United Kingdom

Former Commons speaker John Bercow on his anger at the government’s warped priorities and the Voter ID plan which proposes "a solution to a problem that does not exist"

Downing Street has denied that NHS Test and Trace delays in alerting local authorities in hotspot areas to positive cases helped contribute to the spread of the Indian variant. It follows a report by the BBC that for three weeks in April and May, eight local authorities in England – including Blackburn with Darwen – […]

Nearly five years since the Brexit vote it's proving to be far from the success the ringleaders promised

The creation of a new public sector body to oversee Britain’s railways will simplify a system that is “too complicated”, transport secretary Grant Shapps has claimed. Great British Railways (GBR) will own and manage rail infrastructure, issue contracts to private firms to run trains, set most fares and timetables, and sell tickets. It will absorb […]

TIM WALKER on Rishi Sunak’s latest spending, and why the theatrical Fox dynasty is a broad church when it comes to politics Although he scarcely faces much competition, Rishi Sunak, the chancellor, prides himself on being the most ‘gym fit’ member of the cabinet. The lockdowns have meant he couldn’t attend any of the Digme gyms […]

It’s time for Labour to look for funding from those that share its internationalist social liberal values. I thoroughly agree with the views expressed by Alastair Campbell in his open letter to Keir Starmer. However, I would like to draw attention also to the important trends set out by Peter Keller in his excellent analysis. […]

Former BBC Gaza reporter JAMES RODGERS on why the region’s conflict has suffered from the world picking sides It is a part of the world still blighted by the scars of empire, the meddling of other states and the failures of its own leaders. And, with wearying familiarity, this month violence has broken out once more. As troops mobilise against […]

Losing the Batley and Spen by-election would mean “curtains” for Labour leader Keir Starmer, former shadow home secretary Diane Abbott has suggested. Abbott, an ally of left-wing former party leader Jeremy Corbyn, used an article in the Guardian to claim Starmer’s time at the top of the party could be over if he fails to […]

We shouldn’t be shy of telling some home truths each time the cycle of violence spins once more Talking about ‘both sides’ of the Israel-Palestine issue makes us feel better. Every few years, the violence flares up again, like some hellish treadmill, rumbling forward to nowhere, each step another atrocity, another failure. Framing the situation as […]

Senior officials were “hounding” colleagues over the approval of a PPE supply contract worth a quarter-of-a-billion pounds to a hedge fund with “close ties” to the government, the High Court has heard. The Good Law Project and EveryDoctor are bringing legal action against the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC), claiming that contracts awarded […]

Downing Street has refused to comment on reports the wallpaper in the prime minister’s lavishly furnished flat is falling down. Work on the No 11 apartment Boris Johnson shares with fiancee Carrie Symonds is the subject of a series of investigations. Johnson has insisted that he has paid for all the works himself but has […]

LIZ GERARD crunches the numbers on how Paul Dacre’s Daily Mail covered BBC stories and finds evidence that makes a mockery of the idea of him as an impartial arbiter. Over the last ten years of the Dacre reign, the Daily Mail carried more than 4,000 news stories with BBC in the headline or subhead, about […]

A decision on whether Paul Dacre will become the next head of Ofcom is expected imminently. That it is even being considered is a scandal that reveals much about the current administration There are any number of reasons why Paul Dacre should not be appointed head of Ofcom, the super-regulator that oversees not only our […]

The UK government remains “fully committed” to trying to bring about a meaningful ceasefire in Gaza, a foreign office minister has said. James Cleverly said the international community is “pulling together” to restore permanent peace in the region and called on all parties to work to “reduce tensions”. Cleverly also condemned “acts of terrorism by […]

Boris Johnson has laughed off claims that he’s planning “planning to throw our farmers and crofters under the Brexit bus” over trade negotiations with Australia. There had reportedly been a spat in cabinet over fears a zero-tariff agreement to benefit Australian farmers could inflame tensions in Wales and Scotland, as two areas where the farming community would […]

Boris Johnson has been questioned at Prime Minister’s Questions on the UK’s border policy after his former chief adviser branded it a “joke” and “nonsense”. On Monday, Dominic Cummings accused ministers of developing policy “based on nonsense memes” which claim that people in Asian countries, “all do as they’re told… it won’t work here”. Writing on […]

A new book about the Anglo-Saxons demolishes faddish myths that aspects of their culture live on today, and instead tells their own story in gripping style We are blessed to live in the golden age of straight-talking history. ‘Straight-talking’ rather than ‘popular’, because the people filling the windows of Waterstones are scholars of unimpeachable renown, often with […]

Boris Johnson is to face Labour leader Keir Starmer for Prime Minister’s Questions for the first time since the local elections and the Queen’s Speech. The prime minister could face pressure to clarify the confusion around international travel rules after one of his ministers said all international trips were “dangerous”. Would-be holidaymakers were left with […]

A chief constable has called on Priti Patel and the Home Office to “stand back” from the policing agenda and allow officers to assert their independence. Staffordshire Police Chief Constable Gareth Morgan told the Times he was concerned home secretary Priti Patel had interfered in operational matters, which could create the impression “policing is seen […]

Nicola Sturgeon has been re-elected as the first minister of Scotland by a majority of MSPs at Holyrood. The SNP leader said she wants to lead the country “to brighter and better times” and said recovery from the coronavirus pandemic was her “driving priority”. After her re-election, Sturgeon argued there was a “clear mandate” for […]

The government can keep the amount of public money spent on unusable personal protective equipment (PPE) from two companies confidential, the High Court has ruled. The Good Law Project and EveryDoctor are bringing legal action against the Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) claiming that contracts awarded to PestFix, Clandeboye and Ayanda Capital were […]

https://www.bestforbritain.org/citizendetentionA cross-party group of MPs have slammed Priti Patel’s detention of EU nationals at British airports following Brexit as “yet another shameful action by the Home Office in a long string of mistreatment of migrants and asylum seekers”. Last week reports surfaced of European citizens being handcuffed at airports, made to sleep in parked vans or prevented from […]

A nurse who looked after Boris Johnson when he was seriously ill with Covid-19 has resigned, citing the government’s 1% pay offer and its lack of respect for the profession. Jenny McGee, who cared for the prime minister in intensive care at St Thomas’ Hospital in central London, told how she found the prime minister […]

British farming will struggle to compete if zero-tariff trade on lamb and beef goes ahead with a post-Brexit trade deal with Australia, the president of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU) has said. A split has emerged within cabinet over the prospect of such an agreement, with environment secretary George Eustice and cabinet office minister Michael […]

Incoming DUP leader Edwin Poots has held talks with the Northern Ireland secretary in Belfast. Poots had requested the face-to-face meeting with Brandon Lewis to discuss Brexit’s contentious Northern Ireland Protocol and a series of other issues. The Lagan Valley MLA has said removing the Protocol, which governs Irish Sea trade, will be his main […]

George Eustice and Liz Truss have reportedly rowed over a proposed trade deal between the UK and Australia. The Financial Times reported environment secretary Eustice, along with Cabinet Office minister Michael Gove, were concerned about the potential impact of tariff-free access for Australian farmers on the British agricultural sector. They have concerns the agreement would further […]

Boris Johnson’s administration is recruiting an external adviser to identify new opportunities following Brexit to demonstrate the benefits of the UK’s departure from the European Union. Almost five years on from the Brexit referendum result, the Tory government continues to struggle to demonstrate the tangible benefits of leaving the EU. It has set former Tory leader […]

A legal challenge over the government’s decision to award more than £650 million in contracts for personal protective equipment (PPE) will be heard at the High Court. The Good Law Project and EveryDoctor claim contracts awarded to PestFix, Clandeboye and Ayanda Capital were given unlawfully at the height of the first wave of the coronavirus […]

The UK’s relationship with the European Union after Brexit could remain “bumpy” for some time, the government admitted. Brexit minister Lord Frost said he wanted the situation with Brussels to improve but highlighted ongoing problems with Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit arrangements. The Tory peer told MPs that the ability to diverge from EU regulations would be […]

TIM WALKER on his run-ins with Michael Winner, a thin-skinned character whose reputation has come under fresh scrutiny in the #MeToo era The late Daily Mail gossip columnist Nigel Dempster loved to have a flutter. When I worked as his deputy around the turn of the millennium, he’d be watching the racing on television most afternoons. On […]

Israeli air strikes on schools, homes and media offices are deeply concerning, Downing Street said, as fighting continued in the Middle East. Downing Street said it was seeking answers from Israel about attacks that destroyed the building housing the Associated Press and other media organisations in Gaza. But Boris Johnson’s official spokesman also expressed concern […]

The cabinet secretary has defended the prime minister’s role as the ultimate arbitrator of the ministerial code after critics argued the current system means Boris Johnson is able to “mark his own homework”. It comes as the prime minister’s ministerial standards adviser, Lord Geidt, is in the process of undertaking an investigation into how renovations […]