Tory MP says he wouldn’t vote for his own party today October 19, 2018 A Conservative MP has said he wouldn't vote for his party if he wasn't already in parliament, labelling Theresa May's government a "s**tshow". Johnny Mercer, elected in 2015 as the representative for Plymouth Moor View, told the parliament's The House magazine yesterday that there was "absolutely no chance" he would run for a Tory candidacy [...]
Singapore Prime Minister says EU-Singapore trade deal could be extended to UK post-Brexit October 19, 2018 Singapore’s Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said today he would be prepared to extend the terms of Singapore’s recently agreed trade with the European Union to the UK. “We hope we will be able to continue arrangements with Britain whether or not it is inside the EU… And then we have time to work some [...]
Brexit deal is 90 per cent agreed, says Barnier, but Northern Ireland impasse may scupper it October 19, 2018 A Brexit deal between the UK and the EU is very close to completion, politicians on both sides of the table said this morning. However, the prospect of reaching an agreement is still in doubt, said the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier. “Ninety per cent of the accord on the table has been agreed with [...]
How dare MPs be such brazen hypocrites over abuse claims October 19, 2018 Inappropriate touching. Groping. Sexual slurs. Men trying to kiss unwilling women, dragging them into secluded spaces, making derogatory, objectifying comments about their appearance. Telling them to be “sexier”. Similar, though less widespread, harassment of junior men. When the news broke that this toxic behaviour was widespread in Hollywood, it was met with an international outcry and [...]
DEBATE: Should businesses drop out of ‘Davos of the desert’ to put pressure on Saudi Arabia? October 19, 2018 Should businesses drop out of ‘Davos of the desert’ to put pressure on Saudi Arabia? Barry Gardiner MP, shadow secretary of state for international trade, says YES. I have nothing but respect for the decision taken by those businesses that announced they will not attend the business conference in Saudi Arabia next week. I hope [...]
No one in their right mind wants another year of Brexit transition – except the EU October 19, 2018 Who is smiling on the Prime Minister’s announcement that the transition period after exiting the EU could be extended by an extra year? Not the hardline Brexiteers, many of whom think that the UK should have left the bloc yesterday. Not the ultra-Remainers either – an extension of the transition still leads to the inevitable [...]
Tory leader in City Hall offers coy defence of controversial mayoral candidate Shaun Bailey October 18, 2018 The leader of the Conservatives in the London Assembly has shied away from giving a weighty endorsement of the group's controversial candidate for mayor, Shaun Bailey. Bailey, who is the Tories' pick to take on the incumbent Labour mayor Sadiq Khan in the upcoming election, has sparked criticism after it emerged he made a series of [...]
Theresa May’s bungled Brexit backstop plan means that once again nothing has changed October 18, 2018 The gathering of EU leaders in Brussels this week was supposed to bring clarity, not confusion, to the Brexit negotiations. After the PR disaster of Salzburg, both sides needed to at least act like the talks were going in the right direction and a deal was doable. But as with so much of the Brexit [...]
Theresa May rows back from Brexit transition extension after Tory backlash October 18, 2018 Theresa May has tried to downplay anger over a plan to extend the UK’s post-Brexit transition period, just hours after flagging the idea to EU leaders. Speaking in Brussels, the PM claimed keeping the UK signed up to EU rules for a further year was not her idea – but could indeed be a solution [...]
EU leaders did not discuss extending Brexit transition period, reveals Donald Tusk October 18, 2018 EU leaders did not discuss extending the UK’s post-Brexit transition period last night despite Theresa May floating the offer as a way to jumpstart negotiations. The PM made the proposal to her EU counterparts on Wednesday, but European Council president Donald Tusk revealed it was not talked about after she had left the room. German [...]