News and Opinion

The senior MP behind the bill that would stop a no-deal Brexit has said Boris Johnson must seek an extension or resign. Hilary Benn said if the prime minister does not do so then MPs will “seek remedy” before the courts. Speaking at the Great Northern Stop Brexit rally in Leeds, Benn said Boris Johnson […]

A convention of people called Nigel is set to take place after it was revealed the name is at threat of becoming extinct. Nigel Smith, landlord of the Fleece Inn in Bretforton, Worcestershire, is break a record for the number of Nigels in the same place. The event was first launched by Smith last year […]

American television continues to make light of the way the British political system is operating, with this week’s twists and turns over Brexit providing plenty of entertainment. Daily Show presenter Trevor Noah described the UK’s attempts to leave the European Union as the “world’s most unsolvable puzzle”. Turning his attention to Boris Johnson, Noah told […]

Boris Johnson could end up in prison if he ignores the law to force a no-deal Brexit and it ends up in court. The House of Lords passed a bill on Friday effectively blocking a no-deal Brexit, paving the way for it to become law. But, according to the Daily Telegraph, Johnson wrote to Tory […]

BONNIE GREER on why the grassroots are not a good place for a black presidential candidate to be. A few stats about California, the Golden State… n Last year it emerged that its GDP had surpassed that of the United Kingdom. If California was a country it would be the fifth most productive in the […]

The party’s position on Europe has been widely criticised but the shadow Brexit secretary has performed well in difficult circumstances, argues former Labour MP Dick Leonard, and deserves an even bigger role One hundred years ago, early in 1919, the pioneering sociologist, Max Weber, delivered a lecture, Politics as a Vocation, at the University of […]

Former Tory MP Sir Nicholas Soames has launched a scathing attack on both Jacob Rees-Mogg and Boris Johnson. Johnson, a former journalist, is said to model himself on wartime prime minister Churchill in his manner and bombastic style of public speaking and even wrote a biography on the British hero, whose statue graces Parliament Square. […]

With a law to stop a no-deal Brexit set to gain royal assent, and opposition parties refusing to support a general election, what could happen next? – A general election is triggered on September 9 The government has tabled another motion under the Fixed-term Parliaments Act on Monday which seeks to trigger an early general […]

A social media stunt by the Conservative party featuring a mocked-up image of Jeremy Corbyn in a chicken suit has gone even more awry after a photographer has claimed that they didn’t even pay for the image rights. The Tories have been doubling down on the “chicken” insult made by Boris Johnson to Corbyn in […]

The original versions of redacted documents used in a court case by the government have come to light, and it turns out that a sexist jibe aimed at David Camerson was covered up. Johnson called Cameron a “girly swot” in a handwritten note discussing the value of the September parliamentary session he had been planning […]

What’s your take on the events of the week? Give us your views on the key questions that arose for Remainers this week, on everything from the Kinnock amendment to which was the best among a smorgasbord of stirring Commons speeches. Got other views? Email us at letters@theneweuropean.co.uk

Readers have their say on the ‘stop the coup’ protests – and say that it is the perfect opportunity to win over Brexiteers. Last Saturday I protested at the ‘Stop The Coup’ march in Birmingham. However, unlike many I took the view that this wasn’t just about Brexit, it was about upholding the basic values […]

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…

The House of Lords has approved a law which would force prime minister Boris Johnson to seek a delay to Brexit if he fails to deliver a deal before October 31st. After the Tories dropped filibustering amendments earlier in the week the bill sailed through the House of Lords, with no formal vote at the […]

Former Tory leader Sir John Major has unleashed a scathing attack on the PM’s aide, branding him ‘a political anarchist’ and calling for his dismissal. In a speech in Glasgow to the CBI he said that Johnson’s advisers could “poison the political atmosphere beyond repair”. “The legitimate concerns of those who have been banished from […]

The House of Lords has voted to keep the Kinnock amendment despite the very disorderly circumstances in which it was passed, blaming the ‘guillotine of prorogation’ for tying the Commons’ hands. The Lords rejected by a majority of 221 a bid to remove the amendment, which obliges a vote on Theresa May’s Withdrawal Agreement, even […]

The Conservative Party has shared a picture of Jeremy Corbyn dressed as a chicken on Twitter and copied in the fast food chain KFC. KFC make use of a photograph of Jacob Rees-Mogg as part of many memes about the politician. Photograph: Twitter. – Credit: Archant The official Twitter account for the Tories said: “Hey […]

Opposition parties have opposed Boris Johnson’s call for a general election, despite a planned fresh bid to try and make one happen before October 31st. Jeremy Corbyn spoke with the leaders of the main opposition parties to discuss their resistance to holding a vote before the prospect of a no-deal Brexit on October 31 is […]

Heads are spinning after five years’ worth of Brexit events seem to have been packed into the last week alone. From impassioned speeches, party defections, and numerous other humiliations for Boris Johnson, can you get these questions right?

Wetherspoons has cut the average price of its beer by 20p a pint in a bid to demonstrate how leaving the customs union can reduce costs… but can you spot the flaw in the argument? The chain’s Brexit-supporting chair Tim Martin said leaving the customs union on October 31 would allow the government to end […]

Anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller has vowed to carry on fighting Boris Johnson’s plans to suspend parliament for five weeks – as she pledges to appeal a judge’s decision that the move was ‘lawful’. Lord Chief Justice Lord Burnett, Master of the Rolls Sir Terence Etherton and President of the Queen’s Bench Division Dame Victoria Sharp […]

With fluffed lines, a fainting police officer, and widespread criticism from senior police figures, Boris Johnson’s latest campaign stunt has backfired spectacularly. Mr JohnsonYou don't have to say anything, but using Police Officers as political football is totally out of orderParticularly as Your Govt demolished their numbers, 800+ police stations & created 1000s more victims […]

The government’s call for a general election on October 15th was partly intended to restrict the number of students who would vote, an aide has reportedly admitted. The Times reports that the team behind Boris Johnson’s election campaign having an early date would restrict the number of students registering to vote, with many being unable […]

TIM WALKER gives a glowing review of playwright Andre Bovell’s newest ‘epic, big screen’ play. It was the playwright John Osborne who observed that it was a gift from God to be born English. Stiff upper lips, Spitfires, Scott of the Antarctic and sanctimoniousness: we’ve always been encouraged to believe that we’re superior to everyone […]

Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry has signalled that Labour will oppose an early election in Monday’s vote. Thornberry said Boris Johnson was “as slippery as can be” and could not be trusted over the timing of polling day. She told the Today programme: “The possibility of having a general election obviously is extremely attractive, but […]

The hashtag #PleaseLeaveMyTown became the top Twitter trend in the UK on Thursday after Boris Johnson was confronted several times in Yorkshire. Boris Johnson was setting the scene for a “people versus parliament” election strategy when BBC footage caught the moment a member of the public shook his hand and said: “Please leave my town.” […]

Two young audience members on Question Time have been praised by Remainers for having the most sensible perspectives on the Brexit crisis. In an episode full of confusion, bickering and arguments around Brexit and a general election, it was down to the audience to provide the clarity. One gentleman told the panel, which featured the […]

History is unlikely to judge former prime minister David Cameron well. But as the former PM gets ready to tell his side of the story in a new book, JOHN KAMPFNER has a stab at what it might contain In the admirable updated edition of the Guilty Men, the latter-day Cato the Younger (a pseudonym […]