Bullet point by bullet point, 2023 kicked off with Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer swearing their respective oaths at the altar of pragmatism. Trust them and the economy would grow, NHS waiting lists would shorten and the small boats would stop. It was the prime minister’s emphasis on the latter that drove the greatest
Barely six weeks ago, Nicola Sturgeon sent shockwaves through the political system by announcing her resignation as first minister. An air of mystery surrounded the decision. Why, with the SNP so electorally impregnable, was now the time for such an abrupt departure? And why was there no obvious succession plan — one which mirrored the
The “Ayes” were 515 and the “Nos” 29 in the latest (and last?) vote on the structures that will determine the UK’s post-Brexit relationship with the EU. “A chapter is over” heralded former Northern Ireland secretary Julian Smith. After years of acrimony, the day’s deep symbolism was not lost on attendees. » Read More
In the Autumn Statement in November, Jeremy Hunt was the proud spokesperson of treasury orthodoxy. Outlining the most austere economic plan announced since George Osborne’s “emergency budget” in 2011, the very presence of “spreadsheet Jeremy” sent well-telegraphed signals to Britain’s financier class. The government’s hedonistic flirtation with Trussonomics — lenders were assured — had been as fleeting
When Rishi Sunak replaced former Conservative leader William Hague as the MP for the safe-seat of Richmond in 2015, the political landscape was in a very different state. The Conservatives were riding high, David Cameron had just won a majority and the Brexit referendum lay ahead. The then-prime minister spoke openly of his plan to
The discussion on the Northern Ireland Protocol has changed subtly in recent days — and not just because Brexiteers have new lingo, by way of the “Windsor Agreement”, to brandish. Rather, both the substance and tenor of the debate have shifted dramatically because the prime minister appears to have negotiated a better deal with the
Nominations for the SNP leadership race closed last week with three candidates set to be put to the membership. Scottish health secretary Humza Yousaf, finance secretary Kate Forbes and former community safety minister Ash Regan all secured places on the ballot paper to replace Nicola Sturgeon, having successfully reached the minimum of 100 nominations from at least
It was 2003 when New Labour spinner Alastair Campbell apprised an interviewer “I’m sorry, We don’t do God”, stepping in before prime minister Tony Blair’s religiosity could be probed. The poignant intervention, as Blair readied to answer a question on whether his Christianity created common ground with US President George Bush, » Read More
Nicola Sturgeon has formally announced her resignation as Scottish First Minister after over well over a decade spent at the apex of Scottish politics, as both deputy first minister and first minister. The announcement came in a press conference at Bute House in Edinburgh. Initially, there were no reports that Sturgeon was going to quit.
When Sir Keir Starmer left his podium in east London yesterday, having announced that his predecessor would never again be allowed to stand as a Labour MP, gone was any pretence of Labour’s affinity with the Corbyn project. It was a moment of high symbolism; a deeply serious yet carefully choreographed act of political theatre.
