Anger in Northern Ireland over the effects of Brexit could turn violent, Boris Johnson has been warned.
The Loyalist Communities Council, which is associated with loyalist paramilitary groups, said that unionist anger was stronger than at any point since the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement which gave Dublin an advisory role in the governance of the North.
“I thought … that the days of imposition had gone,” said its chair, David Campbell.
It came amid warnings that tens of thousands of EU citizens could lose their legal status in the UK at the end of June due to an “arbitrary” Brexit deadline.
More than 50 parliamentarians have written to the government concerning the “cliff edge” imposed by the scheduled closing date of the European Settlement Scheme (ESS) on 30 June.
PM tells UK farmers not to be ‘frightened of free trade’
Boris Johnson has told British farmers not to be “frightened of free trade”, after the SNP and Plaid Cymru warned the government against allowing free access to Australian beef and lamb as part of a post-Brexit trade deal.
“Farmers will lose their livelihoods, rural businesses will collapse and families will be driven off the land,” Ian Blackford, the SNP’s Westminster leader, alleged.
The prime minister rejected this suggestion, claiming the deal would be “a massive opportunity for Scotland and for the whole of the UK”.
Our deputy political editor Rob Merrick reports:
Government ‘shirking its historic responsibility’ over Gaza, says British-Palestinian MP
Layla Moran, a Liberal Democrat MP who is of British-Palestinian descent, has accused the government of “shirking its historic responsibility” over Gaza.
After saying that 63 Palestian children have died in the past nine days of hostilities, she told the Commons: “My heart was broken before, it’s shattered now.
“We need a ceasefire and the UK shouldn’t have left it to France to be the main sponsor of a UN resolution calling for it. This government is shirking its historic responsibility and it’s time to step up.”
Labour MP Richard Burgon then called on the government to stop UK weapons sales to Israel in response to “its repeated violations of international law”.
Opinion: This is a dangerous moment for Boris Johnson – his vaccine honeymoon is definitely over
Suddenly, Boris Johnson’s vaccine honeymoon seems over, writes Andrew Grice.
It’s as if he has been propelled back in time to the hard slog and agonising decisions on coronavirus. The Indian variant has changed everything.
Ministers give mixed messages on foreign travel; if they are confused about whether we can go on holiday to a country on the amber list, it’s no wonder the rest of us are. The amber list stems from Johnson’s voracious appetite to have his cake and eat it.
Post Office inquiry to get statutory powers, government says
An independent inquiry into the Post Office’s Horizon IT scandal will be put on a statutory footing, business minister Paul Scully has announced.
Mr Scully told the Commons on Wednesday: “On 27 April, I made an oral statement to the House following the Court of Appeal’s decision on 23 April to quash the convictions of 29 postmasters who had been convicted of Horizon-related shortfalls.
“As I said then, the government recognises the gravity of the court’s judgment and the scale of the miscarriage of justice that it makes clear.
“Sir Wyn [Williams] and I are both of the view that the context for the inquiry has changed in the light of the Court of Appeal’s judgment and that now is the right moment to convert the inquiry to a statutory footing.”
“Therefore, I can now inform the House that with the agreement of the prime minister I will convert the inquiry to a statutory footing on 1 June 2021.”
The move is one ex-employees wronged by the Post Office had demanded.
Labour to pick Batley and Spen byelection candidate this weekend
Labour’s candidate in the Batley and Spen byelection will be chosen on Sunday, a party source has confirmed.
Applications are open for the candidacy, with the party’s National Executive Committee (NEC) set to draw up a shortlist on Saturday and members choosing the final pick on Sunday.
The by-election triggered by former MP Tracy Brabin’s election as West Yorkshire mayor is expected to take place around late July.
It is understood Labour’s selection process could have been completed sooner, were it not for the chaos surrounding the sacking of Angela Rayner as party chair.
Additional reporting by PA
Opinion: We need to resist the government’s new immigration plan
My first act as Labour leader was to address a demonstration supporting refugees, writes Jeremy Corbyn. Thousands gathered in Parliament Square to demand action following the horrific and avoidable death of three-year-old Aylan Kurdi in the Mediterranean Sea.
It seemed as if the tide might turn. Even usually anti-migrant tabloids couldn’t avoid reporting on this tragedy. But six years on, thousands more people have perished in the region due to negligence or deliberate policy.
Anger over Northern Ireland Brexit deal ‘could creep over into violence’, loyalists warn
Anger over the Brexit deal for Northern Ireland could “definitely creep over into violence”, a group associated with loyalist paramilitary groups has warned MPs.
One member of the Loyalist Communities Council told the committee that the Northern Ireland Protocol negotiated by Boris Johnson was not compatible with the Good Friday Agreement, which underpins the peace process, writes Andrew Woodcock.
And the group’s chairman, David Campbell, said that anger in the unionist community over the border in the Irish Sea created by Mr Johnson’s deal was stronger than at any point since the 1985 Anglo-Irish Agreement which gave Dublin an advisory role in the governance of the North.
Ministers ‘concerned’ by Israeli strikes in Gaza
James Cleverly has said the government is “concerned” that media buildings in Gaza have been destroyed by the Israeli military.
The minister for the Middle East and North Africa said: “We are aware of medical institutions, a number of schools and many homes in Gaza that have been destroyed or seriously damaged.”
“We call on Israel to adhere to the principles of necessity and proportionality when defending its legitimate security interests,” he added.
The Tory MP also called on all parties to allow the entry of humanitarian aid.
Government says it is calling for ceasefire in Israel and Gaza
James Cleverly, the minister for the Middle East and North Africa, has told the Commons that the government wants to see a ceasefire in Israel and Gaza.
The Tory MP said ministers condemned “acts of terrorism by Hamas” and support Israel’s “legitimate right to self-defence”.
Speaking of Israel’s attacks on Gaza, he added: “It is vital that all actions are proportionate, in line with international humanitarian law and make every effort to avoid civilian casualties”.
Wayne David, a Labour MP, questioned whether the UK was doing as much as countries like France and Jordan to broker a ceasefire via the UN.
“I would also urge the government to do everything it can to restart a meaningful peace process as a matter of urgency. If further conflagrations are to be preented, we need a process that will uphold international law, end the illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories and create a viable Palestinian state alongside a secure Israel,” he said.
Labour criticises government over failure to increase statutory sick pay
Labour has criticised the government for failing to increase statutory sick pay, meaning that some workers who need to self-isolate cannot afford to do so.
Shadow Wales secretary Nia Griffith said “Rising concerns about new variants of coronavirus remind us that the pandemic has not gone away. Now the vast majority of people want to play their part to keep us all safe.
“But the UK Government’s failure to increase statutory sick pay is forcing many on low incomes to choose between going to work to support their families or staying at home to keep us safe.”
David Davies, the Wales minister, said the government “have always been clear that people are going to suffer as a result of this pandemic”.
He added that ministers had given an extra £8.6 billion to the Welsh government.
