Markus Andrews

A full 16 per cent of the British public still believe Brexit is going well, a new poll has found.A new survey by pollsters YouGov found a significant majority of people, 54 per cent, think Britain’s EU exit is going badly, with 20 per cent saying neither.The number of people saying Brexit is going badly has ticked up steadily since the end of the transition period in January 2021.At that point fewer than 40 per cent were prepared to say things were not going well, with a majority giving the project the benefit of the doubt.But the tide of public opinion has turned as setbacks become more clear and obvious benefits fail to materialise. Lord Frost, who negotiated the Brexit agreements with the EU, last week said in a speech that Brexit was going well and accused critics of having an “axe to grind”.But issues attributed to the government’s flagship manifesto policy include food rotting in fields, problems for British exporters, and a meltdown at UK airports over the summer holiday period.Other problems include a shortage of lorry drivers, fishermen crying betrayal, and the reintroduction of mobile phone roaming charges for British travellers. Official figures suggest trade and economic growth are both being hit by the policy.The survey comes as Boris Johnson reignites a running battle with Brussels over the Northern Ireland border, with new legislation that would give ministers powers to ignore parts of the Brexit deal.The prime minister says the deal he signed is not working for Northern Ireland, where some loyalists are angry at new checks imposed by the protocol. A breakdown of the new poll’s results show Tory voters were the most optimistic about Brexit, with a full 33 per cent keeping the faith and saying the project was going very or fairly well.28 per cent said it was going very or fairly badly, while 33 per cent hedged their bets and said neither.But Leave voters in general were split down the middle, with 31 per cent saying Brexit was going well and 31 per cent saying badly.Both Lib Dem and Labour voters thought leaving was going badly by significant margins. Just 3 per cent of each thought it was going well at all, and over 70 over cent badly in both cases.Six per cent of 2016 remain voters have since come around to the idea of leaving and say Brexit is going well.Boris Johnson this year appointed Jacob Rees-Mogg as the minister for “Brexit opportunities” in a bid to help find positives to the UK’s departure. More

The government has refused a call to guarantee the right to abortions in its forthcoming new “British bill of rights”. Justice Secretary Dominic Raab, who is steering the proposed charter through parliament, on Wednesday told MPs he did not see a case for the protection.The issue of access to abortion care has jumped up the agenda following the US Supreme Court’s decision to overturn legal protections across the Atlantic.Millions of women in the US are losing their right to abortions, with over half of US states expected to restrict or ban the medical procedure. Speaking at prime minister’s questions Labour MP Rosie Duffield asked the government to “send a clear signal” that “Britain respects the rights of women”.”Will he accept the cross-party amendment to his forthcoming Bill of Rights, which enshrines a woman’s right to choose in law?” she said.The cross-party amendment, expected to the tabled by Labour MP Stella Creasy, would enshrine the right to the medical procedure in British law.But Mr Raab, who was deputising for Boris Johnson at the session, said: “The position as she knows is settled in UK law in relation to abortion.”It’s decided by members across this house. It’s an issue of conscience. I don’t think there is a strong case for change. “What I wouldn’t want to do is find ourselves with a greatest respect to the US position where this is being litigated through the courts rather than settled, as it is now settled, by honourable members of this house.”Mr Raab abstained in a vote on decriminalising abortion in March 2017, and again in 2020 abstained on the introduction of buffer zones around abortion clinics to prevent protesters from harassing patients.Abortions are still by default deemed a criminal act in England, Scotland and Wales under the 1967 Abortion Act. Pregnancies may only be terminated under the terms of the act with the confirmation of two doctors, who must agree that continuing with the pregnancy would be riskier for the physical or mental health or the woman than aborting it.Terminations can legally be carried out within the first 24 weeks of pregnancy in England, Scotland and Wales.But they can only be performed after the 24 week cut off point in a highly limited number of contexts – such as when the mother’s life is at risk or the child will have a severe disability. For years, abortion providers, charities, medical bodies, and MPs have been calling for abortion to be decriminalised in the UK. They want to see abortion law extricated from criminal law and monitored in a same way to other medical practices – with the British Medical Association in favour of the decriminalisation of abortion in the UK.The right to abortion is mentioned in some national constitutions. The Irish constitution in 2018 was amended by referendum to state that “provision may be made by law for the regulation of termination of pregnancy”. This replaced an earlier amendment banning abortions.In France over the weekend politicians representing the governing majority expressed support for amending that country’s law to include abortion protections. Prime minister Elisabeth Borne said the government would support the constitution amendment bill “wholeheartedly”, adding: “For all women, for human rights, we must set this gain in stone. Parliament must be able to unite overwhelmingly over this text.” More

Boris Johnson has said he is keen to forge a loose political alliance of European and north African leaders – comparing it to the Roman Empire in its pomp.French president Emmanuel Macron raised the idea of a new “European political community” with the prime minister when the pair met at the G7 summit in Germany.Mr Johnson said he welcomed the idea of a wider European partnership involving Turkey and the “Maghreb” of north-west Africa – before claimed he had come up with the idea before Mr Macron.“Emmanuel has an idea, which I actually claim paternity of this idea,” the PM told reporters. “I had this idea back when I first became foreign secretary.”He added: “I think that Turkey should be there, I think that Maghreb should be there and I think we should basically be recreating the Mare Nostrum of the Roman Empire.”Mare Nostrum, the Roman name for the Mediterranean Sea, was used by Italian fascists in the 1930s under dictator Benito Mussolini – who saw Italy as the successor to the Roman Empire’s command over north Africa.French officials had briefed that Mr Johnson had been “enthusiastic” about Mr Macron’s plan for the UK and Ukraine to be offered a closer relationship with Brussels at their G7 meeting.However, Mr Johnson told reporters that he was not interested in any formal structure for a wider European club, although he did say Mr Macron’s idea was “worth looking at”.The PM said: “I think possibly rather than inventing new structures, let’s look at building up relationships.”He added: “I think Turkey is crucial. I think the north African littoral is also a very important area for the wider European debate.”Asked whether his idea of a loose alliance stretching beyond Europe was too wide, the PM compared it to Israel’s participation in Eurovision.Brexiteers, frightened by the idea of any new European structure that could involve freedom of movement, are unhappy about the idea of UK forging a Macron-inspired pact with Europe.Former Brexit minister David Jones said: “Macron is obsessed with building a new political vehicle in Europe to counteract what he sees as the dominance of the Anglosphere … we must make clear we are not disposed to particpate in what looks like an EU 2.0.”Foreign secretary Liz Truss distanced herself from any links to Mr Macron’s mooted project. Questioned by foreign affairs committee, Ms Truss said that the UK had not agreed to any proposal.“I don’t know the exact words that president Macron has used, but we have not agreed to that,” she told committee chair and senior Tory MP Tom Tugendhat.Meanwhile, it emerged that Mr Johnson and Mr Macron drank whisky together at the G7 summit in Bavaria on Sunday night, according to a UK government source.“The PM is not a big drinker, nor a late-night party animal,” said the official, revealing that Mr Johnson was up early on Monday morning for a swim. More

David Lammy has apologised for condemning a strike by British Airways check-in staff as unjustified – admitting he got his facts wrong.The shadow foreign secretary sparked anger in Labour circles for his weekend criticism, with Unite’s general secretary, Sharon Graham, saying: “Supporting bad bosses is a new low for Labour.”Now Mr Lammy has pulled back, arguing he “misheard” a question on the BBC and wrongly believed the BA staff were striking to try to win a 10 per cent pay increase.In fact, unions are seeking to reverse a 10 per cent pay cut imposed on workers during the pandemic, when global lockdowns grounded flights – not a pay rise.In a letter to a constituent, Mr Lammy wrote: “Last Sunday, in a live interview with the BBC, I misheard Sophie Raworth’s question about BA workers.“When she said that workers wanted to reverse a previous pay cut of 10 per cent, I mistakenly understood it to mean that they were seeking an above-inflation pay rise.“I was not across the details of the case. It is right that those of us in public life admit when they have made a mistake. With this in mind, I apologise to all BA workers.”In his weekend comments, Mr Lammy appeared to toughen Labour’s stance ahead of a “Summer of Discontent”, saying: “I don’t support strikes,” before adding “I support the right to strike of course.”On the rail strikes, he said: “It hurts working people who need to get to work by using the railway. And of course, those within the union are hurt as well.”Keir Starmer has since backed down on a threat to sack Labour frontbenchers who joined picket lines, after an internal party revolt.In his leaked letter, Mr Lammy added that he supported Labour’s call for shameful “fire and rehire” tactics – used against BA workers during the pandemic – to be banned.Mr Lammy was also criticised by John McDonnell, Labour’s former shadow chancellor, who said striking rail workers were right to seek “protection against the cost of living”.The chair of Young Labour, Jess Barnard, attacked the party leadership for “sending out its senior politicians to attack 50 of its own MPs and thousands of workers on national television”.The respected backbencher Jon Cruddas, an adviser to Tony Blair on unions, said Labour must back families facing a historic slump in their incomes.“The rail strikes are arguably the canary down the coalmine. You cannot dodge this. Labour has to be supportive of those seeking to defend their living standards,” Mr Cruddas said. More

Dominic Raab has criticised Angela Rayner for attending the Glyndebourne opera festival – calling it proof that “champagne socialism is back in the Labour party”.Standing in for Boris Johnson, the deputy prime minister hit out at Labour’s deputy leader after pictures emerged of her in the Sussex countryside during the rail strikes last week.“Where was she when the comrades were on the picket line last Thursday?” Mr Raab asked, adding: “She was at the Glyndebourne music festival, sipping champagne.”Mr Raab smiled and winked at his opposite number across the Commons despatch box as the pair clashed over tax rises and the government’s crackdown on noisy protests.Ms Rayner hit back, saying Tory ministers spent an evening last week “at the banqueting table getting hundreds of thousands squeezed out of their donors”.She also criticised Mr Raab for relaxing “on a sunlounger” while people fled Afghanistan last summer – a mistake that led to his sacking as foreign secretary.Later, a No 10 spokesman denied Mr Raab’s criticism was an attack on a working-class woman, such as Ms Rayner, enjoying champagne and opera.“The prime minister is clear that everybody should be able to enjoy arts and culture and other such things across the UK,” he said.With the prime minister away at the Nato summit, Ms Rayner taunted his deputy about last week’s disastrous byelection thumpings that have renewed Tory calls for a change at the top.“The government lost two by-elections in one day, the first in three decades. It’s no wonder that the prime minister has fled the country and left the honourable member to carry the can,” she alleged.“The people of Wakefield and Tiverton held their own vote of no confidence. The prime minister isn’t just losing the room, he is losing their country.“But instead of showing some humility, he intends to limp on until the 2030s. So, does he think the cabinet will prop him up for this long?”Mr Raab raised Ms Rayner’s own leadership ambitions, saying: “I gently point out to her that we want this prime minister going a lot longer than she wants the leader of Labour Party…”, before being cut off.He argued the Conservatives still have “a working majority of 75” and that “we are focusing on delivering for the British people”.The deputy prime minister added: “We will protect the public from these damaging rail strikes, when we have got the scene of Labour frontbenchers joining the picket lines.”Mr Raab also taunted Labour over Keir Starmer confirming he has ripped up Labour’s defeated 2019 election manifesto, arguing that meant he has “no plan” after two years as leader.“Tony Blair – he has actually got some experience of winning elections – says there is a gaping hole in Labour’s policy offer and all the while she is revelling in it.” More

Boris Johnson has ruled out a British boycott of the upcoming G20 summit, indicating that he would go even if Russian president Vladimir Putin chooses to turn up.The prospect of an extraordinary showdown between western leaders and the Russian president was raised after the Kremlin said Putin would go to November’s conference in Indonesia.Mr Johnson told reporters that it was “highly unlikely” that Putin would attend – but insisted that he would not “vacate” his own seat at the summit because he wanted to persuade world leaders to offer more support to Ukraine.“I would be absolutely amazed if Putin goes in person. He’s a pariah figure. He hasn’t been outside Russia for more than two years. I think he’s highly unlikely to go for all sorts of reasons,” the prime minister said.“There is a very difficult question about the G20. Yes, he’s been formally invited, I don’t think he will go,” he added. “The question is do we do we as the Western countries vacate our seats at the G20 and leave the whole argument to China, to Russia?”Though Mr Putin has a formal invitation to the summit, since Russia remains a member of the G20, it is not clear whether he will attend or join discussions by video link.Several countries in the group of major global economies – including China, South Africa and Brazil – have made clear they will support Russia’s membership. Despite the Ukraine invasion.Mr Johnson said he wanted to be there to win over G20 nations still wavering over support for Ukraine following Russia’s brutal invasion.“What can we do with the middle of the congregation – the people who look at Ukraine and have mixed feelings? We need to be doing more to win them over, we need to be making our case and you know who those countries are,” he said.The PM added: “I think if you if you vacate something like the G20 you risk just handing the propaganda opportunity to others.”A senior aide to the Russian president said on Monday that Putin still planned on joining leaders at the summit. His participation is “envisaged”, said Kremlin official Yury Ushakov.“They are still inviting in person. There is still a lot of time. I hope that the pandemic will allow this event to be held in person,” he added.German chancellor Olaf Scholz said on Monday he was yet to decide whether to attend the summit if Putin goes to Indonesia. “In the end, we will have to make the decision shortly before the departure,” said Mr Scholz said.European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen suggested she shared Mr Johnson’s view that the G20 was “too important” to boycott. “We have to consider very carefully whether we paralyze the entire G20,” she said earlier thie week.It comes as Mr Johnson told a German broadcaster that Putin would not have launched his “crazy, macho” attack on Ukraine if he were a woman – describing him as the “perfect example of toxic masculinity”. More

London’s Labour mayor Sadiq Khan has called for the party to push for a return to the EU single market, describing Brexit as “the biggest piece of self-inflicted harm ever done to a country”.Mr Khan’s comments put him at odds with party leader Sir Kier Starmer, who has said he wants to “make Brexit work”, but is not advocating rejoining the single market, which the UK left in 2021.It comes after frontbencher Anna McMorrin was reprimanded for telling a private meeting that she hoped the UK could re-enter the single market if Labour won office.During a State of London debate on Tuesday, Mr Khan was asked whether Labour policy on the issue should change to supporting re-entry.He replied: “I don’t speak for the national Labour Party, but I believe we should… spot on.”The mayor, who campaigned for Remain in the 2016 EU referendum, added: “The biggest piece of self-inflicted harm ever done to a country – leaving the European Union.”His comments are likely to be seized on by Conservatives eager to portray Labour and the Liberal Democrats as plotting secretly to reverse Brexit.But a Labour spokesperson said: “Labour Party policy is clear. We need a strong collaborative relationship with EU partners but that does not involve membership of the customs union or the single market.” More

Boris Johnson’s international trade secretary has pulled out of a parliamentary scrutiny session at the last minute after the committee she was due to appear at criticised her.Anne-Marie Trevelyan was due to answer questions from MPs on the International Trade Committee at 10am this morning – but the committee was told hours before that she would not be attending.The MPs had on Wednesday morning published a new report criticising the government for apparently dodging parliamentary scrutiny on one of its planned trade deals – including failure to give evidence to them. The report was circulated under embargo the night before the appearance.In its damning report, the committee complained that its scrutiny work of the deal so far had been “hindered by government delays” including “failure to provide timely responses to Committee request”, “failure of a Minister to give timely evidence to the Committee”, and “failure to honour previous commitments”.The “brief” period of scrutiny of the proposed agreement with Australia was started before the committee had even had time to publish its own analysis, they said – calling for it to be extended.The MPs said the government’s delay tactics meant they had been “unable to conclude our report before the statutory period under the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act 2010 (CRaG) was commenced” – a key deadline.The Department for International Trade said its secretary of state was busy with policy matters and had offered an alternative time slot on another occasion.Speaking on Wednesday afternoon at prime minister’s questions, Angus Brendan MacNeil, chair of the International trade committee said the situation was “a serious question on the conduct of the government”.”I cannot understate the fury of the international trade committee this morning that led us the unanimously empty-chair, the Secretary of State for International Trade,” he said.”The government has broken its word to the committee, to the house, and you Mr. Speaker on scrutiny of the Australian trade deal.”The government has been repeatedly criticised for the limited parliamentary scrutiny it is giving its trade deals.The agreements themselves have raised concerns that they could be used to run down standards in the UK market and do not include adequate safeguards to stop British producers being unfairly undercut.Asked about the no-show, a Department for International Trade spokesperson said: “The International Trade Secretary is in the process of finalising a finely balanced decision on the steel safeguard by 30 June. This is an issue of national strategic importance, and she has had to ensure she is able to review the final advice from the Department before updating Parliament today.“She informed the chair of the International Trade Committee last night, apologised for having to cancel and immediately offered an alternative two-hour slot next week. We await the response from the Committee.“We have made enhanced commitments to scrutiny and transparency at every stage of UK-Australia FTA negotiations. This includes ministers appearing in front of the ITC and giving Parliament over six months to scrutinise the legal text, in addition to the 21-day period provided by us triggering the Constitutional Reform and Governance Act process.” More