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☆ Alex Salmond, leading figure in Scottish independence movement, dies at age 69
▼ + stars: | 2024-10-12 | by ( Lauren Kent | Natasha Maguder | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

London CNN —Former Scottish First Minister Alex Salmond has died at 69, according to statements from Scotland’s main political parties and UK media reports. Salmond was taken ill while in North Macedonia, collapsing after delivering a speech on Saturday, according to British media reports. For many years he was the father of the nation and for several years he has been a father-like figure to me. British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: “For more than 30 years, Alex Salmond was a monumental figure of Scottish and UK politics. After losing his seat in parliament, Salmond remained a major figure in both Scottish and British politics, working as a commentator and hosting the Alex Salmond Show on Russian state broadcaster RT.

Persons: Alex Salmond, Salmond, “, Alex, Alex Salmond’s Alba, Chris McEleny, Keir Starmer, ” Salmond, Nicola Sturgeon, Alex Salmond’s, ”, Anas Sarwar, “ Alex Organizations: London CNN — Former Scottish, Scotland, British, Scottish, First, Alba Party, RT, Bute House, Daily, Scottish Labour, Scottish National Party, CNN Locations: North Macedonia, Scotland, British, Bute, Scottish

☆ Gaza: The Labour party’s position on the conflict appears to have cost it votes in the UK election
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Christian Edwards | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Corbyn won 49.2% of the vote, while the Labour candidate came in second with 34.4%. Many of these seats where Labour appears to have lost votes over its position on Gaza have sizable Muslim populations. She said, after Streeting abstained from a vote on a Gaza ceasefire, she decided to enter politics and abdicate from Labour. “As a Palestinian, that place is no longer for me… The Labour party does not represent us,” she told CNN. Meanwhile Jess Phillips, also a prominent Labour figure, won her Birmingham Yardley seat by just 693 votes.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Jonathan Ashworth, Shockat Adam, ” Adam, Jeremy Corbyn, Ashworth, Corbyn, ”, Kate Hollern –, –, Adnan Hussain, Iqbal Mohamed, Heather Iqbal, Birmingham Perry Barr, Ayoub Khan, Khalid Mahmood, Faiza Shaheen –, Iain Duncan Smith, “, ” Shaheen, Starmer, Israel’s, Starmer –, Israel “, Wes Streeting, Leanne Mohamad, Mohamad, Streeting, Jess Phillips, Jody McIntyre Organizations: London CNN, Gaza, Labour, Leicester South, Islington, Blackburn, Dewsbury, Batley, Conservative, Hamas, LBC, Scottish National Party, CNN, Birmingham, Workers Party of Britain Locations: Gaza, English Midlands, Birmingham, Chingford, Woodford, London, Israel, Leicester, Ilford, Blackburn, Starmer’s, Ilford North, Palestine, Birmingham Yardley

☆ Starmer pledges to ‘reset’ Britain as Labour takes over after 14 years of Conservative rule
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Ivana Kottasová | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +10 min

London CNN —The Labour Party has won a landslide victory in the UK general election, sweeping into power after 14 years of Conservative rule on the back of a wave of public disillusionment. Addressing the nation from outside 10 Downing Street for the first time as prime minister, Starmer had one overarching message: Change starts now. There were high-profile casualties, with the short-lived former Prime Minister Liz Truss and several cabinet ministers being booted out by voters. Conservative leader and, as of Friday morning, former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak took responsibility for the electoral wipeout, apologizing to voters in his farewell address. Leaving the palace as the newly minted prime minister, he then headed straight to Downing Street.

Persons: Keir Starmer, King Charles III, Starmer, ”, Liz Truss, Rishi Sunak, Sunak, “, Akshata Murty, Nigel Farage, Donald Trump, Farage, Sinn Féin, Clodagh Kilcoyne, Rachel Reeves, Angela Rayner, David Lammy, Yvette Cooper, Jeremy Corbyn, Yui Mok, Tony Blair, Starmer –, –, Israel “, David Cameron, Brexit –, Boris Johnson Organizations: London CNN, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Labour, Conservative, Downing, British, Conservatives, Liberal, Lib Dems, Reform UK, Green Party, Scottish National Party, Irish, Democratic Unionist Party, DUP, Reuters Government, Home, Tories, European Union Locations: British, United Kingdom, Buckingham, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Ireland, Westminster, Starmer, Gaza, Britain, Europe, United States, Ukraine

☆ Anatomy of a Landslide
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Josh Holder | Lauren Leatherby | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +9 min

Vote share for the Conservatives dropped all over the country SCOTLAND NORTHERN IRELAND ENGLAND WALESAnatomy of a Landslide Support for the Conservatives plummeted, propelling the Labour Party into power. ... they lost almost half to Labour ... 372 seats Labour 412 ... and 60 to the Liberal Democrats Labour 200 Reform 4 S.N.P. Labour won a landslide with just a third of the vote0 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% Vote share Seat share Labour won almost two-thirds of seats with just a third of votes. Seat Vote Green 0 20% 40% 60% Vote share Seat share Labour won almost two-thirds of seats with just a third of votes. 29.4 15.5% 2019 2024 Lib Dem 9.3 7.7% 2019 2024 Green 3.4 11.1% 2019 2024 Reform 2.8 11.3% 2019 2024 Next youngest constituencies 33.9 38.1% 2019 2024 45.3 24.0% 2019 2024 10.9 10.9% 2019 2024 2.3 6.1% 2019 2024 3.2 17.2% 2019 2024 Older constituencies 25.6 32.4% 2019 2024 49.2 26.4% 2019 2024 12.5 13.7% 2019 2024 2.5 5.4% 2019 2024 2.0 16.4% 2019 2024 Oldest constituencies 20.6 25.9% 2019 2024 55.1 30.3% 2019 2024 13.5 15.9% 2019 2024 2.9 5.7% 2019 2024 0.6 16.3% 2019 2024 Source: Age data from the Office for National Statistics and Scotland Census Note: Constituencies are bucketed by median age.

Persons: Nigel Farage, Farage’s, — Organizations: Conservatives, WALES, Labour Party, Scottish National Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Scottish, Liberal, Conservative Conservatives, Conservative, Liberal Democrats Labour, Liberal Democrats Lab, National Government, Conservative Party, Center, Conservative Labour, Left Green Labour, Green Party, Green, Office, National Statistics, Reform Locations: SCOTLAND, England, postindustrial, Midlands, North, United Kingdom, Britain’s Parliament, Scotland

☆ Britain's Labour pulled off a thumping election victory with just 34% of the national vote
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-05 | by ( Vicky Mckeever | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Toby Melville | ReutersLONDON — The U.K.'s Labour Party won a huge parliamentary majority in the country's general election, but a quirk of the British electoral system means it did so with just 34% of the total votes cast. Results show that the opposition Labour Party has won 412 parliamentary seats of the total 650, with just two seats yet to be declared. This translates as roughly 63% of the total seats, but Labour has won just 34% of the total "popular" vote, while the Conservative Party has secured nearly 24% of that number. Meanwhile, smaller parties including the centrist Liberal Democrats, right-wing Reform U.K. and the Greens took nearly 43% of the popular vote but gained just less than 18% of the seats available. Unlike in other voting systems, there are no second rounds or ranking of first- and second-choice candidates, meaning it can be difficult for smaller parties to translate an increased share of the popular vote into parliamentary seats.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Victoria Starmer, Toby Melville, Gabriella Dickens, Dickens Organizations: British, Labour, Reuters LONDON, Labour Party, Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Greens, U.K, AXA Investment, Scottish National Party Locations: London, Britain

It could be a disastrous night for the Conservatives, with the exit poll predicting the lowest-ever total number of seats in the party’s history. Because of its electoral system, Britain can see large discrepancies between the share of seats won by a party and its share of the popular vote. The exit poll suggests one of the largest swings in British political history, with Labour expected to win 410 seats and the Conservatives on 131. Britain’s traditional third party, the Liberal Democrats, also enjoyed a huge bump, going from just 11 seats won at the 2019 general election to a projected 61. Reform UK, a right-wing populist party, was projected to win 13 seats, also a lot more than many polls had suggested.

Persons: resoundingly, Labour’s, Keir Starmer, Britain’s Organizations: London CNN, Labour Party, Conservatives, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Reform, Scottish National Party Locations: United Kingdom, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, Britain

☆ Landmark UK election kicks off as center-left Labour seeks return to power after 14 years
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-04 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Keir Starmer, leader of the Labour Party, campaigns ahead of the general election, in Redditch, UK, on Wednesday, July 3, 2024. Bloomberg | Bloomberg | Getty ImagesLONDON — The U.K. heads to the ballot box on Thursday, as the incumbent Conservative Party seeks to defy months of polls that suggest it will suffer a historic defeat at the hands of the center-left Labour Party. Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced the vote six weeks ago, taking politicians and the public alike by surprise. The Thursday ballot is the first U.K. general election since 2019, when then-Conservative leader Boris Johnson clinched the party's biggest majority win since 1987 over Jeremy Corbyn's Labour. Rishi Sunak, UK prime minister, campaigns at a Conservative Party general election campaign event at the National Army Museum in London, UK, on Tuesday, July 2, 2024.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Nigel Farage's, Hannah Bunting, Labour's Tony Blair, John Major, Jeremy Hunt, Sunak, Boris Johnson, Jeremy Corbyn's Labour, Liz Truss Organizations: Labour Party, Bloomberg, Getty, Conservative, Labour Party ., of, Liberal Democrats, Greens, Scottish National Party, Plaid Cymru, Democratic Unionist Party, Nigel Farage's Reform, Conservatives, Labour, Convention, University of Exeter, European Union, Conservative Party, National Army Museum Locations: Redditch, UK, England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, London

☆ How Britain’s political parties got their colors
▼ + stars: | 2024-07-01 | by ( Oscar Holland | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

While these are the only two parties with a realistic chance of winning the election, other smaller parties across the British political system offer a veritable kaleidoscope of differing — and sometimes duplicate — colours. The Liberal Democrats (orange), and Reform UK (turquoise) and the Green Party (you guessed it), are all vying for votes. Labour Party leader Keir Starmer during the launching of Labour Party election manifesto, in Manchester, on June 13, 2024. Among the smaller parties, color choices have sometimes been relatively straightforward – the Green Party uses green, unsurprisingly, due to its obvious connections with environmentalism. Ed Davey, leader of the Liberal Democrats, during an election campaign visit in Frome, UK, on May 30, 2024.

Persons: Sinn Féin, Dominic Wring, Rishi Sunak, Jeff J Mitchell, ”, Keir Starmer, Oli Scarff, Liberal Democrats —, Ed Davey, Hollie Adams Organizations: CNN, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Reform, Green Party, Scottish National Party, Northern, Wales ’ Plaid Cymru, UK’s Loughborough University . British, British, British Union of Fascists, Labour Party, Getty, Conservative Party, Liberal Party, Social Democratic Party, Lib, Bloomberg, UK Independence Party, Christian Democrats, Marijuana Party of Canada, Republicans Locations: Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, British Union, Manchester, AFP, Frome, UK, Europe

☆ UK PM Sunak could cease to be a lawmaker in landslide election defeat, new poll shows
▼ + stars: | 2024-06-20 | by ( Sam Meredith | In Samuelmeredith | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Prime Minister Rishi Sunak speaks to farmers as he campaigns on a farm near Barnstaple on June 18, 2024 in North Devon, United Kingdom. North Devon has been held by the Conservative Party since the 2015 general election. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak could become the country's first sitting prime minister to lose their seat at a general election, according to the findings of a shock new poll. If correct, the upcoming vote would deliver Labour a supermajority of 382, comfortably more than former Prime Minister Tony Blair's historic 1997 victory. The analysis showed that left-leaning Scottish National Party is set to win 8 seats, while Wales' pro-independence political party Plaid Cymru is expected to win 4.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Tony Blair's, Savanta, James Cleverly's, Jeremy Hunt's Organizations: Conservative Party, British, Labour, Conservative, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, Wales, Plaid Cymru, Greens Locations: Barnstaple, North Devon, United Kingdom, Richmond, Northallerton, North Yorkshire, Braintree, Essex, Godalming, Ash, Surrey

☆ UK election 2024: Everything you need to know
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-23 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

Rishi Sunak’s rival for power is Labour leader Keir Starmer, who is heavily favored to become Britain’s new prime minister in July. Labour leader Keir Starmer -- the frontrunner in the election -- launches his campaign in Gillingham on Thursday. Given Labour’s standing in the polls, Starmer is more equipped to take the fight to other groups. In the UK, voters don’t elect a prime minister directly. But this is a formal role only; the King won’t contradict his prime minister or overrule the results of an election.

Persons: CNN —, Rishi Sunak, We’ll, Keir Starmer, Sunak, Downing, Maja Smiejkowska, – Sunak, Boris Johnson’s, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, Johnson, Stefan Rousseau, Jeremy Corbyn, Theresa May, Sunak hasn’t, –, Starmer, Henry Nicholls, Rishi Sunak’s, Gareth Fuller, Reform Party –, David Cameron, King Charles III, won’t Organizations: CNN, CNN — Britain’s, Labour, Reuters, Sunak’s Conservative Party, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Conservative, Party, Getty, European Union, Reform Party, Scottish National Party, Green Party, National Health Service Locations: Westminster, Rwanda, England, AFP, Gillingham, Gaza

☆ UK general election: PM Rishi Sunak calls surprise July vote as his party seeks to defy dire polls
▼ + stars: | 2024-05-22 | by ( Rob Picheta | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

London CNN —UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced a snap general election for July 4 in a statement outside Downing Street on Wednesday evening, as his Conservative Party faces an uphill struggle to extend its 14 years in power. But a fall in inflation rates, announced earlier Wednesday, provided the backdrop for his announcement. The move will be welcomed by the buoyant Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, which is soaring in the opinion polls and has sought to present itself as a reformed and moderate group that is ready for power. Sunak walks back inside on Wednesday after announcing the July 4 date for the election. But Johnson’s premiership collapsed after a string of scandals, paving the way for his then-finance minister Sunak to emerge as a frontrunner for the leadership.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Downing, King Charles III of, “, ” Sunak, Keir Starmer, Buckingham, Queen’s, Starmer, ”, Carl Court, Liz Truss, Boris Johnson, —, Theresa May —, King Charles III Organizations: London CNN —, Conservative Party, Conservative, Labour Party, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Party, Scottish National Party, European Union, Tories Locations: Britain, Buckingham Palace, Ukraine, Downing, Sunak, United Kingdom, Rwanda, Britain’s

☆ 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

☆ Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf resigns after ending power-sharing agreement
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-29 | by ( Jenni Reid | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf announces his resignation during a statement, at Bute House, in Edinburgh, on April 29, 2024. Scottish First Minister Humza Yousaf resigned on Monday after the collapse of his power-sharing agreement with the country's Green Party. Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Yousaf was facing a vote of no confidence that he was not expected to survive, after he broke off the agreement with the Green Party last week. "In ending the Bute House agreement in the manner I did, I clearly underestimated the level of hurt and upset I caused Green colleagues. The first person of color to lead Scotland, Yousaf said it was an "honour" and "privilege" to serve as first minister.

Persons: Humza Yousaf, Yousaf, Green, — Organizations: Scotland's, Bute House, Scottish, country's Green Party, Scottish National Party, Green Party Locations: Bute, Edinburgh, Scotland

☆ 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

☆ UK government under growing pressure to stop selling arms to Israel
▼ + stars: | 2024-04-05 | by ( Luke Mcgee | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

London CNN —Pressure is mounting on British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to suspend the sale of arms to Israel following the deadly attack on a convoy of aid workers in Gaza. Calls for Sunak to stop supplying Israel with weapons grew after an Israeli airstrike on Monday killed seven members of staff from World Central Kitchen, three of whom were British citizens. The government is still waiting for legal advice from its lawyers on whether or not selling arms to Israel is in breach of international law. However, parliamentary estimates show that the UK has still licensed arms worth over $725m. The family of one of the aid workers killed former Royal Marine James Henderson, have criticized the UK sale of arms to Israel.

Persons: Rishi Sunak, Sunak, Alicia Kearns, Kearns, ”, “, Benjamin Netanyahu, Grant Shapps, Marine James Henderson Organizations: London CNN, British, Parliament’s, Conservative Party, UNRWA, Labour, Liberal Democrats, Scottish National Party, Israeli, ” Defense, ”, UN Security Council, Marine, Times Locations: Israel, Gaza, British, Germany, Times of London

Nicola Sturgeon told the United Kingdom's public inquiry into the pandemic that she didn't use informal messaging such as WhatsApp to make decisions. Although Scotland is part of the U.K., its government has powers over matters relating to public health. Sturgeon's standing has been further dented by the recent revelation that her WhatsApp messages had been deleted, which has led to questions about her trustworthiness or whether she has anything to hide. Last week, Sturgeon's successor as first minister, Humza Yousaf, offered an “unreserved” apology for the Scottish government’s “frankly poor” handling of requests for WhatsApp messages. Johnson agreed in late 2021 to hold a public inquiry after heavy pressure from bereaved families, who have hit out at the evidence emerging about his actions.

Persons: —, policymaking, Nicola Sturgeon, ”, Sturgeon, Boris Johnson, hadn't, hasn't, WhatsApp, “, Humza Yousaf, Heather Hallett, Johnson Organizations: United, Scotland, Scottish National Party, Scottish Locations: Scotland, Edinburgh, England, Wales, Northern Ireland

☆ Fact Check: SNP’s Westminster leader held his Remembrance Sunday wreath correctly
▼ + stars: | 2023-11-20 | by ( Reuters Fact Check | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Comparison online of the way Britain’s party leaders held their poppy wreaths on Remembrance Sunday has sparked a false claim that the Scottish National Party’s (SNP) Westminster leader Stephen Flynn held his garland upside down. In an X post (archived) on Nov. 14, Flynn said his wreath was made by Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh, Scotland. Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory told Reuters that the card was placed at the bottom of the wreath. There are also differences in the designs of poppies, the Scottish National War Memorial spokesperson said. Stephen Flynn held his wreath the correct way up on Remembrance Sunday, according to the wreath maker, who said the card was deliberately placed at the bottom.

Persons: Stephen Flynn, Flynn, Ed Davey, Keir Starmer, Rishi Sunak, Lady Haig’s, Lady Haig’s Poppy, Pam Gosal, Jackson Carlaw, Read Organizations: Scottish National, Facebook, Liberal, Conservative Party, Memorial, Reuters, Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory, Scottish, Thomson Locations: Scotland, England, Edinburgh

Keir Starmer, leader of Britain's Labour Party, speaks during the Prime Minister's Questions, at the House of Commons in London, Britain November 15, 2023. But the backing of so many Labour lawmakers showed the levels of disquiet in the party over the Middle East conflict. Eight members of Starmer's 'shadow' ministerial team left their roles in order to defy the party position. But I wanted to be clear about where I stood, and where I will stand," Starmer said after the vote. A large protest by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign outside parliament demanding lawmakers back a ceasefire took place while the vote was going on.

Persons: Keir Starmer, Maria Unger, Handout, Rishi Sunak, Jess Phillips, Starmer, Elizabeth Piper, Kylie MacLellan, Deepa Babington Organizations: Britain's Labour Party, REUTERS Acquire, Labour, Scottish National Party, European Union, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Israel, United States, Gaza, Britain's, Palestine

☆ No Longer Scotland’s Leader, Sturgeon Focuses on Learning to Drive
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Eduardo Medina | More About Eduardo Medina | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

She resigned her post as Scotland’s leader in February, citing exhaustion and her status as a polarizing figure as her reasons. Then in June, she was arrested by police officers investigating the finances of the Scottish National Party, which she had led as it dominated the country’s politics. The driving-test milestone highlighted the sheltered, chauffeured lifestyle of heads of state who often travel in well-secured vehicles. It also was a reminder of just how hard such tests are in the United Kingdom compared to other countries, including the United States. Rob Harper, the chair of the Association of Approved Driving Instructors, told The Telegraph in 2019: “I think it’s a dangerous maneuver, and so do many of my members.”

Persons: Sturgeon, Rob Harper, ” Organizations: Scottish National Party, Association Locations: United Kingdom, United States, U.S, Britain

☆ Scotland's leader says dream of independence alive despite his party's troubles
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-17 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Scotland's First Minister and Scottish National Party (SNP) leader Humza Yousaf speaks during an interview with Reuters ahead of his party's annual conference in Aberdeen, Britain, October 16, 2023. REUTERS/Gerhard May Acquire Licensing RightsABERDEEN, Scotland, Oct 17 (Reuters) - Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf is confident his dream of independence will come true in the next decade despite his governing party haemorrhaging support over the worst crisis in its modern history. The dominant political party in Scotland for almost two decades, the pro-independence Scottish National Party has been damaged by infighting, voter fatigue and scandals, including the arrest of its charismatic former leader Nicola Sturgeon. Even with support for the SNP in decline, opinion polls show Scotland is still roughly split over independence. "Support for independence is rock solid but support for the SNP has dipped," he said.

Persons: Humza Yousaf, Gerhard, Nicola Sturgeon, Yousaf, YouGov, Scots, Boris Johnson, Rishi Sunak's, isn't, Andrew MacAskill, Kate Holton, Ed Osmond Organizations: Scotland's, Scottish National Party, Reuters, REUTERS, Rights, Labour Party won, Labour, Scotland, England, European Union, Scottish, Westminster, British, Thomson Locations: Aberdeen, Britain, Rights ABERDEEN, Scotland, Europe, European, London

☆ Scottish leader says wife's parents risk running out of food in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-16 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Yousaf's parents-in-law live in Scotland but were visiting relatives in Gaza when Hamas militants poured into Israel and killed 1,300 people last weekend. "There is no doubt that collective punishment is a breach of international law," he said. British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak told parliament on Monday that Israel must defend itself in line with international humanitarian law. Diplomatic efforts are continuing to get aid into the enclave as food, fuel and water run short. He added that his brother-in-law, who works as a doctor, is having to make decisions about who should be treated, while the hospitals in Gaza run out of body bags.

Persons: Humza Yousaf, Yousaf's, Israel, Yousaf, Elizabeth, Maged, Nakla, Gerhard, Rishi Sunak, Andrew MacAskill, Kate Holton, Andrew Cawthorne Organizations: Reuters, Scottish National Party, REUTERS, London ., Thomson Locations: Gaza, ABERDEEN, Scotland, Israel, Aberdeen, Britain, British, London, London . British, Dundee, Palestinian, Scottish, Glasgow, Pakistan, Kenya

☆ Scotland's leader fears for wife's parents 'trapped' in Gaza
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Scotland's First Minister Humza Yousaf attends First Minister's Questions at the Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, in Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, March 30, 2023. REUTERS/Russell Cheyne/File Photo Acquire Licensing RightsLONDON Oct 9 (Reuters) - Scotland's leader Humza Yousaf said on Monday that his wife's parents were "trapped" in Gaza, leaving him worried if they will survive an attack by IsraelThe parents of Yousaf’s wife were in Gaza visiting family when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israel over the weekend. "They're trapped in Gaza. Therefore, you can imagine my wife and I are sick with worry about whether or not, frankly, our parents - my in-laws - will survive," he said. Reporting by Andrew MacAskill Editing by Bill Berkrot and Christina FincherOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Humza Yousaf, Russell Cheyne, Israel, Yousaf’s, They're, they've, Yousaf, Andrew MacAskill, Bill Berkrot, Christina Fincher Organizations: Scotland's, Scottish, REUTERS, Hamas, BBC, Scottish National Party, Thomson Locations: Holyrood, Edinburgh, Scotland, Britain, Gaza, Israel, Western Europe, British, London

☆ UK home secretary warns uncontrolled migration poses 'existential challenge'
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-26 | by ( Andrew Macaskill | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Addressing the American Enterprise Institute think-tank in Washington, Braverman said the United Nations refugee convention has expanded the definition of "persecution" and increased the number of people qualifying for refugee protection. Almost 24,000 people have been detected crossing the Channel this year, despite Sunak's promise to "stop the boats". In her speech, Braverman said asylum seekers should be obliged to make a claim in the first safe country they reach. "The vast majority have passed through multiple safe countries, and in some instances have resided in safe countries for several years," Braverman said. Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by Alex Richardson, Alexandra HudsonOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

Persons: Suella Braverman, Peter Nicholls, Braverman, Rishi Sunak, Stewart McDonald, Andrew MacAskill, Alex Richardson, Alexandra Hudson Organizations: REUTERS, American Enterprise Institute, United Nations, Conservative Party, Britain, Scottish National Party, Alexandra Hudson Our, Thomson Locations: London, Britain, Washington, Rwanda, France

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