Boris Johnson is at odds with his chancellor Rishi Sunak over Treasury plans to suspend the “triple lock” on pensions for a year, with frustration over the prime minister’s desire to make expensive policy pledges, according to reports.
The Sunday Times claimed that officials were said to be examining plans to prevent a rise in average wages over the course of the Covid-19 pandemic leading to a 6 per cent increase in the state pension – costing the government £4bn.
It added that there was “growing consternation” over Mr Johnson’s habit of announcing plans that would cost billions of pounds “when there is no means to pay for them”.
It came as former speaker and Tory MP John Bercow revealed he had defected to Labour as he warned that the government needed “to be replaced”.
Mr Bercow said the Conservatives had become “reactionary, populist, nationalistic and sometimes even xenophobic” under Mr Johnson’s leadership.
– Government policy adviser poised to become new exams regulator
Gavin Williamson has named one of his policy advisers as his pick to lead England’s independent exams regulator following the government’s disastrous attempt at grading GCSE and A-level students last summer.
The education secretary has chosen Dr Jo Saxton, a former academy trust boss, as Ofqual’s new chief regulator – although the recommendation must be approved by Boris Johnson.
– Lib Dem leader says his party is willing to ‘work with other politicians’
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey has said that his party will stand for “working with other politicians” when asked if he would consider an alliance with Labour to defeat the Conservatives.
“We’ve seen in the past where the Liberal Democrats are strong and the ones who can beat the Conservatives, other parties get behind the Liberal Democrats, and that’s what happened in Chesham and Amersham,” Sir Ed told the BBC’s Andrew Marr Show.
“We still stand for working with other politicians on the policies, and we believe in electoral reform and believe in proportional representation, we think the current voting system is unfair.
“And if you do believe that, it means you have to work with other parties, you have to get consensus to bring the best ideas together.”
