Category Archives: Liberal Democrats

Boris Johnson faces revolt over forcing through Covid measures

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Amendment calling for votes on new restrictions is winning cross-party support

Boris Johnson is facing a massive parliamentary revolt over the way he is imposing Covid-19 restrictions on the British people without first consulting MPs – amid new signs that confidence in his leadership is collapsing in the Conservative party and across the country.

An extraordinary cross-party backlash against Johnson’s “rule by diktat” from Downing Street was taking shape on Saturday – ahead of a key vote on Wednesday – as a new poll by Opinium for the Observer showed Labour has overtaken the Tories for the first time since Keir Starmer became leader in April.

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No kicks, coughs or slip-ups as party conferences go online

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Attendees of this year’s virtual gatherings may be spared any gaffes, but at what cost?

Utter the phrase “conference season” to a Westminster veteran and don’t be surprised if their initial reaction is a shudder. For regular attendees of the annual party gatherings, which kick off next weekend, they raise the prospect of lengthy policy sermons and curled cheese sandwiches by day, followed by sweaty bars and third-hand gossip by night.

Related: Keir Starmer's conference challenge is to avoid the shadow of past leaders | Zoe Williams

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General election: poll suggests Tory lead narrows as campaign enters last day – live

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Labour and the Conservatives in scramble for votes on the final day of campaigning

Here’s Labour’s campaign ad this morning, invoking the Blitz spirit.

Let's get back on track. pic.twitter.com/nITBAzhJUO

A busy day all round. Johnson will be travelling from Yorkshire to the Midlands, Wales and London.

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The Guardian view on general election 2019: A fleeting chance to stop Boris Johnson in his tracks | Editorial

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The mood may be one of despair, but this election is critical to the country’s future. The best hope lies with Labour, despite its flaws

Britain has not faced a more critical election in decades than the one it faces on Thursday. The country’s future direction, its place in the world and even its territorial integrity are all at stake, primarily because this is a decisive election for Brexit. The choice is stark. The next prime minister is going to be either Boris Johnson, who is focused on “getting Brexit done” whatever the consequences, or Jeremy Corbyn, who with a Labour-led government will try to remodel society with a programme of nationalisation and public spending.

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General election: Labour sets out plan for first 100 days in office – live news

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John McDonnell to outline agenda for Labour government as general election campaign enters its final days

Good morning. We’re here, in the final stretch of the campaign. The country will go to the polls on Thursday, but before that happens, the parties are giving their pitches one final push.

Shadow chancellor John McDonnell will outline the party’s plan for the first 100 days of a Labour government, while the party focuses on the benefit of its policies to the bank balances of voters, promising the public that a Labour government would put “money in your pocket”.

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General election: Swinson condemns Johnson over Trump friendship ahead of London visit – live

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Lib Dem leader said leaders should be ‘very careful’ about relationship with US president, ahead of his arrival for Nato

Morning, Amy Walker here, I’ll be taking over the politics liveblog for the next hour or so.

The former head of the parole board, Nick Hardwick, has criticised government changes to the criminal justice system after London Bridge attacker Usman Khan was released from prison under licence.

PA Media reports a vigil will be held to pay tribute to the victims killed in the London Bridge terror attack and to honour the emergency services and members of the public who responded to the incident.

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Revealed: Tory candidates issued with attack manuals on how to smear rivals

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Party’s dossier contains dubious and outdated claims about Lib Dems and Labour

Conservative candidates in the general election have been issued with a detailed dossier on how to attack Labour and Liberal Democrat rivals which contains numerous rehashed and potentially misleading claims, the Guardian can reveal.

The documents accuse the Liberal Democrats of pushing “pro-pimp” policies and sex work as a career for schoolchildren.

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Conservatives open up 19-point lead with 47% share of the vote

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Latest Opinium/Observer poll shows Tories capitalising on retreat of Brexit party as manifesto is unveiled

The Conservatives have taken a commanding 19-point lead over Labour with less than three weeks to go before voters head to the polls, according to the latest Opinium poll for the Observer.

Related: Poll models fail to spot voting variation in similar seats

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General election 2019: Corbyn vows to take on wealthy elite during Labour’s manifesto launch – live news

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Party promises record investment blitz and to scrap tuition fees and universal credit

Corbyn is now responding to questions from students at the venue, Birmingham City University.

He says young workers will benefit from the living wage.

Q: Some voters do not see you as patriotic. Is that fair?

Corbyn replies:

Yes, I do support this country. I am patriotic about this country.

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General election live: Corbyn should not resign immediately if Labour loses election, says McCluskey – live news

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All the day’s developments on the campaign trail before Johnson and Corbyn’s first TV debate

Boris Johnson has gone for some Rocky Balboa-type posturing ahead of tonight’s ITV debate. (See 2.33pm and 4.50pm.) As you would expect, Jeremy Corbyn’s warm-up routine is rather different.

Labour leader @jeremycorbyn has arrived for the #ITVdebate, saying he hopes for a respectful debate and prepared by eating a Caesar salad#GE2019 #Leadersdebatehttps://t.co/itw9efaa2W pic.twitter.com/Z2PVqCmgEd

And here is another useful Twitter thread on the likely impact of the debate tonight, from the academic Prof Tim Bale. It starts here.

THREAD: Did a @SkyNews bit today on debates. Here's (some of) what we think we know from research in the UK and elsewhere. 1/8

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Brexit party will not contest 317 Tory-won seats, Farage says

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Party leader announces election climbdown in effort to avoid splitting leave vote

Nigel Farage has said the Brexit party will not field any candidates against the Conservatives in the 317 seats they won at the last general election, after Boris Johnson committed to leaving the EU by 2020 and pursuing a Canada-style trade deal.

Farage said his party’s climbdown came after months of trying to create a leave alliance with the Tories, but he felt it was time to put the country before his party and make a “unilateral” move.

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Brexit: Boris Johnson fails in bid to limit debate as MPs start considering early election bill – live news

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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.

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The women who broke the Harvey Weinstein story – podcast

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When Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey began investigating Harvey Weinstein, they had no idea it would ignite a global reckoning on sexual harassment resulting in #MeToo. And: Rafael Behr on the likelihood of a winter election

In the summer of 2017, the New York Times journalist Megan Twohey was on maternity leave when she received a call from a colleague, Jodi Kantor. The two had never spoken before, but Kantor was working on a story and needed Twohey’s help. It was an investigation into the Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. What they uncovered became one of the biggest stories of our times, launching a global movement.

Rachel Humphreys talks to the journalists about how they convinced prominent actors and former Weinstein employees to speak to them, the lengths Weinstein was willing to go to in an attempt to prevent the story from becoming public, and what more needs to be done about sexual harassment in the workplace.

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Brexit: Government’s no-deal planning operation stood down – as it happened

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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

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Boris Johnson abandons Brexit bill in new push for December election

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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.

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No 10 to explore other routes towards election after Lib Dem proposal

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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.

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Brexit: EU must show flexibility, says Raab before Johnson-Juncker meeting – live news

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Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including Boris Johnson’s meeting with the European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker

Jean-Claude Juncker, the European commission president, was asked if he was confident of progress as he went in for his lunch with Boris Johnson. According to the Press Association, he replied: “We will see.”

According to the Telegraph’s James Crisp, Juncker also offered to pay for lunch.

Juncker and Johnson are having their powwow in Le Bouquet Garni. 18th C restaurant opposite ducal palace. Boris, who was greeted by a protest said nothing on way in.

Juncker on other hand
.. 1/ pic.twitter.com/ccgfgW5X3b

Juncker said he never runs out of patience before saying he would pick up the bill.

"I have no choice" he joked.

Here is some footage of Boris Johnson meeting Jean-Claude Juncker. This is from the BBC’s Larissa Kennelly.

Commission Pres @JunckerEU shakes hands with @BorisJohnson as he arrives for (s)nails and salmon in Luxembourg. Lunch on Juncker apparently. pic.twitter.com/vWFoTEYKm7

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Jeremy Corbyn agrees to prioritise legislation to stop no-deal Brexit

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Labour leader tells opposition parties he will not seek early confidence vote in government

Jeremy Corbyn has backed cross-party plans to delay a vote of no confidence in Boris Johnson and prioritise rebel MPs’ attempts to use legislation to stop a no-deal Brexit, with plans set to be agreed by the end of the week..

In a meeting with opposition parties convened by the Labour leader, Corbyn opened the discussion by reassuring MPs that Labour would not seek a premature vote of no confidence that might stymie legislative efforts to stop no deal.

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Brexit: no-deal exit edges closer as key Tories refuse to back Corbyn

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Oliver Letwin becomes latest figure to reject call for unity government led by Labout leader

Splits in the anti-no deal alliance of MPs in parliament threatened to stymie plans to stop a no-deal Brexit on Friday, as Conservatives and independent MPs ruled out backing plans brokered by Jeremy Corbyn.

The row between the Liberal Democrats and Labour deepened as the mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, urged the Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, to seriously reconsider Corbyn’s offer to head a temporary government to stop a no-deal Brexit. The Lib Dem’s former leader Vince Cable demanded Corbyn name a unity figure whom he would back if his plan failed.

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Jo Swinson says she would work with Labour to avoid no-deal Brexit

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Lib Dem leader also says she thinks Corbyn-led unity government would not win MPs’ confidence

The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson, has reiterated that she would work with the Labour party to prevent a no-deal Brexit amid pressure from other opposition leaders, but underlined her belief that a Jeremy Corbyn-led unity government would not win the confidence of the House of Commons.

The Conservative grandee Ken Clarke and senior Labour MP Harriet Harman – the father and mother of the house – are prepared to lead the emergency government, Swinson added, saying she had won both of their assurances.

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