Mark Menzies won't last the week as an MP, Ruth Davidson predicts

Conservative peer Ruth Davidson does not think Mark Menzies will survive the week as an MP.

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Yousaf to DITCH flagship climate change policy of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75%

Scotland is set to scrap its target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 75 per cent by 2030.

Figures suggest that the government has missed eight of the last 12 annual targets, as ministers are told that reaching the milestone "is unachievable".

It is believed that goal of reaching "net-zero" by 2045 will remain.

First Minister Humza Yousaf is expected to make a statement at Holyrood on Thursday afternoon, the BBC reports.

Independent advisory group, The Climate Change Committee (CCC) warned Scotland in 2022 that it had lost its lead over the rest of the UK in tackling the issue.

In March, the group said that its 2030 target was "unreachable".

Scotland's emissions reduction target for 2030 was tougher than for the UK as a whole.

It comes after Nicola Sturgeon's government was the first in the world to announce a climate emergency and Glasgow hosted the COP26 climate summit in 2021.

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In 2019, parties argued at Holyrood over how quickly Scotland could speed up the rate of decarbonisation.

Experts warned that the pace was far beyond what they had planned for.

By 2021 greenhouse gas emissions had fallen by 49.2 per cent compared with the baseline level in 1990.

However, the law required a 51.1 per cent drop to remain on track.

The Scottish Government is now likely to introduce a system of "carbon budgets" used by the UK and Welsh governments.

Instead of annual goals, Government chiefs would be told how much greenhouse gas could "safely" be emitted during a parliamentary term.

Ministers would then be required to arrange a plan to achieve the target

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MSPs back plans to increase minimum alcohol unit price by 30%

MSPs have voted to increase the minimum unit price of alcohol by 30%.

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Sunak's smoking ban bill breezes through first hurdle despite major Tory rebellion as Labour support PM's flagship policy

Rishi Sunak’s proposal to ban young people from ever being able to legally smoke tobacco has cleared its first Commons hurdle.

The proposal passed despite a swathe of Conservative MPs voting against it.

MPs voted 383 to 67, majority of 316, to give the Tobacco and Vapes Bill a second reading.

Conservative MP for Gloucester Richard Graham has said the tobacco and vapes Bill is a “huge credit” to Prime Minister Rishi Sunak.

He told the Commons: "I think it’s huge credit to this Prime Minister that he has set out a vision with clarity, pursues it with determination, and is absolutely clear that where this House to vote this through, this would be part of whatever legacy he in the future leaves as a politician keen to make a difference."

Conservative MP for Don Valley Nick Fletcher told the Commons: “Is it more evidence of the creation of that nanny state? I believe so.

"If we take more and more decisions away from adults, then more adults will continually rely more and more on the state to make decisions for them. This is not a good thing and sadly will only create more powerful Governments and weaker individuals."

He added: "I want our society to help raise warriors as I believe going forward we are going to need as many as we can find, smokers or not."

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Later in the debate Conservative MP for Leigh James Grundy said he would support the Bill but wanted to see stricter action taken against illegal sale of tobacco and vapes.

He said: "I say the Government should go further, the Government must go further. I think if someone is selling illegal tobacco and vapes they should be held accountable.

"If someone was selling, for example, beer or spirits made out of turpentine or toilet water, people would be outraged and there would be a demand for action, but that is happening day in day out, week in week out with illegal and counterfeit tobacco and vapes."

Following the Commons vote, Deborah Arnott, chief executive of Action on Smoking and Health (Ash), said: "Parliament has today begun the process of consigning smoking to the ‘ash heap’ of history. However, this is only the first step, the Bill must now go through committee and another vote before going through the same process in the House of Lords.

She added: "The passage of the Bill should be expedited to ensure it is on the statute book before the general election.

"The public, who overwhelmingly support the legislation, expect nothing less."

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Rwanda enforcement officers told all leave is cancelled, as government hopes law will pass

Immigration enforcement staff have had their leave cancelled as the government hopes its plan to send some asylum seekers to Rwanda will become law this week.

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Liz Truss calls for the Supreme Court to be ‘abolished’: ‘Undermines the core of British sovereignty!’

Liz Truss has called for the Supreme Court to be "abolished", after claiming the system of the UK government is "fatally flawed".

In an exclusive interview with GB News, the former Prime Minister told host Nigel Farage that political power has been given away to "unelected bodies" in the Supreme Court.

Her comments came during a tell-all discussion about her new book, 'Ten Years to Save the West'.

Outlining what she’d like to see happen to the Supreme Court, Truss said the UK should "abolish it", and called for Britain to be "more competitive" in its post-Brexit economy.

Truss told Farage: "Another important change, which I didn't fully appreciate until I became Lord Chancellor, was the fact that previously the Lord Chancellor was appointed by the Prime Minister and was responsible for appointing senior judges.

"Now, who appoints the senior judges?"

Truss continued: "It’s a quango, it is the Judicial Appointments Commission and what de facto happens is the judiciary have become a self-perpetuating oligarchy because the current Lord Chief Justice has a lot of say over who his or her successor is.

"So what we've done, or what Blair has done, is created a system that has undermined the core of the British Constitution, which is parliamentary sovereignty."

Truss warned that the quangos in the Supreme Court are "gradually moving away from the views of the public".

Truss told Nigel Farage: "Ultimately these bodies are democratically accountable. What is being created is another series of quangos making decisions which are gradually, I think, moving away from the views of the public."

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When asked about her view that much political power has been transferred to unaccountable quangos, she explained: "There's two elements. There's a quangocracy, but there's also the Civil Service itself and we are still operating under the sort of Northcote–Trevelyan Civil Service, the idea of impartiality.

"Yet, Sue Gray, a former senior civil servant, is now Chief of Staff for the Labour Party. We've had a whole bunch of Foreign Office civil servants last week saying ministers have too much power. There should be more power for the Foreign Office bureaucracy."

The former Prime Minister also spoke about her stance on Brexit, and how the UK can turbocharge its Brexit reforms, instead of suffering a "Stockholm Syndrome" to the EU.

Truss revealed: "We need to become more dynamic, more nimble, more competitive. We need to get rid of all the EU laws straight away.

"We need to get on with doing trade deals with our allies. We made a decision and that has huge consequences. We've had a Whitehall that's been shaped by being in Europe…and it's almost like we’re stuck in Stockholm Syndrome… officials are constantly looking to Brussels for validation and all of that needs to change.

"I felt our biggest problems were at home and of our own doing, you know, our terrible planning system. That means houses are sky high expensive, our education system still wasn't doing enough to teach children the absolute basics of English and maths, which is your passport to success. These are the things I really cared about."

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Sunak facing further calls to proscribe IRGC in wake of attack on Israel

Rishi Sunak is facing further calls from parliament to take action against Iran in the wake of the nation's direct attack against Israel over the weekend.

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Lord Cameron urges Israel to 'think with head as well as heart' and not retaliate to Iran

Lord David Cameron has urged Israel to "think with head as well as heart" and not retaliate to Iran's missile attack.

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'Longer than Brexit': Renters criticise 5-year wait for ban on no-fault evictions

The government has been accused of "betraying renters" on the fifth anniversary of a "failed" promise to ban no-fault evictions - as figures suggest that over 80,000 households have been put at risk of homelessness since then.

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Dangerous moments in foreign affairs can bring a party together but Sunak faces his own domestic battles

MPs return to Westminster today after two weeks away, to the possibility of dangerous escalation in the Middle East.

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The fears in Westminster as Iran-Israel tensions rise - and what UK diplomats plan to do about it

At every level of the British diplomatic machine, the focus after Saturday night's Iranian attack on Israel is now to do whatever possible to de-escalate tensions in the Middle East.

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‘That is for the birds!’ Nadine Dorries slams rumours of Boris Johnson returning as vice chair – ‘It is just nonsense!'

Former MP Nadine Dorries has squashed rumours that Boris Johnson could return to parliament as vice chair.

Speaking to GB News she explained: "It is bizarre. I saw a story, in The Sun I think, today which says that there is a plot to bring Suella [Braverman] in and have Boris as the Tory party vice chair.

"I almost spat out my drink as I read it. It is just nonsense. Why would anybody think that Boris Johnson wants to come back?"

"He hasn't ruled it out but this is a man with a winning record. He won the mayoralty in London twice as a Conservative, we will never do that again.

"He won the Conservative Party an 80-seat, once in a generation, majority and a bigger percentage of the vote share than Tony Blair did.

"The only substantial truthful reason why he was removed as Prime Minister is that he didn't eat a piece of cake that was brought to him at his desk, for which he received a fixed penalty notice.

"Why would he come back if MP's removed him in the way that they did?"

She added that the former PM would be likely to return to the Tory Party "one day" but claimed that it would not be as a vice chair.

"The idea that he would come back as vice chair of the party is for the birds.

"One day, in Boris's own words, can we envisage a Conservative Party of the future without him playing a major key role?

"Absolutely not, it is unthinkable. This is the winner, he is the winner. Actually, when you look at what has happened to the Conservative Party since they removed him, it has sunk faster than a stone."

Boris Johnson stood down as a Conservative MP after an investigation into the Partygate scandal found he misled parliament and recommended a lengthy suspension from the House of Commons.

Partygate is an ongoing political scandal about (social gatherings or) parties that were held by the staff government and Conservative Party in the pandemic era.

The former Prime Minister angrily accused the investigation of trying to drive him out, and claimed there was a “witch-hunt underway, to take revenge for Brexit and ultimately to reverse the 2016 referendum result”.

Dorries formally resigned as MP for the constituency of Mid Bedfordshire and launched a blistering attack on Rishi Sunak.

She accused the PM of abandoning "the fundamental principles of Conservatism" and said the country was now run by a "zombie Parliament".

Her book titled The Plot: The Political Assassination Of Boris Johnson details the downfall of the prime minister.

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Minister unable to say whether airline found for Rwanda scheme

A cabinet minister was unable to say whether an airline has been found to send asylum seekers to Rwanda - despite suggesting the scheme will be running "within weeks".

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Is Great Britain still that 'Great'? | Adam Boulton

Soul searching about the UK's role in the world has broken out again following the publication of a pamphlet by senior diplomats including Mark Sedwill, a former Cabinet Secretary and National Security Adviser.

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Norway's Arctic north brings in bizarre plan to introduce clocks that go up to 13h in a day

Norway’s northernmost region plans to introduce a bizarre plan to make a new time zone with a 26-hour day.

Vadso, a remote town in Finnmark County, has sent a proposal to the European Commission which suggests that clocks go up to 13 instead of 12.

Wenche Pedersen, the town’s mayor, told the Commission that the plans would “offer individuals the opportunity to enjoy more quality time' with their families”.

When asked how the new time zone would work in practice, Pedersen said: “We haven’t thought a lot about that.”

“The clock will go from 12 to 13… and we have to see how this will go. I don’t think they’re going to say yes so we haven’t thought about all the details,” she admitted to Politico.

She said that the extended day would allow people to participate in “activities such as fishing, hunting, learning new languages”, or simply give people more time to be “with loved ones”.

Pedersen said that the town has been struggling to attract new residents, so is hoping that the new time zone would encourage more people to make the move.

“Through our ‘MOREtime’ project, we aim to celebrate and promote this unique way of life, offering individuals the opportunity to enjoy more quality time engaging in activities such as fishing, hunting, learning new languages, or simply being with loved ones,” she said in a letter to the European Commission.

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She said that with more hours in a day, residents can enjoy more time to focus on things that make them happy, rather than rushing to take public transport or travel long distances to get to work.

Pedersen said that even if the plans were rejected, it would still shine some publicity on the town.

“In this respect we are one of the richest regions in Europe because […] we have more time,” Pedersen said.

The town is near the Russian border and the mayor said that now it is “more important than ever” to ensure that the area is populated.

“We like our lifestyle and we think that could be very exciting, especially for families with small children,” the mayor told the publication.

“I think it’s a more calm and better everyday life than for example in a big city.”

An official from the European Commission has reportedly said that time zones are down to the countries themselves to organise.

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Energy minister quits to focus on constituency

An energy minister has announced he is standing down from his government role to focus on local issues in a further blow to Rishi Sunak.

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‘Ruthless!’ Rishi Sunak warned against unleashing ‘dangerous turf war’ as critics rail against cigarette ban

Rishi Sunak has been warned against unleashing a “dangerous turf war” in the UK, with critics citing events Down Under as a possible consequence.

Experts believe a cornershop crime wave could reach Britain if the Prime Minister pushes ahead with his plans to prohibit tobacco for people born after 2009.

Australia’s smoking laws are pretty similar to those enforced in the UK, with controls over packaging and graphics.

However, Canberra’s attempts to push prices up to around AU$50 have made the illicit market even more rife.

The figure is almost double the cost for a packet of cigarettes in the UK, which is well above the retail price in mainland Europe.

Victoria in Australia is witnessing illegal gangs battle to gain control of the illicit tobacco market.

Police were forced to investigate 27 fires linked to the illegal tobacco trade over a seven-month period.

The illicit market has also grown exponentially, soaring to around AU$5billion.

Theo Foukkare, CEO of the Australian Association of Convenience Stores said: “These crime groups are in the midst of a dangerous turf war as they try to gain ultimate control over the vape and illicit tobacco black market.

“Tobacconists are being firebombed on a weekly basis. In Victoria alone, there have now been more than 50 firebombings of retail stores in the last 12 months.

“They target any store that will not sell their black market product.

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“These groups make huge, tax-free money from selling black market products and the penalties they face are pretty minimal, so there is a lot to gain and very little consequence.

“It is quite scary how ruthless they are. The safety of entire communities is being put at risk.”

The Australian Border Force released its annual report last year showing the number and value of tobacco seizures has surged across the country since tighter restrictions were introduced.

ABF seized more than 2,000 tonnes of tobacco in 2022/23, the report confirmed.

The amount seized constituted an increase on the 1,600 tonnes recovered the previous year.

Foukkare claimed: “There is very limited enforcement. Police in Australia just aren’t resourced enough to take on the fight, especially when you look at the other types of crime they’re fighting every single day.”

“Legitimate convenience store owners are terrified. They’re being threatened by shady characters that they will be firebombed if they don’t agree to sell black market vapes and tobacco. They’re worried for the safety of their staff, their families, their customers and their communities.”

He added: “If the Australian experience is anything to go by, I would be extremely surprised if a black market war did not explode across the UK. Learn from the Australian Government’s mistakes. Prohibition has never worked and is pushing Australians right into the arms of the black market.

“Australia used to be a world leader in tobacco control but over recent years the number of Aussies who are quitting smoking has flatlined. Aussies aren’t quitting tobacco - they’re just buying the illegal, tax-free black market products that are widely available here. The black market is booming and crime groups are the only ones who are benefiting in Australia.”

Sunak is hoping to introduce strict measures to curb smoking, claiming tobacco is proving detrimental to the health of Britain.

The Prime Minister proposed preventing anyone who is turning 15 this year, or younger, from ever being able to legally buy tobacco products.

The plans are supported by an overwhelming majority of Britons, with almost three-in-four Conservative voters also backing the measures.

However, former Prime Minister Boris Johnson voiced his concern about the “nuts” measures while speaking at an event in Canada.

He said: “We are, on the whole, in favour of freedom and it is that single Anglo-Saxon idea of freedom that I think unites conservatives, or should unite conservatives.

“And when I look at some of the things that we are doing now, or that are being done in the name of conservatism, I think they are absolutely nuts.”

The ex-Prime Minister added: “When the party of Winston Churchill wants to ban cigars, donnez-moi un break as they say in Quebec, it's just mad.”

Sunak’s predecessor Liz Truss has also been critical of the plan, claiming it is “profoundly unconservative”.

There have even been reports the Prime Minister could face a rebellion of around 100 MPs when the legislation is brought to the House of Commons next week.

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The investigation into Angela Rayner hinges on one thing

As with most political scandals, the heat in the Angela Rayner housing row is less about the (alleged) crime and more about the (alleged) cover-up.

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