The Tories have announced that Mark Clarke, an activist who founded the RoadTrip campaigning organisation, has been booted out of the party for life. Clarke has found himself at the centre of bullying and intimidation allegations following the death of Elliott Johnson, a 21-year-old activist who is thought to have killed himself. Clarke, along with
The terrorist attacks in Paris appear to have shifted public attitudes on both refugees and airstrikes. According to a new poll from the Times/YouGov, 20 per cent think we should accept more refugees — down 16 points from September — while almost half said we should accept fewer or none at all, which is a 22 point
Labour MPs appear to be just as annoyed by Jeremy Corbyn’s links to the Stop The War coalition as they are about his comments on shoot to kill. In the questions following David Cameron’s Commons statement on the Paris attacks, several MPs used the opportunity to make coded attacks on Stop The War for a
Jeremy Hunt was grilled by MPs from Labour, the SNP and Green Party at Health Questions today on whether his department is responsible for the impending junior doctors’ strike. The Health Secretary said he was happy to talk to the BMA at any time and the government is simply fulfilling a ‘manifesto commitment’ for a seven-day NHS,
Jeremy Corbyn’s controversial comments questioning the use of shoot to kill in terrorist attacks has led to a whole new round of criticisms — not least from his own MPs. But one of the most senior members of the shadow cabinet, Hilary Benn, spoke on the Today programme this morning to clarify that the Labour party’s policy has not changed: ‘Well I’m
Jeremy Corbyn addressed the Parliamentary Labour Party this evening and it appears to have been a difficult meeting — depending on who you listen to. Those inside the room have said Corbyn was ‘shouted down’ by MPs for his stance on military action and Syria, while others say he was ‘savaged’ over his shoot to kill remarks. After the
Nigel Farage will tonight claim British Muslims are ‘conflicted’ in their loyalties to the UK, and there is a battle to be won for their ‘hearts and minds’. In his response to the Paris attacks, the Ukip leader will say: ‘According to research it is clear that the UK Muslim population are conflicted in their
How will Britain and Europe react to the terrorist attacks in Paris? In this View from 22 special podcast, The Spectator’s Douglas Murray, James Forsyth and Isabel Hardman analyse what politicians have said and done in response to Friday’s attacks and the plans being formulated in Westminster and Brussels. Are Jeremy Corbyn’s views on military action going to cause a
The Prime Minister has confirmed the United States has attempted to take out Jihadi John in Syria but it’s unknown whether he has been killed. In a statement outside Downing Street this morning, David Cameron said: ‘We cannot yet be certain if the strike was successful. But let me be clear. I have always said that
Mohammed Emwazi, the British Isis militant better known as Jihadi John, looks likely to have been killed in an airstrike by the U.S. air force. Although there has been no official confirmation, No.10 sources have told The Guardian there is a ‘high degree of certainty’ that Emwazi was killed in the strikes. The Pentagon has released the following
The Money Saving Expert Martin Lewis is apparently the most trusted voice on the EU referendum, according to a new poll. James Morris from Greenberg Quinlan Rosner, who was also Ed Miliband’s former pollster, has examined the state of the referendum campaign and reports that it is very close. According to Morris’ research, 45 per cent believe
Is Jeremy Hunt spoiling for a fight with the wrong people? On the latest View from 22 podcast, Dr Clare Gerada debates this week’s Spectator cover feature on junior doctors with Fraser Nelson. Does the government have the right intentions about reforming the NHS? Why is the fight over working hours and pay for junior doctors proving so toxic? Are
The government is getting its revenge on the Vote Leave campaign. After a stunt at Monday’s CBI conference — where two protesters interrupted David Cameron’s speech — Sir Eric Pickles has written to the Electoral Commission to suggest that the Vote Leave campaign should not be designated as the official Out campaign. The Guardian reports the former Communities Secretary as saying: ‘I believe
Jeremy Corbyn has had enough of his shadow cabinet publicly opposing him. According to today’s Guardian, the Labour leader has given his frontbench team a dressing down over speaking out against him — in light of comments by the shadow defence secretary Maria Eagle on Trident last weekend: ‘According to several party sources, Corbyn made it clear that disputes must
David Cameron’s speech and letter on EU reform have gone down as you might expect with Eurosceptics: they hated them. MPs and campaigners think the Prime Minister should be pushing for bigger reforms and the renegotiation is looking like a sham. Some have concluded the Prime Minister has spent the past six months traveling around Europe, asking what others
Downing Street has released the long-awaited letter from the Prime Minister to Donald Tusk, president of the European Council — outlining the four areas in which he would like to negotiate a new settlement for Britain. Here are the key parts of the letter, outlining the areas David Cameron is keen to reform: 1. Economic
In last week’s Spectator, Rod Liddle reported that his Tory-supporting wife is beginning to feel sorry for Jeremy Corbyn. ‘You lot want to watch it. I’m beginning to feel sorry for the bloke. The sympathy votes will be stacking up,’ Mrs Liddle informed her husband. At first, you might wonder what there is to feel sympathetic about.
Downing Street has waded into the dispute over Sir Nicholas Houghton’s comments regarding Jeremy Corbyn and his position on Trident. After Houghton, the Chief of the Defence Staff, told Andrew Marr yesterday that the prospect of Prime Minister Corbyn would ‘worry’ him, the Labour leader complained of constructional meddling and asked the Defence Secretary to investigate the
The EU referendum looks set to be held next year – it’s now a question of whether it’s in the summer or autumn. Today’s Times reports that Whitehall is preparing for a referendum next June, if EU leaders are on side with David Cameron’s proposed reforms at December’s European Council meeting. The Prime Minister is set to deliver a
Jeremy Corbyn is at odds with the military for the second time. On the Andrew Marr Show this morning, General Sir Nicholas Houghton, the Chief of the Defence Staff, expressed concerns about the Labour leader’s position on Trident — in particular that he would never press the button. ‘Well it would worry me if that thought was translated into
