Boris Johnson live interview: Former PM says he regrets apologizing for Partygate during ITV grilling

Sky News political editor Beth Rigby said she pulled out of an interview with former Prime Minister Boris Johnson at the Cheltenham Literature Festival after being told she could not make a recording or transcription of the interview.

Mr Johnson is doing press for his new book Unleashed and it follows him abandoning an interview with the BBC earlier in the week after presenter Laura Kuenssberg mistakenly sent him her briefing notes.

In an article on 'interview.

As a journalist in conversation with a former Prime Minister at a public event, I can only proceed if we do so officially. I'm sorry to have to withdraw.

Sir Keir Starmer's $22 billion investment in carbon capture is being touted as a cornerstone of the UK's green future, with promises to save jobs in sectors like glassmaking.

But the prime minister faces a daunting challenge in convincing a skeptical public and environmental critics that the technology is more than just greenwashing.

While carbon capture offers a solution to decarbonize energy-intensive industries without job losses, environmental activists are not convinced.

A group of climate scientists recently warned Energy Secretary Ed Miliband that carbon capture is yet to be proven, especially at the scale needed to have a real impact.

Timing adds another layer of complexity.

The Government's ambitious plans for Teesside and Merseyside will not come to fruition until the next election, and with net zero targets for 2050 approaching, doubts remain over whether this technology will be able to work quickly enough.

Beyond the environmental aspect, Sir Keir's announcement suggests a possible change in Labour's budgetary approach.

As speculation grows that Chancellor Rachel Reeves could relax borrowing rules for capital investments, Labor will need to prove that these costly investments can deliver real benefits to struggling households.

Boris Johnson has criticized David Cameron's handling of the fallout from the Brexit vote, suggesting it was not right for the former prime minister to vacate the stage after the referendum.

The former Conservative MP told ITV News: What we expected and what I think, you know, everyone expected, was that the Cameron government, having called a referendum on a yes , no, a choice for the people, a holiday, would remain a choice for the people, would present a white paper.

Mr Johnson also claimed he was shocked when Lord Cameron left Number 10, saying: Because all the other European leaders, when their whole referendum decides, you know, once the people have voted on, decides what to do and stays in office.

It is therefore not normal for the Prime Minister, having requested a referendum, to suddenly leave the scene.

The former Tory leader said he should not have apologized for the Partygate scandal, in an interview with ITV.

But he would not be seduced by his conversations with the former monarch.

Kate Devlin, Whitehall editor reports:

Boris Johnson has said he regrets apologizing over the so-called Partygate scandal over gatherings at Downing Street during the lockdown.

The former prime minister claimed that the move had inadvertently validated the entire corpus as charges were also being leveled against officials who were working very hard.

In his interview with ITV News, the former Conservative MP and Daily Mail columnist said: What I was trying to say there, I think the blanket apology, the kind of apology I made right from the Initially, I think the problem was that subsequently all the accusations that then fell on the civil servants who had worked very hard at Number 10 and elsewhere were taken to be true.

And by apologizing, I had sort of inadvertently validated the entire body of work and it wasn't fair to those people.

Asked if he regretted apologizing to the late Queen, he replied: “I don’t discuss my conversations with the Queen.

The full interview will air at 7 p.m.

• End of the coal age:The Prime Minister highlighted the importance of this week, marking the closure of the last coal-fired power station. He said: I know what we lost when we lost coal. But I also know how we can rewrite our history with the ink of the future.

• Chancellors’ remarks:Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced a substantial investment of 21.7 billion for these projects, calling it a huge opportunity to attract new investment.

• Historical change:Energy Secretary Ed Miliband hailed the end of coal-fired power as a historic week for Britain's energy system and condemned Tory hesitation and delays.

• Future goal:Starmer concluded his speech by saying the UK is ready to compete globally in clean energy, adding: We are putting ourselves in a position not only to enter this global race, but to win it.

Prime Minister John Swinney has not ruled out a snap election in Scotland if his budget fails to gain enough support to pass at Holyrood.

The SNP currently runs Scotland as a minority administration, needing just two votes from opposition MPs to pass legislation.

But this year's Scottish Government budget, a draft of which will be published in December, is expected to require drastic cuts to public spending in response to financial pressures.

Appearing on the BBC's Political Thinking podcast, the Prime Minister was asked whether failing to pass his tax and spending plans would trigger a vote.

It depends on the actions of other political parties, he said.

The budget, he added, will be sustainable and will balance the books in Scotland.

The government is set to back the decriminalization of TV license fee fraud amid fears it will disproportionately affect women.

Last year around 34,000 people were prosecuted for improperly failing to pay their TV license, with many believing the criminal penalties for failing to pay the annual license fee of 169.50 are too harsh .

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