Sir Keir Starmer in the House of Commons – where MPs want to have a vote on Eu youth mobility (Image: PA)
A new youth mobility scheme with the European Union must be put to MPs for a vote, Westminster’s foreign affairs committee has demanded. The influential body has taken the Government to task for its lack of transparency and concerns about the absence of a “strategic vision” as it pursues a “reset” of the UK’s relationship with the bloc.
Ministers are blasted for a “piecemeal and secretive” approach to the negotiations. A letter from committee chair Dame Emily Thornberry urges the Government to “set out a comprehensive strategy for reaching the desired end-point and be frank about the trade-offs that may be required”.
She says MPs are concerned the Government’s ambitions in some areas “appear piecemeal and lacking in detail”.
In a further criticism, she states: “There has been no indication from the Government of the extent to which any new agreement on alignment with EU rules could require the Government to submit to the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice.”
She calls on the Government to bring any draft agreement on youth mobility “to the Commons for a debate and vote before it is brought into effect”.
Dame Emily Thornberry said: “We should be clear about what it is that we want and act with a little less caution and a lot more confidence. If we do this, there is every reason to believe the EU will respond positively.
“European nations are amongst the UK’s closest and most important allies. We are fellow liberal democracies with shared values and history, as well as common challenges. While it would be foolish not to acknowledge that the relationship between the UK and EU still bears the scars of the Brexit negotiations, we need to look to the future, not remain stuck in the past.”
She added: “The war in Ukraine teaches us that we must work with likeminded nations to defend democracy and the rules-based international order. Let’s hope that the summit on Monday is the beginning of a new chapter of closer cooperation on defence and security with our friends in Europe.”
A Government spokesperson said: “We have been clear that we will always act in the national interest to secure the best outcomes for the UK. We are not providing a running commentary on our discussions with the EU, these are ongoing and cover a wide range of issues.”
Brace yourselves: Keir Starmer special set to rear ugly head to fury of ordinary Brits
Daniel Dowling-Brooks celebrates prison release (Image: PA)
Expect more scenes like these from last year when the government decided to release 1,700 prisoners early due to our over-crowded jails. Convicted villains cheered, laughed, danced and drank champagne with their chums in front of a cavalcade of luxury cars outside prisons up and down the country. Some were rounded up and back behind bars within days though and be in no doubt, these are scenes that will come to haunt this Labour Government.
These “prison breaks” are set to return as anyone who breaches conditions while out on licence will be recalled to jail… but for JUST 28 days! Even the Government’s own Victims’ Tsar Baroness Newlove opposed this lunacy saying: “Victims will understandably feel unnerved and bewildered… and I am concerned about the implications for victim safety.”
Surely we deserve to be protected from these villains, which include those convicted of domestic abuse? And if we didn’t send people to jail for wholly vile and unjustifiable social media posts, perhaps we’d have more room for wife-beaters?
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Keir Starmer’s terrible idea is set to make a comeback (Image: Getty)
It has taken some doing, but Thames Water is yet again on the verge of going broke. However, we learnt last week its boss, Chris Weston, was paid a £195,000 bonus for just THREE months of work as he took up the job. That takes his salary to £2.3 million.
Here’s an idea: why not link the vast salaries we shell out to these bosses to the quality of the water they provide? Seeing as much of it is close to levels of dangerous toxicity, they’d probably owe us money.
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Freed after serving 38 years in jail for a murder he didn’t commit, in his statement Peter Sullivan said “I am not angry, I am not bitter” and went on to extend his sympathies to the murder victim’s family and said he hoped they would “find peace” when the real killer is tracked down.
Such forgiveness is surely as extraordinary as it is exemplary and you have to question whether the cap of £1million he could receive in compensation is anywhere near close enough.
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It is reported Prince Harry and Meghan have offered support to Brooklyn Beckham and his wife Nicola Peltz amid reports of a rift in the family. As the Duke and Duchess of Sussex have two children who only ever get to see one of their four grandparents, this is unlikely to end well.
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The NHS is to treat nursery age children who think they could be transgender. This is dangerously absurd. How would any toddler that age even understand such complexities? As a child, I apparently told my parents I wanted to be a green train, as one of my brothers had just got his Hornby railway set. Fortunately they didn’t listen to my demand.
