Campaigners say the site influenced 871,000 voters and prevented a Conservative majority. The Statistics Authority says its calculations are wrong.
In the only contest taking place this week, the Conservatives held a seat in the Vale of Glamorgan.
How a proud, unbending leader misread his party, brought down a government, and set back the idea of sharing power for a generation.
Further details enclosed.
Perhaps we will find out today why Downing Street and the whips stuck with a motion that risked revolt by ERG members and second referendum backers alike.
Her motion is defeated. Will the EU now abandon her, and egg on Letwin and his supporters to try to take formal control of the negotiation?
A mass of ERG and other hard Brexiteers band together with a liberal sprinkling of Remainers.
Ofgem should introduce a new ‘low-carbon gas obligation’ in the next price control framework from April 2021. This would enable the UK to decarbonise its heating sectorat the lowest possible cost.
A key moral from the case of Shamima Begum is that we need better information both to protect and prosecute.
Plus: Up, up and away – HS2’s costs. Staying down – LibDem poll ratings. Stuck where they are – Labour’s.
You have to start early earning trust with openness, honesty and a lot of work on both sides.
The implication is that the Government would win more votes if it kept the ERG happy.
He argues for “a fundamental realignment of Government, Parliament and Civil Service.”
“Yet again her Government has been defeated”.
And Chris Heaton-Harris brings his infamous Twitter humour to the despatch box with a joke about viagra.
The Brexit Secretary argues that “we should not give them that excuse not to engage”, and therefore should vote with the Government.
Setting flimsy evidence and distorted statistics to a depressing soundtrack does nothing for their credibility.
Also: Backlash grows against SNP’s new tax; Labour AM apologises for antisemitic comment; and Scottish Tories say they’ve stopped Johnson.
Robbins’ overheard conversation has further eroded faith in his boss – and the ERG is itself divided over whether changes to the backstop would themselves be enough.
At times, says the Education Secretary, the post he holds requires “a bold and vociferous and constant presence”. But “at other times less so”.
The topic is being discussed – including at Cabinet – but that in itself is not convincing evidence that such a major change is imminent.
The man his critics call the ‘Viktator’ has two new policies – one a gimmick, one deeply sinister.
“Theresa May has said a no-deal Brexit is “more likely” after Tory Eurosceptics condemned her to another humiliating Commons defeat. The brief Tory truce over Brexit was shattered as 66 Conservatives – including Boris Johnson and Dominic Raab – abstained in a vote over the Government’s way forward, which Mrs May lost by 303 votes to 258. The result was a serious blow to Mrs May’s chances of winning concessions from Brussels over the Brexit deal. Mrs May had told the EU that a vote in favour of her Brexit strategy last month gave her a “stable majority” for the deal she is trying to broker, but that majority was wiped out at a stroke by her 45-vote defeat. Brexiteers from the European Research Group had refused to back a Government motion which followed a day-long Brexit debate because they believed it meant no deal was being taken off the table.” – Daily Telegraph
Brexiteers:
>Today:
>Yesterday:
“Hardline Conservative Brexiteers were accused of treachery by a minister as the party’s fragile truce crumbled again yesterday. Richard Harrington, a business minister, told the European Research Group (ERG) of backbenchers that they should quit the party and join forces with Nigel Farage instead… Mr Harrington, who voted to Remain in the EU in 2016, has emerged as one of the most passionate ministerial opponents of a no-deal Brexit. Last month he praised Airbus for “telling it like it is” after the company said the government’s handling of Brexit had been a disgrace, and said he would be “very happy” if Mrs May sacked him for his opposition to leaving the EU without a deal. But yesterday Mr Harrington, MP for Watford, said he would not countenance resigning and nor should other Remainers, because it would give the ERG “pleasure”.” – The Times
More:
>Today: MPs Etc.: Nearly a quarter of Conservative MPs failed to support the Prime Minister yesterday
>Yesterday:
“EU regulators should drop ambitions for greater direct supervision of London clearing houses after Brexit, to avoid imposing potentially “conflicting requirements” on institutions that play a key role in global markets, according to a top official at the Bank of England. London’s clearing houses, which manage the risk around trades if one side defaults, have become ensnared in Brexit politics because they handle the bulk of the €660tn market for derivatives cleared in Europe. While EU authorities have a “valid interest” in monitoring the City’s clearing houses, they should defer to UK regulators, David Bailey, director of markets infrastructure at the BoE, said in an interview. “We have lots of experience co-operating with overseas regulators, making sure where they have a valid interest in a UK clearing house, they have the relevant input they need,” he said.” – FT
Comment:
“We risk putting ourselves in a very difficult situation. However, some calm, sensible decision making at this critical point can avoid such a mistake. There are three options to deal with the backstop. First, the ability for the UK to unilaterally exit from it; second, a short time limit which ensures it would come to an end before the 2022 General Election or third, replace it with something better. The solution must be something that can be carried in Parliament primarily by the Conservative Party and our DUP allies. We know that this is possible because on 29th January, the House of Commons voted – by a majority of 16 – to require “the Northern Ireland backstop to be replaced with alternative arrangements to avoid a hard border; supports leaving the European Union with a deal and would therefore support the Withdrawal Agreement subject to this change.” For a backstop to have the reassurance required by the EU and Ireland, it needs to be capable of being permanent but for the UK, if it were to be permanent, it would need to be acceptable for all parts of our country – both Great Britain and Northern Ireland.” – Daily Telegraph
“The family of the London schoolgirl who ran away to join Islamic State appealed last night for her to be shown mercy as the home secretary tried to shut the door on her hopes of returning to Britain. Relatives of Shamima Begum, 19, pointed to her youthful innocence at the time when she was groomed online to join Isis in February 2015… Sajid Javid declared, however, that he would use all available powers to prevent Ms Begum coming back to Britain and would seek to try her for terrorism offences if she did return. “We must remember that those who left Britain to join Daesh were full of hate for our country,” the home secretary told The Times. “My message is clear — if you have supported terrorist organisations abroad I will not hesitate to prevent your return. If you do manage to return you should be ready to be questioned, investigated and potentially prosecuted.”” – The Times
Comment:
>Today: Bob Seely MP in Comment: The rule of law is an absolute. It cannot be dispensed with when we deal with ISIS terrorists.
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