A former civil service chief who headed up the Brexit Department has been accused of undermining Britain after calling the UK to rejoin the EU.
Philip Rycroft, former permanent secretary of the Department for Exiting the EU, said that Brexit was not serving the country and Britain needed a “clear-headed appraisal of what is in the country’s best interests”, reports the Times.
Former chief Brexit negotiator Lord David Frost has hit back at the Mr Rycroft’s comments, saying his remarks were “simply revealing” the difficulties of leaving the EU in the first place.
He wrote: “People like Rycroft are simply revealing why it was so difficult to leave in the first place.
“Much of the bureaucracy simply didn’t want to. They now see an opportunity to undo it.”
He also alluded to the nervousness among the civil service at the firing of Sir Olly Robbins, who was also involved in Brexit negotiations.
Reform UK’s leader Nigel Farage also weighed in, saying the former civil servant “helped to vandalise Brexit”.
Writing on X, he said: “Philip Rycroft helped to vandalise Brexit and is not a neutral civil servant.
“He is an enemy of democracy who seeks to choke the funding of political opponents he disagrees with.”
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Prime Minister will remain in office beyond current Parliament, Downing Street says
PA
Sir Keir Starmer will still be Prime Minister beyond the current Parliament, Downing Street has said.
The Labour leader has faced resignation calls after this week’s fallout of Lord Peter Mandelson vetting scandal, with Labour MPs, including those in the Cabinet, distancing themselves from the Prime Minister.
Rejecting suggestions that Sir Keir is planning to set out when he will step down, the Prime Minister’s official spokesman said: “He’s very focused on the job.
“I refer you back to his previous language that he will continue to lead the Government throughout this Parliament and beyond.
“He’s got a huge amount of work to do. We’re in the middle of a global conflict, the like of which we’ve not seen for years.”
Keir Starmer declares Falkland Islands belongs to Britain as he hits back at Donald Trump’s threat to review sovereignty
Sir Keir Starmer has declared the Falkland Islands belong to Britain after a leaked Pentagon memo suggested the US could pull support for UK sovereignty as punishment for its response to Iran.
An email circulating outlines potential US responses to what it sees as inadequate support from Nato allies in the Iran conflict, including a reassessment of its stance on the Falkland Islands.
Downing Street insisted the UK’s “long-standing” stance on the British territory remains “unchanged.”
The Prime Minister’s spokesman said: “We could not be clearer about the UK’s position on the Falkland Islands. It’s long standing. It’s unchanged.”
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‘Instinct to undermine our soldiers at home’ – David Davis reacts to Lord Hermer ‘witch-hunt’ revelations
Conservative MP David Davis described the Lord Hermer army veteran “witch-hunt” revelations as another example of Labour’s “instinct to undermine” military personnel “at home while they were fighting abroad”.
He wrote on X: “Lord Hermer pursued a “witch hunt” against our veterans.
This yet again demonstrates this Government’s instinct to undermine our soldiers at home while they were fighting abroad.
This Government does not value honour, courage or patriotism – and our veterans deserve far better than ministers who sided with proven lies instead of with those who risked everything for their country.”
PCITURED: Supporters of the assisted dying bill outside Parliament as the legislation expected to fail in House of Lords today
The Terminally Ill Adults (End of Life) Bill has officially run out of time for it to become an act of Parliament.
Introduced by backbencher Labour MP Kim Leadbeater, the Bill passed through the House of Commons in June last year, then headed to the House of Lords in September, where the debating process has been slow.
Consequently, the Bill has run out of time.
Supporters of the legislation have gathered outside Parliament today to further campaign.
Pension row erupts as Labour urged to ‘start listening’ to retirement system overhaul concerns
Ministers have been urged to heed cross-party opposition after the Labour Government was handed a substantial defeat in the House of Lords on Wednesday evening over pension scheme mandation powers.
Peers voted against the Government by 234 to 152, a margin of 82 votes, on proposals that would enable ministers to compel defined contribution schemes to invest according to Government priorities.
Steve Webb, former Pensions Minister and partner at LCP, warned that without concessions, the entire Pension Schemes Bill risks collapsing before the parliamentary session concludes next week, as the Commons and Lords would fail to reach agreement on a final version.
The Bill encompasses numerous provisions that have received broad support across the pensions industry.
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Nigel Farage expresses concerns over Donald Trump’s Iran stance
Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage is “starting to worry slightly” about President Donald Trump’s judgement over the growing tensions in the Middle East as the ceasefire becomes increasingly fragile.
He said, speaking to the Daily Mail: “I do, as a friend, worry slightly about his judgment on this, yes. I do.
“It will be a terribly sad end to an amazing political career if the man that was always anti-war in the end gets (brought) down by this – I struggle to understand it.”
Priti Patel on Falkland Islands threat: ‘Britain needs a leader, not a lawyer’
Speaking to GB News Shadow Home Secretary Priti Patel said that Sir Keir Starmer needs to show we “actually cares about the United Kingdom” and that his “feebleness” can potentially be exploited by other nations.
She said: “Keir Starmer must protect British sovereignty and show he actually cares about the United Kingdom.
“Allies and adversaries alike can see Starmer’s feebleness and this is what they are looking to exploit.
“Britain needs a leader, not a lawyer, who has failed to ask basic questions about our national security and who is putting Britain’s standing in the world in jeopardy.”
Kevin Hollinrake: Peter Mandelson scandal is ‘complete mess’
Kevin Hollinrake MP, Conservative Party Chair said the Peter Mandelson scandal was a “complete mess”, and it comes down to Sir Keir Starmer’s judgement.
Speaking to GB News this morning, he said: “It was clear from the start that the Prime Minister wanted Lord Mandelson as ambassador at all costs – at any cost.”
He acknowledged that more light needed to be shed on the situation and anticipates more will be revealed after Morgan McSweeney (Sir Keir’s former chief of staff) will sit for the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee next week, as Sir Olly Robbins and Cat Little did this week.
WATCH: President Trump should be taken ‘seriously’ but not ‘literally’ following Falkland Islands rumours, says Conservative Party Chair
Kevin Hollinrake MP, Conservative Party Chair said, speaking to GB News this morning, that Mr Trump should be taken “seriously” but not “literally”, admitting that the UK has managed the Iran situation “poorly”, getting the President “off-side”.
He said: “It is fair to say we are not in a good position with President Trump right now.”
He continued to say that any relationship with Mr Trump is not “straightforward”, but he hoped the special relationship will get back on an “even keel”, particularly after King Charles will visit America in the summer.
Donald Trump could punish Keir Starmer for Iran inaction by backing ARGENTINA over Falkland Islands
President Donald Trump could punish Sir Keir Starmer for his inaction over Iran by backing Argentina’s claim to the Falkland Islands.
An email circulating within the Pentagon outlines potential US responses to what it sees as inadequate support from NATO allies in the Iran conflict, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reassessing its stance on the Falkland Islands.
The memo expresses frustration over some allies’ reluctance to join the war or grant the US access to airbases and overflight rights (ABO) for Operation Fury, the paused US-Israeli offensive against Iran.
It wrote ABO is “just the absolute baseline for Nato”, according to a US official who spoke to Reuters under anonymity.
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Nigel Farage RULES OUT pact with Tories just days after Kemi Badenoch’s plunging polling exposed
Nigel Farage has ruled out forming an electoral pact with the Conservatives just days after Kemi Badenoch’s plunging polling was exposed.
While the Reform leader admitted he could not rule out a deal after an election, he told the Daily Mail it would be a “highly undesirable” outcome.
“They don’t deserve it,” Mr Farage spat.
According to a recent YouGov poll, Mrs Badenoch’s party sits ten percent lower than Reform at a dismal 17 per cent.
Last month, Reform MP – and Tory defector – Danny Kruger urged his former party to give way and allow Reform to become the sole party of the British right.
He said: “There is a real danger that some kind of terrible coalition of the left wins the next election because the right is split.
“I don’t think there is a future for the Conservative Party as a national party.”
Lord Hermer reported for ‘misconduct’ after being accused of ‘witch-hunt’ of British troops
Lord Hermer has been reported to the barristers’ watchdog over alleged serious professional misconduct
| GETTY
Lord Hermer has been reported to the barristers’ watchdog over alleged serious professional misconduct for his role in a so-called “witch-hunt” against British soldiers.
A former Defence Minister and the Shadow Justice Secretary have requested the Bar Standards Board investigate the Attorney General for his role in Iraqi clients’ legal battles against UK troops.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, meanwhile, has separately reported the Attorney General to the House of Lords’ standards commissioner.
The Attorney General acted as leading counsel in a case where UK troops were accused of murdering Iraqis who were held as prisoners of war at a British Army base…
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Breaking overnight… Donald Trump threatens Britain with all-new tariffs over ‘cash grab’ tax on American firms
President Donald Trump has threatened to slap Britain with all-new tariffs if it does not drop its “cash grab” tax on American companies.
The digital services tax – which came into effect in 2020 – imposes a two per cent levy on the revenues of a number of major US tech companies.
It was introduced by the Conservatives to address the large gap between the revenue being generated by British users for the social media firms compared to the amount of tax being paid to the Government.
On Thursday, Mr Trump threatened to impose a “big tariff” on Britain if Labour does not scrap the measure.
He told reporters at the Oval Office: “We’ve been looking at it and we can meet that very easily by just putting a big tariff on the UK, so they better be careful.
“If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK.”
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