Saturday, July 27, 2019
'You’d Have to Be Mad to Think Boris Johnson Is the Answer to Britain’s Problems' – George Galloway
Growing Alarm in Germany Following Right-Wing Attacks
Friday, July 26, 2019
Sweden Hits Back at Donald Trump in Row over A$AP Rocky Detention
Sweden has hit back at Donald Trump after the US president reacted angrilyto a decision to press assault charges against the American rapper A$AP Rocky, insisting its independent judicial system must do its work.
“The rule of the law applies to everyone equally and is exercised by an independent judiciary,” tweeted former prime minister Carl Bildt. “That’s the way it is in the US, and that’s certainly the way it is in Sweden. Political interference in the process is distinctly off limits. Clear?”
Trump said on Thursday he was very disappointed in Stefan Löfven for being unable to act. He said “Sweden has let our African American community down in the United States. Give A$AP Rocky his freedom.”
The US president also said: “We do so much for Sweden but it doesn’t seem to work the other way around. Sweden should focus on its real crime problem.” » | Jon Henley | Friday, July 26, 2019
Labels:
Donald Trump,
Sweden
ITV News Exclusive: Jacob Rees-Mogg Issues Style Guide to Staff
Issuing a style guide in the first week of his job, he also bans colleagues from using various words in correspondence with other MPs and the public.
Among the list of bizarre rules, he asks staff not to use the words “got”, “very” or “equal”. » | Paul Brand, Political correspondent | Friday, July 26, 2019
Labels:
Jacob Rees-Mogg
Boris Johnson: 'The Boy Who Wanted to Be World King' – BBC Newsnight
New Study Predicts Millions of Americans May Become Exposed To "Off The Charts" Heat
New British Leader: Boris Johnson's Turkish Roots
Labels:
Boris Johnson,
Turkey
Brexit Deadlock as No 10 Insists EU Must Scrap Backstop before Talks
Boris Johnson’s government has played down the idea of fresh Brexit talks with the EU unless Brussels first agrees to reopen the entire withdrawal agreement and scrap the Irish backstop, both of which have been repeatedly ruled out.
In a stance that appears to place the UK more firmly on course for a no-deal departure on 31 October, Downing Street said there were no new Brexit talks scheduled, and that Johnson was “clear what the basis for those discussions needs to be”.
His spokesman said: “I don’t have a date to point you towards. The PM has been very clear that he is ready to begin having those discussions, but obviously the key point is the withdrawal agreement is not going to pass parliament, so that is going to mean reopening the withdrawal agreement.” » | Peter Walker, Political correspondent | Friday, July 26, 2019
US Ambassador: Trump Likes Boris Johnson for 'Calling It As He Sees It'
Donald Trump respects Boris Johnson for “calling it as he sees it”, the US ambassador to the UK has said, responding to the new prime minister’s 2015 description of the US president as “frankly unfit to hold office”.
Woody Johnson said the relationship between the two would be “sensational”. “I think they do have a lot [in common],” he said. “Both these leaders have their own style, but they have similarities and I think they have clear vision of what they want to accomplish.”
Speaking following the new prime minister’s election as Conservative party leader on Tuesday, the president heaped praise on Johnson, describing him as “Britain Trump”. » | Frances Perraudin | Friday, July 26, 2019
Morning After: Boris Johnson Recovers from Lebedev’s Exotic Italian Party
A trip Boris Johnson made to Italy for a party held by a billionaire socialite ended with the then foreign secretary at an airport “looking like he had slept in his clothes”, struggling to walk in a straight line and telling other passengers he had had a heavy night, the Guardian has been told.
Pictures of the now prime minister along with an account from a fellow traveller shed further light on Johnson’s weekend away at the home of the media owner Evgeny Lebedev, who is known for hosting uproarious parties for the rich and famous at his converted castle near Perugia.
Johnson has refused to answer questions about the visit in April last year, including whether he flew to Italy against the advice of his officials and without the 24/7 security detail usually assigned to the foreign secretary.
The pictures, taken at San Francesco d’Assisi airport on Sunday 29 April 2018, suggest he did go to Italy without a police escort. According to another passenger on the flight back to the UK, Johnson was on his own, seemingly without any luggage and very much the worse for wear. » | Nick Hopkins | Friday, July 26, 2019
France Warns Boris Johnson Not to Play Games with Irish Border
The French government has warned Boris Johnson against playing games with the Irish border after the new British prime minister demanded the ditching of the backstop.
Amélie de Montchalin, France’s minister for European affairs, said both sides should avoid “games, gestures and provocations” with just three months to go before the UK is due to leave the EU.
Speaking alongside her Irish counterpart, Helen McEntee, during a visit to the Irish border, De Montchalin said the French president, Emmanuel Macron, would hold talks with Johnson in France in the coming weeks.
She said there was “solidarity” with Ireland and reiterated that the withdrawal agreement was “the best we have” and would not be renegotiated. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Friday, July 26, 2019
From Trump to Johnson, Nationalists Are On The Rise – Backed by Billionaire Oligarchs
Seven years ago the impressionist Rory Bremner complained that politicians had become so boring that few of them were worth mimicking: “They’re quite homogenous and dull these days … It’s as if character is seen as a liability.” Today his profession has the opposite problem: however extreme satire becomes, it struggles to keep pace with reality. The political sphere, so dull and grey a few years ago, is now populated by preposterous exhibitionists.
This trend is not confined to the UK – everywhere the killer clowns are taking over. Boris Johnson, Nigel Farage, Donald Trump, Narendra Modi, Jair Bolsonaro, Scott Morrison, Rodrigo Duterte, Matteo Salvini, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, Viktor Orbán and a host of other ludicrous strongmen – or weakmen, as they so often turn out to be – dominate nations that would once have laughed them off stage. The question is why? Why are the technocrats who held sway almost everywhere a few years ago giving way to extravagant buffoons?
Social media, an incubator of absurdity, is certainly part of the story. But while there has been plenty of good work investigating the means, there has been surprisingly little thinking about the ends. Why are the ultra-rich, who until recently used their money and newspapers to promote charisma-free politicians, now funding this circus? Why would capital wish to be represented by middle managers one moment and jesters the next? » | George Monbiot | Friday, July 26, 2019
Thursday, July 25, 2019
The EU Will Not Renegotiate Brexit Deal, Juncker Tells Johnson
European commission president Jean-Claude Juncker has told Boris Johnson that the bloc’s member nations will not give in to his demand to renegotiate the Brexit withdrawal agreement.
On Thursday, Juncker – in his first telephone call with Johnson since he took over as British prime minister – called the existing deal “the best and only agreement possible”.
Johnson has insisted that the current agreement to leave the EU and arrangements regarding the Irish border were not good enough and had to be renegotiated.
Juncker the EU would analyse any ideas put forward by the UK, provided they are compatible with the withdrawal agreement, spokeswoman Mina Andreeva tweeted in a readout of the phone call. The pair also exchanged phone numbers and agreed to remain in touch. » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Thursday, July 25, 2019
BoJo Cleans Out UK Cabinet, Only Hardliners Remain – Galloway
Protests Erupt in London as Boris Johnson Is Sworn In as New Prime Minister, Promising Swift Brexit
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
'This Is Why He [Trump] Can't Have A Second Term' | Morning Joe | MSNBC
Labels:
Donald Trump,
Morning Joe,
MSNBC
The Donald and Boris Love-in Won’t Last Unless the UK Delivers for Trump
We all know about Franklin and Winston, Ronnie and Maggie, and George and Tony. For better or worse, these transatlantic allies enjoyed grand visions, global power and left indelible marks on history. But now we have Donald and Boris, whose grand visions stare back at them each morning in the mirror.
And their concept of global power is – how to put this diplomatically? – incompatible with the concept of intelligent life.
To understand how this DoBo partnership is likely to function, you need to recall Trump’s excruciating explanation of his kind words about Johnson while standing next to the walking dead that was his predecessor this time last year.
“I said, he’ll be a great prime minister,” Trump told reporters at Chequers. “He’s been very nice to me. He’s been saying very good things about me as president. I think he thinks I’m doing a great job. I am doing a great job, that I can tell you. Just in case you haven’t noticed. But Boris Johnson, I think would be a great prime minister.” Trump went on to say how much he truly, madly loved Theresa May. “This incredible woman, right here, is doing a fantastic job, a great job,” he said. “And I mean that.” » | Richard Wolffe | Wednesday, July 24, 2019
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