Displaying items by tag: Boris Johnson

Thursday, 10 February 2022 21:30

NATO and Russia / Ukraine crisis

On 10 February Boris Johnson met the head of the NATO defence alliance in Brussels and then travelled to Poland in support of NATO allies. He warned that the Ukraine-Russia crisis is at its ‘most dangerous moment’ and that war would be an ‘absolute disaster’. Russia is still massing troops on its neighbour's borders and in Belarus. In Moscow Liz Truss, the Foreign Secretary, said that continued ‘aggression’ will lead to ‘severe consequences’, but at the same news conference her Russian counterpart Sergei Lavrov accused the West of ‘hysteria’. Moscow wants the West to rule out Ukraine ever joining NATO - but Boris Johnson said that every European democracy must retain that right. Johnson warned that the possibility of an invasion ‘remains grim.’

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 10 February 2022 21:22

Strategy for living with Covid

‘It is my intention to return on the first day after the half-term recess to present our strategy for living with Covid’, Boris Johnson has said. ‘Provided the current encouraging trends in the data continue, it is my expectation that we will be able to end the last domestic restrictions - including the legal requirement to self-isolate if you test positive - a full month early.’ The law will be replaced with guidance; for example, people will be urged not to go to work if they have Covid. The PM added, ‘The self-isolation regulations expire on 24 March, at which point I very much expect not to renew them. Indeed, were the data to allow, I would like to seek a vote in this House to bring that date forwards’ Downing Street also suggested there could be an update on the remaining travel rules when Mr Johnson sets out his ‘living with Covid strategy’ later this month.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 13 January 2022 20:59

PM under pressure

About thirty people including Boris Johnson attended a ‘bring-your-own-drink’ party in Downing Street’s garden during the first lockdown. The gathering - and others that had happened under Covid restrictions - are now subject to an independent enquiry by Sue Grey. Because of the way he handled recent events and evaded probing questions before admitting attending the drinks party, the PM has damaged public confidence in him. He now faces calls to resign from Labour and some senior Tories. Conservative MP William Wragg said there is a carelessness among people in government over standards and possibly more than that. The inquiry could make or break Johnson’s premiership as his government descends into open warfare as he defied Scottish and English Tory politicians. He survived probably the worst day in his political career without Cabinet resignations, a leadership challenge, or a confidence vote among MPs.

Published in British Isles
Wednesday, 15 December 2021 21:38

Nativity plays to go ahead despite Covid restrictions

Last month the head teachers’ association confirmed many schools were moving their nativity plays online due to Covid concerns. But recently Boris Johnson said the move to Plan B Covid restrictions does not mean schools and churches should cancel nativity plays. He said, ‘We don’t want kids to be taken out of school before the end of term, we don’t want nativity plays to be cancelled. We think that it is OK to keep going with Christmas parties, but everybody should exercise due caution, have ventilation, wash your hands, get a test before you go - give everybody else confidence they are going to be meeting somebody who is not contagious.’

Published in Praise Reports
Wednesday, 15 December 2021 21:33

Our government: things to pray for

Boris Johnson won the biggest Conservative majority since Margaret Thatcher. His popularity among Conservative MPs marked the end of Tory Brexit rebellions. Now many believe his popularity and authority is waning. When the Commons voted on new Covid regulations on 14 December, Boris was forced to rely on opposition votes to get his plans through. The Conservative party has become rebellious toward their leader. Pray for God to break the stronghold of rebellion in politics. Pray for Boris to make wise decisions that are heaven-sent, uniting the government and meeting the needs of the nation as it faces Omicron. The chancellor has raised concerns about the medium-term costs of handling the pandemic in a ‘Covid O’ meeting of senior ministers this week. Several billion pounds have been allocated to cover vaccines, boosters, and therapeutic drugs costs until AprilAsk God to give prudent strategies to the chancellor which cover unforeseen Covid costs while avoiding raising taxes.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 09 December 2021 21:05

Was No 10 breaking lockdown rules?

BBC Radio 5 has been broadcasting listeners' opinions on a video showing Downing Street staff joking about a Christmas party last year when everyone was on lockdown. Boris Johnson said he is ‘sickened’ by the video while maintaining there was no party and no Covid rules were broken. However the BBC was told that dozens of people partied at Downing Street during lockdown. Labour leader Keir Starmer said Boris is ‘taking the public for fools’, and the SNP called for his resignation. One backbench Tory MP said, ‘The buck stops at the top.’ Now there is to be an official investigation into Covid rule breaches at government staff parties last year. Any potential criminality uncovered would be reported to the police.

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 23 September 2021 21:50

A turning point for humanity

Boris Johnson, speaking to the UN, told them that it is time for humanity to grow up, and the COP26 summit leaders in November must be the turning point. He warned that global temperature rises were already inevitable, but called on his fellow leaders to commit to major changes to curb further warming in four areas - coal, cars, cash, and trees. He added, ‘Countries must take responsibility for the destruction we are inflicting, not just upon our planet but ourselves. It's time for humanity to grow up.’ Mr Johnson praised China’s pledge to stop building coal-fired energy plants abroad and called on them to also end domestic coal use (they produce 28% of global greenhouse gas emissions). The Prime Minister made a series of calls for action to his fellow leaders, adding, ‘We have the tools for a green industrial revolution, but time is desperately short.’

Published in Worldwide

Speaking on a beach in Cornwall at the G7 summit, ITV's Robert Peston asked Boris Johnson whether he is now a practising Roman Catholic, having recently married in Westminster Cathedral. The Prime Minister replied, ‘I don't discuss these deep issues, certainly not with you’. Peston laughed and followed up by saying that Sir Keir Starmer has said he does not believe in God, and asked again if Mr Johnson did. The Prime Minister paused then referenced Psalm 14: ‘The foolish man has said in his heart there is no God’. Peston accepted his answer and finished the interview. The sentence also appears in Psalm 53. The rest of the verse describes those who deny God: ‘They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.’

Published in British Isles
Thursday, 17 June 2021 21:45

EU - UK sausage spat sizzles at summit

The UK has accused France of the ‘offensive’ remark that Northern Ireland is not part of the UK. Since 2016 the two sides have been trying to work out how to deal with post-Brexit trade and Northern Ireland’s land border with the EU. The latest spat is centered on sausages. When Boris Johnson met Emmanuel Macron at the G7 summit, he asked him to imagine if Toulouse sausages were barred from sale in Paris, which left Macron ‘astonished’. He told him Toulouse is part of the same territory, and inaccurately said, ‘Northern Ireland was not part of the United Kingdom’. Johnson furiously replied, ‘Northern Ireland and Britain are part of the same country.’ After the testy exchange Johnson told the media, ‘Some of our friends seem to misunderstand that the UK is a single country and a single territory. I think they need to get that into their heads.’

Published in Europe

Boris Johnson and Joe Biden met on 10 June. Joe Biden has Irish roots, and many believe Britain should not underestimate the strength of his feelings against tinkering with the Northern Ireland Protocol if it puts the Good Friday agreement in jeopardy. Boris Johnson wants to ‘tinker’, putting the agreement at risk. He was seen by many Americans as Britain's equivalent of Donald Trump, and indeed he was lavish in his praise of the former president. But British PMs need to get on with whoever is America’s president. Boris, from a privileged background, needs to get on with Joe, who is from a poor working-class background. The one thing the two men do have in common is that they both are Catholics: one is a practising believer, the other needs more practice.

Published in British Isles
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