Politics Archives

Tuesday

28 Jun 2022

Will abortion rights galvanise the American left?

Sometimes, defeat is just what a party, or a movement, needs. Hard lessons are learnt, uncomfortable realities are acknowledged and the group in question emerges more serious, more competitive, more potent a political force. In recent years, liberals and conservatives have often failed to learn the right lessons from their losses because they won’t accept defeat in the first place. From crackpot theories about Cambridge Analytica swinging 2016 for Trump to the idea that 2020 was stolen by Joe Biden four years later, both sides of America’s political divide have opted for comforting fictions over hard truths. But the case of Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization represents unambiguous victory

Steerpike

Steve Baker reveals his next move

Back in February, Mr S pointed out that Steve Baker was on manoeuvres. The ‘Brexit hardman’ is returning to the playbook which won the war over vaccine passports by teaming up with Covid Research Group consultant Ed Barker. It’s part of a planned relaunch next month of the moribund Conservative Way Forward, at a suitably tactical Westminster location. Given his track record in masterminding both the CRG and ERG, Baker is sure to have a more successful launch than the last time the Thatcherite pressure group was re-started. That was in July 2018 at a dinner that was somewhat overshadowed by the leak of Boris Johnson’s disparaging comments about Theresa

Andrew O’Brien

Why the Tories struggle to shake off the ‘nasty party’ label

The Conservatives’ brand is being taken to the cleaners. According to Lord Ashcroft’s focus groups, the words and phrases most often associated with the Conservative party right now are ‘untrustworthy’, ‘for themselves’, ‘out of touch’, and ‘for the few’. The Conservatives are at risk of becoming the Nasty Party again. Given all the years spent detoxifying the party’s brand, how has it come to this? The reputation of every governing party suffers with time, but the Conservatives seem to have a particular knack for being seen as heartless the longer they are in office. At a time when households are struggling, the Conservatives find themselves in a position where despite

Gabriel Gavin

Turkey is heading for a Nato showdown

‘Nato is surrounding Turkey,’ reads a banner flying in Istanbul’s Kadiköy district, on the Eastern side of the water that divides Europe from Asia. ‘Let’s get out of it.’ The sign, featuring American flags scattered across Europe and the Middle East, from Greece to Syria, has appeared across the country’s second city in the run-up to next year’s presidential and parliamentary votes. Paid for and promoted by the Patriotic party, a fringe left-wing nationalist group founded by several former Turkish army generals, it looks more like Russian propaganda than election literature, even recognising the independence of Abkhazia, a Moscow-backed breakaway region of Georgia. But even if the campaigners behind it

Monday

27 Jun 2022

Steerpike

May gives Boris a taste of his own medicine

Oh dear. Is Boris Johnson’s bid to rip up the Northern Ireland Protocol over before it really began? First, Simon Hoare, the chair of the Northern Ireland Select Committee, lobbed a grenade at Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, asking whether her support for the government’s bill was merely ‘a muscle flex for a future leadership bid?’ When the camera panned to Truss on the frontbench, she had, er, left her seat. And then, in the words of King Louis XV, ‘Après moi, le déluge.’ For shortly after Hoare sat down, it was Theresa May’s time to rise to her feet. The former Prime Minister, who was effectively toppled by Johnson over

Steven Barrett

The parallel world of EU law

The EU courts are not like our courts. They are given a specific purpose of advancing the union. That purpose can be hard to spot and does get denied. I would say that is a court being required to do politics. Our courts do not try to advance the interests of our country – they just do law. In 2014 on the EU Courts the more diplomatic Foreign Office said ‘Both principles [subsidiarity and proportionality] are “legal” principles in that the EU institutions are bound by them and cannot legally act in breach of them. However, given their nature, they require significant political judgment’. Those quote marks in paragraph 2.7

Katy Balls

Truss outlines plan to override the Northern Ireland Protocol

There’s a general consensus that the government’s Northern Ireland Protocol bill will result in a fight – the question: who with? When news of the Foreign Secretary’s plan to unilaterally override parts of the protocol agreement first broke, it led to a number of Tory MPs on the One Nation wing speaking out and members of the European Research Group pushing more. There was also concern in Washington and outright rejection in Brussels. Today the bill has its second reading in the House of Commons giving MPs a chance to air their grievances. Labour were quick to go on the attack: shadow foreign secretary David Lammy accused Liz Truss of

Steerpike

Ministers make a royal mess of Jubilee books

Speak to any disaffected Tory these days and the conversation quickly turns to one of leadership. Who should be next to wear the Conservative crown? Rishi? Damaged goods. Liz? Always self-promoting. Jeremy Hunt? Come off it. With question marks hanging over each of the main contenders, one name increasingly doing the rounds is that of dark horse Nadhim Zahawi, the millionaire businessman whose supporters bill him as the man who gets things done. The case for Zahawi goes as follows: he came to this nation an immigrant child yet built the hugely successful YouGov polling firm. After years of being overlooked for high office, he oversaw the successful vaccine roll-out

Gus Carter

Are the Abraham Accords working?

Two years ago, UAE citizens were barred from entering Israel. No longer. The inaugural Emirates flight touched down in Tel Aviv last week, a Boeing 777 carrying 335 passengers. For much of the 20th century, the only thing that the Middle East could agree on was the destruction of the Jewish state. But attitudes are changing. The purported reason is the so-called Abraham Accords, signed in 2020 after Donald Trump decided to solve the seemingly intractable problem of the Middle East. If Don the Dealmaker couldn’t do it, who could? Seven decades of antagonism had failed, the White House argued, and the Palestinian cause seemed as troubled as ever, so

Steerpike

Lords gear up for new by-elections

They’re the by-elections all of Westminster is talking about. No, not the race for Tiverton and Wakefield in the Commons but the battle to replace two vacant seats in Lords. For, following the retirement of Lord Brabazon of Tara and the death of Lord Swinfen, hereditary peers who take the Tory whip are gearing up to decide who among their number shall take their place. These contests are held every time one of the 92 hereditary peers still in the Upper House die or choose to leave the chamber. Some 42 places are reserved for Conservative members. Each candidate submits a brief manifesto statement with previous highlights include the Earl of

Patrick O’Flynn

How the Tories can bin Boris

There are not very many good things to say about the Conservative party in Parliament these days. Barely a month seems to pass without one of their number being exposed as some kind of pervert. Others among them seem far more interested in plotting their own ascents than in delivering sound public administration or working out what they actually believe in. But one of the good things to say is that Sir Graham Brady seems like a sensible chap, running the all-powerful backbench 1922 Committee in a calm and mature fashion. One supposes that Sir Graham must sometimes look at the most likely course of events around Boris Johnson’s party leadership

Isabel Hardman

Is Boris being too bullish?

12 min listen

After a bruising few days, Boris Johnson remains bullish suggesting his intentions to stay in Downing Street for a third term. Is this rattling Tory MPs? Also on the podcast, a Cabinet reshuffle may be approaching. Who is under threat and why? Isabel Hardman is joined by Katy Balls and James Forsyth. Produced by Natasha Feroze.

Debbie Hayton

Tom Daley should not wade into swimming’s trans row

Swimming’s governing body, Fina, made a wise and sensible decision last week. It declared that transwomen were ineligible to take part in elite female competitions if they have experienced any part of male puberty. There were caveats, but it was a huge stride in the right direction. It was a ruling that was fair to female swimmers. But not everyone is happy. Diving gold medalist Tom Daley is ‘furious’. Speaking at last night’s British LGBT Awards, Daley said: You know, like most queer people, anyone that’s told that they can’t compete or can’t do something they love just because of who they are, it’s not on. It’s something I feel really strongly about.

Alexander Larman

Why is Prince Charles accepting bags stuffed with cash?

After the excitement of the Platinum Jubilee, complete with emotional tributes to ‘mummy’, Prince Charles might have been forgiven for wishing to avoid the limelight for the summer. But the heir to the throne is once again in the news. Following the recent revelation that he is said to find the government’s policy of flying refugees to Rwanda ‘appalling’, the prince is in the headlines with a story that is less likely to appeal to the progressives who briefly kept company with him. Once again, Charles has been embroiled in an incident (‘scandal’ is not quite the word being used at the moment). Once more, his basic judgement has been

Mark Galeotti

What Russia’s military shake-up reveals about Putin’s war in Ukraine

When General Alexander Dvornikov was made overall commander of Russia’s forces in April, it looked as if the amateurishness and incoordination of the early stage of the Ukraine war might be being addressed. Now, though, Dvornikov is not around, and a new commander may shape a savage new phase of operations. In recent days, the Russian defence ministry announced that Colonel General Alexander Lapin was in command of the Central Group of Forces in Ukraine, while General Sergei Surovikin was heading the Southern Group of Forces during the invasion. Of Dvornikov, who has not been seen for weeks, there was no mention, and the British Ministry of Defence suggests he

Sam Leith

Abortion should not be just another culture-war ding dong

The overturning of Roe v. Wade is an American story, and a global one. What the hell – it’s asked with some justice – does it have to do with the rest of us? In part because, as is sometimes said, when America sneezes the UK catches a cold. But also because the intoxicated global reaction to what, looked at from one angle, is a narrow point of US constitutional law, shows us something about where we’re at. As someone generally of the liberal tribe I find myself slightly out of kilter with my natural allies on this subject. I’m as horrified as the next bloke in a ‘this is

Sunday

26 Jun 2022

James Johnson

Boris is tainting the Conservative brand

The loss of Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton has shaken the Conservative party. But governments like Thatcher’s and Cameron’s have suffered mid-term blues before and bounced back to win elections. Is there anything really that different about what is happening now that will stop Boris Johnson making a similar recovery? In my view, the answer is yes. The situation now facing the party is different, and not simply a mid-term grumble. The first difference is that people of both places voted the way they did not because of a general discontent with the government or its policies, but because of a focused fury with the Conservative leader. The top argument

Kate Andrews

Could a row over steel blow up the Tory party?

When Boris Johnson was campaigning for Brexit, he placed much importance on World Trade Organisation rules. The WTO, he’d argue, had an internationally-recognised free trade rule book – which was ready and waiting to be used as a substitute to the European Union system. This is why he could face some very difficult questions next week if he decides to extend tariffs on steel imports in a way that some think flout WTO rules. Last year the PM ignored advice from the independent Trade Remedies Authority – a trade watchdog which his government created post-Brexit – which wanted him to ditch some of the tariffs currently in place that, they

Katy Balls

Is tactical voting unravelling before it has even begun?

Since the Tories lost not one but two by-elections on Friday, ministers have been rather quiet on the issue of Boris Johnson’s leadership. Where they have been more forthcoming, however, is tactical voting. Sajid Javid told the Daily Mail that Labour and the Liberal Democrats must ‘come clean’ over whether they have an electoral pact – arguing tactical voting had been on an ‘industrial scale’ when it came to the Tories’ heavy losses in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton. It’s the prospect of mass tactical voting that is increasing nerves among Tory MPs who had thought they had relatively safe seats. As one put it to me: ‘The real danger is

Matthew Taylor

Sunday shows round-up: Tories ‘all have responsibility’ for election defeats

Brandon Lewis – ‘We all have responsibility’ for historic defeat Thursday saw a double defeat for the Conservatives that will not be forgotten any time soon. In Tiverton and Honiton, the Liberal Democrats managed to overturn a majority of over 24,000 votes, making it the biggest by-election defeat in British history. However, even that does not seem to have dampened the Prime Minister’s spirits, and he has claimed to have his sights already set on a third term in office. Sophie Raworth asked the Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis about whether this was a realistic goal: ‘We are getting on’ with cutting taxes Raworth raised a column written in the