Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Sunday, Jun 01, 2025

Boris Johnson 'stable' in hospital and does not have pneumonia, Downing Street says

Follow the latest developments as we wait for updates on the condition of the prime minister after his coronavirus symptoms worsened, here is a full summary of the Downing Street lobby briefing.
Boris Johnson does not have pneumonia, Downing Street has said. Until now ministers and No 10 have refused to give a clear answer to this question. But asked if the PM has been diagnosed with pneumonia, the PM’s spokesman said: “That is not the case, no.”

The spokesman said that Johnson was “stable” overnight and “remains in good spirits”.
Downing Street has signalled that it does not want to take up Donald Trump’s offer of experimental coronavirus drugs for Boris Johnson.

Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, would take over if Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary who is deputising for the PM, got ill, the spokesman said. The spokesman said there was an established order of precedence in the government.

After Raab, Sunak, is the next most senior person in the government, the spokesman said. (The spokesman sidestepped a question about who was next in seniority, and “how long it would take before Thérèse Coffey took charge”, but the order of precedence is normally the order in which ministers are listed on the official No 10 website. In theory, after Sunak, Priti Patel, the home secretary, and Michael Gove, the Cabinet Office minister, are next in seniority - in that order. Coffey is 11th on the list.)

Raab does not have the authority to “hire and fire” people in government while he is deputising for the PM, the spokesman said.

The spokesman played down the prospect of the government announcing plans for an exit strategy from the lockdown anytime soon. He said that no was not the time to focus on this.

The spokesman refused to say when the government would announce whether or not the lockdown measures are being extended. When they were announced by the PM, they were scheduled to run for a three-week period which will be over next Monday. The spokesman said that announcement about whether they would be extended would not necessarily come that day. He did not rule out it happening this week.

He claimed there was no legal need for the lockdown to be renewed. [This is true in the short term, but the Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020, which give legal force to the lockdown measures in England, do have to be reviewed every 21 days, with the first review due by 16 April. And the regulations expire after six months.]

The spokesman refused to speculate on suggestions that schools could be opened before other lockdown measures are reversed (a proposal backed by University College London research published today).

The spokesman rejected claims that the PM was getting special treatment at the St Thomas’ Hospital. When asked about claims that a ventilator was being set aside for the PM, the spokesman said there was “significant spare capacity” available in hospitals, including ventilators.

The spokesman rejected claims that No 10 has not been fully frank with the media about the PM’s health. “We have a commitment to be as transparent as we can be throughout this process,” the spokesman said.
We have been fully frank with you throughout.

We have issued you with regular updates on the prime minister’s health.

His condition worsened yesterday afternoon. A decision was taken that he needed to be moved to an intensive care unit at around 7pm.

We informed you all as soon as was practically possible. We have a commitment to be as transparent as we can be throughout this process.

The spokesman said Raab would be able to authorise military action in the PM’s absence. The spokesman said that, if a national security council was needed, Raab would chair it in the PM’s absence. There was a robust national security architecture in place, the spokesman said. And he said it had the authority and ability to respond to a military threat in the PM’s absence.

The spokesman said Johnson had not spoken to Raab today.

Raab will not participate on the PM’s behalf in the weekly audience with the Queen, the spokesman said. The spokesman said that it has been agreed with Buckingham Palace that these weekly audiences will be suspended while the PM is ill.

The spokesman said Raab was feeling fine.
Sir Mark Sedwill, the cabinet secretary, is working as usual, the spokesman said. But he said Dominic Cummings, the PM’s chief adviser, was still staying away from the office. Asked about the shortage of staff in No 10, the spokesman said it was “fully operational”.

Dominic Raab will lead the press conference later at 5pm. He will be joined by Prof Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser, and Prof Patrick Vallance, the government’s chief scientific adviser.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
OPEC+ Agrees to Increase Oil Output for Third Consecutive Month
Turkey Detains Istanbul Officials Amid Anti-Corruption Crackdown
Meta and Anduril Collaborate on AI-Driven Military Augmented Reality Systems
EU Central Bank Pushes to Replace US Dollar with Euro as World’s Main Currency
European and Arab Ministers Convene in Madrid to Address Gaza Conflict
U.S. Health Secretary Ends Select COVID-19 Vaccine Recommendations
Trump Warns Putin Is 'Playing with Fire' Amid Escalating Ukraine Conflict
India and Pakistan Engage Trump-Linked Lobbyists to Influence U.S. Policy
U.S. Halts New Student Visa Interviews Amid Enhanced Security Measures
Trump Administration Cancels $100 Million in Federal Contracts with Harvard
SpaceX Starship Test Flight Ends in Failure, Mars Mission Timeline Uncertain
King Charles Affirms Canadian Sovereignty Amid U.S. Statehood Pressure
Iranian Revolutionary Guard Founder Warns Against Trusting Regime in Nuclear Talks
UAE Offers Free ChatGPT Plus Subscriptions to Citizens
Lebanon Initiates Plan to Disarm Palestinian Factions
Iran and U.S. Make Limited Progress in Nuclear Talks
The Daily Debate: The Fall of the Dollar — Strategic Reset or Economic Self-Destruction?
Trump Administration's Tariff Policies and Dollar Strategy Spark Global Economic Debate
OpenAI Acquires Jony Ive’s Startup for $6.5 Billion to Build a Revolutionary “Third Core Device”
Turkey Weighs Citizens in Public as Erdoğan Launches National Slimming Campaign
Saudi-Spanish Business Forum Commences in Riyadh
Saudi Arabia and Spain Sign MoU to Boost SME Sectors
UK Suspends Trade Talks with Israel Amid Gaza Offensive
Iran and U.S. Set for Fifth Round of Nuclear Talks Amid Rising Tensions
Russia Expands Military Presence Near Finland Amid Rising Tensions
Indian Scholar Arrested in Crackdown Over Pakistan Conflict Commentary
Israel Eases Gaza Blockade Amid Internal Dispute Over Military Strategy
President Biden’s announcement of advanced prostate cancer sparked public sympathy—but behind closed doors, Democrats are in panic
A Chinese company made solar tiles that look way nicer than regular panels!
Indian jet shootdown: the all-robot legion behind China’s PL-15E missiles
The Chinese Dragon: The True Winner in the India-Pakistan Clash
Australia's Venomous Creatures Contribute to Life-Saving Antivenom Programme
The Spanish Were Right: Long Working Hours Harm Brain Function
Did Former FBI Director Call for Violence Against Trump? Instagram Post Sparks Uproar
US and UAE Partner to Develop Massive AI Data Center Complex
Apple's $95 Million Siri Settlement: Eligible Users Have Until July 2 to File Claims
US and UAE Reach Preliminary Agreement on Nvidia AI Chip Imports
President Trump and Elon Musk Welcomed by Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim with Cybertruck Convoy
Strong Warning Issued: Do Not Use General Chatbots for Medical, Legal, or Educational Guidance
Saudi Arabia Emerges as Global Tech Magnet with U.S. Backing and Trump’s Visit
This was President's departure from Saudi Arabia. The Crown Prince personally escorted him back to the airport.
NVIDIA and Saudi Arabia Launch Strategic Partnership to Establish AI Centers
Trump Meets Syrian President Ahmad al-Shara in Historic Encounter
Trump takes a blow torch to the neocons and interventionists while speaking to the Saudis
US and Saudi Arabia Sign Landmark Agreements Across Multiple Sectors
Why Saudi Arabia Rolled Out a Purple Carpet for Donald Trump Instead of Red
Elon Musk Joins Trump Meeting in Saudi Arabia
Trump says it would be 'stupid' not to accept gift of Qatari plane
Quantum Computing Threatens Bitcoin Security
Michael Jordan to Serve as Analyst for NBA Games
×