Boris Johnson news live: MPs to vote on sleaze reforms

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is currently giving a speech in the House of Commons on Cop26.

The Conservatives will be “hammered at the next election” unless the party regains public trust, an MP and cabinet minister’s aide has warned Boris Johnson.

In an extraordinary rebuke, Bim Afolami branded the handling of the Owen Paterson lobbying scandal a “debacle” and a “pivotal moment of this parliament”.

Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick has the full story:

Boris Johnson insisted he wears a face mask wherever the rules say he should do.

The prime minister – who was recently pictured on a hospital visit without a mask – told a Downing Street press conference it was “the responsible thing to do”.

“I wear a mask wherever the rules say I should and I urge everyone else to do the same,” he said.

“People have actually seen me wearing face coverings quite a bit more regularly as we have seen the numbers (of infections) ticking up in the UK.

“I think that is the responsible thing to do and I am going to continue to do it.”

Boris Johnson told a Downing Street press conference the attack outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital on Remembrance Sunday was “sickening”.

The prime minister said: “What yesterday showed above all is that the British people will never be cowed by terrorism, we will never give in to those who seek to divide us with senseless acts of violence.

“And our freedoms and our way of life will always prevail.”

He said emergency services responded with “such speed and professionalism”.

But he added: “It is a stark reminder of the need for us all to remain utterly vigilant.”

British business chiefs have urged Boris Johnson’s government against a move to suspend the Brexit agreement with the EU, warning it could launch a “devastating” trade war in the weeks ahead.

Brexit minister Lord Frost said last week that the option to trigger Article 16 to suspend Northern Ireland protocol agreements remained on the table if “significant gaps” with the EU cannot be bridged, but appeared to seek to calm the row for now.

Adam Forrest has more details:

Boris Johnson has hailed the “incredible bravery” of a taxi driver caught up in the terrorist bombing outside Liverpool Women’s Hospital.

Speaking to reporters while on a visit to a medical centre in London, the prime minister said he could not comment on specific details because the investigation is ongoing but praised the taxi driver, who has been named locally as David Perry.

Watch and read his comments here:

Boris Johnson’s government has been accused of watering down proposals to upgrade train services in the north of England and the Midlands viewed as key to “levelling up” the country outside London.

The Independent revealed last month that the Northern Powerhouse Rail (NPR) plans were to be scaled back as the Treasury tightened its purse strings, with local transport chiefs warning that Liverpool, Manchester, West Yorkshire and the North East could miss out on improvements.

Matt Mathers has the full story:

Going back to Brexit, Downing Street said “intensified talks” will continue over Northern Ireland Protocol issues.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson would not put a deadline on when talks would continue until but insisted the UK side was still keen to reach a “consensual solution”.

He said: “There are significant gaps between our positions and as we set out in the July command paper, we believe the conditions for Article 16 have been met.

“But again, we are going to be continuing talks, intensified talks, between the two teams to try and find a consensual solution.”

Additional reporting by PA

Downing Street said the UK can “lobby and encourage” but cannot force other nations to commit to climate promises.

The prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “But we will continue to keep the pressure on, that’s something that Alok Sharma will continue to do as his role as Cop President this year, to ensure those countries who have made commitments stand by them and those where we feel can do more, we will keep the pressure on to encourage them to come forward with further action.”

Boris Johnson is to hold a Covid-19 press conference with the government’s chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance and England’s chief medical officer Professor Chris
Whitty at 3pm, Downing Street has said.