Wow… I have been observing how the lives of Boris Johnson and Donald Trump have been mirroring each other in very significant ways. I believe that there is a spiritual significance to their presence and their placement at this time. Perhaps merely as place holders for Apollyon. So here is what has been happening with Mr. Johnson recently. It does not bode well for President Trump.
They are both playing a role. Politics is just a facade that the elite stage in front of us to give us an illusion of self government, while they continue to manipulate and control us from behind the veil.
It does not take a rocket scientist to figure out that both Johnson and Trump have been made to appear as if they are fighting against the powers that be. The far left has been screaming for their removal. All part of the game. If the script calls for their removal, this COVID 19 is the perfect vehicle to bring that about.
I have been convinced from the onset that this virus was created to bring about the NEW WORLD ORDER. It gives them the perfect vehicle to install and/or activate all their evil agendas. They can demand anything they desire in the interest of “SAVING” the world from the dreaded pandemic
I do not participate in politics. I have never believed that Donald Trump is any better than the rest of them. But, he is our duly elected President, and as such we should respect the office. Pray. Not only for Trump, but for us. These endtimes are very unstable and treacherous. I expect to see something happen to Trump in the days ahead. I don’t know if it will the virus, or an assassination, or some other equally fatal event. Keep your eyes on the Golden Boys.
Update 4/19/20
Boris Johnson update: Where’s Boris Johnson? When will the Prime Minister return to work?
PRIME MINISTER Boris Johnson was recently released from intensive care after being diagnosed with coronavirus. Where is Boris Johnson now? When will the Prime Minister go back to work?
Boris Johnson says NHS ‘saved my life’ after hospital discharge
The Prime Minister tested positive for coronavirus on March 26. He was said to be experiencing mild symptoms including a continuous cough and a high temperate, and so was advised by Chief Medical Officer Chris Whitty to get tested. Mr Johnson spent three nights in intensive care as his condition worsened, but has since been discharged from hospital.
Mr Johnson is currently recovering from his illness and not doing any official Government work.
Downing Street said the Prime Minister is residing at his countryside home, Chequers, and is not receiving his ministerial red box of papers.
While staying at Chequers, the Prime Minister was tested again for COVID-19 but returned a negative result.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been recovering from coronavirus (Image: Getty)
The Prime Minister is staying at his Chequers country home while he recovers (Image: Getty)
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab is currently filling in for the Prime Minister in his absence, and yesterday announced a three-week extension to the ongoing lockdown.
The Prime Minister’s official spokesperson, when pressed about his health, said: “He continues his recovery at Chequers and is not doing Government work.”
The spokesperson added: “The PM had a discussion with the first Secretary of State yesterday [Dominic Raab].
“He is not doing any red box work. He is focused on his recovery and not on doing Government work.”
Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab has been filling in for the Prime Minister (Image: Getty)
The Financial Times reports that ministers are excepting the return of Mr Johnson on May 7.
This, according to the publication, is to coincide with an announcement that lockdown restrictions may be eased ahead of the May Bank Holiday weekend and the 75th anniversary of VE Day.
Mr Johnson praised NHS staff when he was released from hospital, hailing our health service as the country’s “greatest national asset”, as he spoke from a video call.
The Prime Minister personally thanked health workers by name and admitted things could “have gone either way” during his stint in intensive care.
Mr Johnson is not doing any Government workwhile at Chequers (Image: Getty)
He wanted to thank two nurses in particular, Jenny and Luis, who he said stood by his bedside for 48 hours keeping a watchful eye on him.
He said: “For every second of the night they were watching and they were thinking and they were caring and making the interventions I needed.
“So that is how I also know that across this country, 24 hours a day, there are hundreds of thousands of NHS staff who are acting with the same care and thought and precision as Jenny and Luis.
“This is why we will defeat this coronavirus and defeat it together.”
Mr Johnson hailed the NHS as the country’s greatest asset (Image: Getty)
He posted a video message via Twitter on Easter Sunday, in which he confirmed that he had left the hospital “after a week in which the NHS saved my life, no question”.
Mr Johnson went on to thank everyone in the country for making sacrifices, staying indoors and following social distancing rules during the warm weather.
He added: “So many millions and millions of people across this country have been doing the right thing.
“I want you to know that this Easter Sunday I do believe that your efforts are worth it, and are daily proving their worth.
“The British public has formed a human shield around this country’s greatest national asset – our National Health Service.”
A week after the Prime Minister was first admitted to St Thomas’s Hospital, he was discharged on Sunday and permitted to travel to his countryside residence with fiance Carrie Symonds.
The Telegraph understands that Mr Johnson tested negative for the disease shortly before being leaving hospital, meaning that he is now likely to have developed immunity.
Mr Johnson, 55, was taken to hospital on April 6, after confirming he had the virus 10 days before, and spent three nights in intensive care before returning to a ward on Thursday.
Mr Johnson tested positive for Covid-19 on March 26. The Prime Minister had mild symptoms, including a continuous cough and high temperature, and so was advised by the Chief Medical Officer to get a test.
But Downing Street announced on April 6 he had been moved to intensive care after his condition worsened. He was given oxygen after suffering breathing difficulties but was not been placed on a ventilator.
He downplayed suggestions the Prime Minister will quickly return to work at Number 10, saying he “has to take time”.
A spokesperson for the PM also said: “The Prime Minister has been able to do short walks, between periods of rest, as part of the care he is receiving to aid his recovery.”
What happened before the PM went to hospital?
Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, Matt Hancock also confirmed he tested positive for Covid-19 following the Prime Minister’s announcement. Dominic Cummings, the Prime Minister’s Chief Adviser, was self-isolating after presenting symptoms, although has now returned to work.
Mr Johnson had been self-isolating in 11 Downing Street, which had been sealed off, effectively “making it a house”, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said.
The Prime Minister’s meals were left at doors between 10 and 11 Downing Street.
Mr Johnson had been continuing to lead the Government’s handling of the crisis by videophone because he had been feeling well enough to continue to work.
Mr Johnson, 55, announced the test results by posting a video on Twitter on March 27, where he said he had developed a temperature and a persistent cough.
He used the opportunity to thank the NHS and said that it was “very moving” to participate in the clap for NHS staff on March 26. He went on to thank the national services for their “great national effort” as well as thanking those who have signed up to volunteer.
He said: “Over the last 24 hours I have developed mild symptoms and tested positive for coronavirus.
“I am now self-isolating, but I will continue to lead the Government’s response via video conference as we fight this virus.
“Together we will beat this.”
A Downing Street spokesman said: “After experiencing mild symptoms, the Prime Minister was tested for coronavirus on the personal advice of England’s Chief Medical Officer, Professor Chris Whitty.
“The test was carried out in Number 10 by NHS staff and the result of the test was positive. In keeping with the guidance, the Prime Minister is self-isolating in Downing Street.”
Number 10 said that he was taken to hospital by private car for tests after he continued to report a high temperature. Aides insisted he remained in charge of the Government.
On April 6, however, Downing Street announced that the Prime Minister had been transferred to intensive care after his symptoms worsened. He was understood to have been moved to the ICU about 7pm as a precaution should he require ventilation to aid his recovery.
On April 11th the Prime Minister thanked NHS staff at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London for saving his life while he underwent treatment in intensive care.
Issuing a short statement as he continues his recovery, he said: “I can’t thank them enough. I owe them my life.”
After Mr Johnson was admitted to intensive care, it was confirmed that Mr Raab woud lead the UK’s response to the coronavirus crisis.
Show more
Mr Johnson’s official spokesman revealed that the Prime Minister has spoken to Raab, although it is unclear if he will have any role in the review of lockdown measures later this week.
Although Mr Johnson has now left hospital, Downing Street has confirmed that Mr Johnson will not return to work during the initial stages of his recovery, having been advised to rest by his medical team.
His progress will continue to be closely monitored by doctors from St Thomas’s, who will keep in touch with the Prime Minister over the phone on a daily basis.
Who did the Prime Minister come into close contact with?
UK Health Secretary Hancock confirmed he tested positive for Covid-19 following the Prime Minister’s announcement.
Mr Hancock said in a tweet: “Following medical advice, I was advised to test for coronavirus.
“I’ve tested positive. Thankfully my symptoms are mild and I’m working from home and self-isolating.”
He went on to add that it was “vital we follow the advice to protect our NHS and save lives”.
The Prime Minister has regular audiences with the Queen. Asked about the wellbeing of the Queen following the Prime Minister’s diagnosis, a spokesman for Buckingham Palace said: “Her Majesty the Queen remains in good health. The Queen last saw the Prime Minister on the 11th March and is following all the appropriate advice with regards to her welfare.”
The Queen, 93, and Duke of Edinburgh, 98, are practising “social distancing” in Windsor, in line with government advice for the over-70s.
She is relying on modern technology to stay in touch with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren during a period of social distancing.
The Queen and Mr Johnson had their weekly audience via telephone.
The Prime Minister spoke Queen Elizabeth II during their weekly audience via telephone call on Wednesday CREDIT: Shutterstock
Multiple Downing Street staff are also believed to be in self-isolation. The PM recently held a Cabinet meeting by video conference, and talked to other G20 leaders in a virtual meeting, pictured below.
Prime Minister Boris Johnson participating in a video conference call with other G20 leaders in the study of 10 Downing Street in central London on March 26 CREDIT: ANDREW PARSONS/AFP
Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor of the Exchequer, who was seen observing the two-metre distancing rule while clapping for the NHS alongside the Prime Minister, has not taken a test and is not displaying symptoms of coronavirus.
Mr Sunak is now working from his office in HM Treasury on Whitehall. It is understood that the Chancellor has not yet moved his family into the flat that he is entitled to above 10 Downing Street.
The Prime Minister’s pregnant partner Carrie Symonds has joined Mr Johnson at Chequers while he is in recovery, reuniting after a fortnight apart.
The 32-year-old, who is expecting the couple’s baby in early summer, falls into the group of vulnerable people urged to avoid contact with those with symptoms of Covid-19. She received a message of support from The Queen.
Number 10 have said that they would not be pursuing contact tracing. Instead, people who had symptoms would be required to self-isolate.
BORIS Johnson is stable and still in good spirits after spending the night in intensive care.
The Prime Minister has had more oxygen support but has NOT needed a ventilator or any more breathing help, N0.10 have confirmed.
Since Sunday evening, the Prime Minister has been in St Thomas’ Hospital, in London.
In a joint statement from Downing Street and St Thomas’ hospital, they said: “The PM has been stable overnight and remains in good spirits.
“He is receiving standard oxygen treatment and is breathing without any other assistance.
“He has not required mechanical ventilation or non-invasive respiratory support.”
Cabinet Secretary Michael Gove is now also self-isolating after a member of his family developed coronavirus symptoms on Sunday.
Gove is himself well and has no symptoms, but is staying at home and isolating.
Carrie Symonds can’t be by Boris Johnson’s side as he battles coronavirus.
Symonds, who is currently six months’ pregnant, is herself recovering after experiencing symptoms of Covid-19, and is now reported to have left Downing Street to isolate elsewhere.
She is yet to publicly comment on the PM’s condition.
Micahel Gove, who has known Mr Johnson since they met as students, said the Prime Minister being in intensive care is “terrible”.
He told Good Morning Britain: “We are just hoping and praying that he pulls through. It was a shock yesterday to hear the news about his going into intensive care.”
He added: “We’re desperately hoping that Boris can make the speediest possible recovery.”
Michael Gove has confirmed Boris Johnson has not been on a ventilator in intensive care.
“He is not on a ventilator. The Prime Minister has received some oxygen support,” Mr Gove told LBC.
“He is kept, of course, under close supervision. By being in intensive care if there is further support he needs it is there at hand. But the Prime Minister has not been on a ventilator.”
Dominic Raab has said the PM is “in good hands” after stepping up to deputise after Boris Johnson was taken into intensive care last night.
The foreign secretary’s additional title of First Secretary or State meant he was second-in-line to take over the prime minister’s responsibilities.
Speaking tonight, Mr Raab said: “The Prime Minister asked me to deputise for him, where necessary, in driving forward the Government’s plans to defeat coronavirus.
“As you’ll know he’s been receiving excellent care at St Thomas’s hospital.
“And we’d like to take this opportunity as a government to thank NHS staff up and down the country for all of their dedication, hard work and commitment in treating everyone who’s been affected by this awful virus.
“There’s an incredibly strong team spirit behind the Prime Minister, and making sure that we get all of the plans the Prime Minister’s instructed us to deliver to get them implemented as soon as possible.”
A friend of Boris Johnson has said the Prime Minister is in good shape as he fights off coronavirus in hospital.
Mr Johnson was rushed to intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital in Westminster last night, but has not been put on ventilation.
Will Walden, the PM’s former director of communications during his time as London mayor, said the he is a “really, really strong guy” and “far fitter than he looks”.
Mr Walden said this morning: “He will whip anybody’s backside on a tennis court, he runs regularly, he doesn’t smoke, he drinks moderately.
“So I think if anyone is in a good position both physically and mentally to fight off the disease then the Prime Minister is that person
Three unconfirmed reports have come into the Hal Turner Radio Show CLAIMING that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has died. This is UNCONFIRMED as of 11:13 PM eastern US time.
The reports all center around a claim that Mr. Johnson went into Respiratory failure and could not be revived.
The first reportcame in from family of a BBC staffer, who reported that BBC were calling employees into work to begin working on Johnson’s bio and state funeral planning.
The second reportcame from a source in law enforcement inside the UK, who claimed respiratory failure killed the Prime Minister, and that it was being kept secret until tomorrow.
The third report came in from a political staffer in the UK who claimed the British Government is considering a government evacuation out of London, fearing some type of civil uprising, and repeating the above claims about Boris Johnson being dead.
NONE of this has been verified via official sources. I am merely passing this info along as raw intel.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is in intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital, 10 Downing Street said. Johnson was admitted to the London hospital with persistent symptoms of coronavirus.
With the prime minister’s condition worsening Monday, Britain plunged into a harrowing new phase in its struggle against the coronavirus. Mr. Johnson is in a debilitating battle after contracting a virus he initially viewed with characteristic nonchalance. (Minimizing the virus just like Trump)
Prime Minister Boris Johnson of Britain leaving Downing Street in mid-March, prior to announcing his coronavirus diagnosis. Credit… Tolga Akmen/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, seen on March 22, tested positive for the coronavirus 10 days ago. He’s been admitted to a hospital for testing. (once you are in the hospital, you are under their control. They decide what information about you is released. No telling what they are capable of doing/saying.)
Updated at 5 a.m. ET Monday
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who was diagnosed with the coronavirus last month, has been admitted to the hospital for testing on the advice of his doctor, his office said Sunday.
“This is a precautionary step, as the Prime Minister continues to have persistent symptoms of coronavirus 10 days after testing positive for the virus,” a spokesperson said in a statement.
Johnson announced on March 27 that he had tested positive. He said at the time that he had “mild symptoms” of COVID-19, including a fever and “a persistent cough.”
Johnson, 55, has not appeared on TV since his diagnosis, only issuing short video messages from his cellphone.
No. 10 Downing Street says Johnson remains in charge of the government. Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, who would step in for Johnson if he were unable to fulfill his duties as prime minister, will chair Monday morning’s coronavirus meeting.
Johnson is “still very much in charge of the government,” Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick said in an interview aired Monday on the BBC.
“We hope that as a result of these tests [the prime minister] will be able to come back to Downing Street as soon as possible,” Jenrick told the broadcaster. “He’s been working extremely hard leading the government and being constantly updated. That’s going to continue.”
The housing secretary added that the hospital stay was probably “very frustrating” for Johnson, “who wants to be hands [on] running the government from the front.”
The U.K.’s health secretary, Matt Hancock, said Sunday that 195,524 people in the U.K. have been tested, with 47,806 testing positive. More than 16,000 have been admitted to hospitals with coronavirus symptoms. Of those who have contracted the virus, at least 4,934 have died.
Johnson has ordered Britons to stay at home to help slow the virus’ spread. He faced criticism for waiting until March 23 to make the announcement — after thousands had failed to heed warnings to practice social distancing.
NPR’s Frank Langfitt and Scott Neuman contributed to this report.
UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson confirms coronavirus diagnosis on Twitter 01:27
Rosa Prince
Rosa Prince is an author and journalist who writes about US and UK politics. She is the author of “Theresa May: The Enigmatic Prime Minister.” The opinions in this article belong to the author. Read more opinion on CNN.
(CNN)British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has spent a lifetime convinced he is immune from the rules lesser mortals must abide by. (sounds just like TRUMP, right?)The trouble is, no one told Covid-19.
For much of Johnson’s 55 years, his belief that he was inoculated from disaster appeared to be borne out. His most shameless transgressions were greeted with tolerance; his follies, fatal in another politician, dismissed as “Boris being Boris.” (yep, same character as TRUMP) Until suddenly last summer the rule-breaker became the rule-maker and Johnson entered Downing Street as Prime Minister.
Some predicted the coronavirus would prove the making of the man, elevating him from a figure akin to Shakespeare’s Prince Hal at the start of Henry IV, carousingwith Falstaff and playing the fool, to the warrior king, the future Henry V.
But while he did his best to assume the gravitas of a wartime leader, using his impressive rhetorical skills in a series of press conferences and addresses to the nation, behind the scenes Johnson could not quite believe the restrictions he was imposing also applied to him. He issued orders to stay home, and yet continued to hold meetings in person, shake hands, and ignore the advice he was giving.
And now the British leader has himself fallen ill with coronavirus, the first world leader to do so. He may have avoided this diagnosis if he had played by the rules — something he is not fond of doing.
Holed up in isolation, his meals left outside the door of his flat above 11 Downing Street, Johnson, who is so far said to be displaying only mild symptoms, continues to conduct meetings via a Zoom video conferencing line, despite concerns at Britain’s Ministry of Defence about the security of the app.
His pregnant fiancée, Carrie Symonds, is thought to have moved out. It is not known whether she came into contact with Johnson during the approximately 36 hours between his first symptoms developing on Wednesday and his diagnosis at midnight on Thursday — a period when he should have, but did not, self-isolate.
Within hours of the Prime Minister’s stunning announcement via a video posted to Twitter that he had the disease, the two men who along with Johnson have provided the public face of the British Government’s response to the pandemic, Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Chris Whitty, the chief medical officer, announced they too were in isolation (the former has been diagnosed with Covid-19 while the latter has symptoms). On Monday, Johnson’s top adviser, Dominic Cummings, announced he would self-isolate after experiencing symptoms. (just like those around Trump)
The trio had taken part in numerous meetings and briefings together in recent weeks; when one fell ill it was perhaps inevitable that they all would.
There is currently a guessing game in Westminster, as amateur epidemiologists seek the Patient Zero responsible for infecting the Prime Minister. The exercise seems pointless now. Anyone who listened to Johnson’s stern admonitions to the public to work from home could have told him that from the moment he heard the terrible news coming out of Wuhan, he should have boarded himself up in a Downing Street broom cupboard.
Instead, on March 3, from the lectern at 10 Downing Street, he boasted of visiting a hospital where coronavirus patients were being treated: “I shook hands with everybody, you’ll be pleased to know, and I continue to shake hands with everybody.”
Daily press conferences and Cabinet meetings continued long after it became clear the virus was circulating in Westminster. As late as the day before his diagnosis, he took part in Prime Minister’s Question Time. Given the known incubation period of the disease, Johnson may potentially have exposed dozens of lawmakers to the virus.
Through it all, right up until he himself fell sick, Johnson continued to play the jester. In a call with business leaders in which he urged them to build ventilators, he is said to have joked the project be codenamed “Operation Last Gasp”.
Protective of his own power, Johnson hadn’t felt the need to appoint a deputy prime minister before the virus struck, a role in the UK that is not constitutionally mandated. When it became clear he would have to name a stand-in, Johnson dallied before leaking to newspapers that Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab would be the UK’s “Designated Survivor.”
Prime Minister says ‘no intention’ of extending transition
U.K.-EU talks on future relationship delayed due to virus
U.K.’s Johnson Says ‘We’ll Do Whatever it Takes’ to Defeat Coronavirus
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U.K. Prime Minister Boris Johnson dismissed calls to postpone Britain’s final break with the European Union at the end of this year, even as the coronavirus puts politics as normal on hold.
“There’s legislation in place that I have no intention of changing,” Johnson said at a press conference on Wednesday, referring to a law he enacted prohibiting any delay. “It’s not a subject that’s being regularly discussed in Downing Street.”
The coronavirus crisis has forced trade talks with the EU to be delayed and is monopolizing government time and resources — putting Johnson under growing pressure to seek an extension to the transition period that Britain entered after leaving the bloc on Jan. 31. If the two sides can’t reach a trade deal by the end of this year, the U.K. would effectively crash out of the bloc.
For the prime minister — who last year promised never to delay Brexit only to do just that — any further delay would be a major political setback. Britain remains bound by the EU’s rules even if it has no say over them during the transition period, and, if it seeks an extension, the country faces having to pay the EU money.
The government has said it is determined to continue talks with the EU, and the two sides are discussing ways to replace planned face-to-face meetings with video conferences. One option could be to move from set-piece, intensive rounds of negotiations lasting several days at a time, to a pattern of continuing, rolling dicussions, one official said.
And the joke goes on Uk…carry on like this….#coronavirusBoris Johnson will not be tested for coronavirus despite attending event with infected minister. (Trump did the same thing)
Boris Johnson is not being tested for coronavirus, despite having attended an event with health minister Nadine Dorries who has the contagious disease, a Downing Street source has said. Health chiefs
Debbie Zurick, who was in her 50s, was shot to death over the weekend at her home in Winsford, southwest England. Police have launched a murder inquiry.
London (CNN)Boris Johnson‘s family are “stunned and saddened” after a neighbor of the British Prime Minister’s fatherwas found shot to death near his country home in southwest England.
Debbie Zurick, who was in her 50s, was killed over the weekend at her home in Winsford, which is next to Stanley Johnson’s home. Police have launched a murder inquiry.
Zurick was an avid dog trainer and was also known to Princess Anne, the daughter of the British Queen, who expressed
her own sadness at the news.
Stanley Johnson, the father of UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson, was a neighbor of Debbie Zurick.
A 67-year-old man was found in a nearby outbuilding with serious injuries caused by a shotgun following the incident. He has been taken to hospital under police custody and is in critical but stable condition, police said.
Stanley Johnson told the PA Media news agency: “Both I and my whole family are shocked, stunned and saddened by this tragic incident.”
“We very much regret the passing of Mrs Zurick. She was a neighbour and she was much loved. She was honorary secretary of the Working Clumber Spaniel Society and was much loved for the work she did, in the society and in Exmoor and beyond.”
A Buckingham Palace spokesperson added: “The Princess Royal is saddened to hear of the death of Mrs Debbie Zurick. She will be sorely missed as secretary of the Working Clumber Spaniel Society, of which Her Royal Highness is Patron.”
The Zuricks were avid dog lovers and posted many pictures of their dogs on their Facebook pages.
An image posted by Debbie’s husband John in March 2016 shows the now-Prime Minister Boris Johnson with a dog apparently sharing his name, alongside the caption “Boris meets Boris.”
Photo Credit: John Zurick: Boris meets Boris
Police said the cause of the woman’s injuries were shotgun wounds.
“This is a very serious incident in which a woman has lost her life and we are deploying family liaison officers to support the next of kin,” Detective Superintendent Julie Mackay said in a statement.
“The scene remains cordoned off so further forensic enquiries and searches can take place over the next few days. We’re grateful to the local community for their support and understanding, and I’d urge anyone with concerns or questions to speak to a member of the local neighbourhood team who’ll be carrying out extra patrols over the coming days,” she added.
Mackay said that Avon and Somerset Police has been referred to the police watchdog, the Independent Office for Police Conduct, due to “prior police contact with those involved.“
“It would be inappropriate for us to go into further details while the referral is being considered,” Mackay added.
Following Mrs Zurick’s death, both the Prime Minister’s father and the Princess Royal, whose dog Sparkle, she had trained, paid tribute.
In a statement, Buckingham Palace said on Tuesday: “The Princess Royal is saddened to hear of the death of Mrs Debbie Zurick. She will be sorely missed as secretary of the Working Clumber Spaniel Society, of which Her Royal Highness is Patron.”
Mr Johnson told the Telegraph: “Both I and my whole family are shocked, stunned and saddened by this tragic incident.
“I personally pay tribute to the inspirational qualities of Debbie Zurick and I recognise for example the wonderful work she did as secretary of the Working Clumber Spaniel Society.
“She will be sorely missed on Exmoor and in the much wider world of dog lovers and dogbreeders.”spacer
Boris Johnson has said he would “rather be dead in a ditch” than ask the EU for an extension to Brexit negotiations, but declined to say whether he would resign rather than do so.
The comments came on another disastrous day for the prime minister, as his own brother Jo walked out of his government in protest at his leadership.
In a move which one former Tory minister described as “absolutely devastating” for the PM’s credibility, higher education minister Jo Johnson – who has previously advocated a Final Say referendum on EU membership – said he had found it impossible to reconcile his loyalty to his brother with the national interest
Thousands protest after Boris Johnson requests to suspend parliament
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Speaking during a visit to Wakefield, West Yorkshire, Boris Johnson paid tribute to his younger brother’s service in government, but made clear he was sticking to his pledge to take Britain out of the EU on 31 October come what may.
Asked if he could promise not not to ask for an extension to Brexit negotiations, as a bill going through parliament requires him to, the prime minister replied: “Yes, I can. I would rather be dead in a ditch.”
But challenged on whether he would therefore resign if the bill becomes law, as it is expected to on Monday, he simply restated his objection to an extension.
“It costs £1 billion a month, it achieves nothing,” he said. “What on Earth is the point of further delay? I think it’s totally, totally pointless.”
He repeated his call for Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to tell his MPs to vote for a snap election on 15 October, to allow time for the victor to go to Brussels for an EU summit two days later with a mandate from voters to negotiate either a deal or an extension to talks.
The prime minister’s comments came in a sometimes shambolic speech at a police training academy, where he struggled to remember the formal words of an arrest caution and was forced to cut his remarks short when a female officer had to sit down after waiting in the warm sun for his delayed arrival.
There was anger at his use of a line-up of rows of uniformed cadets as a backdrop for highly partisan remarks, with Wakefield MP Mary Creagh saying she was “very unhappy” about cadets being used as “wallpaper for Johnson’s party political stunt”.
Hero policeman Charlie Guenigault, who was injured in the London Bridge terror attack, said that the event sent “the wrong message” by giving the impression that officers were displaying their political allegiance.
Jo Johnson’s resignation comes just six weeks since he faced fierce criticism for returning to the government despite having resigned last year to campaign for a second EU referendum.
In a tweet announcing his decision to leave the government and stand down as MP for Orpington, he said it was impossible to reconcile “family loyalty and the national interest”, adding: “It’s an unresolvable tension and time for others to take on my roles as MP and minister #overandout “
The prime minister paid tribute to his brother as “a fantastic guy and a brilliant minister” who had supported his domestic agenda, but added: “Jo doesn’t agree with me about the EU. It’s an issue which obviously divides families and divides everybody.
“But what I think Jo would agree is that we need to get on and sort this thing out.”
It is understood that Jo Johnson informed the prime minister of his plan to resign in a phone call on Wednesday evening.
One Westminster observer immediately summed up his decision to walk out as sending the message: “I’m resigning to spend less time with my family.”
Others pointed back to an interview Boris Johnson gave, a few years ago, in which he insisted he and his brother would never suffer a family schism like David and Ed Miliband.
“We don’t do things that way, that’s a very left-wing thing,” the elder Johnson said.
“Only a socialist could do that to his brother, only a socialist could regard familial ties as being so trivial as to shaft his own brother.”
It appeared the final straw for Jo Johnson was his brother’s decision to “purge” 21 moderate Conservatives from the party for their rebellion to block a no-deal Brexit.
Among the exiled MPs were colleagues, such as Justine Greening, with whom he had – before the summer – been working to try to avert a crash-out from the EU.
One of the 21, former defence minister Guto Bebb, told The Independent that the resignation was “absolutely devastating to the credibility of Boris Johnson”.
“In effect, Jo is saying he has wrestled with the choice between loyalty to his brother or loyalty to the national interest and has concluded that loyalty to the national interest has to come first,” said Mr Bebb.
“This is Jo Johnson – who is a decent, honourable person – saying quite categorically that his brother is not acting in the national interest.”
Mr Bebb said he expected opposition parties to exploit the schism between the brothers in the same way that Conservatives did the rivalry between the Milibands, in a way which would be “very damaging” to the Tory cause in the expected election.
But another former minister told The Independent: “It’s not the same. Ed Miliband was challenging his brother. Jo is vacating the scene. His decision to leave parliament makes clear he is not doing this to damage his brother.”
And former justice secretary David Gauke, who had the whip removed after rebelling on Tuesday, said: “Lots of MPs have had to wrestle with conflicting loyalties in recent weeks. None more so than Jo. This is a big loss to parliament, the government and the Conservative party.”
Shadow education secretary Angela Rayner said: “Boris Johnson poses such a threat that even his own brother doesn’t trust him.”
The resignation capped a horror 24 hours for the new prime minister, who has yet to win a Commons vote – while suffering multiple defats at the hands of MPs.
The Commons refused to grant Mr Johnson a snap general election, less than two hours after passing a bill designed to block a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.
An election could yet be granted for his chosen date of 15 October if the bill becomes law by Tuesday, but Mr Corbyn is facing a growing Labour revolt to delay it further.
When he first resigned, in November 2018, Jo Johnson branded Theresa May’s negotiations as a “failure of British statecraft on a scale unseen since the Suez crisis”.
Warning Britain stood “on the brink of the greatest crisis since the Second World War”, the younger Johnson added: “The democratic thing to do is to give the public the Final Say.”
World
World
Following Mrs Zurick’s death, both the Prime Minister’s father and the Princess Royal, whose dog Sparkle, she had trained, paid tribute.
