PRIME MINSTER AT PASSING OUT
PRIME Minister Boris Johnson visited the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth yesterday and attended a passing-out parade, as part of a visit to commemorate Prince Philip, who died at the age of 99 last week.
Mr Johnson inspected and met cadets as well as watching the full parade. He said: “I’m here at the Britannia Royal Naval College in Dartmouth, which is the college from which the Duke of Edinburgh passed out, became an officer in 1940, before going on to have that amazing, distinguished Navy career – the Battle of Cape Matapan, Sicily, and then seeing the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay.
“And you’ve just seen those wonderful cadets become officers themselves and incarnating the finest traditions of the Royal Navy, in the way the duke did himself.
“And actually, here in this very garden, I think in 1939, the Duke of Edinburgh met the then Princess Elizabeth for the very first time, so our thoughts are with her again today.’’
In interviews with reporters during yesterday’s visit, the Prime Minister also said the Government will ensure that the NHS has the funds it needs in order to tackle the build-up in waiting lists during the pandemic.
He said: “We do need people to take up their appointments and to get the treatment that they need.
“We’re going to make sure that we give the NHS all the funding that it needs, as we have done throughout the pandemic, to beat the backlog. We’ve put about £92 billion already extra into the NHS this year and we’re
going to do whatever it takes. But the NHS has done an incredible job so far. I’ve no doubt that they’re going to be able to tackle this as well.”
He also said he agreed with ethics chief Lord Pickles that the Government needs to “understand” the relationship between Whitehall and private sector lobbying.
The comments come after a furore developed in Westminster over lobbying by former prime minister David Cameron on behalf of Greensill Capital and the revelation that a top civil servant worked for the failed firm while still employed in his public sector role.
Lord Pickles, who is chairman of the committee which vets the appointment of senior ministers and officials, told MPs “immediate” action was required.
The Prime Minister, asked about Lord Pickles’ comments, told broadcasters: “I think the most important thing is for us to get to the bottom of it properly and I want all ministers and civil servants to be making the information that needs to be known, known to Mr [Nigel] Boardman [who has been appointed to lead a review into the use of supply chain finance in government], and let’s see what he has to say.
“You’re absolutely right, we need to understand what’s gone on here. I agree thoroughly with Lord Pickles,” Mr Johnson said.