UK Politics
— Former Brexit foes Dominic Cummings and Nigel Farage shared a pre-Christmas dinner, sparking speculation of a shock alliance to disrupt Westminster’s status quo and reshape Britain’s political future.
UK Politics
— New revelations expose former Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s contentious relationship with Queen Elizabeth II regarding the prorogation of Parliament in 2019 and his handling of constitutional matters during his time in Downing Street.
Long-Read
— The Hallett Inquiry into the COVID-19 pandemic unveils dysfunction in the UK government, revealing intersections with Brexit. Testimonies depict Boris Johnson’s incompetence, a toxic culture, and how Brexit hampered pandemic planning.
COVID-19 Inquiry
— Giving evidence to the COVID inquiry, Boris Johnson’s former adviser exposed the dysfunction of an administration lacking in the expertise needed to manage a crisis.
COVID-19
— The COVID inquiry was shown Whatsapp chats from the early days of the pandemic in which cabinet secretary Simon Case said government decision-making made it look like a ‘terrible, tragic joke’.
UK Politics
— A new book provides a behind-the-scenes look at the chaos and downfall of Boris Johnson’s premiership, including how the former PM’s indecisiveness and knack for pointing fingers led to his downfall, and how Dominic Cummings and Carrie Johnson influenced decision-making in Downing Street.
Public Health
— Good Law Project investigation reveals £246.6m wasted on 126 million unusable COVID tests procured by the Department of Health and Social Care from six companies, four via VIP Lane.
COMMENT
— Introductions from just six Conservative Party politicians led to ‘VIPs’ being awarded contracts worth an eye-watering £5 billion.
Brexit
— Partygate doesn’t mean that we’ve seen the end of the populist politics that underpinned and flowed from Brexit, still less of Brexit itself. It may not even mean the end of Johnson, whose fate remains precariously in the balance.
