A real Labour split won’t guarantee a surge in sterling February 19, 2019 Investors who are predicting a sterling rally if there if a full-blown split in the UK’s opposition party are likely to be sorely mistaken. The Labour party has leaned increasingly to the left since Jeremy Corbyn took the reins in 2015. Many currency experts have warned about his policies, saying that they fear a Labour [...]
The Labour splitters won’t redraw the political map, but they do raise awkward questions February 18, 2019 After years of infighting, threats, and a couple of failed coups, seven Labour MPs have taken the difficult and courageous decision to quit the party, sitting in the Commons as a new “Independent Group”. Their disillusionment with Labour has many sources, from a failure to confront antisemitism to the party’s muddled stance on Brexit, from [...]
Jewish Labour MP breaks down in tears as she urges party to change February 18, 2019 A Jewish Labour MP broke down in tears as she begged her party leadership to do more to tackle anti-semitism, Ruth Smeeth made the emotional plea at a meeting of Labour MPs held just hours after seven of her colleagues quit the party, dubbing it institutionally anti-semitic and intolerant. The Stoke North MP challenged Labour [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
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 [...]
John McDonnell says Labour has ‘held the party together on Brexit’ as rumours of split harden February 17, 2019 Shadow chancellor John McDonnell has said the Labour leadership has "held the party together" over Brexit as he addressed reports of an impending split. Jeremy Corbyn's number two said it would be "ridiculous" for the party to be divided over Brexit, saying there was "no need to split". However, a number of MPs, including former [...]
Editor’s Notes: The EU simply chooses which rules to enforce and which to ignore February 14, 2019 Allow me a moment away from our own Brexit turmoil and to focus instead on a nasty spot of rot right at the heart of the European Commission. While the Brexit process has made some of the EU’s top brass more recognisable to a British audience, it’s unlikely that many could identify one of its [...]
Theresa May defeated on Brexit again as anti-EU Tories desert her in Commons vote February 14, 2019 Theresa May suffered a Valentine’s Day massacre on Thursday when Conservative Brexiters helped inflict a heavy Commons defeat on the government. The Prime Minister lost the support of the European Research Group of Tories after she tried to force her party to back a plan ruling out a ‘no deal’ Brexit. While the motion was [...]
Brexit requires Westminster to demonstrate clarity, compromise and collaboration February 14, 2019 Fewer than 50 days separate us from 29 March, the date that Britain is formally due to leave the European Union. It has been 22 months since Article 50 was triggered, and Brexit strategising and negotiations with Brussels have taken the nation on a journey that few could have predicted. Politically, Britain is currently locked [...]