Politics latest news: Lee Anderson tells Ursula von der Leyen to ‘shut up’ over Brexit

Boris Johnson, the former prime minister, will give evidence to the UK Covid-19 Inquiry on Wednesday and Thursday next week. 

The inquiry announced the schedule for next week this morning.

Matt Hancock, the former health secretary, is giving evidence to the inquiry today. You can follow the latest updates on The Telegraph’s inquiry live blog here. 

Mark Spencer, the environment minister, said he accepted the “hypocrisy” of world leaders flying on private jets to the Cop28 climate change summit in Dubai. 

Downing Street has defended the fact that the UK will be sending three planes: One for Rishi Sunak, one for Lord Cameron and one for the King.

Mr Spencer told LBC Radio: “Yeah, I accept the sort of hypocrisy, if you like, in global leaders flying to one location to solve this challenge. 

“But of course, we do need those global leaders to get together to cooperate to solve the challenges that we face within the environment. That means travelling to get there.”

A senior minister declined to say whether Rishi Sunak was right to snub Greek premier Kyriakos Mitsotakis.

The Prime Minister accused his Greek counterpart of breaking an agreement not to publicly “grandstand” about the Elgin Marbles during his visit to the UK.

Asked if Mr Sunak was right to cancel a planned meeting with the Greek prime minister, security minister Tom Tugendhat said: “Look, I think my own view is that the Prime Minister had to make a decision.

“He’s got many, many calls on his time, and prioritising is a very difficult thing to do in No10.”

He told Sky News Mr Mitsotakis had “his own domestic politics” so “of course he is going to make comments like that”, in relation to his call for the Parthenon Sculptures to be reunited in Athens.

James Cleverly is “extremely well placed” to keep Rwanda signed up to the Government’s asylum plan, security minister Tom Tugendhat said this morning.

The Times reported that senior diplomats have privately told the Foreign Office that Rwanda’s commitment to the scheme cannot be taken for granted amid repeated delays to flights taking off.

Mr Tugendhat said the Home Secretary’s previous role at the Foreign Office meant he was able to address any concerns Kigali may have.

“I know that the Home Secretary as foreign secretary has had a good working relationship with the Rwandan government at various different points and I’m sure he is extremely well placed to make sure that any concerns the Rwandan government may have at any points will be alleviated,” Mr Tugendhat told Times Radio.

Work and Pensions Secretary Mel Stride said it was “sensible” for the Government to look for alternative countries to Rwanda to send illegal migrants to. 

The original Rwanda deportation scheme has stalled after the Supreme Court ruled it was unlawful and Rishi Sunak is now taking steps to try to resurrect it. 

There have been reports Home Secretary James Cleverly told Tory MPs more nations are willing to host asylum seekers from the UK if the Rwanda plan gets off the ground.

Asked which other countries could be targeted for deals, Mr Stride told Times Radio: “Well, I can’t speculate on which countries the Home Secretary may have in mind. 

“But if he is reaching out for alternatives to Rwanda, then that would probably, along with pursuing the Rwanda policy that we’re absolutely committed to doing, would probably be a sensible thing to do.” 

Lee Anderson said it looked like Home Office officials were “not bothered” about stopping illegal migration. 

Sir Matthew Rycroft, the permanent secretary at the Home Office, appeared in front of the Home Affairs Select Committee yesterday. 

He refused to tell MPs how much more money the UK may be giving to Rwanda in the current financial year for the stalled migrant deportation scheme. 

Mr Anderson, who sits on the committee, told GB News: “It looks like they are not bothered. When you are turning up to a meeting and bear in mind these meetings are screen live, so anybody anywhere on this planet can watch that meeting live. 

“And to see that those Home Office officials on massive salaries, they can’t answer, they weren’t even difficult questions, they were simple questions.”

Lee Anderson has told Ursula von der Leyen to “shut up” after she urged young people to reverse Brexit. 

Mr Anderson, the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, told GB News: “So the generation that fixed the problems in Europe was my grandad’s generation. 

“He put a British Army uniform on… he went to fight the Nazis, he went all across North Africa, through Sicily, through Italy, seen some horrible things. That was the generation that fixed the problems in Europe. She needs to shut up.” 

Asked if he believed the UK will rejoin the EU in his lifetime, he said: “I hope not because if we do I’m moving to Orkney isles.” 

Mrs von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, had suggested the UK could be on a path to rejoin the bloc.

She said at an event in Brussels that “the direction of travel” was clear and suggested the younger generation could “fix” the mistake of Brexit.