British Politics

Labour leader Keir Starmer has ruled out fighting the next general election on issues surrounding Europe, claiming he wants to focus on “Bitain in the 2030s” rather than the views of 2016. In an interview with the Guardian, Starmer dismissed talk of campaigning on Europe in 2024 despite the Brexit deal giving a break clause […]

Boris Johnson is set to tell MPs that the UK will be the “best friend and ally the EU could have” as politicians are set to vote for his Brexit deal. Parliament will be recalled to give its ruling on the trade agreement reached more than four years after the In/Out referendum in 2016. The […]

Labour’s Nadia Whittome has indicated that she will abstain in the vote on Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal in the Commons. The Nottingham East MP said she would not vote for a deal which “fails to protect jobs, workers’ rights, migrants, the environment, our NHS, and my generation’s future”. On Twitter, Whittome wrote: “While I understand […]

The Liberal Democrats have confirmed that they will vote against Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union. In a statement, the party described the Bill as “threadbare” and claimed it is “bad for jobs, business, security and our environment”. A reasoned amendment to the Bill has also been lodged by the party which […]

A former MP has claimed that the Essex town of Clacton was responsible for delivering Brexit. Douglas Carswell, who defected from the Tories to UKIP in 2014 before calling a by-election, claims that his win in that vote caused David Cameron to hold the EU referendum shortly after. The Vote Leave politician, recently appointed to […]

Liz Truss has topped a league table of best-performing cabinet ministers – as voted for by Tory members.  The international trade secretary received an 85% favorability rating in the Conservative Home polling – up ten points compared to a month ago. She is ahead of chancellor Rishi Sunak – only 80% of support – and […]

Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit trade deal with the European Union has won the backing of the European Research Group, who have said the agreement “preserves the UK’s sovereignty”. A self-styled “star chamber” of lawyers – led by senior Tory Sir Bill Cash – was assembled by the ERG to examine the 1,246-page text of the agreement. They […]

The government has signed a deal which will allow British businesses to continue trading with Turkey on the same terms after Brexit. The deal between Ankara and London will roll over the benefits UK and Turkish businesses had while trading with each other when the UK was still part of the European Union. The tariff-free […]

A Labour MP has explained why she will defy the party leadership over Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. Appearing on Channel 4 News, Rupa Huq said she “doesn’t want to be a part” of the consequences of voting to support the deal. “It’s a relief that a deal has been done because obviously if you’re jumping […]

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas has explained why she will reject Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal – saying she wants to avoid being complicit in the creation of a “poorer, smaller UK with diminished global influence”. Lucas, a pro-European campaigner, said that there is no mandate for the agreement the prime minister secured with the EU. […]

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer is facing a high-profile revolt over his decision to back Boris Johnson’s EU trade deal in this week’s Commons vote. Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell and ex-cabinet minister Ben Bradshaw are among the signatories to a letter calling on opposition parties not to support the “rotten” agreement, The Guardian reported. […]

Tory Brexiteers in the influential European Research Group are set to support Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal ahead of a vote in the House of Commons. The prime minister had expected up to 20 of the MPs in the Eurosceptic faction of the Conservative Party to vote against the agreement with the EU, after giving Theresa […]

The DUP has joined a majority of Northern Ireland’s MPs in saying it will not vote for Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. The Democratic Unionist Party announced its eight MPs will vote against the Trade and Cooperation Agreement between the UK and the EU in the House of Commons when it is recalled on Wednesday. An […]

EU ambassadors have given the “green light” to Britain’s post-Brexit trade deal to be implemented from January 1. The move paves the way for the agreement which allows for the continued tariff-free trade with the EU single market to take effect when the current Brexit transition period expires on Thursday. “EU ambassadors have unanimously approved the […]

Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove has rejected claims that Britain’s fishermen will be worse off as a result of the post-Brexit trade deal struck with the EU. Fishermen’s leaders have accused Boris Johnson of betraying the industry over the compromise struck with Brussels over future fishing rights in UK waters. However, Gove insisted they would […]

Tory grandee Lord Heseltine has called on MPs and peers to abstain when voting on Boris Johnson’s Brexit trade deal with the European Union, which he warned will inflict “lasting damage” on the UK. The former deputy prime minister, who campaigned to remain within the bloc, said however that he would not vote against it […]

Members of Labour’s frontbench are preparing to rebel and resign over Keir Starmer’s instruction to vote for Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. The Labour leader is facing a revolt after he said on Christmas Eve he will back the agreement even though he has doubts about the deal. His party is maintaining its stance on voting […]

Boris Johnson’s post-Brexit replacement for the “expensive” Erasmus exchange programme will cost more than £100 million, it has been revealed. The Department of Education (DfE) said the Turing scheme will provide funding for around 35,000 students to go on placements around the world from September. The DfE said the scheme named after Bletchley Park codebreaker […]

Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey indicated the party is likely to vote against the Brexit trade deal with the European Union. He told BBC Breakfast: “If the details turn out to be what we’re hearing, we cannot support it. This will be so bad for British business, so bad for families to mean they’re […]

Scrutiny of the Brexit trade agreement with the European Union has begun after the full treaty was published less than a week before it is due to be implemented. Legal experts and MPs were poring over the 1,246-page document published on the morning of Boxing Day, as Boris Johnson worked to persuade Eurosceptic Tories to […]

Home secretary Priti Patel insisted the Brexit deal will help make the UK safer, despite police chiefs’ concerns about lack of access to a key EU information database. The deal allows the two sides to co-operate on security and policing issues, but Brussels said the UK will no longer have “direct, real-time access” to sensitive […]

Cabinet minister Michael Gove, writing in The Times, has said the government’s Brexit deal will end the “ugly” politics since the 2016 Brexit referendum. The leading Brexiteer said he “won’t deny it’s been difficult” for many people since then. “Friendships have been strained, families were divided and our politics has been rancorous and, at times, […]

An expletive-laden song about Boris Johnson has failed to secure the Christmas Number 1 slot – but still made the Top 5. Boris Johnson Is A F**king C**t was recorded by an Essex-based band with an equally sweary artist name – known as K**t and the Gang. The 56-second medley repeats the title for the whole song […]

Boris Johnson has used a festive message to the nation to urge people to read the new Brexit trade deal after Christmas lunch. The prime minister posted a video on Twitter in which he brandished the document, which has not been released in full yet, and at one point punched the air with enthusiasm at […]

The EU and UK agreement over Brexit allowed both sides to review the deal in four years time – enabling the government to choose a no-deal Brexit or closer alignment The ‘break’ clause will allow the European Union and the UK government to bring the agreement to an end if they are not happy with […]

Sir Keir Starmer said Labour will “accept it and vote for it” when the government’s deal with the EU reaches parliament. Explaining his decision, he said it is not the best deal that was on offer. He said: “It is not the deal that the government promised – far from it. A better deal could have […]

Pro-European campaigners have issued a warning about Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal, after cautiously welcoming the end of the prospect of no-deal. Lord Heseltine, European Movement President, said: “We must welcome the news that Brexit does not end in the chaos of no deal with the sense of relief of a condemned man informed that his […]

Boris Johnson has said he is launching a new scheme to replace the UK’s participation in the Erasmus exchange programme – which had seen participants able to study across Europe. Asked about it at a Number 10 press conference, Johnson said it would be replaced by a worldwide scheme named after Bletchley Park code breaker Alan […]