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Nigel Farage's bank account with Coutts was closed earlier this year. Here is the bank's dossier, obtained by Farage using a subject access request, that reveals why: Item 1: Personal data extracted from minutes from Wealth Reputational Risk Committee on 17th November 2022 Content • Seeking approval to continue the relationship with Nigel Farage (NF) subject to annual reviews. • Referred to NF’s controversial profile in public life and politics, reflected in the adverse press outlined in the paper presented. • Despite the adverse press, from a legal perspective NF has not been formally charged of any wrongdoing, and is not subject to any regulatory censure.  • NF is already a Coutts customer which he had made public knowledge.

The leader of the Wagner mercenary group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, has released an 11-minute audio message after leading a march on Moscow. Here is an edited transcript of what he said: The Wagner Private Military Company (PMC) is probably the most experienced and combat-ready unit in Russia, and possibly in the world. (It is made up of) Motivated fighters, who have performed a huge number of missions in the interests of Russia – in Africa, in Arab countries and around the world. Most recently, this unit has achieved good results in Ukraine. (Yet) As a result of…ill-conceived decisions, this unit was due to cease to exist on 1 July 2023.  A council of commanders met and passed this information (that they would be amalgamated into the Russian army) on to the fighters themselves...

Yevgeny Prigozhin, the leader of the Wagner mercenary group, has left Rostov-on-Don and ended the armed insurrection against Vladimir Putin. After one of the most extraordinary days in Russian history, he said he marched within 125 miles of Moscow but said he decided to go no further to avoid bloodshed. Putin, who had ordered his army to crush Prigozhin and imprison his men, has agreed to drop all charges. After a Belarus-brokered peace deal, Prigozhin will self-exile in Minsk, according to the Kremlin. Footage emerged showing him being bid farewell by cheering crowds in Rostov and winding down his window to greet them. A few hours earlier, he released the following statement on Telegram: We marched out on 23 June on the Justice March.

Today, MPs will get the chance to debate and vote on the Privileges Committee report on Boris Johnson. This will not be whipped by the government, allowing Tory MPs to vote how they wish. So far more than a dozen of Johnson's supporters in parliament have expressed public criticism of the report but some stop short of saying that they will vote against the recommendations. Below is The Spectator's list of MPs who are not abstaining on Monday: Voting against the report (5): Sir Simon Clarke: 'I am amazed at the harshness of today’s report by the Privileges Committee.' Brendan Clarke-Smith: 'I’m backing fairness and justice - not kangaroo courts.' Nadine Dorries: 'Any Conservative MP who would vote for this report is fundamentally not a Conservative.

This morning the Privileges Committee published their findings of their investigation into Boris Johnson's conduct in the wake of the partygate scandal. They found that Johnson had misled the House of Commons and said that, had he not resigned as an MP, they would have recommended a 90-day suspension for him. As part of their report, the Committee published Johnson's response to their findings along with their own comments. Here is Johnson's response in full: Purported response of Mr Johnson to the Committee’s warning letter, received by the Committee on 12 June 2023, with Committee comments. The Committee has provided me with a 36 page document entitled 'Extract of Provisional Conclusions' (‘the document’).

Boris Johnson has announced that he is resigning from Parliament ‘at least for now’, after the Privileges Committee recommended his suspension as an MP for ten days. The Committee had been investigating whether the former PM misled the Commons about parties in Downing Street. Now that he has stepped down, Boris will trigger a by-election in his Uxbridge constituency. Here’s how MPs have reacted so far: Priti Patel, former Home Secretary: ‘Boris Johnson has served our country and his constituency with distinction. He led world in supporting Ukraine, got Brexit done, and was our most electorally successful Prime Minister since Margaret Thatcher. Boris is a political titan whose legacy will stand the test of time.

Prince Harry has finished his second day of giving evidence in the High Court. The Duke of Sussex is taking legal action against Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN) alleging that tabloid reporters broke the law to get stories about him. He was cross-examined by the Mirror Group's barrister Andrew Green and then was asked questions by his own lawyer, David Sherborne. Here's what unfolded today: • Prince Harry says the media exposure for this court case has been 'a lot' • The Duke of Sussex found a tracking device under then-girlfriend Chelsy Davy's car • Harry calls several articles 'suspicious' because they have been attributed to 'pals' or 'Palace sources' • The Duke said the alleged phone hacking 'could have been happening on a daily basis' 2.

Prince Harry is in the High Court today, being cross-examined as he sues the publisher of the Daily Mirror over alleged phone hacking (you can follow proceedings throughout this afternoon here). Here is his witness statement: I, PRINCE HARRY, DUKE OF SUSSEX, of [address available to the trial judge] WILL STATE AS FOLLOWS: I make this statement in support of my claim for damages and other remedies against MGN Limited, the publishers of the Daily Mirror, the People and the Sunday Mirror newspapers. The facts and matters set out in this witness statement derive from my own knowledge and are true except where I indicate that the information derives from a third party, in which case it is true to the best of my knowledge and belief.

Boris Johnson has faced a three-hour grilling in front of the Privileges Committee, where he was quizzed about parties in Downing Street during the pandemic. The former PM is accused of lying to parliament when he told MPs that ‘the guidance was followed and the rules were followed at all times’. The cross-party committee, led by Labour's Harriet Harman, is looking at whether he inadvertently, recklessly or intentionally misled the House with this statement. Johnson yesterday admitted to misleading the Commons, but said it was not intentional and he made his remarks in good faith. Here’s how the session played out: Boris’s trial ends And that's a wrap, with the Privileges Committee finishing their questioning of the former PM.

Jeremy Hunt is today unveiling his first Budget. He has told the Commons that his Budget will help deliver on Rishi Sunak's five priorities that the Prime Minister set out in January: namely halving inflation, reducing the national debt and increasing growth. Hunt has reprised much of his Bloomberg speech from January with championing the 'four Es' of 'enterprise, education, employment, everywhere.' The Office of Budget Responsibility predicts the UK to avoid a recession this year, with a contraction of 0.2 per cent. Inflation is expected to fall to 2.9 per cent from 10.7 at the end of 2022. The OBR forecasts growth of 1.8 per cent for next year and then 2.5 per cent the following year. However real living standards are still expected to fall by a cumulative 5.

Below is an edited transcript of Nicola Sturgeon’s resignation speech, made this morning at Bute House. Coffee House readers may be interested to note that the words 'I', 'me' and 'my' are used 153 times in the speech. ‘Scotland’ is only mentioned 11 times. Good morning, everyone. Thank you for coming along. I'm sorry to break into your half-term break. The First Minister of Scotland is, in my admittedly biased opinion, the very best job in the world. It is a privilege beyond measure, one that has sustained and inspired me in good times and through the toughest hours of my toughest days. I am proud to stand here as the first female and longest serving incumbent of this office, and I'm very proud of what has been achieved in the years I've been in Bute House.

Liz Truss has broken her three-month long silence since leaving No. 10 at the end of October. In a 4,000 word article for the Sunday Telegraph, she reflects for the first time on the mini-Budget, the challenges she faced within government and the mistakes she made in her 49-day premiership which made her the shortest-serving Prime Minister in British political history. Today, she has given her first interview to reflect on her time in No. 10. Truss speaks to Katy Balls and Fraser Nelson exclusively on Spectator TV to talk about where she went wrong, what she thinks she got right and her plans for post-premiership life. You can watch the interview on The Spectator's channel here. https://www.youtube.com/watch?

More than half of Tory MPs now back Rishi Sunak in the race to become prime minister. Penny Mordaunt remains in the contest, but she has until 2 p.m. to persuade 100 Tory MPs to support her leadership bid. Here is who is backing whom: Rishi Sunak (197) 1. Crispin Blunt 2. Julie Marson 3. Richard Holden 4. Angela Richardson 5. Steve Double 6. Kevin Hollinrake 7. Jo Gideon 8. Paul Maynard 9. John Glen 10. Andrew Bowie 11. Anthony Mangnall 12. Simon Hart 13. Craig Williams 14. John Stevenson 15. Gary Streeter 16. Andrew Murrison 17. Dominic Raab 18. Simon Jupp 19. Bim Afolami 20. Nick Gibb 21. James Cartlidge 22. Fay Jones 23. Alan Mak 24. Laura Trott 25. Maggie Throup 26. Simon Hoare 27. Edward Timpson 28. Laura Farris 29. Huw Merriman 30.

With nominations to be the Tory leader closing tomorrow afternoon, there are still just over 100 MPs to publicly say who they want to take over from Liz Truss.

Following the disaster of last month's mini-Budget, Liz Truss’s premiership is now hanging by a thread. The sacking of Kwasi Kwarteng and his replacement by Jeremy Hunt appears to have not placated many of Truss’s critics on the Tory benches. Veteran backbencher Crispin Blunt became the first elected member of her party to call for her to quit on Sunday with others now breaking cover to voice their concerns too. Keep track of all the MPs calling on Truss to go here on Coffee House. Crispin Blunt – ‘The game is up.’Andrew Bridgen – ‘Liz has sunk her own leadership and her predecessor’s potential comeback at the same time, all in record time.