Analysis

Northern Ireland protocol row could damage good faith needed for post-Brexit trade deals.

— Boris Johnson’s government’s handling of the Northern Ireland protocol could spell trouble for the UK’s post-Brexit trade negotiations. The process of rebuilding trust is far slower when the breach of trust has been coupled with deceit or denial.

Brexit

Brexit is shaming Britain.

— Professor Chris Grey’s detailed analysis of the NIPB in relation to the internal politics of the Tory Party and the wider politics of Brexit. But no amount of analysis can ignore the shame it brings to Britain.

By-Election

Tiverton and Honiton by-election: Rural communities are itching for the chance to cast a protest vote.

— The Liberal Democrats think they can take the seat from Boris Johnson’s Conservatives in the wake of partygate – and longstanding resentment towards the political class is fuelling their optimism.

Human Rights

Commonwealth leaders gather in Rwanda as UK refugee plan focuses attention on human rights.

— The Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting in Rwanda will be complicated by the UK’s plan to send refugees to Rwanda. A policy that, like almost everything else Boris Johnson touches, is likely to reflect badly on everyone involved.

Analysis

What Keir Starmer could learn from Neil Kinnock to capitalise on Boris Johnson’s woes.

— Kinnock lost two elections as Labour leader. Starmer could learn a lot from his successes and failures.

Rwanda Deportations

What is the European Court of Human Rights, and why did it stop a UK flight from taking off to Rwanda?

— The European court blocked the UK from deporting asylum-seekers to Rwanda until after cases in the UK are decided. Will the UK government now consider withdrawing from the European convention on human rights altogether?

UK Politics

After years of breaking the rules, Boris Johnson must now hope his MPs won’t change the only one keeping him in office.

— The Conservatives have always been happy to rewrite their own rules when it suits them. Rest assured they will eject any leader – no matter who they are – if they feel it benefits the party and its members.

Brexit

Brexit is stuck, but is the secret coming out?

— They lied and cheated and then lied about lying and cheating. Doing so enabled them to say that they had achieved what critics had said was impossible, although they had done no such thing.

Brexit

Why the UK government’s plan to change the Northern Ireland Protocol violates international law.

— Businesses in Northern Ireland largely support the protocol, as do the political parties who got the most support in recent assembly elections. So why does the government still plan to override the Northern Ireland protocol, in breach with the UK’s legal obligations?

UK Politics

Behind the scenes of Westminster – How government whips are losing their influence.

— Boris Johnson has burned so many commitments and bridges that it seems more than likely that the Tory whips will be unable to salvage them beyond 2022 even when using intimidation tactics to keep him in power.

UK Politics

The tactics Tory rebels could use to derail Boris Johnson.

— Boris Johnson wants to move on to other government businesses, but the PM’s opponents in the Conservative Party (and there are many) could bog down and/or derail his legislative agenda to contest his leadership.

Petition

Petition — Introduce an independent body to enforce the ministerial code on ministers.

— What can we do to ensure our government acts with integrity? There needs to be an independent body with the power to remove ministers when they flout the ministerial code.

UK Politics

Boris Johnson never took full control of the Tory party – uniting it now seems impossible.

— A strong party leader is both in control of the organisation of their party and can set and articulate the party’s priorities. With 41% of his MPs united against him, Boris Johnson is unlikely to last long – or get much done if he does.

Analysis

Conservative Party – Who are the rebels and why do they want Boris Johnson gone?

— The Tory party is a ‘broad church’ with many factions. And many of them are unimpressed with the prime minister at the moment. Tory tensions are exacerbated through the ideological incoherence of Johnson himself.

Analysis

After the confidence vote, what now for ‘Big Dog’?

— Politics professor Jon Tonge was pretty much spot on with his prediction for the result of the no-confidence vote against Boris Johnson. Here’s how he calculated the result and what might happen next.

OPINION

The ‘greased piglet’ oinks again (for the time being).

— Although Boris Johnson has yet again slipped through the cracks, the Conservative Party is now deeply divided and polls suggest that they could be headed for two catastrophic defeats in the Wakefield and Honiton by-elections.