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PETER OBORNE : There has been talk of a strange clinking sound around Westminster. I can reveal that it has been the sound of pennies dropping Yet, when she brought it back to London in January, she suffered a humiliating Commons defeat by 230 votes — the largest for any government in modern
PETER OBORNE : A series of deeply worrying stories circulated Westminster yesterday concerning the conduct of Boris Johnson' s senior adviser and He' s gatecrashed a great party and become a human wrecking ball: PETER OBORNE on why Downing St Rottweiler Dominic Cummings must now go.
© Thomson Reuters British Prime Minister Theresa May delivers a speech during her visit in Grimsby, Lincolnshire, Britain March 8, 2019. Christopher Furlong/Pool via REUTERS Editor’s note: The opinions in this article are the author’s, as published by our content partner, and do not represent the views of MSN or Microsoft.
Almost 1,000 days — 996 to be exact — have passed since the British people voted to leave the EU. And there are now just 20 days left before we are due to break away.
Yet still we don’t know on what terms this will happen. Indeed, it’s far from certain that we will ever leave. What a complete farce!
Theresa May is not the only person to blame for this shambles. Far from it.
British ISIS bride Shamima Begum's father blames Britain for letting her flee to Syria when she didn't even have a passport as he calls for a u-turn on decision to scrap her citizenship
British ISIS bride Shamima Begum's father blames Britain for letting her flee to Syria when she didn't even have a passport as he calls for a u-turn on decision to scrap her citizenship
‘ The Conservative Party must be transparent. If it can’t do that, we need to have an independent public inquiry’. The need for transparency is all the more urgent because of the Share or comment on this article: PETER OBORNE : Why I fear the Tories are becoming the sleazy party again. e-mail. 2.2k.
This might be the last time you’ll see me for awhile.” This was a very unusual and purposeful statement that he made. His posts have been retweeted by President Trump and have made the headlines at the Drudge Report. Joe worked as a corporate executive in Hong Kong and traveled the world for his
To do her credit, the Prime Minister negotiated a withdrawal agreement with fellow EU leaders that made considerable sense.
© Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited Theresa May, pictured giving a speech in Grimsby yesterday, is not to blame for this shambles, writes Peter Oborne Yet, when she brought it back to London in January, she suffered a humiliating Commons defeat by 230 votes — the largest for any government in modern history.
Next Tuesday, a wounded Prime Minister will again put her deal to a vote by MPs.
In the meantime, she has taken the precaution of sending Attorney General Geoffrey Cox to Brussels to try to winkle out a better deal.
Don’t be fooled. Whatever the ebullient barrister might bring back, it won’t amount to much.
STEPHEN GLOVER: Why, with a heavy heart, I fear Prince Harry may be riding for a fall
One ill-judged speech does not undo all the good he has done, or call into question his many fine qualities. But I confess it has made me worry about Prince Harry's future, says STEPHEN GLOVER.
By Peter Oborne For The Daily Mail. Nor could this pathetic lightweight ‘break’ the PM. He wouldn’t last ten seconds in a metaphorical political boxing ring with Theresa May. Britain' s military has been subject to a series of brutal cuts over the last decade which has seen it shrink to its smallest size for
PETER OBORNE : Why the Conservative Party ' s Kamikaze pilots must turn back at the last minute | Daily Mail Online. PETER OBORNE : There has been talk of a strange clinking sound around Westminster.
Brexit in-depth: All the latest news, analysis and expert opinion
Essentially, MPs will be voting on the same previously-rejected deal next week. That’s why most observers think it’ll be binned again.
However, don’t bank on it. I believe Mrs May can still win. Take my word for it. There has been talk all week of a strange clinking sound around Westminster.
After much searching for its source, I can reveal that it has been the welcome sound of pennies dropping in the minds of some of the 118 Tory rebels who voted against the deal in January.
© Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited Until now, hard-Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson, pictured, have been banking on the fact that the alternative to Mrs May’s deal is the hard-Brexit or No Deal exit they yearn for Finally, these MPs have been waking up to the uncomfortable fact that if Mrs May fails to get her deal through on Tuesday night, then Brexit may not happen at all.
Theresa May's support drains away as Conservative MPs tell her to cancel Brexit deal vote
Conservative MPs believe Theresa May's days are numbered as MPs prepare to reject her Brexit deal for a second time following 'deadlocked' talks in Brussels.
Last night, British politics witnessed a small seismic disturbance - and the landscape has changed. For the first time in almost a year, Brown is not on the Even more important than securing his personal future for the forseeable future, Brown opened several fruitful lines of attack on the Conservatives .
By Peter Oborne For The Daily Mail. With barely five weeks till the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, it’ s shaping up to be one of the most mutinous and explosive periods in modern political history, with pro-EU Tory MPs under intense pressure to rebel against their own party . And why ?
Until now, hard-Brexiteers such as Boris Johnson and Jacob Rees-Mogg have been banking on the fact that the alternative to Mrs May’s deal is the hard-Brexit or No Deal exit they yearn for.
For months, they’ve been hoping that Britain will crash out of the EU on March 29. And until recently, that seemed quite possible.
But manoeuvres by Cabinet ministers who voted Remain (and their allies), led by David Gauke, Amber Rudd and Greg Clark, have dramatically changed matters.
If Mrs May loses on Tuesday, there will be two further votes the following afternoon.
In one of those, MPs would have to decide whether to rule out for ever a No Deal Brexit. In the second vote, they would vote on whether to extend Article 50 and thus allow more time to finalise a deal, or come up with an alternative outcome via a General Election or another referendum.
© Provided by Associated Newspapers Limited If Mrs May loses on Tuesday, there will be two further votes the following afternoon. Pictured is Jacob Rees-Mogg in the House of Commons Both of these votes would mark another humiliation for Mrs May, who has pledged again and again that Britain will leave on March 29 while repeatedly refusing to rule out No Deal Brexit. Even worse for the PM, Parliament could strip control of Brexit negotiations from Downing Street and let MPs take charge.
The Boeing 737 Max 8 crashes and controversy, explained
A new Boeing model has crashed twice in five months. The whole world is on edge. The second deadly crash of a Boeing 737 Max model airplane within months of the first has put flyers around the world on edge. Multiple countries have grounded the planes as a result, though the United States has, thus far, refrained.
So, this weekend, as government whips frantically try to corral support for their beleaguered boss, Britain still faces an uncertain future: exiting the EU on Mrs May’s terms; yet more delays; a No Deal Brexit; a defeated Mrs May stepping down and a new Tory leader and Prime Minister; a third General Election in four years or a second referendum.
No wonder pennies are dropping in the minds of even the most boned-headed ultra-Brexiteer. Some are at last taking note of the warnings of the possible dire economic consequences of a No Deal Brexit.
The latest grim forecast came this week with BMW bosses saying that a hard Brexit could mean their Oxford factory — where 200,000 Minis are made a year by 4,500 workers — having to shut.
There are two main groups among those hard-Brexiteers wondering whether to risk sacrificing their long-held dream of Brexit.
Gallery: Facts to know about Brexit (Photo Services)
What is Brexit?
An amalgamation of the words “Britain” and “exit," the term refers to ongoing negotiations between the United Kingdom (U.K.) and the European Union (EU) over the former's withdrawal from the latter.
(Pictured) British Prime Minister Theresa May speaks prior to a parliament vote on her Brexit deal in London, England, on Jan. 15, 2019.
PETER OBORNE: Blood is on the carpet and civil war has broken out - but don't write the prime minister off yet
The Prime Minister could use last night’s events in the House of Commons to terrify her Brexiteer opponents into submission. MPs underestimate her at their own peril.
The EU and its members
According to the BBC, the EU - a political and economic union of 28 countries - has grown into a “single market” in which member states are treated like they are part of a single country. The official currency, the euro, is used by 19 member nations. The EU also has its own parliament, which rules on a variety of sectors, like environment, transport, consumer rights and communications.
Why does the UK want to exit the EU?
There are several reasons why the U.K. wants to leave the EU. The more important of these have to do with trade, finance and border control.
As far as the first two are concerned, according to Full Fact, an independent fact-checking organization based in London, England, after rebates and expenditure on public spending, the U.K. paid the EU approximately £9 billion in 2017. Brexiteers (people campaigning to leave the EU) believe this amount can be put to better use within their country. They also believe the U.K. can strike more favorable trade deals outside of the EU’s control. The third issue – border control – revolves around the EU’s free movement policy. Brexit supporters want stricter control over immigration.
When did voting for Brexit take place?
On June 23, 2016, a referendum took place to see whether U.K. citizens (of voting age) wished to exit the EU. Over 30 million people (71.8 percent turnout) voted and the results were 51.9 percent in favor of Brexit.
'Please run out of bullets': Witness describes '20-minute' shootout in Christchurch mosque
"The blood was splashing on me and I thought, 'oh my God, what's going to happen to me?'"
What was the vote breakdown?
Country-wise, there were disparities in voting. While the majority of England (53.4 percent) and Wales (52.5 percent) voted for Brexit, Scotland (62 percent) and Northern Ireland (55.8 percent) wanted to remain in the EU.
When is the UK due to leave the EU?
The official date and time of Brexit is set at 11 pm BST on March 29, 2019.
What do the negotiations entail?
Since the Brexit vote in 2016, the U.K. and the EU have held extensive (and sometimes testy) negotiations over the terms of the former's exit. The range of issues that have been, and continue to be, discussed include (but are not limited to) the amount of money owed to the EU, the future of the Northern Ireland border and the status of U.K. and EU citizens living in the other's territories.
It is important to note these discussions, by and large, have dealt with details of the U.K.'s exit and not with relations with the EU after the exit.
Brexit deal agreed by the UK and EU
In November 2018, EU leaders approved a deal that endorsed two key documents – a Withdrawal Agreement and the Political Declaration on the Future of EU-U.K. relations. Key points in the former include money owed to the EU (set at a reported £39 billion), avoiding a "hard" border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, and rights of EU and U.K. citizens.
UK parliament rejects deal
The deal was tabled before Parliament on Jan. 15, 2019, where it was resoundingly rejected; it was scheduled to be voted on in December 2018, but it was delayed to, ironically, win more support in the interim period. Following the defeat, Labour’s Jeremy Corbyn initiated a vote of no-confidence in the government which, if the ruling party loses, could trigger a general election.
Greece maps the long way back to a Brexit deal
Some time ago, I wrote that Britain was heading the way of Greece. The comparison caused (justifiable) offence in Athens and (unwarranted) indignation in London.
Other options include leaving the EU without a deal or holding a second referendum to ask U.K. citizens if they still wish to go through with Brexit. A less likely option is returning to the negotiating table with the EU.
The transition period
The U.K. and the EU had, earlier, agreed on a 21-month transition period between the date of Brexit (should it go through) and the enforcement of any changes. In other words, if a withdrawal deal is agreed, there are unlikely to be significant changes between March 29, 2019 and Dec. 30, 2020.
However, just how productive those talks will be remains to be seen and will, likely, also depend on how amicably the two sides resolve differences over the current agreement.
(Pictured) May looks on as European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker speaks during a press conference in December 2017.
What happens in the transition period?
During this period, both sides are committed to maintaining, so far as is possible, current rules and regulations. This is designed to allow governments, businesses and investors time to understand the new rules and plan accordingly. The U.K. will be able to make its own trade deals in this time. However, such deals will only come into effect after the period is over.
11/11 SLIDES
On one hand there are the Kamikaze Tendency — prepared to chance all in order to force through a No Deal Brexit.
On the other, Realists who are happy to accept a watered-down Brexit if that’s the only one achievable and then edge sheepishly into line towards the Ayes lobby behind Mrs May.
But as this motley band wrestle with their consciences and principles this weekend, they are revealing themselves to be men and women of tortured contradictions.
For example, take the case of Tory MEP Dan Hannan, who, as a young man in the early 1990s was a joint founder of the Brussels-baiting European Research Group (ERG), whose members are now the bulwark of Mrs May’s Tory backbench dissidents.
Before the 2016 referendum, Hannan said: ‘Brexit will be a gentle process.’ Six months later, he assured us: ‘Absolutely nobody is talking about threatening our place in the Single Market.’
By last October, an agitated Hannan said: ‘The proposed Brexit terms represent a deal worse than either staying or leaving.’ Two months later, he said: ‘I’m beginning to think Brexit won’t happen. This will destroy democracy as we know it.’
And, in a siren call to fellow hardline Brexiteers last Sunday, he railed: ‘No self-respecting country would accept this deal — MPs must vote it down.’
As an MEP, clever-clogs Dan doesn’t have a vote on Tuesday but his message will be very influential on the stubborn rump of ERG members.
However, I am convinced that these men and women — some of whom have been campaigning against what they see as the overweening power of Brussels since the Maastricht Treaty in 1992 — will come to realise that Tuesday’s vote is basically one that can guarantee Brexit. The alternative being no Brexit at all.
The fate of the country is in their hands.
From politics to sport to TV, read more from the UK’s top columnists
In pictures: This week's top photos from around the world [Photos]
London, England
Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, speak during WE Day UK 2019 at The SSE Arena on March 6.
Offenburg, Germany
Revelers wearing witch costumes pose with sausages before they throw them to the crowd during the traditional 'witches' food' on March 5.
St. Adolphe, Canada
People play in a snow maze built by farmers Clint and Angie Masse on March 3. It is the world's biggest snow maze, measuring 2,789.11 square meters (30,0021.73 square feet), according to Guinness World Records.
Beauregard, Alabama, US
A woman prays at a makeshift memorial for the victims of a tornado, on March 6.
Melbourne, Australia
The Matildas celebrate their Cup of Nations title win, defeating Argentina, at AAMI Park on March 6.
London, England
Students take pictures of the “Fearless Girl” statue unveiled by State Street, on March 5.
Santa Barbara, California, US
Lightning flashes over the city as seen from Stearns Wharf on March 5.
Ahmedabad, India
School children with mustaches painted on their faces celebrate the return of Indian Air Force pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman by Pakistan a day after he was released, on March 2.
Johannesburg, South Africa
A resident uses water to subdue a fire in the settlement of Stjwetla on March 5. According to reports, some 100 dwellings were destroyed in a blaze caused when an overhead electricity pylon collapsed.
Asturias, Spain
A helicopter drops water as a wildfire rages in the region on March 5.
Manila, Philippines
Catholic devotees pray on Ash Wednesday at a church on March 6.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
A member of Unidos de Vila Isabel samba school performs during the Brazilian Carnival on March 4.
Paris, France
Cara Delevingne (C) and other models walk the runway during the Chanel finale as part of Paris Fashion Week on March 5.
York, England
Archbishop of York John Sentamu (L) and Dean of York the Right Reverend Jonathan Frost attend a media call as a wooden cross is suspended from York Minster's Central Tower to mark the season of Lent, on March 5.
Tirana, Albania
A protester kicks a smoke bomb in front of policemen during a demonstration to demand Prime Minister Edi Rama’s resignation, outside the Albanian Parliament on March 5.
Seoul, South Korea
A family wearing face masks crosses a road during heavily polluted weather on March 5.
Mġarr, Malta
Giant fennel plants are seen on a hillside overlooking Ġnejna Bay on March 5.
Glasgow, Scotland
Greece's Miltiádis Tentóglou in action during the Men's Long Jump Final of the European Indoor Athletics Championships on March 3.
Jerusalem
A man views one of Albert Einstein's manuscripts on display – to mark his 140th birthday – in the Giv'at Ram Hebrew University on March 6.
Montasik, Indonesia
A policeman destroys marijuana plants during a raid on a plantation on March 6.
Caracas, Venezuela
Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó, who many nations have recognized as the country's rightful interim ruler, poses after a session of Venezuela's National Assembly on March 6.
Tokyo, Japan
Former Nissan Chairman Carlos Ghosn sits inside a car after being released on bail from Tokyo Detention House on March 6.
London, England
General Secretary of Unite the Union Len McCluskey joins Honda employees as they stage a protest over the planned closure of their Swindon plant, outside the Houses of Parliament, on March 6.
Tonimbuk, Australia
A man examines what is left of his wildlife shelter and home on March 4 as bushfires rage in southeast Victoria.
Cairo, Egypt
Egyptian photojournalist Mahmoud Abu Zeid, widely known as Shawkan, is pictured at his home on March 4. Shawkan was released from jail after spending nearly six years in prison, for covering August clashes between security forces and supporters of ousted President Mohamed Morsi.
Chicago, Illinois, US
Grammy-winning R&B singer R. Kelly arrives for a child support hearing at a Cook County courthouse on March 6.
Cantabria, Spain
Flames rage through forest land near San Roman village on March 4. A total of 50 forest fires remain active in the region.
Geneva, Switzerland
The Fornasari Gt 311 Gigi is presented during the press day at the Geneva International Motor Show on March 6.
28/28 SLIDES
Read more
Greece maps the long way back to a Brexit deal.
Some time ago, I wrote that Britain was heading the way of Greece. The comparison caused (justifiable) offence in Athens and (unwarranted) indignation in London.
LIVE updates | IAF airstrike aftermath 
British ISIS bride Shamima Begum's father blames Britain for letting her flee to Syria when she didn't even have a passport as he calls for a u-turn on decision to scrap her citizenship 
One ill-judged speech does not undo all the good he has done, or call into question his many fine qualities. But I confess it has made me worry about Prince Harry's future, says STEPHEN GLOVER. 
Conservative MPs believe Theresa May's days are numbered as MPs prepare to reject her Brexit deal for a second time following 'deadlocked' talks in Brussels. 
A new Boeing model has crashed twice in five months. The whole world is on edge. The second deadly crash of a Boeing 737 Max model airplane within months of the first has put flyers around the world on edge. Multiple countries have grounded the planes as a result, though the United States has, thus far, refrained. 
The Prime Minister could use last night’s events in the House of Commons to terrify her Brexiteer opponents into submission. MPs underestimate her at their own peril. 
"The blood was splashing on me and I thought, 'oh my God, what's going to happen to me?'" 
Some time ago, I wrote that Britain was heading the way of Greece. The comparison caused (justifiable) offence in Athens and (unwarranted) indignation in London. 
LIVE updates | IAF airstrike... 
British ISIS bride Shamima Begum's father blames Britain for letting her flee... 
STEPHEN GLOVER: Why, with a heavy heart, I fear Prince Harry may be riding for... 
Theresa May's support drains away as Conservative MPs tell her to cancel Brexit 
The Boeing 737 Max 8 crashes and controversy,... 
PETER OBORNE: Blood is on the carpet and civil war has broken out - but don't... 
'Please run out of bullets': Witness describes '20-minute' shootout in... 
Greece maps the long way back to a Brexit... 
