UK Politics Thread

[Jimbuna]

Boris Johnson has told MPs he believes the EU may not be negotiating with the UK in good faith.

The PM was explaining why he wants to overwrite parts of the Brexit deal he signed with the EU in January.

He said it was to prevent the EU behaving in an "unreasonable" way if the UK fails to agree a trade deal.

Pressed by Labour's Hilary Benn on whether he thought the EU was negotiating in good faith, he said: "I don't believe they are."

This contradicted Northern Ireland Secretary Brandon Lewis, who earlier told MPs he believed the EU was acting in good faith.

When that was put to him, Mr Johnson said it was "always possible that I am mistaken and perhaps they will prove my suspicions wrong".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54170397

[Skybird]

Biden repeats warnings to the UK by Pelosi over Northern Ireland, saying peace in NI must not become a victim of Brexit if the UK wants a trade deal with the US.

[Jimbuna]

Government plans to amend a controversial bill that overrides sections of the Brexit divorce deal have been rejected by former Tory leader Lord Howard.

The peer said the compromise between No 10 and Tory MPs "isn't enough" for him to back it in the House of Lords.

The proposed changes would hand the Commons a say before powers to break international law could be used.

MPs will vote on them next week, before the bill heads to the Lords.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54190242

[Jimbuna]

Amal Clooney has quit her role as the UK's envoy on press freedom "in dismay" at the government's willingness to break international law over Brexit.

The human rights lawyer said it was "lamentable" for Boris Johnson to be contemplating overriding the Brexit agreement he signed last year.

She could not tell others to honour legal obligations when the UK "declares it does not intend to do so itself".
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54210658

[Catfish]

Originally Posted by Jimbuna

Boris Johnson has told MPs he believes the EU may not be negotiating with the UK in good faith .[...]

She could not tell others to honour legal obligations when the UK "declares it does not intend to do so itself"

Acting "in good faith" depends on who says or believes in it

[Jimbuna]

Originally Posted by Catfish

Acting "in good faith" depends on who says or believes in it

Especially in the case of politicians.

[Jimbuna]

This is the second such incident since February

Dominic Raab's bodyguard has been "removed from operational duties" after allegedly leaving his gun on a plane at Heathrow.

A cleaner is reported to have found the loaded Glock 19 pistol in its holster on a seat on the United Airlines flight after it landed in London on Friday.

In February, a bodyguard for former prime minister David Cameron was investigated for reportedly leaving his gun in a plane toilet.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-54216511

[mapuc]

Have to be honest It's hard to keep up with all the information from both parties UK and EU and friends pro and anti EU...

So for me I wait until dec. 31 2020 one minute before midnight to see if an agreement has been reached and the day after to see if there has been a hard exit.

Markus

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

Labour's Diane Abbott was asked to quit the shadow cabinet by Jeremy Corbyn's chief of staff after an interview blunder that hit the headlines.

The former shadow home secretary stumbled over the cost of Labour's pledge for 10,000 extra police officers ahead of the 2017 election.

Shortly after, she stepped back from the campaign due to illness.

Ms Abbott told BBC Radio 4's Today programme the adviser was "doing what she thought best" by asking her to go.

But she accused some in the media of behaving "as if I am an idiot".

The Labour MP returned to Mr Corbyn's cabinet in the weeks following the election, saying she had not been managing her type 2 diabetes well during the campaign.

But she stepped down from the frontbench ahead of the election of new Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.

Abbott 'misspoke on police figures'
'Abbott: I will rejoin the fray soon'
Abbott: 'I'm back to fighting fitness'
Ms Abbott, who is a close ally of Mr Corbyn, said her diabetes played a part in the headlining-grabbing blunder.

"I had done about seven interviews on the same subject and in every other interview I had got the figures right," she said.

"In this particular interview, I stumbled and I think it was partly to do with my diabetes as I hadn't actually eaten that morning [and] just gone straight into doing all these interviews.

"My brother said he heard me on the radio, and he is diabetic also, and he said to me, 'I have known you all my life… you never get figures wrong, and I knew straight away when I heard that interview it was your diabetes'."

But the MP confirmed that after the interview that Mr Corbyn's chief of staff Karie Murphy had asked her to resign.

"Karie was doing what she though best," said Ms Abbott.

"But as you saw, I stepped down only temporarily and I was Jeremy Corbyn's home secretary to the end."

She claimed she had been "singled out by the Conservative election machine" during the campaign, with "a lot of money spent vilifying me" on social media.

"But as I say, I was Jeremy's home secretary to the end and it was a privilege."
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-54277721

I think you've had a lot of time to make that one up Diane.

[Jimbuna]

[Jimbuna]

A song about a former Labour MP has been topping the Amazon download charts ahead of Lady Gaga, Kylie Minogue and Bruce Springsteen.
Dennis Skinner, the so-called Beast of Bolsover, lost the seat he had held since 1970, in December

[Jimbuna]

Labour have moved ahead of the Conservative Party for the first time since Boris Johnson became prime minister, an opinion poll has indicated.
The survey by Opinium for The Observer newspaper gave Labour a three-point-lead over the Tories, with 42%, compared to 39%.

It suggested Labour was ahead for the first time since July 2019 - when Theresa May's time in office was nearing an end - and that there is more support for Opposition Leader Sir Keir Starmer than Mr Johnson.

The poll also found 55% of voters think Sir Keir is ready to lead the country and 40% believe Labour is equipped to form the next government.

It is the latest poll to suggest waning public confidence at Mr Johnson's - and the wider government's - handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

I can understand and agree with the lowering of public confidence regarding the handling of COVID-19 but I seriously doubt Labour are capable of doing any better.

[Jimbuna]

A post-Brexit trade deal "can and must be made", the organisation representing British businesses has said ahead of further UK-EU trade talks on Monday.

Dame Carolyn Fairbairn, the boss of the Confederation of British Industry, said it was the time for "the spirit of compromise to shine through".

The Brexit transition period, in which the UK has kept to EU trading rules, ends on 31 December.

The UK and EU are yet to agree a deal that will govern their future trade.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said a trade agreement with the EU must be done by 15 October if it is going to be ready for the start of 2021.

But despite this, talks have run into problems. There are still key points of disagreement - including, for example, on fishing.

The next official round of talks - the ninth since March - begins on 28 September. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-54312985

Both sides will need to make major compromises and I believe the final outcome is too tight to call but hopefully a deal will be done.