Politics (Page 40)

V oters in Boris Johnson’s former constituency have said they are turning away from the Tories as Labour tries to win the seat for the first time in its history. Some passers-by in the centre of Uxbridge, at the heart of the Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency where a by-election will now take place, told the PA news agency they have abandoned the party. The seat is becoming increasingly competitive for Labour – which is seeking to overturn a 7,200 majority. However, some in the seat said the former PM was the victim of a partygate stitch-up. Ron Redworth, 61, who works for Waitrose and lives in nearby Windsor and Maidenhead – which Theresa May represents, said: “I was surprisedContinue Reading

Bus Éireann is to spend €30 million installing electric chargers for buses in regional towns and cities. As the Irish Examiner reports, the transport body is seeking to assemble a panel of companies for the supply, installation, and maintenance of specialised electric vehicle chargers for buses by the year 2035. At present, the state-owned company operates 11 EVs in Athlone, Co Westmeath, forming the entirety of the town’s service, and three hydrogen-fuelled vehicles on Dublin’s commuter routes. Separately, the company’s Galway services consist entirely of hybrid buses, with 20 further hybrid vehicles operating in Limerick ahead of a €3 million plan to fully electrify that city’s depot in advance of the delivery of 20 double-decker electric buses for the city’sContinue Reading

T he UK will provide an extra £16 million of humanitarian aid to Ukraine after a dam collapsed in the south of the country. Flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka dam near Kherson has directly affected 32,000 people. Ukraine has accused Russia of blowing up the dam. The money consists of £10 million for the Red Cross Movement, £5 million for the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and £1 million for the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Boats, community water filters, water pumps and waders will be given to the war-torn country and are expected to arrive there next week. Funding will support organisations that are helping people affected by the floods withContinue Reading

Wexford General Hospital’s emergency department is to reopen next month following a major fire in March. The HSE has confirmed that the hospital’s emergency department (ED) will reopen on July 25th. The ED was forced to close on March 1st due to the damaging large parts of the facility. It was feared the hospital would close its ED for much longer. Linda O’Leary, Wexford General Hospital manager, said that it is “great” to have a date for the ED reopening. Ms O’Leary explained: “A lot of work from our staff has gone into getting to this point but it’s important to be clear, we still have six weeks to go until the ED opens. We have a huge body ofContinue Reading

B oris Johnson has resigned as an MP with immediate effect, triggering a by-election in his Uxbridge and South Ruislip constituency. The former Prime Minister said he was quitting parliament “at least for now” because he was “bewildered and appalled” at the Privileges Committee’s investigation into him. The Privileges Committee has been investigating whether Mr Johnson misled MPs when he assured them that Covid rules were followed in No 10 following allegations of lockdown-busting parties. In a scathing attack, he accused the committee of producing a yet-to-be-published report “riddled with inaccuracies and reeking of prejudice” while providing him with “no formal ability to challenge anything they say”. In a blistering statement on Friday evening Mr Johnson said he had receivedContinue Reading

B oris Johnson’s notebooks could be withheld from the former prime minister to stop him from handing over unredacted documents to the Covid inquiry, Government lawyers have appeared to suggest. Inquiry chairwoman Baroness Hallett had given the Government until Friday to set out its position on whether it would submit the pandemic leader’s WhatsApp messages, notebooks and diaries uncensored to her investigation. Ministers are challenging her request for the materials in the courts but lawyers for the probe have suggested Mr Johnson’s co-operation with the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, which he set up when in Downing Street, meant it was likely to see the unredacted documents before a judicial review is heard at the end of the month. But in aContinue Reading

A report into whether Boris Johnson misled MPs over his partygate assurances will be published “promptly” after the former prime minister’s decision to dramatically quit the Commons. The Commons Privileges Committee said the cross-party panel of MPs will meet on Monday to complete its inquiry. It comes after Mr Johnson launched a blistering attack on the Conservative-majority committee, comparing it to a “kangaroo court” and a “witch hunt”, as he announced his intention to stand down as an MP and trigger an immediate by-election. In a statement, a spokesman said: “The committee has followed the procedures and the mandate of the House at all times and will continue to do so. “Mr Johnson has departed from the processes of theContinue Reading

Boris Johnson said he was quitting his seat and triggering an immediate by-election because he was “bewildered and appalled” at the Privileges Committee’s investigation into him. He said he had received a letter from the committee which is investigating whether he lied to MPs over partygate “making it clear, much to my amazement, that they are determined to use the proceedings against me to drive me out of Parliament”. He said:  “I have today written to my association in Uxbridge and South Ruislip to say that I am stepping down forthwith and triggering an immediate by-election,” he said. “I am very sorry to leave my wonderful constituency. It has been a huge honour to serve them, both as mayor andContinue Reading

The former prime minister’s list also includes Tory candidate for Mayor of London Shaun Bailey and Parliamentary hairdresser Kelly Jo Dodge. Former culture secretary Nadine Dorries and Sir Alok Sharma, president of the Cop26 climate summit in Glasgow, were absent from the list, following reports the Government cut them at the 11th hour to swerve potentially damaging by-elections in their seats. But Ms Dorries earlier announced she was standing down as an MP “with immediate effect”, triggering an early election battle in her Mid Bedfordshire constituency. Labour’s Angela Rayner called Mr Johnson’s resignation honours list a “sickening insult”. The deputy leader said: “Instead of tackling the cost-of-living crisis, the Tories are spending their time doling out rewards for those whoContinue Reading

R ishi Sunak is expected to address a conference of Conservatives in the north of England later, as senior Tories seek signs of Government commitment to levelling up pledges. The Prime Minister, fresh from his meeting with US President Joe Biden in Washington, is expected in Doncaster on Friday afternoon for the Northern Research Group conference. Senior Conservatives, including former party chair Sir Jake Berry, Education Secretary Gillian Keegan and former chancellor George Osborne, are among those attending the gathering. The one-day conference, which begins on Friday morning, will see Tory members gather to discuss devolution, healthcare and energy. It comes amid concerns that Mr Sunak’s party will struggle to retain some of the so-called red wall seats, spread acrossContinue Reading