Boris Johnson accused of 'cover up' as pressure mounts over Pincher row

The Prime Minister has promised to "help people through the current difficult times" as he tried to focus on the economy, rather than the row surrounding his former deputy chief whip.

Boris Johnson has been accused of a "cover up" over his appointment of Chris Pincher after a former senior official said the PM was briefed "in person" about an investigation into his conduct.

Mr. Pincher quit his role last week and now sits as an independent MP after allegedly groping two men at a conservative private members club.

Downing Street has now been accused of shifting its account of what the Prime Minister knew of his previous accusations when he made him deputy chief whip in February.

Lord McDonald of Salford, the ex-permanent secretary at the Foreign Office, said the account given by Downing Street of how Mr Pincher came to be made deputy chief whip was "not true".

In his letter, Lord McDonald said that in the summer of 2019, shortly after Mr Pincher was made Europe minister, a complaint by a group of officials about his conduct was investigated and upheld, and the Prime Minister informed of the outcome.

Downing Street initially claimed that Mr Johnson had not been aware of any "specific allegations" against Mr Pincher at the time of the February reshuffle.

But after reports over the weekend of repeated alleged instances of Mr Pincher making unwanted sexual advances to men, it said that while the Prime Minister had known of concerns, they had been either "resolved" or there had been no formal complaint and that any allegations were unsubstantiated.

However, Lord McDonald said this was still not accurate.

"Mr Johnson was briefed in person about the initiation and outcome of the investigation. There was a 'formal complaint'," he wrote.

"Allegations were 'resolved' only in the sense that the investigation was completed; Mr Pincher was not exonerated. To characterise the allegations as 'unsubstantiated' is therefore wrong."

PM seeks to move on as he addresses cabinet

Speaking to his cabinet, Mr. Johnson highlighted the increase in the national insurance threshold as the "single biggest tax cut in a decade".

The changes will see the point at which people start paying national insurance rise to £12,570, partly offsetting the increase in the rate of the tax previously announced to help fund health and social care measures.

The Government says the move will save an average employee around £330 a year, with 30 million people set to benefit.

Opening a meeting of his Cabinet, Mr Johnson said: "It will be in people's pay packets from tomorrow onwards and amongst other things it is there to help people up and down the country with the cost of living.

"It's part of the £37 billion that we are able to spend to help people through the current pressures on food prices, on energy prices, that we are seeing.

"It shows that the Government is firmly on the side of the British people."

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