America and Iran are sleepwalking towards disaster January 9, 2020 I well remember that I kept putting my hands to my head as I read, terror-stricken, Christopher Clark’s provocative The Sleepwalkers, which boldly posited that World War I was not part of anyone’s grand strategic design. Instead, Armageddon came about through a number of countries and statesmen making lesser errors, which compounded somehow produced the [...]
PMQs review: We’re in for a dismal ordeal for the foreseeable future January 9, 2020 The first Prime Minister’s Questions of the decade yesterday afternoon was the return of the unedifying spectacle of two men, neither of whom wanted to be there, both giving a performance so bad it made the new film Cats look watchable. Jeremy Corbyn, a blunt tool at the best of times, gave the newly emboldened [...]
City Hall needs a major shake-up if it is to deliver for London January 9, 2020 The immense challenges facing London are growing by the day, and meeting these requires not just a proactive national government but an effective administration at City Hall. The political power of the capital’s own local government is so often underestimated, but there can be no doubt that the mayor of London has the money and [...]
Donald Trump says US will impose additional sanctions on Iran January 8, 2020 US president Donald Trump has said that the US will “immediately impose punishing additional sanctions” on Iran after the Islamic Republic fired missiles at two US bases in Iraq. The president said that no Americans were harmed in last night’s attacks, and that the US would continue to assess its options in response. Read more: [...]
Sadiq Khan has increased press office spending by 26 per cent in four years January 8, 2020 Sadiq Khan has increased spending on the mayor of London’s press operation by 26 per cent since being elected, according to newly released figures. The mayor’s office spent £920,967.95 on communications officers in 2018-19, after his predecesor Boris Johnson spent £732,537.42 in 2015-16. Read more: Questions raised over Rory Stewart association with church under fraud [...]
Questions raised over Rory Stewart association with church under fraud cloud January 8, 2020 Mayoral candidate Rory Stewart has been criticised for associating himself with a church being investigated for fraud by the Metropolitan Police and the Charity Commissioner. Croydon-based SPAC Nation was set up by former gang members to try and combat knife crime in BAME communities. Read more: Rory Stewart rails against ‘unnecessarily high’ skyscrapers in the [...]
Iran plane crash: Ukraine U-turns on engine failure as cause of Boeing 737 crash January 8, 2020 Ukraine’s embassy in Iran has dropped a reference to engine failure as a cause of the Boeing 737 plane crash that killed 176 people earlier today. Iranian state media had initially reported that “technical issues” were behind the disaster after the Boeing 737-800 crashed shortly after taking off from Tehran’s international airport. Read more: Iran [...]
Both black boxes from crashed Ukranian plane found in Iran January 8, 2020 Both black boxes from a Ukranian airliner that crashed just outside Tehran early on Wednesday have been found, according to Iranian state television. The Ukraine International Airlines Boeing 737-800 crashed earlier shortly after taking off from Tehran’s Imam Khomeini airport this morning, killing all 176 people on board. Read more: Iran plane crash: Three Brits [...]
EU chief von der Leyen: Time too short for comprehensive post-Brexit deal by 2021 January 8, 2020 The new head of the European Commission has said there will not be enough time for the UK and European Union to reach a comprehensive trade agreement by the end of 2020, saying the two sides “must prioritise”. However, in a broadly conciliatory speech at the London School of Economics this morning, she said the [...]
Spoonbender Uri Geller answers Dominic Cummings’ call for ‘weirdos’ January 8, 2020 Spoon-bending magician Uri Geller has applied to join the civil service after special adviser Dominic Cummings asked “misfits” and “weirdos” to become part of government. Geller, 73, started his cover letter by telling Cummings that his career to date as an entertainer had been the “perfect mask” for work in espionage. Read more: DEBATE: Is [...]