Politics

Read about the latest UK political news, views and analysis.

Thursday

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Vince Cable pitches the Lib Dems as the only force in the centre ground

So Vince Cable is now the new Lib Dem leader, after no-else opposed the 74-year-old Twickenham MP for the party’s top job. Of course, in the Lib Dems the ‘top job’ is a little less powerful than in other parties, thanks to a spider’s web of structures that mean the leader can’t always do what he (or maybe one day she) wants. But Cable clearly knows what he does want to do, which is to make up for the party’s miserable election campaign in which Tim Farron spent far too much time having to talk about gay sex, and the rest of his party spent far too much time trying

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

How doing a ‘Good Thing’ can make ministers mess up

One of the few bits of legislation that the government thinks it can get past MPs is a domestic violence bill, which was announced as a draft bill in the Queen’s Speech. Yesterday the minister responsible for taking the Bill through the Commons, Sarah Newton, held a meeting with MPs, campaigners and survivors of abuse to talk about what the government is planning to do. Now, you’d think that the government might be pursuing this Bill because everyone is opposed to domestic violence and therefore no MP will vote against it. But as I’ve explained before, it’s a bit more complicated than that – both in terms of certain political

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Brexit talks reach a stalemate on EU nationals

This afternoon, David Davis and Michel Barnier gave a joint press conference to update hacks on the progress that’s been made in the second instalment of Brexit talks. However, there wasn’t all that much progress to report back on. Michel Barnier, the EU’s chief negotiator, said there was a ‘fundamental’ split between the EU and the UK over how to guarantee the rights of EU nationals. The disagreement rests on whether citizens’ rights should be backed by the Court of Justice of the European Union or the British courts. Barnier appeared to adopt a more hardline approach than before on the reasons for wanting the ECJ to rule on this – he

Matthew Lynn

Is Vince Cable really an economic guru?

Who has the most over-inflated reputation in British politics? Theresa May’s air of calculating caution is long gone, no one has believed in Boris Johnson’s connection with ordinary voters for a while, and if anyone still thinks the dwindling tribe of hardcore Blairites blathering on about the radical centre know anything about what is going on they are keeping themselves well-hidden. But for some strange reason, Sir Vince Cable’s reputation for being able to read the economy with lethal accuracy remains intact. To much of the media, he remains the ‘man who saw the crash coming’. As the so-called Sage of Twickenham becomes leader of the Liberal Democrats later today, we

Katy Balls Katy Balls

In defeat, Theresa May has done what David Cameron couldn’t

Today the House rises for summer recess and, as James writes, Downing Street achieves its immediate post-election aim: Theresa May makes it to the summer recess. The government hopes the break will allow the party to regroup and come back more focused and more united. Whether that happens or not, what is clear is that the Prime Minister’s position will be uphill. Following her fateful decision to call an early election which saw the Conservatives lose their majority, May is a diminished figure – both within her party and in public. MPs openly make jokes at her expense at parties while her Cabinet talk freely now that her authority is shot. Her former colleague

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Will a summer holiday solve Theresa May’s problems?

Today Downing Street achieves its immediate post-election aim: Theresa May makes it to the summer recess. As I say in the pol col this week, Number 10 have long hoped that the summer break will give the government a much-needed chance to regroup and that conditions will be easier when parliament resumes in the autumn. Is this hope realistic, though? A summer holiday can do lots of things but it can’t magic up another 20 Tory MPs or put time on the Brexit clock. Those Tories placing their faith in the atmosphere being calmer when parliament returns are forgetting how soon after that the party conference season begins—and that it

Stephen Daisley Stephen Daisley

In defence of the BBC: a force for unity in a divided Britain

The BBC is our other national religion and like the NHS it inspires a devotional intensity that can be a little creepy. The disclosure of star salaries over £150,000 certainly brought out the worst in the Corporation’s self-styled defenders. Their argument could have been designed to annoy: market dogmatists wanted to destroy the BBC because it’s too successful, they say. But not so successful that it could survive without the Licence Fee – which by the way isn’t a tax and at £147 is actually great value for money. If anything, we should be grateful the BBC deigns to broadcast to us. Anyway, this was just the wicked press attacking a

James Forsyth James Forsyth

The Tories need a ‘what’ as much as a ‘who’

Theresa May has made it to the summer. In the aftermath of the election, Downing Street’s immediate aim was to get the Prime Minister to the parliamentary recess. On Thursday they succeeded. They think that the next six weeks will give the government a much-needed chance to regroup and catch its breath. Like a cricket team playing for the close, they hope conditions will be more favourable when proceedings resume. But is there any reason to think that things will be different in September? The summer break can do many things but it can’t conjure up another 20 Tory MPs or put time on the Brexit clock. Tory optimists claim

Julie Burchill Julie Burchill

Amsterdam Notebook

When my husband and I arrived in our adored Amsterdam on a sun-drenched schoolday afternoon — less than an hour in the air, first row on the plane, merry but not messy — we seemed all set for a brilliant time. We’re both Brexiteers and ever since Freedom Day we’ve been especially keen on European city breaks, such visits now having the pleasing feeling of a romance whose days are numbered, and from which one would be wise to squeeze the sweetness while one may. After checking in to the hallucinogenically gorgeous W Hotel, I was struck by one of the most enchanting of emotions the non-needy can experience; of

Douglas Murray

Poor conduct

Last weekend Daniel Barenboim brought the Staatskapelle Berlin to perform at the BBC Proms for a cycle of Elgar’s symphonies. As Elgar only finished two of the things, it is among the easier symphonic cycles to pull off. But the Staatskapelle played beautifully over two nights at the Albert Hall, with moments of outstanding musicianship. They were let down only, at the end of the second evening, by their conductor. Turning around on the podium to face the audience, he announced that there was something he wanted to say. ‘I don’t know whether all of you will agree with me, but I would really like to share that with you.’

Wednesday

The Spectator

Kemi Badenoch: from African immigrant to Essex MP, I’ve lived the ‘British dream’

Our former Spectator colleague Kemi Badenoch gave her maiden speech in the House of Commons earlier on today. It was, in part, a response to the new Corbynista MPs who have been denouncing parliament. Here’s an edited version of what she had to say:- I am often inexplicably mistaken for a member of the Labour Party. I can’t think why. I’m a Conservative – to all intents and purposes a first-generation immigrant. Born in Wimbledon, yes, but I grew up in Nigeria. I chose to make the United Kingdom my home. Growing up in Nigeria I saw real poverty and experienced it. Going without electricity, doing my homework by candlelight

Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

Theresa May’s bickering Cabinet united to ambush Corbyn at PMQs

Tories are worried. The holiday season is here. And the last time their leader took a break – in Snowdonia – she came back with a brilliant plan to replace her comfortable majority with a coalition of rudderless squabblers. She seemed aware of this today and her costume exuded Tory vitality. She was power-dressed in a shoulder-padded tunic of eye-dazzling blue. A lightning-bolt of pure Thatcher. She was helped by her cabinet. The message about discipline seems to have got through to the conspirators and they laid on a theatrical ambush for Jeremy Corbyn. As soon as the Labour leader mentioned ‘bickering ministers’ the entire front bench erupted in a

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Jeremy Corbyn still can’t find Theresa May’s jugular

Given how miserable things are for Theresa May at the moment, with her Cabinet behaving like children, her backbenchers urging her to use the authority she doesn’t have to tell those ministers off, and a policy free-for-all caused by having no majority, today’s final PMQs before the summer should have been extremely painful for the Prime Minister. But while Jeremy Corbyn has arguably been a key factor in this whole miserable situation coming about for May, he is still quite handy when it comes to helping her survive what should be deeply miserable sessions in the Commons. The Labour leader had a good series of questions which linked the Cabinet

Charles Moore Charles Moore

Must we politicise the Proms? Or life expectancy? Or advertising?

We went to the first night of the Proms last week. Thinking it was all over, we left the auditorium just before Igor Levit came back on for a delayed encore in which he played Beethoven’s Ode to Joy (transcribed by Liszt) as an anti-Brexit gesture. We loved Levit’s earlier rendering of a Beethoven piano concerto, but were spared his political views, so it was a perfect evening. Two nights later, Daniel Barenboim took advantage of the Proms conductor’s podium to make an unscheduled speech in which he deplored ‘isolation tendencies’. All good Brexiteers deplore isolation tendencies, which is one of the reasons we don’t like a European Union with

Tuesday

Andrew Willshire

The tax trap: why a £70k family isn’t much wealthier than a minimum wage family

Among the many points of contention that arose during the election was Labour’s declaration that people earning more than £70k would be expected to contribute more in taxes should Jeremy Corbyn become Prime Minister. Fair enough, you might say – £70k is more than double the average wage. However, it’s not gross income that determines how wealthy you feel – it’s net income, i.e., after tax and benefits have been deducted and added respectively. Consider two similar families; both have two children and both rent a three-bedroom house in Hackney, North London. In each case, one of the adults works while their partner stays at home. The only difference is

Steerpike Steerpike

Michael Fallon attempts to instil some military discipline on Cabinet

After weeks of Tory backstabbing, briefing and plotting at summer parties, Damian Green had to stage an intervention on the Marr show and warn his colleagues to lay off the ‘warm prosecco’. So, the Secretary of State will be relieved to know that one Cabinet minister has managed to resist the temptation to secretly brief hacks at a booze-fuelled bash. At the Policy Exchange summer party last night, Michael Fallon cut to the chase and took to the mic to share his thoughts on his party’s current woes. The Defence Secretary said he and his colleagues could learn a lot from the military when it comes to self-discipline: ‘In this

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Theresa May’s ‘genuine and open’ Cabinet meeting

Theresa May has just issued her much-anticipated telling off to Cabinet for the recent string of damaging leaks. Happily, the Prime Minister’s spokesman was on hand to (officially) leak details of the discussion on leaks to the press afterwards. May told her ministers that the leaks showed that some were not ‘taking their responsibilities seriously’. Urging them to change their ways, she said it was important that all Cabinet discussions remained private in order to allow an open discussion on policy: ‘There is a need to show strength and unity as a country and that starts around the cabinet table.’ Given that the Prime Minister’s spokesman yesterday told journalists that May was

Steerpike Steerpike

Andrea Leadsom lets slip her leadership ambitions

Although Boris Johnson, David Davis and Philip Hammond have all been on the receiving end from the Conservative party over their jostling to become the next leader, this has not put off other contenders from entering the fray. Last night, Andrea Leadsom appeared to make her own ambitions for No 10 clear, in a Commons exchange with Labour’s Darren Jones. The MP for Bristol North West said that since arriving in Parliament he had been disappointed to discover – much like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz – that things weren’t quite how they had seemed from the outside looking in: ‘Like in the children’s novel, ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’, I always assumed

Monday

Katy Balls Katy Balls

The austere Chancellor wins education tussle

Justine Greening has found the cash to soften her department’s new funding formula. After much to-ing and fro-ing between the Department of Education and the Treasury in recent weeks, Greening has announced a £1.3bn increase to school funding. Speaking in the Chamber, the Education Secretary said she had recognised public concern over levels of school funding during the general election. This move will be welcomed by Tory backbenchers who feel education funding was a doorstep issue that allowed Labour to take votes from them. However, it’s notable that the austere Chancellor appears to have still won this tussle – the money will come from the existing education budget (with part coming

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

It’s not Theresa May who should rebuke naughty ministers. It’s her backbenchers.

Theresa May is to rebuke her Cabinet tomorrow for the way its members have been behaving over the past week. What started as ‘warm prosecco’ plotting, as Damian Green put it, has now moved to open insults being traded over top notch champagne at Westminster parties and ministers telling journalists the gory details of Cabinet meetings. The Prime Minister’s official spokesman said this morning that ‘what I would say is of course cabinet must be able to hold discussions on government policy in private and the Prime Minister will be reminding her colleagues of that at Cabinet meeting tomorrow.’ Given the way the Conservative party operates in febrile times, chances