Boris Johnson compares Chequers deal to ‘suicide vest’ as open warfare between top Tories breaks out September 9, 2018 Former Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson has deepened bitter divisions within the Conservative Party this morning, after claiming that Theresa May’s Brexit plan would put the UK constitution in a “suicide vest”. The damning jibe provoked a furious backlash among a number of senior party figures, laying bare the current internal splits that Tories face as [...]
Javid insists Chequers plan is only one ‘on the table’ as backbench pressure mounts September 9, 2018 Home Secretary Sajid Javid insisted Downing Street’s Chequers plan was the only one on the table with the EU earlier today, amid growing party pressure for a fully-fledged alternative to the government’s current Brexit strategy. Speaking to the BBC this morning, Javid said: “The only deal that we’ve got on the table, that’s the Chequers [...]
Barack Obama launches scathing attack on Donald Trump and urges voters to stop his ‘abuses of power’ September 8, 2018 Barack Obama has launched a scathing attack on his successor Donald Trump and urged Democrats to vote in November's elections to stop his “abuses of power”. The former US President said Americans were living in dangerous times and said Republicans were dividing the country and threatening democracy. His speech last night at the University of [...]
Tony Blair: Moderates may have lost the Labour party forever September 7, 2018 Tony Blair has revealed that he doubts whether the Labour party can be "taken back by moderates" following on from a period of "profound change" under leader Jeremy Corbyn. Speaking on the BBC podcast Political Thinking With Nick Robinson, the former prime minister said that Labour is now “a different type of Labour party” than the one he [...]
Sterling lifts as Barnier says Brexit can lead to ‘unprecedented’ UK-EU partnership September 7, 2018 Sterling climbed 0.89 per cent against the euro today after the EU’s chief negotiator sounded positive notes about the likelihood of the UK securing a Brexit deal. Michel Barnier said there were positive elements of Prime Minister Theresa May’s Chequers plan, which Brexiteers had previously dismissed as “dead in the water”, as a transcript of [...]
Vince Cable to step down as Lib Dem leader next year September 7, 2018 Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable could step down from his role next year, he announced today, as he revealed new rules for leadership contest to take place after Brexit. The Twickenham MP, who has led the party since last year, revealed that he plans to quit "once Brexit is resolved or stopped" in March next year. Read [...]
The anonymous Trump letter isn’t treason, but such public provocation is unproductive September 7, 2018 Treason? Question mark or not, the US President’s response to the anonymous opinion article in the New York Times, supposedly from someone working in his administration, has dramatically overstepped the mark. Any reasonable person recognises that the accusations against Donald Trump in the piece do not amount to “the crime of betraying one’s country” – [...]
Is there any justification for keeping Help to Buy? September 7, 2018 Is there any justification for keeping Help to Buy? David Campbell, group sales and marketing director at Telford Homes, says YES. Help to Buy is a wonderful policy that has enabled around 246,000 people to get onto the property ladder – 81 per cent of whom were first-time buyers. Many of these buyers would not have [...]
Editor’s notes: Jeff Bezos should look closer to home for ideas on where to spend his fortune, new peer Bethell is a Lord to applaud, and the Economist shows how to stand up to social media bullies September 7, 2018 Amazon has joined Apple in the ranks of $1 trillion companies based on market capitalisation. Shortly before his company hit this massive (but meaningless) valuation, founder Jeff Bezos was pondering how to spend his vast wealth. Bezos is estimated to be sitting on a $130bn (£100bn) fortune – and earlier this summer he was asked [...]
Why is Boris Johnson taking his punishment beating from Downing Street rather than trumpeting an alternative Brexit plan? September 6, 2018 At the start of this week Boris Johnson was slapped down by Number 10 for failing to come up with an alternative Brexit plan, with officials saying his anti-Chequers newspaper column “offered no new ideas to respond to”. Just as he did during the fallout from a previous column about the burqa, he has taken [...]