Emily thornberry

With Theresa May away, it was David Lidington v Emily Thornberry at PMQs today. The shadow foreign secretary asked Lidington if the UK would stay in the customs union, Lidington danced round the question. But Thornberry, unlike Corbyn, kept coming back to the same question. By the end of the exchanges, it was clear that Lidington wasn’t going to answer the question. Thornberry had also armed herself with a string of pro-Remain quotes from Lidington from before 23 June, which she deployed quite effectively. But Lidington is an effective, enough, despatch box performer and managed to avoid incurring serious damage. Interestingly Thornberry committed Labour to staying inside the customs union—which would

Today Emily Thornberry appeared on the Andrew Marr show to talk left-wing dictators and Brexit. Following in the footsteps of Jeremy Corbyn, the shadow foreign secretary praised the late Fidel Castro. She spoke fondly of what he had done for Cuba’s national health service — but conceded such benefits ‘came at a price’. However, the comments most likely to land her in hot water come tomorrow related to Brexit. Ever since the referendum result, Labour have struggled to come up with a coherent position on leaving the EU. While Corbyn previously suggested his party would block Article 50 if single market membership was not a part of the deal, Tom Watson — Labour’s deputy leader —

As the government ‘consider’ inviting Donald Trump for a state visit, the president-elect was top of the agenda at today’s Foreign Office questions. With the Westminster establishment riled over Trump’s latest tweet claiming Nigel Farage would make a ‘great’ UK ambassador to the US, Simon Burns hit back — suggesting Boris Johnson return the favour and request Trump send Hillary Clinton to fill the role of US ambassador to the UK. Continuing the theme of putting people forward against their will for jobs that either aren’t available or don’t exist, Labour’s David Winnick said that it was Brandon Dixon — the Hamilton actor who made an anti-Trump speech over the weekend — who

Emily Thornberry put in a memorable performance on Question Time last night. Unfortunately for the shadow foreign secretary, it was an appearance that will be remembered for all the wrong reasons. Thornberry was heckled after sucking up to Corbyn, and she managed to make the audience groan when she claimed what united Labour was ‘so much more than what divides us’ (Mr S suspects there are many Labour MPs who might disagree with that view). Thornberry also tried to claim Labour were more grown-up than the Tories, saying her party fought ‘in the press’ rather than ‘in closed rooms’. But she saved her biggest clanger for when she was talking

On Sunday, Shami Chakrabarti was forced to use an appearance on Peston on Sunday to claim that she was not a hypocrite after the topic of grammar schools was raised. The issue? Although the shadow attorney general is vocal in her opposition to selective education in the state, she sent her own son to a selective fee-paying school. Shami Chakrabarti defends herself against claims of hypocrisy on the issue of selective education. #Peston pic.twitter.com/z2AIyIFAx0 — Peston (@itvpeston) October 9, 2016 While Chakrabarti insists that buying choice for herself while denying people without money the same option does not make her a hypocrite — explaining that as she is rich she is

Yesterday Emily Thornberry accused Sky News‘s Dermot Murnaghan of sexism for asking her to name the French foreign minister. While the shadow Foreign secretary has since been the subject of much ridicule over the claims, she can take heart that some comrades still have her back. Step forward George Galloway. Galloway has written a blog post on his website in which he defends Thornberry. The former Labour MP says she was ‘right to complain’ about Murnaghan’s questioning — though not for the reason she put forward: ‘I’m not Emily Thornberry’s biggest fan, and she should have known the name of the French Foreign Minister (whom Boris Johnson had just met) and both

Spare a thought for the ladies of Labour. After years spent campaigning for gender equality, they are yet to have a leader who is a woman while the Tories are onto their second female Prime Minister. So, it was an interesting move by Emily Thornberry, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, today to take a pop at the government’s foreign office team over the lack of women in top roles: ET: We do wish the all-male ministerial team well at this crucial time Alas there was a problem with Lady Nugee’s accusation — as Alan Duncan was on hand to point out: AD: May I thank the honourable lady for her warm welcome

One of the first things Theresa May will have been briefed on when she took over as Prime Minister last week is the protocol for firing nuclear weapons. She’ll have been handed the nuclear codes in the clearest demonstration, if she doubted it before, that she really is in charge. And today, in her first Commons test as PM, she’ll be saying it would be a ‘gross irresponsibility’ to ditch Trident. She’ll also go on to say ‘abandoning’ our ‘ultimate safeguard’ would be a ‘reckless gamble’. In truth, she has little to worry about as to whether the vote will go through: barring a big upset, the Government will win comfortably

With Angela Eagle clear that she will run to be the next Labour leader and Jeremy Corbyn willing to contest any such challenge, the Labour party is in a state of stalemate until Tuesday’s meeting of the National Executive Committee. At the crunch meeting, the NEC will announce whether or not Corbyn is automatically on the ballot — with a legal challenge expected whatever the result. So with the result looming, Monday’s PLP meeting proved to be a rather muted affair as MPs wait to learn their party’s fate. Tom Watson’s spokesman described the mood as ‘not the greatest’, while John Mann walked out halfway through complaining that Emily Thornberry was ‘prattling on’. However,

In the window of a council house on a working-class estate in Exeter was a sticker bearing the cross of St George and a simple warning: ‘If this flag offends you, why not consider moving to another country?’ For some canvassers working on Labour MP Ben Bradshaw’s 2015 campaign, such a symbol naturally meant the dreaded ‘A’ on the canvas sheet: ‘Against Labour’. In fact, it was a household of solid Labour voters — supporting a party far too often offended by the flag. The truth is that the Labour party has an English problem. While members might just about embrace Britishness, too many feel queasy about Englishness — with

Labour’s high command are not showing themselves to be the most statesman-like of figures today. After Jeremy Corbyn was caught on camera ignoring David Cameron’s attempts at conversation, his shadow Defence Secretary struggled to control herself in today’s Queen’s Speech debate. Emily Thornberry took offence after Cameron described her as a ‘shadow defence secretary who doesn’t believe in defence’. She protested to his comments by mouthing ‘bollocks’ from the Labour frontbench: https://vine.co/v/i0xEIb9Eg9U Mr S suspects that next time she has a point to make in the Commons, Lady Nugee ought to take a more dignified approach when it comes to airing her grievances.

Departmental questions in the House of Commons are generally an opportunity for backbenchers of all parties to hold the government to account. But a strange pattern is emerging at Defence Questions, whereby the backbenchers of each of the two main parties pour their efforts into making life uncomfortable for their own frontbenchers, even though Labour’s team isn’t actually in government. So today Michael Fallon and his ministers had to contend with complaints from Sir Edward Leigh about the suggestion that Britain leaving the European Union would harm Britain’s national security. But Emily Thornberry, who is supposed to focus her fire and that of her party on ministers, had to deal

Emily Thornberry’s decision to appoint disgraced spinner Damian McBride as her media adviser has upset a number of her constituents. However, the shadow Defence Secretary will be hoping that the expertise McBride can offer will outweigh any negative publicity. So, after Thornberry angered Labour MPs at a meeting of the PLP over Trident and then was left red-faced when Nicholas Soames ridiculed her for asking for his advise on Labour’s defence review, what’s McBride’s plan of action? It seems he is planning to shift the narrative by focussing on Thornberry’s musical prowess. Steerpike understands that Lady Nugee will appear at tonight’s LGBT fundraiser at the Vauxhall Tavern for Sadiq Khan’s mayoral campaign —

Back in 2009 Damian McBride had to step down from his role as Gordon Brown’s advisor after leaked emails revealed that he had been part of a proposed sex smear campaign against the Tories. The emails showed that McBride was embroiled in a plot to damage the reputations of senior Tories with smears relating to their private lives. While Ed Miliband took steps to distance himself from McBride during his time as Labour leader, it appears there is a space for the disgraced spinner in Corbyn’s ‘straight talking, honest politics’. McBride has been hired as Lady Nugee’s media advisor. The Huffington Post reports that the disgraced spinner applied for the job serving