Boris Johnson news: PM not among first 20 fined for Partygate, as No 10 refuses to admit law was broken

As British households struggle with rising electricity and gas bills, Octopus Energy has been praised for handing out 5,000 free electric blankets to its customers to help them keep warm.

My colleague Joe Sommerlad has more:

As the cost of living crisis gets tougher by the day, the chancellor’s popularity takes a hit according to a survey charting the views of the Tory grassroots.

My colleague Adam Forrest reports.

In case you missed it, MP Simon Hart told Sky News this morning that he thinks the world “has moved on a considerable distance” from Partygate.

Mr Hart said his 65,000 constituents in west Wales want “contrition” and an apology but “they don’t want a resignation”.

#NotMovingOn has been trending on Twitter in response to the minister’s comments.

My colleague Adam Forrest has more:

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “I think at all times the Government took action to save both lives and livelihoods and that was always a balanced judgment that sought to be informed by the latest evidence we had.

“We have established an inquiry to take a proper view and learn lessons about what happened and there will be more to say then. But certainly at all times the Government sought to act in the best interests of the United Kingdom.”

Downing Street said domestic oil and gas will play an “important part” of the UK strategy after minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said “every last drop” of oil should be extracted from the North Sea.

The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “Certainly it’s right that domestic-produced oil and gas will play an important part of the transition to net zero.”

From June this year 60 companies will give their 3,000 employees a three day weekend without any reduction in pay.

Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports:

No 10 confirmed that Boris Johnson has not been informed whether he is to be fined over gatherings he attended during the pandemic.

Asked if Mr Johnson had received a fixed penalty notice, his official spokesman said: “No – no change.”

Downing Street continue to refuse to accept the law had been broken, despite the Met issuing 20 fixed penalty notices (FPNs).

Asked if the PM now accepted that Covid rules had been breached, the spokesman said: “The prime minister wants to comment at the conclusion of the process and not in the middle of it … we will have more to say at the conclusion of the process.”

A caller on LBC tells Jacob Rees-Mogg he lied to the public for promising “lower energy prices and cheaper food” if we left the EU.

Asked on the LBC phone-in if a woman can have a penis, cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg said “no” and referenced Genesis 1: 27.

He said: “God made man in his own image. He made man and he made woman. He made both of them. I think God making us in his own image is quite good enough for me.”

However, Rees-Mogg also added: “The issue is a complex one. There are issues of tolerance, and there are issues of kindliness, and I think it’s very important to allow people to make whatever choices in their life.”