It was a relief to get away from the boisterous and indeed volatile atmosphere of the Tommy Robinson protest and counter protest on Saturday. The sleepy back streets between St James Park and Westminster Abbey were, on a hot sunny afternoon, in marked contrast to the frenetic activity normally seen there during the working week. All of a sudden, my reverie was interrupted by the sound of shouting, screaming and glass smashing. I looked towards the commotion which was occurring...
The absence of Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable and his predecessor Tim Farron from last night's crucial Brexit votes prove once again that the party is all bark and no bite. ERG amendments which have effectively allowed hard-line Brexiters to hijack the Chequers proposals were passed through by a slender margin thanks to the noticeable absentees. As Robert Peston noted shortly after, "one of great political jokes of our time is that Theresa May was rescued from defeat last night...
In a classic episode of Yes, Minister the hapless minister Jim Hacker and adroit civil servant Sir Humphrey Appleby desperately try to stop a visiting African president from making a controversial speech in front of the Queen. The fictional country's leader successfully extorts money from the British government in exchange for not mentioning the 'Celtic peoples' and their struggle for freedom. A small national embarrassment is avoided, the Queen is not insulted and both countries ultimately benefit. What would Hacker...
Theresa May is officially stuck between a rock and a hard place. With one of the most divisive issues in a generation on the table she has somehow managed to make compromises on both sides and yet end up pleasing no one. Treasury PPS Scott Mann and Witney MP Robert Courts are the latest Brexiters to walk out on the back of the controversial Chequers deal. They join the Brexit Secretary, Foreign Secretary and five others on a list that is...
When Margaret Thatcher launched her assault on Britain’s industrial towns in the 80s suspicions that the country’s coal output may be on the decline were already there for all to see. Much of continental Europe had started to wind down their operations and the view from the Conservative benches was that the UK must follow suite. The problem was that they had nothing to put in its place, and so the benefits culture that still exists today was created. With...
Brexit chaos continues to engulf Westminster. David Davis and Boris Johnson have resigned, along with a number of minor Conservative figures. The long awaited Brexiteer rebellion may finally have begun. And it could be fatal for the Tory Party. It's hard to underestimate the trouble the Conservative Party is in right now. In the abnormal political atmosphere, two senior cabinet ministers jumping ship is not enough to trigger a leadership challenge. But this should not re-assure Theresa May or her...
"In politics, there are Realists and there are Romantics", William Hague wrote in the Telegraph today. His words echo those printed in a Guardian editorial last week before the Chequers outcome unravelled, pointing to the collection of rudderless populists that have been left in charge of running the country for the past two years. Since the EU referendum several high-profile political campaigners and anti-EU political parties have disappeared into the ether as attempts to deliver their ill-conceived plan are tabled. David Cameron,...
Boris Johnson walks away from Theresa May's government with his head held high today after been given the freedom to decide his own destiny. The outspoken politician has survived numerous sackable offences during his tenure on the front bench and is yet another Brexiter to walk away from a mess they created. Owen Jones noted on Twitter shortly after the announcement that "the fact Boris Johnson resigned rather than being sacked for his rampant disloyalty and his repeated outrageous comments shows...
On the face of it, 70 years ago, the National Health Service was a crazy proposition. An insane concept by which people were suddenly given a service for free that those who could afford it had previously paid a small fortune for. Its proposal was greeted with the same scepticism that someone might receive now for suggesting we should all be entitled to free petrol, free beer, or a free haircut. There had to be a catch. But this is...
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