Prior to Brexit, Robbins had long been regarded by fellow officials in Whitehall as a high performer primed for the heights of Britain’s civil service, which prizes its impartiality and ability to serve governments of all stripes. But he returns bearing battle scars from serving as then-Prime Minister Theresa May’s Europe Adviser and the country’s chief Brexit negotiator from … Read more
As the dust settles on another wild one, let POLITICO help you reminisce by rattling through, in no particular order, the 37 words on every extremely-online political type’s lips this year. TWO-TIER JUSTICE: A big talking point of comeback kid Nigel Farage and his fans. They argued that the British justice system treated white and … Read more
LONDON — There wasn’t a great deal of time for reading in Westminster this year. Labour’s election supermajority, dramas over freebies and staff, war everywhere, a tax-hiking budget, and a heap of missions, milestones, foundations, pillars and steps kept Britain’s politicians on their toes. But, thankfully, some of Westminster’s finest still managed to steal a … Read more
Kemi Badenoch, Tory leader: Alcohol and butter make everything better. | Sebastein Bozon/Getty Images Steve Reed, environment secretary: I’m barbecuing the turkey this year, so I can’t tell you yet whether that’s a top tip or a total disaster! Other than that — brining the turkey overnight massively improves the flavor. Liz Truss, ex-prime minister: My top … Read more
Patriota, Lula’s man in London, stuck to diplomatic language and did not name Trump when discussing the relationship. Instead, he stressed that Brazil and Britain wanted to set “examples of active and responsible behavior” on climate, “independently of what other players may decide to do or not.” Niblett said: “If the U.K. is seen as … Read more
After Kyiv reportedly began deploying the weapons last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin said the Kremlin reserved “the right” to strike military targets of countries that had supplied the missiles to Ukraine. But Germany has repeatedly refused to join its allies in providing similar weapons. On Friday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz again ruled out sending … Read more
Open goal: The Tory leader pressed the PM on whether Foreign Secretary David Lammy — Britain’s top diplomat, no less — had apologized to Trump for labeling him a “neo-Nazi sympathizing sociopath” and “a racist KKK and Nazi sympathizer” before he joined Labour’s frontbench in 2020. He has since been more diplomatic. Badenoch pressed: “If the … Read more
Foreign Secretary David Lammy previously called Trump a “neo-Nazi sympathizing sociopath,” labeled him a “dangerous clown” and “a racist KKK and Nazi sympathizer.” London Mayor Sadiq Khan has feuded with Trump, telling POLITICO that the presidential candidate is “a racist. He’s a sexist. He’s a homophobe.” The Trump campaign has even accused Labour of election … Read more
“I’m not going to criticise Kamala Harris,” Nandy told Times Radio. “I think that she’s fighting her own campaign and she’s entitled to speak for herself, but I wouldn’t use that language about other politicians.” “I think over the course of time, both in American politics and here in the U.K., we’ve got into a very … Read more
Keir Starmer’s official spokesperson told journalists Thursday: “We will continue to challenge China on issues that are in the U.K.’s national interest … whilst also seeking to build a pragmatic and strategic approach with China, looking for areas of cooperation where they exist.” However, Reynolds’ comments on the sidelines of Monday’s international investment summit will … Read more
