Brexit

Number 10 admits Brexit affects processing at Dover but blames chaotic queues on mysterious ways

— The UK government has admitted that the new Brexit processes contributed to the chaotic travel queues at Dover, despite Home Secretary Suella Braverman denying that Brexit played a role in the delays.

Voter Suppression

Voter ID: A solution in search of a problem?

— The UK government is facing criticism for proposing mandatory photo ID for voting despite no proven cases of in-person voter impersonation in 2022, alienating 2 million people who just want to cast a ballot.

OPINION

Hostages of English nationalism

— On the impact of Westminster’s English nationalism on the political discourse in Scotland and how Scotland is being held hostage by the dominance of the English nationalist ideology in UK politics.

Dark Money

Follow the money: Donations to Tories via Carlton Club raise questions of dark money influencing politics

— A company controlled by a wealthy donor, believed to be a major funder of the far right in Germany, has donated another £50,000 to the Carlton Club – which has, in turn, given £1.3m to the Conservative Party.

COMMENT

Rishi Sunak’s Goldilocks migration strategy: ‘Stop the boats’ and ‘start the legal’ passage

— Rishi Sunak is trying to please both moderate and hard-lined rebels within his party regarding UK migration policies. The UK needs ‘safe and legal’ routes for both economic migrants and persecuted people so they don’t have to risk taking boats. It’s time for humane migration policies in the UK.

UK Politics

Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, Theresa May (and soon Nicola Sturgeon): the strange backbench lives of former national leaders

— Former national leaders Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, and Theresa May have all stepped back from power, but remain active in their respective backbenches.

UK Politics

The £10k-a-day blunder: How MPs were duped by a fake firm

— Senior MPs agreed to work for a fictitious South Korean firm for £10,000 a day. Despite their actions being within proper conduct, receiving payment from a foreign entity could result in significant ethical and legal concerns for them.

COVID-19

COVID pandemic: Three years on, and nobody wants to talk about it (and why we should)

— The world has mentally moved on from the pandemic, but the ramifications are still widespread. And there’s a lot we can learn.

PartyGate

Boris Johnson’s evidence to MPs’ partygate investigation: The key points of disagreement explained

— Before the Committee of Privileges, Boris Johnson argued the Downing Street events were needed to boost morale and that the rules were too hard to maintain, insisting that the gatherings with wine were essential work meetings.

PartyGate

Will Boris Johnson be grounded? The Privileges Committee decides

— The Privileges Committee will rule on whether former PM Boris Johnson misled Parliament in May. If guilty, it can impose punishments from written apologies to salary deduction and suspension, triggering a recall petition and a by-election.

PartyGate

Boris Johnson to face MPs over partygate – but what is ‘misleading parliament’ and why is it so serious?

— Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing questions from MPs about allegations of misleading Parliament. Misleading Parliament is an offence that could carry serious consequences.

Brexit

Windsor framework: Why Rishi Sunak was able to secure the Brexit deal that others couldn’t

— The Windsor Framework marks a positive turning point for EU-UK relations. It amends the text and provisions of the Northern Ireland protocol without changing the fundamentals of the 2019 withdrawal agreement.

UK Politics

The real cancel culture is Tory cancel culture

— The Tories are using cancel culture as a tool to silence dissenting voices and stifle democracy. They are placing laws, curbing free press and cancelling initiatives & services to further their own interests.

UK Politics

Sue Gray quitting to work for Keir Starmer does cause problems for the civil service – It’s also a sign she thinks he’s heading for government

— Sue Gray’s departure from the civil service to work for Keir Starmer has raised concerns about impartiality – but it is also a sign of her faith in Starmer’s leadership.

Budget 2023

Budget 2023: Government needs to show it can jack up growth to regain economic credibility

— Jeremy Hunt steadied the ship in the autumn. Can he now turn around the Conservatives’ electoral fortunes?

UK Politics

The Gary Lineker controversy

— The incident has been widely reported and discussed in the media recently, yet for clarity, here is an overview of the dispute that has captivated the BBC for days and started when Gary Lineker tweeted his views on the government's new immigration legislation.