Friday, May 10, 2019

Europe Must Never Repeat Brexit, Says Guy Verhofstadt


THE GUARDIAN: EU parliament representative says process has done ‘far more damage than ever predicted’

The European parliament’s Brexit coordinator, Guy Verhofstadt, has warned that the UK’s decision to leave the EU has already done “far more damage than has ever been predicted”.

Appearing alongside the Liberal Democrat leader, Vince Cable, at a European election campaign event in Camden, north London, on Friday morning, the leader of the Alliance for Liberals and Democrats for Europe said he wanted to send a message to people on the continent to “never repeat Brexit again”. » | Frances Perraudin | Friday, May 10, 2019

Queen's Meeting with King of Bahrain Prompts Protests


THE GUARDIAN: Campaigners say British monarch should not host king who has led crackdown on political opponents

Campaigners have condemned Buckingham Palace’s invitation to the king of Bahrain to attend the Windsor horse show this weekend, arguing that the UK should not provide a public relations opportunity to what they say is an increasingly repressive regime.

King Hamad bin Isa al-Khalifa met the Queen at the event on Friday, demonstrating a warmth of official ties despite the Middle Eastern’s state’s outlawing of political opposition and repression of its Shia majority since a failed 2011 revolt.

Ali Mushaima, the son of a jailed opposition leader, said he would demonstrate outside the event to draw attention to the detention of his father and other politicians jailed during the crackdown, which has lasted most of the decade. » | Dan Sabbagh | Friday, May 10, 2019

THE GUARDIAN: I’m fasting in protest outside Royal Windsor Horse Show to save my father in Bahrain » | Ali Mushaima | Friday, May 10, 2019

Donald Tusk: Chance of Brexit Being Cancelled Could Be 30%


THE GUARDIAN: EU chief says good reason to believe leave vote could be reversed in second referendum

The chances of the UK staying in the EU are as high as 30% as the country would be likely to reject Brexit in a second referendum, the president of the European council, Donald Tusk, has said.

The bloc’s most senior official claimed the British public had only truly debated Brexit after the 2016 referendum and there was significant reason to believe the leave vote could be reversed.

Describing the decision by the former British prime minister, David Cameron, to call the vote as a political miscalculation, Tusk said he would expect a different result in a vote today given what had been learned about the consequences of leaving.

“The referendum was at the worst possible moment, it is the result of a wrong political calculation,” Tusk said in an interview with the Polish newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza (GW) that was shared with the Guardian as part of the Europa collaboration of six European newspapers.

“A real debate about the consequences of Brexit wasn’t had during the referendum campaign, but only after the vote. Today the result would probably look different. Paradoxically, Brexit awoke in Great Britain a pro-European movement.” » | Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Friday, May 10, 2019

Col. Wilkerson: US Would Face a Unified Venezuelan Military in an Armed Intervention


Col. Larry Wilkerson describes the limits of a 'gringo invasion' and warns of repeating the failures of Vietnam and Iraq

Thursday, May 09, 2019

Trump Admits He's a Fraud


Trump’s Foolish Iran Policy Only Makes War More Likely


THE GUARDIAN: Iran’s rulers face impossible choices as a result of unrelenting US hostility, which has one aim – regime change

It is unclear what, if anything, Iran can do to induce the United States and its regional allies to halt their escalating war of attrition before it provokes all-out conflict. When Donald Trump reneged on the UN-ratified nuclear agreement with Tehran last year, he said he wanted a better deal. Iran must change its behaviour, he said, and act like a “normal country”.

This was always disingenuous. Iran’s authoritarian and abusive rulers certainly need to mend their ways. But what Trump and his imperious advisers really meant was that they must do what America says, in conformity with American interests. What they want is an end to 40 years of post-revolution defiance. What they want is regime change in Iran. » | Simon Tisdall | Thursday, May 9, 2019

THE GUARDIAN: Trump’s antics over Iran have endangered us all. The stakes are now lethally high » | Jonathan Friedland | Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Donald Trump Tells Iran ‘Call Me’ over Lifting Sanctions


THE GUARDIAN: President suggests US could help revive Iran’s economy in return for no-nuclear weapons pledge

Donald Trump has offered Iran direct talks, saying its leaders should “call me” and suggested the US would help revive the country’s economy as long as Iran did not acquire nuclear weapons.

The impromptu offer by the US president, if serious, represents a dramatic lowering of the bar set by his administration for lifting extensive sanctions, including an oil embargo. Iran is already party to a 2015 agreement that strictly limits its nuclear programme and places it under close scrutiny. Trump withdrew the US from that Obama-era treaty a year ago.

“What I’d like to see with Iran, I’d like to see them call me,” Trump said. He pointed out the Iranian economy was in shambles as a result of the US pressure campaign.

“What they should be doing is calling me up, sitting down and we can make a deal, a fair deal,” Trump said. “We just don’t want them to have nuclear weapons. It’s not too much to ask. And we would help put them back into great shape.” » | Julian Borger in Washington and Patrick Wintour Diplomatic editor | Thursday, May 9, 2019

Is this, perhaps, a ruse? – Mark

Die Schwulenheiler | Panorama - die Reporter | NDR (2015)


Christian Deker, schwul und Panorama Reporter, besuchte Ärzte, die offenbar seine sexuelle Orientierung ändern wollen. Eine Reise in die homophoben Winkel der Republik.

Bob Woodward: I Think We Have a Governing Crisis


Journalist Bob Woodward offers his thoughts on the current state of the Trump presidency to CNN's Anderson Cooper after President Donald Trump invoked executive privilege over special counsel Robert Mueller's report and the House Judiciary Committee voted to hold Attorney General William Barr in contempt.

Wednesday, May 08, 2019

Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor – What's in a Name?


THE GUARDIAN: Forenames of Duke and Duchess of Sussex’s baby son are far from traditional

The decision by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex to call their son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor came as a surprise to many.

The forenames are far from traditional for the royal family, which may be exactly why the couple, anxious for their son to have as normal an upbringing as possible, chose them. While there are courtesy titles they could have used, such as the Earl of Dumbarton, they have chosen not to do so for now, according to palace sources.

The name Archie – a shortened version of Archibald, which is of German origin and means “genuine”, “bold” and “brave” – has become increasingly popular. According to the Office for National Statistics, it was the 18th most popular in the UK in 2017, while Harrison came in at 34th. » | Caroline Davies | Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Is the Iran Nuclear Deal Dead? | Inside Story


Donald Trump called it the worst deal ever.

The US president decided a year ago to pull out of the Iran nuclear agreement, which imposed limits on Tehran’s nuclear activities. Trump then re-imposed sanctions against Iran, and recently extended them to threaten those countries still party to the deal.

Iran has now reacted, warning the UK, France, Germany, China, and Russia, it will step up uranium production unless they meet their commitments within 60 days.

Russia is putting the blame on what it calls 'lamentable' behaviour from the US, while EU leaders are warning Iran of possible consequences.

Can the deal be renegotiated and revived?

Presenter: Imran Khan | Guests: Mohammad Marandi - Professor of North American Studies at University of Tehran; Rina Shah - Republican Strategist and Consultant; Ali Fathollah-Nejad - visiting fellow at Brookings Doha Center


The Rise of the Right: Populism in Germany - BBC News


A new wave of far-right politics is sweeping across Europe, promising to smash the ruling elite, end migration and shake-up the EU. But are these parties fuelling hate?

The Nine’s Europe Correspondent Jean Mackenzie travels across the continent, to find out why these movements are surging - meeting the people celebrating their rise and those fighting to stop them.

The first in this series comes from Germany, where the far-right party the AfD is now Germany’s main opposition. We ask whether their place in Parliament is emboldening more extreme groups.


Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — May 8, 2019


Tuesday, May 07, 2019

Trump's Attacks on Palestinians Are "Evil and Unacceptable," Says Human Rights Lawyer


"What [Trump] is doing against Palestinian people, against international and humanitarian law, is evil and unacceptable by all standards," says leading human rights attorney Raji Sourani, speaking from Gaza. The Trump administration makes Israel and its leaders feel "fully immune" to international law, he adds.

Juncker: Europeans Have Lost Their 'Libido' for Each Other


Jean-Claude Juncker claims Europeans have lost their 'collective libido'.

Trita Parsi: John Bolton Has Wanted War with Iran for 20 Years. Now Could Be His Best Chance


Iran is accusing the United States of “psychological warfare” after National Security Advisor John Bolton announced the U.S. is deploying a carrier strike group and a bomber task force to the region.

In a statement on Sunday night, Bolton said the move was intended to “send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian régime that any attacks on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.”

On Monday acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan said the deployment was made because of a “credible threat by Iranian régime forces” but he offered no details. Axios is reporting the threat is based on information passed on from Israel.

The Trump administration has been ratcheting up pressure against Iran following Washington’s withdrawal from the landmark Iran nuclear deal last year. Last month, the US designated Iran’s élite Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist organization. The Trump administration also said it will end a waiver program that allowed some nations to circumvent US sanctions and continue buying Iranian oil without suffering penalties.

We speak with Trita Parsi in Washington DC, author of “Losing an Enemy: Obama, Iran, and the Triumph of Diplomacy.” He is the founder and former president of the National Iranian American Council, and an adjunct associate professor in the Center for Security Studies at Georgetown University.


Pompeo Won’t Seek OK to Attack Venezuela


Juan Guaidó's back. The Venezuelan opposition leader is once again inviting US military intervention, after another failed coup attempt last week. US Secretary of State Pompeo, meanwhile, says he won't promise to consult Congress before launching a potential attack. All this while the Venezuelan embassy in DC continues to be under siege by Guaidó supporters. For more on this, we turn to investigative journalist Ben Swann.

George Clooney Vows to Keep Up Pressure on Brunei over Gay-sex Death Penalty


THE GUARDIAN: Actor calls for sustained commercial boycott after Brunei puts moratorium on death penalty for gay sex

George Clooney has promised to keep up pressure on Brunei after the oil-rich country’s sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, announced it would not enforce the death penalty for gay sex.

Gay sex remains illegal in Brunei, punishable by up to 10 years in jail.

Clooney said the moratorium on executions was a “huge step forward after a giant leap backwards”, but that “the law to stone their citizens is still in place”. He added: “For my family and me, we simply can’t walk away until this draconian law is no longer on the books.” » | Andrew Pulver | Tuesday, May 7, 2019

CIA Warns Arab Activist of Potential Threat from Saudi Arabia


THE GUARDIAN: Pro-democracy campaigner İyad el-Baghdadi has been vocal critic of Saudi crown prince

The CIA has warned Norway that a prominent Arab activist who is living in the country under asylum protection is facing a potential threat from Saudi Arabia, the Guardian has learned.

The pro-democracy activist, İyad el-Baghdadi, is a vocal critic of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

El-Baghdadi was alerted to the threat on 25 April, when Norwegian authorities arrived at his doorstep, took him to a secure location, and warned him he was in possible danger from an unspecified threat emanating from the kingdom.

The activist was told the threat had been passed on to Norwegian authorities by a foreign intelligence agency, which the Guardian has confirmed was the CIA. » | Stephanie Kirchgaessner in Washington and Nick Hopkins in London | Tuesday, May 7, 2019

Monday, May 06, 2019

John Bolton Can Almost Taste War With Iran


Bolton announced yesterday that the US was deploying a carrier strike force to the Middle East to convey the message to Iran that the US doesn't want war. Makes perfect sense.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — May 6, 2019


US Deploys Aircraft Carrier and Bombers after 'Troubling Indications' from Iran


THE GUARDIAN: National security adviser John Bolton says any Iranian attack on US or its allies will be met with ‘unrelenting force’

The US is sending an aircraft carrier and a bomber task force to the Middle East in response to a “number of troubling and escalatory indications and warnings” from Iran, the national security advisor John Bolton has said.

It was unclear on Sunday night what Iranian actions Bolton was referring to. There have been no recent incidents in the Persian Gulf where US and Iranian navies are routinely in close proximity and the Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group was already bound for the Gulf a month before Bolton made his announcement.

However, the tone of Bolton’s declaration looked likely to escalate tensions in the region, and it comes days after the Iranian government expressed concern that Bolton and other hawks were seeking to draw the Trump administration into a new war.

In a written statement, Bolton said the ships and planes were intended “to send a clear and unmistakable message to the Iranian regime that any attack on United States interests or on those of our allies will be met with unrelenting force.” » | Julian Borger, World affairs editor | Monday, May 6, 2019

Sunday, May 05, 2019

Brunei Says It Will Not Enforce Gay Sex Death Penalty after Backlash


THE GUARDIAN: Sultan extends moratorium to death by stoning law in rare response to global criticism

Brunei’s Sultan, Hassanal Bolkiah, has extended a moratorium on the death penalty to incoming legislation on punishments for gay sex, after a global backlash led by celebrities such as George Clooney and Elton John.

The country provoked an outcry when it rolled out its interpretation of Islamic laws, or sharia, on 3 April, punishing sodomy, adultery and rape with death, including by stoning.

Brunei has consistently defended its right to implement the laws, elements of which were first adopted in 2014 and which have been rolled out in phases since then.

However, in a rare response to criticism aimed at the oil-rich state, the sultan said on Sunday that the death penalty would not be enforced in the implementation of the sharia penal code order (SPCO). » | Reuters | Sunday, May 5, 2019

Saturday, May 04, 2019

Mike Pompeo: A Bully Boy Calls at No 10


THE GUARDIAN: The visit of the hawkish US secretary of state poses problems for Theresa May and Jeremy Hunt

American secretaries of state can be earnestly dull, like John Kerry, or plain brilliant, like George Marshall; Machiavellian, like Henry Kissinger, or intensely political, like Hillary Clinton. Mike Pompeo, the bluntly spoken, present-day incumbent who will discuss “shared global priorities” with Theresa May in London, is simply a problem.

As last week’s failed US pressure tactics in Venezuela showed, the former army officer, Christian evangelical and ex-CIA director favours a muscular approach to diplomacy. His messianic drive to force regime change in Iran is another example. He recently suggested Donald Trump had been sent by God to save Israel from Tehran’s mullahs.

Speaking in Cairo in January, Pompeo celebrated US support for dictators such as Egypt’s Abdel Fatah al-Sisi and the Saudis’ war in Yemen. Next month, he will help unveil a peace plan that could destroy any lingering Palestinian hopes of an independent state. But he makes no apologies. “I’ll put it bluntly. America is a force for good in the Middle East,” he declared. » | Simon Tisdall | Saturday, May 4, 2019

Why We Can't Stop Eating Unhealthy Foods


Sugar scientist and UCSF professor of health policy Laura Schmidt questions whether consumers really do have freedom of choice – and what policymakers can learn from corporations in nudging consumers toward healthier behaviors.

Friday, May 03, 2019

Florida Votes to Allow Teachers to Carry Weapons in the Classroom


THE TELEGRAPH: Florida has voted to allow teachers to carry weapons in the classroom in the latest response to last year's mass shooting at the Parkland high school.

In the aftermath of the massacre, in which 1 7 people were killed, state representatives lifted a ban on arming those who "exclusively perform classroom duties".

Republican Governor Ron DeSantis is now expected to sign off a new law that enables teachers who pass a 144-hour training course to carry a gun.

Activists including a gun control group started by survivors of the Parkland shooting, March for Our Lives, are calling on Governor DeSantis to veto the reform, using the hashtag #BooksNotBullets on social media. » | Phoebe Davis | Friday, May 3, 2019

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — May 3, 2019


Thursday, May 02, 2019

Trump's Foreign Policy | Full Debate | George Galloway, Mark Leonard


Many think Trump a buffoon and a threat to world peace. But with ISIS weakened, and signs of progress in North Korea, perhaps his supporters can point to some initial successes. Could a belligerent approach to foreign policy make for a safer world? Is the beat way of pursuing peace to prepare for war? Or has Trump in fact made the world more precarious than ever?

Craig Murray: "Anyone Who Believes Julian Assange Case Is Genuinely Independent Is a Fool"


"Anyone who believes this case is genuinely independent is a fool" says Craig Murray as Julian Assange tells UK court that he doesn't want to be extradited to the US.

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — May 2, 2019


As Venezuela Coup Fizzles, Pompeo Threatens US Attack


Self-proclaimed Venezuelan president Juan Guaidó's coup yesterday failed to get off the ground. The military did not join him and protests were barely seen outside a few of Caracas's wealthy neighborhoods. Frustrated and furious, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo responded by threatening direct US military action to overthrow President Maduro. An urgent call with Russian foreign minister is scheduled today. Are neocons about to ignite the earth?

Wednesday, May 01, 2019

A Very Singular Man: Edward Heath Profile


Edward Heath was one of the most controversial Prime Ministers this century. He took Britain into Europe, but was brought down by the very trades unions he soughttotame. In an intimate Portrait Sir Edward talks candidly about his life and career, and of his stormy relationship with his successors. Michael Cockerell reports. Originally transmitted 27 September 1998.

Economist Jeffrey Sachs: US Sanctions Have Devastated Venezuela & Killed Over 40,000 Since 2017


More than 40,000 people have died in Venezuela since 2017 as a result of US sanctions, according to a new report by the Center for Economic and Policy Research co-authored by economists Jeffrey Sachs and Mark Weisbrot.

The report examines how US sanctions have reduced the availability of food and medicine in Venezuela and increased disease and mortality.

We speak with Jeffrey Sachs in our New York studio. In the report, he writes, “American sanctions are deliberately aiming to wreck Venezuela’s economy and thereby lead to régime change. It’s a fruitless, heartless, illegal, and failed policy, causing grave harm to the Venezuelan people.”


What's Next for Venezuela after 'Attempted Coup'? | Inside Story


President Nicolás Maduro vows to prosecute those behind dramatic attempt to oust him. Venezuela's president is hailing victory after what he calls an attempted coup. Nicolas Maduro is promising to prosecute those behind a dramatic attempt to remove him from office.

On Tuesday, opposition leader Juan Guaidó called on the army to oust Maduro. But by the end of the day, Guaidó was in hiding, and dozens of his supporters were injured in scuffles with security forces.

Both sides are urging Venezuelans to hold more protests. Who's backing them? And what's next in this drawn-out political crisis?

Presenter: Imran Khan | Guests: Ramon Muchacho - former mayor of Chacao District, an opposition stronghold in Caracas; Paul Dobson - journalist at venezuelaanalysis.com; Tom Long - Professor of South American Politics at Warwick University, UK


Guaidó’s Coup Is a ‘Farce’ – Daniel McAdams


Venezuela’s opposition leader and US-back presidential aspirant Juan Guaidó has called for a military uprising in his latest effort to topple President Nicolás Maduro. Clashes have broken out between police and protesters in Caracas. Meanwhile police in Washington, DC have set up barricades between the pro-Maduro activists occupying Venezuela’s embassy and more recent arrivals protesting in favor of Guaidó. Rachel Blevins reports. Daniel McAdams of the Ron Paul Institute joins News.Views.Hughes to weigh in.

Peter Tatchell on Julian Assange 50-week Sentence: "This Is Excessive, Extreme and Unjustified"


Venezuelan Government Says 'Coup Attempt' Failed | Al Jazeera English


Chaos and violence fill the streets of Caracas after Venezuelan opposition leader Juan Guaidó called for a "military uprising" against the government of Nicolás Maduro. Warning: this video contains some graphic content.

Venezuela Crisis: Maduro Claims Victory over 'Deranged' Coup Attempt


THE GUARDIAN: President blames Trump imperialists and ‘coup-mongering far right’ as rival Juan Guaidó calls for more protests

Nicolás Maduro claimed his troops have thwarted a botched attempt to topple him masterminded by Venezuela’s “coup-mongering far right” and Donald Trump’s deranged imperialist “gang”.

In an hour-long address to the nation on Tuesday night – his first since the pre-dawn uprising began – Maduro accused opposition leader Juan Guaidó and his political mentor Leopoldo López of seeking to spark an armed confrontation that might be used as a pretext for a foreign military intervention.

However, “loyal and obedient” members of Venezuela’s Bolivarian armed forces had put down the mutiny within hours of it starting shortly after 4am, Maduro claimed, in direct contradiction to Guaidó’s earlier remark that the president no longer had military backing. » | Wednesday, May 1, 2019


THE GUARDIAN: Venezuela: Moscow persuaded Maduro not to step down, US claims » | Julian Borger in Washington and Joe Parkin Daniels in Bogotá | Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Tuesday, April 30, 2019

UK's Brexit Obsession Will Diminish Country, Says UN Poverty Expert


THE GUARDIAN: Britain ‘screwing itself royally for the future’, warns human rights lawyer Philip Alston

The United Nations global poverty expert, Philip Alston, has warned that Britain’s preoccupation with Brexit will leave the country severely diminished whether or not it leaves the EU because too little is being done to alter policies driving people deeper into poverty.

The eminent New York-based human rights lawyer, who is in the final year of his term as the UN rapporteur on extreme poverty, said on Tuesday: “You are really screwing yourselves royally for the future by producing a substandard workforce and children that are malnourished.” » | Robert Booth, Social affairs correspondent | Tuesday, April 30, 2019

Democracy Now! Top US News & World Headlines — April 30, 2019


Julian Assange World Exclusive: Secrets from Inside the Embassy | 60 Minutes Australia


There’s no middle ground when it comes to what the world thinks of Julian Assange. He’s either loved or loathed. Just over a fortnight ago, the Australian founder of WikiLeaks made more headlines when police dragged him, not so much kicking, but definitely screaming, out of the Ecuadorian embassy in London, where he’d been holed up for seven years. Watching the shock eviction was Assange’s father, John Shipton, who fears his son will be sent to the United States, locked up and never released. In a 60 MINUTES world exclusive, Shipton tells Tara Brown he wants everyone to know the real Julian Assange is not some careless villain computer hacker, but a hero of free speech.

Monday, April 29, 2019

US Threatens Iran with 40% Inflation


After withdrawing from the Iran nuclear deal, designating the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps a terrorist organization and reversing on oil sanctions waivers, the US is now threatening to hike inflation in Iran up to 40 percent. Former US diplomat Jim Jatras sits down with RT America’s Manila Chan to discuss US President Donald Trump’s hawkish policies toward the oil-rich country.

Joe To President Donald Trump: You Can Call Out White Nationalism | Morning Joe | MSNBC


The president on Friday accused Democrats and the intel community of attempting a coup in the form of the special counsel's investigation and said he didn't need a gun to fend it off. Joe Scarborough reacts to Trump's remarks and to new reporting on the NRA.

Amal Clooney Calls Out Trump Administration at the UN | NowThis


Human rights lawyer Amal Clooney called out the Trump administration for undermining efforts to help women raped during war, warning that it's their 'chance to stand on the right side of history.’

In the latest current events news on the Trump administration, Amal Clooney, human rights lawyer and wife of George Clooney, recently spoke at the United Nations in front of the UN Security Council about some of the most dire global issues: sexual violence, sex slavery, and other related war crimes. In the Amal Clooney speech, she directly called out the President Trump administration for impeding the UN's efforts to help women hurt by the Islamic State and other destructive regimes. The Donald Trump White House has been persistent over reproductive rights, but this Amal Clooney UN speech, Clooney showed she wasn't afraid.


Can Iran Close Hormuz Strait? | Inside Story


The Strait of Hormuz is the only sea route in and out of the Gulf. Twenty percent of the world's oil is carried through it by tankers.

Now, the US decision to impose further economic sanctions on Iran has prompted threats from Tehran to close this strategic waterway. This week, Washington will end all waivers granted to eight countries, including China and India, that import Iranian oil.

The Trump administration says it's part of its 'maximum pressure' campaign to stop Iran from destabilising the region. But what are the consequences of shutting the Strait of Hormus, not just for Iran, but the region and global oil markets?

Presenter: Kamahl Santamaria | Guests: Mohammad Eslami, political researcher and columnist; Manouchehr Takin, independent oil and energy consultant; Simon Mabon, senior lecturer in international studies at Lancaster University


Nigel Farage Is Fuelled by the Betrayal Myth. And Brexit Is Only the Start


THE GUARDIAN: His rhetoric was always that the elite would thwart the will of the people, enabling a new movement to rise up amid the anger

It is a grim reflection that no contemporary British politician better understands the networks, dynamics and ever-changing rules of modern politics than Nigel Farage.

He is as effective as he is awful. His fledgling Brexit party is not fielding candidates in Thursday’s local elections – though its baleful spirit will surely loom over the battle for control of 248 English councils, in which the Tories are expected to suffer serious losses.

Instead, Farage is keeping his powder dry for the European elections that will be held on 23 May, assuming Theresa May has not secured Britain’s exit from the European Union by then.

In the latest Opinium poll of voting intention, his new movement is level pegging with Labour on 28% – 14 points ahead of the Tories. » | Matthew d’Ancona | Monday, April 29, 2019