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'The message must go out to all countries... that this is a British government that doesn't necessarily keep its word,' Tánaiste Leo Varadkar
13/10/2021
'The message must go out to all countries... that this is a British government that doesn't necessarily keep its word,' Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said in the wake of 'alarming' comments by Boris Johnson's former aide Dominic Cummings.
It's been five years since the UK voted to leave the EU. The vote appalled those who saw it as economic self-sabotage. But those in favor of leaving were not swayed by economic arguments — and likely still aren't today.
Professor cited by No 10 adviser says Brexit would mean ‘very damaging political chaos’. / An academic whose research was championed by the prime minister’s key adviser Dominic Cummings has revealed he voted remain in the EU referendum and has hit out at the Conservatives’ Brexit plans.
In March last year, Dominic Cummings, former Campaign Director of Vote Leave, warned that after Brexit happens “we’ll be coming for the ECHR… and we’ll win that by more than 52-48…” For anyone who has paid attention to the public debate over the Human Rights Act (HRA) and European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) in the past decade, those were chilling words.
Former Tory cabinet minister says Boris Johnson's aide is No.10 source responsible for Brexit briefing.
MPs demand to know why Boris Johnson’s aide has access despite being in contempt of parliament.
"Farage, Banks and Bannon. They are some of the well-known Bad Boys of Brexit. But there are many more. The Bad Boys of Brexit are an unholy alliance. They are global Money Men, small-state Regulation Burners and people with highly questionable Russian Connections, some of whom have undermined the very foundations of democracy."
The government is facing increasing scrutiny over its decision to use “committed Brexiteer” lawyers to provide advice on the legality of breaching the EU withdrawal agreement.
Boris Johnson is planning to opt out of parts of the Human Rights Act, according to reports.
Accusing rebel MPs and EU of ‘a terrible collaboration’, prime minister admits: ‘The longer that goes on, the more likely it is of course that we will be forced to leave with a no-deal Brexit’
Boris Johnson never understood what his Withdrawal Agreement with the EU really meant, his former chief adviser has said.
Boris Johnson faces Cabinet backlash over aide's threats to punish EU in war of words over Brexit
08/10/2019
Dominic Cummings is accused of hostile briefings aimed at persuading the EU to block any delay to Brexit.
Boris Johnson faces ‘gravest constitutional crisis since Charles I’ if he defies confidence vote
07/08/2019
Boris Johnson has been warned he could trigger the “gravest” constitutional crisis since Charles I if he refused to resign after losing a vote of no confidence, as a prominent businesswoman threatened a judicial review.
Boris Johnson has no intention of renegotiating the withdrawal agreement and a no-deal Brexit is his “central scenario”, European diplomats have been told, amid hardening evidence in Westminster that the government is expecting to crash out of the EU.
The ex-£140,000-a-year aide also admitted the government had been “swamped by the Brexit problem”, which he said the PM branded a “huge nightmare”.
The Prime Minister’s reckless disregard for truth is starting to destroy trust among his own party and could soon be his downfall.
Boris Johnson secretly agreed to suspend parliament two weeks before denying it would happen, Downing St documents reveal
03/02/2019
Just nine days ago, Downing Street strongly denied any intention to shut down parliament - but disclosure to Scottish court shows otherwise.
Boris Johnson Secretly Asked For A Massive Amount Of User Data To Be Tracked. Dominic Cummings Said It's "TOP PRIORITY"
10/09/2019
Leaked documents show the prime minister's chief adviser emailed senior officials instructing them: "We must get this stuff finalised ASAP".
Boris Johnson to get personally involved in Brexit talks as chief negotiator says he doesn’t answer to Dominic Cummings
26/05/2020
EU’s Michel Barnier writes to opposition leader repeating offer of two-year extension.
Dominic Cummings described talks as a 'sham' leak claims.
Chlorinated chicken is just the start. The government intends to rip up food standards, public services and public protections.
A farm part-owned by the former Vote Leave boss, now a top aide to Boris Johnson, received thousands in EU handouts. / A farm part-owned by Boris Johnson’s Brexit adviser Dominic Cummings received £235,000 in EU funding despite him attacking subsidies as “absurd,” it has been revealed.
Dominic Cummings, the mastermind behind the 2016 U.K. vote to leave the European Union, said it would be a “disaster” if Prime Minister Boris Johnson suspended parts of the Brexit deal over trade in Northern Ireland.
Boris Johnson aide, a strident critic of Brussels, is accused of hypocrisy over payments.
While businesses struggle with the red tape of no-deal planning, ministers are busy with commemorative coins.
There are good reasons to believe latest move is partly theatre, but there are hefty issues at stake.
Brexit: the arrogance, stupidity and lies
09/04/2021
In a 1940 essay, George Orwell made a number of what I think were some astute observations about the qualities of the English ruling class. He saw them as patriotic but “impenetrably stupid”. / “What is to be expected of them is not treachery or physical cowardice, but stupidity, unconscious sabotage, an infallible instinct for doing the wrong thing.”
Brexit: The Uncivil War
27/12/2018
Starring Benedict Cumberbatch, a compelling drama about one of the most controversial referendums in modern British history
Europe Letter: UK’s reputation diminished as EU capitals digest declaration to break law
Cabinet minister disowns 'unacceptable' threat to withdraw security cooperation with Ireland
08/10/2019
As tensions escalate with Brussels, Julian Smith expresses alarm at anonymous Downing Street memo.
CakeWatch - Episode 59: Rentrée
04/09/2019
After a long absence, Steve is back co-hosting the podcast and here we all are again: parliament versus executive. Does Cummings have a grand strategy? Or is Johnson flying by the seat of his pants and about to crash? After a long evening watching Parliament TV, we catch up with each other and wonder where this shaggy dog story will go next.
Confusion over Dominic Cummings’ departure as No 10 refuses to say if he has formally quit
13/11/2020
Unclear whether loser in Downing Street power struggle will sever his links entirely, or even retain a ‘hot desk’.
Damian Collins claims ‘real-world sanctions’ are needed for those found in contempt of parliament
In his rambling, incoherent 115-page witness statement to the Covid-19 inquiry, Dominic Cummings, the disgraced former senior adviser to disgraced former prime minister Boris Johnson, puts the blame for the Covid lockdowns on ‘the blob’ or as he describes it “insiders refusing to accept the referendum result”.
Cummings, Brexit and Russia: Part 1
05/04/2022
The development of Brexit from a fringe movement into a dominant political project coincided chronologically not only with a long period of patient and sustained campaigning and lobbying, and with a lucky sequence of favourable shifts of circumstance and forces, but also with the internal development of one key external force, the politics and ideology of the Putin regime.
Former justice secretary accuses prime minister of plotting snap general election.
A senior cabinet minister told The Times that the country risked a “violent, popular uprising” if a second referendum overturned the result of the first one.
The PM's controversial top aide will reportedly tour some of Britain's most highly classified national security sites as a review prepares to reshape billions of military spending.
Johnson’s chief of staff lied to media about drafting of Benn act, Grieve says at PMQs.
Dominic Cummings accused of wrongly carrying out work for Tory party while being paid by taxpayer
10/09/2019
Controversial Johnson aide is reported to be conducting focus groups, Chuka Umunna protests – but freedom of information request is rebuffed.
Dominic Cummings claims PM did not grasp what leaving EU trade area meant until after Brexit
12/11/2021
“It wasn’t until October 2020 that he finally understood even vaguely what leaving the customs union meant.”
PM’s chief advisor accused by Tory insiders of creating ‘mayhem in government’.
Dominic Grieve - Dominic Cummings is "simply wrong" about Parliament being able to stop a #NoDealBrexit on October the 31st.
Ex-adviser to PM says flawed Brexit deal was way to ‘whack Corbyn’ and ‘of course’ government can break it.
Dominic Cummings previously called for the NHS to provide funding to allow people to select genetic traits such as intelligence for babies.
Dominic Cummings to be Boris Johnson’s senior adviser, despite being found in contempt of parliament
24/07/2019
Vote Leave campaign chief – the brains behind the notorious ‘£350m-a-week for the NHS’ claim – to be taken into No 10.
Boris Johnson's senior adviser Dominic Cummings is expected to leave his position by the end of the year.
Boris Johnson’s chief adviser Dominic Cummings has told a Labour MP who complained about death threats that he should vote for a Brexit deal.
Proposed rewriting of data protection rules said to put vital cooperation in doubt.
Dominic Cummings: Boris Johnson adviser’s proposal to suspend parliament a second time was ‘joke’, Number 10 insists
15/09/2019
Boris Johnson’s most senior adviser has said the government could suspend parliament for a second time if it loses a crunch Supreme Court battle.
Dominic Cummings: Boris Johnson aide given formal powers to sack cabinet ministers' advisers
18/09/2019
Move follows controversy over the dismissal of Treasury aide Sonia Khan - who was frogmarched out of Downing Street. / Dominic Cummings has been handed a new formal power to sack cabinet ministers' advisers, triggering a protest from the head of the civil service union.
Dominic Cummings: Damaging legacy of ‘unelected bureaucrat’ will take years to undo, says Guy Verhofstadt
15/11/2020
European Parliament’s former Brexit chief takes aim at departing aide.
Dominic Cummings: Vote Leave chief found in contempt of parliament over refusal to give evidence to 'fake news' inquiry
27/03/2019
MPs warn Cummings' behaviour highlights weaknesses in parliament’s ability to force witnesses to attend hearings - and to punish those who stay away.
Dominic Cummings’ think tank called for ‘end of BBC in current form’ and creation of Fox News equivalent in UK
22/01/2020
New Frontiers Foundation blog described public broadcaster as ‘mortal enemy’, internet archive reveals.
Gavin Williamson accepts the appointment of David Frost as national security adviser was a political move.
Recalling Newsnight's coverage, Maitlis said: "It might take our producers five minutes to find 60 economists who feared Brexit and five hours to find a sole voice who espoused it. But by the time we went on air we simply had one of each; we presented this unequal effort to our audience as balance. It wasn't."
European police will be barred from cooperating with UK if Boris Johnson waters down Human Rights Act
05/02/2020
The prime minister is considering tearing up the Human Rights Act and suspending the European Convention on Human Rights.
Conservative and pro-Brexit voters are turning against the prime minister after he refused to sack his chief adviser.
'As striking was his ridiculous vanity: Cummings cared so neurotically about his reputation as a prophet that he forged the record so it appeared that he was warning of the ‘‘urgent need’’ to plan for a coronavirus pandemic while the minds of lesser men and women were elsewhere.'
Fake news handed Brexiteers the referendum – and now they have no idea what they're doing
18/01/2017
'Would we have won without immigration? No. Would we have won without...the NHS? All our research and the close result strongly suggests no. Would we have won by spending our time talking about trade and the single market? No way'
Farmers are waking up to the effect Brexit could have on their industry, says PETER HETHERINGTON.
Boris Johnson chronically confuses culture and economics of affair called Brexit.
Firm with links to Dominic Cummings and Michael Gove secures £1m in government work without open tender
19/08/2020
A firm with links to Dominic Cummings and Michael Gove has won almost £1 million worth of government work without having to undergo an open tender process.
Fury as Boris Johnson accuses rebel alliance MPs of 'collaboration' with foreign governments over Brexit
01/10/2019
An angry Dominic Grieve has branded the accusation 'a lie' - and blamed Dominic Cummings.
Dominic Cummings’ 250-page paper attacks fear of elitism and waste of billions of pounds, and calls for slimmed-down ministry.
Faculty, linked to senior Tories, hired to collect tweets as part of coronavirus-related contract.
Great Brexit Con Job
13/04/2021
Get Brexit Done’ has unravelled in a spectacular fashion; a significant knock to the economy, removal of rights and freedoms, more red tape for business and – the most heart-breaking of all – trouble has returned to Northern Ireland. The obvious answer to this foreseeable problem is for the UK to be part of the single market and customs union.
Brexit has not only failed to deliver on its promise of reducing immigration and controlling borders, but it has also made the immigration issue worse and more difficult to manage. The government’s chaotic and ineffective immigration policies, such as the Rwanda policy, have only added to the problem.
Ireland's deputy PM has warned governments doing trade deals with the UK that it is a nation that "doesn't necessarily keep its word".
Leaked Doc Reveals Civil Servants Told To Report 'Unhelpful Narratives' On Brexit To No.10
16/08/2019
Boris Johnson has been warned to “tread carefully” amid claims Number 10 aides are asking civil servants to operate an “overtly political” Brexit media strategy.
Man behind controversial £350m-a-week for the NHS Brexit bus slogan admits leaving EU could be 'an error'
04/07/2017
One of the masterminds behind the infamous slogan claiming the UK sends the EU £350m a week has admitted that leaving Europe could be “an error”.
Minister admits changes to Brexit deal would break international law - Channel 4 News [15 mins]
08/09/2020
The Northern Ireland secretary admitted that the Government was intending to break international law - specifically the EU Withdrawal Agreement, which sets out how Britain and the EU would agree new rules on trade between Britain and Northern Ireland.
Remainer says he would join drive to prevent UK’s departure from EU without agreement.
MPs are considering a bid to cancel the annual autumn recess set aside for party conferences in a fresh attempt to prevent Boris Johnson ploughing ahead with a no-deal Brexit on 31 October.
MPs order Boris Johnson to hand over government communications about parliament suspension and no-deal planning
09/09/2019
Boris Johnson's government has suffered another humiliating Commons defeat, as MPs ordered the release of internal communications between the prime minister's top advisers over the decision to suspend parliament.
‘If we have a populist in government who is flouting convention and acting in a way that bypasses the sovereignty of parliament, parliament will respond accordingly’
Richard Porritt and Steve Anglesey return for another deep dive into the putrid pool of British politics. / The pair argue over whether it was a good week for Remain and get under the skin of Dominic Cummings.
Richard Porritt and Steve Anglesey return to round up another bonkers week in Brexit. / The pair discuss the faltering talks and ask if anything can now be done to get a deal.
Rebel MPs are working on a plan to thwart Boris Johnson pursuing a no-deal Brexit on 31 October that involves forcing parliament to sit through the autumn recess, amid growing outrage about the power and influence of his controversial aide, Dominic Cummings.
Former chancellor leads group of 20 Tories voicing concerns. / Philip Hammond has told Boris Johnson that leaving the EU without a deal would be a betrayal of the referendum result, as the former chancellor led a group of 20 Conservatives making clear their opposition to crashing out on 31 October.
No-deal Brexit: Government accused of playing ‘blame game’ as Gove says EU refusing to negotiate
06/08/2019
The Government has been accused of trying to play the “blame game” over a no-deal Brexit, as Michael Gove claimed that the EU was refusing to negotiate with Britain.
Ex-chancellor says both Remain and Leave supporters during 2016 vote want "smooth" exit.
Senior politicians, a former cabinet secretary and an ex-head of the home civil service have called for a top-level inquiry into how Boris Johnson’s closest aide, Dominic Cummings, was able to sack an adviser to Sajid Javid, the chancellor of the exchequer, without Javid’s knowledge and then order an armed police officer to escort her out of Downing Street in front of staff.
If we are to have any influence over issues such as the climate crisis, we must reach out to Brussels – not turn our backs.
The headlong rush to an end nobody voted for, and why No Deal is a man-made asteroid strike. ... Linguistic programming as Johnson drills the buzzphrase “undemocratic backstop” into the national mind. ... Ingrid – our secret agent within the Tory Party – finally succumbs to Stockholm Syndrome. The Government’s snappy 1,400 page No Deal for small businesses.
This week: Why Dominic Cummings is putting out information chaff to create the impression of activity. Which good Remainy cause are YOU going to donate your shiny Brexit 50p to? Would Paddington Bear be rejected for Settled Status? Why are the Brexiters placing their faith in the WTO and Trump just as Trump is trying to neuter the WTO itself?
The Johnson-Cummings plan is in bits on the floor of Parliament and Bojo’s jolly mask has well and truly slipped. As the petulant boy king threatens a General Election he can’t deliver, the Remainiacs team gather with special guest and journo Jonathan Lis of think tank British Influence to work out what happened and what it all really means.
Remainiacs Ep. 142: O, BUFFER WHERE ART THOU? Johnson’s border plans – plus WTO trade fun
04/10/2019
Government breaks its promise on no customs checks in the island of Ireland / Is Johnson throwing Ireland under the Boris Bus (again)? / Priti Patel decides that Britain is not a country but a Russell Group university. / What really makes Dominic Cummings tick? / Chris Southworth of the International Chamber of Commerce gives us the latest on those amazing WTO terms
Labour queries why MP used unsecured account for classified government business.
Five years on from the Brexit vote, Mark Dayan looks back at the main claims that were made about the NHS before the referendum took place. Which have been proven right and which have proven to be unfounded?
Sanni claims that a donation of £625,000 was made by Vote Leave to an independent referendum campaign organisation called BeLeave.
A shadowy global operation involving big data, billionaire friends of Trump and the disparate forces of the Leave campaign influenced the result of the EU referendum. As Britain heads to the polls again, is our electoral process still fit for purpose?
The Johnson-Cummings war on the civil service is very troubling. It looks like the start of a rolling coup against institutions
29/06/2020
The corruption of constitutional order can happen very quickly and reversing it can take a very long time and at huge cost.
The London bureau chief for Germany’s public broadcaster reflects on Britain’s government.
Rachel Johnson reveals her suspicion that Boris Johnson's behaviour may down to pressure from investors who have invested billions in shorting the pound and the economy.
You may wonder why on earth a Tory government led by Boris Johnson, the heirs to Thatcher for goodness sake, are sacrificing the prospect of a trade deal with the EU because they want the right to subsidise British industry.
Departure of Boris Johnson’s Brexit ‘brain’ signals end of influence for Vote Leave team.
The secret Brexit document exposes the duplicity of those that led us into this no-deal debacle
18/08/2019
If Brexiteers had been more honest, arguing we face perhaps a decade of pain to reset our global stance, I would have more respect for them.
No Conservative will dare admit the searingly obvious: Brexit is proving a catastrophe for Britain.
Exit is chance to restore trust between No 10 and MPs, says one senior backbencher.
Boris Johnson accused of acting like Stuart king with ‘divine right to rule’ after Downing Street says UK leaving EU whatever the circumstances.
UK inquiry was warned of Russian infiltration, leaked testimony shows [inc. video, 5 mins]
11/11/2019
Russia's influence reaches deep into the British establishment and successive UK governments have turned a blind eye to it, lawmakers were warned, according to multiple sources familiar with testimony given to a parliamentary inquiry.
PM and chancellor back purchase of 20% stake in troubled US operator OneWeb.
UK’s Rival to Galileo - A Brexit Farce
30/07/2020
The sorry tale of Britain’s as-yet-unnamed rival to the EU’s Galileo programme took another unexpected, miserable and hugely expensive turn in the past few days.
Under cover of Brexit - Chris Grey
03/07/2020
The most important Brexit event of the week came and went with relatively little fanfare, yet it marks a significant moment.
Spoon-bending psychic Uri Geller has called on Dominic Cummings to hire him - because he thinks he can secure post-Brexit trade deals.
Tory minister is resisting calls to sell stake in Faculty as it expands its Whitehall reach
Former No 10 adviser pressed for appointment to be hurried through, saying he had ‘ordered it’ from PM.
Buried in a 19,800 word Spectator essay written by former online editor and Vote Leave director Dominic Cummings is an admission: The Brexit referendum was won by lying to the public.
Appointment would cause ructions in Westminster as many hope for outsider to take key role.
We need a Brexit inquiry
29/11/2023
The Covid inquiry has shone a light on the government’s pandemic response. Now it’s time for scrutiny of another national disaster.
A no-deal Brexit will be grim for patients. Yet gagging orders are being used to keep the truth from coming out.
As part of our special edition looking at five years since the EU referendum, Alastair Campbell looks at the silence of the Leavers.
My former Conservative colleagues: ask yourselves what Boris Johnson has achieved, and heed the damning answer
‘Boris Johnson and Michael Gove Must Have Known About Illegality’: Why the Two Vote Leave Leaders are a Threat to Democracy
04/06/2019
Shahmir Sanni co-founded BeLeave, an offshoot of the Vote Leave campaign, during the EU Referendum. He turned whistleblower last year when he exposed its law-breaking. Here he reveals how two of the contenders to replace Theresa May cannot absolve themselves of responsibility.
When the prime minister was first informed, his response was: “You keep an eye on it. It will probably go away.”
‘Please leave my town’: Yorkshire man tells Boris Johnson to go away during campaign walkabout
06/09/2019
'It is Dominic Cummings and you playing games with Parliament, playing games with the people of United Kingdom'
Britain’s former ambassador to the European Union Ivan Rogers has predicted that Britain will leave the post-Brexit transition at the end of this year with no deal, describing Boris Johnson as a Trumpite politician who wants the EU to fail.
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