Boris Johnson Archives | The Harare Times

Johnson denies lying to Queen over Parliament suspension

September 12, 2019 Paul Kandimire

Boris Johnson has denied lying to the Queen over the advice he gave her over the five-week suspension of Parliament. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Queen The prime minister was speaking after Scotland’s highest civil court ruled on Wednesday the shutdown was unlawful. Asked whether he had lied to the monarch about his reasons for the suspension, he replied: “Absolutely not.” He added: “The High Court in England plainly agrees with us, but the Supreme Court will have to decide.” Related Articles The power to suspend – or prorogue…

Demands to recall parliament as court rules suspension unlawful

September 11, 2019 Paul Kandimire

By Aubrey Allegretti Boris Johnson’s decision to suspend parliament is unlawful, a Scottish court has ruled. Boris Johnson The case was originally dismissed at the Court of Session last week, where Judge Lord Doherty said it was for politicians and not the courts to decide on shutting down the Commons and Lords for five weeks. But three judges of the Inner House, the supreme civil court in Scotland, disagreed with that ruling today. Related Articles The UK government plans to appeal the latest ruling on Tuesday at the Supreme Court…

Brexit: Boris Johnson ‘approved Parliament shutdown plan in mid-August’

September 3, 2019 Paul Kandimire

Boris Johnson appears to have approved a plan to shut down the UK Parliament two weeks before publicly announcing it, a Scottish court has been told. Aidan O’Neill QC says the court and petitioners were being actively misled over prorogation plans The Court of Session heard that the prime minister was sent a note on 15 August asking if he wanted to prorogue parliament from mid-September. A tick and the word “yes” was written on the document. The PM announced on 28 August that he wants to shut down Parliament for five…

Brexit: Tory MP defects ahead of crucial no-deal vote

September 3, 2019 Paul Kandimire

Conservative MP Phillip Lee has defected to the Liberal Democrats ahead of a showdown between Boris Johnson and Tory rebels over Brexit. Boris Johnson Dr Lee, the MP for Bracknell, took his seat on the opposition benches as the PM addressed the Commons. His defection means Boris Johnson no longer has a working majority. MPs hoping to pass legislation to block no deal have cleared the first hurdle after Speaker John Bercow granted them an emergency debate. Related Articles That debate could last up to three hours, followed by a…

Boris Johnson sparks outrage after forcing suspension of parliament

August 29, 2019 Paul Kandimire

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson sparked fury Wednesday among pro-Europeans and MPs opposed to a no-deal Brexit by forcing the suspension of parliament weeks before Britain’s EU departure date. Boris Johnson The pound slid on the surprise news, which opponents branded a “coup” and a “declaration of war” but Johnson claimed was necessary to allow him to pursue a “bold and ambitious” new domestic agenda. It came a day after opposition parties vowed to seek legislative changes to prevent a no-deal Brexit. Queen Elizabeth II approved the request to end…

Pound falls as Parliament to be suspended in September

August 28, 2019 Paul Kandimire

The value of the pound has fallen following news that Parliament is to be suspended just days after MPs return to work on 3 September. Prime Minister Boris Johnson and the Queen The move is expected to prevent opposition leaders from passing a law to stop a no-deal Brexit. The pound is down more than 0.5% against both the euro and US dollar. So £1 is now worth €1.10 and $1.22. The FTSE 100, largely made up of stocks that could benefit from a devaluation of sterling, was virtually unchanged.…

Jeremy Corbyn: No-deal would leave UK ‘at mercy of US’

August 26, 2019 Paul Kandimire

A no-deal Brexit would leave the UK at the mercy of US President Donald Trump, Jeremy Corbyn has claimed. Mr Corbyn writes that a no-deal Brexit “won’t return sovereignty to the UK” Writing in the Independent, the Labour party leader accused the PM of “cosying up to Trump” because “no-deal Brexit is really a Trump-deal Brexit”. On Monday, PM Boris Johnson said he was “marginally more optimistic” about striking a new Brexit deal with the EU. Mr Corbyn is due to meet with other party leaders on Tuesday to discuss his…

Brexit: ‘No prospect’ of a deal unless backstop is dropped

August 20, 2019 Paul Kandimire

Unless the UK’s withdrawal agreement with Brussels is reopened and the backstop abolished there is no prospect of a deal, No 10 has said. The strong statement came after the EU pushed back against Boris Johnson’s proposal to implement “alternative arrangements” for the UK-Irish border. Mr Johnson has said the backstop is “anti-democratic” and must be scrapped. But Donald Tusk said it was “an insurance to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland”. Meanwhile, the government has said UK officials will stop attending most EU meetings from 1…

Pound sinks to 28-month low on Brexit fears

July 30, 2019 Paul Kandimire

The pound sank to a 28-month low against the dollar as Boris Johnson’s government toughened its rhetoric on Brexit. Sterling dipped 1.1% to $1.2242 and €1.1004 respectively. The currency could fall further, according to analysts at ING Group, as traders appear to have been betting on a last-minute deal being reached. Many business lobby groups have asked that no-deal be withdrawn as an option to keep investment flowing into the UK. The pound dropped after “the events over the weekend, where the current stance of the new government became clear”,…

Boris Johnson: Relationship with Trump will be ‘sensational’, says top diplomat

July 26, 2019 Paul Kandimire

Relations between the UK and the US are going to be “sensational” now Boris Johnson is in Downing Street, America’s ambassador to the UK has said. Woody Johnson told the BBC the two had a lot in common in their leadership style and desire to “get things done”. He played down the PM’s criticism of Mr Trump when he was London mayor, when he called him “stupefyingly ignorant”. And he said a no-deal Brexit would not affect the UK’s ability to strike a trade deal with the US. The US president…