The Brief – For Johnson, the campaign is over

“The campaign is over and the work begins.” So said Boris Johnson, the most unlikely, but still inevitable, of UK prime ministers. In Johnson’s case, the campaign for the keys to No10 Downing Street has been his life’s pursuit. Asked...

Johnson confirmed as UK’s new PM, vows to ‘reconcile’ Brexit divisions

Boris Johnson will take over as the UK's Prime Minister on Wednesday (24 July) after comfortably winning the Conservative leadership contest by a two to one margin.

Boris Johnson set to become PM as Conservatives announce new leader

Boris Johnson is expected to be elected leader of Britain's governing Conservative Party and the country's next prime minister on Tuesday (23 July), tasked with following through on his "do or die" pledge to deliver Brexit in just over three months’ time.

Boris Johnson says trade deal can break Brexit deadlock

Boris Johnson, favored to become Britain’s new prime minister, said on Sunday (21 July) the country could agree a free trade deal to leave the EU that would remove the need for one of the more problematic parts of a previous agreement.

Boost Irish backstop with new protocol, says Tory-backed group

The controversial Irish border backstop should not be scrapped but instead bolstered by a protocol, according to a report published on Thursday (18 July) by an influential group of Conservative politicians.

No Deal Brexit will mean recession, warns UK budget watchdog

A ‘No Deal’ Brexit would leave a £30 billion per year hole in UK spending plans and plunge the country’s economy into an immediate recession, the UK’s chief budget watchdog warned on Thursday (18 July).

UK’s Johnson suggests EU would bear some blame for no-deal Brexit

Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to be Britain's next prime minister, suggested Wednesday (17 July) that the EU would bear some responsibility if he took his country out of the bloc without a divorce deal.

No Deal Brexit fears prompt financial market angst

The increasing prospect of a No Deal Brexit is prompting new concerns that there are still ‘substantial’ regulatory gaps between the EU and UK in parts of the financial services sector.

Brexit party MEP caught lying over secret Kenyan election campaign

Brexit party MEP Alexandra Phillips has admitted lying about doing secret campaign work for the disgraced data mining and campaigns consultancy Cambridge Analytica during a controversial Kenyan presidential election in 2017.

UK trade minister rebukes Johnson over ‘illegal’ UK-US pact

The UK’s International Trade Minister, Liam Fox, has rebuked likely new Prime Minister Boris Johnson over his plans to agree a fast-track UK-US trade deal with Donald Trump, warning that this would break EU law.

New EU chief nominee says Brexit could be delayed – again

Ursula von der Leyen, the nominee to be the next EU Commission president, said Wednesday (10 July) that Brexit could be delayed for a third time, but warned London it must take responsiblity for "sorting out" its tortured departure from the bloc.

UK leadership hopefuls clash over Brexit promises

Boris Johnson stood accused Tuesday (9 July) of having nothing to offer Britain but "blind optimism" as he and his rival for the premiership clashed over Brexit in a bad-tempered TV debate.

The Brief – The Lion and the Unicorn

The perils of dealing with Donald Trump have been spelt out in technicolour to the wounded British Lion, who must be wondering why nobody gives her a break. ‘Dysfunctional, unpredictable, diplomatically clumsy and inept’ were some of the phrases the...

Labour’s Corbyn finally backs new EU referendum

Labour, the UK's biggest opposition party, has finally backed a second referendum on Britain’s membership of the EU, bringing an end to several years of uncertainty and equivocation by saying it would support the Remain option.

UK’s Labour Party moves closer to opposing Brexit

Britain's main opposition Labour party moved a step closer Monday (8 July) to a policy that could see it reverse Brexit -- but only in some circumstances.

Tory leadership contenders are offering false promises on No Deal

Both Tory leadership contenders are pandering to the idea that a No Deal Brexit will not hurt Britain's future. But when the victor reaches No 10, he will get a shock, writes Dinesh Dhamija.

Pro-Remain parties unite around anti-Brexit candidate

Pro-Remain parties will unite around a single candidate in an anti-Brexit pact in a bellwether by-election just days after the new Conservative Prime Minister takes office.

Johnson’s WTO Brexit plans ‘naive’, says UK trade chief

The United Kingdom’s trade minister has dismissed as “naïve and unrealistic" the prospect of the country being able to use World Trade Organisation rules to continue trading with the EU after Brexit, in a rebuke to the plans of Boris Johnson, the likely next prime minister.

UK keep faith on scrapping Irish backstop but supporters stumped on costs

The UK continues to entertain the prospect of replacing the Irish backstop with technological alternatives, but one of its leading proponents admitted to MPs on Wednesday (26 June) that he could not provide a precise estimate on the cost of these alternatives.

Finland softens opposition to eurozone budget as it takes over EU Presidency

On the eve of assuming the EU's rotating presidency, the new centre-left Prime Minister of Finland, Antti Rinne, accepted on Wednesday (26 June) the possibility of a “small” eurozone budget to support investments, as long as it remains part of the EU’s long-term spending plans.

Boris Johnson challenges rival to back Brexit deadline

Boris Johnson challenged his rival for Britain's leadership on Tuesday (25 June) to deliver Brexit by the end of October whatever happens, only to be accused once again of trying to avoid scrutiny.

UK’s Johnson admits needing EU support in event of no-deal Brexit

Boris Johnson, the favourite to replace British Prime Minister Theresa May, has acknowledged that London would need cooperation from the European Union to cushion potential shocks in the event of a no-deal Brexit.

Clegg: Facebook to set up its own ‘court’ for content moderation

Facebook has plans to establish an independent oversight board "analogous to a court," that will have the power to make decisions on what content should be removed from the platform, the company's Head of Global Policy, Nick Clegg, announced on Monday (24 April).

Johnson’s domestic dispute fuels debate in Britain over his PM credentials

Reports of a heated late-night row between Boris Johnson and his girlfriend sparked a debate on Sunday (23 June) about his suitability to become Britain's next prime minister, with  opinion polls showing his lead had evaporated amongst all voters and had narrowed among Conservatives.