News and Opinion

Why knowing about these two African American women is key to understanding how the Democrats intend to defeat Donald. Symone Sanders, who joined Joe Biden’s campaign as a senior adviser earlier this year. Picture: JP Yim/Getty Images – Credit: Getty Images for Girlboss Rally The sight of two white male septuagenarians, Joe Biden and Bernie […]

Far from being a new fad, vegetarianism has long been a strand of left-wing politics, says Sky Duthie. The rise of the vegetarian and, more recently, the vegan diet is generally perceived to be a new phenomenon. So, too, is their association with contemporary progressive ideas, politics and lifestyles. But plant-based diets have deep historical […]

Police will take no further action against Jo Brand after she joked about throwing battery acid at politicians, Scotland Yard has said. The comedian was reported over an allegation of incitement to violence after comments made on Radio 4 programme Heresy after Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage criticised the joke. Brand apologised for the joke, […]

The V-2 was a mere footnote of the Second World War – despite the destructive power and terror it created. Yet, as Mick O’Hare shows, the lethal weapon was one of the most influential inventions of the 20th century “The thing was, you couldn’t hear them coming. they travelled faster than the speed of sound […]

Crossbench peer and businessman Alan Sugar has tweeted his support for Boris Johnson as prime minister – despite last month saying he should be in prison. The former Labour politician took to the social media network website to claim that only Johnson had the potential of winning a general election up against Jeremy Corbyn. He […]

TIM WALKER speaks to Michael Longhurst about the Donmar Theatre’s revival of Europe – and why he is keen that it sends a very political message. “This country has been sitting on a powderkeg for too long. A spark was bound to catch. He said he’d tighten up on immigration controls. After all… feelings were […]

Health secretary Matt Hancock has withdrawn from the Tory leadership race as candidates seek a way to defeat front-runner Boris Johnson. Hancock, who secured 20 votes in the first ballot of the contest, said the party is looking for a candidate for the “unique circumstances that exist now”. He tweeted: “Thank you for all your […]

A Question Time audience member has made a simple but compelling point about the ‘absolutely rubbish’ standards to which politicians are held over drug use. During the episode, the discussion turned to the recent political confessions, most notably Michael Gove confirming he had used cocaine and Rory Stewart saying he had taken opium. A woman […]

International trade secretary Liam Fox has said that Nigel Farage does not speak for the UK on an international stage after the Brexit Party leader claimed he was going to start his own trade deal talks with Donald Trump. Farage claimed the UK was “behind the curve” on plans for a post-Brexit trade deal with […]

Boris Johnson’s own words on television debates being ‘essential’ have come back to haunt him as his team refuse to guarantee his participation. The former foreign secretary so far has only answered six questions from journalists during the whole Tory leadership election campaign. Now Johnson’s team say he is “in discussions” with broadcasters about his […]

Have I Got News For You (HIGNFY) has tweeted out footage discussing the Boris Johnson private prosecution for misconduct – and Ian Hislop made his feelings very clear. The case, which was quashed after a judicial review of Johnson’s court summons, accused the leadership hopeful of misconduct in public office over the referendum campaign claim […]

Anti-Brexit party Change UK will change its name for a third time in five months following a dispute. The group, originally known as The Independent Group, was challenged over the similarity of its new moniker to the Change.org petition site. The group has now said it will apply for registration with the Electoral Commission as […]

Former Labour-turned-Change UK MP Chuka Umunna has joined the Liberal Democrats. Tweets posted by Chuka Umunna in 2013 about the Liberal Democrats. (PA Wire) – Credit: PA The former shadow business secretary quit Labour in February this year to join the new Independent group, which became Change UK ahead of the European elections last month. […]

As a New European reader, you probably reckon you keep a close eye on the continent’s news. Test yourself with our quiz… Think you’re on top of what’s been going on across Europe in the past seven days? Take The New European’s tricky quiz and find out just how much of a Europhile you are…

Jeremy Hunt has told broadcasters to ‘grow up’ and refrain from pronouncing his surname using its rhyming expletive. The foreign secretary’s name has been mistakenly replaced with the c-word by journalists on both television and radio on numerous occasions. But in an interview the Tory leadership hopeful was less convinced that it was a mistake, […]

Boris Johnson, who has been under criticism for avoiding media scrutiny, has said he will take part in the BBC’s TV debate – but not Channel 4’s, reportedly due to worries about ‘hostile briefings’. The politician has so far refused media requests for interviews and had not committed to upcoming debates being televised on the […]

For Croatia – the last to join of the EU’s 28 members – Brexit has prompted fears of the union’s disintegration. “Is this Brexit pantomime for real?” a Croatian government official asked me after my speech this week to an international tourism conference in Split on the Dalmatian coast. “Actually, it’s just become a circus,” […]

Tory leadership candidate Rory Stewart said that if Boris Johnson suspended parliament to get a no-deal Brexit through, ‘we will bring him down’. Following the second round of the Tory leadership race he was asked about it by Sky News’ Beth Rigby who noted that Johnson, the runaway favourite, had not ruled it out. Stewart […]

Sajid Javid has said he does not understand why he was excluded from the state banquet for Donald Trump during last week’s state visit by the US president. V odd. I went to every state banquet for visiting leaders as Home Secretary https://t.co/odEMlbBWh4— Jacqui Smith (@Jacqui_Smith1) 13 June 2019 The Tory leadership hopeful said he […]

A new anti-Brexit protest calling for change will take place on the weekend that a new prime minister takes office. The event, organised by a series of grassgroots campaign groups, has been branded a “march with a difference”. The campaigners claim this one will “will put the proud and confident case for remaining in the […]

On the day Boris Johnson unveiled his leadership pitch, the nation’s favourite impressionist had already taken a stab at giving the Tory hopeful’s speech for him. The favourite finally launches his campaign... #Boris #BorisJohnson pic.twitter.com/nJwmVnMvKp— Rory Bremner (@rorybremner) June 12, 2019 With over 2,400 retweets, the one-minute video was probably better received than Johnson’s speech […]

Rallies for a People’s Vote are planned in towns and cities nationwide to put ‘relentless’ pressure on politicians throughout the summer and autumn. Starting in Leeds on June 22, the ‘let us be heard’ campaign will bring people together in 15 towns including Sunderland, Luton, Newport and Glasgow, taking in the Conservative and Labour party […]

MPs may have run out of chances to stop the next prime minister forcing a no-deal Brexit on the country, a leading Tory MP has claimed. Sir Oliver Letwin, a former government minister who has been behind a series of cross-party moves to block a no-deal Brexit, said he could not think of any further […]

Running the rule over the Tory leadership candidates – and why we can only hope their campaigning gets better. Heavens to Betsy, doesn’t the Peterborough by-election seem a long time ago? Mini sensation after micro-shock breaks upon the tidal Thames at Westminster. Tsunamis, as elected agitator, Mark Francois MP, would call them, ripples to you […]

The Duke of York has broken royal protocol to comment on Brexit – saying that it would make ‘no difference’ to businesses whether the UK is in the EU or not. Prince Andrew was a UK trade envoy until quitting the role in 2011. He is one of the first royals to openly speak about […]

Who is on Question Time tonight and where do they stand on Brexit? Here’s your guide… The BBC’s flagship current affairs programme tonight comes from Brecon in Powys, the country with the lowest population density in Wales. But who’ll be the populist – and who will just be dense? Here’s who’s on the panel and […]

A 2007 article by Boris Johnson has resurfaced in which he rails against the ‘arrogance’ and ‘contempt’ of Gordon Brown taking over from Tony Blair as prime minister without a general election. The Telegraph opinion piece reads as deeply embarrassing to a man who is currently eager to, er, take over from Theresa May as […]

Rather than rub our noses in it, the French should remember their own era-defining national crisis and cut us some slack, says Allis Moss. A caricature from the ‘Museum of Horrors’ at the time of the Dreyfus Affair, one of the most serious incidents under the 3rd Republic in France. Picture: Photo12/UIG via Getty Images […]

The results of the first Tory leadership ballot have been revealed – with three MPs eliminated. Candidates needed at least 17 votes to go through to the second round, with anyone below the threshold automatically eliminated. Those MPs with the fewest votes were Mark Harper, Esther McVey and Andrea Leadsom. Boris Johnson overwhelmingly topped the […]

Eight Labour MPs ignored party orders to support efforts to stop a no-deal, with more abstaining on the party’s motion. Their efforts dented the party’s bid to allow MPs to take control of the Commons agenda on June 25 as part of an attempt to block the UK leaving the EU without a deal on […]

A Labour MP has admitted he ‘made a mistake’ by not voting for Theresa May’s Brexit deal. Gareth Snell said he should have backed the agreement when it was put before the Commons for a third time, adding he would support a deal in future. He explained he would take such action as it is […]

Boris Johnson has been accused of encouraging Trump-style tactics against journalists in his leadership bid launch. Johnson's jokey, casual and altogether quite rude dismissal of serious questioning from both @bbclaurak and @BethRigby was not a good look. Especially given those six precious questions are the only public scrutiny he's received so far or likely to […]