Johnson sets out plan to break Brexit backstop deadlock August 19, 2019 The Prime Minister has made his first moves towards breaking the Brexit impasse, setting out his position in a letter to the head of the European Council ahead of this weekend’s G7 summit. In the four-page letter to European Council President Donald Tusk published tonight, Johnson insisted “the backstop cannot form part of an agreed [...]
Number 10 rejects move to recall parliament August 19, 2019 Number 10 has rejected any suggestion that parliament may be recalled before the end of recess, despite growing calls for action. More than 100 MPs from all parties except the DUP put their name to an open letter calling on Prime Minister Boris Johnson to end summer recess early. The letter claimed the country was [...]
Prime Minister ‘confident’ EU will shift on Brexit August 19, 2019 The Prime Minister has said he is “confident” the European Union will shift its position on Brexit, allowing a deal to be struck before the 31st October deadline. During a visit to the Royal Cornwall Hospital in Truro, Boris Johnson told journalists he was hopeful negotiations could resume, but stressed “we will be ready to [...]
Sajid Javid quashes stamp duty speculation August 19, 2019 Chancellor Sajid Javid has moved to quash speculation he may be about to shift stamp duty from buyers to sellers. During an interview with The Times, Javid had appeared to float the idea ahead of his first Budget. When asked about changing who pays stamp duty to save first-time buyers paying any tax, he said: [...]
Malaysia offers UK post-Brexit trade deal on palm oil ‘rethink’ August 19, 2019 Malaysia’s government has offered the UK a post-Brexit trade deal, with improved terms – but only if the country rethinks “the European Union’s misguided policy on palm oil”. Writing in Bloomberg, Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad claimed the EU’s 2017 decision to phase out and ultimately ban biofuels made from palm oil was not based [...]
Downing Street ramps up election prep as Corbyn throws down gauntlet August 19, 2019 Boris Johnson’s team within Downing Street is ramping up preparations for a general election, as Jeremy Corbyn today pledges to make a second referendum part of his campaign. Government advisers have been tasked with producing ideas that can be taken forward during a general election, according to the Guardian. At a meeting on Friday, Johnson’s [...]
The English way hurts our chances of success August 16, 2019 Amid the usual hubbub that accompanies A Level results day – the pictures of jumping young women, the advice for those who didn’t get the grades, the celebrities reliably informing us how unimportant they are anyway – came some sobering news. Modern languages are extremely unpopular as an area of study. Just 2,864 students in England took German A [...]
Remainer MP Wollaston joins Lib Dems to halt Brexit August 15, 2019 Former Conservative MP Sarah Wollaston has joined the Liberal Democrats, as she continues to fight Boris Johnson’s threats of a no-deal Brexit. Wollaston, who chairs the Health and Social Care Committee and the influential Liaison Committee, which will haul Johnson over the coals next month, was one of three Tories to quit the party in [...]
Corbyn calls for cross-party collaboration in no-deal strategy August 14, 2019 Jeremy Corbyn has called on MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit to back his attempt to form a “strictly time-limited” government, insisting he would call a General Election and campaign for a second referendum. The Labour leader wrote to backbenchers and other opposition party leaders promising to extend Article 50 and push for “a public [...]
UK court blocks private prosecution over Boris Johnson’s Brexit bus claim August 14, 2019 A campaigner attempting to prosecute the Prime Minister over claims that Britain would be £350m a week better off after leaving the EU has lost his bid to take the case to the UK’s Supreme Court. Marcus Ball was seeking to bring a crowdfunded private prosecution against Boris Johnson for misconduct in public office over [...]
