No 10 refuses to deny Sunak was given informal warning about Raab’s behaviour before he made him deputy PM – as it happened

5.04pm GMT

Afternoon summary

• Downing Street has repeatedly refused to say whether Rishi Sunak knew of any informal complaints about Dominic Raab’s behaviour before making him a minister, after Keir Starmer attacked the government’s “addiction to sleaze and scandal”.

• Dominic Raab is facing fresh calls to be suspended from his post, after the Guardian revealed three senior civil servants who worked with him had been interviewed by the official inquiry into his alleged bullying.

• Unions and the government appeared as far apart as ever, after Wednesday’s widespread strike action closed thousands of schools across England and Wales.

• Rishi Sunak is considering a trip to visit Joe Biden in the US next month as talks between the UK and EU over the Northern Ireland protocol intensify.

• The Labour MP Kim Johnson has apologised to the Commons after provoking anger by calling the Israeli government “fascist” during prime minister’s questions.

• Boris Johnson, the former Tory prime minister, has told the Atlantic Council thinktank in Washington that the process of admitting Ukraine to Nato and the EU should begin as soon as the war is over. The argument that this would provoke Russia was no longer relevant, he suggested. This is from the BBC’s Alex Partridge.

"Putin has demolished any objections" to Ukraine membership of NATO, says Boris Johnson, once war is "done" they should "begin the process of induction to NATO and the EU".

— Alex Partridge (@alexpartridge87) February 1, 2023

Rishi Sunak speaking at PMQs. Photograph: Jessica Taylor/PA

Updated at 5.05pm GMT

4.56pm GMT

According to new polling from YouGov, Keir Starmer is increasing his lead over Rishi Sunak on who would made the best prime minister.

Which of the following do you think would make the best Prime Minister? (24-25 Jan)

Keir Starmer: 34% (+1 from 18-19 Jan)
Rishi Sunak: 22% (-2)
Not sure: 42% (+4)https://t.co/Paw09Lrfox pic.twitter.com/ikQvsoPfl3

— YouGov (@YouGov) February 1, 2023

Rob Ford, a politics professor, thinks this is ominous for Sunak.

This is ominous for Sunak and for anyone who was hoping for a quieter 2023 in terms of internal Con politics. Sunak's figures with several pollsters increasingly looking no better than Johnson's were a year ago, and Cons are if anything further behind Lab now than then https://t.co/Eu3v9GrMJb

— Rob Ford (@robfordmancs) February 1, 2023

The problem for Sunak is twofold. The ardent Boris acolytes, clearly believe (on very limited evidence) that their man is the only one who can turn it around. And, even if he can't, many of them may prefer going down on a sinking ship with Captain Boris rather than Captain Rishi.

— Rob Ford (@robfordmancs) February 1, 2023

It still looks doubtful that the "Bring Back Boris" tribe is large enough to force a contest, even if Sunak's struggles get worse. But they *are* large enough to be a source of perpetual disruption and distraction. Even a couple of dozen Commons rebels is a headache for govt.

— Rob Ford (@robfordmancs) February 1, 2023