Dominic Raab – ‘There is a degree of quiet confidence’ about a Northern Ireland Protocol deal
Brexit dominated the news once again this morning, with government officials making positive noises about an imminent deal on the Northern Ireland Protocol. Deputy Prime Minister Dominic Raab sat down with Laura Kuenssberg to discuss the likelihood of the deal’s success, although he was vague about whether parliament would get a chance to have a proper vote on it:
David Lammy – Labour expects to ‘support this deal’
Shadow Foreign Secretary David Lammy sounded a similarly optimistic note, telling Sophie Ridge he expected the deal to be an improvement on Boris Johnson’s deal. He said that Labour was determined to act in the ‘national interest’:
Mark Francois – If the DUP don’t consent to the deal, ‘it’s simply not going to fly’
But Mark Francois, chair of the European Research Group, was less convinced. He told Ridge that any difference in treatment between Northern Ireland and the rest of the UK, especially with regard to possible oversight from the European Court of Justice, would mean the DUP would not support the deal. The government needs their support, Francois said:
Dave Penman – One in six have experienced bullying or harassment in the last twelve months
Kuenssberg spoke to Dominic Raab about the allegations of bullying against him, and in the civil service in general. Raab has denied the allegations, saying that, in general, relations between ministers and civil servants were good. He also suggested that a degree of straight talking was necessary in the workplace. But civil service union boss Dave Penman was unconvinced, saying civil servants are reporting work culture that is far from positive:
Thomasina Miers – ‘Our current food system is completely broken’
Speaking to Kuenssberg about the current food shortages hitting supermarkets, chef Thomasina Miers said that problems would only get worse over time. She said that our system was ‘rife with insecurities’, and that an overhaul was needed to protect against problems caused by climate change and lack of biodiversity:
Humza Yousaf – With sustained majority support, ‘independence will absolutely be inevitable’
Kuenssberg also spoke to SNP leadership candidate Humza Yousaf about his approach to achieving Scottish independence. She asked him if his approach was different to Nicola Sturgeon’s, who wanted to treat the next general election as a de facto referendum. Yousaf said that building sustained public support was key:
Bernie Sanders – ‘Don’t tell anybody I said that’
And finally, in an interview with Sophie Ridge, US Senator Bernie Sanders was asked to weigh in on the issue of Scottish independence. Amusingly asking Ridge to keep his answer secret, and claiming he was no expert, Sanders said he thought the people of Scotland should be allowed the opportunity to become independent if that’s what they wanted:
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