The debate probably culminated in a speech by Theresa May, the former Conservative prime minister, who did an effective job of disproving the government’s argument that the “doctrine of necessity” in international law makes the bill legal. The bill was easily passed – by 295 votes to 221 – and none of the Conservative MPs who expressed doubts or opposition to the bill voted against it. But 72 Conservatives did not vote. Some of them may have opposed the 36 Labor MPs who did not vote, but the figures show that several dozen actively abstained. Boris Johnson thanked his Japanese counterpart Fumio Kishida for his support of the crisis in Ukraine when they held a bilateral meeting at the G7 summit in Germany this morning, No. 10 A Downing Street spokesman said: The Prime Minister praised the Prime Minister Kishida for his firm support to the Ukrainian people in opposition [Vladimir] Putin’s barbarism in Ukraine. They agreed that the unity of thought among G7 leaders on this issue has strengthened Ukraine’s hand in the war and will continue to do so. The Prime Minister underlined the United Kingdom’s support for the rule of law and sovereignty throughout the world. Democratic leaders must stand together against the challenges of our values. The leaders agreed to continue working to promote a free and open Indo-Pacific. The Prime Minister and Prime Minister Kishida agreed that the work done by the United Kingdom and Japan together to develop the next generation of fighter jets is extremely valuable to our countries and will form the basis of UK-Japan cooperation for a generation that will come. Boris Johnson with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida (left) at the G7 summit in Bavaria today. Photo: Stefan Rousseau / PA
Nicola Sturgeon has criticized Scotland’s referendum plans
Good morning. We have just completed the six-year anniversary of the Brexit referendum – an extremely divisive and seasonal event that has fundamentally changed Britain – and today we will have a speech that will firmly put another referendum on the table. When Scots voted to remain part of the UK eight years ago, the trade union campaign said voting against independence was the only way to guarantee Scotland would remain part of the EU. Two years later that promise was dashed. although Scotland voted overwhelmingly in favor of staying, and since then the SNP has been actively designing what social media calls IndyRef2. In a speech to the Scottish Parliament, Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland ‘s first minister, will explain how she wants the vote to take place in October next year. But with Westminster refusing to grant permission for a proper independence referendum to be legally binding, a direct repeat of 2014 seems unlikely, and Strugeon is expected to present plans for some form of alternative, perhaps advisory, referendum. It is not clear what this will achieve. My colleague Archie Bland mentions this in detail in the First Edition update. Here is an excerpt. One view is that if the Labor Party wins the next election, the momentum behind independence is likely to ease somewhat, so it is better to strike now. Perhaps most importantly, Severin Carrell, editor of The Guardian in Scotland, says he “will strengthen the SNP before the next general election in the UK. “Even if the finances are more difficult than they were a decade ago, it is useful for them to argue that Scotland’s hopes for independence are being dashed in Westminster.” To understand how strong a power independence is even if it is not, you only need to look at the SNP’s long-term dominance in Scotland despite its inability to achieve its ultimate goal – at least so far. “The history of the last 15 years is that the SNP very rarely loses in these situations,” Severin said. “Rarely does he get everything he wants, but he gains something else.” And here is the full update. Opposition parties in Scotland have accused Sturgeon of wasting time on a divisive issue when it comes to dealing with the immediate problems facing Scotland. Anas Sarwar, Labor leader in Scotland, said: Unsurprisingly, Nicola Sturgeon is stepping up her efforts to sow discord and controversy when we see the chaos in her party and the failures of her government. She says she listens to the people of Scotland – but denies herself, going to an unwanted referendum and ignoring the desperate cries of the people for help with the cost of living crisis. Scottish Conservatives have also accused Sturgeon of “self-indulgence and irresponsibility”. Nicola Sturgeon’s persistent push for another divisive independence referendum is the culmination of indulgence and irresponsibility. He should start listening to Scotland and return to his daily work. pic.twitter.com/YudtXiVZec – Scottish Conservatives (@ScotTories) June 27, 2022 I will cover the statement this afternoon, but there are many other policies. Here is the agenda of the day. 9.30 am: Boris Johnson and other G7 leaders attend the final session of the G7 summit in Germany. He will later travel to Madrid for the start of the NATO summit. 11 a.m .: Liz Truss, Secretary of State, submits to the Commons Foreign Affairs Committee. 11 a.m.: Kwasi Kwarteng, secretary of operations, submits to the Commons business committee. 11.30 am: Chancellor Rishi Sunak receives questions in the Commonwealth. 12.30pm: Liz Saville Roberts, leader of the Plaid Cymru in Westminster, proposes a 10-minute bill aimed at banning politicians from lying. 11.30: Downing Street briefs the lobby. 1.40 pm: Defense Minister Ben Wallace delivers a speech at RUSI’s annual Land Warfare conference. 14:00: Simon Case, Secretary of the Cabinet, reports to the Commons Committee on Public Administration and Constitutional Affairs on governance in the light of the Greensill scandal 2.10 pm: Michael Gove, the secretary who raises the level, gives a speech at the conference of the Local Government Association in Harrogate. 14.20: Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland ‘s first minister, announces to MSPs her plans for a referendum on Scottish independence. I try to watch the comments below the line (BTL) but it is impossible to read them all. If you have an immediate question, include “Andrew” somewhere and I am more likely to find it. I try to answer questions and if it is of general interest, I will post the question and answer over the line (ATL), although I can not promise to do it for everyone. If you want to get my attention quickly, it’s probably best to use Twitter. I’m on @AndrewSparrow. Alternatively, you can email me at [email protected] Updated at 09.41 BST
