Arlene Foster resigns as Northern Ireland First Minister April 28, 2021 Arlene Foster has today announced she is resigning as Northern Ireland First Minister and as leader of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP). Foster said in a statement this afternoon that she will step down on 28 May. It comes after a letter calling for her to face a leadership challenge was yesterday signed by around [...]
Labour says Boris Johnson had his ‘Kevin Keegan moment’ in PMQs April 28, 2021 Labour has called Boris Johnson’s angry performance in Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) today his “Kevin Keegan moment” in an allusion to the former football manager’s famous 1996 rant. Johnson was furious when answering the last of Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer’s six questions in PMQs today, with the Prime Minister shouting so loudly that his [...]
Boris Johnson claims no rules broken in flat refurb as Electoral Commission launches probe April 28, 2021 Boris Johnson has claimed no rules were broken during the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat just hours after the Electoral Commission launched an investigation into who initially paid for the works. The Electoral Commission said today there were “reasonable grounds” to “suspect that an offence or offences may have occurred” and the investigation is [...]
James Dyson denies he tried to ‘extract favours’ from Boris Johnson April 28, 2021 Sir James Dyson has denied he was trying to “extract favours” from Boris Johnson when he texted him over his company’s involvement in building ventilators for the UK’s Covid effort. The UK’s richest man also hit out at the BBC for its coverage of the affair, accusing the broadcaster of “grotesque mischaracterisation” after it incorrectly [...]
European Parliament calls Brexit a ‘historic mistake’ before voting for trade deal April 28, 2021 The European Parliament has voted to ratify the EU’s post-Brexit trade deal with Britain, but not before branding Brexit a “historic mistake”. MEPs overwhelmingly approved the deal, with 660 votes to five and 32 abstentions, in a result announced this morning. The deal was provisionally ratified by the 27 EU ambassadors in December to ensure [...]
Westminster report praises Brexit deal for maintaining Northern Ireland cross-border security April 28, 2021 A new Westminster report has praised the government’s Brexit trade deal for “putting to rest” concerns about cross-border safety in Northern Ireland. The report, from parliament’s Northern Ireland Affairs Committee said the deal “mitigated concerns about extradition processes and intelligence blind spots”. The UK-EU trade deal ensured “the need for strong cooperation between national police [...]
Mayor of London election: Minor candidates create a race within a race April 27, 2021 This year’s mayor of London election has set a record for the most ever candidates – a 20-strong field of career politicians, chancers, grifters, oddballs, cranks, culture warriors and earnest small party hopefuls. The race itself has provided little interest for the public at large, with a Sadiq Khan victory a foregone conclusion at a [...]
Arlene Foster on verge of facing DUP leadership challenge April 27, 2021 Arlene Foster is on the verge of being removed as the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) leader and Northern Ireland’s First Minister in a move that could jeopardise the Good Friday Agreement and the Brexit treaty’s Northern Ireland Protocol. An estimated 75 per cent of Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLAs) have [...]
Pressure builds on Boris Johnson over £58,000 flat refurbishment costs April 27, 2021 Boris Johnson is facing growing pressure about the source of a £58,000 loan given to him to pay for the refurbishment of his Downing Street flat, with Labour today accusing the Prime Minister of lying. Johnson has now paid the cost of the refurbishment out of his own pocket, however multiple media outlets have reported [...]
Priti Patel bullying row: High Court to scrutinise PM’s decision not to sack home secretary April 27, 2021 Allegations of bullying by home secretary Priti Patel will soon be scrutinised by the High Court after a workers group that represents senior public servants challenged Boris Johnson’s refusal to sack the minister. The union has been given the go-ahead to bring a High Court challenge against Boris Johnson’s decision to stand by Patel. The [...]