PM’s evasion over flat question ‘farcical’, says Starmer – follow live

Keir Starmer is campaigning with the Labour mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, in the “greatest city in the world” today. The party leader is there with deputy Angela Rayner to push the mayor’s plan for a public takeover of the bus network.

But it is Tory “sleaze” he is most keen to talk about. Speaking to reporters, Starmer said: “It says something about the prime minister that he spent last week phoning round journalists to moan about his old friend Dominic Cummings. This is about priorities.”

Some Tory MPs are not happy with the Electoral Commission for launching a formal investigation into the funding of Boris Johnson’s furnishings.

Iain Duncan Smith said: “For them to make this announcement, and the timing of it, does seem to me to be very questionable. Its reputation is in tatters over its very poor behaviour over the Vote Leave campaign.”

It’s worth noting that the Tory party’s view is that the Electoral Commission should be abolished or radically reformed – having accused the body last year of trying to “expand its empire” and create “unnecessary investigations”.

The Conservatives lodged a submission on the future of the watchdog with the Committee on Standards in Public Life (CSPL) – which is still reviewing the Electoral Commission’s role as the regulator of party finances.

Labour leader Keir Starmer, speaking on an election campaign visit in Manchester, said: “I think this is getting a bit farcical. I think the prime minister could actually deal with this very, very quickly.

Starmer added: “All he’s got to do is answer a very simple question; which is who paid, initially, for the redecoration of your flat?

“Now, I’m thinking of people watching this, I think most people would say, ‘If I had my flat redecorated, I’d be able to answer that question’ … why is the prime minister not prepared to just answer that question? What is he hiding?”

Starmer added: “The idea of having an adviser who can investigate only if the prime minister says so just shows how weak the system is … That’s why what we are proposing is that we clean up Westminster. We have a proper, independent commission.”

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon has set out a 100-day “action plan” her party will undertake if re-elected to government in Edinburgh. “Our immediate priority should we be re-elected will be to steer Scotland through the Covid crisis,” she said.

There is nothing in there about her desire to push for a referendum if a majority of pro-independence MSPs make up the Scottish parliament.

Could she really wait 100 days before formally demanding Boris Johnson grants a section 30 order so the Scottish government can stage another independence referendum?

It seems unlikely – especially if the SNP wins a clear majority, and is bolstered by a good number of pro-indy Green MSPs. But Sturgeon may fear pushing too hard too early, given that recent polls show a dip in support for independence.

So how much do people actually about Tory “sleaze”? And how damaging could the current mess prove for Boris Johnson?

Our chief political commentator John Rentoul will be here later this afternoon to answer any questions you have on the cash-for-curtains saga and assorted cronyism claims.

John will be holding an ‘Ask Me Anything’ event live on our website at 4pm. All you have to do is register and submit your questions, anytime you want before 4pm, in the comments box on this page:

Health secretary Matt Hancock is among the many 42-year-olds in England getting their first dose of the Covid vaccine. It just so happened he got his from deputy chief medial officer Jonathan Van Tam.

““Brilliant! Got the jab. In & out in 8 minutes. Didn’t hurt at all. Massive thanks to JVT & the Science Museum team. When you get the call, get the jab!”, he posted on social media.

Is the deluge of recent “sleaze” claims about Boris Johnson and his government cutting through with the voters?

No, says Dehenna Davison, the Tory MP for Bishop Auckland. She told Robert Peston she’s only had 12 emails about various aspects of the “sleaze” saga – which is one-tenth the number of emails she’s had about bees.

So that’s 120 emails about bees – really?

The latest poll on Scottish independence shows support for a breakaway down at 42 per cent – the lowest level since before the 2019 general election.

With the ‘don’t knows’ removed, the Savanta ComRes poll for The Scotsman has support for the union at 54 per cent and support for a split at 46 per cent.

Meanwhile, Lord Ashcroft’s latest “mega-poll” of Scots – twice as large as the usual survey samples by surveying 2,000 people – has support for the UK on a knife edge, with 51 per cent backing the union compared to 49 per cent for a breakaway.

Vaccines minister Nadhim Zahawi has tried to laugh off some of the reported costs of Boris Johnson’s flat redecorations.

Asked if he would pay £5,000 for an armchair, he told LBC: “What people pay for their armchairs or sofas … I tell you what I worry more about it curtains. Because I think if Keir Starmer doesn’t come up with some credible policies it’ll be curtains for Keir.”

Labour MP Liz Kendall has criticised the appointment of Boris Johnson’s new adviser on ministerial standards – saying it would allow the PM to avoid “setting himself any homework”.

Speaking on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme, the shadow social care minister said: “It’s not just that Johnson would be marking his own homework, he wouldn’t be setting himself any homework in the first place.”

“We’re saying that the person should be able to initiate investigations, not just suggest them … If we don’t have an independent process, we’re never going to sort this out.”

Kendall told Sky News the so-called ‘cash-for-curtains’ story matters, because “you need to have confidence that you know who’s funding people”.