Top story: ‘Not elected and with no majority, PM sends parliament away’
Good morning – it’s Warren Murray seeking to make things clearer this morning.
Our politics live blog is up and running covering the backlash against Boris Johnson after he obtained the Queen’s agreement to suspend parliament, giving MPs less of a chance to avert a no-deal Brexit. Parliament will still resume next Tuesday – but only to sit for little more than a week before breaking until 14 October. Johnson says a new Queen’s speech will then set out “a bold and ambitious” post-Brexit legislative agenda. A furious John Bercow, the Commons Speaker, has declared it a “constitutional outrage … However it is dressed up, it is blindingly obvious that the purpose of prorogation now would be to stop parliament debating Brexit and performing its duty in shaping a course for the country.” Rebels and opposition MPs opposed to no deal believe Bercow will grant a request for an emergency backbench debate on the first day parliament returns, 3 September. The Conservative MP Dominic Grieve has said he and others are working on a plan for a “humble address” – a tactic used previously by Labour to force the release of economic impact assessments about Brexit.
A petition on the parliamentary website to cancel the proroguing has rapidly gathered more than a million signatures, and demonstrators have gathered not just outside parliament in London but in centres such as Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff, Birmingham, Liverpool, Bristol, Cambridge, Brighton, Durham, Milton Keynes and Chester. Traffic at Downing Street came to a standstill as protesters chanted “save our democracy, stop the coup” and sang “No one voted for Boris”. Polly Toynbee writes: “A no-deal Brexit was never proposed in the referendum, three-quarters of the public are against it, along with the overwhelming majority of MPs. Johnson has not been elected, commands no majority, avoids interviews and now sends parliament away.”
The Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle called it “the start of an anti-democratic coup worthy of a tinpot dictator.” The Labour leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and the Lib Dem leader, Jo Swinson, have appealed to the Queen. Corbyn said there was “a danger that the royal prerogative is being set directly against the wishes of a majority of the House of Commons”. In a blow to Johnson, Ruth Davidson, unable to support the PM’s Brexit plans, has announced her imminent resignation as leader of the Scottish Conservatives. Her departure could cost Johnson a majority at the next general election.
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Rape complaints rise but not convictions – The criminal justice system is putting people at risk by leaving potential serial rapists at large when charges are not pressed against them, the victims’ commissioner, Dame Vera Baird, has warned. “More complainants are coming forward, but fewer cases are being prosecuted and only one in every 50 cases results in a conviction. How can this be justice?” The Crown Prosecution Service says it is taking part in a review to scrutinise how rape cases are being handled. It says a “significant fall in the volume of referrals from the police” has contributed to the drop in charges.
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Death after car hit campers – A woman has died of her injuries after a car was driven into tents on the Rhyd y Galen campsite in Wales. Anna Roselyn Evans, 46, had been in hospital since being hit last week. Jake Waterhouse, 26, from Partington, Manchester, is in custody awaiting court on charges including serious injury by dangerous driving, having no insurance and failing to provide a breath specimen. Three other people injured, two men and a woman, have been released from hospital.
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Alarm raised over measles – The surge in measles infections across Europe is putting lives at risk, experts have said, with the number of cases in 2019 already having outstripped the whole of last year. There were 37 deaths reported across 48 of the 53 countries in the WHO European region in the first six months of 2019. This month the UK lost its “measles-free” status. Professor Martin Marshall, chair of the Royal College of GPs, said: “It is clear that we are still suffering from entirely debunked claims around MMR that were perpetuated in the 90s and are now resurgent on social media and other online platforms.”
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Knives handed to young – Children are still able to buy knives from supermarkets including Tesco and Asda, spot checks by National Trading Standards officers have found, despite retailers pledging to toughen up their sales policies. It is illegal to sell a knife to anyone under the age of 18 – in 2018 the discounter B&M was ordered to pay £480,000 in fines, while Croydon trading standards has prosecuted companies for selling knives online. Kit Malthouse, minister for policing and crime, said: “I am deeply concerned to see some retailers are breaking the law and I expect them to take urgent action to stop young people from getting hold of knives in the first place.”
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‘Face to the name’ – The face of the oldest species on the human evolutionary tree has been revealed for the first time by the discovery of a 3.8 million-year-old skull in Ethiopia. It belongs to Australopithecus anamensis, believed to be the direct ancestor of the famous “Lucy” species, Australopithecus afarensis, and dates back to when our ancestors were emerging from the trees to walk on two legs but still had ape-like faces, powerful jaws and small brains.
It is not known whether anamensis is a direct ancestor of modern humans or began evolving in parallel but then died out. Stephanie Melillo, a German scientist who co-authored an analysis of the find, said: “It is good to finally be able to put a face to the name.”
Lunchtime read: China’s ghost oil tankers
“In early June a Chinese-owned supertanker abruptly went dark in the Indian Ocean, the tracking system signalling its course apparently deactivated,” writes Peter Beaumont. It is not the only Chinese tanker to have done so. “They are hiding their activity,” Samir Madani, the co-founder of TankerTrackers.com, told the New York Times. “They don’t want to broadcast the fact that they have been in Iran, evading sanctions. It’s that simple.” Some have been captured on satellite images interacting with Iranian ships.
The Trump administration has stepped up efforts to track these ghost tankers. Washington is seeking to block Iranian oil exports; but Iran is crucial to China as the only oil-rich country where the US does not have a foothold. Beijing does have US trade negotiations to consider, as well as relations with other oil-rich countries like Saudi Arabia. Likewise, many of the US’s main priorities, including North Korea and Iran, are dependent on how the Trump administration treats China, says Ali Vaez from the Crisis Group thinktank. “I’m not sure the Trump administration has the bandwidth or the strategic understanding to connect all these dots.”
Sport
The Bury North MP, James Frith, has called for an Insolvency Service investigation into the company voluntary arrangement organised to cut the debts of struggling Bury football club, who were expelled by the English Football League on Tuesday. The club’s demise, which prompts many questions, is another warning that the huge social value of clubs cannot beat the cold, hard edges of a free market. But Bolton Wanderers were able to announce a last-minute reprieve with the club administrators confirming the sale to Football Ventures Limited has been completed. Roger Federer made his way into the third round of the US Open after defeating Damir Dzumhur in four sets while in the women’s draw, second seed Ash Barty overcame the stiff challenge of American Lauren Davis and world No 3 Karolina Pliskova turned on the power to beat Mariam Bolkvadze to reach the third round at Flushing Meadows. Jofra Archer has questioned whether Australia will declare again during the remaining two Ashes Tests as they struggle to come to terms with their dramatic one-wicket defeat at Headingley. And Phil Neville has said failure clouded his judgment after England’s World Cup semi-final against the USA and that he regrets calling the third-place play-off a “nonsense game”.
Business
Boris Johnson’s plan to bypass parliament in order to ensure Brexit goes ahead meant another battering for the pound, which fell more than a cent against the US dollar to below $1.218. It dipped against the euro by a similar amount but it has recovered some ground overnight to sit at $1.22 and €1.101. Brexit is also a factor in declining car production, which has sunk to its lowest level since 2001, not helped either by weak demand from key overseas markets. The FTSE100 looks set to dip 0.4% this morning, following losses on Asian markets overnight.
The papers
These being days of historic infamy, we have a longer wrap-up of the UK papers and some of the foreign press reaction too. A summary follows.
There is plenty of constitutional outcry, and not much else, on the front pages of the papers today. The Guardian’s lead is: “Outrage as Johnson suspends parliament”, while the i has “MPs outraged as Johnson shuts down parliament”.
The Mail is thrilled: “Boris takes the gloves off”, as are the Times: “Johnson goes for broke”, the Express: “Brexit: the die is cast” and the Telegraph, which employs Johnson – it features a quote as its headline: “The prime minister must give effect to the will of the nation”.
The FT says there has been “Uproar as Johnson shuts down parliament to protect Brexit plan”, the Sun leavens things with the hilarious headline: “Hey big suspender” and the furious Mirror labels the PM: “Prorogue”.
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