Criminal barristers in England and Wales have narrowly voted to end their strike after accepting an improved pay offer from the government to raise legal aid fees by 15%. The ballot ends the all-out strike by members of the Criminal Bar Association (CBA) that began on September 5 and has led to hundreds of delays […]
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Conservative MPs have voted for a controversial Northern Ireland legacy bill despite staunch opposition from all Northern Ireland political parties. Protests against the bill were held in Belfast, Derry and London with families of victims of the Troubles telling the UK prime minister the government’s proposed legislation is “an affront to all modern standards of […]
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Members of all major political parties on the island of Ireland have united to oppose Boris Johnson’s plans to “draw a line under the Troubles” by ending all prosecutions related to the conflict in Northern Ireland. Victims groups joined politicians from all sides to sign a document rejecting the UK government’s plans for a statue […]
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Conservative prime minister Boris Johnson and his chancellor Rishi Sunak are holding secret meetings with elite Tory donors who are part of an“Advisory Board” of members who have given at least £250,000 to the Conservative party. The meetings are reported to be part of Tory co-chair Ben Elliot’s “mission to modernise” the party’s fundraising efforts […]
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Boris Johnson has warned that the route out of lockdown may face “serious disruption” because of the India variant, just two days before the biggest lifting of restrictions in England for a year. Rising numbers of cases combined with “important unknowns” about the variant, including how transmissible it is, means “hard choices” may have to […]
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Veterans minister Johnny Mercer has been sacked after accusing Boris Johnson of lacking the “moral strength and courage” to keep a commitment to prevent ex-soldiers who served in Northern Ireland from prosecution. Mercer informed Downing Street on Monday of his intention to resign on Wednesday but received a text message on Tuesday from the chief […]
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Police used water cannon on rioters, and charged them with dogs, in Belfast last night (Thursday) after Joe Biden intervened to call for calm following a week of violence in Northern Ireland. The US president joined prime minister Boris Johnson and taoiseach Micheál Martin in trying to still the violence that saw “as many as […]
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This morning, as Northern Ireland secretary Brandon Lewis prepped for the round of Sunday media interviews Southend’s Conservative party headquarters woke to find scores of empty plates and angry messages outside their front door. Tory MPs around the country reported “deluged” inboxes from outraged constituents and more disquiet is brewing on the backbenches at Westminster. […]
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