The little Conservative rebellion that couldn’t has been mocked online after failing to bruise Rishi Sunak.
There was breathless talk after 60 Tory MPs voted against the Sunak government in an effort to make the Rwanda asylum legislation tougher. It saw two party deputy chairmen quit their party positions in order to vote against the government on amendments, leading to comment the revolt could spell the end for the 15-month-old administration.
But a day later, despite zero changes to the Safety of Rwanda Bill, a decisive rebellion failed to materialise as Sunak’s troubled policy climbed a significantly parliamentary hurdle – sailing through the Commons with a protest from just 11 Tory MPs.
In the hours before the legislation’s third reading, critics of the bill indicated they would reluctantly vote for it despite many on the party’s powerful right-wing thinking it doesn’t go far enough in deterring migration to the UK.
Westminster has become obsessed with the stalled immigration scheme, often thanks to the Tory party in-fighting that has made for powerful headlines.
But the latest merry-go-round has drawn criticism of the long-running saga – particularly since the factionalism has been self-styled as the Tories split into “Five Families”, a reference to organised crime families made famous in films such as The Godfather.
European Research Group (ERG) chair Mark Francois has been among the big thorn in Sunak’s side, but now social media has had quite enough.
MPs have backed Rishi Sunak’s Rwanda plan as a threatened Tory rebellion fizzled out.
The House of Commons voted 320 to 276 to support the Safety of Rwanda Bill, which the prime minister says will see deportation flights to the east African country finally get off the ground.
The result will come as a huge relief to the PM, who last night suffered his biggest rebellion since entering Downing Street.
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Around 60 MPs defied the Tory whip to back amendments aimed at toughening up the legislation to allow ministers to ignore European court rulings and make it more difficult for asylum seekers to appeal against deportation.
However, just 11 of them voted against the entire bill this evening, handing the government a comfortable majority of 44.
The bill will now go to the House of Lords, where it may be amended by opponents of the Rwanda policy, before it returns to the Commons.
That could potentially set up a fresh battle after the rebel Tories said they would then table a fresh set of amendments to toughen it up again.
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Sunak hopes that once it is on the statute books, the new law will allow flights to Rwanda to take off in the spring and form a key part of his pledge to “stop the boats” carrying asylum seekers across the Channel.
However, any deportations are certain to be appealed against, teeing up yet more legal wrangling which would delay the flights once again.
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: Tonight is no victory for Rishi Sunak, no matter how he might try to twist it.
“Days of Conservative chaos and infighting has left the prime minister’s authority shot. He has proved again and again that he cannot lead his own party, let alone the country.”
The Conservative Party has faced ridicule after likening Keir Starmer to Bob Odenkirk’s character in the hit US TV show Better Call Saul.
Highlighting the Labour leader’s time as a criminal defence barrister is gearing up to be one of the Tory election attack lines in the run-up to this year’s vote.
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At prime minister’s questions on Wednesday, Rishi Sunak raised Starmer’s decision to advise the soon-to-be-banned Islamist group Hizb ut-Tahrir during his legal career.
Labour has said Starmer had been asked to give advice to Hizb ut-Tahri in a legal dispute between the group and the German government.
He did not formally represent them, moving on to become director of public prosecutions shortly after, they said.
But the Conservative party later doubled down on the messaging, putting out a message on social media that brought Saul Goodman – the notorious fictional criminal lawyer played by Odenkirk – into play.
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It read: “Are you a terrorist in need of legal advice? Better call Keir.”
The post from the Tories on X, formerly Twitter, also said: “When Rishi Sunak sees a group chanting jihad on our streets, he bans them. Keir Starmer invoices them.”
But the attempt to undermine Starmer was soon disparaged – with many pointing out that lawyers may not withhold their services based on a client’s conduct, opinions or beliefs, and that somehow the Tories have even managed to boost Starmer’s image.
And a community note attached to the post added that Starmer “went on to prosecute terrorists with links to Hizb ut-Tahrir as director of public prosecutions”, and continued: “There’s is no evidence he invoiced them. Barristers may not withhold services based on a client’s conduct.”
Lawyers are not their clients.
Your failure to understand such a basic fundament of the rule of law makes it clear that you are not a serious political party, and should be nowhere near the levers of government. pic.twitter.com/XoJHvxu8S6
Looking forward to this being the Tory’s attack line for a full 3 days until it doesn’t shift the dial one iota and they change to something completely different and pretend they never mentioned it https://t.co/loWRPtn0JF
— Godspeed You Black Tamperer (ft Maya) (@twlldun) January 17, 2024
once again a Tory attack line is hamstrung by accurate community notes
question is whether these efforts can thrive on other social media platforms which may not have such correctives https://t.co/2pngFgbz8r
I guess the basic competency level in his ‘inner circle’, drawn from right-wing hate sheets, PR propagandists & secretly-funded think tanks, is now so low that anything goes. Not so much an echo chamber as a talent vacuum where nobody has the wit to call out any obvious idiocy. https://t.co/lgBbcl4wSb
This is desperate stuff. Utterly demeaning of the Tories. I have grave doubts about Labour’s approach to extremist Islam but this is cheap and nasty and doesn’t even attack the real issue with Lab – the views of too many of its MPs and members https://t.co/ZTss2xokEj
Mary Trump noted that Monday wasn’t all good news for her uncle Donald Trump.
In her Substack newsletter, she pointed out that one of the former president’s attorneys, Joe Tacopina, had filed notices that day seeking the withdrawal of his law firm from representing Donald Trump. Tacopina withdrew from two cases in New York: a criminal trial over alleged falsification of business records, and an appeal of the verdict in a civil lawsuit brought by writer E Jean Carroll. Donald Trump has denied wrongdoing in both cases.
Tacopina told ABC News that he had withdrawn “on all matters” but did not comment on his reasons.
“On what everyone knew was supposed to be a day of victory for Donald in Iowa, this loss will still be burning in his mind,” Mary Trump wrote in the newsletter, The Good in Us.
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Donald Trump swept the Iowa caucuses Monday with a commanding victory, winning 98 of 99 counties and cementing his front-runner status in the race for the GOP’s presidential nomination.
“It’s not unusual for Donald to go through lawyers at an alarming rate, but Tacopina’s high profile status shows just how dysfunctional Donald’s ‘defense’ really is,” wrote Mary Trump, a clinical psychologist, author and outspoken critic of her uncle.
Tacopina’s withdrawal was announced ahead of Tuesday morning’s jury selection in a second defamation trial tied to Carroll’s allegations that Donald Trump raped her in the 1990s. A jury found him liable for defaming and sexually abusing Carroll last year, though it didn’t find that Trump had raped her.
The former president recently told The New York Times that he wished to testify in the second trial and that Tacopina, who represented him in the first, had advised him not to last time.
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Mary Trump suggested that her uncle’s decision to speak in court last week at the end of a separate civil fraud trial, in which Trump has also denied wrongdoing, might’ve played a role in Tacopina’s departure.
“After Donald’s disastrous closing argument in his New York fraud trial, it’s no wonder that Tacopina wanted to distance himself from Donald’s penchant for self-destruction behavior,” she wrote.
“Losing just one key lawyer could have a devastating impact on a case, but not only is Tacopina dumping Donald as a client — his entire firm is leaving,” she added, calling such a move a “major set back for any defense”.
In his business records case, Donald Trump faces 34 felony charges from the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office in connection to a hush money payment made to porn actor Stormy Daniels ahead of the 2016 election.
He traveled to New York after the caucuses to attend the Carroll trial on Tuesday.
In a statement to Reuters about Tacopina’s departure, a spokesperson for the former president said that he “has the most experienced, qualified, disciplined, and overall strongest legal team ever assembled”.
Donald Trump’s sweeping victory in the Iowa caucus underlined his grip on the race to be the Republican presidential nomination in this year’s general election. But does his dominance in the first contest mean that he’s certain to be the Grand Old Party’s pick to take on Joe Biden in November?
What happened?
On a perilously-cold day in America’s Midwest, Trump secured a roughly 30-point win over his rivals – smashing the record for a contested Iowa Republican caucus with a margin of victory exceeding Bob Dole’s nearly 13-percentage-point victory in 1988. Florida governor Ron DeSantis finished a distant second, just ahead of former UN Ambassador Nikki Haley.
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According to the entrance polls conducted by major media organisations, he won every demographic group imaginable: the college-educated and those without a degree; men and women; urban, suburban and rural voters; and evangelical Christians. The only groups he didn’t win were moderates, who went with Haley, and voters ages 17 to 29, who backed DeSantis.
But it’s only the start of a months-long campaign across all 50 US states.
At stake was Iowa’s 40 delegates to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee this summer, with Trump’s victory meaning he secured 20 delegates. It’s minuscule in the grand scheme of outright victory – 1,215 delegates are needed to win a simple majority and the Republican standard bearer. Primary and caucus votes continue until June, meaning there’s still a long way to go. But the win hands Trump momentum going into the next battle.q
US presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump won the Republican party’s Iowa caucus, which marked the beginning of the 2024 presidential contest.
Anadolu via Getty Images
What next?
New Hampshire will hold the first-in-the-nation primary on January 23, with the Republican field likely to have thinned out by then. Conservative entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy suspended his campaign after a disappointing fourth place finish in Iowa and endorsed Trump.
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Is the nomination inevitable?
There are a number of moving parts that will help determine how much to read into the Iowa result.
Trump’s main rival
The magnitude of Trump’s victory poses significant questions for both DeSantis and Haley: each took just enough of the vote to insist they were his main rival in New Hampshire, ensuring the field will remain divided against him. The picture will remain unclear until the race is whittled down to the last two.
Trump’s election track record
Questions still remain about whether Trump has enough broad appeal to beat Biden. He lost to Biden in 2020 after fuelling near-constant chaos while in the White House, culminating with his supporters carrying out a deadly attack on the US Capitol. The disappointing midterm election results in 2022 saw the majority of the candidates he endorsed defeated, and he is still broadly unpopular with the national electorate.
Court challenges
Trump is facing four separate criminal indictments The US Supreme Court is weighing whether states have the ability to block Trump from the ballot for his role in sparking the January 6, 2021, insurrection at the Capitol. And he’s facing criminal trials in Washington and Atlanta for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election. In total, he faces 91 felony charges across four criminal cases.
But Trump’s legal challenges appear to have done little damage to his reputation. Heading to court voluntarily has been a strategy designed to portray him as a victim of a politicised legal system, boosting his “anti-hero” status.
The next set of voting
New Hampshire, the next state to go to the polls, will be a tougher test. Some polling there shows Haley is within striking distance, and it is filled with the moderate, college-educated voters who are Trump’s weak point.
The move came just minutes before the pair joined around 60 Conservative MPs in backing amendments aimed at toughening up the flagship legislation.
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An amendment tabled by veteran Conservative backbencher Bill Cash, which would have allowed the government to defy international law, was defeated by 529 votes to 68.
A second amendment in the name of former immigration minister Robert Jenrick, which would have made it harder for those facing deportation to appeal, was also defeated by 525 votes to 58.
If only half the Tory rebels vote with the opposition parties against the full bill when it comes back to the Commons tomorrow, it will be killed and Sunak’s premiership will be in tatters.
Anderson, the controversial MP for Ashfield, was appointed deputy chairman in February last year.
Fellow Red Wall MP Clarke-Smith only took up the post two months ago.
In a joint resignation letter to the PM, they said: “We commend your work on illegal immigration so far and your commitment to implementing the will of the British people.
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“The last thing either of us wants to do is to distract from this.”
However, they suggested that despite their support for the rebel amendments aimed a strengthening the bill, they will still vote for the legislation in its entirety when it comes back to the Commons tomorrow.
Lib Dem home affairs spokesman Alistair Carmichael said: “Sunak’s Rwanda scheme just won’t work – and even the deputy chairmen of his own party know it.
“Rishi Sunak has yet again been embarrassed by his own MPs.
“If the prime minister can’t even settle squabbles in his own party, how can he be expected to run the country?”
The YouGov survey, commissioned by Tory donors calling themselves the Conservative British Alliance said Keir Starmer would enter No.10 with a 120-seat majority.
At a special meeting of the 1922 Committee of Tory backbenchers this evening, Levido accused those behind the poll of “throwing in the towel”.
He said: “Let me be clear. Divided parties fail. It’s time to get serious – I am fighting to win this election, and I wouldn’t be here if I didn’t believe it was possible. We all need to be be fighting to win this election.
“People do not want Starmer. They are looking for reasons to vote for us. We must not give them any more reasons not to.”
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His comments came as the prime minister faces a growing Tory rebellion over his flagship Rwanda bill.
Two deputy party chairmen, Lee Anderson and Brendan Clarke-Smith, risked the sack by announcing they will support rebel amendments aimed at making the legislation tougher.
Up to 70 Tory MPs are set to back the proposed changes, which would allow ministers to ignore rulings by the European Court of Human Rights.
Earlier, former cabinet minister Simon Clarke said the bill was currently “riddled with holes” and he would vote against it unless it is changed.
The bill returns to the Commons on Tuesday and Wednesday for MPs to debate and vote on it.
Clarke, who served under Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, said: “I have been clear with the whips that if the bill goes forward unamended, I will be unable to offer it my support.
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Sunak today insisted he was willing to talk to the rebels, but stopped short of saying he would accept any of their amendments.
He told GB News: “I’ve always said that I’m happy to have a dialogue with anyone who thinks they might have an idea that will improve the effectiveness of the bill whilst making sure that it’s still legally compliant and maintains Rwanda’s participation in the scheme.
Originally scheduled for Sept. 18, the 75th Emmys Awards wiggled their way into this year’s awards season after the Screen Actors Guild and Writers Guild of America strikes put Hollywood on pause.
But the best television of 2023 will finally get its time to shine on Monday, when the Emmys air live from the Peacock Theatre in Downtown Los Angeles at 5 p.m. EST.
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Who’s Hosting And Where To Watch
Anthony Anderson is taking on hosting duties as the Emmys are broadcast live on Fox. The awards will be available on Hulu the following day.
Fashion fans can catch E!’s official red carpet show starting at 6 p.m. EST.
The best television of 2023 will finally get its time to shine on Monday, when the Emmys air live from the Peacock Theater in Downtown Los Angeles at 5 p.m. EST.
Michael Buckner/Variety/Penske Media via Getty Images
Who’s Nominated
Monday’s Emmys might give TV fans a minor dose of nostalgia. The 75th annual television awards considered programming that aired between June 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023, and announced its nominees last July.
Succession swept up 27 nominations with its final season, making the HBO drama the most-nominated series at this Emmys. HBO’s The Last of Us and The White Lotus also got major recognition, snagging 23 and 24 nominations apiece.
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Television’s Biggest Night
The fanfare of the 75th annual Primetime Emmys comes at a tricky time for the television industry.
Months of strike-related production delays drastically reduced the number of shows networks have in the pipeline, leaving the 2024 release calendar more sparse than usual.
Meanwhile, streaming services are trying to contend with stagnant subscription numbers and major mergers like HBO Max’s partnership with Discovery+ and Disney+’s takeover of Hulu.
See all the nominees for the 75th annual Primetime Emmys here:
Preparations for the 75th Emmy Awards were in full swing over the weekend, ahead of Monday’s show.
VALERIE MACON via Getty Images
Outstanding Drama Series
“Andor”
“Better Call Saul”
“The Crown”
“House of the Dragon”
“The Last of Us”
“Succession”
“The White Lotus”
“Yellowjackets”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series
Jeff Bridges, “The Old Man”
Brian Cox, “Succession”
Kieran Culkin, “Succession”
Bob Odenkirk, “Better Call Saul”
Pedro Pascal, “The Last of Us”
Jeremy Strong, “Succession”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series
Sharon Horgan, “Bad Sisters”
Melanie Lynskey, “Yellowjackets”
Elisabeth Moss, “The Handmaid’s Tale”
Bella Ramsey, “The Last of Us”
Keri Russell, “The Diplomat”
Sarah Snook, “Succession”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Drama Series
F. Murray Abraham, “The White Lotus”
Nicholas Braun, “Succession”
Michael Imperioli, “The White Lotus”
Theo James, “The White Lotus”
Matthew Macfadyen, “Succession”
Alan Ruck, “Succession”
Will Sharpe, “The White Lotus”
Alexander Skarsgård, “Succession”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Drama Series
Jennifer Coolidge, “The White Lotus”
Elizabeth Debicki, “The Crown”
Meghann Fahy, “The White Lotus”
Sabrina Impacciatore, “The White Lotus”
Aubrey Plaza, “The White Lotus”
Rhea Seehorn, “Better Call Saul”
J. Smith-Cameron, “Succession”
Simona Tabasco, “The White Lotus”
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Drama Series
Murray Bartlett, “The Last of Us”
James Cromwell, “Succession”
Lamar Johnson, “The Last of Us”
Arian Moayed, “Succession”
Nick Offerman, “The Last of Us”
Keivonn Montreal Woodard, “The Last of Us”
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Drama Series
Hiam Abbass, “Succession”
Cherry Jones, “Succession”
Melanie Lynskey, “The Last of Us”
Storm Reid, “The Last of Us”
Anna Torv, “The Last of Us”
Harriet Walter, “Succession”
Outstanding Comedy Series
“Abbott Elementary”
“Barry”
“The Bear”
“Jury Duty”
“The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
“Only Murders in the Building”
“Ted Lasso”
“Wednesday”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Comedy Series
Bill Hader, “Barry”
Jason Segel, “Shrinking”
Martin Short, “Only Murders in the Building”
Jason Sudeikis, “Ted Lasso”
Jeremy Allen White, “The Bear”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Comedy Series
Christina Applegate, “Dead to Me”
Rachel Brosnahan, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Quinta Brunson, “Abbott Elementary”
Natasha Lyonne, “Poker Face”
Jenna Ortega, “Wednesday”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Comedy Series
Anthony Carrigan, “Barry”
Phil Dunster, Ted Lasso”
Brett Goldstein, “Ted Lasso”
James Marsden, “Jury Duty”
Ebon Moss-Bachrach, “The Bear”
Tyler James Williams, “Abbott Elementary”
Henry Winkler, “Barry”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series
Alex Borstein, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Ayo Edebiri, “The Bear”
Janelle James, “Abbott Elementary”
Sheryl Lee Ralph, “Abbott Elementary”
Juno Temple, “Ted Lasso”
Hannah Waddingham, “Ted Lasso”
Jessica Williams, “Shrinking”
Outstanding Guest Actor in a Comedy Series
Jon Bernthal, “The Bear”
Luke Kirby, “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel”
Nathan Lane, “Only Murders in the Building”
Pedro Pascal, “Saturday Night Live”
Oliver Platt, “The Bear”
Sam Richardson, “Ted Lasso”
Outstanding Guest Actress in a Comedy Series
Becky Ann Baker, “Ted Lasso”
Quinta Brunson, “Saturday Night Live”
Taraji P. Henson, “Abbott Elementary”
Judith Light, “Poker Face”
Sarah Niles, “Ted Lasso”
Harriet Walter, “Ted Lasso”
Outstanding Limited or Anthology Series
“Beef”
“Dahmer – Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”
“Daisy Jones & The Six”
“Fleishman Is in Trouble”
“Obi-Wan Kenobi”
Outstanding Television Movie
“Dolly Parton’s Mountain Magic Christmas”
“Fire Island”
“Hocus Pocus 2”
“Prey”
“Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Taron Egerton, “Black Bird”
Kumail Nanjiani, “Welcome to Chippendale’s”
Evan Peters, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”
Daniel Radcliffe, “Weird: The Al Yankovic Story”
Michael Shannon, “George and Tammy”
Steven Yeun, “Beef”
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Lizzy Caplan, Fleishman Is in Trouble”
Jessica Chastain, “George & Tammy”
Dominique Fishback, “Swarm”
Kathryn Hahn, “Tiny Beautiful Things”
Riley Keough, “Daisy Jones & The Six”
Ali Wong, “Beef”
Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Murray Bartlett, “Welcome to Chippendales”
Paul Walter Hauser, “Black Bird”
Richard Jenkins, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”
Joseph Lee, “Beef”
Ray Liotta, “Black Bird”
Young Mazino, “Beef”
Jesse Plemons, “Love and Death”
Outstanding Supporting Actress in a Limited or Anthology Series or Movie
Annaleigh Ashford, “Welcome to Chippendale’s”
Maria Bello, “Beef”
Claire Danes, “Fleishman Is in Trouble”
Juliette Lewis, “Welcome to Chippendale’s”
Camila Morrone, “Daisy Jones and the Six”
Niecy Nash-Betts, “Monster: The Jeffrey Dahmer Story”
Merritt Wever, “Tiny Beautiful Things”
Outstanding Animated Program
“Bob’s Burgers”
“Entergalactic”
“Genndy Tartakovsky’s Primal”
“Rick and Morty”
“The Simpsons”
Outstanding Character Voice-Over Performance
Julie Andrews, “Queen Charlotte”
Alex Borstein, “Family Guy”
Mel Brooks, “History of the World, Part II”
Maya Rudolph, “Big Mouth”
Wanda Sykes, “Crank Yankers”
Ali Wong, “Tuca & Bertie”
Outstanding Narrator
Mahershala Ali, “Chimp Empire”
Angela Bassett, “Good Night Oppy”
Morgan Freeman, “Our Universe”
Barack Obama, “Working: What We Do All Day”
Pedro Pascal, “Patagonia: Life on the Edge of the World”
Outstanding Variety Talk Series
“The Daily Show With Trevor Noah”
“Jimmy Kimmel Live!”
“Late Night With Seth Meyers”
“The Late Show With Stephen Colbert”
“The Problem With Jon Stewart”
Outstanding Scripted Variety Series
“A Black Lady Sketch Show”
“Last Week Tonight With John Oliver”
“Saturday Night Live”
Outstanding Variety Special (Live)
“The Apple Music Super Bowl LVII Halftime Show Starring Rihanna”
“Chris Rock: Selective Outrage”
“Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium”
“The Oscars”
“75th Annual Tony Awards”
Outstanding Variety Special (Pre-Recorded)
″Carol Burnett: 90 Years of Laughter”
“John Mulaney: Baby J”
“Lizzo: Live in Concert”
“Norman Lear: 100 Years of Music & Laughter”
“Trevor Noah: I Wish You Would”
“Wanda Sykes: I’m an Entertainer”
Outstanding Hosted Nonfiction Series or Special
“The Light We Carry: Michelle Obama and Oprah Winfrey”
“My Next Guest Needs No Introduction With David Letterman and Volodymyr Zelenskyy”
“Stanley Tucci: Searching for Italy”
“Taste the Nation With Padma Lakshmi”
“United Shades of America With W. Kamau Bell”
Outstanding Structured Reality Program
“Antiques Roadshow”
“Diners, Drive-Ins And Dives”
“Love Is Blind”
“Queer Eye”
“Shark Tank”
Outstanding Unstructured Reality Program
“Indian Matchmaking”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
“Selling Sunset”
“Vanderpump Rules”
“Welcome to Wrexham”
Outstanding Competition Program
“The Amazing Race”
“RuPaul’s Drag Race”
“Survivor”
“Top Chef”
“The Voice”
Outstanding Host for a Reality or Reality-Competition Program
Bobby Berk, Karamo Brown, Tan France, Antoni Porowski, Jonathan Van Ness, “Queer Eye”
Nicole Byer, “Nailed It!”
Padma Lakshmi, “Top Chef”
Amy Poehler & Maya Rudolph, “Baking It”
RuPaul, “RuPaul’s Drag Race”
Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Special
“Being Mary Tyler Moore”
“Judy Blume Forever”
“My Transparent Life”
“Pamela, A Love Story”
“Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie”
Outstanding Documentary Or Nonfiction Series
“Dear Mama”
“100 Foot Wave”
“Secrets of the Elephants”
“The 1619 Project”
“The U.S. and The Holocaust”
Exceptional Merit In Documentary Filmmaking
“The Accused: Damned or Devoted?”
“Aftershock”
“Last Flight Home”
“The Territory”
Outstanding Short Form Comedy, Drama or Variety Series
“Awkwafina Is Hangin’ With Grandma”
“Better Call Saul Filmmaker Training”
“Carpool Karaoke: The Series”
“I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson”
“Only Murders in the Building: One Killer Question”
Outstanding Actor in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
Kevin Hart, “Die Hart 2: Die Harter”
Tim Robinson, “I Think You Should Leave With Tim Robinson”
Ben Schartz, “Die Hart 2: Die Harter”
Outstanding Actress in a Short Form Comedy or Drama Series
Nathalie Emmanuel, “Die Hart 2: Die Harter”
Jasmine Guy, “Chronicles of Jessica Wu”
Paula Pell, “Die Hart 2: Die Harter”
Outstanding Short Form Nonfiction Or Reality Series
I feel like “I’ll sleep on the plane there” falls into the same category as “I’ll let it soak” ― they’re both little but destructive lies we tell ourselves when we’re too stressed or tired to think through the reality of a situation.
And like facing a clogged-up sink hours after you said you’d clean that grimy pot, taking an exhausted exit from a plane only to face a groggy 12 hours of activities in a new country can be completely overwhelming.
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Luckily, it turns out there’s a trick that only the pros know to help ensure a great nap while you’re travelling ― recently, a former British Airways flight attendant, shared with The Express where to avoid sitting to get your best shot at sleep.
What’s that then?
“If you book the middle aisle front row on a long-haul flight, yes you might get some extra leg room, but you’re more than likely to be sat next to a baby,” she said.
“This is because this seat has a fold-down table for cots/bassinets for babies to sleep instead of on someone’s lap for the whole flight.”
So, if the infant you’re sat beside is particularly vocal or fussy, it might be hard to drown out their cries well enough to nod off.
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The former flight attendant also told The Express that while a window seat is often comfiest for mid-flight naps (you need something to rest your head on that isn’t an irritated stranger’s shoulder, after all), there’s one job we should all do there if we want to catch some pre-holiday Zzzs.
“If you’re at a window seat and planning to get some sleep (particularly when flying through the night into daylight) close your blind after take-off,” she told the publication.
That’s because those who don’t remember to shut their blinds will have flight attendants “climbing” all over them to close it for them. After all, they need to be down during takeoff and landing ― and, of course, it’s better for blocking daylight.
It’s also a good idea to stay in the back of the plane, she added.
Anything else?
Yep! We’ve written before about how everything from a good neck pillow to meditation can help you fall asleep on a plane.
And Phil Dengler, co-founder of The Vacationer, previously told HuffPost that how you dress is key.
“The most common mistake people make on long-haul flights is not dressing properly,” he said. “Since you will be sitting in the same seat for six or more hours, it is essential to be as comfortable as possible.”
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The middle aisle of the front row isn’t the only seat you should avoid on a flight, either ― “Sitting near the restroom may sound convenient, but it’s never fun to be in that row when a line forms outside the restroom,” said Paul Jacobs, general manager and vice president at Kayak North America, told HuffPost.
So, dress comfy, cushion up, avoid the middle front aisle seat, pull those blinds down, and skip the pre-loo view if you can, the pros say. Noted.
Keir Starmer has watered down his previous pledge to end arms sales to Saudi Arabia if he becomes prime minister.
The Labour leader would only commit to a “review” of the policy if he becomes prime minister.
Starmer also appeared to row back on his previous commitment to bring in a new law forcing the government to seek parliamentary approval for any military action.
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When he was running to succeed Jeremy Corbyn in 2020, Starmer said the UK “should stop the sales of arms to Saudi Arabia”.
But on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg this morning, he said: “We will do a review to look at the sales, look at the countries and the relationships that we have. Obviously, that follows a review.”
Kuenssberg told him: “But you said in February 2020 ‘we should stop the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia’. Is that still your position?”
Starmer replied: “We will review the situation and the review will give us the answer to those questions.”
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Kuenssberg said: “So you may not any more promise to stop the sale of arms to Saudi Arabia, which is what you used to say in 2020.”
Starmer said: “We will review the situation and the review will make clear what the position is.”
During his leadership campaign, Starmer pledged to “end illegal wars” by introducing a Prevention of Military Intervention Act.
That would ensure that any military action had to be legal and backed by a Commons vote.
However, Starmer backed last week’s air strikes on Houthi rebels in Yemen despite there being no vote in parliament beforehand.
Asked about the apparent change of heart, the Labour leader insisted there was “no inconsistency” in his position.
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He said: “There is a huge distinction between an operation the like of which we’ve seen in the last few days and a sustained campaign – military action usually involving troops on the ground.
“National security must come first. There will always be urgent situations where parliament can’t be consulted beforehand. But the principle that if there’s to be a sustained campaign, if we’re going to deploy our troops on the ground, that parliament should be informed, there should be a debate, the case should be made and there should be a vote, I do stand by that in principle, absolutely.”
However, Starmer refused to commit to introducing a new law, saying it could be “done by some other means”.
