Markus Andrews

Sign up to our free Brexit and beyond email for the latest headlines on what Brexit is meaning for the UKSign up to our Brexit email for the latest insightMichael Gove has admitted to “moral cowardice” during the Brexit campaign after not telling then-prime minister David Cameron about his prominent role in the Leave campaign.The levelling-up secretary said he was persuaded to take up a bigger job by Vote Leave campaign coordinator and former Boris Johnson aide Dominic Cummings.He made the comments to former chancellor George Osborne on the Political Currency podcast, which is also hosted by former Labour shadow chancellor Ed Balls.Mr Osborne, a steadfast Remainer, said that Mr Gove had promised Lord Cameron he would not take up a “prominent role” in the campaign, but ended up one of the most visible members of the Vote Leave group.The former chancellor asked Mr Gove: “Did you deceive David? He certainly felt, at the time, betrayed.”Mr Gove denied that be betrayed Lord Cameron, but added: “As I mentioned, I do think that I could have been clearer earlier. “And I think that was an example of, on the one hand, cowardice on my part, moral cowardice, on the other hand, a recognition that perhaps there’s this feeling in politics, perhaps something will turn up, perhaps this moment won’t come when we have to make that decision.“But I think David, entirely fairly, should have expected me to have been more upfront earlier.”Michael Gove and David Cameron during a meeting on education in 2012 More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailExplosive revelations that a senior Conservative MP leaked colleagues’ phone numbers to a man he had met on the gay dating app Grindr are “very serious”, a minister has warned, amid questions over whether the MP will face sanctions.Vice chairman of the 1922 committee William Wragg admitted he sent the numbers after becoming concerned about the power the recipient had over him since he had sent intimate pictures of himself.Treasury minister Gareth Davies said the situation was “incredibly troubling and very serious” but maintained that Mr Wragg would keep the party whip while the incident is being investigated. Talking to Sky News, Mr Davies said Mr Wragg has “rightly apologised for the action that he took” and urged anyone who felt that they were being blackmailed to “go to the police immediately”.On Times Radio Mr Davies added that Mr Wragg “is continuing as a Conservative MP, and it’s right that there’s investigation into what happened. He’s rightly apologised, and, as I say, that’s a matter for Will Wragg and the party generally.”The Metropolitan Police have now announced it is looking into the incident with parliamentary security and Leicestershire Police, who said it had received a complaint of “malicious communications” against a parliamentarian after a number of unsolicited messages were sent to a Leicestershire MP last month.Westminster has been rocked by the new revelations after Politico revealed that staff across the house, which include MPs, members of their staff, and a political journalist, were later sent unsolicited flirtatious texts from senders calling themselves “Charlie” or “Abi” in a suspected spear phishing attack. Spear phishing is a type of targeted online sting.Speaking to The Times, the vice-chairman of the 1922 committee said he provided the contact details to the unknown number after he feared the man had “compromising things on me”.William Wragg has admitted his involvement in a honeytrap scheme targeting Westminster politicians More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email A pro-Western career diplomat and a close ally of Slovakia’s populist Prime Minister Robert Fico are facing each other in a presidential runoff on Saturday to determine who will be the next head of state.Former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok is up against Peter Pellegrini, who heads a coalition party in Fico’s government, in the vote for the largely ceremonial post as president of the nation of 5.4 million.A victory for Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament speaker, would cement Fico’s power by giving him and his allies control of major strategic posts. It would also deprive Slovakia and the European Union of a key pro-Ukrainian voice. The current president, Zuzana Čaputová, a staunch backer of Slovakia’s neighbor Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s two-year invasion, did not stand for a second term.A former liberal environmental activist, she has repeatedly come under attack from Fico, who won Sept. 30 parliamentary elections on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform and has accused Čaputová of being a U.S. agent. The latest public polls predict a tight race. The winner will become the country’s sixth head of state since Slovakia gained independence in 1993 after Czechoslovakia split in two. THE RUNOFF As none of the nine candidates won a majority in the March 23 first round, the two top vote-getters advanced to the runoff. Korčok won the first round with 42.5% of the votes, with Pellegrini trailing on 37%. A former justice minister and judge, Štefan Harabin, who has openly sided with Russia in its war with Ukraine, finished a distant third with 11.7%. IVAN KORČOK The 60-year-old is not affiliated with any political party but agreed to become the foreign minister in 2020 when he was the ambassador to the United States. During the coronavirus pandemic, Korčok opposed a secret deal to acquire Russia’s Sputnik V coronavirus vaccine orchestrated by Prime Minister Igor Matovič, calling the vaccine a tool in Russia’s hybrid war against the West. Korčok represented the pro-business Freedom and Solidarity party in the post till 2022. Previously, he also served as the ambassador to Germany and was the country’s envoy to NATO and the European Union. He’s married, a father of two who firmly supports Slovakia’s EU and NATO memberships. PETER PELLEGRINI Pellegrini, 48, who favors a strong role for the state, heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party that finished third in last year’s vote. His party joined a ruling coalition with Fico’s leftist Smer (Direction) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party. Critics worry Slovakia under Fico will abandon its pro-Western course and follow the direction of Hungary under populist Prime Minister Viktor Orbán. Thousands have repeatedly taken to the streets across Slovakia recently to rally against Fico’s pro-Russian and other policies that they fear undermine the rule of law while voicing their support for Korčok. Pellegrini, who was Fico’s former deputy in Smer, became prime minister in 2018, after Fico was forced to resign following major anti-government street protests over the killing of journalist Ján Kuciak and his fiancee. Pellegrini had temporarily parted ways with Fico after the scandal-tainted Smer lost the previous election in 2020. A CAMPAIGN SHAPED BY WAR The war in neighboring Ukraine was a core campaign issue. Pellegrini’s candidacy is supported by Fico’s coalition that immediately stopped any military aid to Ukraine, saying the conflict has no military solution. Pellegrini accused Korčok of being a warmonger ready to draw his country into the war by sending troops to Ukraine. Korčok dismissed that. In Slovakia, the government and parliament, but not the president, can approve Slovak troops’ deployment abroad. Pellegrini also suggested that Slovakia would not be able to send its troops to other NATO members if they were attacked, a principle of NATO’s collective defense. He claimed the Slovak military is not armed well enough to do so. PRESIDENTIAL POWERS Elected for a five-year term, the president picks the prime minister after parliamentary elections, swears in the new government and appoints Constitutional Court judges. The president can also veto laws, though Parliament can override the veto with a simple majority, and challenge them at the Constitutional Court. The head of state also has the right to pardon convicts. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Government should hold an inquiry into “dangerous” content which young people are able to access on their smartphones, the leader of the largest education union in the UK has said.Daniel Kebede, general secretary of the National Education Union (NEU), warned of a “real problem” with sexism and misogyny in schools which has been fuelled by exposure to harmful content online.Mr Kebede called on the Government to “take on” big technology companies as he said the problem is “too widespread” to be left to schools and parents.He added that students are easily able to access social media influencers like Andrew Tate, as well as “aggressive hardcore pornography” which is affecting young boys’ views of women and relationships.His comments came ahead of a debate on online misogyny and sexism at the NEU’s annual conference in Bournemouth.I think there needs to be a real inquiry into this from Government which makes some recommendations on some significant reformsDaniel Kebede, National Education UnionA motion, due to be debated on Friday, says the “continued rise” in online sexism and misogyny through social media and online influencers presents a “real challenge” to those promoting gender equality.It suggests the union’s resources to promote anti-sexism are “not being used as widely as they should” in schools and colleges.Speaking to the media ahead of the debate, Mr Kebede said he has worked with young girls who have been victims of “significant acts of misogyny” and who have experienced abuse, violence and sexual assault.He said: “That is being fuelled by a culture of misogyny and sexism that is in turn being fuelled by what young boys and young men can access on their smartphones. It’s really widespread.”The Everyone’s Invited movement – a campaign on sexual harassment and abuse launched in 2021 – saw some pupils accuse their schools of failing to tackle a “rape culture”.Asked whether the problem has got worse since the campaign, Mr Kebede said: “I don’t think anybody at the moment can view what’s happening in society and think the issue of sexism and misogyny – and what young people can access on their phones – has particularly improved. It hasn’t.”It is very fair to say that there is a real problem with sexism and misogyny within schools. There is a real problem with what young people can access via their smartphone with real ease. It’s a problem that I think that Government have completely failed to intervene inDaniel Kebede, National Education Union He added: “It is very fair to say that there is a real problem with sexism and misogyny within schools. There is a real problem with what young people can access via their smartphone with real ease.“It’s a problem that I think that Government have completely failed to intervene in. There has been no real regulation and it is causing a huge issue in our schools.”Asked what the Government should do, the NEU chief said: “They need to actually take on big tech, if we are being honest.“Big tech have to take some responsibility and be regulated and accept regulation and ensure that young people can’t access really aggressive, dangerous things on their phones.“It’s not enough to just allow schools to police it, or parents indeed. It’s just far too widespread.“I think there needs to be a real inquiry into this from Government which makes some recommendations on some significant reforms essentially.”In February, schools in England were given non-statutory Government guidance intended to stop the use of mobile phones during school hours.Last month, schools minister Damian Hinds told the Education Select Committee that getting a mobile phone between primary and secondary school has become a “rite of passage” for nearly all children.Esther Ghey, the mother of murdered teenager Brianna Ghey, is campaigning for an age limit for smartphone usage and stricter controls on access to social media apps.Asked whether parents could do more to restrict the content which their children are being exposed to online, Mr Kebede said: “Children and young people are very good at working out technology and how to use it and how to get around any filters and restrictions that are in place.“We can’t individualise the issue and put it down to problem parenting, failure of parenting. It’s very difficult when every other child has access to a smartphone to be that parent who says no.“There has to be regulation on this from Government, who in turn supports families in making those decisions.”A Government spokesperson said: “All children deserve to grow up in a safe environment, and we expect schools to take immediate action against sexual misconduct or harassment.“Through our world-leading Online Safety Act, social media firms will be required to protect children from being exposed to harmful material online, and the Education Secretary recently took robust action by prohibiting the use of mobile phones in schools.“We are also reviewing the statutory guidance on relationships, sex and health education and as a part of this, we are considering how our guidance and support to schools on this issue can be strengthened.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak is under mounting pressure – including from within his own party – to immediately suspend arms sales to Israel amid a growing chorus of opposition to the number of civilians killed in its war on Hamas. The prime minister faces calls from Tory grandees, hundreds of lawyers, dozens of MPs and peers from across the political spectrum, as well as top military commanders to halt arms exports to the nation.Mr Sunak has also been urged to exert Britain’s influence on Israel to force a change of approach in how Israel Defence Forces (IDF) conducts the invasion. Days after the slaughter of seven aid workers, three of them British, The Independent joins the call for the sale of arms to Israel to stop. Conservative former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind said Britain must suspend arms sales to Israel unless it demonstrates an urgent change in the behaviour of the IDF.Sir Malcolm Rifkind said it is ‘difficult to believe’ Israel’s approach meets acceptable standards More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailFormer foreign minister Sir Alan Duncan is being investigated by Tory chiefs after he said pro-Israel “extremists” in the party should be kicked out because they refused to support international law.Sir Alan said ex-cabinet minister Eric Pickles and Tory peer Stuart Polak, both members of the powerful Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI) organisation, should both be thrown out of the party.The CFI was being used to ‘exercise the interests of another country’ by lobbying for Israel, he said.He also branded Michael Gove, Oliver Dowden, Suella Braverman, Robert Jenrick and Priti Patel “extremists” for failing to denounce unlawful Israeli settlements on Palestinian land.Conservative head office responded by launching an inquiry into Sir Alan’s comments, which could lead to him having the party whip withdrawn.It comes as the party faces a split over the Gaza war, with figures including Sir Nicholas Soames, the grandson of Winston Churchill, former foreign secretary Sir Malcolm Rifkind, and Mark Logan, a PPS in the Department for Work and Pensions, among those calling for a suspension of UK arms to Israel.Sir Alan, who stepped down as an MP in 2017, launched an outspoken attack on Israel in an article in The Independent in which he argued it could no longer be considered an ally by the UK. He then he used an appearance on LBC to call for security minister Tom Tugendhat to be sacked for “not believing in international law”.Sir Alan Duncan is under investigation by the Conservative Party More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe health tech company belonging to disgraced Conservative party donor Frank Hester has been dropped as a sponsor from Yorkshire’s largest LGBTQ+ celebration after the CEO was embroiled in a racism row.Mr Hester came under fire after it was revealed he had made racist comments about Labour MP Diane Abbott, having said she made him “want to hate all back women” and that “she should be shot”.Now the organisers of Leeds Pride have announced they are ending their sponsorship deal with Mr Hester’s company in a stance against discrimination.In a statement confirming it was cutting ties with TPP, Leeds Pride said: “This move comes after discussions with the board of directors and collaborative partners, reflecting a stand against discrimination and in support of creating an inclusive atmosphere.”Frank Hester allegedly made the comments in 2019 (Screengrab/PA) More