boris johnson last speech

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Boris Johnson's final speech as Prime Minister: 6 September 2022

Boris Johnson gave his final speech as Prime Minister on the steps of Downing Street.

Boris Johnson’s final speech as Prime Minister

Well this is it folks

thanks to all of you for coming out so early this morning

In only a couple of hours from now I will be in Balmoral to see Her Majesty The Queen

and the torch will finally be passed to a new Conservative leader

the baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race

they changed the rules half-way through but never mind that now

and through that lacquered black door a new Prime Minister will shortly go to meet a fantastic group of public servants

the people who got Brexit done

the people who delivered the fastest vaccine roll out in Europe

and never forget - 70 per cent of the entire population got a dose within 6 months, faster than any comparable country

that is government for you – that’s this conservative government

the people who organised those prompt early supplies of weapons to the heroic Ukrainian armed forces,

an action that may very well have helped change the course of the biggest European war for 80 years

And because of the speed and urgency of what you did – everybody involved in this government

to get this economy moving again from July last year in spite of all opposition, all the naysayers

we have and will continue to have that economic strength

to give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis that has been caused by Putin’s vicious war

And  I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis

And this country will endure it and we will win

and if Putin thinks that he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people then he is utterly deluded

and the reason we will have those funds now and in the future is because we Conservatives understand the vital symmetry between government action

and free market capitalist private sector enterprise

we are delivering on those huge manifesto commitments

making streets safer – neighbourhood crime down 38 per cent in the last three years

13,790 more police on the streets

building more hospitals – and yes we will have 50,000 more nurses by the end of this parliament and 40 more hospitals by the end of the decade

putting record funding into our schools and into teachers’ pay

giving everyone over 18 a lifetime skills guarantee so they can keep upskilling throughout their lives

3 new high speed rail lines including northern powerhouse rail

colossal road programmes from the Pennines to Cornwall,

the roll-out of gigabit broadband up over the last three years, since you were kind enough to elect me, up from 7 per cent of our country’s premises having gigabit broadband to 70 per cent today.

And we are of course providing the short and the long term solutions for our energy needs

and not just using more of our own domestic hydrocarbons but going up by 2030 to 50 GW of wind power, that is half this country’s energy electricity needs from offshore wind

alone, a new nuclear reactor every year

and looking at what is happening in this country, the changes that are taking place,

that is why the private sector is investing more venture capital investment than China itself

more billion pound tech companies sprouting here than in France, Germany and Israel combined

and as a result unemployment as I leave office, down to lows not seen since I was about ten years old and bouncing around on a space hopper

and on the subject of bouncing around and future careers

let me say that I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function

and I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the pacific

And like Cincinnatus I am returning to my plough

and I will be offering this government nothing but the most fervent support

this is a tough time for the economy

this is a tough time for families up and down the country

we can and we will get through it and we will come out stronger the other side but I say to my fellow Conservatives it is time for the politics to be over folks

and it’s time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her programme

and deliver for the people of this country

because that is what the people of this country want, that’s what they need and that’s what they deserve

I am proud to have discharged the promises I made my party when you were kind enough to choose me,

winning the biggest majority since 1987 and the biggest share of the vote since 1979.

delivering Brexit

delivering our manifesto commitments – including social care

helping people up and down the country

ensuring that Britain is once again standing tall in the world

speaking with clarity and authority

from Ukraine to the AUKUS pact with America and Australia

because we are one whole and entire United Kingdom whose diplomats, security services and armed forces are so globally admired

and as I leave I believe our union is so strong that those who want to break it up, will keep trying but they will never ever succeed

thank you to everyone behind me in this building for looking after me and my family over the last three years so well including Dilyn, the dog

and if Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative party

and above all thanks to you, the British people, to the voters for giving me the chance to serve

all of you who worked so tirelessly together to beat covid to put us where we are today

Together we have laid foundations that will stand the test of time

whether by taking back control of our laws or putting in vital new infrastructure

great solid masonry on which we will continue to build together

paving the path of prosperity now & for future generations

and I will be supporting Liz Truss and our new government every step of the way.

Thank you all very much.

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Boris Johnson: Read his final speech in full

‘the baton will handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race’, article bookmarked.

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Boris Johnson has given his final speech as prime minister as his successor Liz Truss prepares to take office.

The outgoing PM emerged from the door of No 10 for one last time on Tuesday with his wife, Carrie. He will now offer his full resignation to the Queen in Balmoral.

Kicking off his speech, Mr Johnson said “this is it folks” and accused the Tories of “changing the rules halfway through”.

“The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race. They changed the rules halfway through, but never mind that now,” he said.

• Boris Johnson speech factchecked: How do the former PM’s claims about his legacy stack up?

It comes after a long-running Tory leadership contest that saw Ms Truss and former chancellor Rishi Sunak battle it out for the top job.

Take a look at Mr Johnson’s speech in full below:

“This is it, folks.

“Thank you everybody for coming out so early this morning. In only a couple of hours I will be in Balmoral to see Her Majesty the Queen and the torch will finally be passed to a new Conservative leader.

“The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race. They changed the rules halfway through, but never mind that now.”

“And through that lacquered black door a new prime minister will go to meet a fantastic group of civil servants – the people who got Brexit done, the people who delivered the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe and never forget 70% of the entire population got a dose within six months, faster than any comparable country. That is Government for you. That’s this Conservative Government.

• Boris Johnson says Tories ‘changed the rules’ as he complains about his removal in final speech as PM
• Boris Johnson: Twenty one of the outgoing PM’s biggest gaffes from letterbox burqas to hiding in fridge
• We should wish PM Truss the best of luck – she will need it

“People who organised those prompt, early supplies of weapons to the heroic Ukrainian armed forces, an action that may very well have helped change the course of the biggest European war for 80 years.

“And because of the speed and urgency of what you did, everybody involved in this government, to get this economy moving again from July last year despite all the opposition, all the naysayers. We have and will continue to have that economic strength to give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis that has been caused by Putin’s vicious war.

“And I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative Government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis. And this country will endure it and we will win.

“And if Putin thinks he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people then he is utterly deluded.

“And the reason we have those funds now and in the future is because we Conservatives understand the vital symmetry between Government action and free market capitalist private sector enterprise.

“We’re delivering on those huge manifesto commitments, making streets safer. Neighbourhood crime down 38% in the last three years, 13,790 more police on the streets, building more hospitals and yes, we will have 50,000 more nurses by the end of the decade and 40 more hospitals by the end – 50,000 nurses by the end of the the Parliament I should say – 40 new hospitals by the end of the decade, putting record funding into our schools and into teachers’ pay. Giving everybody over 18 a lifetime skills guarantee so they can keep upskilling throughout their lives.

“Three new high speed rail lines, three, including Northern Powerhouse Rail, colossal road programmes from the Pennines to Cornwall. The rollout of gigabit broadband up over the last three years, I am proud to say since you were kind enough to elect me, from 7% of our country’s premises having gigabit broadband to 70% today, and we of course providing the short and long-term solutions for our energy needs.

“And not just using more of our own domestic hydrocarbons, but going up by 2030 to 50 gigawatts of wind power – that is half of this country’s energy needs from offshore wind alone – a new nuclear reactor every year.

“And looking at what is happening in the country, the changes that are taking place, that is why private sector investment is flooding in. More private sector, more venture capital investment than China itself.

“More billion pound tech companies sprouting here in the UK, than in France, Germany and Israel combined. And as a result, unemployment, as I leave office, unemployment down to lows not seen since I was about 10 years old and bouncing around on a space hopper, my friends.

“On the subject of bouncing around and future careers, let me say that I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function, and I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific.

“Like Cincinnatus, I am returning to my plough. And I will be offering this Government nothing but the most fervent support. I’ll tell you why. This is a tough time for the economy. This is a tough time for families up and down the country. We can and we will get through it and we will come out stronger the other side.

“But I say to my fellow Conservatives, it’s time for politics to be over, folks. It’s time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her team and her programme and deliver for the people of this country.

“Because that is what the people of this country want, that’s what they need and that’s what they deserve. I’m proud to have discharged the promises I made to my party when you were kind enough to choose me. Winning the biggest majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979. Delivering Brexit, delivering our manifesto commitments, including, by the way, social care, reforming social care, helping people up and down the country, ensuring that Britain is once again standing tall in the world.

“Speaking with clarity and authority from Ukraine to the Aukus pact with America and Australia. We are one whole and entire United Kingdom, whose diplomats, security services and armed forces are so globally admired.

“And, by the way, as I leave I believe our union is so strong that those who want to break it up, they’ll keep trying, but they will never, ever succeed.

“Thank you to everybody behind me in this building. Thank you to all of you in government. Thank you everybody who’s helped look after me and my family over the last three years, including Dilyn the dog. And I just say to my party if Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties then so can the Conservative party.

“Above all thanks to you, the British people, to the voters for giving me the chance to serve.

• EXPLAINER: Why Truss is off to Scotland to become UK leader
• Nadine Dorries to return to backbenches as Liz Truss takes the helm at No 10

“All of you who worked so tirelessly together to beat Covid, to put us where we are today. Together, we have laid foundations that will stand the test of time, whether by taking back control of our laws, of putting in vital new infrastructure. Great, solid masonry on which we will continue to build together. Paving, paving the path of prosperity now and for future generations. And I will be supporting Liz Truss and the new government every step of the way.

“Thank you all very much. Thank you and goodbye. Thank you.”

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Text of Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation speech

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks to media next to 10 Downing Street in London, Thursday, July 7, 2022. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has agreed to resign, his office said Thursday, ending an unprecedented political crisis over his future that has paralyzed Britain’s government. An official in Johnson’s Downing Street office confirmed the prime minister would announce his resignation later. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because the announcement had not yet been made. (AP Photo/Alberto Pezzali)

• Copy Link copied

LONDON (AP) — Here is the full text of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s resignation speech, delivered Thursday outside 10 Downing St:

“It is clearly now the will of the parliamentary Conservative Party that there should be a new leader of that party and therefore a new prime minister.

“And I’ve agreed with Sir Graham Brady, the chairman of our backbench MPs, that the process of choosing that new leader should begin now and the timetable will be announced next week.

“And I’ve today appointed a Cabinet to serve, as I will, until a new leader is in place.

“So I want to say to the millions of people who voted for us in 2019, many of them voting Conservative for the first time: Thank you for that incredible mandate, the biggest Conservative majority since 1987, the biggest share of the vote since 1979.

“And the reason I have fought so hard in the last few days to continue to deliver that mandate in person was not just because I wanted to do so, but because I felt it was my job, my duty, my obligation to you to continue to do what we promised in 2019.

“And of course, I’m immensely proud of the achievements of this government, from getting Brexit done to settling our relations with the continent for over half a century, reclaiming the power for this country to make its own laws in Parliament, getting us all through the pandemic, delivering the fastest vaccine rollout in Europe, the fastest exit from lockdown, and in the last few months, leading the West in standing up to Putin’s aggression in Ukraine.

“And let me say now, to the people of Ukraine, that I know that we in the U.K. will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes.

“And at the same time in this country, we’ve been pushing forward a vast program of investment in infrastructure and skills and technology — the biggest in a century. Because if I have one insight into human beings, it is that genius and talent and enthusiasm and imagination are evenly distributed throughout the population.

“But opportunity is not, and that’s why we must keep levelling up, keep unleashing the potential ever every part of the United Kingdom. And if we can do that, in this country, we will be the most prosperous in Europe.

“And in the last few days, I tried to persuade my colleagues that it would be eccentric to change governments when we’re delivering so much and when we have such a vast mandate and when we’re actually only a handful of points behind in the polls, even in mid-term after quite a few months of pretty relentless sledging and when the economic scene is so difficult domestically and internationally.

“And I regret not to have been successful in those arguments and of course it’s painful not to be able to see through so many ideas and projects myself.

“But as we’ve seen at Westminster, the herd instinct is powerful and when the herd moves, it moves.

“And my friends in politics, no-one is remotely indispensable and our brilliant and Darwinian system will produce another leader, equally committed to taking this country forward through tough times.

“Not just helping families to get through it, but changing and improving the way we do things, cutting burdens on businesses and families and yes, cutting taxes, because that is the way to generate the growth and the income we need to pay for great public services.

“And to that new leader, I say whoever he or she may be, I say I will give you as much support as I can. And to you, the British public.

“I know that there will be many people who are relieved and perhaps quite a few who will also be disappointed. And I want you to know how sad I am to be giving up the best job in the world.

“But them’s the breaks.

“I want to thank Carrie and our children, and all the members of my family who have had to put up with so much for so long.

“I want to thank the peerless British civil service for all the help and support that you have given our police, our emergency services and, of course, our fantastic NHS, who at critical moment, helped to extend my own period in office, as well as our armed services and our agencies that are so admired around the world.

“And our indefatigable Conservative Party members and supporters whose selfless campaigning makes our democracy possible. I want to thank the wonderful staff here at Chequers – here at Number 10, and of course at Chequers. And our fantastic prot force (protection force) detectives, the one group by the way, who never leak.

“Above all, I want to thank you, the British public, for the immense privilege that you have given me and I want you to know that from now on until the new prime minister is in place, your interests will be served and the government of the country will be carried on.

“Being prime minister is an education in itself. I have traveled to every part of the United Kingdom and, in addition to the beauty of our natural world, I have found so many people possessed of such boundless British originality and so willing to tackle old problems in new ways that I know that even if things can sometimes seem dark now, our future together is golden.

“Thank you all very much. Thank you.”

Boris Johnson's farewell speech from Downing Street in full

"That is it folks," Mr Johnson said as he began his final speech as prime minister outside Downing Street.

Tuesday 6 September 2022 09:58, UK

• Boris Johnson

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Boris Johnson speech in full: Watch and read every word of his farewell statement before resigning as PM today

Boris johnson delivered his final speech as prime minister before flying to balmoral to tender her official resignation to the queen.

Boris Johnson has delivered his farewell speech outside 10 Downing Street before officially resigning as Prime Minister later today .

The PM pledged his “fervent support” for Liz Truss in an address at 7.30am on Tuesday, before making the trip to Balmoral to meet the Queen and will hand over the reigns to his successor .

Mr Johnson promised that the next premier’s administration would do “everything we can” to help people struggling with the cost-of-living crisis .

And he branded Vladimir Putin “utterly deluded” if he thought he could succeed by “blackmailing and bullying” the British public through restricting gas supplies, driving up global energy prices .

Boris Johnson’s farewell speech in full

Well this is it folks. Thanks to all of you for coming out so early this morning.

In only a couple of hours from now I will be in Balmoral to see Her Majesty the Queen and the torch will finally be passed to a new Conservative leader.

The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race – they changed the rules half-way through, but never mind that now.

And through that lacquered black door a new Prime Minister will shortly go to meet a fantastic group of public servants.

The people who got Brexit done – the people who delivered the fastest vaccine roll out in Europe.

And never forget: 70 per cent of the entire population got a dose within 6 months, faster than any comparable country.

That is government for you – that’s this Conservative Government.

The people who organised those prompt early supplies of weapons to the heroic Ukrainian armed forces, an action that may very well have helped change the course of the biggest European war for 80 years.

And because of the speed and urgency of what you did – everybody involved in this Government – to get this economy moving again from July last year in spite of all opposition, all the naysayers, we have and will continue to have that economic strength to give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis that has been caused by Putin’s vicious war.

And I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis, and this country will endure it and we will win.

And if Putin thinks that he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people then he is utterly deluded.

And the reason we will have those funds now and in the future is because we Conservatives understand the vital symmetry between government action and free market capitalist private sector enterprise.

We are delivering on those huge manifesto commitments:

Making streets safer – neighbourhood crime down 38 per cent in the last three years, 13,790 more police on the streets.

Building more hospitals – and yes we will have 50,000 more nurses by the end of this parliament and 40 more hospitals by the end of the decade.

Putting record funding into our schools and into teachers’ pay.

Giving everyone over 18 a lifetime skills guarantee so they can keep upskilling throughout their lives.

Three new high speed rail lines including northern powerhouse rail.

Colossal road programmes from the Pennines to Cornwall.

The roll-out of gigabit broadband up over the last three years, since you were kind enough to elect me, up from 7 per cent of our country’s premises having gigabit broadband to 70 per cent today.

And we are of course providing the short and the long term solutions for our energy needs and not just using more of our own domestic hydrocarbons but going up by 2030 to 50 GW of wind power, that is half this country’s energy electricity needs from offshore wind alone, a new nuclear reactor every year.

And looking at what is happening in this country, the changes that are taking place, that is why the private sector is investing more venture capital investment than China itself.

More billion pound tech companies sprouting here than in France, Germany and Israel combined

And as a result unemployment, as I leave office, down to lows not seen since I was about ten years old and bouncing around on a space hopper.

And on the subject of bouncing around and future careers, let me say that I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function.

And I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the pacific.

And like Cincinnatus I am returning to my plough, and I will be offering this government nothing but the most fervent support.

More from Politics

This is a tough time for the economy.

This is a tough time for families up and down the country.

We can and we will get through it and we will come out stronger the other side but I say to my fellow Conservatives it is time for the politics to be over folks.

And it’s time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her programme and deliver for the people of this country.

Because that is what the people of this country want, that’s what they need and that’s what they deserve.

I am proud to have discharged the promises I made my party when you were kind enough to choose me, winning the biggest majority since 1987 and the biggest share of the vote since 1979.

Delivering Brexit; delivering our manifesto commitments – including social care; helping people up and down the country; ensuring that Britain is once again standing tall in the world; speaking with clarity and authority, from Ukraine to the Aukus pact with America and Australia.

Because we are one whole and entire United Kingdom whose diplomats, security services and armed forces are so globally admired.

And as I leave I believe our union is so strong that those who want to break it up, will keep trying but they will never ever succeed.

Thank you to everyone behind me in this building for looking after me and my family over the last three years so well including Dilyn, the dog.

And if Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative party.

And above all thanks to you, the British people, to the voters for giving me the chance to serve.

All of you who worked so tirelessly together to beat Covid, to put us where we are today.

Together we have laid foundations that will stand the test of time, whether by taking back control of our laws or putting in vital new infrastructure: great solid masonry on which we will continue to build together, paving the path of prosperity now & for future generations.

And I will be supporting Liz Truss and our new government every step of the way.

Thank you all very much.

Most Read By Subscribers

Boris Johnson’s final speech as PM: fact checked

This morning Boris Johnson gave his final public address as Prime Minister on the steps of 10 Downing Street, before travelling up to Balmoral to hand his resignation to the Queen.

During his speech, Mr Johnson repeated many of the claims he has made so often over his premiership, including on the Covid-19 vaccine rollout, hospital building and crime.

You can watch his full speech or read the transcript . Below we’ve fact checked six of the claims he made.

“70% of the entire population got a dose [of the Covid-19 vaccine] within six months, faster than any comparable country”

The initial rollout of the Covid-19 vaccine in the UK certainly happened quickly. However, Mr Johnson wasn’t quite right to claim that 70% of “the entire population” received a dose within six months.

The first dose was administered in the UK on 8 December 2020 . Six months later, on 8 June 2021, 40,710,319 people had received one. This represented 70.8% of “the population aged 12 and over”, but around 61% of “ the entire population ”.

According to figures collected by Our World in Data , the UK’s fellow G7 and OECD member Canada had given at least one dose of the vaccine to 62.4% of the population on 8 June 2021. Some other smaller, and so arguably less comparable, countries, including Malta, Bahrain, the Seychelles, the UAE and San Marino, had also vaccinated a higher share of their populations.

However, these figures depend on the accuracy of each country’s population estimates, which are always uncertain, meaning that close comparisons are not necessarily reliable. And far fewer people in Canada had received both doses by 8 June 2021, compared with the UK. 

“We are delivering on those huge manifesto commitments making streets safer – neighbourhood crime down 38% in the last three years”

The category of “neighbourhood crime” was first referenced by the Home Office in 2020, and refers to four specific types of crime: domestic burglary, vehicle-related crime, theft from the person and robbery.

Number 10 has confirmed to Full Fact that Mr Johnson’s claim that neighbourhood crime is “down 38%” is based on a comparison of Office for National Statistics (ONS) figures from the Telephone-operated Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending March 2022, and the Crime Survey for England and Wales for the year ending June 2019. 

This comparison shows that over this period there was a 38% reduction in neighbourhood crime, but the total number of crime incidents, including fraud, fell only 1% over the same period.

The number of police recorded crimes over the same period increased by approximately 5% . However the ONS has noted that these figures may not be reliable , as they do not cover unreported and unrecorded crime.

“Delivering on those huge manifesto commitments… 13,790 more police on the streets”

It’s true that the latest figures from the Home Office show that 13,790 more police officers have been recruited in England and Wales as part of the government’s uplift programme. This is part of a commitment to recruit 20,000 additional officers, which was made in the Conservative manifesto for the 2019 general election.

The figure of 13,790 represents an overall headcount, which means it includes people recruited to work part-time. The number of new full-time-equivalent police officers may be slightly lower . On the other hand, the figure does not include people recruited by police forces using other sources of funding, such as council tax precept increases. T he government says a further 516 additional officers have been recruited with other funding.

Official statistics show that the number of full-time-equivalent police officers (not including British Transport Police) stood at 140,228 at the end of March 2022. This compares with a low point of 122,405 in 2018 and a high point of 143,769 in March 2009, in the data we have going back to 2003. These figures don’t include other police staff, police community support officers or special constables. They have also not been adjusted to take account of rising population or changing crime rates.

“We will have … 40 new hospitals by the end of the decade”

This is a long-standing claim from Boris Johnson that we looked at in detail back in July. Since 2019 he has variously claimed that the government is building “48 new hospitals” or “40 new hospitals” by 2030. But whether that’s accurate depends on exactly how a “new hospital” is defined. 

The government has announced funding for 40 new hospital building projects , and includes in its definition of a “new hospital” replacements for existing hospitals, new wings or buildings for existing hospitals and major refurbishments.

However many have taken issue with this, with health think tank the Nuffield Trust instead defining a “new hospital” as a “new building on an entirely new site”. Using this definition, the BBC found that, of the 40 projects, there are three “new hospitals” (two general hospitals and one non-urgent care hospital). 

A Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) spokesperson told Full Fact in July that the government was “on track to deliver 40 new hospitals by 2030”.

There are also questions over the timescale of the building projects as well as how they are defined. In November 2021 the Health Service Journal reported that the infrastructure watchdog had downgraded its assessment of the New Hospitals Programme to “red”, indicating the project “appears to be unachievable”. The DHSC told us in July that this report was inaccurate.

“[We are] putting record funding into our schools”

School funding is devolved , so the UK government only sets the funding for schools in England. 

It’s true that in cash terms the total amount of funding for schools for those aged between 5 and 16 is the highest it’s been, by some margin. In 2022/23 £53.5 billion is allocated to schools, compared to £35 billion in 2010/11. But comparisons of school funding over time usually factor in inflation, to take account of rising prices, and spending per pupil, to take account of the total number of children being taught. Doing this gives a more complicated picture.

According to the government’s school funding statistics , adjusted for inflation funding per pupil was “broadly flat” between 2010/11 and 2015/16 at just under £6,400 in 2021/22 prices, before falling in real terms, then rising slightly overall to £6,780 in 2022/23 (again, in 2021/22 prices). In its 2021 review of school funding, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) projected that between 2009/10 and 2024/5, “there will be almost no overall real-terms growth in school spending per pupil”.

“Unemployment [is] down to lows not seen since I was about ten years old and bouncing around on a space hopper”.

While we have repeatedly pointed out Mr Johnson’s misleading use of labour statistics over the last year, for which he has been criticised by the Office for Statistics Regulation, this particular claim is true. 

The unemployment rate is currently 3.8% , the joint-lowest level since late 1974. That’s when Mr Johnson was, indeed, 10 years old (though we’ve no information on his use of space hoppers).

• By Grace Rahman, Hannah Smith, Leo Benedictus, Abbas Panjwani
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• Coffee House

Full text: Boris Johnson’s final speech as Prime Minister

'like cincinnatus i am returning to my plough'.

• 6 September 2022, 6:31am

The Spectator

Well, this is it folks. Thanks to all of you for coming out so early this morning. 

In only a couple of hours from now I will be in Balmoral to see Her Majesty the Queen and the torch will finally be passed to a new Conservative leader. 

The baton will be handed over in what has unexpectedly turned out to be a relay race – they changed the rules half-way through, but never mind that now – and through that lacquered black door a new Prime Minister will shortly go to meet a fantastic group of public servants: the people who got Brexit done, the people who delivered the fastest vaccine roll out in Europe, and never forget – 70 per cent of the entire population got a dose within six months, faster than any comparable country that is government for you – that’s this Conservative government. The people who organised those prompt early supplies of weapons to the heroic Ukrainian armed forces, an action that may very well have helped change the course of the biggest European war for 80 years. And because of the speed and urgency of what you did – everybody involved in this government, to get this economy moving again from July last year in spite of all opposition, all the naysayers, we have and will continue to have that economic strengthto give people the cash they need to get through this energy crisis that has been caused by Putin’s vicious war.

Like Cincinnatus I am returning to my plough

And I know that Liz Truss and this compassionate Conservative government will do everything we can to get people through this crisis. And this country will endure it and we will win. And if Putin thinks that he can succeed by blackmailing or bullying the British people then he is utterly deluded. 

Most popular

Douglas murray, we need to talk about kevin spacey.

And the reason we will have those funds now and in the future is because we Conservatives understand the vital symmetry between government action, and free market capitalist private sector enterprise. We are delivering on those huge manifesto commitments, making streets safer – neighbourhood crime down 38 per cent in the last three years, 13,790 more police on the streets, building more hospitals – and, yes, we will have 50,000 more nurses by the end of this parliament and 40 more hospitals by the end of the decade. Putting record funding into our schools and into teachers’ pay. Giving everyone over 18 a lifetime skills guarantee so they can keep upskilling throughout their lives. Three new high speed rail lines including northern powerhouse rail, colossal road programmes from the Pennines to Cornwall, the roll-out of gigabit broadband up over the last three years, since you were kind enough to elect me, up from 7 per cent of our country’s premises having gigabit broadband to 70 per cent today.

And we are of course providing the short and the long term solutions for our energy needs. And not just using more of our own domestic hydrocarbons but going up by 2030 to 50 GW of wind power, that is half this country’s energy electricity needs from offshore wind alone. A new nuclear reactor every year. And looking at what is happening in this country, the changes that are taking place, that is why the private sector is investing more venture capital investment than China itself. More billion pound tech companies sprouting here than in France, Germany and Israel combined. And as a result unemployment as I leave office, down to lows not seen since I was about ten years old and bouncing around on a space hopper.

And on the subject of bouncing around and future careers, let me say that I am now like one of those booster rockets that has fulfilled its function. And I will now be gently re-entering the atmosphere and splashing down invisibly in some remote and obscure corner of the Pacific. And like Cincinnatus I am returning to my plough. And I will be offering this government nothing but the most fervent support. 

This is a tough time for the economy. This is a tough time for families up and down the country. We can, and we will, get through it and we will come out stronger the other side. But I say to my fellow Conservatives it is time for the politics to be over, folks. And it’s time for us all to get behind Liz Truss and her programme and deliver for the people of this country. Because that is what the people of this country want, that’s what they need and that’s what they deserve.

I am proud to have discharged the promises I made my party when you were kind enough to choose me, winning the biggest majority since 1987 and the biggest share of the vote since 1979. Delivering Brexit. Delivering our manifesto commitments – including social care. Helping people up and down the country. Ensuring that Britain is once again standing tall in the world. Speaking with clarity and authority, from Ukraine to the Aukus pact with America and Australia. Because we are one whole and entire United Kingdom whose diplomats, security services and armed forces are so globally admired. And as I leave, I believe our union is so strong that those who want to break it up, will keep trying but they will never ever succeed.

Thank you to everyone behind me in this building for looking after me and my family over the last three years so well including Dilyn, the dog. And if Dilyn and Larry can put behind them their occasional difficulties, then so can the Conservative party.

And above all thanks to you, the British people, to the voters for giving me the chance to serve. All of you who worked so tirelessly together to beat covid to put us where we are today. Together we have laid foundations that will stand the test of time, whether by taking back control of our laws or putting in vital new infrastructure: great solid masonry on which we will continue to build together, paving the path of prosperity now and for future generations. And I will be supporting Liz Truss and our new government every step of the way. Thank you all very much.

How to fix Britain’s migrant crisis – quickly

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The Protesters and the President

Over the past week, thousands of students protesting the war in gaza have been arrested..

This transcript was created using speech recognition software. While it has been reviewed by human transcribers, it may contain errors. Please review the episode audio before quoting from this transcript and email [email protected] with any questions.

From “New York Times,” I’m Michael Barbaro. This is “The Daily.”

Free, free, Palestine!

Free, free Palestine!

Free, free, free Palestine!

Over the past week, what had begun as a smattering of pro-Palestinian protests on America’s college campuses exploded into a nationwide movement —

United, we’ll never be defeated!

— as students at dozens of universities held demonstrations, set up encampments, and at times seized academic buildings.

[PROTESTERS CLAMORING]:

response, administrators at many of those colleges decided to crack down —

Do not throw things at our officers. We will use chemical munitions that include gas.

— calling in local police to carry out mass detentions and arrests. From Arizona State —

In the name of the state of Arizona, I declare this gathering to be a violation of —

— to the University of Georgia —

— to City College of New York.

[PROTESTERS CHANTING, “BACK OFF”]:

As of Thursday, police had arrested 2,000 students on more than 40 campuses. A situation so startling that President Biden could no longer ignore it.

Look, it’s basically a matter of fairness. It’s a matter of what’s right. There’s the right to protest, but not the right to cause chaos.

Today, my colleagues Jonathan Wolfe and Peter Baker on a history-making week. It’s Friday, May 3.

Jonathan, as this tumultuous week on college campuses comes to an end, it feels like the most extraordinary scenes played out on the campus of the University of California Los Angeles, where you have been reporting. What is the story of how that protest started and ultimately became so explosive?

So late last week, pro-Palestinian protesters set up an encampment at the University of California, Los Angeles.

From the river to the sea!

Palestine will be free!

Palestine —

It was right in front of Royce Hall, which I don’t know if you are familiar with UCLA, but it’s a very famous, red brick building. It’s on all the brochures. And there was two things that stood out about this encampment. And the first thing was that they barricaded the encampment.

The encampment, complete with tents and barricades, has been set up in the middle of the Westwood campus. The protesters demand —

They have metal grates. They had wooden pallets. And they separated themselves from the campus.

This is kind of interesting. There are controlling access, as we’ve been talking about. They are trying to control who is allowed in, who is allowed out.

They sort of policed the area. So they only would let people that were part of their community, they said, inside.

I’m a UCLA student. I deserve to go here. We paid tuition. This is our school. And they’re not letting me walk in. Why can’t I go? Will you let me go in?

We’re not engaging with that.

Then you can move. Will you move?

And the second thing that stood out about this camp was that it immediately attracted pro-Israel counterprotesters.

And what did the leadership of UCLA say about all of this, the encampment and these counterprotesters?

So the University of California’s approach was pretty unique. They had a really hands-off approach. And they allowed the pro-Palestinian protesters to set up an encampment. They allowed the counterprotesters to happen. I mean, this is a public university, so anyone who wants to can just enter the campus.

So when do things start to escalate?

So there were definitely fights and scuffles through the weekend. But a turning point was really Sunday —

[SINGING IN HEBREW]:

— when this group called the Israeli American Council, they’re a nonprofit organization, organized a rally on campus. The Israeli American Council has really been against these pro-Palestinian protests. They say that they’re antisemitic. So this nonprofit group sets up a stage with a screen really just a few yards from the pro-Palestinian encampment.

We are grateful that this past Friday, the University of California, stated that they will continue to oppose any calls for boycott and divestment from Israel!

[PROTESTERS CHEERING]

And they host speakers and they held prayers.

Jewish students, you’re not alone! Oh, you’re not alone! We are right here with you! And we’re right here with you in until —

[WORDLESS SINGING]:

And then lots of other people start showing up. And the proximity between protesters and counterprotesters and even some agitators, makes it really clear that something was about to happen.

And what was that? What ended up happening?

On Monday night, a group of about 60 counterprotesters tried to breach the encampment there. And the campus police had to break it up. And things escalated again on Tuesday.

They stormed the barricades and it’s a complete riot.

[PROTESTER SHOUTING]:

Put it down! Put it down! Put it down!

I went to report on what happened just a few hours after it ended.

And I spoke to a lot of protesters. And I met one demonstrator, Marie.

Yeah, my first name is Marie. M-A-R-I-E. Last name, Salem.

And Marie described what happened.

So can you just tell me a little bit about what happened last night?

Last night, we were approached by over a hundred counterprotesters who were very mobilized and ready to break into camp. They proceeded to try to breach our barricades extremely violently.

Marie said it started getting out of hand when counterprotesters started setting off fireworks towards the camp.

They had bear spray. They had Mace. They were throwing wood and spears. Throwing water bottles, continuing fireworks.

So she said that they were terrified. It was just all hands on deck. Everyone was guarding the barricades.

Every time someone experienced the bear spray or Mace or was hit and bleeding, we had some medics in the front line. And then we had people —

And they said that they were just trying to take care of people who were injured.

I mean, at any given moment, there was 5 to 10 people being treated.

So what she described to me sounded more like a battlefield than a college campus.

And it was just a complete terror and complete abandonment of the university, as we also watched private security watch this the entire time on the stairs. And some LAPD were stationed about a football field length back from these counterprotesters, and did not make a single arrest, did not attempt to stop any violence, did not attempt to get in between the two groups. No attempt.

I should say, I spoke to a state authorities and eyewitnesses and they confirmed Marie’s account about what happened that night, both in terms of the violence that took place at the encampment and how law enforcement responded. So in the end, people ended up fighting for hours before the police intervened.

[SOMBER MUSIC]

So in her mind, UCLA’s hands-off approach, which seemed to have prevailed throughout this entire period, ends up being way too hands off in a moment when students were in jeopardy.

That’s right. And so at this point, the protesters in the encampment started preparing for two possibilities. One was that this group of counterprotesters would return and attack them. And the second one was that the police would come and try to break up this encampment.

So they started building up the barricades. They start reinforcing them with wood. And during the day, hundreds of people came and brought them supplies. They brought food.

They brought helmets, goggles, earplugs, saline solution, all sorts of things these people could use to defend themselves. And so they’re really getting ready to burrow in. And in the end, it was the police who came.

[PROTESTERS SHOUTING]:

So Wednesday at 7:00 PM, they made an announcement on top of Royce Hall, which overlooks the encampment —

— administrative criminal actions up to and including arrest. Please leave the area immediately.

And they told people in the encampment that they needed to leave or face arrest.

[DRUM BEATING]: [PROTESTERS CHANTING]

And so as night falls, they put on all this gear that they’ve been collecting, the goggles, the masks and the earplugs, and they wait for the police.

[DRUM BEATING]:

And so the police arrive and station themselves right in front of the encampment. And then at a certain point, they storm the back stairs of the encampment.

[PROTESTERS CHANTING]:

And this is the stairs that the protesters have been using to enter and exit the camp. And they set up a line. And the protesters do this really surprising thing.

The people united!

They open up umbrellas. They have these strobe lights. And they’re flashing them at the police, who just slowly back out of the camp.

[PROTESTERS CHEERING]:

And so at this point, they’re feeling really great. They’re like, we did it. We pushed them out of their camp. And when the cops try to push again on those same set of stairs —

[PROTESTER SHOUTS]:

Hold your ground!

— the protesters organized themselves with all these shields that they had built earlier. And they go and confront them. And so there’s this moment where the police are trying to push up the stairs. And the protesters are literally pushing them back.

Push them back! Push them back!

Push them back!

And at a certain point, dozens of the police officers who were there, basically just turn around and leave.

So how does this eventually come to an end?

So at a certain point, the police push in again. Most of the conflict is centered at the front of these barricades. And the police just start tearing them apart.

[METAL CLANGING]

[CLAMORING]

They removed the front barricade. And in its place is this group of protesters who have linked arms and they’re hanging on to each other. And the police are trying to pull protesters one by one away from this group.

He’s just a student! Back off!

But they’re having a really hard time because there’s so many protesters. And they’re all just hanging on to each other.

We’re moving back now.

So at a certain point, one of the police officers started firing something into the crowd. We don’t exactly know what it was. But it really spooked the protesters.

Stop shooting at kids! Fuck you! Fuck them!

They started falling back. Everyone was really scared. The protesters were yelling, don’t shoot us. And at that point, the police just stormed the camp.

Get back. Get back.

Back up now!

And so after about four hours of this, the police pushed the protesters out of the encampment. They had arrested about 200 protesters. And this was finally over.

And I’m just curious, Jonathan, because you’re standing right there, you are bearing witness to this all, what you were thinking, what your impressions of this were.

I mean, I was stunned. These are mostly teenagers. This is a college campus, an institution of higher learning. And what I saw in front of me looked like a war zone.

[TENSE MUSIC]

The massive barricade, the police coming in with riot gear, and all this violence was happening in front of these red brick buildings that are famous for symbolizing a really open college campus. And everything about it was just totally surreal.

Well, Jonathan, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

Thanks, Michael.

We’ll be right back.

Peter, around 10:00 AM on Thursday morning as the smoke is literally still clearing at the University of California Los Angeles, you get word that President Biden is going to speak.

Right, exactly. It wasn’t on his public schedule. He was about to head to Andrews Air Force base in order to take a trip. And then suddenly, we got the notice that he was going to be addressing the cameras in the Roosevelt Room.

They didn’t tell us what he was going to talk about. But it was pretty clear, I think. Everybody understood that it was going to be about these campus protests, about the growing violence and the clashes with police, and the arrests that the entire country had been watching on TV every night for the past week, and I think that we were watching just that morning with UCLA. And it reached the point where he just had to say something.

And why, in his estimation and those of his advisors, was this the moment that Biden had to say something?

Well, it kind of reached a boiling point. It kind of reached the impression of a national crisis. And you expect to hear your president address it in this kind of a moment, particularly because it’s about his own policy. His policy toward Israel is at the heart of these protests. And he was getting a lot of grief. He was getting a lot of grief from Republicans who were chiding him for not speaking out personally. He hadn’t said anything in about 10 days.

He’s getting a lot of pressure from Democrats, too, who wanted him to come out and be more forceful. It wasn’t enough, in their view, to leave it to his spokespeople to say something. Moderate Democrats felt he needed to come out and take some leadership on this.

And so at the appointed moment, Peter, what does Biden actually say in the Roosevelt Room of the White House?

Good morning.

Before I head to North Carolina, I wanted to speak for a few moments about what’s going on, on our college campuses here.

Well, it comes in the Roosevelt Room and he talks to the camera. And he talks about the two clashing imperatives of American principle.

The first is the right to free speech and for people to peacefully assemble and make their voices heard. The second is the rule of law. Both must be upheld.

One is freedom of speech. The other is the rule of law.

In fact, peaceful protest is in the best tradition of how Americans respond to consequential issues. But, but, neither are we a lawless country.

In other words, what he’s saying is, yes, I support the right of these protesters to come out and object to even my own policy, in effect, is what he’s saying. But it shouldn’t trail into violence.

Destroying property is not a peaceful protest. It’s against the law. Vandalism, trespassing, breaking windows, shutting down campuses —

It shouldn’t trail into taking over buildings and obstructing students from going to class or canceling their graduations.

Threatening people, intimidating people, instilling fear in people is not peaceful protest. It’s against the law.

And he leans very heavily into this idea that what he’s seeing these days goes beyond the line.

I understand people have strong feelings and deep convictions. In America, we respect the right and protect the right for them to express that. But it doesn’t mean anything goes.

It has crossed into harassment and expressions of hate in a way that goes against the national character.

As president, I will always defend free speech. And I will always be just as strong and standing up for the rule of law. That’s my responsibility to you, the American people, and my obligation to the Constitution. Thank you very much.

Right, as I watched the speech, I heard his overriding message to basically be, I, the president of the United States, am drawing a line. These protests and counterprotests, the seizing and defacing of campus buildings, class disruption, all of it, name calling, it’s getting out of hand. That there’s a right way to do this. And what I’m seeing is the wrong way to do it and it has to stop.

That’s exactly right. And as he’s wrapping up, reporters, of course, ask questions. And the first question is —

Mr. President, have the protests forced you to reconsider any of the policies with regard to the region?

— will this change your policy toward the war in Gaza? Which, of course, is exactly what the protesters want. That’s the point.

And he basically says —

— no. Just one word, no.

Right. And that felt kind of important, as brief and fleeting as it was, because at the end of the day, what he’s saying to these protesters is, I’m not going to do what you want. And basically, your protests are never going to work. I’m not going to change the US’s involvement in this war.

Yeah, that’s exactly right. He is saying, I’m not going to be swayed by angry people in the streets. I’m going to do what I think is right when it comes to foreign policy. Now, what he thinks is that they’re not giving him enough credit for trying to achieve what they want, which is an end of the war.

He has been pressuring Israel and Hamas to come to a deal for a ceasefire that will, hopefully, in his view, would then lead to a more enduring end of hostilities. But, of course, this deal hasn’t gone anywhere. Hamas, in particular, seems to be resisting it. And so the president is left with a policy of arming Israel without having found a way yet to stop the war.

Right. I wonder, though, Peter, if we’re being honest, don’t these protests, despite what Biden is saying there, inevitably exert a kind of power over him? Becoming one of many pressures, but a pressure nonetheless that does influence how he thinks about these moments. I mean, here he is at the White House devoting an entire conversation to the nation to these campus protests.

Well, look, he knows this feeds into the political environment in which he’s running for re-election, in which he basically has people who otherwise might be his supporters on the left disenchanted with him. And he knows that there’s a cost to be paid. And that certainly, obviously, is in his head as he’s thinking about what to do.

But I think his view of the war is changing by the day for all sorts of reasons. And most of them having to do with realities on the ground. He has decided that Israel has gone far enough, if not too far, in the way it has conducted this operation in Gaza.

He is upset about the humanitarian crisis there. And he’s looking for a way to wrap all this up into a move that would move to peacemaking, beginning to get the region to a different stage, maybe have a deal with the Saudis to normalize relations with Israel in exchange for some sort of a two-state solution that would eventually resolve the Palestinian issue at its core.

So I think it’s probably fair to say that the protests won’t move him in an immediate kind of sense. But they obviously play into the larger zeitgeist of the moment. And I also think it’s important to know who Joe Biden is at heart.

Explain that.

He’s not drawn to activism. He was around in 1968, the last time we saw this major conflagration at Columbia University, for instance. At the time, Joe Biden was a law student in Syracuse, about 250 miles away. And he was an institutionalist even then.

He was just focused on his studies. He was about to graduate. He was thinking about the law career. And he didn’t really have much of an affinity, I think, for his fellow students of that era, for their activist way of looking at things.

He tells a story in his memoir about walking down a street in Syracuse one day to go to the pizza shop with some friends. And they walk by the administration building. And they see people hanging out of the windows. They’re hanging SDS banners. That’s the Students for a Democratic Society, which was one of the big activist groups of the era.

And he says, they were taking over the building. And we looked up and said, look at those assholes. That’s how far apart from the antiwar movement I was. That’s him writing in his memoir.

So to a young Joe Biden, those who devote their time and their energy to protesting the war are, I don’t need to repeat the word twice, but they’re losers. They’re not worth his time.

Well, I think it’s the tactics they’re using more than the goals that he disagreed with. He would tell you he disagreed with the Vietnam War. He was for civil rights. But he thought that taking over a building was performative, was all about getting attention, and that there was a better way, in his view, to do it.

He was somebody who wanted to work inside the system. He said in an interview quite a few years back, he says, look, I was wearing sports coats in that era. He saw himself becoming part of the system, not somebody trying to tear it down.

And so how should we think about that Joe Biden, when we think about this Joe Biden? I mean, the Joe Biden who, as a young man, looked upon antiwar protesters with disdain and the one who is now president and his very own policies have inspired such ferocious campus protests?

Yeah, that Joe Biden, the 1968 Joe Biden, he could just throw on a sports coat, go to the pizza shop with his friends, make fun of the activists and call them names, and then that’s it. They didn’t have to affect his life. But that’s not what 2024 Joe Biden can do.

Now, wherever he goes, he’s dogged by this. He goes to speeches and people are shouting at him, Genocide Joe! Genocide Joe! He is the target of the same kind of a movement that he disdained in 1968. And so as much as he would like to ignore it or move on or focus on other things, I think this has become a defining image of his year and one of the defining images, perhaps, of his presidency. And 2024 Joe Biden can’t simply ignore it.

Well, Peter, thank you very much. We appreciate it.

[UPBEAT MUSIC]

Here’s what else you need to know today. During testimony on Thursday in Donald Trump’s hush money trial, jurors heard a recording secretly made by Trump’s former fixer, Michael Cohen, in which Trump discusses a deal to buy a woman’s silence. In the recording, Trump asks Cohen about how one payment made by Trump to a woman named Karen McDougal would be financed. The recording could complicate efforts by Trump’s lawyers to distance him from the hush money deals at the center of the trial.

A final thing to know, tomorrow morning, we’ll be sending you the latest episode from our colleagues over at “The Interview.” This week, David Marchese talks with comedy star Marlon Wayans about his new stand-up special.

It’s a high that you get when you don’t know if this joke that I’m about to say is going to offend everybody. Are they going to walk out? Are they going to boo me? Are they going to hate this. And then you tell it, and everybody cracks up and you’re like, woo.

Today’s episode was produced by Diana Nguyen, Luke Vander Ploeg, Alexandra Leigh Young, Nina Feldman, and Carlos Prieto. It was edited by Lisa Chow and Michael Benoist. It contains original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano, and was engineered by Chris Wood. Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly.

That’s it for “The Daily.” I’m Michael Barbaro. See you on Monday.

• May 8, 2024   •   28:28 A Plan to Remake the Middle East
• May 7, 2024   •   27:43 How Changing Ocean Temperatures Could Upend Life on Earth
• May 6, 2024   •   29:23 R.F.K. Jr.’s Battle to Get on the Ballot
• May 3, 2024   •   25:33 The Protesters and the President
• May 2, 2024   •   29:13 Biden Loosens Up on Weed
• May 1, 2024   •   35:16 The New Abortion Fight Before the Supreme Court
• April 30, 2024   •   27:40 The Secret Push That Could Ban TikTok
• April 29, 2024   •   47:53 Trump 2.0: What a Second Trump Presidency Would Bring
• April 26, 2024   •   21:50 Harvey Weinstein Conviction Thrown Out
• April 25, 2024   •   40:33 The Crackdown on Student Protesters
• April 24, 2024   •   32:18 Is $60 Billion Enough to Save Ukraine?
• April 23, 2024   •   30:30 A Salacious Conspiracy or Just 34 Pieces of Paper?

Hosted by Michael Barbaro

Featuring Jonathan Wolfe and Peter Baker

Produced by Diana Nguyen ,  Luke Vander Ploeg ,  Alexandra Leigh Young ,  Nina Feldman and Carlos Prieto

Edited by Lisa Chow and Michael Benoist

Original music by Dan Powell and Marion Lozano

Engineered by Chris Wood

Listen and follow The Daily Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Amazon Music | YouTube

Warning: this episode contains strong language.

Over the past week, students at dozens of universities held demonstrations, set up encampments and, at times, seized academic buildings. In response, administrators at many of those colleges decided to crack down and called in the local police to detain and arrest demonstrators.

As of Thursday, the police had arrested 2,000 people across more than 40 campuses, a situation so startling that President Biden could no longer ignore it.

Jonathan Wolfe, who has been covering the student protests for The Times, and Peter Baker, the chief White House correspondent, discuss the history-making week.

On today’s episode

Jonathan Wolfe , a senior staff editor on the newsletters team at The New York Times.

Peter Baker , the chief White House correspondent for The New York Times covering President Biden and his administration.

Background reading

As crews cleared the remnants of an encampment at U.C.L.A., students and faculty members wondered how the university could have handled protests over the war in Gaza so badly .

Biden denounced violence on campus , breaking his silence after a rash of arrests.

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We aim to make transcripts available the next workday after an episode’s publication. You can find them at the top of the page.

The Daily is made by Rachel Quester, Lynsea Garrison, Clare Toeniskoetter, Paige Cowett, Michael Simon Johnson, Brad Fisher, Chris Wood, Jessica Cheung, Stella Tan, Alexandra Leigh Young, Lisa Chow, Eric Krupke, Marc Georges, Luke Vander Ploeg, M.J. Davis Lin, Dan Powell, Sydney Harper, Mike Benoist, Liz O. Baylen, Asthaa Chaturvedi, Rachelle Bonja, Diana Nguyen, Marion Lozano, Corey Schreppel, Rob Szypko, Elisheba Ittoop, Mooj Zadie, Patricia Willens, Rowan Niemisto, Jody Becker, Rikki Novetsky, John Ketchum, Nina Feldman, Will Reid, Carlos Prieto, Ben Calhoun, Susan Lee, Lexie Diao, Mary Wilson, Alex Stern, Dan Farrell, Sophia Lanman, Shannon Lin, Diane Wong, Devon Taylor, Alyssa Moxley, Summer Thomad, Olivia Natt, Daniel Ramirez and Brendan Klinkenberg.

Our theme music is by Jim Brunberg and Ben Landsverk of Wonderly. Special thanks to Sam Dolnick, Paula Szuchman, Lisa Tobin, Larissa Anderson, Julia Simon, Sofia Milan, Mahima Chablani, Elizabeth Davis-Moorer, Jeffrey Miranda, Renan Borelli, Maddy Masiello, Isabella Anderson and Nina Lassam.

Jonathan Wolfe is a senior staff editor on the newsletters team at The Times. More about Jonathan Wolfe

Peter Baker is the chief White House correspondent for The Times. He has covered the last five presidents and sometimes writes analytical pieces that place presidents and their administrations in a larger context and historical framework. More about Peter Baker

Luke Vander Ploeg is a senior producer on “The Daily” and a reporter for the National Desk covering the Midwest. More about Luke Vander Ploeg

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Vladimir Putin begins a fifth term as Russian president in an opulent Kremlin inauguration

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President Vladimir Putin began his fifth term at a glittering Kremlin inauguration Tuesday, embarking on another six years as leader of Russia after destroying his political opponents, launching a devastating war in Ukraine and concentrating all power in his hands.

At the ceremony in the gilded Grand Kremlin Palace, Putin placed his hand on the Russian Constitution and vowed to defend it as a crowd of handpicked dignitaries looked on.

“We are a united and great people and together we will overcome all obstacles, realize all our plans, together we will win,” Putin said after being sworn in.

Since succeeding President Boris Yeltsin in the waning hours of 1999, Putin has transformed Russia from a country emerging from economic collapse to a pariah state that threatens global security. Following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine that has become Europe’s biggest conflict since World War II, Russia has been heavily sanctioned by the West and is turning to China, Iran and North Korea for support.

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Already in office for nearly a quarter-century and the longest-serving Kremlin leader since Josef Stalin, Putin begins a term that runs until 2030, when he will be constitutionally eligible to run again.

In a heavily choreographed performance, Putin was pictured in his office looking at his papers before walking along the Kremlin’s long corridors, pausing at one point to look at a painting, on the way to his inauguration.

His guard of honor waited in the sleet and rain for hours, in temperatures hovering just above freezing, while Putin made the brief journey to the Grand Kremlin Palace in his Auras limousine.

Putin used the first moments of his fifth term to thank the “heroes” of his war on Ukraine and to rail against the West.

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Russia “does not refuse dialogue with Western states,” he said. Rather, he said, “the choice is theirs: Do they intend to continue trying to contain Russia, continue the policy of aggression, continuous pressure on our country for years, or look for a path to cooperation and peace?”

He was greeted with applause when he entered the hall with more than 2,500 invited guests. They included senior members of the Russian government as well as celebrities including American actor Steven Seagal.

Neither American, British nor German ambassadors attended. The U.S. Embassy said Ambassador Lynne Tracy was out of the country on “prescheduled, personal travel.”

A few European Union envoys attended even though top EU diplomat Josep Borrell said he told them “the right thing to do is not to attend this inauguration,” because Putin is the subject of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine.

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Among those present was the French ambassador, according to a French diplomat who spoke on condition of anonymity because the diplomat was not authorized to speak publicly.

A 30-gun salute followed Putin’s remarks. He reviewed the presidential regiment in the Kremlin’s Cathedral Square in a light drizzle and then walked into nearby Annunciation Cathedral for a blessing from Patriarch Kirill , head of the Russian Orthodox Church.

During the brief service, Kirill compared Putin to Prince Alexander Nevsky, the medieval ruler who “courageously defended their people on the battlefield.”

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Patriarch Kirill, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, has lent a spiritual justification for the war in Ukraine.

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The question now is what the 71-year-old Putin will do over the course of another six years in the Kremlin, both at home and abroad.

Russian forces are gaining ground in Ukraine , deploying scorched-earth tactics as Kyiv grapples with shortages of men and ammunition.

Ukraine has brought the battle to Russian soil through drone and missile attacks, especially in border regions. In a speech in February, Putin vowed to fulfill Moscow’s goals in Ukraine, and do what is needed to “defend our sovereignty and security of our citizens.”

Shortly after his orchestrated reelection in March, Putin suggested that a confrontation between NATO and Russia is possible, and he declared he wanted to carve out a buffer zone in Ukraine to protect his country from potential cross-border attacks.

The Russian government has now been dissolved so that Putin can name a new prime minister and Cabinet.

One area to watch is the Defense Ministry.

Last month, Deputy Defense Minister Timur Ivanov — a protege of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu — was detained on charges of bribery amid reports of rampant corruption. Some analysts have suggested Shoigu could become a victim of the government reshuffle, but that would be a bold move, with the war still raging.

At home, Putin’s popularity is closely tied to improving living standards for ordinary Russians.

Putin on Tuesday once again promised Russians a prosperous future, but since the invasion of Ukraine many have seen the cost of living rise.

Putin began his term in 2018 by promising to get Russia into the top five global economies, vowing it should be “modern and dynamic.” Instead, Russia’s economy has pivoted to a war footing, and authorities are spending record amounts on defense.

Analysts say now that Putin has secured more years in power, the government could take the unpopular steps of raising taxes to fund the war and pressure more men to join the military.

Since the invasion, authorities have cracked down on any form of dissent with a ferocity not seen since Soviet times.

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Putin indicated Tuesday that he would continue to silence critics.

He told his audience in the Grand Kremlin Palace to remember the “tragic cost of internal turmoil and upheaval” and said that Russia “must be strong and absolutely resistant to any challenges and threats.”

Putin enters his fifth term with practically no opposition inside the country.

Laws have been enacted that threaten long prison terms for anyone who discredits the military. The Kremlin also targets independent media, rights groups, LGBTQ+ activists and others who don’t hew to what Putin claims are Russia’s “traditional family values.”

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His greatest political foe, opposition leader Alexei Navalny, died in an Arctic penal colony in February. Other prominent critics have either been imprisoned or have fled the country, and even some of his opponents abroad fear for their security. Some have been killed.

Navalny’s widow, Yulia Navalnaya , released a video ahead of the inauguration in which she said Putin’s promises “are not only empty, they are false.”

Russia, she said, is “ruled by a liar, a thief and a murderer.”

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White House spokesman says US ‘reviewing’ ceasefire proposal Hamas has accepted – as it happened

This blog is now closed. You can follow the latest updates on the Israel-Gaza war in our standalone blog here:

• Israel-Gaza war – live updates
• 2d ago Afternoon summary
• 3d ago Kirby refuses to confirm that US halted large weapons shipment to Israel
• 3d ago Biden told Netanyahu US doesn't want 'major ground operations'
• 3d ago US 'reviewing' ceasefire proposal Hamas has accepted
• 3d ago Hamas accepts an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal
• 3d ago Interim summary
• 3d ago Johnson calls on Columbia’s Board of Trustees to 'immediately remove' university president
• 3d ago Trump held in contempt, again
• 3d ago Columbia cancels main commencement ceremony amid antiwar protests
• 3d ago Mike Johnson faces Republican-led ouster vote as Congress returns this week

US 'reviewing' ceasefire proposal Hamas has accepted

The national security spokesperson, John Kirby, is at the podium taking reporters’ questions for the daily briefing.

Kirby said the US was “currently reviewing” the ceasefire deal that Hamas has said it accepted.

“We’re discussing it with our partners in the region,” he said, and noted that CIA director William Burns was in the region working to reach a deal to temporarily halt the hostilities.

Kirby added that he wouldn’t be able to comment any further on this “until we know where things stand”.

“We want to get these hostages out. we want to get a ceasefire in place for six weeks, we want to increase humanitarian assistance and the last thing that I want to do is say anything at this podium that’s going to put that process at risk, ” he said.

Afternoon summary

The politics liveblog is closing for the day. For updates on the situation in the Middle East, please follow our live coverage here.

The White House said it is “currently reviewing” a ceasefire deal Hamas said it has accepted. This proposal was announced as Israel began to strike targets in Rafah, the southern Gaza city where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge.

The White House said Biden was clear and consistent in a phone call with Netanyahu that the US did not approve of Israeli military operations that would put civilians in Rafah at risk, but he refused to clarify if the US would support a smaller-scale operation.

A US soldier was detained in Russia over the weekend, according to a report confirmed by several US media outlets.

Speaker Johnson and Congresswoman Greene are meeting on Capitol Hill as she vows to press ahead with an effort to remove him from office. She was joined by congressman Thomas Massie of Kentucky who supports Greene’s call for Johnson’s ouster.

Columbia University canceled its main commencement ceremony amid turmoil over pro-Palestinian campus protests.

NBC is reporting that a US soldier was detained in Russia over the weekend, citing three US officials.

According to the report, which Kirby would not confirm during the White House press briefing moments ago, the solider had been stationed in Korea and traveled to Russia on his own and not apart of official military business.

Details are scant, but NBC says he is accused of stealing from a woman. He is one of several Americans held in Russia, among them Wall Street Journal reporter Evan Gershkovich, and former Marine Paul Whelan.

Jean-Pierre was also asked about the South Dakota governor’s suggestion that president’s dog, a known biter named Commander, “be put down”.

The White House press secretary reiterated her dismay at the story of the governor shooting and killing her 14-month old dog, Cricket, and then boasting about it in her book and subsequent interviews.

“This is a country that loves dogs, and you have a leader talking about putting dogs down, killing them. That’s a disturbing statement,” Jean-Pierre said.

She added that Noem “should probably stop digging herself in a hole.”

After roughly two-dozen biting incidents, Commander was sent to live with Biden family members in Delaware, Jean-Pierre said.

Jean-Pierre was asked how the president would address the Holocaust while criticize his administration for being complicit in a military operation that has killed tens of thousands of Palestinians. She emphasized that the president has his “fingers on the pulse as far as what people are feeling.”

“Tune in,” she said.

Karine Jean-Pierre, the White House press secretary, is now at the podium. She previews Biden’s Holocaust Remembrance day remarks, which he will deliver tomorrow: “During these sacred days of remembrance we honor the memory of the 6 million Jews killed in the Holocaust and we recommit to heeding the lessons of this dark chapter. Never again.” She said he would address the Hamas-led attack on Israel on 7 October and the administration’s efforts to combat antisemitism.

She also touted a nationwide drop in violent crime to a “nearly 50-year low.” She attributed the decline to actions the president has taken to crackdown on illegal guns and his efforts to bolster law enforcement.

Asked if the White House is concerned about the situation on college campuses, Jean-Pierre quoted from the president’s remarks last week in which he said he supports free speech but draws a line when it crosses into vandalism or violence.

Responding to Columbia’s decision to cancel its main commencement ceremony, Jean-Pierre said: “It is unfortunate that a small group of people went too far and cost their classmates this important day. … We feel for each of the graduates.”

Kirby said the US does not support Israel’s decision to shutter local operations of Al Jazeera, the influential Qatari-based news network.

“We don’t support that at all,” Kirby said. This was not something the president raised with Netanyahu this morning, he said.

Kirby refuses to confirm that US halted large weapons shipment to Israel

Kirby wouldn’t confirm reporting that the Biden administration halted a large shipment of offensive weapons to Israel, ahead of what appears to be a looming invasion of the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

NBC reported that the shipment included “2,000-pound bombs and other ammunition that would likely be used in Rafah”, citing to senior administration officials said. Axios was first to report the news.

“Our security commitments to Israel are iron-clad,” Kirby said, noting that Biden pushed for the foreign assistance package that passed Congress and included additionally military funding for Israel.

In a back-and-forth with a CNN reporter, Kirby was evasive when pressed on whether the White House would support a “limited” invasion of Rafah. Kirby repeatedly stated that Biden “doesn’t want to see operations in Rafah that put at greater risk the more than a million people that are seeking refuge there”.

Asked if that meant the president could support a smaller-scale operation in the city, he replied: “I think I’ve answered the question.”

He later added: “We don’t want to see operations in and around Rafah that make it harder for the people that are seeking refuge there and shelter to be safe and secure. We have made that case privately to the Israelis. The president did it again today. We’ve certainly made it publicly.”

In an interview with NBC that aired over the weekend, the director of the World Food Program, Cindy McCain, said northern Gaza was experiencing a “full-blown famine” that is rapidly spreading throughout the territory.

“Whenever you have conflicts like this, and emotions rage high, and things happen in a war, famine happens. And so, what I can explain to you is [that] there is full-blown famine in the north, and it’s moving its way south,” McCain said.

On Monday, Kirby pushed back slightly, saying the UN had not declared a famine in Gaza “writ large”. But he added that he did “not want to understate the degree of need here and the dire situation that so many people in Gaza are in, particularly with respect to food and water.”

Biden told Netanyahu US doesn't want 'major ground operations'

Kirby said the president was “very direct” in his conversation with Netanyahu this morning, warning the prime minister again that “we don’t want to see major ground operations in Rafah that put these people at risk.”

“We’ve been very direct and very consistent in our views of concerns about operations in Rafah,” he said.

He also said Netanyahu had committed to opening the Kerem Shalom crossing today, but was not sure if it had been opened yet as of 2.30 EST.

He also noted that when the two leaders spoke earlier, Hamas had not yet announced its response.

Hamas accepts an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal

Here’s the latest from the Guardian’s Middle East blog : Hamas says it has accepted an Egyptian-Qatari ceasefire proposal to halt seven-month war with Israel.

The militant group issued a statement Monday saying its supreme leader, Ismail Haniyeh, had delivered the news in a phone call with Qatar’s prime minister and Egypt’s intelligence minister.

The two Middle Eastern nations have been mediating months of talks between Israel and Hamas. There was no immediate comment from Israel. The US was reportedly waiting to see the terms of the agreement. White House press secretary is due to brief reporters any minute.

For developments on the Middle East crisis, follow the link below.

Interim summary

Attention will turn to Congress this afternoon, ahead of an expected summit between Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene and House Speaker Mike Johnson. Greene has threatened to trigger a vote on Johnson’s removal, but Democrats are expected to provide enough support to keep him in power. Still, Johnson would rather head off a vote if possible and will likely try to persuade Greene against moving forward with the so-called motion to vacate. Greene has not said when she plans to trigger the vote.

Columbia University has canceled its main commencement ceremony planned for next week as pro-Palestinian protests roil the Ivy League institution. Smaller school-level ceremonies will still take place.

Speaker Johnson called on Columbia’s board of trustees to remove the president Minouche Shafik , echoing calls by conservative lawmakers and antiwar protesters furious over her handling of the situation on campus.

A New York judge held Trump in contempt of court , again, slapping him with a fine and threatening jail time if the former president continues to breach his gag order.

Joe Biden spoke with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu this morning. The White House said Israel was committed to ensuring a key crossing into Gaza, Kerem Shalom, was open for trucks carrying humanitarian assistance.

The former lieutenant governor of Georgia, Republican Geoff Duncan, will support Joe Biden in the November presidential election.

“Unlike Trump, I’ve belonged to the GOP my entire life,” Duncan writes in an op-ed for the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. “This November, I am voting for a decent person I disagree with on policy over a criminal defendant without a moral compass.”

Earlier this year Duncan ruled out an independent presidential run under the No Label’s banner.

In the piece, he wrote that he is disappointed that the majority of his fellow Republicans have chosen to fall in line behind Trump, including some of his “fiercest detractors”. He expands on his concerns about Biden and the Democrats’ agenda, but says Trump has “disqualified himself through his conduct and his character.” He cited the former president’s efforts to overturn the 2020 election, his role in the January 6th assault on the US Capitol as well as his handling of the pandemic and his “incendiary” response to moments of national turmoil.

“Trump has shown us who he is,” Duncan writes. “We should believe him. To think he is going to change at the age of 77 is beyond improbable.”

Nathan Wade, the former Fulton County special prosecutor whose affair with District Attorney Fani Willis, said he regrets that their relationship has become a distraction from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump .

“I hate that my personal life has begun to overshadow the true issues in the case,” he told ABC News in his first interview since resigning from the case.

. @ABC NEWS EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: Former special prosecutor Nathan Wade speaks out. “I hate that my personal life has begun to overshadow the true issues in the case.” https://t.co/9cZIiUDeqc pic.twitter.com/ii0zFP63VT — Good Morning America (@GMA) May 6, 2024

A judge ruled in March that Willis could continue to head the prosecution, as long as Wade stepped aside due to a “significant appearance of impropriety” that stemmed from their romantic relationship. They testified that their relationship began in early 2022 and ended in the summer of 2023.

“Workplace romances are as American as apple pie,” Wades said in the interview. “It happens to everyone. But it happened to the two of us.”

Wade resigned following the judge’s ruling, allowing Willis to stay on the case.

Asked in the interview he regretted the affair, Wade said: “I regret that that private matter became the focal point of this very important prosecution. This is a very important case.”

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