Boris Johnson news: Patel announces Sarah Everard killer inquiry, as Raab vows to end Human Rights Act

Our political correspondent Ashley Cowburn reports from Manchester:

Former culture secretary Oliver Dowden has told a Tory conference event that shifting to a state-based funding model for political parties – instead of private donations – would be a “massive retrograde step”.

Mr Dowden, who is now chairman of the Conservative Party, said people give money to political parties as part of their “civic duty”.

He also revealed that when Boris Johnson appointed him as party chair … “He said I want you to be my Cecil Parkinson, but without the shagging”.

Justice minister Victoria Atkins has said the Sarah Everard inquiry will look at “wider policing”, with an aim to address the “very real and understandable concerns that have arisen in recent days”.

Speaking to BBC Radio 4’s World at One, she said: “We want to address the enormous betrayal of trust that that particular individual, and I’m not going to name him, but that particular individual committed when he used his powers, used his position in order to entice Sarah into that car, and so we want this inquiry to be looking not just at the behaviour of that particular individual and his background, but also looking at wider policing.

“We need to ensure that vetting, disciplinary proceedings and such like are meeting the expectations of the public.”

Ms Atkins went on to say “transparency” on this issue was “absolutely critical”.

“We all want public trust in the police to be maintained, it is critical to our rule of law, it’s critical to victims, it’s critical to the criminal justice system, we have to maintain that trust,” she told the radio programme.

Asked whether misogyny should be made a hate crime, Ms Atkins said only: “We’re asking the police to record instances where the victim feels that they were a victim of a crime because of their gender.”

Following my colleague Matt’s post at 3.15pm, our politics reporter Adam Forrest provides some more detail on remarks made by the justice secretary about legal amnesty for people who fail to pay the TV licence fee which funds the BBC.

Dominic Raab said he would discuss the idea with newly-instated culture secretary Nadine Dorries.

Nick Thomas-Symonds, the Labour Party’s shadow home secretary, has poured cold water on Priti Patel’s speech, saying the Conservatives took too long to confirm an inquiry into Sarah Everard’s death – which Labour called for “days ago”.

Boris Johnson has said there is “no alternative” to wage-fuelled inflation and interest rate rises, as he urged businesses to pay workers more to beat the supply chain crisis.

Our politics editor Andrew Woodcock reports:

More comments from Johnson below:

Government officials have met with the Taliban’s leadership to discuss a safe passge out of Afghanistan for those wanting to flee the regime.

A spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister’s High Representative for Afghan Transition, Sir Simon Gass, and Charge d’Affaires of the UK Mission to Afghanistan in Doha, Dr Martin Longden, travelled to Afghanistan today to hold talks with the Taliban.

“They met senior members of the Taliban, including Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund and Mawlawi Abdul-Salam Hanafi.

“Sir Simon and Dr Longden discussed how the UK could help Afghanistan to address the humanitarian crisis, the importance of preventing the country from becoming an incubator for terrorism, and the need for continued safe passage for those who want to leave the country. They also raised the treatment of minorities and the rights of women and girls.

“The government continues to do all it can to ensure safe passage for those who wish to leave, and is committed to supporting the people of Afghanistan.”

This is the awkward moment a minister claims not to know where Boris Johnson is – despite him being just yards away.

Kit Malthouse, the policing minister, was asked about the PM’s honesty in an interview with ITV’s Good Morning Britain programme earlier today.

“Is he [Johnson] honest all the time?” GMB’s Alastair Campbell asks Malthouse, who responds: “In my experience, yes he is.”

GMB co-host Susanna Reid then suggests to Malthouse that he had to answer “yes” because Johnson was sat next to him.

Malthouse fires back, saying “no, I have no idea where he is” before the camera pans to the left, showing the PM conducting a separate interview with Times Radio just yards away.

Watch the full exchange below:

Justice secretary Dominic Raab told a Tory party conference fringe event it could take six to 12 months to get the court backlogs down to pre-pandemic levels.

Asked if there could be “clemency” for people who have not paid their BBC licence fees to help ease the backlog, he said it’s an “attractive idea … I’ll discuss it with [culture secretary] Nadine Dorries.”

He also ruled out finding another constituency seat, despite the Lib Dems’ claims the are confident they can unseat him in Esher and Walton.

“I will never move to another seat,” Raab told The Spectator event – claiming to be “very confident” he would win again.

Raab also had more to say on the Human Rights Act. He said “fixing” the legislation was partly aimed at deporting “foreign offenders”.

“Overhauling the Human Rights Act is not just a good way to deal with foreign national offenders who we can’t deport, but also it will straighten out our constitution,” he said.

Reporting by my colleague Adam Forrest

Boris Johnson has branded protesters who have blocked major UK roads “irresponsible crusties”.

The PM said Insulate Britain activists, who have blocked highways across the southeast in recent weeks, have been “doing considerable damage to the economy”.

His comments came after demonstrators on Monday clashed with motorists near the Blackwall Tunnel in east London, including one tearful woman desperate to get to her elderly mother who had been taken hospital, reports Chiara Giordano.