Rishi Sunak set to come under fire over Clapham chemical attack
Rishi Sunak will come under pressure from both Labour and Tory rebels this week over the Clapham chemical attack.
A huge manhunt is under way for the suspect, but politicians are looking to use the case to highlight political failings, the Politics at Jack and Sam’s podcast reveals.
Labour is planning to suggest Home Office failings and a broken asylum system might have led to an Afghan asylum seeker being the main suspect in an attack on a woman and two children with an alkaline substance in Clapham, south London. In total, 12 people were hurt.
Clapham chemical attack suspect Abdul Ezedi
Tory plotters hoping to unseat the prime minister believe the episode shows the need for a policy like Rwanda to be introduced, and highlight its shortcomings once again.
Click to subscribe to Politics at Jack and Sam’s wherever you get your podcasts
The government is set to argue that the Home Office is not responsible for any mistakes and that any questionable decisions were made by an independent tribunal.
Labour voted against the illegal migration bill, which the government will point out stops anyone coming illegally from staying.
The Home Office is braced for questions in the Commons on Monday.
Many of the key decisions around the suspect look likely to have been taken before Mr Sunak became prime minister. This is unlikely to deter his critics.
Sir Keir Starmer could end up allowing Donald Trump to use British bases to launch strikes on Iran, Harriet Harman has said.
Speaking to Beth Rigby on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast, Baroness Harman said this was despite the prime minister being part of a generation “shaped” by opposition to the Iraq War.
👉Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app👈
Baroness Harman was solicitor general when Sir Tony Blair decided to take Britain to war in Iraq alongside the United States in 2003.
She said the decisions made by Sir Tony would be “burning bright” in Sir Keir‘s mind.
Tony Blair’s decision to go to war in Iraq will be ‘burning bright’ in the PM’s mind, Baroness Harman said. Pic: PA
“He’s part of the political generation of the Labour Party that grew up, which was shaped by its opposition to what Tony Blair was doing in relation to Iraq,” Baroness Harman said.
“So it would be a massive change for him.”
Asked if the UK could end up giving permission for US aircraft to use British military bases on Cyprus and Diego Garcia, but not go any further than that, Baroness Harman said: “Exactly”.
Soldiers guard the security gate of RAF Akrotiri, a British military base in Cyprus. File pic: Reuters
Read more:
‘Questions’ on legality of Israel’s actions in Iran
Donald Trump ‘may or may not’ strike Iran
Sky News reported on Thursday that Attorney General Richard Hermer has raised questions over whether Israel’s actions in Iran are lawful, potentially limiting what support he believes the UK could offer the US.
Baroness Harman said that for Sir Keir, the “rules-based international order is the most important thing”.
“If the attorney general says that the government can’t do something because it’s illegal, it can’t do it. So he’s in a very crucial position,” she added.
Harriet Harman (R) with Beth Rigby
But Baroness Harman said it would be difficult for Sir Keir to say “thank you for the trade deal” to Mr Trump and then deny the president use of the airbases.
👉Click here to listen to Electoral Dysfunction on your podcast app👈
Remember, you can also watch us on YouTube!
Bitcoin hater Brad Sherman has accused US President Donald Trump of accepting a $300 million bribe from TikTok, but TikTok denied it has anything to do with it.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike