UK Politics

The EU has issued a plea to the UK to “come back to the table” to solve the crisis over Northern Ireland, as it set out the huge economic damage from Brexit.In a speech in London, the vice-president of the European Commission joked that it is now Brussels that wants to get “Brexit done” – while London has refused face-to-face talks for four months.Maros Sefcovic called for a fresh push to find “genuine joint solutions” to the battle over the Northern Ireland protocol, telling the event: “We are absolutely ready. Let’s come back to the table.”It would allow the two sides to “move to the next, I hope, brighter stage of our working relationship”, he argued, calling the UK and the EU “natural allies”.But the chief Brexit negotiator insisted the EU will not back down in fighting the UK’s “unilateral and illegal” bill to rip up the protocol, which has sparked renewed legal action.And he warned of “consequences” if the government hints it will “slash EU regulation” in financial services, data and food standards, despite promises made when the Brexit deal was signed.“An end to mutual recognition is a possibility if the UK changes its standards. We will therefore be watching developments closely,” Mr Sefcovic told the event hosted by the Bloomberg news agency.He set out, in stark terms the growing evidence of economic harm from Brexit, including a 25 per cent plunge in UK good exports to the EU since 2019 and a 7 per cent fall in services trade.“In times of economic strain, this hurts businesses on both sides of the channel,” Mr Sefcovic warned.He condemned the protocol bill – which cleared its first Commons hurdle this week – warning it would “lead to constant uncertainty”.“Put simply: it would not work. Ministers in London would have the freedom to change the rules on a whim,” Mr Sefcovic said.“A dual regulatory regime, where businesses opt for EU or UK regulations, would bury them under a mountain of bureaucracy.“This would clearly be a lose-lose situation – for EU-UK relations and, first and foremost, for Northern Ireland.”He opened his speech by referring to a speech made by then-prime minister David Cameron at Bloomberg in 2013, which set the UK on its the path to the 2016 Brexit referendum.“I hope we are close to reaching the end of this particular cycle. You may not hear this often from a European commissioner, but it is high time we got Brexit done,” he said.But Mr Sefcovic refused to say what form the EU retaliation might take if the protocol legislation becomes law – which is not expected to happen until next year, at the earliest. More

Boris Johnson‘s pledge to crack down on Russian dirty money in London will fail because of a lack of funding and expert staff, MPs have warned.The prime minister’s “rhetoric” in quickly pushing through the Economic Crime Act – following the Ukraine invasion – is not matched by the “reality” of resources available, a foreign affairs committee report said.The committee also demanded to know if action will be taken against wealthy foreign investors handed fast-track residency “without due diligence” before the scheme was hurriedly scrapped.And it called for prosecutions of Russian oligarchs in the UK who are allies of Vladimir Putin to be considered, saying sanctions imposed on them are “not enough”.When Moscow launched its assault on Ukraine, the government ended years of stalling by cracking down on corrupt money flowing through what has been dubbed “Londongrad”.The highly critical report, published on Thursday, called it “shameful” that it took the war for ministers to act and echoed previous warnings that the legislation does “not go far or fast enough”.“The government’s rhetoric is not matched by reality,” said Tom Tugendhat, the committee’s Conservative chair.“Sanctions against Russian individuals and businesses can only achieve so much. We need much more fundamental – and long-lasting – legislative changes to weed out the scourge of dirty money.”The rising Tory star added: “New laws are only half the battle. Enforcement agencies need funding, resources and highly specialised staff in order to do their job effectively.”The report warned against sanctions becoming a form of “criminal justice light” in which “assets are held indefinitely without subsequent prosecution”.It recommended that authorities “now take advantage of the time these asset freezes provide to consider if there is a criminal case for asset seizure”.The Queen’s Speech promised a further Economic Crime Bill to ensure “Putin’s cronies do not benefit from the UK’s open society”, following an initial crackdown after the invasion.But fears have been raised that it will still be possible to “cloak the real property owners in anonymity”, using nominee directors and companies.Crown dependencies and overseas territories are still enabling corruption and money laundering by resisting open registers of beneficial ownership of companies, critics say.And Companies House allows 300,000 firms a year to be registered with no proper checks – in “moments, at minimal cost”, a former minister who quit over fraud warned.The foreign affairs committee demands powers for the company registrar to verify information and to “remove corporate entities from the register for wrongdoing”.It also criticised the Foreign Office for being slow to impose sanctions when the war broke out, calling it “underprepared and under-resourced”.On past failings, it states: “The government’s unwillingness to bring forward legislation to stem the flow of dirty money is likely to have contributed to the belief in Russia that the UK is a safe haven for corrupt wealth.” More

The Home Office is being pressured to urgently reform the UK’s “joke” citizenship test, which quizzed immigrants on a series of “random” facts under threat of deportation. People who want to permanently settle in the UK are made to take the bizarre quiz on British history and culture, but a parliamentary committee says its content is not fit for purpose. Content covered by the Life In The UK Test includes how a person should react when spilling beer over someone in a pub – and where the founder of the UK’s first curry house eloped with his wife.It also includes subjective assertions and opinions, such as the claim that the British empire was a “force for good in the world”.People taking the test are also expected to memorise a dubious version of history which claims Britain fought alone against Nazi Germany.Failing the trial-by-trivia could lead to a person being deported, the loss of their livelihood, and potential separation from family, the critical parliamentary report notes.“‘Trivial’, ‘outdated’, and ‘undermining British values’ were some of the terms used by witnesses to our inquiry into the Life in the UK Test,” Baroness Hamwee, chair of the House of Lords justice and home affairs committee, said.“It is – or should be – no joke that the question most identified with the UK test related to the appropriate action to take after spilling a beer on someone at the pub. The test is not respected in the UK or abroad.”She added: “Should candidates be required to memorise content referring to the Enlightenment and where the founder of the UK’s first curry house eloped with his wife? The UK today is about more than stereotypes such as roast beef and pantomimes. “A multiple-choice question puts ‘freedom of speech’, ‘the right to a fair trial’, ‘long lunchbreaks on Fridays’ and ‘free groceries for everyone’ on an equal footing as potential citizens’ rights. The rights and responsibilities of active citizens can be dealt with seriously without being stodgy or impenetrable. “Reform of the Life in the UK Test and of its associated handbook should be treated by the government as urgent. Not to do so disrespects those people who wish to become citizens or permanent residents of our country.” The Life In the UK Test is a requirement for anyone who wants indefinite leave to remain in the UK, or who wants to naturalise as a British citizen.The test was first introduced by the last Labour government under the Nationality, Immigration and Asylum Act 2002, which was steered through parliament by then home secretary David Blunkett. In 2018 then Tory home secretary, Sajid Javid, announced plans to include more questions on “British values” in the Life in the UK test. He has previously also criticised the exercise, describing it as akin to a “pub quiz”.Responding to the report, a Home Office spokesperson said: “The Life in the UK test is important for anyone applying to settle permanently in the UK to ensure they have an understanding of the democratic principles underlying British society and aspects of our culture and traditions.“We intend to set out our plans to review the handbook as part of wider nationality reforms in the next 12 months and we will take on board the findings of the committee as part of that process.” More

Male MPs have tried out vests that simulate the feeling of menopausal hot flushes – and they couldn’t take the heat.Taking part in an event to raise awareness for the sharp increase in demand for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) drugs amid widespread shortages, politicians – including Wes Streeting, Stephen Kinnock and Nick Thomas-Symonds – donned the garments which contained heated pads which are said to mimic the bothersome and often debilitating symptom.“It’s deeply unpleasant and an enveloping heat,” said the shadow health secretary after trying on the vest.“How you would crack on with life, I don’t know. I can’t wait to take this off.”The idea for the contraption was spearheaded by Over the Bloody Moon – a group that offers menopause advice to individuals and companies. Shadow minister for immigration, Mr Kinnock, called the sensation “a very intense kind of heat and an internal feeling, not like being warmed by the sun, but almost volcanic inside”.More than one million women in the UK use HRT, according to the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE), which is prescribed to treat the symptoms of the menopause by boosting oestrogen levels and other hormones.The drug is used to alleviate the impact of a range of associated conditions such as hot flushes, anxiety, joint pain, disturbed sleep, night sweats and vaginal dryness.Just moments after slipping into the vest, former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith said: “I’m feeling this on my back now. Imagine making a speech in the House of Commons and suddenly getting a hot flush. If [men] had this, we’d be complaining a lot.” Carolyn Harris MP, who co-chairs the menopause taskforce, in jest replied: “If you pass out.“Welcome to my world. I don’t need the vest to be hot and bothered.”The soaring demand for HRT has been blamed on an uptick in campaigning and media coverage about its benefits.Labour’s Wes Streeting said: “Women are having to go private. For something that is so common like the menopause, it is outrageous.”Lesley Salem, founder of Over the Bloody Moon, said: “Hot flushes are one of top three symptoms that impact on the lives of menopausal women – disrupting sleep, increasing levels of anxiety and often affecting women’s performance at work.“For those who haven’t experienced the feeling, it is easy to underestimate its intensity and fail to appreciate just what an impact it has on daily life.” More

Boris Johnson has ruled out calling an early general election, as allies admitted that voters would not welcome a snap vote aimed at saving his premiership.The move came as an exclusive poll for The Independent suggested that the Conservative Party would be defeated if a ballot was called now, with Labour falling just short of an overall majority but the prime minister potentially losing his own seat. It indicated that Mr Johnson’s personal standing among voters has plummeted in the wake of the Sue Gray report into Partygate and the abortive coup attempt by his own MPs.But pressure on Mr Johnson was eased by the announcement that a Commons inquiry into claims he lied to parliament about Downing Street parties will not take evidence from witnesses until the autumn, granting him a few months’ grace to recover his position.As the ranks of Tory MPs calling for Mr Johnson’s removal have grown in recent weeks, the prime minister’s advisers have used the threat of an early poll – and the possible loss of vulnerable seats – to bring wavering MPs into line.But a source close to Mr Johnson dismissed the chances of him calling an early election this year, conceding that cutting and running at a time when he holds a commanding majority in the Commons would not be credible to voters.“The PM won an 80-seat majority, people want us to use it to get s*** done, rather than hold another vote,” the source said.Today’s poll by Savanta suggests an early election could be disastrous for Mr Johnson, with Labour extending their lead by a point since last month to seven, on 41 per cent against 34 per cent for Tories and 10 per cent for Liberal Democrats.According to the electoral calculus calculator, this would translate into a hung parliament with Keir Starmer’s party around a dozen short of an overall majority in the Commons and able to form a fragile administration with Lib Dem support. Tories could lose more than 120 MPs and Mr Johnson’s Uxbridge seat would be one of those under threat.The survey showed a collapse in Mr Johnson’s personal ratings over the course of a month in which he has been panned in the Partygate report, narrowly escaped being ejected by his own MPs and seen Tories humiliated in by-elections in Wakefield and Tiverton and Honiton.Satisfaction in the PM’s performance plunged to -35, with just 30 per cent saying he was doing a good job and 65 per cent a bad one.This compared to -26 in a similar poll conducted on 21-22 May, just days before the release of Ms Gray’s explosive report on lockdown breaches in Downing Street.The survey also suggested that the fortunes of chancellor Rishi Sunak have begun to recover since The Independent’s revelation of his wife’s non-dom status knocked him off his position as frontrunner to succeed Mr Johnson.After his announcement of a £15bn cost-of-living package to help households deal with soaring prices, the chancellor’s satisfaction rating has shot up from -20 to -2, and he has been restored as Mr Johnson’s closest challenger.Some 18 per cent named the PM as best candidate for Tory leader (down four points since last month), against 13 per cent for Mr Sunak (up 5), 8 per cent for Jeremy Hunt (unchanged) and 6 per cent each for Liz Truss and Sajid Javid (unchanged).David Canzini, senior strategist at No 10, is said to have warned a group of Tory MPs facing close re-election battles last month that an early election could be called.Speculation about the possibility of an election as early as autumn 2022 has been rife at Westminster over recent weeks.Rebel Tory MPs shared fears that Mr Johnson could respond to an attempted coup by going to the polls this autumn to get a new mandate, with one saying he’s “mad enough to bring the whole house down”.The government’s move to repeal the Fixed Term Parliament Act introduced by David Cameron means Mr Johnson is free to call an election at a time of his choice and does not have to wait until the latest date in 2024.The prime minister, currently at the Nato summit in Madrid, would not be drawn on an early election when grilled by reporters.Asked if he was considering the plan, the PM said the media was free to offer “predictions about politics”, but insisted that he would not “cross over and start talking about politics”.Questioned again if he was leaning towards an early election, he said: “Oh, for heaven’s sake! I am not offering commentary, what I’m trying to get over to you is that I’m here to comment on policy, on the agenda of government.”It came as the group of cross-party MPs on the privileges committee unanimously backed Labour grandee Harriet Harman to chair the investigation that could determine Mr Johnson’s fate as PM.In a move seemingly intended to encourage Downing Street whistleblowers to come forward, the MPs said they were willing to take anonymous evidence. But there was no decision on whether Mr Johnson and other witnesses will be able to provide testimony behind closed doors or will be subjected to a public grilling in front of TV cameras.Rebel Tory MPs believe the investigation could provide a “flashpoint” for a fresh leadership challenge if the inquiry produces a damning verdict on Mr Johnson.In the worst-case scenario for the PM, the committee could find him in contempt of parliament, triggering a possible suspension from the House or even a recall ballot in Uxbridge.Current rules of the the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers mean the prime minister is safe from another confidence vote for 12 months, after narrowly winning a ballot of Tory MPs earlier this month.But Tory MP Andrew Bridgen has said he will run for election to the 1922 Committee on the basis that the rules could be changed to allow a fresh confidence vote.Fellow backbench rebel Steve Baker also said he would run for a place on the committee, and suggested he also wanted the rule on a 12-month grace period to change.“We should not change the rules and vote again lightly. However, there are foreseeable circumstances in which the 1922 may need to act,” Mr Baker said earlier this week.Savanta questioned 2,217 adults in Britain on 25-26 June. More

Dominic Raab spent more than £1m on private jets in just nine months as foreign secretary instead of using regular flights, Labour is protesting.The deputy prime minister is also under fire for taking up to nine officials with him on government trips – wasting money during a cost of living crisis, the party says.“There are serious questions for the government about how these extortionate costs were run up and what we’re paying for,” Angela Rayner, Labour’s deputy leader said.“The public will want to know if they’re footing the bill for Tory ministers’ expensive in flight hospitality while working families struggle to put food on their own tables.”Mr Raab, now the justice secretary, was foreign secretary until September last year, when he was demoted over the chaotic response to the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban.According to official data examined by Labour, he used chartered flights on travel to:* South Korea and Vietnam, in October 2020, with eight officials – costing £213,009* Cyprus, February 2021, six officials – £68,549* Gibraltar, March 2021, nine officials – £34,369* Indonesia and Brunei, April 2021, seven officials – £226, 053* Israel, May 2021, eight officials – £110,786* Saudi Arabia and Iraq, June 2021, seven officials – £150,349* Cambodia, June 2021, six officials – £236,487Ms Rayner added: “While families struggle to make ends meet, ministers continue to waste taxpayers’ money.”But a government spokesperson insisted: “During the pandemic, commercial flight options were limited. All flights were fully declared and in accordance with the rules.”The criticism comes after Mr Raab and Ms Rayner clashed in the Commons, when the deputy prime minister criticised his opposite number for attending the Glyndebourne opera festival.He claimed pictures of her in the Sussex countryside during the rail strikes last week. were proof that “champagne socialism is back in the Labour party” – while winking at her.“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.”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”.A No 10 spokesman was forced to deny Mr Raab’s criticism was an attack on a working-class woman 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. More

Britain will commit more troops to Estonia to defend Nato’s eastern flank against the Russian threat as part of massive expansion in the defence alliance, Ben Wallace has said.The defence secretary suggested at least 1,000 extra UK troops would join an enlarged force in the Baltic state, though he stressed that final details would have to be worked out in the months ahead.Nato leaders at a summit in Madrid agreed on Wednesday to increase its “high readiness” response force from 40,000 to 300,000 troops – but officials said the contribution of each country would not be finalised until early next year.The alliance also formally agreed to invite Finland and Sweden to become members after Turkey dropped its objections. Nato secretary-general Jens Stoltenberg said he hoped the ratification process could now happen “as quickly as possible”.Boris Johnson said the surge in troops and accession of two new members showed that Russian leader Vladimir Putin had been “completely wrong” if was hoping he would reduce Nato influence on his western front. “He’s getting more Nato.”Speaking to reporters in Madrid, the defence secretary explained that more British troops would join the existing UK-led battlegroup in Estonia of around 1,700 UK personnel – turning the British-led force into the size of a “brigade”.Mr Wallace said a typical brigade was around 3,000 troops, suggesting that at least 1,000 extra British troops could be assigned. But he added that some personnel committed to the force would be on stand-by at home in the UK.The senior cabinet minister also continued his row with Boris Johnson over military budgets on Wednesday by suggesting the true proportion of defence spending was less than 2.3 per cent of GDP.No 10 said defence spending was projected to rise to 2.3 per cent of output this year, partly due to billions of pounds of support committed to Ukraine.But the defence secretary told reporters: “[Ukraine support] isn’t core defence spending. I mean, it is not my core budget. It doesn’t buy me any more planes, tanks or ships.”It comes as new research showed that the military faces real-terms cuts of £1.7bn over the next three years. Analysis from the Commons Library commissioned by the Lib Dems forecast 5.6 per cent real-terms cut to day-to-day Ministery of Defence spending by 2024-25. More