News and Opinion

In response to Michael Haldane’s demand for another pro-EU march. This is far too short notice. It’s going to work far better to march on June 23, to protest the loss of our EU rights. Plenty of time to prepare for a big march, plenty of time to respond to what’s unfolding. Julian Skidmore Birmingham […]

Trade talks between the EU and Britain could take ‘three times longer’ than Boris Johnson is planning, a French minister has warned. Johnson has said discussions about the future must be completed by the end of 2020 and that there is ample time to agree a wide-ranging deal. But Amelie de Montchalin said EU member […]

Readers believe the Australian fires are a sign that more focus needs to go on climate change – and that Remainers can play a part in the fight. For over three years now the UK has, in effect, fiddled while Rome burned with endless talk about deals and borders and “taking back control”. Ignoring the […]

Labour leadership contender Clive Lewis has called for a referendum on the future of the royal family. The shadow Treasury minister called for the poll as part of a package of sweeping constitutional reforms, including the introduction of proportional representation. Speaking at a campaign event in south London, Lewis said: “Why not have a referendum […]

US ambassador to the UK Woody Johnson has insisted the America is not trying to ‘buy’ the NHS in a post-Brexit trade deal. The comments are a u-turn on remarks made in the summer when the ambassador said the US would want the health service to be involved in negotiations. Asked if the US wanted […]

Clive Lewis has re-emphasised the need for Labour to work with the Greens and Lib Dems among other parties as he sets out his vision for the party. Speaking on BBC’s Question Time, he said Labour needed to collaborate with “other parties and movements” in order to mount a challenge to the Conservatives in five […]

TIM WALKER says theatre is vital for national morale – and lists his favourite musicals, dramas, and everything stage-centric from the last twelve months. This is the time of year when theatre critics get to say what productions they most enjoyed over the preceding 12 months, and, if you bear with me, I’ll come to […]

A Tory MP who previously participated in the Erasmus scheme as a student has been criticised for voting against protecting the UK’s membership of the scheme in a key Brexit vote. Tory Brexiteer Suella Braverman took up the study abroad scheme while she was studying at Queens’ College in Cambridge. It allowed Braverman to spend […]

Four candidates have reached the number of nominations from MPs and MEPs required to pass through the first round of the Labour leadership contest, the party has confirmed. Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer, business secretary Rebecca Long-Bailey, Lisa Nandy and Jess Phillips have all secured the 22 backers required to continue in the competition. […]

The long but ultimately successful battle to get Britain out of the EU shows pro-Europeans still have plenty to fight for, says Brexit Party official GAWAIN TOWLER. It has been a bruising year for Remainers. Twelve months ago it looked like the People’s Vote campaign, in concert with business, the Lib Dems, the SNP, the […]

MICHAEL WHITE on Boris Johnson’s baptism of fire and the burning challenges of our age Fearless Jess Phillips says that if Brexit proves an economic shambles she won’t hesitate to “fight” for Britain to rejoin the EU. Her frontrunner rival for the Labour leadership, Keir Starmer, argues that the election “blew away” the party’s case […]

Brexit might be happening – but this shouldn’t be the time to stop holding Boris Johnson to account. Has the shock of Johnson’s victory been so overwhelming that both his opponents and the media have given up calling him to account? As early as September 27, it was announced that the Greater London Authority had […]

As a New European reader, you probably reckon you keep a close eye on the continent’s news. Test yourself with our quiz… Think you’re on top of what’s been going on across Europe in the past seven days? Take The New European’s tricky quiz and find out just how much of a Europhile you are…

Mark Francois has been reported to be so determined to ensure that Big Ben rings out as the UK leaves the EU that he will personally ‘take a big hammer up there and bong it himself’. Big Ben bong fans. Understand Mark Francois intends to intervene in the debate shortly to make the case for […]

MPs have backed the government in voting against a popular EU programme which for years has helped students to study in other European countries. The future of the Erasmus study abroad scheme remains uncertain, after MPs have voted against New Clause 10 being read a second time by 344 votes to 254. The clause would […]

Even Leave voters were appalled at the reaction the unofficial Leave campaign has had on the decision of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to step back from senior royal duties. RT if you're terribly sad to see the demise of Meghan Markle's husband, Harry. Pussy-whipped? — Leave.EU (@LeaveEUOfficial) January 9, 2020 Prince Harry and […]

While sailing out to a small archipelago, WILL SELF reflects on Britain’s status, alone in a big sea. Years ago, when I was stopping for the winter in the Orkneys, I became obsessed – after reading a book about them – with the still more remote Hebridean archipelago of St Kilda, and resolved to go […]

Privilege can have drawbacks, as one member of the Italian aristocracy who wanted to carve out her own legacy found. CHARLIE CONNELLY reports on the life of Maria Teresa de Filippis. Maria Teresa de Filippis was the youngest of five siblings, the daughter of an Italian count who had made a fortune in engineering. She […]

PETER TRUDGILL on the archipelago which helped develop the language now spoken in Greece. Great Britain started decolonising its imperial possessions in a significant way in 1947, when British India became the two independent states of India and Pakistan. But there is a very interesting example of British decolonisation which comes from well before that […]

Spoon-bending psychic Uri Geller has called on Dominic Cummings to hire him – because he thinks he can secure post-Brexit trade deals. The 73-year-old illusionist has put his name forward for a role in Boris Johnson’s government after Cummings’ blog post calling for “weirdos” to apply. The prime minister’s key adviser posted an apparent job […]

After suggesting that he may run for the Labour leadership, Barry Gardiner made an appeal for support from a union boss via a live TV interview. 'Len, if you're watching, I'd be very pleased to get a phone call from you'Labour's @BarryGardiner says he would 'love to have the support' of Unite boss @LenMcCluskeyMr Gardiner […]

SOPHIA DEBOICK on the sounds of the Scottish capital Princess Street Garden and Edinburgh Castle, Edinburgh, Scotland When: 16 Jul 2015 – Credit: Archant In the 17th century, Scotland rediscovered itself, and Edinburgh was the centre of that rediscovery. The 1739 publication of A Treatise of Human Nature, by the city’s own David Hume heralded […]

On the 25th anniversary of the comedian’s death, RICHARD LUCK evaluates his varied film career, in which he eventually found his niche. L-R: Jonathan Miller, Peter Cook, Dudley Moore, and Alan Bennett in a sketch from their revue show Beyond the Fringe. (Photo by � Hulton-Deutsch Collection/CORBIS/Corbis via Getty Images) – Credit: Corbis via Getty […]

Google search results can often give an insight into what people are really questioning about the biggest issues of the day. Some of the suggested searches in the Google autocomplete functionality. Illustration by Search Laboratory. – Credit: Archant In 2016, a day after the EU referendum, the top search on Google in Britain asked ‘what […]

ALASTAIR SMART on the long-overdue emergence of Pieter de Hooch from the smothering shadow of his most famous contemporary. Photo: Provided – Credit: Archant It’s easy to see why a new exhibition devoted to Dutch old master, Pieter de Hooch, is subtitled From the Shadow of Vermeer. The two men weren’t just peers but rivals, […]

Benjamin Ivry investigates revived claims that Albert Camus was assassinated by the KGB and considers other material published to mark the anniversary of his death Car of Albert Camus and Michel Gallimard (Photo by RDB/ullstein bild via Getty Images) – Credit: ullstein bild via Getty Images Sixty years after the Nobel Prize-winning French author Albert […]

The House of Lords have been warned by the government to listen to the ‘will of the people’ and back Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill amid concerns they could derail it. Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill is expected to clear the Commons on Thursday after the Tory general election victory gave the prime minister the comfortable […]

Tory minister James Duddridge has been forced to apologise at the despatch box after he took a swipe at former Tory MP Dominic Grieve in the House of Commons. Responding to a question from Grieve’s replacement, the new Conservative MP for Beaconsfield Joy Morrissey, Duddridge said: “I don’t know the honourable lady well, but it […]