Tag Archives: Politics

Nicola Sturgeon Has Been Arrested By Police Probing The SNP’s Finances

Posted on by
Reply

Nicola Sturgeon has been released by police after being arrested as part of their investigation into the SNP’s finances.

Scotland’s former first minister was questioned for seven hours by detectives investigating the whereabouts of £660,000 donated to the party for a second independence referendum campaign.

She was released without charge pending further investigations.

Sturgeon’s husband, former SNP chief executive Peter Murrell, and the party’s treasurer, Colin Beattie, have previously been arrested as part of the probe, known as Operation Branchform.

In a statement, Police Scotland said: “A 52-year-old woman has today, Sunday, June 11, been arrested as a suspect in connection with the ongoing investigation into the funding and finances of the Scottish National Party.”

A spokeswoman for Sturgeon said: “By arrangement with Police Scotland, Nicola Sturgeon attended an interview where she was to be arrested and questioned in relation to Operation Branchform.

“Nicola has consistently said she would co-operate with the investigation if asked and continues to do so.”

Police Scotland are investigating claims that the donations from activists to support the campaign for a second independence referendum were used for other purposes.

The inquiry was launched following allegations that the money, which was meant to be in a ring-fenced fund, had been misappropriated.

An SNP spokesperson said: “These issues are subject to a live police investigation.

“The SNP have been co-operating fully with this investigation and will continue to do so, however it is not appropriate to publicly address any issues while that investigation is ongoing.”

Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray saying: “This is a deeply concerning development and the Police Scotland investigation must be allowed to proceed without interference.

“For too long, a culture of secrecy and cover-up has been allowed to fester at the heart of the SNP.”

Share Button

Sunak Hails ‘Atlantic Declaration’ Despite Abandoning UK-US Free Trade Deal

Posted on by
Reply

Rishi Sunak and Joe Biden have agreed a new partnership that the British prime minister said cements the “indispensable alliance” between the UK and US – but the deal fell well short of a prized and full-blown free trade deal.

The Atlantic Declaration, announced as the PM and US president met in the White House, includes commitments on easing trade barriers, closer defence industry ties and a data protection deal.

UK officials insisted the new, “targeted” approach was a better response to the economic challenges posed by China and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine than a trade deal – which has long been hailed by Brexiteers as one of the potential benefits of leaving the EU.

During a joint press conference in Washington DC where the declaration was announced, Sunak was pressed by the BBC’s political Chris Mason on whether the lack of a free trade deal represented “failure” to deliver on a 2019 manifesto promise.

Sunak replied the declaration was a response to the “particular opportunities and challenges we face right now and into the future” and that the UK-US relationship is “strong and booming”.

For the president’s part, Biden said: “It’s a testament to the depth, breadth and I would argue the intensity of our co-operation and coordination which continues to exist between the United Kingdom and the United States.

“There’s no issue of global importance – none – that our nations are not leading together.”

What’s in The Atlantic Declaration?

The deal mitigates some of the issues cause by Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA), with proposals for a critical minerals agreement to remove barriers which affected trade in electric vehicle batteries.

An agreement would give buyers of vehicles made using critical minerals processed, recycled or mined by UK companies access to tax credits in line with the IRA.

The Inflation Reduction Act provides a $3,750 incentive for each vehicle, on conditions including that the critical minerals used in its production – principally used in the battery – are sourced from the US or a country with whom the US has a critical minerals agreement.

An agreement could help companies all over the UK, including firms carrying out nickel production in Wales and lithium processing in Teesside.

Biden has committed to ask Congress to approve the UK as a “domestic source” under US defence procurement laws, allowing for greater American investment in British firms.

Work will be carried out to improve the resilience of supply chains and efforts will be stepped up to shut Vladimir Putin’s Russia out of the global civil nuclear market.

The agreement will also include a push for mutual recognition of qualifications for engineers, although this could require state-by-state approval in the US.

A deal on data protection will ease burdens for small firms doing transatlantic trade, potentially saving £92 million.

The two nations will also collaborate on key industries – artificial intelligence, 5G and 6G telecoms, quantum computing, semiconductors and engineering biology.

It also commits the UK and US to partnership across all forms of space activity, including on communications and space nuclear power and propulsion.

Why not a proper trade deal?

Officials believe the deal is a less sentimental and more pragmatic approach to the UK-US “special relationship”, based on the need to ensure the allies can maintain their economic power and security.

The global energy shock caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine illustrated the vulnerability of major economies reliant on supply chains beyond their political allies.

There are fears that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan could cause a similar economic meltdown due to the disputed territory’s significance in global semiconductor supplies.

Labour said the absence of a trade deal in the Atlantic Declaration represented a “failure”.

Shadow foreign secretary David Lammy said: “This statement shows the Conservative government has failed to deliver the comprehensive trade deal they promised in the 2019 manifesto, or to secure the ally status under the Inflation Reduction Act that is so important for the automotive sector and for the green transition.

“While the Biden administration have enacted the Inflation Reduction Act to de-risk its economy from China and create jobs at home, the Conservatives have left Britain’s cupboards bare. Instead of taking similar action, the chancellor has attacked the US approach as ‘dangerous’ and ‘not the British way’.”

Share Button

‘You Couldn’t Run A Whelk Stall’: BBC Question Time Audience Member Blasts Politicians

Posted on by
Reply

A BBC Question Time audience member has let rip at Britain’s political class – claiming it is so “incompetent” the two main parties “couldn’t run a whelk stall”.

This week’s show, which came from King’s Lynn in Norfolk, came against the backdrop of more partygate revelations, a backlash to Boris Johnson’s resignation honours list and tensions over the Covid-19 public inquiry.

One question – what could the Tories could do to turn around their fortunes and win at the general election next year – prompted a diatribe from one member of the audience, who appeared dissatisfied with the way the country is being run regardless of who is charge.

He said: “We’ve heard it all before from both of you, from both parties. You’re absolutely incompetent. Those that are not incompetent and corrupt.

“I have no idea why any of us bothered to vote for any of you. You couldn’t run a whelk stall, let alone the country. Either of you.

“And all you can do is bat off each other and not make any sense whatsoever. Stay behind afterwards. Both of you. Have a word from me, I’ll give you some home truths.“

He added: “I’m sick to death of you. The only person who went in parliament with good intentions was Guy Fawkes.”

Both Conservative Lee Rowley and Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth – on the panel – agreed to meet the man afterwards to discuss his concerns. He claimed the recent local elections was the first time he has not voted.

Share Button

Sunak To ‘Clear The Decks’ By Nodding Through Johnson Resignation Honours List

Posted on by
Reply

Rishi Sunak is expected to accept Boris Johnson’s long-awaited resignation honours list in a move that could prompt crunch by-elections when Labour are well ahead of the Tories in the polls.

The Times newspaper reported that official confirmation of who will receive peerages and sit in the House of Lords could be published in a matter of weeks, with the current prime minister hoping to “clear the decks”.

The move comes amid acrimony between Sunak and Johnson over the Covid-19 public inquiry and whether the former-PM’s unredacted WhatsApp messages during the pandemic should be handed over.

Also, according to The Times, it could prompt by-elections for seats held by former cabinet ministers Nadine Dorries and Alok Sharma, who have long been thought to be on the 50-strong list.

Two other former ministers – Nigel Adams and Alister Jack – are also expected to be enobled, but will stay on as MPs until the end of this parliament.

“We strictly do not comment on honours,” Johnson’s spokesman said.

A poll this week showed the Labour Party is on track to win a 140-seat majority at the next election.

The bombshell MRP analysis suggests Keir Starmer is heading for 10 Downing Street on the back of a landslide victory in 2024.

<img class="img-sized__img landscape" loading="lazy" alt="Former prime minister Boris Johnson and wife Carrie.” width=”720″ height=”486″ src=”https://www.wellnessmaster.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/sunak-to-clear-the-decks-by-nodding-through-johnson-resignation-honours-list-2.jpg”>
Former prime minister Boris Johnson and wife Carrie.

Kirsty O’Connor via PA Wire/PA Images

Meanwhile, Johnson and his wife Carrie hosted a close friend at Chequers in May 2021 for an overnight stay while some Covid-19 restrictions were still in place, according to reports.

A spokesman for the former prime minister said that the visit was “entirely lawful”, after The Guardian newspaper reported that events organiser Dixie Maloney stayed at the grace and favour country residence on May 7 2021.

At that stage, indoor mixing between different households was not permitted.

Exceptions to this included gatherings “reasonably necessary” for work purposes and childcare. The Guardian cited sources suggesting that Maloney was permitted to be there for childcare reasons given Symonds was pregnant.

Under the rules at the time, a gathering could be seen as reasonably necessary “to provide care or assistance to a vulnerable person” – a definition that under the legislation included anyone pregnant.

A spokesman for the former prime minister said: “This was entirely lawful, and it was covered by relevant provisions in the Covid regulations, as The Guardian’s report makes clear.

“To suggest otherwise is totally untrue.”

There had been some speculation that Maloney was involved in some of the planning behind the couple’s wedding.

A decision last month to pass to the police concerns over events in Chequers and Downing Street, following a review of the former prime minister’s official diary, led to renewed questions for Johnson and the ministers.

Entries in the former prime minister’s official diary reportedly revealed visits by friends to Chequers during the pandemic and new allegations about his behaviour in Downing Street.

Cabinet Office officials passed concerns to the Metropolitan Police and Thames Valley Police after the new information came to light during a review by taxpayer-funded lawyers ahead of the Covid public inquiry.

Johnson, who believes he is the victim of a stitch-up, ditched the government-appointed lawyers representing him in the Covid inquiry after the referral.

It came as he awaits the verdict of the Commons privileges committee, which is conducting an inquiry into whether Johnson lied to parliament about the partygate scandal.

Share Button

Prince Harry: Government At ‘Rock Bottom’ And ‘In Bed’ With The Media

Posted on by
Reply

Prince Harry has described the state of the British press and the government as both being at “rock bottom” and accused them of being “in bed” with one another.

The Duke of Sussex’s made the outspoken attack on the serving government – breaking royal protocol – as he entered the witness box in his claim against the publisher of the Daily Mirror.

Harry gave evidence on Tuesday at the high court in London in his lawsuit against the Mirror Group Newspapers (MGN), which he accuses of phone-hacking and other unlawful acts.

In a witness statement, the prince said: “Democracy fails when your press fails to scrutinise and hold the government accountable, and instead choose to get into bed with them so they can ensure the status quo.

“In my view, in order to save journalism as a profession, journalists need to expose those people in the media that have stolen or highjacked the privileges and powers of the press, and have used illegal or unlawful means for their own gain and agendas.

“I feel that I need to make sure that this unlawful behaviour is exposed, because obviously I don’t want anybody else going through the same thing that I’ve been going through on a personal level.

“But also on a national level as, at the moment, our country is judged globally by the state of our press and our government – both of which I believe are at rock bottom.”

Sunak has refused to be drawn into a war of words with the Duke of Sussex over his claim.

The prime minister told reporters travelling with him to Washington: “As you know, we have a long-standing convention that prime ministers don’t comment on members of the royal family.”

Prince Harry alleges that about 140 articles published between 1996 and 2010 by MGN titles contained information gathered using unlawful methods, and 33 of these have been selected to be considered at the trial.

Andrew Green KC, for MGN, questioned Harry on about 20 of the 33 articles over the course of the hearing, which lasted nearly five hours.

Harry’s claim is being heard alongside three other “representative” claims during a trial which began last month and is due to last six to seven weeks.

Share Button

Tory London Mayor Hopeful Says The Conservatives ‘Must Modernise To Survive’

Posted on by
Reply

The Conservative Party has to undergo “another period of modernisation if it’s going to survive”, the frontrunner in the race to be its candidate for London mayor has warned.

Samuel Kasumu, a former aide to Boris Johnson, said he was the only Tory in the contest who was able to reach out to a city as cosmopolitan as the capital.

In an interview with HuffPost UK, the 35-year-old also called on the party to have a “much more nuanced conversation about immigration”.

His comments will be viewed as a swipe at home secretary Suella Braverman, who has been criticised for saying the UK faces an “invasion” of immigrants.

Labour’s Sadiq Khan is hoping to win a third term as London’s mayor in May next year.

His Conservative rival will be chosen by party members from a shortlist of three on July 19.

Kasumu is up against technology minister Paul Scully, veteran London Assembly member Andrew Boff and David Cameron’s former deputy head of policy, Daniel Korski.

Kasumu – currently a councillor in Welwyn Hatfield – quit Downing Street in April 2021 amid a row over the government’s Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities report, which was branded a “whitewash” by some anti-racism campaigners.

He said the party had to “appeal to folks you might not even be ideologically aligned with” if it wanted to win.

“The first thing you have to say is, London is the most cosmopolitan city in the world,” he said.

“How do you reach all these groups? I think I am best place to do that. There are probably only two or three people in the whole Conservative movement who are able to do that.

“I’m the only one who is going to make the shortlist who can do that job.”

He added: “The Conservative Party is going to have to undergo another period of modernisation if it’s going to survive.

“Even if you shut the borders today, there are an increasing number of people from minority ethnic backgrounds, and in London specifically, nearly half the population were born outside the country.”

Rishi Sunak has made stopping asylum seekers crossing the Channel one of his five pledges to voters amid concerns that the government has lost control of the immigration system.

Braverman has also come in for severe criticism over the language she has used when talking about the issue.

“I can’t tell the home secretary what to say or how to articulate that,” Kasumu said. “But I think we need to have a much more honest conversation about immigration… a much more nuanced conversation about the subject.

“Most people are quite sensible about immigration. They recognise that immigrants can and will continue to play a role in allowing us to function as a society.”

Sadiq Khan is hoping to win a third term as mayor.
Sadiq Khan is hoping to win a third term as mayor.

Aaron Chown – PA Images via Getty Images

Kasumu also warned Sunak that time was running out for him to set out his vision of the kind of country he wants to build.

The prime minister set out his five pledges to voters in January – stopping the boats, halving inflation, cutting waiting lists, growing the economy and reducing the national debt.

But Kasumu said: “If I’m advising the prime minister – which I’m not anymore – I would say, I get it, five pledges, you need to demonstrate competence, you need to earn the right to be heard again.

“It’s a bit like what I’m saying in London, you’ve got he earn the right to be heard and then at some point, sooner rather than later, we need to have a very clear vision about what the next iteration of a Rishi Sunak premiership could look like.”

“They don’t have a lot of time,” he added. “We have got party conference after the summer. Maybe that’s the time to start to articulate what a Rishi Sunak vision looks like.”

Just as the national polls show Labour ahead, the Conservatives are fighting an even stepper uphill battle in London, with a YouGov poll in April suggesting Labour holds a 40-point lead in the capital.

But Kasumu said: “If we win in London then all bets are off.”

Share Button

Oh Good – AI Could ‘Kill Many Humans’ Within Two Years, Says Rishi Sunak’s Adviser

Posted on by
Reply

Rishi Sunak’s adviser on artificial intelligence has warned there’s just two years to save the world from AI systems.

Matt Clifford said AI could have the capability to be behind advances that “kill many humans” within that timeframe.

He said that unless producers are regulated on a global scale then there could be “very powerful” systems that humans could struggle to control.

Even the short-term risks were “pretty scary”, he told TalkTV, with AI having the potential to create cyber and biological weapons that could inflict many deaths.

The comments come after a letter backed by dozens of experts, including AI pioneers, was published last week warning that the risks of the technology should be treated with the same urgency as pandemics or nuclear war.

Senior bosses at companies such as Google DeepMind and Anthropic signed the letter along with the so-called “godfather of AI”, Geoffrey Hinton, who resigned from his job at Google earlier this month, saying that in the wrong hands, AI could be used to harm people and spell the end of humanity.

Clifford is advising the prime minister on the development of the UK government’s Foundation Model Taskforce, which is looking into AI language models such as ChatGPT and Google Bard, and is also chairman of the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (Aria).

He told TalkTV: “I think there are lots of different types of risks with AI and often in the industry we talk about near-term and long-term risks, and the near-term risks are actually pretty scary.

“You can use AI today to create new recipes for bio weapons or to launch large-scale cyber attacks. These are bad things.

“The kind of existential risk that I think the letter writers were talking about is… about what happens once we effectively create a new species, an intelligence that is greater than humans.”

While conceding that a two-year timescale for computers to surpass human intelligence was at the “bullish end of the spectrum”, Clifford said AI systems were becoming “more and more capable at an ever increasing rate”.

Asked on the First Edition programme on Monday what percentage chance he would give that humanity could be wiped out by AI, Clifford said: “I think it is not zero.”

He continued: “If we go back to things like the bio weapons or cyber (attacks), you can have really very dangerous threats to humans that could kill many humans – not all humans – simply from where we would expect models to be in two years’ time.

“I think the thing to focus on now is how do we make sure that we know how to control these models because right now we don’t.”

The technology expert said AI production needed to be regulated on a global scale and not only by national governments.

AI apps have gone viral online, with users posting fake images of celebrities and politicians, and students using ChatGPT and other “language learning models” to generate university-grade essays.

But AI can also perform life-saving tasks, such as algorithms analysing medical images such as X-rays, scans and ultrasounds, helping doctors to identify and diagnose diseases such as cancer and heart conditions more accurately and quickly.

Clifford said that AI, if harnessed in the right way, could be a force for good.

“You can imagine AI curing diseases, making the economy more productive, helping us get to a carbon neutral economy,” he said.

Share Button

Female MPs And Young Staff Are Not Safe In Parliament, Labour MP Says

Posted on by
Reply

Charlotte Nichols has said female MPs are not safe in parliament as sexual harassment is “baked in”.

The Labour MP for Warrington North said those most at risk are parliamentary staff who are usually much younger.

She also said no political party had “clean hands” on the issue of sexual harassment.

Last week Labour received a formal complaint over the conduct of Swansea West MP Geraint Davies, who had been suspended following allegations of sexual harassment.

It has once again prompted questions about the behaviour of MPs and how their parties handle complaints.

Asked on GB News if MPs are safe, Nichols said: “I don’t think that female MPs are, but I think that the people that are most at risk are parliamentary staff, particularly young women, and young gay men or men perceived to be gay, who have the least power in the institution.

“They are the most at risk and have the least form of redress of any of us.

“I think the issue of sexual harassment and sexual misconduct is unfortunately baked into every single part of how the institution of Westminster operates. No party has clean hands on this.

“But one of the things that I’m concerned about is that I do expect my own party to be better.

“And we’re not having the ability to have the moral high ground at the moment because we can’t even keep our own house in order and on a personal and a professional level, I find it deeply, deeply upsetting.”

Nichols has previously revealed that when she first came into parliament she was given a list of around 30 MPs to avoid, adding: “This was MPs from all different parties, including a handful from my own.”

A Labour spokesperson said the party would urge people with complaints to come forward so they can be investigated and action taken.

Politico website said a sitting Labour MP had also registered a complaint against Davies.

The outlet had earlier reported that five women had made sexual harassment claims against the veteran politician.

Davies said that he did not “recognise” the allegations, according to Politico.

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “We would strongly urge anyone with a complaint to come forward so that allegations can be swiftly and fully investigated and action taken.

“The party has ensured that there is a wide range of support available to complainants, to provide confidence and confidential guidance throughout the disciplinary process.”

Share Button

Minister Denies Sunak Is Blocking WhatsApps Over Fears Plot To Topple Johnson Will Be Exposed

Posted on by
Reply

A minister has dismissed claims that Rishi Sunak is blocking the release of messages to the Covid inquiry to avoid exposing a plot against Boris Johnson.

Robert Jenrick insisted the reason for the government’s bid to stop the release of unredacted messages to the inquiry was a “simple legal one”.

It follows an extraordinary argument between ministers and the official inquiry into the pandemic.

The government is trying to block the inquiry’s order to release WhatsApp messages and diaries, arguing that it should not have to hand over material which is “unambiguously irrelevant”.

However, a defiant Johnson has bypassed the government and told the inquiry he is happy to hand over all his own communications from that period.

Allies of the former prime minister claimed Sunak was blocking the release of text messages because it could reveal his plot to bring down Johnson, according to the Mail on Sunday.

Asked about the claims, Jenrick told Sky’s Sophy Ridge on Sunday: “No, as I say, the issue here is a simple legal one.”

Jenrick said Johnson would not be restricted over what he divulged to the Covid inquiry.

But he said it would not be “sensible or reasonable” to hand over ministers’ documents or messages if they are deemed irrelevant to the pandemic.

It comes after cabinet office lawyers wrote to Johnson to warn that money would “cease to be available” if he breaks conditions such as releasing evidence without permission.

He has had legal advice paid for by the taxpayer, but the Sunday Times detailed the letter from government lawyers containing the warning to Johnson.

“The funding offer will cease to be available to you if you knowingly seek to frustrate or undermine, either through your own actions or the actions of others, the government’s position in relation to the inquiry unless there is a clear and irreconcilable conflict of interest on a particular point at issue,” it said.

The cabinet office insisted the letter was “intended to protect public funds” so taxpayer-funded lawyers are not used for any other purpose than aiding the inquiry.

Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries, a staunch ally of the former Tory leader, said it is “not a good look for the government”.

“All evidence provided should be unfettered and not restricted by gov censorship – whatever form that may take,” she tweeted.

Conservative donor Lord Cruddas, an outspoken backer of Johnson, who handed him a peerage, urged the MP not to be “held to ransom” by the threat.

“Don’t worry @BorisJohnson I can easily get your legal fees funded by supporters and crowd funding, it’s easy,” he tweeted.

Share Button

‘Paranoid’ Russian Officials Are Cracking Down On Public Displays Of Yellow And Blue Items, UK Says

Posted on by
Reply

Some “paranoid” Russian security officials are interpreting wartime legislation to mean that public displays of blue and yellow are outlawed.

People have been arrested for wearing colours similar to the Ukrainian flag – in the belief that they are showing support for the invaded country, the Ministry of Defence [MoD] said.

They cited reports of a care home worker arrested for wearing a blue and yellow jacket to work and a 22-year-old man displaying the blue and yellow flag of Russia’s own Aerospace Forces.

Children look at burned cars at the site where Russia's intercepted drone debris fell, on May 31, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine.
Children look at burned cars at the site where Russia’s intercepted drone debris fell, on May 31, 2023 in Kyiv, Ukraine.

Roman Pilipey via Getty Images

British officials say the clampdown shows a “paranoid Russian officialdom” in an “increasingly totalitarian” system.

“Some local Russian security officials are likely interpreting Russia’s draconian wartime legislation to mean that public display of blue and yellow items is outlawed because it might evidence discreet support for Ukraine,” the MoD said.

“On 09 May 2023, a care home worker was reportedly arrested after wearing a blue and yellow jacket to work.

“In recent days, Russian National Guard troops arrested a 22 year old man in Volkhov near St Petersburg for displaying which was eventually determined to be the blue and yellow flag of Russia’s own Aerospace Forces.

“The clampdown highlights uncertainty within a paranoid Russian officialdom of what is and is [not] deemed permissible within an increasingly totalitarian system.

“Criticism of the arrests has come from an unexpected quarter: the ultra-nationalist, pro-war Liberal Democratic party. The party’s own branding features yellow on a blue background.”

It comes as Ukraine is set to launch its long-awaited counteroffensive to recapture Russian-occupied territory.

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told the Wall Street Journal: “We strongly believe that we will succeed.

“I don’t know how long it will take. To be honest, it can go a variety of ways, completely different. But we are going to do it, and we are ready.”

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy

SERGEI SUPINSKY via Getty Images

Kyiv hopes a counteroffensive to reclaim territory will change the dynamics of the war that has raged since Russia invaded its neighbour 15 months ago.

Zelenskyy said last month Ukraine needed to wait for more Western armoured vehicles arrived before launching the counteroffensive.

He has been on a diplomatic push to maintain Western support, seeking more military aid and weapons, which is key for Ukraine to succeed in its plans.

Russia holds Ukrainian territory in the east, south and southeast.

Share Button