British Politics

Sections of Liz Truss’ speech on inequality and discrimination in Britain has been removed from the government’s website. Critics have labelled the speech “bonkers” after the Tory minister claimed pupils at her school were unable to read or write because too much had been taken up learning about racism and sexism. Truss went to school in Leeds […]

Britain will never get a better trade deal with the EU than the one it has as a member state, a German MEP has declared. Theresa Reintke said Britain’s trading relationship with Europe would never be the same once it left “the table in Brussels”. Reintke, an MEP for the Greens–European Free Alliance, told the EU parliament: “No […]

A leading EU politician has taken a swipe at Boris Johnson and fellow Brexiteers by saying that Britain will rejoin the “European family” in a few decades during a passionate speech in the European parliament. Guy Verhofstadt, who served as the EU’s Brexit coodinator, said it would be the “students of Britain” who would eventually bring the […]

Whetherspoon boss Tim Martin has come to the “rapid conclusion” that Boris Johnson and his government have been “incapable of making good decisions” over Brexit.  Tim Martin, a Brexiteer, suggested Johnson would “tie up the country for decades” in agreement he would not fully understand. Discussing the prospect on talkRADIO, Martin said: “I’m rapidly forming the conclusion that Boris […]

Remainers have revelled in a ‘told you so’ moment as a clip surfaced showing a miles-long queue of lorries at Dover port. The 58-seconed video shows a birds-eye views of trucks piled back to back down M20 trying to access the Eurotunnel entrance in Folkstone. This is the fourth consecutive day of heavy traffic along the M20 as companies […]

Boris Johnson and the European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen said “substantial progress” had been made on a Brexit trade deal following a phone call on Thursday – but both are still warning there are significant obstacles to overcome. As the clock ticks towards the deadline for an agreement at the end of the […]

Keep your spirits high with The New European‘s alternative Christmas songs, specially penned for the season by columnist Mitch Benn BREXIT WONDERLAND Shop bells ring, no-one’s listening On the shelves, things are missing A worrying sight, we’re hungry tonight Starving in a Brexit Wonderland Gone away is the old deal Here to stay is the […]

A toilet roll manufacturer has insisted they are “equipped to meet increased demand when required” over fears of Brexit panic-buying before the transition period ends on December 31. Manufacturers faced significant demand at the start of the year as the coronavirus pandemic hit, but said they are ready for no-deal Brexit panic-buying at supermarkets. Kimberley-Clark, […]

Liz Truss has been berated for suggesting that the debate surrounding gender and race equality issues had been dominated by “fashion” and not “facts”. The equalities minister today announced a change to government policy around systemic discrimination issues, promising a move away from “identity politics” in favour of a focus on people’s social class and individual “character”. She […]

Brexit has made criticism of Boris Johnson and his government seem like “an act of disloyalty”, a national radio host has said. James O’Brien, a presenter on LBC radio, argued a lack of oversight had caused Britain to become one of the worst-hit victims of Covid-19 around the world. He said confusing messaging around what the public […]

Russian media mogul Evgeny Lebedev has taken his seat in the House of Lords. The 40-year-old, who owns the Evening Standard and the Independent, is a long-time friend of Boris Johnson. His appointment to the unelected chamber along with the prime minister’s brother Jo Johnson and Brexiteer cricketer Sir Ian Botham, fuelled accusations of “cronyism” […]

Dominic Cummings has used a column in The Spectator‘s magazine Christmas special to launch a veiled attack on Boris Johnson and his fiancée Carrie Symonds. Cummings used a slot in a publication where his wife works to say politicians had become “more focused on Twitter and gossip-column stories about their dogs”. Johnson’s former top aide is set to […]

Despite refusing to provide an economic analysis for Brexit, throwing millions on unusable coronavirus PPE, giving special advisers large pay rises, Jacob Rees-Mogg has accused Labour of wasting money. Speaking in front of MPs, leader of the House of Commons Rees-Mogg said it was a “well-known fact that socialists” run out of other people’s money. It […]

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg has told MPs Unicef should be “ashamed” of itself over its pledge to feed UK children during the coronavirus pandemic after a Labour politician asked him to get his “super-rich chums to pay their fair share”. The Commons leader told MPs it was “a scandal” that the charity had said it […]

Big Ben is to be reconnected so that it can ring in at 11pm on New Year’s Eve – the moment the UK leaves the European Union’s single market and customs union. The famous bell has been largely silent since 2017 due to repairs on the clock and Parliament’s Elizabeth Tower which houses it, only […]

Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey has clashed with a former Tory minister for suggesting his party may not back Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal. Former home secretary Amber Rudd, appearing on Politics Live, told the pro-European that he should have originally backed a soft Brexit which Theresa May proposed. She explained: “I’m very very sad that […]

Footage of Priti Patel being schooled on her support for the death penalty by Ian Hislop has resurfaced on social media. In the clip from 2011, Patel is seen clashing with Private Eye editor over the use of the death penalty in innocent cases. Debating the reintroduction of capital punishment on Question Time, Hislop said: “For 50 years, Private […]

A Tory MP who broke coronavirus rules to attend a Christmas party after advising others to be cautious has been slammed on Twitter. Bournemouth East MP Tobias Ellwood is under fire for attending a Christmas bash with 27 guests at a London club. Ellwood, who chairs the Commons defence committee, gave a speech at the Cavalry […]

Home secretary Priti Patel has said there have been “many, many changes” at the Home Office after the inquiry into claims that she bullied civil servants working for her. An investigation by the prime minister’s adviser on ministerial standards, Sir Alex Allan, last month concluded that her behaviour towards staff could be described as bullying, […]

Health secretary Matt Hancock has told MPs Tier 3 restrictions will be extended across a wide area of East and South East England. Which tier are you in? Find out below. Tier 3 No mixing indoors. People can only meet outdoors in limited places such as parks and public gardens. Pubs and restaurants must close, […]

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has admitted there might not be “appetite” amongst the public for him to run in an election again – even if Boris Johnson delivers a ‘Brexit in name only’. The politician – who lost in all seven elections he stood in and dropped out of the latest – said although […]

Priti Patel has sparred with a Sky News presenter after he suggested Britain could be “less safe” after Brexit. The home secretary threw aside claims Britain’s security and intelligence operations would be jeopardised by a no-deal Brexit. She appeared on Sky News to assuage concerns. Presenter Niall Paterson asked: “As things stand we do not […]

French president Emmanuel Macron has tested positive for Covid-19. The Elysée palace announced that Macron took a test for coronavirus on Thursday and received a positive result, meaning he will now self-isolate for seven days. Macron is “still in charge”, an official said, and will now work remotely. He follows other world leaders including Boris […]

Brexiteers in government – along with the prime minister – have been accused by former Brexit Party MEPs of ‘selling out’ to Brussels. In a sign of discontent over any Brexit agreement with the EU, Alexandra Phillips and Ben Habib have penned a column in the Daily Telegraph accusing the biggest proponents of the project in the Tory […]

Donald Trump is looking to secure a series of ‘mini’ Brexit trade deals with the UK, his trade chief has claimed. Trade representative Robert Lighthizer suggested that the US and UK could agree deals which reduce tariffs on items such as Scotch whisky if a pact is successful. The government hopes to broker a full free trade […]

An SNP MP has been suspended from a House of Commons sitting after he protested against the approval of controversial Brexit legislation. The party’s business spokesman Drew Hendry shouted “this is an outrage” as proceedings on the UK Internal Market Bill came to a conclusion following a lengthy parliamentary battle in recent weeks. Deputy speaker […]

The British government has been called a “disgrace” after UNICEF was forced to intervene in the country’s food crisis for the first time ever. The UN agency said Covid-19 had left British youngsters facing the biggest crisis since the Second World War and donated £25,000 to a charity feeding Britain’s hungry children. Since the first national lockdown […]

Tory MP Michael Fabricant was cut-off by the House of Commons speaker after he branded Labour leader Keir Starmer a “smarmy lawyer”. The Conservative politician for Lichfield used his question at Prime Minister’s Question to claim the Labour leader was looking to change the rules on Christmas. He told MPs: “Look, on the subject of […]

Emergency stop-gap Brexit legislation is set to be rushed through the House of Lords in a day to ensure the UK is ready for its final departure from the EU at the end of the year. The “panic stations” bill has led to accusations of “chaos” being levelled at the government. The criticism came as […]

A BBC factchecker has debunked Boris Johnson’s claims that coronavirus infection rates were falling across England. Politics Live‘s Joel Massey said government data showed the majority of local authority areas reported an increase in cases over the past week. Johnson had declared that a “huge amount of progress” had been made to bringing down infection rates. His comments comes as […]

The gender pay gap has significantly widened at the Department for International Trade (DIT) run by women and equalities minister Liz Truss, new figures reveal. Labour said the growing divide “raises serious questions” about the government’s commitment to close the gender pay gap when Truss’s department is “clearly going backwards”. The gap in the DIT, […]

Downing Street has defended Dominic Cummings being handed a pay rise of around £45,000 as taking the senior aide to the “correct level of salary” for his role. The prime minister’s press secretary Allegra Stratton said: “This was a matter for the Cabinet Office special adviser pay committee, that’s where the decisions are taken. “It’s […]