Boris Johnson news – live: Labour slams ‘serious’ security risk as PM’s mobile number on internet for 15 years

The Independent’s morning politics round-up is a must for anyone interested in Westminster.

If you haven’t already, sign up here for Adam Forrest’s Inside Politics newsletter:

The UK government would make its problems worse by refusing a second Scottish independence referendum, a former SNP Westminster leader has suggested.

Angus Robertson, who lost his Moray seat in 2017, made the comment on the BBC’s Newsnight programme.

“If the Government in London decides that it is going to ignore the democratic wishes of the people in Scotland, that’s extremely serious and poses, I think, a bigger problem for Boris Johnson and the Tories,” he said.

“What at the present time is an independence question moves into becoming a democracy question, and that’s something London won’t be able to control at all.”

Pushed back by a year due to the pandemic, local elections will be held on Thursday.

Here’s Vincent Wood with what to look out for on 6 May:

Labour has suggested that the government’s catch-up tuition programme is “failing”, since it has helped only one cent of students in England.

Kate Green, the shadow education secretary, said the National Tutoring Programme had a “woefully low reach” and was “failing to deliver on its promises for children and families”.

“We have seen failure upon failure from this Conservative government which has treated children as an afterthought throughout the pandemic and now has no plan to deliver a strong recovery,” she added.

My colleague Zoe Tidman reports:

The health secretary has given social care providers his word that the Government will deliver reforms to put the sector on a “firm footing for the years to come”.

Matt Hancock told a Association of Directors of Adult Social Services conference that social care reforms are “more important than they’ve ever been”.

In a recorded video message, he said: “Caring for others, in my view, is one of the most noble vocations of all. During this pandemic, the work you’ve done has protected so many people who’ve been at greatest risk from this deadly disease.

“You have my word that we will back you throughout the rest of this pandemic, and we will make the reforms that are needed to put social care on a firm footing for the years to come.”

The Government has said it will set out its plans for long-term reform of the sector later this year.

More now on the security warnings, after it emerged Boris Johnson’s mobile number has been online for well over a decade.

Peter Ricketts, who served as David Cameron’s national security adviser from 2010-12, said that the PM’s number must be known to “hundreds, if not thousands” of people.

Warning that Johnson should be taking steps to be “much more digitally secure than seems to be the case now”, Lord Ricketts said: “I think one would be worried if a hostile state who had sophisticated capabilities, had the mobile phone number itself.”

Our political editor Andrew Woodcock has more on the security fears:

Voters across Britain are heading to the polls on 6 May for a great swathe of elections, with the spring contests dubbed “Super Thursday”.

Our correspondent Ashley Cowburn has taken a look at some of the key battlegrounds in England – the mayoral races – and who is on course to claim victory.

The SNP’s Westminster leader Ian Blackford has urged the new Downing Street ethics adviser to urgently investigate Boris Johnson’s text correspondence on Covid contracts – before he has any chance to disposes of his mobile phone.

In a letter to Lord Geidt, Blackford said publishing such correspondence should be an urgent priority, claiming there was a risk that evidence could “go missing”.

“As an absolute priority, the UK government’s new independent advisor for the ministerial code must investigate the prime minister’s private correspondence on Covid contracts – before Boris Johnson disposes of his mobile phone.”

Chancellor Rishi Sunak said he believed all security protocols had been followed when asked about the revelation that Boris Johnson’s phone number has been available online for 15 years.

“As far as I’m aware all security protocols have been followed,” he said, campaigning in Hartlepool for next week’s by-election.

Sunak suggested voters weren’t interested in security or sleaze claims.

“Part of what makes the prime minister special is that he is an incredibly approachable individual. You see it wherever he is out and about, people feel they can relate to him, they can talk to him, they can tell him what’s on their mind.”

Asked about the PM’s phone number being on the internet, Labour leader Keir Starmer said: “It’s obviously a serious situation. It carries a security risk. And he was warned about it. That tells its own story.”

Campaigning at a boxing gym in Hull, Starmer told reporters: “I think a lot of people will be concerned not just about who’s got the number but who’s been using it.

“Because what’s come out in recent weeks is privileged access – those that can WhatsApp the Prime minister for favours.”

Starmer added: “I changed my number when I became director of public prosecutions and I’ve kept my number secure since then.”