Uk politics

Wednesday

Steerpike

Corbyn’s birthday plea

Over the past few weeks, company emails have been flooding into inboxes asking the recipient to give consent to remain on mailing lists. Given the repetitious nature of the message, the emails have begun to all fade into one. So, today’s GDPR email from the Labour party stuck out thanks to its originality. In a plea to Labour supporters, party staffers asked recipients to click the ‘keep me updated’ button on the basis that it’s Jeremy Corbyn’s birthday this weekend and ‘the last thing he wants as a gift is to see our movement lose strength!’: Who ever said Corbyn’s Labour was a personality cult…

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Tory MPs brace themselves for EU Withdrawal Bill showdown

The Chief Whip has just told Tory MPs that the EU Withdrawal Bill will be coming back to the Commons in early to mid-June. He told a meeting of the 1922 Committee that all leave was cancelled, and that there would be no slipping as the Government tried to overturn the Lords amendments. He was, I am informed, clear that the Government isn’t changing its mind on either the EEA or a customs union. There had been speculation that the Government would try and hold the withdrawal bill back until the autumn. But I understand that this option was never really a goer because of the number of statutory instruments

Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

Labour’s obesity crisis

PMQs began with a question about obesity from Labour’s Kerry McCarthy. The crisis has reached breaking-point, she said. Our chubby 11-year-olds are now even chubbier than America’s chubby 11-year-olds. ‘The voluntary approach simply won’t work,’ she said. Her colleagues, crushed and squeezed together, bore out the truth of this statement. ‘The voluntary approach,’ (or ‘turning down that extra Hobnob at teatime’), has certainly failed to stop Labour’s fat-cats from cramming their faces with yummie treats galore. The opposition party is obesity’s A-team. The over-achievers of over-eating. A casual glance across their heaving benches reveals prop-forward after prop-forward, and bouncy-castle after bouncy-castle. And the gods of chocolate do not discriminate between the

Karen Yossman

Oxford’s problem? The sorry state of British state schools

Never does the disdain for state education become more apparent than when the conversation turns to Oxford and Cambridge admissions. Not from the distinguished universities themselves, mind you, who, despite what the media might have you believe, welcome all applicants regardless of their background. But from our political classes, particularly those on the left, who seem to believe state school pupils are so universally hopeless they can’t get in without demanding the universities lower the bar. Politicians such as David Lammy, whose obsession with Oxbridge knows no bounds, demand changes to the Oxford and Cambridge admissions system – such as moving from collegiate to centralised admissions – because it is

James Kirkup James Kirkup

The Catch 22 of Labour’s gender policy

Earlier this week, I wrote about David Lewis, a Labour member who was allowed to stand for election as a constituency women’s officer on the basis that he identifies as a woman under some circumstances. That report seems to have drawn some attention, not least from Labour HQ. David Lewis was told on Tuesday night that he has been suspended from the party and cannot therefore stand for election as Basingstoke CLP women’s officer. I’ll try to unravel the implications of that in a moment, but first I want to say something about David Lewis and the general debate around this case. As is usual with debates around gender, a

Steerpike Steerpike

Jacob Rees-Mogg’s snap election warning

Jacob Rees’Mogg’s appearance on the new Conservative Home Moggcast has caused a stir in Westminster. In the broadcast, the arch-eurosceptic – and chair of the European Research Group – questions Theresa May’s commitment to Brexit: ‘I fear we’re getting to the point where you wonder whether the Government really wants to leave at all.’ Although the comments are unlikely to go down well in Downing Street, there is one aspect of the Moggster’s comments that will ease concern in No 10. On the recurring topic of an early election, Rees-Mogg says such talk is dangerous – and something that should be avoided: ‘The national polling level is very encouraging. It’s

Tuesday

Katy Balls

Caroline Nokes puts her foot in it, again

Theresa May’s government is supposed to decide within the next two months what type of migration policy Britain should adopt after Brexit. So it didn’t go unnoticed that both Michael Gove and Ruth Davidson used the launch of a new Conservative think tank – Onward – on Monday night to argue for a more relaxed and open system. But despite them speaking out, the person causing No 10 the biggest headache on immigration today is the immigration minister. After Caroline Nokes caused confusion during the Windrush crisis by suggesting in an interview that some migrants may have been accidentally deported, she is back in the line of fire once again.

William Shawcross

The genius of constitutional monarchy

George Orwell famously wrote that an English intellectual would rather be caught stealing from the poorbox than be seen standing to attention for God Save the King. Such intellectuals must have had a terrible time last weekend when much of the nation’s gaze was fixed on the wedding of two young people who are part of an institution we think of as quintessentially British. The newlyweds have shown early commitment to those qualities we celebrate as particularly British: duty, charity and the service of others. Whether it is the two tours in Afghanistan served by Prince Harry, or the charity work that the couple has embraced, the hallmarks of the

Ned Donovan

The Tories need to get over Thatcher

A lot of attention has been given to the new think tank, Onward, that claims it will win back Britain for the Conservative Party by targeting disaffected Blairites and young people. There is, however, one part of society conspicuously missing from its remit: the poorest. The group’s founder, Neil O’Brien MP, claims that Corbyn is ‘crackers’ and his policies, including nationalisation of infrastructure ‘need deleting’. At no point does Onward – or any of the other right-wing think tanks that have launched – seem to question why Corbyn’s policies are so popular throughout the country. Nor do they wonder whether any Conservative government has made them work before. Has anyone

The Spectator

Ruth Davidson: Tories are too dour and joyless

This is an edited transcript of Ruth Davidson’s speech at last night’s launch of Onward, a new liberal Conservative think tank: Sometimes the Tories just look a bit dour. You know, we look a bit joyless. Fair? A bit authoritarian sometimes. We don’t get to win if we start hectoring the people that we need to vote for us. We don’t get to just say ‘Please stand on the right’ like every tube message out there. We’ve got to learn to be a bit more joyful and that’s something that I think that we have tried to learn in Scotland. Trust me, when I started out in the Tory party

Monday

Steerpike

Michael Gove and Ruth Davidson, the new ‘Ike and Tina Turner’

To the launch of Onward, the new liberal Conservative think tank. A who’s who of the Tory party, including Liz Truss, Tom Tugendhat and James Cleverly, gathered in Parliament’s Churchill room to raise a glass to the new venture – headed by Theresa May’s former policy wonk Will Tanner. Launching the event were the new dream team: Ruth Davidson and Michael Gove. Neither were shy in coming forward. The Scottish Conservatives leader began her speech by joking that the reason she had been invited was to prove the Tory party is diverse: ‘In future when think tanks ask please, can we get a pregnant lesbian, the answer for all those

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Bercow admits calling Andrea Leadsom ‘stupid’

John Bercow has finally spoken out over reports alleging that he called Andrea Leadsom a ‘stupid woman’ in the Chamber on Wednesday. In a statement to the House, the Speaker admitted using the word ‘stupid’ but refrained from saying whether he had also used the accompanying words ‘woman’ or ‘f—— useless’. Bercow insisted that he had used the word ‘stupid’ only in relation to the government’s management of business – rather than towards Leadsom personally. ‘Last Wednesday the government chose to schedule a major transport statement on an opposition day, thereby substantially reducing the time available for opposition business. I thought then, as I think now, that this was very

Douglas Murray

Meghan Markle and the myth of ‘racist’ Britain

In recent years the British public have been bombarded with allegations about our alleged bigotry. When we failed to follow the advice of the ‘Remain’ campaign in the EU referendum this ramped up several gears. Since then there has been a seemingly endless parade of pseudo-scientific claims that ‘hate crime has soared’ and the like. This has encouraged politicians and pundits to spend the last two years insisting that while the UK had long been a cauldron, it is now one whose lid is off and where racists are allowed to roam the land, attacking foreigners at will. Some of us – certainly a majority – knew all this to

Steerpike Steerpike

Andy Burnham’s BBC jibe backfires

Andy Burnham is now making a career out of being an aggrieved northerner, fed up with London dominating the agenda. Never mind that the Mayor of Greater Manchester made his name down south, Burnham takes a pop at the Westminster ‘bubble’ whenever the opportunity presents itself. But Mr S wonders whether he really thought through his latest dig. Following a morning of chaos on Britain’s railways, Burnham chose to direct his ire, not at the railways companies, but at the BBC for its coverage of the story: The only problem? This is how the BBC are covering the story on their website: Oh dear….

Steerpike Steerpike

Fact check: Corbynista support for Maduro

Once upon a time, Labour politicians were lining up to praise the socialist achievements of the government in Venezuela. These days it’s a much harder sell thanks to the fact that 82pc of households live in poverty. Happily, John McDonnell has found a workaround. Speaking on the Sunday Politics, the shadow chancellor rejected the idea that Venezuela was an example of  the failed socialist economic model. Instead the issue is apparently that when Nicolás Maduro took over from veteran socialist leader Hugo Chávez it ‘took a wrong turn’ and now ceases to be ‘a socialist country’. Only Mr S isn’t so sure this defence holds up. For one, someone forgot to tell

Steerpike Steerpike

Young Labour official’s tribute to Maduro

This weekend, John McDonnell set the cat among the pigeons with an interview on  the Sunday Politics. With Venezuela’s President Nicolás Maduro winning re-election amid claims of vote-rigging, the shadow chancellor was asked whether Venezuela was an example of a failed socialist economic model. McDonnell’s reply? The country isn’t socialist enough. He said it ‘took a wrong turn’ when Nicolás Maduro took over from veteran socialist leader Hugo Cháveznder and it is now no longer ‘a socialist country’. Alas, it seems not all of McDonnell’s comrades are on the same page. Putting aside what Venezuela’s chief UK cheerleader Chris Williamson thinks, Mr S was curious to learn of the stance being adopted

Sunday

James Noble

Some tips for recovering from Brexit ‘madness’

The following letter appears in this week’s Spectator I was touched by the sad article by Matthew Parris, in which he just cannot get over his horror at Brexit (‘Brexit has driven me mad, but I can’t let it go’, 12 May). Can I suggest a few things that might help him recover? First, he might get some perspective. He will still be able to drink his favourite rosé wine. He will still be able to go to Europe. The sun will still shine and the sky will not cave in. Secondly, it would help him tremendously to realise that the EU is not a wholly good force. The ever-closer union

Steerpike Steerpike

Watch: Emma Barnett skewers Barry Gardiner over Brexit comments

Oh dear. Although Theresa May’s divided government is currently in a state of deadlock over Brexit, the Prime Minister can at least take heart that the Tories aren’t the only party experiencing difficulties here. This morning Barry Gardiner was the victim of a car crash interview on the Andrew Marr show. With Marr on sick leave, Emma Barnett was Gardiner’s interviewer – and she did not hold back. The BBC presenter took the shadow International Trade secretary to task over comments he made about the Irish border in March while at an event held by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation. At the event, Gardiner described the Good Friday Agreement as ‘a shibboleth’

Katy Balls Katy Balls

Is an early election really on the cards?

Thanks to a weekend of nationwide jubilation over Prince Harry’s marriage to Meghan Markle, politics has – for once – taken a backseat. However, there’s one story in the Sunday Times that is still likely to cause mild alarm: ‘Tory MPs prepare for snap autumn election as Theresa May hit by Brexit deadlock’. The paper reports that Conservative MPs have privately started to get ready for a snap general election. It’s not that they fear Theresa May is about to go on a walking holiday and get over-excited about some better-than-expected polling. Instead, these Tories fear that the Brexit deadlock will soon become ‘insurmountable for the prime minister’. This isn’t the

Charles Moore Charles Moore

Morgan, Clegg and Miliband just don’t get the message

Watching Nick Clegg, Nicky Morgan and David Miliband sort of launching what might one day become a sort of new centre party amid a granary-full of Tilda rice in Essex, I realised why we still need the Labour party. Despite their equation of themselves with rationality — Sir Nick’s office advertises itself online under the name of Open Reason — the moderates are a bit crazy. They are centrist Bourbons, who have forgotten nothing about how they all, in their different ways, fell from power, yet have learnt nothing about why. How could they possibly think that the key to the future of our country is to be found in