Past Editions

June 6, 2019

Boris for PM offers succour north of the Border

Supporters of Scottish independence are increasingly optimistic as Indyref2 approaches. The reasons are not difficult to find, writes Murray Ritchie. Just as Brexit is paralysing…

May resigns – and Johnson is waiting in the wings

A changing climate boosts the political divide

Brexit: A path to yes through a forest of no

Leadership, or the sad lack of it

Complex language of trade falls on deaf ears

5G, Huawei and a technology tipping point

Brexit is now all about the art of the possible

Maxwell’s Brexit: A case of intangible destruction

January 10, 2019

Brexit reality: the UK is part of Europe

A shallow stretch of water between mainland Europe and mainland UK does not separate the United Kingdom from the consequences of what happens in Europe….

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Tory leadership: Hancock considers pulling out
Matt Hancock is understood to be considering pulling out of the Tory leadership race, as the remaining contenders consider how best to challenge frontrunner Boris Johnson. BBC political editor Laura Kuenssberg said the health secretary could make a decision within hours, after getting 20 votes in the first ballot of Tory MPs. That put him in sixth place in the race, well behind Mr Johnson on 114. BBC news, June 14

Chuka Umunna joins Lib Dems
The former Labour MP Chuka Umunna has said there is no room for two centre-ground parties in British politics after joining the Liberal Democrats 10 days after abandoning Change UK, the party he set up to challenge the system. Explaining his decision to join his third party in five months, the Streatham MP admitted he “massively underestimated just how difficult” it was to set up a new party. “It’s quite clear that there isn’t room for more than one centre-ground option, particularly under the first past the post in UK politics,” he told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. He also admitted he was hesitant about joining the Lib Dems because of their role in the austerity programme under the coalition government. He said: “The thing that has given me pause for thought definitely has been the time that the Liberal Democrats served in coalition and the austerity. But things have changed since then, the Liberal Democrats have voted against every single Conservative budget since 2015.” The Guardian, June 14

EU election suffered Russian disinformation
Russian sources mounted a “continued and sustained” disinformation effort to “suppress turnout and influence voter preferences” at last month’s EU parliament elections, an initial review by Brussels has concluded. Social media companies fell short in their efforts to tackle the malicious activity despite improvements in some areas, the analysis found, warning that they risked regulation if they failed to do better. The document, due to be published on Friday, does not draw conclusions about who was behind the disinformation or how it was co-ordinated. But it says the polls faced wide-ranging attempts to mislead voters. “The evidence collected revealed a continued and sustained disinformation activity by Russian sources aiming to suppress turnout and influence voter preferences,” said the review from the European Commission and the EU’s foreign policy arm, which has been seen by the FT. “These covered a broad range of topics, ranging from challenging the Union’s democratic legitimacy to exploiting divisive public debates on issues such as … migration and sovereignty.” Financial Times, June 14

UK risks billions if it bans Huawei, warns China
China’s ambassador warned that Britain should collaborate with Huawei or face losing investment from Chinese companies. Liu Xiaoming defended the telecoms giant at the centre of espionage fears as a “good company” and suggested that a ban on its equipment would send a “bad message” to all Chinese businesses and risked Chinese investment, which is worth billions of pounds a year. Jeremy Wright, the culture secretary, had indicated that Britain had not ruled out implementing a total ban on the technology in the 5G network. Mr Liu told BBC Two’s Newsnight that such action would damage Britain’s reputation as “business friendly”. He said: “Chinese investment is booming in this country. Even last year it increased by 14 per cent, but if you shut the door for Huawei, it sends a very bad and negative message to other Chinese businesses.” Britain was the largest western recipient of Chinese investment last year, at $4.94 billion, according to the Rhodium Group, a research firm. The Times, June 14

US blames Iran for Gulf of Oman tanker attacks
Mike Pompeo, US secretary of state, has blamed Iran for attacks in the Gulf of Oman that severely damaged two oil tankers and sparked a surge in crude oil prices. The top US diplomat said the assessment was based on intelligence, the weapons used, the expertise needed for such an operation, and recent similar Iranian attacks on shipping. He said it was also partly based on the fact that “no proxy groups operating in the area have the resources to act with such a high degree of sophistication”. The ships – a Japanese vessel named Kokuka Courageous and a Norwegian vessel called Front Altair – were hit by unknown weapons and abandoned close to the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s busiest shipping routes. No one claimed responsibility. Later on Thursday, the Pentagon released a video showing what it said was an Iranian vessel removing an unexploded limpet mine from the Kokuka Courageous. Financial Times, June 14

New York ends religious exemption to vaccine mandate for schoolchildren
New York eliminated the religious exemption to vaccine requirements for schoolchildren on Thursday, as the country’s worst measles outbreak in decades prompts states to reconsider giving parents ways to opt out of immunisation rules. The Democratic-led state senate and assembly voted on Thursday to repeal the exemption, which allows parents to cite religious beliefs to forego getting their child the vaccines required for school enrolment. Governor Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, signed the measure minutes after the final vote. The law takes effect immediately but will give unvaccinated students up to 30 days after they enter a school to show they’ve had the first dose of each required immunisation … Similar exemptions are still allowed in 45 states, though lawmakers in several of them have introduced their own legislation to eliminate the waiver. The Guardian, June 14

France to spare under-13s their day in court
President Macron’s government has been accused of minimising the gravity of youth crime after announcing that offenders under the age of 13 would no longer be prosecuted. Nicole Belloubet, the French justice minister, said yesterday that under-13s would escape criminal charges whatever their actions under a reform that she planned to introduce through a decree. Offenders in this age bracket would instead be handled by social workers. Under present French law only children under 10 cannot be prosecuted. The minister said that her reform would speed up the handling of cases involving young offenders, which take an average of 18 months to reach a judgment, and ensure that victims received criminal injuries compensation quicker. The Times, June 14

Swiss women strike for more money, time and respect
Women across Switzerland have begun a day of demonstrations against what they say is the country’s unacceptably slow pace to equality. Friday’s protest comes 28 years after similar action saw half a million women take to the streets in 1991. Swiss women have long campaigned to accelerate the pace of gender equality. They joined millions of other women in Europe after World War I ended in 1918 in demanding the right to vote – but did not get it until 1971 … However, women in Switzerland still earn on average 20% less than men, they are under-represented in management positions, and childcare remains not only expensive, but in short supply. BBC news, June 14

1 in 3 Tory MPs back Boris Johnson for leader
Tory leadership candidates remained defiant after Boris Johnson left them trailing in his wake in the first round of voting in the race for No 10. The former foreign secretary has all but booked his place in the final round of the contest after winning the backing of more than a third of Conservative MPs. Mr Johnson received 114 of the 313 votes cast this afternoon. Campaign spokesmen for Sajid Javid, the home secretary, and Dominic Raab, the former Brexit secretary, denied that their candidate would drop out of the race. In a video Michael Gove, who came third behind Jeremy Hunt in the vote, said that he was “ready to lead”. He also called on all the candidates to take part in television debates planned by Channel 4 and the BBC. Mr Johnson has been accused of being the “submarine” candidate, largely avoiding media interviews to avoid public scrutiny. The Times, June 13

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