UK elections: Johnson headed for majority, Labour loses ground in heartland

Election News
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson looks set to return to 10 Downing Street with a comfortable majority and a victory for his Get Brexit Done message in the General Election based on forecasts as early results poured in on Friday.
The first sign of what the results held in store came with a definitive exit poll released at the close of voting at 2200 GMT on Thursday, which predicted the Johnson-led Conservative Party winning 368 seats, with the Labour Party way down at 191 in a predominantly Tory blue versus Labour red contest.
The forecast not only pegged the Tories way past the 326-mark required for the all-important majority in the 650-member House of Commons, but also meant Johnson's so-called divorce agreement struck with the European Union (EU) to take the UK out of the 28-member economic bloc set to be turbo-charged to go full speed ahead.
This has been a hard-fought election in a very cold time of the year because we needed a functioning Conservative majority, said Priti Patel, the senior-most Indian-origin minister in Johnson's last Cabinet, in response to the exit poll.We are committed to deliver on priorities and getting Brexit done is a priority. The deal is there, we want to move forward, she said.
The Opposition Labour Party, which looked set for one of its worst performances since 1935 as the so-called red wall of the party's heartlands towards the north of England looked set for significant knockdowns, conceded that voters seemed to have voted strongly on the basis of Brexit.

Brexit has dominated this election. If the results are anywhere near the exit polls, this is an extremely disappointing result, admitted Labour's shadow chancellor John McDonnell.The first couple of results were some relief for the Labour Party as its candidates clinched the traditionally held Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Central and Houghton and Sunderland South seats, albeit with reduced majority...Read More

Johnson's 'get Brexit done' worked, but there is a reality check waiting

Election News
Prime Minister Boris Johnson appears set for a sweeping election victory on a promise to "Get Brexit done", but there is a reality check waiting for jaded voters who are feeling relieved that the messy divorce seems to be finally over.
It's just the beginning.
With early vote-counting indicating a handsome Conservative majority, Johnson should be able to finally secure parliamentary approval for the withdrawal agreement he struck with the European Union in October so that Brexit happens on Jan. 31.
Britain will then go into a status-quo transition period until the end of 2020, which Johnson has said leaves ample time to negotiate a new relationship with the EU, including on trade.
But EU diplomats and officials say the following issues will be sticking points which, if not ironed out, could yet take Britain to the cliff edge of a no-deal exit one year from now.
Time
The EU hopes to start trade talks with Britain by March, leaving just 10 months to strike a deal and get it approved by London and the EU, including member states' parliaments.

Trade agreements with the EU typically take years to complete, and few in Brussels believe the transition period will be long enough to seal a deal with Britain.The transition period can be prolonged by one or two years but London must request an extension by the end of June...Read More

Collapse us if you can, British government dares Brexit opponents

Current Affairs

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s government on Thursday challenged opponents of Brexit to collapse the government or change the law if they wanted to thwart Britain's exit from the European Union.
More than three years since the Brexit referendum, the UK is heading towards its gravest constitutional crisis and a showdown with the EU over Brexit due in just 63 days.
In his boldest step since becoming PM, Johnson enraged opponents of a no-deal Brexit by ordering the suspension of Parliament for almost a month.
The speaker of the lower house of Parliament, John Bercow, said that was a constitutional outrage as it limited the time the 800-year-old heart of English democracy has to debate and shape the course of British history.
But Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Brexit supporter in charge of managing government business in Parliament, dared opponents to do their worst. “All these people who are wailing and gnashing of teeth know that there are two ways of doing what they want to do,” he said.
“One, is to change the government and the other is to change the law. If they do either of those that will then have an effect. If they don't have either the courage or the gumption to do either of those, then we will leave on October 31 in accordance with the referendum result.”
Johnson’s move to suspend Parliament for longer than usual was cheered by US President Donald Trump but provoked criticism from some lawmakers and media. “Boris is obviously preparing for an election,” said Conservative lawmaker Ken Clarke.
Ruth Davidson quit as leader of the Conservative Party in Scotland on Thursday, saying she could no longer juggle the demands of being a mother with the balancing act of Brexit...Read More

'I don't know what he will do': Europe braces for Brexit with Boris Johnson

International News

Boris Johnson’s last act as Britain’s foreign secretary was to gather a host of European dignitaries in London and fail to turn up.
As the group of ministers waited in a conference center in London’s docklands last summer, text messages flooded in: Mr. Johnson had just quit the British government in protest over its handling of Brexit. “Well, it’s all rather happening, isn’t it?” said Alan Duncan, a British foreign office minister who was playing host amid the diplomatic mess, according to people present. European officials laughed, and some expressed relief that Mr. Johnson was gone.
Mr. Johnson may now be set to return this week, this time as Britain’s prime minister, and European officials say they don’t know what to expect.
Over the course of his career—including his leadership of the Brexit campaign and his rocky tenure as Britain’s foreign secretary—Mr. Johnson has proved to be unpredictable. He has survived scandals, and against the odds won the race to be mayor of London as well as the referendum to quit the EU. He promotes leaving the world’s biggest trade bloc but also markets himself as pro-globalization and pro-business.
In his two years as foreign secretary, he at times alarmed his European counterparts: He once compared former French President François Hollande to a World War II prison guard and likened the highly technical Brexit talks to trading Legos for candy.

 Other times, he charmed them. His former aides recall being overwhelmed by demands from foreign ministers for bilateral meetings with the man they just called “Boris.” He has delved into deep discussions with officials about ancient Greek history and lobbied hard in Washington to defend the EU’s stance on Iran...Read More

Brexit in numbers: The key amendments and how the British Parliament voted

International News

British lawmakers on Monday used a vote on the government's next steps on Brexit to wrest control of the process so that they can then try to find a majority for an alternative that would break the parliamentary deadlock.

Lawmakers are voting on amendments to a government motion saying that parliament has considered a statement made by May on March 15 which set out the government's next steps on Brexit, including its plan to seek a delay.

That March 15 statement also noted the government believes the best way forward is for Britain to leave the EU "in an orderly manner" with a deal, and that parliament had rejected leaving without an agreement.

Below is how parliament voted on Monday:
Amendment D - Withdrawn before voting

This has been put forward by opposition Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn and calls on the government to provide parliamentary time for lawmakers to find a majority for a different approach on Brexit, noting that the alternative proposals include holding a second Brexit referendum or seeking a customs union with the EU.

Amendment A - Passed 329 to 302

This has been proposed by a cross-party group of lawmakers, led by Oliver Letwin, a member of May's Conservative Party. It has been signed by more than 120 lawmakers.

 It seeks to change the rules of parliament on March 27 in order to provide time for lawmakers to debate and vote on alternative ways forward on Brexit, a process often referred to as 'indicative votes'...Read More

Honda to shut down its only UK car plant in 2022 putting 3,500 jobs at risk

International News:
Japanese carmaker Honda is set to announce the closure of its only British car plant in 2022 with the loss of 3,500 jobs, a lawmaker told Reuters, in the latest blow to the UK car industry as Brexit approaches.

Honda built just over 160,000 vehicles at its Swindon factory in southern England last year, where it makes the Civic and CV-R models, accounting for a little more than 10 percent of Britain's total output of 1.52 million cars.

But it has struggled in Europe in recent years, and the industry faces a number of challenges including declining diesel demand and tougher regulations alongside the uncertainty over Britain's departure from the European Union, due next month.
Justin Tomlinson, a Conservative lawmaker for Swindon who voted for Brexit in 2016, said he had met with the business minister and representatives from Honda who had confirmed the plans.
"They were due to make a statement tomorrow morning, it's obviously broken early," Tomlinson, lawmaker for North Swindon, told Reuters.

"This is not Brexit-related. It is a reflection of the global market. They are seeking to consolidate production in Japan."

Honda said it would not be providing any comment at this stage.
Japan has repeatedly warned it could pull investments in Britain, which it had seen as a gateway into Europe, if London does not secure a Brexit deal favourable for trade.

 The recently agreed EU-Japan trade agreement means tariffs on cars from Japan to the continent will be eliminated, while Britain is struggling to make progress on talks over post-Brexit trade relations with Tokyo...Read More