Thursday briefing: What really happened at Chequers?
In today’s newsletter: As fresh allegations of lockdown gatherings emerge, the former prime minister finds himself facing new questions – and a new threat to his political future
Good morning. Spare a thought for Boris Johnson. There he is, quietly going about his solemn parliamentary duties of taking a reported six-figure appearance fee to speak to a “thought leadership gathering for the investment and entrepreneurial ecosystem” at the Bellagio Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, and awaiting the arrival of another new addition to his numberless tribe. All of a sudden, a viper’s nest of his mortal enemies – that is, his own legal team – insist on raking over the coals of the pandemic yet again.
Did he break lockdown rules by hosting family and friends at Chequers during Covid? Were there, as the Guardian reports this morning, other previously undisclosed events at Downing Street? Should his resignation honours list be scrapped? Does any of it even matter any more? Isn’t the real point that Rishi Sunak has it in for him?
Music | Tina Turner, the pioneering rock’n’roll star who became a pop behemoth in the 1980s, has died aged 83 after a long illness. Among many tributes, former president Barack Obama called her “the queen of rock’n’roll, and a star whose light will never fade”. See more on Turner’s life below.
Politics | Rishi Sunak has decided not to order an investigation into whether Suella Braverman broke the ministerial code by requesting a one-to-one speed awareness course, meaning that she will remain home secretary. The decision came after more than 72 hours of deliberations in Downing Street.
UK news | Lucy Letby, a nurse accused of murdering seven babies and attempting to kill another 10 between 2015 and 2016, told her trial that raw sewage may have been a “contributing factor” in the deaths. Letby denies the allegations against her.
Wales | South Wales police have refused to apologise after admitting that one of their vans was following two boys a minute before they were killed in a collision that sparked violent riots in Cardiff. The force refused to accept that families had been deliberately misled by their police and crime commissioner, Alun Michael, who claimed the riot had been sparked by false rumours of a chase.
US politics | Ron DeSantis’s presidential campaign launch on Twitter’s audio streaming feature was marred by 20 minutes of glitches that led to a collapse in listening numbers. Twitter owner Elon Musk, who also appeared on the stream, described the malfunction as “insane”.
Read the original article at The Guardian