Boris Johnson says a legislative solution to the NI protocol is needed
A Tory MP arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault on charges dating back to 2002-2009 has been released on bail, Sofia police said.
An unnamed lawmaker in his fifties was asked by party whips not to attend parliament while a police investigation is under way.
Foreign Minister Liz Truss said she was “very, very concerned about the reports”, adding that the case was clearly a “police matter”.
The arrest comes just weeks after Westminster was rocked by another round of Pestminster charges against incumbents. They led to the resignation of a Tory MP, Neil Parish, after he admitted to watching pornography in the City Hall.
Meanwhile, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has come under intense pressure to publish the legal basis for plans to repeal the Northern Ireland Protocol as the EU raises the specter of a full-blown trade war, warning it is ready to retaliate.
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss announced on Tuesday that the government would introduce legislation to unilaterally reject the protocol, despite a request from the Bank of England to avoid a harmful trade war.
The bloc’s deputy chairman, Maros Shefcovic, said he had “significant concerns” about the plan and warned that “unilateral action is not acceptable”.
Key points
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Liz Trus is “very, very concerned” about the reports of the rape of a Tory MP
Foreign Minister Liz Truss said she was “very, very concerned” about the news that the Tory MP had been arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual violence for seven years.
Speaking to Sky News, Ms Truss said: “I am very, very concerned about the reports I have heard. Obviously this is a matter for the police.
“The police are currently working on the case, but it is worrying that we see these horrific … accusations, again, of an MP.”
Asked whether the deputy should have been removed or not, his whip should have been removed, she said: “I think it is a question of the police whether this person has been identified.
“I don’t know who he is. I know the police are looking at him and investigating him, and I think we should wait for the police to conduct these investigations.”
Elinor Sly, May 18, 2022, 8:30 p.m.
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Tory MP arrested on suspicion of rape, released on bail
The Conservative MP, arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault, has now been released on bail pending further investigations by Sofia police.
Scotland Yard said an unnamed man in his 50s – also detained on suspicion of indecent assault, breach of trust and misconduct – was detained on Tuesday.
In an updated statement Wednesday, the forces said he had been “released on bail pending further investigations by mid-June”, adding: “The investigation is ongoing”.
Elinor Sly18 May 2022 08:12
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Foreign Minister Liz Truss has opposed calls for an unforeseen tax on the profits of oil and gas giants.
She said that the implementation of such a move would make “difficult to attract future investments in our country.”
Ms Truss acknowledged that inflation was “extremely high” and “no doubt” things were “very difficult for people across the UK and indeed around the world” because of “global headwinds”.
Speaking to Sky News, she said: “The problem with the contingency tax is that it makes it difficult to attract future investment in our country. So imposing such a tax has a price.
“And my opinion is that lower taxes are the best way to attract more investment, to attract business in this country, which can create these high-paying jobs, which is what we need to deal with these global winds.
Elinor Sly18 May 2022 07:56
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Brexit is back because of the Northern Ireland Protocol dispute – what will happen next?
When Boris Johnson visited Sweden and Finland to sign pacts of mutual security with the two countries last week, the union jack flew off along with their national flags and the EU’s 12-star emblem.
For the prime minister, this was the ideal image of a “global Britain”.
The strong leadership he showed during the crisis in Ukraine allowed Johnson to rebuild Brexit-broken alliances with several EU members. However, cohesion does not cover the EU as a whole.
Elinor Sly18 May 2022 07:27
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Brexit increases the risk of dangerous foods reaching the UK, the observer warns
Brexit has increased the risk of dangerous foods reaching the UK as inspectors are excluded from the EU’s “rapid alert system”, ministers warned on Tuesday.
The Food Standards Agency is still trying to build protection to compensate for data loss, the Court of Auditors (NAO) found.
The regulator acknowledged that it needed a 65% boost in its resources to “deliver the same result achieved with the EU system”, the report warns.
“Food safety failures can have catastrophic consequences for human life, public confidence, the wider economy and international trade,” the NAO said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 May 2022 07:08
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NI’s business bosses are urging the prime minister to step down from the plan to discard the protocol
Business leaders in Northern Ireland have called on Boris Johnson to step down from radical unilateral action to drop checks on protocols as the prime minister heads to Belfast for crisis talks.
According to reports, ministers are ready to introduce the bill this week to repeal the protocol – despite EU warnings that such a move would violate the Brexit agreement and could provoke a trade war.
However, the Brexit Working Group on Business in Northern Ireland – a major body of 14 business organizations – wrote to Mr Johnson to say that a compromise with the EU is still possible. “We still believe that the way to resolve this is by discussion, not by taking extreme action,” CEO Stephen Kelly told The Independent.
There is still a way to travel.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 May 2022 07:01
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A bill to break the NI protocol, which will be on display for weeks
Foreign Secretary Liz Truss has expressed her intention to present legislation within weeks to repeal parts of the post-Brexit deal for Northern Ireland.
“Our intention is to introduce legislation in the coming weeks to make changes to the protocol. “Our preference remains an agreement through negotiations, and we remain open to further negotiations if we can achieve the same result,” she said.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 May 2022 06:25
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The EU is concerned about the UK Government’s plan for the NI Protocol
European Union Vice President Maroš Šefčovič said on Tuesday that there were “significant concerns” about the UK government’s plan to break the Protocol on Northern Ireland.
“Unilateral action is not acceptable. The potential for flexibility offered by the unit has yet to be fully explored. They can make a real difference on earth (sic), ”he tweeted.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 May 2022 06:05
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Brexit dispute: Prime Minister under pressure to publish legal advice
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been under pressure to publish the legal basis for plans to repeal the Northern Ireland Protocol amid warnings of revenge from the EU.
Legal experts have questioned Foreign Minister Liz Truss’s claim in the municipality that the proposed parliamentary bill, which would destroy Mr Johnson’s 2019 agreement, is “legal in international law”. Conservative banks have also been concerned about the potential for damaging the UK’s reputation if it is found to be in breach of its international obligations.
“MEPs will want to see the legal advice and know that it is sustainable and controversial before continuing to do so,” a former minister told The Independent.
“We do not want to go back to the same battle we fought with the internal market bill, with ministers talking about breaking the law in a limited way.
Andrew Woodcock has more.
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 May 2022 05:43
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Conservative MP detained on suspicion of rape
A 50-year-old Tory MP has been arrested on suspicion of rape and sexual assault on charges dating from 2002 to 2009, Sofia police said.
The unnamed lawmaker was asked by party whips not to be in parliament while a police investigation is under way.
“In January 2020, Met received a report related to alleged sexual crimes committed between 2002 and 2009. The crimes were allegedly committed in London. An investigation by a Central Crime Specialist is under way, a police spokesman said.
“A man in his fifties was arrested on suspicion of indecent assault, sexual assault, rape, abuse of trust and misconduct in public service. He remains in custody. “
Alisha Rahaman Sarkar18 May 2022 05:26
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