James Cleverly fails to deny calling Rwanda deportation policy ‘batshit’ in private – UK politics live

Home secretary claims he does not remember if he made disparaging comments about the government’s Rwanda plan

The chief scientist whose diary entries contained revelations that Boris Johnson described coronavirus as “nature’s way of dealing with old people” is set to appear before the UK’s public inquiry next week, PA Media reports. PA says:

Sir Patrick Vallance is expected to give evidence on Monday followed by England’s former chief medical officer Sir Chris Whitty and his former deputy, Sir Jonathan Van-Tam later in the week.

Vallance has objected to the publication of his pandemic-era diary in full, describing the notes as a “brain dump” written “at the end of immensely stressful days to protect his mental health”.

This is a distracting conversation. I get it is of interest, legitimate interest, but the point I have made is I, the prime minister, the government, will not be distracted from focusing on what we have been told by the supreme court judges needs to be fixed in order to get this out of the way.

I don’t believe [withdrawal from the ECHR] will be necessary. I believe that we can act in accordance with international law and we are very determined to do that.

Let me tell everyone now – I will not allow a foreign court to block these flights.

If the Strasbourg court chooses to intervene against the express wishes of parliament, I am prepared to do what necessary to get flights off.

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