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Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Albania’s parliament voted Thursday to lift the legal immunity of former Prime Minister Sali Berisha, who leads the opposition Democratic Party and is accused of corruption. Opposition lawmakers inside the hall boycotted the vote and tried to disrupt the session by collecting chairs and flares, but security guards stopped them. Berisha declined to take the floor to speak against the motion. The ruling Socialist Party holds 74 of the 140 seats in Albania’s national legislature, and 75 lawmakers agreed to grant a request from prosecutors to strip Berisha of his parliamentary immunity. Thursday’s vote clears prosecutors to seek a court’s permission to put Berisha under arrest or house arrest. With the opposition refusing the participate, there were no votes against the move or any abstentions.Berisha, 79, was charged with corruption in October for allegedly abusing his post to help his son-in-law, Jamarber Malltezi, buy land in Tirana owned by both private citizens and defense ministry, and to build 17 apartment buildings on the property. Berisha and Malltezi both have proclaimed their innocence, alleging the case was a political move by the ruling Socialist Party of Prime Minister Edi Rama. Prosecutors have said that if Berisha is convicted, he faces a prison sentence of up to 12 years.Democratic Party supporters protested outside the parliament building Thursday with anti-government banners and “Down with dictatorship” chants. Berisha called on his supporters join “a no-return battle” against the “authoritarian regime” of the Socialists.“That decision won’t destroy the opposition but will mobilize it, and under the motto ‘Today or never,’ it will respond to that regime,” Berisha told reporters after the vote. Berisha served as Albania’s prime minister from 2005-2013, and as president from 1992-1997. He was reelected as a lawmaker for the Democratic Party in the 2021 parliamentary elections.The United States government in May 2021 and the United Kingdom in July 2022 barred Berisha and close family members from entering their countries because of alleged involvement in corruption.Since Berisha was charged in October, opposition lawmakers have regularly disrupted sessions of parliament to protest the Socialists’ refusal to create commissions to investigate alleged cases of corruption involving Rama and other top government officials. The disruptions are an obstacle to much-needed reforms at a time when the European Union has agreed to start the process of harmonizing Albanian laws with those of the EU as part of the Balkan country’s path toward full membership in the bloc.___Follow Llazar Semini at https://twitter.com/lsemini More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailRishi Sunak’s government sparked anger and ridicule for boasting that its “Network North” transport pledge will see £235m spent on London potholes.The much-mocked social media post bragged that road repairs in London boroughs such as Bromley and Barnet will be funded by the cash allocated for HS2 before Mr Sunak’s scrapped its northern leg.The Independent first revealed the radical move by Mr Sunak in the autumn to ditch the Birmingham to Manchester high-speed rail link.Labour politicians such as deputy leader Angela Rayner, Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham and shadow transport minister Louise Haigh all attacked the London-focused post on social media.Ms Rayner, who represents Ashton-under-Lyne, wrote: “Hang on. HS2 money, pledged to ‘level up’ the North. Cancelled. Re-directed to London. Are they for real?”Mr Burnham wrote: “Network North seems to include everywhere – except the North.” Ms Haigh said it was “ludicrous”. She added: “Now it turns out ‘Network North’ actually means repairing roads in London. You couldn’t make it up.”Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said the announcement on social media amounted to “gerrymandering that would even make the Republican party blush”.Mr Rotherham said: “It’s more smoke and mirrors from the government, a PR stunt from a photo-op prime minister who is more interested in shiny graphics for social media than tackling the issues facing real people.”The Liverpool mayor added: “The question now is, if the government believes that London is now part of the north, will our area start to see the same level of public transport investment as when London was in the south?”Among the many mocking the ad posted on X, formerly known as Twitter, TV presenter and campaigner Carol Vorderman said “can someone send them a map”.Liberal Democrat MP Tim Farron said it was “great to see the rural northern village of London finally getting the levelling up funding it deserves”.The PM was met with howls of outrage from northern leaders, business chiefs and senior Tories, after he used his Tory conference speech to confirm The Independent’s story that the northern phase of HS2 would be axed.Former Tory PM David Cameron – now the foreign secretary – attacked Mr Sunak’s decision – saying he had “thrown away fifteen years of cross-party consensus” and made future infrastructure projects much harder.Jeremy Hunt and Rishi Sunak were attacked for scrapping HS2’s northern leg Responding to the reaction to the social media post, transport secretary Mark Harper wrote that it was “great that people are talking about our Network North plan”.The Tory cabinet minister claimed that “every penny of the £19.8 billion committed to the Northern leg of HS2 will be reinvested in the North”.Mr Harper also defended the pothole spending – saying the redirected HS2 funding will “ensure road users across London have smoother, faster and safer journeys”. He said the government was “on the side of drivers”.The Department of Transport said the funding is part of an £8.3bn investment to resurface more than 5,000 miles of roads across England.Between now and March, £7.5m is to be made available, followed by a further £7.5m in 2024-2025, with the remainder extending until 2034. Over the next year, Hillingdon will receive £354,000, £455,000 for Bromley and £368,000 for Barnet. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailThe Bank of England is under mounting pressure to cut interest rates to help homeowners after a surprise fall in inflation gave consumers “an early Christmas present”. Falling petrol prices helped curb inflation to 3.9 per cent, the lowest rate in two years and well below Rishi Sunak’s target of 5 per cent by the end of the year.But leading economists told The Independent that although “the bulge has made its way through the snake”, much of the “low hanging fruit” has been picked – and the central bank will struggle to reach its longstanding target of 2 per cent.They also warned that many homeowners coming off fixed rates now face “a very different world”, while Britain’s slowing economy and higher mortgage costs mean living standards will “remain pretty desperate”. Signalling a change in the political tide, work and pensions secretary Mel Stride said the inflation fall could allow the Bank to ease interest rates and aid those struggling with mortgage costs. Most economists had been expecting a dip to 4.3 per cent last month.While he emphasised its independence, the cabinet minister said that the faster-than-expected fall in inflation “does take some pressure off [the Bank] in terms of keeping interest rates higher, which of course in time and in turn feeds into mortgage rates”.Falling prices at the pumps helped push inflation to a surprise low, which the prime minister hailed as “good news for everyone in this country”.Inflation also slowed on things like food, air travel and the cost of a second-hand car. With just days to go before Christmas, Simon Pittaway, senior economist at the Resolution Foundation, said that “politicians and the public can all cheer this festive surprise”. But the rampant inflation of recent years means prices are around 20 per cent higher than they were in 2020, and economist Laith Khalaf of AJ Bell warned that food price inflation remains at a “pretty concerning” 9 per cent.Shoppers on London’s Oxford Street on Wednesday as the inflation figures were announcedDespite the latest figures, Mr Khalaf warned that UK consumers are still “heavily under the pump” – with mortgage holders set to come off fixed deals next year “facing a different world”. “It’s almost like another leg of the cost of living crisis,” he told The Independent. “It started off with fuel and heating, it then moved onto food. There’s rising interest rates, and don’t forget taxation as well, where over the next five years the tax burden is expected to rise to highest since the Second World War.”Suren Thiru, economics director at the Institute of Chartered Accountants, said that the “dramatic” fall in inflation showed there was light at the end of the tunnel. But they added that “living standards will remain pretty desperate as this boost is largely offset by a squeeze on incomes from higher mortgage costs and a slowing economy.”Labour warned that more than a million people face higher mortgage payments “after the Conservatives crashed the economy”.Following last week’s decision by the Bank of England to hold its base rate for a third time at 5.25 per cent, economists suggest the markets are pricing in interest rate cuts by May – and perhaps as early as March – as pressure intensifies on the central bank.“The first 25 basis point cut is now fully priced in for the Bank’s May meeting, with a decent chance of a start to cuts in March,” said Matthew Ryan, from financial services firm Ebury, while James Smith of ING bank said: “Markets are right to be pricing a number of rate cuts for 2024 … starting in May.”Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves with party leader Sir Keir StarmerYael Selfin, chief economist at KPMG, told The Independent that, while the new inflation figures were good news “the Bank of England is likely to be quite cautious in cutting rates”.Echoing these concerns, Rob Morgan, chief analyst at Charles Stanley pointed to the soaring prices of recent years as he said: “We’re sort of coming down the other side of [high inflation], so the bulge has made its way through the snake.“Our worry is you’ve had the easy wins because you’ve had the energy bills coming down, fuel prices coming down quite a lot lower. It’s difficult to replicate that kind of disinflation going forward,” he added.Citing looming increases in the national living wage and state pension, with borrowing costs and mortgage rates also starting to fall, Mr Morgan said: “It makes it difficult to get that last little bit of inflation out of the system. The low-hanging fruit for the Bank of England has been picked.”Responding to the inflation figures, the chancellor Jeremy Hunt said the economy was back on the path to “healthy, sustainable growth”. But he acknowledged that “many families are still struggling with high prices so we will continue to prioritise measures that help with cost of living pressures”. Shadow chancellor Rachel Reeves said the fall in inflation would come as a “relief” to families. “However, after 13 years of economic failure under the Conservatives, working people are still worse off,” she added. “Prices are still going up in the shops, household bills are rising, and more than a million people face higher mortgage payments next year after the Conservatives crashed the economy.” 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 criticised Ireland’s plans to sue the UK in the European Court of Human Rights over its offer of immunity for Troubles-era crimes. The row risks plunging Anglo-Irish relations to their worst point in decades.Ireland’s deputy prime minister Micheal Martin said the UK scheme was opposed by many who had been affected by Northern Ireland’s deadly decades-long conflict, “especially the victims and families”. But the UK government hit back, effectively accusing its Irish counterpart of hypocrisy. “The Irish government should urgently clarify the number of criminal prosecutions brought in Ireland since 1998 relating to Troubles cases,” secretary of state for Northern Ireland Chris Heaton-Harris said. Describing the case as “unnecessary”, he said the UK government “profoundly regrets the decision taken by the Irish government”. Designed in part to protect former British soldiers from prosecution, the Irish will argue the change in the law is incompatible with the UK’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).As well as inflaming international tensions, the move risks reigniting the row within the Conservative Party over the ECHR and the Strasbourg court, which enforces the convention. Earlier this month, sacked home secretary Suella Braverman warned Rishi Sunak he must ignore ECHR and other human rights laws to get his failed Rwanda deportation scheme under way – or face “electoral oblivion”.The Troubles legislation has faced widespread opposition from political parties and victims’ organisations in Northern Ireland. Micheal Martin said his government’s decision was taken after “much thought and careful consideration”.He added the legislation would “shut down existing avenues to truth and justice for historic cases”.Micheal Martin: ‘This legislation is opposed by people in Northern Ireland’ “I regret that we find ourselves in a position where such a choice had to be made,” he said, and accused the British government of pursuing legislation “unilaterally”, saying it had “removed the political option, and … left us only this legal avenue”.Amnesty International said the Irish government was “doing the right thing” for victims of the Troubles. Aspects of the new law include that those who cooperate with the new truth and reconciliation commission will have a limited form of immunity from prosecution. The new act will also halt future civil cases and legacy inquests.Multiple victims and family members are supporting a legal challenge against aspects of the act at the High Court in Belfast.Mr Martin said the incorporation of the ECHR was a fundamental requirement of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement. “Serious reservations about this legislation have also been raised by a number of international observers, including the Council of Europe’s commissioner for human rights and the UN high commissioner for human rights.“Most importantly, this legislation is opposed by people in Northern Ireland, especially the victims and families who will be most directly impacted by this act.”Mr Martin added: “Even in cases in which immunity is not granted, reviews by the proposed body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery [ICRIR], are not an adequate substitute for police investigations, carried out independently, adequately, and with sufficient participation of next of kin.” Conservative MP Sir John Hayes, the leader of the Common Sense Group of MPs, said the legal action “reinforces again the argument we have to look at this again”. “It is a really good example of ECHR being used in a perverse way,” he said. “The ECHR has to be radically reshaped or we have to leave. And it is unlikely to be radically reshaped.” SDLP leader Colum Eastwood described the challenge as “welcome” and “utterly necessary”.But DUP leader Sir Jeffrey Donaldson accused Dublin of “double standards”. He said his party opposed the amnesty plans “but I don’t think the Irish government are in a very strong position to point the finger … for years effectively there has been a form of amnesty in the Irish Republic because they have not actively pursued those responsible for these crimes.”Downing Street has been approached for comment. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Ireland’s government said Wednesday it will take legal action against British authorities over a controversial law that gives some immunity from prosecution for offenses committed during three decades of sectarian violence.Irish Deputy Prime Minister Micheál Martin said that “after much thought and careful consideration,” his government is launching a legal challenge against the Legacy and Reconciliation Bill, which critics say shuts down access to justice for victims and survivors. The law, passed in September, stops most prosecutions for alleged killings by militant groups and British soldiers during “the Troubles” — the three decades of violence in which more than 3,500 people died.Those who cooperate with the new Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery — loosely modeled on South Africa’s post-apartheid Truth and Reconciliation Commission — can be granted immunity from prosecution. The new law also halts future civil cases and legacy inquests.It was passed despite strong opposition from political parties and victims’ organizations in Northern Ireland and the Irish government.The 1998 Good Friday peace accord largely ended the decades of violence, and former British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, who proposed the new bill, said it would enable Northern Ireland to “draw a line under the Troubles.”But those who lost loved ones at the hands of Irish republican and British loyalist militias and U.K. troops say the new law will airbrush the past and allow killers to get away with murder.Martin said his case would argue that aspects of the law are incompatible with the U.K.’s obligations under the European Convention on Human Rights. Ireland’s government has repeatedly made its concerns known and urged the British government to pause the legislation, he said. “I regret that we find ourselves in a position where such a choice had to be made,” he said, adding that the immunity provisions would “shut down existing avenues to truth and justice for historic cases.”“Even in cases in which immunity is not granted, reviews by the proposed body, the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery, are not an adequate substitute for police investigations, carried out independently, adequately, and with sufficient participation of next of kin,” Martin said. U.K. veterans’ groups are among the few organizations to have welcomed the legislation, which lifts the threat of prosecution from troops who served in Northern Ireland.Amnesty International was among groups who welcomed Wednesday’s news. “The U.K. government doggedly pursued this legislation which shields perpetrators of serious human rights violations from being held accountable. It’s important that the Irish government takes this stand,” said Grainne Teggart, of Amnesty International U.K.“This challenge is vital for victims here and around the world who face the prospect of similar state-gifted impunity,” Teggart added. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster email Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina formally kicked off her ruling Awami League party’s campaign Wednesday amid an election boycott by the country’s main opposition party.Addressing a massive rally in the northeastern city of Sylhet, Hasina strongly criticized the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for refusing to participate in the Jan. 7 general election. She also blamed the party, which is led by former Prime Minister Khaleda Zia, and its allies for recent acts of violence.Hundreds of thousands of Awami League supporters cheered and raised their hands when Hasina asked if they would cast their ballots for the ruling party’s candidates, the United News of Bangladesh agency reported.The prime minister denounced the party of her archrival Zia after the country’s railway minister alleged that arson and sabotage caused a fire on a passenger train that killed four people Tuesday. Hasina joined the minister Wednesday in accusing the Bangladesh Nationalist Party of being behind it. “They thought that with some incidents of arson the government will fall. It’s not that easy,” United News of Bangladesh quoted her as saying. “Where do they get such courage? A black sheep sitting in London gives orders and some people are here to play with fire. … Their hands will be burned in that fire,” Hasina said in an apparent reference to Zia’s son, Tarique Rahman, who has been in self-exile in the United Kingdom since 2008. Rahman was convicted of various criminal violence charges, including a 2004 grenade attack on an opposition rally when his mother was prime minister and Hasina was opposition leader. He is the acting chief of the Bangladesh Nationalist Party in the absence of the ailing Zia, who was convicted of corruption and sentenced to 17 years in prison. On Wednesday, the party urged Bangladeshis to join a non-cooperation movement against the government by refusing to pay taxes.Ruhul Kabir Rizvi, a senior joint secretary-general of the party, also urged citizens and government workers not to cooperate with Hasina’s administration in running the country and holding the election next month in which is the prime minister is seeking a fourth consecutive term. Zia’s party has intermittently calling for transportation blockades and general strikes while demanding Hasina’s resignation. The party says more than 20,000 opposition supporters have been arrested since Oct. 28, when a massive anti-government rally turned violent. Authorities blamed the Bangladesh Nationalist Party for an attack on the official residence of the country’s chief justice and the death of a police officer on the day of the rally. Hasina’s critics say her administration has used the police and other agencies to silence them.Bangladesh is a parliamentary democracy with a history of violence, especially before and during elections. Campaigning for next month’s vote began across the country on Monday with about 1,900 candidates, including many independents, running for parliament seats in 300 constituencies.Zia’s party’s call to boycott the polls came after its demands for a caretaker government to conduct the election were not met. The party accused Hasina of rigging the 2018 vote and said it did not have any faith the coming election would be fair. The boycott means voters have little choice but to reelect Hasina.The government has denied accusations of targeting the opposition but warned that any “acts of sabotage” or “attempts to create chaos” in the country would not be tolerated.The United Nations, the United States and the European Union earlier urged all sides to refrain from violence and work together to create conditions for a free, fair and peaceful election. A call for political dialogue got no response from the two major parties. More

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 insightRishi Sunak should consider a ranger of side and supplementary deals with the EU to ease ongoing trade friction after Brexit, business leaders have warned.Almost two-thirds of UK exporters say selling to the EU has become even harder in the past year, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC).The leading business group called for a series of agreements with Brussels – on carbon taxes, VAT arrangements and food checks – to soften the impact of Boris Johnson’s trade deal.A Brexit report by the BCC found that 60 per cent of British firms trading with the EU say it is now more difficult than a year ago. Only 18 per cent of exporters to non-EU countries say it had got harder.The new study – The Trade and Cooperation Agreement: Three Years On – also warns of “significant” new red tape headaches approaching, as yet more UK and EU regulations diverge.The business chiefs called for a new supplementary deal with the EU which either eliminates or reduces the complexity of forms required of small firms to export food.The BCC also called on Mr Sunak to consider a VAT deal like Norway’s, that exempts smaller firms from the requirement to have a fiscal representative for the tax inside the bloc.And with the EU move to bring in a carbon border tax regime – which requires importers to provide data on carbon usage – the government was also urged to merge its carbon pricing schemes with Brussel to avoid red tape.Dover has seen continued disruption since Brexit checks were introduced More than 80 per cent of small and medium-sized firms surveyed by the BCC were unaware of the impact of the EU’s carbon border adjustment mechanism.And 70 per cent are unaware new UK checks on food imports from the EU, finally set be implemented from February 2024 after several delays.“There are lots of things we can do to make our current trading arrangements better, but a growing worry is how we handle further changes coming down the track,” said Shevaun Haviland, director general of the BCC.“EU businesses have been largely able to carry on importing goods into the UK as they did before Brexit, but that will change next year, and could lead to significant new disruption.”Mr Haviland added: “The rules and regulations governing trade aren’t static. Both the UK and EU will be making significant changes in the next few years that could have big repercussions.”“We need to take a smart but flexible approach to how we handle these alterations to keep their impact to a minimum. It is in no-one’s interests to damage our trading relationship further.”One small construction and engineering firm in Glasgow told the BCC report that they had “continued difficulties” trying to supply to long-standing EU customers. “The government’s stated efforts for further away trade deals does not help, but distracts attention from unresolved problems.”A spokesperson for the government said British businesses “are thriving”, adding: “In the year to June, we exported over £360bn worth of goods and services to the EU, an increase of 17.1 per cent in current prices on the previous 12 months.”The government also said the UK economy had grown faster than German and France since Brexit, before acknowledging “issues” with trade friction.“We acknowledge there remain some issues and we are listening to businesses and acting on their concerns by working closely with the EU on solutions,” the spokesperson added. More

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inboxGet our free View from Westminster emailForeign secretary David Cameron has held talks with leaders in Jordan as pushes the UK argument for a “sustainable ceasefire” in the Israel-Hamas war during a trip across the Middle East.Making his second trip to the region since joining Rishi Sunak’s government, the former PM is seeking progress on efforts to secure the release of hostages by Hamas and step up aid into Gaza.Lord Cameron, also heading to Egypt for talks this week, has said Britain supports a ceasefire – but “only if it was sustainable” in the long term.The foreign secretary said that, without Israel’s security being guaranteed by removing Hamas, there could be no lasting peace or two-state solution.Lord Cameron is expected to make the argument to Jordanian and Egyptian leaders that allowing Hamas in power in the Gaza Strip will be a “roadblock” to reaching a political solution to the crisis.Mr Sunak has recently started pushing for a “sustainable ceasefire” in a move that appears to underline the West’s hardening attitude towards Tel Aviv’s conduct of the war. Lord Cameron warned at the weekend that “too many civilians have been killed” in Gaza.And US president Joe Biden has warned that Israel is losing international support because of its “indiscriminate bombing” – with almost 20,000 Palestinians killed in the fighting, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.Posting a photo of himself with Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi, Lord Cameron said the two countries were “working together to get as much aid to Palestinian civilians in Gaza as possible … We’ll continue to press for an increased flow of aid and fuel into Gaza.”The foreign secretary also said he was “seeking to build” on Israel’s decision to open the Kerem Shalom crossing to ensure significantly more aid and fuel can reach Gaza through as many routes as possible.Ahead of his arrival in Jordan, Lord Cameron said: “No-one wants to see this conflict go on for a moment longer than necessary. But for a ceasefire to work, it needs to be sustainable.”“If Israel is still facing Hamas in Gaza with rockets and terror tactics, not only will a ceasefire not be sustainable, a two-state solution in the longer term will also not be possible,” he added.Lord Cameron will be accompanied by Middle East minister Lord Ahmad. He will then visit the Jordanian Hashemite Charity Organisation, a focal point of Jordanian humanitarian support for Gaza.The Tory peer is also expected to meet Egyptian president Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, who this week won a third six-year term in office, and foreign minister Sameh Shoukry while in Cairo.Lord Cameron has previously met Mr el-Sisi, including in Downing Street in 2015, while serving as British PM.During his time in Egypt, officials said Lord Cameron will visit Al Arish, near the Egypt-Gaza border, to see first-hand how UK aid is being administered.He will hear from the Egyptian Red Crescent about the impact the UK’s aid deliveries, such as wound care packs, are having in Gaza.Lord Cameron last week announced a fresh batch of sanctions, targeting both leaders and financiers of Hamas, while also placing restrictions on Israelis responsible for settler violence in the West Bank.He visited Paris and Rome on Tuesday as part of UK efforts to help co-ordinate the European response to the Middle East conflict and the war in Ukraine.Israel and Hamas have been at war for more than two months following the Palestinian militant group’s deadly raids on 7 October, which saw 1,200 people killed and more than 240 taken hostage.A week-long pause in the fighting saw some 100 hostages released in a Qatar-brokered deal, but an estimated 129 people are thought to still be held captive.The opening of the Kerem Shalom Gaza border point for aide had been called for by Mr Sunak, including during a phone call with Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu. More