Politics

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

Wednesday

Ian Williams Ian Williams

Where has Xi Jinping’s foreign minister gone?

This is the week that James Cleverly planned to be in Beijing to ‘engage, robustly and also constructively’ with China’s communist leaders. But the Foreign Secretary put his trip on hold because the man he planned to engage went missing. Since 25 June foreign minister Qin Gang has vanished without trace, leaving Cleverly twiddling his thumbs and the world wondering what on earth is going on at the top of the Chinese Communist party. The whole bizarre spectacle underlines the challenges of engaging with a system that is so deeply opaque. The mystery deepened on Tuesday when state media reported that Qin was being replaced by his predecessor Wang Yi

Steerpike Steerpike

Listen: Nigel Farage snaps at ‘condescending’ Nick Robinson

Nigel Farage blasted Nick Robinson for his ‘condescending tone’ during a fiery interview on the Today programme. The BBC host asked the former Ukip leader whether he was planning a political comeback following his run-in with Coutts bank. But Farage lashed out at Robinson, telling him he was ‘sick to death’ of his line of questioning: ‘I’m really not going to have this. I am sick to death of your condescending tone. No, no actually you weren’t. What you should say to people is, “you’re the only person in British history who has won two national elections leading two different parties.” Let’s try that for size shall we.’ Farage was

Gavin Mortimer Gavin Mortimer

What the French media can learn from the Farage banking scandal

Geoffroy Lejeune knows how Nigel Farage feels. Like the former Ukip leader turned TV host, Lejeune’s ‘values’ have made him persona non grata among France’s progressive elite. The 34-year-old journalist was last month appointed editor-in-chief of Journal du Dimanche (JDD), France’s only dedicated Sunday newspaper with a circulation of 140,000.  Newspaper staff were outraged. They downed tools, and have been striking now for five weeks. The papers’ journalists remain ‘more determined than ever’, they say, to continue their industrial action.  The real danger to democracy aren’t the likes of Lejeune or Farage, whatever their opinions may be The problem is Lejeune’s politics. He is described as ‘far right’, and counts

Kate Andrews Kate Andrews

Will the NatWest debacle end the ‘debanking’ scandal?

The NatWest saga is fast becoming a textbook example of what some consider to be an ‘establishment’ attack on minority (and often right-leaning) viewpoints. The fast U-turn from the NatWest board which now sees Dame Alison Rose out of a job (Mr Steerpike has the details here) confirms that this was not a nuanced or two-sided debate that the bank originally tried to make it out to be. It’s no surprise, then, that the government has been fairly robust in its growing condemnation of NatWest’s actions. No. 10 insisted last night that it had serious concerns about the bank’s actions, and ministers have been saying it was ‘right’ for Rose to

Katy Balls Katy Balls

NatWest faces questions over backing Alison Rose

A week is a long time in politics and a day is a long time in banking. On Tuesday afternoon, NatWest chief Dame Alison Rose admitted that she had ‘made a serious error of judgment’ and was the BBC source who discussed Nigel Farage’s bank details with Simon Jack at a charity dinner. The senior journalist had left the dinner with the impression that the Coutts bank account closure was down to a lack of funds rather than politically motivated. It later transpired through a subject access request by Farage that this was wide of the mark and the bank had been discussing his political views and the ‘reputational damage’

Steerpike Steerpike

Why Alison Rose had to quit as NatWest chief

Last night, the board of NatWest announced that it had ‘full confidence’ in Dame Alison Rose as its chief executive. But just after 2 a.m. it announced she was leaving by mutual consent. Rose had admitted she was the source of the inaccurate briefing to the BBC about Nigel Farage’s Coutts account and she apologised. The NatWest board had thought this would be enough for her to cling on. But in a matter of hours, and just after midnight, they thought otherwise. So what changed? There seems to be a difference of views between NatWest – which thought her apology would be enough – and the government, which thinks the

Tuesday

Euan McColm

Labour’s self-ID mess

Scottish Labour lined up behind the SNP’s bungled attempt to reform the Gender Recognition Act last year and in doing so the party set itself firmly against the majority of voters. Around two-thirds of Scots are opposed to the SNP’s gender bill, but Labour chose to ignore their views and back the nationalists’ controversial legislation instead. When Scottish Secretary Alister Jack intervened to block reform of the gender bill by Holyrood — on the grounds that changing the law in Scotland would negatively impact on the UK-wide equality act — the Labour party found itself unable to cash in. While the Scottish Tories loudly proclaimed their support for the majority

Iain Macwhirter

Humza Yousaf’s attempts to woo Scottish business have fallen flat

The latest shock to hit the nationalist blogosphere is the revelation that the First Minister Humza Yousaf has recently broken bread with the billionaire Sir Brian Souter, the Stagecoach bus magnate. The encounter took place at a prayer breakfast last month and is regarded by some as a sign that Yousaf is trying to build bridges with the business community. No one knows what transpired in Yousaf’s meeting with the independence-supporting philanthropist. It may simply have been an attempt by the First Minister, a practising Muslim, to show his ecumenicism. Souter, after all, attends the evangelical Church of the Nazarene in his home town of Perth. However, there may also

Patrick O’Flynn Patrick O'Flynn

Will the Tories learn from Coutts’ mistake in taking on Nigel Farage?

Not for the first time in his colourful life, the perennial rebel Nigel Farage has the establishment on the run. This time it is the financial establishment and its media allies. The former Ukip leader has already garnered apologies over conduct or coverage from NatWest, which owns Coutts bank, the high-profile podcaster and former BBC man Jon Sopel, the BBC’s business editor Simon Jack and the chief executive of BBC News Deborah Turness. Farage is currently circling NatWest chief executive Dame Alison Rose in the manner of a hungry shark who has scented blood in the water. Not his, but hers. Dame Alison appears to be Farage’s prime suspect in

Steerpike Steerpike

BBC issues another grovelling apology

Sorry doesn’t seem to be the hardest word over at the BBC. The Corporation has had to issue another grovelling apology – after a BBC reporter asked Morocco’s captain Ghizlane Chebbak whether any of the Women’s World Cup Squad are lesbians. In Morocco, it is illegal to have a gay relationship. Do you have any gay players in your squad and what’s life like for them in Morocco? Same-sex sexual activity is punishable by up to three years’ imprisonment in Morocco, which is the first Arab nation to quality for the Women’s World Cup. A Fifa official intervened following the question: ‘Sorry, this is a very political question so we will just stick

Steerpike Steerpike

Sadiq turns up the pressure on Starmer over Brexit

All is not well in Labour land. After last week’s row over Ulez, the dispute between Sadiq Khan and Keir Starmer shows no sign of relenting. This time, the casus belli is, surprise, surprise, Brexit. In a veiled swipe at his boss, Khan criticised the UK’s policy towards Europe in comments to (who else?) the New York Times – the biggest Brit-bashers this side of the Baltic. In an article, titled ‘In the U.K, a Disaster No One Wants to Talk About’ Khan chimed in with his two pennies’ worth to the world’s worst newspaper. The Mayor moaned how: ‘I’m frustrated that no one’s talking about it’ and described Brexit

Steerpike Steerpike

Dead outnumber the living among SNP donors

It’s a safe bet to say that, with her spectacular implosion at the beginning of the year, Nicola Sturgeon may have sounded the death knell for the SNP. But it appears that, when it comes to the independence party’s support base, that might be much more literal than anyone had imagined. Analysis of SNP donation figures reveals that in the last five years of Sturgeon’s tenure a whopping 91 per cent of funds given to the party came from the wills of deceased supporters. In the five years to February of this year, bequests to the SNP raised £1.82 million for the party coffers. Overall, the party raised just £2

Steerpike Steerpike

Andy Burnham goes quiet on another Old Trafford Test

Mr S likes Manchester. It’s a fun, fetching and successful city. But is it the best place for a game of cricket? On Sunday, Australia retained the Ashes after the Old Trafford Test was drawn thanks to Manchester’s infamous rain. Down south, there would have been enough sun on Sunday for England to level the series, taking it down to one final Test at the Oval and a chance to win the famous urn. That result came just days after it was announced that the Old Trafford Test will be axed for the next home Ashes in 2027 (as has Headingley in Leeds). The furthest north the players will travel

Ross Clark Ross Clark

Sunak will have to water down net zero sooner or later

The Uxbridge by-election has thrown Labour into a civil war, or at least a civil skirmish. Keir Starmer has told Sadiq Khan to think again on Ulez, and Khan has shown great reluctance to do so. But it has exposed a schism in the Conservatives, too. Yesterday, Rishi Sunak declared that efforts to reach the government’s net zero target should not be allowed to push up the cost of living for struggling families – leading some to predict that some policies, such as the ban on petrol and diesel cars from 2030, could be scrapped. This has brought out the Tories’ net zero enthusiasts to defend the target, even if it

Gareth Roberts Gareth Roberts

Just Stop Oil have finally met their match

Have Just Stop Oil finally met their match? The splendidly named counter-organisation ‘Just Stop Pissing People Off’ have pulled off two bracing publicity coups in the last week. First, in Elephant & Castle in south London last Wednesday JSPPO ‘kettled’ JSO activists who were planning one of their slow marches down the public highway, forming a human ring around them (for a whole thirty minutes). Then at the weekend, and rather more spectacularly, JSPPO infiltrated JSO and spoiled their lovely lunch at the Heritage Centre in Bow in east London, releasing balloons up to the very high vaulted roof of the building and then switching on the ear splitting panic

Steerpike Steerpike

Gove rows back on 2030 petrol car ban U-turn

If you U-turn on a U-turn, does that make it an O-turn? That’s the question Mr S is wondering this morning given the mess ministers have managed to get themselves into on plans to ban new diesel and petrol cars. The ban is due to come into effect from 2030 but yesterday Andrew Mitchell, the Foreign Office minister, appeared to suggest that this might not be the case. Asked by Radio 4 if the government intends to stick to the plan, Mitchell told the Today programme that ‘All I can tell you is it is in place… But I’m afraid I can’t prophesy for the future.’ Rishi Sunak then prevaricated on

Steerpike Steerpike

David Cameron shines at gay marriage reception

It’s ten years this month since legislation to legalise same-sex marriage was passed by parliament. So what better way to mark the occasion than a reception with the man who was Prime Minister at the time? David Cameron was on sparkling form last night at a drinks party hosted by the LGBT+ Conservatives – one of many such events being held, as Cameron was quick to note. ‘Isn’t it lovely to be at a Tory celebration? We haven’t had enough of those recently’ he quipped to the crowd. ‘I think gay marriage has now had more birthdays than a senior member of the royal family.’ Among the anecdotes that Cameron

Monday

Cindy Yu Cindy Yu

Did some good come from the Qing’s dying century?

37 min listen

In the 1800s, Qing China’s final century, European powers were expanding eastwards. The industrialised West, with its gunboats and muskets, and the soft power of Christianity, pushed around the dynasty’s last rulers. But was this period more than just a time of national suffering and humiliation for China? The British Museum’s ongoing exhibit, China’s hidden century, tells the story of Qing China’s final decades. The more than 300 exhibits tell a story not only of decline, but of a complicated exchange between China and the West about culture, fashion, politics and ideas. I reviewed China’s hidden century in The Spectator last month, and hosted a live Chinese Whispers recording about the exhibition in the British Museum a

James Esses

Labour still can’t be trusted on trans rights

Today, Anneliese Dodds, Labour’s Shadow Secretary of State for Women and Equalities, has pledged in a Guardian article that ‘Labour will lead on reform of transgender rights.’ At first glance, you could be fooled into thinking this is a positive intervention. For starters, Dodds has rowed back on the policy of self-ID, perhaps after seeing the chaotic collapse of the policy under the SNP in Scotland. Labour will also maintain the need for a diagnosis of ‘gender dysphoria’ before someone can obtain a Gender Recognition Certificate. Dodds says that the party will not seek to remove same-sex exemptions permitted under the Equality Act 2010 either.  But when you dig beneath the surface, it

Steerpike Steerpike

BBC finally apologises to Nigel Farage

Dogs bark, cows moo and the BBC makes a hash of it. After holding out for a week, the Corporation has today thrown in the towel and issued a belated and grovelling apology to Nigel Farage for misreporting the reason his bank account at Coutts was closed. The Beeb’s original report by its Business Editor Simon Jack claimed that the reason for the closure was that Farage’s account had fallen beneath the bank’s wealth limit.  But following last week’s revelation that Farage’s account was shut because he was not ‘compatible with Coutts… as an inclusive organisation’, the BBC has been left with a substantial amount of egg on its face once again.