"She's extremely well-regarded across Whitehall. He told Times Radio: "I think it's really irresponsible to suggest that there'll be undue pressure on Sue Gray. The spokesman was asked what about the inquiry made it independent, and he said: "Well, as we've set out, it's being run independently by a civil servant who's been asked to establish the facts."Įarlier today the Business Secretary said it would be "really irresponsible" to suggest senior official Sue Gray could be influenced. it's an independent investigation team, I think we've set that out from the start." It is for that inquiry, that team, to establish the facts, we've said before. Ms Gray's investigation has consistently been described as "independent" despite her being a senior civil servant.Īsked whether the probe was independent, a spokesman for the Prime Minister said: "Yes, it is. No 10 has insisted the inquiry being carried out by senior official Sue Gray into gatherings across Whitehall during Covid-19 restrictions is independent. He added: "Why should the poorest pay the same as I pay? It's just not fair." "And the simple way of doing it would be to attach an element of the licence fee to the council tax band." "And there's a simple way in which the BBC can get on the front foot, which is by suggesting the licence fee figure, the gross figure of £159, should not be paid flat rate by everybody but the richest should pay more and the poorest less.
"But what I do think is the BBC should acknowledge that £159 paid by the poorest as well the richest is just unfair, it's inequitable. Other potential contenders for the top job have not been as vocal in their support of the PM, with Rishi Sunak on Tuesday declining to confirm his unequivocal backing for Mr Johnson.ĭavid Dimbleby has suggested the BBC licence fee should be linked to council tax to make it fairer, as the Government questions future funding of the broadcaster.Ĭulture Secretary Nadine Dorries confirmed at the beginning of the week that the licence fee is to be frozen at £159 a year until 2024, after which it will rise in line with inflation for the following four years.įormer Question Time host Mr Dimbleby told BBC Radio 4's World At One programme: "The licence fee is something that I absolutely believe in I don't think you can have public service broadcasting without paying for it through the public purse in that way. Mr Johnson now faces a weekend of keeping the support of his backbenches before the publication of the Sue Gray report next week. Ms Truss flew to Australia on Wednesday, when the PM faced an onslaught of criticism during PMQs over his admission that parties were held at Downing Street during lockdown. This is despite reports that Ms Truss has been meeting with Tory MPs for drinks, dubbed "Fizz with Liz", to sound out her levels of support if Mr Johnson were to resign over 'partygate'.
Speaking at the Australia-United Kingdom Ministerial Consultations (Aukmin) in Sydney, she added that she wants to see him continue in his role for “as long as possible” and that there is “no leadership election”. The Foreign Secretary, who is currently in Australia, insisted that Boris Johnson is “doing an excellent job”. Liz Truss has said that she is "100 per cent" behind the Prime Minister following pressure over partygate, despite reports that she is secretly canvassing MPs in a bid to replace him. Fraser Nelson: Boris deserves one last chance, but he may be incapable now of taking it.
Johnson can survive by cutting taxes and ditching ‘fluffy’ policies.Sue Gray finds email that ‘confirms objections to No 10 party’.Schools defy PM as they insist face masks must stay in class.Exclusive: New details of Downing Street party revealed.
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