Boris Johnson warns further Brexit delay will spell Tory general election defeat June 12, 2019 Boris Johnson will officially launch his Tory leadership campaign today as one poll suggests he would comfortably win a general election as Prime Minister. Johnson, seen as the frontrunner among MP’s, Tory party members and bookmakers, will tell supporters the UK must leave the European Union on 31 October and that further delays would spell [...]
Trump’s bluster shows why we need a rethink on world trade June 12, 2019 Helicoptered in to London and driven around in The Beast – an armoured limousine – what will the US President have seen during his state visit to the UK? A man who famously eyes up every opportunity, Donald Trump saw a weakened UK, lost in the Brexit escape rooms and vulnerable to the dark arts [...]
These are the four criteria for judging the next Tory leader June 12, 2019 And then here were ten. Nominations closed for the leadership of the Conservative Party on Monday. What had appeared to be turning into a grand melee – where it appeared easier to identify which Tory MPs were not running rather than were, so prolific was the announcement of candidatures – instead became a manageable scrum. [...]
Michael Gove has come back before and he can do it again June 12, 2019 When the front pages of weekend newspapers began to spill online last Friday night, I realised a story I had been working on for a year was about to explode. ‘Gove: My cocaine confession’ was the most stark headline, accompanied by the first instalment of a serialisation of my unauthorised biography of the environment secretary. The book [...]
Labour launches plan to make ‘no deal’ Brexit illegal June 11, 2019 Labour are set to launch an audacious bid to make it illegal for the UK to leave the EU without a Brexit deal. The party will force a vote in parliament on Wednesday afternoon to make it possible for MPs to introduce legislation on 25 June ruling out a ‘no deal’ Brexit. The plan has [...]
Tory leadership hopeful Rory Stewart: I can beat Boris and I will stick up for the City of London June 11, 2019 Rory Stewart may have walked through the Afghanistan desert, written several books and even served as a deputy governor in Iraq during the war, but the greatest challenge of his career to date could be far closer to home: beating Boris Johnson. The international development secretary’s softer stance on Brexit and conciliatory approach has forced [...]
They call it ‘the idiot box’ for a reason… June 11, 2019 The competition to become leader of the Conservative Party – and, by default, prime minister – is still in its early stages, yet has already been extraordinary. We peaked at 13 hopefuls, which has now been whittled down to ten registered runners, of whom five are members of the current cabinet (four of the others resigned [...]
Brexit dogma is a one-way ticket to extinction for London’s Tories June 11, 2019 As 11 candidates prepare to enter the race to succeed Theresa May as Conservative party leader and Prime Minister, London Tories have their own identity crisis to worry about. They just chalked up a new electoral record: 7.8 per cent of the vote, fifth place citywide, and zero MEPs returned to the European parliament. Ex-Tory [...]
Tory leadership race: Leadsom says ‘politics has failed dismally’ June 11, 2019 Former leader of the House of Commons Andrea Leadsom said today “politics has failed dismally” by not delivering Brexit. Speaking at the launch of her campaign for the Tory leadership Leadsom promised to leave the European Union on 31 October. “Over the last three years politics has failed dismally. It has failed to deliver on [...]
DEBATE: Are candidates’ drug histories relevant in the Conservative leadership contest? June 11, 2019 Are candidates’ drug histories relevant in the Conservative leadership contest? Edward Davies, director of policy at the Centre for Social Justice, says YES. The Centre for Social Justice was founded on the premise that we are not defined by our worst mistakes, that everyone deserves another chance, and nothing should hold you back from reaching [...]