Philip Hammond rules out running for Treasury committee chair Philip Hammond rules out running for Treasury committee chair Former chancellor Philip Hammond has ruled out making a bid for the vacant position of chair of the Treasury select committee, City A.M. has learnt. On Thursday evening a source close to Hammond said the former chancellor was contemplating the move, saying: “He hasn’t ruled it out.” However, a spokesperson for Hammond poured cold water on the suggestion, [...]
Boris Johnson takes aim at Brussels in fresh Brexit battle Boris Johnson takes aim at Brussels in fresh Brexit battle Boris Johnson fired the first shots in a new Brexit battle with the EU on Thursday, just hours into his first full day as Prime Minister, as the EU’s chief negotiator branded Johnson’s position “combative” and “unacceptable.” Michel Barnier emailed EU leaders after the UK’s new prime minister told MPs the Irish backstop protocol must be stripped [...]
Boris Johnson assembles his quickfire cabinet Boris Johnson oversaw one of the most brutal cabinet culls in UK political history tonight, replacing a string of big-name MPs with some of his closest supporters. Within hours of arriving in Downing Street Johnson had appointed Sajid Javid as chancellor, Dominic Raab as foreign secretary, Priti Patel as home secretary, and Liz Truss as [...]
Boris Johnson promises Brexit on 31 October ‘no ifs no buts’ in first speech as Prime Minister July 24, 2019 Boris Johnson threw down the gauntlet to Brussels in his first speech as Prime Minister as he vowed to take the UK out of the EU on 31 October “no ifs, no buts”. Speaking outside Downing Street after meeting with the Queen in Buckingham Palace, Johnson stayed true to his campaign pledges to deliver Brexit [...]
Boris Johnson set to name new Cabinet after meeting with the Queen July 23, 2019 Boris Johnson will officially become Prime Minister on Wednesday afternoon after meeting the Queen at Buckingham Palace. It was revealed on Tuesday that the former London Mayor beat leadership rival Jeremy Hunt in a poll of Conservative party members to land the top job. Johnson used his victory speech to pledge a Brexit breakthrough and [...]
Boris Johnson must be brave enough to disappoint some of his backers July 23, 2019 Boris Johnson’s victory in the Conservative leadership race was never in doubt, and in truth neither was the scale of his win. Two of out three Conservative members backed the former foreign secretary, giving him a sizeable mandate from the party faithful. Together with securing the support of more than half of his parliamentary colleagues, [...]
Countdown to Brexit: What Boris Johnson must do in his first 100 days as Prime Minister July 23, 2019 The political world has thrown up some unexpected events in recent years, but Boris Johnson failing to win the Conservative leadership contest today would surely top the lot. The former foreign secretary has been the favourite to succeed Theresa May even before she announced her resignation, and today the election results showed he won with [...]
Iran guilty of piracy, Jeremy Hunt claims July 22, 2019 Jeremy Hunt accused Iran of “state piracy” yesterday as he announced the UK was shunning the US in favour of a European response to the tensions in the Gulf. The foreign secretary launched the verbal attack on Tehran after Iranian soldiers seized a British-flagged tanker in the region on Friday. Hunt urged Iran to release [...]
Tory rebels vote with Labour in bid to prevent a no-deal Brexit July 18, 2019 Rebel Tory MPs helped defeat their own government today in a bid to stop the next Prime Minister suspending parliament to force through a no-deal Brexit. Margot James resigned as digital minister after voting with Labour and ensuring the government lost by 41 votes – with 315 MPs backing the plan to stop parliament being [...]
Theresa May slams uncompromising populists in final major speech as PM July 17, 2019 Theresa May hit out at the growing “uncompromising absolutism” of politics as she reflected on her failure to deliver Brexit in her final major speech as Prime Minister. In what is set to be her valedictory address, May called for political discussion to move from the extreme fringes, and warned that “words have consequences”. She [...]
