Rishi Sunak refuses to back James Cleverly on target of stopping all small boat crossings this year - latest

Rishi Sunak has refused to back his home secretary’s target to bring the number of small boats crossing the channel to zero this year.

No 10 said the prime minister would not set a deadline for delivering his pledge to stop the boats.

Earlier James Cleverly was asked what his target was for crossings this year and told LBC Radio: “Well, my target is to bring it down to zero. I mean, I’m completely committed…”

Asked if he was referring specifically to 2024, he said: “That’s my target. My target is to reduce it to zero, to stop the boats. And I’m unambiguous about that.”

The prime minister’s official spokesman said the two men were united in wanting to stop the crossings.

But he would not repeat Mr Cleverly’s target. Pushed on the 2024 target, the spokesman said the PM wanted to “stop the boats as soon as possible” but he would not “set out a deadline”.

Key Points

• Sunak refuses to back Cleverly’s target of stopping all small boats this year

• Cleverly says asylum backlog cleared but Labour slams ‘false’ claim

• Sunak holds secret election meetings with Cummings

• Lib Dems call for talks to be investigated by ethics chief

• Pair discussed ‘nuclear weapons’ and other policy areas

16:05 , Matt Mathers

We’re finishing up our live politics coverage for today.

Thanks for reading and join us again soon for all the latest news from Westminster and elsewhere.

Have a good evening.

09:24 , Matt Mathers

Good morning and welcome to The Independent’s live politics coverage.

Rishi Sunak is facing calls for an inquiry into secret meetings he held with Dominic Cummings.

The Lib Dems want the prime minister’s independent ethics adviser to probe whether the talks, which were not logged on official records, broke the ministerial code.

We’ll have updates on this story and others from Westminster and elsewhere throughout the day.

Stay tuned for all the latest updates.

What are the meetings all about?

09:28 , Matt Mathers

Dominic Cummings has claimed he and Rishi Sunak held top secret meetings as the PM considered bringing him back into the fold ahead of the next general election.

The PM reportedly asked Boris Johnson’s ex-chief aide for advice on winning over the public as he pushed for a “secret deal” with Mr Cummings to help the Tories “smash” Labour in 2024.

Full report:

Cummings claims he secretly met with Sunak about possible return

ICYMI: Tory MPs share horror over Sunak’s ‘secret election talks’ with Cummings

09:29 , Matt Mathers

Conservative MPs have expressed their horror at claims that Rishi Sunak held secret talks with Dominic Cummings about the former senior adviser to Boris Johnson making a return to government.

Mr Cummings has claimed that Mr Sunak sought a “secret deal” with him in a bid to “smash” Labour and win the looming general election.

Adam Forrest reports:

Tory MPs share horror over Sunak’s ‘secret election talks’ with Cummings

Watch: Sunak claims Cummings would have ‘nothing to do’ with his government in campaign speech

09:31 , Matt Mathers

James Cleverly apologises for joking about spiking his wife with date rape drug

09:56 , Matt Mathers

James Cleverly said he regrets making a joke about spiking his wife’s drink with a date rape drug and should never have said it.

The home secretary made the joke last month just hours after announcing plans to crack down on the issue.

Mr Cleverly talked about putting “a little bit of Rohypnol in her drink every night,” adding that it was “not really illegal if it’s only a little bit”.

Archie Mitchell reports:

James Cleverly apologises over date rape joke

Sunak claims to have cleared backlog of legacy asylum claims

10:06 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak has claimed to have cleared the backlog of older legacy asylum claims but figures reveal that 4,500 cases are still waiting for a decision, Holly Bancroft reports.

New data released by the Home Office shows that all cases in the legacy backlog have now been reviewed, with 86,800 decisions made, but thousands of more complex cases are still waiting for the additional checks or investigation needed for a final decision.

The government have also processed around 25,300 newer asylum claims, in addition to the legacy cases, taking the total number of decisions made in the past year to over 112,000.

Government data published on Tuesday showed that the legacy backlog was drastically cut in the last few months of last year. There were 33,253 decisions left to make in October, but this fell to 4,537 by 28 December.

Labour attacks Tories with ‘tax calculator’ ahead of national insurance cut

10:13 , Matt Mathers

Labour has unveiled a “Tory tax calculator” tool to attack the Conservatives by letting voters check if their taxes are likely to rise even after a cut to national insurance takes effect.

The party said that, even with a national insurance cut coming into force on January 6, families in Britain were still likely to be £1,200 a year worse off under Tory tax plans.

Archie Mitchell reports:

Labour announces ‘Tory tax calculator’ ahead of national insurance cut

Nearly 5,000 legacy asylum claims still ‘awaiting an initial decision’

10:27 , Matt Mathers

There were 4,537 asylum applications in the legacy backlog that were still “awaiting an initial decision” as of December 28 2023, provisional figures from the Home Office show.

Asylum applications made before June 28 2022 are counted as legacy cases.

The government had pledged to clear the legacy backlog by the end of 2023.

This backlog stood at 100,548 at the end of June 2022, meaning it had been cut by 95 per cent as of December 28 2023.

Ministers’ decisions made via WhatsApp ‘must be recorded’

10:45 , Matt Mathers

Ministerial decisions made via WhatsApp must be recorded, civil servants have been told in new guidance, Archie Mitchell reports.

The Times reported that ministers’ private offices have been reminded of their “duty” to keep accurate records.

It means decisions made using WhatsApp must be recorded, although the messages themselves do not need to be preserved.

It comes after intense scrutiny of the use of WhatsApp at the top of government, with the Covid-19 inquiry highlighting the often-chaotic behind the scenes communications of senior officials and ministers.

Rishi Sunak and his predecessor Boris Johnson have both failed to hand significant numbers of WhatsApp messages to the inquiry, blaming technical problems.

Rishi Sunak under fire over ‘misleading’ claim to have cleared asylum backlog

10:47 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak’s claim to have met a pledge to clear the backlog of so-called legacy asylum claims has been branded misleading as thousands are still awaiting a decision.

The prime minister credited “relentless action” as the government announced on Monday that it had met a target to clear a backlog of asylum claims.

Archie Mitchell reports:

Rishi Sunak under fire over ‘misleading’ claim to have cleared asylum backlog

Total asylum claim backlog stands at nearly 100,000

11:26 , Matt Mathers

The total asylum backlog now stands at 98,599, new figures released by the government show, Holly Bancroft reports.

This is a decrease on record high levels in early 2023, when the backlog stood at nearly 140,000.

But it is still historically high. In March 2020, the backlog stood at 40,000 and in 2013 the backlog was down at 9,500.

Sunak: We’ve cleared the asylum backlog

11:35 , Matt Mathers

The prime minister has raised eyebrows with a tweet claiming to have cleared the backlog of asylum seekers last year, Archie Mitchell reports.

Rishi Sunak said: "I said that this government would clear the backlog of asylum decisions by the end of 2023.

"That’s exactly what we’ve done."

But figures published on Tuesday show thousands of more complex cases are still awaiting final decisions, while the backlog of asylum seekers stands at 98,599.

Yvette Cooper: Sunak and Cleverly’s claims ‘just not true’

11:45 , Matt Mathers

Yvette Cooper has slammed Rishi Sunak and James Cleverly’s claims to have cleared the backlog of asylum seekers, Archie Mitchell reports.

The shadow home secretary said the PM and Mr Cleverly have not even cleared the so-called "legacy" backlog of older asylum cases.

And she pointed to the total backlog of asylum seekers, which now stands at 98,599.

In a devastating thread on X, Ms Cooper said: "It’s one of five Sunak broken promises on asylum & small boats this year - yet another year of Tory asylum chaos, of gimmicks instead of grip."

Rishi Sunak: ‘I’ll put more money in your pockets’

12:05 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak is to kick off the general election year with a series of events promising to put more money in voters’ pockets, Archie Mitchell reports.

The prime minister will make his first public appearance of the year on Thursday and will turn his focus to the economy, arguing it has turned a corner on his watch.

He will highlight a recent national insurance tax cut and raise the prospect of more to come to entice voters, telling them he "always wanted to get tax down".

A government source told The Times: "The prime minister’s been clear he’s a strong believer in low taxes and, if it’s possible to do so responsibly, he and the chancellor will be looking at ways to keep even more money in people’s pockets this year."

ICYMI: Junior doctors’ strike to go ahead this week amid standoff with government

12:20 , Matt Mathers

Strikes by junior doctors in England will go ahead this week because unions are locked in a standoff with the government, an NHS leader has said.

NHS Confederation chief Matthew Taylor has said that a resolution is extremely unlikely as neither side is willing to budge from their position.

Holly Bancroft reports:

Junior doctors’ strike to go ahead this week amid standoff with government

I want to end the dilemma of choosing between career and childcare

12:50 , Matt Mathers

Education secretary Gillian Keegan hopes the biggest expansion of free childcare in this country’s history will have a transformative impact on the lives of working families

Read her full comment piece here:

I want to end the parent’s dilemma of choosing between career and childcare

Rishi Sunak asylum claim hit by fact check: ‘The backlog has not been cleared’

13:05 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak’s claim to have cleared the backlog of asylum seekers was hit by a fact check, Archie Mitchell reports.

The post on X, in which the PM claimed he had delivered on a promise to clear the backlog of asylum decisions by the end of 2023, has had a “community note” added.

The note clarifies Mr Sunak’s tweet, saying: “The backlog has not been cleared.”

The asylum backlog is now at 98,599, figures show, and Labour has accused the PM of telling a “barefaced lie” over the claim.

Rishi Sunak accused of ‘barefaced lie’ over asylum claims

13:25 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak has been accused of telling a “barefaced lie” after claiming to have cleared the backlog of asylum applicants, Archie Mitchell reports.

The prime minister said he had delivered on a promise to clear the backlog of asylum decisions by the end of 2023.

“That’s exactly what we’ve done,” Mr Sunak said. But the asylum backlog is now at 98,599, figures show.

Stephen Kinnock, Labour’s shadow immigration minister, said: “The PM’s barefaced lie that he has cleared the asylum backlog would be laughable if it wasn’t such an insult to the public’s intelligence.

“Statistics published this morning by his own govt show there are still around 100,000 cases languishing in the Tories’ never-ending backlog.”

No 10 denies Sunak was ‘wrong’ when he said backlog was cleared

13:40 , Matt Mathers

Downing Street denied that Mr Sunak was “wrong” when he tweeted this morning that the backlog has been cleared, Kate Devlin reports.

This morning the prime minister wrote: “I said that this government would clear the backlog of asylum decisions by the end of 2023. That’s exactly what we’ve done.”

But provisional figures from the Home Office show 4,537 asylum applications in the legacy backlog still “awaiting an initial decision” as of December 28.

Asked if Mr Sunak was “wrong” No 10 said: “No. As I said we’ve cleared that backlog. What that entails is processing 100,000 claims as we have done. As a result of that processing there is a small number, four and a half thousand, that require additional (work)”.

Sunak refuses to back home secretary’s target of reducing small boat crossings to zero this year

13:55 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak has refused to back his home secretary’s target to bring the number of small boats crossing the channel to zero this year, Kate Devlin reports.

No 10 said the prime minister would not set a deadline to delivering his pledge to stop the boats.

Earlier James Cleverly was asked what his target was for crossings this year and told LBC Radio: “Well, my target is to bring it down to zero. I mean, I’m completely committed…”

Asked if he was referring specifically to 2024, he said: “That’s my target. My target is to reduce it to zero, to stop the boats. And I’m unambiguous about that.”

The prime minister’s official spokesman said the two men were united in wanting to stop the crossings.

But he would not repeat Mr Cleverly’s target.

Pushed on the 2024 target, the spokesman said the PM wanted to “stop the boats as soon as possible” but he would not “set out a deadline”.

Sunak engulfed by row over ‘false’ asylum statistics as 100,000 migrants still stuck in backlog

14:06 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak has been accused of attempting to “cook the books” after he claimed to have cleared the asylum backlog despite nearly 100,000 migrants still waiting for a decision.

The government initially said it had cleared all so-called legacy asylum claims – counted as those submitted before June 2022 – but figures published today have confirmed that 4,500 of these cases are still to be processed.

Holly Bancroft and Kate Devlin report:

Sunak engulfed by row over asylum statistics as 100,000 migrants still in backlog

No job offer made to Cummings - No 10

14:22 , Matt Mathers

No job offer was made to Dominic Cummings during a meeting with Rishi Sunak, Downing Street has said.

The former Vote Leave campaign director previously claimed the prime minister had sought a “secret deal” with him in a bid to win next year’s election.

The prime minister’s official spokesman said a “private political discussion” had taken place, but Mr Cummings was not offered a job.

He said: “It was a political meeting, I wouldn’t have any more details than that, I think they (special advisers) have been clear there wasn’t a job offer made.”

“This is a private political discussion, I think my political colleagues have made clear it was about politics and campaigning, I can only point you to that detail.

“Those sorts of discussions are not required to be disclosed, I think the only exception is for senior media executives.”

Check your payslip for cut to NI - No 10

14:45 , Matt Mathers

Rishi Sunak has urged employees to check their payslips this month to make sure they have had a National Insurance cut, Kate Devlin reports.

Jeremy Hunt, the chancellor, unveiled the move in the Autumn Statement in November.

His announcement that it would take effect from January 6 led to speculation the government was planning a spring election.

But there have been concerns that some employers could struggle to bring in the cut in in time.

Asked if the prime minister would recommend employees check their payslips this month, his official spokesman said: “I think we would encourage that generally, to check that you are being paid what you are owed and that you are receiving any tax reductions.”

Government under fire for failing to support Luke ‘the Nuke’ Littler

15:13 , Matt Mathers

The government is under fire for failing to commit to sending a minister to support Luke Littler in the darts world championship, Archie Mitchell reports.

MPs have piled pressure on the Conservatives to rally behind the 16-year-old sensation for Tuesday night’s semi-final match at Alexandra Palace.

Former business secretary Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg urged the government to send a representative to the “jolly event”, while the Liberal Democrats said the sport is “far more embedded in British culture” than the Conservatives realise.

Littler has stormed into the final four and will face top-10 seed Rob Cross on Tuesday.

But the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has failed to say whether a minister will attend the match, or the grand final on Wednesday if he makes it through, The Daily Telegraph reported.

‘Stop the boasts’ is a good soundbite on immigration, but what would Labour actually do?

15:35 , Matt Mathers

Would Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper really be any better at dealing with asylum applications, asks John Rentoul.

Read John’s full piece here:

‘Stop the boasts’ is a good soundbite, but what would Labour actually do?