Politics

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

Thursday

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Putin’s on manoeuvres – are we ready?

‘What follows plague?’ I asked a medieval historian at the start of the pandemic. ‘War,’ he replied. In recent days, this remark has seemed worryingly prescient: 120,000 Russian troops are massing on the border with Ukraine, China is aggressively increasing military activity across the Taiwan Strait and Iran has responded to Israel’s successful sabotage of its nuclear facility by declaring it will enrich uranium to close to the level required for a nuclear bomb. The West — and specifically the new US President — is being tested. Those who want an end to the western-led rules-based system are pushing to see what they can get away with. British foreign policy

Charlie Peters

Tory MPs are right to complain about the Runnymede Trust

What’s the problem with the Runnymede Trust? More than a dozen Tory MPs have written to the Charity Commission demanding an investigation into the charity. They claim that the self-described ‘UK’s leading independent race equality think tank’ criticised the recent Downing Street-backed report into race relations ‘in bad faith’. The MPs, including Edward Leigh, Sally-Ann Hart and Imran Ahmad Khan, claim that the Trust was ‘pursuing a political agenda’. Runnymede has hit back hard. ‘The Trust regrets the recent trend for politicians to forsake dialogue and simply file complaints against charities whose efforts to address and challenge racism they contest,’ the charity said in a statement. ‘Beloved British institutions including the National Trust and Barnardo’s have

Steerpike Steerpike

Just one in five have heard of COP26

The axing of televised lobby briefings on Tuesday has meant a new role for Boris Johnson’s press secretary Allegra Stratton. Now recast as the government’s spokeswoman for the forthcoming COP26 summit in Glasgow, it will be her job to front communications both strategically and publicly in the lead up to the event in November. The climate change eco-jamboree is seen as Johnson’s moment on the world stage, with insiders suggesting it will be ‘bigger than the Olympics’ replete even with its own mascot. But new figures seen by Steerpike suggests Stratton will have her work cut out in efforts to enthuse the public. Only one in five British adults have heard of COP26, according

Wednesday

Cindy Yu Cindy Yu

What is Michael Gove up to in Israel?

16 min listen

Michael Gove is on a fact-finding mission in Israel this week, studying the country’s vaccine passports scheme. But are the plans not already set for the UK to adopt them? Cindy Yu speaks to Katy Balls and James Forsyth.

Steerpike Steerpike

Johnny Mercer savages No. 10

When Boris Johnson announced he was running to be Tory leader in July 2019, few were more vociferous in their support than Johnny Mercer. The former Royal Artillery captain claimed at the time that ‘Boris is the man of the moment’ and ‘a much deeper thinker than people assess him to be’, being rewarded with a post as a junior defence minister. Fast forward nearly two years and Mercer has now left his post over the treatment of veterans who served in Northern Ireland after they were excluded from the amnesty in the Overseas Operations Bill. In a Times Radio interview this afternoon, Mercer let rip his frustrations, claiming that his

Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

Boris’s mask slipped at PMQs

Oh dear. Those texts. A bit awkward isn’t it? At PMQs, Sir Keir quizzed Boris about the exchanges between James Dyson and the PM which have been leaked by a saboteur. Boris was rattled. The texts reveal a side of his nature that he wants kept secret. The smug and rather puerile grandee luxuriating in his power and status. Look at me. Marvel at my cleverness. Watch as I solve your problems with my fingertips. See how ministers leap at my command. This will permanently damage a man who likes to pose as the people’s servant, toiling night and day to restore the fortunes of a once mighty kingdom. Sir

Isabel Hardman Isabel Hardman

Is No. 10 planning a vaccine passport ruse?

Michael Gove’s trip to Israel to study the country’s ‘green pass’ system isn’t diminishing the impression among Conservative MPs that the UK government has already made up its mind on vaccine passports. A number who I have spoken to are taking the lack of communication from their party whips as a sign that the policy will be going ahead, as there is no point in canvassing opinion on a matter if the Prime Minister is going ahead with it regardless of the feedback he gets. Some MPs who are opposed to the domestic use of what ministers are currently calling ‘vaccine certification’ are concerned that the way No. 10 plans

Nick Tyrone Nick Tyrone

Starmer’s absurd reaction to the Dyson lobbying ‘scandal’

In the midst of the David Cameron-Greensill lobbying scandal — a gift to the Labour party if ever there was one — Keir Starmer’s frontbench have managed to overshoot the mark. Talking up what she clearly hoped will be another storm for the government to weather, shadow business minister Lucy Powell had some strong words: It stinks, really, that a billionaire businessman can text the Prime Minister and get an immediate response and apparently an immediate change in policy. It seems like the country only works for people who are rich enough or influential enough and, frankly, donors to the Tory party, who have the personal mobile number of the

Steerpike Steerpike

Labour’s trio of lobbying Lords

Labour has been making much of the issue of lobbying since the Greensill scandal broke last month, with Rachel Reeves calling for a ‘proper’ investigation ‘to rein in the lobbyists and lift standards in this great democracy.’ But attention has now turned to the opposition’s own frontbenchers– particularly in the House of Lords where both Charlie Falconer and Sue Hayman have been revealed as having ties to lobbying firms. Falconer is a partner at US law company Gibson Dunn which offers ‘political lobbying’ advice in the UK while Hayman is a board member of London outfit Grayling. Now Steerpike can reveal a third frontbencher on the red benches moonlighting as

Samuel Coates

Boris is right to scrap televised press briefings

It may have been drowned out by the collapse of the European Super League last night, but for the government’s critics, the decision to keep No. 10’s expensive new TV studio while scrapping the press conferences that were supposed to go with it, has become the worst combination of government profligacy and unaccountability. Even so, as a former special adviser in government, I think No. 10 are right not to go ahead with the televised press briefings. When the Prime Minister gave his first press conference from the new No. 9 studio a few weeks ago, at first glance I assumed he must be away at a summit somewhere. The backdrop

Ross Clark Ross Clark

Boris should heed Blair’s advice on the Covid vaccine data

We’ve known from the data from phase three trials that the Pfizer and AstraZeneca vaccines have good efficacy against symptomatic cases of Covid-19. The data also hinted at near 100 per cent efficacy against serious illness, although the limited numbers of participants made it hard to be sure.  This morning, however, comes real world data showing the vaccines have all but eliminated hospitalisations. According to figures obtained by the Daily Telegraph, 74,405 people were admitted to hospitals across the UK between September 2020 and March 2021. Of these, just 32 were people who had received a vaccine at least three weeks earlier. The figures don’t reveal whether or not there

Damian Reilly Damian Reilly

How the Super League sabotaged itself

‘So you’re telling me they’re wetting the bed because we’re suggesting the same teams should compete in a competition in which the same teams always compete?’ It’s not hard to see how the owners of the European Super League clubs, the Americans particularly, might be confused by the splenetic reaction of English football fans to their proposal to update the annual Champions League megabucks jamboree – a tournament that at the sharp end has for decades featured pretty much exclusively the same teams. Instead of being able to point that out, now the wantaway billionaires must grovel and debase themselves. Liverpool owner John Henry has even released a video not

Kate Andrews Kate Andrews

Derek Chauvin’s trial highlights the need for police reform

A trial in the District Court of Minnesota is set to change America. Derek Chauvin has been found guilty of murdering George Floyd last summer, when the police officer shoved his knee into the civilian’s neck for nearly ten minutes, after Floyd was suspected to be using a forged $20 note. Over 40 witnesses gave evidence during the 15 day trial but the jury was swift and unanimous in their decision: Chauvin was declared guilty on all three counts: second-degree manslaughter, second-degree and third-degree murder. George Floyd’s death sparked worldwide outrage: the video – filmed by 17-year-old Darnella Frazier – showed the most brutal, and ultimately fatal, tactics being used on a man

Patrick O’Flynn Patrick O'Flynn

The Greens could learn from the success of Ukip

Is there a better left-wing political brand to own at the moment than that held by the Green party? It is hard to think of one. After all, we are in the midst of a three-part BBC television profile of Greta Thunberg that even the Independent has described as ‘effectively an act of worship’; environmental awareness has become the new religion in the run-up to the UN COP26 conference in Glasgow; and the Labour Party is in the middle of an obvious crisis – communicating neither a sense of idealism nor the feeling that it might win an election anytime soon. One could also add that the less said about

James Forsyth James Forsyth

The Super League collapse shows interventionism is back

What killed the European Super League? Undoubtedly part of it was the backlash from the fans. But the government’s threats to intervene were clearly a factor too. A super league where the six English clubs couldn’t get work permits for any overseas players would have quickly lost its appeal – and the government and the FA were clearly prepared to go down this route. Brexit had strengthened the government’s hand on this; freedom of movement would have meant that any footballer with an EU passport could have come and played for one of the Super League clubs. Football is clearly a special case. But the government’s willingness to intervene does seem

Steerpike Steerpike

Nigel Farage’s foray into ‘eco-friendly’ blockchain

Is Nigel Farage about to rebrand as a tech entrepreneur? Since quitting UK politics, the former Ukip leader has had a varied portfolio when it comes to new work. He has tried out broadcast journalism, Cameo (£75 a pop) and climate activism – as a spokesman for the green finance firm the Dutch Business Group (DGB), which invests in forests in a bid to reduce carbon emissions. Now Mr S understands Farage’s post-Brexit reinvention is about to step up a gear – by entering the world of crypto. Last week, his company DGB acquired a controlling stake in a software development outfit called Statix Artificial Intelligence, with the aim of

Wolfgang Münchau Wolfgang Münchau

The Brexit bounce is underway

The collapse in UK-EU trade after 1 January was widely reported. What has not been reported nearly as much is that UK exports have made a near-complete recovery. They were up 46.6 per cent in February after falling by 42 per cent in January. Imports are not there yet. They were up 7.3 per cent in February after a fall of 29.7 per cent in January. The one prediction I am happy to make is that they will recover too.  What these and other numbers are telling us is that even this bit of the Brexit scare stories will not come true. If you look at the latest IMF data

Tuesday

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Johnny Mercer’s departure became inevitable

No Prime Minister likes a minister allowing public speculation about whether they are going to resign or not. So when reports emerged this morning about Johnny Mercer planning to resign over Northern Ireland veterans not being covered by the Overseas Operations Bill, it was inevitable that Downing Street would sack him if he did not commit to staying. Mercer was duly dismissed tonight following a tempestuous meeting with the chief whip  Mercer’s letter to the Prime Minister doesn’t pull its punches. He accuses the government of lacking ‘moral strength or courage’ in failing to resolve this issue. His letter says that this is leading to veterans ‘being sectioned, drinking themselves to

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Boris scraps daily White House-style briefings

Boris Johnson has axed plans for televised White House-style press conferences. The announcement came six months after Allegra Stratton was unveiled as the Prime Minister’s new spokesperson who would lead the daily Downing Street briefings. Instead, Stratton will become his spokeswoman for COP26, the climate summit, fronting communications both strategically and publicly in the lead up to the event in November. Meanwhile, the No.9 Downing Street briefing room that had been renovated for the press briefings at the cost of £2.6m will be used instead by the Prime Minister, ministers and officials for government communications. So what’s behind the change in plan? So what’s behind the change in plan? The televised press

Katy Balls Katy Balls

What is Michael Gove up to in Israel?

Boris Johnson may have had to cancel his trip to India but that hasn’t stopped his colleagues embarking on trips overseas. Michael Gove is in Israel today on a fact-finding mission ahead of his review into immunity vaccine passports. The Cabinet Office minister has been meeting with Israeli politicians, including prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as well as the foreign minister and health minister.  The trip – which I reported earlier this month – is focussed on what the UK can learn from Israel’s Covid response. Discussions are also taking place on a possible green travel corridor between the two countries for when overseas holidays are allowed again.  Vaccine passports aren’t the only