Commons People

Boris Johnson moved Greater Manchester area into the highest tier of local lockdown, setting in motion a war of words and press conferences with mayor Andy Burnham. Tensions spilled over as an extraordinary series of negotiations over a lack of financial support for businesses and workers spilled over in public, with Burnham was branded the “king of the north” as he attempted to defend Manchester...

Boris Johnson’s tiered local lockdown rules for England were meant to simplify the government’s response to the coronavirus second wave. But the plans immediately ran into trouble after Sage papers revealed scientific advisers had called for a national ‘circuit breaker’ around a month ago. Keir Starmer dramatically took up the call as leaders from the Greater Manchester area hit back at plans to p...

Former shadow chancellor John McDonnell joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wearmouth to discuss the rebellions brewing in Westminster as efforts to tackle the coronavirus pandemic by the government lurch from crisis to crisis. Is the time of constructive opposition from Keir Starmer’s Labour over? And is it time to impose a national lockdown? While fighting the government’s response, Starmer a...

Boris Johnson can’t remember his own coronavirus rules, Priti Patel considered deterring asylum seekers with a wave machine, and the EU is taking the UK  to court - it’s been another one of those weeks.  Joining Arj Singh and Rachel Wearmouth, Tory former special adviser Salma Shah and Labour ex-adviser Matthew McGregor try to pick their way through the headlines and consider why the PM is faring...

As curfews and other restrictions are brought in to try and stem the rise in coronavirus infections, Rishi Sunak took to the dispatch box with another rescue plan for the economy. But do his emergency schemes go far enough? Joining Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wearmouth, Labour’s shadow communities secretary Steve Reed reacts to Sunak’s statement, tries to unpack the problems with test and tra...

Boris Johnson’s ‘moonshot’ coronavirus ambition began to look divorced from the reality of worrying testing shortages as more areas were put into local lockdowns. The prime minister also had to contend with a Tory Brexit rebellion and more resignations from his government. Is Johnson losing control of the two biggest issues of our times? Tory MP Paul Howell joined Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel...

As Britain saw a worrying resurgence of coronavirus cases, Boris Johnson returned to the country’s living room with a briefing with new restrictions.  Also returning is Brexit, with the government admitting that they’re planning on breaking international law. Are we witnessing the prime minister repeat his mistakes with both Brexit and the pandemic? Joining Arj Singh and Paul Waugh, Anand Menon fr...

Parliament returned from summer recess but it has been anything but a calm and relaxing summer holiday as the fallout from the exam results fiasco and many, many more U-turns from the government left Boris Johnson and the Tories sinking in the polls to the dismay of the party’s MPs. HuffPost UK’s Arj Singh and Paul Waugh are joined by shadow education minister Emma Hardy to make sense of what’s go...

This week, Black Ballad is guest-editing HuffPost UK with a series by Black women on parenting, family, and our post-Covid future. In this special episode of Commons People, Arj Singh speaks with HuffPost UK's Nadine White, Black Ballad’s head of editorial, Jendella Benson and co-founder of the Five Times More campaign, Tinuke Awe to talk about the takeover and what Black Ballad's landmark motherh...

No chance for parliament to wind down to summer recess as the intelligence and security committee published the long-awaited Russia report, which detailed how the government and intelligence agencies took their “eye off the ball” with regards to Russian meddling in British politics. Will Boris Johnson take heed of the warnings? Alongside Russia, the government also has to contend with Chinese rela...

Security and foreign affairs was thrust to the forefront this week as Boris Johnson U-turned on Huawei’s involvement in UK 5G infrastructure. The change in tone to China was quickly followed by a very British coup as Julian Lewis stole the chair of the intelligence and security committee from No.10’s favoured Chris Grayling and prepared to publish the long-awaited report on Russian interference. D...

Rishi Sunak this week delivered a £30bn mini-budget designed to save jobs from the deep recession caused by coronavirus. The chancellor again came forward with radical state intervention proposals while keeping backbench Tory MPs eager for low tax, small state economics happy. But were the plans radical enough? Labour peer and Gordon Brown’s former adviser Stewart Wood goes through details with Ar...

Boris Johnson tried to reset the agenda on his premiership this week ahead of the lockdown all but lifting, setting out a “new deal” in the mould of Franklin D Roosevelt to get Britain to flourish once more following the coronavirus pandemic. But was he bold enough during the crisis itself? While Johnson was taking to the stage, a local flare up of cases in Leicester, China’s moves on Hong Kong an...

After three months, Britain’s lockdown is coming to an end after Boris Johnson announced the openings of pubs, restaurants and other venues from July 4. But is it a risk? And what about those, particularly in the arts, that are still not yet allowed to fully reopen? Recorded before Rebecca Long-Bailey’s sacking, Labour’s shadow culture secretary Jo Stevens joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel We...

While Boris Johnson was discussing the boarding up of Churchill’s statue, Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford was campaigning for free school meals over the summer. Rashford’s open letter to the government saw a U-turn within 48 hours. With schools reopening also causing consternation, it hints at a government unsure of which way to turn. Conservative MP Robert Halfon joins Arj Singh, Paul W...

George Floyd’s death continued to reverberate around the world this week, with protests in Bristol leading to the tearing down of Edward Colston’s statue due to his links to the slave trade. Is Britain finally facing up to the systemic racism present in the country? One person not facing up to his failings is Boris Johnson, as the government continues to ignore calls to say mistakes were made in t...

Coronavirus news took a backseat as the protests against racial injustice fanned across the world following George Floyd’s death in custody of Minneapolis police. Britain too had tough questions to answer as a report detailing the disproportionate effects of coronavirus on Black and minority ethnic (BAME) people was published. Conservative MP Bim Afolami joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wear...

The government has announced its new test and trace system as well as easing some lockdown restrictions but the only news people are talking about is Dominic Cummings and his lockdown eye test. Boris Johnson has staked a lot on sticking by his adviser, but is the Vote Leave guru worth the price? Joining Arj Singh and Paul Waugh, former Tory special adviser Salma Shah and former Labour adviser Matt...

Nicola Sturgeon has now laid out Scotland’s lockdown exit strategy, a week after breaking with Boris Johnson and opposing the easing of restrictions that happened in England. Many think the Scottish first minister has handled the pandemic response better than the UK PM, but does it hold up under scrutiny? Labour’s shadow Scottish secretary Ian Murray joins Arj Singh, Paul Waugh and Rachel Wearmout...

Britain was told to ease itself back to work as Boris Johnson’s government tries to devise a lockdown exit strategy that keeps the coronavirus at bay without long-term damage to the economy. Confused messaging from the government however has led to difficult questions, particularly those from Keir Starmer at PMQs. Does Boris Johnson have the answers? Questions too are beginning to be asked of Chin...

Boris Johnson went toe-to-toe with Sir Keir Starmer for the first time in PMQs this week, with Labour’s leader impressing many. But what is his long-term strategy and how is he managing the one thing he can control - the Labour party? Meanwhile as the prime minister prepares for a minor easing of the coronavirus lockdown, there is no end in sight for the UK’s theatres, music venues and comedy club...

Boris Johnson capped off an eventful April as prime minister with the birth of his son with partner Carrie Symonds, two days after returning from three weeks off with severe coronavirus. Has the last month changed the prime minister’s outlook on the crisis? Top of his to do list is when and how to end the lockdown so the country can begin to get back to some semblance of normality, with Johnson’s...

The government seems unable to give a straight answer on a range of questions as problems with PPE persist and no sign of an exit strategy being presented to the public. Is no one able to make decisions during Boris Johnson’s absence?  As the country continues to strive through the lockdown, worries about the economy are being joined by the affects it is having one the public, particularly for sch...

An unsettling week for Westminster as prime minister Boris Johnson was admitted to intensive care with coronavirus. His admission to hospital left Dominic Raab as de facto PM whilst Johnson recovers but who’s now running the government’s handling of the pandemic as it enters the peak for the UK? For Labour, their search for a new leader is finally over as Keir Starmer won the vote to take over fro...

As the second week of Britain’s lockdown comes to an end, the government’s response to coronavirus is beginning to come under attack. As Boris Johnson, Matt Hancock and Chris Whitty self-isolate, a lack of answers over testing and protective equipment is prompting scathing criticism. Where have ministers gone wrong, and can they fix it? Senior Conservative MP and chair of the Commons science commi...