Tag: Sajid Javid

It is a high-risk strategy but one that could yet result in her becoming the next prime minister. Brexit contortions, kamikaze ministers and parliament’s finest hour | Letters Read more Rudd brings to the soft Brexit faction in cabinet and government a degree of organisation that it has hitherto lacked. Two weeks ago it emerged via leaks that Rudd and three other cabinet ministers had asked May to stop using the threat of no deal as a negotiating tactic in a private meeting; a few days later it was reported that two dozen ministers would be ready to defy the prime minister and vote to delay Brexit. Cabinet minutes have been marked secret for some months, when they were not before, meaning they are covered by the Official Secrets Act. But the defiance of Rudd’s faction has been overt. They were offered a vote on extending article 50 on 14 March if parliament could not reach a deal with the EU by 12 March, and did not vote for a no deal the day after. Hard Brexit Tories: a party within a party? But in the aftermath, soft Brexiters pushed for more. Such successes have brought political problems, however. Party leaders tend to outperform their parties in elections however, and there always remains the alternative that a friendly nearby MP in a safe seat would make way for her.

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

Theresa May’s deal offers the end of freedom of movement, a change that supporters of her offer say is crucial in delivering the Brexit for which people voted in 2016. As ending of freedom of movement is central to the deal, some MPs have been calling for the government to publish the white paper for its post-Brexit immigration bill before next week’s meaningful vote. On Wednesday, the home secretary, Sajid Javid, said it was “still his intention” to publish it this month – a choice of words opposition MPs met with groans and sighs. Defending the delay, Javid told MPs: “It’s worth keeping in mind that this is the biggest change in our immigration system in four decades. It’s important that we take the time and we get it right.” Javid also said freedom of movement would end, “deal or no deal” – in effect saying that while it was a key part of the deal, it was not strictly tied to what May was offering. He also said MPs had been given glimpses of what the post-Brexit immigration system would look like. Brexit: MPs rail against backstop plans in second day of debate on May's deal – Politics live Read more Javid said he would consider scrapping the current cap of 20,700 on highly skilled migrants as part of the post-Brexit vision. Successful applicants for highly skilled work will be able to bring their immediate families, but only if sponsored by their future employers. For tourists and short-stay business trips, the government is looking at developing a system of e-gate visa checks for all countries considered low-risk. Passports would be scanned in airports, train stations and ports.

Boris Johnson has faced a backlash over his attack on Theresa May’s Brexit plans, with a string of senior Conservatives lining up to denounce him as the prime minister sought to save her Chequers deal. Boris Johnson’s latest Brexit outburst combines madness and mendacity | Simon Jenkins Read more Before a meeting of the right-wing European Research Group on Tuesday, Brexiters claimed May now had a “very limited window” of time to row back if she wanted to avoid a humiliating Commons defeat over the final deal. No 10 is also preparing for a crunch “no deal” cabinet meeting next week. That’s exactly what the country has with this prime minister and this Brexit plan.” Play Video 7:31 No 10’s intervention marks an escalation of the feud between the prime minister and her former foreign secretary, which has intensified since his attack on the government’s Brexit plans, widely viewed as a renewed push for the top job. She said: “Chequers is now dead.” Several Brexit-supporting sources confirmed that political strategist Sir Lynton Crosby was working with the ERG on a wider campaign against Chequers. Change Britain The successor group to the official leave campaign, it is headed by Labour MP Gisela Stuart, and says it wants to see the referendum result “respected and delivered in full”. It was supported by some Tories, such as Anna Soubry and Dominic Grieve, but they cut ties over a plan to oust hard Brexit-backing MPs. People's Vote Part of Open Britain, this group calls for a referendum on the final Brexit deal. They claimed the prime minister would struggle to get her proposal through the Commons, with as many as 50 Tory MPs prepared to vote against it, and another 20 following former minister Nick Boles who this week abandoned his support for Chequers in favour of a Norway-style deal. It came as at least 20 Eurosceptic Tory MPs, backed by former Tory ministers Iain Duncan Smith, Priti Patel and Steve Baker, backed the #standup4brexit grassroots campaign group, with more expected to sign up.

In findings that will offer some relief to the prime minister, an ICM survey for the Guardian found that voters believe the Tories would be more likely to lose the next election if May was replaced by Johnson or five other potential successors. The Guardian view on Tory party entryism: a real and present rightwing danger | Editorial Read more May’s leadership has been questioned since she called a snap election in 2017 that led to the loss of the Tories’ Commons majority. But, asked by ICM if the Conservatives would have a better chance of winning the next election under Johnson, only 27% of respondents agreed, while 45% disagreed, giving Johnson a net score of -18. Voters believe a young and unheralded leader would give the Tories a better chance of winning the next election than other contenders Standfirst ... * -30% -20 -10 0 'Someone quite young and able, not currently in government' Ruth Davidson Boris Johnson Sajid Javid Jacob Rees-Mogg Jeremy Hunt Michael Gove Guardian Graphic | Source: Guardian/ICM poll. Question asked if chances of victory better or worse with each candidate - net figure shown Two other leading candidates – Michael Gove, the environment secretary, and Jeremy Hunt, the new foreign secretary – are seen as even worse choices. Just 7% of people believe each man would help the party’s chances, and their respective net ratings are -38 and -34. But 20% disagreed, giving this unspecified candidate a net score of +5. Rees-Mogg is seen by Tories as the person next best placed to help the Tories, but his net score is -8. However, in a leadership contest Johnson would be challenged to show that he could win over Labour voters. Conservatives and Labour level in the polls after one percentage point increase in Tory support Voting intention (change from ICM poll two weeks ago) % 0 10 20 30 40 Conservatives 40% (+1) Labour 40 (-) Lib Dems 8 (-) Ukip 6 (-) Green 2 (-1) Guardian Graphic | Source: Guardian/ICM poll ICM Unlimited interviewed a representative online sample of 2,021 adults aged 18 or over, between 17 and 19 August 2018.

I look forward to working with her as we strive to create a city that leaves no Londoner behind https://t.co/GkRZSWEiUG The Press Association has helpfully written up a transcript of the Richard Madeley interview with Gavin Williamson. GW: I’d like to pay tribute to the health service personnel who did an amazing job... RM: No sorry, could you answer the question? Could you answer that question, please? Do you regret telling Russia to shut up and go away’? Mr Williamson, please answer the question. Mr Williamson, you are just not answering the question. Could you please answer that question? GW: Well, I think that what everyone saw is Russia’s actions against our citizens in a city here in the United Kingdom... RM: Yes, you’re telling us what we know. We know what happened in Salisbury, we know how atrocious it was, we know how close these people came to death. The question is - I’ll try it one more time - do you regret using very casual Trump-esque language like ‘shut up and go away’?

From George Osborne, the Evening Standard editor and former Conservative chancellor (@George_Osborne) What a bargain this is all turning out to be .... BBC News - Brexit: Technology-based customs system 'could cost £20bn' https://t.co/W6ICo5eE47 From the FT’s Jim Pickard (@PickardJE) Chief executive of HMRC thinks "max fac" could cost companies up to £200bn over a decade: yet Eurosceptic Tory MPs still believe they are *pro business* https://t.co/b7ySOyjQs6 pic.twitter.com/Pja40dFjjT From Hugh Bennett, deputy editor of BrexitCentral (@HughRBennett) HMRC offers hypothetical figure of £17-£20bn cost of customsIn the real world, former Swiss Foreign Secretary Prof Michael Ambuhl says the cost of customs is 0.1% of the value of trade for Switzerland - translates to around £500m a year for the UKhttps://t.co/SE6hUuELmq And Jon Thompson, the HMRC boss, also explained why he thought the new customs partnership (NCP) proposal could cost business nothing once it was up and running. (@jrmaidment) Downing Street says HMRC estimate that max fac Brexit customs option could cost businesses £20bn is “speculation”. The question is, how much does it cost to complete a customs declaration? The highly streamlined option is going to cost businesses £32.50, approximately, per customs declaration. That’s a cost of between £17bn and £20bn a year. She says the “max fac” customs system would involve firms having to pay £32.50 per customs declaration. This would cost them up between £17bn and £20bn a year, she says. (@jl_owen) HMRC say Max Fac could cost business up to £20bn...Last September, we @instituteforgov looked at potential costs - declarations alone could cost business up to £9bn pic.twitter.com/ecUlz3sXPx Thompson confirms that HMRC has asked firms to sign non-disclosure agreements before it discusses with them how customs arrangements might work after Brexit. Thompson says the “max fac” system could cost business between £17bn and £20bn. HMRC says “max fac” customs system preferred by Brexiters could cost business up to £20bn.

With Operation Save Amber finally derailed after two weeks of fire-fighting the former home secretary’s failing memory – by the weekend she couldn’t even remember what targets she was meant to have forgotten – the Tory party’s attention turned to Operation Save Face. With Amber Rudd out of a job, the prime minister has been left with no one else to take the blame for her hostile environment policy that caused the Windrush scandal. The transport secretary is just about the only minister who makes David Davis look quick-witted and is the last person who should be sent out in a crisis. Over in Downing Street, May let out a shriek as Grayling inadvertently tried to get her the sack as well. What it came down to was this: no one was really to blame for the Windrush debacle and Rudd was every bit as much a victim as the many thousands who had found themselves deprived of work and healthcare and threatened with deportation. She had just made one teeny-weeny little mistake. Sajid Javid disowns 'hostile environment' phrase in first outing as home secretary - Politics live Read more Shortly after appointing Sajid Javid as her new home secretary, it was May’s turn to face the cameras. The Guardian view on Amber Rudd’s resignation: now change the policy | Editorial Read more Several Labour MPs tried to put him right, but Javid wasn’t having any of it. He refused to recognise the term hostile environment. Compliant as in being as beastly as possible to anyone who looked foreign without being actively hostile.

Sajid Javid has used his first appearance in the Commons has home secretary to promise to “do right by the Windrush generation”. Like the Caribbean Windrush generation, my parents came to this country from the Commonwealth in the 1960s. So when I heard that people who were long-standing pillars of their community were being impacted for simply not having the right documents to prove their legal status in the UK, I thought that it could be my mum, my brother, my uncle or even me. This sounded like a new departure, but the Home Office ditched the “hostile environment” terminology some time ago. He told MPs that the Home Office’s Windrush taskforce has received 6,000 calls, of which around 2,500 have been identified as Windrush cases. He claimed that the Immigration Act 2014 did not remove a protection against deportation available to Windrush migrants. Diane Abbott, the shadow home secretary, said the government should re-instate this protection. Javid told her there was no need. (@stellacreasy) Just told the new Home Secretary whether he calls it compliant or hostile, its deeds not words that matter in how he treats windrush generation. Thanks for the comments.

Nine cabinet ministers, including the prime minister, are making more than £10,000 a year by acting as landlords, a Guardian analysis has found. Following Jeremy Hunt’s failure to declare the purchase of seven luxury flats that he subsequently rented out, an analysis of the parliamentary register of MPs’ interests shows eight other members of the cabinet own property that is rented out for a five-figure annual sum. The health secretary was forced to make an embarrassing apology on Friday after it emerged that he had failed to declare a business interest with both Companies House and the parliamentary register of MPs’ interests. There is no suggestion that the ministers are in breach of the ministerial code. The cabinet’s property portfolio Rental properties with value over £100,000 and/or giving income of over £10,000 a year Jeremy Hunt Secretary of state for health and social care 0.5 share of holiday house in Italy 0.5 share of an office building in Hammersmith 7 apartments in Southampton Theresa May Prime minister Philip Hammond Chancellor 1 flat, central London 1 house in London Boris Johnson Foreign secretary Sajid Javid Local government 1 house in London 1 house in Bristol 1 house in London Liam Fox International trade Chris Grayling Transport 1 residential property in London SE1 2 terraced houses in London Alun Cairns MP, Wales Brandon Lewis 1 property in Cardiff 1 House in Essex Theresa May Prime minister Philip Hammond Chancellor Jeremy Hunt Secretary of state for health and social care 1 flat in central London 1 house in London 0.5 share of holiday house in Italy 0.5 share of an office building in Hammersmith 7 apartments in Southampton Liam Fox International trade Chris Grayling Transport Boris Johnson Foreign secretary Sajid Javid Local government 1 house in London 1 house in Bristol 1 house in London 1 residential property in London SE1 2 terraced houses in London Guardian graphic. Shadow cabinet office minister Jon Trickett said: “This is simply unacceptable and especially so given the secretary of state’s position at the heart of Theresa May’s government.” Guardian inquiries have established that the flats were developed by a property company owned by a Conservative donor. According to the property giant Savills, each flat in the development is worth between £450,000 and £1m. The spokeswoman blamed Hunt’s accountant for mistakes in the Companies House’ documents. “Jeremy’s accountant made an error in the Companies House filing, which was a genuine oversight.