Summary
That’s all for today – here is a round-up of today’s news as Sir Keir Starmer’s appointment of Sue Gray as his chief of staff continues to attract criticism from Conservative MPs.
The Cabinet Office minister Jeremy Quin has said it is unprecedented for a serving permanent secretary to resign to take up a job with the leader of the opposition. The Cabinet Office is investigating, he says.
Jacob Rees-Mogg, the former business secretary, told the House of Commons that he believe it “smashes to pieces” the idea of an independent civil service.
Starmer refused to say exactly when he first contacted Sue Gray about her becoming his chief of staff – but said that the approach was “recent”, and after his previous chief of staff left last October.
Hospital consultants in England will be balloted on strike action over pay, the British Medical Association, the doctors’ union, has announced. The BMA will ballot consultants on a potential strike in the spring, PA Media reports.
Rachel Johnson, sister of former prime minister Boris, says that she believes their father, Stanley, deserves an honour – amid rumours that he will get a knighthood in her brother’s resignation honours list.
At the No 10 lobby briefing Rishi Sunak’s spokesperson described reports that Stanley Johnson is due to get a knighthood in Boris’ honours list as “speculative”, not denying them, and refuses to accept that the honours system isn’t fit for purpose.
Sunak’s spokesperson has declined to say when he expects to honour his pledge to “stop the boats” in response to asylum seekers arriving on the shores of southern England from France in small crafts.
Bertie Ahern, the former taoiseach (Irish PM), has said it is “reasonable” for the DUP to take a few weeks to decide whether or not it will support the deal with the EU on the Northern Ireland protocol.
Thanks for following along. I leave you with tonight’s story that Conservative MPs are launching a bid attempting to stop Sue Gray’s appointment as Keir Starmer’s chief of staff.
Staff at the Care Quality Commission (CQC), the regulator for hospitals, care homes, GPs and dentists across England, have voted to take strike action over pay, says their union Unison today.
More than 700 workers took part in a ballot by Unison, including those in the organisation’s health and social care teams and call centres, along with clerical staff and data analysts.
The regulator holds responsibility over health and social care bodies across England including GP practices, dental surgeries, hospitals and care homes.
Unison national officer Matthew Egan said: “CQC staff have had to put up with their pay rising at a much lower rate than inflation for more than a decade.”
Last December CQC staff were given a pay increase of between 2.75% and 3.5%. The employees also received a one-off payment of either £100 or £150, depending on their grade.
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