British Politics

A majority of Britons think the UK is heading “in the wrong direction” for the first time this year, new polling has revealed. More than half of Britons, 53%, fear their country is going the wrong way – up eight points since August – while less than a quarter, 18%, feel it is. The Ipsos MORI […]

Many years ago now, I was on a panel at a sceptics’ conference with, among other luminaries, professor Richard Dawkins (it’s on YouTube if you look for it). Towards the end of the discussion we were asked if there could be a version of ‘God’ which we could find easier to believe in than those […]

A cabinet minister has refuted calls to provide the science behind the government’s 10pm curfew decision – insisting it was a “commonsensical view”. Robert Jenrick insisted the approach was similar to “well-run, sensible, rational governments” when he was asked to defend the measure. He told Sky News: “There is a commonsensical view that given that the virus thrives […]

A former Brexit Party MEP who has refused to apologise for historical support of the IRA bombing in Warrington that killed two children has taken her seat in the House of Lords. The appointment of Claire Fox to the unelected chamber has sparked controversy, with Labour branding it “an insult to the people of the […]

Winston Peters – leader of the New Zealand First party – has long been described as a populist, both in New Zealand and internationally. At different times during his career he has embraced the label. As he said recently, populism to him “means that you’re talking to the ordinary people and you’re placing their views […]

Liz Truss has accidentally announced that new post-Brexit trade deals will “undermine” British farmers during a debate in the Commons. The international trade secretary was answering a question on whether a new trade deal with the US would severely impact British pig famers. Shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry asked: “Can [Truss] please tell us which law prevents the import […]

Almost half of all people who voted for the UK to Remain in the European Union appear to disagree with the spirit of the EU’s freedom of movement rules, a new study has found. 48% of Remain voters were in favour of having EU citizens apply to come to Britain rather than under existing provisions. That number almost doubles among […]

Boris Johnson’s choice to be the next leader of the World Trade Organisation has been eliminated from the race. Disgraced former defence secretary Liam Fox had been backed by the prime minister and international trade secretary Liz Truss. But the WTO said Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala of Nigeria and Yoo Myung-hee of South Korea had made it through […]

I’m sure it seemed a good idea at the time… it’s one I had myself from time to time, when running the Number 10 media operation – get the regional telly in; get the PM to do a round of one-on-ones that cover the whole country; lead the news on every regional bulletin; get the […]

The government’s Brexit strategy threatens to drive the UK down a “very slippery slope” towards “dictatorship” or “tyranny”, one former supreme court judge has warned. Ex supreme court president Lord Neuberger condemned Boris Johnson’s internal market bill during a seminar with legal professionals. He told lawyers on Wednesday that “Once you deprive people of the […]

The Scottish parliament has overwhelming voted against Boris Johnson’s Brexit bill and called on the UK government to abandon the “deeply damaging” piece of legislation. SNP, Labour, Green and Liberal Democrat MSPs all united to vote against the bill, with just the Tories backing it. While the vote – by 90 votes to 28 against […]

A television presenter has criticised a government minister for appearing on BBC Breakfast to say “absolutely nothing”. Charlie Stayt was interviewing Robert Jenrick, the communities secretary, about newspaper headlines suggesting large-scale coronavirus restrictions are about to hit the north of England. But rather than explaining what the reports mean and defending the restrictions, Jenrick was […]

This week’s Question Time comes from Coventry, a city that was once the capital of England – and home to our parliament back in the 1400s. But what will the virtual audience make of this week’s panel of politicians from the past and present? On the panel is: Gillian Keegan MP Keegan is the Tory MP […]

The government will walk away from Brexit talks with the EU next week if there is not a visible path to a deal. Boris Johnson had previously set a deadline of 15 October to make progress, with high levels talks expected next week, before a top-level meeting between European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen. […]

It would be a “monumental failure of politics and diplomacy” if the government’s Brexit bill is pushed through and ends up in court, an Irish minister has claimed. Ireland’s foreign affairs minister Simon Coveney said that such a court case would be a “folly”. The EU and the UK have clashed over the British government’s Internal Market […]

A Tory MSP sparked laughter in Holyrood when she accidentally announced her “resignation”. Rachael Hamilton had intended to highlight her register of interest but instead said: “Can I draw members to my resignation?” Hamilton, the MSP for Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, laughed as she added quickly: “Register of interests. No resignation.” She made the blunder […]

A Tory minister has defended Boris Johnson’s 10pm curfew amid calls the government release its scientific advice behind the decision. Prisons minister Lucy Frazer said there had been “opportunities” for ministers to hear the scientific advice. Appearing on BBC 2’s Politics Live, Frazer said it was important MPs get to scrutinise the new rules but that the government […]

Boris Johnson has been urged to consider a “circuit breaker” national lockdown sooner rather than later over fears that the current measures to stop coronavirus are not working. Professor Calum Semple, a member of the government’s scientific advisory panel who specialises in disease outbreaks, recommended a “circuit breaker” be considered on a national basis in […]

Boris Johnson has been accused of “hurtling towards a crash crash” after “ignoring the warning signs”, follow scrutiny of his new coronavirus measures during Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs). Taking to the despatch box, the prime minister argued that the 16,000 positive coronavirus cases that went unreported due to a “technical glitch” did change the “basic distribution” […]

Former Labour MP Gisela Stuart, who supported “no change” for EU citizens after Brexit, has supported the Tory’s immigration bill in the House of Lords. The newly-elevated peer, a former leader of the Vote Leave campaign, had previously signed a statement saying: “There will be no change for EU citizens already lawfully resident in the […]

Devolved administrations in Wales and Scotland are furious after leaked documents showed the government had withheld important Brexit documents from them. The documents, which show a deliberate attempts by Westminster to hide plans to break with Withdrawal Agreement, were leaked by Guido. In a dossier named “Transition period planning assumptions (central case)“, ministers were warned against sharing information […]

The Conservatives spent more than £16 million at the 2019 general election, new figures show. The Electoral Commission revealed the governing party spent £16,486,871 across the country to win its 80-seat majority. The biggest chunk of the money, £5,818,998 went on “unsolicited material to electors”, the Electoral Commission said. Marketing and canvassing cost £4,471,937, and advertising […]

Boris Johnson’s approval rating among Tory voters continues to decline as many continue to disagree with his handling of the coronavirus pandemic. Less than half (45%) of 2019 Tory voters think No 10 is doing a good job managing the virus while a further quarter (25%) do not think they are, a survey by pollsters Redfield & […]

The Scottish parliament is expected to vote down Boris Johnson’s Internal Market Bill after the constitution secretary urged MSPs to “stand up and defend devolution” by rejecting the controversial UK legislation.  Mike Russell called on MSPs at Holyrood to vote against the UK government’s Brexit bill amid repeated claims from Scottish government ministers that it […]

Boris Johnson’s father has been caught without a face mask in public for the third time in a week. Stanley Johnson was pictured at an Underground station reading a newspaper with his mask lowered. This is the third time the prime minister’s father was captured flouting regulations around wearing face masks. Last Tuesday, Johnson senior was […]

Boris Johnson has claimed that it is anti-Brexiteers attempting to plot against his leadership, claiming they want to stop the government succeeding.  Here are seven things we learned from his Tory party speech. 1. It is now, apparently, “sedition”, which the Oxford dictionary defines as “conduct or speech inciting people to rebel against the authority […]

Boris Johnson has attacked “lefty human rights lawyers” for disrupting the justice system in a move branded “utterly shameful” and “deeply concerning” by legal figures. The prime minister ramped up the rhetoric in the latest battle between the government and the justice system during his speech at the Conservative Party conference, repeating sentiments from home […]

Spectator editor Fraser Nelson debunked claims put forward by Liz Truss that No 10 has enjoyed several “successes” in its response to the coronavirus pandemic. Nelson, who now manages the magazine once edited by Boris Johnson, said polling has shown no citizens were more disappointed in their government’s response to the virus than Britons. The trade secretary and […]

Boris Johnson has claimed that Britain is “more united than for decades”, despite the threat of a split in the United Kingdom, and Brexit divides failing to be healed.   Speaking during his big speech to Tory party conference, he said: “And I believe you will see a Britain that is more united than for decades […]

A Tory politician has urged colleagues to back Rishi Sunak as Boris Johnson’s replacement at No 10. Senior Tory MSP, Murdo Fraser, retweeted a message which praised the chancellor and criticised Boris Johnson. The post, which was written by Herald columnist Iain Macwhirter read: “Rishi Sunak reaches the parts Boris cannot. “He’s as fluent and convincing […]

Rishi Sunak has been slammed online after suggesting Britons should be “grateful” to have Boris Johnson as their leader.  Appearing on Sky News’ Kay Burley @ Breakfast show, the chancellor downplayed claims he would take a tilt at the top job of prime minister. MORE: Downing Street denies rift between Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak “I […]

The prime minister appears to have attacked himself for “forgetting the history of the UK” as he was set to make a policy announcement on wind farms at Tory party conference. In a preview of Boris Johnson’s speech, he is set to say: “I remember how some people used to sneer at wind power, twenty years […]