British Politics

A video from a 2013 debate on Scottish independence has resurfaced and it shows Nicola Sturgeon predicting Brexit and the consequences for her country. The 80-second clip shows Sturgeon telling then secretary of state for Scotland and Liberal Democrat MP Alistair Carmichael that Brexit risked isolating Scotland. In a televised debate on the Scottish independence, Sturgeon, […]

A Labour MP has sent ‘Scrooge’ Jacob Rees-Mogg has a copy of A Christmas Carol after his remarks on UNICEF feeding hungry children in Britain. The Commons leader told MPs it was “a scandal” that the charity had said it would help feed 1,800 hungry children over Christmas for the first time in its 70-year history, calling […]

Voters overwhelmingly want the government to seek an extension to Britain’s Brexit transition period, new polling has found. By more than two-to-one supporters of an extension to the transition period outnumber those that oppose one according to the data from YouGov. The polling was conducted at the end of last week on behalf of pro-European […]

Nicola Sturgeon has hit back at Boris Johnson after he made a Brexit quip about Scotland and fishing quotas. Sturgeon said Johnson could do with a “hairbursh” for Christmas in a dig at the prime minister’s scruffy style. The remark comes as Johnson said Brexit would be a gift for Scotland thanks to all the […]

Boris Johnson will not give in to demands to extend the Brexit transition period despite the coronavirus crisis, Number 10 has said. Downing Street rejected the call and dismissed the idea of a temporary “standstill” period maintaining current arrangements beyond the end of the year. The prime minister’s official spokesman said “time is obviously in […]

When Brexit inevitably goes wrong, who should take the greatest share of the blame? Readers have their say. Ian Dunt is right when he says “It is unsurprising that those who failed to stand up to Brexit are desperately trying to deflect blame when the damage rears into view”. However, I am not so sure […]

Labour leader Keir Starmer has rejected supporting calls for a Brexit extension during the coronavirus crisis – saying that he wants Boris Johnson to deliver his deal. Asked if he would support an extension, he said he wants Boris Johnson to prove he can ‘get Brexit done’ with his ‘oven-ready deal’. He explained: “I don’t want an […]

A Brexiteer MP has come under heavy criticism for suggesting France was “holding the UK to ransom” after it closed its borders into Britain to contain a new strain of the coronavirus. ERG member Andrew Bridgen said France has been acting like “dictators” after it decided to close the Eurotunnel and ban flights from the UK […]

Tory MPs have joined calls for parliament to be recalled to allow politicians to “hold ministers to account” over Brexit and Covid-19 decisions. Former Conservative chief whip – and chairman of the Covid Recovery Group – Mark Harper has led the calls for a recall, while Tory Brexiteer Desmond Swayne has accused the government of […]

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has called on the prime minister to address the nation on coronavirus, saying it is “out of control”. Sir Keir said: “The news over the last 24 hours has been deeply disturbing. The number of coronavirus cases has nearly doubled in the last week. “Over 67,000 people have now tragically […]

JIM CHISOLM on how the media has failed to challenge the narrative behind Brexit – and how the data shows the people wouldn’t vote for it again. “If you tell a lie big enough and keep repeating it, people will eventually come to believe it.” Four and a half years ago, enough people fell for […]

Nigel Farage has lashed out at a Chinese journalist after being called “Trump’s puppet” and a “big joke in Europe”.  Chen Weihua, who works for the Chinese state-controlled outlet China Daily, hit out at the Brexit Party leader after he blamed China for Christmas in the UK being cancelled. Farage’s message came shortly after Boris […]

A senior Tory MP has called for a Brexit extension – claiming it’s “time for maturity”. Simon Hoare, the chairman of the Northern Ireland select committee, said that he wants to see the clock “temporarily stopped” on Brexit talks. The MP for North Dorset said that there is now no time for parliament to scrutinise […]

Dominic Cummings sat on the Cabinet Office salary advisory committee which decided which personnel received the eye-watering pay rises in Downing Street. Government special advisers were paid almost £10 million last year with former chief adviser Cummings paid the equivalent of £140,000-£144,999 – up from £95,000 – £99,999 last year – an increase of 40% on […]

Rhetoric on sovereignty coming from Britain during Brexit talks is “totally pathetic,” the EU vice president has said. Heidi Hautala said there was “no problem” with Britain leaving the bloc to reassert its “sovereignty” as long as it remained open to a fair transition. Speaking with the LBC’s Tom Swarbrick on the day of a new deadline, […]

A pro-Brexit trade unionist has said that Labour adapting a rejoin policy “for the foreseeable future” would be a “suicide mission”. Paul Embery. a trade unionist with the FBU and NUJ, claimed that the Labour Party needs to accept that “we’ve got to stay out of the EU” in a warning to Keir Starmer. Speaking […]

Boris Johnson has been warned that failure to secure a deal and give parliament a vote on Brexit is playing into Keir Starmer’s hands. The Labour leader has been at pains to balance his party’s pro-European outlook with accepting the vote of the June 2016 referendum. But with Johnson’s government unable to fully commit to MPs getting […]

A senior Tory MP has called on Matt Hancock to resign after he introduced a new round of strict coronavirus measures across London and much of South-East England days before Christmas. Sir Charles Walker, vice chair of the 1922 Committee of Tory MPs, made the remarks following the government’s latest lockdown plans. The public has been advised against […]

Transport minister Grant Shapps has dimissed a call to “look at” extending the Brexit transition period to allow for the UK to deal with the Covid-19 chaos. Appearing on BBC Breakfast, Shapps rejected calls from Nicola Sturgeon to ensure the UK is “100%” focused on the coronavirus over the coming weeks. He said: “Nah, I […]

Chaos at the ports due to a ban on freight to France is likely to cause chaos in Kent as the Brexit lorry park created to deal with disruption is not due to be operational until 1 January at the earliest. Countries across Europe have started banning flights from Britain after the disclosure the country […]

Andrew Marr has ripped into health secretary Matt Hancock over the government’s coronavirus response as millions were forced into a new Tier 4 for Covid-19 restrictions. Playing back a clip of Boris Johnson mocking Keir Starmer for wanting to “cancel Christmas” days before the prime minister announced plans to do that, Marr accused Hancock of […]

The last-minute cancellation of plans to allow millions of people to mix over Christmas is the latest in a series of coronavirus policy U-turns to hit England this year. Throughout the pandemic government advice has shifted on a range of issues, as mixed messages triggered frustration and confusion. Here is a summary of some of […]

Boris Johnson has cancelled Christmas for millions of people across London and south-east England after scientists said that a new coronavirus variant is spreading more rapidly – days after mocking Keir Starmer for wanting to “cancel Christmas”. The prime minister announced that from Sunday areas in the South East currently in Tier 3 will be […]

Boris Johnson is set to hold a cabinet call and will later hold a press conference with the chief medical officer Chris Whitty and the chief scientific adviser Sir Patrick Vallance. The prime minister is under growing pressure to further tighten coronavirus rules across England amid fears a new variant is accelerating the spread of the disease. […]

Ministers have been warned of a series of concerns about the “overall state of readiness” for the end of the Brexit transition period in less than a fortnight. Decisions have been made “too late”, communications with businesses have been “patchy at best” and police may be forced to use “slower and more cumbersome” systems, the […]

Two EU citizens have won a Court of Appeal challenge against the government over post-Brexit access to Universal Credit. The court ruled, by a majority, that a refusal to allow two Romanian nationals to access the means-tested benefit amounted to “unlawful discrimination on the grounds of nationality”. The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) said the ruling […]

As the deadline for Brexit trade talks looms, the man who co-founded a grassroots action group in Hertfordshire against leaving the EU has shared his thoughts on the last four rollercoaster years of politics. On the surface, 49-year-old Richard Scott from Harpenden is like any normal family man who “works hard to put food on the table.” He describes his upbringing […]

Sections of Liz Truss’ speech on inequality and discrimination in Britain has been removed from the government’s website. Critics have labelled the speech “bonkers” after the Tory minister claimed pupils at her school were unable to read or write because too much had been taken up learning about racism and sexism. Truss went to school in Leeds […]