Uk politics

Tuesday

Steerpike

Labour snatch defeat from the jaws of victory

From our UK edition

Oh dear. Theresa May's confidence and supply agreement with the DUP is on very thin ice – if not already dead – after the party's MPs abstained on a range of amendments to the finance bill and even voted en masse for a Labour amendment. This is in breach of the party's deal with the Conservatives – the row has been triggered by May's Brexit deal. However, it's not just May who has been caused a headache by last night's Commons antics. The DUP voted for a Labour amendment to the finance bill calling on the Treasury to produce impact assessments of the budget on inequality and child poverty. Yet somehow it didn't pass – the government still won by five votes. The reason? A number of Labour MPs were absent for the vote including one Jeremy Corbyn.

Monday

Freddie Sayers

Theresa May’s deal would win a second referendum. Here’s why

From our UK edition

One important piece of information missing during these dramatic Brexit manoeuvres is what the voters actually want. Rory Stewart, one of the only ministers doing a decent job of selling the Prime Minister’s plan, speculated that ‘80 per cent of the British public support this deal’ and was promptly forced to apologise. Meanwhile opponents of the deal point to polls taken since the details were revealed suggesting that as few as 19 per cent of the public support it. So what is the truth? I think Theresa May’s deal is fundamentally much more in line with public opinion than polls suggest and that it will become more evidently so over time. It would win a two-part referendum hands-down. Here’s why.

Johannes de Jong

Why Theresa May’s Brexit deal is bad news for Europeans

From our UK edition

Theresa May's current Brexit deal will tie the UK more closely to Brussels than if it had stayed in the EU. The agreement, which is supposed to take back control and restore British sovereignty, will actually have the opposite effect. This is bad news for Britain – and bad news, too, for Europeans like myself who are desperate to see the EU reformed for the better. Jo Johnson was right to claim, when he resigned as a minister, that the choice now facing the UK is between ‘vassalage’ and ‘chaos’. On both sides of the debate, among Brexit supporters and those who want Britain to remain in the EU, the fact that Britain will have to adopt EU legislation on a wide range of issues for an undefined period has sunk in.

Katy Balls

DUP abstain on finance bill – what it means

From our UK edition

Although Theresa May looks set to avoid a confidence vote for the time being, tonight's Finance Bill votes could serve to undermine her authority further. Government whips have spent the day frantically trying to persuade swing MPs to vote with the government against a series of amendments. Those efforts have been rather fruitless in some respects – with the government already forced to concede on the Jo Johnson backed amendment calling for the Treasury to publish a comparison of the impact of the Brexit deal with the impact of Britain’s existing terms with the EU. Adding to May's woes is the fact the DUP have abstained on most of the votes.

Isabel Hardman

No-confidence threat against May recedes – for a few days

From our UK edition

Is Theresa May about to face a vote of no confidence in her leadership? The Prime Minister is acting as though nothing has changed, to coin a phrase, focusing on selling her Brexit plan to business leaders at the CBI, rather than getting too bogged down with the internal problems with her party. But those trying to organise the move against her had been making noises all day that they may have the requisite number of letters calling for such a vote by this evening. This doesn’t look like it’s going to be the case. Indeed, today a number of Brexiteers including Owen Paterson and Iain Duncan Smith have been holding talks in Number 10 along with David Trimble about a proposed solution to the Brexit deal that might prevent a leadership contest.

Isabel Hardman

Amber Rudd admits Universal Credit is in trouble

From our UK edition

Amber Rudd left the Home Office over the Windrush scandal and has joined the Work and Pensions department just as its flagship benefits reform is under fire from all angles. The new Secretary of State spent most of her first session at the dispatch box this afternoon answering questions on Universal Credit - and she had arrived determined to strike a rather different tone from her predecessor. Esther McVey, who resigned from the role last week, had garnered a reputation for being rather hardline when dealing with criticisms of the benefit roll-out, while also managing to give far more away about some of its problems than Number 10 would have liked.

Steerpike

May’s Brexit deal: 40 rebuttals to Downing Street’s 40 rebuttals

From our UK edition

Is a deal better than no deal? After Mr S attempted to answer that question over the weekend by publishing 40 horrors lurking in the small print of Theresa May’s Brexit deal, No. 10 got in touch with 40 rebuttals to Steerpike's 40 horrors. Still with us? Well, episode three of this series is finally here. Mr S thanks 10 Downing Street for conceding many of the 40 points on the Withdrawal Agreement, and for engaging in all of them. In the spirit of friendly discussion, here are all 40 of Steerpike's responses. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------- First, a note on ambiguity: In its rebuttals, No10 accepts ambiguity over how the document might be interpreted - which, in this case, is crucial.

Ross Clark

Why do we care what the CBI thinks about May’s Brexit deal?

From our UK edition

Big UK business is often guilty of short-termism and the CBI's response to Theresa May’s draft withdrawal proposal is no exception. Large companies are backing May’s appalling deal with the EU because they are preoccupied with ensuring that next year’s results are no worse than the guidance they have given markets. The opportunities which could arise from a proper Brexit, in which Britain is allowed to do its own trade deals, set its own regulations and lower taxes and other barriers in order to suck in overseas investment, are too far over their horizon for them to see. How often have you heard the words drip from well-fed FTSE 100 executives: 'what business needs most is stability'?

Sunday

Katy Balls

Tory Brexiteers divided over how to kill off May’s deal

From our UK edition

Will Theresa May face a vote of no confidence? Graham Brady has been touring the studios over the weekend making it clear that the full 48 letters required to trigger such a vote are yet to be received. That's not to say it won't happen in the near future – there's plenty that could happen in the next week to irk MPs further – though European Research Group members seem a little down-hearted by the slow pace to proceedings. The problem is Tory Brexiteers are not united when it comes to a response to May's EU withdrawal agreement. There are a small number of Tory Leave MPs who actually support it – Andrew Percy, Steve Barclay, Kwasi Kwarteng among them.

Matthew Taylor

Sunday shows roundup: Theresa May’s Brexit warning

From our UK edition

Theresa May - Brexit will be harder without me The Prime Minister joined Sophy Ridge this morning to discuss the result of the government's draft withdrawal agreement with the European Union, which was released on Wednesday. The controversial 585 page document has already seen several resignations, with other ministers thought to be considering their positions. There has also been considerable discontent on the Conservative backbenches, with the influential European Research Group now calling for a vote of no confidence in May's leadership. In response, May told Ridge that her critics needed to get their priorities straight: https://twitter.com/RidgeOnSunday/status/1064094963275841536?

Katy Balls

Theresa May warns plotters: Oust me and Brexit won’t get any easier

From our UK edition

Theresa May's problems have not let up over the weekend. With speculation mounting about an impending confidence vote, the Sunday papers are filled with reports of leadership rivals sounding out colleagues while Dominic Raab – the former Brexit Secretary – has used an interview to tell May to stand up to Brussels' bullies (though he has since told Andrew Marr he will still back the PM in any confidence vote). Appearing on Ridge on Sunday this morning, May tried to make the case for both her Brexit deal and her premiership continuing. She said that as far as she knew the 48 letters required for a confidence vote were not in.

Steerpike

Til Brexit do us part

From our UK edition

Brexit is one of the most divisive issues in the UK – splitting friends, family and all the main political parties along Leave and Remain lines. But if you think you've had some bruising arguments about Brexit these past two years, spare a thought for one particularly political household. Chief Brexiteer Andrea Jenkyns has been a vocal supporter of (a) Standingup4Brexit (b) deposing Theresa May since July. The Conservative MP was among the first to openly call for May to go – using a memorable PMQs to accuse her of adopting a Remain strategy: https://twitter.com/andreajenkyns/status/1062804247362891776 At the other end of the spectrum is Jenkyn's husband Jack Lopresti – the pair have a son nicknamed Brexit Clifford.

Saturday

10 Downing Street

The Brexit deal: 40 rebuttals to Mr Steerpike’s 40 horrors

From our UK edition

Is a deal better than no deal? In a bid to answer that question, Mr Steerpike published a list of the 40 horrors buried in the small print of Theresa May’s Brexit deal. Downing Street have since been in touch to put forward their own 40 rebuttals to those 40 horrors (we'll respond on Monday). No.10's points are in italics. After reading this list, why not try Mr Steerpike's 40 rebuttals to No.10's 40 rebuttals here. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The supposed ‘transition period’ could last indefinitely or, more specifically, to an undefined date sometime this century (“up to 31 December 20XX”, Art. 132).

James Forsyth

Why Theresa May should say she’ll go once her Brexit deal is passed

From our UK edition

Right now, Theresa May’s Brexit deal isn’t passing the House of Commons. I argue in The Sun this morning, that Theresa May needs something to change the dynamic. What would do that? Well, if May said she would stand down once the withdrawal agreement was through, that would change things. It would separate off the question of how May has handled the Brexit negotiations so far, from the issue of what parliament should do now. If May pre-announced her departure, it would enable MPs to vote for the deal without that being an endorsement of her handling of Brexit or an invitation for her to go and negotiate the next stage of Brexit, the UK/EU trade deal. Interestingly, one Cabinet Minister tells me that May is now an impediment to this deal passing.

Douglas Murray

Asia Bibi and the case that makes a mockery of Britain’s asylum laws

From our UK edition

In between the small amount of other news this week there has been a certain amount of attention on the plight of the Pakistani Christian Asia Bibi and her family. Bibi has spent most of this decade on death-row in Pakistan. Her crime is that a bigoted Muslim neighbour of hers made up a crock accusation against her and said she had blasphemed against Islam. In the last week there has been some attention on the fact that various countries are looking into giving asylum to Bibi and her family – Britain among them. But it appeared earlier this week that the UK would not be offering this genuine asylum seeker any asylum because there were concerns about – ahem – ‘community’ relations within the UK should she be allowed to move here.

Steerpike

The top 40 horrors lurking in the small print of Theresa May’s Brexit deal | 17 November 2018

From our UK edition

This week, Theresa May's government teetered on the point of collapse over her proposed Brexit deal. The withdrawal agreement between the UK and Brussels led to Dominic Raab and Esther McVey resigning in protest. However, May's remaining ministers have since attempted to rally around her at least in the short term. Speaking on Friday, Liam Fox – the International Trade Secretary – gave a speech in which he declared 'a deal is better than no deal'. This is rather different to May's old claim that 'no deal is better than a bad deal'. So, is Fox right? Mr S thought it best to let readers decide for themselves. In theory, Britain is leaving the EU on 29 March 2019. But the legal small print, published by Brussels, shows what this means.

Friday

Ross Clark

Only a ‘people’s vote’ can save the Tories now

From our UK edition

Brexit is, as we know, the most important issue facing the government and the country. Except it isn’t. For the Conservatives there is an even more pressing matter: how to prevent a socialist government. Yesterday, the pound plunged after ministerial resignations following Theresa May’s deal with EU negotiators. But were investors spooked by the thought of a ‘no deal’ Brexit or by the possibility of a government collapse, general election and Corbyn in Number 10? Who knows? One thing is for certain: the very worst outcome for markets would be a combination of the two, a Red Brexit. At least the EU would temper Corbyn’s ambition to turn Britain into Venezuela, through its rules on state funding of industry and so on.

Katy Balls

No. 10 manage to find a Brexiteer for Brexit Secretary

From our UK edition

Thirty-two hours after Dominic Raab resigned as Brexit Secretary, Theresa May has managed to find a Brexiteer who is willing to take on the troubled brief. Steve Barclay – the MP for North East Cambridgeshire – is the new Brexit Secretary. He has been promoted from minister of state at the Department of Health and Social Care. It's certainly quite a leap and Barclay is the most low profile MP to take on the brief yet. However, the scope of the job has also been reduced. Barclay's role is to concentrate on domestic preparedness rather than the final stages of the EU negotiation. The expectation is that that part of the negotiations will be led by Theresa May with the help of her top sherpa Olly Robbins.

Katy Balls

Amber Rudd makes swift return to cabinet as May tries to steady nerves

From our UK edition

Amber Rudd has returned to cabinet as Work and Pensions Secretary. The former home secretary has been appointed to the brief after Esther McVey resigned on Thursday over the Prime Minister's proposed Brexit deal. Rudd's appointment should help to calm nerves and steady the ship as No.10 try and find some calm following Thursday's turmoil. Rudd is well liked across the party – and when she resigned over the Windrush scandal in April, many of her colleagues – including figures in No.10 – urged her to rethink her decision and stay on. It's good timing for Rudd's return as earlier this month an inquiry into the events leading up to her resignation concluded that she was let down by her own officials.