Politics

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

Wednesday

29 Jun 2022

Nato is no longer ‘brain dead’

Finland and Sweden will be formally invited to join Nato today. Them joining the alliance will bolster Nato’s presence in the Baltic and make it easier to defend Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. The alliance now has a clear, strategic purpose again Turkey had objected to the two countries joining, regarding them as too soft on Kurdish separatists, whom President Recep Tayyip Erdogan sees as ‘terrorists’ threatening his country. But having received some concessions on that front, Erdogan has dropped his objections. There’s also speculation that the US will sell F-16 fighter aircraft to Turkey in exchange for its cooperation on this matter. It is remarkable that Sweden, a country which has so

Steerpike

Matt Hancock enjoys a ‘Permissionless Experience’

Ah, Matt Hancock: the man who makes Gavin Williamson and his manoeuvrings look subtle. The former Health Secretary marked the anniversary of his fall from grace by going out to bat for the government’s Protocol bill in the Times (hint, hint Bozza). But until he gets recalled to his rightful place in the Cabinet, the West Suffolk MP has a new way of occupying his time: making the case for crypto in the corridors of power. Karen Bradley, whose spell at the Northern Ireland Office involved a fair amount of ups and downs, got three tickets and ‘fastrack passes to Alton Towers Theme Park’. It’s been a rough old time for

Melanie McDonagh

In defence of Danny Kruger

It’s symptomatic of the unhinged nature of the abortion debate that an MP can be heckled in parliament – and lynched online – for stating an obvious if embarrassing reality. Such is the lot of Danny Kruger, who had the further accolade of a kicking from JK Rowling. On the Roe v. Wade question, which frankly is no business of Westminster, Kruger observed that his colleagues – including Conservatives, mark you – ‘think that women have an absolute right to bodily autonomy in this matter, whereas I think in the case of abortion that right is qualified by the fact that another body is involved’. ‘I would offer to members

Douglas Murray

Is America about to break apart?

Here’s a fun fact: almost half of Americans believe that there will be a civil war in their lifetimes. Less fun fact: they could be right. To observe the United States today is to watch a country that cannot get on with itself. Some people say that it has always been like this – that there was never any chance of a country as wide and big as America being able to agree on things. These people then point to the genius of the federalist system, and the way in which different states could have different arrangements within the union. But as you may have heard, there have been occasions in

James Kirkup

The night that David Cameron sealed Britain’s Brexit fate

Friday 29 June 2012 isn’t a famous date in British history, but it deserves at least a footnote. Because I reckon it’s the day the Brexit referendum became inevitable – largely thanks to David Cameron’s inability to stop talking. What follows is my argument, based on personal involvement, that Cameron set the referendum process in motion at least partly by accident. It’s a bit long and possibly even self-indulgent, but I hope it might also be useful to people writing the second draft of history. A decade ago today, Cameron was prime minister and attending an EU summit in Brussels. Unlike some summits of the period, this one had ended

John Keiger

Boris and Macron’s ‘bromance’ is rooted in despair

Is ‘Le Bromance’ really back on? Boris Johnson suggested as much at the G7 summit in Bavaria this week, where he strolled arm-in-arm with Emmanuel Macron. Yet when one considers the breadth of subjects the two avoided in their discussions – no Northern Ireland Protocol, cross-Channel migration, or Aukus – it is hard to believe the basis of their renascent friendship is better Franco-British relations. The reality is that their jaunt overseas, epitomised by Bojo and Manu’s communal clowning, comes as a blissful diversionary and recreational break from domestic woes. Their new-found fraternity may lie in shared solace at their strikingly similar political predicaments. Macron may have been reelected president on 24 April, but

Tuesday

28 Jun 2022

Steerpike

Sunak hits back at his critics

To Policy Exchange, the chameleon think tank that changes with the seasons. The summer party was well under way by the time Mr S rocked up, with Gavin Williamson and Sajid Javid clutching glasses in the shade of Westminster Abbey. But Pimms and canapés weren’t the only things on the menu tonight, as Rishi Sunak took to the stage to deliver the keynote speech at one of Westminster’s hottest summer receptions. The Chancellor has been smarting in recent weeks from the stinging criticism that followed his Spring Statement. And his mood can’t have been helped by the introduction he was given by Policy Exchange’s chairman Alexander Downer, the former Australian

Robert Peston

Nicola Sturgeon has put Boris Johnson in a tight corner

Nicola Sturgeon’s claim that she will not contemplate breaching the rule of law by holding an independence referendum was pretty blatant trolling of Boris Johnson, given the multiple allegations he faces of being less than scrupulous in following domestic and international law. But Sturgeon also put Johnson and the Tory party in a tight corner by asking the Lord Advocate to petition the Supreme Court in London to determine the legality of a referendum. If the Supreme Court rules her way, then there will be the mother of all constitutional crises if Boris Johnson continues to reject the lawfulness of any vote by the Scottish parliament to hold a poll on

Stephen Daisley

Nicola Sturgeon has a key advantage in her independence fight

Nicola Sturgeon has unveiled her plan for another referendum on Scottish independence. The plebiscite – which Westminster will have to legislate for – will use the same question as in 2014 (‘Should Scotland be an independent country?’), and take place on 19 October 2023. The Lord Advocate, one of Sturgeon’s ministers, has referred the provisions of the Bill to the Supreme Court to determine whether they are in line with devolved powers. Writs have been served on the UK Government this afternoon. If the Court rules against the SNP, they will fight the next general election solely on independence, which Sturgeon asserts would be ‘a de facto referendum’. We can expect the London

Steerpike

Simon Case’s mea culpa

It’s supposedly illegal to die in the House of Commons, but Simon Case gave it a good try this afternoon. The Cabinet Secretary endured a torrid time before the Public Administration Committee, being grilled on everything from Partygate and public standards to Carrie Johnson and civil service cuts. For 107 minutes, Britain’s top mandarin was metaphorically pummeled around the Jo Grimond room, looking at times as though he’d prefer the fate of Jeremy Thorpe’s Rinka. It was difficult to pick a lowlight from this session, though Mr S shall give it a try. Having begun the meeting in his best Sir Humphrey mode – ‘the government of the day is

Alex Massie

Another Scottish independence referendum is coming

Despite what the SNP and its supporters insist, Nicola Sturgeon did not ‘announce’ a second referendum on independence today. Far from it. Her statement to the Scottish parliament quietly accepted that a referendum is highly unlikely to take place on 19 October next year. The 2014 referendum – an act of self-determination that inconveniently produced the wrong outcome for the SNP – was an agreed plebiscite. All parties and Scotland’s government agreed it should take place and that its outcome would be politically, if not legally, binding. This is still the path Sturgeon would prefer. Holding such a referendum, however, requires a section 30 order by the British government, which

Sam Ashworth-Hayes

America’s abortion debate isn’t coming to Britain

Politicians are lining up to condemn the US Supreme Court’s overturning of Roe v. Wade. Activists are warning us that this is the start of a fresh assault on abortion rights in Britain. What starts in the core spreads to the periphery; a new wave of pro-life policies will soon be here. What’s less clear is where this wave is meant to come from, given that every major British party is opposed to the Supreme Court decision. Once again, Westminster politics has mistaken Britain for America. The Conservative party may be in hoc to a blonde tousle-haired populist, but it isn’t quietly stacking the judiciary with pro-life justices in order

Steerpike

Sturgeon plans to sue herself

Here we go again then. Nicola Sturgeon has finally anounced her great Scexit wheeze: after years of making claims about another independence referendum, she’s finally announced a timetable at last. Thursday 19 October 2023 is now Scotland’s divinely-ordained date with destiny (according to the First Minister at least) with Sturgeon prepared to use the courts to achieve this, given the UK government’s continued intransigence. To do this, Sturgeon says she asked the Lord Advocate to consider referring to the Supreme Court the position of her referendum bill with regards to reserved matters; in effect, suing herself. She confirmed that the Lord Advocate has agreed to make a reference to the

Matthew Lynn

Macron’s Russian oil plan is bound to fail

It will drain Vladimir Putin of funds for his war machine. It will bring down inflation. And it might even be enough to stop the global economy from tipping into recession. As President Macron put forward his wheeze for solving the energy crisis this week, he no doubt had plenty of persuasive arguments. He appears to have brought the rest of the G7 on board for his plan for a global cap on the price of oil. There is just one problem. Like most price controls, it is not going to work. Indeed. It will only make the crisis worse. Of course, everyone can see where Macron is coming from.

Isabel Hardman

Boost defence spending to prepare for Putin, Wallace demands

Ben Wallace is giving a speech this afternoon in which he will urge Boris Johnson to increase defence spending. The Defence Secretary – who has long been close to Johnson – is making his campaign public, having apparently already secured a nod from the Prime Minister that he will get something. He wants a 20 per cent increase in defence spending in the next five years, and to push Britain’s budget for its armed forces up to 2.5 per cent of GDP, having secured the 2 per cent target. He is speaking at the Royal United Services Institute event alongside the chief of the general staff General Sir Patrick Sanders,

Isabel Hardman

Why did Tory rebels abstain from the NI Protocol Bill?

10 min listen

The Northern Ireland Protocol Bill passed its second reading last night with a majority of 74 votes. A number of Tory rebels voiced their opposition to the bill including former Prime Minister, Theresa May, Simon Hoare and Andrew Mitchell. However, despite vocal opposition, not one Tory MP voted against the bill – opting to abstain instead. Did the Whips office play a part in this?Also on the podcast, Nicola Sturgeon unveils her plans to have a second independence referendum, with or without Boris Johnson’s consent. What chance has she got? Katy Balls is joined by Isabel Hardman and James Forysth.

Freddy Gray

AOC’s Roe v. Wade grandstanding has gone too far

If you’ve bothered to actually read the Supreme Court’s opinion on Roe v. Wade – rather than the endless social media memes – you’ll know that America’s chief justices have not decided they can rule over women’s bodies. The court has rather declared that the issue is not a matter for the court – that abortion should be returned to the nation’s elected representatives. Funny thing, though: the nation’s elected representatives, at least the Democratic ones who most vocally support abortion, don’t seem to want that power – and they are furious with the Justices who have handed it back to them. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the Democratic congresswoman who urged pro-abortion activists to

Steerpike

Will any Tory MPs defect to Labour?

Parliament is ablaze with gossip and rumour this morning. There’s only one question on anyone’s lips: will any more MPs defect to Labour? Such speculation has been fuelled by something of a collective Fleet Street guessing game: the Sunday Times has predicted that up to six Tories might make the jump while today’s Telegraph merely suggests three. The Guardian conservatively suggests that one Tory MP is in ‘advanced discussions’ about defecting while a second is in talks with a Labour MP about the possibility of doing so. Such talk has been fuelled by the case of Bury South backbencher Christian Wakeford, who crossed the floor in January. Much like Snowball

Katy Balls

Boris’s most important election

When Boris Johnson suggested over the weekend that he was actively thinking about a third term as Prime Minister, it met a robust response from his MPs. Given many don’t want him to lead them into the next election – let alone the one after – Conservative MPs were quick to brand the comments as delusional. As one put it to me: ‘To say that comment is tin-eared and the wrong thing to say to Conservative MPs right now is the bloody understatement of the year to date’. But putting aside the Prime Minister’s general election plans, it’s a vote that comes before even 2023 that could decide the his

Isabel Hardman

The Northern Ireland Protocol: the real fight is yet to come

Last night’s vote on the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill didn’t turn into an open revolt from Tory MPs – but that’s not to say that there isn’t big trouble for the legislation. A chunk of Conservatives abstained, some of them having made very clear in the debate on the second reading of this legislation that they could not support it. Theresa May, Julian Smith, Simon Hoare and Bob Neill all raised serious concerns in their speeches and did not vote. Other Conservatives who did support the legislation still said they were uncomfortable with certain aspects of it. Robin Millar, who voted in favour, nonetheless told MPs that ‘I have concerns