Boris Johnson warned: You’re on notice

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It’s not as if the Government has ground to a halt following the fallout relating to a series of parties work drinks in Downing Street and Boris Johnson’s non-apology in the House of Commons.

This afternoon, Health Secretary Sajid Javid announced that the Covid isolation period is to be cut from seven to five days, meaning that anyone in receipt of a second negative lateral flow test on day six can leave quarantine.

Foreign Secretary Liz Truss met with European Commission Vice President Maros Sefcovic for talks on the Northern Ireland Protocol. Though all most people seem to be interested in is Sefcovic slipping on an icy step.

And International Trade Secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan announced that the UK and India have formally launched negotiations for free trade agreement.

(As for the Chancellor? Still lurking in the shadows after his ‘supportive’ tweet to the Prime Minister last night. Check out today’s front page picture – catches the mood perfectly.)

The Prime Minister himself remains in the danger zone. That’s not to say we should expect Sue Gray’s report to provide damning evidence that would force his resignation.

It is not the role of a civil servant to bring down the Prime Minister. Indeed, the whole Sue Gray report thing is starting to pick up strong 2019 “tHe quEen muSt vEto pRorogAtioN“ vibes.

Ultimately, Tory MPs cannot expect, nor should they want a senior civil servant, no matter how highly-respected or independently-minded, to do the dirty work for them. They can put their letters into the 1922 Committee or they can stand by their man. Thing is, if you were a Tory MP in a Red Wall seat, would you rule out the possibility of further Number 10 lockdown parties coming to light?

For some light relief, check out the mockery directed at Johnson online. Even renowned political satirist Kevin Pietersen got involved.

In the comment pages, Claire Cohen reminds us that Sarah Everard was murdered because, believing she had broken lockdown rules, she was ‘arrested’ by Wayne Couzens.

Meanwhile, Tom Newton Dunn suggests this looks like the end of Boris Johnson and his big sell – have cake, and eat it too.

Finally – and don’t take this the wrong way – but Jessica Benjamin is here to tell you that blonde hair is officially ‘cheugy‘, or uncool to you and me. Gen Z have their reasons...

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