UK Politics

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailJacob Rees-Mogg has shared a bizarre rant against “liberals who drink skimmed milk”. Posting on Twitter, the former business, energy and industrial strategy minister insisted only full-fat milk will “nourish your inner Tory”.Mr Rees-Mogg tried six types of milk while interviewing a dairy farmer from Cheshire on his GB News programme State of the Nation.Jacob Rees-Mogg insisted only full-fat milk will “nourish your inner Tory”He berated plant-based milk alternatives such as oat, almond and cashew substitutes, calling them “ghastly”. He then said these plants “can’t be milk” and labelled almond milk as tasting like “porridge liquefied”.The ex-minister opened the segment highlighting how low-fat cheese and yoghurt had reached the supermarket shelves, adding: “For decades creamy milk – the real thing – was ostracised. “The health lobby went for yoghurt and cheese claiming the low-fat options were better for you. Unfortunately, the public began to obey, with lower fat options increasing in sales volume. But then things took a turn for the worse with even more ghastly things coming out like oat, almond, cashew and soya milk.”However, he added there was “good news” that “traditional milk is back on the rise”.He said: “Sales of whole milk [are] up two per cent in the past three months.”Labour MP Stella Creasy suggested the genuine TV clip looks as if it is a parody.She said: “We must tackle deepfake technology being used to create political content urgently, before they further undermine what confidence people have left in democracy.”Other social media users similarly expressed their disbelief, with one user writing: “Somebody tell me this is satire?!?” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailWatch as Penny Mordaunt, leader of the House of Commons, takes business questions after accusing the Commons speaker last night of making a decision “that undermines the confidence of this House”.A government minister has also refused to back Sir Lindsay Hoyle following an evening of parliamentary chaos over a vote on Gaza on Wednesday 21 February.Maria Caulfield said she would “struggle to support” him after he upended parliamentary convention by selecting Labour’s bid to amend an SNP motion calling for an immediate ceasefire.The health minister urged Sir Lindsay to “come clean” about what discussions were had before the vote amid Tory and SNP suggestions that the opposition sought to influence his decision.Sir Lindsay issued an apology after a day of acrimony that saw MPs pass Labour’s amendment to the opposition day motion as Conservative and SNP politicians walked out of the debate in protest.Last night, Ms Mordaunt, accused him of having “undermined the confidence” of the Commons in an attack over the proceedings on Wednesday. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailPressure is mounting for Sir Lindsay Hoyle to resign, after a motion of no confidence in the speaker was signed by more than 50 MPs.On Wednesday, MPs walked out of the chamber in protest at his handling of the Gaza ceasefire debate.The speaker later apologised to the House of Commons and vowed to hold talks with senior party figures amid calls to “resign”.He said: “I thought I was doing the right thing and the best thing, and I regret it, and I apologise for how it’s ended up.”He added he wanted to allow all sides to “express their views” and that he was “very, very concerned about the security” of MPs who have received personal threats over their stance on the Gaza conflict.We want to know what you make of last night’s chaos in the Commons. Should Sir Lindsay resign following the Gaza ceasefire debate? Or is it all much ado about nothing?If you want to share your opinion then add it in the comments and we’ll highlight the most insightful ones as they come in.All you have to do is sign up and register your details – then you can then take part in the discussion. You can also sign up by clicking ‘log in’ on the top right-hand corner of the screen.Make sure you adhere to our community guidelines, which can be found here. For a full guide on how to comment click here.Join the conversation with other Independent readers below. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailCommons speaker Sir Lindsay Hoyle has found himself at the centre of a political storm this week following his controversial and unprecedented decision to allow MPs to vote on a Labour amendment to the SNP’s Gaza ceasefire motion.Hoyle claims he made his decision to allow the “widest possible range of options” to be considered. In an unlikely union, many SNP and Conservative MPs have called for his resignation, lodging accusations of bias towards his former party.Here’s everything you need to know about the Commons speaker, his life and political career:Commons Speaker – 2019-PresentHoyle become Speaker of the House of Commons in November 2019, beating rival Labour MP Chris Bryant with 60 per cent of the final vote. In his acceptance speech, he said he would be a “transparent” speaker, telling MPs that “this House will change, but it will change for the better”.Until recent events, Hoyle has remained a largely uncontroversial speaker. His predecessor John Bercow had been accused of bullying during his time in the role, with an independent panel upholding many of the allegations against him.Hoyle has made clear his aim of distinguishing himself from predecessor: “I’ve come into this job as a referee”, he said after his election. “It shouldn’t be about me, it’s about the Chamber”.Hoyle’s reputation as impartial has not regularly come into question before now. In 2019, his support from both sides of the chamber was seen as a sign of trust in his commitment to non-partisanship in the crucial speaker role.MP for Chorley – 1997-2019Hoyle served as MP for Chorley, a seat in the northern county of Lancashire, for nearly 22 years. At the time of his election, he was the first Labour MP for the consitency in 18 years.Hoyle served on the backbench for the entirety of his time as an MP. He has previously discussed his tensions with former Labour prime minister Tony Blair over issues such as tuition fees and Gibraltar: “I’m not anti-Tony; he made us electable and won three times. But there are principles and promises you don’t break,”In 2010, Hoyle became deputy commons speaker, with many considering him a rising star in the role. In 2013, he won acclaim for shutting down jeering MPs during a budget debate.Later, in 2017, he scolded SNP MPs for singing the European National Anthem in Commons – culminating in a heated clash with then-Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond.In 2018, Hoyle was appointed a Knight Bachelor in the New Year Honours for political and parliamentary servicesLife and education before parliamentBefore becoming an MP, Hoyle was a Labour councillor in the Chorley Borough for the ward of Adlington. He remained in this position from 1980 until his election as an MP in 1997, serving for 27 years and being re-elected four times.Hoyle was born and raised in Adlington, Lancashire. He attended primary school in the area and college in the nearby town of Bolton. Before his election as an MP, Hoyle ran his own textile and screen printing business. More