prime, boris, britains, johnson
Johnson wins key Brexit backing in UK leadership race -6%
Ahead of another round of voting among Conservative MPs, former Brexit secretary Dominic Raab said Johnson was the "only candidate" who would take Britain out of the European Union as planned on October 31. On Tuesday, Raab was eliminated from the contest to replace Theresa May as the leader of the governing Conservative Party and therefore as prime minister, leaving five candidates standing.
PMQs: Blackford, Bercow and May on Boris Johnson quotes
The SNP Westminster leader is asked by the Speaker to withdraw claims of racism about quotes from Tory leadership candidate Boris Johnson.
PMQs: Tonia Antoniazzi asks PM about medical cannabis
A Labour MP asks the prime minister why families are still waiting for medical cannabis to treat children with severe epilepsy.
Congress eyes DMK help to get Manmohan Singh to Rajya Sabha
Congress is learnt to have asked ally DMK for a Rajya Sabha berth amid indications that it may be used to bring former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, who retired recently, back to the Upper House. Sources said Congress has sought one of the three seats that DMK is set to win out of the six seats that would go for voting this month.
Netanyahus wife convicted for misusing public funds after racking up $50k in catering bills
Sara Netanyahu’s lawyer has accused her embattled husband’s political opponents of orchestrating a case against his client after she was convicted of using public money to order food to the prime minister’s residence.
Read Full Article at RT.com
Tory leadership race: Stewart out as Johnson extends lead -9%
MPs suggest Johnson backers lent previous votes to Stewart to eliminate Brexiter rival Raab
Rory Stewart has been ousted from the Conservative leadership contest after losing 10 votes since the last round, sparking MPs’ speculation that Boris Johnson’s operatives may have previously pushed fellow supporters to vote for the outsider to help eliminate his Brexiter rival Dominic Raab.
Related: Rory Stewart knocked out of Tory leadership contest in third round - live news
Continue reading...Canada's Trudeau Approves Controversial Pipeline Expansion 25%
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first approved the project, which is opposed by many environmental groups, in 2016, but Tuesday's announcement means construction can begin later this year.
British PM rivals debate over Brexit strategy 12%
Candidates to become Britain's next prime minister clashed over Brexit strategy at their first debate on Sunday but the frontrunner, Boris Johnson, dodged the confrontation.
Trudeau approves Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion -31%
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s government decided Tuesday to proceed with the construction of a major crude oil pipeline, saying the project has met strict requirements on safety and consultation with Canadian indigenous groups.
4 U.K. Conservative candidates remain in race to succeed PM Theresa May -8%
The contest to become Britain's next prime minister is down to four candidates, with Boris Johnson building on his commanding lead in a Conservative Party vote after third round results.
Candidates for Istanbul Mayor Hold Rare Debate on Live TV 8%
The head-to-head, the first such event in Turkey in 17 years, pitted Ekrem Imamoglu of the opposition against Binali Yildirim, a government-backed former prime minister.
Will Narendra Modis snub of Xi Jinpings belt and road derail China-India ties?
Their informal summit in Wuhan last year created all the right optics; even their chemistry seemed on point. So, when Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met last week on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), the bonhomie seemed like it was there to stay.But a day later, cracks appeared to emerge. India, holding on to its long-stated position, delivered a public snub to China by refusing to endorse its ambitious, trillion-dollar Belt and…
Tory leadership race: Your views on leadership candidates' debate
How did the candidates for Conservative leader fare in the BBC's Our Next Prime Minister debate?
Rory Stewart crashes out of race to be British prime minister
Four candidates bidding to become next leader of ruling Conservative party, and British prime minister by default.
Hariri urges parties to defend budget
Prime Minister Saad Hariri Tuesday called on the parties in the government to close ranks in defense of austerity measures included in the draft 2019 budget as it faces scrutiny from lawmakers.
Netanyahu launches reelection bid with Trump-style tirade against witch hunts and liberal elites
Actually, he didn’t – but the U.S. president’s Tuesday speech in Orlando often seemed like it was tailor-made for the prime minister
Hunt: Keep Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe case out of Tory leadership battle -9%
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt has refused to say whether Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe’s release from an Iranian jail would become less likely if Boris Johnson became prime minister.
Who will replace Theresa May?
Runners and riders in the race to be the new Conservative leader and prime minister.
Boris Johnson takes strong lead in race to become next UK leader -7%
Boris Johnson overwhelmingly won the first round of voting on Thursday in the race to replace outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May, with the field of candidates narrowed to seven from 10.The Brexit-backing former foreign minister picked up 114 of the 313 votes cast in a secret ballot of Conservative Party lawmakers in the lower House of Commons.Mark Harper, Esther McVey, and Andrea Leadsom, who came in second to May in the last leadership race in 2016, failed to collect the required 17…
The Race to Replace Theresa May: A Cheat Sheet -15%
Updated on June 19
Theresa May’s decision to stand down as the leader of Britain’s Conservative Party—and, consequently, as prime minister—has sparked a leadership battle months in the making. There were 10 candidates in the race on June 10, when the race formally began, who sought the support of 313 Conservative members of Parliament. Three days later, after the first round of voting, the number was down to seven—with Boris Johnson receiving the most number of votes. A third round of voting Wednesday narrowed the race down to four candidates, who will proceed through successive rounds until the final two candidates are determined on Thursday; they will face each other in a runoff decided via postal ballot by the party’s estimated 160,000 dues-paying members.
Whoever succeeds May will carry the burden of steering Britain through its seemingly intractable impasse over how, or even if, the country should leave the European Union. This person will have until October 31, the next Brexit deadline, to find a solution that has eluded the country since it voted in 2016 to leave the bloc. The next prime minister will undoubtedly face the same parliamentary deadlock and division as did May, who will stay on as prime minister until a winner is declared, possibly by late July.
Read: Theresa May’s final humiliation
This cheat sheet will be updated as the Tory leadership contest progresses. Here are the candidates:
BORIS JOHNSON
Who is he?
Britain’s gaffe-prone foreign secretary until his resignation last year in protest of May’s Brexit deal. Before that, he was the mayor of London. He also is favored to win the race. In the third round of voting, he secured 143 votes, the highest of any candidate.
Why does he want to run?
He’s ambitious. The 55-year-old, who is said to have aspired to be “world king” as a child, was expected to seek the position in 2016. (May eventually won that race.) But he bowed out when Michael Gove, one of his key allies and Britain’s environmental secretary, withdrew support so that he could launch his own—ultimately unsuccessful—leadership bid instead. Now Johnson fancies himself the party’s best hope to deliver Brexit by the end of October—with or without a deal with the EU. He called the Conservative Party’s crushing defeat in the European Parliament elections a “final warning” to deliver on Brexit or face being “fired” from running the country.
Who supports him?
Despite the 143 votes he received in the third round of voting, not everyone is ready for Boris. Former Attorney General Dominic Grieve pledged to leave the party if Johnson becomes leader, citing, among other reasons, the former foreign secretary’s “embarrassing” comments comparing Muslim women who wear full-face veils to “letter boxes” and “bank robbers.”
How did he vote in the 2016 referendum?
Leave: He was one of the most prominent figureheads of the campaign. But he also faces allegations of misconduct over claims he made during the referendum that Britain sends £350 million ($470 million) to Brussels as a member of the EU each week (this figure has since been debunked).
What else do we know?
President Donald Trump considers Johnson, who was born in New York City, “a friend of mine.”
MICHAEL GOVE
Who is he?
Britain’s environmental secretary. Before that, he served as justice secretary, chief whip, and education secretary.
Why does he want to run?
So he can, as he has put it, bring his fractured party, and the country, back together. Part of his pitch includes delivering on the result of the 2016 referendum, in which approximately 52 percent of Britons voted to leave the EU, though the 51-year-old crucially hasn’t advocated leaving the bloc without a deal. He has also pledged to grant free British citizenship to the 3 million EU nationals who need to apply for a new immigration status to continue living in the United Kingdom after Brexit.
[Read: Brexit has triggered Britain’s most ambitious migration exercise ever]
Who supports him?
Dozens, including Alberto Costa, a leading champion of EU citizens’ rights. He received 51 votes in the third round, the third-highest.
How did he vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Leave: He was one of the first politicians to publicly back Brexit. At the time, he called it “the most difficult decision of my political life.”
What else do we know?
It took the former journalist seven tries to pass his driving test, according to his partner and the Daily Mail columnist Sarah Vine. She also revealed that he has a fondness for corduroy, a passion for opera, and an “entirely irrational dislike of houseplants.”
JEREMY HUNT
Who is he?
Britain’s foreign secretary. Before that, he served as health secretary and culture secretary.
Why does he want to run?
Hunt is a “born-again Brexiteer.” But unlike his rivals in the race, the 52-year-old hasn’t gone as far as to advocate leaving the bloc without a deal. Such an outcome, he argued, would be “political suicide” that could spell the end of the Conservative Party. Still, he thinks the option should remain on the table.
Who supports him?
Those who support Hunt’s Brexit stance and his business background. Others have withdrawn their support over his “political suicide” comments. He received 54 votes in the third round of voting, the highest after Johnson.
How did he vote in the 2016 referendum?
Remain.
What else do we know?
He is fluent in Japanese.
SAJID JAVID
Who is he?
Britain’s home secretary. Before that, he served as local-government secretary, business secretary, and culture secretary.
Why does he want to run?
To “first and foremost” deliver Brexit—though Javid backed Remain in the 2016 vote. The home secretary, who made the contentious decision to strip citizenship from British nationals who went to join the Islamic State, has also called for strengthening the country’s police force by hiring an additional 20,000 officers.
Who supports him?
He received 38 votes in the third round of voting.
How did he vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Remain.
What else do we know?
The former investment banker’s friends call him “The Saj.”
[Read: The end of the cult of sympathy for Theresa May]
Out of the Running:
KIT MALTHOUSE
Who is he?
The minister of state for housing.
Why did he want to run?
Because he is, in his words, a “new face with fresh new ideas.” In his bid to end the Brexit paralysis, the 52-year-old, who is a rising star of the party, said he would revive his eponymous Malthouse compromise—a plan struck by Conservatives on both sides of the Brexit divide to extend the transition period to give Britain more time to prepare for a “managed no-deal” exit. The plan proved unworkable to Brussels and unpopular with British MPs, though Malthouse insisted that “with some adjustments, my plan still holds.”
How did he vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Leave.
What else do we know?
Before becoming an MP, Malthouse was a London deputy mayor under Johnson.
JAMES CLEVERLY
Who is he?
The Brexit minister. Before that, he was the deputy chairman of the Conservative Party.
Why did he want to run?
To deliver Brexit “with some form of a deal,” according to an open letter to his constituents. The 49-year-old added that while a no-deal exit is not his preferred choice, “I am ready to lead through what may be difficult and unchartered waters.” He has also called on the EU to “recognize the need for flexibility.”
How did he vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Leave.
What else do we know?
In a game of “snog, marry, avoid,” the British version of the famous American game, during a 2015 radio interview, Cleverly famously said he would snog May.
SAM GYIMAH
Who is he?
The former universities minister who quit his post in November in protest of May’s handling of Brexit.
Why did he want to run?
To hold a second Brexit referendum. The 42-year-old argued that he would “broaden the race” by being the only candidate (so far) to advocate for a public vote, which he said should give Britons the option to leave the EU with May’s deal, with no deal, or to not leave the bloc at all. If Harper is the underdog, Gyimah is, by his own admission, the “underdog’s underdog.”
How did he vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Remain.
What else do we know?
He is often mistaken for being a Labour MP.
MARK HARPER
Who is he?
The former chief whip under David Cameron’s government. Before that, he served as immigration minister.
Why did he want to run?
To bring “fresh thinking” to the Brexit process—specifically, by forging a closer relationship with the Irish government and involving the wider Conservative Party in whatever deal is struck with Brussels. Unlike his competitors, the 49-year-old isn’t in a rush to finish Brexit, telling the Daily Telegraph that he wouldn’t rule out a delay until 2020. Though he identifies as the “underdog” in this contest, he believes that being the only candidate (thus far) to have not served in May’s government could work to his advantage.
How did he vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Remain.
What else do we know?
He looks the part, apparently. A Twitter user recently joked that Harper, who has little face recognition outside Westminster, resembles “a stock image of a Tory MP.”
ANDREA LEADSOM
Who is she?
The former leader of the House of Commons and the 36th cabinet minister to resign over May’s Brexit deal. Before that, she served as environmental secretary.
Why did she want to run?
So she can implement her three-point plan to deliver Brexit (no details yet on what that entails).
Leadsom withdrew from the Tory leadership contest in 2016 and paved the way for May’s victory. This time, she said, she would be the “decisive and compassionate” leader who can reunite Britain. Like many of her competitors, the 56-year-old thinks that leaving the EU without a deal should be kept on the table.
How did she vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Leave: Leadsom was one of the most visible Brexit advocates during the referendum campaign.
What else do we know?
In 2016, after his own withdrawal, Johnson backed Leadsom in the leadership race.
ESTHER MCVEY
Who is she?
The former work-and-pensions secretary who also resigned over May’s Brexit deal.
Why did she want to run?
To deliver a no-deal Brexit—unlike virtually every other candidate. Beyond Brexit, the 51-year-old has called for a multibillion-pound cut to Britain’s international-aid budget in favor of focusing on domestic priorities such as policing and education.
Since dropping out of the race, she has backed Johnson to become prime minister.
How did she vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Leave.
What else do we know?
Before she was an MP, she was a TV presenter.
MATT HANCOCK
Who is he?
Britain’s health secretary. Before that, he served as culture secretary.
Why did he want to run?
He says he’s a moderate, pro-business candidate who would rebuild the government’s relations with corporate Britain and avoid a no-deal departure from the EU. In a not-so-subtle dig at Johnson, Hancock told the Financial Times that “to the people who say fuck business, I say fuck fuck business.” Now, he’s backing Johnson.
Who supports him?
He received 20 votes in the first round of voting.
How did he vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Remain.
What else do we know?
He has his own smartphone app. Oh, and he loves stroopwafels.
DOMINIC RAAB
Who is he?
The former Brexit secretary (and the second to resign from his post in protest of May’s Brexit deal).
Why did he want to run?
Raab considered himself the “optimism and change” candidate, who would fight for a “fairer” Britain. On Brexit, he pledged to go back to Brussels and renegotiate May’s Brexit deal (an option the EU has repeatedly rejected). Barring that, the 45-year-old said he would take Britain out of the EU without a deal at the end of October—an outcome few Conservative MPs would support, but one Raab said would be “very difficult” to stop.
Who supports him?
Raab dropped out of the contest after receiving 30 votes in the second round of voting. He is now backing Johnson.
How did he vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Leave.
What else do we know?
His favorite lunch: a chicken-Caesar-and-bacon baguette, a superfruit pot, and a vitamin-volcano smoothie.
RORY STEWART
Who is he?
Britain’s international-development secretary.
Why did he want to run?
To unite the country around a compromise Brexit agreement. His solution: to set up a 500-member citizens’ assembly that would have the task of reaching a consensus. If elected, the 46-year-old army veteran, who previously served as a deputy governor in Iraq during the 2003 invasion, pledged to double Britain’s foreign spending to focus on climate change.
Who supports him?
Stewart emerged as an unexpected force in the leadership contest, receiving 37 votes in the second round of voting. That support fell to 27 in the third round of voting, forcing him to drop out of the race. His supporters included Winston Churchill’s grandson Nicholas Soames.
How did he vote in the 2016 Brexit referendum?
Remain.
What else do we know?
He can speak Dari, which he learned while spending three years trekking 6,000 miles across Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran.
Boris Johnson gets a birthday boost in race to be British prime minister as Rory Stewart is knocked out -2%
Maverick candidate Rory Stewart was knocked out of the race to become Britain’s next prime minister on Wednesday, as Boris Johnson extended his lead over the three other remaining contenders.International Development Secretary Stewart actually lost votes to come in last in the third ballot of Conservative MPs.Former foreign minister Johnson, on his 55th birthday, extended his commanding lead with the support of 143 out of 313 members of Britain’s governing party.Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt…
Tories pick final two in battle to become British PM
Conservative MPs will decide on Thursday who will join Boris Johnson in the final two battling to become Britain's next prime minister. Three contenders are jostling for the second spot. The last two will then face 16 hustings meetings around the country and two televised debates before Tory party members send in their postal votes to pick a new leader who will be the new PM.
Tory leadership: MPs to choose final two candidates
Jeremy Hunt, Michael Gove and Sajid Javid are vying to join frontrunner Boris Johnson as the last two candidates.
Boris Johnsons Brexit position from never never land David Miliband 2%
Boris Johnson’s Brexit stance is “straight out of never never land”, former foreign secretary David Miliband has said.
U.K. Maverick Rory Stewart Knocked Out of Race for Party Leader 50%
Rory Stewart’s insurgent campaign had been a growing threat to the favorite, Boris Johnson, by shaking up the contest until lawmakers eliminated him.
Johnson extends lead in UK PM contest as Stewart loses third voting round -4%
Rory Stewart was knocked out of the race to become Britain's next prime minister on Wednesday, leaving four candidates led by former foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
European Parliament's Liberals Pick Romania's Ciolos As Leader
The liberals in the European Parliament have elected former Romanian Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos to head their faction.
Boris Johnson wins most second round votes on path to become UK PM 3%
Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May, won the most votes cast in the second round of voting for Conservative Party leader on Tuesday, with four other candidates
Boris Johnson remains clear favourite to take the Tory crown -18%
Boris Johnson has extended his commanding lead over his rivals, which shows little sign of diminishing.
Michael Gove takes another stab at Tory game of thrones
It has been said of Michael Gove that he stabbed David Cameron in the front and Boris Johnson in the back.
Hariri defends presidency deal, hits back at Bassil, Sunni critics
Prime Minister Saad Hariri Tuesday staunchly defended the 2016 political settlement that led to the election of Michel Aoun as president and brought Hariri back to the premiership, saying the deal had protected Lebanon’s stability and prevented sectarian strife.
KU professor appointed as director of CSIR-NISTAD
The Kurukshetra University (KU) officials informed that the Prime Minister has appointed Prof Ranjana Aggarwal as the new Director of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research - National Institute of Science Technology and Development Studies (CSIR-NISTADS), New Delhi.
Rory Stewart, the Insurgent Candidate for British Prime Minister, Soars Up and Out 15%
Sam Knight writes about Rory Stewart, the secretary of state for international development, and his bracing, exciting candidacy for U.K. Prime Minister, after the resignation of Theresa May.
What would Churchill say? UK PM contest rival Jeremy Hunt taunts Boris Johnson for hiding away
Boris Johnson, the front runner to replace Theresa May as Britain’s prime minister, must face more scrutiny over his Brexit plans, his closest rival said on Friday with a taunt that his hero Winston Churchill would not shy away from the media.Johnson has pledged that Britain will exit the European Union on October 31, warning his divided Conservative Party “delay means defeat”.He argues that if Britain is prepared for a no-deal Brexit, the EU will bend to his argument to remove the so-called…
The rehabilitation of Tony Blair? - podcast 1%
Tony Blair’s legacy since leaving office has been the subject of heated debate both within the Labour party and the country at large. As Paul Lewis reports, his re-entry into the national debate on Brexit comes at a time of a crisis of trust in British politics and a rise in populism. Also today: Jim Waterson on the Saudi investment in the Evening Standard
Tony Blair is Labour’s most electorally successful prime minister, but his legacy has been the source of bitter rows ever since he left office. Now he is back, and making a series of impassioned interventions on Brexit.
He has recently released a video defending his record as prime minister after Jeremy Corbyn lumped together Blair’s Labour government with the Conservatives under Margaret Thatcher and David Cameron.
Continue reading...Brexit campaigner Johnson advances on Britain's top job 13%
Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson advanced on the prize of Britain's top political job Tuesday, winning 40 percent of votes in the second round of a contest to replace Prime Minister Theresa May.
Sharif files plea in court seeking permission to submit more medical reports 5%
Pakistan's jailed prime minister Nawaz Sharif on Wednesday filed an appeal in the Islamabad High Court (IHC) seeking permission to submit additional medical reports as the court resumed the hearing of his bail plea on medical grounds in a corruption case.
And then there were four: a primer on the race in Britain to succeed Theresa May -4%
The race for British prime minister is on.
Faced with ministerial resignations, rumors of Cabinet revolt and multiple parliamentary defeats of her Brexit deal with the European Union, Theresa May had little choice this month but to formally hand in her resignation.
It sparked a fierce battle to...
An insider's view of how Rabin almost made peace with Syria -30%
Itamar Rabinovich, the late prime minister's ambassador to Washington, details why Rabin preferred peace with Assad over the Palestinians, in his new book, 'Yitzhak Rabin: Soldier, Leader, Statesman.'
Boris Johnson increases his lead: France 24 UK correspondent Bndicte Paviot
Johnson cements lead in UK PM race as arch-Brexiteer Raab is knocked out.