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☆ Sunak to Urge University Leaders to Protect Jewish Students on Campus
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-08 | by ( Stephen Castle | Isabella Kwai | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain will tell university leaders on Thursday to do more to combat antisemitism on college campuses, in a sign of rising dissatisfaction within government about the recent growth of encampments set up by students protesting the war in Gaza. Vice chancellors from some of Britain’s prominent universities have been invited to Downing Street to discuss “escalating antisemitic abuse toward Jewish students in the U.K.,” Mr. Sunak’s office said in a statement issued in advance of the meeting. But small-scale, largely peaceful protest encampments have sprung up recently around several universities, including Oxford, Cambridge, Newcastle, Leeds and Manchester. “Universities should be places of rigorous debate but also bastions of tolerance and respect for every member of their community,” Mr. Sunak said the statement released by his office ahead of the meeting. “A vocal minority on our campuses are disrupting the lives and studies of their fellow students and, in some cases, propagating outright harassment and antisemitic abuse.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, ” Mr, Sunak, “, ” Organizations: “ Locations: Britain, Gaza, Oxford, Cambridge, Newcastle, Leeds, Manchester

☆ U.K. Armed Forces’ Data Stolen by State-Linked Hackers, Lawmakers Say
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-07 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The personal information of British military personnel has been hacked in a significant new data breach likely to have been orchestrated by a state, senior British politicians said on Tuesday. The cyberattack, which targeted a third-party payroll system used by Britain’s Ministry of Defense, yielded the names and bank details of some serving members of the armed forces and some veterans, they said, as well as a small number of addresses. The payroll system, which is not connected to the defense ministry’s own internal network, has been taken offline and the government has not publicly blamed anyone for the data breach, or confirmed British media reports pointing a finger at China. In March Britain accused China of cyberattacks that compromised the voting records of tens of millions of people, and said that the Chinese had attempted unsuccessfully to hack email accounts belonging to several members of Parliament. The deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, also announced sanctions against two individuals and one company linked to a state-affiliated group implicated in those attacks.

Persons: Oliver Dowden Organizations: Britain’s Ministry of Defense Locations: British, China, Britain

☆ Sadiq Khan Heads for 3rd Term as London Mayor
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-04 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Sadiq Khan, the two-term center-left mayor of London, was poised on Saturday to become the first three-time winner of the job by a clearer margin than some of his supporters had predicted. Mr. Khan, from the main opposition Labour Party, was initially elected to the post in 2016, becoming London’s first Muslim mayor, and would now become the first politician to win three consecutive terms since the role was created in 2000. With the Labour Party well ahead in the opinion polls ahead of a looming general election, many analysts had expected Mr. Khan to cruise to a comfortable victory in a city that tends to lean to the left, but some saw the potential for an unexpectedly tight race against Susan Hall, representing Britain’s governing Conservative Party. That prospect quickly faded on Saturday, with Mr. Khan’s party declaring victory and the BBC forecasting him as the winner after results from half of London’s regions showed the mayor exceeding his performance in his last election, in 2021.

Persons: Sadiq Khan, Khan, London’s, Susan Hall, Khan’s Organizations: Labour Party, Conservative Party Locations: London

Britain’s Conservative Party suffered striking early setbacks on Friday in local elections that are viewed as a barometer for how the party will perform in a coming general election and a key test for the embattled prime minister, Rishi Sunak. Only a minority of the results had been announced by early Friday, but already the signs were ominous, if not unexpected, for Mr. Sunak’s Conservatives, who have trailed the opposition Labour Party by double digits in national polls for 18 months. The Conservatives have lost more than 120 seats so far, including six in Hartlepool, in northeast England, where the Conservatives had made inroads after Brexit but have more recently lost ground to the resurgent Labour Party. Labour also won a special election for a parliamentary seat in Blackpool South, a seaside district, in a huge swing of votes away from the Conservatives, who had held the seat but narrowly missed finishing third, behind Reform U.K., a small right-wing party. The previous Tory member of Parliament, Scott Benton, resigned in March after becoming embroiled in a lobbying scandal.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Scott Benton Organizations: Britain’s Conservative Party, Sunak’s Conservatives, Labour Party, Conservatives, Labour, Blackpool, Reform Locations: Hartlepool, England

☆ Scotland’s Governing S.N.P. Looks to a Stalwart After Its Leader Quits
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-02 | by ( Stephen Castle | More About Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Just days after Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, announced his resignation, one of his party’s most experienced politicians, John Swinney, emerged on Thursday as his likely successor after the most prominent potential challenger pulled out of the race. That crisis reached a new level of urgency this week when Mr. Yousaf terminated a coalition agreement with another party that campaigns for Scottish independence, the Scottish Greens, only to find himself facing two confidence votes he risked losing. On Monday, he said he would step down as soon as a replacement was chosen. For much of the past year, the S.N.P. has been enduring the fallout of a police investigation into the handling of funds it raised for a future referendum campaign.

Persons: Scotland’s, Humza Yousaf, John Swinney, Swinney, Mr, Nicola Sturgeon, Yousaf Organizations: Scottish National Party, Scottish, Scottish Greens

☆ He Won by a Landslide. Why Is He Fighting for His Political Life?
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-01 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

The last time Ben Houchen ran to be mayor of Tees Valley, a struggling, deindustrialized region in northeastern England, he stormed to victory with almost 73 percent of the vote. Three years on, Mr. Houchen, a Conservative politician, faces a re-election contest in which even a narrow win would do. As voters in England prepare to vote in Thursday’s local and mayoral elections, the governing Conservatives, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, are trailing badly in the opinion polls to the opposition Labour Party ahead of a general election expected later this year. So Mr. Houchen has campaigned on his own achievements, relying on his personal brand as the poster boy for “leveling up” — the Conservatives’ flagship policy of bringing prosperity to disadvantaged regions of England.

Persons: Ben Houchen, Houchen, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Conservative, Conservatives, Labour Party, —, Conservatives ’ Locations: Tees Valley, England

☆ Humza Yousaf Resigns as Scotland’s First Minister
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, resigned on Monday in the latest setback for his Scottish National Party, which has been engulfed in a slow-burn crisis over a funding scandal that erupted after its popular leader Nicola Sturgeon stepped down last year. Mr. Yousaf’s departure had looked increasingly inevitable after he gambled last week by ending a power sharing deal with the Scottish Green Party, angering its leaders and leaving him at the head of a minority government without obvious allies. His opponents then pressed for two motions of no confidence, which were expected to take place later this week. Having explored his options over several fraught days, Mr. Yousaf, who was Scotland’s first Muslim leader, said that he would quit in a speech on Monday at Bute House in Edinburgh, the official residence of the Scottish first minister. “After spending the weekend reflecting on what is best for my party, for the government and for the country I lead, I have concluded that repairing our relationship across the political divide can only be done with someone else at the helm,” Mr. Yousaf said in a short and at times emotional statement.

Persons: Scotland’s, Humza Yousaf, Nicola Sturgeon, Yousaf’s, Yousaf, ” Mr Organizations: Scottish National Party, Scottish Green Party, Bute House, Scottish Locations: Edinburgh

☆ What to Know About the Breakup of Scotland’s Coalition Government
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-25 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Scotland’s first minister, Humza Yousaf, on Thursday abruptly ended a coalition agreement between his Scottish National Party and the Scottish Green Party, creating a new set of challenges for an embattled leader whose party has been engulfed in a funding scandal since last year. But Mr. Yousaf’s decision to scrap the coalition appeared to take Lorna Slater, a co-leader of the Greens, by surprise on Thursday morning. of “an act of cowardice,” adding that Mr. Yousaf could “no longer be trusted.”Does this mean the end of the Scottish government? The Scottish Conservatives are pressing for a vote of no confidence in Mr. Yousaf, which the opposition Scottish Labour Party has signaled it would support, and that could take place next week. But that vote relates to confidence in Mr. Yousaf, not the government, so its implications are unclear even if he were to lose.

Persons: Scotland’s, Humza Yousaf, Lorna Slater, Yousaf, “ Organizations: Scottish National Party, Scottish Green Party, Scottish, Greens, Scottish Conservatives, Scottish Labour Party Locations: Scotland

☆ Nicola Sturgeon’s Husband Is Charged in Party Finance Inquiry
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-18 | by ( Stephen Castle | More About Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Peter Murrell, the husband of Scotland’s former first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, was charged on Thursday in connection with embezzlement of funds from the Scottish National Party, which she once led and where he once held a senior position. The announcement, which follows a lengthy inquiry by the Scottish police, is another blow to the party, which controls the Scottish government and campaigns for independence. The party was thrown into turmoil after Ms. Sturgeon’s surprise resignation last year. After her departure as first minister, Ms. Sturgeon was also arrested as part of the investigation into her party’s finances, but she was released and has not been charged. Mr. Murrell, 59, who has been married to Ms. Sturgeon since 2010, became the S.N.P.’s chief executive in 1999 and resigned from the role in February 2023.

Persons: Peter Murrell, Scotland’s, Nicola Sturgeon, Sturgeon’s, Sturgeon, Murrell, ’ Organizations: Scottish National Party, Scottish

☆ An English Village Hollowed Out for a Train That May Never Come
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-03 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

For those that can afford them, the large villas at Whitmore Heath offer the tranquillity of the countryside within striking distance of urban centers like Stoke-on-Trent and Stafford, an hour’s drive north of Birmingham, the largest city in the English Midlands. Yet on Heath Road, where some house prices have exceeded a million pounds (about $1.3 million), padlocked gates and signs warn trespassers of CCTV security monitoring. Outside one house stands a dumpster filled with waste while the roof of another is carpeted with a veneer of moss. Peer through the large windows of a family home, and not a single piece of furniture can be seen inside. This scene of abandonment is a byproduct of a multibillion-dollar rail project that has spanned three decades and six prime ministers — a case study in the problems Britain encounters when planning large-scale infrastructure, and of the scarring that remains when such projects go awry.

Persons: Whitmore Heath, — Locations: Whitmore, Stoke, Trent, Stafford, Birmingham, English Midlands, Heath

☆ Charged with Sexual Offenses, Influential Politician in Northern Ireland Steps Down
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-29 | by ( Stephen Castle | More About Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the Democratic Unionist Party and one of Northern Ireland’s most prominent and influential politicians, resigned his leadership of the party on Friday, after being charged with “historical” sex offenses. The resignation, which sent shock waves through Northern Irish politics, was announced in a statement from the D.U.P. which said it was also suspending Mr. Donaldson as a party member pending a judicial process. The party said that it had received a letter from Mr. Donaldson “confirming that he has been charged with allegations of an historical nature and indicating that he is stepping down as leader.”Earlier on Friday the Police Service of Northern Ireland said that it had “charged a 61-year-old man for non-recent sexual offenses.” It added that “a 57-year-old woman was also arrested and charged at the time for aiding and abetting additional offenses.”

Persons: Jeffrey Donaldson, Donaldson, Donaldson “ Organizations: Democratic Unionist Party, Police Service of Northern Locations: Northern, Police Service of Northern Ireland

☆ What Lies Beneath: London Boat Race Marred by Sewage Concerns
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-27 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The warning was stern: Do not enter the water. This year they will be staying as dry as possible. The warning from organizers of the annual competition known as the Boat Race is the most striking symbol of the dire and deteriorating state of Britain’s rivers and coastlines. E. coli, which can be contracted from inadequately treated water supplies, can cause a number of symptoms including diarrhea, stomach cramps and occasionally fever. According to Britain’s health service, a small number of people can also develop hemolytic uraemic syndrome which can sometimes lead to kidney failure and death.

Organizations: Oxford University Locations: Cambridge

☆ U.K. to Accuse China of Cyberattacks Targeting Voter Data and Lawmakers
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-25 | by ( Mark Landler | Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The British government is expected to publicly link China to cyberattacks that compromised the voting records of tens of millions of people, another notable hardening of Britain’s stance toward China since its leaders heralded a “golden era” in British-Chinese relations nearly a decade ago. The deputy prime minister, Oliver Dowden, will make a statement about the matter in Parliament on Monday afternoon, and is expected to announce sanctions against state-affiliated individuals and entities implicated in the attacks. The government disclosed the attack on the Electoral Commission last year but did not identify those behind it. It is believed to have begun in 2021 and lasted several months, with the personal details of 40 million voters being hacked. The Electoral Commission, which oversees elections in the United Kingdom, said that the names and addresses of anyone registered to vote in Britain and Northern Ireland between 2014 and 2022 had been accessed, as well as those of overseas voters.

Persons: Oliver Dowden Organizations: Electoral Commission Locations: China, United Kingdom, Britain, Northern Ireland

☆ New U.K. Extremism Policy Raises Concerns Over Free Speech
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-14 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s government published a new definition of extremism on Thursday that it intends to use to cut ties or funding to groups deemed to have crossed the line, but which critics fear could curtail campaigners’ rights and curb free speech. Michael Gove, a senior cabinet minister, said in a statement that the move was intended to “protect democratic values” by being “clear and precise in identifying the dangers posed by extremism.”Some advocacy groups and legal experts greeted the announcement with concern, warning that it could affect the rights of those deemed by the government to meet the definition. The only way to challenge such a ruling is likely to be through the courts. The initiative has also stirred a wider debate about how, before a general election that must be held by early next year, British politicians choose to deal with domestic tensions that have risen since Hamas’s Oct. 7 attacks on Israel and Israel’s subsequent bombardment of the Gaza Strip.

Persons: Michael Gove Locations: Israel, Gaza

☆ U.K. Conservative Party Under Fire Over Donor’s Alleged Racist Remarks
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain’s governing Conservative Party was under pressure Tuesday to return more than 10 million pounds to a donor who reportedly said that Diane Abbott, a prominent lawmaker, “should be shot,” and that looking at her made him “want to hate all Black women.”According to an investigation by The Guardian newspaper, Frank Hester, a health care technology entrepreneur, made the comments in 2019, at a meeting held at the offices of his company, The Phoenix Partnership. He has apologized but has not confirmed the Guardian’s account of what he said. Mr. Hester said on Monday that he “accepts that he was rude about Diane Abbot in a private meeting several years ago but his criticism had nothing to do with her gender nor color of skin,” in a statement released by his firm that misspelled her last name. The statement added that he had called Ms. Abbott twice “to try to apologize directly for the hurt he has caused her, and is deeply sorry for his remarks,” and that he wished “to make it clear that he regards racism as a poison which has no place in public life.”

Persons: Diane Abbott, Frank Hester, Hester, “, Diane Abbot, Abbott, ” Organizations: Conservative Party, The Guardian, The Phoenix Partnership

☆ Why a Small Special Election in Rochdale, England, Has Big Chaos Vibes
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

If everything had gone to plan, Britain’s opposition Labour Party, which is riding high in opinion polls, would be confident of sweeping to victory on Thursday in a special election (known as a by-election in Britain) for the parliamentary district of Rochdale, north of Manchester. Instead, the contest has become a source of acute embarrassment to the party, and whoever comes out on top when results are announced early Friday morning won’t represent Labour. Earlier this month the party had to disown its candidate over antisemitic remarks he made, but it was too late to replace him on the ballot. In the aftermath of that debacle the election in Rochdale has become emblematic of the anger that has swept through British politics over the war in Gaza. With a general election looming, internal divisions over the conflict in the Middle East have caused tensions within both the Labour Party and the governing Conservatives.

Organizations: Labour Party, Labour, Conservatives Locations: Britain, Rochdale, Manchester, Gaza

☆ Prince William Calls for End to Gaza Fighting ‘as Soon as Possible’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-20 | by ( Stephen Castle | More About Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prince William, the heir to the British throne, on Tuesday called for an end to the fighting in Gaza as soon as possible in a rare, if measured, public statement on the bloody conflict between Israel and Hamas. “I remain deeply concerned about the terrible human cost of the conflict in the Middle East since the Hamas terrorist attack” on Oct. 7, the prince said in comments issued by his office. “Too many have been killed.”He added: “I, like so many others, want to see an end to the fighting as soon as possible. There is a desperate need for increased humanitarian support to Gaza. Prince William’s comments came ahead of a meeting in London on Tuesday with the Red Cross, where he was to be updated on humanitarian efforts to support people affected by the conflict.

Persons: Prince William, “, ”, Prince William’s Organizations: Holocaust Educational Trust Locations: Gaza, Israel, London

☆ Rishi Sunak Back in Hot Seat After Losses, but His Ouster Is Unlikely
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Mark Landler | Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain could find himself in a familiar predicament after his Conservative Party went down to defeat in parliamentary elections in two districts on Thursday: isolated, embattled and the subject of whispered plotting by restive Tories bent on pushing him out for a new leader. The crushing loss of two seats in once-reliable Conservative areas capped another dismal week for Mr. Sunak. Economic data confirmed on Thursday that Britain had fallen into recession at the end of last year, undermining one of the prime minister’s five core pledges — that he would recharge the country’s growth. Yet the scheming against Mr. Sunak, analysts said, is no more likely to go anywhere than it has during his previous leadership crises. However desperate the political straits of the Conservatives, they would find it hard, at this late stage, to replace their languishing prime minister with someone else.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson — Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservatives, Conservative Locations: Britain

☆ Conservatives Suffer Setback in Parliamentary Election in Britain
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Stephen Castle | Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Britain’s governing Conservative Party has lost the first of two parliamentary elections in a new blow to its embattled leader, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, whose future has been questioned by critics within his fractious political party. The Conservatives were defeated in Kingswood, near Bristol, by 8,675 to 11,176 votes, losing a seat that the party had previously held. Votes were cast Thursday to replace two Conservative lawmakers who had quit Parliament, with the first set of results announced early Friday morning. With a general election expected later this year, the result is likely to compound Mr. Sunak’s difficulties at a time when the British economy is shrinking, interest rates are high, and Britain’s health service seems to be in a state of almost permanent crisis. Opinion polls show his party trailing the opposition Labour Party by double-digit margins.

Persons: Rishi Sunak Organizations: Conservative Party, Conservatives, Labour Party Locations: Kingswood, Bristol, British

☆ The U.K. Labour Party’s Worst Enemy Might Be Itself
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-14 | by ( Mark Landler | Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

These days, the only thing that can stop the Labour Party, it seems, is the Labour Party. For more than a year, the leader of Britain’s main opposition party, Keir Starmer, has sat on a double-digit lead in the polls over the Conservative Party. “The question is, can he come back next week fighting?”Labour still holds a double-digit lead over the Conservatives in polls. It could swiftly regain its stride with victories in two parliamentary by-elections on Thursday, both of which it is expected to win. But Labour’s setbacks are a reminder that with a general election still at least a few months away, Mr. Starmer cannot take anything for granted.

Persons: Britain’s, Keir Starmer, Starmer, “ Keir, ”, John McTernan, Rishi Sunak Organizations: Labour Party, Conservative Party, Manchester soccer, Britain’s Premier League, Labour, Conservative Locations: Israel, Man

☆ What to Know About the Return of Power-Sharing in Northern Ireland
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

After two years of political gridlock, Northern Ireland is set to finally have a functioning government again. There will be one significant change since the last time they gathered: The first minister role will be held for the first time by a Sinn Fein politician, Michelle O’Neill, a significant moment in the history of Northern Ireland. What is Sinn Fein, and why does it matter that the party will hold the ‘first minister’ role? Sinn Fein was once regarded as the political wing of the Irish Republican Army, or I.R.A., a paramilitary group that waged a bloody campaign against British troops deployed in Northern Ireland. Since then, Northern Ireland’s first minister has always been a unionist, meaning he or she represents a political party committed to keeping the territory within the United Kingdom.

Persons: Michelle O’Neill, Sinn Fein, ’, Sinn Fein’s Organizations: Sinn Fein, Irish Republican Army, British Locations: Northern Ireland, Belfast, Northern, United Kingdom

☆ ‘A Long Time Coming’: Northern Ireland Deal Receives Broad Welcome
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-30 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Britain, Ireland and the United States on Tuesday welcomed a deal to end almost two years of political deadlock in Northern Ireland that will, for the first time, hand the territory’s top leadership role to Sinn Fein, a party that mainly represents Roman Catholic voters committed to a united Ireland. The breakthrough came in the early hours of Tuesday morning when the Democratic Unionist Party, whose largely Protestant supporters want to remain in the United Kingdom, said it was ready to end a lengthy and crippling boycott of Northern Ireland’s political assembly. “I believe that all the conditions are now in place for the assembly to return,” said Chris Heaton-Harris, Britain’s secretary of state for Northern Ireland on Tuesday. Claire Cronin, the U.S. ambassador to Ireland, said she welcomed the news. “The people of Northern Ireland are best served by a power-sharing government in Stormont as outlined in the Good Friday Agreement,” she wrote on social media, adding that President Biden “has long made clear his support for a secure and prosperous Northern Ireland.”

Persons: Sinn Fein, ”, Chris Heaton, Harris, Claire Cronin, Biden “ Organizations: Roman Catholic, Democratic Unionist Party, Northern Ireland Locations: Britain, Ireland, United States, Northern Ireland, United Kingdom, Northern, U.S, Stormont

☆ Northern Ireland Breaks Political Deadlock After Nearly Two Years
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-29 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Democratic Unionist Party, the main Protestant party in Northern Ireland and one of its biggest political forces, said on Tuesday that it was ready to return to power sharing after a boycott of almost two years had paralyzed decision-making in the region. After an internal meeting that stretched into the early morning, Jeffrey Donaldson, leader of the party, known as the D.U.P., said at a news conference that he had been mandated to support a new deal, negotiated with the British government, that would allow his party to return to Northern Ireland’s governing assembly. “Over the coming period we will work alongside others to build a thriving Northern Ireland firmly within the union for this and succeeding generations,” Mr. Donaldson said. He added, however, that the return to power sharing was conditional on the British government’s legislating to enshrine a new set of measures that had not yet been made public. The announcement from the D.U.P., which represents those who want Northern Ireland to remain part of the United Kingdom, will be welcomed by many voters frustrated by the political stalemate, as well as by the British and Irish governments, which have both put pressure on the party to end the deadlock.

Persons: Jeffrey Donaldson, ” Mr, Donaldson Organizations: Democratic Unionist Party, British Locations: Northern Ireland, Northern, enshrine, United Kingdom

☆ Sunak’s Flagship Immigration Plan Fails First Test in House of Lords
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-22 | by ( Stephen Castle | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Four days ago, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain urged the House of Lords, the unelected upper chamber of Parliament, not to block his plans to put asylum seekers on one-way flights to Rwanda, describing his contentious migration policy as “the will of the people.”On Monday night, the Lords did not play ball. Instead, they voted to delay the crucial treaty with Rwanda that underpins Mr. Sunak’s legislation — underscoring the hostility among some members of the chamber to a policy that has proved divisive ever since it was introduced by Boris Johnson, then the prime minister, in 2022. In practical terms, the vote has limited impact because the House of Lords — a legislature which is largely made up of former politicians, civil servants and diplomats, as well as 26 bishops — does not have the power to prevent the treaty from coming into force. But it is a symbolic setback for Mr. Sunak and suggests that the Lords may try to amend the broader legislation, the so-called safety of Rwanda bill, which they are scheduled to start debating next week. It may also strengthen future legal challenges by asylum seekers against their deportation to the African country.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, ”, —, Boris Johnson, Sunak Locations: Rwanda, —

☆ Sunak Quells Rebellion on Immigration, for Now
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-17 | by ( Stephen Castle | Mark Landler | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak of Britain dodged a potentially dire threat to his leadership on Wednesday, preserving for now his beleaguered government’s immigration plan to put asylum seekers on one-way flights to Rwanda. In an effort to overcome resistance from British courts, the lawmakers in Parliament voted to back legislation declaring Rwanda a safe country for asylum seekers. But the victory, by a vote of 320 to 276, came after two tense days of debate that exposed deep divisions within Mr. Sunak’s governing Conservative Party, having prompted a rebellion Tuesday of around 60 of his lawmakers who tried unsuccessfully to toughen the legislation. The government gained the upper hand over the rebels on Wednesday by presenting them with the stark choice of voting in favor of the bill or risking a parliamentary defeat that could have wrecked the Rwanda policy altogether and delivered a crushing blow to the prime minister at the start of an election year.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak’s Organizations: Conservative Party Locations: Rwanda

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