Monday morning UK news briefing: Boris Johnson faces Cabinet backlash over Chris Pincher allegations

Boris Johnson is facing a Cabinet backlash over his handling of allegations against Chris Pincher, amid anger among ministers at being asked to defend the affair.

Speaking to the Telegraph on Sunday night, sources close to three Cabinet ministers criticised the Prime Minister's decision to appoint Mr Pincher to the role of deputy chief whip and expressed dismay at having to publicly answer questions about what Mr Johnson knew about claims of sexual impropriety.

Read why one source said Mr Johnson has found himself in a "completely invidious position".

Mr Pincher, who resigned as deputy chief whip on Thursday, has been suspended from the Conservative Party and faces a formal investigation after claims he had drunkenly groped two men at an event at the Carlton Club.

Therese Coffey, the work and pensions secretary, said people should go to the police if they think they are a victim of sexual assault.

The scandal is whipping up a frenzy of, to say the least, contentious responses from figures in Westminster.

Conservative whip Sarah Dines has been criticised by her own MPs for questioning the sexuality of an alleged victim of Mr Pincher after a reported incident last week.

Meanwhile, Diane Abbott has claimed the Prime Minister is "rumoured to be one who likes assaulting women" live on a BBC radio programme.

It may be no surprise that Mr Johnson could face another no confidence vote this month.

Nick Timothy says we can rebuild this society, but only by restoring moral standards.

The Telegraph View on the Chris Pincher affair is that the Prime Minister must be firm on misbehaviour.

Union vows to oppose night flights to ease travel chaos

Plans to relax rules on night flights to help ease travel chaos over the summer holidays risk igniting a fresh row with unions, the Telegraph can reveal. Airlines are given quotas for the number of flights that can run between the hours of 11.30pm and 6am at major airports such as Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted. These limits can lead to flights being cancelled if they are delayed. However, amid mounting concern over travel chaos in the summer, the Department for Transport said it will consider temporarily suspending rules on night flights to mitigate disruption at airports during the peak season. Read what unions think of the plans and what have been Britain's busiest air routes this summer.

Barker moved to tears as McEnroe goes off script

It was a moment to mark Centre Court's 100th anniversary but as past champions were rolled out, the most rapturous ovation was given to a tearful Sue Barker. The outgoing face of the BBC's tennis coverage was touched when three-time champion John McEnroe went off-script to pay tribute to his 66-year-old friend. It came after the father of Nick Kyrgios accused Wimbledon umpires of double standards and claimed that his controversial son would have been instantly disqualified on Saturday night if he had smashed a ball into the crowd. Kyrgios was outraged when Stefanos Tsitsipas lashed out at the end of the second set. Less the 24 hours after the controversy, British No 1 Cameron Norrie showed tennis's more wholesome side as he surged into the quarter-finals with a straight-sets win over his American pal Tommy Paul.

Daily dose of Matt

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Also in the news: Today's other headlines

Prince Charles | A series of property deals involving the Prince of Wales and a multi-millionaire Tory peer who was awarded an honour at Buckingham Palace, is being investigated by a charity watchdog. Havisham Properties, which is owned by recruitment tycoon Lord Brownlow, spent £1.7 million between 2012 and 2017 buying up 11 houses in Knockroon, Ayrshire, from a subsidiary of the Prince's Trust.

• Ukraine war | Russia has now 'liberated' half of the Donbas

• Accounts hacked | British Army hit by cyberattack on social media

• 'Narrow focus' | Covid obsession let polio spread, says McVey

• World's largest waterlily | Under Kew botanists' noses for 177 years

• Mensa's youngest genius | Two-year-old girl with high IQ

Around the world: Shopping mall shooting kills three

Three people have been shot dead at a shopping centre in Copenhagen. A 22-year-old "ethnically Danish" man was arrested in connection with the shooting at Field's mall in the Danish capital on Sunday. Danish police said three others remained in a critical condition. Copenhagen police inspector Soren Thomassen said it was too early to speculate on the motive for the shooting, which happened in the late afternoon at one of the biggest shopping malls in Scandinavia. When the shots rang out, some people hid in shops while others fled in a panicked stampede, according to witnesses. See pictures of the emotional scenes.

CREDIT: EPA-EFE

Comment and analysis

• Tim Stanley | English complacency is the SNP’s greatest weapon

• George Eustice | British tech can solve the world's food crises

• Bryony Gordon | Post-Covid, I’ve got summer FOMO again

• Shane Watson | The rise of Unacceptable Pickiness

• Reader letters | GPs are quitting because expertise is going to waste

Today's PlusWord – and yesterday's solution

Try today's PlusWord, which our deputy puzzles editor Michael Baker solved in 1min 2sec. Can you beat him? Yesterday's solution: CLIFF.

Sport briefing: Zhou hails 'Halo' after car flips in crash

Zhou Guanyu, the rookie Formula One driver, hailed the 'Halo' for saving his life after the overhead safety device twice prevented horror at a packed Silverstone. The British Grand Prix was brought to a halt as Zhou ploughed over a tyre barrier upside down, shortly before a dangerous track invasion by oil-use protesters. F1 and Silverstone were left breathing a major sigh of relief, however, that both Zhou and Formula Two driver Roy Nissany - also in a death-defying crash - left the circuit without even a bruise. Watch the crash and see the wreck of Zhou's car.

Editor's choice

1. Silent killer | How salt crept back into our diets – and 11 easy ways to cut down

2. Unable to concentrate? | The secret supplement that can fix brain fog

3. The Railway Children Return, review | Why make a British classic about American racism?

Business briefing: Britain urged to back factory bid

A group trying to take over one of Britain's last fertiliser plants will this week appeal to Boris Johnson for support after ministers refused to back the rescue bid. For the last six months, a group of UK investors, backed by former Army chief Lord Dannatt, has been holding talks with US giant CF Industries about buying the Ince plant in Cheshire, which is a key supplier of carbon dioxide to industry. Read why a deal must happen within weeks. Meanwhile, Britain's defence industry is still being held back by "bonkers" ESG rules despite hopes that Russia's invasion of Ukraine would prompt a rethink among investors. It comes as British banks have made more profit than French rivals for the first time since 2015, despite efforts by EU officials to shift more jobs out of London.

Tonight's dinner

Salad niçoise | Enjoy this classic French salad made with super fresh ingredients.

Travel tips: 20 amazing American holidays

The US is such a popular destination for British tourists – almost five million of us go there every year in normal circumstances. So familiar is the land of Mickey Mouse, of the Empire State Building, of Venice Beach, of Sunset Strip, that it feels more like a next-door neighbour than a trans-Atlantic entity. There has not been a better time to visit across the pond in years. Chris Leadbeater rounds up 20 amazing holidays.

And finally... for this morning's downtime

The nemesis of 'middle-class' theatre | The great director Peter Brook, who has died at 97, went to war against "niceness" and sent shock waves through the establishment. Dominic Cavendish reveals his mission to rid the world of comfortable storytelling.