BREXIT is at risk. It’s under attack from all sides. Jeremy Corbyn is offering Parliament a path to overturn the referendum through a so-called People’s Vote. A cross-party group of MPs are desperate to postpone Brexit. And passionate Eurosceptics risk letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. Ever since the Prime Minister lost the Conservative majority in June 2017, it has been squeaky bum time for Brexiteers. If we are not careful we could lose Brexit altogether, with a long extension leading to eventual reversal. That would be a democratic disaster. Yes, this Government has made a catalogue of errors from triggering Article 50 with no plan, to letting Brussels decide the sequencing of Brexit talks. But at this stage, with the clock ticking towards midnight, there is no time for “coulda woulda shoulda” about what went wrong when. Sun readers knew all along that in a negotiation there’s always give and take. You can’t get everything you … [Read more...] about The Prime Minister must use Brexit deal to give Britain a new start… then she May go
Yes prime minister
Chuka Umunna: Corbyn should not become prime minister, which is why I’m leaving Labour
Today I, along with several colleagues, took the painful and hard decision to resign my membership of the Labour Party which I joined 22 years ago. This has been one of the most difficult decisions I’ve ever had to make in life, but it’s the right one. As I said in my speech at our event announcing our decision, the values which have driven us to take this step are shaped by who we are, where we are from, and our experiences. I am of mixed heritage – a quarter English, a quarter Irish and half Nigerian. My forebears came to this country driven by the hope and optimism that if you put in the effort, you can get on and lead a good life in Britain. My father arrived from Nigeria with no money and worked his way up to become a successful entrepreneur. In spite of the prejudice he experienced, the platform this country gave him to succeed was Britain at its very best. Join Independent Minds For exclusive articles, events and an advertising-free read for just £5.99 … [Read more...] about Chuka Umunna: Corbyn should not become prime minister, which is why I’m leaving Labour
The Prime Minister’s full speech on the economy
Good morning everyone. I want to start by thanking Kirk and his Business New Zealand team for the invitation. It's good to have this opportunity to join you as another year starts. While this is my first economic speech of 2019 here at home, there has been plenty happening internationally since the year kicked off. I want to reflect on some of that this morning, but before I do, I'd like to take stock of our economic and business landscape, set out some of the challenges we face here and in an international context, and then outline our Government's plan to address those over the coming year. First though, I want to take a moment to reflect on the events in Tasman. Twelve months after facing a cyclone, the rain in Tasman has been replaced with a fire that when I visited yesterday, was 22km in parameter, and covered 1900 hectares. It has led to the evacuation of hundreds of homes, and roughly 400 people. I have been in regular contact with our civil defence team, and … [Read more...] about The Prime Minister’s full speech on the economy
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern drops KiwiBuild interim targets
Interim targets for the Government's housing scheme KiwiBuild have been dropped, as Jacinda Ardern and Phil Twyford say the program is being "re-calibrated." The programme has hit a bump in the road, with the Housing Minister admitting the Government would fall well short of 1000 homes by the end of the first year, instead building just 300. On Wednesday, Mr Twyford and the Prime Minister addressed media and said although the interim targets are no more, the original goal of 100,000 houses in 10 years remains the same. "Interim targets haven't been a useful way to demonstrate our delivery program," said Ms Ardern. 'It will be tough for us': Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern gives coy KiwiBuild update Government won't scale back overall KiwiBuild target despite setbacks - Grant Robertson "Yes, we still need to be transparent and we still need to demonstrate to the public what we're doing - but our 100,000 goal hasn't changed." Mr Twyford said a paper will be delivered to Cabinet in the … [Read more...] about Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern drops KiwiBuild interim targets
Watch live: Theresa May faces prime minister’s questions after unconvincing ‘Plan B’ announcement
British Prime Minister Theresa May faces another round of prime minister's questions in the House of Commons two days after outlining her Brexit 'Plan B', which didn't give her fellow MPs much cause to reconsider their stance. Questions to the Prime Minister begins! Theresa May starts by appealing to all to observe Holocaust Day this Sunday before Stephen Kerr puts his first question: does the PM agree that when Nicola Sturgeon asks for a 2nd Scottish independence referendum, she the government say "NO!" And Theresa May does agree: "The UK should be pulling together not falling apart" Now Jeremy Corbyn. After agreeing with May about the need to observe Holocaust Day, he turns swiftly to Brexit. Will the PM rule out No Deal? May responds that a deal would be better and that she is willing to discuss with other parties. She says Corbyn talks with Hezbollah but is not ready to sit down with her. Corbyn: "She has shown no flexibility whatsoever about removing 'No Deal'. He repeats the … [Read more...] about Watch live: Theresa May faces prime minister’s questions after unconvincing ‘Plan B’ announcement