First minister and SNP leader to address pro-independence rally in Glasgow on Saturday
An independent Scotland is “within touching distance”, Nicola Sturgeon will tell a pro-independence rally in Glasgow on Saturday afternoon.
Her promise comes as Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn insisted that a new independence referendum is “not necessary or desirable”.
Continue reading...Victory for green groups follows damning scientific study and criticism from spending watchdog
The government has halted fracking in England with immediate effect in a watershed moment for environmentalists and community activists.
Ministers also warned shale gas companies it would not support future fracking projects, in a crushing blow to companies that had been hoping to capitalise on one of the new frontiers of growth in the fossil fuel industry.
Continue reading...PM rejects Nigel Farage’s offer of electoral pact, saying it could allow Jeremy Corbyn into No 10
Boris Johnson faces the threat of battling against the Brexit party for leave votes in every seat across Britain, after Nigel Farage gave the prime minister a two-week deadline to drop his Brexit deal.
After a rocky 48 hours, which saw Johnson booed during a hospital visit and urged by Donald Trump to join forces with Farage, the Brexit party leader urged him to strike a “leave alliance”.
Continue reading...Judged by votes, the PM is losing 8-15 after a century of days – and he hasn’t done much better elsewhere
Thursday was Boris Johnson’s 100th day in office – and when he took charge, he would have hoped that on Friday he would be spending the day celebrating Britain’s departure from the EU. Instead, it has been a rollercoaster ride of broken promises, false dawns and embarrassing defeats – and an election is looming.
Continue reading...Exclusive: Report allegedly being withheld by No 10 contains submissions from ex-head of MI6’s Russia desk
A report on Russian interference in British politics allegedly being sat on by Downing Street includes evidence from Christopher Steele, the former head of MI6’s Russia desk whose investigation into Donald Trump’s links with Moscow sparked a US political scandal.
Steele made submissions in writing to parliament’s intelligence and security committee (ISC), it is understood. A counter-intelligence specialist, Steele spent his career tracking Russian influence operations around the world and investigated Alexander Litvinenko’s 2006 murder.
Continue reading...US president claims on LBC Radio that Jeremy Corbyn would take UK to ‘such bad places’
Donald Trump has intervened in the UK’s nascent election campaign, calling on Boris Johnson to team up with Nigel Farage to form an “unstoppable force” and claiming Jeremy Corbyn would be “so bad for your country”.
Speaking to Farage on LBC Radio, the US president also said Johnson’s Brexit deal could prevent the UK from agreeing a trade deal with the US.
Continue reading...Former president says ancient pottery should have remained in Downing Street collection
When Cyprus’s former president George Vassiliou made the official gift of an ancient vase to Margaret Thatcher in 1988, he assumed it would remain at 10 Downing Street.
Instead, more than three decades later, the sale at auction of the 2,700-year-old pottery has provoked diplomatic discomfort in London and disquiet in Nicosia.
Continue reading...Labour leader says ‘it’s not about me’ as he launches party’s campaign
Jeremy Corbyn has declined to say whether he would step aside if Labour fails to win the 12 December election, insisting: “It’s not about me.”
Asked at his party’s campaign launch what he would do if his party failed to get in to government, he replied: “It’s not about me, it’s not about any of the people on this platform, it’s not a presidential election, it’s about each and every one of us.”
Continue reading...US businesswoman says Boris Johnson was also aware of her links to Libor-rigger Tom Hayes
Boris Johnson was aware there was a potential conflict of interest in his relationship with Jennifer Arcuri, the US businesswoman has claimed, on the eve of the publication of an inquiry into how she secured a £100,000 government grant.
In an interview for Bloomberg Businessweek, Arcuri also said that a senior official at the then London mayor’s promotional agency London & Partners (L&P) was renting a room in her Shoreditch live/work space in 2013. Around that time Johnson visited Arcuri in the property and the agency was sponsoring her events.
Continue reading...Commons debating fresh attempt by government for December ballot
The Labour MP Stephen Doughty says he has tabled an amendment to allow 16 and 17-year-olds to vote.
I have now tabled my simple and straightforward #VotesAt16 Amendment. Thanks to all colleagues who have signed. The Government have unfortunately tried to make it as difficult to table, select and vote on amendments as possible. pic.twitter.com/xzxkKoDv6n
Ian Blackford, the SNP’s leader at Westminster, is speaking now.
He says the SNP has been accused of trying to obstruct Brexit. “Guilty as charged,” he says.
Continue reading...Lawyers for family say Trump administration tried to ‘twist’ immunity law for US diplomat
The family of a 19-year-old motorcyclist killed in a crash involving the wife of a US diplomat have announced they are planning to sue the Trump administration for lawless misconduct and a cover-up.
Harry Dunn’s family are also going ahead with previously announced plans to sue Anne Sacoolas for damages in a civil action.
Continue reading...Fire chief says inquiry should have centred on cladding and government policy
Firefighters have accused the Grenfell Tower public inquiry of injustice by focusing on the shortcomings of rank and file officers while failing to scrutinise those in power, including the prime minister, Boris Johnson, who oversaw firefighting in London for eight years as mayor.
Matt Wrack, the general secretary of the Fire Brigades Union, said on Tuesday that it was “unfair and unjust” that firefighters were being publicly scrutinised in the long-awaited report being published this week, while political leaders were not.
Continue reading...Commissioner says ‘still some way to go’ in battle against disinformation on social media
Facebook and other major social media platforms have been accused by the European commission of giving a misleading picture of their efforts to remove fake accounts spreading politically motivated disinformation.
The security commissioner, Julian King, told the Guardian on the publication of the sites’ self-assessment reports to the EU’s executive that there remained a “disconnect” between the claims of progress from social media companies and “the lived experience”.
Continue reading...Government fails to win two-thirds majority for early ballot needed under Fixed-term Parliaments Act, after EU agrees to delay Brexit
That’s all from us this evening. Here’s a summary of the day’s main events:
Related: Boris Johnson abandons Brexit bill in new push for December election
My colleagues, Rowena Mason and Rajeev Syal, have been looking into what they’ve termed the “meltdown: at the People’s Vote campaign.
It’s embroiled in infighting after the chairman, Roland Rudd, fired two directors by email over the weekend. Today, Peter Mandelson – an Open Britain board member – has said:
Roland Rudd is like the captain of the Titanic demanding the passengers show him more respect as the iceberg carves open the hull and water gushes into the bowels of the ship.
Related: People's Vote set for showdown after directors' sacking
Continue reading...PM in bid to get Lib Dems and SNP to agree poll date before Christmas
Boris Johnson will abandon attempts to push his Brexit bill through this parliament in a bid to get the Liberal Democrats and the SNP to agree to an election before Christmas, although the parties are still in dispute over the potential date.
The prime minister failed to get the two-thirds of MPs he needed to secure an election under existing laws, after opposition parties largely abstained.
Continue reading...In a dramatic return, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner, one of Argentina’s most popular presidents during her two terms in 2007-15, has been voted back into office as vice-president. A large crowd of supporters celebrated outside the Frente de Todos (Everyone’s Front) party headquarters in Buenos Aires on Sunday, when preliminary official results gave the victory to the centre-left presidential candidate, Alberto Fernández, and his running mate, Fernández de Kirchner. The incumbent, Mauricio Macri, conceded defeat on Sunday night
Continue reading...Exclusive: UK will have option to leave earlier if deal is ratified, leaked draft shows
The EU is preparing to sign off on a Brexit extension to 31 January 2020 with an option for the UK to leave earlier if a deal is ratified, according to a leaked draft of the agreement seen by the Guardian.
Despite objections raised by the French government, a paper to be agreed on Monday circulated among member states suggests the EU will accede to the UK’s request for a further delay.
Continue reading...Downing Street hints at bill-based path if MPs do not back election motion on Monday
The government could try to force a pre-Christmas election via a simple majority for a parliamentary bill, Downing Street has said, following a Liberal Democrat-devised plan to try to end the House of Commons impasse.
While ministers have dismissed a Lib Dem-Scottish National party idea to bring about an election on 9 December by amending the Fixed-term Parliaments Act as a “gimmick”, a Downing Street source said Boris Johnson’s government could consider a similar bill-based route.
Continue reading...Arlene Foster highlights importance of party’s 10 parliamentary votes in propping up government
The Democratic Unionist party leader has demanded honesty from the government on Brexit as she vows to keep opposing the current deal until changes are made.
Arlene Foster told her party conference on Saturday afternoon the current withdrawal agreement would take Northern Ireland in the “wrong direction”.
Continue reading...Supporters of a second referendum may try to seize control of timetable next week
Rebel MPs are exploring ways to seize control of the agenda from Boris Johnson by allowing parliament to debate and vote on Brexit legislation and a second referendum possibly as soon as next week.
Several MPs told the Guardian this was a plan under consideration if Johnson persisted with his insistence that his withdrawal agreement bill was “paused” until MPs agree to an election on 12 December.
Continue reading...