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Tory leadership race: Boris Johnson pledges to 'get Brexit done' at hustings – live
Tory leadership race: Boris Johnson pledges to 'get Brexit done' at hustings – live
(32 minutes later)
Hunt is asked what are the “serious consequences” with which he has threatened China if freedoms are watered down in Hong Kong. He says it’s an “important question to ask” but one that no foreign secretary would ever answer.
He says he expects China to abide by the one country, two systems programme and says consequences would follow if it does not.
The foreign secretary says he is a supporter of encouraging three generations of families to live together in a bid to cut social care costs – with one generation looking after the other.
Hunt is asked straight away about repealing the hunting ban. He says he would vote for it but that pursuing repeal wouldn’t be his priority as prime minister.
He’s asked why, then, he decided to make what is a fairly unpopular position public. Hunt tells the audience he gave a “straight answer to a straight question” when asked about the issue and – in what sounds like another dig at Johnson over his character – Hunt says he’s not one of the politicians who gives different answers to different audiences.
Hunt opens with a joke about confusing China and Japan, then moves swiftly to Brexit. He says there’s very little distance between him and Johnson on the issue and then repeats his claim that the question is who’s best placed and most trusted to get a deal.
That line about trust has been widely interpreted at a thinly veiled dig at his opponent, who has faced serious questions about his character.
That’s it from Boris Johnson – Jeremy Hunt is about to take the stage.
Asked about privatising the rail industry, Johnson says the way to improve the system is to “find the right arse to kick”. He says there’s no accountability currently and says transport bosses should “pay the political price for failing to deliver”.
On the environment, Johnson says the commitment to reach net zero carbon emissions by 2050 is “ambitious but it can be done”.
He says the UK is a leader in “battery technology” and says he would back offshore wind turbines and solar technology to produce a greater share of the UK’s energy in order to meet the target.
Johnson backs cutting corporation tax and business rates, which he claims will boost the UK economy. But he refuses to say whether he will match Jeremy Hunt’s plan to push corporation tax as low as 12.5%.
Johnson backs cutting corporation tax and business rates, which he claims will boost the UK economy. But he refuses to say whether he will match Jeremy Hunt’s plan to push corporation tax as low as 12.5%.
Asked whether such cuts are prudent, Johnson says he believes that cutting some taxes can bring in greater revenues because the cuts give an incentive to increase production.
Asked whether such cuts are prudent, Johnson says he believes that cutting some taxes can bring in greater revenues because the cuts give an incentive to increase production.
Johnson also picked a fight with large online firms – such as Google, Amazon and Facebook – who he says must be forced to pay more tax.
Johnson also picked a fight with large online firms – such as Google, Amazon and Facebook – who he says must be forced to pay more tax.
The former foreign secretary signals that he supports the rights of demonstrators in Hong Kong to protest and calls on China to adhere to the one country, two systems principle. China has accused the UK of meddling in internal affairs over the latter’s support for the demonstrators.
The former foreign secretary signals that he supports the rights of demonstrators in Hong Kong to protest and calls on China to adhere to the one country, two systems principle. China has accused the UK of meddling in internal affairs over the latter’s support for the demonstrators.
Johnson tells the audience he’s “not remotely attracted” to the possibility of proroguing Parliament in order to force through Brexit. There’s significant support among audience members, it must be said, for proroguing when the question is put to them. But he stays firm in his position.
Johnson tells the audience he’s “not remotely attracted” to the possibility of proroguing Parliament in order to force through Brexit. There’s significant support among audience members, it must be said, for proroguing when the question is put to them. But he stays firm in his position.
An audience member asks Johnson what his plan is to address drug, gun and knife crime. Johnson says “key nominals” of county lines gangs need to be “rounded up” and that the nation needs to “be backing the police”.
An audience member asks Johnson what his plan is to address drug, gun and knife crime. Johnson says “key nominals” of county lines gangs need to be “rounded up” and that the nation needs to “be backing the police”.
Johnson repeats his line about reducing knife crime during his time as mayor – citing his backing for stop and search. He says “you cannot fudge the murder rate” and that it was reduced by 50% during his tenure.
Johnson repeats his line about reducing knife crime during his time as mayor – citing his backing for stop and search. He says “you cannot fudge the murder rate” and that it was reduced by 50% during his tenure.
While the rate did fall by a significant margin – though by nowhere near as much as Johnson claims – it then rose again during his time as London mayor.
While the rate did fall by a significant margin – though by nowhere near as much as Johnson claims – it then rose again during his time as London mayor.
Johnson is asked what he’d do as prime minister to ensure northern England gets a fairer share of funding. He says he’d back funding for transport and look at devolving some powers to smaller regions.
Johnson is asked what he’d do as prime minister to ensure northern England gets a fairer share of funding. He says he’d back funding for transport and look at devolving some powers to smaller regions.
On Scottish independence, Johnson claims he puts the union before Brexit – but says no Scottish voter would be able to support a UK government that does not push through Brexit after being asked to in the referendum.
On Scottish independence, Johnson claims he puts the union before Brexit – but says no Scottish voter would be able to support a UK government that does not push through Brexit after being asked to in the referendum.
Therefore, he says, Brexit – which poses a serious potential existential threat to the union as it exists – has to happen in order to save the union.
Therefore, he says, Brexit – which poses a serious potential existential threat to the union as it exists – has to happen in order to save the union.
Johnson is asked if he’s aware he’s canvassing people under investigation over allegations of Islamophobia.
Johnson, who has compared Muslim women in burqas to “letterboxes” and “bank robbers” in the past, says the Tory party welcomes people from every ethnic group and faith. He adds:
Ages ago, when I was standing to be mayor, I was asked something like this and I said: ‘I ban all racists from voting for me’.
And he gets a round of applause for saying it’s also important to protect freedom of speech.
At Tory hustings, a long and woolly answer from Boris Johnson on Islamophobia is greeted with silence by the crowd. He says there should also be "a culture that allows people to speak frankly", which wins immediate applause. They're well into the right to offend.
Boris Johnson is on the stage at the Tory hustings in York. He says his mission is to “protect” the UK from a Corbyn-led government.
To do that, he says, he’ll “get Brexit done” by 31 October. He repeats his lines about “creative ambiguity” on the £39bn the UK has agreed to pay as it withdraws and leaving the Irish border question until after Brexit has happened.
Johnson also claims he wants to do for transport in the north of England what he “did for Crossrail”. Crossrail was, of course, due to open in December 2018 and now looks likely to be delayed until 2021. The cost has also risen from £14.8bn to £17.6bn.
Jeremy Corbyn has been furious about a report in the Times last week that said some civil servants were speculating about his mental and physical capacity to be prime minister.
The Labour leader wrote to the cabinet secretary, Mark Sedwill, to demand an investigation – a request that was granted – and the two have since held a meeting. Asked today how that went, Corbyn said:
A very clear, very firm meeting. I said to him that we are proud to have a civil service that is independent, that respects democracy and doesn’t make public comment on its political views.
Somebody from the civil service or a group of people crossed the line and decided to make nonsensical claims about me.
It’s not about me, it’s about our political system and I said to Mark Sedwill we want an assurance that the civil service will be democratic, will abide by decisions of the people and will work for whoever is elected into government.
He assured me they would do that, he assured me there would be a very robust inquiry now into whoever made these comments to the relevant newspapers and that those people would face disciplinary action under the civil service code.
Here are the main points from Theresa May’s speech in Scotland.
May warned her success not to opt for an Irish border plan that would undermine the Good Friday agreement. (See 6.03pm.)
She accused the SNP government of being unwilling to cooperate with the UK government to make devolution work because it prioritises its separatist agenda. She said:
It is telling that during the discussions over legislative consent for the EU withdrawal bill, after intense discussions and give and take on both sides, the Welsh government was willing to making a compromise, whereas the Scottish government was not.
Over the last three years I have learned that while other parties can be relied on to work with the UK government in good faith to make devolution a success, an SNP Scottish Government will only ever seek to further the agenda of separation.
That, I am afraid, is simply a fact of political life in the UK at the moment.
She said today “the only threat to devolution comes from those parties who want to end it by breaking up the United Kingdom.”
She said federalism would not work in the UK.
Many of those who advocate a federal UK are equally well-intentioned, but I believe are also in the wrong track.
England makes up over 80% of the UK population. There is no example of a federal state anywhere in the world where one of the units of the federation is so large.
The UK simply does not lend itself to federation as a sustainable constitutional model.
The only way it could realistically be achieved would be by breaking England up into artificial regional units – something I would never support and for which I detect no appetite.
She announced a review into what the UK government could do to strengthen the union.
We need to work more cleverly, more creatively and more coherently as a UK government fully committed to a modern, 21st century union in the context of a stable and permanent devolution settlement to strengthen the glue that holds our union together.
There have been several reviews into how devolution works. But we have never thought deeply about how we make the union work – how we ensure that as we fully respect devolution, we do not forget the UK government’s fundamental duty to be a government for the whole United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland.
That is why I have asked Andrew Dunlop to lead an independent review into the structures of the UK government to ensure that they are set up to realise fully all the benefits of being a United Kingdom.
Lord Dunlop has a wealth of experience from his time in Government as an advisor and minister and I look forward to reading his report.
Of course it will be for my successor to respond to his recommendations, and I am delighted that both candidates are supportive of the review.
That’s all from me for today.
My colleague Kevin Rawlinson is now taking over.
This is what Theresa May said in her speech about the need for her successor not to undermine the Good Friday agreement. (See 5.25pm.) She said:
At the heart of the Belfast agreement, which enabled the people of Northern Ireland to move beyond that past into a shared future, was a compromise.
That people who identify as Irish can live in Northern Ireland but, to all intents and purposes, operate across the whole of Ireland in their day to day lives and in their business activities without any semblance of a border.
That compromise was enabled by having a seamless border.
The backstop insurance policy we agreed with the EU, which would have been activated only if we were unable to agree our new relationship within the implementation period, respected that compromise.
And the future relationship will need to respect it.
It will be for my successor to resolve that issue and I will not today seek to provide any advice on the matter.
I will simply say this.
There can and must be no false choice between honouring the solemn commitments of the Belfast agreement and delivering on the decision of the British people in the EU referendum.
We must do both.
May’s decision to speak out on this point may have been prompted by hints that Boris Johnson, her likely successor, will propose an alternative to the backstop that will involve some extra checks for traders in Ireland and Northern Ireland, only not at the border. This was the implication of the recent report from the Alternative Arrangements Commission (pdf). The Telegraph’s Peter Foster explored this idea in a recent article, and here is an extract.
Mr Johnson chose his own words in Belfast very carefully. He stated that the withdrawal agreement was dead “as it stands” and promised that there “will be no physical checks or infrastructure at the border in Northern Ireland”.
A great deal rides on that small word ‘at’ - note that Mr Johnson does not promise the absence of “checks or infrastructure”, only that they would not be ‘at’ the border.
It is clear where this is heading from a report last week proposing ‘Alternative Arrangements’ for the border co-authored by Shanker Singham, a pro-Brexit trade specialist who is likely to feature in Mr Johnson’s team of top advisers.
It calls for a raft of measures - from digital customs forms, geo-tracking vehicles and mobile veterinary inspections - that will, as Mr Singham admits, require checks and controls, just not at the border. The EU has already expressed scepticism ...
[The Irish government] argues that checks are absolutely the issue in a borderland which would actively resist the imposition of any such checks in the name of an ‘English’ Brexit that they never voted for.
May challenges a journalist who asks about increased support for independence. She says the SNP actually lost support at the 2017 election.
And that’s it. The speech and Q&A are over.
I will post a summary soon.
Q: What advice would you give to your successor about dealing with Nicola Sturgeon?
May criticises Sturgeon for dismissing her speech before it was even delivered. Sturgeon should focus on day to day issues that matter to people in Scotland, she says.
Q: Which of your successors will be best for the Tories in Scotland?
May refuses to answer.
Q: You accept Gordon Brown’s analysis about the state of the union. So when will there be another independence referendum?
May says the the SNP government should stop obsessing about independence and focus on governing.
Q: Is there an explicit threat to the union from no-deal?
May says she has always stressed the need to maintain the union. She thinks her successor will want to do the same.
