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A former Cabinet minister I spoke to the other day summed it up rather well. “I can’t bear to go out and make excuses for that lot,” he said. “That lot” being our present government which is putting on an uncertain show of unity in Manchester where, according to media reports, the Tory faithful are in attendance. Are they really? I doubt it. I see lots of ambitious young men with lustrous hair, but hardly any salt-and-pepper stalwarts. Very few Tories are faithful any more. Like a serially cheated-on wife, we view the excuses of our errant party with a weary distaste bordering on disgust.
“Oh, so you’re going to crack down on crime/wokery/fat cat civil servants now, are you? Marvellous, darling. Where have I heard that one before? Funny you only say you’re going to make it up to me when there’s an election coming.”
Conference promises are like kiss-and-make-up-roses purchased in a garage forecourt on the drive home from the mistress’s flat. They are cheap and they never blossom.
The new Tory Unfaithful are tired of being taken for granted, sick of their views being ignored. Again and again, we have voted for immigration to be reduced. Again and again, Tory manifestos have pledged to cut immigration. How is that working out? On Nov 23, we expect an announcement that net immigration over two years will hit one million (Alp Mehmet of Migration Watch warns me “it will be considerably higher than that”). In other words, a Conservative government has pretty much opened the gates and let in a city the size of Birmingham since 2021 in flagrant disregard of the wishes of its own voters. Speaking at a fringe meeting at the party conference earlier this week, Robert Jenrick, the immigration minister admitted that the post-Brexit points system (with a ridiculously low salary requirement; why on earth didn’t the UK copy the tough Australian model?) had resulted in “unsustainable” numbers of migrants legally coming to the UK and some decisions had been “naïve”. You don’t say!
In a brave, barnstorming speech, Home Secretary Suella Braverman warned of a “hurricane” of migrants coming to the UK, saying that politicians had been “far too squeamish of being smeared as racists” to reduce levels of immigration in the past. A clear admission that a dominant leftist “Be Kind” ideology has captured minds, even those of Tory ministers, stymieing the legitimate concerns of the British people for whom kindness and consideration appears to be optional.
Most people could not care two hoots about HS2 (except wishing all the billions had been more wisely spent), but they really mind about crazy numbers of new arrivals (and their extended family) putting pressure on public services when the NHS has started advising GPs not to refer sick people to hospital. After 13 years of Tory government, our health system is in a frightening state of collapse, a tenth of the population is on a hospital waiting list, thousands are dying avoidable deaths, 40 per cent of maternity units are deemed unsafe, and Rishi Sunak’s bright idea is to fine people who miss a GP appointment. What GP appointment, Prime Minister?
“But Labour will be worse” no longer works as a bogeyman to scare the Tory tribe back into the polling booth. One wag described the choice between Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer as, “Which Kray twin do you prefer?” Although one can’t help feeling a little wistfully that, unlike Rishi and Keir, Reggie and Ronnie would at least have got a few things sorted in their forthright East End fashion.
Of course, a Labour government can be relied upon to be ghastly – I expect we’ll all have our designated pronouns tattooed on our foreheads beneath our Pride berets - but the country is in such a parlous state that the Conservatives really haven’t left them an awful lot of scope to be worse. Taxes are at their highest rate for 70 years and corporation tax, so difficult for businesses struggling to get back on their feet after lockdown, is an investor-repelling 24 per cent.
Liz Truss drew a huge, enthusiastic crowd at the conference with her unrepentant call for growth, including the sensible idea of putting corporation tax back to 19 per cent. Our drip of a Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt (a puppet so unconvincing he was rejected by Gerry Anderson for being too wooden), says nothing can be done on taxes. Is he perchance any relation to the Jeremy Hunt who, when he was running for the Tory leadership, promised to cut corporation tax to 11 per cent?
The Tory Unfaithful are damned if they’ll go out in the rain to deliver leaflets for the likes of Hunt whom they loathe with a passion. Why would they lift a finger to assist the bunch to whom they gave a cracking 80-seat majority and who, apart from Brexit, have failed to use that ringing endorsement to do anything remotely Conservative? Think of all the great reforming work that could and should have been done. It’s a national tragedy.
On Saturday, I was in Westminster Central Hall to mark the second birthday of the Together coalition. Thousands of ordinary men and women have joined the group to thwart the Ultra low emission zone (Ulez) in London and to protest against low traffic neighbourhoods (LTNs) and other anti-motorist measures across the country. Now, Together is turning its sights to the ruinous net zero target, whose unachievable timetable the PM modestly tweaked, but only after it became clear that it might prove popular with drivers. It is only furious pressure from the public, the threat of legal action or electoral setback, that ever gets this Government to tack towards anything the Tory Unfaithful want. Not only do they lack the courage of their convictions; they no longer seem to have neither courage nor conviction.
In the past, we have let bygones be bygones, always given them one more chance. But now? We are done, at least I am.
My name is Allison and I am a Conservative who wants the Conservatives to lose the next election. I am sure I am not alone. There are rather a lot of us, millions probably, and, whisper it low, they include Tory MPs who know that the party desperately needs a period of soul-searching to rediscover what it’s for.
“Good grief, you want us to be in Opposition?”, I hear your startled cry.
We are already in Opposition, dear reader. Sorry to say. We are in Opposition against our own government, and have been for some time. It is sad and exhausting and dreadfully demoralising that it should have come to this, but here we are. You can see the impact of our grand disillusion in the result of every recent by-election (barring Uxbridge and South Ruislip where the Conservatives scraped home, after actually doing something Tory, by a scant 400 votes). There is no flood of enthusiasm to secure victory for Labour or the Liberal Democrats, far from; it is all those Conservatives who point-blank refuse to vote Conservative that tip the balance. We are the politically homeless.
Let’s wait and see how my theory bears out in two upcoming by-elections on Oct 19. Nadine Dorries’s Mid Bedfordshire and Chris Pincher’s Tamworth constituencies should be among the safest seats in the country. Unfortunately, thanks to a period of fake Conservative, sub-Blairite government, there is no longer such a thing as a safe Tory seat.
Recently, one of the Tory Unfaithful sent an email to the Planet Normal podcast. Debbie calls herself “one very disillusioned Conservative voter”. Hers is a story that will be familiar to many of you. Debbie and her husband met in 1970 when they both belonged to the Young Conservatives. They took a very active role in the party; Debbie was secretary of their local divisional committee and a member of the executive of the association.
“Over a period of 40 years, I have delivered thousands of leaflets,” she says, “stood at the door of polling stations as a teller, been at counts, a couple of times acting as a scrutineer when votes are counted and worked in committee rooms too many times to count. Now the party has lost its way and lost sight of what being a Conservative stands for – small state, low taxes and freedom of speech. Come the next election it will be very difficult to vote for the party. Where is the box on the ballot paper that says ‘None of the above’? Liz Truss knows what it means to be a Conservative and I voted for her. Certainly not for Jeremy Hunt who must be the worst Conservative Chancellor in history. No wonder the country is in a shambolic state. Where is the leader who has the vision and the ability to lead us out of our present mess and won’t give in to those who oppose and are happy to remain with the status quo of a downward spiral?”
You know, it really doesn’t matter what garage-forecourt-flower promises Sunak makeson the conference stage. It’s because of all the Debbies, the battalions of loyal Conservative foot soldiers, that this Government has to be taught a lesson. How can we vote this lot back into power and trust them to behave differently?
Funnily enough, the prospect of a great, purifying defeat at the general election makes me feel oddly hopeful. Make no mistake, a realignment of the Conservatives is taking place in Manchester. We see bold figures blessed with courage and convictions – Kemi Badenoch, Priti Patel, Suella Braverman – empressing it out for the right to represent the Conservatism we want and believe in. In another age, an extraordinary woman called Margaret Thatcher had to rescue and redeem this country from decline. By her unyielding example, she made the Tories faithful and Britain great again. Out of the ashes, her heiress will rise. | United Kingdom Politics |
Xiao Yaqing, chairman of the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (SASAC) attends a news conference on the sidelines of the National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing, China March 9, 2019. REUTERS/Stringer Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBEIJING, July 28 (Reuters) - The high-profile head of China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT), Xiao Yaqing, is under investigation for suspected violation of discipline and law, Chinese state media reported on Thursday.No other details were immediately available.Xiao's name was conspicuous by its absence from a list released on Wednesday by China's ruling Communist Party of officials elected on July 19 to take part in the 20th party congress set for later this year. As a sitting minister, Xiao would have been expected to be on the list.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comXiao, 62, previously headed the State Administration for Market Regulation, and before that led the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission.The MIIT oversees a vast swath of China's economy that includes 5G telecoms, semiconductors, electric vehicles and vaccine production.Xiao's last public appearance was on July 6, when he chaired a virtual conference of information ministers from the BRICS grouping of countries that also includes Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Tony Munroe; editing by Philippa FletcherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Asia Politics |
Lord Hamilton of Dalzell is a hereditary peer, a chartered accountant, and the President of the Ludlow Conservative Association.
The recent Worfield by-election in Shropshire serves as a sobering wake-up call for Conservative councils and formerly safe Shire seats. This division, previously a Conservative stronghold returning 75 per cent and 77 per cent of the votes for the Conservatives in the previous two elections, was lost to the Liberal Democrats by eight votes, a swing of 30 per cent against the party. This was despite a well-run campaign with an excellent candidate, no scandals with the previous councillor, and few issues with Shropshire Council. To avoid catastrophic defeats in future Council and General Elections, it is crucial to understand the malaise affecting the party and its supporters – and the dearth of Conservative principles at national level which caused this unexpected result. The omens for the future of the Conservative Party are depressing.
The Worfield by-election was triggered by the sudden resignation of the previous councillor due to personal reasons. We were able to field an exceptional local candidate, the former highly respected councillor for the division with deep connections and knowledge of the community and excellent local recognition. However, even he was not able to galvanise local Conservative supporters to turn out in sufficient numbers.
Both the Conservative and Liberal Democrat campaigns were well run, with extensive door-to-door canvassing and distribution of numerous leaflets and support from the well-respected MP and the PPC for the next election. It is worth noting that opposition parties had not previously seriously fought this division. Nevertheless, there was little lacking in the Conservative effort to meet and communicate with electors and get our vote out.
Moreover, Shropshire Council, under Conservative control, has generally been satisfactory, with minimal significant problems in local services. Progress has been made in addressing road maintenance which has long been a source of frustration for residents. The Council was not the target of the voters’ ire and was hardly ever mentioned on the doorstep.
However, the defining factor in the Worfield by-election was the pervasive dissatisfaction with the current Conservative government and the perception that ordinary people and rural issues are not considered in Westminster. Specific issues influencing voters are high interest rates, high fuel and heating oil prices, failure to tackle illegal immigration, poor NHS performance, and unreliable rail services. However, the underlying feeling was a sense that ‘others’ in urban areas or different communities were listened to over them. A general sense of inertia and lack of leadership and progress was palpable during door-to-door canvassing. In simple terms, approximately 350 traditional Conservative supporters stayed at home or voted Liberal Democrat – their vote declining from 754 to 392. Opposition votes increased by 188. This highlights the need to motivate and engage our core supporters, ensuring they turn out to vote in traditionally secure seats.
The key takeaway from the Worfield by-election is that the Party needs to tune into its grassroots and natural support base across Britain. Focus on policies which enable economic growth and reduce costs for ordinary people and businesses. Our party’s foundation has been built on the values of a liberal free market and a growth-oriented approach with responsibility given to individuals, less regulation, less government, freedom of choice, freedom of speech, rule of law. It is our duty to ensure that our policies and actions align with these principles to regain the trust of our supporters and ensure that our traditional strongholds remain loyal to the Conservative cause.
The outcome of the Worfield by-election carries significant implications for the Conservative Party. It was one of the safest divisions in South Shropshire (formerly Ludlow). Losing there, with such a strong swing against and no impediments to the campaign goes further than the lessons from North Shropshire that there are no safe seats for the Conservatives in rural Britain. | United Kingdom Politics |
Just weeks before the bloody 1968 Tet Offensive in South Vietnam, war correspondent Peter Arnett published an iconic dispatch in which he asked an unidentified U.S. Army major the rationale for the bombing and shelling of a town the Americans were seeking to capture. Citing the heavy infiltration of the town by enemy Viet Cong, this officer reportedly offered a justification in a phrase that has endured as a symbol of the futility of the Vietnam War and the tragic nature of all wars: “It became necessary to destroy the town to save it.” Arnett is referenced in a recent P.J. Media article by David P. Goldman, entitled “It Became Necessary to Destroy the Country to Save It.” Goldman suggests a toxic juxtaposition between U.S. policy and Russian aggression, asserting that “American fecklessness and Russian rapacity together will leave a grease spot where Ukraine used to be.” He adds that it was all “tragically, idiotically unnecessary.” Similarly, a National Interest article, “Henry Kissinger and Ending the Conflict over Ukraine,” by Damjan Mišković warns that Ukraine is at “imminent risk of becoming irredeemably dysfunctional once [the war] comes to an end.” Kissinger has stressed the urgency of brokering a compromise peace agreement and was promptly denounced by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky as a 1938-style “appeaser,” as was French President Emmanuel Macron for essentially supporting the same idea. At work here are two parallel and dangerous processes. First, the intransigence of Zelensky and his public commitment to regain all Ukrainian territory lost to Russia since 2014, including Crimea, is being encouraged by some members of the Biden administration who evidently see this war in black-and-white terms and are pursuing an agenda of crippling Russia’s capacity to function as a great power on the world stage. Observers such as Kissinger and Macron apparently see the unreality of these professed war aims and realize that a protracted war could have massively damaging consequences for many nations. In many countries, the war is considered to be a regional conflict, as Daniel DePetris and Rajan Menon point out in a recent Politico opinion piece. We saw the world’s reaction when some U.S. allies were among countries that abstained from a United Nations vote in April to suspend Russia from the Human Rights Council. Now, new “facts on the ground” may be triggering agonizing reappraisals across the world, including within the Western alliance. Suddenly the narrative of a stumbling, incompetent Vladimir Putin opening doors to his regime’s potential overthrow may be starting to unravel as Putin pushes to mobilize all the latent power of the Russian state and remains fully committed to reducing Ukraine to an economic and humanitarian basket case. Zelensky recently acknowledged the dire straits of his country, including an unsustainable toll of fighters killed or wounded and the strangulation of Ukraine’s economy from Russian control of Black Sea ports. Even before Russia’s invasion, the health of the Ukrainian state was not robust, economically or politically. Since gaining independence in 1989, Ukraine’s population has steadily declined from a high of about 51 million people to an estimated 43 million in 2022, and with a low birth rate and high death rate, it is projected to continue to fall. Before the war, the United Nations estimated Ukraine could lose nearly a fifth of its population by 2050. (Since the war began in February, more than 14 million people have fled their homes, about half of them leaving for other countries.) Among those who appear to be rethinking their attitude toward the war is the New York Times, as illustrated by a recent Ross Douthat column, “We Can’t Be Ukraine Hawks Forever,” in which he describes his own transformation from idealist to realist, stressing that we can’t “confuse what is desirable with what is likely, and what is morally ideal with what is achievable.” Douthat describes the United States as an “embattled global hegemon facing threats more significant than Russia,” and cautions that we are an “internally divided country led by an unpopular president whose majorities may be poised for political collapse.” For the sake of Ukraine, and the rest of the world, let us hope that the Biden administration soon catches up with this brand of realism. William Moloney is a Fellow in Conservative Thought at Colorado Christian University’s Centennial Institute who studied at Oxford and the University of London and received his doctorate from Harvard University. He is a former Colorado Commissioner of Education. | Europe Politics |
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LONDON — Welcome to Britain, where an elected member of parliament openly rages against “crime against humanity” COVID vaccines and a £12.50-a-day pollution charge is a “trojan horse” for government “control.”
Conspiracy theories are not a new force in British politics. But there’s mounting concern that, on a host of issues, once-fringe ideas are increasingly being ushered into the mainstream — with a little help from politicians.
Such worries stepped up a notch earlier this year when Andrew Bridgen, a Conservative MP since 2010, lost the party whip after comparing the COVID-19 vaccine rollout to the Holocaust.
Since being ousted from the Tories, Bridgen sits as the sole parliamentary member of TV actor Lawrence Fox’s avowedly “anti-woke” Reclaim Party. Although Fox and his other MP hopefuls have failed at every race they’ve run in, adopting Bridgen into the fold means Reclaim has achieved parliamentary representation without having to win an election.
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Rod Dacombe, a reader in politics and a conspiracy theory specialist at King’s College London, says the MP’s position gives establishment heft to potentially dangerous groups.
“For this small but very active movement, he’s their MP now,” Dacombe says. “He’s quoted conspiracy circles and literature really frequently. He’s hosted people who are concerned with vaccine harms in Parliament, so I think it does add a degree of legitimacy to boost that movement.”
Andrew Bridgen did not respond to POLITICO’s multiple requests for comment.
Not just vaccines
Bridgen’s views on COVID vaccinations have seen him turfed out of the Conservative party. But it’s not the only issue on which conspiracy-tinged language is creeping into politics, often with less scrutiny.
Local politics has been gripped, for example, by the concept of a “15-minute city,” a relatively benign planning concept that stresses the need for easy-to-reach amenities. It’s been pilloried online as a “dystopian plan” to lock people within the confines of a neighborhood and shut them out of the rest of the world.
Similar language has even crept into the Commons. Conservative Nick Fletcher told fellow MPs earlier this month that “15-minute cities will cost us our personal freedom” — and described them as an “international socialist concept.”
Asked if he is aware that sentiments are being pushed by conspiracy theorists, Fletcher told POLITICO in a statement: “Nobody stood for election on a clear manifesto to control and tax the way people travel and restrict their liberties. I believe that this country is the best in the world due to its tolerance for others. ULEZ, CAZ and so-called 15 minute cities are fundamentally non-British and should be scrapped.”
Dacombe warns, however, that heightened language around 15-minute cities shows “conspiratorial ideas affect[ing] the mainstream of political discourse,” adding that “there’s a small group of people in the U.K. for whom these ideas are the primary way in which they approach politics.”
Opposition to 15-minute cities has recently melded with attacks on London’s ultra-low emission zone (ULEZ), which has become a new lightning rod for conspiracies that go well beyond standard policy critiques.
ULEZ was controversially expanded to more of London by the city’s mayor Sadiq Khan over the summer. It has its fair share of critics, with both Labour and the Tories blaming the charge on high-polluting vehicles as a key reason the anti-ULEZ Conservatives pulled off a surprise by-election win.
But the campaign against it has at times tipped into full-blown conspiracy theorizing, and the notion that ULEZ is a way for the government to control the public has become commonplace in online discourse.
On the day ULEZ expanded into greater London, protesters — most affiliated with the “Action Against ULEZ Extension” group — gathered outside 10 Downing Street to make their views known. The group describes its main objective as being “to stop the ULEZ extension before it’s even started and to ensure that pay per mile, 15-minute cities and living under a dictatorship controlled regime never happens.” The group says it doesn’t want to be forced “into living in open prisons.”
The Metropolitan Police recently announced that 510 cameras had been damaged in the five months leading-up to the ULEZ launch.
Dacombe warns about the fine line between heightened campaign rhetoric and conspiracy talk. “It’s a really good example of the translation of the ideas which we’ve seen kind of bandied around the [conspiracy] movements into formal politics.”
Online rage, offline consequences
For those on the receiving end of conspiracy theories, the consequences can be all too real.
In 2020, the Equality and Human Rights Commission published a damning report on antisemitism in the U.K. Labour Party, which found some members had peddled conspiracies framing Jewish people as controlling the opposition, describing them as a “fifth column.”
It found members had shared tropes about the Rothschild family and open Holocaust denial. The EHRC — which has since stopped monitoring Labour and said the party has taken action to address the problem — found that many incidents of antisemitic misinformation had gone uninvestigated. But not before some members, and even MPs, quit the party in disgust.
Lately, lawmakers have found themselves on the receiving end of online abuse for distorted takes on their votes in the House of Commons. Bridgen recently took to the floor of the House of Commons to introduce a 10-minute rule bill, a symbolic motion that can be used to highlight campaign issues.
The Reclaim MP argued for new legislation to “protect” children in schools “[forbidding] the promotion of gender identity,” and said — without evidence — that schools are seeing “nine-year-old children being taught about masturbation or witnessing dolls simulate sex acts.”
Bridgen’s 10-minute rule — though controversial — got 33 votes of support, with 39 MPs voting against. That’s when the attacks on those opposed began.
Some of the MPs who voted against the motion were mentioned in incendiary tweets from Reclaim leader Lawrence Fox — who boasts 401,000 followers on X, formerly Twitter.
Fox and Bridgen used posts to describe those who had voted against the motion as opposing “the protection of children from grooming and social transitioning in school without parental knowledge or consent.”
Responding to those tweets, X users then baselessly accused these MPs of being pedophiles.
One Conservative MP who was framed in this way, and who was granted anonymity due to the sensitivity of the issue, described the feedback they had received as “vile.”
They said the online response had made them question their vote, not because they didn’t believe in it, but because they weren’t sure the abuse was worth it.
“From my perspective, I think it was right to vote against Bridgen, but you’re caught in this Catch 22 of responding to live public opinion on Twitter versus trying to think about what we want to do as a government to shape the country,” they said.
Neither Bridgen or Fox responded to POLITICO’s request for comment on this point.
Anti-democratic
Dacombe warns that online abuse can rapidly escalate, warning that there “is a really clearly defined pathway from this kind of conspiracy to terrorism or violent acts.”
“It is inherently anti-democratic, in the sense that if you believe this stuff, you don’t believe in mainstream political institutions,” he warns.
“So, in a way, Andrew Bridgen and aligned MPs, tend to essentially work against institutions they represent, because if you believe in conspiracy theories, you don’t believe that parliament’s working for you, you don’t believe in mainstream forms of expertise, and so on.”
Labour MP Charlotte Nichols says the pandemic saw a huge uptick in the conspiracy-related abuse she received, and although it has lessened since, it’s not gone back to pre-pandemic levels.
“It got to the point where you’d be doing school visits and kids would have questions clearly planted by their parents about some of these concepts,” she says, adding: “You’d have children saying ‘What are you doing about the WEF?’” The WEF — World Economic Forum — is at the center of the ‘new world order’ conspiracy theory, which suggests leaders created the COVID-19 pandemic to seize control over citizens’ lives.
In recent days, Nichols has shared a video online which shows her being accosted in her constituency by a man calling her a “fascist” and telling her that Jewish people “dominate” Westminster.
The editor of the fact checking site Full Fact, Steve Nowottny, says politicians could, as a first step, start to improve Britain’s discourse by correcting mistakes and showing their sources, “which all sounds very motherhood-and-apple pie, but it’s actually really important, and it doesn’t happen very often.”
FullFact often writes to MPs to highlight when they’ve made a false claim, but often this does not result in a correction.
Nowottny warns: “If you can’t trust what a politician says in parliament and can’t trust that, were they to make a mistake, [they would] then correct the record — that says something quite fundamental about our democracy that is quite concerning.” | United Kingdom Politics |
NEW DELHI -- India on Wednesday made history as it became the first country in the world to land its spacecraft near the moon’s south pole, an uncharted territory that scientists believe could hold vital reserves of frozen water, and the fourth country to achieve a moon landing.
A lander with a rover inside touched down on the lunar surface at 6:04 local time, sparking cheers and applause among the space scientists watching in the southern Indian city of Bengaluru. After a failed attempt in 2019, India now joins the United States, the Soviet Union and China in reaching this milestone.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi watched the historic landing from South Africa, where he is participating in the BRICS nations summit. “India is now on the moon. India has reached the south pole of the moon — no other country has achieved that. We are witnessing history,” Modi said as he waved the Indian tri-colored flag.
India’s successful landing comes just days after Russia’s Luna-25, which was aiming for the same lunar region, spun into an uncontrolled orbit and crashed. It would have been the first successful Russian lunar landing after a gap of 47 years. Russia’s head of the state-controlled space corporation Roscosmos attributed the failure to the lack of expertise due to the long break in lunar research that followed the last Soviet mission to the moon in 1976.
Excited and anxious, people across India, home to the world’s largest population, crowded around televisions in offices, shops, restaurants and homes. Thousands prayed Tuesday for the success of the mission with oil lamps on the river banks, temples and religious places, including the holy city of Varanasi in northern India.
India’s Chandrayaan-3 — “moon craft” in Sanskrit — took off from a launchpad in Sriharikota in southern India on July 14.
“India’s pursuit of space exploration reaches a remarkable milestone with the impending Chandrayaan-3 Mission, poised to achieve a soft landing on the lunar surface. This achievement marks a significant step forward for Indian Science, Engineering, Technology, and Industry, symbolizing our nation’s progress in space exploration,” the Indian Space Research Organization said in a statement earlier on Wednesday.
It said that a successful Chandrayaan-3 landing would be monumental in fueling curiosity and sparking a passion for exploration among youth. “It generates a profound sense of pride and unity as we collectively celebrate the prowess of Indian science and technology. It will contribute to fostering an environment of scientific inquiry and innovation,” the organization said.
Many countries and private companies are interested in the south pole region because permanently shadowed craters may hold frozen water that could help future astronaut missions.
The six-wheeled lander and rover module of Chandrayaan-3 is configured with payloads that would provide data to the scientific community on the properties of lunar soil and rocks, including chemical and elemental compositions.
India’s previous attempt to land a robotic spacecraft near the moon’s little-explored south pole ended in failure in 2019. It entered the lunar orbit but lost touch with its lander, which crashed while making its final descent to deploy a rover to search for signs of water. According to a failure analysis report submitted to the ISRO, the crash was caused by a software glitch.
The $140-million mission in 2019 was intended to study permanently shadowed moon craters that are thought to contain water deposits and were confirmed by India’s Chandrayaan-1 orbiter mission in 2008.
With nuclear-armed India emerging as the world’s fifth-largest economy last year, Modi’s nationalist government is eager to showcase India’s rising standing as a technology and space powerhouse. A successful moon mission dovetails with Modi’s image of an ascendant India asserting its place among the global elite and would help bolster his popularity ahead of a crucial general election next year.
The anticipation for a successful landing rose after Russia’s failed attempt and as India’s regional rival China reaches for new milestones in space. In May, China launched a three-person crew for its orbiting space station and hopes to put astronauts on the moon before the end of the decade. Relations between India and China have plunged since deadly border clashes in 2020.
Numerous countries and private companies are racing to successfully land a spacecraft on the lunar surface. In April, a Japanese company’s spacecraft apparently crashed while attempting to land on the moon. An Israeli nonprofit tried to achieve a similar feat in 2019, but its spacecraft was destroyed on impact.
Japan plans to launch a lunar lander to the moon over the weekend as part of an X-ray telescope mission, and two U.S. companies also are vying to put landers on the moon by the end of the year, one of them at the south pole. In the coming years, NASA plans to land astronauts at the lunar south pole, taking advantage of the frozen water in craters. | India Politics |
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Former President Donald Trump says he will voluntarily turn himself in in Fulton County, Georgia on Thursday — the day after the first Republican primary debate, which he is skipping. The Republican National Committee confirmed on Monday that eight candidates qualified for the debate. While Trump leads the polls, he is not on that list. He is reportedly planning to sit for an interview with former Fox News host Tucker Carlson instead.
- Trump is one of 19 people facing criminal charges in Georgia over their efforts to overturn its 2020 election results. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is giving them until noon ET Friday to turn themselves in to be booked, a process that will likely yield the first mug shot to come out of Trump's four arrests. The DA wants the trial to start in March 2024.
Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images
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The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, pictured on Thursday.
Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images
The Fulton County Jail in Atlanta, Georgia, pictured on Thursday.
Christian Monterrosa/AFP via Getty Images
President Biden visited Maui yesterday to view the widespread damage from the deadly wildfires and pledge federal support for its recovery, saying it will be there for "as long as it takes." He said the historic town of Lahaina should be rebuilt the way residents want it — but, as NPR's Jennifer Ludden tells Up First from Maui, many are concerned that longtime residents will lose land to developers. Maui, an expensive housing market to begin with, was experiencing a housing shortage even before the fires.
- More than 1,900 displaced survivors are sheltering in hotels and Airbnbs. One family of four, staying in a one-bedroom unit, tells Ludden applying for aid online is hard because cell service remains so spotty, and they can't get around because they lost their bike and cars.
The BRICS group of emerging economies — Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa — kicks off its annual summit today in Johannesburg. China's Xi Jinping will attend in person, while Russia's Vladimir Putin will join virtually — and the U.S. and Europe will be watching closely. Reporter Kate Bartlett tells Morning Edition from Johannesburg that there are two main issues on the agenda: the bloc's desire to move away from U.S. dollar dominance and its possible expansion to include more countries.
- More than 40 countries have expressed interest in joining, from democracies like Argentina to autocracies like Iran. Bartlett says that number shows that "many Global South countries buy what BRICS is selling: an alternative to what they see as a U.S.-dominated, unequal global order."
This summer has seen a relentless stream of extreme weather, from hurricanes to wildfires to heat waves — and climate change is making these intense events more common. The last nine years are the hottest nine years ever recorded on Earth, and those warmer temperatures are driving disasters, NPR climate reporter Rebecca Hersher explains.
- She says there are things we can do to prevent and prepare for extreme weather, from reducing greenhouse gas emissions to building more resilient infrastructure to making emergency plans that keep climate-driven weather in mind and look out for those most vulnerable.
From our hosts
A Martínez/NPR
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A Martínez's visit to a Los Angeles grocery store before Tropical Storm Hilary reminded him of the early days of the pandemic.
A Martínez/NPR
A Martínez's visit to a Los Angeles grocery store before Tropical Storm Hilary reminded him of the early days of the pandemic.
A Martínez/NPR
This essay was written by A Martínez. He came to NPR in 2021 and is one of Morning Edition and Up First's hosts. He was previously the host of Take Two at LAist in Los Angeles.
Los Angeles was not built to handle rain. Even a little bit causes all kinds of headaches. Some are just little annoyances such as even worse traffic than there normally is here, and others are way more serious like mudslides and flooding. All that is to say in LA, the mere threat of rain causes panic, so you can imagine what the first ever tropical storm warning in California's modern history sparked. Saturday at the grocery store was like the start of the pandemic in 2020. Shelves empty. People sweeping up bottled drinking water and produce as if the supply chain just snapped. Then on Sunday, I got so sucked in by the Hurricane Hilary hype that I stayed at home all day just staring out the window waiting for Noah's Ark to drift down my street. While it did rain a lot and shake a bit (there was an earthquake that I slept through) it turned out to be just a rare rainy day in LA which brought all the same aggravations that any other rainy day in LA would have. Except that some people are way over stocked with toilet paper.
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Dr. Austin Dennard, center, stands between fellow plaintiffs, Dr. Damla Karsan, left, and Samantha Casiano, outside a courthouse in Austin where their case was heard on July 20.
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
Dr. Austin Dennard, center, stands between fellow plaintiffs, Dr. Damla Karsan, left, and Samantha Casiano, outside a courthouse in Austin where their case was heard on July 20.
Suzanne Cordeiro/AFP via Getty Images
Dallas-based OB-GYN Dr. Austin Dennard is one of 13 women suing Texas over its abortion bans, arguing they're unclear when it comes to pregnancy complications. She's also pregnant. Dennard traveled to the East Coast for an abortion last summer after learning she was carrying a fetus with a fatal condition. Now she's awaiting both the birth of her third child and the next step in the legal battle. She says "putting it all out there in such a raw way" is difficult — but energizing, too. Read the story and listen to it here.
3 things to know before you go
Kevin Ford
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Kevin Ford attributes his work ethic to his father who worked in the Air Force, as well as his mother who raised him and his six siblings.
Kevin Ford
Kevin Ford attributes his work ethic to his father who worked in the Air Force, as well as his mother who raised him and his six siblings.
Kevin Ford
- Kevin Ford has never taken a sick day in his 20 years at Burger King, since they don't offer paid sick leave. After management rewarded him with a goody bag, outraged strangers on the internet raised over $400,000 for him.
- Scientists captured footage of whales doing something surprising: exfoliating themselves on the ocean floor. They say "whale spas" can teach us about much more than skincare.
- What happened to throwing flowers onstage at a concert? Musicians have been hit by books, drinks and even a cell phone in recent months — and one expert blames the pandemic.
This newsletter was edited by Majd Al-Waheidi. | Global Organizations |
Tuesday at the Covid inquiry was men-who-think-about-the-Roman-empire day. Dominic Cummings presents as a man who thinks of the Roman empire so often that a big part of him believes he actually came up with the Roman empire. In the end, though, he couldn’t save Rome from itself because everyone else in it were either “useless fuckpigs”, “morons”, or “cunts”. He and former Downing Street comms chief Lee “Caino” Cain did their best to hold off the dark ages, but ultimately were vanquished by the hordes of barbarians/decided to leave and start a boutique corporate PR consultancy. Sic transit gloria mundi, as Boris Johnson might say, because he knows Latin.
The only thing this cavalcade of know-alls didn’t seem to know is the first thing about themselves. Turns out Boris Johnson accused Cummings of being part of an “orgy of narcissism”, so the former PM can add irony to his tally of pandemic kills. Speaking of which, we learned from the diary of the government’s former chief scientist, Patrick Vallance, that Johnson came to believe that Covid was “nature’s way of dealing with old people”. Yes, if you were one of the many, many old people who voted for Boris Johnson in 2019, this week was the moment it formally emerged that he was extremely relaxed about you moving on to the great suckers convention in the sky. But could the former PM settle an argument – by extension, was it “nature’s way” that Johnson himself came so close to death, before nature pulled out of the move and allowed him to nature’s-way tens of thousands more people unnecessarily because he was too morally and intellectually weak to take a decision? If so, think of this theory as survival of the shittest.
As the pandemic approached, then raged, no one – from the prime minister to the cabinet secretary to the health secretary – seems to have realised how bad they, specifically, were at their own jobs. Now that we’re seeing some of the receipts for their backstage chaos and deadly incompetence, the major takeaways are this country’s systemic inadequacy and the sheer monumental unsuitability of the specific set of people charged with dealing with the crisis. It’s like putting the Real Housewives in charge of the Manhattan Project.
Anyway: Cummings. Here he was, Robert Stroppenheimer, getting away quite lightly on his character-led failings by being asked about messages like the one about former deputy cabinet secretary Helen MacNamara, which ended, “I don’t care how it’s done but that woman must be out of our hair – we cannot keep dealing with this horrific meltdown of the British state while dodging stilettos from that cunt.”
Perhaps this is what George Osborne was teasing on his podcast last week when he said that the Covid inquiry was soon to learn of WhatsApps containing some “really pretty disgusting language and misogynistic language”. This obviously means so much more coming from the guy who once said he wouldn’t rest until Theresa May was “chopped up in bags in my freezer”. But for what it’s worth, I don’t think those specific remarks of Cummings or Osborne were misogynist. With Cummings, stilettos as knives make more sense in this context than stilettos as shoes. Although I always enjoy the bits of Dominic’s output where he remembers he needs to mention a “brilliant young woman”, or the need to “Free Britney!”, and would definitely read the first paragraph of any 20,000-word blog on why, actually, he thinks Brie Larson is the best hero in the MCU.
I do, however, think it was notable in this day and age that every single Downing Street pandemic press conference bar one was fronted by a male politician. Covid decision-making didn’t pass the Bechdel test. The mood was months and months and months of guys who knew best standing at a podium telling the public they had it all under control. Look, you know, I’m a big advocate for this kind of positive discrimination, but hearing about the backstage bitching, the emotionalism, the cliques, the endless drama … well, like me, you may be wondering if men are really suited to these important jobs. Might they not be happier simply staying at home?
In terms of what transferable skills the key players have, it’s not immediately clear after Covid’s full spectrum disasterclass. Actually, hang on – everyone from the prime minister to the cabinet secretary to Cummings has the chaotic energy of reality TV contestants. No wonder Matt Hancock can currently be found on his second reality TV show, while Johnson reportedly got quite far down the line mulling an appearance on this year’s I’m a Celebrity.
Alas, for now we had to endure a lament from Cain that for a man of Johnson’s “skill set”, Covid was unfortunately the “wrong crisis” – a rebuke to fate for failing to furnish the Boris story with a more flattering plot device. The alternative reading is that disaster of one sort or another was guaranteed the second these guys helped elect a newspaper columnist to run a country. (Then again, Cummings is a man bizarrely obsessed with journalists, who honestly just don’t matter. I find it absolutely mind-boggling that he recently bothered putting my name on to some shitlist of his. What on earth is he doing giving one millionth of a toss one way or the other what I write? It’s some jokes about the news. Surely he should at least give the impression he has bigger fish to fry. But perhaps that’s the definitive character note – someone with a big brain who’s incapable of resisting smallness.)
For me, the most depressing thing about the revelations at the inquiry this week – and no doubt for many weeks and months to come – is that they are not really revelations. The government was horrendously incompetent, didn’t have a plan, yet still wasted a huge amount of time – and a tragic number of lives – on mad posturing, pointless turf wars or buck-passing and catastrophic infighting. The sad fact is that all of this was said AT THE TIME, and all of it was denied repeatedly by those in charge. And it was denied not just in insidery lobby briefings or to individual journalists – but live on air, to the nation, in those wretched press conferences every night.
They lied about everything, all the time, and the lies they told backstage were just the obverse of the ones they spouted front of house. Seeing inquiry witnesses feted for punchy WhatsApps now is a bit like congratulating a serial killer for switching to an energy-efficient chest freezer. I’m sure half of them will be reflecting amiably on the period on their inevitable podcasts in due course – but the British public deserve so much more, as they did at the time.
Marina Hyde is a Guardian columnist | United Kingdom Politics |
Sunak must hit pause on Online Safety Bill
Legislation threatens to weaken national security — it’s the product of too many ministers and not enough thought
When ministers and MPs want to communicate with each other they reach for their smartphones and, like so many of us, alight on the little green logo to tap out a message. Westminster runs on WhatsApp.
They use secure messaging services because of end-to-end encryption, the process that scrambles messages, making them unreadable while they are in transit. Our legislators use these services because they trust them to be unhackable. The irony is that the Online Safety Bill that MPs look likely to vote through when parliament returns next month may lead to Britons being shut out of WhatsApp and other such services as early as next year.
WhatsApp and Signal, a not-for-profit secure messaging service, have warned they will be unable to operate in the UK if the bill passes in its current form. Signal has fewer users than WhatsApp but provides several extra layers of security to add protection. The firms said the bill created a potential “back door” for officialdom and, perhaps, hackers.
It gives the regulator Ofcom power to force “client-side scanning” on British devices. Tech firms will be ordered to scan suspicious messages before they are sent and encrypted. If that data is then passed to the authorities and stored, and perhaps falls into the wrong hands, its encryption has been fatally compromised.
It is unclear whether such client-side scanning technology will work — for now. But even the prospect makes Britain too much of a risk. The government says the tech “bros” are being alarmist and should be able to work something out. But if ministers are being too casual, and turn out to be wrong, it will be an expensive miscalculation.
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The main criticism of the legislation to date has been on freedom of expression grounds. Critics have said it will have a chilling effect, encouraging tech giants to ban users who might get the platforms into trouble with the regulators. Now the companies are warning that the bill has a national security implication too.
Ukraine often uses messaging services to communicate securely with its allies, including the UK. The British armed forces and their allies also use services such as Signal alongside military communications systems. Do ministers really want to weaken western security? Have they thought this through?
If Signal and WhatsApp cannot be used on British-registered phones, anyone who needs access will presumably have to ship in a second, secure device from the US.
What struck me in conversations around Whitehall is the exceptionally haphazard and shambolic way in which Britain has attempted to make this law. What started as a sensible attempt to tackle child abuse online and catch perpetrators has become an “omnibus bill” with all manner of provisions chucked in.
Even by the farcical standards of Westminster in recent years, it has a troubled history. Its roots lie in the Online Harms white paper of April 2019, when Theresa May was in No 10. The government announced that it would introduce a regime of internet regulation to force the tech giants to tackle child abuse online and, ironically in light of how it has turned out, threats to national security.
Jeremy Wright was the digital, culture, media and sport secretary at the time. Since his tenure, and as the white paper became a bill, four secretaries of state followed. Of Nicky Morgan, Oliver Dowden, Nadine Dorries and Michelle Donelan, only Dowden served more than a year in the post.
In February this year, the responsibility for digital policy was removed from the culture department and transferred to the new Department for Science, Innovation and Technology. Donelan was moved there. For three months of her tenure, until July, Chloe Smith provided cover while Donelan was on maternity leave.
This constant changing of key personnel over four years is no way to make effective national policy in any area, never mind one as vital as this. “No one is in charge of digital policy,” said an MP, “when everyone is.”
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The legislation sits at the intersection of several highly complex dilemmas involving difficult trade-offs. We want child abuse and crime dealt with, but if the approach to communication is too draconian then freedom is lost and security weakened.
The bill has implications for family life, child protection, crime, intelligence collection, investment, technology, liberty, democratic control, media freedom, security and the attitude of allies such as the US, who are not going in this direction. It is more complicated than Brexit.
For Westminster, this is a question of the fundamental powers of parliament. A minister said: “Take back control? The control has been taken by the tech companies. Do you want your laws made by tech libertarians on the US West Coast or by our elected parliament?”
When parliament returns from recess, the government will have to make a decision. Whitehall rumours suggest the prime minister realises he needs to retreat a little, because he is keen to attract tech investment rather than drive it away. No 10 needs a bill to pass to have something to show for four years of the Tories trying. Groups campaigning for a crackdown on internet crime will accuse Sunak of being soft if he retreats.
Last month, when peers held their latest debate on the subject, there was much sense talked. How would Ofcom use these new powers? Does Ofcom even want them? Who would oversee the regulator? Labour’s Lord Stevenson of Balmacara suggested the balance had still not been found on encryption. It could be time for a pause, he said, to get it right. The government should take his advice. | United Kingdom Politics |
LIVE UPDATESAlexander Drueke and Andy Huynh are feared to have been captured.Last Updated: June 23, 2022, 6:26 AM ETRussian President Vladimir Putin's "special military operation" into neighboring Ukraine began on Feb. 24, with Russian forces invading from Belarus, to the north, and Russia, to the east. Ukrainian troops have offered "stiff resistance," according to U.S. officials.The Russian military has since launched a full-scale ground offensive in eastern Ukraine's disputed Donbas region, capturing the strategic port city of Mariupol and securing a coastal corridor to the Moscow-annexed Crimean Peninsula.For previous coverage, please click here.More than 8 million people have fled Ukraine since the start of the Russian invasion on Feb. 24, according to an update by the United Nations.More than 4 million Ukrainians fled through Poland -- by far the preferred route for the displaced, the U.N. report said. Hungary, the second most used route, reported just over 800,000 crossings.-ABC News' Edward Szekeres, Max Uzol, Fidel Pavlenko and Yuriy ZaliznyakThe Belarusian Defense Ministry announced “mobilization exercises” on Wednesday in the Gomel region bordering Ukraine.The military drills, scheduled to last until 1 July, will include special operations forces as well as freshly called up conscripts, Belarusian officials said on Telegram.The Belarusian army has already been placing wooden dummies of tanks on the Ukrainian border to demonstrate their presence, Ukrainian Ministry of Defense spokesperson Alexander Motuzyanyk said on Wednesday.Real weapons are arriving near the Ukrainian border, too, with a new batch of Russian missiles for the S-300 anti-aircraft missile system being brought to Belarus on Tuesday night, local monitoring groups reported. The delivery included at least 16 missiles, with the likely addition of one Pantsir missile defense system, the report said.Still, Ukrainian officials maintain that “at this stage of the war,” there is no imminent threat “of the Belarusian army invading” Ukraine, Kyrylo Budanov, head of the Main Intelligence Directorate, said on Wednesday as cited by local media.-ABC News' Edward Szekeres, Max Uzol, Fidel Pavlenko and Yuriy ZaliznyakThe European Union will temporarily shift back to coal to cope with slowing Russian gas flows, an EU official said on Wednesday, as a tight gas market and rocketing prices set off a race for alternative fuels."The unlawful invasion by Russia of Ukraine has resulted in an emergency situation in the EU," Elina Bardram, acting director for International Affairs and Climate Finance at the European Commission, told the Africa Energy Forum in Brussels, according to Reuters.Bardram said the administration of Russian President Vladimir Putin was making “rogue moves” as Gazprom, the Russian state-controlled gas exporter, continued its policy of “lowering the flow [of gas] very suddenly.”“We are taking some very important measures, but all of those measures are temporary," the EU official added, referring to the bloc's increasing coal use.The International Energy Agency warned Russia could cut gas supplies to Europe completely this winter.“Europe should be ready in case Russian gas is completely cut off,” IEA chief Fatih Birol told The Financial Times on Wednesday.While Russia denies premeditated supply cuts, several European countries, including Germany and Italy, reported a dip in gas flow via pipelines from Russia over the past week.-ABC News' Edward Szekeres, Max Uzol, Fidel Pavlenko and Yuriy ZaliznyakA four-way summit discussing ways to export grain blocked in Ukraine will be held in Istanbul in less than 10 days, Turkish presidential sources told local media on Tuesday.According to Turkish officials, a military delegation will head to Russia this week to discuss details. On top of Russian and Ukrainian delegations, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and the UN Secretary General António Guterres are likely to attend the Istanbul summit, local sources said.The lives of about 400 million people in different countries depend on Ukrainian food exports, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said on Monday.-ABC News' Edward Szekeres, Tatiana Rymarenko, Fidel Pavlenko and Natalya Kushnir | Europe Politics |
This morning’s by-election results suggest that Johnson’s brand of Conservatism has fallen out of favour with Red Wall voters and the traditional shires, writes the Mirror's Jason BeattieBoris Johnson is under pressure after a double by-election defeatThere is not enough gloss on shelves of B&Q to paint over how bad last night’s by-elections were for the Tories. The Conservatives had long been resigned to losing Wakefield but they had hoped to hold off the Lib Dem surge in Tiverton & Honiton. In the end they lost both seats by such a crushing margin the party chairman Oliver Dowden chose to quit rather than try to explain away the double disaster on this morning’s media round. Before the results were announced Boris Johnson had discounted the suggestion they could have any bearing on his time in Downing Street. It would be “crazy” for him to resign, he told reporters accompanying him to the Commonwealth summit. Boris Johnson is thousands of miles away in Kigali for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) (
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Ian Vogler / Daily Mirror) The Prime Minister’s view on sanity may well be different to that of Tory MPs who will have noted there are 291 seats with smaller majorities than Tiverton & Honiton. A year ago Johnson was able to brush aside the Chesham & Amersham by-election defeat at the hands of the Lib Dems because he could point to the result in Hartlepool as evidence of his enduring appeal. This morning’s results suggest that Johnson’s brand of Conservatism has fallen out of favour with Red Wall voters and the traditional shires. The coalition of convenience he botched together off the back of Brexit and Jeremy Corbyn’s unpopularity is proving to be dangerously rickety. What should most alarm the Tories is that they played every populist card in their pack from Rwandan detention flights to reigniting the Brexit wars to union bashing without any noticeable impact on the voters in two Leave-voting seats. These by-election results partly reflect the disapproval of Johnson’s partying and lying but they are much more a reflection of the public frustration over the state of the economy and the decaying public services. Tory chairman Oliver Dowden dramatically resigned in the early hours of the morning (
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Wiktor Szymanowicz/REX/Shutterstock) In Devon the main issues were the lack of NHS dentistry and the poor condition of the local secondary school. Tory MPs looking to topple Johnson will be ruing the fact that the vote of confidence was called before the by-election results as under the current rules another vote cannot be held for 12 months. This does not mean he is necessarily safe. In his gnomic resignation letter Dowden pointedly omitted any praise for the Prime Minister and appeared to urged his colleagues to follow his lead by declaring “we cannot carry on with business as usual.” The timing could not be worse for Johnson who will be out of the country for seven days as attends the Commonwealth, G7 and Nato summits. An absent PM will find it harder to steel the spines of wavering colleagues who now fear the party is sleepwalking towards a general election rout. He was able to survive the vote of no confidence because he convinced enough MPs that he was still a draw at the ballot box. What does he say to them now? Read More Read More | United Kingdom Politics |
SNP to ‘begin immediate negotiations’ on independence if it wins most Westminster seats
The SNP will likely pledge to “begin immediate negotiations” for Scottish independence if it secures the most Scottish seats at the next general election.
A motion submitted to the party’s conference – which takes place next month – says the SNP will put “vote SNP for Scotland to become an independent country” in the first line of its manifesto.
Backed by First Minister Humza Yousaf and SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn, the motion says the party would publish a withdrawal agreement setting out the terms of discussion with the UK government.
It would also move to consult on a draft interim constitution and establish an envoy position for negotiating membership of the EU.
Members will vote on the motion when the party meets in Aberdeen on 15-17 October.
It follows a series of member engagement events within the party, including an ‘Independence Convention’ which took place in Dundee in June.
That convention was originally scheduled to take place in March but was delayed following the resignation of Nicola Sturgeon as First Minister and SNP leader.
The party has been exploring options for moving the independence agenda forward after the Supreme Court ruled the Scottish Parliament could unilaterally legislate for a referendum last autumn.
Sturgeon backed using the next general election as a “de facto referendum” before leaving office, but there had been confusion over what the threshold would be for victory.
It was previously suggested that the party would seek to secure more than 50 per cent of all votes cast in Scotland and all votes cast for pro-independence parties would count.
The motion to appear before members says: “Conference believes that if the SNP subsequently wins the most seats at the general election in Scotland, the Scottish Government is empowered to begin immediate negotiations with the UK Government to give democratic effect to Scotland becoming an independent country.”
If approved, the party’s manifesto will “highlight the direct link between Westminster rule and the many challenges we are facing as a country”.
Pro-union parties have previously rejected the suggestion a general election could reasonably be used in lieu of an issue-specific referendum.
Scottish Secretary Alister Jack said last year: “I don't believe that people vote on one specific issue in a manifesto and I also, if you are talking about the de facto referendum that the First Minister [Sturgeon] is proposing at a general election, I don't see there being a mandate for something. You can't have a mandate for something that we now know you legally do not have any power over.” | United Kingdom Politics |
A person holds a placard as climate activists including Extinction Rebellion and Fridays for Future stage a protest demanding more action whilst G20 climate and environment ministers hold a meeting in Naples, Italy, July 22, 2021. REUTERS/Guglielmo MangiapaneRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLONDON, June 28 (Reuters) - Equity index compiler MSCI said on Tuesday the world's listed companies were on a course to cause global warming of 2.9 degrees Celsius, well above a target to limit the worst effects of climate change on the planet.Fewer than half of all global listed companies align with a 2 degree temperature increase, and only just over a tenth conform to the most ambitious 1.5 degree temperature rise scenario, MSCI said in its quarterly Net-Zero Tracker.The findings underscore how much the world's established companies must transform their business practices to make good on pledges governments have made to lower emissions.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comA global deal agreed in Paris in 2015 set the goal of preventing global warming above 1.5 degrees - the limit that scientists say could prevent irreversible climate change.MSCI said listed firms needed immediately to begin reining in their carbon intensity by 8-10% annually until 2050 in order to limit temperature change to 1.5 degrees compared to the pre-industrial era."A planet that is 2.9 degrees warmer by 2100 is not just a more volatile world, it is a dislocated world. ‘Disorderly transition’ scenarios are a euphemism for chaos," said Sylvain Vanston, MSCI's executive director of climate change investment research."Every step by companies to cut their absolute emissions and every effort by policymakers to drive momentum is critical because every tenth of a degree matters."The temperature rise is down from 3 degrees in MSCI's projection in March due to more listed companies publishing emissions targets, but most listed companies have still not set any net zero goals.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Noah Browning
Editing by Mark PotterOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Global Organizations |
Candidates vying to replace Nicola Sturgeon clashed over independence in their fiery first TV debate, with Ash Regan claiming Scotland had "lost its way" on the issue "despite the worst UK governments of all time".
Ms Regan kicked off the event with some harsh words for the outgoing first minister, from whose government she resigned in protest over gender reforms.
"There's been no progress on independence in the last few years, despite the worst UK governments of all time," she said in her opening remarks.
"We used to grow support for independence by governing wisely, and it worked.
"At every election going forward, we will make it crystal clear that a majority of votes for the SNP will be a democratic mandate for independence."
Asked how and when she would achieve independence, Ms Regan said the party has spent years seeking a "moral mandate" and "begging" Westminster for a referendum but with no success.
She argued that a referendum "is not the gold standard", saying the SNP could use the ballot box at elections to try to leave the UK.
Leadership rival Kate Forbes said independence would only happen when a majority of Scots had been persuaded it was the best course of action, which means "putting the economy front and centre".
Humza Yousaf also stressed the need to "build popular support" for the cause.
Ms Regan accused her rivals of "going cap in hand to Westminster", saying: "This hasn't worked so far, why should it work now?"
But Mr Yousaf insisted Downing Street would tell Ms Regan "where to go" under her plan if she was first minister.
He said a majority of votes in a Scotland election would not bring politicians in London to the table as "there is no common decency with the UK Government".
"We are talking about a government in the UK that literally sends refugees on planes to Rwanda. They are not going to sit down with us just because we win an election," he said.
Would an independent Scotland keep the monarchy?
Questions on independence also turned to whether the candidates would keep the monarchy, with Ms Forbes saying there were "bigger issues facing Scotland".
She added: "I am pretty relaxed, I would see us as part of the Commonwealth."
But both Mr Yousaf and Ms Regan declared themselves to be republicans.
Mr Yousaf said he would "keep the monarchy for a period of time", but added: "I would hope an independent Scotland would be a republic in the future."
Ms Regan said her preference would be to have an elected head of state for an independent Scotland.
She said in the "new circumstances" after the death of the Queen last year it might be time for the SNP conference to debate if retaining the monarchy was still the right policy for the party "or whether we should move to a policy of having an elected head of state".
The harshest exchanges on Tuesday evening came between Finance Secretary Ms Forbes and Health Secretary Mr Yousaf, considered to be the two frontrunners for the top job.
Ms Forbes attacked Mr Yousaf's record in government - suggesting there would be a place for him in her cabinet but "maybe not at health" - while her record on social issues was scrutinised.
"Humza, you've had a number of jobs in government," she said in a portion of the STV debate which allowed for cross examination between candidates.
"You were a transport minister and the trains were never on time, when you were justice secretary the police were stretched to breaking point, and now as health minister we've got record-high waiting times. What makes you think you can do a better job as first minister?"
Mr Yousaf said he "built new roads and railways", delivered the Queensferry Crossing under budget, "extended protections for domestic abuse victims" and "delivered the fastest ever COVID booster programme".
Asked if he is the "continuity candidate" and if that means he is the "no change candidate", Mr Yousaf shot back: "If change means lurching to the right, Kate, if it means rolling back on progressive values, that's not the right change."
Read more:
SNP accused of infringing press freedoms amid hustings U-turn
Yousaf's absence from key vote on gay marriage being 'dragged up for political reasons'
Forbes 'burdened' by hurt caused by religious views but fights on in race
The controversies which piled pressure on Sturgeon
He told his rival her comments early in the campaign, when Ms Forbes said she would not have voted for same-sex marriage if she had been an MSP when the legislation passed, saw "many people, particularly from our LGBTQ community, say they wouldn't vote for independence" if she is leader.
Mr Yousaf added: "Forget persuading 'no' voters, you can't even keep 'yes' voters."
Ms Forbes said she made a "solemn and honest pledge when it comes to upholding and defending the right of every Scot".
There were points of agreement during the debate, with Ms Regan and Mr Yousaf hitting out at the UK government's immigration plans and all three candidates committing to increase the Scottish Child Payment.
Mr Yousaf has previously announced he would look to increase the benefit, but said on Tuesday he would look to push it to £30 per week from £25 in his first budget if elected first minister.
Ms Regan said she would see "what more we could do on that", while Ms Forbes suggested any increase would "have to reflect what inflation is at the time". | United Kingdom Politics |
Ukrainian authorities evacuated residents of a high-rise residential building in Kyiv in the early hours of Tuesday, after it sustained damage in the latest Russian drone attack on the Ukrainian capital.
Falling debris sparked a fire in the building, Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said.
He added that at least one person was killed due to the fire in the district. Twenty people were evacuated, with an elderly woman hospitalized, Klitschko added.
"Massive attack! Stay indoors!" the mayor said.
Kyiv's military administration said air defense forces destroyed over 29 out of 31 drones in the attacks.
Serhiy Popko, the head of Kyiv's military administration, said the attack was conducted using Iranian-made Shahed drones alone.
Falling debris sparked fires also in the capital's southern Darnytskyi district and central Pechersky district, the mayor said.
Russia had fired a barrage of missiles at the Ukrainian capital on Monday in an unusual daytime attack. Russian forces often attack Kyiv overnight.
Here are some of the other developments concerning Russia's war in Ukraine on Tuesday, May 30:
Russia says issued 1.5 million passports in occupied Ukraine
Russia has handed out 1.5 million passports in territories it controls in Ukraine, Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin said.
He referred to the parts of Ukraine's Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions that are under Russian control. Moscow has claimed to have annexed the four regions, despite not controlling them fully.
The combined prewar population of the four regions was estimated at approximately 8.9 million, but millions of Ukrainians have been displaced by the war, with many fleeing to other parts of the country or abroad.
The EU has said it will not recognize Russian passports issued by Moscow in the "illegally-occupied" regions of Ukraine.
Russia puts Ukraine's top general on wanted list
Russia's Interior Ministry has put Valeriy Zaluzhnyi, the commander-in-chief of the Ukrainian army, on a "wanted list", the state-run RIA news agency said.
The article he is wanted under has not been specified, RIA reported, citing the ministry's wanted person database.
Earlier this week, Russia's interior ministry has put US Senator Lindsey Graham on a wanted list.
South Africa faces legal bid to force Putin's arrest
South Africa's largest opposition party is taking legal action to try to force the government to arrest Russian President Putin if visits the country later this year.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) in March issued an arrest warrant for Putin after he allegedly ordered the deportation of Ukrainian children to Russia.
Russia, like the US and China, is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize the warrant. But South Africa, which has invited Putin to the annual summit of BRICS countries, is a member of the ICC.
The BRICS nation — Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — are due to meet in Durban in August.
The Kremlin said on Tuesday that Russia would take part in the summit at the "proper level" and that details would be announced at a later time.
South Africa has also faced criticism in the past when former Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir attended a summit in the country while facing a similar ICC arrest warrant.
Several drones hit Moscow causing 'minor' damage — Russian officials
Moscow's Mayor Sergei Sobyanin said that a drone attack in the capital caused "minor" damage to several buildings but did not cause serious injury to anyone.
"All emergency services of the city are at the scene of incidents," Sobyanin said on his Telegram messaging channel.
It was reported on several of Russia's Telegram channels that four to 10 drones were shot down around the outskirts of Moscow and in its immediate region. Some residents were being evacuated, according to Sobyanin.
It was not immediately clear who was launched the drone attack, but the Kremlin said was a "response" by Kyiv to a recent Russian hit in Ukraine.
"It is completely clear that we are talking about response acts by the Kyiv regime to very effective strikes on a command centre," said Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov, without expanding on where the attack in Kyiv took place.
This was the second attack on Moscow reported this month. Russian authorities said two drones targeted the Kremlin earlier this month.
Zelenskyy asks South Korea for anti-aircraft systems
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has urged South Korea for anti-aircraft systems to ward off Russian attacks, telling a South Korean newspaper he "desperately hopes" Seoul would provide defensive military equipment.
Zelenskyy thanked the South Korean government for pledging to send some $230 million (approximately €214.5 million) worth of demining vehicles and humanitarian aid. However, he stressed Kyiv's wishlist comprised anti-aircraft and early warning systems.
"I know there are many limitations regarding weapons support, but those principles should not be applied to defense systems and equipment for protecting our assets," he told the Chosun Ilbo daily via an interpreter.
He argued that an anti-aircraft system was not a weapon but rather a defensive equipment.
"We have to have a sky shield to rebuild Ukraine, and I desperately hope that South Korea will support us in this area," he said.
Ukrainian Defense Minister calls for 'fighter jet coalition' for Ukraine
Ukraine's Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov has proposed that Germany offer Ukraine Eurofighter fighter jets support, in collaboration with Britain, as Kyiv keeps calling upon Western allies to extend their arms support to fighter jets.
Reznikov told Germany's Funke Mediengruppe newspaper on Tuesday that such a move would be "an important step."
He referenced the already existing coalition on providing Ukraine with battle tanks. After an extended debate earlier in the year, Germany agreed to provide Kyiv with Leopard 2 tanks, the US with Abrams and the UK with Challengers.
"In the same way, we could form a fighter jet coalition with the core F-16 model as well as Eurofighters and Gripen," Reznikov said.
Earlier in May, US President Joe Biden told G7 leaders the US would support the training of Ukrainian pilots on fourth-generation multirole fighter jets, including the F-16.
rm, rmt/wd (AFP, Reuters) | Europe Politics |
A referendum on Irish unification is "not even on the horizon" according to the man who is favourite to be the next UK prime minister.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer spoke to the BBC before his party conference, which begins at the weekend.
He has previously said he would campaign for Northern Ireland to remain part of the UK if such a referendum was held in his lifetime.
Those remarks were recently criticised by his predecessor Jeremy Corbyn.
Now, Sir Keir has ruled out calling a poll if he becomes prime minister.
"I don't think we're anywhere near that kind of question," he told BBC News NI.
"It's absolutely hypothetical. It's not even on the horizon."
Sir Keir has also spoken of renegotiating an improved trade deal with the European Union if he wins power, leading to speculation such an arrangement may do away with the need for an Irish Sea border.
The post-Brexit trade border, which led to extra checks on goods imported to Northern Ireland from Great Britain, led to the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) boycotting the Stormont institutions.
This has left Northern Ireland without a devolved government since February 2022.
But he flatly ruled out a Swiss-style deal which would see the UK adhering to EU rules with the oversight of the European Court of Justice.
'Step in the right direction'
"I'm not interested in a deal that puts the UK in a position of being a rule taker," Sir Keir said.
"Our rules must be made in Westminster, according to the national interest of the UK as a whole.
"I am interested in resolving some of the outstanding issues. And obviously, that will mean making progress on things like the Windsor [Framework] agreement - the protocol - because that was a step in the right direction, which is why we said we would support it.
"So it's quite clear that there can be improvements and I think in Northern Ireland in particular, there will be a lot of interest in whether we cannot have some measures which take away some of these still remaining tensions that are very obviously there."
Some senior members of the DUP are known to be in favour of waiting to see if they may get a better deal from an incoming Labour administration than the current Conservative government.
But Sir Keir made it clear he believed the Stormont institutions should be back up and running immediately.
"We've talked to all the political parties in Northern Ireland, as you know, and as you would expect, so I'm well aware of the issues the DUP have and I think there are ways to resolve them," he said.
"The wrong thing to do is to simply say there are issues that need resolving. The right thing to do is to get in the room and resolve.
"There's one further thing that I think is important. I did work in Northern Ireland for five years, with the Policing Board and the police service, and I know that the role of the UK government as honest broker is crucial in finding agreement, where it may not appear it's there initially.
"I'm worried that our government has moved away from that honest broker role."
Sir Keir added that Northern Ireland's government needed to be restored quickly because communities here "absolutely depend on the decisions that have to be made with their interests at heart".
"And are we talking to all the political parties about this? You bet we are, to ensure that that can happen as quickly as possible."
He repeated his intention to repeal the controversial Troubles Legacy Bill after his new shadow Northern Ireland spokesman Hilary Benn said a replacement must be found.
"I do think that we need to look at what the other options are. Of course, I do understand the problem we're trying to confront," Sir Keir said.
"We're talking to political parties about what that might look like. But if I know anything about Northern Ireland it's that you don't sit in London imposing things on Northern Ireland if you do not have the support of the political parties or the communities."
Asked if he had a specific idea he replied: "I have got some ideas about how we take that forward.
"Obviously, these are difficult matters. If they were not difficult they'd have been solved many years ago, but I was personally involved in my work in Northern Ireland, with some of the investigations into these historic cases.
"And I met the victims groups even more recently to talk through their experience of what they want. But what I would do is bring a collaborative approach that brings people with us on a journey rather than impose it."
UK-Irish leaders meet in Spain
Meanwhile Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Taoiseach (Irish Prime Minister) Leo Varadkar spoke about the lack of devolution when they met in Spain during a session of the European Political Community.
In a statement released afterwards, a Number 10 spokesperson said the leaders had "shared their concerns" about the continued absence of an executive in Northern Ireland.
They also talked about the legacy act as well as the UK and Ireland's joint bid to host the Euros in 2028.
An Irish government spokesman said the leaders also "discussed the importance of Irish-British bilateral relationships, including the positive indications regarding the Euro 2028 bid", adding that Mr Varadkar said Ireland was "happy to assist financially in redeveloping Casement Park in Belfast". | United Kingdom Politics |
As first minister of Scotland, Humza Yousaf sets many of the rules by which millions of Scots live their lives.
But when I interviewed him in Glasgow on Friday ahead of the Scottish National Party's annual conference, what I saw before me was a husband and father who felt "powerless" to protect his family.
There were of course questions about the SNP's dire polling; their by-election defeat to a resurgent Labour Party; the defection of an SNP Westminster MP to the Conservatives this week; Mr Yousaf's divisive - and shifting - independence plan; and the drag anchor former First Minister Nicola Sturgeon's arrest and wider police investigation into the SNP was having on the party.
But the primary concern for the first minister when we met in Glasgow was for the safety of his wife Nadia's parents, her brother and his children, trapped in Gaza and fearful for their lives.
Follow live: Gazans told 'go south if you want to live'
That morning, Mr Yousaf shared a tearful video of his mother-in-law Elizabeth El-Nakla, in which she spoke of the Gazans' plight as Israel warned one million people to vacate the northern part of the Gaza Strip.
"Everybody from Gaza is moving towards where we are. One million people, no food, no water. Where are you going to put them?" she asked.
"Where is humanity? Where's people's hearts in this world, to let his happen in this day and age? May God help us. Goodbye."
Mr Yousaf's interview round with news outlets ahead of the conference is interrupted by phone calls with his family.
The first minister hasn't slept and is tearful in our interview when he talks of how his wife and daughters are dealing with the situation.
He tells me he has promised his four-year daughter that her grandmother will be home for Halloween to paint her face as she does every year, even though he knows it's a promise he might not be able to keep.
He says he's shared the video because he feels "powerless and helpless". "The only thing I can do is share their story," he says/
To that end, the media round before the SNP conference has become far less about Scottish politics and far more about global matters.
The first minister tells me that he is publicising the plight of his own family to try to help all those trapped in Gaza as he demands Israel open up humanitarian corridors "immediately".
"[It's an] appeal to the international community, to set up international corridors, to end collective punishment, to allow supplies to come in, to allow the innocent people of Gaza to come out. That's all I can do," he said.
"What cannot happen, regardless of [Israel's] military tactic, is for innocent men, women and children to pay the price. What has to happen now, immediately, today is the opening up of a humanitarian corridor.
"The humanitarian corridor has to allow Gazans, innocent men, women and children to leave and has to allow supplies, medical supplies, food, fuel, clear drinking water to come in."
"Collective punishment cannot be justified. Neither legally or morally can it be justified."
The first minister hasn't heard from the prime minister, while the Foreign Secretary James Cleverly hasn't responded to a letter from Mr Yousaf about the situation of his family and other Scots.
Mr Yousaf says it makes him "angry" and "disappointed" that he hasn't been afforded that from a foreign secretary who visited Israel just this week.
Undoubtedly and understandably, Mr Yousaf goes into the SNP party conference almost completely preoccupied by his family's predicament.
But when delegates gather in Aberdeen this weekend, there will be plenty of discussion too about Mr Yousaf's first six months and the dire polling the party is enduring.
The last time there was a UK general election, Ms Sturgeon's SNP was polling 45% and Labour was back in third at 18%.
Now the SNP is on 32% to 34%, with its lead down to 2 to 3% over Labour.
Meanwhile, the party is divided over what its independence strategy should be.
Ms Sturgeon's position was that if the SNP achieved more than 50% of the votes in the Westminster elections, the SNP would have a mandate for another independence referendum (how she'd get the UK government on board is another matter).
Mr Yousaf's attempt to lower the bar and claim a mandate if the SNP win the most seats in Scotland at the next general election is now looking dubious, with suggestions this week at conference that the leader might switch to saying the SNP must win a "majority" - 29 plus seats - to claim a mandate.
Read more:
Gaza 'on brink of collapse'
'Highly likely' British hostages held by Hamas
Britain, France and the deep roots of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict
Whichever way, the idea that the first minister can claim his party is in a position to open formal independence negotiations should they lose 20 seats in a general election (the party currently has 48 MPs), seems ludicrous (he strongly disagreed with me when I put that to him).
Poor polling, a defection, an independence plan undecided and going nowhere, after six months in the job, Mr Yousaf must make progress to move beyond probation with his party.
But for now, the personal has to come first and Mr Yousaf will be hoping next week his political family will rally behind him. | Middle East Politics |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryThis is not an accidental hit, Zelenskiy says of strike on mallRussian attack on frontline eastern city kills eight: UkraineG7 leaders promise nearly $30 billion in new aid for KyivKREMENCHUK, Ukraine, June 27 (Reuters) - Russian missiles struck a crowded shopping mall in central Ukraine on Monday, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said, as Moscow fought for control of a key eastern city and Western leaders promised to support Kyiv in the war "as long as it takes".More than 1,000 people were inside when two Russian missiles slammed into the mall in the city of Kremenchuk, southeast of Kyiv, Zelenskiy wrote on Telegram. At least 16 people were killed and 59 injured, Ukraine's emergency services said. Rescuers trawled through mangled metal and debris for survivors."This is not an accidental hit, this is a calculated Russian strike exactly onto this shopping centre," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in an evening video address, adding there were women and children inside. He said the death count could rise.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRussia has not commented on the strike, which was condemned by the United Nations and Ukraine's Western allies. But its deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, accused Ukraine of using the incident to gain sympathy ahead of a June 28-30 summit of the NATO military alliance."One should wait for what our Ministry of Defence will say, but there are too many striking discrepancies already," Polyanskiy wrote on Twitter.As night fell in Kremenchuk, firefighters and soldiers brought lights and generators to continue the search. Family members, some close to tears and with hands over their mouths, lined up at a hotel across the street where rescue workers had set up a base.Kiril Zhebolovsky, 24, was looking for his friend, Ruslan, 22, who worked at the Comfy electronics store and had not been heard from since the blast."We sent him messages, called, but nothing," he said. He left his name and phone number with the rescue workers in case his friend is found.The United Nations Security Council will meet Tuesday at Ukraine's request following the attack on the shopping mall. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the attack was "deplorable".Leaders of the Group of Seven major democracies, gathered for their annual summit in Germany, condemned what they called an "abominable" attack."We stand united with Ukraine in mourning the innocent victims of this brutal attack," they wrote in a joint statement tweeted by the German government spokesperson. "Russian President Putin and those responsible will be held to account."Dmyto Lunin, governor for Poltava which includes Kremenchuk, said it was the most tragic day for region in more than four months of war."(We) will never forgive our enemies ... This tragedy should strengthen and unite us around one goal: victory," Lunin said on Telegram.Elsewhere on the battlefield, Ukraine endured another difficult day following the loss of the now-ruined city of Sievierodonetsk after weeks of bombardment and street fighting.Rescuers work at a site of a shopping mall hit by a Russian missile strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Kremenchuk, in Poltava region, Ukraine June 27, 2022. REUTERS/Anna VoitenkoRussian artillery was pounding Lysychansk, its twin across the Siverskyi Donets River. Lysychansk is the last big city still held by Ukraine in the eastern Luhansk province, a main target for the Kremlin after Russian troops failed to take the capital Kyiv early in the war.A Russian missile strike killed eight and wounded 21 others in Lysychansk on Monday, the area's regional governor Serhiy Gaidai said. There was no immediate Russian comment.Ukraine's military said Russia's forces were trying to cut off Lysychansk from the south. Reuters could not confirm Russian reports that Moscow's troops had already entered the city.'AS LONG AS IT TAKES'Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation" to rid the country of far-right nationalists and ensure Russian security. The war has killed thousands, sent millions fleeing and laid waste to cities.During their summit in Germany, G7 leaders, including U.S. President Joe Biden, said they would keep sanctions on Russia for as long as necessary and intensify international pressure on President Vladimir Putin's government and its ally Belarus."Imagine if we allowed Putin to get away with the violent acquisition of huge chunks of another country, sovereign, independent territory," British Prime Minister Boris Johnson told the BBC.The United States said it was finalising another weapons package for Ukraine that would include long-range air-defence systems - arms that Zelenskiy specifically requested when he addressed the leaders by video link on Monday. read more In his address to the G7 leaders, Zelenskiy asked again for more arms, U.S. and European officials said. He requested help to export grain from Ukraine and for more sanctions on Russia.The G7 nations promised to squeeze Russia's finances further - including a deal to cap the price of Russian oil that a U.S. official said was "close" - and promised up to $29.5 billion more for Ukraine. read more "We will continue to provide financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support and stand with Ukraine for as long as it takes," a G7 statement said.The White House said Russia had defaulted on its external debt for the first time in more than a century as sweeping sanctions have effectively cut the country off from the global financial system.Russia rejected the claims, telling investors to go to Western financial agents for the cash which was sent but bondholders did not receive. read more The war has created difficulties for countries way beyond Europe's borders, with disruptions to food and energy exports hitting the global economy. read more Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Angus MacSwan, Nick Macfie and Rami Ayyub; Editing by Frank Jack Daniel and Catherine EvansOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Europe Politics |
Russian President Vladimir Putin For more
financial news, go to the News24
Business front page.South Africa will next month go ahead with naval exercises off its eastern coast with Russian and Chinese warships in a decision that could further strain its relationship with some of its biggest trading partners.Operation Mosi, which means smoke, will take place from 17 to 26 February. South Africa’s reluctance to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its decision to allow sanctioned Russian vessels to dock at its ports have already ramped up tensions with the US, UK and European Union who are backing Ukraine in the conflict. The country’s biggest opposition party questioned the wisdom of going ahead with the exercises. "This gives the impression of not being neutral but being biased to one side. Clearly it can alienate us from other important trade partners, the west," said DA MP Kobus Marais. "This is in the best interests of Russia," Marais said, calling it "another bad judgment, an embarrassment." Newsletter Daily SA Money Daily The biggest business, economic and market news of the day. Sign up While the exercise follows a similar event in 2019, it comes about a year after Russia invaded Ukraine, an event that brought into the open South Africa’s close ties with Russia due to historical support for the African country’s liberation struggle and their joint membership of the BRICS group of nations.The US, Germany, Japan and the UK are leading trading partners for South Africa, while Russia isn’t in the top 15. Spokespeople from South Africa’s defense ministry and navy didn’t answer calls made to their phones or immediately reply to emails. We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred In times of uncertainty you need journalism you can trust. For 14 free days, you can have access to a world of in-depth analyses, investigative journalism, top opinions and a range of features. Journalism strengthens democracy. Invest in the future today. Thereafter you will be billed R75 per month. You can cancel anytime and if you cancel within 14 days you won't be billed. | Africa politics |
MOSCOW, Aug 24 (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin told the BRICS summit in South Africa on Thursday that Moscow intends to deepen ties with African countries, and that it would remain a reliable partner for food and fuel supplies.
In a video link address, Putin said Russia was interested in developing "multi-faceted ties" with Africa, which has been roiled by fuel and food price rises resulting from the conflict in Ukraine.
Russia's July exit from the Black Sea grain deal has seen grain prices soar, hitting many African countries very hard. Russia and Ukraine are among the world's biggest grain exporters.
In his remarks, Putin also said Russia had more than 30 energy projects in African countries, adding that Russian fuel supplies would help African governments to contain price rises.
"Over the past two years, exports to Africa of Russian crude oil, petroleum products and liquefied natural gas have increased by 2.6 times," he said.
Putin added that the global transition to a greener, low carbon emissions economy would have to be "gradual, balanced, carefully calibrated", given projections for further growth in the world's population and energy demand.
Russia is keen to build up the BRICS group - which currently comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa - into a more influential bloc able to challenge Western domination of the global economy.
At its three-day summit in Johannesburg this week, the BRICS leaders agreed to invite six more countries - Argentina, Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates - to join the bloc.
In his remarks on Thursday, Putin took aim at former colonial Western powers and their espousal of what he called "neo-liberalism", which he said posed a threat to both traditional values in developing countries and to the emergence of a multi-polar world where no one country or bloc dominated.
Reporting by Reuters Writing by Felix Light Editing by Gareth Jones
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Global Organizations |
In early 2014, I went to South Yorkshire to find Arthur Scargill. It was the 30th anniversary of the miners’ strike that had begun in 1984 – a good opportunity, it seemed, to write about that huge episode’s legacy, and to try to make contact with the former president of the National Union of Mineworkers.
In and around the town of Barnsley, I spoke to some of his friends, associates and adversaries – and then, just before I left for home, I had the briefest of encounters with the man himself. Using a knocker in the shape of a miniature miner’s lamp, I rapped on the door of a stone-clad house on a quiet back road – and suddenly, there he was. Seeing him in the flesh brought on a sudden feeling of awe; for a moment, I was lost for words. But then I explained what I had been doing, and said it would have been remiss of me not to try to make contact.
“Well, you’ve knocked on my door,” he said. “Now, good day to you.” And with that, he disappeared back into seclusion: the apparent personification not just of his union’s crushing defeat, but the way that the strike had subsequently been forgotten – not in the communities that still bore its scars, but certainly among people in positions of power and influence.
From time to time, the events of 1984-5 have briefly burst into the cultural foreground – in the 2000 film Billy Elliot, 2014’s Pride (about the inspirational campaign group Lesbians and Gays Support the Miners) and the playwright James Graham’s accomplished TV drama Sherwood, screened last year. On the edges of the national consciousness, there remains a latent unease about the brutality meted out to miners by police: last week, the Times somewhat belatedly reported that when the Queen had seen scenes of pickets being horse-charged during an infamous day at the Orgreave coking plant, she had been “horrified”. But in the long wake of the pit closures and resulting social calamities that the miners fought to prevent, the strike mostly remains confined to the historical shadows.
That is strange. This is a country still defined by the long dominance of Thatcherism, a weakened trade union movement, serial attacks on the welfare state, and the prevalence of insecure work. Whereas the Labour party once considered Britain’s coalfields its home turf, the strike commenced a long process of disconnection and estrangement. Those things, in turn, played a crucial role in the political turnabouts of the past two decades: Brexit, the rise in Scotland of the SNP, and the Tories’ snatching of the so-called red wall. And if you want to understand all this, the miners’ strike – which ended in a historic defeat for what was once known as the organised working class – is where you have to start.
As we approach its 40th anniversary next year, this is the big-picture story that hangs over a superb new book by the Oxford University historian Robert Gildea. Backbone of the Nation is based on interviews with 148 people who lived through the strike. It evokes its slow buildup – “It had the inevitability of a train wreck,” says one of his interviewees – and the divisions and conflicts that weakened the miners from the start (in the small Leicestershire coalfield, for example, only 30 of about 1,600 miners came out on strike). But in affectingly human terms, it also describes the spirit of shared sacrifice and collective endeavour that ran through the year the strike defined, and beyond.
There is also a vivid and familiar sense that as pits shut, the old coalfields were shoved into a new reality that soon spread just about everywhere. “Many former miners moved from industry to industry and from job to job with no stability,” he writes. “They were regularly condemned to doing ill-paid, largely unskilled jobs as caretakers, refuse collectors, delivery men, taxi drivers, warehouse or call-centre staff and petrol-pump attendants.” The climate crisis underlines the fact that the end of coalmining was sooner or later going to arrive; what was never inevitable was the absence of economic help for places left bereft by pit closures, nor the vicious enmity with which the Thatcher government pursued its goals, still reflected in the government’s refusal to open an inquiry into what happened at Orgreave.
Against huge odds, our old coalfields – where 5.7 million people live, slightly more than the entire population of Scotland – are still places where you will find a real community ethos and no end of social activism. In the UK as a whole, the survival of the same collectivist spirit has been highlighted by the recent wave of strikes. But in the continued absence of answers to their predicament, the politics of some former mining areas have taken a rum turn. The increasingly notorious Conservative party deputy chair Lee Anderson represents a constituency in the former Nottinghamshire coalfield, where the strike was bitterly divisive. His father was a miner who took part; Anderson himself started work underground the following year. But as the Tory promise of “levelling up” withers away, his approach to politics is a glaring case study in the vacuum left by pit closures. It is a twisted echo of the blunt, confrontational spirit of 1984-5, which replaces its solidarity with the odorous stuff of “fuck off back to France”, and suggestions that people use food banks as a “weekly shop”.
Self-evidently, his recent pronouncements barely touch on what the old coalfields need: investment, esteem, jobs, decent public transport, some means of ensuring that many of their young people are not minded to leave at the first available opportunity. Just before the pandemic, a report commissioned by the Coalfields Regeneration Trust shone light on the bleak position of former mining areas, where there were only 55 employee jobs per 100 residents of working age, compared with a national average of 73. Median hourly earnings in such places were 8-10% below the national average, and more than a third of their adult residents reported health problems lasting more than a year. Those findings were significant in themselves, but they also told a story about what the coalfields’ fate meant for the working class as a whole: as the title of Gildea’s book implies, these places’ brutal treatment and subsequent decline amounted to the dismantling of a whole social order’s foundations.
Put simply, the miners’ defeat began the era we are living in and left deep wounds that have been left to fester on. It is a hugely significant aspect of a country so tangled up in its past: millions of people still reeling from the events of 40 years ago, partly because those events remain so overlooked. Here, surely, lies one key reason why Britain feels so full of ghosts and guilty secrets.
John Harris is a Guardian columnist | United Kingdom Politics |
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has died after being shot while giving a speech on a street in Nara in western Japan Friday, according to state broadcaster NHK.Earlier Friday morning, Japan's Prime Minister Fumio Kishida gave an emotional press conference where he said Abe, 67, was in "severe condition" and he hopes he will survive. Abe was taken from the scene of the shooting unconscious and in cardiac arrest with no vital sings, Japanese media outlets Kyodo News and NHK reported. Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe speaks to reporters at his official residence in Tokyo Monday, Aug. 24, 2020. (Kyodo News via AP) Kishida, who belongs to the same political party as Abe, returned to Tokyo from a campaign trip after the shooting. Kishida spoke to reporters at the prime minister’s office, saying Abe was receiving utmost medical treatment. "I’m praying for former prime minister Abe’s survival from the bottom of my heart," he said.Kishida called the attack "dastardly and barbaric" and that the crime during the election campaign, which is the foundation of democracy, is absolutely unforgivable.JAPANESE PM ABE SAYS HE'S RESIGNING OVER RESURFACING OF CHRONIC HEALTH ISSUE WARNING: GRAPHIC IMAGE Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, center, falls on the ground in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Abe was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, NHK public television said Friday. (Kyodo News via AP)Video posted to social media appeared to capture the moment Abe was shot. He is seen speaking to a crowd when suddenly a loud bang is heard and cloud of smoke erupts. People in the crowd are heard gasping in shock. A second blast is heard just as the camera pans away. It appears Abe was shot from behind. At the time, he was making a campaign speech ahead of Sunday’s election for the parliament's upper house.WARNING: GRAPHIC VIDEOU.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel said in a statement: "We are all saddened and shocked by the shooting of former Prime Minister Abe Shinzo. Abe-san has been an outstanding leader of Japan and unwavering ally of the U.S. The U.S. Government and American people are praying for the well-being of Abe-san, his family, & people of Japan." U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, who was in Bali, Indonesia for a G20 meeting, said he was "deeply saddened about the shooting" and "Our thoughts, prayers are with him, his family, and people of Japan. Very sad moment."AFTER ALLEGED PLOT TO KILL KAVANAUGH, REPUBLICANS TARGETED IN 2017 SHOOTING FEAR MORE ASSASSINATION ATTEMPTS This aerial photo shows the scene of gunshots in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Japan’s former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe was in heart failure after apparently being shot during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan, NHK public television said Friday. (Kyodo News via AP)(Kyodo News via AP) Former president Donald Trump reacted to Abe's shooting on his social media platform Truth Social, writing: "Absolutely devastating news that former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe of Japan, a truly great man and leader, has been shot, and is in very serious condition. He was a true friend of mine and, much more importantly, America. This is a tremendous blow to the wonderful people of Japan, who loved and admired him so much. We are all praying for Shinzo and his beautiful family!"Former Vice President Mike Pence took to Twitter early Friday morning to say he and his wife Karen are "deeply troubled to learn of the shooting of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe."Pence continued, "Abe-san was a remarkable leader of Japan and an unshakeable ally of the U.S. We join millions praying for this truly good man and his family. God bless Shinzo Abe." He shared the tweet along with a picture of himself with Abe.President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris have yet to release any statements. JAPAN LODGES PROTEST AFTER CHINESE, RUSSIAN WARSHIPS SPOTTED NEAR DISPUTED ISLANDS: A ‘GRAVE CONCERN’ A male suspect was detained at the scene and a gun was confiscated. NHK identified the suspect as Yamagami Tetsuya, 41. According to NHK, several of the country's Ministry of Defense officials said Yamagami had been working for the Maritime Self-Defense Force for three years until around 2005. He reportedly told police that he was dissatisfied with former Prime Minister Abe and wanted to kill him. In this image from a video, Tetsuya Yamagami is detained near the site of gunshots in Nara, western Japan Friday, July 8, 2022. Former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, an arch-conservative and one of the country's most divisive figures, was shot and critically wounded during a campaign speech Friday in western Japan. He was airlifted to a hospital but officials said he was not breathing and his heart had stopped. Nara prefectural police confirmed the arrest of Yamagami, 41, on suspicion of attempted murder. (Kyodo News via AP)Abe is Japan's longest-serving prime minister. He served from 2006 to 2007 and again in 2012 until he resigned in 2020 after his ulcerative colitis, a chronic condition, resurfaced, calling his decision at the time "gut-wrenching."During his term, he focused on the economy, rebuilding Japan's military and being a larger player in international affairs. CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPThis is a breaking story. The Associated Press contributed to this report. | Asia Politics |
EU launches fresh legal proceedings against the UK over plans to overhaul Northern Ireland Protocol European Commissioner vice president Maros Sefcovic has confirmed the EU is taking legal action against the UK over the government's plans to unilaterally overhaul the Northern Ireland protocol.Speaking in Brussels, Mr Sefcovic said there was "no legal or political justification whatsoever for unilaterally changing an international agreement."Opening the door to unilaterally changing an international agreement is a breach of international law as well."So let's call a spade a spade: this is illegal."He added: "It has created deep uncertainty and casts a shadow over our overall co-operation, all at a time when respect for international agreements has never been more important."That is why the Commission has today decided to take legal action against the UK for not complying with significant parts of the protocol on Ireland/Northern Ireland." Frustration with the European Court of Human Rights is nothing new for some Tories This isn’t the first time Conservatives have been angered by the European Court of Human Rights. In 2016 Theresa May said Britain should withdraw from the convention, arguing it almost prevented the deportation of radical cleric Abu Qatada and delayed the extradition of extremist Abu Hamza for years. She argued the ECHR could "bind the hands of parliament."Behind the scenes, many Tories are furious that a European judge could ground a British flight. MP Stephen McPartland told us: "It is astonishing that a European Court has overridden our domestic courts. Brexit was supposed to stop this and put us in charge of our own borders." Michael Fabricant said the law needs "amending or repealing." Yesterday when asked if the UK could pull out of the European Convention on Human Rights, the prime minister said it “very well may be” necessary to change the law. Today, the Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey was more guarded, she said she is not aware of any "decision or hints even" about withdrawing from the convention.But already Tory MPs are pushing for exactly that. Peter Bone told Sky News: "We should withdraw and have our own British convention on human rights."In a tweet, Brendan Clarke-Smith wrote: "Whilst last night’s news was very frustrating, I’m confident we will still be successful, as it is only a pause - not a ruling against us. That said, it’s also time the 1998 Blair-era Human Rights Act was confined to history and we introduced our own Bill of Rights."A former government adviser told us: "The view has always been 'them (the left lawyers) vs us (HMG and the will of people)' in terms of tackling the small boats crisis and this policy is another battleground for that to play out. "Whilst Priti Patel will likely be furious this flight hasn't gone, given how much of an onus she put on the Rwanda deal as key to sorting out the issue, I think they'll be viewing the fact that it was the ECHR that ended up stopping the flight as fortuitous because that can be shaped (rightly or wrongly) within the wider Brexit debate and the fact that this is 'Europe' involving itself in UK national law."You only have to read the Daily Mail front page: "Euro court grounds flight" to see some of this playing out. Framing this as a protracted battle with lawyers and with Europe, some believe, will chime with voters in target seats. What did the ECHR say and why did it prevent the first Rwanda deportation flight? Legal commentator Joshua Rozenberg says the decision by the European Court of Human Rights was based on three key issues.The first was a question over whether people transferred to Rwanda would have access to "fair and efficient" asylum procedures.The second was whether the decision to treat Rwanda as a safe third country was based on "insufficient enquiries" The third was that there would be no legal mechanism for someone transferred to Rwanda to appeal and attempt to return to the UK, because the country is not a signatory of the European Convention on Human Rights and therefore the European Court of Human Rights would have no jurisdiction.The interim injunction, which prevents the removal of one of the individuals who had due to be on the first deportation flight was granted to give the UK courts time to consider those issues.Although it was only issued for the case of one individual, it had a knock on effect on the remaining cases.Watch Joshua's full explanation here: Rwanda deportations: What happens now? On the Sky News Daily podcast, Kamali Melbourne and political correspondent Mhari Aurora look at the future for the policy and what this could mean for the UK's involvement with the European Court of Human Rights. Rwanda plan is a 'mess' of Priti Patel's making, say Labour The shadow foreign secretary David Lammy has described the Rwanda deportation scheme as "a mess that Priti Patel created."Speaking to Niall Paterson he said: "She was told that the system was unworkable, unethical, and would cost an extraordinary amount of money. It was very unlikely that she would be able to get a system up and running as quickly as possible, given that the Israelis tried and didn't succeed, the Australians tried and didn't succeed. So she was warned about this."Mr Lammy said the government needed to do more to negotiate with France, Belgium and Europol to prevent crossings and work to negotiate an agreement with the EU, given the UK is no longer a part of the Dublin Convention - which allows people to be sent back to countries in the bloc.Earlier the Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey told Sky News she was "surprised" by the decision by the European Court of Human Rights, but Mr Lammy said: "I don't know why she was surprised. People raised the issue of Rwanda's human rights record. They raised the issues of torture. They raised the issues that concern people who were LGBTQ going back to Rwanda."The court and others have raised that Rwanda hasn't got proper asylum processes, which is why effectively these injunctions have been issued and the flight has been delayed. So all of those issues were known. It's not surprising that we're in the situation we are this morning." Full Priti Patel statement following deportation flight cancellation It is likely Home Secretary Priti Patel will address the House of Commons after PMQs later to set out more detail about how the government intends to respond to the cancellation of the first deportation flight to Rwanda.But here's the statement that was put out by the Home Office last night:"Earlier this year, I signed a world-leading Migration Partnership with Rwanda to see those arriving dangerously, illegally, or unnecessarily into the UK relocated to build their lives there. This will help break the people smugglers’ business model and prevent loss of life, while ensuring protection for the genuinely vulnerable."Access to the UK’s asylum system must be based on need, not on the ability to pay people smugglers. The demands on the current system, the cost to the taxpayer, and the flagrant abuses are increasing, and the British public have rightly had enough."I have always said this policy will not be easy to deliver and am disappointed that legal challenge and last-minute claims have meant today’s flight was unable to depart."It is very surprising that the European Court of Human Rights has intervened despite repeated earlier success in our domestic courts. These repeated legal barriers are similar to those we experience with other removals flights and many of those removed from this flight will be placed on the next."We will not be deterred from doing the right thing and delivering our plans to control our nation’s borders. Our legal team are reviewing every decision made on this flight and preparation for the next flight begins now." Home Office already preparing for new deportation flight to Rwanda, says minister Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey has just been speaking to Niall Paterson on Sky News Breakfast.Asked about the cancellation of the first Rwanda deportation flight last night, following a decision at the European Court of Human Rights, Ms Coffey said:"The government was expecting a lot of legal challenges, and we went through the British courts who gave the go ahead for this flight to happen. "Frankly, the government is disappointed in the decision. I've never known such a quick decision made by somebody on the ECHR trying to intervene and I think the public will be surprised that we have European judges overruling British judges. "But nevertheless, I know the Home Office is already getting ready for the next flight and we will continue to prepare and try and overturn any future legal challenges as well."Asked whether the decision could result in the government bringing forward plans to remove the UK from the European Convention on Human Rights, Ms Coffey said:"The most important thing is that we tackle this issue right now. We'll go back, I'm sure, to ECHR to challenge this initial ruling because, as I say, British judges have made the decision that these flights will go ahead and I still think that's the best thing that can happen." Wednesday's frontpages The cancelled deportation flight to Rwanda dominates the frontpages this morning.Watch the full Sky News press preview here: First Rwanda deportation flight cancelled The first deportation flight due to take asylum seekers to Rwanda has been cancelled following a series of last-minute legal appeals, the Home Office has confirmed.A source said the plane, which was stood ready on a Ministry of Defence runway at Boscombe Down in Amesbury, would not be departing due to "last-minute interventions from the European Court of Human Rights".Home Secretary Priti Patel said the government "will not be deterred from doing the right thing and delivering our plans to control our nation's borders" despite the first flight to Rwanda being stopped. Low income households to receive cash payments from next month to help with soaring costs Eight million households will start receiving cost-of-living payments from 14 July, the government has said.Low-income households on benefits will get £326 next month as part of a £21bn support package to help with soaring bills, which was announced last month.Another £324 will hit their accounts in the autumn, according to the Department for Work and Pensions.Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey said: "With millions of the lowest-income households soon seeing the first of two cash instalments land into their bank accounts, we are taking action to directly help families with the cost of living." Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options | United Kingdom Politics |
A looming hunger catastrophe is set to explode over the next two years, creating the risk of unprecedented global political pressure, the director of the UN World Food Programme has warned.Calling for short- and long-term reforms – including an urgent lifting of the blockade on 25m tonnes of Ukrainian grain trapped by a Russian blockade – Patrick Beasley said the current food affordability crisis is likely to turn into an even more dangerous food availability crisis next year unless solutions are found.The number of people classed as “acutely food insecure” by the UN before the Covid crisis was 130 million, but after Covid this number rose to 276 million.Writing a preface to a new pamphlet from the Blair Institute on the looming hunger crisis, Beasley says: “This number has increased to 345 million due to the Ukraine crisis. And a staggering 50 million people in 45 countries are now just one step from famine.“The international community must act to stop this looming hunger catastrophe in its tracks – or these numbers will explode.“Global food markets have been plunged into turmoil, with soaring prices, export bans and shortages of basic foodstuffs spreading far from Ukraine’s borders. Nations across Africa, the Middle East, Asia and even Latin America are feeling the heat from this conflict.”Beasley says that threats to global food security have been exacerbated by the upheaval in worldwide fuel and fertiliser markets.“Without urgent action, food production and crop yields will be slashed. This raises the frightening possibility that on top of today’s food-pricing crisis, the world will also face a genuine crisis of food availability over the next 12 to 24 months – and with it, the spectre of multiple famines.”Food prices reached a 10-year high in 2022, although there has been a slight easing in the past two months. The crisis has been stoked by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and its Black Sea blockade preventing crucial grain exports.Launching the pamphlet A Global Crisis, Tony Blair told the Guardian the food crisis now hitting poor countries in Africa, Middle east and Asia “is absolutely likely to cause serious unrest in the same way as it did before the Arab Spring”.He said: “There is a real risk that this is not simply a problem just for this year but could be worse next year because of the huge problems next year in getting food fertilisers to make the crops succeed.“This is going to affect millions of people and has to be brought centre stage at the G20 in a way it is not at present. It is understandable when leaders are concentrating on their own cost of living crisis, but I can tell you from my contacts that this issue is a big preoccupation of African leaders.”An increasing concern is the lack of fertilisers, and their escalating price. In 2021 Russia supplied 23% of African fertiliser imports, doubling its 2020 share, leaving Africa dangerously exposed just as Europe has been exposed by its reliance on Russian gas.This means, the pamphlet says, “that it’s not just Ukraine from where next year’s harvest – and more to come – will be impacted by the Russian invasion. The soaring price of fertilisers limits the ability of countries to boost their own agricultural productivity just when it is most critical that they make up for a drop in global grain exports.”The grain crisis is likely to be a major source of conflict at a meeting of G20 foreign ministers in Bali, the first time Sergei Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, has confronted his western opponents collectively since the crisis began. The US hopes to finally skewer Russia’s false excuses over the blockade.But many eastern European countries are deeply sceptical that Vladimir Putin is serious about finding a solution to the Black Sea grain blockade. One foreign minister from central Europe said, “Putin wants to start a fire in Africa and the Middle East, and he does not care about the consequences. It is a deliberate strategy.”The minister doubted Putin was sincere about a solution to the blockade, pointing out that the UN and Turkish efforts at mediation on a naval convoy had already lasted a month and not yet succeeded.The UN secretary general, António Guterres, told G7 leaders more than a week ago that the moment of truth in the mediation had been reached, yet there has been no subsequent breakthrough. Putin seems only willing to lift the blockade of Ukraine’s grain-exporting ports if wider Russian sanctions are lifted, Boris Johnson indicated this week.Poland and other countries are urging the EU to recognise the blockade cannot be lifted by negotiation or by force and should instead focus on exporting the grain by train through Poland. This would require a long-term contract being given to Polish and Baltic ports for them to make the necessary investments.Official figures on the precise additional impact of the Ukrainian port blockade differ, but UN officials on Wednesday said the conflict will mean an extra 13 million severely malnourished this year and 17 million in 2023. It suggested that if the blockade is not lifted by October, and the next harvest, as much as 70m of grain in Ukraine could be trapped.The Blair team agree that lifting the blockade will not alone undo the damage that’s already been done to global food security, saying: “This is a crisis that will play out over years, not months.” | Global Organizations |
Boris Johnson already faces a probe by the Commons Privileges Committee into claims that he deliberately misled MPs over PartygateBoris Johnson is facing a probe over whether he misled Parliament over Partygate An MP will launch a fresh attempt to bring “world-beating liar” Boris Johnson to justice as she bids to ban lies from politics. Plaid Cymru’s Westminster leader, Liz Saville Roberts, unveils a Bill to Parliament on Tuesday in the latest struggle to hold the Prime Minister to account. The Tory chief already faces a probe by the Commons Privileges Committee into claims he deliberately misled MPs over Partygate. He has been repeatedly accused of lying during a 20-year career in politics, but attempts to oust him have so far failed. Ms Saville Roberts told the Mirror: “Boris Johnson is a world-beating liar - we all know it, yet our political system is incapable of holding him to account for it. Plaid Cymru MP Liz Saville-Roberts wants to change the law to stamp out lying in politics “I will bring a Bill before Parliament this week to punish politicians who deliberately lie to the public.” She highlighted Partygate, misleading the Queen into proroguing Parliament in 2019 and what she dubbed the “infamous lie that Brexit would lead to £350million extra a week for the NHS ” as untruths from the PM. “These examples are all unquestionable lies that can be disproven and challenged,” she said. “There are countless other examples - he is, after all, a man who lies so casually, who spouts barefaced lies with such nonchalance, that it barely registers. “Yet, our political system allows Boris Johnson and others to mislead and misrepresent without any consequences.” She added: “The Prime Minister’s catalogue of lies is so extensive that it’s hard to keep up.” Ms Saville Roberts will use a device called the Ten-Minute Rule to introduce her Elected Representatives (Prohibition of Deception) Bill. Under her planned legislation, MPs and members of the Welsh Senedd, Stormont Assembly and Scottish Parliament, as well as Police and Crime Commissioners and elected mayors, could be convicted of making “false or misleading statements”. It would not cover local councillors. Labour MP Dawn Butler was asked to leave the Commons chamber for refusing to withdraw claims that Boris Johnson has “lied to the House and the country over and over again”. (
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PA) As well as statements made in parliaments, it would include social media, TV and radio broadcasts and election material. Those convicted would face a fine and could be banned from standing for election for up to 10 years. It comes after Labour MP Dawn Butler was ordered out of the Commons chamber last year for refusing to withdraw her claims that Boris Johnson was a liar. A new Opinium poll for think-tank Compassion in Politics reveals 53% of voters were concerned by dishonesty from politicians, with 63% demanding more honesty in politics. Compassion in Politics co-director Jennifer Nadel said: “Honesty sits at the heart of a decent society. “We teach our kids not to lie, we expect our family, friends, and colleagues to tell the truth; politics should be no different - politicians need to set the standards, not ignore them. “After months of duplicity and deception, we need action. “We need to see that Parliament takes honesty seriously and will take the steps necessary to ensure this basic value is upheld and practiced by our government and representatives. “In professions beyond politics, rules have been put in place to require honesty - now Parliament must do the same." Read Liz Saville Roberts' exclusive piece for the Mirror When I ran for Parliament in 2015, I was under no illusions - I knew there would be challenges to my party, opposition to our views and hostility to our success. But at no point did I expect I would one day have to defend a principle that should be beyond question - that politicians should be honest. Each day now brings with it more deception from the highest levels of government. Lies have been told to win elections, spread hate and evade scrutiny. Public faith in democracy has withered; according to a survey by the think-tank Compassion in Politics, the number one value that voters believe is absent in our politics is honesty. That is why this week I bring before Parliament a Bill to make it an offence for politicians to wilfully lie to the public. Boris Johnson held talks with G7 leaders at a summit in the Bavarian Alps (
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REUTERS) Introducing this Bill would finally bring Parliament in line with 21st Century standards. No business can sell a product through deception, doctors cannot lie to their patients with impunity, nor can teachers to their students. Like them, politicians engage in the art of persuasion. But unlike them, we face no sanctions for doing so dishonestly. Systems and rules are already in place to judge if a business or individual has set out to mislead - systems that we can replicate. Honesty is not only the best policy, it is essential to the creation of policy. It is an honour to attend Parliament and engage in decisions that affect our country. But our ability as MPs to do so is being imperiled by a disease of dishonesty. To quote Jonathan Swift: “Falsehood flies, and the truth comes limping after it.” We must give wings and power to truth so that lies are overtaken and brought down before they do their ugly work. A survey by Compassion in Politics found that 73% of people support my Bill. That includes 71% of Conservative voters and 79% of Labour supporters. At a time when unity and agreement are hard to come by, we must grasp this opportunity to change politics in a way that has the approval of the majority. Read More Read More | United Kingdom Politics |
In just one week, Sir Keir Starmer has made two blunders. Since becoming Labour leader, he has gradually tried to shift his party away from the unrepentant leftism of the Corbyn era towards something new and inscrutable. He has been achingly cautious on policy interventions, while rattling through slogans that sought to define his leadership but have each struggled to make their mark.
That era of caution may be over. Starmer’s first major move – and mistake – came late on Wednesday evening, deep within the bowels of the House of Lords. Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, sought to amend “nutrient neutrality” rules to pave the way for 100,000 new homes to be built and boost the economy by £18bn. The current rules mean that more than 60 local authorities might not be able to push ahead with new developments.
With little notice, Labour engineered a rebellion among peers to kill off this sensible tweak. In one move, Starmer’s proclamations of being the real party of economic growth have been tarnished. Instead of supporting a cutting of red tape – of which any environmental concerns would be mitigated – Labour opposed it for seemingly political reasons. Angela Rayner, who now faces off Gove in the levelling-up brief, claimed it was to save the rivers.
But this was not a principled ploy: Lisa Nandy was geed up to support the Government. She grasped the importance of building more homes, in the right places, as part of the agenda to tackle regional inequality and help younger generations hop onto the housing ladder. Yet for political reasons, Starmer and Rayner masterminded a Government defeat and boxed themselves in. When they now claim to be on the side of young homeowners, they will be reminded of nutrient neutrality.
The second major mistake came soon after on Thursday when Starmer announced his long-awaited plan to tackle the small boats crisis. Countering the Rwanda policy to deter illegal migrants, Labour has opted to try to strike a returns pact with the EU, which could see the UK take a quota of migrants. This goes beyond the migration agreement the UK had when it was a full member of the bloc. The prospect of such a pact is slim, at best.
Starmer has refused to say exactly how many migrants he would be willing to accept from the EU as part of a returns deal for illegal migrants. The greatest flaw in his critique is that the deterrent of the Rwanda policy would not work, but the deterrent of being sent back to another EU country would.
Either you accept that such actions can break the business model of people traffickers, or they do not. Labour is trying to have it both ways – and would likely produce overall higher migration at a time when levels are soaring and all politicians are under pressure to reduce it.
By seeking to have a closer migration deal with the EU than when we were a member of the bloc, Starmer is also further confusing his party’s stance on Brexit. For most of his premiership, his vision for UK-EU relations has been defined under the sketchy banner of “make Brexit work” – a catch-all slogan that can mean closer alignment (or not) with the bloc.
Until now, Starmer has been ambivalent on which he prefers. The migrant plan, however, suggests he is actively seeking significantly closer ties, opening Labour up to a dangerous election flank when it seeks to carefully define its values.
What knits these two errors together? Starmer’s office is chock-full of pollsters and strategists who focus-group and test every message within an inch of their existence to ensure they are welcomed with the coalition of voters Labour needs to build. The housebuilding and migrants policies therefore must be no mistake. They could be an effort to scrape tricky barnacles off the boat before campaigning begins properly. Or it may be a sign of cockiness after his party’s polling position has remained steady.
What we have seen speaks to a problem that is going to dog Starmer in the coming months: he lacks a coherent worldview, a compelling vision, or a cogent story to tell about where he would like to take the country. He has tried to paint one dozens of times through numerous conference speeches and interviews. But when it comes to making thorny policy decisions, he is still overly swayed by internal interest groups who defer to what feels good on X/Twitter, not with the wider country.
In the case of housing, it was the environmental left flank of Labour – those who take an ultra view on regulations and are unwilling to have any conversation about loosening red tape. On small boats, Starmer’s stance is shaped by those who believe that the crisis can only be solved through talking and agreements instead of action at home.
When it comes to handling internecine warfare within the Labour Party – to deal with the left – Starmer has shown mettle. But not with policy. Next month in Liverpool, he will try, once again, to define what Starmer’s Britain will look like. But on growth and dealing with asylum seekers, any benefit of the doubt will be gone.
Starmer has opted for two policies that will likely be rejected by the Middle England voters he needs the most.
Sebastian Payne is director of the centre-right think tank Onward | United Kingdom Politics |
President of European Central Bank Christine Lagarde addresses a news conference following the meeting of the Governing Council's monetary in Frankfurt, Germany March 10, 2022. Daniel Roland/Pool via REUTERS/File PhotoRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comA look at the day ahead in markets from Sujata RaoThe Portuguese village of Sintra has been the scene of momentous speeches by European Central Bank policymakers. They include Mario Draghi's hawkish turn in 2017, and then his 2019 speech highlighting the need for more stimulus.Both times, currency and bond market fracas ensued. So, traders are on high alert for what current ECB president Christine Lagarde might say when she takes to the Sintra stage at 1000 GMT, later on Tuesday read more .Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comRecord inflation means she probably won't walk back plans to raise interest rates to positive territory by September, yet she might just drop some hints on how she plans to structure an "anti-fragmentation tool" that will allow the ECB to safeguard southern states such as Italy, while raising interest rates.Meanwhile, with one eye on inflation, German 10-year borrowing costs jumped 10 basis points on Monday and are opening higher still .Bond traders overall are trying to figure out whether central banks will hold their nerve on raising interest rates or cave in to weakening growth well before inflation is tamed.The uncertainty certainly contributed to two poor U.S. Treasury bond auctions on Monday, raising 10-year yields back above 3.2%And watch that consumer. Data just out showed French consumer confidence plunging to the weakest since 2013 (FRCONC=ECI), while German sentiment is projected to hit record lows in July read more .Nor are company bosses feeling overly cheerful -- a U.S. CEO confidence index is at decade-lows; such readings, Morgan Stanley says, typically precede higher unemployment.On equities, so-called growth stocks -- beneficiaries of borrowing costs staying low -- rallied Monday. The dynamic continues, with futures pointing to a firmer open for the growth-oriented Nasdaq tech index than the broader S&P 500. European markets too are up more than half a percent (.STOXX).Key developments that should provide more direction to markets on Tuesday:- Sintra summit: ECB President Christine Lagarde, chief economist Philip Lane, board members Fabio Panetta- G7 to stand with Ukraine 'for as long as it takes' nL8N2YE1L9- Hungary seen raising rates by 50 bps to 6.4%- NATO Summit in Madrid (to June 30)- France June consumer confidence index- U.S. April home price data- U.S. Treasury to auction $40 billion in 7-year notesRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Sujata Rao; editing byOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Europe Politics |
Stories blatantly planted by politicians aren’t ‘news’
Opinion
A slew of obvious plants of articles in the press from both Tories and Labour undermine journalistic credibility.
There are leaks, exclusives and blatant ministerial plants of articles, complete with their very own bylines.
Cabinet ministers and Prime Ministers have always, with apparent ease, been able to knock up a coherent article — written naturally by a loyal press officer — and have them inserted in an equally loyal media outlet.
Such articles should be paid for as sponsored advertising instead of being treated with uncritical respect, labelled “exclusive” and turned into a front page splash.
There is an increasing amount of it about, and Labour plays the game just as enthusiastically as the Conservative Government.
It is a sure sign that the opening skirmishes of the coming media battle in the run-up to the next general election are now well under way.
Media merry-go-round begins with a plant
Curiously the epicentre of the genre of planted “exclusive” political stories from both Labour and the Tories seems to be The Daily Telegraph, even though it is for now owned by Lloyds Bank and is under the auctioneers hammer.
Monday’s Telegraph front page was an absolute corker. With the exception of a picture of Prince Andrew, who may or may not be on the way to rehabilitation, the entire front page was made up of stories resulting from planted political articles.
The splash was devoted to Home Secretary Suella Braverman’s new policy requiring the police to investigate every offence where there is a “reasonable line of inquiry.” Ignoring offences such as shoplifting and car theft was “completely unacceptable” and police officers would in the future be required to attend burglaries “as early as possible.”
Naturally the splash was based on Braverman’s own “exclusive” article on page 2 of The Daily Telegraph.
Braverman claimed that on a like-for-like basis crime had fallen by 50% since 2010, although the situation is muddied to say the least, by the fact that fast growing categories of crime such as fraud and online offences are not included.
She concluded her exclusive piece by emphasising that the government was on the side of “the decent law-abiding majority.”
That was why the police had been sent a message saying the Government was right behind them in tackling every type of crime.
“Now it’s time for action,” the Home Secretary declared.
Braverman got really good value from The Telegraph. On Page 4 there was another Home Office-briefed piece that thousands of “illegal” immigrants would be electronically tagged to control their movements, a story that also made its way onto the front page of The Times.
On both stories Braverman got close to a free run with little examination of the practicalities of either idea.
Then, with The Telegraph coverage firmly planted, Braverman was off to the radio and TV studios to do her stuff, although here she ran into much stiffer scrutiny.
On Sky and BBC’s Today programme she repeated the deeply misleading claim that she had increased the size of the police force by an “additional” 20,000 officers. She had to be reminded that the Conservative Government had cut the size of the police force by 20,000 since 2010 and there might be at best an additional 3,000 additional officers — not even remotely in line with the scale of population growth over the past 13 years.
Braverman also provoked a new round of stories with crude attacks on the European Court of Human Rights.
The Media Merry-Go-Round had all begun with the planted article in The Daily Telegraph.
Commentary extrapolated into fact
More bizarrely, the second story on The Telegraph front page came from another political plant — this time an exclusive article written by, or for, Wes Streeting, Labour’s shadow health secretary.
In it, Streeting outlined a new Labour policy where GPs would be paid more if they allowed patients to see the doctor of their choice, something that 64%, according to a new survey, fail to do.
There was no mention of the fact that the British Medical Association believes the idea is completely impractical given the growing shortage of GPs.
Both the Braverman and the Streeting articles were clearly labelled as Commentary but it is still a curious sub-set of journalism when the information contained in the commentary pieces are then extrapolated into factual front page news stories. To complete the trio, Labour’s shadow Chancellor Rachel Reeves was outlining some of her fiscal and tax policies — or at least what she didn’t plan to do — at the weekend talking, obviously, to The Sunday Telegraph.
Reeves clearly wanted to reach out to normal Conservative voters and assure them they needn’t be afraid of Labour because she had no plans for a wealth tax or higher levies on capital gains or property income.
But why is The Telegraph being so accommodating to Labour politicians? Is it a sign that the arch Conservative publication is preparing for a period in opposition and is reaching out to senior Labour figures who might next year be sitting round the Cabinet table.
Pre-election jockeying
The Mail on Sunday had two front-page exclusives at the weekend.
The most explosive came in yet another excusive by a politician, about to become a former politician, the worst Culture Secretary the UK has ever had: Nadine Dorries.
Dorries who finally decided to go months after saying she was resigning as an MP with immediate effect, announced her decision in an interview with the Mail on Sunday. Helpfully, she also provided a copy of her resignation letter, which included an excoriating attack on Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.
The main splash, another political “exclusive” claimed that Labour, and London Mayor Sadiq Khan in particular, had a secret tax plan to charge drivers by the mile. You had to read to the final paragraph of the story on page 2 to see the story denounced as “compete nonsense.”
The Mayor’s spokesman added: “Sadiq is crystal clear: a-pay-per-mile scheme is not on the table and not on his agenda.”
That may be for now, although it stands to reason that eventually the Treasury will be looking for a replacement to the petrol tax as the transition to electric cars intensifies.
In this pre-election jockeying for position there is a lot of political cross-dressing going on. Tuesday’s Guardian had a strong exclusive splash saying Housing Secretary Michael Gove planned to rip up water pollution rules to enable more houses to be built.
Perhaps the story was leaked by an environmentalist hostile to the Government’s plans.
Or could it be that The Guardian was briefed by the Gove side in advance to take the sting out of the likely negative reaction?
These days, who knows, although for a change Gove didn’t write an exclusive article about his plans for The Daily Telegraph.
Raymond Snoddy is a media consultant, national newspaper columnist and former presenter of NewsWatch on BBC News. He writes for The Media Leader on Wednesdays — read his column here. | United Kingdom Politics |
Mr Varadkar said Ireland will not turn migrants away but said as part of the new European deal on migration, which reached a breakthrough earlier in the week, the State may pay into a fund instead of accepting more asylum seekers.
The breakthrough deal by European leaders will see countries which receive large numbers of irregular migrants ask their fellow EU member states for either money, help in processing asylum claims, or to take in some migrants themselves.
Speaking at the European Political Community meeting in Granada, Spain, Mr Varadkar said countries will be able to accept migrants who are already in other parts of the EU or make a “financial contribution”.
He said Ireland has taken in over 100,000 migrants over the past two years and struggles to house them.
“You can have the option of accepting refugees who are in other parts of the EU, so they’re already in a safe place, or you can make a financial contribution,” he said.
“Realistically, where we are in Ireland at the moment, having accepted over 100,000 people from Ukraine and other parts of the world in the past two years, I don’t think we’re really in a position to accept more voluntary transfers, not until we get on top of the accommodation situation.
“That’s not to say that we’ll turn away people that come to Ireland, of course we won’t do that. But volunteering to take more people is a different thing entirely.
“I think though from Ireland’s point of view, it wouldn’t really be a case of taking a quota of refugees, we’ve accepted a huge number of people last year or two, maybe 100,000 people from Ukraine and other parts of the world so we’re in a difference place as a country now, really struggling to accommodate the numbers that we have.”
He said the deal, which has been in the making since 2015, will see more cooperation and tighter EU borders.
Despite Western commitment to Ukraine appearing to waver in recent weeks, Mr Varadkar said discussions should start on it joining the EU and said he was in favour of enlargement.
However, more countries joining the EU may see a reform of the Common Agriculture Policy (CAP), but bigger countries may have to make larger contributions.
Mr Varadkar will this afternoon hold a second bilateral meeting with UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, where he will discuss Ireland and the UK’s successful Euros 2028 bid.
The State is likely to pay a part of the renovations in Casement Park in Belfast and matches are also set to be held in the Aviva Stadium.
Mr Varadkar is also expected to raise the Legacy Bill with Mr Sunak and the Attorney General is still considering whether the UK can be taken to court over the controversial law. | Europe Politics |
How do you deal with a problem like the Triple Lock? We all know that raising pensions by the highest of wage growth, inflation, or 2.5 per cent is not sustainable in the long-term. The Work and Pensions Secretary admitted as much on the World at One.
Unless a future government goes the full Logan’s Run, we are going to continue to have old people. They are going to continue to retire. They are going to continue to expect that the taxes they have paid during their lives can sustain them in their old age. And they are not going to like to be told that their state pension will continue to rise in the manner to which they have become accustomed.
To state the blindingly obvious, this is not music to the Treasury’s ears. The Office for Budget Responsibility already predicts expenditure on the state pension and other pensioner benefits are set to rise from 5.6 per cent of GDP in the current decade to 9.6 per cent by 2071.
The Triple Lock exacerbates this by being a ratchet. Wages might fall during a downturn, but thanks to the Lock, pensions continue to rise. They therefore take up a continually growing slice of spending. Our aging but shrinking population would mean that a growing number of OAPs would be financed by a shrinking number of working-age taxpayers. This is the sort of demographic disaster our ‘Reducing the Demand for Government‘ series exists to counter.
This would pose enough of a problem even if the economy was humming along nicely. But at a time of stagnant productivity, when Jeremy Hunt is scrabbling down the back of the Number 11 sofa for every spare penny he can find, it is a disaster for the Government finances. The state pension is the largest single item of welfare spending. It is an obvious target for cuts.
Despite frequent evidence to the contrary, our politicians are conscious of this. Hence Mel Stride’s comments today. Hence consternation in the Treasury at the expectation that it will rise by 8.5 per cent in April thanks to the hike in wages. And hence also – perhaps more intriguingly – William Hague’s piece in The Times this morning arguing much the same thing.
The former MP for Richmond (Yorks) is known to have the ear of the current one. When the former Tory leader, Angelina Jolie chum, and drinker of 14 pints a day suggest the Lock is ‘unsustainable’, that the two main parties should collaborate to give ‘several years’ notice of change’, and commit to a review, the words may echo ever-so-slightly in the Number 10 press office.
When asked on the way back from India by the assembled hacks as to whether the Triple Lock would remain in the next Tory manifesto, Rishi Sunak refused to go into detail, and said only that it had been a “long-standing policy”. Similarly, Angela Rayner would only commit to Labour examining it ahead of the next election when asked at today’s Trade Union Congress conference.
The mood is also changing amongst once and future Tory MPs. David Gauke, our columnist (and an ex-Works and Pensions Secretary), has suggested the affordability of the Triple Lock should be looked at and the State Pension reformed. So does Rupert Harrison, the former Chief of Staff of George Osborne and the candidate for Bicester and Woodstock at the next election.
In a basic sense, it is also a policy that has outlived its use. In 2010, pensioner incomes were lower than average. Yet whilst general wages have stagnated, the Triple Lock has ensured that pensions are now less likely to be in poverty than the rest of the population. The situation of the early 2000s has been reversed.
As Sam Ashworth-Hayes has highlighted, the proportion of individuals 65 or over with total wealth of £1 million or more has quadrupled since 2008. That’s while – if you can hear me at the back – young people have struggled to get on the housing ladder, settle down, and make the facts of their lives more Conservative. Cutting the lock to cut their (and my) taxes would not be unwelcome.
Unfortunately, the immediate problem that Sunak, Stride, and Hunt confront is a political, not economic one.
You can point to a spreadsheet saying the policy will bankrupt us in fifty years’ time. You can get angry at the ludicrous prospect of spending more on pensions than education, policing, and defence combined, whilst schools crumble, shoplifting proliferates, and war rages in Europe. And you can hanker after a big Party Conference announcement to prove you can make tough choices.
But to misquote Helen Lovejoy, will someone please think of the voters? Dominic Cummings may be a tad snide, but he’s onto something when he suggests encouraging the Prime Minister to make the right but politically painful choice is difficult a year out from an election. That is especially when ditching the Triple Lock would put off a large chunk of the remaining Tory vote of over-55s.
Sunak previously suspended the Lock in 2021, when the bounce back from Covid would have produced an 8 per cent rise. Levelling with the voters – and courting the wrath of his key constituencies – is something we have encouraged the Prime Minister. Suggesting scrapping the Triple Lock is easy to do from the comfort of an op-Ed, but rather more difficult to do if you really want to win the next election. | United Kingdom Politics |
When Rishi Sunak slipped into the Palace of Westminster for a discreet meeting on a Friday afternoon during parliamentary recess, it set in a series of events that would see the dramatic resignation from Parliament of a predecessor and a series of by-elections designed to inflict a mortal wound on his own premiership.
The 40-minute meeting between Mr Sunak and Boris Johnson in the Prime Minister’s Commons office had been long discussed by “proxies” for the pair. But Mr Sunak is said to have delayed the encounter for fear that Mr Johnson would simply take the opportunity to press for his controversial honours list to be approved in full.
He was not wrong. Mr Johnson, 58, who appointed Mr Sunak, 43, as chancellor in 2020, wanted to broker a “de-escalation of tensions”, according to sources close to the former prime minister. But he had a particular view of how that de-escalation would come about.
The meeting followed days of negative briefing by supporters of both men, which Mr Johnson’s allies say began a fortnight ago when it emerged that the Cabinet Office had passed material to the police relating to potential breaches of Covid-19 rules during the pandemic. Sources close to Mr Johnson hold Oliver Dowden, Mr Sunak’s deputy, who oversees the Cabinet Office, responsible - despite the department and Mr Dowden insisting that no minister had any role in, or knowledge of, the move before it took place.
Mr Johnson’s allies say that the meeting on June 2 was an opportunity for Mr Sunak to placate his predecessor-but-one by agreeing to sign off on the entire resignation honours list submitted by Mr Johnson to No 10, including any figures that may be deemed unsuitable by the The House of Lords Appointments Commission or require additional vetting.
Sources differ
Sources close to the two men differ on what happened at the meeting, at which only one other figure was present - James Forsyth, Mr Sunak’s political secretary and close friend.
A source close to Mr Johnson claims that he secured “commitment that we believed, that they would keep the honours list as is. They changed that at the last minute by dropping Alok [Sharma], Nadine [Dorries] and some donors without telling us.” Those donors are believed to be Stuart Marks, a technology entrepreneur and investor, and David Ross, the multimillionaire Carphone Warehouse co-founder, who have both given generous donations to the Conservative Party and to Mr Johnson.
The source claimed that Mr Sunak and his team conducted “a swindle ... a dishonourable sleight of hand” by dropping Mr Ross and Mr Marks from the list of those destined for peerages, along with Mr Sharma and Ms Dorries.
But a source insisted that Mr Sunak’s hands were “tied by a process” and “the list that was approved by Holac [The House of Lords Appointments Commission] is the list you see. He didn’t amend it.”
Last week, the Prime Minister’s press secretary said: “As is convention, the Prime Minister forwarded the former Prime Minister’s peerage list to Holac unaltered. Holac then passed back their approved list. The Prime Minister then accepted Holac’s approved list and forwarded it unamended to the Sovereign for their approval. He had no involvement or input into the approved list. It is a point of fact that it is made public by the Commission if a Prime Minister overrules the Commission’s advice.”
Issues collide
The commission’s “approved list” is thought to have been sent to No 10 early last week. The process came to fruition just as the privileges committee was separately finalising the report it would send to Mr Johnson on Thursday setting out its findings on whether the former prime minister had misled Parliament when he denied any Covid rule-breaking in Downing Street.
At noon on Thursday, when a hard copy of the report was delivered to the London offices of Mr Johnson’s lawyers, the former prime minister’s growing anger over both issues would begin to collide.
At this point Mr Johnson was in Egypt to deliver the latest in a series of lucrative speeches, unaware of when the committee’s report would be finalised.
The source claimed that the report was a “stitch-up” so biased that it prompted laughter among members of his legal team.
“The findings included that the committee was 100 per cent certain that Boris knowingly lied despite having no evidence to rely on for that,” said the source close to Mr Johnson. “The only thing they rely on is their own judgment ... They are effectively saying they can go back in time a year ago and sit inside his head and know what he was actually intending when he spoke those words [in Parliament].
“It’s so ludicrous that they’ve said in the report that even giving a defence in front of the committee he’s put himself further into contempt, which is insane.”
Johnson believed he could survive report
Crucially, Mr Johnson began to believe that he had been deliberately misled by government figures said to have “intimated” that the sanction being prepared by the privileges committee, which has a Tory majority, would “land in the middle” rather than go as far as the 10-day suspension that would automatically trigger a by-election. A Government source flatly denied that such assurances had been offered, or that ministers would have been aware of the committee’s conclusions.
Mr Johnson’s belief that he could survive the privileges committee report appears to explain his composed and typically jovial appearance in the Commons on Monday, when he asked Michael Gove, the Levelling Up Secretary, to “push forward urgently with Northern Powerhouse Rail, planning reform, devolution, secure affordable energy supply, gigabit broadband and all the other levelling-up measures that will make this the strongest and most prosperous economy in Europe”.
Mr Gove praised Mr Johnson’s “scale of ambition and vision when it comes to making this country great”.
But there was also a warning implicit in Mr Johnson’s appearance. The figurehead of the levelling-up agenda, Mr Johnson remains a formidable campaigner in Red Wall seats and he wanted to remind Mr Sunak that it would be safer for the former prime minister to remain on side rather than risk him turning against No 10 for failing to deliver many of the 2019 election pledges promised by the pair.
As Mr Johnson was preparing his next move, officials began notifying those who would receive honours as part of his resignation honours list - a process suggesting that its publication was imminent. The MPs he had nominated to be peers were not among them, nor were Mr Marks and Mr Ross.
It is no coincidence that Mr Johnson’s blistering statement announcing his resignation from the Commons came hours after the honours list was then published by No 10 on Friday afternoon.
The source close to Mr Johnson described the omissions from the list as “deliberate. It was an overreach. It’s a shame because we were literally on the cusp of an outbreak of peace. All we needed was the list through and privileges settled in a way that was acceptable but not fatal”.
Mr Sunak’s allies insist he made no commitments to Mr Johnson in the fateful meeting. When his convoy slipped out of Parliament shortly after 5pm a week ago, he was confident that he had not made himself a hostage to fortune, according to a source.
“He said very explicitly, I’m not making you any promises because I don’t want to have another argument with you down the line about that,” the source said.
Now the disagreement over what was said in the room has exploded into an attempt by Mr Johnson and his allies to seriously wound the the Prime Minister, with a series of damaging by-elections including in the ex-foreign secretary’s Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency.
Dorries’ resignation a ‘coordinated attack’
Ms Dorries’ announcement on Friday afternoon that she was quitting Parliament and triggering a by-election came hours after she insisted in a television interview, ahead of the release of the honours list: “The last thing I would want to do is cause a by-election in my constituency.”
The source close to Mr Johnson confirmed that her move was a “coordinated attack” along with Mr Johnson and Nigel Adams, another ally who had been on Mr Johnson’s list and who announced on Saturday that he too was triggering a by-election.
Mr Johnson’s statement amounted to a declaration of war on Mr Sunak as leader of the Conservatives, as he seized on grassroots concerns about the direction of the party to warn: “Just a few years after winning the biggest majority in almost half a century, that majority is now clearly at risk.
“Our party needs urgently to recapture its sense of momentum and its belief in what this country can do. We need to show how we are making the most of Brexit and we need in the next months to be setting out a pro-growth and pro-investment agenda. We need to cut business and personal taxes – and not just as pre-election gimmicks – rather than endlessly putting them up.
“We must not be afraid to be a properly Conservative government.”
Mr Johnson’s allies appear to be motivated by barely-concealed revenge, with the source close to the former prime minister warning: “The great lesson of all these things is the harder you try to kill him, the harder he comes back.”
“I just think its unnecessary for the party,” the source added, in a remark that may raise eyebrows among Mr Sunak’s team fearful of the effect of the latest weekend of psychodrama on the party’s polling.
The source added: “If they had a brain they would have said, the guy is a good campaigner, we need to patch things together for the sake of the election.
“Now they’ve bought themselves a completely unpredictable scenario.” | United Kingdom Politics |
Brazil’s president celebrates 100 days in office with lower popularity and higher polarization
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva just completed his first 100 days in office (of this term) with a low popularity rating of 38 percent, an economy in intensive care, a divided country and dangerous diplomatic relations with China, Russia and Iran. It is a third term for da Silva (also referred to as Lula), for the moment, does not seem to meet the expectations of friends and foes.
The economy is his greatest challenge ahead. The leader of the Workers’ Party has failed to consolidate the foundations of the nation’s fiscal and economic policies. The assistance programs of yesteryear have been reduced and so has their popularity. Even seemingly loyal supporters, like writer Paulo Coelho, have called his management “pathetic.”
A congress controlled by opponents
Lula has to face an adverse and highly polarized legislature. He is forced to be moderate and make political concessions to meet ambitious campaign promises. Blaming the previous government is an excuse that looks less and less credible.
On the positive side, the leader of the Workers’ Party has restored dynamism in diplomatic relations with countries like the United States, Germany and France. He has found points of great agreement on the climate agenda, women’s empowerment, trade and indigenous peoples.
Geopolitical chess mistakes
Lula has aligned himself with the dangerous triangle of China, Russia and Iran. Brazil supports a peace plan in Ukraine that President Volodymyr Zelensky’s government says is illegal and immoral. In addition, Brazil opened its doors to Iranian warships, despite concerns expressed by the United States.
Successful climate agenda
Lula’s participation in the UN climate summit COP27 in Egypt marked the return of Brazil as a key player in the global climate agenda. The fight against illegal mining, environmental protection and attention to indigenous peoples have begun as a great triumph at the local and international level. However, it will need more than that to meet the social demands of the largest country in Latin America.
Geopolitics of Latin America
Lula returns to power, reaping the successes of the past Bolsonaro administration that gave Brazil the presidency of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) and the head of the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO). On the other hand, former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff was elected last month as the new president of the BRICS Bank, made up of China, Russia, India and South Africa. All of these are significant positions at the international level in which Brazil wants to be a key player.
In Latin America, Lula has returned to the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC). From this platform, he called for regional unity and asked to treat the dictatorships of Cuba and Venezuela with “much affection.” Shameful.
Lula has maintained a tepid and timorous relationship with the Ortega regime in Nicaragua. He has never condemned crimes against humanity and religious persecution. He has called for a constructive dialogue and has offered citizenship to more than 300 exiles. He still does not dare to call Ortega a dictator.
Brazil is also promoting a relaunch of the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR). The regional block collapsed in 2017, after becoming an ideological conclave of the left, incapable of addressing issues of governance, economy, security or regional integration.
A bittersweet start
Lula reaches his first 100 days with a bittersweet taste. Brazil has changed and the world, too. The promised prosperity and social welfare do not seem to be close, and the clock is ticking.
The political astuteness of the former union leader has allowed him some harmony with the various powers of the state and even with the armed forces, but he has failed in a big way on the economic and social agenda. A thin red line to be considered.
The divisiveness and non-conformity in Brazil are sensitive subjects, and the January riots ratify it. Lula will have to assess whether his personal ambitions to be a global leader are not an obstacle to deal with the internal agenda. It is a matter of priorities.
Arturo McFields Yescas is a journalist and former Nicaraguan ambassador to the Organization of American States and a journalist. Follow him on Twitter: @ArturoMcfields
Copyright 2023 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. | Latin America Politics |
Romy in Rwanda! Boris and Carrie Johnson's daughter, 7 months, makes surprise appearance in snaps from visit to Umusambi Village during CHOG tripCarrie took to Instagram to share four images from her visit to Umusambi VillageIt is restored wetland area which provides sanctuary for Grey Crowned Cranes Looking the epitome of summer styling, Carrie opted for a white and blue dress Published: 11:30 EDT, 27 June 2022 | Updated: 16:26 EDT, 27 June 2022 Carrie Johnson has given a glimpse into her time spent with her seven-month-old daughter Romy when journeying to Rwanda with her husband, Boris Johnson.The mother-of-two, 34, took to Instagram today to share several images from her visit to Umusambi Village, a restored wetland area which provides sanctuary for over 50 endangered Grey Crowned Cranes.Carrie made a similar surprise appearance with her son Wilfred ahead of the G7 summit in 2021, when sharing snaps online showing the toddler walking on a beach alongside First Lady Jill Biden.Looking the epitome of summer styling, Carrie opted for a white and blue floral dress, while her daughter was dressed in a yellow and red outfit, decorated with flowers to match her mother's attire.In the photos, Carrie holds baby Romy with her face away from the camera as the pair look out at the picturesque scenery. Mrs Johnson, who is well known as an environmental campaigner, was in Rwanda last week alongside the Prime Minister for a three-day visit to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM). Carrie Johnson has given a glimpse into her time spent with her seven-month-old daughter Romy when journeying to Rwanda with her husband, Boris Johnson The mother-of-two, 34, took to Instagram today to share several images from her visit to Umusambi Village, a restored wetland area which provides sanctuary for over 50 endangered Grey Crowned Cranes Mrs Johnson was in Rwanda last week alongside the Prime Minister for a three-day visit to the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) Sharing four photos from her trip today, Carrie wrote: 'Very lucky to visit Umusambi Village. A beautifully restored wetland area, providing a sanctuary for over 50 endangered Grey Crowned Cranes saved from the illegal pet trade.'Sharing four photos from her trip today, Carrie wrote: 'Very lucky to visit Umusambi Village. A beautifully restored wetland area, providing a sanctuary for over 50 endangered Grey Crowned Cranes saved from the illegal pet trade.'Boris and Carrie, who were married in May 2021, also share two-year-old son Wilfred together.Romy Iris Charlotte Johnson was born at University College London hospital on December 9.Mrs Johnson explained the choice of name: ‘Romy after my aunt, Rosemary. Iris from the Greek, meaning rainbow. Charlotte [after] Boris’s late mum whom we miss so much.’In 2021, Mrs Johnson had a miscarriage, which she said left her heartbroken, before becoming pregnant with Romy. When she announced the pregnancy last year, she said she and her husband were ‘hoping for our rainbow baby this Christmas’. Looking the epitome of summer styling, Carrie opted for a white and blue floral dress, while her daughter was dressed in a yellow and red outfit, decorated with flowers to match her mother's attire. Pictured, one of the photos shared by Carrie Boris and Carrie, who were married in May 2021, also share two-year-old son Wilfred together. Pictured, one of the photos shared by Carrie from the Umusambi VillageA ‘rainbow baby’ is the term given to a child born after a miscarriage, stillbirth or neonatal death.Earlier this year, Romy had Covid aged just six weeks and was said to be suffering ‘quite badly’ with it.Yesterday, Carrie joined Carrie and French first lady Brigitte Macron put on a friendly display as they joined G7 partners to meet young German athletes. Brigitte, the glamorous 69-year-old wife of President Macron, 44, greeted Mrs Johnson with a kiss on the cheek as the group arrived at a mountain resort near Garmisch-Partenkirchen.It echoed the show of unity by President Macron and Mr Johnson, who have vowed to 'hit the reset button' on their relationship following one-on-one talks at the summit.The partners of the G7 leaders continued their itinerary with a visit to meet a group of junior biathletes in training for the Olympics. Britta Ernst, wife of German Chancellor Olaf Scholz, and Amelie Derbaudrenghien, partner of European Council President Charles Michel, were also in attendance. Advertisement | United Kingdom Politics |
Two by-election defeats, the resignation of his party chairman with the parting shot that Conservative grassroots "deserve better than this", and his colleagues back home openly discussing how to change party rules for another confidence vote - none of it seems to bother Boris Johnson.As MPs back in the UK talked - publicly and privately - about how voters had sent the Conservative Party and its prime minister a clear message that things needed to change, Mr Johnson appeared content to plough on as he is, urging his MPs to remember his "golden rule": "Focus on what we're doing, what we've been elected to do, to help take the country forward."
So far so predictable.The prime minister is renowned for hating to apologise, show contrition or admit culpability - characteristics that his admirers and detractors love and loathe in equal measures.So, his admission in our Sky News interview on Saturday that he had "stuffed up" was a rare moment of candidness from a typically inscrutable politician. When he tried to put the by-election losses down to people having a "democratic safety valve of letting off at governments", I put it to the prime minister that much of the criticism was directly about him.
To which he replied: "That's right." More on Boris Johnson Boris Johnson says voters fed up of hearing how he 'stuffed up' as he plays down 'safety valve' by-election defeats Boris Johnson avoids knock-out punch after by-election losses - but he soon faces another huge potential blow-up Boris Johnson expects people will 'beat me up' after by-election losses - as he warns public of 'tough times' ahead "What I certainly think is that if you look at the by-elections, people were absolutely fed up about hearing about things that I'd stuffed up, endless churn of stuff."And what they wanted to hear was, 'well, yeah, but what is this guy. What is this guy doing?'."Ukraine war an 'economic problem that we don't need' But that was about as much self-reflection as the PM was prepared to make as he moved on to talk about the economy and his desire to stand up to Russia's aggression on the world stage.With his eye on the G7 and NATO, he fleshed out what he meant by "Ukraine fatigue" as he urged fellow leaders not to give up on the fight."Everybody is looking at this and too many countries are saying this is a European war that is unnecessary. It is an economic problem that we don't need and so the pressure will grow to encourage, coerce maybe the Ukrainians to a bad peace," Mr Johnson said.He went on to say that if Vladimir Putin "gets away with the naked conquest of other people's territory, the read-across for every single country here is absolutely dramatic".Read more:Oliver Dowden has jumped - but will others follow?PM 'living in parallel universe, says ex-Tory MPBy-election losses will seep like poison slowly into the Tory bloodstreamA Russian aggressor not respecting international borders would bring a "long-term disaster", argued the prime minister.Mr Johnson is clear he will stand full square behind President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in trying to fend off any demands for Ukraine to offer up territorial concessions to Russia in return for the end of this war.It is these conversations that are likely to dominate the rest of the prime minister's eight-day trip, as his flies to the G7 summit in Bavaria on Saturday night and then on to NATO.At both these gatherings, the UK will be pressing Europe to set a deadline for importing Russian gas, discussing the next steps on sanctions, how to help export grain from Ukraine, and considering what further military and economic support might be afforded to the country. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player PM said last week he was worried about 'Ukraine fatigue' Will the government cut taxes next year? But, as the prime minister acknowledged this weekend, as he sought (for most of the time at least) to lay the blame of election losses on mid-term blues and the cost of living crisis, people are looking to the government to help ease the squeeze on their incomes.On that, the prime minister told me "of course we will do what we can" when I pressed him on whether the public could expect tax cuts next year.But on public sector pay, he was less forthcoming about the prospect of bigger pay rises for workers to help offset soaring inflation.Millions of public sector workers, already struggling with price rises, will be braced for real-terms pay cuts should wages go up 2-3% with inflation - already running at 9.1% - and forecast to hit double-digit figures in the autumn.To put that in context, the average pay growth in the private sector at the moment is 8%. Podcast Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, SpreakerBut the PM refused on Saturday to commit to higher pay settlements against this difficult economic backdrop, as he warned of the risk of an inflationary spiral."We can't have a situation in which increases in pay are just wiped out, by further increases in prices," he said.Brushing off the by-election defeats and the rumbling party revolt, reignited once more in the past 48 hours, are then only part of the problems he faces when he returns home.A summer of possible strike action, pressure to help with bills and cut taxes, and all the while these difficult and contested decisions made in the pressure cooker of a prime minister who is still very much on the ropes. | United Kingdom Politics |
South Africa considers inviting Putin to summit via Zoom so that he avoid arrests – Sunday Times
South Africa will invite Russian president Vladimir Putin to attend the BRICS summit via Zoom rather than in person after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president.
Source: Sunday Times
Quote: "President Putin will be asked by South Africa to attend a key summit via Zoom and not in person after Pretoria sought legal advice about its obligations to arrest the Russian leader, who has been indicted for war crimes by the International Criminal Court."
Details: Putin was invited to the summit of the leaders of five countries: Brazil, Russia, India, China and the hosts, South Africa.
The latter refused to support sanctions against Russia or condemn its aggression in Ukraine.
The recent issuance of an arrest warrant for Putin by the ICC, which accused him of forcibly deporting Ukrainian children from Russian-occupied territory, has put South Africa's ruling party in an awkward position.
South Africa is one of the countries that signed the Rome Statute, which obliges it to comply with the decisions of the International Criminal Court.
Last week, president of South Africa, appointed a special government committee headed by the country's vice president, which is supposed to study options for actions by the authorities due to the issuance of a warrant for Putin's arrest.
According to the outlet's source, the committee will not be able to find any other options, except for Putin's participation in the video conference summit from Moscow.
South African officials have confirmed that Pretoria is negotiating with Moscow about this.
Background:
・At a press conference with President of Finland Sauli Niinistö, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa said that the ruling party had decided that South Africa should withdraw from the International Criminal Court, which last month issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin.
・This is not the first attempt by South Africa to leave the ICC. The state attempted to do so in 2016 after ignoring a 2015 arrest warrant for Sudan's former president, Omar al-Bashir.
・In March, the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, finding him guilty of the illegal deportation of thousands of children from Ukraine. The issuance of the warrant means that Putin could be arrested if he goes to any member country of the International Criminal Court.
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Blackford: 'We need to remove Johnson as PM' Ian Blackford, Westminster leader of the SNP, this morning told Kay Burley that his priority is making sure Boris Johnson is removed as prime minister.He said: "I'm pleased that, as things stand at the moment, Boris Johnson has stood down as leader of the Conservative Party but he's still prime minister."What we need to do in the short term is to make sure that Boris Johnson is removed as prime minister."Mr Blackford added that Mr Johnson can do "enormous damage" over the upcoming summer recess."We cannot be in a situation where we go into recess in a couple of weeks time and this man has had to stand down as Tory leader because of his behaviour, because of a lack of trust, because of the way that he behaves, is still going to be prime minister."He can do enormous damage over the course of the summer period."He cannot remain as prime minister for one minute longer." Truss flight en route to UK as leadership contest gets underway By Jack Taylor, Sky data and forensics unitIt appears that Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, widely touted as a potential leadership candidate, is on her way back to the UK after cutting short her visit to the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali.The Airbus A321 used by ministers to travel for business can be seen on flight tracking websites currently flying towards the UK. The same plane travelled from London to Bali on Wednesday. According to FlightRadar24, the plane is scheduled to fly to London from Dubai later today after a short stop. It made a similar layover on the journey to Bali two days ago.This is what our political correspondent Joe Pike had to say last night about the risks for leadership hopefuls if they find themselves abroad when a contest gets underway:"Liz Truss may be rushing back from an official trip to Indonesia but she is still missing the early golden hours of the leadership contest.Now is the time to phone potential backers or meet them face-to-face before they are nabbed by an alternative candidate - and that is difficult to do at 35,000 feet, even with in-flight wifi.One ex-cabinet minister tells me: "It's a classic British politics mistake to be out of the country at a pivotal moment - as Margaret Thatcher and Jim Callaghan found out." Rayner: Labour will bring confidence motion 'before recess' if PM doesn't step aside Labour's deputy leader Angela Rayner says her party will bring a motion of no confidence forward "before the summer recess" if Boris Johnson doesn't step aside.Earlier, Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey told Kay Burley this could happen as soon as Monday.Ms Rayner said: "We think that Boris Johnson can’t stay another minute in Downing Street."He’s been proven that he’s not fit to govern and so the Conservative Party needs to elect someone to lead their party pretty quickly or get some interim leader in who is not somebody who has been disgraced."If they don’t do that, we are very clear that we will put a motion of no confidence forward before the summer recess to ensure that exchange happens."Parliament is due to recess on 21 July until 5 September.Ms Rayner added: "We will be working with our whips to make sure that happens as soon as possible if the Conservative Party are showing no signs of doing the right thing by the British people."When pressed, she admitted "it could be as early as next week". 'Ship has sailed' on Raab being caretaker PM, says 1922 Committee treasurer In an "ideal world" Dominic Raab would have been the caretaker prime minister but "that ship has sailed", the treasurer of the 1922 Committee has said.Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown added he wants the leadership contest completed as soon as possible, with the parliamentary stage over by late July.He added that the vote for the next PM is likely to go to the Conservative Party membership.Sir Geoffrey said: "I would be surprised if it didn’t go to the membership in the country."Speaking about Mr Raab, he told the BBC: "I think that ship has sailed I think yesterday, everybody (on) this board, they decided that Boris Johnson should remain and he has said very clearly that he won't be making any major changes during that period. And I think that is a good thing."Those ministers who are coming back in a caretaker role, having had resigned (from) work, it will be a little awkward for them."I think in an ideal world, Dominic Raab, as deputy prime minister, should have been the caretaker prime minister, but that ship I think has sailed and we must we must now live with the fact that Boris Johnson will be prime minister until a successor can be voted on." Unlike previous PM's ousted by their party, Boris Johnson is leaving in disgrace Analysis by Adam Boulton, Sky commentatorThe ousting of this prime minister was different.Unlike Margaret Thatcher, Tony Blair or Theresa May, who were all also removed from office by their parties rather than the electorate, Boris Johnson could not leave with his head held high.He has not been forced out by differences over policy or outstaying his welcome.Johnson is leaving in disgrace because of flaws in his personality and behaviour, as scores of ministers complained in their resignation letters.Read Adam's analysis in full here: Ex-Tory minister: 'Boris is naturally chaotic' Ann Widdecombe, a former Conservative minister, this morning referred to Boris Johnson as "natural chaos".She told Kay Burley that Mr Johnson's resignation "had become inevitable, the position had become untenable".She added: "For the sake of stability, which of course we now haven’t got and the country hasn’t got, I did want him to remain."But he’s decided to go – that’s it now."Ms Widdecombe said: "The country, sadly, will be directionless for several months."He has gone – now let’s concentrate on the future whatever, heaven help us, that future might be."Ms Widdecombe said she is not "convinced" that Mr Johnson "deliberately lied"."Boris is naturally chaotic, now he should have recognised that the instant he became prime minister as he did when he became mayor of London and made two resolutions."These are to not "speak until he has all the facts" - and to have someone behind him who is "organised".Ms Widdecombe described the Tory government as "divided" and "chaotic". Daily podcast: Boris Johnson has gone – but not quite yet... Boris Johnson is on his way out.After 59 resignations from his government and huge Conservative pressure, the prime minister could cling on no longer. But when will he finally leave No 10?On the Sky News Daily Podcast with Niall Paterson, our deputy political editor Sam Coates analyses the fall out.Plus, Kulveer Ranger, who worked with Mr Johnson when he was London's mayor, and Will Walden, Mr Johnson's former communications chief, talk about their experience of working with him, and what could be next. Johnson 'utterly appalled' at shooting of former Japanese PM Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "utterly appalled" at the shooting of former Japanese prime minister Shinzo Abe.Japanese media reported the 67-year-old had gone into heart failure on Friday after the attack during a campaign speech.The country’s national broadcaster NHK TV said Mr Abe was bleeding and holding his chest when he collapsed and was rushed to a hospital.Mr Johnson said: "Utterly appalled and saddened to hear about the despicable attack on Shinzo Abe. My thoughts are with his family and loved ones." Lib Dems: 'PM's speech should alarm Tory MPs' Sir Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, is now speaking to Kay Burley about Boris Johnson's statement yesterday."The fact that he didn’t use the word resign I think should alarm Conservative MPs," he said."So, the Liberal Democrats have said he should go now, he shouldn't be allowed to go on. Whether is a caretaker prime minister or not."The words caretaker can’t apply to Boris Johnson – he's never cared or taken care of anything in his life – and he should go. He can’t be trusted, he tells lies, he’s broken the law."Sir Ed said the Liberal Democrats will be working "cross-party" to "get rid of [Mr Johnson] as soon as possible"."Our country needs a plan, and this government has got no plan," he said. "We need to help the millions of families and pensioners who are struggling out there."Asked what should happen next, Sir Ed suggested deputy prime minister Dominic Raab should take up the role of PM while the situation is assessed."My real concern... is I think there needs to be an early General Election."I'm going to push for it because I want the whole lot gone. They kept him there, they propped him up." New education sec: PM stepping down was 'inevitable' James Cleverly, the new education secretary, is speaking to Kay Burley this morning following Boris Johnson's decision to step down.Asked if Mr Johnson had actually resigned yesterday, he said: "I think we can take that as read.""He made it clear at cabinet that it was a pleasure to serve the country but now we need to get a new leader and he expects us in the intervening period of time to continue delivering."Mr Cleverly said Mr Johnson had to resign because "to be prime minister you have to have the ability to form a government.""When government colleagues are saying in such numbers that they didn't want to serve under him then that, I fear, became an inevitability."It's right that he has stepped down, it's right that he has put a team in place to continue governing while the selection process goes for his successor."We should do that pretty quickly, pretty promptly."Mr Cleverly said Mr Johnson "clearly" recognised he was unable to form a government."He has apologised for the situation and he is standing down," he said.In a somewhat fierce exchange, Mr Cleverly insisted there is "no such thing as a caretaker government".To which Burley said: "So he hasn't resigned?"Mr Cleverly responded: "If you don't think he's going we'll take a big bet on whether he's still prime minister."The pair then engaged in a lengthy discussion about reports Mr Johnson will hold a wedding party in Chequers later this month.Mr Cleverly said he hasn't been invited - but "of course" he would attend should he be.He then confirmed he will not stand for Tory leader, saying: "It is not the right time for me." | United Kingdom Politics |
The view at Westminster is switching: a general election in the spring is now regarded as plausible, even likely, by senior figures across the political spectrum.
Until recently an October 2024 election was thought the safest bet. But last week Keir Starmer warned the shadow cabinet of the likelihood of an early summer poll and told them to prepare for one. My conversations with senior Conservatives confirm that it’s a sensible precaution.
At first sight, with the Tories still 20 points behind Labour in the polls, this might seem self-destructive. Rishi Sunak, who hasn’t in any way abandoned hope of winning, has based his entire strategy on delivery. From the Windsor Framework on Northern Ireland to public sector pay settlements with teachers and others, he believes he is making progress.
Wouldn’t going early be, in a sense, betting against himself?
It is a finely balanced and difficult choice. But arguments for going early are accumulating. First, the Channel boats crisis. Ministers are growing increasingly confident that their appeal to the Supreme Court over the Rwanda deportation policy, expected in November, will go the government’s way.
If so, aircraft could be taking off by Christmas, as Suella Braverman, the Home Secretary, dreamed. One idea is to have migrants taken almost as soon as they reach the shingle of English beaches and flown to Africa within days, to maximise the deterrent effect. This, of course, would be during the winter when weather conditions in the Channel will already be difficult for small boats. By the early spring, it may well be possible for Sunak to claim victory for his policy. Recent polling by YouGov shows immigration and asylum ranks third among voters’ concerns (although still far behind the economy).
This advantage, however, could be a relatively brief window: calmer waters and mild early summer weather could easily see a return of boat traffic and migration failure to the headlines. To cause Labour maximum difficulty, the Tories would want to go before that.
Next, the local elections due on 2 May 2024 look extremely tough for the Tories, and cover vast swathes of England: 107 different council elections (plenty in marginal seats), the London mayoral election – now looking tight – and another nine directly elected mayors. If Sunak has a bad night, that would be the worst possible backdrop for a general election later in the year and might increase the sense of an inevitable Labour victory.
Then there is the economy. Month by month, more and more homeowners are coming off fixed-rate mortgage deals and experiencing the full shock of higher interest rates.
And, as Liz Truss’s re-emergence this week has demonstrated, Tory factionalism has not gone away – indeed, it is only getting more ferocious as moderates and hardliners promise to fight “for the soul of the party”. This is a huge threat to the Prime Minister. How does he persuade them to belt up? As Dr Johnson nearly said, nothing concentrates the mind like the imminence of an election.
A spring or early summer contest would allow Jeremy Hunt to follow Norman Lamont in 1992 and prepare a spring Budget of electoral traps for Labour. Back then, Lamont’s Budget, which introduced a lower 20p tax rate for poorer earners and froze tax thresholds for wealthier voters, caused huge problems for the shadow chancellor, John Smith, whose “shadow budget” was widely, if perhaps unfairly, blamed for losing Labour an election the party was expected to win. The Tories had been in power for 13 years, were widely seen to be exhausted, and were heading towards a recession. Then, as now, Labour had enjoyed poll leads of up to 20 points.
But the truth is that the differences with 1992 are as great as the parallels. Those big opposition leads came towards the end of Margaret Thatcher’s premiership and by the time of the 1992 election, Labour was only slightly ahead. Brexit, the experience of Boris Johnson and the Truss explosion have reshaped politics today. The Tory press is unlikely to be quite as vicious to Starmer as it was to Neil Kinnock. Historical comparisons are colourful but sketchy, unreliable guides.
Yet this one is transfixing both the Labour and Conservative leaderships. Even as they bring in the latest detailed – appalling – polling for the Tories, people close to No 10 are excited about the theatrics of an early, unexpected “small boats election” and Sunak “doing a Major”. Labour is still psychologically scarred by 1992. More than 30 years on, members of the shadow cabinet still vividly remember their shock and disappointment that night.
Politics is an emotional art, not a cold science: an election this spring has never seemed likelier.
[See also: Liz Truss is more realistic than you might think] | United Kingdom Politics |
Boris Johnson and wife Carrie have launched a charm offensive to try and woo world leaders to continue the support the ongoing war in Ukraine.The Prime Minister mingled with the likes of US President Joe Biden and German chancellor Olaf Scholz in the Bavarian Alps at the summit which featured heavily on the fallout from Russian invasion.It comes as domestic problems mount for the Johnsons while they are at the G7 summit in Germany.He buttered up the leaders as he warned that 'fatigue' over the war could fracture the Western unity established in the first days of the conflict - as the UK, US, Canada and Japan kicked off the summit by banning imports of Russian gold.Carrie arrived alongside Boris before posing to have photos with the German Chancellor and his wife Britta Ernst. Boris Johnson and wife Carrie has launched a charm offensive to try and woo world leaders at the G7 in Germany The Prime Minister mingled with the likes of US President Joe Biden and German chancellor Olaf Scholz Prime Minister Boris Johnson with (backs to camera) European Union Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Prime Minister of Canada Justin Trudeau Boris Johnson with Justin Trudeau in the holding room ahead of the official welcome ceremony during the G7 summit in Schloss ElmauGerman Chancellor Olaf Scholz and British Prime Minister Boris Johnson walk during a bilateral meeting during the first day of the G7 leaders' summit The two leaders walked in the Bavarian Alps and discussed several issues as part of his wooing offensive Boris was in good spirits during the meeting with the newly-elected German chancellor They walked ahead of their bilateral meeting at Elmau Castle in Kruen, GermanyHe was joined by his wife Carrie Johnson - who has courted controversy with Mr Johnson in recent weeks.The couple are facing allegations that the PM wanted to build a £150,000 treehouse fitted with bulletproof glass for his son at Chequers using money from Conservative donor Lord Brownlow.The Prime Minister faces myriad challenges at home after two crushing by-election losses in Tiverton & Honiton to the Liberal Democrats and Wakefield to Labour.Mr Johnson said he was 'thinking actively' about fighting for a third term – which would almost certainly take him past Margaret Thatcher's 11 years in power. Boris Johnson walks with Chancellor Olaf Scholz ahead of Joe Biden at the G7 Leaders' Summit 2022 Boris and Carrie buttered up the leaders as he warned that 'fatigue' over the war could fracture the Western unity established in the first days of the conflict Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson speaks with European Council President Charles Michel, Italy's Prime Minister Mario Draghi, Germany's Chancellor Olaf Scholz, France's President Emmanuel Macron, U.S President Joe Biden, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and Canada's Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Japan's Prime Minister Fumio KishidaThe Prime Minister faces myriad challenges at home after two crushing by-election losses in Tiverton & Honiton to the Liberal Democrats and Wakefield to Labour At the summit, Boris appeared to play down his vow to stay as PM into the mid-2030s today as he faces more Tory plotting Leaders of the G7 group of nations are officially coming together under the motto: 'progress towards an equitable world' The PM trolled his critics yesterday by making clear he intends to stay in power for another decade despite the latest by-election disasters and dire polls At the summit, the PM said there was obvious 'anxiety' about the fallout from trying to defeat Vladimir Putin's aggressionHe appeared to play down his vow to stay as PM into the mid-2030s today as he faces more Tory plotting.Asked by journalists if he was being 'delusional' about his survival chances, Mr Johnson said: 'What I'm saying is this is a Government that is getting on with delivering for the people of this country and we've got a huge amount to do.'In the immediate future we've got to get people through the current global inflationary pressures, the post-Covid, Ukraine-exacerbated inflationary pressures that people have got, the energy price spikes that we have gotThe PM trolled his critics yesterday by making clear he intends to stay in power for another decade despite the latest by-election disasters and dire polls.He won a confidence vote three weeks ago at the 1922 Committee but still faces mutiny from his own party - over 140 of whom voted to oust him. During the summit he was also pictured with the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau and European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen as the leaders hope to keep the united front.At the summit, the PM said there was obvious 'anxiety' about the fallout from trying to defeat Vladimir Putin's aggression.But speaking at the gathering in Germany this morning, Mr Johnson said he hoped everyone recognised that 'the price of backing down, the price of allowing Putin to succeed... will be far, far higher'.Asked if he was worried about support fracturing, the premier said: 'I think the pressure is there and the anxiety is there, we've got to be honest about that.'But the most incredible thing about the way the West has responded to the invasion of Ukraine by Putin has been the unity – Nato has been solid, the G7 has been solid and we continue to be solid.'But in order to protect that unity, in order to make it work, we've got to have really, really honest discussions about the implications of what's going on, the pressures that individual friends and partners are feeling, that populations are feeling – whether it's on the costs of their energy or food or whatever.'Gold exports were worth £12.6billion to Russia in 2021, oligarchs are believed to have been using bullion to avoid the impact of sanctions.Downing Street says that because London is a major gold-trading hub, the UK's restrictions will have a huge impact on Mr Putin's ability to finance his war effort.Scarred by a reliance on Russian energy that has hampered several European nations including Germany and Italy from going all out to punish Russia, the G7 was also warily looking at China - which it views as a systemic rival.As the gulf separating Western allies from Russia and China widens, the G7 sought to rally other major players to its side with a major global infrastructure plan.Biden announced the G7 project to rival China's formidable Belt and Road Initiative by raising some $600 billion to be spent on everything from roads to harbours in poor countries.In further outreach to the Global South, Scholz has invited the leaders of Argentina, India, Indonesia, Senegal and South Africa to the Alpine summit on Monday.While Argentina and Indonesia voted at a crucial UN vote to condemn Russia, the other three abstained.But all are being directly hit by a looming hunger crisis sparked by the holdup in grain and wheat exports from Ukraine, and India for instance has imposed restrictions on wheat exports. | United Kingdom Politics |
The US defence contractor L3Harris is in talks to take over NSO Group’s surveillance technology, in a possible deal that would give an American company control over one of the world’s most sophisticated and controversial hacking tools.Multiple sources confirmed that discussions were centred on a sale of the Israeli company’s core technology – or code – as well as a possible transfer of NSO personnel to L3Harris. But any agreement still faces significant hurdles, including requiring the blessing of the US and Israeli governments, which have not yet given the green light to a deal.This story was jointly reported by the Guardian, the Washington Post and Haaretz.If agreed, the deal would mark an astounding turnaround for NSO, less than a year after the Biden administration placed the company on a US blacklist and accused it of acting “contrary to the foreign policy and national security interests of the US”.NSO’s government clients are known to have used the surveillance technology to target journalists, human rights activists, senior government officials in US-allied countries, and lawyers around the world.The Guardian and other media outlets have also detailed how NSO’s surveillance technology, Pegasus, has been used by the company’s government clients to target American citizens, including Carine Kanimba, daughter of the Rwandan dissident Paul Rusesabagina, as well as journalists, activists and US state department officials working abroad.Asked to comment on the talks, an L3Harris spokesperson said: “We are aware of the capability and we are constantly evaluating our customers’ national security needs. At this point, anything beyond that is speculation.”The talks between L3 and NSO were first reported by Intelligence Online.The White House said that it had not been involved in “any way in this reported potential transaction”. In a statement, a senior White House official said: “Such a transaction, if it were to take place, raises serious counterintelligence and security concerns for the US government.”The official also said the US government “opposes efforts by foreign companies to circumvent US export control measures or sanctions, including placement on the US Department of Commerce’s Entity List for malicious cyber activity”.The official said that any US company – particularly a cleared US defence contractor – should be aware that a transaction with a blacklisted company would “not automatically remove a designated entity from the Entity List, and would spur intensive review to examine whether the transaction poses a counterintelligence threat to the US Government and its systems and information, whether other US equities with the defense contractor may be at risk, to what extent a foreign entity or government retains a degree of access or control, and the broader human rights implications”.One person familiar with the talks said that if a deal were agreed, it would probably involve selling NSO’s capabilities to a drastically curtailed customer base that would include the US government, the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada – which comprise the “five eyes” intelligence alliance – as well as some Nato allies.The person also said that the deal faced several unresolved issues, including whether the technology would be housed in Israel or the US and whether Israel would be allowed to continue to use the technology as a customer.The person said it was also too soon to confirm the price of any possible deal. The transaction would require US government approval since NSO is on the commerce department’s so-called entity list. Experts said that any such transaction would probably require the creation of a new entity in order to get US approval.Any deal would also face hurdles in Israel. One assumption in the Israeli cyber industry is that it would have to keep oversight of the Israeli-made technology in Israel, and keep all development of Pegasus and personnel in Israel.NSO is regulated by the Israeli ministry of defence, which has had ultimate say over the company’s government clients. Israel has faced intense criticism in the past for agreeing to sell the surveillance technology to countries with poor human rights records, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.NSO, which is being sued by Apple and WhatsApp in US courts, has in the past said it takes all allegations of abuse of its tools seriously, and that it investigates such claims.The Israeli ministry of defence and NSO declined to comment.Any takeover of NSO’s hacking technology would add to L3Harris’s current suite of surveillance tools, which are already sold to US government and law enforcement clients. The company, which is based in Florida and reports about $18bn in annual sales, includes the FBI and Nato as clients.Any potential deal faces stiff opposition from digital rights advocates and human rights groups.John Scott-Railton, a senior researcher at Citizen Lab at the Munk School at the University of Toronto, said he was doubtful that US agencies, and the agencies of the US’s closest allies, would trust NSO technology for their most sensitive operations, and it would therefore more likely be sold to local authorities.“So where would the big market be? I fear the logical consumers would be US police departments. This would be an unprecedented threat to our civil liberties,” he said.The deal would also raise serious questions about the Biden administration’s commitment to holding “bad actors” accountable, Scott-Railton said.“All eyes are on NSO right now. If the White House doesn’t stop this deal, many will conclude that the administration is weak on enforcement, or that they’re cynical and helped a US company pick up NSO at fire-sale prices because it was sanctioned,” he said, adding that any such deal would show that US sanctions did not have teeth and would encourage more investment in the “mercenary hacking space”.Additional reporting by Omer Benjakob from Haaretz, Gur Megiddo from TheMarker, and Ellen Nakashima and Craig Timberg from the Washington Post | Middle East Politics |
By Joshua NevettBBC NewsImage source, EPATory leadership rivals stepped up their attacks on each other's records and policies in their latest TV debate.Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told ex-chancellor Rishi Sunak tax rises he introduced would "choke off" growth.Mr Sunak accused Ms Truss of peddling "something-for-nothing economics". Other flashpoints were trans rights, Brexit and trust in politics. All five ruled out an early general election if they become prime minister in seven weeks' time.At one point, the candidates were asked to raise their hands if they would give departing Prime Minister Boris Johnson a job in their cabinet. None of them did.MPs will vote for a third time on Monday as they whittle down the field to two, who will then face postal ballot of Tory members to decide who will be the next prime minister.In the hour-long ITV debate, some of the fiercest clashes were between Mr Sunak and Ms Truss, whose divisions over how to bring rising living costs under control while growing the economy were laid bare.The record of Mr Sunak - who won the first two rounds of MPs' voting - as chancellor has come under sustained attack during the leadership campaign.Mr Sunak has been forced to defend tax rises introduced during his time as chancellor, including April's hike in National Insurance to pay for social care and the NHS.In the debate, Ms Truss said Mr Sunak had "raised taxes to the highest level in 70 years", arguing that this was "not going to drive economic growth"."The fact is that raising taxes at this moment will choke off economic growth, it will prevent us getting the revenue we need to pay off the debt," Ms Truss.Mr Sunak responded that the pandemic damaged the economy and the money has to be paid back."There's a cost to these things and the cost of higher inflation, higher mortgage rates, eroded savings," Mr Sunak said. "And you know what? This something for nothing economics isn't Conservative. It's socialism."Trade minister Penny Mordaunt - the bookmakers' favourite to win the race - said the limited tax cuts she advocated were not inflationary and people need help now with the cost of living."I don't understand why Rishi doesn't understand that," she said.There were also sharp exchanges between Ms Mordaunt and former equalities minister Kemi Badenoch over a row about the self-identification for transgender people.Ahead of the debate, Ms Mordaunt told the BBC there were a "number of smears going on in the papers" and dismissed claims she had backed gender self-identification when she was an equalities minister in 2019."I think this whole thing is unedifying," Ms Mordaunt said. "I know why this is being done. What I would say to you is, all attempts to paint me as an out of touch individual will fail."A bloody battleThe key feature of these debates so far has been how willing the candidates are to tear lumps out of each other.Rishi Sunak and Liz Truss are regularly going into battle - strongly criticising each other's economic plans. If they get into the final two, the next few weeks look likely to be just as heated for the Tories. Tonight we also saw Kemi Badenoch go for the former chancellor. Tom Tugendhat too was critical of the other candidates for lending credibility to Boris Johnson's government.This is proving to be a brutal and bloody battle to be prime minister. It might not be easy to heal some of the wounds.Later in the debate, Tom Tugendhat - chairman of the foreign affairs select committee - challenged Ms Mordaunt to give the "details of the plans you are laying out".Ms Mordaunt said: "I think there's a couple of things we need in order to win the next general election: one of them is me as the prime minister because the polling shows that I'm the only one that can beat Keir Starmer and take the fight to Labour."Other key moments in the debate included:Mr Sunak defended his wife Akshata's previous non-domiciled tax status and her family's wealth, arguing theirs was "an incredibly Conservative story"Pointing out Ms Truss had been a Liberal Democrat and a Remain supporter in the past, Mr Sunak asked her which one she regretted most. Ms Truss said she had "been on a political journey"Ms Badenoch accused Mr Sunak of not taking her seriously when she raised concerns about Covid loan fraud, which he deniedWhen asked if they would sit next to Russia President Vladimir Putin at a G20 summit, all but Ms Truss said they would not. Ms Truss said she would "call Putin out"All candidates said they would back the UK's commitment to curb carbon emissions to net zero by 2050The five remaining candidates are vying to succeed Boris Johnson as Tory leader and prime minister after a cabinet mutiny forced him to resign.The candidates passed the first two rounds of voting among Tory MPs, with the next ballot due on Monday, when the bottom-placed candidate will be knocked out.The field will be whittled down to two final contenders by the end of next week, before around 160,000 Tory members decide the party's next leader in a postal vote.The result will be announced on 5 September, when Mr Johnson will leave office.Mr Johnson's replacement will inherit a flagging economy left reeling by rocketing inflation and the legacy of a government mired by controversies, such as Covid-19 rule-breaking in Downing Street. | United Kingdom Politics |
Mariupol residents 'forced to hunt pigeons' due to lack of food, mayor claims Residents in the southern port city of Mariupol are being forced to hunt pigeons to eat amid a lack of food in the area, the region's exiled mayor Vadym Boychenko has said.In a statement on Telegram, Mr Boychenko said in order to survive residents in the region, which is now occupied by Russian forces, had begun to "set traps for pigeons".He said: "People did the same during the famine of 1932-1933."The mayor went on to say the crisis was "a mockery of people who had lived a full life before the war"."These terrible things are happening in the 21st century, in the heart of Europe, in front of the whole world. This is a genocide of the Ukrainian people by a terrorist state," Mr Boychenko added. Captured Moroccan facing death penalty in Donetsk granted permission to speak with relatives - reports A captured Moroccan citizen sentenced to death by a Russian-backed court after fighting in Ukraine has been granted permission to speak with his relatives, Russia's RIA Novosti news agency reports, citing an official in the self-proclaimed Donetsk People's Republic (DPR).Saaudun Brahim, 21, was captured by Russian forces and accused of being a mercenary alongside Britons Aiden Aslin, from Newark in Nottinghamshire, and Shaun Pinner, from Bedfordshire, earlier this year.The men were sentenced to death after being found guilty of "mercenary activities and committing actions aimed at seizing power and overthrowing the constitutional order of the DPR", the Interfax news agency quoted a court official as saying.Now, Mr Brahim, who has less than two weeks left to appeal his sentence, will be able to speak with his relatives."The relatives contacted the lawyers who were provided to the gentleman, in particular, there was a request for communication and also to provide their own lawyer," RIA Novosti quoted Natalya Nikonorova, foreign minister of the DNR, as saying."As far as I know, this request was granted." Russia says it is expelling eight Greek diplomats Russia has expelled eight Greek diplomats and given them eight days to leave the country, the Russian foreign ministry said today.The Kremlin's foreign ministry said it had declared the diplomats "personae non gratae" and summoned the Greek ambassador to protest over what it called "the confrontational course of the Greek authorities towards Russia, including the supply of weapons and military equipment to the Kyiv regime".The ministry said it had also protested against a Greek decision to declare a group of Russian diplomats "personae non gratae".Last month, a source told Reuters that Berlin aimed to deliver some 100 old Marder IFVs owned by arms-maker Rheinmetall to Greece, which is a member of NATO and the EU.Athens, in return, would supply Soviet-style BMP IFVs to Ukraine, the source said. Overpowering stench of death as Kyiv morgues fill up with bodies As the war in Ukraine wages on, morgues in Bucha, the Kyiv suburb known for stories of killings, rape, and abuse, have been filling up with dead bodies.While daily life has now resumed, death has become a part of life in the region and the stench from the dead bodies is overpowering.Here, Sky News correspondent Sally Lockwood describes the scenes from the region... At least two killed in missile strike on Ukrainian shopping mall - senior official Reports are coming in that at least two people have been killed
and 20 are wounded after the Russian missile strike on the shopping centre in Kremenchuk.Kyrylo Tymoshenko, deputy head of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's office, said nine of the wounded were in a serious condition following the missile strike.The Ukrainian leader has said that the target presented "no threat to the Russian army" and had "no strategic value" and accused Russia of sabotaging "people's attempts to live a normal life, which make the occupiers so angry".There was no immediate comment from Russia, which deniesdeliberately targeting civilians. Missiles hit Ukrainian shopping centre with over 1,000 people inside in city of Kremenchuk, Zelenskyy says A missile strike has hit a shopping centre with over 1,000 civilians inside in the Ukrainian city of Kremenchuk, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has said. "The mall is on fire, firefighters are trying to extinguish the fire, the number of victims is impossible to imagine," said the country's leader on Telegram."It's useless to hope for decency and humanity from Russia."City mayor Vitaliy Meletskiy said the strike had caused deaths and injuries, but gave no figures.Kremenchuk, an industrial city of 217,000 before Russia's invasion of Ukraine, is the site of Ukraine's biggest oil refinery.This attack could be interpreted as another show of bluster from Vladimir Putin as G7 leaders meet - in line with Professor Michael Clarke's analysis of the strikes on Kyiv last night (see 15.03 post). In pictures: War-damaged Russian weapons go on display in Poland Damaged Russian weapons have gone on display in central Warsaw as a reminder of the horrors of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.The equipment, which include a damaged T-72 tank, a self-propelled howitzer and elements of Russian missile systems, fell into the hands of Ukrainian forces early in the war and are being displayed in an exhibit called "For Our Freedom And Yours"."This Russian equipment destroyed by Ukrainian soldiers proves that determination, courage and professionalism can lead to the defeat of the Russian army," the head of Poland's prime minister's office, Michal Dworczyk, said. Forces may seize Lysychansk by 'end of the week', Russian-backed official says We reported earlier that Ukrainian civilians had been urged to evacuate the eastern city of Lysychansk, which is under Russian attack. Russian forces have been bombarding the region after capturing its twin city Severodonetsk over the weekend. Now, an official with the self-proclaimed Luhansk People's Republic (LPR) has claimed forces may be able to capture Lysychansk by "end of the week".Troops of the Luhansk People's Republic and Russia have entered residential buildings and the city's industrial zone, TASS news agency reports, citing Vitaly Kiselyov, assistant to the interior minister of the Russian-backed LPR.Mr Kiselyov said: "The city is large, industrial, and we will have to wrestle with them before the end of the week."Lysychansk, which is part of Ukraine's eastern Donbas region, is the last major Luhansk city still held by Ukrainian troops. Michael Clarke analysis: What the capture of Severodonetsk means for Russia - and why Kyiv was attacked last night The Russian capture of Severodonetsk is "symbolically significant", according to a security and defence analyst."It's the city that gives Russia the northern part of the Donbas," said Professor Michael Clarke in his latest analysis for Sky News.Elsewhere, he said there is an air and missile "battle" going on in Snake Island. It was captured by the Russians on day one of the invasion but Ukrainian forces are trying to reclaim it, having destroyed many Russian facilities there."The point about Snake Island is it controls access to Odesa from the sea," he said."If the Ukrainians own Snake Island, they could create some safe routes for grain convoys to come back and forth - it would still be pretty dangerous, but they could."If the Russians control Snake Island, and they have complete coverage over what may happen in the waters around Odesa so that's why it's important."Asked why Russia attacked Kyiv last night, he said: "President Putin always does this. "Whenever there's a big diplomatic event in the West that he thinks is going to be anti-Russian, he launches a series of attacks or orders them to be launched to show that he doesn't care, to show that he reserves the right to attack what he wants."But he said it looks like Russia missed its target - ammunition facilities - and hit a residential block instead."They did attack other targets elsewhere in Ukraine, military targets - army bases - in Lviv and Chernihiv, but this one was about as symbolically foolish as you could imagine. "On the eve of the G7 they went for a target missed and hit a residential block."That's the message they've sent to the leaders in Munich."Watch more here... Lithuania says it has been hit by Russian cyber attack Lithuanian state and private institutions have been hit by a denial-of-service cyber attack, the Baltic country's National Cyber Security Centre has said."It is very likely that attacks of similar or greater intensity will continue in the coming days, especially in the transportation, energy and financial sectors," the centre said in a statement.The attack affected secure networks used by state institutions, it added.A Russian hacker group, Killnet, has claimed responsibility.It said the attack is in response to Lithuania blocking the transfer of Russian goods across its territory into the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad.Kaliningrad is connected to the rest of Russia by a rail link through Lithuania.Killnet said the attacks would continue if this does not change. | Europe Politics |
Labour "blew the doors off" to take the Rutherglen and Hamilton West seat back from the SNP, leader Keir Starmer has said.
Speaking at a victory rally, he said it was "the first step on a very important journey" in Scotland and the UK.
The party's new MP Michael Shanks won the by-election with 17,845 votes.
This was more than double the number achieved by the SNP's Katy Loudon, with a swing of 20.4% from SNP to Labour in the Westminster poll.
The by-election was called after former SNP MP Margaret Ferrier was ousted by her constituents for breaking Covid rules.
Sir Keir told a rally in the constituency that voters had become disillusioned with both the SNP government in Scotland and the Conservative government at Westminster.
He said: "Scottish voters looked at the Tory government in Westminster and saw something that didn't represent them - they turned their backs on that.
"But they also, not so long ago, saw a Labour that had drifted away from them.
"We've changed, and because we've changed, we are now the party of change."
He added: "As for the SNP, this isn't about just a few months of turmoil in the SNP, it is about years and years of non-delivery."
Scotland's first minister Humza Yousaf said there were "a number of difficult issues around this by-election which made it a very difficult night."
The SNP leader said the "reckless actions" of their former MP during Covid and police investigations into SNP finances played a part in the poor result.
But he said his party would reflect, re-group and re-organise and bounce back stronger.
SNP candidate Katy Loudon's 8,399 votes represented a 27.6% share, down by 16.6% on the SNP result at the 2019 general election.
Michael Shanks took victory for Labour with 58.6% of the votes cast.
The newly elected MP described the result as "remarkable", and said it was the "honour of my life" to speak to thousands of voters during the campaign.
Turnout for the vote was just 37.19%, a dramatic fall from the 66.5% at the last general election.
Conservative candidate Thomas Kerr managed only a 3.9% share of the vote, a fall of more than 11% since 2019.
The chairman of the Scottish Conservatives, Craig Hoy MSP, denied that the result was "compelling evidence of a significant Labour revival".
He said: "The result was what we expected. We knew that our vote would be squeezed as the third party in a contest between Labour and the SNP."
Keir Starmer told BBC Scotland that Labour would lay out its "positive case for change" at the party's annual conference, which begins on Sunday.
"People wanted to come out and vote for a changed Labour party," he said.
Sir Keir promised that the party would "repay that faith and trust with the change that I know they desperately want to see."
He added: "We have to earn every vote across Scotland and we will only do that if we have a positive case of change to put before Scotland and the UK.
"Having changed our party, I want to change politics."
He also used the opportunity to attack "nodding dog" Prime Minister Rishi Sunak over the cancellation of the HS2 and "circus" of the Tory conference in Manchester.
BBC Scotland News spoke to voters in the constituency after the Labour win.
Salvation Army volunteer Douglas Macdonald from Rutherglen said that he voted tactically in the by-election to get the SNP out.
The 81-year-old said: "I am most definitely happy that there was a big change in the by-election. I wanted rid of the SNP because of their reputation here in Rutherglen.
"I always vote, if you don't vote you can't complain about who gets in and what they're doing."
Conor Campbell voted for the SNP but said he was not surprised that they lost to Labour.
"It's to be expected after the recent issues with the party," he said. "I think a lot of people lost faith a little bit."
He said the SNP needed to stop pushing for a second referendum and focus on current issues in Scotland. He pointed to problems facing young people, and domestic violence and homelessness.
Kieran Paterson, 26, was one of the more than 51,000 people in the constituency who chose not to cast their vote.
"Everything that's been promised doesn't seem to manifest at all, so a vote's kind of useless at this point," he said.
The security worker said politicians need to prioritise tackling crime in the area to persuade voters like him to visit the polling station. | United Kingdom Politics |
STORY: Emergency crews were rushing to bring relief in Afghanistan after an earthquake on Wednesday left at least 1,000 people dead and, and hundreds more injured…Many of the victims were children… some were treated for broken bones and head injuries...A man who gave only the name Habibullah was receiving care at a local hospital.“The earthquake hit around 2 in the morning. It was too dangerous. We left home immediately. A lot of people were injured.”The United States Geological Survey said the 5.9 magnitude quake struck about 27 miles from the southeastern city of Khost, in the eastern province of Paktika, near the border with Pakistan.It is likely to become the deadliest earthquake in Afghanistan in twenty years…Shaking was felt by about 119 million people in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said on Twitter, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in Pakistan.Loretta Hieber Girardet from the United Nations' disaster risk reduction office said efforts to provide relief and save people trapped under rubble would face huge challenges due to the terrain, poor infrastructure and recent flooding.“This area – Paktika, very remote. The road access is very poor even in the best of times… (flash) The problem will be obviously, whether or not there would be the type of heavy machinery you would need to be able to get to people that are trapped under rubble in a quick enough time period to save lives.”Afghanistan is also grappling with a severe economic crisis. In response to the Taliban takeover last year, many countries imposed sanctions on Afghanistan's banking sector and cut billions of dollars in development aid.Jens Laerke is from the UN office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affars:“It's in a country that's already on the brink, we know that. Food security situation is where we're talking about, we're close to a famine-like situation. So, people are really already hanging on by a thread, so when this disaster comes on top, the de facto authorities in Afghanistan did reach out and asked the UN for help.”U.S. President Joe Biden has directed the U.S. Agency for International Development and other partners to assess response options.U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said the United Nations was fully mobilized and providing initial support.But mounting a rescue operation could prove a major test for the Taliban, who took over the country in August after more than 20 years out of power. | Asia Politics |
In Ukraine, Moscow is pursuing an unprovoked war of aggression. In The Hague, Vladimir Putin is facing an arrest warrant for war crimes. But at the UN, Russia is about to take charge of a powerful international body, the security council.
From Saturday, it will be Russia’s turn to take up the monthly presidency of the 15-member council, in line with a rotation that has been unaffected by the Ukraine war.
The last time Russia held the gavel was in February last year, when Putin declared his “special military operation” in the middle of a council session on Ukraine. Fourteen months on, tens of thousands of people have been killed, many of them civilians, cities have been ruined and Putin has been indicted by the international criminal court for the mass abduction of Ukrainian children.
In such circumstances, putting Russia in the driving seat of a world body tasked with “maintaining international peace and security” seems like a cruel April fools joke to many, not least the Ukrainian mission to the UN.
“As of 1 April, they’re taking the level of absurdity to a new level,” said Sergiy Kyslytsya, the Ukrainian permanent representative. “The security council as it is designed is immobilised and incapable to address the issues of their primary responsibility, that is prevention of conflicts and then dealing with conflicts.”
The ambassador said Ukraine would stay away from the security council in April except in the case of an “issue of critical national security interest”. Ukraine is not a current council member, though it is often called to speak on issues related to the war.
The US, Britain, France and their supporters on the council are likely to show their disapproval by downgrading the level of their representation at Russian-hosted events over the course of the month, but no member state is known to be planning any form of boycott or other protest.
Diplomats at the UN headquarters in New York point out that most of the council’s business in April, like any month, is taken up by routine briefings and reports on UN peacekeeping missions around the world.
“It’s important to protect the rest of the council’s work on other files,” one European diplomat said. “We don’t want to disrupt the work that the council is doing elsewhere, because that would allow Russia’s invasion to have an even wider impact on issues of peace and security around the world.”
The council presidency does give the monthly incumbent the power to organise its own sessions, and Russia is planning three. On 10 April it will hold a briefing on the “risks stemming from the violations of the agreements regulating the export of weapons and military equipment”, at which it is expected to single out the US for its arms supplies to Ukraine and to other allies over recent years.
Later in the month, it will chair two open debates on “effective multilateralism” and on the situation in the Middle East, over which its foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, is expected to preside.
The last occasion when a permanent member of the council carried out an unprovoked invasion was the US attack on Iraq. The US was not subjected to the humiliation of repeated overwhelming defeats in the UN general assembly of the kind that Russia has endured over the past year, with about 140 of the 193 member states voting against Moscow’s positions, leaving Belarus, Eritrea, Syria and North Korea as Russia’s only reliable friends.
Russia’s deputy permanent representative, Dmitry Polyanskiy, denied that his mission was becoming a pariah at the UN. “Absolutely not. We feel that the west is embattled in the UN right now because more countries understand our position,” Polyanskiy said, claiming that the western allies had to water down resolutions and arm-twist to get 140 votes. “So I think that it’s rather the west is isolated, but not us in the general assembly.”
As for Putin’s ICC arrest warrant, Polyanskiy dismissed it as “totally irrelevant to any of our activities”. The last time the Russian leader travelled to the UN headquarters was in 2015.
In the security council, the balance of diplomatic forces is less clearcut than in the general assembly. The division of five permanent members: US, UK, France, Russia, China, has hardened considerably, with China regularly echoing Russian talking points in the council. The ten non-permanent members are elected for two year terms by the general assembly. Among the current batch, Mozambique, the United Arab Emirates and Gabon have generally stayed neutral over the Ukraine invasion.
Brazil is moving into the neutral column. Polyanskiy said the “Brics” group of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa was drawing closer together and claimed there were 20 other countries interested in affiliation.
Richard Gowan, the UN director at the International Crisis Group, said that under President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, Brazil was “making an effort to engage with Russia and position itself as a potential peacemaker over Ukraine”.
“I don’t think Russia has many close allies in the council, but a lot of council members really want to avoid getting caught up in big power games,” Gowan said. “There is a definite sense that a lot of council members want to shift attention to crises other than Ukraine where the UN may be able to do marginally more good.”
There are no security council sessions on Ukraine planned for April, but nine members can vote to force it on to the agenda, or members can hold informal sessions on the subject.
The glaring council impasse and paralysis over Ukraine has served to elevate the importance of the general assembly, but few expect it to bring any long-awaited reform to the running of the council, established by the victors of the second world war.
More likely, Kyslytsya acknowledged, “everybody will get accustomed to this new level of global hypocrisy”.
“That will be a disgrace,” he added. “But I think there’s quite a chance that may happen.” | Europe Politics |
Good morning, CFOs want to have a say in the creation of standardized reporting rules on sustainability. So, with the help of the Prince of Wales, 86 finance chiefs across the globe signed a letter sent to the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) insisting on the improvement of its proposed reporting standards. “It is a basic principle that you can’t manage what you don’t measure,” Mars Inc. CFO Claus Aagaard, one of the finance chiefs who signed the letter, told Fortune in a statement. “But in the race to create acceptable measurement frameworks, we have an overly complex set of standards which are making the challenge of sustainability reporting even harder than it needs to be. This risks obscuring the focus on what these numbers tell us and how we’re going to make progress.” Aagaard is among the CFOs at companies headquartered in the U.S. who signed the letter. Here are a few more: Amy Weaver, president and CFO at Salesforce; Andrew Bonfield, CFO, Caterpillar; Scott Herren, EVP and CFO, Cisco; Harmit Singh, CFO, Levi Strauss & Co; Matt Ellis, EVP and CFO, Verizon; and David Zinsner, CFO, Intel. Investors with global investment portfolios have been calling for transparent ESG reporting by companies. As a result, the ISSB was established in November to set climate reporting requirements that would be largely used worldwide. ISSB is a branch of the International Financial Reporting Standards Foundation (IFRS), which has developed financial reporting standards for more than 100 countries, including the European Union and the G20. The ISSB released two drafts of a proposed set of rules: IFRS S1 (General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-Related Financial Information) and IFRS S2 (Climate-related Disclosures). On July 29, the last day for comments on the proposals, the Accounting for Sustainability (A4S), an organization created by Prince Charles to get finance leaders involved in building a sustainable economy, submitted the letter signed by CFOs. Here’s a summary of the six areas where CFOs want the ISSB to improve upon its proposed rules: -Alignment with relevant existing sustainability reporting standards “to the greatest extent possible.” -Clarity on what constitutes enterprise value, recognizing that investors may need disclosures on broader social and environmental impacts to assess risk and make investment decisions. -Clear definitions and guidelines for preparers. -Disclosure requirements should enable a “continued focus on setting science-based, ambitious targets and the actions needed to achieve them.” -Promote integrated thinking through frameworks such as the Integrated Reporting Framework. -Address the environmental, social, and economic issues that impact decision-making. ISSB will review feedback and aims to issue new standards by the end of the year. In March, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (SEC) proposal on thorough environmental reporting by American public companies also came in response to a shift in investor interest and public opinion. The comments period closed in June. And the proposed rules are still under review. The SEC received thousands of comments, and there was some pushback from corporate America. For example, Wells Fargo wrote, in part: “Time and effort spent on granular, prescriptive disclosures for climate metrics and targets will require us, and other filers, to prioritize risk management resources on risks that do not impact firm’s safety, soundness, and resilience. The overly prescriptive metrics and targets are likely to go beyond material risk as we manage climate-related financial risk.” Quick note: For the rest of the week, you’ll be hearing from Kevin Kelleher who will be keeping you in the know. See you next week. Take care. Sheryl [email protected]
Big dealTechnavio's latest market research report predicts the metaverse market share to grow by $677.98 billion from 2021 to 2026, and the market's growth momentum will decelerate at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 33.26%. The increasing demand for augmented reality and virtual reality technology is driving the metaverse market growth, but factors such as privacy and security concerns may hinder growth, according to the report. Technavio, a market research company, predicts that during the forecast period, 38% of the market's growth will originate from North America. Courtesy of Technavio
Going deeper"Private equity is the biggest player in a booming autism-therapy industry. Some therapists say the ‘money grab’ is hurting the quality of care." A new Fortune report by Erika Fry delves into how private equity has taken part in more than 200 M&A deals in autism care over the past decade. "Many insiders in the field fear that the race to scale is coming at a cost to the population it serves, as firms cut corners to beef up their clinics’ bottom lines," Fry writes. "What’s more, PE firms are also betting almost exclusively on companies that specialize in Applied Behavior Analysis, or ABA. ABA is a therapy that’s both time-intensive and highly profitable—but also a controversial one that some in the ASD community say can be ineffective and harmful to autistic people."
LeaderboardMary Ann Betsch was named CFO at Lazard Ltd (NYSE: LAZ), a financial advisory and asset management firm, effective October 3. Betsch succeeds Evan L. Russo, who has served as CFO since 2017, and who became CFO of Lazard’s Asset Management business on June 1. Betsch joins Lazard from Citadel, where she helped lead the finance and accounting function for the past four years. She began her career over 20 years ago at PwC, where she held audit and advisory roles. In 2013, she joined a two-year fellowship program supported by the Federal Reserve Board’s Chief Accountant, returning to PwC as a partner in 2015.
Drew LaBenne was named CFO at LendingClub (NYSE: LC), the parent company of LendingClub Bank, a digital marketplace bank, effective September 1. The current CFO Tom Casey will be retiring but will continue to support LendingClub in a non-executive capacity through the end of 2022. LaBenne was previously the CFO of Bakkt (NYSE: BKKT), a digital asset marketplace. Before that he was CFO of Amalgamated Bank and managing director and CFO of JP Morgan Chase's Business Banking division. LaBenne also spent 17 years at Capital One Financial where he held numerous positions including CFO of retail banking.
Overheard"We celebrate the life of Nichelle Nichols, 'Star Trek' actor, trailblazer, and role model, who symbolized to so many what was possible. She partnered with us to recruit some of the first women and minority astronauts, and inspired generations to reach for the stars."
—NASA tweeted on Sunday night in response to the news that Nichelle Nichols passed away at age 89. Nichols broke barriers for Black women when she played communications officer Lt. Uhura on the original “Star Trek” television series.
This is the web version of CFO Daily, a newsletter on the trends and individuals shaping corporate finance. Sign up to get it delivered free to your inbox. | Global Organizations |
Immigration played a key role in the UK’s decision in 2016 to leave the EU. Opinion polls showed strong support among leave voters for an end to free movement and for Westminster to decide who should be allowed to enter the country for work. That’s what the slogan “take back control” was largely about.
Since the Brexit vote, the mood has changed. There is still a feeling ministers need to do more to stop people in small boats crossing the Channel. But legal immigration has ceased to be such a hot political issue. Other issues – such as the cost of living and rising interest rates – rank as more important.
The more relaxed mood is certainly not the result of Britain pulling up the drawbridge to immigrants in the past seven years. On the contrary, net migration – the number of people arriving less the number leaving – rose to a record 606,000 in 2022.
There were some one-off factors last year – the arrival of refugees from Afghanistan and Ukraine, for example – which won’t be repeated in the future. But even ignoring the people fleeing wars and persecution, the number of non-UK nationals either working or looking for a job rose by 257,000 in 2022. As Samuel Tombs, a UK economist at Pantheon Macroeconomics, has pointed out, immigration accounted for almost all the 0.9% increase in the size of the workforce in the year to the second quarter of 2023. Foreign-born workers have plugged the gap left by a shortage of domestic candidates and so helped ease supply shortages.
There has been a marked shift in where the new foreign-born workers are coming from. Before Brexit, free movement under the rules of the single market meant the vast majority arrived from EU countries. Under the points-based system, workers can arrive from anywhere in the world, provided they meet certain criteria. These include having a job offer of a certain skill level, that they can speak English and that they will be paid more than £26,200 a year.
The latest data shows that the four countries that secured the most work visas were India, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and the Philippines, with about half plugging gaps in the health and social care sector. Britain’s gain, inevitably, comes at the expense of poorer countries losing some of their brightest and best workers, even if they send a chunk of the money they earn home through remittances.
Some “red wall” Conservative MPs have called for much tougher immigration controls, including raising the minimum salary required for a skilled overseas worker to £38,000. This would certainly give companies a compelling reason to substitute capital for labour but with considerable short-term costs. In a globalised world, companies can easily find skilled people from overseas to fill vacancies, whereas it will take time to recruit and train domestic employees.
Mixed signals are being sent out by the government. Tombs says the decision to raise the minimum salary an overseas citizen must earn to get a skilled workers visa by 2.3% this year – well below the 8%-plus jump in annual private sector earnings – suggests ministers are loosening the immigration rules by stealth.
At the same time, though, the annual fee migrants pay to use the NHS has been raised from £624 to £1,035, and Rishi Sunak is making clear his reluctance to relax immigration rules to secure a bilateral trade deal with India.
That makes the chances of an immediate breakthrough slim. Sunak would love an agreement with the world’s fastest-growing major emerging economy – but not at any price. India has a reputation for fighting its own corner relentlessly in trade negotiations conducted by the World Trade Organization, and its key demand in the bilateral talks – more visas for Indian students and workers – is one that makes life difficult for Sunak.
It is a tough call for the prime minister, who needs to show voters that the economy can benefit from better-calibrated migration. There is certainly evidence the geographical shift in immigration is positive for the UK. Data from Oxford University’s migration observatory shows migrants from India and sub-Saharan Africa are more likely to be employed in high-skilled jobs and command higher salaries than those from eastern Europe. In 2020, the average salary for a non-EU-born worker was £31,400 – £3,000 higher than for an EU-born worker.
There have been problems for certain sectors – such as hospitality – which in the past relied heavily on well-educated migrant workers from the EU to fill vacancies. But if the idea was to craft a migration system that would enable the economy to become less dependent on low-skill, low-wage, low-productivity jobs, then the shift to a points-based system makes sense. If the supply of cheap workers is restricted and the cost of employing people rises, firms will have a greater incentive to boost spending on new labour-saving equipment.
There are tentative signs of this happening. Kallum Pickering, a UK economist at Berenberg bank, points out that UK business investment has increased by 35% since the low point reached during the spring 2020 Covid lockdown and is now 6% above its pre-Brexit vote high. In part, this is the result of an end to the uncertainty that deterred investment in the years after 2016 but it is also a case of “needs must”. For the past 30 years, he says, the UK has relied on two things to grow its economy – cheap foreign labour and low-cost imports – both of which are becoming harder to secure.
In other words, the upshot of deglobalisation and a changed immigration system may well be more expensive labour, higher levels of investment and a more self-sufficient economy. All would certainly be welcome. | United Kingdom Politics |
- International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor has doubled down on South Africa's friendship with Russia.
- She described Russia as "an old historical friend".
- Pandor co-chaired the South Africa-Russia Joint Inter-Governmental Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation in Pretoria on Thursday.
International Relations and Cooperation Minister Naledi Pandor says South Africa has defended its friendship with Russia, saying the two countries will not become sudden enemies "on the demand of others".
Pandor was speaking at the opening of the South Africa-Russia Joint Inter-Governmental Committee on Trade and Economic Cooperation with Russian National Resources and Environment Minister Alexander Kozlov in Pretoria on Thursday.
"There are some who don't wish us to have relations with an old historical friend. We have made it clear that Russia is a friend, and we have had cooperative partnerships for many, many years," Pandor said.She cited Russia's support in the anti-apartheid struggle.
"While we are friends with many all over the world, we cannot become sudden enemies on the demand of others," Pandor said.
Pretoria has doubled down on its relations with Moscow amid growing calls to isolate Russia following its deadly invasion of Ukraine. South Africa has maintained its non-aligned stance on the matter, refusing to cut ties with Russia despite pleas from Western countries.
Last week, Belgian Foreign Affairs Minister Hadja Lahbib threw a few veiled jabs at South Africa's non-aligned foreign policy on Ukraine.
During official talks, she said Belgium had "always looked up to South Africa as a key partner for peace and the defence of human rights and basic international principles, so given your strong historical links with Russia, we would be delighted if you consider using your channels of communication to advance on a path towards peace based on the international principles".
At the time, President Cyril Ramaphosa responded, saying that it would continue promoting peace.
"Yes, indeed we do and continue to use the channel we have with Russia to talk peace. To talk about how the conflict can be brought to an end. You can rest assured – as other heads of state have raised with us – we do take up the opportunity to advocate for a peaceful [solution]," Ramaphosa said.
South Africa digging in its heels over its friendship with Russia comes as there's a growing expectation that Russian President Vladimir Putin will be arrested if he arrives in South Africa for the BRICS summit in August.
The South African government has requested a legal opinion on how to address the arrest warrant that the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued against Putin on 18 March for alleged war crimes relating to the abduction of children from Ukraine.
South Africa will host the BRICS summit and, as a signatory of the Rome Statute, may be required to execute the arrest warrant if Putin attends the summit.
In the meeting with the Russians on Thursday, Pandor highlighted South Africa's long-standing diplomatic relations with Russia.
Formal diplomatic relations between Russia and South Africa were established in February 1992. | Africa politics |
This week’s witnesses to the Covid inquiry have come as a jaw-dropping revelation to some people. But not to those of us who have been following Westminster politics close up for many years. Many sketches turn out to have been no more than accurate transcriptions. Almost as if we had a ringside seat inside government. No 10 as writers’ room. Amazing as it may seem, if you put a sex-crazed narcissist with the attention span of a flea in charge of a pandemic, then what you get is chaos. So, yes, everyone really was as incompetent as you had feared. And their individual turf wars took priority over minimising deaths. This was government as The Thick of It on hallucinogenics. Complete with its own insider language. So here’s your guide to some of the phrases that may have confused you.
Fuckpigs: This was a new one to all of us. Even to Malcolm Tucker. But it was a standard form of address by Dominic Cummings to anyone with whom he came into contact. To this career sociopath, everyone was a “useless fuckpig”. Nor was it just reserved for people with whom Dom disagreed. Though that was anyone. Dom has never met anyone he hasn’t considered a moron. It was also used as a term of endearment. As in when he talked to his family. “Come on you useless fuckpigs. Get in the car. We’re off to Barnard Castle.”
Jaws mode wank: Like so much No 10 pillow talk, this was also dreamed up by Cummings. It refers to those occasions when Boris Johnson was having one of his regular fantasies about being the mayor of Amity in the film Jaws, deciding to keep the beach open and letting people take their chances with the shark. Boris used to keep himself amused by openly wondering if he should ignore the scientific advice – what sensible government wouldn’t? – and not bother with a lockdown. Just to see how many people would die.
Pop-ins: The style of government that many in No 10 and the cabinet came to adopt. It was well known that Johnson was pathologically unable to make any decisions and would invariably end up agreeing with the last person he spoke to. So ministers and special advisers would make a point of “popping in” to Johnson’s office to try to get him to change his mind about something. Not that he had a mind to change. The trick was to try to make sure that you were the last person to “pop in” before the prime minister was forced to commit to an action at a press conference.
To trolley: Sometimes used as a noun, as in “the trolley”. Again referring to the prime minister’s inability to make any firm commitments. So he would keep “trolleying” between several courses of action before invariably coming to the wrong conclusion. Some in No 10 felt this was deeply unfair to supermarket trolleys, which were a great deal more stable than the prime minister.
Orgy of narcissism: Oh, the irony of this. Johnson used to accuse everyone in No 10 of indulging in an orgy of narcissism as they all ruthlessly pursued their own agendas while privately – or publicly in Dom’s case – trashing anyone who disagreed with them. Coming from the supreme narcissist whose whole life has been an opportunistic, self-serving joyride, this was an extreme case of pots and kettles.
Special hairdryer: Nothing sums up the stupidity at the heart of Downing Street than this. Boris got it into his head that if you turned a hairdryer up to max and aimed it up your nostrils you could blow the coronavirus out of your metabolism. Really. Tory MPs and voters. You voted for this. This one’s on you.
Dr Death: These days Rishi Sunak likes to pretend that he has an aura of credibility. That pitching himself as the change candidate – as in “the Tories have wrecked the country for 13 years, so vote for them again” – is a cunning plan. But when he was chancellor during the pandemic, everyone in No 10 saw right through him. They called him Dr Death for coming up with the idiotic plan of getting everyone to kill each other by going out for a cheap meal with his “Eat Out to Help the Virus” scheme.
Nature’s way: Or to give it its full title: “Nature’s Way of Killing People”. Another compassionate Johnson idea. Boris had noticed that Covid generally killed older people, so why bother to admit them to hospital at all? Just let them die. They’d lived plenty long enough as it was, so give the young a break. Besides, many of them were costing the government a fortune in state pensions. Two birds with one stone. Johnson had failed to notice that he would be killing off half the readers of the Mail and the Telegraph and ensuring the Tories didn’t get into power again for decades.
Terrifyingly shit: It went without saying that government during Covid was always shit. Never better than that. Just a normal state of affairs. But a phrase was needed to convey the terror that everything was even more shit than usual. Hence “terrifyingly shit”.
Dodging stilettos: It was a man’s world inside Johnson’s No 10. A macho culture where blokes regularly talked over women. Because it was obvious the little ladies had nothing to contribute. Other than going out with a suitcase to collect the booze and the karaoke machine for that evening’s party. Cummings was adamant he wasn’t a misogynist. He was equally happy calling women “useless fuckpigs” as men. That’s equal opportunities for you.
Depraved New World by John Crace (Guardian Faber, £16.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy and save 18% at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply. | United Kingdom Politics |
How long will the Ukraine war last? Former CENTCOM commander David Petraeus joins 'Life, Liberty & Levin' to discuss the state of the Russian invasion, global economic pressures on coalition.
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! Ukrainian soldiers have arrived in Britain for a new military training program as Western nations look to further aid Kyiv in the war against Russia, UK officials said Saturday.The program, first proposed by Prime Minister Boris Johnson in his second surprise trip to Kyiv last month, will train up to 10,000 new "volunteer recruits" who have little to no military experience and provide the skills needed to engage Russian forces on the battlefield. On the first day of Russia’s invasion in February Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenksyy enforced martial law that would require all men ages 18-60 to remain in Ukraine and join its fighting forces if called upon. Ukrainian soldiers lead the funeral procession for comrades from the church to the hearses as onlookers hold flowers and watch, in Lviv, March 2022. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)UKRAINE MILITARY SEES SPIKE IN FEMALE VOLUNTEERS AMID WAR WITH RUSSIAUkraine had nearly 197,000 active military personnel along with another 900,000 reservists already trained up and ready to engage Russian troops. But as the war continues for the fifth month and Ukrainian officials warn they are losing between 100 and 200 soldiers every 24 hours, Western nations have looked to new methods to support Kyiv."This ambitious new training program is the next phase in the UK’s support to the Armed Forces of Ukraine in their fight against Russian aggression," Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said after visiting the training grounds this week. "Using the world-class expertise of the British Army we will help Ukraine to rebuild its forces and scale-up its resistance as they defend their country’s sovereignty and their right to choose their own future."The new recruits will engage in a "several weeks long" training program similar to that of the UK’s basic soldier training and will learn skills relating to "weapons handling, battlefield first aid, fieldcraft, patrol tactics and the Law of Armed Conflict." Vitalii, a Ukrainian Army officer, holds his weapon in a trench during tactical exercises at a military camp, amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine, in the Zaporizhzhia region, Ukraine April 30, 2022. (REUTERS/Ueslei Marcelino)UNITY AT G20 FAILS OVER DIFFERENCES ON UKRAINE WAR, RUSSIA, US SNUB EACH OTHERThough the program will vary from the typical UK basic training course as Ukrainian soldiers will be trained up on AK variant assault rifles so that they can be instructed on weaponry that they will actually utilize on the front lines. "This effort was supported by the Welsh Guards, who tested more than 2,400 such rifles in 17 days to ensure they were ready for the Ukrainians to commence their training," the UK Ministry of Defense said in a statement Saturday.The UK government has also agreed to not only supply the training equipment but will fit each soldier with supplies that they will then head back to Ukraine with. Ukrainian servicemen carry the coffin with the remains of Army Col. Oleksander Makhachek during his funeral in Zhytomyr, Ukraine, Friday, June 3. According to combat comrades Makhachek was killed fighting Russian forces when a shell landed in his position on May 30. (AP Photo/Natacha Pisarenko)CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPEach newly trained Ukrainian servicemen will be issued personal protective equipment to include body armor, pelvic protection, helmets, ear and eye protective equipment and individual first aid kits. Field uniforms, boots, cold and wet weather clothing, ponchos, tactical webbing, backpacks, sacks, sleeping bags and entrenching tools will also be provided in coordination with Ukrainian field conditions. Caitlin McFall is a Fox News Digital reporter. You can reach her at [email protected] or @ctlnmcfall on Twitter. | United Kingdom Politics |
Lifestyle choices can come at you fast these days. Only on Sunday, Suella Braverman was still home secretary. Free to demonstrate her self-absolution during the two-minute silence for Remembrance Sunday. A day later and she was sacked by a prime minister too weak to have done so when it might have made a difference. After she had had time to cheer on the division that she had done so much to provoke on the pro-Palestine march.
Now the time was Suella’s own. First to concentrate on the two-minute hate. Though it’s doubtful George Orwell’s time slot would be quite long enough for Suella to vent her fury at the world. She’d need at least a quarter of an hour. Even then she’d have to concentrate harder than she ever had before. Then to pack her tent and make herself homeless. There was nothing she enjoyed more than being abused or ignored. Though only for a while. Next there was the leadership bid to prepare. She would prove just how good a hater she was with her resignation letter. And if all else failed there was always I’m a Celebrity. Being homeless with a £1m paycheque was her kind of lifestyle choice.
James Cleverly was gutted. No more flying round the world on private jets. Or, if he really must, then slumming it in first class. He had lived for travel. For people telling him he was marvellous. Hanging out in embassies. Never paying for anything. Now he had been asked to take over as home secretary. That was a thankless fucking job. Just being driven in cars to detention centres. Nothing the government did was going to stop the small boats. This was just Sunak’s endgame. Spinning out the futility till the next election. And Jimmy Dimly had no choice but to go along with it. He didn’t have the self-worth to resign. Still, home sec would look good on the CV.
Just then a vaguely familiar middle-aged man was spotted walking up Downing Street. Was it … ? Could it be … ? It could! It was Big Dave Cameron. But what was he doing there? He’d last been seen there in 2016 when he’d whistled his way back into No 10 after single-handedly wrecking the country. Mmm. Perhaps he was on his way to do some more dodgy lobbying for Greensill. Things hadn’t panned out well for Big Dave in the intervening years. He’d just drifted aimlessly from non-job to non-job. “I used to be prime minister,” he would say sadly to anyone who would listen. We’ve tried to forget.
“Here’s the thing, Big Dave,” said Rishi. “I’ve rather scraped the bottom of the barrel. I’ve hunted around the gene puddle of talent that is the Tory party and concluded that not one of them is fit to be foreign secretary. So I’d like you to give it a go. It’s not that hard a job. Hell, how could it be if Jimmy D’s done it for a year without starting a war? And obvs, you’d get a peerage thrown in. Though, to tell you the truth, I thought you’d have one already by now. So what do you say? You wouldn’t even have to answer departmental questions or appear in the house. So there would be no accountability at all!”
Big Dave stroked both his chins. This was a tricky one. A job that might actually require some work. Not his usual bag at all. “You do know that I have been critical of almost everything you have done as prime minister,” he said. “At almost every opportunity, you have made the wrong call. Come to think of it, you might even be slightly worse than I was.”
“That’s why I want you back,” Rish! enthused. “Because I am the change prime minister. I am the Conservative who will clean up the country after the Conservatives. Nothing shouts ‘change’ more than bringing back the prime minister who started the decline to help manage the decline. So what do you say? Obviously, we’ll try and keep you away from Europe. The EU hasn’t forgiven you for Brexit. So do try and not be so careless this time. Concentrate for more than five minutes if you can. OK? Now what’s your plan for the rest of the world?”
“Easy,” replied Big Dave, the old confidence flooding back. “I’d go to Moscow and tell Russia and Ukraine to have a referendum on peace. Then I’d fly to Israel and get Netanyahu and Hamas to agree to a referendum on a ceasefire. After that, I’d go to Beijing … ”
“Why?”
“I’m not sure why, actually. Just for old time’s sake. I’ve done a lot of defending the Chinese. That’s got to be a plus, hasn’t it? Now what about a job for my old mucker George? Ozzy is at a bit of a loose end now. He’s even doing a dreadful podcast with Ed Balls. He couldn’t be a worse chancellor than Jeremy Hunt. It will be like bringing back the old team. The austerity years are here again. People will be thrilled to be reminded of why no public services work any more. So let’s do it. It’s only for a year after all. Let’s face it, we’re bound to lose the next election.”
As Big Dave bounced out of Downing Street, Rish! returned to his spreadsheet. Still far too many gaps. What he wouldn’t give for at least one vaguely competent minister. Some hope. Obviously Thérèse Coffey would have to go. She had been the anti-environment secretary. Her proudest legacy to the planet would be her resignation. Let the rivers rejoice!
Maybe Steve Barclay could replace her. At least he was quite nice. If equally useless. But then he would need a new health secretary. Who better than the entitled Vicky Atkins to take over? Someone with no experience of anything. It wasn’t as if the doctors were on strike, waiting lists were at a record high and hospitals crumbling. Yup, Vicky would be perfect. What could possibly go wrong? While he was about it, he could also sack the hopeless Greg Hands as party chairman. A man who literally did nothing except tweet the same unfunny Liam Byrne letter five times a day.
Just then, there was a knock on the door. It was Olive Dowden. Junior ministers were resigning in droves. Even the ones who were OK at their jobs. Getting out while they were still young. Had their lives ahead of them. Ready for a last chance powerdrive. Their best hope of re-election to wipe their fingerprints from government. Or just get out completely. The ultimate detox. So that just left the dregs. The desperate who would take any job. Anything. What a shit show. Imagine Grant Shapps as defence secretary. Or Esther McVey as minister for common sense. Has Sunak ever met her? Or watched her show on GB News? She’s senseless. This is the end, beautiful friend … the end.
Depraved New World by John Crace (Guardian Faber, £16.99). To support the Guardian and Observer, order your copy and save 18% at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply. | United Kingdom Politics |
China’s support for Russia’s war in Ukraine is complicating US-Chinese relations at a time when they are already beset by rifts and enmity over numerous other issues, the US secretary of state has told his Chinese counterpartIn five hours of talks in their first face-to-face meeting since October, Antony Blinken said he expressed deep concern to the Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, about Beijing’s stance on Russia’s actions in Ukraine and did not believe Beijing’s protestations that it was neutral in the conflict.The talks had been arranged in a new effort to try to rein in or at least manage the hostility that has come to define recent relations between Washington and Beijing.“We are concerned about the PRC’s alignment with Russia,” Blinken told reporters after the meeting in the Indonesian resort of Bali. He said it was difficult to be “neutral” in a conflict in which there was a clear aggressor but that even if it were possible: “I don’t believe China is acting in a way that is neutral.”The Biden administration had hoped that China, with its long history of opposing what it sees as interference in its own internal affairs, would take a similar position with Russia and Ukraine. It has not, however, choosing instead what US officials see as a hybrid position that is damaging the international rules-based order.Blinken said every nation, China included, stands to lose if that order is eroded.The two men met a day after they attended a gathering of top diplomats from the G20 that ended without a joint call to end Russia’s war in Ukraine or a plan for how to deal with its impacts on food and energy security.However, Blinken said he believed Russia had come away isolated and alone from the meeting of rich and large developing countries as most participants expressed opposition to the Ukraine war. However, the ministers were unable to come to a unified G20 call for an end to the conflict.“There was a strong consensus and Russia was left isolated,” Blinken said of individual condemnations of Russia’s actions from various ministers, some of whom shunned conversations with the Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov.He noted that Lavrov had left the meeting early, possibly because he did not like what he was hearing from his counterparts.“It was very important that he heard loudly and clearly from around the world condemnation of Russia’s aggression,” Blinken said. “We see no signs whatsoever that Russia at this point is prepared to engage in diplomacy.”On China, Blinken said he and Wang discussed a range of contentious issues, from tariffs and trade and human rights to Taiwan and disputes in the South China Sea, that have all been complicated by the Chinese position on Ukraine.Two days earlier, the countries’ top military officers had faced off over Taiwan during a virtual meeting. Blinken said the self-ruled island that Beijing claims as its territory was just one of a series of problematic issues.He said he stressed US concerns over China’s “increasingly provocative rhetoric and activity near Taiwan and the vital importance of maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan strait”. He added that he had also raised human rights concerns regarding minorities in Tibet and in the western Xinjiang region.Going into the talks, Wang said it was “necessary for the two countries to maintain normal exchanges” and “to work together to ensure that this relationship will continue to move forward along the right track”.Wang also echoed frequent Chinese lines about remaining committed to the principles of “mutual respect”, “peaceful coexistence” and “win-win cooperation”. That, he said, “serves the interests of the two countries and two peoples. It is also the shared aspiration of the international community.”US officials had said they did not expect any breakthroughs from Blinken’s talks with Wang, but that they were hopeful the conversation could help keep lines of communication open and create “guardrails” to guide the world’s two largest economies as they navigate increasingly complex and potentially explosive matters.“We’re committed to managing this relationship, this competition responsibly as the world expects us to do,” Blinken said. | Asia Politics |
Two bodies have been found in the search for missing British journalist Dom Phillips and his guide Bruno Pereira more than a week after their disappearance in the Amazon.The Phillips family have been told of the discovery by the Brazilian ambassador to the UK, although police have not yet formally announced the news.The Guardian journalist, 57, vanished in a remote part of the rainforest prowled by illegal loggers, miners and drug gangs on June 5 while travelling on a trip with indigenous expert Pereira. Mr Phillips' brother-in-law Paul Sherwood told The Guardian: 'He said he wanted us to know that… they had found two bodies.'He didn't describe the location and just said it was in the rainforest and he said they were tied to a tree and they hadn't been identified yet.''He said that when it was light, or when it was possible they would do an identification.'Mr Phillips' wife Alessandra Sampaio also confirmed the discovery of the two bodies.Respected Brazilian journalist André Trigueiro, who works for Globo, said: 'Alessandra, wife of Dom Phillips, has just informed me that the bodies of her husband and indigenist Bruno Pereira have been found.'Trigueiro added: 'Alessandra made contact again saying that she had just received a call from the PF informing that the bodies need to be examined. 'The British Embassy had already communicated to Dom Phillips' brothers that they were the bodies of the journalist and the indigenist. Now everyone is waiting for the expertise.'It comes after boots and a backpack belonging to Mr Phillips were discovered by the search team. The wife of missing British journalist Dom Phillips has allegedly confirmed a body his been found in the Amazon rainforest more than a week after his disappearance Fire crews helping search for the two men on Sunday uncovered a backpack, laptop and boots belonging to Mr Phillips tied to a half-sunken log (pictured, the moment the pack is found) Brazilian soldiers sit on a boat during the search operation in Atalaia do Norte yesterdayYesterday, authorities uncovered the backpack containing his boots, clothes and a laptop tied to a half-sunken log in the area where the two men went missing. A health ID card and boots belonging to Mr Pereira were also uncovered.Maria Sampaio, Mr Phillips' mother-in-law, said after the discovery she believed the two men 'are no longer with us' and had 'given their lives in defence of the rainforest.'Alessandra Sampaio, Mr Phillips' wife who had earlier made a tearful appeal for her husband's return, reposted the sentiment and said she agreed.'They are no longer with us,' Maria wrote on Instagram. 'Mother nature has snatched them away with a grateful embrace. 'The material has been undone and incorporated into the earth they so loved and respected.'Their souls have joined those of so many others who gave their lives in defence of the rainforest and Indigenous peoples. 'Today they form part of an immense and pulsating vital energy that emanates from this immense greenery that is the heart of Brazil.'A suspect - 41-year-old Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira - was arrested after finding traces of blood on his fishing boat along with illegal ammunition. Alessandra Sampaio, Mr Phillips' wife, said bodies have been found in the AmazonSamples of the blood are on their way from the western Vale do Javri region of the Amazon, a vast area the size of Ireland and Wales combined, to government laboratories in the jungle capital of Manaus for analysis.In the meantime, a judge has granted police permission to continue holding Mr Oliveira - known as 'Pelado' - for further questioning.He has pleaded innocence, saying he is a fisherman and the ammunition he was carrying was used for his trade. Earlier, Elizeu Mayaruna, who works for indigenous agency Funai, told Reuters that, while searching the forest along the Itacoai river on Saturday, he found clothes, a tarp and a bottle of motor oil.Mayaruna and two other members of an indigenous search team acquainted with Pereira, a former Funai official, said they recognised a shirt and pants that belonged to him.Witnesses said they saw Pereira and Phillips, a freelance reporter who has written for the Guardian and the Washington Post, travelling down that river last Sunday.The two men were on a reporting trip in the remote jungle area near the border with Peru and Colombia that is home to the world's largest number of uncontacted indigenous people. The wild and lawless region has lured cocaine-smuggling gangs, along with illegal loggers, miners and hunters.News of the pair's disappearance resonated globally, with Brazilian icons from soccer great Pele to singer Caetano Veloso joining politicians, environmentalists and human rights activists in urging President Jair Bolsonaro to step up the search.Reuters witnesses saw the stretch of riverbank were Mayaruna discovered the clothing cordoned off by police on Sunday morning as investigators scoured the area, with a half dozen boats ferrying police, soldiers and firefighters back and forth. Federal police officers arrive at the pier with items found during a search for Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and freelance British journalist Dom Phillips in Atalaia do Norte, Amazonas state, Brazil, Sunday, June 12 Bruno Araújo Pereira, an expert on the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, also went missing with his health ID card and clothes found alongside Mr Phillips' backpack Police officers and rescue team members sit on a boat during the search operation for British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira Phillips talks to two indigenous men while visiting a community in Roraima, Brazil, on November 16, 2019Bolsonaro, who last year faced tough questioning from Phillips at news conferences about weakening environmental law enforcement in Brazil, said last week that the two men 'were on an adventure that is not recommended' and suggested that they could have been executed.State police detectives involved in the investigation have told Reuters they are focusing on poachers and illegal fisherman in the area, who clashed often with Pereira as he organised indigenous patrols of the local reservation.Some 150 soldiers had been deployed via riverboats to hunt for the missing men and interview locals, joining indigenous search teams who have been looking for the pair for a week. Amariledo 'Pelado' da Costa was taken into custody by authorities in Amazonas, Brazil. His family claim he has been waterboarded by police in an effort to extract a confession A forensics worker analyzes the boat that was seized from a fisherman identified as Amariledo 'Pelado' da Costa, who was taken into custody Tuesday and was charged with illegal possession of drugs and restricted ammunition The Javari region is an area notorious for illegal mining and drug trafficking, and the pair had reportedly faced threats before their disappearance | Latin America Politics |
The sight of thousands of European Union flags at the Last Night of the Proms has prompted outrage from Brexiters and a call for the BBC to investigate.
Those waving the EU flag in the Royal Albert Hall appeared to outnumber those waving the union flag at the event, which is usually a patriotic display, following a campaign by pro-Europeans.
The spectacle of so many EU flags being waved as the hall belted out Rule, Britannia! provoked disgust from leading Eurosceptics.
Harvey Proctor, a former Conservative MP, said it was a “disgraceful” display and called for an inquiry by the BBC, which organises and broadcasts the Proms.
In a post on X, formerly known as Twitter, he said: “BBC must investigate how so many EU flags were waved & on display at The Last Night of the Proms. Disgraceful & misguided BBC messing up a British tradition; a political gesture which would make Sir Henry Wood turn in his grave. Utterly vulgar & wrong. Rule Britannia, not Rule EU!”
Isabel Oakeshott, the journalist and rightwing commentator, also posted on X, saying: “The Last Night of the Proms appears to be a seething mass of remainers. Can’t wait for Rule Britannia.”
Nile Gardiner, a former aide to Margaret Thatcher and a contributor to the Daily Telegraph, posted: “Ironic to see some of the audience at The Last Night of the Proms waving EU flags while singing Rule Britannia. Rule Britannia represents freedom, sovereignty, and self-determination, all absent in the European Union. Thank God for Brexit.”
The spectacle was hailed as a success by a pro-European group of music lovers called Thank EU For The Music who organised the display and said they handed out thousands of EU flags outside the Albert Hall.
In a Facebook post, it said the the display sent a “powerful signal to the world that Britain wants back IN!”
In an open letter to Tim Davie, the BBC’s director general, the group said the stunt was a demonstration against Brexit.
“Tens of thousands of music lovers have taken our free European flags into the Royal Albert Hall for each Last Night of the Proms in solidarity with musicians who feel (like countless others) the destructive impact of Britain’s recent isolation from Europe,” it said.
It said it was keen to emphasis the “European and internationalist values of art and culture”.
The letter added: “We appreciate that the BBC strives to avoid controversy at all costs, but would gently point out that in doing so you might on occasion have chosen reticence rather than objectivity with regards to editorial policy on Brexit matters.
“I’m sure it cannot have escaped your attention that the artistic endeavours on stage now happen despite, not because of, the limitations that Britain’s departure from the European Union have imposed on the creative industries.”
Saturday’s Last Night of the Proms was the first full event since before the pandemic. Last year’s event was cancelled following the death of the queen. | United Kingdom Politics |
Keir Starmer’s plot to drag Britain back to Brussels
The Labour leader’s migration plan reveals he’s as starry-eyed about the EU as ever.
There was a time not long ago when UK Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer would try to pose as a born-again Brexiteer. ‘Brexit is safe in my hands’, he said last year, as he vowed that a future Labour government would not take Britain back into the EU or any of its major institutions. He even spoke of ‘taking back control’, consciously adopting the slogan of the 2016 Vote Leave campaign. All of this was to try to reassure those Red Wall Brexit voters that Labour would not betray them (again) by seeking to reverse the result of the EU referendum – just as it did in the 2019 election, when Labour campaigned for a second EU vote and got handed a historic defeat as a consequence.
Yet Starmer’s latest proposal on migration suggests that he is as starry-eyed about the EU as ever. This week, speaking at the Hague in the Netherlands, he suggested doing a deal with Brussels that would involve the UK taking a quota of asylum seekers from the continent. This, Starmer hopes, would encourage the EU to take back those migrants who cross the English Channel in small boats.
The very fact that Starmer has so quickly turned to Brussels to try to solve Britain’s migrant crisis is extremely revealing. The Labour leader could well be the only politician in Europe to have a positive view of the EU’s asylum system. Even seasoned Brussels officials admit that it is ‘broken’. Member states have been trying to negotiate a new migration pact for the past seven years. They are still no closer to finding agreement on a policy that could disperse asylum seekers more evenly throughout the bloc.
Indeed, if Britain’s past experience with the EU asylum system is anything to go by, then Starmer’s plan is a non-starter. As Patrick O’Flynn notes in the Spectator, during the whole of 2019, when Britain still had a returns agreement with the EU, only 21 people were returned from the UK to France. To put that in context, so far this year over 23,000 people have crossed the English Channel in small boats.
Of course, Starmer thinks he can improve on this low returns figure by offering a quid pro quo to Brussels – by accepting a quota of migrants. This is significant. Not because of the number of new migrants it might mean bringing to the UK, which remains to be seen. (Home secretary Suella Braverman claims the EU will send 100,000 people per year; Labour has dismissed this as ‘nonsense’ and ‘desperate’.) But because the UK has always refused to accept migrant quotas from Brussels, even when we were full-on EU members. Starmer’s policy, therefore, would lead the UK to become even more deeply entrenched in the EU’s asylum system than we were before we left.
The man who wants to be our next prime minister seems to think that the EU is the answer to all of the UK’s problems – even in an area like migration. This is deeply worrying. Our Remoaning classes love to pose as defenders of migrants, but the truth is that the EU’s migration policies have not only failed on a practical level – they have also led to a humanitarian catastrophe. Many of the EU’s external migration policies make Suella Braverman look like Mother Teresa.
Starmer’s beloved EU deploys incredibly brutal methods to keep non-Europeans out of ‘Fortress Europe’. This includes paying dictators and militias to police the borders of northern Africa. Migrants detained in EU-funded centres in Libya have allegedly been tortured and sold into slavery. Brussels’ latest migration deal has been struck with the overtly racist president of Tunisia, who has led a brutal crackdown on sub-Saharan migrants. Yet all of this is out of sight and out of mind to Starmer and his fellow Labour Remainers, for whom the EU can do no wrong.
That Starmer plans to go crawling back to Brussels is hardly a surprise. He was, after all, the architect of Labour’s disastrous second-referendum policy during the Jeremy Corbyn years. And his top team in Labour share the exact same pro-EU views. Take shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, who once said that the ERG faction of pro-Brexit Tories were worse than the Nazis. Or take shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves, who warned in 2016 that Britain could ‘explode’ into ‘rioting’ if the Brexit vote was not respected, only to come out two years later in favour of re-running the referendum. Labour is an institutionally pro-EU party.
Starmer may not be talking openly about rejoining the EU, or signing up to Single Market and Customs Union rules. But he is continually finding new excuses to cosy up to the EU and to bring Britain back into Brussels’ orbit.
Picture by: Getty.
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Anthony Albanese has announced Australia is targeting a 43 per cent cut to emissions by 2030 as he said climate action helps set the nation up for a "future powered by cleaner, cheaper energy". Australia is now targeting a 43 per cent cut to emissions by 2030, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has revealed. Mr Albanese on Thursday announced the nation was changing its target to achieve a more substantial emissions cut by the end of the decade compared to what was previously committed to by the Coalition. "When I've spoken with international leaders in the last few weeks, they have all welcomed Australia's changed position. Our changed position of 43 per cent, up by 17 to 15 per cent, from the 26 to 28 per cent target that has remained there since Tony Abbott determined it in 2015," he said. "Scott Morrison went to the Glasgow Conference last year and gave an empty speech to an empty room with no changed position."We saw a pamphlet released by a former government rather than a policy framework and we continued to see arguments, even during the election campaign, about the science of climate change, let alone the need to act."Stream Sky News live & on demand with Flash. 25+ news channels in 1 place. New to Flash? Try 1 month free. Offer ends 31 October, 2022 Mr Albanese said climate action was setting Australia up for a future that is powered by "cleaner, cheaper energy". "The thing with climate action is it's all about the short-term capital investment that's required but then you get the long-term benefit," he said. "Because the cheaper, cleaner energy flows well into the future. And that's what sets Australia up for a prosperous future. A future powered by cleaner, cheaper energy."A future in which we make more things here. A future in which we participate in the global effort to deal with the challenge of climate change but also seize the opportunity that is there from acting on climate change." Mr Albanese said he and Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen had "written to the Executive Secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change, Ms Patricia Espinosa, to convey Australia's enhanced 2030 Nationally Determined Contribution under the Paris Agreement".Mr Bowen said Thursday marked the moment Australia "turns the climate corner"."For years, the Australian Government told the world that was all too hard. Told Australians it was too hard. Told the world that Australia wasn't up to it, and wasn't up for it. Well the Albanese Government today sends a very different message," he said. "We send a message to the workers in traditional industries, in traditional energy, that we'll provide the framework for the jobs of the future. We'll provide the policy for manufacturing jobs, powered by clean renewable energy."We'll provide the framework for renewable energy for storage and transmission, creating hundreds of thousands of jobs across the country, and particularly in Australia's regions."Mr Bowen said Australia's energy crisis, where residents have been told to conserve power amid fears of blackouts along the eastern seaboard this winter, had amplified the need for more investment in renewables. "At the moment, we are facing, as you know, a very serious and challenging situation in the energy market, what some would describe, I think accurately, as a crisis setting," he said. "That makes this work more important, not less, setting the framework for the future, getting the investment going that has been so lacking, getting the policy framework working together with the states and territories to get the job done. A decade of denial and delay is a decade too long." | Australia Politics |
A new report from the government in Edinburgh lays out its plans for a future relationship with Europe, but independence is not on the cards any time soon.
The Scottish government has laid out its plans to rejoin the European Union, claiming it would be a process that happens "smoothly and quickly" after independence, with an application to become part of the bloc being submitted "as soon as possible."
The pro-EU, pro-independence government in Edinburgh made the comments in a new policy paper that lays out the benefits of EU membership including access to the single market for Scottish businesses; joint access to the EU's free trade agreements; securing EU funding for Scottish agriculture in particular; and allowing Scotland's young people to benefit from the Erasmus+ university exchange programme, which was closed to them after Brexit.
EU membership, says the country's _de facto_foreign minister Angus Robertson, "would give Scotland direct representation in European decision-making for the very first time, providing opportunities for our economy to grow inside a market which is seven times the size of the UK and escape the damage of the UK’s hard Brexit, which is hitting Scotland’s economy and communities hard."
Lack of support for independence hampers plans
The elephant in the room for Scotland's EU membership is that independence is not on the cards any time soon.
Both the UK Conservatives and Labour have vigorously opposed any mechanism that would allow the Scottish government to hold a referendum on independence; while polls consistently show no majority support for independence in Scotland itself.
A survey published earlier this month puts support for independence at 40%, with 49% in favour of remaining part of the UK.
The ruling Scottish National Party says it will claim it has "a mandate for independence negotiations" with London if it wins a majority of Scottish seats at the next UK election, something it already has now.
However, a series of scandals and the natural attrition of almost 16 years in power has dented the SNP's once unassailable position at the top of Scotland's political establishment, with a sea change expected in the next year.
Scottish Labour are widely predicted to capture a large number of the SNP's Westminster seats at the next UK election; with polls also showing a surge of support for Labour in Scottish parliamentary elections, which would likely cancel out the Edinburgh parliament's pro-independence majority.
At the start of November, the European Commission issued it's annual report on the future enlargement of the bloc, with expansion plans firmly focused on the Western Balkans region.
How would Scotland rejoin the EU?
Scotland left the EU with the rest of the UK after the Brexit referendum of 2016.
Although the UK as a whole narrowly voted to leave, Scotland overwhelmingly voted to remain part of the bloc and polls since then have shown an increasing majority think Brexit was a mistake and that the country's future should be in the EU.
It paints a picture of a confused Scottish electorate: they want to be part of the European Union, but are not committed to independence as the way to get there.
Since the Brexit referendum "there's been much debate about the best future for Scotland," said Robertson.
"The Scottish government believes we can build a better country through a powerful combination of independence and EU membership," he added.
The Scottish government said an independent Scotland would pursue the normal accession process, known as Article 49, which typically takes several years. In the meantime, they would seek some sort of transitional arrangement that would allow Scottish exporters access to the Single Market in particular.
"Having been part of the EU for over 47 years with a positive record of implementation of EU legislation and a high level of alignment with EU law" puts Scotland in a "unique position" to move quickly through the accession process, the report says.
The new policy paper fudges the issue of whether an independent Scotland would adopt the euro as its currency - an issue that has proved particularly divisive in political discussions in Scotland. However the paper restates the government's position that there would be a new Scottish Pound currency in use after independence, and then at a later date decisions might be taken on joining the euro.
Scotland would likely eventually become a "net contributor" to EU budgets, the government says, but notes "a number of member states with relatively small economies have initially been net recipients but over time have become net contributors to the EU budget."
Setting out Scotland's attractiveness to the EU
While Scotland would benefit in a huge range of areas by rejoining the European Union, the new policy paper highlights how the EU could also benefit by having Scotland as a new Member State.
It highlights areas such as research and development on renewables technology to fight climate change, culture and education, a commitment to the EU's social justice agenda and commitment to freedom and democracy - attractive qualities for a bloc struggling to figure out how to handle countries such as Hungary and Poland, or others, which lean right and have moved away from those shared EU values.
“We are also well placed to give back to the EU as a welcoming and inclusive country with strengths in research and renewables, and a steadfast commitment to advancing human rights and the rule of international law," says Angus Robertson. | United Kingdom Politics |
The Prime Minister has announced the day when Australians will have a day off to mourn Queen Elizabeth's death as he prepares to fly to London next week alongside Governor-General David Hurley for the funeral of Her Majesty before returning for a memorial service.Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has announced the date Australians will have a one-off national public holiday to mourn the death of Queen Elizabeth.The Buckingham Palace revealed overnight the state funeral for the longest-serving monarch in British history will take place on September 19 at Westminster Hall.World leaders will fly into the British capital from next week for the service alongside members of the Royal Family and the expected millions who will line London streets.News has never been more important. Stream more than 20 global & local news sources with Flash. New to Flash? Try 1 month freeMr Albanese confirmed on Sunday that September 22 will be the date Australia will have a day off to mourn the death of Her Majesty.Prior to that date, the Prime Minister will depart Australia with the Governor-General David Hurley on Thursday night for the 22-hour journey to the United Kingdom.He will stay in London for the weekend leading up to the funeral on Monday and then remain in the city for another couple of days before returning to Canberra."I will return on Wednesday evening with the Governor-General and then the National Day of Mourning and memorial service is set to be the day after," he told ABC."There are a lot of protocols here that have been in place for a long time. One of those is that the memorial service be the day after."The memorial service is set to be held inside the Great Hall in Parliament House.All state and territory chief ministers have been notified of the public holiday date and have been invited to attend the day of mourning in Australia's capital.Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has thrown his support behind the public holiday and believed the government and the Prime Minister has responded "professionally".Mr Albanese suspended the last sitting week of Parliament after Queen Elizabeth died "peacefully" at her Balmoral home early on Friday morning (AEDT).He said he is committed to making up the four remaining sitting days, with one of those dedicated to condolences from the Parliament."It would be difficult to envisage parliament sitting and going through the adversarial activity that occurs in our parliament, under our Westminster system," he said."We've been in discussions with the leader of the house, Tony Burke, the leader in the Senate, and Katy Gallagher, the Manager of Government Business, and we will work through the potential dates."Mr Albanese later in the interview remembered a moment in time when he met Queen Elizabeth II at a G20 summit during the Global Financial Crisis.He described how the well-loved monarch made sure she spoke with all the officials and delegates from the 20 largest economies present at the meeting."There I got to see, I think, at Buckingham Palace, both sides of Queen Elizabeth - the formal side where the was a queue of people to shake hand or courtesy," he said."But behind closed doors, with the leaders of the world's 20 largest economies - we were represented by Kevin Rudd, Wane Swan and myself - she made sure that she spoke to every person in the room. I think three from each country, so 60 people."Mr Albanese also hopes Her Majesty's son - now known as King Charles III - will continue to speak out on issues such as global warming."In my view that would be appropriate. That's a matter for him, of course," Mr Albanese said."I think dealing with the challenge of climate change shouldn't be seen as a political issue. It should be seen as an issue that is about humanity and about our very quality of life and survival as a world." | Australia Politics |
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! The World Health Organization (WHO) recently released its most comprehensive review of the world's mental health in over 20 years with an action plan that every WHO state member has signed to transform mental health care, according to a recent press release. "Everyone’s life touches someone with a mental health condition. Good mental health translates to good physical health and this new report makes a compelling case for change," said WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. FILE - Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director General of the World Health Organization (WHO), removes his protective face mask prior to speaking to the media at the World Health Organization (WHO) headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland, on Dec. 20, 2021. ""Everyone’s life touches someone with a mental health condition. Good mental health translates to good physical health and this new report makes a compelling case for change," ((Salvatore Di Nolfi/Keystone via AP, File))"The inextricable links between mental health and public health, human rights and socioeconomic development mean that transforming policy and practice in mental health can deliver real, substantive benefits for individuals, communities and countries everywhere. Investment into mental health is an investment into a better life and future for all." Approximately 1 billion people, including 14% adolescents globally, lived with a mental health disorder in 2019. HOW TO COPE WITH 'COLLECTIVE GRIEF' WHEN MASS TRAGEDY STRIKES Mental health disorders are the top cause of disability, with those with severe mental health conditions dying 10 to 20 years earlier on average compared to the general population mostly because of physical diseases that are preventable. And the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated certain mental health conditions, with depression and anxiety increasing more than 25% during its first year alone. Sexual abuse and bullying are two main causes of childhood depression. Depressed man at night feeling alone and useless. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated certain mental health conditions, with depression and anxiety increasing more than 25% during its first year alone. (iStock)But many people with depression are not receiving treatment. Approximately one third of high-income people with depression receive formal mental health care, but "minimally-adequate treatment" is estimated for only 3% in low and lower-middle-income countries. Suicide accounted for more than 1% of deaths, with more than half occurring before age 50, but "20 countries still criminalize attempted suicide." "Across countries, it is the poorest and most disadvantaged in society who are at greatest risk of mental ill-health and who are also the least likely to receive adequate services," the release said. Although there has been some progress in mental health care, the WHO hopes to accelerate the change, noting two out of three dollars of scarce government spending on mental health is allocated to inpatient psychiatric hospitals rather than community programs, which are most beneficial for people. MONKEYPOX AND ENDEMIC DISEASES BECOMING MORE PERSISTENT, WHO SAYS Getting outside is important for your mental health. Although there has been some progress in mental health care, the WHO hopes to accelerate the change. (iStock)The WHO provided three broad recommendations to improve mental health, including calling on governments, individuals and communities to strengthen "the value and commitment" to mental health and its care as well as to change "the physical, social and economic characteristics of environments" that impact mental health. CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP "Every country has ample opportunity to make meaningful progress towards better mental health for its population," said Dévora Kestel, director of WHO’s Mental Health and Substance Use Department. "Whether developing stronger mental health policies and laws, covering mental health in insurance schemes, developing or strengthening community mental health services or integrating mental health into general health care, schools, and prisons, the many examples in this report show that the strategic changes can make a big difference." | Global Organizations |
Good morning. China’s foreign minister is urging Australia to approach the diplomatic relationship anew. A new poll shows female voters continuing to drift from the Coalition. And a major investigation has shed new light on one of Silicon Valley’s most famous exports.A leaked trove of confidential files has revealed the inside story of how the tech giant Uber flouted laws, duped police, exploited violence against drivers and secretly lobbied governments during its aggressive global expansion. The unprecedented leak to the Guardian of more than 124,000 documents – known as the Uber files – lays bare the ethically questionable practices that fuelled the company’s transformation.The leak spans a five-year period when Uber was run by its co-founder Travis Kalanick, who tried to force the cab-hailing service into cities around the world, even if that meant breaching laws and taxi regulations. During the fierce global backlash, the data shows how Uber tried to shore up support by discreetly courting prime ministers, presidents, billionaires, oligarchs and media barons.The Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, has urged his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, to treat China as a partner, accusing previous governments of treating it as an opponent or threat. Among Beijing’s grievances were the Morrison government’s call for a full investigation into the origins of Covid-19, the Turnbull government’s package of foreign interference laws perceived to target China, and the ban on China’s Huawei from participating in Australia’s 5G rollout. On the sidelines of the G20 foreign ministers meeting in Bali on Friday, Wang expressed hope that Australia could “seize the opportunity, take concrete actions and come to a correct understanding of China” and accumulate “positive energy” towards it, according to a summary published late on Saturday by China’s foreign ministry.The Albanese government could face decisions on whether to approve up to 27 coal mining developments, based on applications lodged under national environment laws. An analysis by the Sunrise Project, a climate activist group, found 13 greenfield coalmines and 14 extensions of existing mines had been referred to the federal government for assessment under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act. Not all proposals are likely to come across the desk of the environment minister, Tanya Plibersek – some are paused, others still require approval from state authorities – but the analysis of fossil fuel proposals suggests it could be a significant issue in this term of parliament.Novak Djokovic has been crowned the Wimbledon champion after beating Nick Kyrgios 4-6, 6-3, 6-4, 7-6 (3) to take his 21st grand slam title. Wimbledon is his second most successful grand slam, yet Djokovic has now won a startling seven singles titles, equalling Pete Sampras’ count. Djokovic is also the fourth man in history, after Björn Borg, Sampras and Roger Federer, to win four consecutive Wimbledon titles. “He is a bit of a god,” said Kyrgios. “I am not going to lie, I thought I played well.”AustraliaA poll conducted in June found that, since the election, women have continued to drift from the Coalition under the leadership of Peter Dutton. Photograph: Mick Tsikas/AAPMore women than men voted against the Morrison government and women have continued to drift from the Coalition since the election, according to a new poll.All Australians over 70 with Covid will be eligible to take antivirals from Monday, after the health minister, Mark Butler, expanded access to the treatments.The Greens will seek to amend Labor’s integrity commission legislation to protect whistleblowers and lower the bar for investigations, in a test for government cooperation with the crossbench. On Sunday the Greens justice spokesperson, David Shoebridge, revealed the party in the Senate would adopt a suite of amendments requested by transparency experts to align the Labor proposal with the crossbench bill championed by independent MP Helen Haines in the last parliament.The price of food has continued to rise, with new data showing that every supermarket aisle has been hit by hikes, not just fruit and vegetables. The soaring prices have led researchers to call on the federal government to help subsidise growers, amid concerns it’s costing some lower socioeconomic families 40% of their income to buy a week’s worth of healthy food. The world‘This decision was not taken lightly,’ said Kiribati’s president, Taneti Maamau, in a letter to the forum’s secretary general. Photograph: United Nations/APThe key diplomatic body in the Pacific has been dealt a devastating blow on the eve of its first in-person meeting since the pandemic, as Kiribati announced it would be withdrawing from the Pacific Islands Forum.Gunmen used automatic rifles and powerful handguns to kill 15 people and injure a further eight in a mass shooting at a tavern in Johannesburg’s Soweto township in the early hours of Sunday.Japan’s ruling party has won a comfortable victory in elections overshadowed by the assassination of the former prime minister, Shinzo Abe. Exit polls showed that the Liberal Democratic party, which Abe led until he resigned in 2020, had secured more than half of the 125 seats being contested in the 248-seat upper house.Sri Lanka’s main opposition parties have hurriedly moved to form an all-party unity government a day after the president and the prime minister said they would resign from office after mounting public pressure.Recommended readsSister act: saying women are responsible for lack of confidence is letting institutions and wider structures off the hook. Illustration: Janice ChangBeing self-confident is the command of our time. At some point in the past decade, women’s media seemed to shift from celebrity mockery and dieting advice to talking about “empowerment”. Along with the ascent of social media came a tide of feminism that prioritised self-care and welcomed imperfection. On the surface, we are living in a golden age of female confidence. But how much are we really feeling it?Italy’s longest river, the Po, was once called the “king of rivers” by Virgil (“fluviorum rex”). The poet Guido Ceronetti once wrote: “You need to understand the Po to understand Italy,” but now – as northern Italy faces its worth drought in 70 years – the river is also a prism through which to glimpse the country’s ecological emergency.Striking a balance between protecting your data, ensuring your personal security and getting the most out of dating apps can be tricky. Here’s some advice on the dos and don’ts.ListenAs airlines and airports struggle with staff shortages, travellers are increasingly experiencing severe delays, lost luggage and cancelled flights. For already vulnerable travellers in particular, these chaotic scenes have led to a shortage of basic services – including wheelchairs.Full StoryHow long will chaos at Australian airports last?Sorry your browser does not support audio - but you can download here and listen https://audio.guim.co.uk/2020/05/05-61553-gnl.fw.200505.jf.ch7DW.mp300:00:0000:23:58Full Story is Guardian Australia’s daily news podcast. Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or any other podcasting app.SportThe All Blacks were not so much beaten in Dunedin as psychologically unzipped. Photograph: Brendan Moran/Sportsfile/Getty ImagesOne weekend of startling rugby results does not necessarily change the world, writes Robert Kitson. Equally, there has never been a day to compare with Saturday. A clean sweep of wins for Ireland, England, Wales and Scotland against the southern hemisphere’s top four teams is unique in the game’s history, despite the south hosting all four of the fixtures.Media roundupThe NSW government has abandoned plans to install a third flagpole on the Sydney Harbour Bridge, with the Aboriginal flag to instead permanently replace the state colours atop the iconic landmark, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.Sign upIf you would like to receive the Guardian Australia morning mail to your email inbox every weekday, sign up here.Get in touchIf you have any questions or comments about any of our newsletters please email [email protected] Australian WeekendEvery Saturday at 6am, enjoy early access to the best journalism planned for the weekend in one elegant app, plus a curated selection of the week’s news and analysis from Australia and the world. | Australia Politics |
Some stories that have caught my eye these last few days. The Guardian has a fascinating feature about the current chaos afflicting Lancashire’s court system, resulting from the fact that two of its magistrates courts, in Blackpool and Preston, have closed indefinitely. They, and four courts elsewhere in England and Wales, cannot reopen because of Raac, the crumbling concrete that forced more than 100 schools to close in September after the National Audit Office reported that years of insufficient funding had increased the risk of buildings collapsing.
Over in the East Midlands, Nottingham has become the seventh council to issue a section 114 notice and effectively declare itself bankrupt in just five years. Despite ministerial attempts to spin this as evidence of Labour waste, several of these councils were Tory-controlled. The Local Government Information Unit says as many as one in ten could yet follow suit.
Meanwhile, strikes on a scale not seen since the 1970s continue to affect multiple sectors; NHS waiting lists continue to rise; the number of children in temporary accommodation – the number of homeless kids – is at a record high; and the King has just told the Cop28 conference in Dubai that we are “dreadfully far off track” on the minor issue of existential climate change.
What, then, has Rishi Sunak been spending his week focused on? Changing Britain’s entire relationship with the concept of international law to enable his government to deport a handful of asylum seekers to Rwanda; and refusing to meet his Greek counterpart because he’d stated his country’s long-standing and factually correct position that the Elgin marbles were stolen. The main problem the Prime Minister seems interested in solving is his party’s dismal poll ratings. But he is failing, even at that (the latest YouGov poll gives Labour a 23-point lead).
There are many reasons the government is making few attempts to solve the country’s actual problems: the fiscal situation the UK finds itself in after 13 years of Tory mismanagement; the rolling political crisis of much of the last seven. But a big reason, surely, is that the government is simply exhausted. After this long in office it has cycled through every conceivable variant of Toryism, some of them more than once: it has run out of ideas and run out of (I used the word advisedly) talent.
It has also, by any sensible definition, exhausted its mandate. The last election was two prime ministers ago and was won, if we are honest, on the single, three-word slogan, “Get Brexit Done”. Brexit, whatever one may think of it, has been done: few other details from the Tories’ 2019 manifesto made an impact on the election campaign, and fewer stick in the memory today. It wouldn’t matter if they did. Not once, but twice, the party has changed leader and mission without bothering to go to the country to ask what anyone thinks.
It seems in little hurry to change that. Constitutionally, Sunak retains the right to remain in this holding pattern for another 12 months, waiting, like Mr Micawber, for something to turn up. Every day he waits without governing, the country gets a little worse, the difficulty of repairing it a little greater.
It isn’t good enough: the voters deserve to take back control. We should have an election, as soon as possible.
There are only two arguments I can see against doing so: that it delays the moment when a large number of Tory MPs find themselves unemployed; and that it could boost Rishi Sunak a few places up Wikipedia’s list of UK prime ministers by tenure (wait as long as possible, and he’ll climb from 49th to 40th, and overtake George Grenville). Neither of these are arguments, you will notice, that benefit anyone who is not a sitting Tory MP.
It’s not merely the Labour Party that stands to gain from an election being held sooner than next autumn. Moving the timetable up would bring forward the date on which somebody, somewhere, might actually start addressing the country’s myriad problems. It would force the opposition to set out what it actually plans to do, rather than keeping schtum as long as possible. It might even, in the long term, be good for the right, by substituting defeat for obliteration, and bringing the day when the Tory party can actually start to rebuild very slightly closer.
An election held in the spring would not, as some commentators claim, be “early”: in under two weeks, this parliament will have run for a perfectly normal four years; any date now counts as “late”. But it seems unlikely the Prime Minister will roll the dice, nonetheless. This country has been run for the benefit of the Conservative Party, and not the other way around, since at least January 2013, when David Cameron promised a referendum on Brexit for internal party management reasons. It hardly seems likely that, looking down the barrel of an epochal defeat, his successor will do anything differently now.
So the odds of an election before the autumn, if not later, seem almost vanishingly small. But as we wait for month upon month and the crises pile up with no attempt to address them, we should remember that this was a choice, made to benefit not the country but its leaders. And we should take that knowledge to the voting booth when we are finally allowed our say. | United Kingdom Politics |
Susan Walsh, Pool/Associated Press The Group of Seven leaders gather for a lunch at the Schloss Elmau hotel in Elmau, Germany. President Biden and U.S. allies will release a collective statement on Tuesday acknowledging challenges posed by China on workers, companies and national security, the White House announced at the Group of Seven (G7) Summit. The statement from countries representing more than 50 percent of the world economy is focused on strengthening cooperation on economic issues, cyberspace and quantum computing as well as the harms caused by China’s non-transparent, market-distorting industrial directives. A senior Biden administration official on Tuesday called the release “unprecedented in the context of the G7.” “The leaders will commit to working together to develop a coordinated approach to remedy China’s non-market practices to help ensure a level playing field for businesses and workers,” the official said. The statement includes efforts to elevate supply chain resilience, with commitments to intensify development of critical minerals supply chains and establish a strategy that takes into account processing, refining and recycling. G7 nations will also cooperate on cyber and quantum technology, advance trade and technology standards, and improve the framework for debt restricting by addressing China’s role in low- and middle-income countries falling into debt traps. Additionally, leaders will commit to tackling forced labor, including state-sponsored forced labor reported in Xinjiang, and reaffirm the importance of democratic resilience. The final G7 communiqué was released at the end of the summit in Germany. Biden then left Germany for Spain, where he will attend a NATO meeting. “A consistent theme that will carry over from the G-7 to NATO is our commitment not just to the transatlantic alliance but also to our focus on the Indo-Pacific,” a Biden administration official said. Tags Biden China G7 Group of Seven | Global Organizations |
Bank of Korea Governor Rhee Chang-yong and South Korea Finance Minister Choo Kyung-ho attend the G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors Meeting in Nusa Dua, Bali, Indonesia, 15 July 2022. Made Nagi/Pool via REUTERSRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comNUSA DUA, Indonesia, July 16 (Reuters) - Indonesia on Saturday urged G20 finance leaders to stay focused on their goals for global economic recovery, but sources said the meeting in Bali would likely end without a formal communique as Russia's war in Ukraine continues to divide the group.Indonesian Finance Minister Sri Mulyani Indrawati, who is hosting the two-day event, is expected to issue a chair's statement summarising the events of the meeting instead, two sources familiar with the matter said."We do not expect a communique," one source said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSenior Western officials, including U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland, on Friday condemned the war and blasted Russian officials for the massive economic fallout caused by the war.Ukraine finance minister Serhiy Marchenko, who addressed the meeting virtually, called for "more severe targeted sanctions" against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. What the Kremlin calls a "special military operation" has overshadowed recent G20 meetings, including last week's gathering of foreign ministers.Indonesian central bank governor Perry Warjiyo said on Saturday members had held fruitful discussions but that the G20 must deliver concrete results to support the global economy."It is important that we remain focused on what we have planned to achieve this year, as this will also send a positive message to the global community on the G20's role and efforts to support global recovery," Warjiyo said when he opened the second day of meetings.Sri Mulyani had hoped delegates could bridge their differences over the war to jointly address rising commodity prices, an escalating food-security crisis and the spillover effects on the ability of low-income countries to repay debt.That proved too difficult in the current climate, with Western countries enforcing strict sanctions on Russia and accusing it of war crimes in Ukraine that Moscow has denied.Other G20 nations, including China, India and South Africa, have been more muted in their response.Western sources warned earlier in the week it would be difficult to agree on a communique because the body works on the basis of consensus and Russia had blocked language about the cause of the economic downturn that has prompted the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to downgrade growth forecasts."The G20's capacity to act and communicate is very strongly hindered by the war in Ukraine, which one of the G20 members is fully responsible for," a French finance ministry source said.The group on Saturday will discuss post-pandemic financial stability, crypto-assets and climate-related financial risks, among other topics.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comAdditional reporting by Stefanno Sulaiman in Nusa Dua and Leigh Thomas in Paris; Editing by William Mallard, Kanupriya Kapoor and Tom HogueOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Global Organizations |
Utah Gov. Spencer Cox was ambushed at Saturday’s Utah Republican Party organizing convention by a former congressional candidate spouting a far-right conspiracy theory about urban planning and the United Nations.
In a video of the confrontation, Jason Preston confronts Cox at the governor’s campaign booth. Preston asks Cox about a “smart city” he claims the state is building at the site of the former Utah State Prison at the Point of the Mountain.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about. There’s no such thing as a smart city,” Cox says as a volunteer tries to lead him away. “Stop making stuff up to try to make me look bad.”
Repeatedly during the short video, Preston asks Cox to appear on his “We ARE the People” podcast. The show has featured discussions on a number of conspiratorial topics.
During his 2022 congressional race, Preston hired several members of the far-right Proud Boys militia and consultant Roger Stone to run his unsuccessful campaign.
So-called “smart cities,” or “15-minute cities,” is the latest big-government boogeyman on the far-right. The idea, developed by Carlos Moreno in 2010, is an urban design concept that aims to put everyday destinations for most people within 15 minutes of their homes, The New York Times reported.
On the far right, those innocent-sounding urban planning standards have evolved into a conspiracy theory — that the urban planning ideas are a Trojan horse developed by a shadowy cabal of global elites, including the World Economic Forum and the United Nations, who want to imprison people in a small area around their homes.
Plans to create a community on the approximately 600 acres at the Point of the Mountain have added to the hysteria and paranoia. Developers say they aim to create a more sustainable and eco-friendly community, which has drawn the ire of some Utah conservatives and right-wingers who fear such a development in their backyard.
As the short video continues, Preston invites Cox to appear on his podcast.
“You don’t like to have real conversations,” Cox replied, tapping his fists on Preston’s chest.
“You like to make up conspiracy theories,” Cox added. “I know it’s good for your brand, I hope that works for you, but you don’t get to make up s--- about me. Good luck.”
On Tuesday, Cox alluded to the incident as he wrapped up a speech at Box Elder High School.
“Just this past weekend, somebody came, attacked me, and I went into attack mode, and I need to be better. Usually, I’m better, but this time I wasn’t,” Cox said.
When asked about the event, Cox’s office provided a much stronger statement.
“Jason Preston has a history of ambushing public officials with extreme QAnon conspiracy theories, including his latest that Utah is collaborating with the United Nations on a secret plot to take over the state and turning the Point of the Mountain into a digital concentration camp funded by China and the World Economic Forum. Neither Gov. Cox nor any of the mayors and legislators involved in the effort have any idea what this nonsense is about,” a spokesperson wrote.
Preston, who says he is not a follower of the QAnon conspiracy theory, says Cox is lying when he claims ignorance about smart cities. He points to a “Smart Cities luncheon” in December 2019, where then Lt. Governor Cox was the featured speaker.
“Why would he give the keynote there? Why would he say there’s no such thing? His face was on the flyer,” Preston said during a telephone conversation.
The speech in question was sponsored by Utah Ignite, a coalition of business groups advocating for better technology use by cities and governments.
Preston says he doesn’t know what Cox spoke about during his speech, but the flyer and Cox’s reaction are all the proof he needs to know that something is amiss.
“Obviously, he spoke about smart cities. The way he reacted made him seem guilty of something,” Preston said.
Utah Ignite did not respond to a request for more details on Cox’s appearance at the 2019 event.
Preston’s attack on Cox and 15-minute cities has its genesis in a January episode of his “We ARE the People” podcast. His guest, Chelcie Hope, makes several startling claims, tying the development at The Point to a plot involving the United Nations and other global organizations.
“It raised a lot of red flags. It’s a concern, and I’d like to hear the other side of the story,” Preston said.
Hope’s background or expertise on 15-minute cities is never detailed on the show. Preston did not respond to questions about why he invited her to speak on the subject.
There has also been a concerted push to make the video of Preston’s face-off with Cox go viral. A mass text promoting the video was sent out Monday evening.
“Governor Cox exploded at convention when asked about smart cities, then lied about it,” the message read, followed by a link to the video.
Preston did not claim responsibility for the text message but admitted it likely came from someone on his team. | Global Organizations |
The world is now at greater risk of nuclear strikes being carried out than during any period since the Cold War, researchers warned on Monday in a new report.Their findings also said the number of nuclear weapons is set to rise in the coming decade for the first time following 35 years of decline, as global tensions flare amid Russia's war in Ukraine.The nine nuclear powers - Britain, China, France, India, Israel, North Korea, Pakistan, the United States and Russia - had 12,705 nuclear warheads in early 2022.This was 375 fewer than in early 2021, according to estimates by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI).The number has come down from a high of more than 70,000 in 1986, as the US and Russia have gradually reduced their massive arsenals built up during the Cold War.But this era of disarmament appears to be coming to an end and the risk of a nuclear escalation is now at its highest point in the post-Cold War period, SIPRI researchers warned on Monday.'Although there were some significant gains in both nuclear arms control and nuclear disarmament in the past year, the risk of nuclear weapons being used seems higher now than at any time since the height of the cold war,' SIPRI Director Dan Smith said, introducing the report. The world is at greater risk of nuclear strikes being carried out than at any period during the Cold War, researchers warned on Monday in a new report. Pictured: Russian president Vladimir Putin speaks on June 12. He put his nuclear forces on high alert days after ordering his forces to invade Ukraine on February 24Matt Korda, one of the co-authors of the report, told AFP: 'Soon, we're going to get to the point where, for the first time since the end of the Cold War, the global number of nuclear weapons in the world could start increasing for the first time.'Korda also warned: ‘If the nuclear-armed states take no immediate and concrete action on disarmament, then the global inventory of nuclear warheads could soon begin to increase for the first time since the cold war.' After a 'marginal' decrease seen last year, 'nuclear arsenals are expected to grow over the coming decade', SIPRI said.During the war in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin has on several occasions made reference to the use of nuclear weapons. The Russian president placed Moscow's nuclear forces on high alert shortly after his invasion of Ukraine began February 24, raising fears he could press the button as the war in Ukraine continues to go against him.The Kremlin has maintained that Russia would only resort to using nuclear weapons if it faced an existential threat.Meanwhile several countries, including China and Britain, are either officially or unofficially modernising or ramping up their arsenals, the research institute said.'It's going to be very difficult to make progress on disarmament over the coming years because of this war, and because of how Putin is talking about his nuclear weapons', Korda said.These worrying statements are pushing 'a lot of other nuclear armed states to think about their own nuclear strategies', he added. Pictured: A graphic showing the arsenals of five countries with the most nuclear weapons Pictured: The mushroom cloud of a Russian nuclear bomb test is seen on October 30, 1961Despite the entry into force in early 2021 of the UN nuclear weapon ban treaty and a five-year extension of the US-Russian 'New START' treaty, the situation has been deteriorating for some time, according to SIPRI.Iran's nuclear programme and the development of increasingly advanced hypersonic missiles have, among other things, raised concern.The drop in the overall number of weapons is due to the US and Russia 'dismantling retired warheads', SIPRI noted, while the number of operational weapons remains 'relatively stable'. While Moscow and Washington have greatly reduced the number of nuclear weapons in their respective arsenals (in 1986 the two countries had more than 60,000 warheads between them), they still account for 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons.Russia remains the biggest nuclear power, with 5,977 warheads in early 2022, down by 280 from a year ago, either deployed, in stock or waiting to be dismantled, according to the institute. More than 1,600 of its warheads are believed to be immediately operational, SIPRI said.The United States meanwhile has 5,428 warheads, 120 fewer than last year, but it has more deployed than Russia, at 1,750. Pictured: A woman walks past a television screen showing a news broadcast with file footage of a North Korean missile test, at a railway station in SeoulIn terms of overall numbers, China comes third with 350, followed by France with 290, Britain with 225, Pakistan with 165, India with 160 and Israel with 90.Israel is the only one of the nine that does not officially acknowledge having nuclear weapons.As for North Korea, SIPRI said for the first time that Kim Jong-Un's Communist regime now has 20 nuclear warheads. Pyongyang is believed to have enough material to produce around 50.On Monday, South Korea's top diplomat warned that North Korea has completed preparations for a new nuclear test and that only a political decision by the country's top leadership can prevent it from going forward. In the case of Iran, non-proliferation experts have warned the country has enriched uranium at levels over 60 percent purity - a short technical step from weapons-grade levels of 90 percent - to make one nuclear weapon should it decide to do so.Over the weekend, Israel warned that Iran was 'dangerously close' to building nuclear weapons after the middle-eastern country said it had started removing 27 surveillance cameras from nuclear sites across the country - further denting hopes that the 2015 nuclear deal could be revived. Pictured: A test of a Russian 'Satan-2' nuclear missile is seen in footage released by the KremlinIn early 2022, the five nuclear-armed permanent members of the United Nations Security Council - Britain, China, France, Russia and the US - issued a statement that 'nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought'.Nonetheless, SIPRI noted, all five 'continue to expand or modernise their nuclear arsenals and appear to be increasing the salience of nuclear weapons in their military strategies.''China is in the middle of a substantial expansion of its nuclear weapon arsenal, which satellite images indicate includes the construction of over 300 new missile silos', it said.According to the Pentagon, Beijing could have 700 warheads by 2027.Britain last year said it would increase the ceiling on its total warhead stockpile, and would no longer publicly disclose figures for the country's operational nuclear weapons. | Global Organizations |
Key events:22m agoPutin dares west to defeat Russia on battlefield31m agoIndonesia urges end to war at G20 meeting with Russia38m agoUkraine ‘will not be broken’, Zelenskiy says49m agoSummary and welcomeShow key events onlyPlease turn on JavaScript to use this featureChina and Russia have maintained normal exchanges and promoted cooperation, showing the “strong resilience” and “strategic resolve” of their relations, Chinese foreign minister, Wang Yi, said on Thursday.China will also support all efforts conducive to the peaceful resolution of the Ukraine crisis, Wang told Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov in a meeting on the sidelines of a G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, according to a statement from the Chinese foreign ministry.Earlier in the week, China attacked the US and Nato, stating that Washington “observes international rules only as it sees fit”. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian told reporters in Beijing that the “so-called rules-based international order is actually a family rule made by a handful of countries to serve the US self-interest”.US secretary of state Antony Blinken will hold separate talks with Wang “to discuss having guardrails” on US-China relations so that competition “does not spill over into miscalculation or confrontation”, said US assistant secretary of state Daniel Kritenbrink.“This will be another opportunity ... to convey our expectations about what we would expect China to do and not to do in the context of Ukraine,” he said.Wang spoke to Lavrov on Thursday ahead of the G20 meeting as the pair were pictured in a bilateral meeting on the Indonesian resort island. A Russian foreign ministry statement said Lavrov informed Wang “about the implementation of the main missions of the special military operation” in Ukraine and reiterated Moscow’s rhetoric that its aim is to “denazify” the country.“Both parties underlined the unacceptable nature of unilateral sanctions adopted by circumventing the UN,” the statement said. Beijing has upheld friendly ties with Russia as Western nations have sought to isolate Vladimir Putin’s government.Putin dares west to defeat Russia on battlefieldVladimir Putin has issued one of his most ominous warnings yet, claiming Moscow has barely started its campaign in Ukraine and daring the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield.Speaking at a meeting with parliamentary leaders on Thursday, the Russian president said the prospects for any negotiation would grow dimmer the longer the conflict dragged on.“Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven’t started anything yet in earnest,” he said. “At the same time, we don’t reject peace talks. But those who reject them should know that the further it goes, the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us.”Russian President, Vladimir Putin, attends a meeting with parliamentary leaders in Moscow. Photograph: SPUTNIK/ReutersPutin also accused Ukraine’s western allies of fuelling hostilities, charging that “the west wants to fight us until the last Ukrainian” and that they were welcome to try, but it would only bring tragedy for Ukraine.“Today we hear that they want to defeat us on the battlefield. What can you say, let them try,” he said.“We have heard many times that the west wants to fight us to the last Ukrainian. This is a tragedy for the Ukrainian people, but it seems that everything is heading towards this.”Russian President, Vladimir Putin, attends a meeting with parliamentary leaders in Moscow. Photograph: SPUTNIK/ReutersIndonesia urges end to war at G20 meeting with RussiaIndonesia has called for an end to the war in Ukraine as it leads the G20 meeting of foreign ministers in Bali today. At the opening of the meeting, Indonesian foreign minister, Retno Marsudi, said:It is our responsibility to end the war sooner than later and settle our differences at the negotiating table, not the battlefield.”She said that the world was just recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic when it was “already confronted with another crisis - the war in Ukraine.”The ripple effects are being felt globally - on food, energy and fiscal space. As always, developing and low-income countries are affected the most.”The Group of 20 foreign ministers met with the top envoys from the United States and Russia attending, their first gathering since the outbreak of war in Ukraine.The gathering will mark the first time that Russian foreign minister, Sergei Lavrov, has met counterparts from nations that are strongly critical of the war.🇷🇺🇮🇳 On the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov held talks with Minister of External Affairs of India @DrSJaishankar.📸 Photo by Maria Zakharova pic.twitter.com/o7yugqRIs6— MFA Russia 🇷🇺 (@mfa_russia) July 8, 2022
US officials say that Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, will refuse to speak separately with Lavrov after Blinken warned Russia of massive consequences if it went ahead with the invasion of Ukraine during their last meeting in Geneva in January.“It clearly cannot be business as usual when it comes to Russia’s involvement and engagement in enterprises like the G20,” a senior US official said ahead of the meeting. Japan’s foreign minister, Yoshimasa Hayashi, stayed away from a G20 reception in Indonesia in view of the international community’s opposition to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, a government spokesperson said.Russia’s top diplomat was seated between the Saudi Arabian and Mexican foreign ministers as the meeting began.Ukraine ‘will not be broken’, Zelenskiy saysUkraine’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, has said the raising of the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island in the Black Sea is a sign his country will not be broken.In a national address on Thursday night, Zelenskiy said that the two-month operation to retake Snake Island was a warning to all Russian forces.Let every Russian captain, aboard a ship or a plane, see the Ukrainian flag on Snake Island and let him know that our country will not be broken.”Snake Island: Ukrainian soldiers hoist national flag after regaining control – videoSummary and welcomeHello it’s Samantha Lock back with you as we unpack all the latest news from Ukraine this morning.Vladimir Putin has issued one of his most ominous warnings yet, claiming Moscow has barely started its campaign in Ukraine and daring the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield.Here are all the latest lines as of 8am in Kyiv. The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, warned Moscow had barely started its campaign in Ukraine and dared the west to try to defeat it on the battlefield. Putin said the prospects for any negotiation would grow dimmer the longer the conflict dragged on, during a speech to parliamentary leaders. “Everyone should know that, by and large, we haven’t started anything yet in earnest,” he said. “The further it goes, the harder it will be for them to negotiate with us.” Three people were killed and another five wounded after Russian forces fired rockets at Kharkiv, officials said. The regional governor, Oleh Synyehubov, said a district in the north-eastern Ukrainian city was shelled on Thursday. At least one person was been killed and six injured by a missile strike on Kramatorsk which hit a residential area, according to Ukraine’s regional governor of Donetsk. “This is a deliberate attack on civilians,” Pavlo Kyrylenko said, adding that this would not stop until the Russians were stopped. The mayor of Sloviansk said his city near Kramatorsk had come under Russian fire. Some residents were injured, said Vadym Lyakh, without providing further details. Ukraine’s military said pressure was intensifying with heavy shelling on Sloviansk and nearby populated areas. Russia’s defence ministry has said it killed Ukrainian servicemen who were trying to raise Ukraine’s flag on the recently retaken Snake Island. Authorities in Odesa appeared to confirm that missiles had struck the island, and that Russians had also destroyed two grain hangars in the region which contained “about 35 tonnes of grain”. Ukraine has denied reports any of its servicemen were killed. Foreign analysts say Russia may be temporarily easing its offensive in eastern Ukraine in an “operational pause” as its forces attempt to reassemble for a new assault. Russian forces made no claimed or assessed territorial gains in Ukraine on Wednesday “for the first time in 133 days of war”, according to the Institute for the Study of War. Ukraine has summoned the Turkish ambassador after it said Turkey had allowed a Russian-flagged ship carrying thousands of tonnes of allegedly stolen Ukrainian grain to leave the port of Karasu. Turkish customs officials had seized the vessel at Ukraine’s request on Tuesday, after Kyiv said the cargo was illegally transporting 7,000 tonnes of grain out of Russian-occupied Berdiansk, a port in Ukraine’s south-east. The UN has warned of a “looming hunger catastrophe” due to Russia’s blockade on Ukrainian grain. Patrick Beasley, director of the UN World Food Program, said a hunger catastrophe was set to explode over the next two years and called for an urgent lifting of the blockade on 25m tonnes of Ukrainian grain trapped by a Russian blockade. Investigators in Ukraine said they had foiled a criminal gang that forced women into sex work abroad after luring them with false advertisements for legitimate employment. Authorities in Kyiv arrested the suspected leader of the gang after months of surveillance resulted in them stopping a woman as she was about to cross the border. Russian prosecutors have called for prison sentences for a prominent opposition activist and for a Moscow city council member who opposes the invasion of Ukraine. Alexei Gorinov faces up to 15 years in prison for spreading “knowingly false information” about the Russian army. Gorinov criticised Moscow’s military actions in Ukraine at a city council meeting in March. US basketball player Brittney Griner has pleaded guilty to drugs charges in a Russian court, but said she had not deliberately broken the law. Griner faces up to 10 years in prison under the charge. Russia’s deputy foreign minister, Sergei Ryabkov, said “hype” around Griner’s case did not help and suggested Washington be silent about her fate. Russia’s foreign minister has flown to the Indonesian island of Bali for a gathering of G20 foreign ministers. The gathering, which is likely to be overshadowed by Moscow’s war in Ukraine and deep divisions within the bloc over how to respond to the crisis, will mark the first time that Sergei Lavrov has met counterparts from nations that are strongly critical of the war. Boris Johnson spoke with Volodymyr Zelenskiy “to reiterate the United Kingdom’s steadfast support” in light of his resignation as British prime minister, Downing Street said. In his resignation speech outside No 10, Johnson addressed the people of Ukraine directly and promised that “the UK will continue to back your fight for freedom for as long as it takes”. Johnson’s resignation has been met with sadness in Kyiv, most notably by Volodymyr Zelenskiy, who said the PM has been a “true friend of Ukraine”. Ukraine expected Britain’s support to continue despite Johnson’s resignation, Zelenskiy’s office said. Mikhail Podolyak, a key adviser to Zelenskiy, thanked Johnson for “always being at the forefront of supporting Ukraine”. Johnson’s downfall has been met with delight and ridicule in Moscow, with a Kremlin spokesperson saying: “He doesn’t like us. We don’t like him either.” Russia’s ambassador to Britain, Andrei Kelin, said Moscow would prefer someone “not so antagonistic” to lead the UK. | Europe Politics |
The Russian missile strike on a Ukrainian shopping centre amounts to a war crime, according to the G7. On Monday, two air strikes in the city of Kremenchuk left at least 18 people dead and dozens injured.President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said shortly after the attack that more than 1,000 civilians were inside the mall at the time of the strike.Mariupol residents 'forced to hunt pigeons' - Ukriane war liveThe leaders of the G7 have been meeting at a summit in Germany and said: "We, the leaders of the G7, solemnly condemn the abominable attack on a shopping mall in Kremenchuk."We stand united with Ukraine in mourning the innocent victims of this brutal attack. Indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians constitute a war crime."Russian President Putin and those responsible will be held to account." More on Russia Is Russia now winning the war in Ukraine? Experts have their say Britain and allies face '1937 moment' following Ukraine war, head of army warns Brittney Griner: US Olympic basketball star appears in Russian court on drug charges as trial date set The G7 leaders' comments come after Mr Zelenskyy described the attack as "one of the most daring terrorist acts in European history"."A peaceful city, an ordinary shopping centre, inside - women, children, ordinary civilians. Before the announcement of the air alert, there were about a thousand people (inside)," he said."Fortunately, as far as we know at this time, many people managed to get out. They managed to get out. But there were still people inside; workers, some visitors."Only completely heartless terrorists, who should have no place on earth, can strike missiles at such an object. And this is not a mistaken hit by missiles, this is a calculated Russian strike at this shopping centre."Russia's deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyanskiy, said the attack was a "Ukrainian provocation."He said on Twitter: "Exactly what Kiev regime needs to keep focus of attention on Ukraine before (the) NATO Summit." Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Video shot from inside the shopping centre hit by a missile shows people escaping the destruction No military targets near the mallDmytro Lunin, the governor of the Poltava region, insisted there was no military target nearby that Russia could have been aiming at.Video footage reportedly from inside the building moments after the attack showed scenes of panic as people ran through masses of debris to get out.One person shouted "is there anyone there?", while another called out for his mother, as smoke covered the area and shoppers appeared dazed. A rescue operation was underway and nine of the wounded were in a serious condition, said Kyrylo Tymoshenko, the deputy head of the Ukrainian presidential office.Kremenchuk, which is the site of Ukraine's biggest oil refinery, lies on the Dnipro river in the region of Poltava.Mr Zelenskyy stressed the shopping centre target presented "no threat to the Russian army" and had "no strategic value". Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Zelenskyy condemns Russian 'terrorists' He accused Russia of sabotaging "people's attempts to live a normal life, which make the occupiers so angry".NATO mobilise more rapid reaction troopsOn the same day as the attack, the Ukrainian president spoke with the G7, saying that he wants the war to be over by the start of winter and urged Western leaders to send more military support.Tuesday marks the final day of the G7 summit, with leaders moving to Madrid for the NATO summit.G7 leaders are expected to announce an agreement to pursue a price cap on Russian oil, before turning their attention to the NATO summit. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player NATO increases high-readiness forces NATO's Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said on the eve of the summit that the alliance will agree to a new assistance package for Ukraine.The military alliance also placed 300,000 troops at high readiness, with the number of forces in the Baltic states and five other frontline country increased "up to brigade levels".That would amount to "the biggest overhaul of our collective defence and deterrence since the cold war," he said.The rapid-reaction NATO Response Force currently numbers up to 40,000, and the proposed change amounts to a broad revision in response to Russian militarisation.Under the plans, NATO will also move stocks of munitions and other supplies farther east, a transition due to be completed in 2023.Read more:The lessons the MoD is learning from Ukraine and what it means if the UK went to war with RussiaZelenskyy says he wants war over by winter before conditions make fightback more difficult Truss warns against 'uneasy peace'Meanwhile, the Foreign Secretary, Liz Truss, warned against an "uneasy peace" in Ukraine that would mean the country giving up land it has lost to Russia since 2014.In an interview with Die Welt, La Repubblica and El Pais, Ms Truss said the West should provide "all the equipment", training and "all the support we can" to Kyiv. Podcast Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, or Spreaker"What we cannot have is some uneasy peace, where Russia is still present in Ukraine; that is not going to work."We know what happened in 2014 with the Minsk agreements, ultimately, Russia regrouped and came back for more afterwards, so we cannot allow that situation to happen again," she said. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Sky's Sally Lockwood is at the scene of a Russian missile strike Speaking to Sky News on Friday, Technology minister Chris Philp said the incident should be described as an act of terrorism."Yes. I would go that far and say that it is because it is intentionally targeting civilians," he said."There is no military necessity to bombing a shopping centre, just as there was no military necessity to bombing a maternity hospital, which we saw, or that theatre in Mariupol."We saw them bombing that theatre where civilians were taking shelter. It was clearly marked as containing civilians."So this is not a one off act is part of a consistent pattern of atrocities being committed by the Russian government." | Europe Politics |
Boris Johnson's rival in his west London constituency has insisted the seat is “winnable” for Labour - but the party faces an “incredibly tough” battle.
Danny Beales, 34, who was selected in December to face the ex-Prime Minister at the next election, told The Mirror he wanted to give the area a “full-time MP”.
The Labour challenger said that under Mr Johnson, people in Uxbridge and South Ruislip "feel like they don’t have an MP” and are struggling to get surgery advice appointments.
The Camden councillor, who grew up in the area before being made homeless at the age of 14, is now aiming to overturn the former PM’s 7,210 majority.
While the constituency has only returned Tory MPs since its creation in 2010, the mood nationally has switched dramatically over the past 12 months.
The latest Ipsos poll gave Keir Starmer a massive 25-point lead over Rishi Sunak ’s Tories - with some raising the prospect of a 1997-style victory for Labour.
Mr Beales said there is a “lot of anger and frustration” with the Tories.
“Knocking on doors a lot of former Tory voters are unhappy,” he told The Mirror at Millers Tap on Uxbridge High Street this week.
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“They are clearly saying they don’t want to vote Tory, they’re thinking about not voting Tory - some of them for the first time.”
After the disaster of Liz Truss’s short-lived Government, one man told him: “‘I call myself a Tory and always voted Tory, but I don’t think I can vote for them again after everything that has happened’”.
“My sense is that this seat is winnable," Mr Beales added. "But you’re not going to sleep walk into being the Labour MP here."
“I don’t think we can take it for granted. Things can shift. Maybe polling can shift, national events can shift."
In recent weeks, rumours have circulated Westminster that the ex-PM Mr Johnson may flee the constituency in search for a safer Tory seat.
Does Mr Beales think he will stand? “He’s said he would. I normally take everyone at their word - but that’s very hard with Boris Johnson.”
But if Mr Johnson remains, he will find it “difficult” to win at the next election, according to the polling expert Professor Sir John Curtice.
He told The Mirror: “It will be very, very surprising if he [Johnson] held onto the seat at the moment.
“He, like lots of other Conservatives, needs his party to recover nationally in order to have some chance of hanging onto their seat at the next election.”
Professor Curtice added: “They [Tories] have got a battle on their hands to win more than half of the seat they currently hold at the next election”.
The Labour candidate also told The Mirror he first became homeless when he was around 14-years-old. His mum had lost her job at the funeral directors - directly below the Rusilip flat they both lived in.
Without any prospect of a council house and his mum unable to afford the rent, “we packed up and moved to Northampton”, he said.
Following a short stint at his grandparents home they eventually moved back into the private rental sector - but were soon again facing homelessness. “My mum lost her job another time,” he added.
After several months in temporary accommodation - a B&B - they eventually moved into a council house in the area.
Mr Beales’s experience of homelessness is one of the reasons he is running at the next election. “To deal with those things I think we need people in Parliament who understand the problems, have experience of them, and are generally committed to changing them,” he said.
Asked whether politics was a talking point in the family, he replied: “No. Religion, politics, money - just don’t discuss it. It’s not to be discussed.
“The News at Six was always on in the background - there were various tuts that were had. We haven’t generally talked about politics as a family”.
Unlike the ex-Prime Minister, who grew up wanting to be “world king”, his Labour challenger said his “obsession” was to be either a doctor or policeman.
He eventually had a two-year stint as a special police constable in Westminster, but said he felt “frustrated that I couldn’t change the situation”.
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“You’re dealing with incredibly difficult situations. But you’re not dealing with the causes of those,” he said.
Before becoming a councillor in Camden, Mr Beales also worked for the ex-Northampton North Labour MP Sally Keeble between 2008-10 - the final years of the last Labour Government.
“It was a tough time in the Labour Party,” he said. “A lot of people saw the writing on the wall. It was a marginal constituency, she did end up losing the seat.
“It wasn’t kind of a party on the up, rimming with possibility. It was like a crisis, control situation. It was a tough period”.
He added: “She would work incredibly hard, incredibly long hours trying to keep her seat. She was a good constituency MP.”
“For a long time I thought that’s not for me - tough being away from family. I haven’t been someone who has been bursting to be a Member of Parliament for their whole life and forever.”
But now - over 10 years later - he believes Labour is pursuing the right strategy.
“From my perspective it's vital we have a Labour Government to make the changes we need to make,” he said.
“Every seat really does matter. This seat really does matter. I think we need to win this seat for sure.” | United Kingdom Politics |
BELFAST — Jeffrey Donaldson can give the impression of being one of those statues of the Virgin Mary that, back in the 1980s, kneeling crowds of devout Irish Catholics convinced themselves were moving. Stare at something long enough and even the most immovable object can appear to move.
This could turn out to be another trick of the eye. But it looks like Sir Jeffrey the Immaculate is finally moving, two years after he launched his confrontation with the U.K. government over the post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland and one year after the collapse of its power-sharing government atop the hill at Stormont.
His leader’s speech Saturday to the Democratic Unionist Party faithful did attempt to keep all options open. He restated his willingness to keep saying no to the Windsor Framework, the compromise struck by the U.K. and the EU in February that seeks to simplify and reduce the level of checks and restrictions on goods flowing into Northern Ireland from the rest of the U.K. — the union Donaldson’s DUP so ardently defends.
But the core of Donaldson’s message stressed the need, someday, for the DUP to end its boycott on power-sharing with the Irish republicans of Sinn Féin — because this obstruction of democracy does even more damage to that fraying union.
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“We must not allow republicans to perpetuate the myth that Northern Ireland is a failed and ungovernable political entity,” Donaldson told the conference, arguing that an empty Stormont fuels republicans’ demands for a referendum on uniting Ireland.
Addressing those in the party who would prefer to keep decision-making over Northern Ireland in London, not in tandem with Sinn Féin at Stormont, he argued: “Time and again, Westminster has imposed laws upon us that are not in tune with the needs or the wishes of the people of Northern Ireland. You cannot on the one hand repeatedly condemn successive [U.K.] governments for letting us down and then argue with credibility that we are better off ruled by those very same people, who do not really understand what makes this place tick.”
Donaldson drove the point home. “Having no say in our future will not be a recipe for success,” he said, pointedly describing Stormont’s revival as a matter of when, not if.
Core complaints
Donaldson sat down with POLITICO after his speech to explain where negotiations with London stand — and how close he might be to landing a deal that he can offer to his party without splitting it in two.
The DUP wants the Conservative government to provide a legislative package that addresses his party’s core complaints about the Withdrawal Agreement’s original Northern Ireland trade protocol and the successor Windsor Framework. The negotiators — Donaldson and key lieutenants on one side, Northern Ireland Secretary Chris Heaton-Harris and officials from Downing Street and the Cabinet Office on the other — since June have been trading position papers and meeting regularly in London and Belfast.
“I expect the tempo will increase now as parliament resumes. We’ll see more engagement with the government. They know where the gaps are and it’s up to both us and them to close those gaps,” Donaldson said.
The legislative package of bills, amendments and statutory instruments must cover three areas, Donaldson said: reducing checks on goods staying in Northern Ireland to a bare minimum, even lower than what the Windsor deal identifies; reclaiming Northern Ireland’s equal trading rights within the U.K. as declared in Article 6 of the original 1800 Act of Union; and “future-proofing any arrangements put in place so that our ability to trade within the United Kingdom is protected into the future.”
This latter goal is considered the most problematic of all, since future divergence in rules on goods standards — either by London or Brussels — could put Northern Irish manufacturers in a bind as to which rules must prevail.
The DUP once would have hoped to see at least some of this legislation published by now, but Donaldson sees this negotiation stretching on indefinitely until London presents a full package that he can sell — with unanimity — to his party’s entire 12-member officer board.
“There has been progress in some areas but there remain gaps in other areas,” he said. “We will eventually get the agreement that is required, but I can’t say when. The issues we still have to resolve are significant and I don’t know how long it will take to resolve them.”
One of those party officers, East Antrim MP Sammy Wilson, said he considers it unlikely that the current U.K. government will give the DUP what it needs legally or financially ahead of a Westminster election he expects to happen by May — but a potential Labour administration could resolve the trade tensions created by Brexit in different ways.
“Given the attitude of this government, I don’t believe that any legislative package is going to meet our demands,” Wilson told POLITICO. “But maybe different people will be controlling the U.K. government who would be much more robust in those assurances.”
Wilson, whose constituency office is in the port of Larne, a core battleground for how post-Brexit rules are supposed to work, says the Windsor Framework’s new system — a “green” lane for Northern Ireland goods facing only 10 percent checks and a “red” lane for goods bound for the Republic of Ireland and the wider EU requiring 100 percent checks — isn’t being consistently enforced yet.
Based on his recent chats with truckers, customs officers and agriculture inspectors, Wilson says staff shortages and inadequate inspection facilities at the ports of Larne and Belfast mean “lorries with Irish registrations which should be going through the red lane, because they’re clearly going south into the republic, are just waved through.”
Wilson calculates that a future Labour government would reverse some of the Conservatives’ Brexit decisions and bring Britain back into line with EU single market rules. Such moves to restore lost British access to EU markets would eliminate the need for Northern Ireland-specific checks.
Wilson is emphatic that he won’t vote to accept any Conservative legislative package that doesn’t provide cast-iron guarantees, and Donaldson, whom he supports, knows this.
While not directly involved in the dialogue with London, Wilson says he doesn’t need to be.
“This is the good thing about our party. I and the other officers will take the final decision. I don’t really care about being involved in the nitty-gritty of the negotiations,” Wilson said. “At the end of the day, I know this is not going to be foisted on us by a small cabal of people.” | United Kingdom Politics |
Sturgeon confirms plans for 'consultative referendum' Referendum row must be 'resolved democratically' with UK government, says Sturgeon Scottish first minister Nicola Sturgeon says she is "ready and willing" to negotiate with the Westminster government on the terms of holding a second independence referendum. Revealing she is writing to Boris Johnson today, she says: "What I will never do is allow Scottish democracy to be a prisoner of Boris Johnson or any British prime minister."She says Scottish democracy "cannot be suppressed" and the issue must be "resolved democratically". The two sides should be "sitting down together" and "responsibly agreeing a process" to "put the legal basis of a referendum beyond any doubt", she says. The first minister says the referendum must be "lawful". Scotland has 'paid a price for not being independent', says Sturgeon The Scottish first minister is setting out her argument for how and why a second independence referendum should go ahead.Speaking from the Scottish parliament, she says Scotland has "paid a price for not being independent" and has suffered under Westminster policies. She accuses the Conservative government of having "ripped us out of the EU against our will" and creating the "worst cost of living crisis in the G7". Meanwhile, she says she has seen "compelling evidence" of how a range of independent countries across Europe that are comparable to Scotland have stronger economic and social performance. She argues the Scottish government currently does not have the power to do all it can to tackle the cost of living crisis and "lacks the full range of levers". It is also "powerless to stop our budget being cut", Ms Sturgeon says."While we invest billions in measures to help with the cost of living, tens of thousands of children can be pushed deeper into poverty at the merest stroke of the chancellor's pen," she says. Civil servants put in 'an incredible difficult situation' over partygate investigation - Case Simon Case is asked how appropriate it is for civil servants to be asked to conduct investigations into the prime minister."Very difficult - and to be avoided wherever possible," the cabinet secretary replies.Mr Case says "I agree" when asked if he believes it is inappropriate to be investigating someone who is in charge of their career prospects."Asking civil servants to do these investigations put these civil servants in an incredibly difficult situation," he adds.Mr Case states that he is "not going to go into detail" about the advice given to the prime minister. Wallace: Defence spending must 'continue to grow' in face of global threats Defence secretary Ben Wallance has said the UK must continue to increase investment in defence.Speaking at the Royal United Services Institute he said: "I've always said as the threat changes, so must thefunding."He went on to say the increased threat came from several different sources:"Russia is not are only problem: An assertive China ready to challenge the rules-based system and democracy, terrorism on the march right across Africa, Iranian nuclear ambitions to date still unresolved, the threat is growing... and investment needs to continue to grow."Speaking at a New Statesman conference earlier Mr Wallace denied he had asked for a 20% increase in spending but admitted he always "battles other colleagues for budgets." Propriety and ethics 'definitely' the most difficult part of being cabinet secretary - Case Answering the first question put to him, Simon Case admits that propriety and ethics are "definitely" the most difficult part of his job.The cabinet secretary says there can be a "juxtaposition" between supporting the government and upholding ethical values "which can create challenges"."The government of the day is one that is not remotely afraid of controversial policies, it believes it has a mandate to test established boundaries, takes a robust view of the national interest," he adds.Chair of the PACAC committee William Wragg later asks Mr Case what proportion of his time he finds he spends on issues of propriety or ethics."To guess, 10 or 30% of my time" he replies. Cabinet Secretary Simon Case to be probed by MPs on partygate Cabinet Secretary Simon Case and Darren Tierney, Director of General, Propriety and Ethics at the Cabinet Office, are up in front of the Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs Committee.We'll be listening out for any interesting comments on the Downing Street partygate scandal.Mr Case was initially responsible for the investigation into the partygate events, but was forced to recluse himself after admitting an event had taken place outside his own office in December 2020.While Mr Johnson and Mr Sunak were fined for attending the event, Mr Case escaped being fined in the Metropolitan Police investigation. Small boat pilots crossing Channel with migrants to face life in prison, says Home Office People caught piloting small boats that carry migrants across the Channel could face life in prison under new laws.The Nationality and Borders Act came into force today, introducing tougher penalties for those who smuggle migrants into the UK.The legislation also increases the maximum penalty for illegally entering the UK or overstaying a visa, rising from six months in prison to four years.And it will enable the government to deport foreign national offenders up to 12 months before the end of their prison sentences.Home Secretary Priti Patel said it was "one of the most crucial milestones in delivering on our promise to the British public to take back control of our borders".Read more here: What’s the point of the G7? G7 leaders have been meeting in Germany to discuss a range of issues from inflation to securing energy supplies amid the war in Ukraine – and to display a sense of unity.But, with a resurfaced international division between East and West, has the G7 lost its power? On the Sky News Daily with Niall Paterson, senior diplomat and national security adviser to David Cameron, Sir Peter Ricketts shares some behind-the-scenes insight in why there is no real replacement for face-to-face diplomacy.Plus, our international affairs editor Dominic Waghorn, in Bavaria, explains the issues leaders at this week’s summit are discussing. 'We'll see what she has to say': Boris Johnson holds back from saying he would block indyref2 Speaking to reporters at the end of the G7 summit, Boris Johnson was also asked about the speech being made by Nicola Sturgeon later on the issue of a second independence referendum.The prime minister was notably reticent to saying he would definitely block a bid for a second referendum, saying he would "see what she has to say."However, he added: "We think the number one priority for the country are the economic pressures and the spikes in the cost of energy. Our plan for a stronger economy certainly means that we think we are stronger working together, but we have good relations with the Scottish government and we'll see what she has to say."See our post at 12.30 pm for an explanation of what Nicola Sturgeon is expected to argue in her speech later. Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options | United Kingdom Politics |
Penny Wong, Australia’s foreign affairs minister, says Canberra and Beijing have taken the “first step towards stabilising the relationship” after the first face-to-face meeting between the two countries’ foreign ministers since 2019.After a meeting with Wang Yi, her Chinese counterpart, on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali on Friday, Wong told reporters Australia would continue to push for an end to Beijing’s “coercive” trade sanctions against a range of exports, and would also not recoil from any domestic policy decisions taken “on the basis of our national interest, our security and our sovereignty”.Wong said substantial differences remained between Canberra and Beijing despite Friday’s much-anticipated diplomatic thaw. But she said the conversation in Bali was an important breakthrough after years of estrangement.Wong said: “I welcome our discussion of issues of concern between our two countries as well as our discussion on the prosperity, security and stability of the region.“We spoke frankly and we listened carefully to each other’s priorities and concerns. As you would expect, I raised a number of issues in relation to bilateral, regional and consular issues.”Wong said Australia and China had both gained much through the strength of long-term economic and people-to-people ties, but “we do have our differences”.“But … we believe it is in the interests of both countries for the relationship to be stabilised, and this Australian government will always seek to resolve issues calmly and consistently under the comprehensive strategic partnership and in accordance with Australia’s national interest.“What I can say to you is this is the first step towards stabilising the relationship.”Wong confirmed she had raised Australia’s objections to China’s trade sanctions against a range of exports including meat, crayfish, timber and coal. Australia is pursuing trade disputes in the World Trade Organization over anti-dumping tariffs on wine and barley.She also raised the ongoing detention of the Australian journalist Cheng Lei, an anchor for the Chinese state-owned, English-language news channel China Global Television Network, and the plight of the Australian writer Dr Yang Hengjun, who has been detained by Chinese authorities since early 2019.“It is unsurprising that we would raise consular cases including Cheng Lai and Dr Yang,” Wong told reporters in Bali. “You would anticipate that we discussed the trade blockages that exist and that remains the government’s position. Those trade blockages should be removed and we have said so publicly and our private position reflects that.”Wong said it would “take time … effort, work and nuance” to reboot a bilateral relationship strained by years of public rancour, but she said talking was “an important first step”.“We’ve got a path to walk and we will see if it can lead to a better place between the two countries,” said Wong. “All of these issues will take some time. There is a path we are walking and we will take one step at a time in the interests of the country.”Wong said it would be in the interests of Canberra and Beijing to meet again, but that would require mutual agreement.Chinese officials signalled before the federal election on 21 May they would seek talks with a new Australian government of either political persuasion. In the week leading up to the election, diplomatic sources told Guardian Australia they saw “a good opportunity” to ease tensions in the period after the vote.Since the Albanese government was elected in May, Australia and China have gradually reopened lines of high-level communication. Australia’s deputy prime minister, Richard Marles, met China’s defence minister in Singapore in June.The June meeting was the first between Australia and China’s defence ministers in more than two years. Marles used the meeting with Wei Fenghe to raise concerns about a Chinese fighter plane’s dangerous interception of a Royal Australian air force P-8 surveillance aircraft over the South China Sea region on 26 May.As the first effort at rapprochement played out on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Bali, earlier on Friday the shadow foreign affairs minister, Simon Birmingham, took aim at the trade minister, Don Farrell, for comments to Guardian Australia about possible “compromise” with China.Farrell said earlier this week Australia was pursuing trade disputes against China in the World Trade Organization but “obviously if the opportunity arises to have a different set of discussions, whereby we can nut out a compromise situation – then I’d be fully supportive of going down that track”.Birmingham said he had noted those comments “with some concern”, accusing him of using “erroneous language” that suggested “perhaps there were compromises to be had with China”. Australia should make clear it expects “unfair trade sanctions” would cease “without the need for compromise or without any acquiescence towards Chinese demands”, he told Sky News.Wong has taken a tougher line, reiterating before her meeting in Bali that “we are clear – we won’t be making any concessions when it comes to Australia’s national interests”. | Australia Politics |
UK manufacturing is significantly outperforming as a result of Brexit
The doomsters are wrong about Brexit — again
We have become used to the mainstream media and various “independent experts” claiming that Brexit has been an economic disaster for the UK.
Recent ONS GDP revisions have rather stymied that argument, as I outline here. Indeed, the UK’s economic performance has actually been stronger than presented. In particular, as I have written, UK exports have reached record levels in value terms and are performing in line with historic trend (in goods) and above historic trend (in services) in volume terms. Contrary to the mainstream narrative, UK performance is broadly comparable to the performance of other G7 nations.
Catherine McBride of the IEA also recently published on UK export performance since Brexit in her report “Has Brexit Really Harmed UK Trade? Countering the Office for Budget Responsibility’s claims”. In it she states:
Whilst the data is still emerging and longer-term effects are as-yet unknowable, in general, there has been no real disparity between UK trade with EU and non-EU countries. Nor has there been a sharp fall in UK–EU trade either at the aggregate or sector level despite it now being seven years since the vote to leave the EU and three years since the UK actually left. Regardless of the final effect of Brexit, it is hard to see any basis for continued acceptance of the OBR’s projection of a 4 per cent drop in relative long-run productivity given the emerging data.
So far so good regarding exports. Today I thought I would take a look at UK industrial production in general and manufacturing in particular. This is an important area to look at because it is front and centre in the economic argument between those who think Brexit will be an economic success and those who think it will be or has already been an economic disaster.
For the latter, the argument is that increased trade friction between the UK and the EU (from leaving the single market and the customs union) will lead to declining UK industrial production as the UK is excluded from pan European supply chains.
For the former, the argument is that increased trade friction between the UK and the EU will boost UK industrial production as supply chains that moved to the EU during UK membership re-shore to the UK, whilst pan-European supply chains will be broadly unaffected as they mostly involve large companies operating to global standards who can easily manage the increased “paperwork”.
The argument that supply chains/production shifted from the UK to the EU after the single market came into force in 1993 is not a particularly contentious one, and it is clearly demonstrated by looking at the UK balance of trade with EU and non EU countries.
As you can see, the UK moved from a trade surplus with the EU prior to the advent of the single market, to a large and ever growing trade deficit. Over the same time period, meanwhile, the UK moved into a smaller but also growing trade surplus with the rest of the world.
I had hoped that the balance of trade figures would by now give us a clue as to which of these arguments was “winning”. If Brexit supporters were right, we should start to see a reduction in the UK trade deficit with the EU. Whilst there were some signs of that from 2018, it has entirely reversed since 2021.
However, the reality is the Covid lockdowns and the energy crisis (gas imports and re-exports) dwarf any Brexit effects and make any serious analysis impossible.
Whilst the balance of trade figures are not (currently) useful in this debate, it does not mean that other data can’t point to trends that support or contradict the two arguments.
Specifically we can compare the performance of industrial production and manufacturing since Brexit between the UK and other comparable countries. If the Brexit opponents are right, we should see signs of relative underperformance as UK PLC is removed from pan-European supply chains. If the Brexit supporters are right, we should see a UK outperformance as supply chains revert to the UK.
For the data I have turned to the OECD here. I have chosen to use its volume rather than value measure, as some commentators believe that this better demonstrates the underlying trends by stripping out inflation.
The OECD describes its calculation method as such:
Industrial production refers to the output of industrial establishments and covers sectors such as mining, manufacturing, electricity, gas and steam and air-conditioning. This indicator is measured in an index based on a reference period that expresses change in the volume of production output.
The data is indexed to 2015.
Below is a chart comparing the industrial production performance of the UK versus France, Germany, Italy, USA and the G7 since Q1 2015.
As you can see from the chart, the UK has grown industrial production by 3.6 per cent over this period at a time when Germany industrial production has fallen 3 per cent, the USA and G7 fallen 0.6 per cent, and France grown only 0.9 per cent. Only Italy, which has been experiencing a temporary construction boom, has grown faster than the UK over this period.
Of course, industrial production includes mining and construction et cetera so an argument could be made that this does not reflect the underlying trends in manufacturing. For that reason I decided to look at the data for manufacturing alone.
Below is a chart comparing the performance of UK manufacturing versus France, Germany, Italy and the USA (unfortunately the data is not available for the G7) since Q1 2015.
As you can see from the chart, the outperformance of the UK in manufacturing alone is even greater than for total industrial production, with the shift seemingly beginning in 2017.
If we look at the data from Q2 2016 (i.e. from the vote to leave the European Union), UK manufacturing volumes have grown 7.5 per cent up to Q3 2023. For comparison, over the same period Germany manufacturing production volumes are down 3.9 per cent — worse than the fall in total industrial production.
The USA has barely grown at all (+0.2 per cent), France is up only 0.7 per cent whilst UK growth is a full three times greater than that of the next best performer, Italy.
How does this post Brexit performance compare to the long term trends?
In the chart below I look at manufacturing production for France, Germany, Italy, UK and the USA since Q1 2008 — i.e. before the great financial crash.
As you can see, the UK’s outperformance since leaving the EU is not typical of the long term trend where growth has tended to be lower than the peer group.
Indeed the data demonstrates just how much the world has changed since the financial crisis, with Italy, France, the USA and Germany all still below Q1 2008 levels. Italian manufacturing and total industrial production is a fifth lower than 2008.
In fact of all the G7 countries, only the UK has registered any growth in manufacturing volumes at all over that time period, with volumes up 6.4 per cent versus -4.7 per cent for Germany and -7.4 per cent for the USA
It is clear that when it comes to manufacturing volumes, the UK is a very significant outlier.
The degree of outperformance is especially clear when you look at the trend line for each country individually.
The collapse in Italian manufacturing volumes is obvious:
As is the downward trend for France:
Germany is barely rising:
As is the USA:
Only the UK has a very clear growth trend line
Assuming the OECD data is correct (a big “if” these days), the analysis above would suggest that something very UK-specific is happening to industrial and manufacturing production. The most logical conclusion to draw, considering the timing, would be Brexit and reshoring.
It would seem those who argued Brexit would see supply chains reshored were correct. Cadbury relocating production from Germany to the UK is not an isolated incident. Meanwhile the UK’s role in pan European supply chains does not seem to have been negatively affected, as large companies have been able to easily and for negligible cost adapt to the new paperwork. This was a point made by Alan Johnson, Nissan’s senior vice-president of manufacturing and supply chain, as he announced a further £2 billion investment in Nissan Sunderland.
Not that I think this means the UK economy is performing well. Quite the opposite. The whole of the West is struggling with issues of poor productivity and lack of investment — in no small part driven by ludicrous energy policies which are inevitably leading to de-industrialisation and economic decline.
Nor am I saying that the UK could not be doing a lot more to attract the 25 per cent of global trade that Mckinsey estimates will shift within the next decade or so (that’s $4.5 trillion worth of trade — 1.5x UK GDP). If you are interested, I outline how a UK Government could relatively easily boost productivity, drive investment, and generate economic and political rebalancing here.
On the question of whether Brexit would be positive or negative for UK manufacturing and industrial production, though, the data seems unequivocal. The doomsayers are simply wrong. Overall Brexit has (so far) significantly boosted the sector.
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In selecting the date of the next election, Conservative Party strategists have a choice between catastrophe and oblivion. Following the Labour Party’s micro-landslides in Tamworth and Mid-Bedfordshire, and with Rishi Sunak’s conference reset leaving opinion polls unmoved, it seems increasingly unlikely that the Tories can win the next election. But in choosing the occasion of their demise, they should remember one crucial factor: Britain’s economic situation is deteriorating and a 2008-style crash is impending.
In fact, the economy has not looked truly healthy for years and forward-looking indicators imply that a recession is almost certainly in the pipeline in the next six to 18 months. And one of the key reasons that the Tory Party has already haemorrhaged support is due to the poor condition of the post-Covid economy, specifically with respect to the high rate of inflation. This has gradually made itself manifest in poll numbers. According to YouGov, at the beginning of 2021, still in the midst of the Covid pandemic, the most pressing issue in the country was “Health”. And at this time, and for months after, the Tories were still ahead in the general election polls (though Labour were biting at their heels).
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As 2021 progressed, the initial burst of inflation caused by the lockdown’s impact on supply chains rippled through the economy. By the start of last year, with inflation running at about 6%, economic matters had overtaken health in YouGov’s polling. Then on 24 February 2022, another inflationary shock hit the world economy: the Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was not primarily the invasion itself that caused the shock, but rather the counter-sanctions undertaken in response, with the European energy supply in particular drying up. In October 2022, with inflation in Britain peaking at around 11% and a population-wide cost-of-living crisis broadly diagnosed by commentators, economic matters dwarfed any other issue. Labour stood at over 50% in some polls.
Which is another way of saying that over the last two years, the Tory Party have lost their credibility on the economy. They have ruled over an inflationary mess. But after years of shedding their veneer of competence, it actually looks as though the worst is still to come. Even though Britain has a serious cost-of-living crisis, most people who want work can find it. Until recently, the unemployment rate has been historically low — in 2022 it touched 3.5%, a record that had not been seen in over 40 years. But this is beginning to change. Unemployment has been ticking up since April of this year, with recent reports suggesting that it is set to increase even further. The media has been largely silent about this issue, but economists have been paying attention. After all, the Bank of England has been aggressively increasing interest rates since the beginning of 2022, raising them from almost 0% to 5.25%. Few economists would think that these sorts of hikes can be achieved without generating a recession.
The British economy is particularly prone to higher interest rates, most glaringly through its overinflated and economically axial housing market. At its previous peak in 2007, before housing crashed worldwide, the average house in England was worth around 7.15x the average salary. Fifteen years later, this has risen to 8.28x — a record high. And though our housing debate is dominated by questions of supply — the intractable Yimby v Nimby contestation — there is every reason to think that the current inflation in house prices is another speculative mania of the sort we saw collapse in 2008.
It is already telling that the housing market has proven completely unable to stomach higher interest rates. House prices have been falling every month since January of this year and in the third quarter of 2023 the average house price was down nearly 5% from its peak. While this may not seem like much, declines in house prices of this nature this rarely bottom out quickly and usually signal further falls. The pressure in this regard can be seen in the falling number of mortgage approvals in Britain, a contraction which dates back to 2020. Mortgage approvals went into steep decline after August 2022 as the Bank of England interest rate rose to just under 2%; it was shortly after this that house prices themselves began to decline.
And this is leading to a consequent decline in construction as firms pull out of new projects, no longer confident of a return on their investments. Private housing construction output in August was down 7.1% since the start of the year, and 15.9% from its peak in May 2022. The labour market is already beginning to mirror this trend. Between July and September, vacancies in the real estate sector fell 29.6% from the previous quarter. It is very likely that — for the second time this century — the Great British housing bubble has burst. And, just as in 2008, it is taking the rest of the economy with it. A deep recession is now very probable.
How this recession interacts with politics is another question. As we have seen, the Conservative Party have already lost their credibility on the economy. If they go into an election with the economy in recession and the unemployment rate rising, they will get eviscerated. A few months ago, there was chatter within the party that maybe they should hold out, see if the Bank of England could get inflation under control, and hope that the economy improves. That position is no longer tenable. Inflation may be coming down, but the economic situation is spiralling beyond the control of central banks, and if the Tory strategists think that the public dislike inflation, just wait until they find out how much they abominate a recession and rising unemployment.
Political strategists are rightly sceptical of those wielding crystal balls. For every accurate forecast, there are a handful of inaccurate ones. Yet all the statistics currently show that the British economy is in a rapid state of decline. For this reason, the Tories might think of what they are facing as what investors refer to as an “asymmetric bet”. This is a gamble in which the loss incurred from losing is far greater than the gain incurred from winning. It is as if two people gamble on a coin toss, but while one gets £1 if he wins the other gets £100 if he wins.
The asymmetric bet the Tories are currently facing is roughly as follows. If they continue sitting on their hands, hoping that the electoral gods will smile favourably on them, the economy may fall into recession. If this happens, the party will lose vastly more seats than they would lose if an election were called today. On the other hand, if the economy stabilises or even improves slightly, people will barely notice. Skyrocketing growth and a booming housing market is simply not on the cards and anyone who tells you otherwise is trading in snake oil.
On the other side of the bet is Labour. The polling seems to suggest that most people are willing to give Labour a punt in the hope that they can improve the economic situation. The policies that Labour are putting forward that are popular, especially with their base, all involve spending lots of money. This means that if Labour are handed the reins and soon thereafter the economy falls into recession, support for the party will dry up. As the recession hits government tax revenues, Labour will find themselves encircled by the same furious markets that brought down the Truss government. They will be forced impose austerity, and support for the party will likely collapse within 12-18 months.
The statistics do not lie. Recession in the coming months seems very likely, if not almost certain. And its arrival will provide a reminder of how economics undergirds the daily rigamarole of politics. The most important political event of the 21st century so far remains the Great Recession, triggering the populist uprisings and neoliberal collapse that has defined our recent history. The Conservatives and Labour can attempt to read the runes of the British financial system, trying to divine economic growth and surf its waves. But the economy does not serve to buttress political dignity — and whichever party winds up in power will soon have to reckon with the consequences. | United Kingdom Politics |
Boris Johnson has urged other world leaders to hold firm in their long-term support for Ukraine, amid increasing concern in Downing Street that some countries could become swayed by calls for Kyiv to cede territory to Russia in exchange for peace.Arriving at the G7 summit in southern Germany, as his domestic political woes continued to swirl, Johnson used a string of bilateral meetings and TV interviews to present himself as a bulwark against potential backsliding by the US and other western nations.The prime minister even connected the two situations, telling CNN that Vladimir Putin would not have been able to invade a sovereign neighbour if he too had “a committee of backbenchers” threatening to depose him for any mistakes.Outlining his key message for the G7 gathering, one he will reiterate later this week at a Nato summit in Madrid, Johnson said the financial cost of providing longstanding support to Ukraine was “a price worth paying for democracy and freedom”.“I would just say to people in the United States that this is something that America historically does and has to do,” he said. The global consequences of letting Russia prevail, Johnson added, would be “absolutely catastrophic”.Speaking to reporters at the annual G7 gathering, held amid ultra-tight security in the Bavarian countryside, Johnson warned of inevitable “fatigue in populations and politicians” as the conflict dragged on.“I think the pressure is there and the anxiety is there, we have got to be honest about that,” he said.While Downing Street stressed it does not as yet detect any G7 leaders trying to nudge Ukraine into accepting a humiliating peace, in which Russia would maintain control of eastern regions captured since February, this is a mounting concern.Johnson also said he would very happily host Volodymyr Zelenskiy should he find it possible to visit London, while conceding this seemed unlikely. The Ukrainian president is due to appear virtually at both the G7 and Nato summits.One leader Johnson was not expected to meet at the summit was Joe Biden, with No 10 insisting this was purely down to mutual scheduling issue and not a snub.His schedule on Sunday saw him hold one-to-one talks with French president Emmanuel Macron, German chancellor Olaf Scholz and the Canadian prime minister, Justin Trudeau, with Ukraine playing a central part in all of the talks.Johnson and Trudeau even began their talks with a mocking reference to Putin’s penchant for ultra-macho topless official photographs. A suggestion they remove their jackets amid the heat prompted Trudeau to jokingly suggest “a bare-chested horseback ride” while Johnson said they could “show our pecs”.While the UK and France have not always agreed on the issue, Downing Street insisted Johnson and Macron were in full agreement on Sunday.Johnson’s official spokesman said that while the UK was confident about a robust post-summit G7 message on Ukraine, it was nonetheless the case that world leaders could become increasingly swayed by thoughts of pushing Zelenskiy into accepting a Russian peace deal.“You can understand why people feeling the challenges of this global cost-of-living crisis might question why countries are spending so much time on this issue,” he said.In what could be seen as a pointed omission, asked just before a bilateral meeting with Macron about whether France and Germany were doing enough over Ukraine, Johnson only mentioned the German response.“I never believed in my lifetime that I would see a German chancellor stepping up in the way that Olaf Scholz has and sending weaponry to help the Ukrainians to protect themselves,” he said.“He has made huge, huge strides. We have 4% of our gas comes from Russia; in Germany, it’s 40%. They are facing real, real pressures, they are having to source energy from elsewhere. But they are doing it. They are making the effort. They are making the sacrifice. That’s because they see that the price of freedom is worth paying.“This is something that it’s worth us standing up for together. And that is the principle that a free, independent sovereign country like Ukraine should not be violently invaded and should not have its boundaries changed by force.”Johnson sought to dodge any new controversies, with the official UK readout of the meeting with Macron failing to even mention their discussion about the French president’s plans for a semi-detached “European political community” of non-member nations, potentially including the UK.French officials, in contrast, said Johnson had shown “a lot of enthusiasm” for the idea – although No 10 stressed this could only be the case if the still-nascent plan did not include elements of freedom of movement, as mooted.Similarly, while Johnson used the CNN interview to stress the need for democracy, he declined to comment on the ongoing US hearings into the January attack on the Capitol by supporters of the former president Donald Trump, saying: “In principle we shouldn’t talk about each other’s domestic politics.”Johnson arrived at the talks from Rwanda, where he had been taking part in a Commonwealth summit, part of an overseas trip totalling nine days which keeps him away from an increasingly turbulent political situation at home.Sign up to First Edition, our free daily newsletter – every weekday morning at 7am BST | Europe Politics |
This has been a week of ghosts of politics past. It found its best expression in an unlikely place – in the grand temple of Joseph Chamberlain; the Victorian corridors of Birmingham City Council. The council of my home city has had a chequered history. Its children services department was once deemed a “national disgrace”, and let down vulnerable kids in the area. Its leadership hasn’t shown the dynamism or strategic intent of those elsewhere in the country, such as Manchester or Liverpool. Unemployment, which is nearly absent in many other parts of the UK, remains relatively high. The city contains some of the most deprived areas of Western Europe.
All this makes the tragedy of what has happened this week all the more sad: Birmingham City Council, the largest local authority in Europe, has become the latest council to effectively declare bankruptcy. I’ve seen internal documents that show for this year alone the council is nearly £90m in debt. It has no hope of meeting its liabilities. A council area serving more than a million people now cannot function.
The government cries that the council has been mismanaged. And there seems to be evidence of that, going back decades. There was an IT system which came in five times over budget. And a 2012 equal pay court case has devastated the city’s finances, after it paid £1.1bn to settle the claims. Yet there’s also a far bigger story here.
The net result of austerity has always been to slowly degrade the resilience of the institution to which it is applied. Local government was the project’s ground zero. In the early days of these long Conservative administrations, even politicians such as George Osborne were eager that the axe should fall somewhere else, somewhere far away and on places of which they knew nothing. Central government grants to local authorities fell by 40 per cent in real terms between 2009/10 and 2019/20, which is far beyond any spending cuts that Whitehall had to endure. All that time, pressures and demands on local government – including those caused by austerity itself – intensified year after year. The net result is that local authorities are now shells: denuded of political power by the Conservative governments of the 1980s, and denuded of spending power by their successors of the 2010s.
It is within this context that the failure of Birmingham must be understood. Local authorities, like many public services, can no longer cope with the unexpected. They are one life from game over. And although we’ve already seen senior Conservative politicians try and draw a link between the Labour-run Birmingham City Council and what a Labour government might do to the country, it rings hollow. Birmingham wasn’t the first council to declare bankruptcy (Conservative Northamptonshire and Thurrock came before) and it won’t be the last. Birmingham’s failure should worry anyone who cares about their village, town or city – or the quality of life of where they live. If mighty Birmingham, a centre of municipal power, cannot cope with one unanticipated disaster – then what hope is there for anywhere else?
[See also: Have the Tories learned anything from Liz Truss]
The government’s response is to say it isn’t its job to deal with local failure; as if it does, there’s no disincentive for feckless management by local councils. Whitehall’s private belief is that local government is riddled with a deeply poor management culture. There’s some truth in that. But then, as with England in general, all roads ultimately lead back SW1. Birmingham is not the master of its own fate. Whitehall doesn’t give it the powers to levy new taxes, nor does it let it retain much of the taxes it does raise. Whitehall says it doesn’t want councils to visit with a begging bowl when they make mistakes – but it forgets that the begging bowl is all they’re allowed to have. And we wonder why we have a productivity crisis, driven by a deeply poor English periphery.
It’ll be the residents of Birmingham who suffer; local services stopped again and assets sold. And there is no sense of any imagination, or urgency from the British political class to deal with any of it. This week’s PMQs, the first of the new political term, was hardly electric – but it was revealing. It was a 30 minute display of the importance of political narrative, funnelling and channelling everything Westminster does.
Sunak increasingly resembles a youngish soldier, fighting an old war, the bodies of past battles all around him. He picked up any weapon he could find, scrabbling around for something, anything to deploy against his opponents: the Liam Byrne note, the coalition of chaos, “Captain Hindsight”, criticism of lockdowns. Each, in its own way, devastating in its day. But now each is, at best, blunt. Sunak has no narrative, no adhesive to bind his thoughts about him and his government, or his attacks on the opposition, Starmer does, but only because they’ve been gifted to him. The crumbling Britain he talks about is being realised with almost every day that passes, often in a literal fashion. In a single week, we saw decaying schools, failing cities, and an escaped prisoner.
Right now Starmer can only diagnose: he is a doctor who recognises the disease but is unwilling to commit to treat it via increased public spending and imaginative ways of raising public finances. But for now, diagnosis is enough. Sunak meanwhile, flounders – he doesn’t diagnose let alone prescribe. One could almost feel for sorry for Sunak. He is the man who arrives to the party just as everyone has left. He is the Alanis Morissette of politics.
Yet in so many ways this was Sunak’s party. He remained the last Osbornite in the cabinet when Boris Johnson and others realised it was all coming to an end, for the country and the Conservatives. Johnson’s administration, as untrustworthy as it was, could not fulfil its potential of reinventing Conservatism and thus achieve a genuinely post-Thatcherite turn in their thinking. Politics for the next year is simple enough: Sunak will keep playing the same old tunes. Few will be listening.
[See also: The great crack-up] | United Kingdom Politics |
SummaryAt least 23 killed in Russian attack: Ukrainian officialsRussia denies deliberately attacking civiliansYellen slams Russian officials at G20 meetingBy Sergiy Voloshyn and Valentyn OgirenkoVINNYTSIA, Ukraine, July 15 (Reuters) - A Ukrainian city far from the frontline grieved its dead including a 4-year-old girl with Down's Syndrome, while Russian missiles continued to rain on other cities across the country.Late on Friday, Russian missiles hit Dnipro, killing three people and wounding 15 others, the local governor said on Telegram. Rockets hit an industrial plant and a street next to it, he said. Footage on social media showed thick black smoke rising from the buildings and burning cars.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com"Right now, as I am writing this address, there is an air alarm over almost the entire territory of our state. There is preliminary information about hits - Dnipro, Kremenchuk, Kyiv region," Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said in a Telegram post.Ukraine said Thursday's strike on an office building in Vinnytsia, a city of 370,000 people about 200 km (125 miles) southwest of Kyiv, had been carried out with Kalibr cruise missiles launched from a Russian submarine in the Black Sea.Kyiv said the attack killed at least 23 people and wounded scores.The missiles destroyed a nearby medical center and some people arriving for treatment were burnt alive in their cars outside, the owner of the center said. Two doctors were severely wounded.The attack was the latest in a series of Russian hits in recent weeks using long-range missiles on crowded buildings in cities far from the front, each killing dozens of people.Residents placed teddy bears and flowers at a makeshift memorial.Among the dead was Liza, a 4-year-old girl with Down's Syndrome, found in the debris next to a pram. Images of her pushing the same pram, posted by her mother on a blog less than two hours before the attack, quickly went viral.Her severely injured mother, Iryna Dmitrieva, was being kept in an information blackout at a hospital for fear that finding out about her daughter would kill her, doctors said."She is suffering from burns, chest injuries, abdominal injuries, liver and spleen injuries. We have stitched the organs together, the bones were crushed as if she went through a meat grinder," Oleksandr Fomin, chief doctor at the Vinnytsia Emergency Hospital, said. Were she told of her daughter's death, "we would lose her".The building housed an officers' club, which Russia's defence ministry said was being used for a meeting between military officials and foreign arms suppliers. It added: "The attack resulted in the elimination of the participants."Ukraine said the club functioned as a cultural centre. The building also housed shops, commercial offices and a concert hall, where musicians were rehearsing for a pop concert planned for that night.Authorities in the southern city of Mykolaiv, closer to the frontlines, also reported fresh strikes on Friday which wounded at least two people.Women react after they left a hospital where victims of a Russian missile strike were delivered, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Vinnytsia, Ukraine July 15, 2022. REUTERS/Valentyn OgirenkoGRAIN PROGRESSDespite the bloodshed, both sides have described progress towards an agreement to lift a blockade restricting the export of Ukrainian grain. Mediator Turkey has said a deal could be signed next week.Asked if that timeline was realistic, a senior Ukrainian official told Reuters: "We really hope so. We're hurrying as fast as we can." The source asked not to be identified.Russia's defence ministry said an agreement was close. Russia's negotiator cautioned that a grains deal will not lead to a resumption of peace talks. read more A deal would probably involve inspections of vessels to ensure Ukraine was not bringing in arms and guarantees from Western countries that Russia's own food exports are exempt from sanctions.Moscow welcomed a written clarification by Washington on Thursday that banks, insurers and shippers would not be targeted by sanctions for facilitating shipments of Russian grain and fertilizer. read more The war dominated a meeting of G20 finance ministers in Indonesia on Friday. The conflict involving two of the world's top grain exporters and one of its main oil and gas producers is causing global shortages of food and energy, inflation, financial crisis and, potentially, hunger."By starting this war, Russia is solely responsible for negative spillovers to the global economy, particularly higher commodity prices," U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said. read more Canadian Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland told Russian officials at the meeting that she held them personally responsible for "war crimes", a Western official told Reuters.Russia calls its Feb. 24 intervention a "special military operation" to disarm Ukraine and root out nationalists. Kyiv and its allies call it an attempt to reconquer a country which broke free of Moscow's rule in 1991.The stepped-up Russian attacks on cities far from the front come at a time when momentum appears to be shifting after weeks of Russian gains.Since capturing the eastern industrial cities of Sievierodonetsk and Lysychansk in battles that killed thousands of troops on both sides, Russia has paused. A Ukrainian general said Kyiv had not lost "a single metre" of territory in a week.Ukraine has meanwhile unleashed new HIMARS rocket systems received from the United States, striking targets deep in Russian-held territory. It appears to have blown up depots of ammunition Moscow relies on for massive artillery barrages.The first M270 systems that will give Ukraine additional multi-rocket firepower have arrived in the country, Ukraine's defence minister said on Friday. Russia fired its own multi-launch rocket system at Sloviansk on Friday, the eastern city's mayor said.Ukraine says it is preparing a counter-attack in coming weeks to recapture a swath of southern territory near the Black Sea coast.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Stephen Coates, Peter Graff, Frank Jack Daniel and Humeyra Pamuk; Editing by Aurora Ellis, Simon Cameron-Moore, Nick Macfie, William Maclean and Cynthia OstermanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Europe Politics |
Russia official 'targeted by assassination attempt' in Kherson Another official collaborating with the Russian occupation of Kherson has been targeted for assassination. Russian state news agency TASS said Irina Makhneva's car was blown up in the town of Kakhovka.TASS said she is "in charge of education and culture issues in the new administration".She was not hurt. "The explosive device went off earlier than planned, which saved her life," TASS said, citing regional police.A Ukrainian official, Serhii Khlan, confirmed the assassination attempt."The occupiers continue to terrorise the population and put pressure on doctors and educators," he said.He claimed the director of a school in Nova Kakhovka had been abducted on Sunday. There have been a number of attempts to kill officials in Kherson, which has been under Russian control since the early days of the war. Dmitry Savluchenko, the head of the Kherson military-civilian administration's family and youth department, was killed in a car explosion on Friday. Is war now heading in Russia's direction? For months a narrative has built - and been fed by Western intelligence - that Russia is struggling to achieve its primary objectives in Ukraine. We saw a complete withdrawal from the north and west after a failed push on Kyiv, and a refocusing on the Donbas in the east, where fighting has at times resembled a stalemate. But now momentum, at least in the short term, appears to be with Vladimir Putin's forces, according to analysts.Sir Richard Barrons, a former head of Joint Forces Command, told Sky News: "I think in the short term that is so. "Russia will feel it's sitting on now just a bit less than a quarter of Ukraine."It knows that Ukraine does not have the military capability to throw them out, and it will sense that there is some weariness in the world at bearing the consequences of this war."Over the last week Ukrainian forces have retreated from Severodonetsk - the largest remaining part of the Luhansk region that was under Kyiv control. Luhansk is part of the Donbas.Territory in the southern belt has also been consolidated - but while militarily there has been progress, Moscow is aware that "strategically" it will lose that war, says Sir Richard."It's been isolated from the international community," he said. "It's a pariah state. Its economy will shrink by maybe 15% this year. "And if Ukraine is enabled to re-equip and re-arm, then Ukraine will reverse the military tide in due course, and start to throw the Russians out. "And so for Russia, probably timing is everything here."He said the Russian capture of Severodonetsk is a "tangible victory" but a stiff fight awaits in nearby Lysychansk, the last major Luhansk city still held by
Ukrainian troops."Russians should in no way think they're going to advance further into the Donbas without paying a really heavy price in terms of the young people that they lose, and the equipment that gets destroyed," Sir Richard said. "And they'll know that their capacity to take all of the Donbas is going to be limited just because of the quality of the Ukrainian resistance."This map illustrates the areas under Russian occupation in Ukraine as things stand... Zelenskyy to urge leaders to do more to help war effort as Johnson to demand action on Ukrainian grain Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is expected to call on G7 leaders to do more to support his country's fight against Russia.Mr Zelenskyy will address world leaders, including Boris Johnson and Joe Biden, via video link from Kyiv after he urged allies to be "partners not observers" in his nightly address on Sunday.Meanwhile, Mr Johnson will use Monday's session in Germany to call for urgent action to help get grain supplies out of Ukraine, with countries across the world suffering from shortages.Since fighting began, major Ukrainian ports, including Odesa, have been blocked and there have been attacks on farms and warehouses.Read more... Zelenskyy may be invited to visit UK - report Volodymyr Zelenskyy may be invited on a state visit to the UK, according to The Daily Telegraph. Officials are said to be working on a possible visit but it would be unlikely to happen before the war with Russia ends.The move aims to increase Boris Johnson's credibility in the face of mounting criticism of his leadership.The Ukrainian president could also address the Conservative Party conference in the autumn via video link. UK pledges DNA testing to help track 'stolen' Ukrainian grain The UK will use its DNA testing capabilities to prevent stolen Ukrainian grain from getting into world markets.Speaking to Sky News, Environment Secretary George Eustice said: "Russia is stealing some wheat from those stores. "We've got to be able to test the provenance of wheat. "The UK is a world leader in being able to test the provenance, that's the precise region in which a crop was grown, through testing of DNA. "That's what we've made available. "We're putting that on the table, £1.5m to support that work."Moscow has denied the allegations made by Kyiv.Sky's data and forensic unit has taken a closer look at accusations that Ukraine's grain is disappearing in Russian ships - it's well worth five minutes of your time... What's happening at the G7 summit today? Today is the second day of a three-day G7 summit in Germany.Leaders of the Group of Seven economic powers are expected to commit themselves to the long haul in supporting Ukraine.Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy will make remarks via video link urging leaders to stand firm against Russia.Later, leaders of five democratic emerging economies - India, Indonesia, South Africa, Senegal and Argentina - will join for a discussion on climate change, energy and other issues.The US is expected to announce its purchase of an advanced surface-to air missile defence system for Ukraine this week (see 6.21 post) - but we do not know if that will happen today.We'll bring you all the updates. NATO to urge Turkey to allow Nordics into alliance and bolster defence of Baltics NATO leaders will urge Turkish
President Tayyip Erdogan to lift his veto over Finland and
Sweden's bid to join the military alliance.They will meet for a
three-day summit in Madrid on Tuesday.Turkey, a traditional Russian ally, has accused Sweden and other Scandinavian nations of supporting Kurdish militants and other groups Turkey considers to be terrorists.NATO leaders also aim to agree on more military aid for Ukraine, increased joint defence
spending, a new resolve to tackle China's military rise
and more troops being placed on standby to defend the Baltics in case of a Russian offensive. Russia likely to rely on more volunteer reserve forces - MoD The UK Ministry of Defence has released its latest intelligence update."Over the coming weeks, Russia's campaign will highly likely increasingly rely on echelons of reserve forces," the MoD said.This includes Russia's Combat Army Reserve, which is made up part-time volunteers that are deployed as whole units typically for rear area security tasks. Another pool of reservists - the Human Mobilisation Resource - is made up of veterans who have served in the military in the last five years."Russian authorities are likely using volunteers from this category to fill out the third battalions within regular brigades," the MoD said."Despite a continued shortfall in the number of deployable reservists for Ukraine, the Russian leadership likely remains reluctant to order a general mobilisation." Johnson and Macron to hold their own summit - report Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron have agreed to hold an Anglo-French summit to strengthen relations after vowing to help Ukraine defeat Russia, according to The Times.At the G7 summit yesterday the British prime minister reportedly referred to it as "le bromance" and said they were "100% aligned".The pair were spotted with arms around each other drinking Bavarian whisky after formal talks ended.In talks with the French president, Mr Johnson "stressed any attempt to settle the conflict now will only cause enduring instability and give Putin licence to manipulate both sovereign countries and international markets in perpetuity".
Earlier this month, Mr Macron said it would be for Ukraine to decide the terms of any peace negotiation with Russian President Vladimir Putin.Mr Johnson was also asked whether France and Germany are doing enough over Ukraine. He praised Germans without mentioning France.
"Just look at what the Germans alone have done," he said."I never believed in my lifetime that I would see a German chancellor stepping up in the way that Olaf Scholz has and sending weaponry to help the Ukrainians to protect themselves."He's made huge, huge strides. We have 4% of our gas from Russia, in Germany it's 40%."They're facing real, real pressures, they're having to source energy from elsewhere. But they're doing it. They're making the effort. They're making the sacrifice." US to give Ukraine advanced missile defence system President Joe Biden is set to announce that the US is giving Ukraine an advanced surface-to-air missile system in its latest military aid package.The US is purchasing NASAMS, a Norwegian-developed anti-aircraft system, to provide medium- to long-range defence, according to a source familiar with the matter.The same system is used to protect the airspace around the White House and US Capitol in Washington. The purchase is expected this week. Washington is also set to announce other security
assistance for Ukraine, including additional artillery
ammunition and counter-battery radars. | Europe Politics |
NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles! JERUSALEM, Israel – President Biden’s appearance at the NATO summit in Madrid on Tuesday presents the most serious test for his administration’s effort to repair a fractured military alliance and roll back Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The United States government is widely viewed as the lead partner of the world’s most powerful military body — the 30-member North Atlantic Treaty Organization.Marshall Billingslea, a former NATO Assistant Secretary General, told Fox News Digital, "This NATO Summit is a crucial test for Biden’s leadership. First, and most importantly, he must clear the way for Finnish and Swedish membership by brokering a deal with Turkey. Second, he has to get countries to deliver significant additional heavy weapons to Ukraine, particularly Germany, who has largely paid only lip-service to military aid."BIDEN ATTENDING G7, NATO SUMMITS AMID ‘THE MOST SERIOUS SECURITY SITUATION IN DECADES’ NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg speaks during a media conference prior to a NATO summit in Brussels, Monday, June 27, 2022. NATO heads of state will meet for a NATO summit in Madrid beginning on Tuesday, June 28. (AP Photo/Olivier Matthys)Billingslea, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute, continued:"Third, he needs to move the alliance from its reactive posture into one which will have forces permanently based in the Baltics. Whether he can deliver on any of these is an open question. A final one he needs to help answer with his NATO counterparts is how tough the new Strategic Concept will be with respect to Communist China?"The major powers in continental Europe — Germany and France — have faced withering criticism for their sluggish response to the Russian invasion and their failure to rapidly send large shipments of heavy weapons to aid Ukrainian forces. Making matters more complicated, Turkey, a NATO member, is refusing to sanction Russia and blocking Finland and Sweden from securing membership in the Western alliance."Many different actors are watching Biden’s foreign policy agenda for signs of weakness," Theodore Karasik, a fellow for Russian and Middle Eastern affairs at the Jamestown Foundation in Washington, told Fox News Digital. TURKEY'S ISLAMIST LEADER USING NATO TO GET FREE HAND AND PUNISH US ALLIES"Russia is still uncoiling in Ukraine and on other continents. The test is now about NATO’s security architecture for the next 20 years. The pace and scope of NATO’s armament growth as a result of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine are going to be key for what happens next in Eurasia," Karasik said. President Biden goes to the NATO summit in Madrid faced with several pressing issues, first and foremost being Russia's brutal invasion of Ukraine. (Olivier Hoslet, Pool via AP)The stakes are enormously high for Biden because Finland and Sweden are vulnerable to Russian invasion and Moscow is gaining steam in its efforts to conquer more Ukrainian territory. Karasik added: "President Biden needs to secure Turkey’s active participation in NATO and to stop the country from acting as an ‘adjunct’ to the security organization. A face-to-face meeting between the two leaders [Biden and President Recep Tayyip Erdogan] is necessary. While understanding Turkey’s complaints from Ankara’s point of view, Moscow’s actions concerning the Donbas and the impact on global food and grain supplies warrant greater public unity about what exactly Ankara is seeking in this breadbasket. Russia will keep grinding along if they see these differences of opinion continue especially after the NATO summit."UKRAINE MILITARY SUPPORT INCOMING WITH NATO BOOSTING RAPID REACTION FORCEAhead of the June 28-30 Madrid summit, NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said he expects alliance members to make clear they consider Russia "the most significant and direct threat to our security. He announced that NATO will increase the strength of its rapid reaction force nearly eightfold to 300,000 troops as part of its response to an "era of strategic competition." The NATO rapid reaction force currently numbers around 40,000 soldiers who can deploy quickly when needed. The expansion is part of the "biggest overhaul of collective defense and deterrence since the Cold War," Stoltenberg said."These troops will exercise together with home defense forces," he said. "And they will become familiar with local terrain, facilities, and our new prepositioned stocks, so that they can respond smoothly and swiftly to any emergency."Stoltenberg said the allies will agree to deliver further military support to Ukraine, with NATO members set to adopt a "strengthened comprehensive assistance package" including deliveries of secure communication and anti-drone systems.NATO LOOKS TO GERMANY FOR PLAN TO BEEF UP DEFENSES IN EUROPE’S EASTERN FLANK Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks to U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres during their meeting in the Kremlin, in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, April 26, 2022. (Vladimir Astapkovich, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)Former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo speaking on Monday's Fox & Friends said there is a need to "end the war in Ukraine."Russian President Vladimir Putin "sent a very clear message about his respect for Biden and our team by launching missiles into western Ukraine, into Kyiv yesterday," Pompeo said.The U.S. should provide "targeting capabilities, intelligence and unmanned aerial systems" to Ukraine, the former top diplomat for the Trump administration said. "The longer we hold back, the longer this goes on, the more Ukrainian lives that are lost, the worse it will be here for us here at home in America. We can see the impact of this war in Europe and the instability there," Pompeo said.The dangers posed by the Chinese Communist Party will also be a topic at the NATO summit.John Kirby, the U.S. National Security Council’s coordinator for strategic communications, recently said, "I think it’s a reflection of our allies’ equal concerns over the effect of Chinese economic practices, use of forced labor, intellectual theft, and coercive aggressive behavior not just in the region but elsewhere around the world. That they believe it’s important to factor China into the new strategic concept."CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APPAmanda Rothschild, a senior policy director for the Vandenberg Coalition and former Senior National Security Speechwriter for President Trump, told Fox News Digital, "Advocating for improved NATO defensive capabilities and burden sharing does not undermine the NATO alliance. It strengthens it. The Trump administration encouraged NATO allies to urgently improve military capabilities and readiness to address a range of current national security threats, including those from Russia. "She added: "As a result, the number of NATO members meeting their obligation to spend at least 2% of GDP on defense more than doubled, and NATO allies committed to a $400 billion increase in defense spending by 2024. These commitments are a necessary but not sufficient step. Allies must continue to invest in their defensive capabilities, consistent with Article 3 of the NATO treaty."The Associated Press contributed to this report. Benjamin Weinthal reports on Middle East affairs. You can follow Benjamin Weinthal on Twitter @BenWeinthal. | Europe Politics |
Rishi Sunak risks ripping up the Northern Ireland peace process if he blocks human rights laws so the UK can deport asylum seekers to Rwanda, senior Conservatives have said.
After similar concerns from the White House on Thursday, the MPs said widely reported plans from Downing Street to disregard parts of the Human Rights Act could undermine the Good Friday agreement and damage UK-US relations.
The warnings come as the prime minister is under increasing pressure from right-leaning MPs and ministers to close off legal avenues to asylum seekers who have successfully challenged their removal to Rwanda.
The government is expected next week to revive the Rwanda policy of sending people seeking asylum to east Africa after the supreme court ruled that the plans were unlawful.
Sunak believes the government can address the court’s concerns with a new treaty with Rwanda, which could be signed next week by James Cleverly, the home secretary, and emergency legislation to block future legal challenges to the policy.
In an interview with the Times, Cleverly acknowledged he has become “frustrated” with the focus on Rwanda and that it should not be seen as the “be-all and end-all”.
He said while it is an “important” part of the plans and will deter people from crossing the Channel in small boats, it is part of a broader strategy.
Cleverly also said he believes leaving the European convention on human rights (ECHR) would jeopardise “key cooperation” with other countries including France, which has helped addressed illegal crossings into the UK.
The New York Times reported on Thursday that senior White House officials were concerned that a block on legal challenges would damage the authority of the ECHR which is fundamental to the Good Friday agreement.
Conservative Sir Bob Neill, chair of the justice select committee and a former minister, said he had similar concerns that attempts to block human rights laws would damage the authority of the ECHR and risk peace in Northern Ireland.
“We have known for a long time that laws such as the European convention on human rights are a central part of the Good Friday agreement,” he said.
“Anything that undermines the Good Friday agreement would be really dangerous for the peace process. There is no à la carte menu, where you can pick and choose which parts of the convention you wish to follow.”
Asked if he agreed with reports that dozens of Tory MPs could vote against any attempt to undermine human rights laws or the ECHR, Neill said: “Yes. There is a very strong feeling that we have to be proportionate about this. We want to stop the boats. But we can’t rip up our international obligations.”
A minister told the Guardian that there would be resignations from the government if any attempt to block human rights laws undermined the Good Friday agreement.
“This agreement is fundamental to our place in the world. We all know what it means to Joe Biden. We are a government which believes in international law, and – I hope, I believe – the prime minister agrees,” the minister said.
The development comes after Sunak refused to apologise after record levels of net immigration appeared to break a key election promise.
Official figures on Thursday showed the difference between the number of people coming to live in the UK and those leaving had peaked at 745,000.
In an interview at the Nissan car plant in Sunderland, Sunak declined to comment when asked if he would apologise for not meeting the manifesto pledge. “I’m very clear that the levels of migration are too high and they’ve got to come down to more sustainable levels,” he said.
The immigration minister, Robert Jenrick, put forward a five-point plan to No 10 that included proposals for a required minimum annual salary of £35,000 in order to receive a work visa and a cap on the total number of visas for NHS and social care workers.
Madeleine Sumption, the director of the Migration Observatory at the University of Oxford, said both proposals could struggle to bring down the numbers, especially if there is not exemption for care workers.
“The fundamental problem, and one that the immigration system cannot fix, is that care is poorly funded and the pay and conditions are not good enough to attract British workers into difficult and stressful jobs,” she said.
“And the last time there was cap on skilled workers, the government dropped it as soon as it began to bite because it caused all sorts of operational difficulties.”
Downing Street refused to say what Sunak makes of Jenrick’s proposals when asked by journalists, insisting No 10 would not be getting into “running commentary on policy development”.
Boris Johnson said in a newspaper column that he would have raised the minimum salary threshold to £40,000 a year.
“We have the powers to sort it out, and to change our immigration rules – which is exactly why the British people voted to take back those powers in 2016,” the former prime minister wrote in the Daily Mail.
Johnson left office last year and in 2019 promised in his manifesto that “overall numbers will come down”.
The ONS said on Thursday that the difference between the number of people legally arriving in Britain and those leaving was 745,000 in the year to December 2022.
The figure is three times higher than the levels seen before Brexit.
Many MPs on the right of the party, including the former home secretary Suella Braverman, have called on Sunak to honour the commitment to reducing the numbers.
Calls to curb the number of foreign workers in the NHS and social care are likely to be met with resistance by health officials amid chronic staff shortages across the health and care sector. | United Kingdom Politics |
The Government’s latest auction for renewable energy contracts has not been a success. There have been no offshore wind bids, and the “Saudi Arabia of wind” (Boris Johnson’s excitable claim for the potential of the industry in Britain), looks more like Yemen.
To achieve net zero by 2050, Britain needs to decarbonise electricity production fast and early. Then, more than double it to cope with the electrification of heat and transport and provision of back-up power for cloudy still days, particularly in winter. Key to doing so is the delivery of acres of offshore wind, with a target of 50GW of capacity by 2030, up from 14GW today.
Offshore wind is easier to build than onshore, fewer pesky Nimbys to raise objections, even after this week’s win for deregulation. It’s more useful than solar, with load factors between 30-65 per cent rather than 10-15 per cent, which is the difference between claimed capacity and actual output. It’s faster to build than nuclear, and less unpopular. It isn’t as restricted by geography as tidal and hydropower, and it’s certainly more affordable than green hydrogen, an imagined fuel of the future.
What it isn’t, however, is cheap. A common refrain during the 2022 energy crisis was that wind is “nine times cheaper than gas”, but it has since collided with reality. Rent-seeking lobbyists compared pre-energy crisis deals at £38/MWh, with peak gas prices as Russian tanks rolled over the Donbass. Virtue-signalling politicians chose to believe them and designed the latest auction to match the claims, capping bids at £44/MWh.
Unfortunately, the wind industry exists in the real world, where 75-80 per cent of energy depends on fossil fuels, and particularly so in industrial production. When oil and gas prices rise, the cost of steel, concrete, epoxy resin and other energy-intensive goods required to construct turbines rises as well (about 40 per cent in the last year, according to industry insiders).
They are not immune from wage inflation in a cost-of-living crisis. While this should be accounted for by index-linking their payments, rapid expansion puts a premium on skilled labour. Rising global interest rates increase the industry’s cost of borrowing and reduce the relative returns from their contracts compared to other options.
The Government has also wised up to bad behaviour. During the energy crisis, new wind farms exploited a clause in old contracts to take the market price, not the contract price, undermining the central rationale of the “contract for difference” system and the sharing of risk with bill payers. This gave developers windfall profits, and this time those clauses were removed, alongside landing them a windfall tax to 2028 to claw it back.
Consequently, many wind developers cannot now honour their prior commitments, pulling out of those “nine-times cheaper” contracts. Nor can they make new ones. The lie of cheap offshore wind has been exposed. If we want the true picture, then Net Zero Watch have estimated real costs around £125/MWh by reviewing developer accounts, whereas the CEO of developer SSE pointed to Ireland’s strike price of €150 (£129)/MWh as a signal of what would persuade him to invest again.
This is well above current market prices £80-100/MWh, and nearly three times the historical average. Indulging the industry’s demands here would be a return to the politics of the 2010s when “green crap” drove up the cost of bills, even when oil and gas were cheap.
The smart way to achieve Net Zero is not to set tech targets and bespoke subsidies. No one can accurately guess the price of energy next week, let alone years into the future. We can crudely estimate a carbon price (the cost of climate damage from fossil fuel emissions) and use that to create a market. We can do the same for back-up and connection (the cost to energy security of unreliable power). But the rest should be left to competition between projects and technologies. Deploying the most cost-effective solutions first. If that means fewer wind farms, then wind wasn’t the right solution.
The mess is a damning indictment of industrial policy, the delusion of politicians that they can pick winners, centrally plan growth, and collude with industry lobbyists to put the cost on all of us. Alarmingly the wind is blowing to even more of this in future, with the US Investment Reduction Act, EU response, and UK Parliamentary consensus that if it didn’t work this year, next year will be different.
It will be different, it might be worse, and if the solution is higher strike prices, then we all lose. It’s time to rediscover the wisdom of crowds through markets and abandon these foolish targets. | United Kingdom Politics |
Crowds have gathered to protest against Wales' 20mph law as a petition opposing the new limit reaches 400,000 signatures.
Last week Wales became the first UK nation to reduce speed limits in built-up areas from 30mph to 20mph.
Hundreds joined a march in Cardiff on Saturday, with banners protesting about the change and other issues.
The Welsh government said the aim of the new default limit is to save lives and make communities safer.
Banners held by demonstrators also complained about a variety of other things, such as Ultra Low Emission Zones (Ulez), Low Traffic Neighbourhoods (LTNs), Clean Air Zones (Caz), digital IDs, "cashless societies", and called for people to "defy the travel lockdown".
The online petition opposing the speed limit reduction is by far the largest ever received by the Senedd, with the previous record holder reaching only 67,000 signatures.
A counter-petition, supporting the new limit, has gained about 500 signatures so far.
On Friday Welsh Conservatives announced they will table a vote of no confidence against deputy climate change minister Lee Waters, who led the introduction of the new law.
"His position is untenable, it's time for him to go," said Welsh Tory transport spokeswoman Natasha Asghar.
She accused Mr Waters of "attempting to undermine the will of the overwhelming majority of Welsh people because he is unable to admit he has got it wrong".
Mr Waters and First Minister Mark Drakeford have strongly defended the policy, which was an election manifesto commitment.
"When speed limits are lower, people feel safer to cycle and to walk, so less people are driving," said Mr Waters.
A Welsh government spokesperson said: "The introduction of a 20mph speed limit in mainly residential areas is designed to save lives and make our communities safer for everyone, including motorists.
"It has been thoroughly researched, voted on in the Senedd and received the backing from a majority of Senedd members." | United Kingdom Politics |
Discover more from Notes from the Underground with David Aaronovitch
Suella's Scary Migrant School Stats
And why they were intended to mislead
It’s been big speech week for the Home Secretary. Both her addresses - the second to the Conservative Party conference and the first to the pro-Republican think-tank, the American Enterprise Institute in Washington DC - could be characterised as frighteners. If Rishi Sunak’s schtick (HS2 apart) is designed to be Mr Careful But-Hopeful, Braverman’s - certainly cleared by Downing Street - is to be Madame Scary.
And she is not afraid to use lots of statistics when building up the picture of why it is Britons should be so frightened of what she calls “uncontrolled mass migration” - but which is in fact controlled mass migration conflated with (much smaller) irregular migration, such as the people in the small boats in the Channel.
Over here we saw the headline reports of her US speech, but I couldn't find any detailed assessment of her argument or the facts that she used as building blocks in making it. And they were doing a lot of work in helping to justify her central claim - that the international asylum system is broken and needs to be replaced by a far more restrictive and draconian though unspecified alternative. (In another piece I’ll examine the scale of the problem and the logic that the “hardline” approach is driving Europe towards.)
Checking the facts
In the first instance the paragraph that stood out to me when reading the speech in full is the one about how rapid migration places strains on host societies. And in particular this claim about the UK and England:
More than one in five births are to foreign-born mothers. Due to immigration and high birth rates among foreign-born mothers, English secondary schools will need to find an extra 213,000 places by 2026 compared to 2020.
The clear message here is that the pressure on services from high migration is unsustainable and - in the context of the speech - will get worse.
But it isn’t true
There is a sleight of hand which would be obvious to people in the education sector but entirely obscure to, say, an American audience or an inattentive voter or right-wing journalist.
To understand you have to ask yourself three questions - why 2020 to 2026? Why secondary schools and not all schools? What happens after 2026? Remember that the children who make up this prospective addition to English secondaries have all been born already. In fact they were born between 2008 and 2015.
“Aha” you now think, “So we’ve known for some time that extra secondary places will be needed. Which means we know right now what will happen after 2026.” You pause. “So what do the stats tell us about that?” Good question.
The latest stats from the UK government website do indeed show an increase in secondary pupils. Which peaks in 2026. And then begins to fall. Remember again we know this because these children have already been born - or, more to the point, not been born.
In fact projections for 2028 show that while secondary pupil numbers will be up 37,000 from 2022, primary and nursery numbers will be DOWN by over 500,000. Which means, of course, that secondary numbers will also fall sharply a little further down the line.
In fact Department of Education statistics project that the state school population will shrink from just under 8 million this year to 7 million by 2032. By that year it is anticipated that the secondary population will be nearly 6% lower than last year. Already local authorities in many areas are closing or merging primary schools due to falling rolls.
The message is perfectly clear - we in England are heading for a big fall in student numbers, the opposite of the migration-fuelled unsustainable rise so carefully constructed by Braverman.
She didn't lie, but by choosing 2026 and secondary schools as her markers she completely distorted the truth. And No 10 let her.
While we are on this. As an ageing society with a well below replacement birth rate, this fall in numbers is not something for England or the UK to celebrate. The reverse is true.
This post is free. But it’d help me carry on with this is you were to become a free subscriber. And you’d get to see a lot more content if you upgraded to paid
The hordes are on their way!
I did one other little bit of checking. Braverman’s argument about the terrifying future was also bolstered by the use of a poll of the entire world. This section of her speech ran:
A 2021 Gallup Poll found that 16 per cent of adults worldwide – around 900 million people – would like permanently to leave their own country.
And those numbers are not evenly distributed around the World.
37 per cent of people living in sub-Saharan Africa – some 481 million people, and 27 per cent of those living in the Middle East and North Africa – around 156 million – say they’d like to migrate.
The ease with which some of them might reach Europe poses a unique and deepening challenge.
The fact is that our countries are exceptionally attractive.
4 per cent of those polled by Gallup – approximately 40 million people – named Britain as their preferred destination.
18 per cent – approximately 162 million people – named the USA.
These numbers are, respectively, more than half of our current total populations.
The numbers are here: https://news.gallup.com/poll/468218/nearly-900-million-worldwide-wanted-migrate-2021.aspx
If you dig into the details you will see that Braverman has left out the fact that this 4% who are on their way to Britain given half a chance, is down from 7% in the same poll a decade earlier. So it’s nearly halved. The US share has also dropped from 22%. Why leave that out? The same reason I imagine why she doesn’t quote Gallup’s own caveat, leaving me to do it for her:
While the increase in the desire to migrate may set off alarms among those who are happy that the pandemic curtailed global migration, it’s important to note that Gallup typically finds that the percentage of those who have plans to move is much lower than the percentage who would like to move. Desire to migrate is not the same as intent to move. Not everyone who wants to move can move, or ever will.
Readers, you will find yourself at some point in discussion with someone who thinks that Braverman is right to be scaring the bejasus out of everyone over migration. You can now politely ask why, if the future is so precarious, does she have to so distort the truth to prove it? | United Kingdom Politics |
Christopher Coker, who has died aged 70, was a political scientist and political philosopher who wrote widely on all aspects of war and warfare; a former professor of International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE), he served as director of LSE Ideas, its foreign policy think tank, and was a familiar figure in UK and Nato strategic planning circles, including think tanks connected with the Conservative Party.
Though he was academically rigorous, Coker brought a gentle subversiveness to all he did, questioning orthodoxies and developing the confidence to be truly original. In 2021 he synthesised a lifetime’s study in Why War? in which he broadly agreed with Thucydides’s definition of war as “the human thing”.
Warfare, he argued, was central to the evolutionary struggle that had allowed mankind to survive. Challenging theories of Stephen Pinker and others that humankind’s propensity for war is declining, he maintained that, while the technology of warfare will continue to change, with advances in AI and robotics sidelining human agency, the human capacity for war would remain unimpaired until human beings themselves came to the end of the evolutionary road.
“Few books have both impressed and depressed me in equal measures as much as this one has done,” wrote a critic in the Literary Review.
Coker was a long-standing critic of defence policies of both Labour and Conservative governments. In 1986 he criticised Labour prime ministers Harold Wilson and Jim Callaghan for effectively misleading their own party with excessive secrecy over nuclear policy, noting that although they had overseen the development of warheads for Polaris and had done the groundwork which would underpin the £10 billion decision to buy Trident, they held only one Commons debate on nuclear weapons, compared with four held by Mrs Thatcher within a few years of her arrival at No 10.
But the Conservatives did not escape censure either and he accused successive Conservative administrations of lacking a sense of purpose and pursuing a policy of penny-pinching without vision.
In 1988, in a report published by the Institute for European Defence and Strategic Studies (IEDSS), he noted that defence should have been “an eminently suitable case for treatment” by Mrs Thatcher. Instead the government had become trapped in events that they could neither arrest nor reverse: “It is the Tories who now appear to be encouraging the most dangerous trends of all, dragging their feet as Nato heads towards a nuclear-free world,” he wrote, “protesting helplessly as France and West Germany pool their resources; and trumpeting their belief in a special relationship with the United States which appears to be ending, not in a dramatic divorce, but in a quiet and unspectacular parting of the ways.”
The following year, in another IEDSS paper, “Who only England know: Conservatives and foreign policy”, he accused Mrs Thatcher of both trivialising and over-personalising foreign relations, and failing to grasp that “Britain is no longer a significant player on the international stage”. Preoccupied by issues of sovereignty, she had fallen back on myths to confirm her prejudices against the European Community and magnified out of all proportion Britain’s so-called “special relationship” with the US.
An only child, Christopher Coker was born on March 28 1953 at Wellington, Somerset. His father was a banker and Christopher spent much of his early life in Africa where, according to a contributor on his memorial page, he was once briefly kidnapped as a child by the family’s gardener, who indulged him with ice cream. The authorities soon intervened, the gardener having given his personal address for the ransom delivery.
Coker went on to read history at Trinity College, Cambridge, where he was awarded a rare starred First for Part I, and was the outstanding history student of his year. He went on to take a PhD at Oxford and began teaching at the LSE in 1982, publishing his first of more than 20 books, US Military Power in the 1980s, the following year.
In his 2019 book The Rise of the Civilizational State, Coker argued that the non-Western world, led by Beijing and Moscow, is pushing back against the Western “liberal world order”, not with ideology but with hybrid “civilisational” doctrines which combine nationalism at home with the defence of their civilisation abroad, thereby reconciling their promotion of great-power status with their ideological aversion to liberal universalism. States based on civilisational identities, he maintained, are bound to collide with the institutions of the liberal world order.
Coker was a regular participant in UK and Nato military education and strategic planning circles. He served as Director of the Rațiu Forum in Romania, was a Nato fellow in 1981, served two terms on the Council of the Royal United Services Institute (Rusi) and was credited by a contributor to his memorial page with saving it when it faced huge peril. As well as advising and contributing to the IEDSS, he worked with the Centre for Policy Studies and lectured at defence colleges and institutes around the world.
Kind, modest and generous, with a cynical but playful wit, Coker was an old-school academic, somewhat averse to modern technology, but devoted to his students, who loved him, and to teaching. A genuine polymath who was as happy discussing physics as philosophy, he had an extraordinary ability to deliver compelling speeches from a few scribbled notes and was capable of drafting Tinkerbell and Britney Spears into lectures to explain the intricacies of war.
Coker always remained his own man and he relished the scope he had in his final post as co-director of LSE Ideas, where he showed an entrepreneurial streak, fundraising very successfully, and working alongside colleagues from different countries and disciplines to make connections between academic life and the policy world.
He had quirky and colourful tastes in music, relishing the lush harmonies he found in the operas of Strauss and Korngold. In his office at the LSE he had what one visitor described as a “small museum of global-political-kitsch”, consisting of figurines of world dictators and a few smaller fry. Though he could be awkward in social settings, and needed a drink or two to feel at ease, he enjoyed good company and food, intellectual debate and cigars, and his conversations, at the Travellers’ Club or at a favourite watering hole on Aldwych, “often left you looking at the world in a new way”, as one admirer put it.
Christopher Coker, who was unmarried, once told a colleague that he considered his students to be his children.
Christopher Coker, born March 28 1953, died September 5 2023 | United Kingdom Politics |
Entente Cordiale! Boris and Emmanuel Macron gloss over tensions on Ukraine and Brexit as they stage awkward cuddly display in G7 meetingBoris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron gloss over tensions in talks at the G7The PM and French president put on an awkward show of bonhomie in BavariaThere have been tensions over the Ukraine response and the Brexit fallout Published: 09:46 EDT, 26 June 2022 | Updated: 09:59 EDT, 26 June 2022 Boris Johnson and Emmanuel Macron staged an awkward cuddly display of bonhomie as they met for talks at the G7 today.The PM and the French president locked into an uncomfortable-looking embrace before their one-on-one meeting in Bavaria.The two leaders seemed keen to show the warmth of their relations despite tensions over the strategy for resolving the Ukraine crisis and Brexit. However, once the cameras were turned off Mr Johnson warned that trying to settle the standoff with Russia to hastily will 'only cause enduring instability'.He said giving ground to Vladimir Putin would give him 'licence to manipulate both sovereign countries and international markets in perpetuity'. Although France has backed Ukraine, Mr Macron has appeared keener to come to terms with Mr Putin than other world leaders.By contrast Volodymyr Zelensky has hailed Mr Johnson for taking a tough line. Boris Johnson and French president Emmanuel Macron locked into an uncomfortable-looking embrace before their one-on-one meeting in Bavaria The two leaders seemed keen to show the warmth of their relations despite tensions over the strategy for resolving the Ukraine crisis and BrexitMr Macron has also been one of the hard-liners within the EU over the Northern Ireland protocol and post-Brexit trade issues.Before the meeting, Mr Johnson was asked whether France and Germany are doing enough over Ukraine.In his response, Mr Johnson focused on Berlin's response without mentioning France.'Just look at what the Germans alone have done,' he said.'I never believed in my lifetime that I would see a German Chancellor stepping up in the way that Olaf Scholz has and sending weaponry to help the Ukrainians to to protect themselves.'He's made huge, huge strides. We have 4 per cent of our gas comes from Russia, in Germany, it's 40 per cent.'They're facing real, real pressures, they're having to source energy from elsewhere. But they're doing it. They're making the effort. They're making the sacrifice.'That's because they see that the price of freedom is worth paying.'This is something that it's worth us standing up for together. And that is the principle that a free, independent sovereign country like Ukraine should not be violently invaded and should not have its boundaries changed by force.'And the consequences of what's happening for the world are tough, but the price of backing down, the price of allowing Putin to succeed , to hack off huge parts of Ukraine, to continue with his programme of conquest, that price will be far, far higher and everybody here understands that.' Once the cameras were turned off Mr Johnson warned that trying to settle the standoff with Russia to hastily will 'only cause enduring instability' Although France has backed Ukraine, Mr Macron has appeared keener to come to terms with Mr Putin than other world leadersA No10 spokesman said of the meeting with Mr Macron: 'They agreed this is a critical moment for the course of the conflict, and there is an opportunity to turn the tide in the war. 'Both the Prime Minister and President Macron stressed the need to support Ukraine to strengthen their hand in both the war and any future negotiations.'President Macron praised the Prime Minister's ongoing military support to Ukraine and the leaders agreed to step up this work. 'The Prime Minister stressed any attempt to settle the conflict now will only cause enduring instability and give (Vladimir) Putin licence to manipulate both sovereign countries and international markets in perpetuity.'The leaders agreed to continue and enhance the close work between the UK and France on areas including defence and security.' Advertisement | Europe Politics |
People pick up their accreditation in the G7 press centre in the southern Bavarian resort where the G7 Summit will be held, in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany, June 23, 2022. REUTERS/Michaela Rehle/Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comBERLIN, June 25 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven wealthy countries must ramp up humanitarian aid to help tackle a global hunger crisis exacerbated by the war in Ukraine, a senior official of the United Nations' food agency in Germany was quoted as saying on Saturday.The group begins a three-day meeting in Bavaria, Germany, on Sunday against the backdrop of a UN warning that the world faces "an unprecedented global hunger crisis" as commodity prices soar."Hunger can destabilize countries and is thus a key peace and security issue," German World Food Programme director Martin Frick told the country's news organisation RND, noting that current food price inflation running at over 25% in 36 countries was a "time bomb".Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comHe also reiterated that the World Food Programme was probably going to get no more than half of the $21.5 billion it needs this year, so more aid was needed.Food security is expected to be on the agenda of the G7 meeting after the presidency launched a Global Alliance for Food Security in May to tackle hunger."There must be a common understanding that this crisis can no longer be solved by sticking plasters, but that the system must be changed," Frick said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Zuzanna Szymanska; Editing by Emelia Sithole-MatariseOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Global Organizations |
Up to 3 million British citizens living overseas for more than 15 years are set to be able to vote in the next general election.
Draft legislation changes on the enfranchisement of the long-term UK diaspora has been published, with the expectation it will become law under the parliamentary process by mid-January.
This would give enough time for Britons overseas to register for a vote in the general election if it happens in autumn 2024, as some Conservative sources have hinted.
The move brings to an end an almost 20-year battle by the late Harry Shindler, who challenged the former 15-year limit on voting rights in the high court in 2016. When successive governments failed to deliver on their manifesto promises he brought the case to the European court of justice.
Shindler, who died in February aged 101, had argued the UK “was a democracy but not a complete democracy” until all Britons were enfranchised.
“We owe a huge debt to Harry Shindler for his tireless campaigning on this and of course we are happy that the government has finally made good on its promise,” said Jane Golding, co-chair of campaign group British in Europe.
She said the proposed legislation was also the culmination of all the work campaigners in the organisation had undertaken since 2017 “to give Britons who live overseas a voice in the political process”.
Under the process the statutory instrument (draft legislation) must now go through the Commons and the Lords for final scrutiny, a process that usually passes without hitch and takes six to eight weeks.
British in Europe conducted a survey of more than 7,000 Britons affected – living in more than 60 countries – and raised questions with the government in relation to the registration and voting system that would follow.
British people living overseas for more than 15 years would be able to vote in the last constituency in which they were registered or provide proof of past residency.
For younger voters who emigrated before they could vote this could include school documentation, P45s or P60s.
“The list is non-exhaustive as it stands but we are very happy with it. We spent a lot of time asking in our survey about what sorts of documentation people had and what issues they had,” said Golding.
It is not known what constituencies the 3 million voters lived or were registered in but according to British in Europe’s survey, they were from every corner of the UK “from Land’s End up to the Orkneys”.
British in Europe said its survey showed high engagement with the political process at home with 84% saying they were “very likely” to vote in the next general election if they could and 10% saying they were “quite likely”.
About 18% said they would have found it difficult to prove their identity on the basis of the limited documentation allowed in the past.
Future voters will still need to go through identity checks, plus provide proof of past registration or past residency in the UK if they have not been on the electoral roll before.
For those registering for the first time, proof of former residency will be needed with a non-exhaustive list of documentation likely to be acceptable.
The list of documents to prove past residency is likely to include a British driving licence (including an expired licence); a letter from HMRC; a rent book from a local authority; a statement of benefits including child benefit; a letter from the Department for Work and Pensions confirming eligibility for a state pension; a utility or mobile telephone bill; a letter from an insurance provider; a letter from a student loans company or a bank statement, payslip, P45 or P60.
The Elections Act 2022 repealed the 15-year rule but many Britons living overseas were sceptical this government would deliver in practice. | United Kingdom Politics |
The headline, now increasing in pitch, capital letters and exclamation marks, is that net migration is off the charts. It is soaring. It is at an all-time high. So high that we ask, how did it come to this? The answer is, it came to this predictably and, in fact, inevitably. The way immigration numbers are reported is a sort of classification error, one forced by the overriding, unquestioned presumption that immigration is bad, that it must come down, and that politicians are in some duel with “hordes” of immigrants who are making their way into the country, managing somehow to vanquish one of the harshest immigration systems in the world.
More accurate headlines might be “UK skilled worker shortage intensifies”, “Loss of European Union research funding renders British universities increasingly dependent on overseas students”, “Business leaders call for expansion of shortage occupations due to post-Brexit recruitment challenges”, or “Funding cuts to nurse training result in staffing crisis”. Because these apparently vexingly high numbers are, to a large extent, the outcome of economic and political decisions that mean we invite immigrants to fill labour gaps that policymakers either did not anticipate, or ignored warnings about.
Think of it as a false economy, an accounting sleight of hand. A deferral of cost to the future so that the current balance sheet looks good. When David Cameron was warned by universities in 2011 that cuts to nurse training would result in a staffing shortage, he did not heed that advice, while only a year before he had pledged to bring immigration down to the tens of thousands. Last year, internationally trained nursing staff joining the register for the first time made up almost the same number as those trained in the UK. Cameron has long left the unseemly trenches of immigration scuffles, and is now a lord of the foreign policy highlands. If Brexit lore is to be believed and Cameron really did say, “Why should I do all the hard shit?” just before he resigned, then he really was on to something.
Because the “hard shit”, bequeathed to his successors and now the Labour party, includes not only the impossible task of making Brexit a success, but squaring the legacy of his “tens of thousands” pledge, one that now hangs like an albatross on all who follow him, with the realities of an ageing Britain after years of austerity. It is a futile endeavour, one in which it must never be admitted that these numbers are necessary. Policymakers in many cases – in order to finesse the balance sheet – create a lopsided global recruitment pool to compensate for the shrinking of their own, then fret in front of the cameras, incredulous as to how it came to this.
Nowhere is this more stark than in the nursing, health and care sectors. The 2010 training cuts resulted in an NHS England shortfall of 100,000 doctors and nurses. In 2015, bursaries for nurse training were abolished, resulting in a dramatic drop in student applications. The decline prompted a reintroduction of bursaries in 2020, but at a much-reduced rate. Where incentives were maintained in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, the number of student nurses went up. Yet the cuts in England continue. Earlier this year, the government announced that it would slash half of its spending commitments in social care staffing and retention, at a time when vacancies stood at 165,000. And that’s not even the most alarming number.
Skills for Care, which supports the adult social care sector, estimates that the sector needs almost half a million extra workers over the next 10 years to keep up with demand. If those above 55 choose to retire, another 430,000 could be lost over the same period. In January, despite doctor shortages, universities were instructed to limit the number of medical places in order to curb the costs of medical training, or face heavy fines.
The result, contrary to the perception that we are passive receivers of immigrants, is a recruitment drive from overseas so voracious that it has reached into what the World Health Organization categorises as “red list countries”, which already have weak healthcare infrastructure that would be even more compromised by emigration. According to the Nursing Times, three of the top seven countries from which the UK employs nurses are on that red list, reducing their capacity to heal and take care of their own people. Of doctors recruited in 2021, 81% were from one red list country. The tailwinds of austerity are global.
And those recruits are brought in to firefight, not thrive. They shoulder not only the burden of stretched care and health sectors, but high relocation costs and punitive terms of employment that hold them in a sort of bondage. In some cases, they are trapped in contracts for five years and if they wish to leave must pay thousands of pounds in exit costs that would cover the upfront spend by recruiters. There is something particularly grisly in passing off training costs to foreign health professionals and their governments, poaching those recruits, and then trying to make sure that they do not have the freedom to change jobs if conditions are poor. In other cases, pay was lower than promised and work did not start for extended periods due to bureaucratic delays in a vice of exploitation and incompetence that involves recruitment agencies, large private care providers and a sluggish Home Office.
Behind the flapping about “record numbers”, there are many of these stories: of people in shortage occupations across the board who have to pay national insurance contributions as well as a high immigration surcharge in annual health taxes and save up for the heavy cost of each leave-to-remain stamp. Who cannot negotiate better pay, hours or conditions under employer sponsorship agreements that leave them with little bargaining power. Who hold on to the hope, at the end of every month, that the numbers and the emotional tithes of leaving their homes will stack up one day.
What the record numbers constitute is not a country unable to control its borders, but one that has established a two-tier employment policy. One that refuses to invest in training and study, and deflects the moral outrage of that on to those who are brought in to plug those gaps. All while refusing to acknowledge that demographics mean that immigrants will always be essential, and so must be treated not as precarious bussed-in labourers, but with humanity, welcome and dignity. That really is the sum of it all. Doesn’t make a good headline though, does it?
Nesrine Malik is a Guardian columnist | United Kingdom Politics |
THE SNP’s leadership race has descended further into acrimony and chaos with a Regan campaign source accusing party HQ of “bussing” supporters of Humza Yousaf to hustings because they are “scared” he might lose.
They also expressed concerns over the integrity of the ballot and claimed dead people could end up voting in the contest.
The SNP said there was no evidence to back up the incendiary claim and insisted the process was “free, fair and well-run.”
Both Ash Regan and Kate Forbes have commented on the “serial hustings attendees” with familiar faces attending more than one of the party’s events.
Speaking to journalists on Thursday night, the Finance Secretary said she was sure that there was “a couple there who were in Inverness, Cumbernauld and Johnstone.”
“And having done that trek myself I wouldn't wish it on anyone,” she added.
Asked why she thought that was, Ms Forbes replied: “Either they are thoroughly enjoying the hustings because of the entertainment and the nature of the debate, or they are keen to get their various questions answered.”
Ms Regan also told reporters that there were "a lot of serial attendees at the hustings,” she said. “It is very important that the wider membership should have full trust in the transparency of this process.”
A Regan campaign source later suggested party bosses had not expected the race to be so close, with polls now putting Mr Yousaf and Kate Forbes neck and neck with SNP supporters.
“They are bussing people in to support Humza so it's a slightly more difficult crowd for everyone else as a result of that,” they said.
“I don’t think they started off as scared. I think they thought this would be a coronation.
"They obviously saw Kate as being the main challenger, so she has taken all the heat and it's been pretty nasty. And then he's denying it’s anything to do with him but it's from his campaign and we can all see it.
“So I think they're trying to shore up as much support for him as possible. They've broken the rules on multiple occasions - nothing's been done about that - so they're trying to take every advantage they can, I think inappropriately.”
The source said they were also worried about “ghost memberships.”
They claimed they were was “not enough due diligence” being done by the party to ensure the system isn’t being abused by lapsed members or votes in the names of dead people.
Mr Yousaf said he too had seen the same faces at a few hustings. “I have to say it is pretty dedicated because I suspect they hear the same answers from us time and time again.”
Asked if he thought there was an organised effort to get the same faces to hustings, he replied: “There have been lots of conspiracy theories so far in this campaign, but that’s a new one on me.”
He also said members should trust the process. "We've used it in many elections internally. I think if people want to get the excuses in early, they can do that. Let's not go down the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories, I don't think that's going to help anybody in this campaign.
"Let's keep it positive, we're all part of the SNP, let's not trash the SNP's record in terms of internal elections. We've done well in those elections and use that system for many years."
Ms Forbes also distanced herself from the claims. “I know that people have been unhappy that hustings have sold out quite quickly. But to be fair, you could watch all the live streams if you wanted from the comfort of your bedroom.”
She said she was still confident in the integrity of the process.
An SNP spokesperson said: "Whoever becomes the next SNP leader will do so as a result of a free, fair and well-run election process in keeping with best practice for such ballots.”
They added: “All the necessary safeguards are in place to protect the integrity of the ballot.” | United Kingdom Politics |
Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comSummaryUkraine needs modern air defence system, Zelenskiy saysG7 leaders hope to stress unityRussian forces assault LysychanskKYIV, June 27 (Reuters) - Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Monday urged Western leaders to supply anti-aircraft defence systems to his embattled nation as Russian forces assaulted Lysychansk, the last big city still held by Ukrainian troops in eastern Luhansk province.Addressing the Group of Seven summit in the Bavarian Alps via video link, Zelenskiy also asked for help to export grain from Ukraine and for more sanctions on Russia, a European official said.As the leaders met, Russian forces were bombarding Lysychansk, the Kremlin's immediate battlefield target following the fall of neighbouring Sievierodonetsk over the weekend.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comLuhansk governor Serhiy Gaidai said the city was suffering "catastrophic" damage from the shelling and he urged civilians to urgently evacuate."The situation in the city is very difficult," Gaidai wrote on the Telegram messaging app.Prior to his address to G7 leaders meeting in the resort of Schloss Elmaua, Zelenskiy had stressed the urgency of the need for more arms."Partners need to move faster if they are really partners, not observers. Delays with the weapons transfers to our state, any restrictions - this is actually an invitation for Russia to hit again and again," he said in the latest of the daily messages with which he rallies his compatriots.A senior U.S. official said the G7 countries would commit to a new package of coordinated actions toraise pressure on Russia and will finalize plans for a price cap on Russian oil.A European official said that as well as the air defence systems, Zelenskiy had asked for security guarantees in his address to the G7.The leaders will make a long-term security commitment to provide Ukraine with financial, humanitarian, military and diplomatic support, for "as long as it takes", including advanced weapons, the White House said.The United States is likely to announce this week the purchase of advanced medium to long range surface-to-air missile defence for Ukraine, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters. read more U.S. President Joe Biden had earlier told allies "we have to stay together" against Russia in the face of its assault on Ukraine, now in its fifth month.Sanctions have effectively cut Russia out of the global financial system but the war has created difficulties for countries way beyond Russia's borders, with curtailed food and energy supplies hitting the global economy. read more These also include Ukrainian grain exports, now trapped in ports, which normally feed millions of people across the Middle East, Africa and elsewhere.But Russian President Vladimir Putin has shown no sign of changing course as his troops battled to pick off another Ukrainian city.HORRORA smoke rises over remains of a building destroyed by a military strike, as Russia's attack on Ukraine continues, in Lysychansk, Luhansk region, Ukraine June 17, 2022. REUTERS/Oleksandr RatushniakThe General Staff of Ukraine's Armed Forces said on Monday Russian forces were using artillery to try to cut off Lysychansk from the south. Russian war planes had also struck near the city, the general staff said in its daily update.Tass news agency on Sunday quoted an official from Moscow-backed separatists as saying Russian forces had entered Lysychansk from five directions and were isolating Ukrainian defenders.Reuters could not confirm the report and the general staff update made no mention of separatists entering the city."Lysychansk, it was a horror, the last week," said Elena, an elderly woman from the city who was among dozens of evacuees who arrived in the Ukrainian-held town of Pokrovsk by bus from frontline areas."I already told my husband if I die, please bury me behind the house," she said.In a setback for Ukraine, Russian forces won full control of Sievierodonetsk, Lysychansk's twin city on the eastern bank of the Siversky Donets River, over the weekend when Ukrainian troops pulled out after weeks of bombardments and street fighting.Luhansk and neighbouring Donetsk province make up Ukraine's eastern Donbas region - the country's industrial heartland.The Donbas became a prime target for the Kremlin after Russian troops failed to take the capital Kyiv in the early stages of the war.Russian forces also control a swathe of territory in the south, including the port city of Mariupol, which fell after weeks of siege warfare that left it in ruins.Russian missiles also struck Kyiv for the first time in weeks on Sunday.Russia invaded Ukraine on Feb. 24 in what the Kremlin calls a "special military operation" to rid the country of far-right nationalists and ensure Russian security.Kyiv and the West dismiss that as a baseless pretext for a war of aggression that has killed thousands, sent millions fleeing Ukraine, destroyed cities and driven up food and energy prices.NO SPLITWestern countries rallied around Kyiv when Russia invaded Ukraine in February, but that unity is now being tested as soaring inflation and energy shortages rebound on their own citizens.At the summit, Biden emphasised the need for unity amid concern that there were diverging opinions in European capitals about how to handle the situation."Putin has been counting on it from the beginning that somehow the NATO and the G7 would splinter. But we haven't and we're not going to," the U.S. president said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Reuters bureaux; Writing by Angus MacSwan; Editing by Frank Jack DanielOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Europe Politics |
A while ago I received an email from one of those fact-checking websites questioning a story I had written about Sir Keir Starmer trying to block Brexit 48 times. As is often the case with such supposedly “unbiased” inquisitions, the intention seemed to be to find me guilty of falsely maligning the former shadow Brexit secretary. Suffice to say the investigation ended abruptly when I supplied a comprehensive and detailed list of every time the Labour leader tried to block Brexit, complete with Hansard references.
But then the fact-checkers set their sights on former prime minister Boris Johnson after he made a slightly different claim: that Starmer had “voted” 48 times to take the UK back into the European Union. “This is not correct,” they concluded with trademark pomposity. “The figure appears to be based on how Mr Starmer voted in 48 votes related to Brexit. But some of these votes were not about whether Britain should be part of the EU, and all but three took place before Britain left the EU.”
While the site argued Johnson was wrong to say the former director of public prosecutions had “voted” 48 times to take the UK back into the EU – by doing so, it reminded everyone of just how many times Starmer did set his face against the result of a referendum in which a clear majority voted to leave the bloc.
Of course, you do not have to undertake a lengthy fact-checking mission to know that Starmer was one of Parliament’s Brexit blockers in chief. You just have to have a memory. And while I appreciate that a week is a long time in politics, you’d have to have appalling powers of recall to forget his declaration, in November 2018, that Brexit “can be stopped”.
Only those suffering from severe amnesia would fail to remember all the times he campaigned to remain in the single market, the customs union and the bloc itself.
So when he insists that he doesn’t want to reverse the referendum result, anyone with any knowledge of politics from 2016 to 2019 will suspect that Starmer is speaking politically not personally. He’s not giving an honest opinion, he’s simply trying to win back the Red Wall voters Labour lost in 2019. Like most members of the liberal metropolitan elite, he deplores Brexit and would surely go running back to Brussels in a heartbeat if he could.
This week, the truth of the lie was exposed by Labour’s proposal to effectively take an annual quota of asylum seekers from the EU in return for an agreement that would allow Britain to send back some Channel migrants.
Insisting that closer co-operation with Brussels on the small boats crisis would mean taking back control of a situation the Government had lost total control of, he was forced to deny the proposals were a first step towards reversing Brexit, saying there was “no case for going back to the EU”.
Yet he refused to say how many asylum seekers he would be willing to accept as part of a “burden sharing” deal with Brussels, suggesting it would be a matter of negotiation. Negotiation with the EU? Good luck with that, mate. After holding discussions with Europol on Thursday, the opposition leader will meet Emmanuel Macron to discuss the plan next week.
He is also due to meet that other bastion of social cohesion, Justin Trudeau, prime minister of Canada, this weekend.
Make no mistake, this looks to be all about realigning with Brussels, as spelled out by David Lammy, the shadow foreign secretary, when he suggested in June that Labour could tear up the Brexit deal to forge closer economic links with the bloc, as part of his “Britain Reconnected” scheme.
But that is not the end of Labour’s deception. For Starmer is also being dishonest with voters about the implications of cosying back up to a system that is currently in chaos. Post-Brexit Britain may well be broken but the EU is a complete basket case.
Take its migrant settlement schemes. Europe is facing a massive influx of undocumented people. In June, EU interior ministers endorsed a scheme to distribute migrants among its members more evenly, sharing responsibility for people entering the Schengen Area without authorisation.
But this week, Germany pulled the plug on an initiative to accept refugees from Italy, despite it nearly collapsing under the weight of mass arrivals at Lampedusa. More than 123,800 migrants have arrived in Italy this year, including more than 8,000 this week. In a move that should raise serious alarm bells with Starmer, Berlin has accused Rome of failing to meet its own obligations to take back migrants. So much for solidarity.
Last month, meanwhile, Mateusz Morawiecki, the prime minister of Poland, agreed to go ahead with a referendum on the EU migration scheme, in which voters will be asked if they are willing to accept “thousands of illegal immigrants from the Middle East and Africa”. Along with Hungary, Poland has objected to the proposals from the start, regarding the quotas set by Brussels as “illegal”.
Several European countries have also been flirting with Rwanda-style schemes. Earlier this month, Karl Nehammer, the chancellor of Austria, said his government plans to “outsource” applications for asylum procedures to third states, saying: “We will not give in.” Despite already having some of the strictest rules in Europe on asylum applications, Denmark has also considered the idea of processing migrants in Kigali.
Presumably, no one has thought to mention any of this to all those Remainers, gormlessly waving EU flags at the Proms at the Royal Albert Hall last weekend.
These poor deluded souls “remain” under the illusion that the EU is some sort of friendly and progressive family of nations, when in fact its members are at each other’s throats over immigration.
Moreover, a lot of them are now what they would probably describe as “rabidly” Right-wing. Wave an EU flag these days and you are celebrating a union of countries led by politicians who most Remainers would never dream of backing if they were British. And those that haven’t lurched to the Right yet look ripe to do so, with Marine Le Pen polling well in France and the AfD gaining momentum in Germany. So-called “populists” have been doing well in the Netherlands, too, as part of a revolt against net zero.
If more nationalists get elected in the coming years, the EU “project” is going to start looking even more shaky than it is already. And let’s not even get started on some of the member states’ economic woes, which sometimes make stagnant Britain look like an economic powerhouse.
Remainers’ view of the EU as an efficient, technocratic progressive bloc is a fantasy. Think the situation in Britain is bad today? Just wait until Starmer gets into power and seeks to drag us back into this madness. | United Kingdom Politics |
A Tory MP has complained about 'lefty lawyers' blocking the deportation of Channel migrants to Rwanda - but Foreign Secretary Liz Truss insisted the first flight would depart today even if there was just one asylum seeker on board to establish the 'principle'. Peter Bone made a combative speech in the Commons last night as campaigners revealed that just seven of the original 130 people notified they would be on the first flight to the East African nation are still set to be on board. The MP Wellingborough told MPs: 'We hear that a number of people who were meant to be on the flight tomorrow have, miraculously, got some lefty lawyer to intervene and stop it. 'Can I suggest that instead of booking 50 people on each flight to Rwanda, book 250 people on it then when they stop half of them from travelling you still have a full flight - come on, get on and send them.'Boris Johnson has also turned his fire on lawyers who he accused of 'abetting the work of criminal gangs' as he insisted the government were 'going to get on and deliver' the plan. 'What is happening with the attempt to undermine the Rwanda policy is that they are, I'm afraid, undermining everything that we're trying to do to support safe and legal routes for people to come to the UK and to oppose the illegal and dangerous routes,' he told Cabinet this morning. Meanwhile, Liz Truss insisted the the first flight would be leaving today but could not say how many people will be on it.She told Sky News: 'We are expecting to send the flight later today. I can't say exactly how many people will be on the flight but the really important thing is we establish the principle and we start to break the business model of these appalling people traffickers who are trading in misery.'That is why we're doing this policy and that's why it's important we get the flight out today.'Asked if there could be no one on this flight, she said: 'There will be people on the flight and if they are not on this flight they will be on the next flight.' Pressed if it could be just seven individuals, she said: 'I don't have a figure. The important point is the principle.' Today, Foreign Secretary Liz Truss insisted the first flight would take off but could not say how few people will be on it Detainees in Brook House Detention Centre,Gatwick this morning on the day a flight to Rwanda is due to leave Priti Patel's Rwanda plan received a boost last night after judges refused to block today's flight Revealed: The piously lefty cabal who have fought to ground Rwanda flight By David Wilkes for the Daily Mail A collection of Left-wing groups have made legal challenges in a bid to block ministers' plan to send migrants to Rwanda. They are represented by lawyers who in many cases have links to the Labour Party and a lengthy record of bringing cases against the Government.MATRIX CHAMBERSBarristers from the trendy London human rights chambers – co-founded by Cherie Blair – represented the Public and Commercial Services (PCS) union, Care4Calais and Detention Action yesterday.One was top QC Raza Husain, who last month retweeted a message by Labour MP Chris Bryant criticising Boris Johnson's response to Partygate that said: 'Downing Street under him has been a cesspit of arrogant, entitled narcissists.' Mrs Blair left the chambers in 2014.LEIGH DAYA separate challenge to the Rwanda policy by charity Asylum Aid, due to be heard in court on Monday, was lodged by law firm Leigh Day, which was accused of being behind a 'witch-hunt' of British troops in Iraq.The firm and three of its solicitors – including senior partner Martyn Day – were cleared of a string of misconduct allegations following a disciplinary hearing in 2017. They had been charged by the Solicitors Regulatory Authority after the Ministry of Defence submitted a lengthy dossier of alleged wrongdoing, including claims they caused innocent troops years of torment.Leigh Day worked with Birmingham solicitor Phil Shiner to represent Iraqi clients in parallel legal actions. Mr Shiner was struck off as a solicitor for dishonesty over his handling of war-crime allegations against the Army.DOUGHTY STREETAsylum Aid's legal team also includes several barristers from Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer's former chambers, Doughty Street.They include leading human rights lawyer Helena Kennedy QC, who has been an active and outspoken Labour peer since entering the House of Lords as Baroness Kennedy after the general election in 1997. It is also where Amal Clooney, the lawyer wife of film star George, practises.Robert Latham, who retains an associate tenancy at Doughty Street, supported Sir Keir's leadership campaign with a donation of £100,000.DUNCAN LEWIS SOLICITORSActing for the PCS union, Care 4 Calais and Detention Action, Duncan Lewis has a long track record of bringing challenges against government immigration measures.In 2020, The Mail on Sunday revealed the firm had received £55 million in legal aid from the British taxpayer in just three years. The paper also told how the company's staff have travelled to Calais and offered support to refugees hoping to reach Britain.Owned by entrepreneur Amarpal Singh Gupta, who has been dubbed 'Britain's legal aid king', the firm has forged a close relationship with charities that work among refugee camps on the French coast. Staff have also reportedly boasted of mixing with senior Labour Party figures, including deputy leader Angela Rayner and foreign spokesman David Lammy.DETENTION ACTIONBella Sankey, director of campaign group Detention Action, is a former would-be Labour MP endorsed by Sir Keir. Like the Labour leader many years before, Miss Sankey previously worked at Liberty, the campaign group for civil liberties which has long been a recruiting ground for Labour politicians.PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL SERVICES UNIONThe union's firebrand general secretary Mark Serwotka was kicked out of the Labour Party in 1992 for being a member of the Trotskyist group Socialist Organiser. In 2016, he rejoined Labour, saying his long-time friend Jeremy Corbyn's leadership offered a 'genuine break from the past'. In recent years, he has called for a General Strike to 'bring the Tories down'.CARE4CALAISThe charity was at the centre of a scandal in 2017 when it emerged its married founder Clare Moseley, a former accountant and then 46, had a year-long affair with Mohamed Bajjar, then 27. He had falsely claimed to be a Syrian refugee, but was in reality a Tunisian market-stall trader married to another British woman.The charity is currently embroiled in a Charity Commission inquiry over 'serious governance concerns'.ASYLUM AIDIts Cambridge-educated director Alison Pickup leads a team providing legal representation to asylum seekers and refugees. She was previously legal director of the Public Law Project – and before that had a practice at Doughty Street Chambers, where she specialised in immigration, asylum and migrants' rights in the context of unlawful detention, community care, asylum support and access to justice.Among her achievements, Doughty Street Chambers' website lists her as having been junior counsel in 'two of the leading challenges to the legal aid cuts'.One was the successful challenge to the proposed 'residence test' for legal aid, the other established that Article 8 of the European Convention on Human Rights – the right to respect for private and family life – may require legal aid to be provided in immigration cases. It came as a government source suggested the chances of the first flight going ahead were 'very, very slim' even despite the government winning a key court battle.'All the lawyers who have been fighting in the courts will now turn their collective might elsewhere and direct all their resources at the remaining individuals due to be on board,' the source told The Times. 'They'll be exploiting every single loophole possible and using every trick in the book to get those last people removed from the flight.'[The chances of it going ahead as planned] are very, very slim.' Judges last night refused to block the inaugural flight scheduled for today to the offshore processing centre.Tory MPs cheered in the Commons as the Court of Appeal backed a ruling in the Home Secretary's favour last week, giving the policy the green light.A separate High Court bid to block the flight also failed yesterday when the charity Asylum Aid was denied an injunction.The Home Secretary has now won three victories in cases brought against the Government by Left-wing groups. But there is still only a slim chance that any migrants, including those who crossed the Channel in small boats, will be on today's flight to Rwanda.Just seven names remained of the 130 on the original passenger list last night after lawyers submitted a series of challenges.Further individual appeals by these seven, who include Iranians, Iraqis and Albanians, were expected in the hours before the flight.At least six further cases are due to be heard at the High Court today under the provisions of the European Convention on Human Rights and other legal measures. But the Court of Appeal's decision means Miss Patel's scheme to hand Channel migrants and other 'irregular arrivals' a one-way ticket to the east African nation has avoided falling at the first hurdle.The Home Secretary insists the policy is necessary to avoid further drownings in the Channel. 'People will see this as a good result for the Home Office, but now the policy is not facing a blanket ban, well-resourced lawyers will try to get their clients pulled off the flight individually,' a government source said.'They will try every tactic and exploit every loophole, probably waiting until the very last minute.'The leadership of the Church of England yesterday condemned the Rwanda operation as an 'immoral policy that shames Britain'. In a letter to The Times, Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby and 24 other bishops said: 'Whether or not the first deportation flight leaves Britain today for Rwanda, this policy should shame us as a nation.'Lord Justice Singh, chairing a panel of three judges in the Court of Appeal yesterday, declined to 'interfere with the conclusions' made by a High Court judge on Friday.He said Mr Justice Swift 'did not err in principle' when he refused to grant an interim injunction that would have stopped the flight taking off.Lord Justice Singh was a leading human rights barrister and founded Matrix Chambers with Cherie Blair.The appeal was brought by the Public and Commercial Services union, which represents a majority of UK Border Force staff, and charities Care 4 Calais and Detention Action. They were refused permission to appeal to the Supreme Court, although the applicants may lodge a further bid directly.Raza Husain QC, for the applicants, told the court the Rwanda policy featured 'a serious interference with basic dignity' and the High Court had wrongly assessed the strength of their claim. He added that if migrants were to be sent to Rwanda and a judicial review – due in July – rules the policy unlawful the Home Office would be required to return them to the UK.Migrants could then have 'significant claims' for damages, the QC suggested.But Rory Dunlop QC, for the Home Office, said: 'The flight tomorrow is important. This is a policy which is intended to deter dangerous and unnecessary journeys, journeys from safe third countries by people who do not need to make that journey to be safe, they can claim in France or wherever it is.'This is a policy that – if it works – could save lives as well as disrupt the model of traffickers.'Meanwhile, Boris Johnson has implicitly rejected Prince Charles's reported criticisms of the Rwanda plan.Mr Johnson declined to comment directly on whether the prince was wrong to call it 'appalling', but added: 'This is about making sure that we break the business model of criminal gangs who are not only risking people's lives but undermining public confidence in legal migration.'Labour's shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper said the scheme was 'shameful' and 'completely unworkable, deeply unethical and extortionately expensive'. It came as protestors were picturing scuffling with police last night after an emergency protest outside the Home Office in London.The demonstrations, which began at around 5.30pm and quickly swelled, included the former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn who was pictured speaking enthusiastically into a megaphone as a large crowd amassed. The Home Secretary has now won three victories in cases brought against the Government by Left-wing groups . Pictured: Human rights protesters demonstrate outside the Home Office in London The leadership of the Church of England yesterday condemned the Rwanda operation as an 'immoral policy that shames Britain'The scenes later turned chaotic after objectors were seen grappling with officers yesterday evening. The Met Police say no arrests were made.Charities had challenged an initial refusal to grant an injunction on Friday, with three Court of Appeal judges yesterday rejecting their appeal following an urgent hearing.The decision will not stop individual refugees from appealing their deportation, while a full judicial review of the policy is still due to take place in July.Yesterday afternoon, Lord Justice Singh, sitting with Lady Justice Simler and Lord Justice Stuart-Smith, said Mr Justice Swift had 'conducted the balancing exercise properly' and did not err in principle nor in the approach he took.He added: 'He weighed all the factors and reached a conclusion which he was reasonably entitled to reach on the material before him.'This court cannot therefore interfere with that conclusion.' The Court of Appeal's decision means Miss Patel's scheme to hand Channel migrants and other 'irregular arrivals' a one-way ticket to the east African nation has avoided falling at the first hurdle. Pictured: Border Force and the military escort migrant ashore at Dover Docks'This policy shames Britain': Entire Church of England leadership calls Government's plan to send failed asylum seekers to Rwanda 'immoral' as first flight is set to go ahead tomorrow By Jacob Thorburn for MailOnline Senior leaders at the Church of England have ripped into the Home Office's 'immoral' plan to deport migrants to Rwanda.The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are among those who have lent their pens to a strongly worded letter that denounced the policy as one that 'shames Britain'.Signed by the Most Rev Justin Welby and the Most Rev Stephen Cottrell, the senior leaders, alongside 23 bishops that sit in the House of Lords, criticised the plan for lacking morality.Writing to the Times, the co-signed letter states: 'Whether or not the first deportation flight leaves Britain today for Rwanda, this policy should shame us as a nation. 'The shame is our own, because our Christian heritage should inspire us to treat asylum seekers with compassion, fairness and justice, as we have for centuries.'It comes just hours after three Court of Appeal judges struck down lawyers, charities and campaigners' latest bid to thwart the first Kigali-bound flight leaving on Tuesday.The Public and Commercial Services union (PCS), which represents more than 80 per cent of Border Force staff, and charities Care4Calais and Detention Action challenged refusal to grant an injunction on Friday, which meant the first flight to the east African country could go ahead on Tuesday. But, following an urgent hearing in London on Monday, three senior judges dismissed the appeal, saying there was no error in the decision of Mr Justice Swift. The Archbishops of Canterbury and York are among those who have lent their pens to a strongly worded letter that denounced Boris Johnson's policy as one that 'shames Britain' Rev Justin Welby previously blasted the government's Rwanda plan for asylum seekers as the 'opposite of the nature of God' The letter is also signed by the bishops of London, Durham, Exeter, Birmingham and Manchester.The Home Office's proposals to fly migrants who entered the UK illegally to Rwanda have split opinion and drawn the ire of several high profile figures. Rev Welby had previously used his Easter sermon to describe 'serious ethical questions' around the plan to send asylum seekers to the East African nation.The Archbishop told his Canterbury congregation that the UK has a duty as a 'Christian country' to not 'sub-contract our responsibilities' after anyone who arrived in Britain illegally since January 1 could be relocated to Rwanda under a new deal. He later said it would have been 'cowardly' not to have spoken out against the plan. Cabinet ministers hit back at Mr Welby after his outspoken intervention in April. MPs later called Mr Welby's stinging intervention over the government's plan to send thousands of migrants with a one-way ticket to Rwanda 'clumsy'. Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, a committed Catholic, said the government is not 'abandoning' migrants but taking on a 'very difficult responsibility' with the 'intention' of doing good' which he said is important within Christianity. Other Tory MPs John Redwood, Mike Wood and Tom Hunt also blasted Mr Welby's comments with Mr Hunt saying the Archbishop should be wary of 'clumsily intervening' into political issues. Repeatedly asked about the Prince of Wales's (left) apparent view that the proposals are 'appalling', Boris Johnson (right in Cornwall today) insisted they were essential to 'break the business model' of people-smugglers There are fears ministers could be banned from putting Channel migrants on the first flight to RwandaThe Archbishop's comments were later echoed by Prince Charles, after The Mail revealed he had privately condemned the Rwanda asylum plan, saying giving Channel migrants a one-way ticket to Africa was 'appalling'.Downing Street tried to cool the tensions later, saying Mr Johnson has 'nothing but respect and admiration' for the Prince.The PM's official spokesman said: 'The Prime Minister has nothing but respect and admiration for the Prince of Wales, who's spoken out on a number of issues, not least the environment.'The tetchy exchanges with Mr Johnson came amid fears ministers could be blocked from putting Channel migrants on the first flight to Rwanda. Mr Johnson, according to sources who attended a private meeting between the Prime Minister and Tory MPs after Easter, claimed the senior clergyman had 'misconstrued the policy'. Dozens of protestors are pictured scuffling with Met Police officers outside the Home Office during the 'Stop Rwanda flights' protest on Monday evening Migrants travelling to the UK on small boats will be put on jets and sent to Rwanda while their applications are processed. Pictured: A map detailing the plan proposed by the Prime MinisterMr Johnson told LBC the Government had expected that 'very active lawyers' would try to challenge the Rwanda policy.'We have always said that we knew that this policy would attract attacks from those who want to have a completely open-doors approach to immigration, who want people to be able to come across the Channel without let or hindrance,' he said.'There are very active lawyers in this field. I have the utmost respect for the legal profession but it is also important we stop criminal gangs.'Asked if the policy will be worth it if it results in just one person being removed, Mr Johnson said: 'I think it's very important that the criminal gangs who are putting people's lives at risk in the Channel is going to be broken – is being broken – by this Government.A Government spokesperson said: 'Our world-leading Partnership with Rwanda will see those making dangerous, unnecessary and illegal journeys to the UK relocated there to have their claims considered and rebuild their lives.'There is no one single solution to the global migration crisis, but doing nothing is not an option and this partnership will help break the business model of criminal gangs and prevent loss of life.'Rwanda is a fundamentally safe and secure country with a track record of supporting asylum seekers and we are confident the agreement is fully compliant with all national and international law.'It comes just months after the former archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan William, was locked in a war of words with the Government over its £120m scheme to halt a surge in Channel crossings.He joined his successor and the incumbent Archbishop Justin Welby, and Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell in questioning the morality of the plan, labelling it 'sinful'. | United Kingdom Politics |
The largest numerical majority to be felled in by-election history (Mid Bedfordshire). And the largest percentage point majority to be felled in postwar by-election history (Tamworth).
This isn’t standard midterm blues for the government of the day. This is indicative of everything I’ve been writing about for the past year and a bit.
Exhaustion. Apathy. Indifference. Stop the world, I want to get off. All of these sentiments capture the state of politics and why Labour picked up ultra-safe Conservative seats last week. And this is likely to crystallise into something awfully dramatic for the Tories at the next general election.
Exhaustion with the cost-of-living crisis. Concern for this issue continues to transcend any other across every stratum of society. It matters in the Red Wall, in the Blue Wall, as well as in Scotland (making Labour’s victory in the recent Rutherglen by-election all the less surprising. As long as the cost of living is king, exhaustion will define the mood at the next election. Britons aren’t ready to move on – nay, Britons can’t afford to think of much else. Immigration may excite those on the edges, but largely those who typically care for little else. And while cynicism about boats, borders and refugees endures among the median Briton, those who make it their political priority remain few.
Apathy is the state of feeling among most Conservative voters. In 2019 they came out for Boris Johnson in order to “get Brexit done”. Now, little enthusiasm remains for the pale imitation that is “Action Man”. Less than half of 2019 Tory voters believe that Sunak unveiled a strong set of policies at the Tory party conference last month.
At present around 45 per cent of the base say they’ll vote Tory, around 30 per cent are unsure or wouldn’t vote, and 10-20 per cent say they’ll switch Labour. Tory strategists rightly point out that apathy is inevitable when you’re the party of government – when promises collide with practicality. But Tory apathy doesn’t just exist in isolation. Labour has a convincing poll lead as the best party to manage the economy – to tackle the issue that most animates voters. The opposition might not be trusted to solve the cost-of-living crisis, but relative to the government? Without question, it is more. “They couldn’t do a worse job,” as the customary focus group participant would put it.
Indifference. This interacts in a crucial way with apathy. Normally the apathy felt by the governing party’s supporters morphs into tacit enthusiasm as the election draws closer. It did in 1992, in 2005, in 2015, and at other times where the midterm polling position had suggested defeat for the government.
The reason to think this time will be different is the level of indifference towards a Keir Starmer premiership from… the Conservative base. Just half of them find the prospect dissatisfying, while a quarter feel the reverse and the rest don’t know. Tory campaigners hoping to rally the base through “New Labour, new danger”-style messaging are likely to be disappointed.
Stop the world I want to get off. This captures it all. More than two thirds of voters regard the next election as a moment for “change”. Sunak’s bid to claim this mantle in his Conservative conference speech showed he’s at least alert to this overarching sentiment, but he lacks the ability to turn it to his advantage. Unless the cost-of-living crisis loses its status as the pre-eminent political issue – unless it’s replaced by immigration or an issue on which the Tory reputation isn’t in tatters, I ask you: how can you overcome this? Unless public anxiety recedes as incomes improve – and are felt to improve – then once more, I ask you: how can you overcome this? | United Kingdom Politics |
On 9 June 2023, Nadine Dorries announced that she was standing down from her Mid Bedfordshire seat “with immediate effect”. In the end, it took a further 78 days for the former culture secretary and Boris Johnson loyalist to make good on her word, extending her boycott of the House of Commons chamber to 414 days in the interim.
Then, on 11 September, Chris Pincher lost his appeal against an eight-week suspension for an “egregious case of sexual misconduct”.
These are the brutal realities set the scene for a brace of by-elections in Mid-Bedfordshire and Tamworth, both Conservative heartlands, on Thursday. With Halloween still two weeks away, Pincher and Dorries are the spectres that haunt the Conservatives’ prospects in these supposedly safe seats.
Or that, at least, is the reading advanced by a leaked Conservative memo, obtained by Sky News yesterday.
The internal party document pins blame for potential further by-election routings on “enormous discontent” directed from the doorstep at Nadine Dorries and Chris Pincher in Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth respectively.
“We’ve always known the cause of these by-elections”, the memo reads, “i.e. MPs associated with our party’s challenges last year standing down who are personally associated with negative news stories, would hinder our performance”.
However, the memo has raised eyebrows for its commentary in other areas. It seems to soothe intra-party discontent by suggesting aggrieved former Conservative voters in Mid Beds and Tamworth are becoming “don’t knows” rather than flocking to the Liberal Democrat or Labour parties. “To date, there are very few direct switchers from GE19 Conservative to opponents. This is in line with recent by-elections”, it explains.
“Favourability ratings for Keir Starmer are relatively low”, the memo assures elsewhere. The internal document stresses that voters like the local Conservative candidates as well as the prime minister, before ultimately concluding that “two sizeable Labour victories are to be expected”.
Cynics have responded to the memo’s appearance in the media by suggesting it is an example of sly expectation management from CCHQ. Indeed, other indicators suggest the races in Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire, but the latter in particular, are tight. One poll for Mid Bedfordshire, commissioned by the Starmer-aligned think tank Labour Together but carried out by the independent pollsters Survation last month, put Labour and the Conservatives neck and neck on 29 per cent, with the Lib Dems on 22 per cent.
While Labour is increasingly presumed to triumph in Tamworth, therefore, in Mid Bedfordshire the bookmakers now narrowly favour the Conservatives. This is because the race in Nadine Dorries’ old constituency is complicated by Labour and Liberal Democrat electoral competition — with the two opposition parties facing off in an acrimonious contest to emerge as the natural receptacle for voters’ discontent. The 19 per cent swing Labour needs to win Mid Beds, although less than the 24 per cent swing it achieved in Selby, may prove difficult to muster.
In this way, the leaked memo probably speaks to a narrative being spun in CCHQ — with party officials undertaking to blame external factors for a brace of losses, while preparing the ground for spinners to embellish the PM’s own electoral credentials in a victorious outcome.
The memo, genuine or contrived, is also revealing in other aspects. Because it gets to the core of Sunak’s electoral-political dilemma: how does he improve the Conservative party’s prospects, which are shaped by the legacies two unpopular forebears, while maintaining the visage of unity among his parliamentary party? “Long Johnson” is endemic in both Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth it seems, not just Westminster.
This is noteworthy because the memo follows the prime minister’s attempt to undertake a hard relaunch of his premiership at Conservative Party conference — resting on the rhetorical gambit that the PM is the man to upend a stale “30 year political consensus”.
The “30 year political consensus” shtick was supposed to square the circle of Sunak’s electoral-political dilemma — in one breath castigating, if implicitly, his immediate predecessors while attempting to unite his party around a shared goal. But the immediate post-conference polls suggested the approach was not an immediate hit with at least one of his audiences: the electorate. Despite all the coverage of Sunak and his party, an Opinium poll conducted for the Observer showed the Conservatives’ polling unchanged on 29 per cent.
If Sunak does, as the memo intimates, lose both the Tamworth and Mid Bedfordshire seats to Labour, Sir Keir Starmer’s spin machine will be working overtime in a bid to tie Sunak’s popularity directly with the results. Conversely, Conservative spinners will stick to the strict outlined in the memo: they will suggest that while while Sunak is popular in the public, the political tides could not be held back in Dorries and Pincher’s former seats. Mid-term by-elections are difficult for governing parties, in any case, the narrative will flow.
But, if the Conservative party holds onto even one of these seats, the pro-Sunak spin will insist he is, in fact, moving the dial among the electorate in scenes which will essentially mirror the muted merriment after the Uxbridge by-election. A thin margin of victory will probably be leveraged into an important marker of success for Sunak — even if the Conservatives hold on to Mid Beds because of a statistical freak in the division of opposition votes.
The by-election in Tamworth also has an intriguing historical parallel which bodes ominously for the government. Before 1997, this area of the country was represented by the constituency of South East Staffordshire and, in April 1996, a by-election took place in South East Staffordshire roughly one year ahead of the general election. Then, as now, the Conservatives went into the contest defending a large majority — but Labour gained the seat on a huge swing of 22.1 percentage points.
In this way, for Labour, two Conservative defeats will give the party more opportunity to attack the government — and the press gallery more chance to write up those attacks.
After winning the recent by-election in Rutherglen and Hamilton West, Keir Starmer can show he is advancing in all “Walls” — Tartan, Blue and Red. Indeed, a “Red Wall” by-election may be just around the corner, with the MP for the marginal Blackpool South under investigation for alleged paid lobbying.
Then there is the matter of Wellingborough, which voted Labour at the 1997 and 2001 elections and could soon be the setting for a further by-election after Peter Bone’s recommended suspension of six weeks was upheld by the parliamentary commissioner for standards.
The big risk here for Sunak, therefore, is that his party enters an electoral doom loop with political chicanery and spin used to shield the Conservative Party from reality as his MP numbers are shaved by a series of by-elections. Perception is important in politics, and Sunak needs to shake his reputation as a “loser”.
Ultimately, two defeats on Friday morning will strengthen the feeling of fin de régime which presently envelops Sunak’s government and raise questions about how significantly the PM can alter his party’s electoral prospects before a general election.
One possible outcome of two Conservative losses on Friday morning, in this way, will be that the likelihood of a late election, perhaps in the winter of 2024 or even January 2025, increases.
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Twitter here.
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A No 10 source said Boris Johnson spoke to Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the Conservative 1922 Committee, to inform him of his decision to resignVideo LoadingVideo UnavailableBoris Johnson appears to threaten a general electionBoris Johnson is set to quit with staff in Number 10 drafting his resignation letter while he prepares to address the nation today. The disgraced leader will remain at Number 10 until a successor is in place, expected to be by the time of the Conservative Party conference in October. The PM has been hit with a flurry of resignations this morning - as the new Education Secretary quit and his Chancellor told him to do the right thing. More than 50 Tories have quit the government - ranging from from Cabinet ministers to aides and moderates to Red Wallers. Yesterday, the Prime Minister shamelessly refused to resign, sacking Michael Gove who told him to quit and sparking another flurry of desertions. The revelation the PM knew about claims against “grope” accused MP Chris Pincher was the last straw for many Tories. Follow the latest updates today in our live blog11:09Alahna KindredYouGov polls say Ben Wallace could be next leaderA YouGov poll among Tory members has put Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on top in a leadership competition.He beats (at 48%) all the main contenders including Liz Truss (29%).11:06Alahna KindredWho could put their name in to run?Following Boris Johnson's resignation, there is speculation about who will take over.Liz TrussThe foreign secretary is the darling of the ruling Conservative Party's grassroots and has regularly topped polls of party members carried out by the website Conservative Home.Jeremy HuntEarlier this year, he said his ambition to become prime minister "hasn't completely vanished". Hunt said he voted to oust Johnson in a confidence vote last month that the prime minister narrowly won.Ben WallaceDefence minister Ben Wallace, 52, has risen in recent monthsto be the most popular member of the government with Conservative Party members, according to Conservative Home, thanks to his handling of the Ukraine crisis.Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak was until last year the favourite to succeed Johnson.Sajid JavidHe is a Thatcher admirer and finished fourth in the 2019 leadershipcontest to replace former Prime Minister Theresa May.Nadhim ZahawiZahawi said last week that it would be a "privilege" to be primeminister at some stage.Penny MordauntCurrently a junior trade minister, Mordaunt called the lockdown-breaking parties in government "shameful". She had previously expressed loyalty to Johnson.Tom TugendhatHe has been a regular critic of Johnson and would offer hisparty a clean break with previous governments.However, he is relatively untested because he has neverserved in cabinet.Suella Braverman A Brexit-backing Attorney General, Braverman has indicatedshe will run for the leadership. She was heavily criticised by lawyers during her tenure after the government sought to break international law over post-Brexit trade rules in Northern Ireland.10:49Alahna Kindred'We don't like him'The Kremlin said on Thursday that British Prime Minister Boris Johnson didn't like Russia and that Moscow didn't like him either.Speaking during a call with reporters, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: "He doesn't like us, we don't like him either".Peskov said that reports that Johnson would shortly resign as prime minister were of little concern for the Kremlin.10:45Alahna Kindred'We don't have a functioning government'Angela Rayner, Labour Deputy Leader, said Boris Johnson was "always unfit for office".Speaking during today's Urgent Questions, she added that "we don't have a functioning government". She said it was "good news for the country" that Boris Johnson is expected to resign. Asking an urgent question on the functioning of Government in the Commons, Ms Rayner said: "I hate to break it to the minister but we don't have a functioning Government. "It will be good news for the country that the Prime Minister is to announce his resignation. He was always unfit for office. He has overseen scandal, fraud and waste on an industrial scale. "But the chaos of the last three days is more than just petty Tory infighting. These actions have serious consequences for the running of our country. "In the middle of the deepest cost-of-living crisis of a generation, with families unable to make ends meet, a dangerous war in Europe threatening our borders, and a possible trade crisis in Northern Ireland, Britain has no functioning Government."Angela Rayner in the Commons today (Image:Sky News)10:41Lizzy BuchanLiz Truss jetting back to the UKLiz Truss is cutting short her trip to Indonesia and racing back to the UK amid Boris Johnson's resignation announcement.The Foreign Secretary, who was attending a G20 Summit, is due to make a statement shortly, our Deputy Online Political Editor Lizzy Buchan tweeted today.✈️ Liz Truss cutting short her trip to Indonesia and due to make a statement shortlyWhat's a day of drama without a bit of flight radar??— Lizzy Buchan (@LizzyBuchan) July 7, 2022 10:36Liam BucklerThousands set to attend 'Boris Johnson's leaving party' Preparations for the possible departure of the Prime Minister are underway as a Facebook event for 7pm on Friday July has attracted over 2,800 confirmed guests and 12,500 interested party-goers.The public Facebook event, which has been set up by Howie Scarbrough, is asking guests to bring leaving drinks and cake - a tribute to the Partygate saga, one of the many scandals that has engulfed the PM during his leadership.The party, which kicks off at 7pm in central London, will be held outside the current home of Mr Johnson - Number 10 Downing Street - as guests are invited to join from all over the world.And guests have been quick to respond to the leaving event on Facebook as excited party-goers ready themselves for a party outside No 10 - if the PM goes.Read more hereThousands are set to attend 'Boris Johnson's leaving party' as the PM's future hangs in the balance (Image:Facebook)10:33Alahna KindredBoris Johnson and his relationship with the QueenBoris Johnson has been the 14th prime minister of the Queen's reign, and it has been an eventful time for the monarch with him at the helm.He has caused a certain amount of trouble for the nation's longest-reigning sovereign.He succeeded in drawing the Queen into a major constitutional row over the illegal proroguing of Parliament.He twice broke with convention and talked about their private audiences, and publicly apologised to the Queen and the country over events in Downing Street on the eve of the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral.The monarch is politically neutral and acts on the advice of her government in political matters.In 2019, Mr Johnson sparked a major constitutional row during the Queen's summer holidays in August 2019 amid Westminster's bitter Brexit battles after asking her to suspend Parliament for more than a month.The sovereign was duty-bound to hold a Privy Council meeting at Balmoral, her private Scottish estate, where, acting on the advice of the prime minister, she approved an order to temporarily close - or prorogue - Parliament for five weeks.In the end, the Supreme Court ruled that Mr Johnson's advice to the Queen to suspend Parliament was unlawful because it had the effect of frustrating Parliament.Mr Johnson apologised to the monarch.10:28Alahna KindredTherese Coffey to stay Work and Pensions Secretary Therese Coffey has said she will remain in office to ensure the "wheels of government keep turning".In a statement on Twitter, after it was confirmed that Boris Johnson intends to resign, she said: "I asked to speak to the PM yesterday evening and had still hoped to do so today. I fully understand colleagues' concerns and the very bad situation we are now in."The wheels of government need, though, to keep turning, especially at DWP which helps the most vulnerable in society."DWP needs to be firing on all cylinders to support them, especially with the cost-of-living payment beginning to be paid next week as part of our help for households."10:25Alahna KindredThere is growing alarm from Tory MPs that Boris Johnson might try to stay on until the autumnBoris Johnson is due to deliver his resignation statement today, and for long he will remain afterwards will be dependent on the 1922 Committee.Mr Johnson is said to want to stay on until October, so the party can select a new leader in time for their annual conference. The Energy and Business Secretary has said the country needs a new leader as soon as possible.Kwasi Kwarteng tweeted: "What a depressing state of affairs. So much needless damage was caused. "We now need a new Leader as soon as practicable. Someone who can rebuild trust, heal the country, and set out a new, sensible and consistent economic approach to help families."However, earlier this morning veteran Tory MP and former Brexit Secretary David Davis said he is "not too bothered" about Boris Johnson possibly remaining as Prime Minister until later this year.He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "The simple truth, this is going to take a month or two."We're hearing from people who were happy to be in Cabinet one week ago that we have now got to do this in five minutes flat."I'm not too bothered about the idea of Boris staying in place until we've got a new leadership."10:18Alahna KindredA string of resignations in the past few hoursOver the past few hours, there have been many that have jumped ship.Conservative MP for Bognor Regis and Littlehampton Nick Gibb tweeted: ZAs well as resigning as party leader the PM must resign his office. "After losing so many ministers, he has lost the trust and authority required to continue."We need an acting PM who is not a candidate for leader to stabilise the government while a new leader is elected."Rebecca Pow, an Environment Minister, tweeted: "Earlier this morning I tendered my resignation as Environment Minister. Values, integrity and the morals by which I live are at stake, and the needs of the country must always come first. My letter follows."Rob Butler has resigned as a parliamentary private secretary to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office after concluding he "can no longer reconcile loyalty" to Boris Johnson.Richard Graham, Tory MP for Gloucester, has stepped down as trade envoy to several south-east Asian nations after 10 years in the role, stating it is vital to "have full confidence in the leadership and integrity of the government that I represent".10:16Alahna KindredJoe Lycett's spoof letter The comedian wrote a hilarious spoof letter addressed to the Prime Minister and pretending to be signed by Nadine Dorries - a strong ally of Boris Johnson.Written on Parliament letterhead, it starts out in similar language as how other ministers have started their resignation letters.It then descends into pure silliness over a "PoptheTop automatic bottle opener". It goes on to say it is not the correct bottle opener.Here is an image of the letter in full.Comedian Joe Lycett tweeted this mock letter to the Prime Minister (Image:@joelycett/Twitter)10:12Alahna KindredBoris Johnson has spoken with the Queen, reports sayBoris Johnson has spoken to Queen Elizabeth as a courtesy ahead of animpending announcement about his resignation plan, ITV DeputyPolitical Editor Anushka Asthana has said.It comes Buckingham Palace declined to comment on whether the Queen has had any communication with Boris Johnson on Thursday morning.The Queen is at Windsor Castle and the Court Circular recorded that she held her weekly audience by telephone with Mr Johnson on Wednesday evening.Boris Johnson has spoken to the Queen, reports say (Image:PA)10:03Alahna KindredEd Davey's savage responseBoris Johnson's formal resignation is expected today as many believe he could stay on until October to allow the party to select a new leader.It is thought he will stay on as caretaker prime minister until the next party conference in the autumn. That is a decision to be made by the 1922 Committee.He will stay on as caretaker prime minister until October, with a new Conservative leader set to be installed in time for the party’s annual conference.Ed Davey, the leader of the Liberal Democrats, tweeted: "The idea that the Conservatives might make Boris Johnson caretaker for anything is frankly ludicrous. "The man’s never taken care of anything in his life."10:00Pippa CrerarAll the Tory MPs who could replace Boris Johnson in No10 as PM set to resign TODAYSenior Tories are jockeying for position to succeed doomed Boris Johnson, as the Prime Minister is set to resign with a statement later today.Following a flood of sleaze scandals including Partygate and the Chris Pincher furore, Mr Johnson’s time in No10 looks to finally be over.Since Tuesday night, more than 50 Tory MPs have abandoned their leader and staff at Number 10 have now said his letter of resignation has been prepared.The statement is expected to be made at lunchtime - but who could replace the outgoing PM as leader of the Conservative Party.Penny Mordaunt has emerged as the hot favourite to become PM.Rishi Sunak, Liz Truss, Ben Wallace and Sajid Javid are widely tipped to stand.After a bruising charge to oust their boss, MPs are set to enter a potentially divisive bid to choose a fresh direction.But can anyone unite the party split over Brexit and Mr Johnson’s shameless conduct?Read more from our politics team hereBoris Johnson at the door of No 10 (Image:Tim Hammond / No10 Downing Street)09:57Alahna KindredNicola Sturgeon has said there will be 'widespread relief' that Boris Johnson is quittingScotland's First Minister also questioned whether it was "sustainable" for him to remain in the role until the autumn.She tweeted: "There will be a widespread sense of relief that the chaos of the last few days (indeed months) will come to an end, though notion of Boris Johnson staying on as PM until autumn seems far from ideal, and surely not sustainable?"Boris Johnson was always manifestly unfit to be PM and the Tories should never have elected him leader or sustained him in office for as long as they have."But the problems run much deeper than one individual."The Westminster system is broken."Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said it is a relief Boris is going (Image:Getty Images)09:48Alahna KindredUK national security under threat amid resignationsA constitutional law expert has claimed that national security is at threat because of the resignations under Boris Johnson.Professor Adam Tomkins, a former Scottish Conservative MSP, said the scale of the exodus now means a "constitutional crisis is beginning to unfold".Prof Tomkins warned: "It is no exaggeration to say the national security of the United Kingdom is at threat."He said it is now a "constitutional imperative" for Mr Johnson to go, calling on the 1992 Committee of Tory backbenchers to accelerate its plans to change its rules to enable another vote of confidence in the Prime Minister.Prof Tomkins told BBC Radio Scotland's Good Morning Scotland programme: "My view is the 1922 Committee needs to accelerate its plan. "It's plan clearly was there would be elections to the executive on Monday, that executive would be formed of people who want to change the rules to enable the second vote of confidence in Boris as a leader as early as Tuesday of next week."It now looks like that is too late because we need to have a functioning government over the weekend, we need to have a functioning government now."We don't have a functioning government now because there is straightforwardly an insufficient number of Conservative MPs who are willing to serve in a Government headed by Boris Johnson."09:43Jasmine AlldayITV's Lorraine taken off air as Boris Johnson's resignation imminentITV show Lorraine was taken off air today as Boris Johnson prepares to resign as Prime Minister.The ITV daytime show was pulled off air as Downing Street confirmed he would be making a statement today where it is expected for him to confirm his resignation and leader of the Conservative Party after over 50 ministers left their post.During the show today, Lorraine Kelly was presenting their usual show when the announcement came and ITV moved their coverage to the news as it was confirmed that Mr Johnson would be speaking to the nation later today.It is not yet known how long the ITV daytime shows will be off air for.Read more here09:41KEY EVENTKeir Starmer says 'it should have happened a long time ago'Keir Starmer MP, Leader of the Labour Party, responding to news that the Prime Minister is resigning, said: “It is good news for the country that Boris Johnson has resigned as Prime Minister."But it should have happened long ago."He was always unfit for office."He has been responsible for lies, scandal and fraud on an industrial scale. And all those who have been complicit should be utterly ashamed."The Tory Party have inflicted chaos upon the country during the worst cost of living crisis in decades."And they cannot now pretend they are the ones to sort it out."They have been in power for 12 years. The damage they have done is profound. 12 years of economic stagnation. 12 years of declining public services."12 years of empty promises. Enough is enough. We don’t need to change the Tory at the top – we need a proper change of government. We need a fresh start for Britain.”Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer says Boris Johnson was always unfit for office (Image:PA)09:36Alahna KindredDeputy Chairman of the Conservative Party resignsResigning as deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, Luke Hall, Tory MP for Thornbury, said he felt "there is no choice"."I have taken the view that there must be parliamentary oversight of the inevitable leadership contest," he wrote in a letter to the Prime Minister, before it was announced that Boris Johnson had agreed to step down."However there are others who can provide that. The current situation is clearly untenable."I have spent many years supporting the Conservative Party at every level, but that loyalty is directed to the party, our values, and ultimately the communities we represent, not any one individual."It is now in the best interest of the Conservative Party and the country for you to step down."I am deeply saddened that it has come to this, but, like many other colleagues, I feel there is no choice."09:34Alahna KindredWho is in charge of the leadership contest?The 1922 Committee, a powerful backbench committee chaired by Sir Graham Brady, has the ultimate responsibility for setting the rules in any Conservative Party leadership contest.Leadership elections only happen if a Conservative leader resigns or if they lose a vote of confidence among MPs.Now that Mr Johnson has spoken to Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady and agreed to stand down, a leadership contest will be held to replace him as Tory leader.In the meantime, he will remain as a caretaker prime minister.The timetable for a contest is agreed by the 1922 Committee and Tory Party HQ, with a new Tory leader expected to be in place by the party conference in October.09:33Alahna KindredMr Johnson 'needs to apologise to the Queen'George Freeman, who announced he had no confidence in the Prime Minister, said Boris Johnson must apologise to the Queen and advise her to call for a caretaker prime minister.He tweeted: "Boris Johnson needs to hand in the seals of office, apologise to Her Majesty and advise her to call for a caretaker prime minister."To take over today so that ministers can get back to work and we can choose a new Conservative leader to try and repair the damage and rebuild trust."09:22KEY EVENTNo10 has confirmed Mr Johnson will be making a statement todayBoris Johnson will make a statement to the country as the embattled Prime Minister prepares to finally resign.Tory MPs have abandoned their scandal-hit leader with more 50 Conservatives quitting since Tuesday night.Staff in No 10 have been told that Mr Johnson is quitting and his letter has been prepared, two sources told the Mirror.He is expected to make a statement around lunchtime.A No 10 spokesperson said: “The Prime Minister will make a statement to the country today.”Read more here09:17KEY EVENTBoris Johnson is preparing to resignBoris Johnson is preparing to resign as Prime Minister after being abandoned by his MPs.The Prime Minister has spoken to Tory 1922 Committee chairman Sir Graham Brady and agreed to stand down, with a new Tory leader set to be in place by the party conference in October, a No 10 source said.Staff in No 10 have been told that Mr Johnson is quitting and his letter has been prepared, two sources told the Mirror.He is expected to make a statement later today.Boris Johnson is preparing to quit this afternoon, it is said (Image:Getty Images)09:00Alahna KindredEducation Secretary quits after less than two days Education Secretary Michelle Donelan has resigned.Barely two days after being promoted to Education Secretary, Michelle Donelan has resigned.The MP for Chippenham replaced former Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi after he got promoted to Chancellor following Rishi Sunak's resignation.This morning, she shared a letter where she explained she "pleaded" for Boris Johnson to do the right thing and resign.She wrote: "You have put us in an impossible situation. I am deeply saddened that it has to come to this, but as someone who values integrity above all else, I have no choice."08:52Alahna KindredSuella Braverman said she isn't going to quitAttorney General Suella Braverman said she isn't planning on quitting, after sensationally throwing her name in the ring to replace Boris Johnson.She said: "For example, myself, I am in a role which is of constitutional and legal significance."I am still in situ, I am still discharging those duties and those functions in my capacity as a Government minister."She also revealed that she has not personally spoken to Mr Johnson to tell him to resign."I haven't actually spoken to him directly. I have informed the whips of my view. But it seems to me that yesterday there were a lot of people telling the Prime Minister directly this very message."08:48KEY EVENTNew Chancellor calls for Mr Johnson to throw in the towelNadhim Zahawi has sent a letter to the Prime Minister calling for him to leave, less than 48 hours after he was appointed Chancellor.He took over after Rishi Sunak resigned on Tuesday evening.He told Boris Johnson: ''You must do the right thing and go now.''Read more hereNadhim Zahawi has called for Boris Johnson to resign (Image:AFP via Getty Images)08:33Alahna KindredRishi Sunak dodges questions this morningThe former Chancellor was seen walking past reporters as he left his house this morning.He avoided answering questions following his bombshell resignation and the political events of the past two days.Mr Sunak became the second minister on Tuesday to resign from his post after Sajid Javid quit as Health Secretary.He said he had not taken the decision to step down lightly as Britain grapples with the cost of living crisis and the war in Ukraine.But he added: "The public rightly expects the government to be conducted properly, competently and seriously."I recognise this may be my last ministerial job, but I believe these standards are worth fighting for and that is why I am resigning."Rishi Sunak was seen avoiding questions outside his house this morning (Image:Sky News)08:26Dan BloomThe tally of resignations as it standsBetween 6pm on Tuesday and 8.15am on Thursday 51 MPs resigned from the government - 25 ministers, 21 parliamentary private secretaries, four trade envoys and one Tory vice chair.There now won't even be enough warm bodies to form a new government, yet the PM is trying to keep one together anyway.What's more, once the 1922 Committee's new executive is elected on Monday they are likely to have a new confidence vote - and simple maths tells us Boris Johnson will lose. Only 32 MPs needed to switch sides to oust him.Read more here08:12Alahna KindredAnother two ministers jump shipThe Technology Minister Chris Philp and Junior Minister James Cartlidge have both resigned this morning.Philp was once ultra-loyal to Mr Johnson, and said in his resignation letter to the Prime Minister, told him that the events of the past few weeks meant he could not serve in Government anymore.He told Boris Johnson that it had been a "privilege to serve the people of the United Kingdom".Referencing the Online Safety Bill, currently moving through parliament, Mr Philp said: "If the Government requires any practical assistance in getting the Bill through Commons Report Stage given the current scarcity of ministers, I would be happy to provide it."He told the Prime Minister that "integrity, honesty and trust in politics" were important."Given events over the past few weeks and months I, therefore, think that you should resign as Prime Minister and it follows that I cannot serve in your Government any longer."Mr Cartlidge quit as courts' minister, telling Boris Johnson: "The positionis clearly untenable."A total of six ministers have resigned this morning. Chris Philp became the fifth minister to resign this morning (Image:Katie Pugh)08:00Kieren WilliamsPensions Minister becomes latest MP to quitPensions Minister Guy Opperman has become the latest Tory MP to quit.As this morning's flurry of resignations continue, the MP for Hexham added his name to the growing list trying to force Boris Johnson from government.Announcing his resignation, he said: "It has been a honour, and a great responsibility, to serve as a minister, but we need leadership change, and I have resigned. "I will continue to work for my constituents in Hexham from the backbenches. My letter to the PM."Guy Opperman previously spoke out against the government after he revealed that Downing Street staff partied as he was unable to be with his wife as their baby twins died.Invalid EmailSomething went wrong, please try again later.We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you've consented to and to improve our understanding of you. 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The brothers accused of killing and dismembering veteran British journalist Dom Phillips and his Brazilian guide were today pictured in handcuffs as police led them to a remote area where the bodies may have been left.Federal police were seen taking a hooded man they called a suspect out on the river where the pair had disappeared. They did not comment on any confession, but local broadcaster Band News earlier reported both men had admitted to the killings. Both suspects were later formally identified as fisherman Amarildo da Costa, known as 'Pelado,' who was arrested last week on weapons charges, and his brother Oseney da Costa, 41, or 'Dos Santos,' who was taken into custody on Tuesday night. Heavily armed federal officers yesterday led fisherman 'Pelado' onto a boat and towards a remote river Atalaia do Norte where British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Periera went missing earlier this month.President Jair Bolsonaro said on Wednesday afternoon he expected the case to be wrapped up 'in the coming hours.'The news comes on the same day that the Brazilian ambassador in London had to apologise for its embassy mistakenly telling the family of the journalist that the pair - including Pereira - were found dead. Amarildo, 41, a fisherman, nicknamed 'Pelado', was seen by witnesses in a boat following Phillips and Pereira at high speed before their disappearance.Local police found traces of blood on his boat which are being analysed, and personal effects of the two missing men near the home of 'Pelado,' who was arrested on June 7 and has denied any involvement.They also seized firearm cartridges and an oar but did not say if they were found in the same place or where the latest suspect was arrested.The families of Phillips, 57, and Pereira, 41, have endured an anguished wait for news since the pair disappeared a week ago Sunday. It is believed they were on a trip to Brazil's Javari Valley, a remote jungle region rife with illegal fishing, logging, mining and drug trafficking. Oseney da Costa, 41, or 'Dos Santos,' is pictured leaving a courthouse in Atalia do Norte, Brazil on Wednesday June 15 after he was detained by military and civil officers the previous night Suspects in the disappearance of British journalist Dom Phillips and his Brazilian guide Bruno Pereira have confessed to killing and dismembering the men. Pictured: Police with a man believed to be one of the suspects in Brazil's Amazonas state of Atalaia do Norte Heavily armed federal officers led the suspect onto a boat and towards the river where missing British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Periera went missing The families of veteran correspondent Dom Phillips (pictured), 57, and Pereira, 41, have endured an anguished wait for news since the pair disappeared a week ago Sunday Bruno Araújo Pereira, an expert on the indigenous peoples of the Amazon, also went missing with his health ID card and clothes found alongside Mr Phillips' backpack Federal Policemen carry seized material, pictured yesterday, including an oar during a search operation for British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira Federal Police officers seen yesterday conducting a search operation for British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira Brazil's President Jair Bolsonaro (pictured speaking in Florida, USA on Saturday) said he expected the case to be wrapped up 'in the coming hours' Local police found traces of blood on Pelado's boat which are being analysed, and personal effects of the two missing men. Pictured: Federal police officers carrying boxes at the pier after searching for Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and freelance British journalist Dom Phillips in Atalaia do NorteThe search for the pair was nearing an end on Tuesday, as the area left to search grows smaller, a spokesman for indigenous group Univaja said.In a statement police said Oliveira also known as 'Dos Santos' did not resist arrest for 'alleged aggravated murder' at his home in Atalaia do Norte, the Guardian was told. Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro announced on Monday that human remains had been found in the search, saying 'something wicked' had been done to them. 'The indications are that something wicked was done to them,' Bolsonaro said, claiming that 'human innards were found floating in the river, which are now undergoing DNA testing.'But the Brazilian ambassador to the UK, Fred Arruda, has since apologised to Philips' family.He went on to say the embassy had been 'misled' by information it had received from 'investigating officials'. Flavia Farias (R), a relative of Dom Philips, cries with her friend Luis Fabiano (L) during a protest against their disappearances The Javari region is an area notorious for illegal mining and drug trafficking, and the pair had reportedly faced threats before their disappearanceMr Arruda wrote to the journalist's family: 'We are deeply sorry the embassy passed on to the family yesterday information that did not prove correct, 'On reflection, there was precipitation on the part of the multi-agency team, for which I wholeheartedly apologise,' Arruda added, 'The search operation will go on, with no efforts being spared.'Our thoughts remain with Dom, Bruno, yourselves and the other members of both families.'On Tuesday, police said they had found personal items belonging to the two men, including Pereira's health card, trousers and boots, as well as Phillips's backpack and clothing.Bolsonaro, whose government has faced accusations of failing to act urgently enough in the case, said hope was fading with each passing day.'Because of the time that's passed - eight days now, approaching the ninth - it's going to be very difficult to find them alive,' the president told CBN Recife radio on Monday. 'I pray to God for that to happen, but the information and evidence we're getting suggest the opposite.' Amariledo 'Pelado' da Costa was taken into custody by authorities in Amazonas, Brazil. His family claim he has been waterboarded by police in an effort to extract a confession The Amazon hunt for missing British journalist Dom Phillips and Brazilian Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira was set to continue today. Pictured: Indigenous people in the Amazon rainforest take part in the search for the missing men in in Vale do Javari on Monday Pictured: Boats belonging to members of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley (UNIVAJA) are seen in this aerial photograph during the search for the two missing men Veteran correspondent Dom Phillips and respected indigenous specialist Bruno Pereira, are believed to have gone missing in Vale do Javari, municipality of Atalaia do Norte, state of Amazonas, on MondayBolsonaro's comments confirmed those by the families of the missing men that remains had been discovered, although the circumstances appeared to differ. Police officials later denied what the families were saying.Mr Phillips' brother-in-law Paul Sherwood told The Guardian on Monday: '[The ambassador] said he wanted us to know that… they had found two bodies.'He didn't describe the location and just said it was in the rainforest and he said they were tied to a tree and they hadn't been identified yet. He said that when it was light, or when it was possible they would do an identification.'Mr Phillips' wife Alessandra Sampaio also confirmed the discovery of the two bodies and niece Dominique Davies told AFP via text message that 'two bodies have been found' in the search.Maria Sampaio, Mr Phillips' mother-in-law, said afterwards she believed the two men 'are no longer with us' and had 'given their lives in defence of the rainforest.'Alessandra Sampaio, who had earlier made a tearful appeal for her husband's return, reposted the sentiment and said she agreed. Brazil's president Jair Bolsonaro (pictured last week) announced yesterday that human remains had been found in the search, saying 'something wicked' had been done to them Pictured: An indigenous member of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley trecks through the rainforest during the search for Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira Pictured: Indigenous members of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley search for clues as to the whereabouts of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira Pictured: Indigenous members of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley search for clues as to the whereabouts of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira Pictured: Boats belonging to indigenous members of the Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley as they search for clues as to the whereabouts of Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira'They are no longer with us,' Maria wrote on Instagram on Monday. 'Mother nature has snatched them away with a grateful embrace. The material has been undone and incorporated into the earth they so loved and respected.'Their souls have joined those of so many others who gave their lives in defence of the rainforest and Indigenous peoples.'Today they form part of an immense and pulsating vital energy that emanates from this immense greenery that is the heart of Brazil.'Dominique Davies told AFP news agency via text message that authorities had informed the family two bodies had been found.'We are waiting on confirmation from the federal police (in Brazil) as to whether they are Dom and Bruno. We all remain upset and distressed at this time,' she said.However, federal police later said in a statement that reports that Phillips and Pereira's bodies had been found were incorrect. The Union of Indigenous Peoples of the Javari Valley (UNIVAJA), which is taking part in the search, also denied two bodies had been found.The police have confirmed they are analysing a blood sample and suspected human remains found during the search to determine whether they are from the missing men. They said the results of these analyses are expected 'during this week.' Indigenous people march to protest against the disappearance of Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and freelance British journalist Dom Phillips, in Atalaia do Norte, Vale do Javari, Amazonas state, Brazil, Monday, June 13, 202 Dozens of indigenous protesters marched Monday (pictured) in Atalaia do Norte, the small city Phillips and Pereira had been headed to, demanding answers on their whereabouts Pictured: Indigenous people protest over the disappearance of Phillips and Pereira on Monday People hold signs during a vigil following the disappearance of British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira in front of the headquarters of Brazil's National Indian Foundation (FUNAI), in Brasilia, Brazil June 13, 2022 A woman cries during a demonstration to protest the disappearance, in the Amazon, of British journalist Dom Phillips and expert on indigenous affairs Bruno Araujo Pereira, in Copacabana beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Sunday, June 12, 2022The first suspect - Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira - was arrested after finding traces of blood on his fishing boat along with illegal ammunition.Samples of the blood are on their way from the western Vale do Javri region of the Amazon, a vast area the size of Ireland and Wales combined, to government laboratories in the jungle capital of Manaus for analysis.In the meantime, a judge has granted police permission to continue holding Mr Oliveira - known as 'Pelado' - for further questioning.He has pleaded innocence, saying he is a fisherman and the ammunition he was carrying was used for his trade. Alessandra Sampaio, Mr Phillips' wife, said bodies have been found in the AmazonEarlier, Elizeu Mayaruna, who works for indigenous agency Funai, told Reuters that, while searching the forest along the Itacoai river on Saturday, he found clothes, a tarp and a bottle of motor oil.Mayaruna and two other members of an indigenous search team acquainted with Pereira, a former Funai official, said they recognised a shirt and pants that belonged to him.Witnesses said they saw Pereira and Phillips, a freelance reporter who has written for the Guardian and the Washington Post, travelling down that river last Sunday.The two men were on a reporting trip in the remote jungle area near the border with Peru and Colombia that is home to the world's largest number of uncontacted indigenous people. The wild and lawless region has lured cocaine-smuggling gangs, along with illegal loggers, miners and hunters.News of the pair's disappearance resonated globally, with Brazilian icons from soccer great Pele to singer Caetano Veloso joining politicians, environmentalists and human rights activists in urging President Jair Bolsonaro to step up the search.Reuters witnesses saw the stretch of riverbank were Mayaruna discovered the clothing cordoned off by police on Sunday morning as investigators scoured the area, with a half dozen boats ferrying police, soldiers and firefighters back and forth. Federal police officers arrive at the pier with items found during a search for Indigenous expert Bruno Pereira and freelance British journalist Dom Phillips in Atalaia do Norte, Amazonas state, Brazil, Sunday, June 12 Police officers and rescue team members sit on a boat during the search operation for British journalist Dom Phillips and indigenous expert Bruno Pereira on Sunday Phillips talks to two indigenous men while visiting a community in Roraima, Brazil, on November 16, 2019Bolsonaro, who last year faced tough questioning from Phillips at news conferences about weakening environmental law enforcement in Brazil, said last week that the two men 'were on an adventure that is not recommended' and suggested that they could have been executed.State police detectives involved in the investigation have told Reuters they are focusing on poachers and illegal fisherman in the area, who clashed often with Pereira as he organised indigenous patrols of the local reservation.Some 150 soldiers had been deployed via riverboats to hunt for the missing men and interview locals, joining indigenous search teams who have been looking for the pair for a week. Meanwhile, Brazil's government faces pressure from international media organizations, rights groups and high-profile figures over the case - fueling criticism of Bolsonaro's policies on the Amazon, where illegal deforestation and other environmental crimes have surged since he took office in 2019.Dozens of indigenous protesters marched Monday in Atalaia do Norte, the small city Phillips and Pereira had been headed to, demanding answers on their whereabouts.'It's been a week... and every day brings conflicting reports,' Natalie Southwick, Latin America coordinator for the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), said in a statement.'CPJ remains deeply concerned about the government's insufficient response and lack of transparency. Brazilian authorities must stop dragging their feet.'Irish rock band U2 became the latest to rally to the cause, joining Brazilian football legend Pele and iconic singer Caetano Veloso.'We are waiting to find out what has happened to these courageous men,' the band tweeted, along with a red-and-black drawing of the pair by artist Cristiano Siqueira that has gone viral.'Where are Dom Phillips and Bruno Pereira?' it reads. Bruno Pereira takes part in an Indigenous protest in Brasilia, Brazil, 2019 in this picture obtained by Reuters on June 10, 202A GoFundMe page to aid the efforts to help Phillips and Pereira's family has also been set up, raising $37,139 (£30,765).Friends of the pair said: 'At this tragic moment, when these families have so much to worry about, money should not be another concern. 'Dom, Bruno, Alê, Beatriz, and their children need our help not only to pay the bills, but also to cover new costs that emerge as they continue the search. Even the smallest donation is valuable. 'Together we can show that these brave souls are not alone and that we are united behind them.' | Latin America Politics |
Crude price cap should not just apply to Russia, says Macron, as leaders seek to ease energy pressures Emmanuel Macron, right, with Joe Biden at the G7 summit in Bavaria © Pool/AFP/Getty Images Receive free G7 updatesWe’ll send you a myFT Daily Digest email rounding up the latest G7 news every morning. Emmanuel Macron wants to see a drive for higher oil production around the world as the French president seeks ways of bringing down the cost of energy and alleviating the pressure being felt by energy-importing economies. Macron made the proposal to fellow G7 leaders as they seek to hammer out the details of a price cap on Russian oil that aims to push down costs and dampen surging inflation. The French president said the price ceiling should apply to all producers around the world, and not just Russia, but did not spell out how this would work, according to officials familiar with the discussions. A French official later said the idea was “not a global price cap”, but a way of moderating prices via higher oil output. In particular, France wants to explore ways of bringing production from Venezuela and Iran, both subject to US sanctions, back on the market. US president Joe Biden has already courted Nicolás Maduro’s authoritarian regime in Venezuela in an attempt to cool the oil market. France’s intervention underscores the deep alarm among G7 leaders about the toll on their economies. They have spent the summit in Schloss Elmau debating ways of curbing energy costs, with the dialogue focusing on a US push for a ceiling on the price of Russian oil. Officials are still working on the details of the mooted price cap on Russian crude, which would be enforced via limits on the availability of European services including insurance for Russian oil shipments. Officials caution that the scheme is highly complex and will need intensive technical work. It could face challenges in the EU where sanctions require consent of all 27 member states. G7 leaders are expected to announce that they “welcome” the idea in principle while acknowledging that much work still needs to be done to make it happen. They are likely to charge experts with formulating a concrete proposal. “We are supportive of the basic structure,” said one G7 official about the ceiling on the Russian oil price. “But the details need to be hammered out.” Another said that all G7 states agreed with the “basic idea that we have to reduce the sources of revenue for Russian oil”. Macron’s calls for higher production came after Opec and its allies agreed earlier this month to accelerate oil production in July and August. The US has been putting pressure on the cartel’s linchpin, Saudi Arabia, to cool the crude price rally as it hangs over the global economy. Biden is undertaking a trip to the Middle East in July, including a planned stop in Saudi Arabia. One G7 official sounded a deeply sceptical note about the idea of a global price cap, warning that it would destroy producer countries’ incentive to pump more oil to replace the Russian crude squeezed out of the market.Three members of the G7 are also significant oil producers. The US is the world’s biggest producer, pumping almost 18mn b/d of crude and natural gas liquids; Canada is the fifth largest, pumping some 4.5mn b/d of crude; and the UK pumps more than 900,000 b/d, second only to Norway among European members of the OECD. Additional reporting by David Sheppard in London Get alerts on G7 when a new story is published | Global Organizations |
Two annual gatherings and two carefully choreographed perorations later, and Rishi Sunak and Keir Starmer appear to have settled, in their headline pitch at least, on a similar electoral strategy: sell “change”.
Look no further than the headline pitches, and you might conclude that Britain is suffering an unlikely blight of banal bipartisanship. But Sunak and Starmer’s ostensible rhetorical consensus is belied by the political contortions and sly electioneering that underpin it.
At the most basic level, control over an election campaign’s core divide is the preserve of the government of the day. An opposition party is bound structurally by its responsibilities as not currently the government to major on the need for some form of “change” if it seeks to construct a compelling narrative about why a prime minister and party must be replaced.
The government, conversely, has more agency. And at the start of the year, it seemed Rishi Sunak intended to face the public in 2024 with a message of “Britain’s on the right track, don’t turn back” — the apparent antithesis of a “change” message deployed to such success by the PM’s Conservative predecessors Margaret Thatcher (1983) and David Cameron (2015). As was widely commented upon at the time, the “five pledges” were not about concentrating Whitehall’s attention, but attracting yours. The PM planned to bore Britain with a record of delivery so undeniable, so straightforward that the public would be forced to reward his party with an unprecedented fifth term.
But, of course, a “right track” campaign only works if voters agree — and/or can be persuaded that the opposition party presents some kind of risk to progress. Importantly, it also won’t work if things are still getting worse but at a slower rate (see Sunak’s pledge on inflation for example).
The shift in strategy from Sunak’s five pledges, swelled with New Year goodwill and optimism, is in essence an admission that delivery-focussed messaging will not figure well while the headline indicators — on small boats, debt and NHS waiting lists — remain so bearish.
Now, that Sunak has settled on reimagining himself as some eminent political pathfinder, sets up a fascinating battle with his Labour opponent. Indeed, recent elections have seen opponents largely talk over each other on the campaign trail: in 2015, Cameron insisted his economic plan was progressing swimmingly amid calls for a switch-up from Ed Miliband; in 2017, Theresa May sought to narrow the terms of the debate to Brexit, which Jeremy Corbyn to some success resisted; and, in 2019, Boris Johnson once more spoke of Brexit and the promised lands with lay beyond it — Corbyn could not this time skew the conversation.
But if this conference season is anything to go by, both parties will agree in 2024 about the need for a pretty radical new departure. So with the terms of the debate set, and the candidates’ pitches largely carved out, how do their arguments fair when considered together?
It is first worth focussing on Sunak’s platform — which, as the latest leading light of a 13 year political ascendency, is rather more audacious than Starmer’s.
A core assumption of the PM’s new strategy is that the electorate at large does not yet really know their prime minister — and that their view of him can, therefore, be moulded and reconfigured. Sunak is selling his “reinvention” as his most authentic self free finally bursting to the fore; but is the electorate’s understanding of the PM so ingrained that any reinvention will be rendered futile?
Second, Sunak must work to tie Labour and Keir Starmer to the “30 year consensus” he now intends to radically divert from. As he said in Manchester: “[Starmer] is the walking definition of the 30-year political status quo I am here to end”; only then can the PM assume the mantle of “real change”. Linked to this is the assumption that Sunak can in fact outbid Starmer on the politics of “vision”.
But the drawbacks of Sunak’s new “change” approach, and the thinking that informs it, are equally plain. Indeed, the voting public is not quite as undecided on their view of the prime minister as No 10 strategists would hope. A poll from YouGov, released at the end of last month, showed the prime minister’s net favourability was at -45 — almost exactly the same as the Conservative Party as a whole at -48. Sunak had a net favourability of -9 when he took office in October last year, while the Conservative Party’s favourability has remained pretty constant. Sunak’s steady decline in the eyes of the public, coming over the course of a year, suggests a view of the PM has taken hold: no longer is he viewed favourably relative to his party.
One also cannot overlook the view that an election in which candidates compete will varying visions of change will typically benefit the non-governing party. As Starmer said in his speech this week in a pointed response to Sunak’s address in Manchester: “They won’t change. They can’t change”.
It is an attack line that is bolstered by the fact that Sunak’s rhetorical tilt at change is far from underpinned by clear advances on policy. The PM’s vision for change is founded on telling “hard truths” on HS2 and net zero — supplemented by new policies on A level reform and banning smoking for the next generation. It raises another dilemma: Sunak will likely be able to pass legislation, or at least get Westminster and Whitehall moving, on these points long before a general election campaign begins — so how long can the PM maintain this image as a “change candidate” through 2024? If he is able to act on his immediate priorities over the coming months, should we expect another set-piece speech in which identifies further policy areas ripe for change down the line? Does this make the prospect of an early election more likely? Or will pre-election messaging on “change” transpose into a “Britain’s on the right track” ticket down the line — as the PM cites success on the areas he has identified?
What is more, Sunak’s vision of change is not derived from some grand new philosophy of state action (Starmer thinks he has these with his “missions”). The prime minister has, seemingly, plucked some policy areas out of the air and declared his ambition to act on them — is this how government will be conducted until an election is called? And how will Conservative divisions feature in this approach? The prime minister had a relatively free run in delivering his vision for “change” during his speech last week, as media attention switched from the fringe to the main stage. But with the return of parliament, backbench factions will seek to build on the momentum that they acquired at conference.
In this way, despite a rhetorical consensus at the top of politics in favour of change, a great deal remains uncertain as British politics enters its endgame in 2024. Indeed, although he may have decided on a headline strategy — and an audacious one at that — Sunak has many more questions to answer. It means, after a tricky conference season, if all that remains to be answered for Keir Starmer is “why Labour?”, then the Labour leader probably has good reason to feel confident.
Josh Self is Editor of Politics.co.uk, follow him on Twitter here.
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The education system is "failing on every measure" and that 60% of parents don't believe schools prepare pupils for work, according to The Times Education Commission.The commission said that while the pandemic was a "disaster" for young people, both in terms of their mental health and the widening of the disadvantage gap, the "flaws" predate the pandemic.
The year-long project was chaired by Times columnist Rachel Sylvester and supported by 22 commissioners from a range of fields, as well as two former prime ministers and 13 former education secretaries.Their report recommended that every child should have access to a laptop or tablet, and that counsellors should be employed in every school.It also called for teachers to receive more training on how to identify pupils with special educational needs. Clive Searl, the headteacher at Worthington Primary School in Greater Manchester, agreed with most of the review's recommendations and said it is time for parity of resources between state and private school students.
He said struggling to find electronic devices for students to be able to work from home during lockdown was a problem exclusive to state schools. More from UK 3D-printed guns are appearing on British streets - and the police are taking notice Rwanda flight cancelled: Priti Patel criticises European Court of Human Rights as deportations challenged Cost of living: Eight million households to start receiving support payments in July The commission's report also found that there are "shocking" regional disparities when it comes to early years pupils. Image: Clive Searl, headteacher at Worthington Primary School in Greater Manchester One primary school in Nottinghamshire reported that some children arrived at school unable to say their own names and that 50% of their pupils in reception and nursery were not toilet trained.Geoff Barton, General Secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders and one of the report's commissioners, said the pandemic had left the education sector in a "meltdown".He added: "The consequences of that are being felt by children of all ages and from all backgrounds, but particularly the most disadvantaged who didn't have the access to the technology and devices that for other children was crucial."The problem now is we have to play catch-up while revitalising the education system."The report recommended an army of undergraduate tutors to help pupils to catch up. Podcast Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Follow the Daily podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, SpreakerBut Mr Searl said the government already has a National Tutoring Programme that does not work effectively."During the pandemic, schools found that tutors were unavailable and didn't show [up] when they were meant to. It was expensive and wasn't really meeting the needs of individual pupils, as we in school know those needs."Mr Searl said the government should provide extra money for tutors but ministers should not be in charge of the programme.The commission also raised concerns about the impact of exams on pupils' emotional wellbeing.Read more:Plans for 14,000 new mainstream and special school places in England as part of levelling upState school in deprived London borough beats Eton for Oxbridge offersPolling by YouGov found that 65% of parents think the current school system places too much emphasis on exams, and 56% of parents felt this was bad for students' mental health.Helen Tebbutt's daughter Chloe McLean attends Worthington Primary School. She said: "She's in Year 6 so she's just gone through SATs. There are lots of formative assessments."Teachers know their children… without having those sit-down formal assessments."The commission's report called for a "British Baccalaureate" offering a broader range of both academic and vocational qualifications at 18, with a "slimmed-down" set of exams at 16 as opposed to GCSEs."Let's stop defining young people ultimately as a grade," Mr Barton said."Let's recognise that, of course, academic success is important, but other things are important as well."And I think parents looking in on education through COVID will say: 'I want more for my young person, for their mental health, for their well-being, but for them to be recognised for the range of skills and talents they've got.'" Image: Helen Tebbutt's daughter Chloe McLean attends Worthington Primary School The commission also called for an "electives premium" for all schools to fund drama, music, dance and sport, as well as a National Citizenship Service experience for every pupil to ensure that poorer pupils can access outdoor expeditions and volunteering.A Department for Education spokesperson said: "We thank the Times Education Commission for its report and always welcome new ideas and views from the sector and education experts."Our Schools White Paper sets out a clear roadmap for levelling up education in England, including targeted support both for individual pupils who fall behind and whole areas of the country where standards are weakest, alongside ambitious targets for raising pupil attainment by the end of primary school and GCSEs."Our ambitious education recovery programme is already getting children back on track following the pandemic, with the revolutionary National Tutoring Programme providing nearly two million courses of high-quality tuition for the children and young people who need it most, together with additional funding for schools to use to provide further tailored support for pupils." | United Kingdom Politics |
An employee stores newly casted ingots of 99.99 percent pure gold after weighing at the Krastsvetmet non-ferrous metals plant, one of the world's largest producers in the precious metals industry, in the Siberian city of Krasnoyarsk, Russia November 22, 2018. REUTERS/Ilya NaymushinRegister now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comKRUEN, Germany, June 26 (Reuters) - The Group of Seven rich democracies will announce a ban on imports of Russian gold on Tuesday, as part of ongoing efforts to hold Russia accountable for its war in Ukraine and block attempts to evade Western sanctions, a senior U.S. administration official said on Sunday.Britain and the United States would announce the move on Sunday, followed by an official announcement on Tuesday, the official said."The president and other G7 leaders will continue to work to hold (Russian President Vladimir) Putin accountable. Today the U.S. and the U.K. are announcing that G7 leaders will ban imports of Russian gold. The official announcement will come on Tuesday," the official said.Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.comReporting by Sarah Marsh and Andrea ShalalOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. | Global Organizations |
A plane set to deport asylum seekers to Rwanda is on a Ministry of Defence runway in Wiltshire - as legal challenges continue ahead of tonight's scheduled flight.The Boeing 767-300 is at Boscombe Down in Amesbury.
It comes as a panel of three Supreme Court justices refused permission to a man to challenge the Court of Appeal's ruling on Monday, which upheld the earlier decision of a High Court judge not to grant an injunction to remove him from the flight.Giving brief reasons for the decision, the court's president, Lord Reed, said there had been an "assurance" that, if the government's policy of removing asylum seekers to Rwanda is found to be unlawful, steps would be taken to bring back any migrants flown to the east African nation in the interim.Johnson hints UK could withdraw from European Convention on Human Rights - Politics news live Prime Minister Boris Johnson said the programme "may take a while to get working properly, but that doesn't mean we're not going to keep going".
Asked if it would be necessary to pull out of the European Convention of Human Rights to restrict legal challenges, Mr Johnson added: "Will it be necessary to change some laws to help us as we go along? It may very well be and all these options are under constant review." More on Rwanda Deportation flights cost average of £175,000 each last year, figures show Rwanda deportations: Seven asylum seekers understood to be on tonight's flight as Liz Truss insists flights will go ahead Rwanda deportations: 'Why must I go?' - Channel migrants 'nervous and unhappy' ahead of flight Sky News understands that seven asylum seekers are due to be on the first flight from the UK to the east African country, set to take off this evening.Three potential deportees today lost High Court bids to avoid being put on the plane.One, an Iraqi Kurd, had suffered PTSD in Turkey while travelling to the UK, and had brought a claim asking not to be removed due to his mental health and his relationship with his sister, who lives in the UK. Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player Lawyers 'undermining' Rwanda policy His application was rejected by Mr Justice Swift, who said: "The Secretary of State was entitled to reach the decisions she did."A second, a Vietnamese man who claimed to have received death threats from loan sharks in Vietnam, was also denied after the judge rejected an argument that he was denied translation services.A third, a man who travelled to the UK from Iran with his 21-year-old son, asked the court to prevent his removal due to his mental health and a right to a family life.Rejecting this, Mr Justice Swift said: "I accept the prejudice to the claimant will include distress due to being separated from his son."A fourth appeal against the removal order to Rwanda is set to be heard at the High Court today.Lawyers discussed in court how claimants could appeal the rulings if they were deported. Any appeals would be first heard at the Court of Appeal, and then an application could be made to the Supreme Court.Foreign Secretary Liz Truss told Sky News this morning she could not say exactly how many migrants would be on board the plane which is due to take off this evening.But she rejected claims from Church of England leaders that the policy to put asylum seekers on a one-way flight to east Africa "shames Britain".Flight could cost £500,000 Image: The Hope Hostel accommodation in Kigali, Rwanda A High Court and Court of Appeal legal challenge brought by groups including Care4Calais to the first flight under the Rwanda scheme failed with reports putting the cost of the flight at £500,000.The aim of the scheme is to deter people illegally crossing into the UK.So far, 92 adults and 12 children have been brought ashore by Border Force officials today after attempting to cross the Channel. Asked where they had come from, they said Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.Ms Truss said she could not put a figure on the cost of the flight but insisted: "It is value for money."She rejected criticism from the bishops, saying the Rwanda policy was "completely legal" and "completely moral" and challenged opponents to come up with an alternative to the scheme, which she claimed "is effective and does work".Mr Johnson hit back at lawyers challenging the policy.He told the Cabinet on Tuesday: "What the criminal gangs are doing and what those who effectively are abetting the work of the criminal gangs are doing is undermining people's confidence in the safe and legal system."Read more:What is it like to be a refugee in Rwanda?Why are migrants being sent to Rwanda and how will it work?In Kigali, the Rwandan capital, Sky News asked the country's government how they felt about deportees saying they would rather die than be sent there.Spokesperson Yolande Makolo said: "We don't consider living in Rwanda a punishment."'Unworkable and expensive'Labour's shadow culture secretary Lucy Powell told Sky News: "We think this policy is unworkable... it's incredibly expensive. It's going to cost possibly over a million pounds per unsuccessful or successful refugee going to Rwanda. And we do think it's unethical - and it's quite un-British actually."We've been known around the world as a safe haven for those genuinely fleeing persecution and war - it's been part of our make-up in this country for decades."The Archbishops of Canterbury and York - as well as 23 other bishops - have written a letter to The Times that claims no attempt has been made to "understand the predicament" of those affected. Twitter Due to your consent preferences, you’re not able to view this. Open Privacy Options Their letter says: "Whether or not the first deportation flight leaves Britain today for Rwanda, this policy should shame us as a nation."The shame is our own, because our Christian heritage should inspire us to treat asylum seekers with compassion, fairness and justice, as we have for centuries."But deportations - and the potential forced return of asylum seekers to their home countries - are immoral and shame us as a nation.Last year, more than 28,000 people crossed the Channel in small boats - more than three times the number seen in 2020.More than half were either Iranian or Iraqi, with people from Eritrea and Syria also making crossings, according to Home Office figures. | United Kingdom Politics |
British journalist Dom Phillips, right, and a Yanomami Indigenous man walk in Maloca Papiu village, Roraima state, Brazil, Nov. 2019. Phillips and Indigenous affairs expert Bruno Araujo Pereira have been reported missing in a remote part of Brazil’s Amazon region, a local Indigenous association said Monday, June 6, 2022. (AP Photo/Joao Laet) A suspect has confessed to their murder of a British journalist and an indigenous affairs expert who had been missing in Brazil, CNN reported Wednesday. During a Wednesday night press conference, Brazilian authorities announced that local fisherman Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira admitted he had killed international correspondent Dom Phillips and Brazilian researcher Bruno Araújo Pereira. The two had been missing since June 5 after being last spotted near Sao Rafael, a community in northeast Brazil. The suspect reportedly confessed to the slaying Tuesday night and took police to the location of the bodies in a remote part of the Amazon on Wednesday. A second suspect has also been arrested over the disappearance of the men, according to CNN. Phillips, who was writing a book about Amazon rainforest conservation, and, Pereira, who had been threatened by illegal fish and wildlife poachers before, both reportedly received death threats in the days leading up to going missing. The men’s disappearance has made international headlines with journalists and human rights organizations putting pressure on Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro to locate the duo. “We are now very concerned by reports from Brazil that search and rescue efforts so far have been minimally resourced, with national authorities slow to offer more than very limited assistance,” a coalition of media professionals wrote in a letter to Bolsonaro last week. They added, “We ask that you urgently step up and fully resource the effort to locate Dom and Bruno, and that you provide all possible support to their families and friends.” Results of forensics exams are still pending to confirm the bodies are those of Phillips and Pereira, noted ABC News. Tags Amarildo da Costa de Oliveira Amazon BRazil Brazil Bruno Araújo Pereira Dom Phillips Dom Phillips Jair Bolsonaro | Latin America Politics |
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