Latest news with #AndrewNeil
Telegraph
17-07-2025
- Politics
- Telegraph
Telegraph style book: Nn
N Nafta: North American Free Trade Agreement. Not NAFTA Nasa: Never NASA national curriculum: Lower case National Farmers' Union National Insurance (NI) National Lottery National Trust: Thereafter the trust nativity: For the birth of Jesus Nato (never NATO) NatWest 'Ndrangheta nearby: In all uses Neil, Andrew nerve-racking net zero: Lower case Netanyahu, Benjamin Network Rail: Owns and operates all Britain's rail infrastructure nevertheless Newcastle upon Tyne, Newcastle-under-Lyme New Year's Eve/Day, New Year: But 'in the new year' Newspaper Publishers Association: No apostrophe Nicholson, Jack Nineteen Eighty-Four: The novel by George Orwell. Not 1984 nitrobenzene No 10 Downing Street, No 10 No 1: As in 'the Beatles hold the record for No 1s', should be written out as number ones nonetheless no one numskull
The National
08-07-2025
- Politics
- The National
Meltdown over Jeremy Corbyn's new party exposed their fear
Indeed, that word, 'meltdown' is becoming the common parlance with which to describe the attitudes and actions of an ailing political and media establishment to events they neither control nor understand. Such lashing out is rarely, if ever, rational. On the one hand, a party led by Jeremy Corbyn – or the 'Magic Grandpa' in the words of the once widely respected Andrew Neil – is surely pie in the sky adventurism. On the other, it poses a substantial threat to the Labour Party, and will float Nigel Farage into Number 10. You could feel the sense of entitlement and relief when Zarah Sultana's announcement of the founding of this new political force was followed by public revelations of some of the internal rifts about how to go about such a project – cue the clapped-out 'People's Front of Judea' jibes. READ MORE: How small Scottish parties are reacting to news of a new Corbyn project There is no point in denying that the backdrop to this development has been partially interrupted by various leaks to the press, before the thing has been formally launched. But all of that is secondary to the underlying fact that there can be no doubt a mass constituency for the kind of politics it represents exists. And it is this reality which adds to the mounting sense of unease, which goes beyond the electoral sphere, among an increasingly brittle ruling class. So much so, that the state has come to proscribe a non-violent protest group as a 'terrorist organisation'. Over the weekend, the Reverend Sue Parfitt (below), 83, was detained for holding a placard which read. 'I oppose genocide. I support Palestine Action,' as a consequence of this. She was, farcically, arrested by Met Police officers for offences under the Terrorism Act. Yes, the same legislation that is purportedly designed to tackle the likes of al-Qaeda. Is this really where Yvette Cooper believes the threat to the people of the United Kingdom comes from? Or, in fact, is it far closer to the truth to say, quite obviously, that this has nothing to do with security and everything to do with clamping down on Palestine solidarity activism? Consider for a moment, that had Sue been holding a sign saying 'I support genocide', she would be free to do so. Every part of the movement has encountered the sharp end of the state, not just those who have taken part in direct action. Leading figures in the Stop the War Coalition and the Palestine Solidarity Campaign have also been arrested and charged for organising huge demonstrations, no matter how peaceful they were and are. This, of course, is not the sign of a confidence, but of grave weakness. It could not be more serious. Whatever is said in public, the UK Government knows full well the scale of the atrocities in Gaza, and their participation in it. They can take losing an argument about sundry domestic affairs. But here we are talking about genocide, the worst of all crimes against humanity. It is quite simple: they cannot allow for there to be a popular, impactful and organised current of opposition which, crucially, is determined to hold those responsible to account. READ MORE: Freedom Flotilla Coalition to launch new aid ship to Gaza Don't for a second underestimate just how upending this is for our society. So much so that the government are willing, in a fit of reactionary panic, to shred civil liberties and rights in the process of defending their position on the matter, while demonising their opponents. Any student of history knows it never ends well for the powerful when they overplay their hand. When there is a need to resort to force and repression, it only underlines the fact that the ideological line has irrevocably collapsed. Some have a keener sense of this than others, such as The Times, whose editorial stance is to oppose applying terrorist status to Palestine Action. There is, then, a sense of desperation and hysteria about it all. Which is where we return to the potential of a left party. Because it is this issue which has generated the conditions for rupture with the Labour Party, and the politicisation of a whole new generation of campaigners. Meanwhile, the links between imperial foreign policy and declining living standards are being made in the process. In the same way as extra-parliamentary protest has been demonised, a party which could represent it in parliament will be smeared and shunned. READ MORE: Lisa Nandy aide 'drafted note saying BBC is institutionally antisemitic' That is one of many reasons why developments around party formation must be hand in glove with the mass movements which give rise to the political atmosphere required to launch such an initiative in the first place. Corbyn would never have become leader of the Labour Party had it not been for the anti-war and anti-austerity campaigns. And the same is true today for any emerging electoral vehicle. This means a break not just with the Labour Party, but also with the Labourism which elevates parliamentary politics above all else. Overcoming the notion that working-class organisation and social movements are subordinate to electoralism and elections is not an optional extra. It also means learning from experience, and in Scotland, treating the differences in the political terrain here seriously. I will offer some perspectives on these issues in the coming weeks and months. Politics today is fluid, and explosions in activity and insurgency can come into the scene quickly. We have seen this on the radical right with the rise of Reform. But these things can also go up like a rocket and down like a stick. Creating lasting organisation in not easy. It requires clarity of ideas; the ability to navigate a complex period; internal cohesion and much else. But the big picture is that the foundations of politics are changing. Boxed in, shrill and dogmatic, the status quo seem ill-equipped to deal with this and with the multi-dimensional crises they are wedded to. Perhaps that is the one constant in an otherwise volatile and unpredictable world. So expect more meltdowns, at the very least.
Yahoo
24-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Andrew Neil Says Senior Trump Aide Is 'A Kremlin Stooge' In Brutal Takedown
Andrew Neil has branded one of Donald Trump's top officials 'a Kremlin stooge' over his comments praising Vladimir Putin. The veteran broadcaster said US special envoy Steve Witkoff 'knows nothing about what he's talking about' when it comes to the war in Ukraine. Witkoff said the Russian president was 'not a bad guy' during an interview with right-wing US broadcaster Tucker Carlson. Speaking on Times Radio, Neil said the interview was 'what happens when you have two idiots beside a microphone and neither of them know what they're talking about'. 'One is just a busted flush mad American broadcaster, but the other is the president's special envoy and he knows nothing about what he's talking about,' he said. 'I mean this guy's a property billionaire, he's never been involved in this level of geopolitics. He doesn't know anything about it. 'Throughout the interview he repeats Kremlin talking points, and so does Carlson. These are two Kremlin lovers.' He added: '[Witkoff] describes Putin as 'not a bad guy'. He ought to speak to the families of those who've been murdered by Putin's thugs or stuck in the gulag by his thugs.' Neil also accused the White House and the Kremlin of trying to impose a peace deal to end the war without any contribution from Ukraine or Europe. 'I think it's very dangerous when you've got the leading representative of the president talking as if he's a Kremlin stooge,' the veteran broadcaster said. 'I am not confident about these peace talks at all, because you can call them peace talks but I think the proper word might end up being surrender.' Andrew Neil skewers Steve Witkoff & Tucker Carlson:"It's what happens when you have 2 idiots beside a microphone & neither of them know what they're talking about... they repeated Kremlin talking points... these are 2 Kremlin lovers..." — Haggis_UK 🇬🇧 🇪🇺 (@Haggis_UK) March 24, 2025 Downing Street Hits Back At Trump Envoy Who Criticised Starmer's Ukraine Plan Trump Envoy Dismisses Keir Starmer's Plan For Ukraine With 1 Cutting Remark Putin 'Tells Russian Business Leaders Not To Be Naive' Over Ukraine Talks
BBC News
20-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Jo Coburn to step down from presenting Politics Live
Jo has been presenting Politics Live – the BBC's daily weekday politics show – since it launched in 2018. Initially joining the BBC in 1997 as a reporter covering Westminster, Jo has become one of BBC Politics' most senior presenters - covering major domestic and international political events for programmes including the Today programme, the Six and Ten bulletins and the BBC News Channel. During her BBC career she has anchored live coverage of six chancellors' budgets, covered eight general elections and hosted numerous overnight by-election specials. In July 2011, she started presenting BBC Two's Daily Politics full time with Andrew Neil, before taking on the lead presenter role for Politics Live when it replaced Daily Politics. Jo has been an integral part of the show, delivering a fast-paced and conversational take on the day's political events – serving audiences with political news, interviews, panel guests and sharp analysis. Jo Coburn says: 'What a privilege to have been in the hot seat of the Daily Politics and then Politics Live covering the tumultuous events of the last decade or so. It's time to move on and hand over to someone else but I've loved it all, especially the people I've worked with and the hundreds of guests who've kept me company in the studio every day.' Hilary O'Neill, Executive Editor Politics, says: 'Jo has shaped Politics Live into the programme it is today where viewers tune in knowing they'll be expertly guided through the biggest political stories, whilst making them accessible and entertaining. Jo is a forensic interviewer and engaging presenter who draws on her deep knowledge of politics to challenge ministers on the issues that matter most to the public. She will be greatly missed by both the audience and her colleagues.' Richard Burgess, Director of News Content, said: 'I want to thank Jo for her immense contribution to our coverage, and on a career where she has been at the heart of political journalism for almost 30 years. Millions of viewers have benefited from Jo's incisive interviewing and her ability to host intelligent discussion and debate from across the political spectrum. We wish her all the best for the future.' Jo will be leaving the BBC at the end of May. A new presenter will be announced in due course. MT
