Home
A neighbour of Boris Johnson, 55 (a candidate for the leadership of the Conservative party and hence for the prime ministership), recorded a loud argument Boris was having one night with Carrie Symonds, 31, in the flat in Camberwell they shared. The neighbour called the police (who later said ‘There were no offences or concerns apparent to the officers’) and then gave the recording to the Guardian. Other newspapers immediately ran front-page reports of the incident. Mr Johnson and Miss Symonds had to leave the flat because of protesters in the street. Mr Johnson refused to answer press requests for an explanation. Three days later, a photograph of the couple holding hands in a garden was published by Mail Online. All the while Mr Johnson and his rival Jeremy Hunt, the Foreign Secretary, each presented themselves to Conservative party members as the only man somehow to achieve Brexit. Mr Johnson said Britain must leave by 31 October ‘come what may, do or die’.
Mark Field was suspended as a Foreign Office minister after ejecting a woman trying to disrupt a Mansion House speech by the Chancellor; perhaps 30 climate-change protesters had walked into Mansion House unchallenged. A by-election was triggered at Brecon and Radnorshire when well above the necessary 10 per cent of constituents signed a recall petition against the Conservative MP, Chris Davies, who had been convicted of falsifying expenses; the MP is to stand for election again as the official Tory candidate. Lord Prescott was taken to hospital after suffering a stroke. Twelve people in Essex died of invasive group A streptococcal disease (iGAS).
Forterra is to go ahead with a £95 million investment to double brick production to 180 million a year at its plant near Desford, Leicestershire, making it the biggest brick factory in Europe.
Comments
Join the debate for just £1 a month
Be part of the conversation with other Spectator readers by getting your first three months for £3.
UNLOCK ACCESS Just £1 a monthAlready a subscriber? Log in