Tag: Independent Group

MPs will then vote on the motion as amended, or not. The amendments being voted on, in order: H. Cross-party request for second referendum Tabled by former Tory Sarah Wollaston, now of the Independent Group, and signed by around 30 MPs, this seeks a delay for a new referendum, which would have remain as an option. If it passes, amendments I and E would not be voted on. If it is voted on (if amendment H loses) and passes then amendment E would not be voted on. E. Labour amendment Led by Jeremy Corbyn, this notes the rejection by parliament of May’s Brexit plan, and of no deal, and says the government should “provide parliamentary time for this house to find a majority for a different approach”. If this amendment was passed it could give the Speaker the power to block another vote on May’s deal as it has been voted down twice by parliament already. This will be voted on whatever else happens. Plaid Cymru amendment This amendment, signed by Plaid’s four MPs, called for a delay to Brexit until 2021, and a second referendum at the end of this. D. Liberal Democrat second referendum plan Tabled by the the Lib Dems’ 11 MPs, this also called for a Brexit delay and a second referendum. F. SNP/Plaid second referendum plan Yet another extension/second referendum amendment, this also called for remain to be an option in the referendum, and for the revocation of article 50 to be possible in the interim.

“Who are these 9 per cent?” Well, I’m one of them. I think British politics is working well. That is British politics working as it should. Any prime minister would have struggled to reconcile a popular vote to leave the EU with the implemention of it by a House of Commons, three quarters of whose members voted to remain. Any prime minister would then have found it even harder to construct a majority out of a parliament split three ways, reflecting public opinion split three ways. I think the referendum was the right and inevitable response to democratic pressure to reconsider our relationship with the rest of Europe. I don’t agree with them, but that’s the British political system, and that’s how it works. The 82 per cent who say British politics is working badly ought to be able to say how it would work better. The most popular was: “Parties and politicians trying harder to work together and reach compromise” (73 per cent). And the other two were: “A different type of people becoming MPs” (59 per cent) and “The public to become more politically engaged” (58 per cent).

Britain’s Labour party celebrated its 119th anniversary this week. Founded on 27 February 1900 from the fledgling socialist and trade union movements, it grew to become one of the world’s most influential political forces of the left, and remains the biggest of any party by membership in western Europe. But last week saw of nine of its MPs resign – eight of whom, along with three Tories, have formed a new alignment known as the Independent Group. With Brexit and social decline driving British politics to the margins, both Labour and the Tories are now at risk of fractures that could shatter the country’s familiar two-party landscape. Our cover story this week asks how Labour, in particular, can survive the bitter infighting surrounding its leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and his seemingly ambivalent attitude both to Brexit and to alleged antisemitism within the party. None of which might mean much to cocoa farmers in Ivory Coast, who earn on average less than $1 a day. In our Spotlight opener, the Observer’s Tim Adams reports on how Ivorian farming cooperatives hope to get a better deal through initiatives such as Fairtrade. Then, Paul Tullis asks whether we can ever wean ourselves off palm oil, and spare the world the catastrophic environmental damage caused by its mega-plantations. Shamima Begum is a London schoolgirl who ran away to Syria to join Islamic State aged 15. Now, four years later, with the terrorist group all but destroyed in Syria, Begum wants to return to the UK with her newborn baby.

All the evidence points to not leaving the EU, and the reasons given for leaving are generally vague or false. Should the new party that will surely follow the formation of the Independent Group, continues to promote a “people’s vote”, it will likely be quite attractive to people like me. Just as many feel that Brexit makes no sense, I felt that austerity, which started in 2010, went against all our knowledge and evidence. That analysis begins my book based on the blog I started as a result of austerity. But austerity was not Brexit’s main cause. To see what the cause was, we need to look at the second period in which I felt similar to how I today feel about Brexit: the run up to the 2015 general election. In reality the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s caused by a Global Financial Crisis had pushed up the deficit, but the media had pushed, or accepted, the idea that the Coalition was clearing up the mess that a profligate Labour government had left. The fact that people thought the Conservatives were strong on the economy only confirmed the media’s narrative. Brexit would not have been possible without the UK media. A large part of the press pushed anti-EU propaganda, and the broadcast media balanced the view of the overwhelming majority of experts against the lies of a few.

Eleven MPs have now left their political parties to join the Independent Group. The Guardian’s political editor, Heather Stewart, asks whether Brexit is pushing British party politics to breaking point. And: Nosheen Iqbal on Sajid Javid revoking Shamima Begum’s citizenship On Monday, seven Labour MPs left their party and and set up the Independent Group. On Tuesday they were joined by another Labour MP. On Wednesday three Conservatives also defected: Heidi Allen, Anna Soubry and Sarah Wollaston. Is this the start of a new centrist party? The Guardian’s political editor, Heather Stewart, covering for Today in Focus host Anushka Asthana, speaks to Jessica Elgot, the Guardian’s Westminster correspondent, about what the Independent Group stands for. She also speaks to Alison McGovern, the Labour MP and vocal remainer who has disagreed with Jeremy Corbyn on many issues but does not believe breaking up the party is the solution, and Robert Halfon, the Conservative MP who does not intend to leave his party but wants to radically change it from within. Finally, Nosheen Iqbal examines Sajid Javid’s decision to revoke the citizenship of Shamima Begum, the Bethnal Green teenager who left the UK in 2015 to join Isis. Help support our independent journalism at gu.com/infocus

Brexit has re-defined the Conservative party - undoing all the efforts to modernise it. There will be times when we will support the government, for example, on measures to strengthen our economy, security and improve our public services. Yours sincerely, (@NickyMorgan01) Very sorry to read this from my principled and fearless friend @Anna_Soubry - any political party should be a broad church and we should regret losing three such talented women from the Conservative Party https://t.co/ird2MeCYIT (@joswinson) "a purple momentum is now subsuming the Conservative party... marching the country to the cliff edge of no deal"Kudos to the brave MPs who have left the broken Conservative and Labour parties. Exclusive interview on @bbcsoutheast at 1330 Theresa May has issued a statement in response to the news that three of her MPs have left the Labour party and will join the Independent Group of eight former Labour MPs in parliament. Of course, the UK’s membership of the EU has been a source of disagreement both in our party and our country for a long time. I am determined that under my leadership the Conservative party will always offer the decent, moderate and patriotic politics that the people of this country deserve. They say the Conservative party has shifted to the right. Over in Greece, Britain’s ambassador, Kate Smith, has welcomed the news that the rights of an estimated 45,000 UK citizens living in the country will be fully protected in the event of a no-deal Brexit. “There is a substantial Greek community in the UK and a sizeable UK community in Greece and we wish for both of them to continue to enjoy fully the benefits and privileges they had before withdrawal,” Katrougalos wrote in a letter to his British counterpart, Jeremy Hunt, published by the UK government this morning. Kate Smith tweeted: “Delighted that the Greek government has confirmed that in the event of no deal the rights of UK nationals already living in Greece will be fully recognised and guaranteed, in line with the reciprocity offered by the UK to EU citizens.” (@KateSmithFCO) The letter from Minister of Foreign Affairs G. Katrougalos addressed to Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt regarding UK nationals rights after the EU Exit, is available in English: https://t.co/mUxpT1Ri6y#UKnationalsinEU

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has today announced he will join the seven other splitters in leaving the party and joining the Independent Group. Corbyn cited Labour’s position on Brexit as well as Labour MPs disinterest in his stories about his allotment as the main reasons. ‘And don’t even get me started with the eye-rolling when I start talking about my jam making exploits,’ Corbyn told the press. Jeremy Corbyn’s move to the Independent Group has seen a swell of support online as thousands have already joined and donated to the cause. It’s believed that Corbyn is now the red-hot favourite to become the group’s leader, which could be problematic for other MPs in the group. ‘If he becomes the leader then the rest of us will have to splinter off again. Frankly, we spunked most of our creativity on creating the Independent Group name. I have no idea what we’d call a new group,’ said Chukka Umunna.