News and Opinion

Brexit Party MEP Claire Fox has accused Nigel Farage of ‘whipping up fear’ during the EU referendum campaign. Fox, who joined the Brexit Party shortly after it was formed in 2019, said that the one thing that made her “pause” before getting on board with Farage was his work during the EU referendum campaign. Speaking […]

Irish premier Leo Varadkar is expected to call for a general election on February 8th. Speculation has grown after pictures emerged early on Tuesday of staff erecting campaign posters of Varadkar in his constituency before the Dail had been dissolved, or the Taoiseach had visited the president. It is understood Varadkar will visit Aras an […]

Boris Johnson has confirmed he will hold trade talks with the US at the same time as the EU – in case they fail. The prime minister said it was “epically likely” that the UK would strike a comprehensive trade deal with the EU by the end of 2020 – when the transition period ends. […]

Remainers have ridiculed the latest merchandise line from pro-Brexit group Leave.EU which claims the job is now ‘done’. The group is looking to cash in on Britain’s departure from the European Union on January 31st, launching a series of mugs and t-shirts with the message “job done” and the date of January 31st 2020. “See […]

Boris Johnson has suggested that the public can crowdfund the £500,000 costs of bonging Big Ben to celebrate the UK’s exit from the EU. Following calls from arch-Leave MP Mark Francois to strike the bell at 11pm on January 31, the prime minister said the government is working up a plan for people to contribute […]

Labour’s ruling National Executive Committee have revealed details of how and when the leadership contest will work. People can join through the Labour Party website for £4.38 a month – but only have until Monday 20th January at 5pm to be eligible to have a say in the postal ballot. This marks a change from […]

AC GRAYLING established himself as a leading thinker of the Remain campaign. He argues that the cause is not lost and that it is well worth continuing the fight. Will the UK – or the countries of the British Isles, if the UK separates into its currently constituent parts – rejoin the European Union? The […]

Prime minister Boris Johnson has said that he does not know when the report into Russian interference in British democracy will be released. Appearing on BBC Breakfast Johnson was asked when it would be released, after the prime minister appeared to finally authorise the release when he was re-elected in December. “You promised it wouldn’t […]

The latest batch of commemorative 50p coins to mark Brexit should be melted down for a third time because they mark ‘division not unity’, a former civil servant has claimed. A rethink was urged by Lord Butler of Brockwell, who said they would “not promote reconciliation or commend us to our neighbours in the EU”. […]

A meeting of the House of Commons Commission has ruled that Big Ben will not ring on January 31st due to financial and logistical issues. The issue was discussed at a meeting of the House of Commons Commission on Monday after it was revealed that it would cost £500,000 – up from the original estimate […]

John Heartfield pioneered the use of art as a weapon of politics. JAMES BROWN reports on a new show which underlines how relevant his work remains The 1937 anti Nazi poster “Die Saat des Todes” – The Seeds of Death by 1937 by John Heartfield. Shows a skeleton in tin helmet sowing swastikas. In the […]

How will Iran’s Middle East network react to the killing of their creator, asks Vladimir Rauta? A gamble, a shot in the dark, a risky move. Since the assassination in Baghdad of Qasem Soleimani, speculation has mounted that the ensuing crisis could lead to a regional or international war. Iran’s initial reaction – missile attacks […]

The mayor of London has said he is concerned about a further rise in hate crime after Brexit day on January 31st. Speaking to LBC, Sadiq Khan admitted there could be further rises in hate crime, similar to the weeks following the EU referendum result on 23rd June 2016. He said: “It’s always a concern. […]

An MEP has hauled Ann Widdecombe up for her misleading statements about what ‘the British people’ want in a dramatic intervention in EU parliament. During the last session that British MEPs will partipate in, Dutch MEP Sophia In ‘t Veld stepped in to correct the Brexit Party stalwart on her claims that all of the […]

Jess Phillips is set to make her case for Labour to be ‘100% committed’ to the union between England and Scotland in an upcoming visit to Glasgow. The Labour MP – whose place in the ongoing party leadership contest was secured on Monday – is expected to argue against Scottish nationalism after having earlier accused […]

Priti Patel has denied that racism could be a factor in Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s decision to step back from senior royal duties. 'I don't believe there's racism there at all' Home secretary @patel4witham says she doesn't think there's any racism in the media coverage of Meghan Markle. Listen on @BBCSounds #5LiveBreakfast pic.twitter.com/QnhQ20ZTHn— BBC […]

Culture secretary Nicky Morgan and environment minister Zac Goldsmith have taken their seats in the House of Lords after becoming lifelong peers. Baroness Morgan of Cotes quit the Commons in the December election but was given a seat in the Upper House by Boris Johnson. It is unusual but not unprecedented for a secretary of […]

A Remainer has claimed that the pro-European cause would ‘outnumber’ those celebrating Brexit in Parliament Square on January 31st. In a ‘throwaway remark’ Jonathan Lis managed to anger Brexiteers and the Daily Express by suggesting a counter-demonstration would attract more Remainers than Nigel Farage will attract Brexiteers on January 31st. Farage, who is planning to […]

Clive Lewis has abandoned his bid to become Labour leader, after acknowledging he could not get the required support from his fellow MPs. With five nominations, he was still 17 short of the 22 backers he needed to move to the next stage, and said he decided to step out so that his supporters could […]

The EU could take the UK government to court over the Irish border issue, a respected think-tank has warned. The Institute for Government said it did not believe that Boris Johnson’s Brexit plans surrounding the Irish border would be deliverable by December 2020. It warned that if Johnson does not ensure the measures are in […]

A former cabinet minister has said he is ‘100% certain’ that Scotland will vote to go independent after talking to his own family about their views on the matter. Labour MP Ben Bradshaw said it was “completely untenable” for the UK government to deny a second vote on the matter, adding he had “no doubt” […]

Leading second Brexit referendum campaigner and MP PETER KYLE on why he’s backing Ian Murray for deputy leader of the Labour Party. Solidarity and internationalism are in Labour’s DNA. That’s why every Labour government has championed the Union, fighting for communities in every nation and region of the UK. Unlike Nationalists, we don’t believe in […]

The Labour peer who introduced a key amendment guaranteeing rights for unaccompanied child refugees says he is ‘hopeful’ the House of Lords will insist that it is put back in the Brexit bill. Lord Alf Dubs said that Conservative peers have urged him to fight to keep the amendment in Boris Johnson’s Withdrawal Agreement Bill […]

Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has backed calls for Leavers to ring local church bells to mark Brexit – with campaigners likening it to the end of the war. With their calls for Big Ben to chime at 11pm on January 31st going ignored, desperate pro-Brexit campaigners have now turned their attention to a nationwide attempt […]

Hardline Tory Brexiteer MPs are still pushing for Big Ben to chime on Brexit day, claiming it will provide ‘closure’, despite the cost being in the region of £120,000. For the clock to chime for the occasion there would need to be 14 days’ worth of testing to enable it to chime at 11pm on […]

The Father of the House has warned that a no-deal Brexit would be an ‘unintended mistake’ that could cost the economy more than 10% – and leaving with a trade deal could shrink it by up to five per cent. Sir Peter Bottomley also said that former Tory MPs culled by the party for defying […]

Leading grassroots campaigner MIKE GALSWORTHY dissects what went wrong – and right – and why we must get organised to help with the next campaigning efforts. The People’s Vote campaign and broader array of Remain/final say movements had a string of successes since 2016 but ultimately fell at a late hurdle. For me, in summary, […]

A newly-elected Conservative MP has dismissed claims that people paid a price with the government’s austerity programme. Gary Sambrook, the new Birmingham Northfield Tory MP, was appearing on the BBC Politics Midlands programme to talk blue-collar Conservatism when he blamed Labour for the government’s austerity choices. He said: “We’ve come out of the other end […]

The director of the event dubbed the ‘festival of Brexit Britain’ has claimed he will prove cynics wrong about the celebrations. The nationwide event – expected to cost taxpayers £120 million – intends to bring the nation together by showcasing British creativity and bring “joy, hope and happiness”. First announced by Theresa May, Boris Johnson’s […]

The only thing that hasn’t changed since the election is Boris Johnson, argues MITCH BENN. So how do Remain regroup and go forward? As you may recall, I left last week’s column on a cliffhanger, saying I’d been thinking about things we – as in the Remain movement – could still do in this new […]

The process of division did not start with Donald Trump, but his assassination of Qasem Soleimani has revealed the chasm between America and Europe, says JOHN KAMPFNER, with Britain adrift between the two. In the language of modern relationships this would be called abuse. One partner is nervous and needy. The other is controlling and […]

Layla Moran has said she would not rule out the Liberal Democrats having a formal relationship with Labour, saying lessons need to be learned from overly ‘tribal’ campaigning that handed the Tories a huge majority in the general election. The MP, who is tipped as a possible future Lib Dem leader, said that her party […]