Labour’s Tom Watson warns more MPs will quit unless the party changes February 18, 2019 Labour’s deputy leader has warned more MPs will quit the party if it does not tackle anti-semitism and broaden its appeal. Speaking after seven MPs announced they had resigned from Labour, Tom Watson delivered a sobering assessment of the civil war engulfing the party as he called for “kinder and gentler” politics from Jeremy Corbyn’s [...]
Gang of Seven ex-Labour MPs told to have the courage of their convictions and trigger by-elections February 18, 2019 MPs who have quit the Labour party to form a new independent alliance are facing growing pressure to trigger by-elections. Seven MPs – Luciana Berger, Chris Leslie, Angela Smith, Ann Coffey, Gavin Shuker, Mike Gapes and Chuka Umunna – announced on Monday morning they had resigned from Labour in protest at the party’s approach to [...]
Labour pains: Seven MPs quit Corbyn’s party to launch The Independent Group February 18, 2019 Seven Labour MPs have resigned from the party and will now sit in parliament as an independent group in the wake of disaffection with the leadership's stance on Brexit and anti-semitism. The MPs, calling themselves The Independent Group, are Luciana Berger, Chuka Umunna, Former shadow chancellor Chris Leslie, Mike Gapes, Gavin Shuker, Ann Coffey and Angela Smith. Berger, [...]
Tech giants should be held to compulsory ‘code of ethics’, MPs say February 18, 2019 Facebook and other tech giants should face stricter regulation to tackle the spread of fake news and misuse of personal data, MPs said today. Facebook founder and chief executive Mark Zuckerberg was harshly criticised in the final report on disinformation by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) Select Committee, having declined several invitations to attend [...]
Labour MPs expected to resign today over divisions on Brexit and antisemitism February 18, 2019 Rumblings of a Labour party split look set to reach a head as sources told the media the disaffected MPs would resign today. Senior party sources told the BBC that the leadership was expecting a handful to resignations while Sky News said the group would make a statement later this morning on "the future of British politics". Those [...]
DEBATE: Should the government be intervening to help struggling high streets? February 18, 2019 Should the government be intervening to help struggling high streets? Rupert Pick, co-founder of Hot Pickle, says YES. There’s more to the high street than just shopping. It’s about belonging, human interaction, community. And in a muddled, pre-Brexit, polarised, insular environment, we need vibrant public places more than ever for people to congregate. Yet, in the [...]
Labour moderates are approaching breaking point February 17, 2019 Michael Dugher has been a member of the Labour party for 28 years and was a Labour MP from 2010-2017. Before entering parliament he worked in Downing Street for Gordon Brown. This week, he is resigning from the party – citing Jeremy Corbyn's failure to deal with anti-Semitism. Dugher says “the Labour party I joined [...]
Theresa May issues last-minute Brexit plea to Tory MPs ahead of Brussels visit February 17, 2019 Theresa May has appealed to her warring MPs to set aside their "personal differences" on Brexit and unite behind her deal, as she faces another strained week of negotiations with Brussels. The PM wrote all Conservative MPs urging them to "move beyond what divides us" and warning that "history will judge us". May's latest plea [...]
China: How George Osborne’s ‘golden era’ lost its shine February 17, 2019 When former chancellor George Osborne visited China in 2015, he pronounced it the start of a “golden era” of Sino-British relations. Britain threw itself into tens-of-billions of pounds worth of trade deals, Osborne turned a blind eye to a litany of Chinese human rights abuses and President Xi Jinping even joined David Cameron for a pint [...]
Jeremy Wright says social media firms could face criminal sanctions over harmful online content February 17, 2019 Culture secretary Jeremy Wright has said social media firms face criminal sanctions if they fail to protect users from harmful content, ahead of a visit to the US on the issue of internet safety. Next week Wright will head to the US with digital minister Margot James, where he expects to meet "senior people" at the [...]