The Road to No-deal Brexit? Boris Johnson's "People vs Parliament" Strategy

After the overnight proroguing of parliament, could the UK be headed straight towards a no-deal Brexit? Boris Johnson's bound by law now to ask for an extension unless there's an agreement with the European Union... but the new PM's defiant, saying come what may, Britain's leaving October 31st. With MPs in recess for the next five weeks, François Picard's panel measures just how much Johnson is testing the UK's democracy.

Moscow: Edward Snowden In Exile: ‘You Have to Be Ready to Stand for Something’

Edward Snowden has spent the last six years living in exile in Russia and has now decided to publish his memoirs, Permanent Record. In the book he reflects on his life leading up to the biggest leak of top secret documents in history, and the impact this had on his relationship with his partner, Lindsay Mills. The Guardian's Ewen MacAskill, who helped break Snowden's story in 2013, has been given exclusive access to meet him

THE GUARDIAN: The man whose state surveillance revelations rocked the world speaks exclusively to the Guardian about his new life and concerns for the future »

Trump Explains His Distinctive Orange Hue: It's the Lightbulbs

THE GUARDIAN: President says energy-efficient bulbs do him no favours / ‘The light’s no good. I always look orange. And so do you!’

It’s been the subject of intense debate among late-night comedians and Donald Trump’s many online critics: why, in certain circumstances, does the president of the United States sometimes appear … orange?

Now Trump himself has come up with an answer – and it’s not one anyone was expecting. The problem, apparently, is energy-efficient lightbulbs.

Talking before an audience of Republican legislators in Baltimore on Thursday night, Trump gave a rambling speech in which he tackled criticism of his recent plans to weaken regulations on environmentally friendly bulbs. » | Edward Helmore | Friday, September 13, 2019

Exclusive: Juncker Brands Britons ‘Part-time Europeans’ Who Were Never Fully in the Union

Boris Johnson Has No Right to Call Himself a One-nation Conservative

THE GUARDIAN: The prime minister is no ‘Brexity Hezza’. I can’t relate to his rightwing, foreigner-bashing, inward-looking view of the world

I have been around long enough to know that I should not always be surprised or shocked about what is written in the Sun newspaper. But it was reported yesterday that Boris Johnson was telling cabinet colleagues he was “basically a Brexity Hezza” – with the newspaper helpfully explaining this was a “reference to Tory wet Michael Heseltine who battled rightwing PM Margaret Thatcher”.

The quotes have not been denied and I assume they were well sourced. Part of me is even a little flattered, not least because there is a side to the prime minister that I like. He succeeded me as MP for Henley and I got to know him. More importantly, as mayor of London, he once showed a capacity to govern in the tradition of one-nation conservatism.

There is, however, a “but” – a very big “but”. Because a “Brexity Hezza” is a simple contradiction in terms. My commitment to Britain being part of Europe and maintaining our influence in the world goes to the heart of my politics. And I fear that any traces of liberal conservatism that still exist within the prime minister have long since been captured by the rightwing, foreigner-bashing, inward-looking view of the world that has come to characterise his fellow Brexiters inside the Downing Street bunker. It is simply not possible to be a “one nation” Conservative and also pursue a “Little Englander” strategy obviously crafted to appeal to the likes of Nigel Farage and his followers. » | Michael Heseltine | Thursday, September 12, 2019

THE GUARDIAN: Heseltine: imposing no-deal Brexit 'intolerable' attack on democracy »

Shaykh Hasib Noor - Jesus: Son of Mary - Islamic Version

In Islam, Jesus is understood to be the penultimate prophet and messenger of God (Allah) and therefore holds great importance in the Islamic faith. But how similar and/or different is the Islamic version of the story of Jesus from that of the Christian tradition? This lecture by Shaykh Hasib Noor looks to share the Islamic version of the story of Jesus, son of Mary.

I am placing this lecture up because I believe it is one of the clearest explanations I have heard of the Muslim Jesus. It is a very interesting lecture, and very well delivered too.

As people, we need to understand each other. Without understanding, there can be no harmony. It doesn’t matter whether we are of the Christian faith, of the Islamic faith, or of no faith at all, it is always good to see things from another’s perspective.

Watching this is well worth your time. Even if you don’t agree with all of it, you will certainly enjoy it. – Mark

Scots Judges Rule Parliament Suspension Unlawful

Amid what is now a full-blown constitutional crisis, all eyes will be on the Supreme Court next week, when the country’s top judges will decide whether Scotland's Court of Session was correct in ruling that the Prime Minister acted in an "improper" and "unlawful" way in suspending parliament for five weeks. Opposition MPs leapt on the ruling, saying that parliament should be recalled immediately. Former attorney general and Tory rebel Dominic Grieve said that if Boris Johnson had misled the Queen over the reasons for prorogation, then he should resign.

Opinion: Tom Watson Says PM Is 'Disgraceful' and Calls for Referendum before Election

The deputy Labour party leader said Boris Johnson was 'worse than Thatcher' in a speech at the Creative Industries Federation in London on Wednesday as he called for a referendum before a general election. Watson said: 'There is no such thing as a good Brexit deal' and urged his party to 'unequivocally back remain'

John Bolton Ousted | Inside Story

He was the longest-serving US National Security Advisor under President Donald Trump. But that wasn't enough to save him. Just like his predecessors, John Bolton has been tweeted out of the White House.

Bolton was known for his hardline stance against countries like Iran and North Korea. And he'd disagreed with the president over foreign policy - most recently on Afghanistan. He opposed Trump's plan to bring members of the Taliban to Camp David to sign a peace accord.

Those views led to the president firing him, although Bolton says he resigned; so what does his departure mean for US foreign policy? And is there anyone who can hold onto one of the most powerful positions in the White House?

Presenter: Imran Khan Guests John Jones, Former Senate National Security Director under former National Security Advisor Chuck Schumer Scott Lucas, Founder and Editor of EA World View and Professor of Political Science and International Studies at the University of Birmingham. Jenna Ben-Yehuda, President and CEO of the Truman National Security Project.

Boris Johnson "Nothing Like” Churchill – Nicholas Soames | Times News

Nicholas Soames reflects on his expulsion from the Tory party and says Boris Johnson is nothing like his grandfather Winston Churchill.

Sir Nicholas is more horrified by Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Commons leader. His behaviour this week, lolling on the front bench, was “repulsive”, he says. “He is in serious danger of believing his own shtick. He is an absolute fraud, he is a living example of what a moderately cut double-breasted suit and a decent tie can do with an ultra-posh voice and a bit of ginger stuck up his arse. You do not behave like that as leader of the House.” Both men went to Eton but Sir Nicholas says Rees-Mogg’s behaviour has nothing to do with his school. “I thought it was bloody bad manners and he of all people should know better. He has had all the advantages and frankly nanny made a serious bish. I wanted to kick him firmly in the arse and say, ‘What the hell do you think you are playing at? Sit up!’ ” His speech in the Brexit debate was “the lowest form of student union hackery, insolence and bad manners”. Read the full article here » | September 6, 2019

Why Scaramucci Now Calls Trump 'Horrific' and 'Despicable'

Former White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci reacts to President Trump's feud with with John Legend and his wife Chrissy Teigen.

Intel Chair Schiff: Bolton Should Have Never Been National Security Advisor | The Last Word | MSNBC

House Intelligence Chairman Adam Schiff says that the newly-ousted John Bolton left several foreign policy matters, like Iran, most volatile. Schiff also discusses upcoming moves by the Judiciary Committee on impeachment.

Controversial Trump Aide John Bolton Exits White House Knocking Trump | The Beat with Ari Melber | MSNBC

President Trump has fired controversial National Security Advisor John Bolton on Twitter, after they ‘strongly disagreed.’ Sparking more controversary, Bolton offered a different recount, saying he previously ‘offered to resign.’ Former Obama official Richard Stengel argues ‘the problem with replacing Bolton’ is ‘when someone leaves the Trump administration, they’re never replaced by a better actor.’

The Guardian View on John Bolton: Good Riddance, But the Problem Is His Boss

THE GUARDIAN: Many will rightly celebrate the departure of the US national security adviser. But however welcome the news, it reflects the deeper problems with this administration

No sensible observer of international affairs could lament Donald Trump’s announcement that he has fired John Bolton as his national security adviser – though in typically combative style, Mr Bolton insists that he quit. Whatever the precise manner of his departure, plenty of people in Washington, including lifelong Republicans, are cheering. Many others around the world will celebrate. This is a rare presidential outcome that can be welcomed even by those who despise Mr Trump and all he stands for.

The political demise of the reckless uberhawk who bears so much responsibility for so much appalling American foreign policy in the past, and who had attempted to steer the president towards so much more, is welcome. When he entered the administration last spring – as the president’s third permanent national security adviser in 14 months – he had been arguing forcefully for “preemptive” attacks on North Korea. There was an obvious clash of wills with Mr Trump: unlike the president, he believes in aggressive foreign intervention and an international military presence to match. One fear was that his indisputable tactical skills within the government machine and sheer relentlessness might allow him to prevail. » | Editorial | Tuesday, September 10, 2019

Boris Johnson's Brexit Stalemate | Inside Story

Only a few days ago he said he would rather 'die in a ditch' than ask the EU for an extension to Brexit negotiations. But it seems Boris Johnson may have to admit defeat and find another way to deal with his deeply divided government.

His attempt to call an early election has been thrown out, and Parliament has been suspended for the next five weeks. He needed more than 430 votes to get a snap election - he only got 293.

That's left him cornered if he wants the UK to leave the bloc on October 31st. So, what are his options now? And where does this leave Brexit?

Presenter: Mohammed Jamjoom | Guests Bobby Friedman, political commentator on UK politics and the author of 'Bercow, Mr Speaker: Rowdy Living in the Tory Party'; Alex De Ruyter, director of the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University; Sonia Purnell, journalist and author of 'Just Boris: A Tale of Blond Ambition'

Could MPs Take the PM to Court to Force Brexit Delay?

A cross-party group of MPs - including some former Conservatives recently expelled from the party - say they are willing to go to court to stop Boris Johnson breaking the law by refusing to delay Brexit.

The Guardian View on the World and Brexit: Rue Britannia

THE GUARDIAN: A project supposed to enhance Britain’s international stature has only served to diminish it

The case for Brexit rested largely upon two misapprehensions – or, to put it less kindly, lies. The first was the belief that engaging in a deep and broad partnership, with the necessary compromises and disadvantages that brings alongside all its benefits, was an act of treacherous self-sabotage. The second was a wholly unrealistic assessment of Britain’s international status and heft, rooted in a vague, nostalgic vision of its imperial past. A third myth sprang from these two: that a post-Brexit Britannia would emerge triumphant, a beacon of democracy, parliamentary sovereignty and prosperity, shining across the waves.

The last three years have left such ideas in tatters; the last week has ripped the remaining shreds away. Its events have left Britain appearing not only backwards-looking, irrational and divided, but fanatical, bitter, frivolous, chaotic and heedless of any legal or customary impediment to the executive. Boris Johnson promised a stroll to sunlit meadows; now he offers a grim, hellish march towards no deal, and his troops have had enough. » | Editorial | Sunday, September 8, 2019

Boris Johnson 'Will Be Forced from Power If He Defies No-deal Law'

THE OBSERVER: If PM fails to comply with anti-no deal act passed by parliament this week, he could face jail, legal experts warn

Boris Johnson would trigger a legal and constitutional crisis that would force his resignation as prime minister if he failed to obey a law mandating him to seek another extension to Brexit, according to high-level legal advice obtained by Labour.

The conclusions of a team of leading QCs, which have been sent to the shadow Brexit secretary, Keir Starmer, make clear that the prime minister would be declared in contempt of court if he tried to remain in No 10 while refusing to obey legislation to prevent the UK crashing out of the EU without a deal on 31 October. The new law is expected to gain royal assent from the Queen early next week.

The legal advice, from lawyers at Matrix Chambers, says: “If the prime minister refused to comply with this order, then, while we would be in historically uncharted political territory, the legal position would remain clear – the prime minister would be in contempt of an order of the court and would be exposed to a full range of sanctions.” » | Toby Helm, Michael Savage, Andrew Rawnsleyand Daniel Boffey in Brussels | Saturday, September 7, 2019

France 24 – The Debate: Has Johnson Lost Control? Move to Block No-deal Brexit Triggers Call for Snap Poll

Brexit: The End of the Road for Johnson? | DW Quadriga

Showdown in the United Kingdom. PM Johnson versus parliament; deal versus no deal. The Brexit endgame has begun. Guests: Friedrich Thelen (political adviser), Jon Worth (blogger), Alex Forrest Whiting (DW)

Could Trump Be Crueler Than We Thought?

Donald Trump may be crueler than we had all thought but the people around the world are better than we ever believed.

Sir Nicholas Soames Says Tories Started Resembling 'Brexit Sect'

THE GUARDIAN: Expelled party rebel also attacked Boris Johnson’s leadership and called Jacob Rees-Mogg a ‘fraud’

Tory grandee Sir Nicholas Soames has launched a searing attack on Boris Johnson’s leadership and Jacob Rees-Mogg, whom he called a “fraud”, adding the Conservative party is lurching towards a divisive, potentially catastrophic form of “hard-right” conservatism.

In an interview with the Times, Soames – who is the grandson of Sir Winston Churchill – said the Conservatives were starting to resemble a “Brexit sect”, after he had the whip removed for rebelling against the Johnson government along with 20 other MPs.

“I am worried about the Tory party because give or take the odd spasm we have always been seen as pragmatic, sensible, good at our job, sane, reasonable and having the interests of the whole country,” he said. “Now it is beginning to look like a Brexit sect.” » | Lanre Bakare | Saturday, September 7, 2019

Opposition Parties Reject Johnson's Election Call as No-deal Brexit Bill Passes Parliament

Boris Johnson has arrived at the Queen's summer residence of Balmoral tonight, a man with rapidly dwindling political options.

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

Turban und Hakenkreuz - Der Großmufti und die Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei

PM Says 'Rather Be Dead In A Ditch' Than Delay Brexit – As His Brother Resigns As Minister

It was already a bit of a stretch to see losing his majority, expelling more than twenty colleagues from his parliamentary party and losing three Commons votes as part of an ingenious plan masterminded by his chief adviser Dominic Cummings.

Will Brexit Mean Early Exit for Boris Johnson? | Inside Story

More than three years ago, a majority of voters in the UK said they wanted to leave the EU. But what followed has been a lot less clear.

British Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, failed to break the latest deadlock over Brexit. On Wednesday, MPs voted down his attempts to trigger a snap election. They also passed a bill blocking the possibility of a 'no-deal' exit from the EU.

Johnson had said he was willing to consider that if no new withdrawal deal was agreed. So, where does that leave the Brexit process? And Johnson's own future?

Presenter: Hashem Ahelbarra | Guests Alex Deane, Managing Director and Head of Public Affairs UK at FTI Consulting and former Chief of Staff to former UK Prime Minister David Cameron; Larissa Brunner, Policy analyst at the European Policy Centre; Asa Bennett, Brexit Commissioning Editor at the Telegraph.

The Kochs & the Nazis: Book Reveals Billionaires' Father Built Key Oil Refinery for the Third Reich

Ken Clarke Calls Boris Johnson 'Disingenuous'

'I do think the Prime Minister has a tremendous skill in keeping a straight face whilst he's being so disingenuous' - Ken Clarke reacts to the government's defeat. Boris Johnson has been defeated again as MPs pass bill blocking no-deal.

Trump’s Attorney General and Vice-President Exposed for Routing Money into Trump Hotels | The Beat With Ari Melber | MSNBC

VP Mike Pence is coming under fire for staying at a Trump Golf club in Ireland, 180 miles away from his government meetings, after a strong ‘suggestion’ from Trump. Pence’s stay comes days after reports of Barr spending $30,000 on a holiday party hosted at Trump’s D.C. hotel. Richard Painter, former republican White House ethics lawyer, slams Trump for ‘illegal’ and ‘immoral and illogical’ actions, arguing his administration is out to ‘milk the taxpayer right, left and center.’

All or Nothing: Can Parliament Stop Boris Johnson's Brexit Blitz?

Corbyn and Johnson Clash over No-deal Brexit: 'Anti-democratic and Unconstitutional'

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Corbyn clashed over Brexit in their first meeting in parliament since the summer recess. Johnson labelled a rebel bill designed to prevent no deal 'Jeremy Corbyn's surrender bill' and accused opposition MPs of undermining his attempts to negotiate a new deal with the European Union. Corbyn claimed Johnson was attempting to force no deal in a manner that was 'unprecedented, anti-democratic and unconstitutional'.

THE GUARDIAN: Britain is mired in democratic crisis – but it goes much deeper than Brexit » | Aditya Chakrabortty | Wednesday, September 4, 2019

Kindertransport: A Fantastic Act of Love

PM Loses Majority after Tory MP Quits ahead of Crucial Vote

With Phillip Lee's defection to the Lib Dems and the expected vote later, MPs have returned from their summer break straight into a defining moment for Brexit.

Brexit : au début d’une nouvelle semaine cruciale, Johnson perd sa majorité

LE MONDE: Tandis que le premier ministre s’adressait à la Chambre, le député Phillip Lee a quitté les rangs du Parti conservateur pour rejoindre ceux du LibDem.

A Westminster, mardi 3 septembre, Boris Johnson a tenté de convaincre, pendant près de deux heures de discussions, les députés conservateurs « rebelles » de ne pas soutenir l’opposition contre un Brexit sans accord. « Nous avons promis au peuple que nous mettrions en œuvre le Brexit. Nous avons promis de respecter le résultat du référendum et nous devons le faire maintenant. Ça suffit ! », s’est agacé Boris Johnson lors de sa prise de parole pour l’ouverture d’une rentrée parlementaire houleuse.

« Tout le monde dans ce gouvernement veut un accord, mais c’est vraiment cette Chambre des communes qui a rejeté trois fois l’accord de sortie [conclu entre l’ex-chef du gouvernement Theresa May et Bruxelles] et il ne peut tout simplement pas être ressuscité », a-t-il ajouté. » | Le Monde avec AFP | mardi 3 septembre 2019

The Brexit Ultras Cheer Him, But the Boris Johnson Pantomime Will End

THE GUARDIAN: The prime minister’s performance on the reality of no deal works by suspension of disbelief. The EU will not indulge it

Brexit is not the first thing Boris Johnson has found difficult, but it might be the first difficult thing he cannot simply abandon. The path by which he arrived in Downing Street is strewn with jettisoned jobs, principles and relationships. He finds other people’s needs burdensome, and is used to shrugging them off. But now he is yoked to an onerous national duty. His discomfort was obvious in parliament today.

Johnson’s traditional repertoire of glibness and bluster served him poorly as his authority and his majority were chipped away. His statement on last week’s G7 summit was upstaged by a Tory MP, Phillip Lee, ostentatiously quitting his seat on government benches and swapping it for a berth with the Liberal Democrats. When MPs, including former chancellor Philip Hammond, demanded evidence of progress in Brexit talks, the Conservative leader could not even wriggle with eloquence, let alone defend himself with facts. He did not look like a man with well-laid plans coming to fruition. » | Rafael Behr | Tuesday, September 3, 2019

Brexit Debate: A Very British Coup?

Doctor Dares 'Muppet' Rees-Mogg to Report Him after No-deal Clash

THE GUARDIAN: Politician called neurologist ‘shameful’ for raising concerns about supply of medicines

The consultant neurologist who clashed with Jacob Rees-Mogg over contingency plans for a no-deal Brexit has challenged the politician to report him to the General Medical Council.

David Nicholl, who drew up a risk register of epilepsy and neurology drugs for the government’s Operation Yellowhammer plans for no deal, said he was not going to take lessons from a “muppet” who had no medical qualifications.

“If he has got doubts about my probity, I am more than happy to be referred to the GMC,” said Nicholl.

“I am not bothered about Jacob Rees-Mogg. I’m not going to take a single word of health lessons from a muppet like him. What does he know about epilepsy or neuropathic pain?” he added. » | Lisa O’Carroll, Brexit correspondent | Monday, September 2, 2019

Brexit: Government Wants to Purge Tory Rebels, Says Ex-minister Gauke

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, Bundespräsident, bei Gedenkfeier zum 80. Jahrestag Beginn Zweiter Weltkrieg

Mit einer Zentralen Gedenkveranstaltung wurde in Warschau an den Beginn des Zweiten Weltkriegs vor 80 Jahren, am 1. September 1939, erinnert. Bundespräsident Frank-Walter Steinmeier hat eine Rede gehalten.

Trump Heads for the Golf Course as Leaders Gather to Mark Start of WW2

THE OBSERVER: Dominic Raab leads British delegation to the Polish capital, while Vladimir Putin is not invited

European leaders, including Germany’s Angela Merkel, will mark the 80th anniversary of the start of the second world war in Warsaw on Sunday. But Donald Trump – who cancelled on his Polish hosts at the last-minute last week, citing concerns over a hurricane barrelling towards Florida – was due to spend the day at his golf club in Virginia.

The conflict began in the early hours of 1 September 1939, when a Nazi battleship attacked a garrison of Polish soldiers at Westerplatte. Poland’s government had moved this year’s commemorations from Westerplatte, near the Baltic port city of Gdańsk, to Warsaw, in anticipation of a visit from the US president, who was to give the keynote speech. But Trump cancelled, citing Hurricane Dorian , and sent vice-president Mike Pence in his stead. » | Shaun Walker | Sunday, September 1, 2019

Final Sovereignty on Brexit Must Rest with the People

THE GUARDIAN: In these critical weeks for democracy, we must resist the actions of a phoney populist cabal in Downing Street

We will do everything possible to stop a disastrous no deal for which this Conservative government has no mandate. This is a smash-and-grab raid on our democracy, to force through no deal, which is opposed by a majority of the public.

Most people in Britain reject a Tory no-deal Brexit. Boris Johnson’s government wants to use no deal to create an offshore tax haven for the super-rich and sign a sweetheart deal with Donald Trump.

No deal would destroy jobs, push up food prices and hand our public services and protections over to US corporations. And most of the public want nothing to do with this Trump-deal car-crash Brexit they are being driven towards.

Johnson and fellow Conservatives who campaigned for Leave in 2016 promised people that they would get a deal. In 2017, Boris Johnson, then foreign secretary, proclaimed: “There is no plan for no deal because we are going to get a deal.”

But clearly they haven’t got a deal. And now, running scared of being held to account for his reckless plans for a Trump-deal Brexit, Johnson has decided to shut down parliament to stop them doing so. » | Jeremy Corbyn | Saturday, August 31, 2019

Lessons of the Second World War Are At Risk of Being Forgotten, or Even Rewritten

THE OBSERVER: As we mark the 80th anniversary of the start of the second world war, with liberal democracies again under siege, Britain should be leading the fight against extremism

Eighty years ago, the start of the second world war saw Nazi Germany invading Poland. Six years later, up to 85 million people were dead. I’m in Poland this weekend to commemorate the start of the bloodiest war in human history.

An entire generation of brave men and women around the globe sacrificed everything to defeat the singular evil of Nazism and fascism.

We should be proud of Britain’s role in winning the war, but also in helping to build the peace that followed. A whole generation – both here and around the world – were determined that never again must we repeat the horrors of the 1930s and 1940s. This laid the foundations in the years after 1945 for more than seven decades without another world war. And it is now to today’s generations – inheriting the better, safer world envisaged in 1945 – that future peace and prosperity is entrusted.

With the numbers of those who remember that dark period dwindling by the day, fewer survive to tell their story and to warn current generations of the lessons from history. Worryingly, these warnings are increasingly pertinent. For the first time in more than 70 years, it seems the lessons of the second world war are genuinely at risk of being forgotten or, worse still, being rewritten. » | Sadiq Khan | Saturday, August 31, 2019

THE OBSERVER: Rise of Donald Trump is ‘obscuring lessons of the second world war’, says Sadiq Khan »

#stopthecoup : Thousands Protest against Boris Johnson's Parliament Shutdown

THE GUARDIAN: Crowds march, wave banners and chant ‘stop the coup’ in cities across UK

Tens of thousands of demonstrators are taking to the streets across Britain and outside the gates of Downing Street in protest against Boris Johnson’s move to suspend parliament.

Crowds brandished banners pledging to “defend democracy”, chanted “stop the coup” and waved EU flags in London in a bid to resist the parliament shutdown.

Demonstrators are massing at protests in dozens of locations around the country including Manchester, Glasgow, Birmingham, Brighton, Swansea, Bristol and Liverpool.

One Facebook group for the capital’s protest event, called “Stop the coup, defend democracy”, said: “Boris Johnson is trying to shut down our democracy so that he can deliver on his Brexit agenda. We can’t just rely on the courts or parliamentary process to save the day. We all have a duty to stand up and be counted.” » | Simon Murphy | Saturday, August 31, 2019

THE GUARDIAN: Boris Johnson is trashing the democracy fought for with the blood of our ancestors » | Owen Jones | Wednesday, August 28, 2019

John Major to Join Legal Fight to Stop Johnson Suspending Parliament

THE GUARDIAN: Labour’s Shami Chakrabarti already granted permission to join Gina Miller case on behalf of opposition

John Major has said he will seek the high court’s permission to join a legal fight to prevent the government from suspending parliament before the Brexit deadline, in an unprecedented legal battle that could pit a former prime minister against the incumbent.

And, hours after the news emerged, the shadow attorney general, Shami Chakrabarti, was granted permission to join the case on behalf of the official opposition.

In addition, Labour’s deputy leader, Tom Watson, has said he will seek to intervene in his role as an MP, while the Liberal Democrat leader, Jo Swinson, said she too was seeking to join the case brought by the anti-Brexit campaigner Gina Miller aimed at preventing Boris Johnson from proroguing parliament from next week until mid-October. » | Jessica Elgot, Chief political correspondent | Friday, August 30, 2019

'Culture of Fear' Claims as Javid Confronts PM over Adviser's Sacking

THE GUARDIAN: Dominic Cummings tells advisers he’s ‘pissed off’ about briefings on pay and gender balance – report

A furious Sajid Javid confronted Boris Johnson on Friday and demanded an explanation of why his media adviser was sacked without his knowledge, amid claims that a deep “culture of fear” has taken hold within the government.

Sonia Khan, Javid’s media adviser, was escorted from No 10 by an armed police officer after a meeting with Johnson’s top strategist, Dominic Cummings, in which she was accused of being dishonest about her contact with the former chancellor Philip Hammond and one of his ex-advisers, who have been trying to block a no-deal Brexit.

Khan is the second adviser working for the chancellor to be sacked by No 10. She is also the fourth young woman in a month to be axed from the prime minister’s network of advisers and senior staffers. » | Kate Proctor, Political correspondent | Friday, August 30, 2019

Lord Heseltine: No Deal Brexit a 'Grotesque Act of National Self-harm'

Lord Heseltine tells Sky News that there is "no parliamentary majority for what this government is preparing to do".