POLITICS

The new leader of the Australian Greens, Senator Larissa Waters from Queensland talks about her vision for the party, the challenges of a shifting political landscape, and why she believes this is a moment for bold reformsLabor must rewrite current environment laws which ‘facilitate development’, says Larissa Waters Continue reading...

This blog is now closed, you can read more of our UK political coverage hereBritain will continue to supply intelligence to Ukraine, though the more limited capabilities on offer from London and other European countries will make it difficult to replace the flow halted from the US earlier this week.The UK will also continue to supply its analysis of the raw data, sources said on Thursday, though in line with normal intelligence practice it will not simply pass on US information obtained via long-established sharing arrangements between the two countries. Continue reading...

Former security minister says UK decision to cede sovereignty means Mauritius could lease islands to ChinaThree of the four Tory leadership candidates have issued statement strongly denouncing the government’s decision to return the Chagos Islands to Mauritius.Robert Jenrick, the favourite in the contest, called this a “dangerous capitulation”.It’s taken three months for Starmer to surrender Britain’s strategic interests. This is a dangerous capitulation that will hand our territory to an ally of Beijing. Continue reading...

Party representatives asked how they would fix a health service that is ‘on its knees’Labour launch election manifesto – as it happenedSign up for Election Edition, our daily newsletterIn more disappointing news for the Tories, the Times is publishing an opinion poll that says that Reform have now overtaken them. Its political editor, Steven Swinford, has recently tweeted the story.According to Savanta, the Labour manifesto featured 34 pictures of Keir Starmer while the Conservative manifesto had no pictures of Rishi Sunak. Continue reading...

In the second week of the campaign, political scare campaigns are intensifying on energy, asylum seekers and welfare. Jane Lee talks to political reporter Paul Karp about why they seem to work and how they could affect voters Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the day’s developments in the 2019 general election campaignCorbyn sets out 10 goals for Labour governmentSturgeon says she wants new Scottish independence referendum in 2020Corbyn says billionaires ‘in very strong position to pay lot more in tax’Cairns says he is resigning but confident he will be cleared of wrongdoingGreen party launch - Summary and analysisBoris Johnson’s audience with the Queen is over. He is now heading back to No 10.He is due to give a speech outside Downing Street at 1pm. Continue reading...

Parliament votes to reject government’s timetable for passage of bill that would implement Brexit dealTusk: EU likely to grant extensionWithdrawal bill: what does it say?Jenrick was asked in a BBC interview about a lack of guarantees on workers’ rights in the bill, and replied that it would be for MPs to decide in the future.“We are saying that parliament will decide, and that’s the point of taking back control, isn’t it?” he added. “Trusting parliament to make important decisions on workers’ rights or the environment.” Continue reading...

No 10 refuses to confirm Boris Johnson’s travel plans but PM could make early Brussels dash to push talks alongTusk: ‘Foundations’ of deal are ready but UK has late doubtsNo 10 struggling to secure backing of expelled MPsCould Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal pass through parliament?A delegation of cross-party MPs led by Dominic Grieve is heading to Brussels this morning for a series of meetings with EU diplomats. The delegation is believed to include the Labour MP David Lammy, the Green party’s Caroline Lucas, the former Liberal Democrat leader Vince Cable, the leader of Plaid Cymru in the House of Commons, Liz Saville Roberts, and Peter Grant of the SNP. They are not meeting EU officials but have a round of meetings with ambassadors for various EU countries. Grant said in a tweet they were going “to ask the EU not to let Johnston [sic] crash us out without a deal”.The Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, has renewed calls for a second referendum, saying that what Boris Johnson is considering could be “worse for the economy than the hit during the financial crisis”.The government is desperate to try to create a deal no matter how demanding that will be for our country. Let’s be clear at what it looks like [Johnson is] considering, which is some kind of free trade agreement ... [That could be] worse for our economy than the hit during the financial crash.There is no deal that is better than deal we have as members EU. We will not support any deal but what we want to happen ... is that whatever Brexit deal is negotiated is put to people so the public can have the final say. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including the final day of the supreme court hearing to determine if Boris Johnson’s five-week suspension of parliament was lawfulAfternoon summarySupreme court prorogation hearing - SummaryRonan Lavery QC is now speaking at the supreme court on behalf of Raymond McCord, who brought a legal challenge against the government’s Brexit policy in Northern Ireland.McCord’s son was killed by loyalist terrorists in 1997. He took the government to court on the grounds that its Brexit strategy could undermine the Good Friday agreement. But his challenge was rejected by the high court in Belfast. Continue reading...

Rolling coverage of the day’s political developments as they happen, including a speech from the outgoing Speaker on what Brexit has taught us (so far)Absolutely not true I misled Queen, says Boris JohnsonDefra refuses to give details on no deal food supply disruptionsNorthern Irish court dismisses case against no-deal BrexitAfternoon summaryIt is 2-1 to the government in the courts now on Brexit. As my colleague Owen Bowcott reports, judges in Belfast have rejected a legal challenge arguing that the government’s Brexit policy would undermine the peace process. It has also shelved a challenge on prorogation, on the grounds that this is being dealt with by the courts in England and Wales.The supreme court will come to a final, binding ruling after a hearing starting on Tuesday next week. Continue reading...