Labour leader Keir Starmer celebrates winning the UK general election with a speech at Tate Modern in central London. Getty Images
Mr Starmer and his wife Victoria arrive at the Tate Modern. PA
Mr Starmer gives a victory speech at the Tate Modern. PA
Mr Starmer greets former Labour leader Neil Kinnock. AP
Prime Minister and Conservative Party leader Rishi Sunak retained his seat as MP for Richmond and Northallerton, in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. AFP
Former Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn, who had been expelled from the party and stood as an independent, won in Islington seat North, London. EPA
Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, was victorious in Clacton-on-Sea, in Essex. Bloomberg
Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg leaves University of Bath after losing his seat in the North East Somerset and Hanham constituency. AP
Liberal Democrat leader Ed Davey celebrates at London Art Bar, central London, after his party seemed poised for a successful night. AP
Penny Mordaunt lost her seat in the Portsmouth North constituency to Labour. PA
Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar celebrates with Maureen Burke after she won in Glasgow North East. Reuters
Sir Archibald Stanton standing for the Official Monster Raving Loony Party poses for a picture at the Richmond and Northallerton count centre in Northallerton, North Yorkshire. AFP
Mr Starmer is congratulated by fellow candidates Bobby 'Elmo' Smith and Nick 'The Flying Brick' Delves after winning his seat for Holborn and St Pancras, at the Camden Council count centre in London. AFP
Chris Blackhurst is a former editor of The Independent, based in London
July 05, 2024
Anyone wanting to trace the decline of the Conservative Party would do well to start with 1979 and Margaret Thatcher’s first Cabinet.
The imperious new prime minister was surrounded by an array of talent, people of true stature with names such as William Whitelaw, Peter Carington, Peter Walker, Michael Heseltine, Geoffrey Howe and Quintin Hogg. Now, look at those who have been and gone from high office since Boris Johnson’s 2019 triumph.
Forty years in the making, the once great party was reduced to fielding characters who would never have made it to Mrs Thatcher’s side. From the leaders – Mr Johnson himself, devoid of attention to detail and honesty, Liz Truss, enough said, Rishi Sunak, a COO but no commanding CEO. From the supporting cast – Priti Patel, Gavin Williamson, Dominic Raab, Grant Shapps (a loser last night). This latter list is long and unimpressive.
For some time now, once the realisation dawned that Mr Johnson was an empty vessel, the Tories have lacked policies and substance. The impression they gave, increasingly, was of an organisation that would do anything to cling to power. It was as if the well-rehearsed accolade of the most successful electoral party in history anywhere clung to them like a faded, no longer fitting ball gown.
From the moment Mr Sunak stood in the pouring rain to announce the election, the outcome was foregone. Their campaign smacked of desperately treading water, just trying to keep afloat. Measures – remember National Service for all 18-year-olds – came and went, barely mentioned again. The sense of people who did not believe in what they were doing or saying, who were merely going through the motions, was compounded.
Rishi Sunak walks back into 10 Downing Street in London on May 22 after he announced the General Election for July 4. AP
That was not the intention, of course. But this was a party that ran out of ideas and energy years ago.
They came up with grand-sounding phrases – “Big Society” under David Cameron, “levelling up” from Mr Johnson – but had no concept of how to put them into practice. It always was a difference between Conservative and Labour. The former is a party, the latter is a movement.
After each setback, Labour would dust itself down, pick itself up and begin again, more determined than ever to secure victory. The Tories never had that depth of motivation. For them it was all about winning, and winning. That was it. There was no vision, no ideological, detailed route-map towards a blue-tinted nirvana.
After each setback, Labour would dust itself down, pick itself up and begin again, more determined than ever to secure victory
There was a time when the rump of the party, the “One Nation” Conservatives, provided sense and balance. Increasingly, though, they were marginalised. The Eurosceptics would not let up, and this small, vociferous group snapped and harried. They were aided and abetted by an outsider, Nigel Farage. The fear he spread was out of all proportion to his actual position. Nevertheless, it secured him the announcement of the Brexit referendum.
Britain's Reform UK Party Leader Nigel Farage won his first seat in parliament. Reuters
Still, his grip tightened. Look at the knots the government got into over Mr Farage’s claim to have been “debanked” by NatWest. It was a call from a minister that forced the departure of the chief executive, Alison Rose, from a bank that was majority-owned by the taxpayer.
Ms Rose did not need to go, Mr Farage wanted her gone, she went.
At the last annual conference, Mr Farage was courted, embarrassingly, by fawning Tory seniors. Roll forward to the election campaign, and Mr Farage’s declaration that he was standing for the Reform UK party was followed by awkward attempts by the same Tory leadership to put distance between them and a man whom they were wooing and pandering to only recently.
Suddenly, he was the enemy - more so, it appeared, than Labour leader Keir Starmer. This speaks volumes about a residual, gnawing fear.
Mr Farage had charisma where they had none, his Reform manifesto contained populist policies that would meet with Tory approval, he’d gone from being the maverick upstart to alternative rival.
So, it ended up with an enormous Labour majority, a landslide. Worse, if that was possible for the Tories, there is the arrival in the UK House of Commons of Reform.
The scale of defeat was not of wipeout proportions. Anything leaving the Tories with double-digit MPs would surely have signalled the end. Faced as well with resurgent Liberal Democrats, they would have been consigned to oblivion.
That has not occurred. Instead, they find themselves at a crossroads: to continue on the same, unhappy, uninspiring, unpopular path; or to change. The pressure will be for the latter. But do they return to the centre where they were once so dominant, or do they continue to shift to the right, to head off Reform, to take their ground? In which case, is there an argument for merger and the anointment of Mr Farage as leader?
It’s too early to call. Certainly, Mr Sunak should go and there needs to be a leadership campaign. But the need is more profound. They must decide who they are, what they believe in – and crucially they must stick to it (theirs has been a party of ill-discipline versus a much tighter Labour).
There is a strong, historical case for a move back towards centrism and the re-emergence of One Nation Toryism. But that’s not been the recent direction and the louder voices are on the right of the party. They will insist they were correct all along, that the rise of Reform proves it, that if the Tory party is to have a future it must embrace the values of the right.
The parliamentary candidates for leader from that quarter do not inspire. It’s hard to conceive of Suella Braverman or Kemi Badenoch appealing to the country at large.
There are two big beasts, one within the Commons but outside the party, and the other outside the Commons but within the party. They are Mr Farage and Mr Johnson. They are the same two who led the Brexit campaign. The fact the B-word is scarcely mentioned today will not hinder them.
A Conservative Party led by Mr Farage will not be the Conservative Party as we know it – Mrs Thatcher and her Cabinet would be lost for words. Equally, it’s hard to see how Mr Johnson can mount a credible return. He may point to his hero, Winston Churchill, who was ousted and did come back. Mr Johnson, though, is no Churchill – however much he believes he is.
What the Tories are facing is months –if not years – of soul-searching and arguing. They’ve brought it on themselves, and it will not end happily.
The scrapping begins today. But if it’s not accompanied by thought and clarity and rigour, they will surely be over – that decline will only carry on. The temptation will be to move quickly but a period of contemplation is required. Begin by revisiting that first Thatcher line-up and ask, how did we get from that to this?
Sunday, February 3, 2019 - Rome to Abu Dhabi
1pm: departure by plane from Rome / Fiumicino to Abu Dhabi
10pm: arrival at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
Monday, February 4
12pm: welcome ceremony at the main entrance of the Presidential Palace
12.20pm: visit Abu Dhabi Crown Prince at Presidential Palace
5pm: private meeting with Muslim Council of Elders at Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
6.10pm: Inter-religious in the Founder's Memorial
Tuesday, February 5 - Abu Dhabi to Rome
9.15am: private visit to undisclosed cathedral
10.30am: public mass at Zayed Sports City – with a homily by Pope Francis
12.40pm: farewell at Abu Dhabi Presidential Airport
1pm: departure by plane to Rome
5pm: arrival at the Rome / Ciampino International Airport
Here are a couple of Valentine’s Day food products that may or may not go the distance (but have got the internet talking anyway).
Sourdough sentiments: Marks & Spencer in the United Kingdom has introduced a slow-baked sourdough loaf dusted with flour to spell out I (heart) you, at £2 (Dh9.5). While it’s not available in the UAE, there’s nothing to stop you taking the idea and creating your own message of love, stencilled on breakfast-inbed toast.
Crisps playing cupid: Crisp company Tyrells has added a spicy addition to its range for Valentine’s Day. The brand describes the new honey and chilli flavour on Twitter as: “A tenderly bracing duo of the tantalising tingle of chilli with sweet and sticky honey. A helping hand to get your heart racing.” Again, not on sale here, but if you’re tempted you could certainly fashion your own flavour mix (spicy Cheetos and caramel popcorn, anyone?).
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
2. They can be created when massive stars collapse under their own weight
3. Large black holes can also be formed when smaller ones collide and merge
4. The biggest black holes lurk at the centre of many galaxies, including our own
5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
The biog
First Job: Abu Dhabi Department of Petroleum in 1974
Current role: Chairperson of Al Maskari Holding since 2008
Career high: Regularly cited on Forbes list of 100 most powerful Arab Businesswomen
Achievement: Helped establish Al Maskari Medical Centre in 1969 in Abu Dhabi’s Western Region
Future plan: Will now concentrate on her charitable work
The specs: 2018 Ducati SuperSport S
Price, base / as tested: Dh74,900 / Dh85,900
Engine: 937cc
Transmission: Six-speed gearbox
Power: 110hp @ 9,000rpm
Torque: 93Nm @ 6,500rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 5.9L / 100km
Cracks in the Wall
Ben White, Pluto Press
New UK refugee system
A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany - At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people - Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed - Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest - He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Don’t wait until the week you fly to sign up for insurance – get it when you book your trip. Insurance covers you for cancellation and anything else that can go wrong before you leave.
Some insurers, such as World Nomads, allow you to book once you are travelling – but, as Mr Mohammed found out, pre-existing medical conditions are not covered.
Check your credit card before booking insurance to see if you have any travel insurance as a benefit – most UAE banks, such as Emirates NBD, First Abu Dhabi Bank and Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank, have cards that throw in insurance as part of their package. But read the fine print – they may only cover emergencies while you’re travelling, not cancellation before a trip.
Pre-existing medical conditions such as a heart condition, diabetes, epilepsy and even asthma may not be included as standard. Again, check the terms, exclusions and limitations of any insurance carefully.
If you want trip cancellation or curtailment, baggage loss or delay covered, you may need a higher-grade plan, says Ambareen Musa of Souqalmal.com. Decide how much coverage you need for emergency medical expenses or personal liability. Premium insurance packages give up to $1 million (Dh3.7m) in each category, Ms Musa adds.
Don’t wait for days to call your insurer if you need to make a claim. You may be required to notify them within 72 hours. Gather together all receipts, emails and reports to prove that you paid for something, that you didn’t use it and that you did not get reimbursed.
Finally, consider optional extras you may need, says Sarah Pickford of Travel Counsellors, such as a winter sports holiday. Also ensure all individuals can travel independently on that cover, she adds. And remember: “Cheap isn’t necessarily best.”
How it works
1) The liquid nanoclay is a mixture of water and clay that aims to convert desert land to fertile ground
2) Instead of water draining straight through the sand, it apparently helps the soil retain water
3) One application is said to last five years
4) The cost of treatment per hectare (2.4 acres) of desert varies from $7,000 to $10,000 per hectare
Cast: Kangana Ranaut, Ankita Lokhande, Danny Denzongpa, Atul Kulkarni
Rating: 2.5/5
TV: World Cup Qualifier 2018 matches will be aired on on OSN Sports HD Cricket channel
Islamophobia definition
A widely accepted definition was made by the All Party Parliamentary Group on British Muslims in 2019: “Islamophobia is rooted in racism and is a type of racism that targets expressions of Muslimness or perceived Muslimness.” It further defines it as “inciting hatred or violence against Muslims”.
The Birkin bag is made by Hermès.
It is named after actress and singer Jane Birkin
Noone from Hermès will go on record to say how much a new Birkin costs, how long one would have to wait to get one, and how many bags are actually made each year.
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
France has organised a delegation of leading businesses to travel to Syria. The group was led by French shipping giant CMA CGM, which struck a 30-year contract in May with the Syrian government to develop and run Latakia port. Also present were water and waste management company Suez, defence multinational Thales, and Ellipse Group, which is currently looking into rehabilitating Syrian hospitals.
