Markus Andrews

A Labour councillor has resigned after a series of offensive tweets resurfaced about Black, Muslim, Arab and transgender people.Among a series of unearthed social media posts, Philip Normal, who was the mayor of Lambeth in south London between 2020 and 2021, tweeted: “Why do some Muslim women walk like penguins? I’m not being mean? Because I know there’s an issue in the healthcare system there…”The same year, 2011, the 39-year-old posted a message criticising a “big Black man” for taking up room on a bus, adding the hashtag “he’s not sucking my d**k”.He went on to describe Whitechapel, in east London, as being an “aggressively Muslim” neighbourhood in a tweet in January 2013.In a statement posted via Twitter on Thursday, Mr Normal wrote: “I have today resigned as a Lambeth councillor and a Lambeth Labour candidate for Oval ward. I want to apologise again to everyone who I have caused deep hurt and pain to due to my past social media posts.“I’m proud to have been a ward councillor for Oval and Mayor of Lambeth and I am sorry that my past actions from before I was elected have undermined the positive work that Lambeth Labour councillors do to advance equality in our diverse communities.”He had previously apologised and promised to have a period of “learning and reflection”.Mr Normal garnered widespread praise last year for his It’s a Sin-themed ‘La’ t-shirts which raised half a million pounds for HIV charity the Terrence Higgins TrustAmong the many offensive tweets that have resurfaced, the local politician tweeted on 7 July 2011: “Muslim extremists on the overground seem to love Capri-sun!” He also referred to a man as a “hairy Arab” and used the slur “tr***y” in reference to transgender people,The Labour Party declined to comment when contacted by The Independent.Mr Normal’s resignation comes after repeated concerns raised by marginalised groups that the Labour Party is failing to tackle racism within its own ranks. More

The US has rejected a UK plea for face-to-face talks to remove punishing tariffs on UK steel, in an embarrassment for Boris Johnson.Anne-Marie Trevelyan, the trade secretary, urged her counterpart in Washington to jump on a plane after the US refused to strike a deal because of its fears about threats to the Northern Ireland Protocol.But Gina Raimondo, the US commerce secretary, has now told the Department for International Trade (DIT), that she is too busy to travel to the UK at present.“While Secretary Raimondo appreciates the kind invitation, she’s not in a position to travel to London in-person at this time,” a spokesperson told the Politico website.The snub is a major embarrassment for the government because the EU and UK reached an agreement in October to suspend the tariffs – yet British exporters are still forced to pay the levies.The 25 per cent tariff on steel and 10 per cent tariff on aluminium were originally imposed by Donald Trump’s administration in a dispute with the EU.Labour accused the prime minister of being “distracted with making excuses about the shocking Downing Street parties”, rather than the plight of steelmakers.“This is bitterly disappointing news for the UK’s steel and aluminium manufacturers and for the many jobs, livelihoods, and businesses who rely on this industry,” said Nick Thomas-Symonds, the shadow trade secretary.“Labour has been calling for the prime minister to personally intervene with the US president and show the leadership this issue requires.”A DIT source said Ms Trevelyan hoped to revive the discussions remotely, but there is no date for any talks to take place.Last month, a communication sent by a US commerce official revealed the steel talks are on hold because of government threat to tear up the post-Brexit Protocol.Joe Biden, who has Irish heritage, has made clear his determination to protect the Good Friday Agreement – the purpose of the Protocol, in avoiding a hard land border – in the falloutThe DIT source said: “Given the current uncertainty around the Omicron variant, it is understandable that foreign ministers are not able to commit to international travel for in-person meetings.“The trade secretary extended a clear and positive invite to Secretary Raimondo to begin discussions to resolve the steel tariff issue in January, including through virtual means.“We maintain the urgent need to make progress on this issue to lift the prospect of further retaliatory tariffs on US goods and look forward to virtual discussions with the US in view of the global pandemic.” More

The isolation period after testing positive for Covid will be cut to just five full days from next Monday, to get staff back to work faster.Boris Johnson had rejected the move as potentially dangerous – but changed his mind after the government admitted a blunder over how the rule is applied in the US.Sajid Javid, the health secretary, announced the cut in England, but said people would have to test negative on day six to escape isolation.The scientific evidence is that two-thirds of Covid cases are “no longer infectious after the end of day five”, Mr Javid said.Any curbs on people’s freedoms must be the “absolutely the last resort” and should not remain in place “a day longer than absolutely necessary”.The statement kicked off further clashes over the prime minister’s confession that he did attend the No 10 garden party on May last year, after days of obfuscation.He is “not fit to lick the boots of NHS workers”, Labour’s shadow health spokesperson, Wes Streeting, alleged.At present, people are required to isolate for seven days from the point at which they have symptoms or test positive – with release after two negative lateral flow test results on days six and seven.Business leaders had urged the government to follow the example of the US and ease the rules, warning of the impact of rising staff absences – and of customers from pubs and restaurants.On Monday, the UK Health Security Agency was left red-faced after admitting it was wrong to claim that the US five-day isolation period kicked in later than the British seven-day rule.It had claimed isolation only started after a positive test, not when symptoms were first experienced – but backtracked after being corrected by the US Centers for Disease Control.Last week, Mr Johnson said of five-day isolation: “The risk is you would increase the numbers of people going back into the workplace who are infectious by a factor of three,” – but he then switched tack.However, the UKHSA has said its error had not changed its conclusion that allowing people to leave isolation earlier will increase the risk of them spreading Covid.Mr Javid told MPs: “After reviewing all of the evidence, we’ve made the decision to reduce the minimum self-isolation period to five full days in England.“From Monday, people can test twice before they go – leaving isolation at the start of day six.“These two tests are critical to these balanced and proportionate plans, and I’d urge everyone to take advantage of the capacity we have built up in tests so we can restore the freedoms to this country while we’re keeping everyone safe.”Labour backed the move, but said shortages of lateral flow tests still needed to be “sorted out”.“Over Christmas, NHS staff and other keyworkers were unable to access tests because the government hadn’t noticed that the deliveries had shut up shop for Christmas,” Mr Streeting alleged. More

Boris Johnson’s political meltdown over lockdown parties in Downing Street has caught the attention of European newspapers – most of which have cast a sceptical eye on the prime minister’s response.French-speaking Belgian daily newspaper Le Soir carries a analysis piece branding Mr Johnson’s defence of the party “tenuous”, stating that had “played the naivety card” to MPs on Wednesday. Meanwhile in Flanders De Standard says the prime minister’s argument “convinced few” and says he is gradually becoming a “dead man walking”. France’s conservative Le Figaro newspaper took the opportunity to play on the revellers’ drink of choice, quipping: “If abused, Rosé wine can give you a headache – sometimes for a longtime afterwards.” It says the political future of Mr Johnson is in question and that “the ‘partygate’ fire is far from extinguished”. French left-of-centre daily Libération meanwhile says that for Boris Johnson, “it’s really no longer time for celebration”. Its London correspondent notes that the prime minister’s experience in the Commons on Wednesday was “far from the time of arrogant victories, voter plebiscites, and spicy slogans” he enjoyed at the start of his premiership. “The party is over, and so are the jokes. Cascading revelations of corruption cases involving his party, as well as illegal evenings held in his residence in 2020” led him to where he is now, the paper says. Dutch newspaper de Volkskrant carries the headline: “Yes, I was at the lockdown drinks (but I’m not resigning)”. By contrast to the UK, The Netherlands’ entire Cabinet government last year resigned after the social security system falsely accused families of benefit fraud. Volkskrant also accused the British PM of “evasive behaviour”, and noted: “All the drinks and parties also further highlighted Johnson’s lack of empathy, another weakness of the prime minister. Johnson has been attributed a certain narcissism for years, the urge to reach the top. Behind his clownish appearance hides a ruthless striver.” A comment piece carried by German centre-right newspaper Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung said it would have been “futile” for the prime minister to deny the party took place. “A politician like Boris Johnson does not apologize – unless the water is up to his neck,” it noted, adding that his fate is now in the hands of the Tory parliamentarians. The paper concludes: “Many in the party have a less relaxed relationship with virtues such as honesty and decency than Johnson.” An analysis carried by German newspaper Die Zeit meanwhile says the government wants to change the subject from parties, but does not know what it can change it to. “The government hardly dares to talk about Brexit anymore, as it cannot demonstrate to the public that Brexit was worthwhile and that it has led to an improvement in living standards,” it says. “Worse still, energy prices are rising, food is becoming more expensive, and social security contributions will be increased in April.” Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza noted that “even the right-wing press did not accept the prime minister’s apology”, while Hungarian tabloid Blikknotes that “more and more irregularities” are being revealed regarding the conduct of the government during the height of the Covid pandemic. The London correspondent for Spain’s El Pais newspaper says the prime minister dealt in “half apologies” in the Commons on Wednesday and that his future now relies on the “arcane and mysterious” leadership rules of the Conservative party. El Mundo meanwhile declares that the episode is “the revenge of Dominic Cummings”, branding him “el chivato de la fiesta”, or “the party snitch”. In Italy, the newspaper La Stampa carries a comment piece proclaiming: “Boris Johnson, a public and private life built on lies”. The article lists some of the numerous times the British prime minister has been caught lying or had to apologise. “The number of times he has been forced to apologise is endless,” it says, but predicts: “This will be the last. The Conservative Party needs some time to search for a successor, but will ultimately abandon Johnson to his fate”. More

The UK’s prospective post-Brexit trade deal with India could boost the British economy by as little as 0.12 per cent, the government has estimated.International trade secretary Anne-Marie Trevelyan welcomed the “golden opportunity” of a free trade agreement as she launched negotiations with her Indian counterpart in New Delhi on Thursday.A deal could increase Britain’s gross domestic product (GDP) “between 0.12 per cent and 0.22 per cent in the long run”, according to a strategy document published by the Department for International Trade (DIT).It is hoped that any new agreement would include cutting tariffs on exports of British-made cars and Scotch whisky, with UK negotiators angling for a deal that slashes barriers to trading.Ms Trevelyan said she would like for a deal to be clinched by early 2023, with the first round of formal negotiations expected to start next week.“This is the first of my important agreements this year as Britain sets out on her independent journey post-Brexit,” she told reporters on Thursday.Indian prime minister Narendra Modi is believed to have made easier immigration to the UK a key demand for a new trade agreement.But Boris Johnson last week denied there was any plan to ease visa requirements, telling Brexiteer MP Sir Edward Leigh in the Commons: “We don’t do free trade deals on that basis.”However, in an interview with the Financial Times on Thursday, Ms Trevelyan said “everything is on the table to discuss” – including broadening visa access for Indian students and skilled workers. She said: “At the end of the day, I will take back to cabinet a deal which I think is great for UK businesses and provides opportunities for them to see trade and investment growth going forward.”Speaking at the launch of negotiations, Piyush Goyal, India’s minister of commerce and industry, said “the Indian diaspora in Britain is a bridge between the two countries and can add a lot of dynamism to their relationship”.The DIT said deal had the “potential” to almost double UK exports to India and boost two-way trade by £28bn a year by 2035.The department’s strategy document also said that estimates point to a long-run increase in UK GDP equivalent to £3.3bn in 2035, up to £6.2bn in 2035, depending on the depth of the agreement.The US has shelved talks on free trade agreement with the UK, despite a recent visit to Washington by Ms Trevelyan.Farming bodies and environmentalists have attacked the recent trade deal struck with Australia, accusing the government of damaging British agricultural exports and lowering standards. More

Cabinet minister Jacob Rees-Mogg has suggested the Covid public inquiry must examine whether lockdown rules, including restrictions on funerals, were “too hard” on individuals or “proportionate”.His comments came as Boris Johnson faces mounting anger after admitting he attended a No 10 party event on 20 May, 2020 when the country was still subject to strict measures on gatherings.He has also faced fury from members of the public who were obeying Covid restrictions and unable to visit dying relatives and faced legal limits on the number of mourners unable to attend funerals.Tackled on the Downing Street rose garden gathering, where over 100 No 10 staff were invited, Mr Rees-Mogg told MPs on Thursday that the matter was being investigated by the senior civil servant, Sue Gray,However, he went on: “I think everybody understands that people were obeying the rules and these rules were very hard for people to obey.“I received a message last night from a friend of mine who was unable to go to the funeral of his two-year-old granddaughter — one cannot hear these stories without grieving for those who suffered.”Questioning the measures his own government introduced at the height of lockdown restrictions, the cabinet minister added: “Decisions were taken at the beginning of the pandemic that affected people up and down the country and we must consider as this goes to an inquiry that we look into what happened with Covid, whether all those regulations were proportionate, or whether it was too hard on people”.“I think as we hear these stories, we inevitably grieve for those who suffered, those who could not visit people they loved, their families and could not attend funerals.“I think the key is this is being looked into, that Sue Gray will report and the prime minister has made his apology clear and understands the rage people feel when they were making these terrible sacrifices”.Asked about the remarks from Mr Rees-Mogg, the prime minister’s official spokesperson later said the government had “sought throughout to strike the right balance when introducing regulations and guidance”.“Clearly this was a unique situation in which we were required to move at speed and oftentimes whilst the evidence base was continuing to grow,” they insisted.They added: “I think prime minister has absolutely acknowledged that these restrictions do not…there is no cost-free option, both in allowing the virus to continue unimpeded and indeed introducing restrictions on people’s way of lives and their livelihood.”As Mr Johnson faced calls to resign from MPs in his own party over his involvement in the No 10 garden party, Mr Rees-Mogg also attempted to claim the prime minister had “again and again” got key decisions “right” during the course of the pandemic.Responding to a question from the SNP MP, Pete Wishart, the cabinet minister said: “He could have called for the prime minister to resign at every business questions where we have exchanged pleasantries since I became leader of the House“So I think that his call for the prime minister to resign is one that will be not be taken any notice of.”He added: “The prime minister won an election, that is the basis on which the democracy in our country works. He won a majority of 80 and has done so much to the benefit of this country in the last two years.” More

A prominent Black MP has described how racist threats against politicians left her scared to do her job.Bell Ribeiro-Addy, Labour MP for Streatham, said that while working for Diane Abbott she received death threats for the former shadow home secretary to her personal email accountSpeaking to BBC 1Xtra podcast If You Don’t Know, she said: “I remember one time somebody actually called the office and they were just shouting the N-word down the phone,” Ms Ribeiro-Addy said.“They would send monkey cards to Diane with really horrible messages; I remember they set up an email address that looked like hers, cut out a picture of her face and they put it on top of a naked woman’s body then sent it around to every single person in parliament. “Just harassment, intimidation, violence.”Ms Ribero-Addy, 36, said although it was a difficult reality to navigate but added: “Diane’s always said ‘If you shy away you’re not gonna make it easy for the next person’.”When asked about the support that’s available to help, the MP replied: “There’s each other.“Definitely having more black female MPs means that you have more people to lean on when something like that happens.” This month Stephen Peddie, a former Brexit Party candidate, was convicted after saying a “bullet to the back of” Labour MP Dawn Butler’s head would be “justified and wholly deserved”.Ms Butler, who was once attacked on a train in a separate incident which has left her “mentally scarred”, was forced to close her office in Brent, north London, following concerns for her safety.While discussing discrimination within parliament, Ms Ribero-Addy pointed to an incident in which Black MPs were misnamed on BBC Parliament in 2020.“If you’re talking about micro aggressions. There was a time not too long ago, you know the captions that come under your name when you’re speaking?, Dawn Butler was speaking and the parliamentary team put Marsha De Cordova’s name (MP For Battersea),” she said.Ms Ribeiro-Addy became an MP in 2019. Another Labour MP elected at the last general election, Zarah Sultana, has also revealed racist emails. The Coventry South MP was sent an email telling her to “go back to your country” in November. More

Jacob Rees-Mogg was “wrong” to describe Scottish Conservative leader Douglas Ross as a lightweight, a former MSP has said as a split looms in the party.Mr Ross called for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to quit after he admitted attending a gathering in the Downing Street garden during lockdown in May 2020.On Wednesday, the Leader of the House of Commons hit out at the Scottish leader, describing him during an appearance on the BBC’s Newsnight programme as “quite a lightweight figure” in the party.Politics expert Professor Sir John Curtice said those comments “are going to get repeated endlessly north of the border” by the Tories’ opponents.He warned: “Given the difficulties the Conservatives are now in, they are at risk of beginning to implode themselves as a result of the internal fighting within the party.”Sir John, speaking on BBC Radio Scotland’s Good Morning Scotland programme, said the upcoming council elections north of the border could help explain why Tories in Scotland are speaking out against Mr Johnson – with the overwhelming majority of MSPs having publicly backed Mr Ross and his calls for the PM to quit.The Strathclyde University elections expert said Scottish Conservative Party “knows it is on a sticky wicket” with the local elections in May.While he said the Tories will “not want to be fighting those elections against a backdrop of a party that has lost its popularity”, he added: “That at the moment is the prospect that faces it.“Which perhaps helps to explain why Tory MSPs have been the first out of the hatch to say that the Prime Minister should go.”A spokesman for the Scottish Conservatives insisted the party has “nothing to say about Mr Rees-Mogg”, but former MSP Adam Tomkins insisted he was “wrong” to brand Mr Ross a “lightweight” – describing it as “very rude and dismissive”.Professor Tomkins added there is now some “serious thinking” that needs to be done in Scotland about the links between the party on either side of the border.Prof Tomkins told Good Morning Scotland: “There’s a ‘Save Boris’ operation going on at the moment, which you would expect Jacob Rees-Mogg to be… at the head of. That explains why Jacob Rees-Mogg was very rude and dismissive about Douglas yesterday.“Jacob’s got this wrong – I don’t agree with anything that Jacob said about this matter.

The Scottish Conservative Party have a range of really important, substantive ideas to bring to the table in Scotland… they are being drowned out because of the pantomime of the politics of Boris JohnsonAdam Tomkins, Scottish Conservatives“Douglas is a man of principle and a man of steel, and he will lead the Scottish Conservatives in the direction he thinks he needs to lead them in order to secure that credible fighting voice for centre-right ideas in Scottish politics.”Prof Tomkins, who quit Holyrood last year but remains a major figure in the Scottish Conservatives, hinted at a growing schism between the Tory party at Holyrood and Westminster and a possible shift in their relationship.“I think there will always be ties but I think that Douglas and his team need to do some deep and serious thinking about exactly what the nature of those ties should be,” he said.“All of the bad days the Scottish Tories have in Holyrood are not caused by the Scottish Tories in Holyrood, they are caused by events 400 miles south. And they need to reflect on that.“The Scottish Conservative Party have a range of really important, substantive ideas to bring to the table in Scotland about economic policy and about social policy, and they are being drowned out because of the pantomime of the politics of Boris Johnson.”

It is a telling insight into the arrogant and dismissive attitude that the Tory government has towards Scotland as a wholeKirsten Oswald, SNPThe SNP seized on the comments on Wednesday, claiming they show “disdain for Scotland”.Kirsten Oswald, the party’s deputy leader at Westminster, said: “Not only is it deeply humiliating for Douglas Ross but it is a telling insight into the arrogant and dismissive attitude that the Tory government has towards Scotland as a whole.“They are looking down their noses at us and making it clear just how little Scotland’s views matter to them – just like they did over Brexit and Tory austerity cuts.”She added: “As the UK government descends into another bitter Tory civil war, it’s clearer than ever that Scotland needs to become an independent country, so we can determine our own future and escape the sleazy, corrupt and broken westminster system for good.” More