Latest news with #BorisJohnson
Evening Standard
12 hours ago
- Automotive
- Evening Standard
Thrill-seekers required! Cable car across the Thames gets glass-floor cabins (and sky-high prices)
The cable car, officially known as the IFS Cloud Cable Car, is run by Transport for London, having been launched by former mayor Boris Johnson in 2012 as part of the celebrations for the London Olympics.
The Independent
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Majority of Brits think Brexit has been a failure
A new YouGov poll indicates that 61 per cent of Britons now consider the UK's departure from the European Union to have been a failure. The survey found that 56 per cent of the public wishes for the UK to rejoin the EU, with 65 per cent desiring a closer relationship with the bloc. Over 80 per cent of those who view Brexit as a failure assign blame to Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party, while more than two-thirds blame Nigel Farage. Economic consequences highlighted include a projected 15 per cent reduction in UK trade and an estimated annual cost of £37 billion to UK businesses. Despite the sentiment, 44 per cent of respondents believe rejoining the EU is not the correct priority for the government currently, contrasting with 37 per cent who think it is.
The Independent
20 hours ago
- Business
- The Independent
Nine years on from Brexit, most Brits want to see the UK return to the EU
Nearly nine years on from the narrow Brexit referendum result, which saw the UK leave the European Union, most Britons want to see the UK return to the EU. A new YouGov poll highlights the extent to which the UK public is 'Bregretful' about the outcome of the vote, which ended David Cameron 's time as prime minister. It found that 56 per cent want the UK to return to being part of the EU, while 61 per cent believe Brexit has been a failure. Of these, the overwhelming majority, more than eight out of ten, blame Boris Johnson and the Conservative Party, while more than two-thirds blame Nigel Farage. Mr Johnson was one of the most high-profile members of the 'Leave' campaign but he and others were accused of backing the idea with no plan for what Brexit would look like in practice. The UK's exit from the bloc is on course to cut UK trade by 15 per cent, the government's independent financial watchdog has warned, despite Vote Leave campaigners arguing it would receive a boost. Earlier this year, Labour ministers pledged to 'tear down' barriers to trade with the European Union after new figures showed Brexit has cost UK business £37bn a year. And The Independent revealed that Brexit had created a 'mind-blowing' two billion extra pieces of paperwork – enough to wrap around the world 15 times. The latest survey found 56 per cent of people also think it was wrong for Britain to vote to leave the EU. And almost two-thirds, 65 per cent, now want to see a closer relationship with the EU However, just 28 per cent of Tory voters and 16 per cent of voters for Mr Farage 's Reform UK want to rejoin the EU. It will be nine years since the landmark Brexit referendum vote next week. Sir Nick Harvey, CEO of the pro-EU group European Movement UK, said that since the UK left the EU 'the consequences for the British people have become increasingly stark. This latest polling not only reinforces that - it shows that more and more people see the benefits of much closer ties with the European Union. "Brexit has delivered a sustained and worsening blow to the UK economy, one that is especially pronounced for the small and medium-sized enterprises that form the backbone of our commercial and industrial landscape, who are living with the consequences every day. That has made us all poorer, depleted our economy and weakened our country with a thousand tiny cuts.' Matt Smith, from YouGov, said: 'When we asked what type of relationship with the EU people would support, most Britons said they want the UK to return to the EU (56 per cent ).... This does not include many of those who voted to leave it in the first place (24 per cent ) or Conservative (28 per cent ) or Reform UK voters (16 per cent ). 'Despite the support for 'Breturn', many people feel the government has more important matters to deal with. 44 per cent said attempting to re-join the EU would be the wrong priority right now, when balanced against the other issues the UK is facing, compared to 37 per cent who believe it would be the right priority. ' The survey asked 2,239 adults in Britain between June 16 and 17.
Rhyl Journal
a day ago
- Politics
- Rhyl Journal
John Major urges misconduct crackdown, warning of falling political standards
Sir John led the Conservative government between 1990 and 1997, which was mired in accusations of 'sleaze' following a series of parliamentary scandals. In response, he set out the Nolan Principles, a code of conduct which all politicians and officials must abide by, and the Committee on Standards in Public Life to advise the prime minister on ethical standards. A majority of those in public life still follow the principles, he said, but the minority who do not should face consequences. 'Too often, there are none,' Sir John said, speaking at the Institute for Government think tank's one-day conference to mark the 30th anniversary of the Nolan Principles. Pointing to the Partygate scandal which rocked Boris Johnson's government, as well as scandals facing the police, the Church of England, and public services such as the Post Office, Sir John warned of slipping public standards, and insisted 'a re-set is essential'. He added: 'Today, scepticism does not fairly describe the public mood: a more accurate description would be a mixture of cynicism and disillusion that stretches across most of our public institutions ‒ the Church, Parliament, police, public service and press among them. That is not healthy in our public life. 'The Committee on Standards in Public Life has reported that social and political trends have coarsened standards. That is true, but put too gently. 'Standards have been undermined by being ignored, by being broken, by public figures who put personal or political interest before public virtue.' Many of the watchdogs put in place to prevent abuses of power are unable enforce their edicts, Sir John suggested. 'It has been our past practice to offer guidance on good conduct – and trust it will be delivered. That was the Nolan approach. 'But experience has taught us that no rules can deal with individuals prepared to ignore them and, sometimes, sanctions are required,' he said. He welcomed moves to bolster oversight of ministers with an independent adviser on ministerial standards, and the parliamentary commissioner for standards to oversee MPs. But Sir John said the Advisory Committee on Public Appointments (Acoba) stood in 'stark contrast'. The watchdog, which gives politicians, their advisers and chief civil servants advice on whether or not jobs they take up after leaving public life are appropriate, should be 'put on a statutory basis, and given deterrent powers', he said. He also called for a thinning of the number of special advisers who act on behalf of ministers, and warned that House of Lords appointments in recent years had not passed the 'smell test'. 'There should be no free pass to becoming a legislator,' Sir John said, saying the upper chamber should not contain legislators unable or unwilling to take part in scrutinising law changes. The former prime minister also suggested reports American businessman Elon Musk had planned to give a multimillion-pound donation to Nigel Farage's Reform UK political party would have left it a 'wholly-owned subsidiary of foreign money', as he criticised the dangers of political donations. 'We need to refresh protections, and close off this pipeline before it becomes a serious political problem,' he added. Sir John closed his speech by warning that Britain's 'widely envied reputation for being free of corruption and bad practice' was at risk. He added: 'I regret the slow erosion of that reputation – which we would once have thought indestructible. It is time for us to reverse this trend before the damage becomes beyond salvage.'
Glasgow Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Glasgow Times
John Major urges misconduct crackdown, warning of falling political standards
Sir John led the Conservative government between 1990 and 1997, which was mired in accusations of 'sleaze' following a series of parliamentary scandals. In response, he set out the Nolan Principles, a code of conduct which all politicians and officials must abide by, and the Committee on Standards in Public Life to advise the prime minister on ethical standards. A majority of those in public life still follow the principles, he said, but the minority who do not should face consequences. 'Too often, there are none,' Sir John said, speaking at the Institute for Government think tank's one-day conference to mark the 30th anniversary of the Nolan Principles. Pointing to the Partygate scandal which rocked Boris Johnson's government, as well as scandals facing the police, the Church of England, and public services such as the Post Office, Sir John warned of slipping public standards, and insisted 'a re-set is essential'. He added: 'Today, scepticism does not fairly describe the public mood: a more accurate description would be a mixture of cynicism and disillusion that stretches across most of our public institutions ‒ the Church, Parliament, police, public service and press among them. That is not healthy in our public life. 'The Committee on Standards in Public Life has reported that social and political trends have coarsened standards. That is true, but put too gently. 'Standards have been undermined by being ignored, by being broken, by public figures who put personal or political interest before public virtue.' Many of the watchdogs put in place to prevent abuses of power are unable enforce their edicts, Sir John suggested. 'It has been our past practice to offer guidance on good conduct – and trust it will be delivered. That was the Nolan approach. 'But experience has taught us that no rules can deal with individuals prepared to ignore them and, sometimes, sanctions are required,' he said. He welcomed moves to bolster oversight of ministers with an independent adviser on ministerial standards, and the parliamentary commissioner for standards to oversee MPs. But Sir John said the Advisory Committee on Public Appointments (Acoba) stood in 'stark contrast'. The watchdog, which gives politicians, their advisers and chief civil servants advice on whether or not jobs they take up after leaving public life are appropriate, should be 'put on a statutory basis, and given deterrent powers', he said. He also called for a thinning of the number of special advisers who act on behalf of ministers, and warned that House of Lords appointments in recent years had not passed the 'smell test'. 'There should be no free pass to becoming a legislator,' Sir John said, saying the upper chamber should not contain legislators unable or unwilling to take part in scrutinising law changes. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and party treasurer Nick Candy during their meeting with Elon Musk in December (Stuart Mitchell/Reform UK/PA) The former prime minister also suggested reports American businessman Elon Musk had planned to give a multimillion-pound donation to Nigel Farage's Reform UK political party would have left it a 'wholly-owned subsidiary of foreign money', as he criticised the dangers of political donations. 'We need to refresh protections, and close off this pipeline before it becomes a serious political problem,' he added. Sir John closed his speech by warning that Britain's 'widely envied reputation for being free of corruption and bad practice' was at risk. He added: 'I regret the slow erosion of that reputation – which we would once have thought indestructible. It is time for us to reverse this trend before the damage becomes beyond salvage.'
