UKโ€™s attorney general called Trump an โ€˜orange tyrantโ€™

Richard Hermer said the U.S. president was an โ€œautocratic populistโ€ in the latest uncomfortable comments by British ministers.

Peter Mandelson: I was wrong to call Trump a danger

Incoming British ambassador to the U.S. says his comments were “ill-judged” and Trump has won “fresh respect.”

Trump admin approves Peter Mandelson as UKโ€™s DC ambassador

The U.S. formally accepted the appointment of Mandelson last week, say two people with knowledge of the process.

What Britain desperately wants from Trump 2.0

PM Keir Starmer’s center-left government is holding its breath as Trump’s second term gets going.

Good Friday-era politician picked to review Northern Irelandโ€™s Brexit rules

Paul Murphy, who played a key role in the 1998 peace breakthrough, will recommend possible changes to how Northern Ireland enforces EU goods lawโ€”and, to unionist dismay, polices goods coming from Britain.

How the House of Lords could assist in the death of Britainโ€™s assisted dying bill

One critic of the plan in the upper chamber says they may ask MPs โ€œto come back with a better bill that is less dangerous.โ€

Westminsterโ€™s top books of 2024

POLITICO asked politicians and chroniclers of SW1 to tell us the book they most enjoyed reading this year โ€” here are the results, in their own words.

Peter Mandelson confirmed as Britainโ€™s next ambassador to the US

Keir Starmer praises incoming ambassador โ€” a former European trade commissioner โ€” for his “unrivalled experience,” as former colleagues rate his chances in Trumpworld.

Ex-Starmer aide Sue Gray gets House of Lords consolation prize

Keir Starmer’s former chief of staff โ€” a Whitehall power-player โ€” caps list of political peerages.

Peter Mandelson will be UKโ€™s next US ambassador

An announcement on the Blair-era heavyweight’s new role is expected from No.10 Downing Street Friday.

UKโ€™s aristocrat lawmakers slam Labourโ€™s โ€˜class warfareโ€™

Hereditary peers will be booted out of parliament under plans introduced by Keir Starmer’s government.

Bid to crack down on shirkers in UKโ€™s House of Lords

Stricter attendance rules could result in 100 members being booted out of the Lords.

Tony Blairโ€™s โ€˜Prince of Darknessโ€™ tipped to be UKโ€™s man in DC

Peter Mandelson could be heading Stateside after a long and notorious career in British public life.

Britainโ€™s new MPs rage at parliamentโ€™s old traditions

Newly elected lawmakers set their sights on archaic customs like “bobbing” to win the Commons speakerโ€™s attention.

Keir Starmerโ€™s biggest enemy: The great-crested newt

Keir Starmerโ€™s environment secretary wants to turn DEFRA into a growth department. That means a fight with the green lobby.

UK fudge on Horizon Brexit deal risks killing new research

Researchers celebrated a big post-Brexit deal to rejoin Horizon. Now they fear they will end up footing the bill.

No one has a plan to fix Britainโ€™s old, cold homes

The Tories promised to upgrade insulation and heating in millions of U.K. homes. They failed โ€” and Labour’s plans are already in trouble.

5 things weโ€™ll miss as Britainโ€™s hereditary peers face the chop

From quirky family ties to baffling by-elections, Britain’s soon-to-be-abolished aristocratic lawmakers have been a unique feature of the system.

100 days of Starmer: How Labourโ€™s big win went off the rails

After just a few months in office, the new British government is finding life tough.

British parliament to get historic vote on assisted dying

PM Keir Starmer previously said he was โ€œpersonally committedโ€ to changing the law.

European lawmakers condemn atrocities at French energy giantโ€™s African fortress

Human rights organizations called for thorough independent investigation.

Trade policy: 20 people to meet at Tory conference

POLITICO curates a lineup of the top players influencing the Conservativesโ€™ Brexit and trade policies.

UK energy policy: 20 people to lobby at Conservative conference

LONDON โ€” The Conservative Party โ€œgot trounced in the polls,โ€ ex-Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho admitted earlier this month. After 14 years controlling Westminsterโ€™s levers of power, voters dumped the Tories unceremoniously from office overnight in July. And yet โ€” the party is already regrouping, jumping on energy bills and cost-of-living as one basis for a [โ€ฆ]

FS policy: 20 people to meet at Tory conference

The party is licking its wounds from a gargantuan defeat at the U.K.โ€™s general election in July, and it still doesnโ€™t have a leader. So this yearโ€™s Conservative Party conference will be a bit different, with most eyes on the leadership debate rather than the policies the party will prioritize in opposition. Nonetheless, in financial [โ€ฆ]

Trade policy: 20 people to meet at Labour conference

We break down the 20 figures inside and outside government shaping Labourโ€™s trade policy.

UK energy policy: 20 people to lobby at Labour conference

Who to look out for in Liverpool this weekend.

Donโ€™t abolish us, cry Britainโ€™s aristocratic lawmakers

Tory peer slams “high-handed, shoddy” decision to remove Britain’s remaining legislators who inherit their places. But Labour says it’s sorting unfinished business.

UK rail minister got engineer sacked for raising safety concerns

Peter Hendy threatened to withhold public contracts while seeking disciplinary action.

The last of the Lords

Britain’s new leader Keir Starmer is determined to reform the archaic House of Lords โ€” but it could come with a hidden price.

Catalan police search sewers, seal off Barcelona Zoo looking for Carles Puigdemont

The separatist politician is vowing to evade police and be present at Thursday’s vote on the region’s presidency.

Friday briefing: How a doping scandal could overshadow the Olympics

In todayโ€™s newsletter: As Paris gears up for the Games, the excitement is palpable, but concern about performance-enhancing drugs threatens the reputation of one of its sportsโ€ข Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning.The Olympi…

The misunderstood ambitions of Nato and the EU | Letter

Far from enticing former Soviet states to join, William Wallace recalls caution and reluctance from the two bodies to sign up new membersJonathan Gorse (Letters, 22 July) accepts the justification for Vladimir Putinโ€™s attacks on Ukraine that โ€œthe westโ€…

In the UK, Keir Starmer wants to focus his agenda on economic growth

Two weeks after its election, the Labour government presented its program, focusing on economic recovery, renationalization of the railways and abolition of hereditary peers in the House of Lords.

Kingโ€™s Speech: UK vows to rekindle trade and investment ties with Europe

Hopes that Keir Starmerโ€™s new Labour government will seek to rebuild closer ties with the EU gained momentum on Wednesday (17 July) as King Charles presented the incoming administrationโ€™s priorities at the House of Lords.

The 7 gaping holes in Keir Starmerโ€™s plan for government

The king’s speech set out UK Labour’s plan for government. Here’s what’s not in it.

โ€˜Is that it?โ€™ UK Labourโ€™s cautious entry to government

Few surprises are expected when Keir Starmer sets out his program in the king’s speech.

Defeated UK Tories suffer โ€˜very public nervous breakdownโ€™

The Conservative Party leadership contest is effectively underway โ€” and it’s not pretty.

Move to reduce Lords retirement age to 80 is not about Joe Biden, says Keir Starmer

Ahead of UK-US bilateral talks, PM says primary driver for cutting peersโ€™ retirement age is size of Lords chamberUK politics live โ€“ latest updatesKeir Starmer has denied that his decision to bring in a retirement age of 80 for the House of Lords means …

Labourโ€™s top policy priorities

A deep dive into what Keir Starmer’s government will tackle in their first 100 days and then in their first year.

Why a disillusioned, angry Britain voted for change

A tour of Britain’s provincial towns reveals a restless nation with no love for its political class.

Britain struggles to reform its โ€˜feudalโ€™ housing system ย 

Big changes to the centuries-old model of property ownership still look far off, even with Labour poised for an election win.

We read Nigel Farageโ€™s manifesto so you donโ€™t have to

The key eyebrow-raising pledges in the Reform UK ‘contract’ with the public.

5 takeaways from Labourโ€™s โ€˜Captain Cautionโ€™ manifesto

Keir Starmer is promising change from 14 years of Tory government. In fiscal terms, it’s not so much โ€” for now.

General election live: Sunak refuses to say if aide who bet on election date knew about timing

PM says it โ€˜would not be appropriateโ€™ to say whether Craig Williams knew that he was going to call a July electionTeachers and health workers: what do you think of the manifestos?Sign up for Election Edition, our UK election newsletterFollow tonightโ€™s …

Labourโ€™s election policy positions, tracked

Absolutely everything you need to know about what the opposition party is promising ahead of the July 4 election.

UK election: The great battle for Labour Party jobs

Too many ministers: Keir Starmer faces having to disappoint some of his top team if he makes it into government.

How Dominic Cummingsโ€™ favorite AI firm captured the British government

Faculty has emerged as the UKโ€™s homegrown champion in AI safety โ€” though some question its political links.

EU verurteilt Georgiens Agentengesetzย 

Das Briefing dazu, wie sich Entscheidungen in Brรผssel auf Sie auswirken. Mit dem Wissen des grรถรŸten Newsrooms der europรคischen Hauptstadt. Im Browser anzeigen oder hier anhรถren von JรœRGEN KLร–CKNER Mit JULIUS BRINKMANN und LAURA HรœLSEMANN DIE TOP-THEMEN โ€” Georgiens Beitrittsperspektive ungewiss: Der EU-AuรŸenbeauftragte hat nach langem Zรถgern den Beschluss des umstrittenen Agentengesetzes verurteilt.ย  โ€” Sanktionen [โ€ฆ]

UKโ€™s Sunak and Hunt wage war on City watchdog

Regulators want to name and shame firms under investigation even before they’re proven guilty.

UK Rwanda plan, Portuguese slavery, Musk vs Brazil and Australia

It’s been a week where the midnight oil was burnt in Britain at a late-night session of the House of Lords. The controversial Rwanda bill was finally passed, two years since it was proposed. PM Rishi Sunak says the plan to fly migrants to Africa will …

Meet the cricketing headmasterโ€™s son poised to make Britain an international โ€˜legal pariahโ€™

The passage of the government’s Rwanda legislation sets the stage for a final showdown between Britain to and the European Court.

The real PM? David Cameron is shifting Britainโ€™s stance on Israel

The former prime minister has surprised many in his own party with his stance on the Middle East war.

Ex-minister urges UK to โ€˜flush out extremistsโ€™ in government who back Israeli settlements

Conservative Alan Duncan placed under Tory investigation after accusing colleagues of “exercising the interests of another country.”

Is the UK election already over?ย 

With the polls stubbornly refusing to turn, is there anything Rishi Sunak can do to move the dial and avoid electoral wipeout?

Britainโ€™s Conservatives go full Trump in London

An American-style campaign video targeting voters in the capital has been labeled a distraction.

Pressure on UK to follow US in toughening stance on TikTok

London risks getting caught up in Washingtonโ€™s burgeoning battle with China over the app.

Labour called on to quash snooping bank bill

SNEAK PEEK โ€” Labour peer criticizes own partyโ€™s efforts on DWP snooping bill. โ€” Hunt and Martin Lewis at odds over budget leaks. โ€” Insurers finally extend flammable cladding home cover.ย  Happy Thursday! Weโ€™re all so close to the end of the week but there are still plenty of financial services goodies to get through [โ€ฆ]

Counting frozen Russian funds

SNEAK PEEK โ€” Former Tory leader criticizes slow movement of Russian asset seizure.ย ย  โ€” SCOOP: City minister talks up U.K. financial servicesโ€™ role in digital innovation. โ€” Banks push back against new government snooping bill. Happy Wednesday! Weโ€™re half way through the working week and oodles has already happened in the happy land of financial [โ€ฆ]

Meet the new Dominic Cummings preparing to take over Whitehall

UK Labour chief of staff Sue Gray looks set to become the latest all-powerful aide to dominate British politics.

City vs government in Russian freeze to seize debate

SNEAK PEEK โ€” U.K. government scared of seizing Russian assets, MP says. โ€” Treasury talks tough on fraud with new rules for banks. โ€” City minister summons banks to chat growth. Good morning readers!ย  Absolute ripper of a newsletter today, if we do say so ourselves. Read on to get the latest on why an [โ€ฆ]

One year on from Silicon Valley Bank collapse

SNEAK PEEK โ€• Silicon Valley Bank collapsed a year ago: whatโ€™s changed? โ€• Ministers gather for U.K. Global Fraud Summit. โ€• Labour assembles crack team to advise on National Wealth Fund. Happy Monday! Welcome to another week of financial services news and views. To kick off the week we have an amazingly insightful review into [โ€ฆ]

The Dillon Judgment, Disapplication of Statutes and Article 2 of the Northern Ireland Protocol/Windsor Framework

 

 

Anurag Deb, PhD
researcher, Queens University Belfast, and Colin Murray, Professor of
Law, Newcastle Law School

Photo credit: Aaronward, via Wikicommons media

Extensive provisions of an Act of
Parliament have been disapplied by a dome…

Looking tough on migration is eroding human rights

Curtailing migrant rights may help score quick political gains, but electoral success doesnโ€™t give governments carte blanche to place themselves above the law.

Is Brexit king Nigel Farage the answer to Tory woes?

Conservatives continue to look to the man who led the UK out of the EU as their poll ratings tank.

Labour gets boozy with the City

SNEAK PEEK โ€”ย  Rachel Reeves schmoozes City bigwigs at London reception. โ€” Defense sector fights back against debanking. โ€” Bank of England hosts talking shop on handling risks to the financial system. Good morning! Welcome to week two of the MFS U.K. newsletter โ€• we made it! We hope you are enjoying it thus far, [โ€ฆ]

Britainโ€™s Westminster power couples โ€” 2024 ranking

A look at the love matches wielding political power.

Why Rishi Sunakโ€™s Tories canโ€™t stop beefing with bishops

The British prime minister is on a collision course with England’s clergy, who are no longer ‘the Conservative Party at prayer.’

All Keir Starmerโ€™s Labour U-turns in one place

POLITICO lists 26 (and counting) key walkbacks in Starmerโ€™s spell as opposition leader.

Ukraine war has changed Britainโ€™s relationship with the EU

The crucial issue now is to sustain levels of support to Kyiv for as long as it takes to reverse Russiaโ€™s aggression.

โ€˜Shitshow!โ€™ Britainโ€™s potty-mouthed parliament

MPs are increasingly deploying curses and profanity in the House of Commons.

David Cameron: West must resist โ€˜evilโ€™ Putin and never back down

UK foreign secretary opens up on Ukraine, Israel-Hamas, the controversial Rwanda policy and personal criticism in revealing interview with POLITICO.

David Cameron โ€˜absolutelyโ€™ backs Rishi Sunakโ€™s Rwanda plan

UK foreign secretary tells POLITICO he would have devised the policy as prime minister.

UK House of Lords readies for trench warfare over Rwanda deportations

Rishi Sunak’s asylum crackdown faces fierce opposition in Britain’s unelected upper chamber.

Rishi Sunak wins Rwanda bill vote after facing down rebels

In the end only a handful of Tories voted against the contentious asylum bill.

British MPs back bill banning Israel boycotts

Israel is the only state explicitly named in the legislation, alongside theย Occupied Palestinian Territories.

7 tripwires for Rishi Sunak as 2024 fires up

With an election looming, the UK prime minister is facing his toughest year yet.

Britainโ€™s got some of Europeโ€™s toughest surveillance laws. Now it wants more

Despite the protestations of industry and campaigners, ministers are whisking a new bill through parliament.

Liz Truss sparks outrage with resignation honors for allies

Honors list blasted as rewards for ‘car crash cronies’ of former British prime minister.

10 Lords-a-leaping: The most ludicrous House of Lords moments of 2023

POLITICO looks at some of the bizarre moments in Britain’s upper chamber this year.

Britainโ€™s homelessness crisis returns to parliamentโ€™s doorstep

The number of rough sleepers in Westminster is surging โ€” and it’s part of a wider national problem.

UKโ€™s Cameron hits back after Israeli ambassador rejects two-state solution

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Monday said: ‘Our long-standing position remains that the two-state solution is the right outcome here.’

David Cameron is living his best life โ€” while Boris Johnson squirms

Britain’s new foreign secretary tells friends he’s thrilled to be back from the political graveyard.

Russia-Ukraine war at a glance: what we know on day 651

Volodymyr Zelenskiyโ€™s address to US senators cancelled at last minute; Vladimir Putin makes rare trip abroad since international arrest warrant issuedSee all our Ukraine war coverageVolodymyr Zelenskiy cancelled a planned address to US senators on Tues…

David Cameron downplayed Chinese role in controversial $1.4B port project

New UK foreign secretary faces questions in the House of Lords over backing for Beijing-funded scheme.

David Cameron takes his place in House of Lords after shock UK comeback

Lord Cameron of Chipping Norton swears to be ‘faithful and bear true allegiance’ to King Charles as takes his seat on the red benches.

David Cameronโ€™s shock return divides UK Tories

Cameron helped turn the Tories around in the 2000s โ€” but has acquired plenty of baggage since then.

Rishi Sunakโ€™s Cabinet reshuffle: Every big move

It’s not just David Cameron. POLITICO runs through the key appointments so far as the UK prime minister shakes up his Cabinet.

7 ways David Cameronโ€™s comeback could get awkward for Rishi Sunak

The former PM will jet around the world as Sunak’s foreign secretary. But his track record will come under intense scrutiny.

David Cameron makes shock comeback as Rishi Sunakโ€™s foreign secretary in UK reshuffle

Dramatic return for ex-prime minister ousted after Brexit referendum follows firing of Suella Braverman.