British Politics

MPs have voted 357 to 268, a majority of 89, to reinsert a controversial section of the UK Internal Market Bill which enables ministers to breach international law over Brexit. The House of Commons restored sections of the Bill removed by peers, as talks between the UK and EU continue in search of a deal […]

The government has been defeated in the Lords over giving parliament a bigger say in the approval of post-Brexit trade agreements. Peers backed by 308 votes to 261, majority 47, a cross-party amendment to the Trade Bill calling for greater accountability and transparency of deals. The legislation will enable the UK to forge new commercial […]

Shadow chancellor of the Duchy Rachel Reeves has put down James Cleverly over his claim that the “oven-ready deal” promised at the last general election had been delivered. Cleverly, appearing on BBC Breakfast earlier, said that Boris Johnson’s comments only related to the Withdrawal Agreement and not a Brexit deal overall. He said: “That ‘oven-ready’ that […]

A charity that advocates for migrant rights’ has launched legal action against Priti Patel arguing the EU Settlement Scheme (EUSS) causes unlawful discrimination. The Joint Council for the Welfare of Immigrants (JCWI) is calling on the home secretary to scrap or at least extend the scheme beyond June 2021.   They warn failure to do so could result in tens of thousands EU nationals losing […]

The government’s decision to review the country’s human rights laws has been branded “bonkers” by Labour, with campaigners warning it would be a “giant leap backwards” if they were torn up. Former Court of Appeal judge Sir Peter Gross will lead a panel which will consider whether the Human Rights Act needs to be reformed, some […]

Rupert Murdoch’s latest television news channel has been given the go-ahead by Ofcom and could start broadcasting as early as spring 2021. News UK TV is competing against Andrew Neil-backed channel GB News to be first on-air. Both outlets believe there is a gap in the market for right-leaning television news channels aimed at Britons […]

The government has said it is prepared to remove three controversial clauses from the UK Internal Market Bill following discussions in the Withdrawal Agreement Joint Committee, providing a Brexit deal is agreed with the EU. In a statement, the government said: “Discussions continue to progress and final decisions are expected in the coming days. “If […]

President-elect Joe Biden has become more popular than Donald Trump ever was during his presidency, a new CNN Gallup poll has found. Biden received a 55pc approval rating, having jumped six percentage points since the election, while Trump shrunk to 42pc, down three points since November 3. Trump’s highest rating was 50pc in a Bloomberg […]

David Davis has caused a stir after claiming that Britain has maintained a “civilised approach” to Brexit talks, before saying that the European Union had not. Penning an article for The Sun the former Brexit secretary wrote in support of a no-deal Brexit, claiming current negotiator Lord Frost had “played a blinder” and that Britain “had nothing […]

Downing Street has finally acknowledged for the first time that leaving the EU on an ‘Australia-style’ deal is the equivalent of a no-deal Brexit, but still insists the UK can “prosper” from it. As what is meant by the definition, the prime minister’s official spokesperson said: “As a matter of fact, Australia does not have a comprehensive […]

A Brexiteer MP has been described as “thick as two short planks” after suggesting tariffs on EU goods would help Britain cover export costs after it leaves the trading bloc. Andrew Bridgen has become the centre of ridicule after suggesting Britain could use levies imposed on EU-imported products to reimburse exporters hit with new fees […]

Boris Johnson’s official spokesperson has said that the prime minister has accepted that food prices will rise if the UK leaves the post-Brexit transition period without a trade deal in place. He referred reporters to environment secretary George Eustice saying there would be a less than 2% rise on some products as a result of […]

Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice has been challenged after suggesting Britain fast-tracked a coronavirus vaccine thanks to Brexit. Politics Live presenter Jo Coburn swiftly rebuffed Tice who suggested Britain was able to speedily approve a vaccine because it was no longer part of the EU. Tice was echoing comments made by the health secretary last week that […]

A former Tory minister has told a Twitter user to “get stuffed” after the politician denounced the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement. Simon Clarke, a former communities minister until he resigned in September, tweeted in support of environment secretary George Eustice, who refused to criticise Millwall fans when they booed players taking the knee. Eustice told Sky News […]

Labour’s minister for faith has resigned and apologised for making “misjudged” comments relating to gay marriage. Janet Daby said last week that registrars who have a religious objection to same-sex marriages should be protected from losing their jobs if they refuse to certify the partnership. The Lewisham East MP said she “sincerely” apologised for the […]

Former BBC politics presenter David Dimbleby has rated Boris Johnson’s government the lowest of the low. Dimbleby, who covered every general election for the broadcaster between 1979 and 2017 as well as hosting the EU referendum coverage, said it had been the worst administration he had witnessed since he was born in 1938. Asked by Krishnan […]

Nigel Farage has been reminded of his poor record of attending fisheries meetings as an MEP after slamming Boris Johnson’s potential Brexit deal climbdown. The Brexit Party leader was criticised for a tweet he made slamming news of a potential compromise over fishing rights in UK waters, which has been a stumbling block in trade talks. Responding to […]

Jurgen Klopp has complained about new post-Brexit transfer rules after the Football Association (FA) announced Brexit would have ramifications for English football. The FA, alongside the Premier League and EFL, confirmed this week that English clubs cannot sign foreign players until they are 18, or more than three overseas players under 21 in a single […]

James Cleverly has struggled to explain how the UK will access the coronavirus vaccine – which is produced in Belgium – in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Cleverly said stocks of the vaccine would be flown into the UK should a no-deal Brexit occur but stopped short of explaining other methods were being considered by the government. […]

Boris Johnson is reportedly preparing to pull out of Brexit talks in the next 48 hours if the European Union does not agree to his demands. The Sun reports that Johnson will end the negotiations between the United Kingdom and European Union by the middle of the week if there is no further progress. It […]

Piers Morgan had the perfect response to government minister James Cleverly after he was questioned about ministers preparedness for a no-deal Brexit. Answering questions from Morgan on Good Morning Britain, Cleverly dismissed questions about a document showing “reasonable worst-case scenarios” surrounding no-deal Brexit. He was asked who would be held accountable if the document, first […]

Foreign Office minister James Cleverly has insisted that Boris Johnson has delivered his “oven-ready” Brexit deal, and that the UK still “holds all the cards” in talks with the EU. Cleverly appeared on BBC Breakfast amid questions over whether Brexiteers were right with their predictions that it would be the “easiest deal in history” and that the […]

Readers respond to Rishi Sunak’s latest spending review. The biggest public sector debt in history! What sickens me is the failure to acknowledge the outright lies of the coalition government in cutting back services now seen as essential. Health and social care, police, youth clubs, mother and toddler groups and all the multitude of services […]

Readers have their say on how Labour should vote on any Brexit deal. Let us assume, as Alastair Campbell does, that the government reaches a deal with the EU. It is sincerely to be hoped that the Labour Party does not support any such arrangement. To reject a bad deal is not only in the […]

Nearly three-quarters of the Britons do not want US healthcare companies to be given increased access to the NHS, a new poll has found. Polling commissioned by anti-privatisation campaigners We Own It found 73pc of respondents did not want US companies to be allowed to offer NHS services, compared to 13pc who do. The poll comes amidst fears […]

Donald MacIntyre on how Britain’s reputation is changing in the eyes of the world Although he was one of the most celebrated British diplomats of the era, few now remember how explosive was the leaking of the farewell telegram the UK ambassador to Paris Sir Nicholas (Nico) Henderson wrote about Britain’s international standing for his […]

A Tory MP has admitted there could be Brexit food shortages after the Brexit transition period ends on December 31 given many lorry drivers plan to “give Britain a miss” in January and February. Former Conservative minister Damian Green made the claim as he discussed the impact of Brexit on his Ashford constituency in Kent, […]

Windrush victims have hit out at home secretary Priti Patel after she said conflating them with criminals who are being deported was “not only misjudged and upsetting but deeply offensive”. Glenda Caesar, 59, who lost her job as a GP administrator when the Home Office wrongly decided she had no right to work in the […]

In the 12 months since the 2019 general election, Boris Johnson has seen his party’s poll lead drop from double-digits to level-pegging with Labour. The Tories had opened up a large gap in the polls by the end of 2019, boosted by the personal appeal of Johnson and a successful election campaign message of Get […]

Conservative Party members have rated Boris Johnson as one of the least popular figures in cabinet, according to a new survey. The monthly poll by ConservativeHome found Johnson, polling at a satisfaction rating of 2.6, was only slightly more popular than health secretary Matt Hancock (0.4) and housing minister Robert Jenrick (-1.8). Party chair Amanda Milling received -14.6 while education […]

The Brexit deal we end up with won’t be worth the paper it’s written on, and Boris Johnson is to blame, writes LUISA PORRITT, the Liberal Democrat candidate for mayor of London. Like many Brits, I have been on a streaming spree of The Crown over lockdown. For those who haven’t been watching, the latest series […]

A Brexiteer economist who said Britain’s fishing industry had been “decimated” by the EU has been urged to review his facts. Liam Halligan, an economist and Sunday Telegraph writer, claimed Britain had a “colonial relationship” with the EU over fishing rights. Appearing on BBC 1’s Question Time, Halligan said: “Two-thirds of fish in British waters are caught by […]