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Uk politics

Thursday

Fraser Nelson

The Bank of England has finally raised interest rates. More, please

Finally, interest rates are back on their way up. The Bank of England’s rise today – from 0.25 per cent to 0.5 per cent – is the first rise for 10 years and long overdue. Ever since the Brexit vote, there has been much hyperbole about the underperformance of the UK economy when in fact employment has soared to ever-greater highs and economic growth has steadily continued. There is no need for emergency interest rates, and hasn’t been for quite some time. There is pretty much no spare capacity left in the economy, we are at any sensible person’s definition of full employment. Mark Carney had allowed his Brexit gloom

Isabel Hardman

Gavin Williamson is a hard act to follow as Chief Whip

Moving your chief whip when you’re in a minority government is pretty brave. In trying to work out who to replace Michael Fallon with at the Ministry of Defence, Theresa May was obviously going to have to consider who she trusted to be able to retain the job for as long as the previous occupant (Fallon was a few months short of becoming the longest-serving Conservative Defence Secretary in history), but trusting your chief whip when you don’t have the parliamentary numbers is important too. But though Williamson had built up an image as an old school whip, boasting about the value of a ‘sharpened carrot’ in an unusual public

James Forsyth

Julian Smith’s promotion shows this is the Gavin Williamson reshuffle in more ways than one

This is the Gavin Williamson reshuffle in more ways than one. Not only is he the new defence secretary, but one of his closest allies is the new chief whip. Julian Smith was made deputy chief whip after the election and has worked hand in glove with Williamson in the whips’ office. His appointment means that the style and tactics of the whips’ office won’t change. It also means that Williamson’s power base in government has just dramatically expanded, a fact that won’t be lost on the new defence secretary’s possible leadership rivals. Smith made news earlier this year when he told a meeting of government PPSs that those planning

Ed West

The Tories are getting behind all the daftest progressive causes

One of the strange things I keep on hearing about this feeble government is that it has been spurred by Brexit to launch a culture war and reverse the Cameron-era detoxification of the party. They’re taking us back to the 50s, or the Victorian era, or maybe 1065. It’s one of those things one sees being written so often that it must surely be true – except if you actually read what government ministers say, or study their policies. Just this week, for example, it’s already been announced that prisoners could now get the vote, and that returning jihadis might get priority in social housing. Earlier last month the Tories brought out a

Katy Balls

Cabinet reshuffle: Gavin Williamson comes to May’s rescue

After Michael Fallon resigned as Defence Secretary last night amid allegations of inappropriate behaviour, questions were asked over how damaging this could be for May. As well as the sleaze scandal showing no sign of dying down, the Prime Minister has lost one of her most loyal ministers. This morning, No 10 have tried to answer that question by moving one of May’s closest allies to defence. Gavin Williamson has been appointed Defence Secretary – leaving his post as Chief Whip. Well-liked and well-connected in the party, Williamson is seen as someone who can be trusted to get the job done with little drama – something May could do with

Tom Goodenough

The Spectator podcast: The Sexual Reformation

On this week’s episode we look at the sexual reformation, Donald Trump’s ties with Russia and dining with Modigliani. First: in the wake of Michael Fallon’s resignation from the Cabinet last night, Westminster is awash with rumours of sexual wrongdoing. But while it’s good that victims of abuse are able to speak out, is something sinister happening beyond the current hysteria? That’s the question Lara Prendergast asks in her Spectator cover piece this week. She is joined on the podcast by Katy Balls and Douglas Murray, who also writes in the magazine on how sexual freedom has turned into sexual fear. He says: A new generation is being encouraged to redraw

Nick Cohen

The EU helped bring peace to Ireland. Will violence now return?

The 500th anniversary of Martin Luther nailing his 95 Theses to the door of All Saints’ Church in Wittenberg is as good week as any to examine the power of sectarianism. Here in Britain we do not need to look far. Northern Ireland ought to be in crisis because a hard Brexit will wreck its economy. The Republic exported €18bn-worth of services to the UK in 2014, and €11.4bn went back. In 2015, it exported €15.6bn of goods. Britain exported €18bn in return. Meanwhile millions from both countries crossed borders we fondly thought were now just lines on the map to see the sights as holidaymakers, or visit their friends,

Wednesday

Isabel Hardman

Fallon resigned because he ‘couldn’t guarantee’ there wouldn’t be more stories

Will Michael Fallon be the only Cabinet Minister to resign as part of the Westminster sleaze scandal? Coffee House understands that the Defence Secretary resigned after telling the Prime Minister that he couldn’t guarantee that there wouldn’t be another story involving a female journalist along the lines of the Sun splash this week involving Julia Hartley-Brewer. Hartley-Brewer herself was infuriated by the coverage of the incident, which took place over a decade ago, but if there were more stories waiting to come out – particularly from people quite used to writing stories, even if not normally about incidents involving themselves – then it’s the drip-drip of allegations that can do

Katy Balls

Westminster sleaze scandal: Michael Fallon resigns

After a week of reports of MPs behaving badly and allegations of sexual assault in politics, the first front bench resignation has occurred. Sir Michael Fallon has resigned as Defence Secretary following allegations of past inappropriate behaviour. His decision comes after a story this week in which he admitted touching a female journalist’s leg at a party conference 15 years ago. In a letter to the Prime Minister, Fallon said that some of his previous conduct had ‘fallen below the high standards that we require of the Armed Forces and that I have the honour to represent’: It’s likely that more details surrounding his decision will surface as the evening

Fraser Nelson

Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year 2017: the winners

The Spectator’s 31st Parliamentarian of the Year awards took place at the Rosewood Hotel this evening. Here are the winners. The awards were presented by Michael Gove, who stepped in for the Prime Minister at the last minute as she dealt with an issue within her Cabinet. Speech of the Year – Kemi Badenoch Backbencher of the Year – Stella Creasy Comeback of the Year – Sir Vince Cable Peer of the Year – Lord Adonis Minister to watch – Boris Johnson Rising Star – Angela Rayner Insurgent of the Year – Jacob Rees-Mogg Negotiator of the Year – Nigel Dodds Politician of the Year – Jeremy Corbyn Parliamentarian of

James Forsyth

Did Theresa May really ignore Lisa Nandy’s abuse warnings?

PMQs was always going to be a more serious affair than usual this week, given the questions about how Westminster and the political parties have handled serious allegations of sexual abuse. Theresa May began the session by saying that she was inviting all party leaders to a meeting to discuss the launch of an independent, grievance procedure. Jeremy Corbyn made clear he would be happy to attend this meeting. But he then proceeded to question Theresa May about a tax loophole involving the Isle of Man. The exchanges were not particularly illuminating. But later on Lisa Nandy stood up and said she had told Theresa May three years ago that

Matthew Lynn

If the City can’t replace 75,000 jobs, it has bigger problems than Brexit

The wine bars will be spookily empty. The lap-dancing clubs will be abandoned, and Savills will have to start working out how to sell mansions within an hour’s commute of Frankfurt and Paris instead of London. Just about every day brings another dire prediction about the impact of leaving the EU on the City’s mighty financial services industry. Only this week the Bank of England, which has turned itself into a semi-official  chorus of doom on the issue, joined the fun, with reports that it was predicting 75,000 job losses. No one denies that would be serious. The City is one of the most dynamic parts of the British economy,

Isabel Hardman

How benefit reforms could close more women’s refuges

Last week at Prime Minister’s Questions, Theresa May pleased MPs by telling them that the government will not place the same housing benefit cap on supported housing as for private rented accommodation. Supported housing includes long-term accommodation for people with severe disabilities and chronic conditions, as well as short-term housing such as hostels, women’s refuges and safe houses. This sounded sensible at the time, as domestic abuse charities had been warning that capping the housing benefit paid to the women staying in refuges would mean they would have to close (at an even greater rate than they have already been shutting down). But the temporary relief was followed yesterday by

Steerpike

Parliamentarian of the Year 2017, in pictures

If you ever needed a sign that politics is unpredictable then tonight’s Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year awards offered it. Theresa May had to pull out at the last minute after the unfolding Westminster sleaze scandal claimed a member of her Cabinet, Michael Fallon. Happily another Michael was on hand to step in at the last minute. Michael Gove, the Environment Secretary, relished his one and only chance to play Prime Minister; ‘I fought for the leadership of the Conservative party and the Conservative party fought back’. His joke about Diane Abbott’s schooling decisions for her son entertained the room – even if the shadow home secretary wasn’t laughing. As for

Tuesday

Steerpike

The £350m line on the Brexit bus was wrong. The real figure is higher

The most regular attack-line used against leading Brexiteers is that they misled the public over how much money could be used to fund the NHS if Britain left the EU. Throughout the referendum campaign, Vote Leave said that we send £350 million a week to Brussels – a gross figure, applied before a rebate etc. But no one knew the real 2016 figure because the data is compiled in arrears. Only today do we have the data, published by the Office for National Statistics. Its figures show… Payment to Brussels, net of rebate and money returned to the UK: £9.4 billion a year, or £181 million a week. Payment to

James Kirkup

A Westminster witch hunt is in nobody’s interests

Did a male MP allow three other men to urinate on him, for sexual gratification? That is one of the more exotic suggestions on a spreadsheet of allegations and rumours about MPs and their conduct that is circulating at Westminster. ‘Video exists of three males urinating on him’, the spreadsheet is said to record. That may not strike you as a pleasant notion, but this an account that bears thinking about closely. First, is it true? I have no idea. I’ve heard the rumour, or variants on it, several times since the MP concerned was first elected. Lots of people have. I know the name of the MP allegedly involved. Lots

Isabel Hardman

Tory policy chief: party needs Beveridge-style commission to survive

The Conservative Party appears rather burnt-out at the moment. At its conference – even before Theresa May’s disastrous speech – it seemed to be the Knackered Party rather than the Nasty Party that the Prime Minister herself had warned about so many years ago. But it is still in government, and desperately needs to find new ideas and reasons to exist while also negotiating Brexit and dealing with unexpected scandals, such as the allegations swirling around Westminster at the moment of impropriety from Cabinet ministers. When parties are knackered, they often find a period of opposition to be a comfort, a chance to have the sort of debate about policy

Alex Massie

The Catalans are making the same mistake as some Brexiteers

The current crisis – not too strong a term – began a long time ago. And in a sense part of it really is the European Union’s fault. The EU’s failures, or rather shortcomings, play a part in this story but the greater share of it is the consequence of the EU’s successes, not its weaknesses. Across much of Europe, previously unquestioned ideas about the nation state – and its sanctity – are now subjected to some interrogation. The United Kingdom has some recent experience of this and so, of course, do Belgium and Spain. This moment has been building for some time; even, perhaps, for more than a quarter of

Steerpike

Transport for London advertising: No to naked backs, yes to Russia Today

Oh dear. Earlier this month there was a furore when it was revealed that a tights advert featuring a picture of a dancer’s bare back had been banned from the Tube. As part of Sadiq Khan’s promise to ban adverts on TfL which could cause body confidence issues, the firm were told by TfL’s contractor to add a bandeau bra to the image of the model. So, Mr S was intrigued see some of the adverts that TfL appear to be perfectly relaxed about. While a bare back may be deemed too much for the daily commute, a ‘propaganda machine’ advert for Russia Today – the Kremlin-backed news outlet – is a-ok: Workers

Katy Balls

The Michael Fallon story distracts from more serious allegations of Westminster sleaze

The Westminster sleaze row shows no signs of dying down with today’s papers filled with more tales of MPs behaving badly. The Telegraph warns that the Parliament sex scandal ‘could be worse than expenses’ – reporting that two female staff stopped working for a minister over claims of inappropriate behaviour. Meanwhile the Sun leads on Michael Fallon’s admission that he once touched a female journalist’s leg. That journalist – Julia Hartley-Brewer – has since come forward to say that she does not count the incident as harassment. At the time, she told the Defence Secretary she would punch him if he touched her leg again, and he duly refrained from doing