Boris Johnson interviewed as No 10 prepares to publish Northern Ireland protocol bill – UK politics live | politics

Nick Ferrari tells his LBC audience that they will be hearing from Boris Johnson “later in the show”.

This is from Rachel Reevesthe shadow chancellor, on today’s GDP figures.

These figures will add to the worry families are still feeling about their own finances and the long term health of our economy. They will also add to growing concern about abysmal growth and plummeting living standards under the Conservatives.

Instead of properly addressing the structural weaknesses and insecurity they’ve created, all the Conservatives use are sticking plasters. Labor will create a stronger, more secure economy by boosting our energy security, supply chain security and business security.

We were told to expect Boris Johnson on LBC at 8.20am. As often happens, he’s late. He was too late for his Good Morning Britain interview, but that time he had food poisoning as an excuse.

Buenos dias. Boris Johnson is being interviewed by Nick Ferrari on LBC shortly. Johnson tends to grant interviews like this only reluctantly, and his last major intervention by him in the morning broadcast round – his interview with Susanna Reid on ITV’s Good Morning Britain last month – was n’t a great success. But, a week after the no-confidence vote, Johnson is keen to show that his government has not run out of steam.

There is plenty for Ferrari to ask him about. The Northern Ireland protocol bill is being published today, and Archie Bland has a good preview in his First Edition briefing on it.

Ferrari may ask about data out this morning showing the size of the economy shrank in April. That means it has been contracting now for two months in a row.

The government is publishing its food strategy, which has been criticized by its lead adviser on food issues. We preview that here.

And, of course, the controversy about the plan to fly asylum seekers to Rwanda for the first time tomorrow continues, with two legal challenges still underway.

Here is the agenda for the day.

8.20am: Boris Johnson is interviewed on LBC.

10am: The court of appeal hears an appeal against the high court decision on Friday to allow the deportation of asylum seekers to Rwanda. In a related move, Asylum Aid launches a fresh attempt to get an injunction to stop the deportations at the high court at 2pm.

11.30am: Downing Street holds a lobby briefing.

Afternoon: Liz Truss, the foreign secretary, publishes the Northern Ireland protocol bill. Ministers do not normally make Commons statements to accompany the publication of a bill, but Truss is expected to record a clip for broadcasters.

4pm: Michael Gove, the leveling up secretary, gives a statement to the Commons leveling up committee about the leveling up bill.

I try to monitor the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have a direct question, do include “Andrew” in it somewhere and I’m more likely to find it. I do try to answer questions, and if they are of general interest, I will post the question and reply above the line (ATL), although I can’t promise to do this for everyone.

If you want to attract my attention quickly, it is probably better to use Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow.

Alternatively, you can email me at [email protected]