Crossing the line

Boris Johnson’s comments about his chief political opponent have added to his troubles. [View in browser]( [Bloomberg]( Follow Us [Get the newsletter]( If he was trying to change the discourse from “partygate,” the U.K. prime minister certainly succeeded. But instead of relieving the pressure, Boris Johnson’s attempt to smear his chief political opponent has only added to his troubles. Key reading: - [U.K. Protesters Chase Starmer After Johnson’s Pedophile Jibe]( - [Johnson’s Brave Face Can’t Hide His Fading Grip on Power]( - [Crisis Deepens for Johnson as Aide Quits Over Pedophile Jibe]( - [Sunak Says ‘Partygate’ Hit Public Confidence in U.K. Government]( - [Johnson Sang ‘I Will Survive’ as He Revamped U.K. Team]( Johnson was already in hot water last week over allegations that he breached his own government’s pandemic lockdown rules, when he stated falsely that Labour Party leader Keir Starmer failed to prosecute a serial child-sex abuser in his former role as director of public prosecutions. The claim was cited as the main reason for a key policy adviser’s resignation later that week among an exodus of aides from Downing Street, further damaging Johnson’s listing premiership. Yesterday evening came an incident that only piles on the discomfort for Conservative MPs who are being asked to continue backing Johnson. As Starmer and the shadow foreign secretary walked in Westminster, they were accosted and chased by a group of protesters accusing the Labour leader of “protecting pedophiles.” Johnson condemned the act in a Twitter post, though calls are growing for him to issue an apology for his remarks. As [Emily Ashton]( reports, the prime minister has no intention of doing so. As the leading face of the Brexit referendum in 2016, Johnson won the vote by bringing a populist touch to U.K. politics that came to be seen as more in tune with Donald Trump’s America than prior Conservative images of Britain as a country of fair play and decency. The latest incident suggests he may have crossed a line. “Johnson accused by own MPs of inciting mob against Starmer,” ran the front page headline in The Times today. Maybe he’ll ride it out. But it’s hard to escape the sense that the cumulative effect of Johnson’s brand of politics will sooner or later see him prised from office. — [Alan Crawford]( A police vehicle escorts Starmer away from demonstrators yesterday in London. Source: Conor Noon via Storyful Click [here]( to follow Bloomberg Politics on Facebook and share this newsletter with others too. They can sign up [here](. Global Headlines Shuttle diplomacy | French President Emmanuel Macron [meets]( Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskiy in Kyiv today after he held about six hours of talks in Moscow with Kremlin counterpart Vladimir Putin to try to ease the crisis over a Russian military buildup near Ukraine’s border. Putin said some of the ideas he and Macron discussed yesterday could form “the basis for future common steps.” - U.S. President Joe Biden said after Washington talks with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz that the Nord Stream 2 natural gas pipeline from Russia to Germany will be [stopped]( if Putin orders an invasion of Ukraine, something Moscow says it isn’t planning. Seeking progress | The U.S. is losing [patience]( with China after it failed to meet purchase commitments under the trade agreement reached during the Trump administration, [Jenny Leonard]( and [Eric Martin]( report. American officials say Washington has engaged with Beijing on the shortfalls but hasn’t seen any real signs of it making good on its pledges in recent months. - The U.S. and Japan reached a [truce]( that will allow most steel shipments from the Asian nation to enter tariff-free for the first time since 2018. A report by the New Climate Institute and Carbon Market Watch finds that 25 of the world’s most valuable companies, which accounted for 5% of global greenhouse-gas emissions in 2019, have climate plans that are [weaker]( than how they’ve been marketed so far. Not moving | Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau took a hard line against trucker protests over Covid health restrictions that have paralyzed the nation’s capital and halted commercial traffic at the busiest U.S. border crossing. Trudeau [warned]( that demonstrators were hobbling the economy and trying to undermine democracy. Explainers you can use - [Covid Vaccine Mandates and the Backlash Against Them]( - [Tougher Antitrust Scrutiny Doesn’t Mean All Deals Are Off]( - [Startup to Build Seaweed Plant to Fight Methane-Belching Cows]( In motion | A [flurry]( of diplomacy as the Iran nuclear talks resume in Vienna today suggests negotiators are trying to close in on a long-sought agreement. With confidence-building gestures by the U.S. and Iran generating new optimism, Tehran and Beijing coordinated strategies, while Putin indicated Russia’s position was closely tracking France’s, [Jonathan Tirone]( reports. - The U.S. plans to [deploy]( F-22 fighter jets along with the guided-missile destroyer USS Cole to help the United Arab Emirates fend off attacks from Yemen’s Houthi rebels. Best of Bloomberg Opinion - [Hong Kong’s Covid Reality Bubble Is Bursting: Matthew Brooker]( - [The U.S. and China Both Have a Talent Problem: Bloomberg Opinion]( - [Diplomacy Can Still Prevent a War in Ukraine: Editorial]( Electoral challenge | Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment that opposition parties were responsible for a migrant worker exodus from India’s cities during a strict lockdown in 2020 has led to a Twitter [spat]( between two state leaders ahead of a slew of local elections. The country’s handling of the pandemic will be one of the biggest mid-term tests for Modi and his party. Bloomberg TV and Radio air Balance of Power with [David Westin]( weekdays from 12 to 1pm ET, with a second hour on Bloomberg Radio from 1 to 2pm ET. You can watch and listen on Bloomberg channels and online [here]( or check out prior episodes and guest clips [here](. News to Note - The European Union’s [proposed]( Chips Act on semiconductors to be unveiled today will include more than 5 billion euros ($5.7 billion) of funding from the bloc’s own budget, sources say, less than 15% of what senior officials say the measure will require. - The Women’s Tennis Association said it wants to speak [privately]( with tennis player Peng Shuai after a Chinese sports official oversaw an interview she gave to a French news outlet. - Hong Kong [extended]( limits on gathering to meetings at private premises for the first time in an attempt to curb socializing as the city fights an unprecedented Covid outbreak. - Eric Lander, Biden’s top science adviser, [resigned]( yesterday after a White House investigation found he had mistreated members of his staff. - Haitian Prime Minister Ariel Henry [dismissed]( calls to step down, saying his priority remains organizing fair elections that will allow the Caribbean nation to emerge from long-running political chaos. And finally ... The world’s shrinking glaciers contain less ice than previously estimated, [highlighting]( a future of tight water supplies as the planet warms, according to a study published in the journal Nature Geoscience. It found, for example, that the 4 million people who live in three catchment basins of the Andes mountains could face water shortages earlier than expected. The Olivares Alfa glacier near Santiago, Chile. Photographer: Tomas Munita/Bloomberg Like Balance of Power? [Get unlimited access to Bloomberg.com](, where you'll find trusted, data-based journalism in 120 countries around the world and expert analysis from exclusive daily newsletters. You received this message because you are subscribed to Bloomberg's Balance of Power newsletter. [Unsubscribe]( | [Bloomberg.com]( | [Contact Us]( [Ads Powered By Liveintent]( | [Ad Choices]( Bloomberg L.P. 731 Lexington, New York, NY, 10022