Brexit
Mail
The Prime Minister is facing pressure from Tory backbenchers to harden up legislation to override parts of the Brexit deal, it was claimed last night.
Boris Johnson held a secret meeting with a representative of the European Research Group of Brexiteer Tory MPs on Tuesday night.
A bill to deal with issues over the Northern Ireland Protocol was discussed at the meeting which was also attended by Foreign Secretary Liz Truss, The Times reported. The legislation is due to be published in days
As part of Brexit negotiations, the UK and EU agreed to the protocol which is designed to avoid the need for a border on the island of Ireland.
But this has led to disruption on goods crossing the Irish Sea, with new checks imposed on those moving to the province.
Concerns also have been raised that Northern Ireland’s place within the UK is being undermined.
Ministers intend to use domestic law to override aspects of post-Brexit arrangements unilaterally to reduce the checks.
Boris
Express
BORIS JOHNSON is set to attempt to reset his leadership after surviving a confidence vote on Monday evening, reports state.
In a speech in Lancashire, Mr Johnson is expected to vow to boost home ownership as he seeks to repair relations with the 148 Tory MPs who voted to oust him. The Prime Minister is expected to announce that he wants to extend the right to buy to people who rent from housing associations.
It is also expected that he will promise action in the coming weeks to deal with household costs.
Mr Johnson will also attempt to use the move as an attempt to try to move on from the partygate debacle.
There is also discontent among Conservative MPs at the high level of taxation along with other issues.
The Prime Minister’s speech is expected to float the idea of allowing people to use housing benefit payments to buy homes and make mortgage payments.
Guardian
Boris Johnson will try to reset his beleaguered premiership on Thursday with a speech on housing and the cost of living that was condemned by opponents as “hot air and waffle” and rehashed policies, rather than a genuine attempt to tackle the crises.
As petrol prices saw their biggest daily jump in 17 years and Britain was warned its economy could be hit more by the Ukraine war than any other major country, the prime minister was expected to mainly promise concrete plans in the coming weeks.
Advance extracts of the speech released by Downing Street saw Johnson promise to “use our fiscal firepower” to help struggling households, but contained no specifics beyond broad pledges of cost-saving policies still being prepared.
Guardian
Rebel Tory MPs are betting that Boris Johnson will “blow himself up” with further scandals over the summer so that the rules protecting him from another confidence vote can be changed to force him from office.
The prime minister narrowly survived a ballot on his premiership this week, helped partly by potential leadership contenders deciding to hold off launching their own campaigns.
Under Conservative party rules, Johnson is immune from another vote for 12 months. But the Guardian understands that the 1922 Committee, which oversees such votes, could cut that period to six months, or even less.
Elections to the committee’s executive are expected to take place in the coming weeks and will be viewed by some as a de facto vote on whether to take such a step.
Independent
Allies of Boris Johnson have warned him not to reward rebels as he begins a policy blitz designed to overcome deep rifts in his party over his leadership.
They rejected calls for Mr Johnson to widen his cabinet and woo some of the 148 MPs who tried to end his premiership on Monday night, suggesting instead that he should sack ministers yet to publicly support him.
Mr Johnson will attempt to relaunch his government after pleas for MPs to move on from calls for him to resign over his role in the Partygate scandal fell on deaf ears.
But a set-piece speech, in which he will announce more help for those struggling to get on the property ladder, risks being overshadowed by the continuing difficulties within his own party.
MPs expressed fury amid new fears the government plans to breach international law with plans to tear up the Northern Ireland protocol.
Leaked correspondence showed a senior legal adviser warned it could not be argued “credibly” that there was no alternative to unilaterally overriding Mr Johnson’s Brexit agreement.
Petrol
Express
PETROL PRICES have skyrocketed as they had the biggest daily increase in 17 years, hitting already struggling and penny-pinching Brits.
The ever-increasing prices mean that the average price to fill up a family car with petrol is set to exceed £100 for the first time. This has prompted the Government to threaten retailers selling at higher prices with being “named and shamed” after concerns the Chancellor’s 5p cut is not reflected on petrol station forecourts.
According to data firm Experian Catalist on Tuesday, one litre of petrol costs an average of 180.7p which is an increase of 2.2p from Monday.
The automotive services company, RAC noted that this is the biggest daily jump in 17 years and that if the worrying trend is set to continue, the cost of filling up a 55-litre family car will surpass £100 for the first time in history.
The RAC tweeted: “We strongly urge the Government to take drastic action to help soften the impact for drivers from these never-before-seen pump prices.”
Guardian
Boris Johnson’s attempt to reset his troubled premiership has received a double blow after petrol prices had their biggest daily rise in 17 years and a leading international thinktank said the UK economy would slow to a standstill next year.
Fears that Britain is heading for a prolonged period of 1970s-style stagflation intensified amid fresh evidence of the damaging impact of the war in Ukraine on the cost of living and growth.
Dashing government hopes of a sustained recovery from the Covid pandemic, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) singled out the cost of living crisis as a cause of Britain’s slide down the international growth league table. It said the UK would be the weakest economy in the G7 group of leading industrial nations next year.
Independent
The cost of filling up a typical family car with petrol could exceed £100 as soon as Thursday, according to the RAC motoring group.
On Wednesday, the RAC said filling up a family car costs £99.40 as a result of petrol prices having made their biggest daily jump in 17 years.
A rise of more than 2p a litre has increased the average price of petrol to 180.73 per litre.
Before the most-recent big increase on Tuesday, the price of petrol stood at 175.6p per litre.
Meanwhile, a diesel-run car with a fuel tank of 55 litres would cost £102.61 to fill up, after the average price of diesel rose by almost 1.5p to a record high of 186.57p per litre.
The increase in prices has reportedly been driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Europe’s moves to reduce dependency on Russian oil.
Fisheries
Express
FISHING bosses have called for a curb on loopholes that allow Russian vessels to fish in UK waters despite widespread sanctions. Russian trawlers are able to fish in UK waters because of a shared area agreement signed in 1999 between the Faroe Island government and the UK governments.
The Faroes last month prohibited Russian vessels from entering its ports but the ban does not apply to fishing boats. Barrie Deas, chief executive of The National Federation of Fishermen’s Organisations said: “I think it’s very regrettable that Faroese have permitted Russian vessels to fish in that area against the background of Ukraine. “We would support what our government has said, and others in the industry, that this is something that should be curbed.”
He said a response to Russia’s war in Ukraine needs to be “determined and comprehensive”, with resolute measures needed to isolate Russia and “dissuade it from aggression”.
Mr Deas believes the atrocities have put a spotlight on food security, and Britain’s dependence on foreign catch.
Phone charging
Telegraph
Britain will refuse to fall in line with new EU rules on having a single charger that works across all mobile phones.
The Government said it was not “currently considering” matching EU legislation for a common phone charger for devices such as smartphones, tablets, portable speakers and, eventually, laptops.
That stance means that Apple iPhone chargers will be banned in Northern Ireland but not in the rest of the UK, because of the Brexit treaty that created the Irish Sea border.
The Northern Ireland Protocol means the province continues to follow some Single Market rules, including the Radio Equipment Directive, to prevent the need for a hard Irish border.
The EU law means the portable devices will have to work with a USB type-C charger by 2024. Brussels said it would cut electronic waste by 11,000 tonnes annually and save consumers £213 million a year.
Strikes
Mail
Union barons were accused of a ‘strike first, negotiate second’ approach yesterday after ordering crippling walkouts despite being offered a pay increase for their members.
Network Rail negotiators offered the hard-Left RMT a pay rise of at least 2 per cent, it can be revealed.
The offer is not far off the 3 per cent pay rise ministers last year gave to NHS staff who were on the front line of the battle against Covid.
Negotiators said RMT workers could get an even bigger increase if the union agreed to start discussions on modernising work practices.
But rather than continue talks, on Tuesday the union’s bosses ordered tens of thousands of members to strike on June 21, 23 and 25.
Ministers and Network Rail are putting contingency plans in place which would see freight trains prioritised over passenger services to prevent blackouts in some areas and ensure supermarket shelves and petrol forecourts remain stocked.
Multiple-day strikes could lead to lights going out in places due to freight services to power stations being hit, ministers have been told.
Sun
TRAVEL chaos has spiralled as a SECOND union has vowed to walk out on the SAME DAY – leaving Brits’ summer holiday plans in tatters.
More than 50,000 railway staff with union RMT will carry out a three-day strike on June 21, 23 and 25.
And now, members of union Unite at Transport for London and London Underground will ALSO strike on June 21 – sparking chaos for thousands.
News of the latest strike comes after week of London-wide chaos, as Transport for London (TfL) workers walked out on Monday.
The strike continued until 8am on Tuesday morning – sparking huge queues for buses in the early morning rush hour.
And the chaos will continue, as more than 50,000 RMT union railway staff plan to walk out on June 21, 23 and 25.
Independent
More railway workers are to go on strike in growing disputes over pay, jobs and pensions, threatening massive travel chaos later this month.
Members of Unite at Transport for London (TfL) and London Underground will join a walkout on June 21 which will cripple Tube services.
The Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union has already announced a Tube strike on that day, while its members at Network Rail and 13 train operators will walk out on June 21, 23 and 25.
The strikes will be the biggest outbreak of industrial action in the industry in a generation.
The disputes are over pay, jobs and pensions, with the unions complaining that railway staff who worked through the pandemic are facing job cuts, a pay freeze and attacks on employment conditions.
Telegraph
Union leaders vowed a “summer of discontent” not seen since the 1926 General Strike ahead of a series of “coordinated” strikes intended to cause chaos on the railways, roads and airports.
Union barons are accused of seizing on soaring inflation to threaten further strike action in other sectors up and down the country.
Every government department has been ordered to draw up contingency plans to deal with any ensuing crisis, which includes making sure supermarket shelves do not go empty and construction work on big projects is not halted by freight train stoppages preventing deliveries.
On Wednesday, Unite announced a coordinated strike on London Underground and at Transport for London on June 21 that will bring the capital to a standstill on the same day that RMT members will bring the national rail network to a grinding halt.
A third rail union, the TSSA, which represents Network Rail control room and maintenance workers, said it was also planning to ballot members.
Mail
Ministers could fast- track legislation to limit the damage caused by mass strikes, it emerged last night.
MPs are calling for laws which would require train companies to run a minimum level of services during walkouts.
They would mirror measures in other European countries such as France, Spain and Italy designed to restrict chaos for travellers and the economy by large-scale industrial action.
A promise to introduce the measures was made in the Conservative manifesto at the 2019 general election. They were put on the back burner in the pandemic.
But Government sources last night said introducing them had ‘assumed a new importance’ after the RMT called national rail walkouts on June 21, 23 and 25.
Smoking
Times
All young people should be banned from ever smoking by raising the legal age for buying cigarettes every year, a report will recommend tomorrow.
However, ministers are already balking at the proposals and are expected to reject new age restrictions on smoking.
A push for the NHS to prescribe vaping to smokers is expected to be started instead as Sajid Javid, the health secretary, promises to help millions of people quit cigarettes.
A review ordered by Javid is expected to recommend tomorrow that Britain copy New Zealand in trying to kill off smoking entirely by banning rising generations from ever buying cigarettes.
BBC News
The age at which people can buy tobacco products in England should be gradually increased year after year, a review for government is expected to recommend.
The call will be included in former charity boss Javed Khan’s report for ministers, published later on Thursday.
Raising the age from 18 is seen as crucial in eradicating smoking by 2030.
Smoking rates have been falling since the 1970s. But there are still six million smokers in England – seven million across the UK.
The government has said new ideas are needed to convince the final remaining groups to quit.
On the current trajectory, the goal of becoming smoke free – defined as less than 5% of the population smoking – is likely to be missed, which is why Health Secretary Sajid Javid asked former Barnardo’s chief executive Mr Khan to review the current rules and approaches.
Rwanda flights
Mail
Priti Patel’s first migrants flight to Rwanda was in doubt last night after legal actions were lodged against it.
A coalition of charities and a trade union that represents Border Force staff has applied for an injunction to halt Tuesday’s operation. They are also seeking a judicial review of the policy.
The legal tactics, plus a raft of appeals lodged on behalf of individual migrants, are likely to lead to the flight being postponed pending resolution of the issues in court.
The moves highlight the scale of opposition to the Home Secretary’s plan, which she claims will save lives in the Channel and cripple the profits of people-smuggling gangs.
It comes as migrants arriving in Dover could soon be transported to Zambia after the country ‘expressed an interest’ in the Rwanda scheme.
Zambia is understood to be ‘potentially interested’ in signing a similar agreement with the Government, bit is holding off to see how the scheme works in Rwanda.
ITV News
The Home Office is sounding increasingly concerned that the first flight carrying migrants to Rwanda from the UK will be held up by an injunction.
A case was lodged at the High Court earlier on Wednesday by a variety of charities, action groups and unions, ahead of the first flight which is due to depart on Tuesday.
A legal challenge was always anticipated and in some ways is a fight the government is very willing to have, but it leaves as many as 130 people in a fair amount of limbo not knowing if they’re being sent to Rwanda or not, with government policy potentially frustrated by the courts too.
On Wednesday night, the government was on the attack, accusing Labour of sympathising with legal attempt to stop flights.
“They opposed the ending of free movement and now they want to throw open our nation’s borders entirely… They have no alternative to stop these deadly channel crossings,” a Conservative source said.
Express
PRITI Patel is fighting to ensure the first plane carrying Channel migrants to Rwanda will not be grounded by legal challenges.
The Home Secretary fears next Tuesday’s flight to Kigali will be held up by a High Court injunction after campaigners launched Judicial Review proceedings.
A Home Office insider admitted the chances of it taking off are “slim”. But they added: “There is a chance, albeit a low chance, that it will still happen.”
Campaigners from the Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS), Care4Calais and Detention Action claim plans to send asylum seekers to Rwanda are “unlawful”.
More than 10,000 migrants have crossed the Channel to the UK – mostly in dangerous dinghies – so far this year.
Around 130 are believed to be booked on Tuesday’s flight.
Mail
Priti Patel‘s Rwanda policy has had ‘no impact’ on the number of migrants crossing the Channel in small boats, the government’s border inspector said today.
David Neal, the Independent Chief Inspector of Borders, also revealed he had not met the Home Secretary since starting his job 14 months ago.
‘I’ve not met the home secretary yet,’ he told the Home Affairs Committee. ‘I’ve asked to speak to her on a number occasions, and pre-arranged meeting have been cancelled on maybe five or six occasions now.
‘I’m disappointed and frustrated because I think I’ve got things to offer. I’ve written to her on a number of occasions and had meetings cancelled so I’m not sure I can do any more.’
Mr Neal said he had been forced to ‘switch fire’ and have meetings with junior ministers instead.
Now I see on the BBC News online site that Prince William has been photographed selling the Big Issue newspaper in London and wearing their red uniform. This is virtue signalling of the very worst type, and how standards have slipped insofar as the Royal Family is concerned. If this is how its going to be from now on, I for one am not interested. This is one sure way that the Royal Family will lose a lot of support from the people of this country. Next we will see them bedding down in cardboard boxes, drinking out of tins of Tennent’s Super Strength Lager and smoking roll ups. At this rate I can see the monarchy not lasting too much longer. I was of the opinion that we should bypass Prince Charles in favour of Prince William, but now it seems that they are as bad as each other. Is there no end to the muppetry that we are forced to endure in this once great country. My parents generation who fought against the Nazis must be reeling in their graves to see how far politics and the now the Royal Family have sunk just to get a few headlines. Pass the sickbag…
Flyer- surprised you did not mention the latest facist tax – a NZ tax on agricultural animals. A burping and farting tax. It is to be callled the HA tax.
It has been announced on the bbc, (yes) so not so sure!
Re. Right to buy housing association houses..
Who decides what the houses are worth?
The last scheme was only successful because the houses were offered at a massive discount.
Is the government going to steal someone else’s money?
“The increase in prices has reportedly been driven by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and Europe’s moves to reduce dependency on Russian oil.”
No doubt it is also welcomed by BoJo in his pursuit of the ridiculous “Net Zero”.
Brexit:
It is way beyond acceptable for us to be following any EU rules in “our” country. Time to give them the Agincourt Salute, sort out the NI issues to our advantage, not theirs, and get rid of all the Remainers in government. Of course we do not want to be ruled by the globalists either…
Some hope with the present lot in power.
We don’t want speeches and fine but meaningless words from the prime minister, we just want some ruddy action. And to much emphasis is being placed on the word ‘reset’, and just want to do the ruddy job he is paid to do and honour his manifesto pledges. He promised in December 2019 to get Brexit done, and did so in part but has stalled on the rest. It simply should not take as long as it had to get the other parts sorted out, but why in heavens name did he agree to Northern Ireland having separate rules to the rest of the country, and why has he caved into the French over fishing rights. We want full control of our territorial waters, and anything less than that should not be up for discussion. Johnson should have put his foot firmly down with the European Union but as we know he is intrinsically weak, has little backbone and virtually no political conviction and doesn’t want to upset those countries he laughingly calls our ‘friends and partners’. The major difference between this country and France is that the latter have their own national interest at heart over every political aspect and we don’t because our supposed elected representatives are afraid of their own shadows. That is plain to see whereby the French stand by and allow foreign migrants to board small boats to leave their shores and use their Navy to escort them into British waters, even though we are paying them, millions of pounds to do the opposite. It is all very well Truss threatening to unilaterally ripping up the trade deal between the EU and the UK, but it never happens and the French and the EU know that and continue to play us along. The simple fact is that Johnson, Truss and the likes of Gove etc are just not up to the job and should step down and allow other politicians with a bit of backbone take over their positions. Nobody can tell me that there isn’t anybody else capable of taking over their respective ministerial roles in a party that has 380 MP’s and is the largest party in the House of Commons. The writing is now on the wall, and if Johnson and Co don’t start delivering, and delivering pretty damn soon they will annihilated at the next general election and will be rueing the fact that they did so little during their tenure.
Colin, ypu joined UKIP . What’s your take on them, has it become real at all, or are they just hardening up behind the protection of their ( ” mock Democratic ) data base and constitution to continue supporting Tory party agenda. If so they’re best dumped into the rag bag of history and polish up Brexit party, unless anyone has a better idea. And by the way, A proper plan and believable people and you do not need to even ask for money. I know. The country ( and some politicians ) are desperate to support some sort of gumption.
TG Spokes………..I think you are confusing UKIP with Reform UK. The latter fits the description that you have given as the current leadership seem keener to reform the Conservative Party rather than providing a genuine right of centre alternative. At least UKIP has a manifesto of policies which I would be more likely to support. I am on the verge of re-joining UKIP as I just cannot see any other right of centre political party worth supporting at the moment. However I am a bit disappointed that UKIP did not select a more mature and experienced candidate for the forthcoming Wakefield by election.
Viv
Clearly overdoing it. Slow down girl. We all love you. I for, one could not cope with the daily anger of reading, watching and researching. So throttle back – an Order, not a request!
Brexit
The far left media and the bbc (to the extreme left of Marx and Engels) are all whacking on about Brexit being the cause of all Britain’s woes. Commentators interviewing each other and opinion pieces all agree – we must rejoin ignoring the biggest / greatest referendum in history.
Boris
Finally dawning on him it is time to stop swanning about and to do something. If he just got Real Brexit done, he May just be flavour of the month again. Otherwise he will be the third PM in a row not to implement the will of the people and still not get on with Brino (Brexit in name only), getting us out.
Petrol
A good job the CM/EEC/EU told to use System Internationale (SI Units) otherwise we would realise we pay more than £9.00 plus a gallon to fill up.
Fisheries
It is the height of nonsense that we are negotiating with Norway to buy their Cod when the Jermans are taking nearly all of ours – from our waters.
Phone
Apple are up in arms that they will not have a proprietary feature to further ‘milk sheep’. A ‘nice little earner’.
Strikes
Out Brothers out! Where have we heard that before?
Smoking
Nanny says it should not be allowed. That’s an end to it.
Next up tea drinking – Nanny calls them the deadly leaves . . .
Illegal Ingrates
Illegals fleeing for their lives from You’rope are being sent to Rawanda by using lead balloons.
Universal chargers – We have been using magnetic chargers for several months now where a magnetic button-like part is out into the charging port of any phone or tablet and the corresponding lead which plugs into any socket is attached to it and can be used in any device, including portable chargers. Very easy and convenient and stops the charging ports becoming damaged and expensive to repair. Also have recently ordered some solar battery chargers and hope to save on charging all the small devices we use.
Rwanda flights – another expensive white elephant which will go nowhere. This is not about human rights but human wrongs.
Lisa- the GB Govmt is not considering copying the CM/EEC/EU Directive.
If I were a cynic . . . I would ask who got the bung from Apple?
Express. The Prime Minister’s speech is expected to float the idea of allowing people to use housing benefit payments to buy homes and make mortgage payments.
I have full confidence in the tax paying, Tory voting middle and high income earners subsidising this latest brilliant initiative from their Party leader. Small price to keep Labour out I hear them say!!!!
This ongoing illegal immigrant crisis is getting frightening and I don’t even live anywhere near Britain. Paul Joseph Watson has made this video about a small English village and it’ll make you mad.
“What Happened to This Small Village Told to Accept 1500 ‘Refugees’?”
“When all likely possibilities have been eliminated that which remains, however improbable, must be the answer” (or similar words)
That answer is that government intends to support illegal immigration and use it against us. There is no other reasonable explanation.
Building of large numbers of multi-storey flats is also proceeding apace around Manchester. I can’t imagine that native Brits are breeding so fast that they are necessary and the so-called slum clearance was completed years ago.