The prime minister and his poisonous sidekick react to accusations of ‘dangerous language’
•You can buy your own print of this cartoon
Continue reading...Category Archives: Brexit
Army investigates soldier who sent death threat to Angela Rayner
Labour MP received tweet as MPs urged Boris Johnson to tone down his language
The army and police are investigating after a soldier sent a death threat to the shadow education secretary, Angela Rayner, defence officials have said.
The commander of the British field army, Lt Gen Ivan Jones, and the defence secretary, Ben Wallace, denounced the message, which was posted on Twitter on Wednesday, as MPs pleaded with the prime minister to tone down his Brexit rhetoric, saying they feared it would incite violence against them.
Continue reading...Nicola Sturgeon ‘open to Corbyn’ as interim prime minister
Scotland’s first minister says compromise is essential in order to force Brexit extension
Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has said she is open-minded about Jeremy Corbyn becoming an interim prime minister as her representative in Westminster said the Scottish National party is now “desperate” for an election.
Sturgeon said she was not personally pushing for Corbyn to lead the country as a unity figure, but he could be an interim prime minister to secure an extension to Brexit and then call a general election.
Continue reading...Amber Rudd says prime minister’s Brexit rhetoric ‘legitimises violence’
Former minister was ‘disappointed and stunned’ by Boris Johnson’s comments about Jo Cox
Boris Johnson’s aggressive Brexit rhetoric could incite violence against opponents, the former minister Amber Rudd has warned.
Rudd, who quit the government and resigned the Conservative whip earlier this month in protest at the prime minister’s policies, also told the Evening Standard that she might stand in London as an “independent Conservative” at the next general election.
Continue reading...C of E bishops call for amelioration of Brexit rhetoric
Bishops sign joint letter lambasting ‘unacceptable’ language, and calling for respect of others’ opinions
The tone of the Brexit debate has become unacceptable, the Church of England’s bishops have warned, as the prime minister faced intense criticism over his provocative rhetoric.
The bishops released a joint statement on Friday, calling on people both inside and outside parliament to treat each other with greater respect. They spoke after a host of MPs complained of receiving threats and Boris Johnson’s senior aide suggested that only carrying out Brexit would calm the tensions.
Continue reading...Johnson refuses to say sorry for remarks about murdered MP Jo Cox
PM’s adviser Dominic Cummings claims that only carrying out Brexit will calm tensions
Boris Johnson has refused to apologise in the face of criticism that he is inciting hatred against MPs, as he briefed his cabinet on preparations for a populist election campaign that will accuse his opponents of “surrender” to the EU.
In the face of widespread condemnation for his inflammatory rhetoric, the prime minister vowed to carry on referring to the Benn law against no-deal Brexit as the “surrender bill”.
Continue reading...Brexit party MEPs are EU’s biggest earners in second jobs, study finds
Five of party’s members make top 10, as researchers raise conflict of interest concerns
Brexit party members earn more from second jobs than any other group in the European parliament, according to transparency campaigners who are warning about potential conflicts of interest.
An annual study by Transparency International showed that Nigel Farage is no longer the best-paid British MEP by second job. Now in seventh place among the 227 MEPs with outside earnings, Farage earns about €360,000 (£319,000) a year from his media company, Thorn in the Side.
Continue reading...Brexit: Jess Phillips accuses Boris Johnson of using language ‘designed to inflate hatred’ – live news
Prime minister chooses not to attend Commons to answer urgent question on language he used last night
- Johnson urged to calm Commons ‘inferno of rhetoric’
- Polly Toynbee: Johnson defied democratic dignity
- ‘Man with no shame’: how the papers covered it
Here is more from what Boris Johnson told Conservative backbenchers at his private meeting with the 1922 Committee.
From my colleague Rowena Mason
Boris Johnson told MPs at 1922 that he would carry on using the phrase surrender bill but did say MPs must all be careful about using language of violence
Boris Johnson left the 1922 to shouts of “Will you apologise?” from journalists - he scuttled off with no comment
In 1922 meeting there was a sombre moment when @PennyMordaunt told MPs she was with @BorisJohnson in 2016 when news came through that Jo Cox had died. She said 'Boris's reaction was so human'.
"It was a moving moment in there," one Tory MP says.
Striking how few Tory MPs leaving 22 Committee with Boris after around 30 mins stopped to chat to reporters compared with the dying days of Theresa May’s premiership. Not many smiling faces either tbh.
Boris Johnson was described as ‘ebullient’ and ‘full of bonhomie’ by two walking out, others looked pretty sullen.
Jeremy Corbyn is speaking on this topic for Labour.
He says it is “extremely disappointing” that Boris Johnson is not here himself to answer the UQ.
Continue reading...Boris Johnson flies to UK as parliament returns after court ruling – Politics live
The prime minister has cut short his New York visit after suspension of parliament deemed unlawful
Good morning and welcome to the politics live blog.
Yesterday was a fairly extraordinary day on both sides of the Atlantic. Just hours after the supreme court handed down its ruling declaring Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament was “unlawful, void and of no effect”, Nancy Pelosi announced an official impeachment inquiry into US president Donald Trump. Quite the day for brash, blonde world leaders.
Continue reading...No evidence Leave. EU and Arron Banks broke law, says crime agency
NCA to take no further action over £8m funding claims against Brexit campaign group
The National Crime Agency says it has found no evidence of criminality after investigating a series of claims against the Brexit campaign group Leave.EU and the businessman Arron Banks.
Investigators interviewed Banks and the Leave.EU campaign’s chief executive, Liz Bilney, as they looked into potential offences concerning £8m of EU referendum campaign funding.
Continue reading...British in U-turn over Franco-German ‘alliance for multilateralism’
UK reverses decision not to send minister to meeting, a snub that was seen as a fresh sign of how Brexit is shifting foreign policy
The UK has moved to douse claims that it was snubbing a major Franco-German initiative on multilateralism announcing it would after all send a minister to the launch of An Alliance for Multilateralism, due to be attended by as many as 40 ministers.
Following diplomatic claims that Downing Street was distancing itself from the Franco-German plan by not sending a high level representative to the launch in New York on Thursday, the foreign office announced late on Monday that Lord Ahmad would now attend.
Continue reading...Boris Johnson refuses to rule out suspending parliament again
PM says adverse supreme court ruling would not stop him proroguing parliament again
Boris Johnson has refused to rule out suspending parliament again if the supreme court rules on Tuesday that he abused his powers as prime minister in doing so earlier this month.
The British prime minister, who is in New York for a UN summit, also indicated he would not feel obliged to resign if the justices rule he misled the Queen in his reasons for suspending parliament.
Continue reading...No-deal Brexit will have ‘seismic’ impact, says European car industry
Carmakers fear disorderly exit would cripple the just-in-time supply chain, investment and lead to tariff barriers
The European car industry has warned of catastrophic effects of a no-deal Brexit, saying it would have a “seismic” impact on making cars in Europe.
In a rare joint statement, chiefs from 23 automotive business associations across Europe joined forces to caution against a brutal exit from the bloc by Britain, where auto giants BMW, Peugeot PSA and Japan’s Nissan have factories.
Continue reading...Labour conference: shadow ministers should quit if they won’t back Corbyn on Brexit, says McCluskey – live news
Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including events from the Labour conference in Brighton
- Jeremy Corbyn’s interview with Andrew Marr – summary
- Labour commits itself to ‘integration’ of private schools into state sector
In her speech to the conference Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, said Tory policies were to blame for rising crime. She said:
There is no question that the cuts in police numbers have contributed to the rise in crime. But other contributors are the cuts to education, the increase in school exclusions, all the zero-hours contracts, all the homelessness and inequality. All the cuts in mental health services have also played their part.
And these are all Tory policies. When they say they will lead the fight against crime – do not believe a word of it. They are the ones who have created the conditions for rising serious and violent crime. Senior police officers are increasingly going on record and saying that cuts to public services have created an environment where crime flourishes. Cuts have consequences. You cannot keep people safe on the cheap.
We will welcome refugees, including child refugees.
We will proudly uphold the torture ban and treat the victims of torture with humanity, not detentions and deportations.
Speaking at a fringe meeting about how Labour can win back support in its heartlands, Jon Trickett – shadow Cabinet Office minister and MP for Hemsworth – said he was fed up with the argument that the people who voted for Brexit were from “backwards” communities in the north of England. He said:
Here’s the point I want to make. Those held-back communities – the heartland communities – can be found in Hastings, they can be found in Hackney and they can be found in Hartlepool.
A very senior member of the Labour party, she said to me: ‘Well, no wonder they’re all coming down south, the young people, because you can’t be gay up north.’ That was said by somebody whose name you will have mentioned several times in the past few weeks.
Those people who are suggesting that the people who voted for Brexit did not know what they were voting for infantilises 17 million people.
Continue reading...Brexit divisions threaten to plunge Labour party conference into chaos
Senior shadow ministers publicly defy Jeremy Corbyn with calls for Labour to back remain
Jeremy Corbyn was struggling to contain an open revolt by some of his most senior shadow ministers, MPs and party activists last night as anger over his refusal to back a policy of remaining in the EU threatened to wreck the Labour conference.
Related: What should Labour do about Brexit? Five key party voices
Continue reading...Fresh Brexit talks row as UK asks EU to keep its proposals secret
Downing Street tells Brussels negotiators documents must not be shared with 27 states
Downing Street’s secrecy over its “underwhelming” Brexit proposals has caused a fresh rupture in the negotiations in Brussels.
The row centres on a demand that the EU’s negotiating team treat a long-awaited cache of documents outlining the UK’s latest ideas as “Her Majesty’s government property”.
Continue reading...Brexit: Parliament could remain suspended even if court finds against PM, government suggests – live news
Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the final day of the supreme court hearing to determine if Boris Johnson’s five-week suspension of parliament was lawful
From Joshua Rozenberg, the legal commentator
It looks as if Lady Hale hopes to produce a reasonably complete judgment over the weekend representing the view of the court — or of a majority if they are split. Individual sections could be written by different justices. Much better than a bald decision with reasons to follow.
Joanna Cherry says she would like the court to be as clear as possible about what should happen next if it finds against the government. She said parliament should sit again as soon as possible.
At the moment parliament is not due to reconvene until three weeks on Monday, 14 October.
Continue reading...John Major’s lawyer attacks No 10 prorogation claims as ‘misleading’
Supreme court witnesses clash of two Tory PMs amid threats prorogation could be repeated despite verdict
Downing Street put out “misleading” statements about the prorogation of parliament and published excuses for Boris Johnson’s five-week suspension of the Commons that are “not the true reasons”, the supreme court has been told by a lawyer for the former prime minister John Major.
The extraordinary clash of evidence between a former Conservative prime minister and the current one surfaced on the third day of an emergency supreme court hearing before 11 justices about whether Johnson’s five-week prorogation of parliament was lawful.
Continue reading...Boris Johnson given two-week EU deadline for Irish backstop plan
Ultimatum comes as sources say PM was ‘surprised’ by levels of checks on the border
Boris Johnson has been set a two-week deadline to table a plan for replacing the Irish backstop as further embarrassing details emerged of the prime minister’s chaotic visit to Luxembourg.
France’s president, Emmanuel Macron, and Finland’s prime minister, Antti Rinne, told reporters in Paris that they were both “concerned about what is happening in Britain”.
Continue reading...Mother of parliaments shut down by father of lies, supreme court told
Scottish lawyer at prorogation hearing says Johnson government has proved itself unworthy of trust
Boris Johnson’s government is unworthy of trust because it conspired to ensure that “the mother of parliaments” was closed down by “the father of lies”, the supreme court was told in an impassioned speech by a Scottish advocate.
In combative closing comments, Aidan O’Neill QC called on the 11 justices hearing the prorogation case to reject legal arguments advanced by the government that the courts do not have the power to intervene in the decision to prorogue parliament for five weeks.
Continue reading...