News and Opinion

ALASTAIR CAMPBELL pleads guilty to creating a ‘tribal Labour’, but says the party now must grow – and not shrink through division. https://twitter.com/jeremyvineon5/status/1215309002692628481?s=11 “Why are you trending on Twitter?” is not the kind of text message you expect when you’re having a few days in the Highlands of Scotland, avoiding the news, trying not to […]

The communities secretary has been quizzed after he appeared to have launched the government’s Towns Fund in a city. In a new trailer for Series 5 of The Thick Of It, the Government minister Robert Jenrick explains the Government decision to launch their 'town of the year' contest In Wolverhampton - which was made a […]

Tory Brexiteers are calling for Union flags to be flown from all public buildings on January 31st – and for new beers to brewed to mark the occasion. Tory MP Kate Griffiths called for a special Brexit pint to mark the historic moment. In the House of Commons she asked the Brexit secretary to support […]

Boris Johnson has said he will not extend the Brexit transition period beyond the end of the year, despite warnings from Brussels it would be ‘impossible’ to get a trade deal by then. After his first meeting with new European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen in Downing Street, the prime minister said that he […]

MPs have voted down an amendment to the Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) which would have given them basic oversight on the process of Brexit negotiations. And in further #NewsFromTheChamber:Tory MPs vote to give themselves *less* say on our future relationship with EUWhat did they enter parliament for? Don't they want a say?Thanks to the 251 […]

The proroguing of parliament was the moment the Remain movement became something even bigger, says Mia Jankowicz. It shows exactly where our energy must go now. By the end of this month there will be no Remain cause to fight for. What there will still be, however, are an awful lot of us Remainers. So […]

BONNIE GREER says we need to move on from blaming Corbyn for Brexit, and move on to closely scrutinising the Tories. I hesitated about beginning this article reflecting on what will now happen to the ‘Remain movement’ by mentioning an argument I had on the subject, and the outcome of last month’s election, while in […]

It could be too late to stop Brexit, but it’s not too late to build a better world. JAMES BALL says there’s plenty for Remain to get started on. Welcome to a new decade, one in which the UK will cease to be a member of the European Union before we end its first month. […]

It was a mistake of Remain MPs to back Article 50 because the majority did. ANDREW ADONIS says Remainers can’t repeat the same mistake now Brexit is a certainty. Grief and bereavement take a while to overcome. Sometimes they are never overcome. The best advice one can give to the Remain movement is: ‘No sudden […]

There could be a seventh candidate in the Labour leadership contest – shadow international trade secretary Barry Gardiner. The Brent North MP, who has developed a following on the left of the party for his defence of Jeremy Corbyn’s policies, has said he is “considering it at present”. Such a move could damage support for […]

A Remainer has heavily criticised plans for Brexit celebrations in Parliament Square on January 31st to a ‘forced marriage’. The panel on Jeremy Vine on 5 were discussing Nigel Farage’s plans for a celebration in Westminster on the day the UK is expected to leave the EU. Anti-Brexit commentator Yasmin Alibhai-Brown said any attempts to […]

The House of Commons have failed to prevent another win for Boris Johnson’s government over Brexit. The government comfortably defeated opposition attempts to amend the Withdrawal Agreement Bill after two days of debate at committee stage, where MPs had the chance to assess the legislation line by line. It will undergo report stage, where further […]

The Scottish parliament has rejected Boris Johnson’s proposals for taking the UK out of the EU. Having urged MSPs to vote to refuse consent to the bill, Mike Russell, Scotland’s constitutional relations secretary, described the legislation as “uniquely offensive to Scottish democracy”. They voted to reject Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill by votes to 92 […]

Despite it being a key demand of Brexiteers, MPs have been told the government has made no attempt to make Big Ben chime on January 31st. Conservative former minister Mark Francois has led efforts within parliament for Big Ben to bong at 11pm on January 31 to mark the UK’s departure from the EU. He […]

The leader of the house has released the parliamentary recess calendar to MPs – who of whom has noted there is ‘generous’ time away from the House of Commons before the summer. Recess dates just announced by Jacob Rees Mogg. Good for House staff and members to know in advance but Jeezo they are being […]

Emily Thornberry has given the most brutal assessment of Jeremy Corbyn out of all of the leadership contenders so far. While Rebecca Long-Bailey gave Jeremy Corbyn a ’10 out of 10′ rating, Clive Lewis said he would give the current leader a “six out of 10” because of his position on Brexit and anti-Semitism. But […]

Who is on Question Time tonight? Here’s your guide… The BBC’s flagship current affairs programme tonight comes from Oxford, hometown of Hugh Laurie. But who will be a runaway hit like House – and whose appearance will be swiftly consigned to history like Maybe Baby? Here’s your complete guide to the panel… Brandon Lewis Who? […]

A former UKIP spokesman has endorsed the idea of a national holiday to celebrate what Leave supporters are describing as ‘independence day’. My feeling is that June 23rd should become our annual Independence Day bank holiday (or the Mon after it should in years when that date falls on a Sat or Sun). Scrap the […]

MPs have rejected Labour’s call to put key rights for child refugees back into Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill (WAB) by a majority of 96. The pledge, to guarantee the right of unaccompanied child refugees to be reunited with family living in the UK, was removed from the WAB after the Conservatives’ overwhelming general election […]

Lisa Nandy has received an unwelcome endorsement from far-right Katie Hopkins after she criticised every other candidates with the exception of the MP. Hopkins had a long list of derogatory remarks to make about all of the candidates – Keir Starmer, Rebecca Long-Bailey, Jess Phillips and Emily Thornberry – and said that Clive Lewis was […]

STEVE ANGLESEY asks why the MP and Labour leadership candidate seems to have been selected for special treatment by trolls and cranks. Jess Phillips has an IQ of only 36. The social media posts supporting her run for the Labour leadership are amplified by bot accounts, paid for by the Tories, the Russians and Rupert […]

The unions affiliated to Labour are split over which candidate to support as the next Labour leader. While Len McCluskey’s union Unite looks like to back the “continuity candidate” Rebecca Long-Bailey, Unison have opted to support Sir Keir Starmer. Unison is the largest union out of the affiliated groups and their endorsement of Sir Keir […]

Ursula von der Leyen has warned that the free trade deal between the UK and the EU may not grant the ‘highest quality access’ if Boris Johnson refuses to allow flexibility on the end date of the transition period. In a press conference at her alma mater the London School of Economics, von der Leyen […]

A Brexiteer has argued a pro-Brexit political commentator by claiming it was wrong to celebrate Brexit Day. Marion called Jeremy Vine’s Channel 5 programme to claim that she voted Leave but was not going to be celebrating the result on January 31st. She said that people won’t know ‘for years’ whether the result was the […]

The first prime minister’s questions of 2020 was dire, but at least it was over quickly John Bercow’s final prime minister’s questions clocked in at 71 minutes, seven minutes longer than the previous record, as MPs wanted to once again pay their obsequious tributes to the ongoing speaker and Bercow, ever gracious, allowed them. But […]

Boris Johnson has claimed it is ‘absolute fiction’ that he is unable to stand up to Donald Trump. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn accused Johnson of prioritising a trade deal with the United States over standing up to president Donald Trump. Corbyn used Prime Minister’s Questions to ask: “Isn’t the truth, Mr Speaker, that this Prime […]

Ursula von der Leyen has expressed enthusiasm about a possible form of ‘associate EU citizenship’ but said that the ‘bitter truth’ is that it must come as part of wider negotiations. The newly-anointed president of the European Commission spoke at a press conference at the London School of Economics prior to her meeting with Boris […]

The relationship between Holyrood and Westminster is at a ‘low ebb’ and has deteriorated since Boris Johnson’s election victory, a Scottish minister has said. Mike Russell claimed the UK government had shown devolved nations ‘scant – if any – respect’ and predicted it will ignore the Scottish parliament’s views on the Brexit deal. With MSPs […]