Politics

Read about the latest UK political news, views and analysis.

Monday

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Jean-Claude Juncker raises the stakes for the Greeks

Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, has suggested that if Greece votes No in the referendum on whether to accept the terms of a bailout, it will be voting not just to leave the Euro but the EU too. Juncker has clearly decided that the best thing to do is to put the pressure on for a Yes vote in the referendum on Sunday. A Yes vote would force the Syriza-led government to resign. At that point, a deal could—potentially—be done with the new Greek government. However, it is worth noting that any new deal would have to get through various Northern European parliaments which could be tricky. Meanwhile, Alexis

Steerpike Steerpike

David Cameron takes centre stage at Glastonbury

David Cameron’s former director of strategy Steve Hilton recently wrote in The Spectator that Glastonbury is not merely a ‘left-wing utopia’, arguing that it operates in accordance with conservative principles. Mr S, who attended the festival this weekend, suspects Hilton may need to rethink this theory. As Natalie Bennett, Ken Livingstone and Charlotte Church took to the stage to preach their anti-austerity message, David Cameron made his own appearance in Shangri Hell, the festival’s main after-hours party area. The Prime Minister had the dubious honour of having his voice played on speakers in the party section, which was covered in political posters about the dangers of cuts.  Somewhat predictably the Tories

Sunday

James Forsyth James Forsyth

If Greece leaves the Euro, Cameron should start the British renegotiation all over again

Tonight, it is still not clear how the Greek situation will be resolved. The European Central Bank–which is desperate to avoid being dragged into the politics of this situation–has chosen a middle way on its emergency assistance to Greek banks. It has neither ended it—which would have crashed the whole Greek banking system—nor extended it, which would have enabled the banks to stay open and eased the pressure on the Syriza-led government. Greek banks will definitely be closed tomorrow and probably until the referendum on Sunday. The next big question is what happens on Tuesday when the bailout programme ends and a payment comes due to the IMF which Athens

Friday

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Greece to hold referendum on bailout deal

The Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras has just announced that there will be a referendum on the proposed bailout deal next Sunday, July 5th. He will ask for the current bailout to be continued until then to allow the Greek people to have their say. The signs from Athens are that Tsipras will campaign for a No vote unless the creditors offer Greece a radically better deal at tomorrow’s meeting. This move from Tsipras will infuriate Greece’s creditors.  It will also, almost certainly lead to the introduction of capital controls for Greek banks until the referendum. If the creditors don’t blink tomorrow and improve the terms they are offering Athens,

Ross Clark Ross Clark

Rail investment reflects how ministers like to travel

No matter how desperate the banana republic, the international airport is always a shimmering palace of perfume and croissants. It is only when you get out onto the dirt roads that you realise where you are. The government seems determined to take the same approach to our own transport system: all the money gets sucked into vanity projects while transport used by the rest of us remains creaking.  Yesterday transport secretary Patrick McLoughlin announced a sharp contraction of a programme which last year the government described as ‘the largest modernisation of the railways since Victorian times’. Election safely over, projects to be dropped from the promised £38.5 billion upgrade include

Steerpike Steerpike

Ed Miliband is subject of ridicule in new song

After anti-austerity protesters turned on Russell Brand for endorsing Labour at a protest on Saturday, it was only a matter of time til Ed Miliband faced a similar backlash over his party’s defeat. Alas for Miliband, his takes musical form. Sleaford Mods – the working class mod band – have attacked the former Labour leader in their new album, with the song In Quiet Streets: ‘Miliband got hit with the ugly stick, not that it matters. The chirping c–t obviously wants the country in tatters’ Boris Johnson is also in their firing line with the song Rupert Trousers inspired by his speech at last year’s party conference, where he used a brick to demonstrate

Thursday

The Spectator

Letters | 25 June 2015

Free trade with Africa Sir: Nicholas Farrell suggests that a naval blockade is the only solution to Italy’s immigration crisis (‘The invasion of Italy’, 20 June). Examining the causes of the situation might identify other measures. Since the European Union effectively closed its borders to trade with Africa to protect European farmers from lower food prices, the agricultural economies of most African countries have been in decline. Of course there is another reason for Africa’s decline. About 60 years ago, the Europeans found it convenient to convince themselves that in Africa self-government was better than good government. It followed that aid would be a convenient substitute for the risks or

Charles Moore Charles Moore

The Spectator’s notes | 25 June 2015

People write about ‘Grexit’ and ‘Brexit’ as if they were the same, but they need not be. Grexit is about leaving the euro. Brexit is about leaving the EU. It seems, however, that the Greeks fear that leaving the euro would mean leaving the EU, and so feel paralysed. It simply is not clear what the true situation is. Although Britain has a specific opt-out (as does Denmark), for the other member states, euro-membership is, after a preparatory period is completed, an obligation. Does this mean that, once in the euro, an EU member state cannot leave it? If so, then William Hague’s famous phrase likening it to ‘being in

The Spectator

Laying down the law

A great test of political leadership is how well you deal with vested interests on your own side. In his first speech as Lord Chancellor this week, Michael Gove has shown himself willing to tackle a profession which has long been comfortable with Conservative governments and whose reform, as a consequence, is long overdue. A legal system designed from scratch would not resemble what we have now. The only thing wrong with Michael Gove’s observation that Britain has a ‘two-nation’ justice system is that he should really have said three nations. Like the central London property market, the courts have become the preserve of the very rich and the very

James Forsyth James Forsyth

There’s no need for Cameron to rush the renegotiation process

This EU Council has long been marked in Downing Street’s diary as the moment when David Cameron would tell other EU leaders what his renegotiation demands are. But tonight Cameron’s remarks will be a relatively minor part of proceeding as Greece and the situation in the Mediterranean dominate discussion. I understand that the Council President Donald Tusk is not even expected to go round the table asking other EU leaders what they thought after Cameron’s contribution. In some quarters, the fact that the British renegotiation is being treated as a third order issue at this summit is being seen as a snub to Cameron. But those involved in the renegotiation

Fraser Nelson Fraser Nelson

Official: income inequality has fallen under David Cameron.  

“Inequality has gotten much worse in the United Kingdom,” declared the Nobel laureate Joe Stiglitz when he was on Andrew Marr’s Start the Week last month (clip below). It’s one of those things that ‘everyone knows’ which is (to put it politely) not supported by the data. The latest inequality data came out today, taking us up to 2013/14. There are various measurements, but you get the overall picture (above). As David Cameron said in Prime Minister’s Questions yesterday, inequality is lower than the levels inherited under Labour. There has been a lot of talk about surging economic inequality recently, and lot of books about the problem. But not much evidence.

Steerpike Steerpike

Ed Miliband meets his number one Milifan

These are dark days for the Labour party, following their brutal election defeat and the recent turmoil within the party. For Miliband in particular, the pain of the past few months must be particularly acute. Still, there’s at least one area of politics he can draw comfort from: Milifandom. Abby Tomlinson, the founder of the cult movement, has today met her idol at the Palace of Westminster. There’s life in the movement yet, it seems: https://twitter.com/twcuddleston/status/614044576488247296/photo/1 Currently having lunch with the brilliant founder of #milifandom @twcuddleston to say thanks for starting something so highly improbable… — Ed Miliband (@Ed_Miliband) June 25, 2015 Tomlinson became quite a star during the election, following a spat with Louise

Charles Tannock

Most Tories want to remain in the EU. Here’s why

It is unfashionable to quote polls these days but one recent finding went unremarked even though it is remarkable. It showed that only 15 per cent of members of the Conservative Party want to pull out of the EU. From the noise surrounding the debates on the Referendum Bill you might believe that this is a surprise. In reality the vast majority of Conservatives at all levels of the Party want Britain to stay in a reformed EU. We believe it is now time for the silent Conservative majority to get behind David Cameron and start to make the case for the UK’s continued membership of the EU and the

Steerpike Steerpike

Nick Clegg: I couldn’t get hold of Charles Kennedy before his death

Nick Clegg appeared on LBC this morning to take part in his first interview since his party’s defeat at the polls. With the host Nick Ferrari taking questions from listeners, Clegg was subjected to a mix of abuse and praise from Londoners. However, there was one question in particular which struck a nerve with the former Liberal Democrat leader. A caller by the name of Liam asked Clegg if he had personally spoken to each Lib Dem MP who lost their seat in the election: NC: After the election? Yes I spoke to them all, left messages with them. Liam can I ask why you’re so interested in that? L:

James Forsyth James Forsyth

Europe’s great game

[audioplayer src=”http://rss.acast.com/viewfrom22/angelamerkel-sburden/media.mp3″ title=”Fredrik Erixon and James Forsyth discuss the challenges facing Angela Merkel” startat=36] Listen [/audioplayer]For generations, ambitious politicians have dreamed about having the power to run Europe — but as Angela Merkel can attest, it’s a horrible job. She didn’t want to end up with the continent’s problems on her shoulders, but things have ended up that way. The Greek economic implosion, the seemingly unstoppable wave of immigrants from north Africa, the menace of Russian aggression, the euro crisis — all the multiple, interconnected, crises battering Europe have ended up as Merkel’s problem. The Queen will no doubt leave Germany this week thinking what every other leader in Europe

Oliver Lewis

Ten myths about Brexit

  1. Leaving the EU would hurt the UK’s ability to trade with it.   The fearmonger’s favourite argument. But fear not: the global economy has changed dramatically since Britain joined the EU in 1973, seeking entrance to a common market. The World Trade Organisation has brought down tariff rates around the world; even if we didn’t sign a free-trade deal with the EU, we would have to pay, at most, £7.5 billion a year in tariffs for access to its markets. That’s well below our current membership fee. 2. Three million jobs will disappear.   A bogus figure, heard often from the likes of Nick Clegg. It dates back

Rod Liddle Rod Liddle

The questions you don’t ask at the BBC

There was a remarkable scene in one BBC Today programme morning meeting in about 1995, as all the producers gathered together to discuss what stories would be on the following day’s show. The big story was the European Union; the splits occasioned by the EU within the Tory party and the battle, on the part of racist neanderthal xenophobes, to keep us out of the Exchange Rate Mechanism, from which we had ignominiously exited three years before. The meeting cackled and hooted at the likes of Bill Cash and his assorted fascists on the Eurosceptic right. ‘They think the Germans are determined to dominate Europe!’ and ‘They’re just racists!’ and

Freddy Gray Freddy Gray

Where Ukip went wrong

[audioplayer src=”http://rss.acast.com/viewfrom22/angelamerkel-sburden/media.mp3″ title=”Freddy Gray, Sebastian Payne and Owen Bennett discuss where Ukip went wrong” startat=685] Listen [/audioplayer]What’s happened to poor Ukip? Not so long ago, they seemed unstoppable. They were revolting on the right, terrifying the left and shaking up Westminster. The established parties tried sneering at them, smearing them, even copying them. Nothing worked. Then came the general election, the centre held, and Ukip seemed to fall apart. Farage failed to win his target seat in South Thanet, the focus of his whole campaign. He resigned, then farcically unresigned, three days later. The ‘Ukip wars’ followed: after an unseemly row over ‘Short money’ — the funding provided by the

Wednesday

Eleni Courea

No, the SNP isn’t planning a ‘republican insurrection’. Here’s why

So is Nicola Sturgeon planning ‘a quiet republican insurrection?’ The Times says so in a thundering leader today: Jacob Rees-Mogg has even outed the party as ‘closet republicans’. And why? Because the SNP is withholding £1.5m of funding that is due to the Queen. Or so we’re told. The truth is a little more complex – and rather different. The money for the royal family does not come from the Crown Estate. It comes from HM Treasury, and under a formula set up in 2011 the Queen’s Budget is pegged to the profits of the Crown Estate (a kind of performance-linked pay, if you will. Very Tory). The Crown Estate is the

Lloyd Evans Lloyd Evans

At this rate Labour won’t even be a debating society in five years time

The phoney war continues. While Labour searches for its next Michael Foot, the party’s stand-in boss, Harriet Harman, seems keen to lose the 2020 election as soon as possible. Some argue Ed Miliband has already performed that task. Either way, defeat is the only thing Labour does efficiently nowadays. Ms Harman attacked the PM’s plan to abolish a policy that many hail as Gordon Brown’s Worst Ever Idea: tax credits. These mean that thousands of Whitehall scribblers deposit cash with workers who then return the money, via thousands more scribblers, to the government which never owned it in the first place. Labour loves the N Korean ambience of this system