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| Boris Johnson denies joking about Donald Trump at Nato reception and not taking him seriously – live news | Boris Johnson denies joking about Donald Trump at Nato reception and not taking him seriously – live news |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| US president says he criticised Canada’s defence spending and suggests Trudeau was unhappy about that | US president says he criticised Canada’s defence spending and suggests Trudeau was unhappy about that |
| Here are the main points from Boris Johnson’s press conference at the end of Nato summit. | |
| Johnson denied laughing at President Trump at a reception last night and not taking him seriously. (See 2.36am) | |
| Johnson sidestepped an opportunity to praise Trump personally. (See 2.50pm.) In fact, it was almost a case of “Donald who?” Johnson got through the whole press conference without mentioning the president once by name. | |
| Johnson claimed that Jeremy Corbyn wanted to “destroy Nato”. At times he used the press conference for blatant electioneering, and he ended the press conference with what amounted to a version of his standard election stump speech. He said: | |
| In the past Corbyn did oppose Nato membership, but as Labour leader he has accepted party policy, and the majority view in the party, which is for the UK to remain a Nato member. And although Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, signed a Commons early day motion in the 1980s opposing MI5, that is not a view that she has supported for years. | |
| Johnson said that “national security interests” would be a key issue when the government decided whether to let it play a role in building the UK’s 5G network. Asked about this, he replied: | |
| HuffPost’s Paul Waugh took this as a hint that Huawei will be excluded from this work (a decision that would please the US, that has urged the UK not to allow the Chinese company to have a role in constructing the 5G network). | |
| Johnson also made a more general point about China posing a threat in the technology sector. Asked whether it should be seen as a strategic partner or an enemy, he replied: | |
| Johnson implied that he was opposed to allowing Britons who fought for Islamic State to return to the country. Asked if they should be allowed back, he replied: | |
| Johnson said he was not worried about how a dossier about the UK-US trade talks was leaked. (See 2.18pm.) This is a rare example of Johnson snubbing his former employer, the Daily Telegraph, which in its splash story on Monday suggested this might be part of a Russian plot. | |
| The former Labour minister Ivan Lewis, who resigned from the party last year criticising Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of antisemitism, is now urging people in his constituency to vote Conservative. At the time he resigned Lewis had been suspended from the party over sexual harassment allegations, but he claimed the investigation was being prolonged for political reasons. | The former Labour minister Ivan Lewis, who resigned from the party last year criticising Jeremy Corbyn’s handling of antisemitism, is now urging people in his constituency to vote Conservative. At the time he resigned Lewis had been suspended from the party over sexual harassment allegations, but he claimed the investigation was being prolonged for political reasons. |
| Lewis is standing as an independent candidate in Bury South, where he had a majority of almost 6,000 over the Tories in 2017. But now he says people should vote for his Tory opponent because he thinks the priority is for Corbyn to lose. | Lewis is standing as an independent candidate in Bury South, where he had a majority of almost 6,000 over the Tories in 2017. But now he says people should vote for his Tory opponent because he thinks the priority is for Corbyn to lose. |
| In a post on Facebook he said: | In a post on Facebook he said: |
| A cold snap is due to hit Britain just in time for election day on December 12, forecasters have warned, the Press Association reports. Meteorologists at the Met Office have predicted that a wintry spell will arrive for election week, covering the UK in frost and seeing temperatures plunge to sub-zero in some areas. But pollsters say voters are unlikely to be deterred from going to the polls next week, with poor weather only having “a small effect on turnout”. | A cold snap is due to hit Britain just in time for election day on December 12, forecasters have warned, the Press Association reports. Meteorologists at the Met Office have predicted that a wintry spell will arrive for election week, covering the UK in frost and seeing temperatures plunge to sub-zero in some areas. But pollsters say voters are unlikely to be deterred from going to the polls next week, with poor weather only having “a small effect on turnout”. |
| The long-term forecast suggests snowfall in Scotland and the Pennines, with the rest of the UK to be hit by blustery winds and freezing fog, the Press Association reports. Temperatures are predicted to drop throughout the week, dipping below normal towards election day, with a greater chance of frost developing across the country. But the election would go ahead, even in a blanket of snow, because it is written in law and cannot be postponed unless the law is changed. | The long-term forecast suggests snowfall in Scotland and the Pennines, with the rest of the UK to be hit by blustery winds and freezing fog, the Press Association reports. Temperatures are predicted to drop throughout the week, dipping below normal towards election day, with a greater chance of frost developing across the country. But the election would go ahead, even in a blanket of snow, because it is written in law and cannot be postponed unless the law is changed. |
| The chair of campaign group Leave Means Leave has been axed as a Brexit party MEP over disloyalty, party officials have claimed. | The chair of campaign group Leave Means Leave has been axed as a Brexit party MEP over disloyalty, party officials have claimed. |
| John Longworth, who publicly differed on general election strategy with Nigel Farage, has had the whip removed and will no longer represent the party in Brussels. | John Longworth, who publicly differed on general election strategy with Nigel Farage, has had the whip removed and will no longer represent the party in Brussels. |
| Unease between Longworth and his party is understood to have stemmed from his insistence early in the election that the party operate a smaller campaign and not target Tory seats. Others wanted to contest 600 plus constituencies. | Unease between Longworth and his party is understood to have stemmed from his insistence early in the election that the party operate a smaller campaign and not target Tory seats. Others wanted to contest 600 plus constituencies. |
| The Brexit party’s chief whip and MEP Brian Monteith said: | The Brexit party’s chief whip and MEP Brian Monteith said: |
| Longworth spoke openly about how his then party should focus on 20 to 30 seats in Labour areas at the very start of the campaign. A few days later Farage announced they were standing down in 317 Tory-held seats, which in some areas has disappointed candidates and party supporters. Their campaign is now focussed on Labour heartland areas in the north, Midlands and Wales and they are running 274 candidates. | Longworth spoke openly about how his then party should focus on 20 to 30 seats in Labour areas at the very start of the campaign. A few days later Farage announced they were standing down in 317 Tory-held seats, which in some areas has disappointed candidates and party supporters. Their campaign is now focussed on Labour heartland areas in the north, Midlands and Wales and they are running 274 candidates. |
| Here is some reaction to the Boris Johnson press conference from political journalists. | Here is some reaction to the Boris Johnson press conference from political journalists. |
| From the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn | From the Sun’s Tom Newton Dunn |
| From my colleague John Crace | From my colleague John Crace |
| From the Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner | From the Telegraph’s Gordon Rayner |
| From the Independent’s Benjamin Kentish | From the Independent’s Benjamin Kentish |
| From my colleague Dan Sabbagh | From my colleague Dan Sabbagh |
| President Trump has confirmed that he is not holding an end-of-summit press conference. | President Trump has confirmed that he is not holding an end-of-summit press conference. |
| Boris Johnson may have denied laughing at Donald Trump. But he was not prepared to praise him personally. This is what he said when he was asked if he thought that, “as a leader and as a man that Donald Trump is good for the west and good for Britain”. Johnson replied: | Boris Johnson may have denied laughing at Donald Trump. But he was not prepared to praise him personally. This is what he said when he was asked if he thought that, “as a leader and as a man that Donald Trump is good for the west and good for Britain”. Johnson replied: |
| At this point Johnson started comparing the US response to the Salisbury poisoning attack to Jeremy Corbyn’s. | At this point Johnson started comparing the US response to the Salisbury poisoning attack to Jeremy Corbyn’s. |
| When pressed again for his view on Trump personally, Johnson pointed out that the US response to Salisbury happened under the Trump administration. They were “shoulder to shoulder” with the UK, he said. They “could not have been more supportive”. | When pressed again for his view on Trump personally, Johnson pointed out that the US response to Salisbury happened under the Trump administration. They were “shoulder to shoulder” with the UK, he said. They “could not have been more supportive”. |
| But Johnson declined both opportunities to praise Trump personally as a leader. In contrast, Trump has repeatedly spoken of his admiration for Johnson. Yesterday he said Johnson was “very capable” and a few weeks ago he told LBC that Johnson was a “fantastic man and [the] exact right guy for the times”. | But Johnson declined both opportunities to praise Trump personally as a leader. In contrast, Trump has repeatedly spoken of his admiration for Johnson. Yesterday he said Johnson was “very capable” and a few weeks ago he told LBC that Johnson was a “fantastic man and [the] exact right guy for the times”. |
| This is what Boris Johnson said when he was asked about the footage apparently showing him laughing at Donald Trump at a reception last night. “Do you not take President Trump seriously,” he was asked. He replied: | This is what Boris Johnson said when he was asked about the footage apparently showing him laughing at Donald Trump at a reception last night. “Do you not take President Trump seriously,” he was asked. He replied: |
| My colleague Owen Gibson has the answer. | My colleague Owen Gibson has the answer. |
| Q: Did you make it clear to Trump that the NHS would not be on the table in trade talks? If so, does that mean this time next year the UK could be leaving the transition with no EU trade deal and no US trade deal? | Q: Did you make it clear to Trump that the NHS would not be on the table in trade talks? If so, does that mean this time next year the UK could be leaving the transition with no EU trade deal and no US trade deal? |
| Johnson says the questions are now scraping the bottom of the barrel. He will wrap up. He ends with a riff about the choice at the election: between getting Brexit done, and having two referendums. | Johnson says the questions are now scraping the bottom of the barrel. He will wrap up. He ends with a riff about the choice at the election: between getting Brexit done, and having two referendums. |
| There is also a choice about Nato. He wants to strengthen Nato. Corbyn wants to scrap it, he says. And Diane Abbott wants to disband MI5, he claims. | There is also a choice about Nato. He wants to strengthen Nato. Corbyn wants to scrap it, he says. And Diane Abbott wants to disband MI5, he claims. |
| (She doesn’t, although in the 1980s she signed an early day motion that implied that she did.) | (She doesn’t, although in the 1980s she signed an early day motion that implied that she did.) |
| And that’s it. The press conference is over. | And that’s it. The press conference is over. |
| I will post a summary soon. | I will post a summary soon. |
| Q: Trump said yesterday he did not know Prince Andrew. But there are lots of photographs of them together. Is Trump an amnesiac or a liar? | Q: Trump said yesterday he did not know Prince Andrew. But there are lots of photographs of them together. Is Trump an amnesiac or a liar? |
| Johnson says that is a good effort to get an answer on something that did not come up at the summit. | Johnson says that is a good effort to get an answer on something that did not come up at the summit. |