News and Opinion

Boris Johnson has been called on by a Brexiteer MP to prioritise ‘bygones’ in his government’s promised review of the relationship between government, the constititon and the law. 'We should have a commitment to abolish the Supreme Court'Tory MP Desmond Swayne tells ITV News the Supreme Court 'well overstepped the mark' in its prorogation judgement […]

Like the Star Wars director, the Labour leader is happy to ignore previous events and play to the fanboys Jeremy Corbyn is channelling J.J. Abrams. Bear with me on this. But the inescapable conclusion to draw from today’s bromidic PMQs is that the Labour leader has been studying the Star Wars director’s playbook. Abrams made […]

Labour leadership contender Lisa Nandy has attacked Remainers in her party for not doing enough to fight for the UK’s place in the world – despite herself backing a soft-Brexit. Nandy is trying to win over disaffected party members in the North of England by criticising the pro-Remain campaigners in the race who spent too […]

The Greater London Authority has reportedly granted permission for Nigel Farage to hold a Brexit party in Westminster on January 31st. Farage tweeted claiming the Brexit “celebration” had been approved and will take place in Parliament Square to mark the moment the UK leaves the EU. “It is a big moment in the history of […]

Ministers have met Lord Alf Dubs in attempts to argue that his amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB), which protects child refugee rights, would weaken the government’s negotiating hand in EU trade talks. Home Office ministers tried to persuade the peer into dropping the amendment, which aims to ensure unaccompanied refugee children have the […]

In a bizarre moment of television Piers Morgan has trolled Mark Francois by playing out a recording of the bongs of Big Ben. Mark Francois is trolled by Piers Morgan on Good Morning Britain. Photograph: ITV. – Credit: Archant Femi Oluwole and Mark Francois were invited on ITV’s Good Morning Britain to discuss the campaign […]

More than 60,000 people have joined the Labour Party in the last month – with insiders believing a majority are joining to attempt to change the direction of the party. The Sun reports some constituency Labour parties have seen the membership swell by more than 100 members in the last four weeks. Previously party grandees […]

Twitter reacted with bafflement at the latest Daily Express front cover which called for Big Ben to chime on Brexit day. The front reads: 3,338 days ago the Daily Express urged ‘Get Britain out of the EU.’ When the clock strikes 11pm on January 31, our blessed freedom from the confines of Brussels will be […]

Boris Johnson’s appeal for people to ‘bung a bob for a Big Ben bong’ has received a muted response on crowdfunding websites. Big Ben has been silenced since 2017 with renovations under way, but hardliner Brexiteers have called for the work to be paused so the bell can ring in the new relationship at an […]

The great European astronomer Caroline Herschel discovered more than eight comets. CHARLIE CONNELLY adds to her star-borne legacy “At the heavens there is no getting, for the high roofs of the opposite houses.” It was Boxing Day, 1822, when Caroline Herschel wrote these words in a letter to her nephew. She was 72 years old […]

The German city has had a long association with elegance and fashion, and a more recent one with ground-breaking music. SOPHIA DEBOICK reports. Berlin might have a reputation as the gritty home of Germany’s musical cutting edge, but on the other side of the country is a small, chic city that has produced some of […]

Sigmund Freud once said subtle differences, between Scots and Brits, Spaniards and Portugese, had a function. WILL SELF says it went too far with Brexit. As time’s arrow flies inexorably towards the end of the month, and Britain’s departure from the European Union, I can’t be alone in wondering whether there will be blood in […]

James O’Brien has raised concerns for protesters’ rights after Priti Patel defended a police decision to add Extinction Rebellion to an anti-terror watch list. The LBC presenter said he was “scared” about the consequences of such an action on not only the environmental protest group whose supporters are “made up of an awful lot of […]

The anti-Brexit cause might seem entirely lost. But history provides many examples of unlikely comebacks. RICHARD LUCK picks out 10 of the most memorable, to serve as inspiration. The 1981 Ashes “The only thing better than winning is coming from behind to win.” Those words were spoken by Australian cricket legend Steve Waugh, which is […]

Jess Phillips has called for a culture change after a Labour member claimed there had been anti-Semitic abuse at a local Labour party meeting. Their motion claimed that there was 'no antisemitism in the Labour Party' and the proposers used multiple antisemitic tropes to make their point that the Board of Deputies is a 'Tory […]

The EU’s chief Brexit coordinator has suggested that Boris Johnson take a leaf from the Queen’s book and demonstrate ‘flexibility’ in by allowing more time for negotiation during the Brexit transition period. In the debate on citizens’ rights in the Withdrawal Agreement – the final in which British MEPs will participate – he suggested that […]

Brexit Party MEP Claire Fox has accused Nigel Farage of ‘whipping up fear’ during the EU referendum campaign. Fox, who joined the Brexit Party shortly after it was formed in 2019, said that the one thing that made her “pause” before getting on board with Farage was his work during the EU referendum campaign. Speaking […]

Irish premier Leo Varadkar is expected to call for a general election on February 8th. Speculation has grown after pictures emerged early on Tuesday of staff erecting campaign posters of Varadkar in his constituency before the Dail had been dissolved, or the Taoiseach had visited the president. It is understood Varadkar will visit Aras an […]

Boris Johnson has confirmed he will hold trade talks with the US at the same time as the EU – in case they fail. The prime minister said it was “epically likely” that the UK would strike a comprehensive trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020 – when the transition period ends. […]

Remainers have ridiculed the latest merchandise line from pro-Brexit group Leave.EU which claims the job is now ‘done’. The group is looking to cash in on Britain’s departure from the European Union on January 31st, launching a series of mugs and t-shirts with the message “job done” and the date of January 31st 2020. “See […]

Boris Johnson has suggested that the public can crowdfund the £500,000 costs of bonging Big Ben to celebrate the UK’s exit from the EU. Following calls from arch-Leave MP Mark Francois to strike the bell at 11pm on January 31, the prime minister said the government is working up a plan for people to contribute […]

Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee have revealed details of how and when the leadership contest will work. People can join through the Labour Party website for £4.38 a month – but only have until Monday 20th January at 5pm to be eligible to have a say in the postal ballot. This marks a change from […]

AC GRAYLING established himself as a leading thinker of the Remain campaign. He argues that the cause is not lost and that it is well worth continuing the fight. Will the UK – or the countries of the British Isles, if the UK separates into its currently constituent parts – rejoin the European Union? The […]

Prime minister Boris Johnson has said that he does not know when the report into Russian interference in British democracy will be released. Appearing on BBC Breakfast Johnson was asked when it would be released, after the prime minister appeared to finally authorise the release when he was re-elected in December. “You promised it wouldn’t […]

The latest batch of commemorative 50p coins to mark Brexit should be melted down for a third time because they mark ‘division not unity’, a former civil servant has claimed. A rethink was urged by Lord Butler of Brockwell, who said they would “not promote reconciliation or commend us to our neighbours in the EU”. […]

A meeting of the House of Commons Commission has ruled that Big Ben will not ring on January 31st due to financial and logistical issues. The issue was discussed at a meeting of the House of Commons Commission on Monday after it was revealed that it would cost £500,000 – up from the original estimate […]

John Heartfield pioneered the use of art as a weapon of politics. JAMES BROWN reports on a new show which underlines how relevant his work remains The 1937 anti Nazi poster “Die Saat des Todes” – The Seeds of Death by 1937 by John Heartfield. Shows a skeleton in tin helmet sowing swastikas. In the […]

How will Iran’s Middle East network react to the killing of their creator, asks Vladimir Rauta? A gamble, a shot in the dark, a risky move. Since the assassination in Baghdad of Qasem Soleimani, speculation has mounted that the ensuing crisis could lead to a regional or international war. Iran’s initial reaction – missile attacks […]