News Round-Up

Mar 22: Johnson faces TV grilling by MPs; Questions over Met Police future; Some grocery prices have more than doubled

Here are the headlines on Wednesday, March 22

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Time 6:54 am, March 22, 2023

Johnson faces TV grilling by MPs over partygate accusations

Boris Johnson faces a televised grilling by MPs investigating claims he knowingly misled Parliament over the partygate affair in a hearing which could determine his future as a MP.

The former prime minister is expected to be questioned for around four hours by the Commons Privileges Committee over his denials of No 10 parties during the pandemic in violation of lockdown rules.

If he is found to have deliberately misled the House then he could be suspended as a MP, potentially leading to a by-election in his west London constituency.


Questions over future of Met as Commissioner and Casey due before committees

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Sir Mark Rowley and Baroness Louise Casey will be scrutinised by MPs and City Hall on Wednesday as the fallout continues from her damning report into the force.

A review commissioned in the wake of Sarah Everard’s murder and published on Tuesday found that Britain’s biggest police force is institutionally racist, misogynist and homophobic – and there may be more officers like killer Wayne Couzens and serial rapist David Carrick.

Sir Mark will appear before the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee on Wednesday along with Baroness Casey, who is also due to appear before the Home Affairs Committee on policing priorities on the same day, to discuss the review.


Sunak faces possible Tory revolt over his new Brexit deal with Brussels

Prime minister Rishi Sunak is braced for a possible Tory backbench rebellion as MPs vote on a key plank of his new deal with Brussels on post-Brexit trading arrangements in Northern Ireland.

With Labour backing the Windsor Framework agreement signed last month, the government should win the Commons division comfortably, despite criticism from some hardline Tory Brexiteers.

On Tuesday, the European Research Group (ERG) said the so-called Stormont brake, intended to provide a veto on the imposition of new EU regulations in Northern Ireland, was ‘practically useless’.

‘Cost of detaining and accommodating migrants could hit £9bn in three years’

The cost of detaining and accommodating people under the government’s controversial plans to tackle Channel crossings could amount to more than £9bn in the first three years, according to a refugee charity.

More than 250,000 people, including up to 45,000 children, could have their asylum claims deemed inadmissible under the Illegal Migration Bill in that time, the Refugee Council said.

The charity said its policy experts came up with the estimates as part of an impact assessment of the consequences of the first three years of the Bill, assuming it comes into force on November 7, six months after it was introduced in Parliament.

Trump could be indicted by jury as soon as this week over hush money payments

Former president Donald Trump could be indicted by a Manhattan grand jury as soon as this week, potentially charged with falsifying business records connected to hush money payments during his 2016 campaign to women who accused him of sexual encounters.

It is one of several investigations that have intensified as Trump mounts his third presidential run.

He has denied any allegations of wrongdoing and accuses prosecutors of engaging in a politically motivated ‘witch hunt’ to damage his campaign.


Tuesday Car Dealer headlines you might have missed

UK energy import bill more than doubled to £117bn last year, report shows

The UK’s energy import bill more than doubled in a year to £117bn, a report has found.

The Offshore Energies UK report (OEUK) has said this is the first time that annual UK energy import costs have broken the £100bn barrier and it equates to £4,200 per UK household.

In 2022, the UK spent about £63bn on crude oil, petrol, diesel, and other oil-based fuels, with another £49bn spent on buying gas. The rest was spent on imports of coal and electricity – making a total of £117bn. In 2021, £54bn was spent on energy imports, with £48bn spent in 2019.

Cost of some everyday groceries ‘has more than doubled over the last year’

The cost of some everyday groceries has more than doubled over the last year, consumer brand Which? has found.

The company analysed inflation on more than 25,000 food and drink products at eight major supermarkets – Aldi, Asda, Lidl, Morrisons, Ocado, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and Waitrose.

Which? looked at the average price of the products in the three months to the end of February 2023 compared to the same time period last year. Data revealed that prices increased most at Lidl, followed by Aldi, Asda, Morrisons, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Tesco and then Ocado.

Weather outlook

Cloud and rain will clear in the far north-east and south-east, leaving a brighter, drier day, reports BBC Weather. Thundery showers will develop from the west later, though.

Another unsettled night with bands of heavy rain spreading across the UK. Potentially thundery in places.

James Batchelor's avatar

James – or Batch as he’s known – started at Car Dealer in 2010, first as the work experience boy, eventually becoming editor in 2013. He worked for Auto Express as editor-at-large and was the face of Carbuyer’s YouTube reviews. In 2020, he went freelance and now writes for a number of national titles and contributes regularly to Car Dealer. In October 2021 he became Car Dealer's associate editor.



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