British Government Goes Ahead With £120 million ‘festival of Brexit’ Plans
Boris Johnson plans a post-Brexit festival of Great Britain and Northern Ireland schedulled for 2022 to celebrate independence and sovereignity of UK from the European Union; former prime minister Theresa May’s grand idea which the PM had been advised to skip///BY CRIMSON TAZVINZWA
Dean Creamer, a delivery director for the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham is the point man of planning for the £120m project – dubbed the “festival of Brexit” by critics – which is due to take place in 2022, according to the Guardian reporting.
However, figures from arts institutions have privately expressed concern about the project, which some say is likely to alienate remain-supporting visitors at museums and galleries that are expected to take part.
There had been previous warnings that the idea – announced by May in 2018 as an initiative that would “strengthen our precious union” – could inflame tensions in Northern Ireland, coming a year after the centenary of Irish partition and on the 100th anniversary of the start of the Irish civil war.
Jane Bown’s photographs of the Festival of Britain, 1951
Jane Bown took at least 155 frames of the 1951 Festival of Britain on her Rolleiflex camera. The pictures show the startlingly modern architecture of the festival site, but also lots of the things she loved shooting, including children and people at leisure. These photographs now reside in the Occasions section of her extensive archive, which is held at the Guardian News & Media Archive.
The Festival of Britain site on the South Bank in London, 1951, featuring the Royal Festival Hall in the foreground, the Dome of Discovery, Fairway Fountains and the Skylon. (GNM Archive ref: JHB/1/3/43box 3) Photograph: Jane Bown/The Observer
EU should show ‘common sense’ on BrexitPrime Minister Considers General Election To Force No-deal through///BBC NEWS
The EU should show “common sense” and agree to make changes to the Brexit withdrawal deal, Boris Johnson has told the BBC.
The prime minister said there was “bags of time” for the EU to compromise on the Irish border backstop plan before the Brexit deadline of 31 October.
He also warned MPs not to oppose Brexit, and to respect the 2016 referendum result.
The EU has said repeatedly the backstop arrangements cannot be changed.
Mr Johnson said the policy – designed to guarantee there will not be a hard Irish border after Brexit – would turn the UK into a “satellite state” of the EU if it came into effect.
Speaking during a visit to Oxfordshire, he said the arrangements would “keep us locked in EU regulatory orbit, locked in the EU trading system, unable to control our own laws”.
“We need change on that, once we get change on that I think we’re at the races, and I think there’s a good deal to be done.”
Theresa May’s deal has been rejected three times by MPs and as things stand, the UK will leave the EU on 31 October whether it has agreed a new one or not.
Many of those who voted against the deal had concerns over the backstop, which if implemented, would see Northern Ireland staying aligned to some rules of the EU single market.
It would also see the UK stay in a single customs territory with the EU, and align with current and future EU rules on competition and state aid.
These arrangements would apply unless and until both the EU and UK agreed they were no longer necessary.
No confidence vote
The Prime Minister’s comments come amid growing speculation that opposition MPs will table a vote of no confidence in the government in a move to try and stop the UK leaving the EU without a deal.
Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has said Labour will table a no-confidence vote at an “appropriate” time, once MPs return from the summer break in September.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, Mr Johnson’s senior advisor at No 10, Dominic Cummings, has told MPs even losing such a vote could not stop the PM taking the UK out of the EU on 31 October.
He reportedly said Mr Johnson could call an election for after the deadline, with Brexit taking place in the meantime.
On Wednesday, shadow chancellor John McDonnell said he would expect Mr Johnson to step aside if he lost a no-confidence vote.
“No prime minister can sustain themselves in office when they no longer have a majority in the Commons”, he said, speaking at the Edinburgh Festival.
“I don’t want to drag the Queen into this, but I would be sending Jeremy Corbyn in a cab to Buckingham Palace to say ‘we’re taking over’.”
Asked whether he would resign in those circumstances, Mr Johnson said MPs should ensure Brexit takes place by the end of October.
“What MPs should do and what they’ve already voted to do, when triggering Article 50 and reconfirmed several times, is honour the mandate of the people”, he said.
On Tuesday cabinet minister Michael Gove accused the EU of “refusing to negotiate with the UK” over a new Brexit deal.
The European Commission said it was willing to hold further talks, “should the UK wish to clarify its position”.
Three of the four great offices of state (Chancellor, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary) are held by the children of immigrants, two are held by children of refugees//CRIMSON TAZVINZWA/
Sajid Javid is Chancellor, Priti Patel is Home Secretary, Dominic Raab is both Foreign Secretary and First Secretary of State
Michael Gove becomes Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, his fifth Cabinet job. Matt Hancock remains Health Secretary and Gavin Williamson is Education Secretary. Amber Rudd remains Work and Pension Secretary and Geoffrey Cox stays as Attorney General.
Jacob Rees-Mogg becomes Leader of the House of Commons
Grant Shapps is appointed Transport Secretary and Alok Sharma is International Development Secretary.
Ben Wallace is Defence Secretary, Steven Barclay remains Brexit Secretary, Liz Truss is promoted to International Trade Secretary, Andrea Leadsom is Business Secretary, Nicky Morgan is the new Culture Secretary. Robert Jenrick has been appointed Housing Secretary, Robert Buckland is Justice Secretary, Alun Cairns keeps his position as Welsh Secretary.
Jeremy Hunt has left the government after reportedly turning down the offer of Defence Secretary.
Twelve or more Cabinet ministers have been sacked or resigned. Penny Mordaunt, Liam Fox, Greg Clark, Damian Hinds, James Brokenshire, David Mundell, Chris Grayling and Jeremy Hunt are no longer in government. Earlier, Philip Hammond, David Lidington, David Gauke and Rory Stewart pre-emptively resigned from the Cabinet.
Immigration minister Caroline Nokes and Commons Leader Mel Stride have been fired. Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley and Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright have also reportedly been removed.
Three of the four great offices of state (Chancellor, Home Secretary, Foreign Secretary) are held by the children of immigrants, two are held by children of refugees.
The new Cabinet will meet for the first time at 8.30 tomorrow morning (if Boris can get up on time).
No-deal Brexit will plunge Tories into opposition ‘for a long time’, minister warns Boris Johnson//Rob MerrickDeputy Political Editor@Rob_Merrick
Boris Johnson will plunge the Tory party into opposition for “an awfully long time” if he carries out a no-deal Brexit, a government minister says.
Tobias Ellwood also warned the near-certain next prime minister he would be “crawling back to the table”, begging the EU for an agreement, if he crashed the UK out of the EU in October.
The comments appear to ensure the defence minister will follow chancellor Philip Hammond out of the government if Mr Johnson wins the Tory leadership race on Tuesday.
Mr Ellwood ducked repeated questions about his future, but attacked the claims that the UK could prosper if it tried to “run away from the EU”.
Speaking on Sky News, he ridiculed the idea that “we are able to land man on the moon 50 years ago but we can’t sort out the Northern Ireland backstop”, insisting: “We can.”
Mr Ellwood added: “If we don’t do that than the Conservative party could be destined to be in opposition for an awfully long time.
“And that is the danger that I hope every one of my colleagues will wake up to – and of course the next prime minister too.”
The attack came as Mr Hammond revealed he would walk out even before Mr Johnson reaches No 10, saying: “I intend to resign after prime minister’s questions, before the prime minister goes to the Palace.”
David Gauke, the justice Secretary – another no-deal opponent – revealed he would also quit on Wednesday if Mr Johnson is the winner of the contest.
Other pro-EU cabinet ministers – such as de-facto deputy prime minister David Lidington and Greg Clark, the business secretary – are also expected to be sacked, or to quit.
U.K.’s Hammond to Quit If Johnson Becomes Premier: Brexit Update Bloomberg Boris Johnson or Jeremy Hunt will face an international crisis when they take office on Wednesday — and it’s not Brexit. Iran’s seizure of a British oil tanker in the … Source: “brexit” – Google News
