Politics news in brief
Sign Indy petition to block Johnson giving father a knighthood
The Independent has launched a petition calling on Rishi Sunak to block Boris Johnson’s plan to give an honour to his father. In his resignation honours’ list, the former prime minister has put his father, Stanley, forward for an award. The Independent believes this is an abuse of the system that is supposed to recognise outstanding contributions to society and public life. It is not designed for blatant nepotism.
Former Brexit secretary David Davis has called it a “ridiculous” and “corrosive” move, while Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has condemned it as “absolutely outrageous”. Sir Keir said: “The idea that Boris Johnson is nominating his dad for a knighthood,
you only need to say it to realise just how ridiculous it is.” Mr Johnson has already handed his brother, Jo, a life peerage as Baron Johnson of Marylebone after he stepped down as an MP. To try it again with his father is a step too far, The Independent believes.
The current prime minister, Rishi Sunak has the power to block any honour. We believe he must act now to stop this latest attempt by Mr Johnson to hand an honour to his father. You can sign the petition here
Sir Graham Brady to stand down as MP at next election
Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers, has announced he will stand down at the next general election. As chairman of the committee since 2010, he has overseen the election of three party leaders and prime ministers – Theresa May, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak – as well as no-confidence votes in Ms May and Boris Johnson. Sir Graham was the one to amass letters of no confidence from disgruntled MPs, keeping the number a closely-guarded secret until the threshold to trigger a vote was reached. The MP for Altrincham and Sale West in Greater Manchester said in a statement that his time in parliament had been an “immense privilege” as he announced he was bringing “this fascinating and fulfilling chapter of my life to a close”.
More girls to get equal access to sport in schools
Girls and boys are to be offered the same school sports, as the government seeks to create the next generation of Lionesses. The plans, unveiled on International Women’s Day, will give pupils equal access during PE lessons and after school. The England Women’s football team, known as the Lionesses, launched the Let Girls Play campaign last year after their success at the Euros. At the time Arsenal and England player Lotte Wubben-Moy said that the “inequality” of access that affects girls in school should be “illegal”. Ministers say that schools that
successfully deliver equal opportunities will be rewarded through a “School Games Mark”. Schools are also being asked to offer a minimum of two hours PE time a week.
Labour MP who quit under Corbyn rejoins party
Former MP Mike Gapes has rejoined Labour after quitting under Jeremy Corbyn to form rival centrist party Change UK. Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer said he was “delighted” to welcome Mr Gapes back, despite standing against the party at the last election. Mr Gapes quit the party in 2019 and unsuccessfully stood against it in Ilford South at the election that year for the Independent Group for Change, which he founded alongside breakaway MPs from Labour and the Tories.
Renamed Change UK, the group of defectors failed to win any seats at the general election and dissolved in December 2019. Writing in The Times, Mr Gapes said Sir Keir had tackled antisemitism in Labour and “relentlessly focused on making it once again a patriotic, serious party of mainstream Britain”. Sir Keir said: “Like many others, Mike turned away from the party in recent years because it no longer represented traditional Labour values. But we’ve changed and there’s no going back.”
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