Opponents of Britain`s exit from the EU hoisted a "Boris blimp" portraying the UK`s likely next prime minister as a crying child as they demonstrated outside parliament on Saturday.

Boris Johnson, a former London mayor, has been one of the figureheads of the movement to take Britain out of the EU and has pledged to complete the schism by the end of October.

Inspired by the orange blimp of a baby Donald Trump that mocked the US&nbsp;President during his visit to London last month, the balloon featured Johnson in a t-shirt emblazoned with a red bus and the figure 350 million pounds, referring to his promise of clawing back cash from Brussels to spend on Britain`s state health service instead.
<img alt="Blimp depicting Boris Johnson" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="9345f465-4410-4cfb-b663-431239975a08" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2019-07-20T153858Z_1_LYNXNPEF6J0BE_RTROPTP_4_BRITAIN-EU-MARCH.JPG" /><img alt="Blimp depicting Boris Johnson" data-align="center" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c80a2e48-2b52-4adf-8a79-02c9bf3e5107" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/2019-07-20T153858Z_1_LYNXNPEF6J0BG_RTROPTP_4_BRITAIN-EU-MARCH.JPG" />
Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation two months ago after failing to win parliamentary approval for the exit deal she had negotiated with Brussels and her successor will be announced next week.

Johnson, who is widely expected to replace her, has pledged to leave the EU with or without a transition deal on October&nbsp;31.

Brexit without a divorce deal would abruptly wrench the world`s fifth-largest economy away from the bloc. Critics say this would undermine global growth, buffet financial markets and weaken London`s position as the pre-eminent international financial centre.

Opponents of Britain`s exit from the EU hoisted a "Boris blimp" portraying the UK`s likely next prime minister as a crying child as they demonstrated outside parliament on Saturday.

Opponents of Britain`s exit from the EU hoisted a "Boris blimp" portraying the UK`s likely next prime minister as a crying child as they demonstrated outside parliament on Saturday. Boris Johnson, a former London mayor, has been one of the figureheads of the movement to take Britain out of the EU and has pledged to complete the schism by the end of October. Inspired by the orange blimp of a baby Donald Trump that mocked the US President during his visit to London last month, the balloon featured Johnson in a t-shirt emblazoned with a red bus and the figure 350 million pounds, referring to his promise of clawing back cash from Brussels to spend on Britain`s state health service instead. Prime Minister Theresa May announced her resignation two months ago after failing to win parliamentary approval for the exit deal she had negotiated with Brussels and her successor will be announced next week. Johnson, who is widely expected to replace her, has pledged to leave the EU with or without a transition deal on October 31. Brexit without a divorce deal would abruptly wrench the world`s fifth-largest economy away from the bloc. Critics say this would undermine global growth, buffet financial markets and weaken London`s position as the pre-eminent international financial centre.

'Boris blimp' takes to the London skies in pro-EU protest

For almost a decade, Alexander Temerko, who forged a career at the top of the Russian arms industry and had connections at the highest levels of the Kremlin, has been an influential figure in British politics.

For almost a decade, Alexander Temerko, who forged a career at the top of the Russian arms industry and had connections at the highest levels of the Kremlin, has been an influential figure in British politics. He's one of the Conservative Party's major donors. He counts Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to be Britain's next PM, among his friends. Temerko, born in what was then Soviet Ukraine, presents himself in public as an entrepreneur who opposes Britain's departure from the European Union because it's bad for his UK energy business, and as a dissident critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin. But in more than half a dozen conversations with this reporter, conducted over the past three years as part of the research for a book, he showed a different side of his career and views. Temerko revealed himself to be a supporter of Johnson's bid to lead Britain out of the EU, describing the 2016 public vote to leave the bloc as a "revolution against bureaucracy." He praised senior Russian security officials, including the current and former heads of the Federal Security Service (FSB), successor to the KGB, and proudly recalled his past work with Russia's Defence Ministry. These new insights into Temerko's private thinking about Johnson, Brexit, and Russia come as the ruling Conservative Party is choosing its next leader, and as some British MPs are increasingly wary of possible Russian influence over British politics. The result of the Conservative Party leadership contest is expected on July 23. Temerko has gifted more than £1 million to the Conservatives since he gained British citizenship in 2011, electoral finance records show - a significant amount by UK standards. Johnson is not among the politicians recorded as having received donations from Temerko. But the industrialist has financed some of Johnson's important allies in parliament, including one of the men running his campaign for the Tory leadership, James Wharton, who also serves as a paid adviser to the UK energy firm where Temerko is a director. Temerko spoke warmly about his "friend" Johnson, telling how the two men sometimes call each other "Sasha," the Russian diminutive for Alexander, which is Johnson's real first name. He described how, at the beginning of Johnson's tenure as Foreign Secretary from 2016 to 2018, they would often "plot" late into the evening over a bottle of wine on the balcony of Johnson's office at parliament in Westminster. Johnson's press secretary Lee Cain didn't respond to repeated requests for comment for this article. The Conservative Party said only that "donations to the Conservative Party are properly and transparently declared to the Electoral Commission, published by them, and fully comply with the law." In one conversation in February this year, Temerko said he'd joined an unsuccessful attempt led by members of a group of hardline Conservative MPs, the European Research Group, to remove Theresa May as the leader in December 2018. The MPs were unhappy at May's failure to take Britain out of the EU almost three years after Britons voted to leave. Temerko didn't detail his role in the move, but a senior Conservative Party member confirmed that Temerko was "very much behind the attempt to oust" May. The party member declined to be named because of the sensitivity of the matter. May finally resigned on June 7. Jacob Rees Mogg, chairman of the European Research Group, said in response to Reuters' questions that Temerko "has no link formal or informal" with the group. Rees Mogg said he didn't know Temerko, but couldn't speak for Temerko's relationship with individual MPs. May's office referred Reuters' questions about the episode to the Conservative Party, which didn't comment. In the same conversation in February, Temerko spoke in positive terms about one of Putin's closest and most powerful allies, Nikolai Patrushev, the hawkish head of Russia's Security Council and former long-time head of the FSB security service, describing him as a "decent family man." On another occasion, he said of Patrushev, "There is much more positive than negative about him." One of Temerko's former business partners in Russia, Leonid Nevzlin, said Temerko had long-standing ties with Russian security agencies but declined to say whether he believes those ties remain active. Nevzlin and Temerko were shareholders in oil firm Yukos before Putin's government seized control of the company. Nevzlin, who was one of the main shareholders, said Yukos's management brought Temerko in "for several projects as well as for his contacts at the top of the Federal Security Service and the Defence Ministry." Nevzlin added that Temerko knew Patrushev "well." Asked to respond, Temerko said in a follow-up interview this week that his role at Yukos encompassed the oil company's connections with the entire Russian state, not just with the Defence Ministry. His relations with people in the security services, he added, were "formal" and not "personal." He denied having any ongoing links with Russian security services. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Temerko "has no connection to the Kremlin or the Russian authorities. We do not know this gentleman." Reuters couldn't reach Patrushev for comment. Asked this week about the apparent contradiction between his private and public statements on Brexit, Temerko said his views changed with time and he was "evolutionary." He said he joined the push to oust May because he thought she should be more flexible in negotiating a route out of the EU. In recent weeks, as Johnson's campaign gathered pace, Temerko has appeared to distance himself from his friend. In an interview with the Daily Telegraph in June, Temerko said he was switching support from Johnson to his rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, over Johnson's apparent willingness to take Britain out of the EU without securing an agreement over the terms of the withdrawal. Temerko repeated this stance in a blog post for the Huffington Post on July 3, calling for Conservatives to reject the "fairytale" being offered by the "fun blonde guy," a reference to the fair-haired Johnson. As recently as February, Temerko told this reporter: "Jeremy is very dangerous. He really does occupy the center-ground. He's very clever. He's a person of the system." There is no record of Temerko providing any financing to Hunt, and none of Temerko's longstanding allies work on the Hunt campaign. A spokesperson for Hunt declined to comment. This portrait of Temerko and his activity comes as some MPs worry about possible Russian interference in British democracy. In February this year, parliament's committee overseeing digital and media matters called on the government to investigate attempts by Russia to influence the June 2016 referendum on Britain's EU membership, amid growing evidence in the United States and elsewhere that the Kremlin has been pursuing a campaign to divide and disrupt Western democracies. Ben Bradshaw, a senior Labour parliamentarian who was the first MP to raise concern about potential Kremlin interference in the 2016 Brexit referendum, said Reuters' findings were "extremely troubling." "We know the Kremlin seeks to disrupt, destabilise and influence our democracy in a number of ways. We must have complete confidence that the close relationships between Conservative politicians and Russian business people with ties to the Putin regime are above board and free from Kremlin influencing operations. The fact that an ex-Tory MP who is running Johnson's leadership campaign is employed by Mr. Temerko is extraordinary." The senior Conservative with knowledge of Temerko's efforts to remove May said some members of the party had distanced themselves from the businessman in recent months, as concerns have grown over Temerko's Russian connections. But "others," he said about Johnson, were "still close." The party member indicated that Conservative Chairman Brandon Lewis and Sir Graham Brady, then the head of the Conservative Party's 1922 Committee, a parliamentary group, had been briefed about these concerns. The source declined to give further details about the briefings. Brady did not respond to an emailed request for comment. A spokesperson for Lewis declined to comment. The Conservative Party didn't comment. Electoral Commission records show Temerko, and UK companies linked to him, have made donations to 11 individual MPs, including Lewis, the chairman of the Tory Party, while helping fund as many as 27 local branches of the Conservative Party in areas where Tory MPs won election in the north of England, Wales, and London. There is no record of him providing funds to Johnson or his constituency, and this year much of his funding activity seems to have petered out. In the February 2019 conversation, as May faced overwhelming parliamentary opposition to her EU withdrawal agreement, Temerko forecast that if Brexit isn't implemented, "the time of the mainstream parties will end," and "the old system will be destroyed." His friend Johnson, he predicted then, could lead a new movement backing Brexit. Those comments about a new political era chimed with remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin. In an interview with the Financial Times in June, Putin trumpeted the rise of national populist movements in Europe and the United States, saying that "the liberal idea has become obsolete." Putin has rarely commented directly on Brexit, which he says is a matter for the British people. At his annual press conference in December 2018, he decried the idea of holding a second referendum on Brexit and said the UK government had to implement Britain's departure from the EU, otherwise, faith in democratic procedures would be undermined. FROM RUSSIA TO LONDON Temerko rose to prominence in the Russia arms industry in the 1990s, in the wild days that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union. Three former Russian business partners, including Nevzlin, as well as a former Russian intelligence officer, said Temerko grew close with the Russian security services. Those ties were forged in the 1990s, these people said when Temerko served as head of a state committee for the military and later as head of a strategic Russian state arms company known as Russkoye Oruzhie, or Russian Weapons. Russkoye Oruzhie no longer exists. Temerko cultivated close relations with the Russian defence minister of the early 1990s, Pavel Grachev. Temerko has described the late Grachev as his "handler." Temerko has boasted to this reporter that he had three-star and four-star Russian generals working under him. In 1999, Temerko became a member of the board and significant shareholder at one of the new Russia's most successful companies, Yukos, led by the charismatic billionaire Mikhail Khodorkovsky. Temerko said he helped Yukos secure a lucrative contract to supply the Russian army with oil. As head of the oil firm's government relations, he'd also led a push by Yukos to build an oil pipeline to China and, according to one of the former business partners, he'd travelled with other Yukos officials on many business trips they made abroad. "He knew the Russian ambassadors and consuls of every country," this former business partner said. Temerko said he knew many but not all of them. Things went sour for Yukos when Khodorkovsky tried to build a political power base for himself. When Khodorkovsky was arrested and jailed on fraud charges in October 2003, Temerko was the only Yukos shareholder who remained in the country to negotiate with the Kremlin. The remaining shareholders fled fearing they would face arrest. Temerko told how his standing with the Kremlin was such that he was able to try to negotiate about ways to preserve Yukos and secure Khodorkovsky's release directly with Igor Sechin, the then-deputy head of the Kremlin administration and the Putin security man seen as the mastermind behind the Kremlin campaign to take over Yukos. Temerko said that in those days his status meant he was essentially untouchable. His security ties, he said, once got him access to a meeting of the Russian Security Council, the circle of 24 top Russian officials, chaired by Putin, who steer national security policy. In the event, Khodorkovsky remained in jail for 10 years, while Temerko also fled. Sechin has previously denied orchestrating the legal campaign to take over Yukos. Sechin could not be reached for comment for this article. NEW FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES Temerko arrived in Britain in 2005, saying he was a refugee from the politically charged takeover of Yukos. The Russian government had charged him with defrauding the state oil major Rosneft. Temerko denied the charge, saying the case was part of the Russian government's campaign against Yukos and its former top managers. The High Court in London declined a Russian request for Temerko's extradition in December 2005, saying it was politically motivated. The case bolstered his standing as a Russian dissident who'd suffered at the hands of the Russian state, helping secure his footing as a donor who could be trusted. Temerko won entrée to the top of the Conservative Party during David Cameron's premiership that began in 2010. At the time, according to Russian financier and Conservative Party activist, Sergei Cristo, the Tories were seeking new sources of cash following the 2008 financial crisis. Temerko paid £90,000 for a bronze bust of Cameron at a fundraising auction in 2013, now displayed at the Carlton Club, an exclusive London private members club. Cameron couldn't be reached for comment. Temerko's donations translated into access. In 2014, he was appointed by the local branch of the party as a vice-president of the Cities of London and Westminster Conservative Association, which delivered even greater opportunity to mix with leading Tories. Temerko also became part of the Conservative Party donor club The Leader's Group, where £50,000 in annual membership fees grants access to the prime minister and other senior ministers at dinners, cocktail receptions, and other events. In the conversations of the last three years, Temerko boasted he played an important role in securing election victories for the Conservative Party at a time when it "was fighting for every vote." Together with OGN Group, a major steel manufacturer in the UK's northeast, where he served as director, he said he'd sponsored 40 members of parliament in previous elections. "My business was one of the biggest businesses that supported the Conservative Party and its deputies in northern England," he said in the February 2019 conversation, adding he'd brought in supporters from Britain's East European minority. OGN Group is now in liquidation. The Conservative Party didn't comment. In public remarks, Temerko has consistently said he opposes Brexit because it will damage his UK business interests, which now centre on a firm, Aquind Ltd, developing an undersea electric power link between Britain and France. On his website, he says he is a "vocal supporter" of British membership of the EU. While Temerko has publicly spoken out against Brexit and has made donations to parliamentarians who campaigned to remain in the EU, at least two Conservative politicians close to Temerko played key roles on the Brexit side in the run-up to the June 2016 referendum. One of them is Wharton, a former Conservative MP who is overseeing Johnson's leadership campaign, at the same time as being a paid adviser to the power firm Aquind Ltd where Temerko is a director. In June 2013, Wharton put forward the parliamentary bill that first called for a referendum on Britain's EU membership. Temerko made £25,000 in political donations to Wharton between 2013 and 2015, disclosures to parliament show, a relatively large figure for an individual British MP, helping fund his re-election in 2015 in a constituency neighbouring Temerko's OGN Group steelworks. Wharton didn't respond to a request for comment. The minister of state for exiting the EU, Martin Callanan, served on the board of Temerko's Aquind from May 2016 to June 2017, at which time he joined the government. Callanan didn't respond to a request for comment. In a conversation with this reporter in July 2016, shortly after Britons voted to leave the EU, Temerko was jubilant about the possibilities of Johnson leading Britain's exit from the bloc. By then, Johnson was the most powerful figure in the "Leave" campaign. "We know that if Boris is our elected leader then our party membership will grow. There would be massive support for our party at election," he said at the time. The vote to leave the EU, he added, was "a revolution against bureaucracy." During the same conversation, Temerko said "a group of East European businessmen" had helped sway Johnson into a siding in February 2016 with campaigners for Britain's departure from the EU after months of sitting on the fence. But Temerko declined to name any of these East European businessmen and declined to repeat this comment. Temerko's allies are at the helm of Johnson's campaign. Wharton, the adviser to Temerko's power firm Aquind Ltd, has overseen the day to day running of Johnson's campaign, particularly in its initial stages. Gavin Williamson, the former UK defence secretary whom Temerko has frequently described as "a good lad," helped lead Johnson's campaign to win the support of his parliamentary colleagues to replace Theresa May. Conservative parliamentarians whittled the field down to two candidates in a series of votes in June before handing the final choice to the party's estimated 160,000 members. Williamson declined to comment. Temerko says he is "friends" with political strategist Sir Lynton Crosby, whose firm, CTF Partners, gave Johnson a £20,000 interest-free loan and a £3,000 cash donation late last year, according to a disclosure to parliament by Johnson. A co-founder of CTF, Mark Fullbrook, is the Johnson campaign's chief executive. Crosby declined to comment. CTF says it isn't involved in the Johnson campaign and Fullbrook is on a leave of absence, working voluntarily for Johnson's leadership bid. Temerko has said his days as a power player in Moscow are over. He has told this reporter he is now persona non-grata with the Russian authorities, especially after he publicly called in 2015 for the UK to supply weapons to Ukraine to assist it in its war with pro-Kremlin separatists because only a show of force would stop the conflict. "They consider that I am among those who directed the UK government against them. I am a warmonger. I am more of an enemy now than when I was in Yukos," he said. Kremlin spokesman Peskov said he couldn't comment because he doesn't know who Temerko is. Temerko retains at least one powerful connection, however. One of Temerko's former business partners said the industrialist is in contact with Andrei Guryev, the owner of Russian fertilizer giant Phosagro. Guryev, too, has become a notable figure in Britain. He owns Witanhurst, a vast estate in Highgate in the north of London that is the UK's second-biggest house after Buckingham Palace. Guryev declined to comment. Temerko confirmed his friendship with Guryev. "Guryev is a good guy," Temerko said. "He's a very nice character. He's a sportsman. He's a kind fellow."

In British PM race, a former Russian tycoon quietly wields influence

British MPs on Thursday backed a measure that would frustrate any attempt to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament, helped by several rebel members of the governing Conservatives.

The measure, which passed by 315 votes to 274, is a major setback for former London mayor Boris Johnson, who is expected to be named prime minister next Wednesday and has said he would be prepared to lead Britain into a no-deal Brexit.

The government had called for MPs to vote against the measure, but 17 Conservative legislators supported it and dozens more abstained, including finance minister Philip Hammond.

"The prime minister is obviously disappointed that a number of ministers failed to vote," a spokesman for PM Theresa May's Downing Street office said.

"No doubt her successor will take this into account when forming their government," he said.

Margot James, a junior government minister for the digital economy, resigned to vote in favour of the law.

The scale of the rebellion within the Conservative Party demonstrates the challenge that Johnson would face if he pursues a hardline Brexit agenda once in power.

Catherine Haddon, from the Institute for Government think-tank, said the vote was "a big show of intent" that did not clearly rule out a suspension of parliament.

Sky News television earlier cited sources close to Johnson saying he could call a new session of parliament, which would require its temporary suspension, in order to prevent MPs from attempting to block a no-deal Brexit.

The vote was on an amendment to legislation relating to Northern Ireland and requires parliament to meet on a regular basis to discuss the progress of talks on restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly, which collapsed in 2017.

The legislation now needs to go to the upper House of Lords for approval.

Hilary Benn, an MP from the main opposition Labour Party who put forward the amendment, said it was important that parliament should be sitting at a "crucial time for our country".

"I don't think we could accept circumstances, if I may coin the phrase, in which we were sent missing in action."

Britain is currently scheduled to leave the European Union on October 31 unless an extension is agreed.

Johnson has said he will push for a new deal with Brussels but would be prepared to lead Britain out of the bloc with no overall agreement in place if not.

Business leaders have warned about the prospect of serious economic disruption in the case of a no-deal Brexit and the government's official forecaster on Thursday warned it could trigger a year-long recession.

British MPs on Thursday backed a measure that would frustrate any attempt to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament, helped by several rebel members of the governing Conservatives.

British MPs on Thursday backed a measure that would frustrate any attempt to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament, helped by several rebel members of the governing Conservatives. The measure, which passed by 315 votes to 274, is a major setback for former London mayor Boris Johnson, who is expected to be named prime minister next Wednesday and has said he would be prepared to lead Britain into a no-deal Brexit. The government had called for MPs to vote against the measure, but 17 Conservative legislators supported it and dozens more abstained, including finance minister Philip Hammond. "The prime minister is obviously disappointed that a number of ministers failed to vote," a spokesman for PM Theresa May's Downing Street office said. "No doubt her successor will take this into account when forming their government," he said. Margot James, a junior government minister for the digital economy, resigned to vote in favour of the law. The scale of the rebellion within the Conservative Party demonstrates the challenge that Johnson would face if he pursues a hardline Brexit agenda once in power. Catherine Haddon, from the Institute for Government think-tank, said the vote was "a big show of intent" that did not clearly rule out a suspension of parliament. Sky News television earlier cited sources close to Johnson saying he could call a new session of parliament, which would require its temporary suspension, in order to prevent MPs from attempting to block a no-deal Brexit. The vote was on an amendment to legislation relating to Northern Ireland and requires parliament to meet on a regular basis to discuss the progress of talks on restoring the Northern Ireland Assembly, which collapsed in 2017. The legislation now needs to go to the upper House of Lords for approval. Hilary Benn, an MP from the main opposition Labour Party who put forward the amendment, said it was important that parliament should be sitting at a "crucial time for our country". "I don't think we could accept circumstances, if I may coin the phrase, in which we were sent missing in action." Britain is currently scheduled to leave the European Union on October 31 unless an extension is agreed. Johnson has said he will push for a new deal with Brussels but would be prepared to lead Britain out of the bloc with no overall agreement in place if not. Business leaders have warned about the prospect of serious economic disruption in the case of a no-deal Brexit and the government's official forecaster on Thursday warned it could trigger a year-long recession.

UK lawmakers vote in bid to frustrate no-deal Brexit

British lawmakers will vote on Thursday on a beefed-up proposal aimed at making it harder for the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/hunt-in-final-days-of-battle-with-johnson-to-become-uk-236478">next prime minister </a>to try to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament.

Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May next week, has said Britain must leave the European Union on October 31, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-says-he-is-serious-about-no-deal-brexit-threat-230167">with or without a deal</a>, and has refused to rule out suspending parliament to prevent lawmakers from trying to block his exit plan.

The measure being voted on does not go as far as an outright block on parliament being suspended but lawmakers have put forward a further proposal which could require parliament to sit for several days even if it has been suspended.

The BBC reported some senior ministers, some of whom are likely facing the sack for their opposition to a no deal if Johnson wins, were considering resigning to support the proposal.

"The idea that parliament should be suspended in October ... at a crucial point in this country's history, that parliament should not be able to sit, should not be able to express its opinion and its will, I think would be outrageous," Justice Secretary David Gauke told BBC Radio.

Asked if he would vote for the proposal, something that would require him to resign, he said: "I will have to see what the precise amendments are ... I'm not in a position to necessarily say."

The result is likely to be very close: an earlier ballot on a less far-reaching version of the proposal last week passed by just one vote.

That narrow vote was in favour of a change to a piece of legislation to add a requirement that ministers make fortnightly reports on progress towards re-establishing Northern Ireland's collapsed executive.

Those hoping to stop a no-deal Brexit believe this could require parliament to be in session throughout the run-up to Brexit day, complicating any bid by Britain's new prime minister to "prorogue", or suspend, the legislature.

On Thursday, lawmakers will be asked to give final approval to the measure, which has since been strengthened by parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords.

The Lords added a requirement that the government's report on its progress in Northern Ireland would need to be approved by lawmakers, giving them a possible route to try to stop a no-deal such as attaching a vote to request a delay to Brexit.

A further, more far-reaching, clause which would require parliament to sit for several days even if it has been prorogued could also be voted on.

The votes are expected in the early afternoon.

British lawmakers will vote on Thursday on a beefed-up proposal aimed at making it harder for the next prime minister to try to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament.

British lawmakers will vote on Thursday on a beefed-up proposal aimed at making it harder for the next prime minister to try to force through a no-deal Brexit by suspending parliament. Boris Johnson, the frontrunner to succeed Prime Minister Theresa May next week, has said Britain must leave the European Union on October 31, with or without a deal, and has refused to rule out suspending parliament to prevent lawmakers from trying to block his exit plan. The measure being voted on does not go as far as an outright block on parliament being suspended but lawmakers have put forward a further proposal which could require parliament to sit for several days even if it has been suspended. The BBC reported some senior ministers, some of whom are likely facing the sack for their opposition to a no deal if Johnson wins, were considering resigning to support the proposal. "The idea that parliament should be suspended in October ... at a crucial point in this country's history, that parliament should not be able to sit, should not be able to express its opinion and its will, I think would be outrageous," Justice Secretary David Gauke told BBC Radio. Asked if he would vote for the proposal, something that would require him to resign, he said: "I will have to see what the precise amendments are ... I'm not in a position to necessarily say." The result is likely to be very close: an earlier ballot on a less far-reaching version of the proposal last week passed by just one vote. That narrow vote was in favour of a change to a piece of legislation to add a requirement that ministers make fortnightly reports on progress towards re-establishing Northern Ireland's collapsed executive. Those hoping to stop a no-deal Brexit believe this could require parliament to be in session throughout the run-up to Brexit day, complicating any bid by Britain's new prime minister to "prorogue", or suspend, the legislature. On Thursday, lawmakers will be asked to give final approval to the measure, which has since been strengthened by parliament's upper chamber, the House of Lords. The Lords added a requirement that the government's report on its progress in Northern Ireland would need to be approved by lawmakers, giving them a possible route to try to stop a no-deal such as attaching a vote to request a delay to Brexit. A further, more far-reaching, clause which would require parliament to sit for several days even if it has been prorogued could also be voted on. The votes are expected in the early afternoon.

UK lawmakers to vote on latest bid to try to prevent a no-deal Brexit

Boris Johnson has broken the record for the most money raised by a British politician in his bid to become prime minister, winning the backing of eurosceptic financiers after hardening his Brexit stance with a "do or die" pledge.

Hedge fund managers, the chairman of a football club, a director of companies based in tax havens, and a fox hunting enthusiast are among the donors who have poured hundreds of thousands of pounds into <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-race-for-no-10-uks-johnson-and-hunt-vow-to-splash-the-cash-231797">Johnson's campaign</a>.

More than half the donations came from financiers and businessmen who funded the campaign to leave the European Union.

The two biggest backers are Anthony Bamford, the billionaire chairman of the construction equipment maker JCB, and Jonathan Moynihan, chairman of venture capital fund Ipex Capital, both vocal backers of Brexit.

Robin Birley, a private members’ club owner, has previously donated to Nigel Farage's former anti-EU group, UKIP.

The support means <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-prime-minister-hopeful-slam-donald-trump-tweets-but-refuse-to-call-them-racist-236277">Johnson has registered 702,000 pounds</a> in the last year, according to figures released by parliament, surpassing the previous fundraising record set by the former foreign minister David Miliband who raised 627,000 pounds for his bid to lead the Labour Party in 2010.

Johnson, a divisive politician known for his often bumbling persona and dishevelled mop of blond hair, looks poised for a landslide victory when votes are announced in the Conservative Party leadership contest next week, which by default will decide the next prime minister.

Current premier Theresa May was forced to resign after she failed to unite the nation behind her plan to leave the EU on schedule in March.

Johnson's pledge to leave the EU "do or die" -&nbsp;with or without a deal -&nbsp;on October. 31 looks set to deepen the three-year Brexit crisis by setting him on a collision course with the bloc's 27 other leaders and his own parliament

But this threat is resonating with Conservative supporters, who have grown frustrated by the government's failure to leave the EU so long after the 2016 referendum.

In the last two weeks, Johnson received 100,000 pounds from Moynihan, who chaired the official Vote Leave finance committee.

In a comment piece on the Brexit Central website in 2018, he described concerns around a border in Ireland as a "nonsense" that is designed to keep Britain in the EU's customs union to have "German goods and French produce stuffed down our throat".

He said then Britain should make clear it is willing to leave without a deal.

Ian Murray, an opposition Labour lawmaker and campaigner for a second referendum, said he worried about the process to select a new prime minister, with only Conservative members making the decision.

Johnson, he added, will be "financially dependent on an even smaller group of funders who are likely to back the most extreme Brexit or even no-deal."

Johnson's improved fundraising position reflects the lead he appears to hold over his rival, foreign minister Jeremy Hunt. He currently has the support of two thirds of Conservative voters, according to an opinion poll published over the weekend.

By comparison, Hunt's fundraising has stalled. He has not registered any new donations in the last month.

Overall, the sums raised in British politics are tiny compared to those for US&nbsp;political campaigns.

In the United States, presidential contenders criss-cross the country for months, through first the party nominating process and then the campaign for the actual election.

Boris Johnson has broken the record for the most money raised by a British politician in his bid to become prime minister, winning the backing of eurosceptic financiers after hardening his Brexit stance with a "do or die" pledge.

Boris Johnson has broken the record for the most money raised by a British politician in his bid to become prime minister, winning the backing of eurosceptic financiers after hardening his Brexit stance with a "do or die" pledge. Hedge fund managers, the chairman of a football club, a director of companies based in tax havens, and a fox hunting enthusiast are among the donors who have poured hundreds of thousands of pounds into Johnson's campaign. More than half the donations came from financiers and businessmen who funded the campaign to leave the European Union. The two biggest backers are Anthony Bamford, the billionaire chairman of the construction equipment maker JCB, and Jonathan Moynihan, chairman of venture capital fund Ipex Capital, both vocal backers of Brexit. Robin Birley, a private members’ club owner, has previously donated to Nigel Farage's former anti-EU group, UKIP. The support means Johnson has registered 702,000 pounds in the last year, according to figures released by parliament, surpassing the previous fundraising record set by the former foreign minister David Miliband who raised 627,000 pounds for his bid to lead the Labour Party in 2010. Johnson, a divisive politician known for his often bumbling persona and dishevelled mop of blond hair, looks poised for a landslide victory when votes are announced in the Conservative Party leadership contest next week, which by default will decide the next prime minister. Current premier Theresa May was forced to resign after she failed to unite the nation behind her plan to leave the EU on schedule in March. Johnson's pledge to leave the EU "do or die" - with or without a deal - on October. 31 looks set to deepen the three-year Brexit crisis by setting him on a collision course with the bloc's 27 other leaders and his own parliament But this threat is resonating with Conservative supporters, who have grown frustrated by the government's failure to leave the EU so long after the 2016 referendum. In the last two weeks, Johnson received 100,000 pounds from Moynihan, who chaired the official Vote Leave finance committee. In a comment piece on the Brexit Central website in 2018, he described concerns around a border in Ireland as a "nonsense" that is designed to keep Britain in the EU's customs union to have "German goods and French produce stuffed down our throat". He said then Britain should make clear it is willing to leave without a deal. Ian Murray, an opposition Labour lawmaker and campaigner for a second referendum, said he worried about the process to select a new prime minister, with only Conservative members making the decision. Johnson, he added, will be "financially dependent on an even smaller group of funders who are likely to back the most extreme Brexit or even no-deal." Johnson's improved fundraising position reflects the lead he appears to hold over his rival, foreign minister Jeremy Hunt. He currently has the support of two thirds of Conservative voters, according to an opinion poll published over the weekend. By comparison, Hunt's fundraising has stalled. He has not registered any new donations in the last month. Overall, the sums raised in British politics are tiny compared to those for US political campaigns. In the United States, presidential contenders criss-cross the country for months, through first the party nominating process and then the campaign for the actual election.

Boris Johnson raises record funds in campaign for PM race; Hunt's plan stalled

By Simon Usherwood

We’re talking a lot about Brexit in Britain. Whether it’s our hopes or – more likely – our frustrations, it’s the subject that we never quite seem to escape from.

But take a step back and think what those conversations focus on: outcomes. I’m guessing many people have a pretty good idea of what their family, friends and colleagues would like the end point of this process to be. It’s no coincidence that more people identify as Leavers or Remainers than as members of political parties.

Probably much less clear is how the potential outcomes – leaving the EU without a deal, leaving with a deal or remaining – are going to come about. The referendum was an exercise in ends, not means.

The two campaigns fought for votes with sweeping promises, but no fixed single plan. The vote wasn’t like a general election, where the winners have to take office and make good on their manifesto. Instead, the incentive was for campaigners to say whatever would get people to send votes their way, and if they won then they’d decide what that meant.

That’s why most of the second half of 2016 was spent with politicians arguing that they knew what the people wanted from Brexit.

Making It Up As We Go

The referendum also failed to produce any consensus about what happened next: it was a decision that lacked a rationale and a roadmap. It’s one thing to say we want to take back control, but quite another to translate that into a practical course of action. And so we’ve had to make it up as we go along.

Of course, all politics is like this. The vagaries of life mean we’re never quite confronted with what we expected. But usually that happens within a fairly well-defined range of parameters, with a political system that can make improvised decisions on the basis of generally-agreed principles.

Brexit hasn’t fitted into that mould, for three reasons.

First, its scope is so broad that its implications touch on every area of our political, economic and social lives. Second, its novelty means that we lack useful benchmarks to judge our actions: in legal terms it might simply be leaving an international organisation, but it clearly goes far beyond that.

And third, the division that the referendum exposed and reinforced between different sections of British society have made it very hard to find common ground.

The upshot has been a growing willingness, from all sides, to do whatever it takes to secure the outcome they want. The UK has gone from being one of the more sedate political systems of the world to one where ever more creative takes on the constitutional and parliamentary procedure are being suggested.

Conservative leadership contender Boris Johnson has not ruled out proroguing, or shutting down, parliament in order to push through a no-deal Brexit. Meanwhile, the Conservative MP Dominic Grieve managed to get parliament to approve an amendment to a piece of legislation regarding Northern Ireland, which could make shutting down parliament more difficult. And the former prime minister, John Major, suggested he may take a future Johnson government to court to prevent parliament being shut down.

The Means Matter 
 
Brexit matters. The choice we eventually make will have profound implications for decades to come, both for the UK and for its place in the world. But that is precisely why it’s essential that the manner of taking that decision matters as much as the decision itself.

Already we see how distrust of the people and processes that have got us this far has poisoned our ability to progress. Whether you think campaigners broke the rules in the referendum or you think judges are enemies of the state or you feel the media is a cheerleader rather than a reporter of what’s happening, if we don’t trust the way we make the decisions, then we risk also losing trust in the decisions themselves.

All of which brings us to one of the bigger questions of politics: do the ends always justify the means?

History shows us that part of what makes a democracy work, and work in a sustainable way, is a consensus about rules. Constitutions embody and embed that consensus in a way that is different from other rules for precisely that reason.

But extraordinary exceptions have a habit of becoming the norm, as with the emergency powers given to governments post 9/11; the revolution justifies the counter-revolution. We can disagree on what to do, but we need to agree on how we make a decision between the choices facing us – leaving with a deal, leaving with no deal or remaining – otherwise we risk damaging everything that follows.

Usually, this is the point where the author offers a solution, but you’ll not get that here. It’s not for me to tell you what to do, beyond sitting down together and working together to see where our common ground lies. And if we find that our existing political processes won’t work to resolve this – for example, a general election – then we need to agree on new ones that do.

So as politicians and the public alike work on their plans this summer, they might want to reflect on not the “what” of Brexit, but also the “how”. Maybe that might make some of those Brexit conversations a bit more productive and enlightening.

(Simon Usherwood is Reader in Politics, University of Surrey)

(This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/brexit-its-not-just-where-britains-going-that-matters-but-how-it-gets-there-120127">original article</a>)

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

By Simon Usherwood We’re talking a lot about Brexit in Britain. Whether it’s our hopes or – more likely – our frustrations, it’s the subject that we never quite seem to escape from.

By Simon Usherwood We’re talking a lot about Brexit in Britain. Whether it’s our hopes or – more likely – our frustrations, it’s the subject that we never quite seem to escape from. But take a step back and think what those conversations focus on: outcomes. I’m guessing many people have a pretty good idea of what their family, friends and colleagues would like the end point of this process to be. It’s no coincidence that more people identify as Leavers or Remainers than as members of political parties. Probably much less clear is how the potential outcomes – leaving the EU without a deal, leaving with a deal or remaining – are going to come about. The referendum was an exercise in ends, not means. The two campaigns fought for votes with sweeping promises, but no fixed single plan. The vote wasn’t like a general election, where the winners have to take office and make good on their manifesto. Instead, the incentive was for campaigners to say whatever would get people to send votes their way, and if they won then they’d decide what that meant. That’s why most of the second half of 2016 was spent with politicians arguing that they knew what the people wanted from Brexit. Making It Up As We Go The referendum also failed to produce any consensus about what happened next: it was a decision that lacked a rationale and a roadmap. It’s one thing to say we want to take back control, but quite another to translate that into a practical course of action. And so we’ve had to make it up as we go along. Of course, all politics is like this. The vagaries of life mean we’re never quite confronted with what we expected. But usually that happens within a fairly well-defined range of parameters, with a political system that can make improvised decisions on the basis of generally-agreed principles. Brexit hasn’t fitted into that mould, for three reasons. First, its scope is so broad that its implications touch on every area of our political, economic and social lives. Second, its novelty means that we lack useful benchmarks to judge our actions: in legal terms it might simply be leaving an international organisation, but it clearly goes far beyond that. And third, the division that the referendum exposed and reinforced between different sections of British society have made it very hard to find common ground. The upshot has been a growing willingness, from all sides, to do whatever it takes to secure the outcome they want. The UK has gone from being one of the more sedate political systems of the world to one where ever more creative takes on the constitutional and parliamentary procedure are being suggested. Conservative leadership contender Boris Johnson has not ruled out proroguing, or shutting down, parliament in order to push through a no-deal Brexit. Meanwhile, the Conservative MP Dominic Grieve managed to get parliament to approve an amendment to a piece of legislation regarding Northern Ireland, which could make shutting down parliament more difficult. And the former prime minister, John Major, suggested he may take a future Johnson government to court to prevent parliament being shut down. The Means Matter Brexit matters. The choice we eventually make will have profound implications for decades to come, both for the UK and for its place in the world. But that is precisely why it’s essential that the manner of taking that decision matters as much as the decision itself. Already we see how distrust of the people and processes that have got us this far has poisoned our ability to progress. Whether you think campaigners broke the rules in the referendum or you think judges are enemies of the state or you feel the media is a cheerleader rather than a reporter of what’s happening, if we don’t trust the way we make the decisions, then we risk also losing trust in the decisions themselves. All of which brings us to one of the bigger questions of politics: do the ends always justify the means? History shows us that part of what makes a democracy work, and work in a sustainable way, is a consensus about rules. Constitutions embody and embed that consensus in a way that is different from other rules for precisely that reason. But extraordinary exceptions have a habit of becoming the norm, as with the emergency powers given to governments post 9/11; the revolution justifies the counter-revolution. We can disagree on what to do, but we need to agree on how we make a decision between the choices facing us – leaving with a deal, leaving with no deal or remaining – otherwise we risk damaging everything that follows. Usually, this is the point where the author offers a solution, but you’ll not get that here. It’s not for me to tell you what to do, beyond sitting down together and working together to see where our common ground lies. And if we find that our existing political processes won’t work to resolve this – for example, a general election – then we need to agree on new ones that do. So as politicians and the public alike work on their plans this summer, they might want to reflect on not the “what” of Brexit, but also the “how”. Maybe that might make some of those Brexit conversations a bit more productive and enlightening. (Simon Usherwood is Reader in Politics, University of Surrey) (This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Brexit: It’s not just where Britain’s going that matters, but how it gets there

British foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt is the other candidate left in the race to replace Prime Minister Theresa May, alongside the fervent Brexit campaigner Boris Johnson who is odds-on favourite to win next month.

Hunt in final days of battle with Johnson to become UK

Outgoing British Prime Minister <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/sports/free-from-brexit-burden-pm-theresa-may-watches-england-vs-south-africa-world-cup-match-222792&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi64oSDu7njAhWa7HMBHeduBTMQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw15MyZDQYk2o7MVFQEeICrE">Theresa May</a> on Tuesday told her top ministers to keep engaging with businesses over <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/pro-brexit-meps-turn-backs-at-european-anthem-in-european-parliament-232506&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjIpcflurnjAhXKsY8KHaHSAfsQFjAAegQIBhAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw205L7JO00I5SR-Zm2aU1Wq">Brexit</a>, and that firms expect her successor to keep up infrastructure investment and continue developing an industrial strategy.

"The PM noted the resilience of the economy despite the uncertainty of recent years and the importance for the government to keep engaging intensely with business as we approach and after we leave the European Union," May's spokeswoman said.

The comments came as May reported the findings of her meetings with different business groups in recent months, and just over a week before she hands over power to a new prime minister.

"She said there had been a common theme of messaging from businesses which included further investment in infrastructure outside London and the South East, and further support for the industrial strategy," May's spokeswoman said.

"Businesses expect these proposals to be reflected in future policy initiatives."

Later on Tuesday, May is due to meet business leaders from the industrial, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors - one of five consultation groups she set up in November last year to try to improve relations with business over Brexit.

Outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday told her top ministers to keep engaging with businesses over Brexit, and that firms expect her successor to keep up infrastructure investment and continue developing an industrial strategy.

Outgoing British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday told her top ministers to keep engaging with businesses over Brexit, and that firms expect her successor to keep up infrastructure investment and continue developing an industrial strategy. "The PM noted the resilience of the economy despite the uncertainty of recent years and the importance for the government to keep engaging intensely with business as we approach and after we leave the European Union," May's spokeswoman said. The comments came as May reported the findings of her meetings with different business groups in recent months, and just over a week before she hands over power to a new prime minister. "She said there had been a common theme of messaging from businesses which included further investment in infrastructure outside London and the South East, and further support for the industrial strategy," May's spokeswoman said. "Businesses expect these proposals to be reflected in future policy initiatives." Later on Tuesday, May is due to meet business leaders from the industrial, infrastructure and manufacturing sectors - one of five consultation groups she set up in November last year to try to improve relations with business over Brexit.

Keep talking to businesses as Brexit nears: UK PM May

Theresa May boogied away one of her last weekends as British prime minister, showing off some of her famously awkward dance moves to Abba hits such as "Dancing Queen" and "Mamma Mia" at a festival.

In a video clip, she is shown dancing at the Henley Festival as her husband and other men in black tie swing their arms to the tunes.

May, whose premiership was riven by crises over Brexit and who was cast as robotic by opponents, occasionally sought to bring some humour to the job by performing dances in public.

She last year danced with school children in South Africa and then grooved onto stage at the Conservative Party conference to "Dancing Queen" - exhibiting a puzzling robotic hand movement that went viral on social media. 
&nbsp;

Theresa May boogied away one of her last weekends as British prime minister, showing off some of her famously awkward dance moves to Abba hits such as "Dancing Queen" and "Mamma Mia" at a festival.

Theresa May boogied away one of her last weekends as British prime minister, showing off some of her famously awkward dance moves to Abba hits such as "Dancing Queen" and "Mamma Mia" at a festival. In a video clip, she is shown dancing at the Henley Festival as her husband and other men in black tie swing their arms to the tunes. May, whose premiership was riven by crises over Brexit and who was cast as robotic by opponents, occasionally sought to bring some humour to the job by performing dances in public. She last year danced with school children in South Africa and then grooved onto stage at the Conservative Party conference to "Dancing Queen" - exhibiting a puzzling robotic hand movement that went viral on social media.

Dancing queen? Theresa May boogies to Abba in final days as British PM

The two candidates vying to become Britain's next prime minister both said Friday they believe the EU will agree to a Brexit deal this year without the controversial "backstop" provision for the Irish border.

Ex-London mayor Boris Johnson, the favourite over foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt to replace outgoing premier Theresa May, predicted the European Union would instead negotiate the issue during post-Brexit free trade talks.

"We will get a deal by October 31st," Johnson told the BBC during highly-anticipated separate interviews with the leadership rivals, referring to the latest delayed deadline for Britain's departure from the bloc.

"They (the EU) need to take... the Irish backstop and they need basically to remit it, to remove it, to delete it," he added.

Johnson said it was "manifestly in the interests of both sides" to reach a new deal, noting "the EU has a very substantial net balance of trade with us".

"They will want to continue to see those goods flowing," he added.

European leaders have consistently insisted however that the backstop must remain in any withdrawal agreement.

It would keep open the post-Brexit border between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member the Republic of Ireland whatever the outcome of negotiations over the future relationship between London and Brussels.

But vehement opposition to the proposal from ardent pro-Brexit Tory MPs led them to repeatedly reject the divorce deal struck by May and European leaders, forcing her to step aside.

Conservative members are this month in the process of selecting a new party leader -- who will almost certainly become prime minister -- with the winner to be announced on July 23.

Johnson's rival Hunt reiterated in his half-hour BBC interview that he had received encouragement from European leaders that they would be willing to abandon the backstop to strike a new deal -- claims Berlin has previously pushed back on.

"Chancellor Merkel had said to me that if a new British prime minister came forward with a different plan for the Northern Irish border, of course, they would look at the package," he said.

However, Hunt refused to commit to Britain's departure from the EU by the end of the year, saying only that he "expects" the country will have left by then.

"Prime ministers should only make promises they know they can deliver," he added.

Meanwhile, outgoing leader May admitted in her own interview Friday that she had underestimated the "entrenched positions" in Parliament over Brexit.

She told the BBC she would leave Downing Street after three years in power with a mixture of pride and disappointment.

"I've always done what I believe to be in the national interest," May said.

The two candidates vying to become Britain's next prime minister both said Friday they believe the EU will agree to a Brexit deal this year without the controversial "backstop" provision for the Irish border.

The two candidates vying to become Britain's next prime minister both said Friday they believe the EU will agree to a Brexit deal this year without the controversial "backstop" provision for the Irish border. Ex-London mayor Boris Johnson, the favourite over foreign secretary Jeremy Hunt to replace outgoing premier Theresa May, predicted the European Union would instead negotiate the issue during post-Brexit free trade talks. "We will get a deal by October 31st," Johnson told the BBC during highly-anticipated separate interviews with the leadership rivals, referring to the latest delayed deadline for Britain's departure from the bloc. "They (the EU) need to take... the Irish backstop and they need basically to remit it, to remove it, to delete it," he added. Johnson said it was "manifestly in the interests of both sides" to reach a new deal, noting "the EU has a very substantial net balance of trade with us". "They will want to continue to see those goods flowing," he added. European leaders have consistently insisted however that the backstop must remain in any withdrawal agreement. It would keep open the post-Brexit border between British-ruled Northern Ireland and EU member the Republic of Ireland whatever the outcome of negotiations over the future relationship between London and Brussels. But vehement opposition to the proposal from ardent pro-Brexit Tory MPs led them to repeatedly reject the divorce deal struck by May and European leaders, forcing her to step aside. Conservative members are this month in the process of selecting a new party leader -- who will almost certainly become prime minister -- with the winner to be announced on July 23. Johnson's rival Hunt reiterated in his half-hour BBC interview that he had received encouragement from European leaders that they would be willing to abandon the backstop to strike a new deal -- claims Berlin has previously pushed back on. "Chancellor Merkel had said to me that if a new British prime minister came forward with a different plan for the Northern Irish border, of course, they would look at the package," he said. However, Hunt refused to commit to Britain's departure from the EU by the end of the year, saying only that he "expects" the country will have left by then. "Prime ministers should only make promises they know they can deliver," he added. Meanwhile, outgoing leader May admitted in her own interview Friday that she had underestimated the "entrenched positions" in Parliament over Brexit. She told the BBC she would leave Downing Street after three years in power with a mixture of pride and disappointment. "I've always done what I believe to be in the national interest," May said.

UK PM contenders say European Union will drop Irish backstop for Brexit deal

Rebalancing is the new mantra of statecraft and reset is the new form of global rapprochement. 
 
Therefore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for as many as 20 meetings, including nine bilaterals and eight pull-aside engagements, with his global counterparts. On the sidelines of the G20 summit at Osaka, Japan, were varied groupings: Russia-India-China, Japan-US-India and Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa. It offered, once again, good optics for the creation of a multilateral system of partnerships with various countries and international organisations.

All great powers realise that the era of super-power domination is over, and with the emergence of new power centres like China, India and Japan, new rules of the game and new terms of engagement need to be chalked out. Forums like G20 are critical for constructing a multi-polar and democratic order, which would guarantee each country — large or small — peace, security, justice and development in order to address challenges like climate change, corruption, pollution, terrorism, technology sharing and data flow management, among others.

In the wake of the financial woes of the West and its increasingly protectionist tendencies of late — Brexit in the UK and the triumphalism of Donald Trump — one can notice a common trend that arises out of part distrust and part national interest. No more prominent example of global rebalancing may be cited than China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) against the backdrop of the US’s ‘Pivot to Asia’ that Beijing intuitively believes to be especially devised to contain its rise.

How is the rebalancing working out? US allies in Asia, connected to and militarily aligned with the pivot, are absolutely okay with engaging economically with China, a phenomenon that seeks to strike a balance between the regional and global geo-economic and geostrategic priorities. The hegemonic struggle between the US and China to stake control over Asia and the world notwithstanding, nations are trying hard to hold on to their values and diplomats are honing their skills on economic statecraft.

Is rebalancing, then, the other name of strategic promiscuity? In a way, it is. Because being close to another country does not necessarily mean hostilities against a third country. Rebalancing, therefore, is more akin to focusing on areas of respective and mutual convergence. That’s where it syncs with national interest. While the reasons for US foreign policy to focus on Brazil, India, Indonesia and Turkey is ascribed to their fluid and open approach to the international order than those of China or Russia, the real factor could be to reduce China’s global clout by fostering partnerships with existing and rising great powers.

Russia, in turn, has been trying to counterbalance the USA’s global leadership by cooperating with China on issues relating to state sovereignty, strengthening the UN Security Council, and pitching for a multi-polar world order wherein no single state assumes a paramount position vis-à-vis the others in world affairs. Despite paeans sung on the merits of multilateralism, it is natural that a leader in power would pursue policy based on his/her perception of national interest. 
 
Napoleon justified his campaign against Russia, and later his act to launch the desperate battle at Waterloo, on the plea that he was acting in the interest of France; Hitler was said to be acting in Germany’s national interest on grounds of which he justified his expansionist policies, including annexation of Austria and the breakup of Czechoslovakia (1938). British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain justified his act of currying favour with Hitler and Mussolini on the pretext that such appeasement was in Britain’s national interest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently justified demonetisation as a move taken in “national interest” and not for “political gains”, arguing that it was a step to fight black money.

It is par for the course, then, that during a recent extensive bilateral meeting in New Delhi, India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar reconfirmed to his American counterpart, Mike Pompeo, about the Indian imperative to act in its national interest and nurture the time-tested, history-honoured relationships with many countries, including Russia and Iran. India is also engaging more actively with Japan, while taking care not to antagonise China, which is another deft exercise of rebalancing. 
 
(This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/analysis/column-rebalancing-is-trademark-in-a-multi-polar-diplomatic-world-2770634">original article)</a>

(Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Rebalancing is the new mantra of statecraft and reset is the new form of global rapprochement. Therefore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for as many as 20 meetings, including nine bilaterals and eight pull-aside engagements, with his global counterparts.

Rebalancing is the new mantra of statecraft and reset is the new form of global rapprochement. Therefore, Prime Minister Narendra Modi pitched for as many as 20 meetings, including nine bilaterals and eight pull-aside engagements, with his global counterparts. On the sidelines of the G20 summit at Osaka, Japan, were varied groupings: Russia-India-China, Japan-US-India and Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa. It offered, once again, good optics for the creation of a multilateral system of partnerships with various countries and international organisations. All great powers realise that the era of super-power domination is over, and with the emergence of new power centres like China, India and Japan, new rules of the game and new terms of engagement need to be chalked out. Forums like G20 are critical for constructing a multi-polar and democratic order, which would guarantee each country — large or small — peace, security, justice and development in order to address challenges like climate change, corruption, pollution, terrorism, technology sharing and data flow management, among others. In the wake of the financial woes of the West and its increasingly protectionist tendencies of late — Brexit in the UK and the triumphalism of Donald Trump — one can notice a common trend that arises out of part distrust and part national interest. No more prominent example of global rebalancing may be cited than China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) against the backdrop of the US’s ‘Pivot to Asia’ that Beijing intuitively believes to be especially devised to contain its rise. How is the rebalancing working out? US allies in Asia, connected to and militarily aligned with the pivot, are absolutely okay with engaging economically with China, a phenomenon that seeks to strike a balance between the regional and global geo-economic and geostrategic priorities. The hegemonic struggle between the US and China to stake control over Asia and the world notwithstanding, nations are trying hard to hold on to their values and diplomats are honing their skills on economic statecraft. Is rebalancing, then, the other name of strategic promiscuity? In a way, it is. Because being close to another country does not necessarily mean hostilities against a third country. Rebalancing, therefore, is more akin to focusing on areas of respective and mutual convergence. That’s where it syncs with national interest. While the reasons for US foreign policy to focus on Brazil, India, Indonesia and Turkey is ascribed to their fluid and open approach to the international order than those of China or Russia, the real factor could be to reduce China’s global clout by fostering partnerships with existing and rising great powers. Russia, in turn, has been trying to counterbalance the USA’s global leadership by cooperating with China on issues relating to state sovereignty, strengthening the UN Security Council, and pitching for a multi-polar world order wherein no single state assumes a paramount position vis-à-vis the others in world affairs. Despite paeans sung on the merits of multilateralism, it is natural that a leader in power would pursue policy based on his/her perception of national interest. Napoleon justified his campaign against Russia, and later his act to launch the desperate battle at Waterloo, on the plea that he was acting in the interest of France; Hitler was said to be acting in Germany’s national interest on grounds of which he justified his expansionist policies, including annexation of Austria and the breakup of Czechoslovakia (1938). British Prime Minister Neville Chamberlain justified his act of currying favour with Hitler and Mussolini on the pretext that such appeasement was in Britain’s national interest. Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently justified demonetisation as a move taken in “national interest” and not for “political gains”, arguing that it was a step to fight black money. It is par for the course, then, that during a recent extensive bilateral meeting in New Delhi, India’s external affairs minister S Jaishankar reconfirmed to his American counterpart, Mike Pompeo, about the Indian imperative to act in its national interest and nurture the time-tested, history-honoured relationships with many countries, including Russia and Iran. India is also engaging more actively with Japan, while taking care not to antagonise China, which is another deft exercise of rebalancing. (This article was originally published on The DNA. Read the original article) (Disclaimer: The opinions expressed above are the personal views of the author and do not reflect the views of ZMCL.)

Rebalancing is trademark in a multi-polar diplomatic world

Boris Johnson and Jeremy Hunt clashed over who could be most trusted on Brexit on Tuesday. Watch this video to know more.

Boris Johnson, Jeremy Hunt face off for UK leadership

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-entrepreneur-dyson-backs-exit-from-eu-368">British billionaire James Dyson</a>, the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, has bought Singapore's most expensive penthouse, official records show.

The three-story penthouse - once valued at S$100 million ($73.44 million) - sits on the 62nd-64th floor, is equipped with a private pool and located in the heart of the city-state's financial district.

Dyson, a Brexit supporter, announced in January he is moving his head office from Britain to Singapore to be closer to its fastest-growing markets. His eponymous firm - which also makes bladeless fans, air purifiers and hair dryers - plans to build its first electric car in the city-state.

Wallich Residence's penthouse sits in the tallest building in Singapore, built by developer GuocoLand Ltd.

Before its unveiling in 2017, the highest asking price for the "bungalow in the sky" reached a dizzying S$100 million, making it Singapore's most expensive.

Official title records seen by Reuters show Dyson and his wife became tenants of the 99-year leasehold property on June 20. The records did not state the price paid but Business Times reported that Dyson bought the property for S$73.8 million ($54.17 million).

"Given the decision to locate the headquarters in Singapore and the growing focus of the company's business in the region, of course, James Dyson has bought a property there," a Dyson spokesman said, without giving further details of the purchase.

The 72-year-old has become one of Britain's best-known entrepreneurs, creating a multibillion-dollar company from an insight that a cyclone could collect household dust better than a clogged-up bag.

Singapore is an island of well-heeled stability that attracts the super-rich from its less-developed Southeast Asian neighbours, as well as multi-millionaires from mainland China.

To cool its property market, the Singapore government intensified property curbs last year after a 9.1% annual increase in home prices and as developers paid record amounts to buy land.

Foreigners now have to pay levies of over 20% to buy property in the city-state under the new rules.

($1 = 1.3623 Singapore dollars)

British billionaire James Dyson, the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, has bought Singapore's most expensive penthouse, official records show. The three-story penthouse - once valued at S$100 million ($73.

British billionaire James Dyson, the inventor of the bagless vacuum cleaner, has bought Singapore's most expensive penthouse, official records show. The three-story penthouse - once valued at S$100 million ($73.44 million) - sits on the 62nd-64th floor, is equipped with a private pool and located in the heart of the city-state's financial district. Dyson, a Brexit supporter, announced in January he is moving his head office from Britain to Singapore to be closer to its fastest-growing markets. His eponymous firm - which also makes bladeless fans, air purifiers and hair dryers - plans to build its first electric car in the city-state. Wallich Residence's penthouse sits in the tallest building in Singapore, built by developer GuocoLand Ltd. Before its unveiling in 2017, the highest asking price for the "bungalow in the sky" reached a dizzying S$100 million, making it Singapore's most expensive. Official title records seen by Reuters show Dyson and his wife became tenants of the 99-year leasehold property on June 20. The records did not state the price paid but Business Times reported that Dyson bought the property for S$73.8 million ($54.17 million). "Given the decision to locate the headquarters in Singapore and the growing focus of the company's business in the region, of course, James Dyson has bought a property there," a Dyson spokesman said, without giving further details of the purchase. The 72-year-old has become one of Britain's best-known entrepreneurs, creating a multibillion-dollar company from an insight that a cyclone could collect household dust better than a clogged-up bag. Singapore is an island of well-heeled stability that attracts the super-rich from its less-developed Southeast Asian neighbours, as well as multi-millionaires from mainland China. To cool its property market, the Singapore government intensified property curbs last year after a 9.1% annual increase in home prices and as developers paid record amounts to buy land. Foreigners now have to pay levies of over 20% to buy property in the city-state under the new rules. ($1 = 1.3623 Singapore dollars)

British billionaire James Dyson buys Singapore's priciest penthouse

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday said Britain's next prime minister must put their Brexit plan to a second referendum on <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-brexit-minister-urges-european-union-to-reopen-withdrawal-deal-talks-234121&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwjWts6X9qfjAhUn7HMBHSu2BDEQFjAIegQIBBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw2cisH69I1RUe1Hp_6dpaoc">European Union </a>membership, saying his party would campaign to remain.

In an email to members, Corbyn said Labour would campaign to stay in the EU to stop a new Conservative Party leader, who will be chosen later this month, taking Britain out of the bloc without a divorce deal or to stop what he called a "damaging" <a href="https://www.google.com/url?client=internal-uds-cse&amp;cx=006054055338965708568:09spwrlibei&amp;q=https://www.wionews.com/world/united-kingdom-economy-shrinks-as-brexit-global-worries-mount-purchasing-managers-index-232725&amp;sa=U&amp;ved=2ahUKEwi_n5nQ9qfjAhWT6XMBHYFuC5sQFjABegQIEBAC&amp;usg=AOvVaw0SBY8A6E_YzS2LYTww-ZvV">Brexit</a>.

The move by Corbyn inches the opposition party closer to heeding demands from many Labour members and some lawmakers to unequivocally embrace a second referendum to break the impasse in parliament over how to leave the EU.

But it might not be enough to satisfy all in his party, falling short of campaigning for a second referendum in any circumstance - a position some wanted to adapt to counter a challenge from the pro-EU, smaller Liberal Democrats.

Brexit has brought down Prime Minister Theresa May, who failed three times to get the divorce deal she agreed with the EU ratified by parliament.

Former foreign minister and London mayor Boris Johnson is battling current foreign minister Jeremy Hunt to replace her as party leader and prime minister. Johnson, who says he will take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal, is favorite.

"Whoever becomes the new prime minister should have the confidence to put their deal, or no deal, back to the people in a public vote," Corbyn said.

"In those circumstances, I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign to Remain against either no deal or a Tory (Conservative) deal that does not protect the economy and jobs."

What he did not say in his mail was what his party would campaign for in a parliamentary election - something the veteran socialist renewed his call for by saying:&nbsp;

"We need a Labour government to end austerity and rebuild our country for the many, not the few".

More than three years since voting 52% to 48% to leave the EU, Britain`s two main parties, its parliament and cities and towns across the country are still deeply divided over Brexit, opening the way for smaller parties to grab some share of the vote.

With Labour struggling in some opinion polls, some in the party want it to adopt a clearer message to tackle the twin challenges from the pro-EU Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party, led by veteran eurosceptic Nigel Farage.

Corbyn, an instinctive critic of the EU, has so far resisted calls to make his party a wholesale supporter of a second referendum, keen to keep on board Labour Brexit supporters.

Chuka Umunna, a former Labour lawmaker who has joined the Liberal Democrats, said on Twitter: "Yet another fudge, where the Labour leadership keeps open the door to standing on a pro-Brexit platform in a general election or supporting it in government."&nbsp;

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday said Britain's next prime minister must put their Brexit plan to a second referendum on European Union membership, saying his party would campaign to remain.

Opposition Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn on Tuesday said Britain's next prime minister must put their Brexit plan to a second referendum on European Union membership, saying his party would campaign to remain. In an email to members, Corbyn said Labour would campaign to stay in the EU to stop a new Conservative Party leader, who will be chosen later this month, taking Britain out of the bloc without a divorce deal or to stop what he called a "damaging" Brexit. The move by Corbyn inches the opposition party closer to heeding demands from many Labour members and some lawmakers to unequivocally embrace a second referendum to break the impasse in parliament over how to leave the EU. But it might not be enough to satisfy all in his party, falling short of campaigning for a second referendum in any circumstance - a position some wanted to adapt to counter a challenge from the pro-EU, smaller Liberal Democrats. Brexit has brought down Prime Minister Theresa May, who failed three times to get the divorce deal she agreed with the EU ratified by parliament. Former foreign minister and London mayor Boris Johnson is battling current foreign minister Jeremy Hunt to replace her as party leader and prime minister. Johnson, who says he will take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal, is favorite. "Whoever becomes the new prime minister should have the confidence to put their deal, or no deal, back to the people in a public vote," Corbyn said. "In those circumstances, I want to make it clear that Labour would campaign to Remain against either no deal or a Tory (Conservative) deal that does not protect the economy and jobs." What he did not say in his mail was what his party would campaign for in a parliamentary election - something the veteran socialist renewed his call for by saying: "We need a Labour government to end austerity and rebuild our country for the many, not the few". More than three years since voting 52% to 48% to leave the EU, Britain`s two main parties, its parliament and cities and towns across the country are still deeply divided over Brexit, opening the way for smaller parties to grab some share of the vote. With Labour struggling in some opinion polls, some in the party want it to adopt a clearer message to tackle the twin challenges from the pro-EU Liberal Democrats and the Brexit Party, led by veteran eurosceptic Nigel Farage. Corbyn, an instinctive critic of the EU, has so far resisted calls to make his party a wholesale supporter of a second referendum, keen to keep on board Labour Brexit supporters. Chuka Umunna, a former Labour lawmaker who has joined the Liberal Democrats, said on Twitter: "Yet another fudge, where the Labour leadership keeps open the door to standing on a pro-Brexit platform in a general election or supporting it in government."

New United Kingdom Prime Minister must put Brexit plan to second referendum: Labour's Jeremy Corbyn

Britain's Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay warned Monday the EU must reopen the withdrawal agreement reached with outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May but rejected by MPs, so as to avoid a "disruptive" no-deal divorce in October.

"We do need to look at it again," he said of the deal agreed by May and European Union leaders last year which British lawmakers have since voted down three times.

"It is in both sides interest to avoid no deal and to look at how we get a deal through parliament," the minister added at a briefing for foreign media in London.

He was speaking on the eve of fresh talks with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels which has repeatedly insisted it will not reopen the accord reached with May.

The pair last met in March, with the issue of citizens' rights in a no-deal scenario reportedly set to be discussed at Tuesday's meeting.

Barclay insisted Britain "needs to leave" the bloc on the latest deadline of October 31, after May twice delayed departure amid MPs' implacable opposition to her divorce deal.

She resigned last month following her repeated failure to get it approved.

Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson is the frontrunner to replace her when Conservative Party members select a new leader -- who will almost certainly become prime minister -- later this month.

Both he and his opponent Jeremy Hunt, the current foreign secretary, have vowed to take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal.

"Boris Johnson has been very clear that the UK needs to leave on the 31st of October," Barclay said.

"The EU 27 has also been clear that any further extension without a purpose is not desirable," he added, noting "Brexit fatigue" was now apparent in Brussels as well as in London.

Barclay argued a no-deal departure "would be disruptive to the UK but it also very clearly would be disruptive within the EU" as he called for "continued dialogue".

"The impact of a no deal is asymmetric across Europe," he said.

"For example, the impact of no deal in Ireland, according to our analysis, is greater than the impact on the United Kingdom."

Britain's Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay warned Monday the EU must reopen the withdrawal agreement reached with outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May but rejected by MPs, so as to avoid a "disruptive" no-deal divorce in October.

Britain's Brexit Secretary Stephen Barclay warned Monday the EU must reopen the withdrawal agreement reached with outgoing Prime Minister Theresa May but rejected by MPs, so as to avoid a "disruptive" no-deal divorce in October. "We do need to look at it again," he said of the deal agreed by May and European Union leaders last year which British lawmakers have since voted down three times. "It is in both sides interest to avoid no deal and to look at how we get a deal through parliament," the minister added at a briefing for foreign media in London. He was speaking on the eve of fresh talks with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels which has repeatedly insisted it will not reopen the accord reached with May. The pair last met in March, with the issue of citizens' rights in a no-deal scenario reportedly set to be discussed at Tuesday's meeting. Barclay insisted Britain "needs to leave" the bloc on the latest deadline of October 31, after May twice delayed departure amid MPs' implacable opposition to her divorce deal. She resigned last month following her repeated failure to get it approved. Former foreign secretary Boris Johnson is the frontrunner to replace her when Conservative Party members select a new leader -- who will almost certainly become prime minister -- later this month. Both he and his opponent Jeremy Hunt, the current foreign secretary, have vowed to take Britain out of the EU with or without a deal. "Boris Johnson has been very clear that the UK needs to leave on the 31st of October," Barclay said. "The EU 27 has also been clear that any further extension without a purpose is not desirable," he added, noting "Brexit fatigue" was now apparent in Brussels as well as in London. Barclay argued a no-deal departure "would be disruptive to the UK but it also very clearly would be disruptive within the EU" as he called for "continued dialogue". "The impact of a no deal is asymmetric across Europe," he said. "For example, the impact of no deal in Ireland, according to our analysis, is greater than the impact on the United Kingdom."

UK Brexit minister urges European Union to reopen withdrawal deal talks

Britain scrambled on Monday to stem damage to its relations with Washington and find the leaker of cables in which the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-hits-back-at-britains-ambassador-in-us-says-not-served-the-uk-well-233860">UK ambassador</a> called <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/us-president-donald-trump-seeks-to-override-supreme-court-ruling-on-census-233448">US President Donald Trump</a> "inept".

The confidential telegrams from ambassador Kim Darroch created a political firestorm in London after their publication in the Mail on Sunday newspaper.

One of them called the Trump administration "uniquely dysfunctional" while another characterized the US leader as "incompetent" and "insecure".

Their release came just a month after Trump's state visit to Britain during which he visibly enjoyed himself while dining with Queen Elizabeth II and touring Buckingham Palace with his family.

They also threatened to complicate London's efforts to strike a new trade deal with <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/dysfunctional-inept-britains-trade-minister-liam-fox-to-apologise-to-ivanka-over-leaked-memo-233969">Washington</a> that could help mitigate potential damage from Britain's withdrawal from the European Union.

Trump fired back by saying that people in his administration were "not big fans" of London's man in Washington.

"The ambassador has not served the UK well, I can tell you that," Trump told reporters on Sunday.

"We are not big fans of that man and he has not served the UK well. So I can understand it, and I can say things about him but I won't bother."

Very serious consequences

UK officials took turns defending Darroch as a professional who was carrying out his duties by providing "frank" assessments of the latest developments in the White House.

"We need to find out how it happened, not least to give confidence to our teams all over the world that they can continue to give us their frank assessments," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Monday.

"I hope we get to the bottom of it, and of course there will be very serious consequences if and when we find out who was responsible."

The Daily Telegraph newspaper said such memos are seen by up to 100 people working in the Foreign Office and other government departments.

"But it would require a single official or minister to have access to the whole cache, inevitably casting the spotlight on senior ministers," it wrote.

The immediate suspicion of the London papers fell on Brexit-backing players in a power struggle within Britain's governing Conservative Party.

British politics are in for a major revamp once Prime Minister Theresa May ends her three-year spell in power later this month.

Brexiteer former foreign minister Boris Johnson is the favorite to replace her in a leadership contest against Hunt.

The winner will get to appoint his own US envoy by the time Darroch's term expires at the end of the year.

But commentators note the official widely tipped for the Washington job was less enthusiastic about Brexit than Johnson or some members of his team.

"There have been reports that Mark Sedwill, the current cabinet secretary, is being lined up for the position," The Guardian's diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour wrote.

But Trump "may be suspicious of Sedwill, and would prefer a true Brexit".

Wintour wrote that Sedwill "may not fill that bill, but Nigel Farage who pretty openly campaigned for the job before Darroch's appointment in 2016 does".

Farage is an anti-EU populist whose new Brexit Party won nearly a third of the vote in European elections in May, and has met Trump several times.

Farage on Monday called Darroch's memos "pretty irresponsible" but played down interest in the Washington Post.

"I'm not a diplomat, and I think that's quite an understatement," he told BBC radio.

But Farage added that he "could be very useful" in forging a better relationship "with an administration that contains friends of mine".

Britain scrambled on Monday to stem damage to its relations with Washington and find the leaker of cables in which the UK ambassador called US President Donald Trump "inept".

Britain scrambled on Monday to stem damage to its relations with Washington and find the leaker of cables in which the UK ambassador called US President Donald Trump "inept". The confidential telegrams from ambassador Kim Darroch created a political firestorm in London after their publication in the Mail on Sunday newspaper. One of them called the Trump administration "uniquely dysfunctional" while another characterized the US leader as "incompetent" and "insecure". Their release came just a month after Trump's state visit to Britain during which he visibly enjoyed himself while dining with Queen Elizabeth II and touring Buckingham Palace with his family. They also threatened to complicate London's efforts to strike a new trade deal with Washington that could help mitigate potential damage from Britain's withdrawal from the European Union. Trump fired back by saying that people in his administration were "not big fans" of London's man in Washington. "The ambassador has not served the UK well, I can tell you that," Trump told reporters on Sunday. "We are not big fans of that man and he has not served the UK well. So I can understand it, and I can say things about him but I won't bother." Very serious consequences UK officials took turns defending Darroch as a professional who was carrying out his duties by providing "frank" assessments of the latest developments in the White House. "We need to find out how it happened, not least to give confidence to our teams all over the world that they can continue to give us their frank assessments," Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said on Monday. "I hope we get to the bottom of it, and of course there will be very serious consequences if and when we find out who was responsible." The Daily Telegraph newspaper said such memos are seen by up to 100 people working in the Foreign Office and other government departments. "But it would require a single official or minister to have access to the whole cache, inevitably casting the spotlight on senior ministers," it wrote. The immediate suspicion of the London papers fell on Brexit-backing players in a power struggle within Britain's governing Conservative Party. British politics are in for a major revamp once Prime Minister Theresa May ends her three-year spell in power later this month. Brexiteer former foreign minister Boris Johnson is the favorite to replace her in a leadership contest against Hunt. The winner will get to appoint his own US envoy by the time Darroch's term expires at the end of the year. But commentators note the official widely tipped for the Washington job was less enthusiastic about Brexit than Johnson or some members of his team. "There have been reports that Mark Sedwill, the current cabinet secretary, is being lined up for the position," The Guardian's diplomatic editor Patrick Wintour wrote. But Trump "may be suspicious of Sedwill, and would prefer a true Brexit". Wintour wrote that Sedwill "may not fill that bill, but Nigel Farage who pretty openly campaigned for the job before Darroch's appointment in 2016 does". Farage is an anti-EU populist whose new Brexit Party won nearly a third of the vote in European elections in May, and has met Trump several times. Farage on Monday called Darroch's memos "pretty irresponsible" but played down interest in the Washington Post. "I'm not a diplomat, and I think that's quite an understatement," he told BBC radio. But Farage added that he "could be very useful" in forging a better relationship "with an administration that contains friends of mine".

Britain hunts for leaker of cables calling Donald Trump 'inept'

<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-adopts-2050-net-zero-emissions-target-230832">Britain's economy</a> appears to have shrunk for the first time since late 2012 between April and June as worries about Brexit were compounded by global trade tensions, a closely watched survey showed on Wednesday.

A day after Bank of England Governor Mark Carney warned of the growing risks from a no-deal <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/pro-brexit-meps-turn-backs-at-european-anthem-in-european-parliament-232506">Brexit</a> and protectionist trade policies, a gauge of Britain's huge services industry the IHS Markit/CIPS services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) slipped to 50.2 in June, just above the no-growth level of 50.

Economists polled by Reuters had expected the PMI to remain at May's level of 51.0.

Equivalent surveys for manufacturing and construction published earlier this week showed those sectors contracted in June, meaning Britain's economy overall probably shrank by 0.1 per cent in the second quarter, IHS Markit/CIPS said.

British gross domestic product last shrank from one quarter to another in the final three months of 2012, according to official data. The last time GDP shrank for two or more quarters in a row the widely accepted definition of a recession was in 2008-2009, during the global financial crisis.

"The latest downturn has followed a gradual deterioration in demand over the past year as Brexit-related uncertainty has increasingly exacerbated the impact of a broader global economic slowdown," said Chris Williamson, a chief business economist at IHS Markit.

"Risks also remain skewed to the downside as sentiment about the year ahead is worryingly subdued, suggesting the third quarter could see businesses continue to struggle."

British government bond yields fell further after the survey, with the yield on 10-year gilts hitting its lowest level since the months after the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Curve Inversion

Investors see more chance of a cut to British interest rates after Carney's speech on Tuesday, in which he said the economy might need more support to cope with the shock of a no-deal Brexit or an escalation of global trade tensions.

The yield curve between two- and five-year British government bonds inverted for the first time since 2008 on Wednesday, suggesting investors see a risk of recession.

The BoE says Britain's economy probably flatlined in the second quarter after strong growth early in the year when companies were rushing to get ready for the original March 29 Brexit date.

That deadline has since been pushed back to Oct. 31.

Andrew Wishart, an economist with consultancy Capital Economics, said the pre-March 29 rush accounted for some of the second-quarter weakness.

"But the fact the surveys have not picked up towards the end of the quarter, and global manufacturing is slowing, means the risk is that the economy fails to bounce back in the third quarter," he added.

Many businesses are alarmed by the prospect of a no-deal Brexit, something both candidates to replace Theresa May as prime minister has said they are prepared to do if necessary.

Williamson said the weak reading of Britain's economy should put pressure on the Bank of England to add stimulus.

"For policymakers to not loosen policy with the all-sector PMI at its current level would be unprecedented in the survey's two-decade history," he said.

Britain's economy appears to have shrunk for the first time since late 2012 between April and June as worries about Brexit were compounded by global trade tensions, a closely watched survey showed on Wednesday.

Britain's economy appears to have shrunk for the first time since late 2012 between April and June as worries about Brexit were compounded by global trade tensions, a closely watched survey showed on Wednesday. A day after Bank of England Governor Mark Carney warned of the growing risks from a no-deal Brexit and protectionist trade policies, a gauge of Britain's huge services industry the IHS Markit/CIPS services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) slipped to 50.2 in June, just above the no-growth level of 50. Economists polled by Reuters had expected the PMI to remain at May's level of 51.0. Equivalent surveys for manufacturing and construction published earlier this week showed those sectors contracted in June, meaning Britain's economy overall probably shrank by 0.1 per cent in the second quarter, IHS Markit/CIPS said. British gross domestic product last shrank from one quarter to another in the final three months of 2012, according to official data. The last time GDP shrank for two or more quarters in a row the widely accepted definition of a recession was in 2008-2009, during the global financial crisis. "The latest downturn has followed a gradual deterioration in demand over the past year as Brexit-related uncertainty has increasingly exacerbated the impact of a broader global economic slowdown," said Chris Williamson, a chief business economist at IHS Markit. "Risks also remain skewed to the downside as sentiment about the year ahead is worryingly subdued, suggesting the third quarter could see businesses continue to struggle." British government bond yields fell further after the survey, with the yield on 10-year gilts hitting its lowest level since the months after the 2016 Brexit referendum. Curve Inversion Investors see more chance of a cut to British interest rates after Carney's speech on Tuesday, in which he said the economy might need more support to cope with the shock of a no-deal Brexit or an escalation of global trade tensions. The yield curve between two- and five-year British government bonds inverted for the first time since 2008 on Wednesday, suggesting investors see a risk of recession. The BoE says Britain's economy probably flatlined in the second quarter after strong growth early in the year when companies were rushing to get ready for the original March 29 Brexit date. That deadline has since been pushed back to Oct. 31. Andrew Wishart, an economist with consultancy Capital Economics, said the pre-March 29 rush accounted for some of the second-quarter weakness. "But the fact the surveys have not picked up towards the end of the quarter, and global manufacturing is slowing, means the risk is that the economy fails to bounce back in the third quarter," he added. Many businesses are alarmed by the prospect of a no-deal Brexit, something both candidates to replace Theresa May as prime minister has said they are prepared to do if necessary. Williamson said the weak reading of Britain's economy should put pressure on the Bank of England to add stimulus. "For policymakers to not loosen policy with the all-sector PMI at its current level would be unprecedented in the survey's two-decade history," he said.

United Kingdom economy shrinks as Brexit, global worries mount: Survey

Britain's lead <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/british-mps-vote-against-all-alternative-brexit-options-206122">Brexit</a> negotiator <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/its-mays-deal-or-long-brexit-delay-uks-chief-negotiator-overheard-saying-in-bar-197142">Olly Robbins</a> will leave his role in government shortly after briefing the new prime minister, The Sunday Times reported.

Robbins had been criticised by Brexiteers for helping negotiate Prime Minister <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-has-irrefutable-evidence-russia-behind-attack-on-skripal-theresa-may-to-putin-at-g20-231275">Theresa May</a>'s Brexit deal, which has been rejected by lawmakers.

Robbins is overdue a move and is prepared to stay and do a smooth handover, a source told Reuters.

In a further possible change, Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill is being lined up to become the new British ambassador in Washington under a Boris Johnson administration according to the Sunday Telegraph newspaper.

Former foreign minister Johnson and current foreign minister Jeremy Hunt are battling each other to succeed Theresa May as prime minister and finally deliver Brexit which has been delayed until Oct. 31.

Johnson, the frontrunner, has a transition team which is preparing to invite EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the bloc's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to London to reopen talks, according to the Mail on Sunday.

Former leadership contenders Matt Hancock and Sajid Javid are lobbying to become finance minister whilst Liz Truss is being lined up to be the next business minister and former Brexit minister Dominic Raab is being earmarked as transport minister, according to the newspaper.

Brexit minister Stephen Barclay is "increasingly safe" is in his role, the newspaper said.

Meanwhile, Hunt has suggested he would take a tough line on the 39-billion pound ($50 billion) Brexit bill owed to Brussels if there is a failure to agree the terms of Britain's exit from the bloc.

"If we leave without a deal, I will not hand over a penny more than is legally required of us," he told the Sunday Times newspaper.

He would also not agree to stay in a customs union with the EU and plans to abolish the Brexit ministry and hand over responsibility to the international trade ministry, according to the newspaper.

Britain's lead Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins will leave his role in government shortly after briefing the new prime minister, The Sunday Times reported. Robbins had been criticised by Brexiteers for helping negotiate Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, which has been rejected by lawmakers.

Britain's lead Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins will leave his role in government shortly after briefing the new prime minister, The Sunday Times reported. Robbins had been criticised by Brexiteers for helping negotiate Prime Minister Theresa May's Brexit deal, which has been rejected by lawmakers. Robbins is overdue a move and is prepared to stay and do a smooth handover, a source told Reuters. In a further possible change, Cabinet Secretary Mark Sedwill is being lined up to become the new British ambassador in Washington under a Boris Johnson administration according to the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. Former foreign minister Johnson and current foreign minister Jeremy Hunt are battling each other to succeed Theresa May as prime minister and finally deliver Brexit which has been delayed until Oct. 31. Johnson, the frontrunner, has a transition team which is preparing to invite EU Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker and the bloc's Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier to London to reopen talks, according to the Mail on Sunday. Former leadership contenders Matt Hancock and Sajid Javid are lobbying to become finance minister whilst Liz Truss is being lined up to be the next business minister and former Brexit minister Dominic Raab is being earmarked as transport minister, according to the newspaper. Brexit minister Stephen Barclay is "increasingly safe" is in his role, the newspaper said. Meanwhile, Hunt has suggested he would take a tough line on the 39-billion pound ($50 billion) Brexit bill owed to Brussels if there is a failure to agree the terms of Britain's exit from the bloc. "If we leave without a deal, I will not hand over a penny more than is legally required of us," he told the Sunday Times newspaper. He would also not agree to stay in a customs union with the EU and plans to abolish the Brexit ministry and hand over responsibility to the international trade ministry, according to the newspaper.

United Kingdom Brexit negotiator Olly Robbins to leave role: Report

Loose cannon or influential statesman - what kind of British prime minister would <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-says-he-is-serious-about-no-deal-brexit-threat-230167">Boris Johnson</a> make on the world stage? Judging by his time as foreign secretary, possibly both.

When Johnson was given the foreign job in 2016, after Britain voted to leave the EU, he was viewed as an unlikely choice by politicians and public alike given his tendency to court controversy with gaffes, oddball jokes and off-the-cuff remarks.

The early days seemed to confirm the worst fears of those who saw the Conservative lawmaker as an unsuitable diplomat, at a critical time when Britain needed to forge new political and commercial ties with a slew of countries.

What should have been a routine conference in Italy, the "Mediterranean Dialogues Forum" aimed at building relations with leading envoys from the West and Middle East, instead turned into something of a diplomatic incident.

Johnson made headlines by going off-script and accusing Saudi Arabia, an important regional ally, of acting as a puppeteer in proxy wars under the guise of religion.

The backlash was swift from Prime Minister Theresa May, who said his comments did not reflect "actual policy", dishing out what a government source described as a shocking and very public "cuffing" for a senior minister.

Now May is stepping down over her failure to extract Britain from the European Union. Johnson, a leader of the Brexit campaign, is the overwhelming favourite to become leader of the governing Conservative Party next month, which would also make him prime minister.

The 55-year-old, famous for his messy mop of blond hair and dishevelled style, has turned upper-class English eccentricity into a political asset in Britain and perfected a personal brand based on a comic talent and a seemingly shambolic style.

His critics say this robs him of statesman-like gravity, arguing that it's difficult to take seriously a man who once said the chance of him becoming prime minister was about as likely as finding Elvis on Mars.

However, two of Johnson's aides and another veteran Conservative who knows him said that he was often misunderstood and that beneath his blustering, self-confident demeanour was a shy, serious man focused on his goals.

He is a natural introvert, two sources close his team told Reuters, adding that his shyness is often construed as arrogance, and he needs a lot of time alone before speaking in public - distinctively at odds with the public perception of Johnson being a natural, unscripted showman.

"Before speaking to a room, he needs to corral himself," said the veteran Conservative. "It's not a performance but it saps him of energy. He just needs to summon up the energy."

One aide, a government source and an EU diplomat also pointed to an influential, but behind-the-scenes, role he played as foreign secretary following the poisoning of a former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, by a nerve agent last year in England.

One government source said Johnson had put his "shoulder to the wheel" to win international support for sanctions and Russian diplomatic expulsions from a long list of countries.

A senior European diplomat agreed that he was "professional" in this role, which attracted little publicity.

"People in Brussels didn't take Boris seriously back then," the diplomat said. "In March last year, he showed he could drop the clownish personality, he showed a will to discuss the Skripal affair in the most serious terms and to make the point to his counterparts that they needed to back Britain on this."

Irreverent insurgent

Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, to give his full name, is something of an enigma at home and abroad.

He is man of apparent contradictions, with his privileged background and bursts of Latin phrases seemingly at odds with his popular appeal when elected mayor of left-leaning London in 2008 with the biggest personal mandate in British history.

He is one of those rare politicians to be most commonly referred to by most members of the public by their first names.

Like US&nbsp;President Donald Trump, he can emerge unscathed from gaffes and scandals that would sink any normal public figure. Other offensive remarks he has made include calling black people "piccaninnies" and saying Muslim women wearing burkas "look like letter boxes".

"Boris is a flawed character and flaky but most politicians are underneath," said Ed Costelloe, chair of the campaign group Conservative Grassroots. "It would be lovely to have Mother Theresa as prime minister, but it ain't going to happen."

In fact, some people love him all the more because he appears to be an irreverent insurgent who defies the media training of polished politics, shooting from the hip with comic timing and flair. Others seem to give him more leeway.

After his incendiary comments on Saudi Arabia, for example, two British officials said his words had not in fact gone down badly in Riyadh. "The Saudis appreciated his buffoonery, they understand his kind of humour," said one of the officials.

The biggest task ahead, should he become leader, would be withdrawal talks with the EU, which has said it will not reopen the Withdrawal Agreement agreed by May in November - a deal that was repeatedly rejected by British lawmakers and led to the original Brexit date of March 29 being pushed back.

Johnson has offended many in Europe, with remarks such as suggesting Italy should help with a Brexit deal to avoid losing out on sales of Prosecco sparkling wine and declaring it was "bollocks" to say that freedom of movement was a founding principle of the EU.

Yet the British government sources said his ability to wrestle changes to the deal from Brussels, as he has demanded, would come down to whether he can carry the support of British lawmakers and end a stalemate that has incensed EU officials.

"His success depends on whether the EU believes he can actually command a majority," said one of the sources. "The thing about the PM was that they just didn't believe she could ever get it through so were never going to give any more ground. If they think Boris can get it through, they might shift."

It's all about Brexit

Johnson has cast himself as the only leadership candidate who can deliver Brexit on the next deadline of Oct. 31 - with or without a deal.

The sources close his team said he was approaching his bid in a similarly quiet way to the Skripal manoeuvring. He has built support through behind-the-scenes talks with lawmakers rather through media appearances and speeches - and had been conspicuously absent from public sight until this week.

He has been listening closely to the counsel of his closest aides and veteran election strategist Lynton Crosby, who is not officially on the payroll but is offering advice.

Johnson's strategy of steering clear of the airwaves and avoiding public head-to-head debates has been carefully thought through as part of a leadership campaign in the works for months in anticipation of May's announcement five weeks ago that she would step down, said the sources.

The plan appeared uncharacteristic for a man who made his name by being highly visible, including appearing in comedy shows and one of Britain's best-loved TV soap operas.

He even drew accusations from his only remaining leadership rival, Jeremy Hunt, of being a coward for avoiding head-to-head debates. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said she found Johnson's decision to ignore live TV debates "very odd".

The strategy was partly borne of the fact that Johnson is widely viewed as a near-certainty to win the party leadership, and become prime minister, barring an unforeseen catastrophe.

Foreign Secretary Hunt voted to stay in the European Union in 2016, which is likely to count against him among the around 160,000 party members who will choose the winner and are mainly pro-Brexit.

However, Johnson was forced to veer from the gameplan and break cover this week when he was faced with exactly the kind of negative publicity his team had hoped to avoid, after a neighbour called the police upon hearing Johnson and his girlfriend shouting and smashing plates.

Police found no cause for action, but the story dominated the front pages of Britain's newspapers, with some questioning Johnson's character and past - he is divorcing his second wife and has had several reported affairs.

Following the furore, he changed gear and launched into a media blitz on TV and radio.

Nonetheless, few in his party believe anything can seriously impede his cruise to 10 Downing Street.

"Boris is still well ahead with the membership who will ultimately decide who the next prime minister is," said Conservative lawmaker and Johnson supporter Andrew Bridgen.

"The overriding issue is Brexit and unfortunately Jeremy voted remain." 
&nbsp;

Loose cannon or influential statesman - what kind of British prime minister would Boris Johnson make on the world stage? Judging by his time as foreign secretary, possibly both.

Loose cannon or influential statesman - what kind of British prime minister would Boris Johnson make on the world stage? Judging by his time as foreign secretary, possibly both. When Johnson was given the foreign job in 2016, after Britain voted to leave the EU, he was viewed as an unlikely choice by politicians and public alike given his tendency to court controversy with gaffes, oddball jokes and off-the-cuff remarks. The early days seemed to confirm the worst fears of those who saw the Conservative lawmaker as an unsuitable diplomat, at a critical time when Britain needed to forge new political and commercial ties with a slew of countries. What should have been a routine conference in Italy, the "Mediterranean Dialogues Forum" aimed at building relations with leading envoys from the West and Middle East, instead turned into something of a diplomatic incident. Johnson made headlines by going off-script and accusing Saudi Arabia, an important regional ally, of acting as a puppeteer in proxy wars under the guise of religion. The backlash was swift from Prime Minister Theresa May, who said his comments did not reflect "actual policy", dishing out what a government source described as a shocking and very public "cuffing" for a senior minister. Now May is stepping down over her failure to extract Britain from the European Union. Johnson, a leader of the Brexit campaign, is the overwhelming favourite to become leader of the governing Conservative Party next month, which would also make him prime minister. The 55-year-old, famous for his messy mop of blond hair and dishevelled style, has turned upper-class English eccentricity into a political asset in Britain and perfected a personal brand based on a comic talent and a seemingly shambolic style. His critics say this robs him of statesman-like gravity, arguing that it's difficult to take seriously a man who once said the chance of him becoming prime minister was about as likely as finding Elvis on Mars. However, two of Johnson's aides and another veteran Conservative who knows him said that he was often misunderstood and that beneath his blustering, self-confident demeanour was a shy, serious man focused on his goals. He is a natural introvert, two sources close his team told Reuters, adding that his shyness is often construed as arrogance, and he needs a lot of time alone before speaking in public - distinctively at odds with the public perception of Johnson being a natural, unscripted showman. "Before speaking to a room, he needs to corral himself," said the veteran Conservative. "It's not a performance but it saps him of energy. He just needs to summon up the energy." One aide, a government source and an EU diplomat also pointed to an influential, but behind-the-scenes, role he played as foreign secretary following the poisoning of a former Russian spy, Sergei Skripal, by a nerve agent last year in England. One government source said Johnson had put his "shoulder to the wheel" to win international support for sanctions and Russian diplomatic expulsions from a long list of countries. A senior European diplomat agreed that he was "professional" in this role, which attracted little publicity. "People in Brussels didn't take Boris seriously back then," the diplomat said. "In March last year, he showed he could drop the clownish personality, he showed a will to discuss the Skripal affair in the most serious terms and to make the point to his counterparts that they needed to back Britain on this." Irreverent insurgent Alexander Boris de Pfeffel Johnson, to give his full name, is something of an enigma at home and abroad. He is man of apparent contradictions, with his privileged background and bursts of Latin phrases seemingly at odds with his popular appeal when elected mayor of left-leaning London in 2008 with the biggest personal mandate in British history. He is one of those rare politicians to be most commonly referred to by most members of the public by their first names. Like US President Donald Trump, he can emerge unscathed from gaffes and scandals that would sink any normal public figure. Other offensive remarks he has made include calling black people "piccaninnies" and saying Muslim women wearing burkas "look like letter boxes". "Boris is a flawed character and flaky but most politicians are underneath," said Ed Costelloe, chair of the campaign group Conservative Grassroots. "It would be lovely to have Mother Theresa as prime minister, but it ain't going to happen." In fact, some people love him all the more because he appears to be an irreverent insurgent who defies the media training of polished politics, shooting from the hip with comic timing and flair. Others seem to give him more leeway. After his incendiary comments on Saudi Arabia, for example, two British officials said his words had not in fact gone down badly in Riyadh. "The Saudis appreciated his buffoonery, they understand his kind of humour," said one of the officials. The biggest task ahead, should he become leader, would be withdrawal talks with the EU, which has said it will not reopen the Withdrawal Agreement agreed by May in November - a deal that was repeatedly rejected by British lawmakers and led to the original Brexit date of March 29 being pushed back. Johnson has offended many in Europe, with remarks such as suggesting Italy should help with a Brexit deal to avoid losing out on sales of Prosecco sparkling wine and declaring it was "bollocks" to say that freedom of movement was a founding principle of the EU. Yet the British government sources said his ability to wrestle changes to the deal from Brussels, as he has demanded, would come down to whether he can carry the support of British lawmakers and end a stalemate that has incensed EU officials. "His success depends on whether the EU believes he can actually command a majority," said one of the sources. "The thing about the PM was that they just didn't believe she could ever get it through so were never going to give any more ground. If they think Boris can get it through, they might shift." It's all about Brexit Johnson has cast himself as the only leadership candidate who can deliver Brexit on the next deadline of Oct. 31 - with or without a deal. The sources close his team said he was approaching his bid in a similarly quiet way to the Skripal manoeuvring. He has built support through behind-the-scenes talks with lawmakers rather through media appearances and speeches - and had been conspicuously absent from public sight until this week. He has been listening closely to the counsel of his closest aides and veteran election strategist Lynton Crosby, who is not officially on the payroll but is offering advice. Johnson's strategy of steering clear of the airwaves and avoiding public head-to-head debates has been carefully thought through as part of a leadership campaign in the works for months in anticipation of May's announcement five weeks ago that she would step down, said the sources. The plan appeared uncharacteristic for a man who made his name by being highly visible, including appearing in comedy shows and one of Britain's best-loved TV soap operas. He even drew accusations from his only remaining leadership rival, Jeremy Hunt, of being a coward for avoiding head-to-head debates. Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd said she found Johnson's decision to ignore live TV debates "very odd". The strategy was partly borne of the fact that Johnson is widely viewed as a near-certainty to win the party leadership, and become prime minister, barring an unforeseen catastrophe. Foreign Secretary Hunt voted to stay in the European Union in 2016, which is likely to count against him among the around 160,000 party members who will choose the winner and are mainly pro-Brexit. However, Johnson was forced to veer from the gameplan and break cover this week when he was faced with exactly the kind of negative publicity his team had hoped to avoid, after a neighbour called the police upon hearing Johnson and his girlfriend shouting and smashing plates. Police found no cause for action, but the story dominated the front pages of Britain's newspapers, with some questioning Johnson's character and past - he is divorcing his second wife and has had several reported affairs. Following the furore, he changed gear and launched into a media blitz on TV and radio. Nonetheless, few in his party believe anything can seriously impede his cruise to 10 Downing Street. "Boris is still well ahead with the membership who will ultimately decide who the next prime minister is," said Conservative lawmaker and Johnson supporter Andrew Bridgen. "The overriding issue is Brexit and unfortunately Jeremy voted remain."

Genius or joker? British prime minister favourite Boris Johnson set to face the world

Seeking to regain momentum in his bid to become the next prime minister of Britain, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uks-boris-johnson-under-pressure-to-explain-domestic-row-229723">Boris Johnson</a> said on Monday he was seriously prepared to take the country out of the European Union in October even if a <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/trump-promotes-hard-brexit-must-clarify-his-position-on-europe-macron-230076">deal with the bloc had not been reached</a>.

The former London mayor is still the frontrunner in the race to succeed Theresa May but his lead had been dented by reports of a heated late-night row with his girlfriend that led to the police being called to their home.

His rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, on Monday, described Johnson as a "coward" for avoiding public head-to-head debates with him.

Johnson declined to comment on the argument in an interview with BBC News. He instead doubled down on his promise to deliver Brexit in October without a deal if necessary - a prospect that has sent sterling down sharply against other currencies.

"My pledge is to come out of the EU at Halloween on 31 October," Johnson said.

"And the way to get our friends and partners to understand how serious we are is finally, I'm afraid, to abandon the defeatism and negativity that has enfolded us in a great cloud for so long and to prepare confidently and seriously for... a no-deal outcome."

Johnson said he did not want a no-deal Brexit, but that it was necessary to put it on the table so that Britain could get the result it wanted.

He again raised doubts over the payment of a previously-agreed 39 billion pound ($49 billion) divorce deal with the EU, something likely to antagonise negotiators in Brussels.

Watch: Boris Johnson's 'girlfriend trouble'

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"I think there should be creative ambiguity about when and how that gets paid over," Johnson said.

On resolving an impasse around the Irish border, Johnson said he thought changing or abandoning the backstop - a guarantee to ensure no return of extensive border checks between EU-member Ireland and British-run Northern Ireland - could be a way forward.

"Let me tell you, there are abundant, abundant technical fixes that can be introduced to make sure that you don't have to have checks at the border," Johnson said.

Trade experts have expressed scepticism that technology can solve the border problem, at least in the near term.

Last week, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said the contenders to become Britain's prime minister had offered solutions "simply not based on reality".

Seeking to regain momentum in his bid to become the next prime minister of Britain, Boris Johnson said on Monday he was seriously prepared to take the country out of the European Union in October even if a deal with the bloc had not been reached.

Seeking to regain momentum in his bid to become the next prime minister of Britain, Boris Johnson said on Monday he was seriously prepared to take the country out of the European Union in October even if a deal with the bloc had not been reached. The former London mayor is still the frontrunner in the race to succeed Theresa May but his lead had been dented by reports of a heated late-night row with his girlfriend that led to the police being called to their home. His rival, Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt, on Monday, described Johnson as a "coward" for avoiding public head-to-head debates with him. Johnson declined to comment on the argument in an interview with BBC News. He instead doubled down on his promise to deliver Brexit in October without a deal if necessary - a prospect that has sent sterling down sharply against other currencies. "My pledge is to come out of the EU at Halloween on 31 October," Johnson said. "And the way to get our friends and partners to understand how serious we are is finally, I'm afraid, to abandon the defeatism and negativity that has enfolded us in a great cloud for so long and to prepare confidently and seriously for... a no-deal outcome." Johnson said he did not want a no-deal Brexit, but that it was necessary to put it on the table so that Britain could get the result it wanted. He again raised doubts over the payment of a previously-agreed 39 billion pound ($49 billion) divorce deal with the EU, something likely to antagonise negotiators in Brussels. Watch: Boris Johnson's 'girlfriend trouble' × "I think there should be creative ambiguity about when and how that gets paid over," Johnson said. On resolving an impasse around the Irish border, Johnson said he thought changing or abandoning the backstop - a guarantee to ensure no return of extensive border checks between EU-member Ireland and British-run Northern Ireland - could be a way forward. "Let me tell you, there are abundant, abundant technical fixes that can be introduced to make sure that you don't have to have checks at the border," Johnson said. Trade experts have expressed scepticism that technology can solve the border problem, at least in the near term. Last week, Irish foreign minister Simon Coveney said the contenders to become Britain's prime minister had offered solutions "simply not based on reality".

Boris Johnson says he is serious about 'no-deal' Brexit threat

Not Suitable For The Top Job In United Kingdom: A Report On Boris Johnson's 'Girlfriend Trouble' Boris Johnson may be the frontrunner to take over as Prime Minister of United Kingdom from Theresa May. But he continues to make headlines for all the wrong reasons. The latest one involves screaming and shouting, and even some broken plates. A late-night altercation between Johnson & his girlfriend threatens to hurt his political career. Here's Palki summing up the development

Gravitas: Boris Johnson's 'girlfriend trouble'

It would be bizarre for the European Union to impose tariffs on British goods flowing into the bloc after Brexit rather than agree on a standstill agreement on trade, <a href="https://www.wionews.com/europe/british-pm-race-top-horse-boris-johnson-faces-court-hearing-for-brexit-lies-222520">Boris Johnson</a>, the leading candidate to be Britain's next prime minister said.

"I think it would be very bizarre if the EU should decide on their own ... if they decided to impose tariffs on goods coming from the UK it would be ... a return to Napoleon's continental system," Johnson told LBC radio on Tuesday.

Boris Johnson, the favourite to become British prime minister, said he will seek a new Brexit deal with the European Union but if the bloc refuses his demands then he will lead the world's fifth largest economy out without agreement on Oct. 31.

The <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/boris-johnson-says-he-is-serious-about-no-deal-brexit-threat-230167">United Kingdom's three-year Brexit crisis</a> could be about to deepen as Johnson's pledge to leave the EU with or without a deal on Halloween could provoke a standoff with the British parliament which has indicated its opposition to a no-deal exit.

No-deal means there would be no transition period so the exit would be abrupt, the nightmare scenario for many business leaders and the dream of hard Brexiteers who want a decisive split.

Seeking to turn the public discourse away from a discussion about an argument with his girlfriend, Johnson told the BBC he would pick the bits of Theresa May's "dead" Withdrawal Agreement that he likes and seek a new deal with the EU.

It would be bizarre for the European Union to impose tariffs on British goods flowing into the bloc after Brexit rather than agree on a standstill agreement on trade, Boris Johnson, the leading candidate to be Britain's next prime minister said.

It would be bizarre for the European Union to impose tariffs on British goods flowing into the bloc after Brexit rather than agree on a standstill agreement on trade, Boris Johnson, the leading candidate to be Britain's next prime minister said. "I think it would be very bizarre if the EU should decide on their own ... if they decided to impose tariffs on goods coming from the UK it would be ... a return to Napoleon's continental system," Johnson told LBC radio on Tuesday. Boris Johnson, the favourite to become British prime minister, said he will seek a new Brexit deal with the European Union but if the bloc refuses his demands then he will lead the world's fifth largest economy out without agreement on Oct. 31. The United Kingdom's three-year Brexit crisis could be about to deepen as Johnson's pledge to leave the EU with or without a deal on Halloween could provoke a standoff with the British parliament which has indicated its opposition to a no-deal exit. No-deal means there would be no transition period so the exit would be abrupt, the nightmare scenario for many business leaders and the dream of hard Brexiteers who want a decisive split. Seeking to turn the public discourse away from a discussion about an argument with his girlfriend, Johnson told the BBC he would pick the bits of Theresa May's "dead" Withdrawal Agreement that he likes and seek a new deal with the EU.

Would be bizarre for EU to impose post-Brexit tariffs on UK: Boris Johnson

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged US President Trump to "clarify his position" regarding the European Union, repeatedly the target of the US president's barbs.

"What is certain is that we have some ambiguities, especially when you look at Trump's <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/in-no-deal-brexit-i-would-leave-eu-with-a-heavy-heart-jeremy-hunt-229982">position regarding Brexit</a>, and the fact that he promotes a hard Brexit," Macron told the New Yorker magazine an interview published Monday.

"I think he has to clarify his position vis-à-vis Europe," he said.

The interview was held against the backdrop of recent European elections in which Macron's centrist party, Republic on the Move, finished a close second to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally.

"What is new at the European scale is that the rise of extremism, especially coming from the far right, is everywhere," Macron said when asked about the outcome.

"A few months ago, a lot of people thought that this new coalition of the far right could have a majority or could block any majority at the European Parliament, which didn't happen," he said.

"This is, for me, one of the positive outcomes of these elections, even if they were very much helped by foreign influences."

Asked if he included Trump among those foreign influences, Macron said, "No, because I don't totally assimilate Trump and Bannon."

Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, has been actively attempting to form a nationalist alliance in Europe, and Macron recently accused him of seeking "the dismantlement of Europe."

In an interview with NBC that aired over the weekend, the US president was asked about European efforts to keep alive the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran that Trump pulled the US out of last year.

"I don't care about the Europeans," Trump said. "The Europeans are going out and making a lot of money. The Europeans are fine."

"And let me tell you, we're very good to Europe. We take care of them. NATO, we spend a tremendous amount, a disproportionate amount. On trade, the European Union's taken, really, they have really taken advantage of us for a long time," he added. 
&nbsp;

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged US President Trump to "clarify his position" regarding the European Union, repeatedly the target of the US president's barbs.

French President Emmanuel Macron has urged US President Trump to "clarify his position" regarding the European Union, repeatedly the target of the US president's barbs. "What is certain is that we have some ambiguities, especially when you look at Trump's position regarding Brexit, and the fact that he promotes a hard Brexit," Macron told the New Yorker magazine an interview published Monday. "I think he has to clarify his position vis-à-vis Europe," he said. The interview was held against the backdrop of recent European elections in which Macron's centrist party, Republic on the Move, finished a close second to Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally. "What is new at the European scale is that the rise of extremism, especially coming from the far right, is everywhere," Macron said when asked about the outcome. "A few months ago, a lot of people thought that this new coalition of the far right could have a majority or could block any majority at the European Parliament, which didn't happen," he said. "This is, for me, one of the positive outcomes of these elections, even if they were very much helped by foreign influences." Asked if he included Trump among those foreign influences, Macron said, "No, because I don't totally assimilate Trump and Bannon." Steve Bannon, Trump's former chief strategist, has been actively attempting to form a nationalist alliance in Europe, and Macron recently accused him of seeking "the dismantlement of Europe." In an interview with NBC that aired over the weekend, the US president was asked about European efforts to keep alive the 2015 nuclear accord with Iran that Trump pulled the US out of last year. "I don't care about the Europeans," Trump said. "The Europeans are going out and making a lot of money. The Europeans are fine." "And let me tell you, we're very good to Europe. We take care of them. NATO, we spend a tremendous amount, a disproportionate amount. On trade, the European Union's taken, really, they have really taken advantage of us for a long time," he added.

Trump promotes hard Brexit, must clarify his position on Europe: Macron

Conservative candidate Jeremy Hunt,52, who is running for the prime minister's post against<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uks-boris-johnson-under-pressure-to-explain-domestic-row-229723"> fellow partyman Boris Johnson</a> said today that he would accept a "no deal" Brexit with a heavy heart as it would impact jobs, businesses and will be a risk to unions.

During an interview with a British television channel, Hunt who finished second in the Conservative party ballot for prime ministership, ahead of his much hyped final clash with Johonson next month, said: "I would say I've been very clear I would leave the European Union if no deal was on the table and there was no prospect of a better deal that could get through Parliament. I would do it with a heavy heart because of the impact on jobs, on businesses, the risks to the union."

Boris Johnson who led the ballot last week had clearly said he would leave the European Union without a deal on October 31 if no deal was struck by then.

"In the end, we must do what the country voted for because we are a very old very respected democracy," Hunt told the television channel.

With just two weeks to go before Conservative party workers decide on the candidate, Hunt added that he would continue to "negotiate" until Britain exits the European Union. "Boris needs to answer what he would do in that situation," he retorted.

Hunt had earlier called Johnson a "coward" over his refusal to go for a head-to-head to debate on Brexit. The UK foreign secretary <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/uk-pm-race-boris-johnson-jeremy-hunt-to-contest-conservative-leadership-michael-gove-eliminated-in-final-ballot-229043">had garnered 77 votes</a> in the final ballot last week to finish behind Boris Johnson who won an overwhelming 160 votes. Hunt edged out Michael Gove who won 75 votes.

Hunt was quick to point out during the interview&nbsp;that if the Brexit moves&nbsp;were not&nbsp;carried out&nbsp;properly then Britain could "trip into a general election, Jeremy Corbyn will become prime minister and then we'll have no Brexit at all."

Hunt favoured sending someone from Britain who "doesn't blink", while adding that the person should be "someone who is able to negotiate, someone that they(EU) trust."

Conservative candidate Jeremy Hunt,52, who is running for the prime minister's post against fellow partyman Boris Johnson said today that he would accept a "no deal" Brexit with a heavy heart as it would impact jobs, businesses and will be a risk to unions.

Conservative candidate Jeremy Hunt,52, who is running for the prime minister's post against fellow partyman Boris Johnson said today that he would accept a "no deal" Brexit with a heavy heart as it would impact jobs, businesses and will be a risk to unions. During an interview with a British television channel, Hunt who finished second in the Conservative party ballot for prime ministership, ahead of his much hyped final clash with Johonson next month, said: "I would say I've been very clear I would leave the European Union if no deal was on the table and there was no prospect of a better deal that could get through Parliament. I would do it with a heavy heart because of the impact on jobs, on businesses, the risks to the union." Boris Johnson who led the ballot last week had clearly said he would leave the European Union without a deal on October 31 if no deal was struck by then. "In the end, we must do what the country voted for because we are a very old very respected democracy," Hunt told the television channel. With just two weeks to go before Conservative party workers decide on the candidate, Hunt added that he would continue to "negotiate" until Britain exits the European Union. "Boris needs to answer what he would do in that situation," he retorted. Hunt had earlier called Johnson a "coward" over his refusal to go for a head-to-head to debate on Brexit. The UK foreign secretary had garnered 77 votes in the final ballot last week to finish behind Boris Johnson who won an overwhelming 160 votes. Hunt edged out Michael Gove who won 75 votes. Hunt was quick to point out during the interview that if the Brexit moves were not carried out properly then Britain could "trip into a general election, Jeremy Corbyn will become prime minister and then we'll have no Brexit at all." Hunt favoured sending someone from Britain who "doesn't blink", while adding that the person should be "someone who is able to negotiate, someone that they(EU) trust."

In 'no deal' Brexit, I would leave EU with a heavy heart: Jeremy Hunt

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