Boris Johnson is set to face PMQ today for the first time since the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol was published. The prime minister downplayed legislation passed earlier this week as “not a big deal” despite being criticized for trying to circumvent large parts of the international agreement reached on Northern Ireland’s post-Brexit trade arrangements. He claimed that he told his ministers yesterday to “de-escalate” the rhetoric to prevent a trade war with Brussels, according to the Daily Telegraph. Meanwhile, EU commissioners are expected to launch new legal action against the UK later this week, which has been pending since September. The prime minister is also under intense attack from Washington, with senior lawmakers on both sides warning that “irresponsible” movement would jeopardize peace in the region. In a stern joint statement, a group of senior members of Congress called on the United Kingdom and the European Union to “continue negotiations in good faith to find lasting solutions to the post-Brexit trade challenges”.
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Thank you for watching our live political coverage. We are now closing this blog, goodbye. Thomas Kingsley June 15, 2022 7:30 p.m. 1655272740
London mayor to unveil 18 18m package to tackle violence against women
The mayor of London will unveil today a new package of 18 million pounds to fight the scourge of violence against women and girls in the city. Sadiq Khan will announce the Strategy for Violence Against Women and Girls (VAMG) during his visit to Waltham Forest in north-east London. The campaign will take a “holistic approach” to improving safety for women and girls across the city, while improving services for victims and survivors, according to a statement issued before the official announcement. London Mayor Sadiq Khan speaking to the media outside London City Hall on the cost of living crisis (PA) The money from City Hall will be aimed at improving accountability for perpetrators of gender-based abuse and providing better education for men and boys about sexism. “The epidemic of violence is a crisis that should embarrass us all and that is why I am partnering with partners throughout London to not only provide support to women and girls, but also to help educate and educate all Londoners, especially men. “On the dangers of misogynistic attitudes and behaviors,” Khan said. “In addition to investing in record services for victims and survivors, I also fund initiatives that address the behavior of those at risk of recidivism or recidivism in order to prevent them from turning to violence.” Change will not happen overnight, but I believe that together we can help stop men who want to harm women and promote a lasting change in the culture of our society so that women and girls can finally to live their lives free from fear, harassment or abuse. Sadiq Khan Namita Singh15 June 2022 06:59 1655271401
Liberal Democrats accuse Tories of wanting to go on strike to keep activist away from midterm elections
The Liberal Democrats have accused the government of “sitting on its hands” and leaving the impending national strike on the railways – to keep activists away from a crucial by-election. In a letter to Grant Shapps Sarah Olney, the party’s transport secretary accused the ministers of “playing games with people’s lives” to “help save” Boris Johnson. The Conservatives are facing a crucial midterm test in Tiverton and Honiton following the resignation of Tory MP Neil Parish, who resigned after admitting to watching pornography at work. Despite a huge majority of 24,339 votes in the last election, the party is worried that it will lose its seat to the Liberal Democrats, who believe they are now “greedy” in the midst of disgust for Mr. Johnson’s government. Our policy correspondent Jon Stone reports: Namita Singh15 June 2022 06:36 1655270266
He explained: Will Nicola Sturgeon’s push for an independence referendum be successful?
At first glance, it is difficult to understand why Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister, is launching her latest campaign for Scottish independence referendum right now, writes our co-publisher Sean O ‘Grady. This is not because it is a bad time because of the Brexit situation, the war in Ukraine or the cost of living crisis, as its opponents suggest. The SNP’s view, which is perfectly reasonable, is that Scotland could have responded better to these challenges if it had been responsible for its own destiny and not governed, at least in some of the most important policy areas, by a Conservative Party has not won an election in Scotland since 1955. Read this on Politics Explained to find out why Sturgeon asked for a poll now. Namita Singh15 June 2022 06:17 1655269341
British families detained abroad urge UK government to do more
British families detained abroad have accused the British government of “lack of compassion” and “ignoring” them, as they called on ministers to do more to secure the release of their loved ones. A group gathered in Westminster on Tuesday to share their stories, while others – such as the daughter of jailed geologist Jim Fitton – joined in video messages. Everyone was asking Foreign Minister Liz Truss to intervene to secure the release of their loved ones being held in various foreign countries. Zoe Tidman describes in detail some of the accounts in this report: Namita Singh15 June 2022 06:02 1655269213
Airlines ordered to cancel summer flights to avoid holiday misery
The airlines have been instructed by the government to cancel flights for July and August now to “avoid the danger in the summer” for tens of thousands of passengers. In a joint letter to the airlines, they state: “Cancellations as soon as possible to provide a more stable schedule are better for consumers than late cancellations per day.” Our travel correspondent Simon Calder reports: Namita Singh15 June 2022 06:00 1655268537
Border checks amid challenges for an independent Scotland, Sturgeon admits
Nicola Sturgeon has acknowledged that customs controls would be needed at the border with the rest of the UK, as she promised to be “honest” about the challenges of an independent Scotland. The Prime Minister said she would provide more details on how trade between Scotland and the rest of the United Kingdom would work in future documents that would form her independence newsletter. On Tuesday, he published the first of these newspapers, part of a series entitled “Building a New Scotland”. My colleague Alastair Jamieson has the details: Namita Singh15 June 2022 05:48 1655268222
NI protocol bypass bill ‘irresponsible’, US lawmakers criticized
Boris Johnson’s plans to break up post-Brexit arrangements for Northern Ireland have come under fire from Washington, with senior lawmakers on both sides of the US political divide warning that the “irresponsible” move is a threat to peace in the countryside. . In a stern joint statement, a group of senior members of Congress called on the United Kingdom and the European Union to “continue negotiations in good faith to find lasting solutions to the post-Brexit trade challenges”. “The introduction of legislation in the United Kingdom undermines the Northern Ireland Protocol, threatens international law and, most worryingly, could jeopardize the nearly 25 years of peace established by the Good Friday Agreement,” they warned. Andrew Woodcock and Andrew Feinberg report: Namita Singh15 June 2022 05:43 1655267445
Johnson to face PMQ amid rising tensions over NI protocol bill
Boris Johnson will address the Prime Minister’s Questions (PMQs) for the first time since the controversial Northern Ireland Protocol bill was introduced in parliament earlier this week. He downplayed the changes to the bill as “not a big deal” even though Brussels threatened the UK with new legal action. Johnson also claimed that he told his ministers to “de-escalate” the rhetoric on Tuesday to prevent trade wars with the EU. Meanwhile, European Commission Vice President Maro Sefkovic hinted at further measures against the United Kingdom, saying the government’s unilateral action undermined the confidence needed for the effective functioning of its post-Brexit trade deals with Brussels. Read the details in this report here: Namita Singh15 June 2022 05:30 1655265723
Welcome to The Independent UK’s live policy blog for June 15, 2022. Namita Singh15 June 2022 05:02
