Boris Johnson will face a vote in the House of Commons this week on whether he intentionally misled Parliament over Partygate, it has been decided.
The Speaker of the House, Sir Lindsay Hoyle, this afternoon approved a motion by Labour to hold a vote on the matter.
This means that MPs will hold a debate on Thursday and be given the opportunity to vote on whether the Prime Minister misled them when he said in December that all Covid rules had been followed.
The speaker told MPs: “It is not for me to police the ministerial code, I have no jurisdiction over the ministerial code even though a lot of people seem to think I have. It is not the case.
07/05/2020. London, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Boris Johnson joins the country in the 'Clap for our Carers' to show appreciation for the NHS and Key Workers, outside 10 Downing Street. / Picture by Pippa Fowles / No 10 Downing Street.
“Secondly, it is not for me to determine whether or not the Prime Minister has committed a contempt. My role is to decide whether there is an arguable case to be examined.
“Having considered the issue, having taken advice from the clerks of the House, I’ve decided that this is a matter that I should allow the precedence accorded to the issue of privilege.
“Therefore, (Sir Keir Starmer) may table a motion for debate on Thursday.”
The decision was announced shortly before the Prime Minister made a statement in which he is expected to apologise for his actions and state he has no intention of resigning.
The ministerial code states that if a minister intentionally misleads the house they must resign.
If the vote is successful, the case will be referred to the Parliamentary Privilege Committee, who could find him in contempt.
The Prime Minister has been accused of lying about breaking rules after he was fined by the Metropolitan Police for attending a birthday party that was against his own Covid safety restrictions.
Fines were also given out to his wife and the Chancellor, Rishi Sunak, and reports published in The Times over the weekend suggest more are still to come.
It is unlikely that the vote will go in Labour's favour, given the Conservatives huge majority in the House of Commons, however, it's hoped the motion will apply pressure on those Tories who initially spoke out in January to publicly back that position for their constituents.
Last week, journalists at both The Guardian and The Daily Mail reported there had been 'much talk' in Westminster of the Chancellor resigning after he was fined by police - but that he had been talked out of it as it would have put pressure on the PM to do the same.
Lord Peter Hennessy, a historian, cross bench peer and expert on the history of government has been widely quoted after claiming the Prime Mister has 'shredded' the ministerial code through his actions.
He told BBC Radio 4’s Broadcasting House: “The Queen’s first minister is now beyond doubt a rogue prime minister, unworthy of her, her parliament, her people, and her kingdom.
“I cannot remember a day when I’ve been more fearful for the wellbeing of the constitution,”
Standing up in the House of Lords last week, he added: “The prime minister sealed his place in British history as the first law-breaker to have occupied the premiership – an office he has sullied like no other, turning it into an adventure playground for one man’s narcissistic vanity.
Image: Flickr
“Boris Johnson has broken the law, misled parliament, and has, in effect, shredded the ministerial code, which is a crucial part of the spinal cord of the constitution.”
A Labour source said: “Any Conservative MP considering voting to block this investigation would be voting for a cover up. They should reflect on the mess they got themselves into over Owen Paterson before falling into line.”
Lib Dem leader Ed Davey said: “The British public have declared Boris Johnson a liar. Now it’s time for Parliament to do the same.
“The country cannot afford a Prime Minister who breaks the law and lies about it, especially when families are facing a cost-of-living crisis.
“Johnson has taken the British people for fools for far too long, and it’s time for Conservative MPs to show where they stand. They must do their patriotic duty and kick Boris Johnson out of Downing Street once and for all.”
With up to 300,000 to choose from, the Farmer Copley's Pumpkin Festival is the ultimate pumpkin picking spot in Leeds.
Look, we know it's still August...but we can't help but get a little bit excited.
And it's safe to say that Farmer Copleys really do know a thing or two about growing pumpkins.
Every year, this family-run farm transform into one of the UK's biggest pumpkin festivals to offer the cosiest day out for all the family to enjoy.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
This year, there will be more than 300,000 pumpkins across over 40 different varieties, ranging from traditional orange pumpkins to beautiful white, green and striped varieties.
As well as choosing the perfect pumpkin to take home, the fields provide an excellent backdrop for autumn photographs, with photo opportunities and installations located throughout the festival.
One of this year’s biggest additions will be a brand-new Land Rover photo installation, bringing together one of Farmer Copleys’ own vintage Land Rovers with a new Land Rover kindly loaned to the farm for the festival.
Images: The Hoot Leeds
Also new for this year, in the first weekend of the festival, the farm will be hosting a Pumpkin Pilates event where ticket holders can enjoy early morning Pilates session within the pumpkin fields.
And like always, visitors can enjoy tractor rides through the pumpkin fields, live shows and entertainment, archery, vintage fairground rides, Witches’ Storytime and magical performances, Velcro the Scarecrow and other family characters, as well as the festival’s popular daily fancy dress competitions.
Farmer Copleys Owner Rob Copley said: “Pumpkin Festival is such a special time of year for us and something the whole team works towards for months. We grow hundreds of thousands of pumpkins here on the farm, but we’ve always wanted the festival to be about much more than simply choosing a pumpkin.
“For 2026 we’ve invested in new installations, upgraded areas of the festival and added more live music. We’re particularly excited about the new Land Rover feature, bringing together one of our vintage vehicles with a brand-new Land Rover. We think it’s going to make a brilliant addition to the festival and another great place for families to capture their visit.”
The Farmer Copley's Pumpkin Festival will run from Saturday 26 September until Sunday 1 November, and you can buy your tickets here.
Historic Leeds watermill to reopen as a canal-side pub, cafe and museum
Clementine Hall
One of the best-preserved mills in Britain has been taken over by four new owners.
And they've got big plans for the place.
Will Habergham, Terry George, Michael Rothwell and Kirk Allen have taken ownership of Thwaite Mills - a Grade II listed site at Stourton, Leeds, that will start to undergo a full restoration this week, more than two years after the mill closed to the public in April 2024.
The work is expected to take around 12 months and will be carried out alongside volunteers from Friends of Thwaite Mills, the supporters' group the new owners are relaunching as part of the project.
Image: Supplied
No reopening date has been set yet, but early plans include reopening the mill as a working museum, a pub and cafe with canal-side seating, and fully landscaped grounds free for walkers, runners and dog walkers to use.
Not only that, but a programme of free family events is planned and the owners are exploring the return of the craft fairs and car boot sales that the site was once known for.
"Thwaite Mills was saved by its community once before, and it'll be brought back by its community now," said Will Habergham, director of Thwaite Mills.
"We're not going to disappear for a year and come back with a ribbon to cut. We want people watching it happen, turning up, and telling us what they want this place to be."
Built between 1823 and 1825, Thwaite Mills worked first as a flax mill and later produced whiting and paint, operating commercially until 1975, when a broken weir threatened its future. Local volunteers stepped in to save it the following year, and it opened as a museum in 1990, welcoming visitors until it closed in April 2024.
And now, Thwaite Mills is set to enter a brand-new era and you can follow the restoration journey here.
Georgina Pellant -
19th April 2022 
