？

       Close

       Boris Johnson meets President Zelensky in Kyiv

       The British government's bid to scrap parts of the post-Brexit trade deal on Northern Ireland amounts to "economic vandalism", Irish prime minister Micheál Martin said.

       Mr Martin said on Sunday that a new British law to change part of the Brexit deal was "unilateralism of the worst kind" and urged the Boris Johnson government to resume talks.

       London has proposed scrapping some checks on goods from the rest of the UK arriving in Northern Ireland and challenged the role of the European Court of Justice to decide on parts of the post-Brexit deal.

       "We accept fully that there are legitimate issues around the operation of the protocol and we believe that with serious sustained negotiations between the EU and the UK government those issues could be resolved," he said.

       He argued that the legislation would damage the province's economy by introducing a dual regulatory regime that could increase costs to business. "If this bill is enacted, I think we're in a very serious situation," he said.

       "What now needs to happen is really substantive negotiations between the British government and the EU."

       Recommended Six years on from the Brexit vote, and never a dull moment UK ‘leaderless but not powerless’ says former PM Gordon Brown Irish prime minister warns of ‘serious situation’ if Britain scraps Northern Ireland protocol EU drafting legislation to prepare for ‘doomsday’ Protocol legislation

       Key Points Irish PM urges Britain to resume talks with EU NI protocol bill will have colossal consequences, says O’Neill Scotland to push for ‘gold standard’ independence referendum Shrouded in controversy Boris Johnson finds no mention in bypoll campaign ads

       Show latest update 1655707273 Chief secretary to treasury says ￡37bn package will ‘substantially’ help cost of living pressures

       When probed if the government is “tone deaf” on the cost of living crisis, Simon Clarke MP said “absolutely not,” pointing to the ￡37bn package of support which he said will “substantially help” with the current financial pressures.

       Maryam Zakir-Hussain 20 June 2022 07:41

       1655706469 Train strikes: Simon Clarke MP says he wants a solution that works for everybody

       Chief secretary to the treasury, Simon Clarke MP, told Sky News this morning that he wants to see a resolution that works for everybody regarding the transport strikes, not only railworks but “critically, the taxpayer and passengers as well”.

       He added that he hopes “ongoing talks between the employer and the unions will make progress today”.

       Maryam Zakir-Hussain 20 June 2022 07:27

       1655705456 Government urged to ‘get round the table’ ahead of biggest rail strike

       Britain’s major trade unions are collectively urging the government to “get round” the negotiating table to try to find a resolution in a last-ditch effort just 24 hours ahead of the biggest strike action on the rail network for decades.

       In a letter to Grant Shapps, the general secretaries of 14 unions – which between them represent millions of workers, including civil servants, shopworkers, teachers and NHS staff – have warned that ministers must stop their “attempts to divide workers”.

       The general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), Frances O’Grady, who is one of the signatories of the letter, also accused the government of “fanning the flames” of the dispute, and insisted ministers had the power to help find a settlement.

       Ashley Cowburn reports.

       Major unions call on ministers to ‘get round the table’ ahead of rail strikes Exclusive: General secretaries of 14 organisations urge minister to stop ‘attempts to divide workers’

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 20 June 2022 07:10

       1655704060 Shrouded in controversy Boris Johnson finds no mention in bypoll campaign ads

       Tory campaign leaflets and advertisements relating to the forthcoming by-elections in Devon and West Yorkshire are reported to omit any mention of Boris Johnson.

       A pamphlet distributed by Helen Hurford, the Conservative candidate in Tiverton and Honiton, makes no reference to her party on its cover. Inside the pamphlet, the Conservative Party is not mentioned until page four, while the prime minister is not mentioned at all, The Telegraph reported.

       A pamphlet distributed by Nadeem Ahmed, the Tory candidate in Wakefield, also makes no reference to Mr Johnson and contains no photos of him, the paper said.

       Liam James has more.

       Conservative by-election campaign ads ‘don’t mention Boris Johnson’ Candidates appear to be distancing themselves from the prime minister

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 20 June 2022 06:47

       1655703255 Cost of living crisis: Thousands march in London to demand action

       Thousands of protesters marched in London calling for government action to ease the cost of living crisis.

       The TUC, which coordinated hundreds of coaches to bring demonstrators to the capital from across the UK, called for measures including “a decent pay rise for public-sector workers” and a ￡15 minimum wage.

       Union leaders gave speeches in Parliament Square, demanding higher wages, increased taxes on the rich and better working conditions. They also expressed support for the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union rail strikes next week.

       Frances O’Grady, general secretary of the TUC, said: “I have seen the transport secretary Grant Shapps has threatened rail workers that they will strike themselves out of a job.

       “Well you are wrong Mr Shapps: if you keep stirring, come the next election, you will be out of a job.”

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 20 June 2022 06:34

       1655702951 Children ‘self-harming due to UK’s cost of living crisis’

       Britain’s children are suffering from a mental health emergency, with rising numbers self-harming and having suicidal thoughts because of the cost of living crisis, according to a report.

       Researchers found millions of youngsters are “at breaking point”, with stress and anxiety among children reaching “alarming” levels because of the effect of rising bills.

       Children are so worried that nearly one in 10 (9 per cent) has started self-harming, and 8 per cent have shown suicidal tendencies, according to the study.

       A nine-year-old girl told the study team: “Your emotions just drown you and the only emotion that’s left is sad.”

       Jane Dalton has more.

       Children ‘self-harming due to UK’s cost of living crisis’ Millions of youngsters are ‘at breaking point’ and many are having suicidal thoughts, charity says

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 20 June 2022 06:29

       1655702467 Former PMs urge Johnson to increase spending on infectious diseases

       Two former prime ministers have urged the British government to increase spending on tackling infectious diseases such as Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, after the Covid-19 pandemic reversed recent gains that have been made in eradicating the three diseases.

       In a letter signed by 13 other former government leaders, Gordon Brown and David Cameron said that progress against the diseases which collectively killed 2.8 million in 2020 was in danger of being “lost” as a result of the failure to mount a proper response post-Covid.

       The letter calls for all Commonwealth Nations to increase their contributions to the Global Fund, an international partnership committed to eradicating Aids, tuberculosis and malaria, by 30 per cent. For the UK, this would mean raising its contributions from ￡1.46bn to ￡1.89bn.

       Samuel Lovett reports.

       Ex-PMs urge government to increase spending on deadly diseases after Covid setbacks Gordon Brown and David Cameron among 15former world leaders demanding proper response to ‘reclaim the lost gains from Covid-19’ in global fight against Aids, tuberculosis and malaria

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 20 June 2022 06:21

       1655700711 Scotland to push for ‘gold standard’ independence referendum, says Robertson

       Scotland will continue to push for a repeat of the “gold standard” set by the 2014 independence referendum process, constitution secretary Angus Robertson said.

       However, he refused to comment on reports of first minister Nicola Sturgeon’s plan to announce a “softer” consultative referendum in order to bypass Westminster’s ongoing refusal to grant powers to hold a legal vote.

       “These are, quite rightly, issues that would need to be announced in the Scottish parliament and first minister Nicola Sturgeon has said that she intends to make such an update before the summer recess,” he told BBC News.

       “I’m not going to be able to give you a sneak peek of that announcement, but what I would say is that the preferred route for everybody, given that we have precedent and it worked,” he added.

       “With a section 30, a legal referendum could go ahead and be recognised by the UK government and other countries,” the secretary said.

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 20 June 2022 05:51

       1655699644 Ex-PM says British government lurching from ‘crisis to crisis’

       Gordon Brown has predicted Boris Johnson will abandon a planned hike in corporation tax in the autumn, as he hit out at the government lurching from “crisis to crisis”.

       Issuing a warning about the potential for a “global recession”, the former Labour prime minister urged Mr Johnson to gather world leaders to establish a plan to tackle issues on food supply and inflation.

       Speaking after the Bank of England forecast inflation to reach 11 per cent in the autumn, Mr Brown also demanded ministers present a “fourth Budget” to parliament in 2022 to ease poverty and inflationary pressures.

       Ashley Cowburn has more.

       Gordon Brown claims government lurching from ‘crisis to crisis’ Former PM issues warning over danger of ‘global recession’

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 20 June 2022 05:34

       1655699069 NI protocol bill will have colossal political and economic consequences, says O’Neill

       The British government’s plan to enact legislation to scrap the Northern Ireland protocol will have “colossal political and economic consequences”, warned Sinn Féin’s vice-president Michelle O’Neill.

       She said that British prime minister Boris Johnson’s plan to override parts of the protocol has “sounded alarm bells” across Europe and America.

       “Boris Johnson is incapable of accepting in a straightforward, honest and truthful way that this is the case,” Ms O’Neill was quoted by Belfast Live as saying.

       “The attempts this week by Boris Johnson to sabotage the protocol in plain sight have sounded the alarm bells right across Ireland, Britain, Europe and America, awakening all those who value the Good Friday agreement and who care deeply about safeguarding our peace and progress of the past quarter-century.

       “It is not taken lightly that this British government discards international law at a whim in such a reckless way, and only ever in their own selfish interests.”

       Alisha Rahaman Sarkar 20 June 2022 05:24

       Newer 1 / 2 Older