Domestic Politics
Ursula von der Leyen, the new president of the European Commission, has scheduled a meeting in Britain to lay the groundwork for the next phase of Brexit. The aim of this visit is to negotiate the transition period of Britain’s official exit from the European Union, which is expected to end on 31 January. Prime Minister Boris Johnson has previously announced his intention to make the end date legally binding resulting in a no-deal Brexit on expiration of the transition period. [The Independent]
Ian Blackford, the leader of the Scottish National Party, has urged the MPs of the SNP to engage closely with voters to understand their scepticism surrounding Scottish Independence. This comes in preparation for the second independence referendum planned by the SNP. The party also plans to engage with institutions overseas to avoid any potential issues with other European countries, especially Spain. [Scotsman]
International Relations
UK’s former head of the navy and ex-national security adviser has raised concerns that as attacks on the US, either its home soil or abroad, will be difficult to achieve, the UK may present itself as a softer target for Iran. Rather than declaring a war against the US and its allies, he predicts the use of sleeper cells and cyber-attacks; he is also wary of attacks against British troops in Iraq, and British tourists. [Telegraph]
Prime Minister Boris Johnson finally ended his silence on the recent Iran crisis, saying that he will not “lament” the death of Iranian General Qassem Soleimani given his role in the deaths of thousands of civilians and western personnel. However, he urged both the US and Iran to de-escalate and exercise utmost restraint and responsibility to end the current cycle of violence in Iraq. [Financial Times]
The UK is aggressively working to position itself to strike Iran if tensions give way to war in the Middle East. A Royal Navy nuclear-powered submarine armed with Tomahawk cruise missiles is allegedly in position to attack Iran if necessary. A Royal Navy source has stated that “the ‘hunter-killers’ are the most advanced submarines in the Royal Navy. They are a deadly asset and there is one well within range of Iran”. [Daily Express]
Society
New data by the Irish Independent shows a great divide between pay scales across sectors in Ireland. With the Information and Communication Technology sector surging at three times the national average, the lowest-paid full-time workers are from the accommodation and food services industry. Ibec’s chief economist, Gerard Brady, predicts an increase in pressure on the already tight labour market in the coming years. [Irish Independent]
Gender
Following the rape of the 19-year-old British woman in Cyprus by a group of Israeli men, the president and attorney general have been urged to intervene. The retraction of her statement about the incident led to her conviction for “public mischief”. This controversial verdict has attracted criticism by various human rights groups and gender rights activists across the UK. [The Independent]
Law
A UK judge, ruling on the British Equality Act that protects employees from discrimination, included ethical veganism as a philosophical belief to bring it within the ambit of the 2010 act. Jordi Casamitjana, the applicant, claimed that he was dismissed by his employer for expressing his discontent that their employer’s pension fund was sourced from companies that experimented on animals. The lawyer for the employer, League Against Cruel Sports, has stated his intention to address the substantive issues, which maintains that the dismissal was a consequence of his misconduct and not his beliefs. [CNN]
Image Source: POLITICO