It’s difficult not to see parallels between chaos of US Republican party and UK Conservatives | Adam Boulton
Nations and political systems differ greatly but it is difficult not to see parallels between what is happening now in the US Republican party and the recent history of the UK Conservative party.
There is a brutal tussle under way over the direction which should be taken by Anglophone conservatism, as embodied a generation past by Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan.
Last year, the turmoil in Britain’s ruling party resulted in three prime ministers in a matter of months, as Tory MPs failed to agree on leaders capable of governing the nation reliably.
The Republican party actually “won” the mid-term elections for the lower House of Congress, taking control from the Democrats.
But as the 118th Congress met for the first time this week, the new majority party failed to agree on their first order of business, who should be their leader, for the first time since 1923, 100 years ago.
Although they share the same title, and preside over proceedings in their house, the US Speaker does not have the same role as the Speaker in the House of Commons.
Like his predecessors, Sir Lindsay Hoyle is expected to be neutral and has abandoned his ties to Labour. By convention the UK Speaker is effectively an incumbent, irrespective of general elections when he or she stands without opposition from the main political parties.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives is an entirely partisan figure. In practice they are the leader of the majority party, which makes them the equivalent of prime minister in UK terms.
In the US Constitution the Speaker is second in the line of succession to the Presidency, after the vice president. (Confusingly the Veep is also the presiding officer in the upper house, with the casting vote in the US Senate.)
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US Midterms: What’s at stake?
The likes of Speakers Tip O’Neill, Newt Gingrich, Paul Ryan and Nancy Pelosi have made much of their role as major national political figures.
When there is no Speaker in place, the House of Representatives is what one frustrated congressman this week called “a useless entity”. Its members cannot be sworn in, so they cannot legislate or hold the executive to account. They don’t even have security clearance.
When, as now, the Presidency and the Senate are controlled by the other party, the Speaker of the House is more important than ever as the equivalent to the Leader of the Opposition.
When Kevin McCarthy, an eight-term congressman from California, led his party to victory over the Democrats in the mid-terms by 222 seats to 212, the Republicans might have been expected to stick with his leadership and to install him in the top job.
But no. In 11 painful roll call votes McCarthy failed to get the required overall majority of representatives because 20 members of his own Republican party resolutely refused to back him, including five US Representatives elected for the first time.
Kevin McCarthy
Meanwhile the Democrats settled immediately and unanimously on Hakeem Jeffries of New York as their minority leader, replacing Pelosi who has retired. Jeffries is the first African-American to lead a party in the US Congress.
The overwhelming majority of House Republicans – 201 out of 222 – back McCarthy but without most of the 20 holdouts they did not have enough votes to put him over the top on 218.
Nineteen of those blocking McCarthy belong to the right-wing Freedom Caucus. Their motivation is best summed up by the controversial congressman from Florida, Mike Gaetz, who declared “If you want to drain the swamp, you cannot put the biggest alligator in charge”.
“The swamp” is the fetid American version of what British populists like to write-off as the “Westminster bubble”.
Gaetz’s extremist language carries echoes of Jacob Rees-Mogg’s pronouncement that Rishi Sunak’s policies are “socialist”.
McCarthy is not a centrist member of the establishment. He courted and promoted candidates belonging to the Tea Party. He hesitated briefly after the attack on the Capitol on 6 January 2021, but within days voted against impeachment and flew to Mar-a-Lago to seek Donald Trump’s endorsement. McCarthy embraced the “big lie” that Trump won in 2020, and voted to challenge the official electors in key states.
McCarthy embraced the ‘big lie’ that Trump won in 2020, and voted to challenge the official electors in key states
If he becomes speaker, McCarthy says his first priority will be to cancel the hiring of 87,000 tax inspectors. He will also block the crucial bipartisan budget measures already agreed in the Senate.
He has promised to change the rules to make it easier to sack a speaker (a bit like the 1922 Committee and votes of no confidence). This eventually won “MY Martin” the backing of Trump on his own Truth Social platform: “He will do a good job and maybe even a GREAT JOB”.
Politically he is not much different from those refusing to back him but they still don’t trust him. Instead they deliberately plunged US politics into chaos, at one stage proposing an alternative candidate, Jim Jordan, who had himself nominated McCarthy.
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Partisan Democrats relished their opponents’ plight and tweeted out images of the popcorn they were munching as the drama unfolded.
A critical columnist in The New York Times found it “grimly amusing to see that the party of insurrection can’t even manage the orderly transfer of power to itself”.
But the progressive newspaper took a more serious tone assessing the consequences of the refusenik’s behaviour: “They simply will not relent and join their colleagues even if it is for the greater good of their party, and perhaps the nation. They consider themselves conservative purists who cannot be placated unless all their demands are met – and maybe not even then. Their agenda is mostly to defund, disrupt and dismantle government, not to participate in it.”
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Chaos in US House speaker vote
The UK’s Conservatives have not disappeared down this rabbit hole. It is difficult to imagine Tory MPs celebrating the removal of metal detector arches, as symbols of oppression rather than security, as some Republicans did this week. Nor do they celebrate the right to bear arms.
Yet such groups as the European Research Group have been willing to use obstructionism and their position as de facto swing voters to force the bulk of their party in a more right-wing direction in policy and personnel matters.
They too have abandoned party loyalty in favour of ideology, allegedly supported by unelected and energised party activists.
On both sides of the Atlantic they have endorsed purges of those they disagree with in what was a “broad church” type of party. Their energy is focussed on fighting within their own party for control. Provided their party can eke out election wins, they disregard those who don’t vote for it.
Whether they call it the swamp or the bubble their suspicion of government and its agencies comes with demands for a smaller state, welfare cutbacks, scepticism about climate change measures, less regulation of business, and curtailed civil rights.
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The essential difference is that a significant minority of Republican representatives think that the best way to achieve their goals is to disrupt and overturn the system while the overwhelming majority of Conservative MPs still want to work within it.
Many Tory MPs disagree profoundly with the right’s atavism but, for self-preservation, they look over their shoulders anxiously before speaking up for One Nation values.
So far those most effective in forcing the Conservatives in a rightward direction have been outsiders. Significantly, in praising the Brexit negotiator Lord Frost this week, Nigel Farage bellowed “now is the time for all good men to leave the Conservative Party”. Farage’s sidekick Richard Tice relaunched their Reform Party.
Last year, the British public suffered the consequences of the unquiet soul of the right. This year the Republicans are already offering another lesson in real time.
US
California wild fires: Furious Palisades resident challenges Governor Gavin Newsom over disaster response
A woman from the fire-ravaged Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles has offered to “fill up the hydrants myself” as she confronted state governor Gavin Newsom over his response to the disaster.
Rachel Darvish, a lawyer who has lived in the Palisades all her life, was forced to flee her home along with many thousands of others because of the devastating flames.
She was speaking to Sky correspondent Martha Kelner when she saw Mr Newsom in the street and rushed up to his vehicle.
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Mr Newsom said he was trying to call the president to secure more help
Rachel Darvish rushed to Governor Newsom’s car
Shouting to him that her daughter’s school had been destroyed in the fires, she demanded to know “what you’re going to do”.
Holding up his phone, he told her he was “literally talking to the president [Joe Biden] right now to specifically answer the question of what we can do for you and your daughter”, adding he had tried “five times” but couldn’t get through.
Authorities have been criticised for an alleged sluggish response to the catastrophe, including from Hollywood celebrities whose homes have been damaged.
Ms Darvish, whose own home survived the fires, but who has many neighbours whose properties had burned to the ground, said she didn’t believe him and demanded to watch him make the call.
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Aerial views reveal LA destruction
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‘Every single house burned to the ground’
He repeated that he was calling “to immediately get reimbursements, individual assistance and to help”, adding that he was “devastated for you… especially for your daughter”.
Ms Darvish then asked him why there was “no water in the hydrants?”. She said she “would fill up the hydrants myself”, before asking him if it was going be different “next time?”.
He replied: “It has to be. Of course,” adding that he was calling the president “to address everything I can right now, including making sure people like you are safe”.
Soon afterwards, he got in his car and drives off.
Five people have died in the series of wildfires, driven by ferocious winds, that have raged through the Los Angeles area, ravaging communities from the Pacific Coast to Pasadena, forcing more than 179,000 people to leave their homes.
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More deaths are likely, officials have said.
The blazes have burned across more than 17,000 acres in Pacific Palisades, where the fires are 0% contained, according to the Fire Department’s latest update.
More than 10,000 acres are ablaze across the fires – named Eaton, Hurst, Lidia and Sunset.
Hollywood celebrities are among thousands of people who have been evacuated in Los Angeles, some fleeing homes now burned to the ground.
Paris Hilton and actor Billy Crystal have both lost their houses as fires rip through parts of California, including exclusive suburbs home to film stars and billionaires.
Oscar-winning songwriter Diane Warren, talk show host Ricki Lake, actor Cary Elwes, and reality stars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag have also confirmed their homes have been destroyed.
US media is reporting that Eugene Levy, and Adam Brody and Leighton Meester, have lost their homes. The stars are yet to confirm this.
Sky News’ US correspondent Martha Kelner reported that Tom Hanks, Ben Affleck and Reese Witherspoon were among those evacuated.
Follow latest: At least five killed as flames spread
Pic: Reuters
Pic: Reuters
The California wildfires as of Thursday morning.
The blaze in Pacific Palisades, a hillside area between Santa Monica and Malibu dotted with celebrity homes, is one of at least five raging in California.
Thousands of firefighters are trying to contain the flames, with a new fire breaking out overnight in the Hollywood Hills, threatening a host of tourist sites including the Walk Of Fame.
‘The loss is overwhelming’
Hilton said she was “heartbroken beyond words” to see her Malibu home, where she has brought up her young children Phoenix and London, “burn to the ground on live TV”.
In a post on social media, she said: “This home was where we built so many precious memories. It’s where Phoenix took his first steps and where we dreamed of building a lifetime of memories with London.
“While the loss is overwhelming, I’m holding onto gratitude that my family and pets are safe.”
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‘Truly apocalyptic scenes’ as flames swallow homes
In a joint statement, US actor Crystal, known for films including When Harry Met Sally and Analyze This, and his wife Janice confirmed their home of 46 years was gone.
“Words cannot describe the enormity of the devastation we are witnessing and experiencing,” the couple said.
They added: “We raised our children and grandchildren here. Every inch of our house was filled with love. Beautiful memories that can’t be taken away.”
Pic: Reuters
The Hills stars Pratt and Montag documented the escalation of the fire at their home on Snapchat, with Pratt saying: “I’m watching our house burn down on the security cameras.”
His sister, Stephanie, who also starred in The Hills, as well as Made In Chelsea, told Sky News yesterday that she did not know if her own home was okay.
“I talked to my neighbour last night and she told me that [Palisades Charter High School] had burnt down, and that’s directly behind me, and so had Gelson’s Supermarket which is adjacent,” she said.
“I just can’t reach anyone to see if my house is okay. I just Googled it and it said that it’s destroyed and terrible… I don’t know if my house is there.”
Jamie Lee Curtis confirmed her home was safe but said “our beloved neighbourhood is gone” as she shared videos of the blaze on her Instagram.
Writer and actor Steve Guttenberg told Sky News he witnessed panic attacks and despair as he tried to help residents as the flames closed in.
The Police Academy star said: “There were mothers trying to find their kids.
“There were panic attacks. It was terrible. And that’s when the fires just lit up.”
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Guttenberg calls on national guard
Other celebrities who have fled their properties include the award-winning actor James Woods, who said he had been safely evacuated from his home in Pacific Palisades.
But he added in a post on X: “I do not know at this moment if our home is still standing.”
Actor Mark Hamill, best known for playing Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars films, also posted on social media on Wednesday saying he evacuated his home in Malibu and his family were “fleeing for our lives”.
This Is Us actress Mandy Moore was also forced to leave her home with her children and pets, saying on Instagram they had found temporary refuge with friends.
The actress said: “Trying to shield the kids from the immense sadness and worry I feel.
“Praying for everyone in our beautiful city. So gutted for the destruction and loss. Don’t know if our place made it.”
Mark Hamill and Mandy Moore fled their homes. File Pics: Reuters
An awards ceremony planned for this weekend has been pushed back by two weeks, while the Oscar nominations next week have also been postponed.
According to Velvet Ropes, which maps celebrity properties, Matt Damon, Steven Spielberg, Hilary Swank and Sally Field all have homes close to where fires are raging.
Dr Dre, Tyra Banks, Martin Short, Anna Faris, Milo Ventimiglia, Linda Cardellini, Mary McDonnell, Adam Sandler, Miles Teller, and Jennifer Love Hewitt are also said to have houses in affected areas.
Pic: AP
The LA skyline cloaked in smoke. Pic: Reuters
In neighbouring Malibu, which was also affected by fires in December, stars including Beyonce and Jay-Z, Kim Kardashian, Lady Gaga and Billie Eilish are said to be among the celebrity residents.
The Palisades blaze has already burnt through nearly 16,000 acres of land, while the Eaton fire, covering over 10,000 acres, has caused the death of five people.
Three other fires, the Hurst fire, Lidia fire and Sunset fire, are all raging as emergency services battle to bring them under control.
All five of the living US presidents have been pictured together at the funeral of Jimmy Carter.
The 39th US president died at the age of 100 on 29 December, in his hometown of Plains, Georgia.
President Joe Biden gave a eulogy to his fellow Democrat at the state funeral at the Washington National Cathedral.
He appeared alongside president-elect Donald Trump and other former presidents Barack Obama, George W Bush and Bill Clinton and their respective spouses.
Front row L-R: Joe Biden, Jill Biden, Kamala Harris, Douglas Emhoff. Second row L-R: Bill Clinton, Hillary Clinton, George W Bush, Laura Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, Melania Trump
Pic: AP
Vice president Kamala Harris, who lost the 2024 election to Mr Trump, was also seated with the group alongside her husband.
It’s the first time the Democrat nominee has been seen with the president-elect since the US election, and after she certified Mr Trump’s election win on Monday.
Pic: AP
Before the service, Mr Trump was also seen shaking hands with former vice president Mike Pence – the first time the pair have been seen in public together since leaving the White House in 2021.
Prior to that, Mr Pence had refused to back Mr Trump’s claim he had won the 2020 election.
Pic: Reuters
Mr Obama and Mr Trump were also seen talking before the service began.
Pic: AP
During his eulogy, Mr Biden said Mr Carter taught him the importance of treating “everyone with dignity and respect.”
“To young people, to anyone in search of meaning and purpose, study the power of Jimmy Carter’s example,” the president said. “Character, faith, love – a true patriot.”
Joshua Carter, the former president’s grandson, also said at the service: “He built houses for people who needed homes.
“He eliminated diseases in forgotten places. He waged peace anywhere in the world, wherever he saw a chance. He loved people.”
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From 4 January, Mr Carter’s body was carried by a motorcade through Plains, before heading to the Carter Presidential Center in Atlanta.
The former president’s remains were then flown to Maryland and transferred in a ceremony to a hearse, which was carried in a motorcade to the US Navy Memorial in Washington to honour Mr Carter’s service as a lieutenant in the Navy.
He has since been lying in state at the Capitol Building, where the public could pay respects from Tuesday evening through to Thursday morning
Prince Edward, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau also attended. Pic: AP
Mr Carter’s body will now be returned to his hometown in Georgia for a second service and burial.
There, a private ceremony will be held at Maranatha Baptist Church before another procession through Plains, where supporters are being encouraged to line the streets for the motorcade.
Mr Carter will then be buried on his property next to his late wife, Rosalynn, who died in 2023.
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