, suggests legal advice

08:35 , Joe Middleton

The government is being accused of “misleading” the public by insisting it does not have a role in negotiations to resolve the bitter rail dispute.

The TUC said an independent legal opinion undermined the government’s claims that the dispute is just between the train operators and unions.

The union organisation said the legal opinion it has received clarifies that the contracts between rail operators and Government allow the Government to apply financial sanctions if operators do not follow its directions in the current dispute.

The legal opinion, commissioned by the TUC from Michael Ford QC of Old Square Chambers, advises that Transport Secretary Grant Shapps has “very extensive powers” over what can be agreed between rail operators and unions, and “very significant contractual power” to direct how industrial disputes are handled, the TUC said.

Rail operators are not free to agree terms and conditions with their employees without the involvement of the Transport Secretary, Grant Shapps, according to the advice.

The legal advice given to the TUC added that before discussing any changes to pay, terms and conditions, redundancies, or restructuring with rail unions, rail operators must agree a mandate with the Transport Secretary.

However, the Department for Transport said it was “misleading “ to say Mr Shapps should get involved in the talks.

TUC general secretary Frances O’Grady said: “The Prime Minister and his Transport Secretary have misled the public.

“When they said the Government has no role in handling this dispute, that’s not true. When they said negotiations are just for the employers and the unions, that’s not right.

“We always believed that Conservative ministers had the power to pull the train companies’ strings, behind the scenes, and this legal opinion on rail contracts confirms it.”

Brandon Lewis praises PM’s ‘zest’

08:40 , Joe Middleton

Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis has come out in support of the beleagured prime minister.

He told Trevor Phillips on Ridge on Sunday that Boris Johnson has “proven that time and again, when you’ve written him off”.

Mr Lewis added that the prime minister had a real “zest” for the job and had long term plans to make the country better

Brandon Lewis agrees Tories had ‘a bad set of results’ in by-elections

09:01 , Joe Middleton

Brandon Lewis agreed that the Tories had taken a major beating in the Tiverton and Honiton by-election, saying the party suffered “a bad set of results”.

But he told Sky’s Sophy Ridge On Sunday programme “that does happen sometimes mid-term” and it has been proven “time and again” that you cannot extrapolate a by-election outcome into a general election result.

Asked by Trevor Phillips, who is standing in for Ridge this week, if he agreed the Conservatives had taken a major beating in Tiverton and Honiton, Mr Lewis said: “Yeah, they were a bad set of results for us. That does happen sometimes mid-term. There’s no denying it was a set of results we’ve got to look carefully at and learn from.”

He added: “What we’ve got to do, as has happened before, where we’ve seen by-election results go one way and then a following general election go a very different way, you can’t extrapolate... a by-election result into a general election result.

“It’s been proven time and again to not work that way.”

UN plan to get grain out of Ukraine doomed to fail, says Boris Johnson

09:18 , Joe Middleton

Boris Johnson said the United Nations’ plan to get the grain out of Ukraine is a “non-starter” because Vladimir Putin will continue to use food supply as a bargaining chip to ease sanctions.

The prime minister argued that allies need to now consider “plan B”, as he pledged British expertise to help de-mine the Black Sea and provide further weapons.

Mr Johnson wants to offer insurance for commercial vessels to help free the 23 million tonnes of grain trapped by the Russian president’s blockade.

Adam Forrest reports.

UN plan to get grain out of Ukraine doomed to fail, says Boris Johnson

Boris Johnson to urge France and Germany to provide more military support to Ukraine at G7

10:14 , Joe Middleton

Boris Johnson will use G7 and Nato summits to urge France and Germany to provide more military support to Ukraine and warn them against any attempt to push president Volodymyr Zelensky into a “bad” peace deal.

This week’s conferences in Germany and Spain offer the beleaguered prime minister – battling to stave off a new leadership challenge at home – the chance to talk about strong British backing for Kyiv.

Mr Johnson said he is not worried about rebel Tory MPs plotting to oust him while he is out of the country until Thursday – rejecting calls to come home and reassert his authority following disastrous by-election defeats.

Adam Forrest reports.

Johnson to urge France and Germany to provide more military support to Ukraine at G7

PM tells French president he is ‘looking well’

10:42 , Joe Middleton

Boris Johnson has met Emmanuel Macron for bilateral talks at the G7 summit.

During brief exchanges that could be heard before they sat down, Mr Johnson asked “How are you?” and Mr Macron replied “I’m fine”.

Mr Johnson told the French president that he was “looking well”. We’re expecting a read-out of their discussion soon.

Ahead of the meeting with Macron, Johnson was asked whether France and Germany are doing enough over Ukraine.In his response, Mr Johnson focused on the German response without mentioning France.

“Just look at what the Germans alone have done,” the PM said.“I never believed in my lifetime that I would see a German Chancellor stepping up in the way that Olaf Scholz has and sending weaponry to help the Ukrainians to to protect themselves. He’s made huge, huge strides.”

Johnson and Trudeau joke about size of jets

10:58 , Joe Middleton

Boris Johnson and Canada’s Justin Trudeau compared the relative sizes of their jets as they met at the G7 summit, where they will be discussing climate change, among other topics.

The two leaders had both flown separately from Rwanda’s Commonwealth meeting to Germany.Johnson said he had seen “Canada Force One” on the tarmac, before Trudeau joked that it was “not quite as big as yours”.

The PM replied: “No, ours is very, very modest.”

‘Delusional’: Boris Johnson backtracks on pledge to stay in No 10 until 2030s

11:08 , Joe Middleton

Boris Johnson appeared to backtrack on his pledge to cling onto power until the 2030s, as the prime minister faced claim he is “completely delusional” about winning three terms.

Speaking in Rwanda about leading the Conservatives into the next election, he said: “Will I win? Yes,” before adding: “At the moment I’m actively thinking about the third term.”

Asked at the G7 summit if he was being “delusional” about staying at No 10 until the next decade, the PM played down his remarks – suggesting he had been talking about the long-term ambitions of government.

Adam Forrest reports.

Boris Johnson backtracks on ‘delusional’ pledge to stay in No 10 until 2030s

Patrick Grady resigns SNP membership amid police inquiry

12:20 , PA

An SNP MP has resigned his party membership amid a police investigation into sexual harassment allegations.

It means Patrick Grady will no longer be an SNP MP for Glasgow North and will sit as an independent.

The Metropolitan Police confirmed it is investigating an incident which took place at a London pub in 2016.

A parliamentary probe saw Mr Grady suspended from Westminster for two days after he was found to have acted inappropriately towards a male SNP staff member.

Mr Grady, the SNP’s former chief whip, said he was “profoundly sorry” after the independent panel's investigation.

SNP Westminster leader Ian Blackford had urged Mr Grady to consider his position after criticism of the party's handling of the complaint.

That came after Mr Blackford was heard in a leaked recording to tell SNP MPs to rally round Mr Grady, saying he looked forward to "welcoming Patrick back" following his two-day suspension.

A Metropolitan Police spokesperson confirmed inquiries are ongoing.

He added: “On Wednesday June 22, police received an allegation of sexual assault that is said to have taken place in October 2016 at a commercial premises in Folgate Street, E1.

“The report was submitted online by a third party.

“Officers will now be making inquiries, including contacting the alleged victim, in order to assess what further action is required.”

An SNP spokesman said: “Patrick Grady is stepping away from his party membership while the police inquiry continues.”

Reporting by PA

Ex-MP Neil Parish says he was ‘probably’ done in by colleagues

13:30 , Lamiat Sabin

An MP who had been forced to resign for watching pornography in the Commons agreed that he “probably” was “done in” by some of his parliamentary colleagues.

Neil Parish is the former Conservative MP for Tiverton and Honiton, a constituency in Devon that was snapped up by Liberal Democrat candidate Richard Foord in a by-election earlier this week.

He was asked on LBC’s Swarbrick On Sunday if he believes he was done in by some of his colleagues.

Mr Parish replied: “I think probably I was. Now, I was wrong to be watching it: it was very immoral, it wasn’t illegal, it was immoral, and I shouldn’t have been doing it.

“I was right in the corner of the House of Commons as you go into the lobby to vote, so this idea I think people have got that I was right in the middle of the House of Commons flaunting it is absolutely wrong.

“I wasn’t proud of what I was doing and it was very wrong I was doing it. But I didn’t spend any time in the last 12 years, shall I say, splitting on fellow members.

“I asked to be able to apologise if I caused offence, I was not given that opportunity by the chief whip and I was thrown to the press wolves.”

Tory MP urges ministers to quit to spark ‘momentum’ to force out PM

14:00 , Lamiat Sabin

A Tory MP said that the resignations of ministers who oppose Boris Johnson could provide “momentum” to force the prime minister out of power.

Tim Loughton said that the positions of his colleagues – who secretly voted against the prime minister in the no-confidence vote, while remaining in office – were “untenable”.

The former minister said he opposes changing the rules, to allow a second vote, but called for ministers who have remained silent to “stand up for their principles”.

Read the full story here by Rob Merrick

Tory MP urges ministers to quit to create ‘momentum’ to force out Boris Johnson

PM would be ‘honoured’ to welcome Zelensky to UK on state visit

14:20 , Lamiat Sabin

Boris Johnson said he would be “honoured” to welcome Volodymyr Zelensky for a state visit in Britain.

The prime minister said he would host Mr Zelensky if the Ukrainian president could leave his war-torn country.

Mr Johnson – who has visited Ukraine twice since the Russian invasion started on 24 February – stressed the most important thing now was for leaders at the G7 summit in Germany to show their support of him.

The PM told ITV News at the summit in Bavaria: “If he ever becomes free to leave and it makes sense for him to leave Ukraine, then obviously the UK would be only too honoured to host him.

“But the most important thing is for us to continue to be united here at the G7. And we are.”

The Sunday Times reported that ministers were considering offering Mr Zelensky a state visit, including a meeting with the Queen.

Tory officials would also like him to address the party’s conference in October, possibly via a video link, the newspaper reported.

PM warns Macron against giving Putin ‘licence to manipulate’

15:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Boris Johnson has warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that any attempt now to settle the conflict in Ukraine will give Vladimir Putin a “licence to manipulate” other countries.

At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr Macron had been criticised for negotiating with Putin and saying Russia must not be “humiliated”.

Mr Johnson told Mr Macron that compromise will “only cause enduring instability” as the pair met to discuss the war at the G7 summit in Germany.

Read the full story by Adam Forrest

Ukraine peace deal would give Putin ‘license to manipulate’, Johnson tells Macron

Watch: Putin’s ‘bare-chested horseback rides’ mocked at G7 meeting

15:20 , Lamiat Sabin

Boris Johnson and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau were seen mocking Vladimir Putin at the start of talks between the G7 leaders.

Asked about taking his jacket off, the PM said: “We all have to show that we’re tougher than Putin.”

Trudeau joked: “Bare-chested horseback ride.”

Johnson then said: “We’ve all got to talk our jackets off and show our pecs.”

Read the full story by Adam Forrest here

‘Let’s show our pecs!’ Boris Johnson and Trudeau mock Putin’s topless horse riding

PM suggests UK could risk breaching WTO rules for steel tariffs

15:40 , Lamiat Sabin

Boris Johnson has suggested Britain may be prepared to breach international law to safeguard its steel industry.

The PM argued at the G7 summit in Germany that it’s reasonable for UK steel to enjoy the “same protections” as other European economies.

The Telegraph has reported that he intends to impose new steel tariffs in a drive to win support in traditional Labour heartlands.

The move could breach the World Trade Organisation (WTO) rules, but Mr Johnson said that taking the risk is one of the “tough choices that you have to make”.

The Telegraph also reported that ministers plan to announce a two-year extension of steel tariffs already imposed on developed countries and China.

PM and Macron fail to discuss migrant crossings at G7

16:08 , Lamiat Sabin

At the G7 summit, Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron failed to discuss the subject of thousands of migrants risking their lives to cross the English Channel.

The British and French leaders met at the summit in Germany’s Bavarian Alps, where they spoke about geopolitical crises such as the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

But they did not address the situation which has seen more than 12,000 people cross the Channel so far this year.

When asked why the boat crossings weren’t discussed, Mr Johnson’s official spokesman said: “There are very significant issues of geopolitical concern to discuss, not least the crisis in Ukraine.

“They have talked about those issues previously and I’m sure they will again. But, obviously, on the eve of the G7, that’s pretty much, I’m sure, at the forefront of both of their minds.”

Mr Johnson is expected to use the G7 to urge France and Germany to provide more military support to Ukraine.

Back in the UK, he remains under pressure after a series of scandals and two damaging by-election losses.

Unite says Labour’s refusal to back potential BA strike is ‘new low’

16:45 , Lamiat Sabin

Unite the union has criticised Labour’s refusal to back a potential British Airways (BA) strike as a “new low”.

Earlier today, shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has said he “categorically” does not support a potential strike by BA check-in staff, who are being balloted by Unite and GMB.

Speaking to BBC and Sky News, the Tottenham Labour MP said the party continues to support negotiations and a deal when it comes to disputes over pay, jobs and working conditions.

Mr Lammy said: “All of us are feeling the pinch with inflation. Many of us might want a (pay) rise of 10%; in truth, most people understand it’s unlikely that you’re going to get that.

“It absolutely would not be right, it would not be responsible opposition if I suggested yes to every strike.”

Sharon Graham, general secretary of Unite, said: “Supporting bad bosses is a new low for Labour.

“David Lammy has chosen to launch a direct attack on British Airways workers. This is a group of workers who were savagely attacked by their employer during Covid. ‘Fire and rehire’ led to thousands of unnecessary job cuts and pay being slashed.

“This dispute is not about a pay rise - it’s about restoring money taken out of workers’ pockets by an opportunistic employer.

“British Airways and its parent company IAG hold billions in reserves and assets, and are predicting a return to profit this quarter.

“Supporting bad bosses is a new low for Labour and once again shows that politicians have failed. It is now down to the trade unions to defend working people. We are their only voice.”

Brexit allowed UK to lead on Ukraine crisis, claims PM

17:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Boris Johnson claimed that the UK would have not been able to be at the forefront of providing support for Ukraine if it was still in the EU.

When asked if the UK is better off after Brexit, the PM told CNN: “It is (better off)”, before mentioning the Covid vaccine response and the ability to strike trade deals.

He added: “We are able to change some of our regulations to take back control of our borders. We are no longer spending shedloads of money on projects that we couldn’t control. And that was a good decision.”

Mr Johnson went on: “I don’t think that the UK within the European Union and within the kind of matrix of the common foreign policy and security policy that we then had, I don’t think that we would have been out in front, as the first European country to arm the Ukrainians, to give them the wherewithal to protect themselves.”

PM: ‘Putin wouldn’t have invaded Ukraine in face of 1922 committee’

18:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Boris Johnson has suggested that Vladimir Putin would have not invaded Ukraine earlier this year if he had the 1922 Committee of Tory backbench MPs “on his case”.

The PM made the claim at the G7 summit in an interview with CNN.

Read the full story here by Adam Forrest

No Ukraine invasion if Putin had Tory 1922 committee ‘on his case’, claims PM

Decisions on steel tariffs to be made soon, Downing Street says

18:31 , PA

The government said its decisions on steel tariffs would be made shortly and would “balance our international obligations and the national interest”.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “We’re consulting with foreign counterparts on our proposals before making a final decision ahead of the deadline.”

The spokesman added: “There is more capacity to produce steel around the world than there is demand and that causes steel prices to be artificially low, damaging and potentially putting steel-makers in countries like ours, who can’t compete with lower prices, out of business.

“So whilst the UK was a member of the EU, the EU placed tariffs on some steel products being imported into the EU, we kept those safeguards on when it left the EU, and also set up the TRA (Trade Remedies Authority) when we left.

“Following the review last year we extended the measures and the reasons were set out there now. We are considering our position now and we’ll come forward with our decision in due course.”

PM threatened with legal action for delaying Covid public inquiry

19:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Boris Johnson is being threatened with legal action for failing to set a start date for his promised public inquiry into his handling of the Covid pandemic.

The prime minister had said that the inquiry would be started in “spring 2022”.

Now bereaved families have announced plans to explore a judicial review.

Read the full story here by Rob Merrick

PM threatened with legal action for delaying promised Covid public inquiry

‘More than 30 MPs demand confidence vote in PM’ - report

19:30 , Lamiat Sabin

The Sunday Times is reporting that more than 30 MPs are understood to have submitted letters to the 1922 Committee of backbenchers.

They are demanding a confidence vote in prime minister Boris Johnson’s leadership, three weeks after he narrowly won the last vote.

Ex-Tory MP says ‘police confiscated his guns in case he shot himself’

20:00 , Lamiat Sabin

Former Tory MP Neil Parish has claimed police took away his shotguns “for his own safety” after he was forced to resign for watching pornography in the Commons.

Speaking to LBC's Swarbrick On Sunday, he said: "The police very kindly and rightly took away, because I am a farmer you see I've got shotguns – so they took those away from me.”

When asked why, he replied: “Because when you have blown up your parliamentary career for 12 years, you are not feeling in the best place, and they took them away for my own safety, not that I was going to shoot anybody else, in case I shot myself.

“I did say to them in a moment of black humour, ‘I am a very bad shot, I will probably miss,’ but they didn’t naturally see the joke at the time, or nor was it very funny.”

Full story here by Joe Middleton

Ex MP caught watching porn says ‘police confiscated his guns in case he shot himself’

Independent inquiry to review treatment of asylum seekers in Scotland

20:32 , Lamiat Sabin

An independent inquiry has been launched to look at the treatment of asylum seekers in Scotland during the pandemic.

Campaigning organisation Refugees for Justice called for a review in the wake of stabbings at the Park Inn hotel in Glasgow which was being used to house asylum seekers during lockdown in 2020.

On Sunday 26 June, the second anniversary of the incident, Refugees for Justice announced that it has commissioned an independent inquiry, which will be led by Baroness Helena Kennedy QC.

An inquiry report published on Sunday focused on events in Glasgow at the start of the first major Covid-19 lockdown in 2020, when 321 people seeking asylum were moved from their homes into hotels by Home Office contractors.

Badreddin Abadlla Adam, 28, from Sudan, was shot dead by police after his knife attack at the Park Inn Hotel in Glasgow in June 2020, which injured six people including 42-year-old police constable David Whyte.

The Home Office said it has undertaken a number of “significant changes to keep asylum seekers safe” since the incident.

The report also mentions the case of Adnan Elbi who died in one of the hotels in May 2020.

ICYMI: PM warns Macron against giving Putin ‘licence to manipulate’

21:00 , Lamiat Sabin

In case you missed it...

Boris Johnson has warned his French counterpart Emmanuel Macron that any attempt now to settle the conflict in Ukraine will give Vladimir Putin a “licence to manipulate” other countries.

At the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Mr Macron had been criticised for negotiating with Putin and saying Russia must not be “humiliated”.

Mr Johnson told Mr Macron that compromise will “only cause enduring instability” as the pair met to discuss the war at the G7 summit in Germany.

Read the full story by Adam Forrest

Ukraine peace deal would give Putin ‘license to manipulate’, Johnson tells Macron

21:50 , Holly Bancroft

Thanks for following along with our live blog. We’re pausing it for the evening but here is the latest on the G7 summit.

G7 leaders have been urged not to water down commitments on climate change amid growing fears they are set to pursue “disastrous” fossil fuel projects to ease supply problems stemming from the Ukraine war.

There are growing fears of a shift back to coal and gas investment, as the leaders of Germany, France, Italy, Japan, UK, US and Canada kicked off three days of talks on the economy, energy and security issues in Bavaria on Sunday.

Germany and Italy have announced plans to revive old coal plants as gas supplies from Vladimir Putin’s Russia dwindle, while Boris Johnson has hinted at support for a new mine in Cumbria.

G7 told not to ‘water down’ climate promises amid fears of shift back to fossil fuels