British Politics

Dominic Raab has admitted the government is struggling to get the coronavirus “under control”. The foreign secretary said he hoped the government could get Covid infection rates stable by Christmas. Speaking with BBC Breakfast‘s Charlie Stayt, Raab said: “A stitch in time saves nine. We want to make sure that as we go into Christmas that we’ve […]

Spitting Image have released new puppets representing cabinet members in Boris Johnson’s government. Michael Gove was said to be extremely “flattered” to be a puppet, despite the use of two genitals to form his face. Dominic Raab on Spitting Image Dominic Raab was represented as a karate black belt – a nod to his participation […]

The government has been defeated by peers demanding a ban on the use of pesticides in its flagship Agriculture Bill for farming standards after Brexit. The House of Lords voted by 276 to 228, majority 48, for a cross-party amendment to require the Secretary of State to outlaw the use of chemicals close to the public, aimed […]

Nicola Stugeron has announced a ban on household visits across Scotland to help bring coronavirus “back under control”. The new regulations are set to come into effect on Friday, although it is being urged people comply from Wednesday. Speaking at the Scottish parliament, Sturgeon announced further measures to tackle rising Covid-19 cases including all bars and […]

Farage cut short a telephone call with a BBC journalist investigating one of the organisation’s top donors. In a recording of the conversation, Farage said he was aware Christopher Harborne, who donated £10 million to the Brexit Party in the lead up to the 2019 general election, had two separate identities but refused to be interviewed […]

Tory ministers have joined backbenchers in predicting that Boris Johnson will not last the full parliament through until 2024. Tory ministers doubt Boris Johnson’s ability to last until 2 BBC Newsnight reports that ministers have joined disgruntled backbenchers in doubting Johnson’s ability to lead the UK through until 2024, saying he is now in a […]

Keir Starmer has attacked Boris Johnson’s track-record of ‘incompetence’ and ‘bendy banana’ myth-making during his first party conference speech as Labour leader. Keir Starmer attacks Boris Johnson over history of lies to s Starmer gave a scathing assessment of the prime minister’s handling of the pandemic and of his Brexit “bluster” as he attempted to […]

Andrea Jenkyns MP misspelt the word “British” in an attack against O’Brien online, prompting a wave of ridicule online.  Jenkyns, who is deputy chair of the pro-Brexit European Research Group (ERG), hit out at the radio presenter for a tweet in which he suggested the Tory MP’s real Twitter account was “a million times better […]

May, now a Tory backbencher, gave a stinging analysis of the internal market bill which, if enshrined into law, will override key aspects of the Withdrawal Agreement. Speaking in the Commons, May claimed the controversial bill would cause “untold damage” to the United Kingdom. “The government is acting recklessly and irresponsibly with no thought for the […]

I don’t know about you, but I rather miss being bored by British politics. For the last couple of decades, I’ve been obsessively following American political developments; in fact, for much of the early part of the period I paid rather more attention to events across the pond than to what was happening over here. […]

Sir Keir Starmer has used his “virtual” party conference speech to declare that Labour is “under new leadership” as he pleads with voters who switched allegiances under Jeremy Corbyn to return to the party. Starmer: Second national lockdown would be sign of governmen In his first set-piece speech since taking the helm, Sir Keir said […]

Boris Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings has been seen flouting coronavirus guidelines once again. Cummings was spotted heading to Downing Street walking side-by-side with his assistant Cleo Watson, ignoring the “one metre plus” rule set by his government. The breach of rules was reported on Good Morning Britain as the footage aired. “Is he off to Barnard […]

With Keir Starmer self-isolating, it was the turn of Labour’s deputy leader Angela Rayner to face Boris Johnson at the despatch box. It could all have been so different. Had the Labour deputy leadership election gone the Corbynistas’ way, it would have been Richard Burgon facing Boris Johnson at prime minister’s questions today. Richard Burgon, […]

Angela Rayner has taken a swipe at Dominic Cummings while scrutinising the government’s coronavirus testing system during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). Filling in for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer who was forced to self-isolate, Rayner did not miss a beat in pressuring the prime minister over news people with Covid system in England were unable […]

Boris Johnson has agreed to a compromise with Tory rebels over Boris Johnson’s controversial Brexit bill. The proposals would give MPs a vote before Downing Street tries to use powers to break international law, a joint statement from Downing Street and Conservative MPs Sir Bob Neill and Damian Green said.  The joint statement reads: “Following […]

Boris Johnson has refused to say when his government will launch a coronavirus inquiry. The prime minister said it would “not be a good use of official time” to launch an inquiry. Appearing in front of the all-powerful Liaison Committee, Johnson said: “Of course, we will have an inquiry into everything that has gone wrong […]

A government-backed satellite project to rival the EU’s has been scrapped and labelled nothing more than a “vanity project” by a former Tory defence minister. Theresa May’s plan for Britain to have its own GPS satellite navigation system has been ditched, leaving many in Whitehall pressuring the government to rejoin the EU’s Galileo programme. May […]

Northern Ireland minister Brandon Lewis has dismissed claims that Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill will not break international law, adding the government’s legal advice states it clearly will. Speaking to a Commons committee on Northern Ireland, Lewis contradicted home secretary Priti Patel and Tory peer Richard Keen – the Tory advocate general for Scotland – over […]

Devies MP Danny Kruger was snapped not wearing a face covering on a journey from Hungerford to Paddington on Saturday. The passenger posted a photo of Kruger hunched over his phone listening to music, writing: “Don’t blame it on the young people Boris when your own party aren’t even following your rules.”  The photo received […]

Another top Tory legal official has resigned over Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill. Lord Richard Keen, who is the Tory advocate general for Scotland, said he had handed in his resignation Wednesday morning. Speaking to the Scottish paper the Press and Journal, he said: “I tendered my resignation to the prime minister first thing this morning, […]

A Labour MP has pleaded with Boris Johnson to be a ‘real’ prime minister and unite the nation ahead challenges it faces concerning Brexit and the coronavirus. Chris Bryant became emotional when he begun speaking about the hardship his Welsh constituency of Rhondda faced during an appearance on Sky News. Talking to host Kay Burley, […]

Boris Johnson could be preparing to concede to amendments to his Brexit bill being proposed by Tory rebels, reports have suggested. The FT is reporting the prime minister could concede to a demand by Tory MP Bob Neill that would force the government into seeking parliamentary consent before breaking the Withdrawal Agreement. It is reported […]

Prime minister Boris Johnson has admitted that leaving Brexit trade talks without a deal is “not what this country wants”. Johnson was appearing before the liaison committee when he answered questions on criticism he has faced from his five living predecessors over the UK internal market bill.The prime minister said he had “enormous respect” for […]

Transport secretary Grant Shapps has been mocked after suggesting the removal of graffiti from trains will see more people take the train. BBC News reports the minister told rail bosses to do more to crack down on such acts to encourage more to start using trains again.He claimed that maintaining stations to a high standard […]

Angela Rayner will take on Boris Johnson at Prime Minister’s Questions as Keir Starmer continues to wait for a coronavirus test result for a family member. Rayner, his deputy, will take to the despatch box while he remains in self-isolation. Sir Keir was advised to self isolate on Monday after a member of his household […]

The minister for patient safety Nadine Dorries has been urged to apologise to Labour’s Nadia Whittome who was sacked from a care home during the pandemic for speaking out about the shortage of personal protective equipment (PPE). In May, the Nottingham East MP returned to the frontline to use her experience as a care worker […]

As someone who is passionately pro-European, the Brexit process is painful enough as it is. Now, the government are rubbing salt into the wound. Breaking international law is a new low.The UK has left the EU. All that needed to be done, voters were told,was for Boris Johnson to implement his “oven ready” deal, including […]

People should stop their “endless carping” about a lack of Covid-19 tests, Jacob Rees-Mogg has said, as Labour warned that a second spike is likely. Commons leader Rees-Mogg claimed the “phenomenal success” of Britain’s testing system should be celebrated. But after the government announced restrictions in north-east England, shadow health secretary Jon Ashworth warned: “It’s […]