Politics

Read about the latest political news, views and analysis

Thursday

Matthew Parris

Corbyn has made criticism of Israel impossible

If I were Benjamin Netanyahu (and I’m not) I would be thanking whatever gods there be for sending me, at a tricky time, the most useful ally it is possible to imagine in UK politics. To Bibi’s aid has come probably the only man in Britain capable of single--handedly silencing public criticism of the Israeli government’s disturbing new Basic Law, entitled ‘Israel as the Nation-State of the Jewish People’. If I were a British crusader for the Palestinian cause (and I’m not) I would be cursing whatever gods there be for sending — at a time when it might have been possible to rally critics of this unpleasant eruption of ethno-nationalism in Israeli politics — the most effective British voice available to hamper my argument.

Wednesday

Spectator Money

Britain as an exporting superpower

The International Trade Secretary says he is going to turn Britain into an ‘exporting superpower’. To which countries did we export the most goods in June? Exports / Year change US £3.99bn / +12% Germany £2.95bn / -8.1% Switzerland £2.41bn / +184% China £2.16bn / +71% Netherlands £2.14bn / +13% France £2.10bn / -0.6% Ireland £1.68bn / -1.

Alex Salmond

Alex Salmond: why I have resigned from the SNP

I truly love the SNP and the wider independence movement in Scotland. They have been the defining commitment of my life. But today I have written to the National Secretary of the party resigning my membership. I read carefully Nicola Sturgeon's statement on Sunday and watched her television interview of a couple of days ago. She made it clear that the SNP have never received a single complaint about my personal conduct in my many decades of membership. And the Scottish Government have confirmed that they did not have any such complaint before this January, more than three years after I left office as first minister. That is the record of 30 years of public service. So let me be clear again. I refute these two complaints of harassment and I absolutely reject any suggestion of criminality.

Steerpike

Revealed: Paul Dacre’s fond farewell

After 26 long years at the helm of one of Britain’s most influential newspapers, Paul Dacre’s last day as editor of the Daily Mail has finally arrived. Not that staff were given the chance to say their goodbyes. It appears that Dacre wasn’t keen on bidding farewell in person. Instead, he left a note on the noticeboard: Mr S suspects this line will be of particular interest to incoming editor Geordie Grieg: 'There was never going to be an easy way to say goodbye and thank you. Particularly as I'm not leaving.

Alastair Thomas

Five things we learnt from Dominic Raab’s EU Committee appearance

Today, Dominic Raab, settling into his role as Brexit secretary, appeared before the Lords EU committee to answer questions on progress, or lack of, from the ongoing Brexit negotiations. Here’s what could be gleaned from the 100-minute session: Northern Ireland continues to be a stumbling block Unsurprisingly, Raab revealed little about any proposals to resolve the Irish border issue. He did, however, rebut his colleague Jacob Rees-Mogg’s suggestion of introducing border checks 'like we had during the troubles’. He assured the committee, ‘we will not be returning to a hard border.

Steerpike

Dominic Raab takes a dig at David Davis

After a welcome reprieve from parliamentary scrutiny over the summer, DExEU Secretary Dominic Raab was back in the hot seat today as he took questions from the House of Lords EU committee about the state of Brexit negotiations. While the tone of the questioning was mostly serious, and occasionally antagonistic, Raab couldn’t quite help lightening the mood when talking about his predecessor David Davis. Discussing the flexibility Britain and the EU had demonstrated in order to reach an agreement, Raab pointed out: ‘We’ve made proposals which clearly involve political compromises and pragmatism. That’s why you’re hearing from me, not my predecessor.

Katy Balls

Is there any point infiltrating the Tory party?

The recurring story of the summer recess – aside from allegations of anti-Semitism and Islamophobia within the main two parties – has been reports of an influx of Ukip-esque members to the Tories. Today tensions reached boiling point. Following reports that pro-EU Tory MPs are seeing sharp rises in applications to join their local parties amid fears of deselection attempts, Anna Soubry called on Tory chairman Brandon Lewis to suspend a membership drive. He is yet to do so – but a leaked memo to Guido shows CCHQ officials have been offering advice to local Tory organisers on the best methods for refusing membership requests. The whole incident is curious for a number of reasons.

Robert Peston

Is Jeremy Corbyn preparing to back down over Labour’s anti-Semitism row?

Labour is belatedly about to adopt the IHRA anti-Semitism definition with all its examples, according to three members of its ruling NEC. They tell me this should happen at the next full NEC meeting on 4 September. This would seem to represent a big climbdown by Labour’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, in the face of great pressure from many in the Jewish community. In particular, he and his closest advisers, led by Seumas Milne, have been fervently resisting the IHRA examples which define as anti-Semitic any statement that the Israeli state is racist or that question the right of Jewish people to national self determination. “It looks like we will adopt the IHRA wording and examples in their entirety” said a senior Labour member. But there is a but.

Tuesday

Daniel DePetris

Italy’s anti-immigration rhetoric is paying off for the populists

It wasn’t long ago when Italy used to be referred to colloquially as “the sick man of Europe,” a country whose economic situation was stuck in the doldrums, whose political system was always a crisis away from collapse, and whose political class was divided into those who were ineffectual and those who were corrupt. The Italians still have their systemic problems, no doubt. Italy has accumulated a pile of national debt (£2bn) that is larger than its GDP (£1.48 trillion). Its unemployment rate is over 10 per cent, higher than the EU’s collective average, and about three in ten young Italians can’t find work.

Steerpike

Return of the Maybot: Theresa May in conversation with ITV News

Theresa May's visit to Africa has helped to remind voters just what type of leader the Prime Minister is – a rather awkward one. First, May won attention for dancing out of step with South African school children. Now, she has given an iconic Maybot interview to ITV News. Here's what the Prime Minister had to say: On her dancing this morning: ITV: If you were a judge on Strictly Come Dancing, how would you score your dancing this morning? TM: I suspect my dancing this morning might not make it on to Strictly. On BoJo: ITV: Have you noticed how much Boris Johnson wants your job? TM: I was very pleased that Boris was my Foreign Secretary for the period he was Foreign Secretary. ITV: But doesn’t he want your job?

Katy Balls

Theresa May says she’s ‘in this for the long term’ – what does she mean by that?

Until 5pm this evening, the main news from Theresa May's first trip to Africa as Prime Minister was that she isn't much good at dancing – after she attempted to join in on a dance with school children in Cape Town. However, the Maybot has since managed to set the news agenda alight by telling hacks that when it comes to her premiership she is 'in this for the long term'. Asked by the accompanying press pack, whether it was still her intention to lead her feuding party into the next election, May said she was in it for the 'long term' – adding that her focus right now is on delivering 'what the British people want'.

Steerpike

Watch: Theresa May puts on her dancing shoes

With Brexit negotiations stuck at a stalemate and a warring cabinet to contend with in the UK, the famously robotic Theresa May could be forgiven for wanting to let her hair down as she begins her tour of South Africa today. Which could possibly explain why she decided to throw caution to the wind, and join in with a spot of dancing when visiting a senior school in Cape Town this morning: https://twitter.com/DIRCO_ZA/status/1034341700532142085 Although, Mr Steerpike thinks if her dance moves are anything to go by, the ‘Maybot’ may be struggling to fully let go of her inhibitions.

Monday

Katy Balls

Revealed: the People’s Vote’s three-point plan to trigger a second referendum

After a weekend of politicians feuding over the merits of a second referendum, Barry Gardiner, Andy Burnham and Conor Burns have become the latest politicians to criticise the People's Vote campaign to do just this. Meanwhile the BBC reports of a leaked memo which shows that the group has its eye on changing Labour policy – encouraging MPs and activists to submit a motion at Labour conference next month. As I reveal in this week's Spectator, the People's Vote campaign – which argues the public should have a say on the final deal – has a three-point Parliamentary strategy when it comes to bringing about a second referendum.

Sunday

Melanie McDonagh

Pope Francis asks forgiveness for ‘abuses’ in Ireland

Well, he’s said it. At the exuberant closing mass in driving rain of his visit to Ireland, the Pope has asked, off script, forgiveness for the wrongs committed by the church. Specifically he asked forgiveness for ‘the abuses in Ireland; abuses of power, conscience, and sexual abuses perpetrated by members with roles of responsibility in the church… in a special way we ask pardon for all the abuses committed by members with roles of responsibility… for all the abuses committed in various types of institutions run by male or female religious and by other members of the church. We ask forgiveness of those cases of exploitation through manual work that so many young women and men were subjected to. We ask forgiveness.

Steerpike

Vince Cable’s message discipline

When the Liberal Democrats unveiled their new slogan – 'Demand better' –earlier this month, critics were quick to point out that it might not have the desired effect. One Lib Dem source soon snarked to Mr S that many Lib Dems do want to demand better – at least, of their lacklustre leader Sir Vince Cable. So with party conference now just weeks away and the prospect of Cable having to stand next to a lectern which reads 'demand better' nearing, it appears Cable may have taken the message to heart. Reports are swirling that the Lib Dem leader will signal next month that he plans to step aside before the next general election. What's more, he will try to change party rules in an attempt to create a mass membership movement and allow a non-MP to take charge.

Lucy Vickery

Spectator competition winners: To leave, or not to leave — that is the question: politicians soliloquise

The invitation to compose a Shakespearean-style soliloquy that a contemporary politician might have felt moved to deliver was inspired by Aryeh Cohen-Wade’s imagining, in the New Yorker, how Donald Trump might perform the bard’s soliloquies: ‘Listen – to be, not to be, this is a tough question, OK? Very tough…’ The Donald kept an uncharacteristically low profile this week, with most choosing British politicians. Theresa May and Boris Johnson in particular had plenty to get off their chests. You drew on Hamlet ‘O that this too too shrouding garb would drop…’; Macbeth ‘Is this a compromise I see before me…?

Rory Bremner

The case for a second Brexit referendum

Between shows at the Edinburgh fringe I find myself addressing a rally supporting a People’s Vote on the final Brexit deal. I have some sympathy for Theresa May — she keeps going to Switzerland, Dignitas keeps sending her back — but her white paper published this summer is in effect the second draft of a Brexit manifesto (the first being her Lancaster House speech in January 2017, snubbed at the subsequent election). It is therefore the first time in my experience that the manifesto has turned up more than two years after the vote. Time for another, then. People may object this is a betrayal of democracy. I believe it would be an affirmation of informed democracy. There can be no doubt that we are better informed and more aware of the issues than we were in 2016.

Friday

Jennifer Williams

Jeremy Corbyn says he likes my journalism – so why does he want to muzzle the press?

Any local reporter would be pleased to hear a leading politician stand up for public interest journalism. Jeremy Corbyn did just that in his speech on media reform yesterday. But let’s not forget that Labour – and Corbyn himself – are adamant supporters of Leveson 2. Make no mistake: this is a dangerous attempt to muzzle local newspapers and expose reporters like me to crippling and needless law-suits. The most worrying aspect of Leveson 2 is Section 40, which would force papers to pay legal costs for people suing them regardless of whether they won their case. This would make the work of journalists much more difficult.

Steerpike

David Lammy turns on Jeremy Corbyn

David Lammy has always had Jeremy Corbyn’s back, but it seems his patience in the Labour leader might be wearing thin. In a story that emerged yesterday, Corbyn was caught on tape claiming that Zionists ‘don’t understand English irony’ despite them having lived in Britain ‘for a very long time’. It appears that Corbyn’s remarks – which are being taken by some as a reference to Jews, rather than merely Zionists – are a step too far, even for Lammy. The Labour MP condemned the comments and called them ’insidious’: https://twitter.com/DavidLammy/status/1032970292820369408?

Stephen Daisley

Alex Salmond denies sexual assault allegations

Scots are used to tumult and unpredictability in their politics but this morning they are waking up to something of a different order. Former first minister Alex Salmond has been reported to police following allegations of sexual assault by two female staff members, according to the Daily Record. One of the alleged incidents, the paper claims, took place in Bute House, the official residence of the first minister of Scotland and now home to Nicola Sturgeon. The complaints were reportedly uncovered by an internal Scottish Government investigation and handed to Police Scotland.  Salmond denies all allegations against him and, what’s more, is now taking his own former government to court.