UK

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailSlovaks headed to the ballots on Saturday to elect a successor to Zuzana Čaputová, the country’s first female president and a staunch backer of Slovakia’s neighbour Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s two-year invasion. She is not seeking a second term. Peter Pellegrini, a close ally of Slovakia’s  populist prime minister Robert Fico, is considered a favourite in the race for the largely ceremonial post of president. He leads a field of nine candidates in the first round of the presidential election to become the country’s sixth head of state since Slovakia gained independence in 1993 after Czechoslovakia split in two.Polls will close at 9pm GMT and results are expected Sunday.If no candidate gets a majority, which is expected, the top two finishers will go through to a runoff on 6 April.Pellegrini, 48, who favours a strong role for the state, heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party that finished third in the 30 September parliamentary election. His party joined a ruling coalition with Fico’s leftist Smer (Direction) party and the ultranationalist Slovak National Party. The new government immediately halted arms delivery to Ukraine. Former foreign minister Ivan Korčok, 59, a pro-Western career diplomat is his main rival.“From my point of view, I did all I could,” Korčok said Saturday after casting the ballot in the town of Senec near the capital Bratislava. “It’s up to the people to consider carefully what the future head of state will look like.”Korčok had also served as the ambassador to the United States and Germany and firmly supports Slovakia’s European Union and Nato memberships.Most public polls expect a narrow victory for Pellegrini in the first round.A former justice minister and judge, Štefan Harabin, 66, who has openly sided with Russia in its war against Ukraine is predicted to finish third. Another former foreign minister and career diplomat, Ján Kubiš, and far-right leader Marian Kotleba are among other notable candidates. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailHollywood has helped to fan flames about the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) in the minds of a generation of “engineers, computer scientists and super-geeks”, ministers have heard.The House of Lords was told movie depictions of AI, such as The Terminator, have helped to cement “hopes and fears of what AI could do to us”, as it considered plans to regulate the emerging technology.The upper chamber of Parliament was urged to back proposals by Lord Holmes of Richmond which would create a new watchdog, known as the AI Authority.The Conservative peer’s Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill, which began its progression through Parliament on Friday, would require the authority to push forward AI regulation in the UK and assess and monitor potential risks to the economy.If like me, you are from a certain generation, these seeds of fear and fascination of the power of artificial intelligence have long been planted by numerous Hollywood movies picking on our hopes and fears of what AI could do to usLord RangerSome peers expressed concerns about generative AI, including the need to ensure artists whose work is used as a prompt are fairly paid, and that the technology should be prevented from drawing on images of child sexual abuse.But Conservative peer Lord Ranger of Northwood suggested the technology’s proponents currently needed room to innovate.He told the Lords: “If like me, you are from a certain generation, these seeds of fear and fascination of the power of artificial intelligence have long been planted by numerous Hollywood movies picking on our hopes and fears of what AI could do to us.”He cited “unnerving subservience” of HAL 9000 in 2001: A Space Odyssey, and “the ultimate hellish future of machine intelligence taking over the world in the form of Skynet” from the Terminator movies.Lord Ranger added: “These and many other futuristic interpretations of AI helped fan the flames in the minds of engineers, computer scientists and super-geeks, many of who created the biggest tech firms in the world.”While he said he was supportive of the aims of the Bill and there may be a long-term need for regulatory guidance, Lord Ranger said he did not believe it was possible to regulate AI through a single authority.He was also critical of a labelling system it would introduce, which seeks to ensure any person involved in training AI would have to supply to the authority a record of all third-party data and intellectual property (IP) they used and offer assurances that informed consent was secured for its use.The Tory peer said: “This will not … help us work hand-in-hand with industry and trade bodies to build trust and confidence in the technology.”Other peers gave their backing to the Bill, with crossbench peer Lord Freyberg telling the upper chamber: “It stands to reason that if artists’ IP (intellectual property) is being used to train these models, it is only fair that they be compensated, credited and given the option to opt out.”Fellow crossbencher Baroness Kidron, meanwhile, said she wanted to see “more clarity that material that is an offence such as creating viruses, CSAM (child sexual abuse material), or inciting violence are offences whether they are created by AI or not.”The filmmaker and children’s rights campaigner cited a report by the Stanford Internet Observatory, which identified “hundreds of known images of children sexual abuse material in an open data set used to train popular AI text-to-text models”.She added: “The report illustrates that it is very possible to remove such images, but they did not bother. Now those images are proliferating at scale. We need to have some rules upon which AI is developed.”Lord Holmes, the Bill’s sponsor, compared the onset of AI to the advent of steam power during the industrial revolution as he urged peers to back his proposals.He said: “If AI is to human intellect what steam was to human strength, you get the picture. Steam literally changed time. It is our time to act and it is why I bring this Bill to your Lordships’ House today.”The Government believes a non-statutory approach to AI regulation provides “critical adaptability” but has pledged to keep it under review.A Government spokesman said: “As is standard process, the Government’s position on this Bill will be confirmed during the debate.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Police in northern England said Friday that they are investigating whether the largest donor to Britain’s Conservative government committed a crime when he reportedly said a Black member of Parliament made him “want to hate all Black women” and that she “should be shot.”Frank Hester, the chief executive of healthcare software firm The Phoenix Partnership, allegedly made the remarks in 2019 about Diane Abbott, the first Black woman to serve in the House of Commons. West Yorkshire Police said officers were “working to establish the facts and to ultimately ascertain whether a crime has been committed.”Hester has apologized for making “rude” remarks about Abbott but says he’s not racist. The Tory party has resisted pressure from opposition politicians to return the 10 million pounds ($12.6 million) Hester has given to the party. The comments reported March 11 by The Guardian swiftly embroiled the Conservatives in a controversy as they sought to criticize the remarks but refused for nearly 24 hours to label them as racist. The party, which has been in power for 14 years, faces an election later this year and polling shows them trailing far behind Labour. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak initially criticized Hester’s comments as “unacceptable,” but his spokesperson didn’t label the remarks racist until Cabinet minister Kemi Badenoch, who is Black, broke ranks and accused Hester of racism.“The alleged comments were wrong, they were racist,” Sunak later told lawmakers. But he said Hester had “rightly apologized for them, and that remorse should be accepted.”Hester’s company has been paid more than 400 million pounds ($504 million) by the National Health Service and other government bodies since 2016, according to The Guardian.Hester allegedly made the comments during a company meeting in Leeds. “It’s like trying not to be racist but you see Diane Abbott on the TV, and you’re just like … you just want to hate all Black women because she’s there,” Hester is reported to have said. “And I don’t hate all Black women at all, but I think she should be shot.”Police asked anyone with information to come forward.“We recognize the strong reaction to these allegations and appreciate everyone who has contacted us since the article was published,” police said in a statement. “As we continue our inquiry, we are keen to hear from anyone who could directly assist our investigation.”Abbott, 70, who was elected to the House of Commons in 1987 representing a northeast London district, said the remarks were frightening, especially since two British lawmakers have been murdered since 2016. The government said last month it would step up politicians’ security because of rising tensions over the Israel-Hamas war.Abbott sits as an independent after being kicked out of the Labour Party caucus last year for comments that suggested Jewish and Irish people do not experience racism “all their lives.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Peter Pellegrini, a close ally of  populist Prime Minister Robert Fico, is considered a favorite in the race for the largely ceremonial post of Slovakia’s president.A victory for Pellegrini, who currently serves as Parliament speaker, would cement Fico’s power by having his allies control key posts in the country. It would also deprive Slovakia and the European Union of a key pro-Ukrainian voice. Pellegrini hopes to succeed Zuzana Čaputová, a staunch backer of Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s two-year invasion. Čaputová announced she won’t seek reelection. A former liberal environmental activist, she has repeatedly come under attack from Fico over her support for Kyiv. Fico won last year’s elections on a pro-Russian and anti-American platform, and has also accused Čaputová of being a U.S. agent.Pellegrini leads a field of nine candidates in the first round of the presidential election on Saturday. If no candidate gets a majority, which is expected, the top two finishers will face in a runoff on April 6. WHO IS PELLEGRINI? Pellegrini, 48, who favours a strong role for the state, heads the left-wing Hlas (Voice) party that finished third in the Sept 30 parliamentary election. 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. The new government immediately halted arms delivery to Ukraine, even as thousands have repeatedly taken to the streets across Slovakia recently to rally against Fico’s pro-Russian and other policies, including plans to amend the penal code and take control of the public media.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. OTHER CHALLENGERS Polls have predicted Pellegrini would beat other candidates in the second round.They include former Foreign Minister Ivan Korčok, 59. a pro-Western career diplomat. He had also served as the ambassador to the United States and Germany, and firmly supports Slovakia’s EU and NATO memberships.A former justice minister and judge, Štefan Harabin, 66, has openly sided with Russia in its war against Ukraine. Another former foreign minister and career diplomat, Ján Kubiš, and far-right leader Marian Kotleba are among other notable candidates. THE PRESIDENT’S POWERS The president is 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. The president 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 UK government has warned Israel that it could withhold weapons if the Red Cross is not given access to imprisoned Hamas fighters, according to Israeli media.Foreign secretary Lord Cameron is said to have warned Israeli officials that an “arms embargo” could be declared in Europe if Israel continue to withhold access to prisoners, according to the Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper on Thursday.The caution follows reports that the UK government was considering withholding arms if Israel invaded the Gazan city of Rafah, after Lord Cameron wrote to parliament’s foreign affairs select committee saying that he could not see how an offensive in Rafah could go ahead without harming civilians and destroying homes.The former prime minister expressed his “deep concern” about the prospect of an offensive.“We do not underestimate the devastating humanitarian impacts that a full ground offensive, if enacted, would have in these circumstances,” he said.He added: “We continue to urge Israel to ensure that it limits its operations to military targets and take all possible steps to avoid harming civilians and destroying homes.”British officials have now reportedly demanded that the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) be allowed to visit Hamas prisoners in Israel to ensure adherence to international law. The Foreign Secretary said Israel had an ‘obligation to ensure significantly more humanitarian aid reached the people of Gaza’Yedioth Ahronoth also reported that British lawyers visited Israel to examine the issue and issued advice that all prisoners in Israel, including the Hamas suspects, should be allowed a visit by the Red Cross.Chair of the foreign affairs committee Alicia Kearns told LBC she expected the government to publish a decision on whether or not Israel is still upholding international law and whether it would continue to provide weapons “within the week”.She said: “I pushed the government last week and again this week on whether or not our assessment has changed or whether or not international law is being upheld by Israel. And the answer was that we are currently undertaking the assessment and we will go back to the house shortly.”She added: “If we don’t hear that within the week, I would be very surprised.”Lord Cameron’s alleged challenge to the Israeli government comes amid mounting pressure on Western nations to prevent the unfolding humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza. Canada’s house of commons moved to halt future arms sales to Israel following a non-binding vote earlier in the week.Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby has warned Israel it had a legal responsibility to address the “urgent and monumental” humanitarian needs of Palestinians in Gaza.The Most Rev Justin Welby said international law called for the “rapid and unimpeded” passage of humanitarian relief for civilians but he accused the Israeli government of preventing access.The archbishop warned that if nothing changes then “famine is imminent”, with children already dying from starvation and dehydration.He said: “Israel’s prosecution of this war has destroyed large parts of the Gaza Strip – decimating infrastructure essential to human survival.”The UK will not disclose the arms export licences granted to Israel in the final quarter of last year until later this year. In 2022 the UK granted export licences to Israel worth £42m. A FCDO spokesperson said: “We keep advice on Israel’s adherence to International Humanitarian Law under review and will act in accordance with that advice.“All export licence applications are assessed on a case-by-case basis against the Strategic Export Licensing Criteria.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailBritain risks “sliding into global irrelevance” on artificial intelligence (AI) if the Government does not introduce new laws to regulate the sector, according to a Conservative peer.A new body, known as the AI Authority, would be established under a proposal tabled in Parliament by Lord Holmes of Richmond.His Artificial Intelligence (Regulation) Bill, to be debated at second reading on Friday, would require the authority to push forward AI regulation in the UK and assess and monitor potential risks to the economy.We need leadership, right-sized regulation, right nowLord Holmes of RichmondSecurity, fairness, accountability and transparency are among the principles that the AI Authority must take into consideration, according to the Bill.The Government believes a non-statutory approach provides “critical adaptability” but has pledged to keep it under review.Lord Holmes said: “The current Government approach risks the UK sliding into global irrelevance on this hugely important issue of protecting citizen rights and ensuring AI is developed and deployed in a humanity-enhancing, rather than a society-destroying, way.“The Government claims that their light-touch approach is ‘pro-innovation’ but innovation is not aided by uncertainty and instability.“AI offers some of the greatest opportunities for our economy, our society, our human selves.“It also, if unregulated holds obvious existential harms. Self-governance and voluntary agreements just don’t cut it.“We need leadership, right-sized regulation, right now.“The UK can, the UK must lead when it comes to ethical AI.“This Bill offers them that very opportunity. I hope they take it.”The Bill would also seek to ensure any person involved in training AI would have to supply to the authority a record of all third-party data and intellectual property (IP) they used and offer assurances that informed consent was secured for its use.Lord Holmes added on the labelling system: “People would know if a service or a good had used or deployed AI in the provision of that service.”Speaking in November last year, Rishi Sunak said Britain’s AI safety summit would “tip the balance in favour of humanity” after reaching an agreement with technology firms to vet their models before their release.The Prime Minister said “binding requirements” would likely to be needed to regulate the technology, but now is the time to move quickly without laws.Elon Musk, the owner of social media platform X, described AI as “one of the biggest threats” facing humanity.The Government announced in February that more than £100 million will be spent preparing the UK to regulate AI and use the technology safely, including helping to prepare and upskill regulators across different sectors.Minister have chosen to use existing regulators to take on the role of monitoring AI use within their own sectors rather than creating a new, central regulator dedicated to the emerging technology.A Government spokesman said: “As is standard process, the Government’s position on this Bill will be confirmed during the debate.” More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailA government minister tasked with identifying wasteful spending has been charging the taxpayer tens of thousands of pounds in expenses to rent a flat in London despite her fellow MP husband owning a property nearby.Esther McVey has over the past two years received more than £30,000  in taxpayers’ money to rent the flat where she lives with her husband Phillip Davies, the MP for Shipley.Ms McVey, who represents Tatton and was last year appointed minister for ‘common sense’, is paid £86,584 for being an MP but will be earning thousands of pounds more from her additional role as Cabinet Office minister without portfolio.She and her husband have been claiming expenses on a property in Westminster since 2017, according to The Daily Telegraph and campaign group Led By Donkeys.Esther McVey, the so-called minister for common sense, has criticised wasteful government spending According to the report, Mr Davies owns a property in Waterloo, which is about a 25-minute walk away. The property is rented out and the MP  has declared an annual income of more than £10,000 from this property.Mr Davies, who has also earned thousands of pounds from media work over the past two years, said he would have been happy to continue claiming mortgage costs on the flat he owns, “but that option was removed from me”.MPs can no longer claim their mortgage payments back from the taxpayer following changes to the rules in the aftermath of the 2009 expenses scandal.The couple is not breaking any rules but their arrangement raises questions about value for money, particularly given Ms McVey’s role at the top of government in charge of tacking wasteful spending.Ms McVey’s husband is Philip Davies MPMs McVey, a self-declared low-tax Thatcherite who often rails against the ‘big state’, wrote in the Daily Mail last year that she did not “want you to see a single penny of your hard-earned cash wasted on unnecessary public spending”.Her duties as Cabinet Office minister without portfolio include delivery of government priorities and ensuring effective communication of Downing Street’s objectives.Ms McVey, who previously served as secretary of state for work and pensions from January to November 2018, also earned thousands of pounds for media work.In February she told GB News she had written to independent government agencies asking them to spend more efficiently.“We want to make sure there isn’t any waste … You can’t put up taxpayers’ bills and ask the government for more money, and yet not get rid of wasteful spending yourself,” she said.Mr Davies told Led By Donkeys: “If I owned the flat outright and I could stay there without incurring any cost then I would agree that I should do that, but that doesn’t remotely apply in my case.“As far as I am aware, all workplaces cover the accommodation costs of people working away from home, and I am surprised … [you] … think that should no longer be the case. That, of course, will lead to only the wealthiest people in the country being able to become MPs.”Ms McVey has been contacted for comment. More