News and Opinion

Brexit Party supporters have been caught on camera shouting ‘go home’ during a Sikh MEP’s acceptance speech on the evening of the election count. In a clip circulating on social media, the scene shows several people wearing Brexit Party rosettes shouting over the Labour incumbent’s speech. According to BBC Sunday Politics for the West Midlands, […]

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn looks set to the kick the can down the road on Brexit policy by holding a consultation with members that could last until September. While frontbenchers in his party are calling for Labour to be clearer in unequivocal support for a People’s Vote following the European elections, the party’s leader looks […]

Northern Ireland has elected two Remainer MEPs in the European elections. Northern Ireland, which voted 56% Remain in the 2016 referendum, returned two Remain-supporting MEPs and one Brexiteer. The Ulster Unionist Party was ousted by the cross-community pro-Remain Alliance Party, with leader Naomi Long left speechless by a best ever performance that was “beyond expectations”. […]

Labour frontbencher Barry Gardiner has refused to endorse Labour as a Remain party. Gardiner was interviewed by Krishnan Guru-Murthy on Channel 4 News after key frontbenchers in the party appeared to shift further towards backing for a People’s Vote. The shadow trade secretary said that the party would back Remain over a no-deal Brexit, but […]

Shadow chancellor has joined other Labour frontbenchers in insisting that a People’s Vote is now the only option left for the party. https://twitter.com/Channel4News/status/1133019544140898304 Speaking to Sky News, John McDonnell admitted Labour was unlikely to secure a general election, and therefore would be pushing on a People’s Vote. He believed there would be some Conservative MPs […]

MARTIN McQUILLAN finds much to amuse, and a little to fear, in a new play about the leading Brexiteer. At the Park Theatre, in a corner of Jeremy Corbyn’s Islington North constituency, a few hundred yards from the Finsbury Park mosque where a white supremacist drove a van into worshippers, killing one and injuring many […]

STEVE RICHARDS delivers the political obituary for a calamitous premiership, the dire consequences of which are yet to be fully felt. Theresa May has almost announced her departure date, but not quite. The evasiveness is typical. Under May’s leadership no-one has ever been precisely sure what would happen next. What would follow if her Brexit […]

The leader of the Unite union has urged Labour to stay united with its approach to Brexit, despite the party to appearing to please nobody. Len McCluskey said the results confirmed a country divided by Brexit. “For that the blame lies firmly with the Tory party which has handled the Brexit process disastrously causing despair […]

An ally of Jeremy Corbyn has defended Labour’s approach to Brexit – despite the party only gaining 15% of votes in the European elections. Labour suffered a mauling from voters leading to bitter recriminations within the shadow cabinet over the party’s lack of a clear message. Corbyn hinted the Labour Party may move closer to […]

The People’s Vote campaign have claimed victory in the European elections after voters turned out to back parties advocating a fresh referendum over those backing a no-deal Brexit. The five firmly pro-People’s Vote parties – the Liberal Democrats, the Greens, the SNP, Change UK and Plaid Cymru – won 40% of the vote compared to […]

CHARLIE CONNELLY takes a look at the live of daring actress and playwright Franca Rame. “Almost without noticing I find myself in front of a police station,” says the protagonist of Franca Rame’s powerful one-woman play, Lo Stupro, ‘The Rape’. “I lean against the side of the building opposite and stare at it for while. […]

New anti-Brexit party Change UK has failed to win any seats during the European elections as one of their MPs criticised their interim leader for the party’s performance. The party – which was formed after Tory and Labour MPs left their original parties – failed to win representation in the European Parliament despite standing on […]

Young Labour activist NATHAN BORODA on why Labour now needs to ditch the ‘constructive ambiguity’ on a People’s Vote and fully embrace a second referendum. Watching last night’s European election results was devastating for me as a Labour member. Seeing our fantastic MEPs across the country lose their seats and the work of our amazing […]

UKIP has lost all of its MEPs in the European Parliament – five years after topping the polls. The party saw a collapse in support after Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party topped the poll in England and Wales – gaining 28 MEPs. UKIP’s leader Gerard Batten lost his seat in London – which he had […]

The Green Party has pushed the Tories into fifth place in England and Wales, more than doubling its tally of MEPs. The party’s sole Westminster MP Caroline Lucas said the “tremendous” result was part of a “Green wave sweeping across the EU”. The number of Green MEPs in England and Wales rose from three to […]

Sir Vince Cable has branded the Liberal Democrats the ‘strongest Remain force in British politics’ after results put his party in second place to the Brexit Party. In a statement, Lib Dem leader Sir Vince Cable said: “Our clear, honest, unambiguous message has won us our best ever European election result, and pushed Corbyn’s Labour […]

Tommy Robinson has blamed government ‘interference’ on social media for his failure to secure a seat in the European elections. The independent candidate polled 2.2% of the overall vote in the North West as the Brexit Party gained the largest share with 31.2%. He said he was unable to fight a fair campaign because he […]

The leader of the largest mainstream party in the EU has ruled out working with ‘any party that does not believe in the future of the European Union’. Manfred Weber, leader of the centre-right European People’s Party (EPP), made the statements after the mainstream parties have been challenged by populist parties across Europe, including the […]

The SNP’s Westminster leader has warned that opposition MPs could struggle to stop a no-deal Brexit. Ian Blackford said any proposition to halt Brexit by revoking Article 50 would have to have teeth and currently it is not clear that would be “particularly easy” to do. He said a no-deal Brexit would “crash the economy” […]

Tory leadership front-runner Boris Johnson has claimed ‘no one sensible’ would exclusively aim for a no-deal withdrawal. The comments came after the former foreign secretary drew fire from senior Tories after he was accused of pushing to quit the EU without an agreement in October. Writing in the Daily Telegraph, the former foreign secretary said: […]

After a poor showing for Labour in the EU elections, Jeremy Corbyn has said that the issue of Brexit needs to be decided by the people – either in a general election or in a People’s Vote. “With the Conservatives disintegrating and unable to govern, and parliament deadlocked, this issue will have to go back […]

The Liberal Democrats have beaten Labour in Jeremy Corbyn’s neck of the woods in the EU elections. 873 more voters in Islington voted for Liberal Democrat candidates than Labour, whose leader’s constituency is Islington North Shadow chancellor John McDonnell said Labour was about to face a “good kicking” during the election. READ: Tories and Labour […]

The Conservatives are expecting a ‘wipeout’ and Labour a ‘good kicking’ as the EU election results come in, say MPs. Opinion polls have suggested that the Brexit Party will lead the polls, with the Liberal Democrats also expected to pick up votes. Prominent Conservative MEP Daniel Hannan said he feared the party was facing “total […]

Its author might now be deeply unfashionable, but that shouldn’t put us off The Jungle Book, says CHARLIE CONNELLY. The British poet, Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936), is known for his verse collections and animal stories, including the Jungle Books and Just So Stories. Picture: National Portrait Gallery, London. – Credit: Bettmann Archive Who among us doesn’t […]

The film, which turns 50 this year, seems like the classic Brexit movie. But, says ROGER DOMENEGHETTI, there is another way of viewing it. Michael Caine, British actor, wearing blue overalls and crouching down with a stack of gold bullion in a publicity still issued for the film, ‘The Italian Job’, 1969. Photo by Silver […]

MITCH BENN takes a look at the end of an eight year era as Game of Thrones comes to an end and explores how the ending for our own story has not been written. Game of Thrones main city, King’s Landing, is filmed in Dubrovnik. Picture: HBO/IMDB – Credit: HBO/IMDB So, Game of Thrones then. […]

Forty years ago this month, the Rocketman began a tour of the USSR. Both the country and his career were ailing. Only one would survive. RICHARD LUCK reports on a remarkable chapter in musical history. To Russia with Elton poster for the Russian tour in 1979. Picture: Archant – Credit: Archant In early 1979 Elton […]

MPs and MSPs are calling on the Electoral Commission to investigate the denial of voting rights reported by numerous EU citizens voting in the UK during the EU elections. So after 13 years here, how do I feel when I see my name ACTIVELY CROSSED OUT on the list?! Uk, you have outdone yourself. #DeniedMyVote— […]

In this week’s Rachel Johnson’s Diary she talks about running as in the European elections as a member of Change UK and the rise of the party. I’ve been to only one party since I became a candidate for the European elections. I would like to point out this a personal record for me for […]

In a week where Nigel Farage was splattered with milkshake and even held hostage on a bus from the milkshake men, Steve Anglesey looks past the jokes to the bigger issue. What is the difference between a milkshake and Nigel Farage? One is rich, thick and very bad for you. The other is a milkshake. […]

The apparent suicide of a guest on The Jeremy Kyle Show means reality television will never be the same again, says tabloid TV reviewer KEVIN O’SULLIVAN, who has chronicled the exploitative genre since it arrived 20 years ago. The red tops could sense weakness. They were moving in for the kill. Dastardly doyen of daytime […]

A Brexit Party EU election candidate listed a French address on election materials and would not say if he’d move to his MEP region in the European elections. Brexit Party candidate Brian Monteith listed a French address in election notices and has not confirmed if he would move to the North East region he campaigned […]