Labour has faced crises before, but this is uncharted territory September 18, 2018 After a summer of turbulence, the Labour party conference will get underway in Liverpool next week. The stories swirling around the run-up centre on the current maelstrom of fanatical support for Jeremy Corbyn, the increasing despondence of moderate MPs, accusations of antisemitism at the heart of the party, all against a backdrop of online discussion [...]
Brexit: EU has let ‘cat out of the bag’ over Irish border solution, claims Theresa Villiers September 17, 2018 The EU has been accused of letting the "cat out of the bag" after a leaked Brussels document suggested technology could solve the Irish backstop issue in the Brexit talks. It has been reported the EU chief's negotiator Michel Barnier is prepared to accept technology could be used to monitor goods moving between Northern Ireland and mainland [...]
Theresa May ‘irritated’ by talk of leadership challenges September 16, 2018 Prime Minister Theresa May has said she gets “irritated” by speculation about her position as leader of the Conservative Party, as she heads towards a crucial crunch meeting with EU leaders later this week. In an interview to mark six months until Britain is due to leave the European Union, May slapped down former foreign [...]
London mayor Sadiq Khan joins calls for second referendum on Brexit September 16, 2018 The mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, has joined calls for a second referendum on the UK’s membership of the European Union, claiming the Conservative Party has been left with only “incredibly risky” options for Brexit. Khan, one of the Labour Party’s highest-ranking politicians, wrote in The Observer that an opportunity for the “best possible” Brexit [...]
Mark Carney says Chequers-style Brexit could ‘bounce’ UK economy by £16bn September 15, 2018 Bank of England (BoE) governor Mark Carney has said the UK economy could enjoy a £16bn "bounce" if Britain negotiates a trade deal along the lines of Theresa May's Chequers proposal. Details have emerged from a leaked cabinet meeting in which the Bank of England boss revealed he thought May's plan, which seeks a free trade area [...]
Russia would consider UK request to interview Novichok suspects September 14, 2018 The Kremlin today said it will consider any request made by the UK to question two Russian men allegedly behind the nerve agent attack in Salisbury. "Without doubt if such a request is made it will be looked at by the Russian side in strict accordance with Russian law,” said Dmitry Peskov, President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson. [...]
To win the Brexit prize, ditch Chequers and go back to the drawing board September 14, 2018 In all the confusion and turbulence that has accompanied the negotiations with the EU in recent months, we seem to have forgotten the Prime Minister’s Lancaster House speech, and in particular its important reference to what Theresa May called the Brexit “prize”. That prize must include the ability to improve our own domestic economy: by [...]
Britain’s hostility to international students puts trade deals at risk September 13, 2018 Some 11 years ago, in parliament, I personally spearheaded the change in rules to allow international students to automatically stay on in Britain and work for two years after graduation. Sadly, this was removed by the government in 2012, under the then home secretary Theresa May. Today, that inward-looking attitude hasn’t changed. This week, the [...]
Theresa May bans water cannon use in England and Wales after London mayor Boris Johnson authorised the Metropolitan Police to buy three last year July 15, 2015 It's a case of egg on the face for London mayor Boris Johnson today, after home secretary Theresa May banned the use of water cannon on the British mainland today. May said the weapons should not be used as a part of riot control techniques, citing safety fears as a major factor. In the House [...]
Theresa May is pushing for snooping powers but the independent reviewer is not so convinced June 11, 2015 Home Secretary Theresa May is continuing her push for further web surveillance powers to counter terrorism, but the independent watchdog has raised some serious questions about her plans in a new report. David Anderson QC, the author of the government-commissioned but independent report , says: There should be no question of progressing proposals for the [...]