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Prince Harry puts his children and Meghan Markle in 'immediate' danger with 'unwise' claim Prince Harry has placed his children in the crosshairs of extremists and will be looking over his shoulder for the rest of his life, say security experts. They warned that, by boasting in his book Spare of killing 25 Taliban insurgents, theDuke of Sussexhas elevated himself and his family into one of the world’s top security risks, alongside Russian president Vladimir Putin and former US leader Donald Trump. SAS hero Andy McNab said Harry’s comments were “unwise”, adding “as we have seen for decades, extremists don’t care how they get to targets as long as they do As a result, the Duke will face a bill of £5.5million a year for round-the-clock protection needed to keep him, wife Meghan, 41 and children Archie, three and Lilibet, 19 months, safe. His comments about his kill tally as a combat helicopter pilot in Afghanistan have provoked outrage across the Middle East, sparking online death threats against him and other royals. Harry, 38, writes in his bombshell memoir that killing 25 Taliban fighters was like “chess pieces taken off the board”. The Duke, who served two tours, claimed he did not see the enemy and did not feel pride or shame over the deaths. Mr McNab, a former SAS soldier turned author whose identity since going undercover in Northern Ireland in the 1980s, said Harry was already a “high-value target” for his tours of duty in Afghanistan. The 63-year-old Bravo Two Zero writer added boasting about his Taliban kills will not be forgotten by extremists – as was seen with the stabbing of Satanic Verses author Sir Salman Rushdie, 75, in New York last summer. That came 34 years after an Iranian fatwa calling for his death. Mr McNab said: “They have long memories and they obviously have people in the US. Harry has made himself more of a target.a “The threats against him will have to be taken seriously everywhere now.” The Prince’s comments also angered military chiefs, with a general who commanded troops in Afghanistan branding them “ghoulish and completely unnecessary”. Col Richard Kemp accused Harry of “stabbing his fellow comrades in the back”. He said: “Harry’s comments imply the Army conditions soldiers to see chess pieces to be taken out. “The reality is that the Army does not train soldiers to perceive anyone on the battlefield as chess pieces. And it is a stab in the back to those who fought alongside him to say it.” And Admiral Lord West, the former head of the Navy, warned Harry has jeopardised security at September’s Invictus Games. He told the Sunday Mirror: “The Games is very much labelled to him and so I would have thought the threat level there will definitely be higher. “There will be serious security issues because of what he said.” Security arrangements for the Sussexes could come into sharp focus when they next visit the UK, as the Duke is fighting a legal battle with the Home Office for his family to be granted automatic police protection. Chris Phillips, a former Metropolitan Police chief inspector in charge of organising security for high-profile events, said: “Harry’s comments have ensured his family will require 24/7 security for the rest of his life and beyond because he has also placed a target firmly on the back of his children. “We know Islamic extremists can be patient.” Top US security expert Kent Moyer agreed, saying Harry has condemned his wife and children to a “lifetime of looking over their shoulders in fear”. The boss of the Beverly Hills-based World Protection Group said the Duke’s comments put his family in “immediate” danger at their five-acre mansion in Montecito, California. Mr Moyer said: “There are highly motivated people who will bide their time to launch an attack.”

Starmer nearly doubles lead over Sunak in best PM tracker poll after winter of discontent In a week where the two main party leaders set out their stalls for 2023 in new year speeches, struggling Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has seen his popularity fall further behind Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. Rishi Sunak has received a new blow as he tries to put the problems of the Tories behind them in the new year with Sir Keir Starmer taking a significant lead in the poll over who would be the best Prime Minister. It comes after the weekly tracker poll for Express.co.uk byTechne UK showed the Conservatives had fallen a further four points behind Labour over Christmas to 21 percent. According to the latest fortnightly poll on "best Prime Minister" Sir Keir has stretched his lead to nine points over Mr Sunak up from five just before Christmas Mr Sunak dropped a point to 36 percent while Starmer gained three to 46 percent. The same survey of 1,624 voters by Techne UK revealed thatalmost half (48 percent) do not believe Mr Sunak will even be Prime Minister by the end of this yearafter the Conservatives ditched his two predecessors - Boris Johnson and Liz Truss - in 2022. Tory MPs are already plotting another potential coup if the local elections in May are catastrophic. With the conservatives on their lowest share of the vote in three years, 25 percent, the new year has got off badly for Mr Sunak. Even almost one in five (18 percent) Conservative voters from 2019 now believe Starmer would make the best Prime Minister as do more than a quarter (27 percent) of 2016 Leave voters. The only age category Mr Sunak leads in is 55-to-64-year-olds where he has 43 percent to 41 percent over Starmer. Among voters under 45 Sir Keir has around 50 percent to Mr Sunak's 30 percent. The survey took place over the two days the party leaders made their pitches to the nation in speeches in East London. While Sir Keir's microphone went dead at one point he still appears to have made a better impression than Mr Sunak's five point plan. The pledge from the Prime Minister is to halve inflation, bring economic growth, reduce debt, sort out NHS waiting lists and stop the small boats packed with illegal migrants. Downing Street sources have said Mr Sunak believes he can still win the election in 2024 and have pointed to his personal ratings being higher than the party's. But the strategy of Mr Sunak winning in a presidential style contest could be in trouble if he continues to lose ground. Polling experts believe that the strikes are beginning to bite and the nurses one is being blamed on the government in particular. Michela Morizzo, chief executive of Techne, said: "Our poll will make for very grim reading indeed for the Prime Minister who will be hoping that the New Year will now signal a strong change in fortune for the Conservative party.

Tories could turn things around with 'President Rishi' strategy to attract key voters The Prime Minster laid out five promises aimed at voters that the Conservatives need to win back during a flagship speech on Wednesday. Rishi Sunakcould help turn around current poor polling and help the Conservatives the next general election by putting himself at the centre of the next general election campaign, a former Number 10 pollster has argued. Writing in TheDaily Telegraph,James Johnson argued that the PM's "President Rishi" strategy will differentiate him from other political leaders and assure voters he will get things done. He said: "Welcome to “President Rishi”. On Wednesday, the Prime Minister put himself at the forefront of the Conservatives’ next election bid. "One could see the fledgling campaign already – I am not like the others. I will not promise you the world, but will get things done. "It is an approach voters have been crying out for. "The biggest criticism of politicians in my focus groups is not that they are incompetent or malign, but that they never simply tell the public how it is." Mr Johnson argued that Mr Sunak's five promises to reduce inflation, boost growth, reduce national debt and NHS waiting lists and stop small migrant boats will chime well with working class voters over 40 who decisively swung behind the Conservatives in 2019. He said: "The fight now is not for millennials who stopped voting Tory after Brexit. Labour has made more inroads with Leavers since 2019 than Remain voters. "It is working class voters – usually over the age of 40 – who were so crucial to the Conservative majority in 2019. "With immigration one of the top issues for them, pledging to stop the migrant Channel crossings will appeal. "Waiting lists are a universal issue, but speak most to those over 65 who prioritise the NHS above even the cost of living. The language around the importance of family and community strikes right to the heart of small-c conservative Britain." Mr Johnson added that despite Labour's large polling lead, some swing voters are still hesitant about Sir Keir Starmer, believing that he is insincere. A poll earlier this week showed that Mr Sunak is the preferred leader over Sir Keir, illustrating according to Mr Johnson, the wisdom of a "President Rishi" strategy.

Leo Varadkar's 'false contrition' over Brexit slammed as EU shows 'no change' in position Ireland's Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said mistakes were made on all sides in the handling of Brexit, but vowed to be flexible and reasonable when attempting to solve issues with the Northern Ireland Protocol. Brexiteer Ben Habib has accusedLeo Varadkarof showing "false contrition" and claimed there is no change to the Irish Taoiseach or European Union's position over theNorthern Ireland Protocol. Mr Habib said while some people appear to be taking Mr Varadkar's words at face value, his contrition is false and he simply wishes to appear reasonable. The former Brexit Party MEP tweeted: "His contrition is false. He simply wishes to appear reasonable. There is no change in his or the EU’s position. The only concessions they might offer over the Protocol will be optical. Don’t be fooled!" Mr Habib toldExpress.co.uk: "Leo Varadkar is disingenuous. His recent contrite remarks on Brexit are a deception. He was responsible in 2018 for weaponizing the Irish border issue. He has not had any sort of Damascene conversion since then. A year before his implicit threats of violence, in November 2017, a report was published which described how a smart border for customs checks could be created on the island. The report concluded: 'It is possible to implement a Customs and Border solution that meets the requirements of the EU Customs legislation (Union Customs Code) and procedures, with expected post-Brexit volumes of cross-border people and goods, if using a combination of international standards, global best practices and state-of-the-art technology upgraded to a Smart Border 2.0 or similar solution.' "Importantly, the recommendations in the report ensured the Common Travel Area, which is a cornerstone for harmony on the island, would in no way be compromised." He added: "The above is, of course, obvious to any sane minded individual. What is more remarkable is that the report was published by theEU." The 2017 study commissioned by the European Parliament provided background on cross-border movement and trade between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It also identified international standards and best practices to create a smooth border. Mr Habib continued: "Even though Varadkar (and the EU) knew there was no risk to peace from a customs border, he went to Brussels brandishing photos of bombed out border posts from 1972. The threat he made was clear – if a customs border, or a hard border as he called it, were to be placed on the island, violence would return. "It was this more than anything that cowed Theresa May’s and then Boris Johnson’s governments overBrexit. May wanted to keep the entire UK in the EU’s Single Market, thereby neutering Brexit. Johnson, instead, with the Protocol, threw Northern Ireland under a bus and partitioned the United Kingdom with a border down the Irish Sea. Without a single shot fired, Johnson and Lord Frost surrendered Northern Ireland to the EU. If Varadkar were now genuinely contrite, he would advocate the ripping up of the Protocol. He is not. His faux humility is cover for the EU and himself insisting on the Protocol remaining in place but with (and this is his likely optical concession) customs checks across the Irish Sea made less visible. Varadkar and his masters in Brussels said the price of Brexit would beNorthern Irelandand they are intent on that prize. Past precedent and Sunak’s supine attitude to the EU suggest the British Government will do nothing to protect the integrity of the United Kingdom."

Lords 'will delay' Rishi Sunak's plans to remove 4,000 EU laws by the end of the year The government has committed to removing around 4,000 EU-derived laws by December. Rishi Sunakwill be forced by the House of Lords to halt plans on removingEuropean Unionlaws by December, according to reports. TheConservative Partyhad vowed to remove around 4,000 pieces of EU-derived laws followingBrexit. Ministers will have to decide which laws they want to retain, which to scrap and which to change. But the Prime Minister may be forced to push back the "impossible deadline" as thousands of officials will be made to review legislation full time. A senior government source told The Times that it was "inevitable" that the government would have to abandon its plans when the legislation reaches the Lords, which is expected to be next month. Peers have raised significant concerns about them. "I can’t see it [the deadline] surviving," the source said. "We’ll have to compromise when it gets to the Lords. If the object is to review all these regulations properly rather than just cut and paste them into UK law then we’ll need more time. It’s an entirely arbitrary deadline. We’re going to have to make a concession to get it through." Several departments are expected to extend the deadline, including the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, the Department for Transport and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs until 2026 There have been claims that Grant Shapps, the business secretary, is sympathetic to a delay But the delays could cause backlash for the government who were hoping the legislation would show they were delivering on the benefits of Brexit. Jacob Rees-Mogg, a former business secretary, said: "There is no reason to give in to the unelected remainers in the House of Lords who have consistently wanted to thwart Brexit. "Repealing EU law and replacing it with domestic law seven years after we voted to leave is not especially ambitious and departments ought to be ready to do it. It was not going to be hard for BEIS when I was there but there was a bit of whingeing from life’s eternal hand-wringers." Sunak initially said he would "review or repeal" EU laws in his first 100 days as Prime Minister. The task of reviewing 4,000 EU-derived laws could take months as each regulation is subject to 25 detailed questions and multiple sub-questions. An alliance of more than a dozen organisations, including the Trades Union Congress, the Institute of Directors (IoD) and the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, said the proposed changes would cause difficulties for several sectors. In a letter to Shapps the alliance said the plans would create further uncertainty for businesses. Roger Barker, the director of policy and governance at the IoD, said: "Getting to grips with any resulting regulatory changes will impose a major new burden on business which it could well do without." There have been concerns that the policy could impact workers' rights and environmental protections, with the letter claiming the proposal would overturn "decades of case law" and make the "intermpretation of the law highly uncertain". This could affect holiday pay, safe working hours and laws governing the labelling of meat and eggs. Ministers are understood to be keen to apply the new clauses to: chemical regulations, which ministers claim impose high compliance costs on small businesses; rules on wine labelling, packaging and bottle sizes, including minimum alcohol requirements; and regulations governing high-powered vacuum cleaners and some planning regulations. A BEIS spokesman said: "The programme to review, revoke and reform retained EU law is under way and there are no plans to change the sunset deadline for any government departments."

British voters want foreign human rights court to stop interfering with UK laws - poll A new poll has suggested that a majority of British voters may be willing to support the end of the jurisdiction of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) in the UK. An exclusive poll has shown that a majority of voters who hold an opinion believe the Strasbourg based European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) should no longer have the power to overturn British laws. The survey by Techne UK comes ahead of a year where the ECHR;s jurisdiction in Britain is going to again come into focus with Rishi Sunak vowing to end the migrant crisis across the Channel. According to the poll by Techne UK for Express.co.uk, 42 percent agree that the powers of the ECHR over British laws should be ended while 34 percent diagreed and 24 percent said they did not know. It follows fury earlier this year when an unnamed judge made a late night decision to bar deportation flights to Rwanda of illegal migrants who had come acorss the English Channel in small boats. The judge in effect has delayed the scheme by months and has never been identified by the eCHR after he made his decision in private without hearing any evidence from the UK Government. However, the ECHR has previously made a series of controversial decisions including demanding that the UK gives voting rights to prisoners which was ignored by Westminster. This month, Rishi Sunak unveiled a major new plan to end the illegal migrant crisis. This included a new deal with Albania to return illegal migrants to that country who account for around 30 percent of the total number coming across the Channel. He also said he would bring in a law next year to allow people arriving illegally to be deported immediately to their country of origin or a safe country they came through. And he vowed to speed up the processing for asylum applications. However, the UK is seen to be soft on asylum with 75 percent of applications accepted compared to 25 percent in France. Mr Sunak said: "It is unfair that people come here illegally. It is unfair on those with a genuine case for asylum when our capacity to help is taken up by people coming through and from countries that are perfectly safe. "It is unfair on those who migrate here legally, when others come here by cheating the system and above all, it is unfair on the British people who play by the rules when others come here illegally and benefit from breaking those rules." The push to tackle the issue has come from his Home Secretary Suella Braverman who only agreed to take the job if she could have a free hand in tackling illegal migration. However, it is known that she has previously pushed for Britain to end the jurisdition of the ECHR and, as Attorney General, told Boris Johnson, when he was Prime Minister, that it would be the only way to end the migrant crisis The survey of 1,624 voters over December 21 and 22 showed that 42 percent thought the ECHR should not be able to veto British laws. Strongest support for ending ECHR jurisdiction came from former 2016 Leave cvoters on 52 percent while only 34 percent of Remainers backed the idea. Former Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has argued that "Brexit will not be complete" until the jurisdiction of the Strasbourg based court is ended. Jacob Rees-Mogg alleged in Parliament that the decision made to block the Rwanda scheme was by a "Russian judge dragged out of a bar late at night." He added: "Can this stand?"

Tories put ‘on notice’ by own voters amid failures of NHS, education, and austerity This year marks the penultimate year of this Parliament which will see politicians begin to canvass for voters for the 2025 General Election Following a tumultuous year for theConservatives,Rishi Sunakwill be forced to reassure voters that another Tory Government is the best option for the country. A new poll which was shared with the i shows that Tory voters believe the party has failed to manage theNHS, austerity and education while in Government. The Opinium survey for Compassion in Politics concluded that a whopping 73 percent of Conservative voters believed that the NHS has been mismanaged and failed in the last 10 years Compassion in Politics describes itself as a cross-party campaign organisation Opinium questioned 2,000 British adults between December 16 and 20 with the results weighted to be nationally representative with nearly 700 respondents being Tory voters in 2019. Only 16 percent of those in the survey believed that the management of the NHS has been a success. Meanwhile, the majority of Tory 2019 supporters (46 percent) believe that education policies have failed, compared to 22 percent who think education reform has been a success. Tory voters’ opinions on the NHS and Education are largely in line with voters from all other parties. However, 57 percent believed that austerity was a failure which was a much bigger proportion of the total sample. The poll shows that Sunak has a challenge to reassure Tory voters as well as undecided voters to continue with a Conservative government in January 2025. While trying to win the favour of voters, the Prime Minister has a series of challenges to tackle which will see unpopular policies in order to restore the UK’s economy. Boris Johnson’s landslide 80-seat majority win in 2019 saw the crumbling of the red wall amid his vow to “get Brexit done”. While a number of voters have turned against the success of Brexit, with a number believing they have not seen the supposed benefits of the departure of the EU, the poll showed that more Tory voters believed that Brexit has been a success. From the poll, 43 percent believe in the success of Brexit while 33 percent perceive it as a failure. However, a poll of all respondents showed that the majority (57 percent) see the departure as a failure with only 24 percent believing it was a good decision. The survey asked respondents to give the Conservative’s time in Government a grade which saw one in five of the Tory voters “failing” the party with 11 percent giving a D grade and 28 percent a C. Meanwhile, 25 percent (a quarter of voters) gave their performance a B and only 15 percent awarded an A or A*. Overall voters saw 42 percent giving the party a fail, 29 percent rated the party’s performance a C or D and only eight percent awarding the top grades. Jennifer Nadel, co-director of Compassion in Politics told i: “There is a hunger and a need for change. “A decade of underfunding, low pay, and inadequate social security support has impoverished millions, weakened our public services, and spread financial fear, stress, and worry. “Into that mix we’ve had the continuing disruption and prolonged uncertainty of Brexit. The public have judged this record to be one of failure and they’re putting the Government on notice.”

Back brilliant Britain and we'll all get stronger in 2023' says defiant Rishi Sunak Rishi Sunak has promised "better times ahead" as he revealed a New Year's masterplan to kickstart Britain's recovery. The Prime Minister insisted the Government was “working flat out to provide peace of mind” to the nation after a horrendous 12 months marred by war, inflation and political turmoil. But in a message to mark the start of 2023, Mr Sunak said, “I know we will get through these winter days” and pledged to “build a better future” for generations to come. With waiting lists hitting a record-breaking seven million, he said the NHS is the “first priority for many people up and down the country”. Writing in today’s Sunday Express, he said there is “every reason to believe we will emerge stronger” from a year of upheaval. And in a separate video message, Mr Sunak said he wanted to bring a sense of “fairness” to modern Britain, and was optimistic about the future. He added: “I know it’s been tough but I’m really confident that better times lie ahead. I may have only had the job for several weeks but actually I feel good about the future. “I feel positive about the change that we can bring so we can improve people’s lives, so we can deliver the peace of mind people are looking for in the here and now – whether it’s around energy bills or making sure that backlogs in the NHS are reduced, but also that we can builda better future for ourfuture for our kids and grandkids.” The PM’s words come as Conservatives face a crisis in the opinion polls ahead of a general election expected next year, with one putting the Tories on just 19 percent – 26 points behind Labour. Signalling that voters can expect bold action in the coming months, Mr Sunak: Insisted he has “got a plan to get borrowing and debt under control”; Said the Government is looking at ways to “protect the public and minimise the disruption and anguish caused by strikes”; Vowed he “will not rest until every child is given the opportunity of a world-class education”; Said it was unfair to “subsidise” people who come to the UK illegally; And promised to stand by Ukraine for “as long as it takes”. Describing his confidence the British people will rise to this year’s challenges, he said: “Every day, people are working to make lives better, striving for their families, and putting other people first. That’s why I know we will get through these winter days. That’s why I know better times lie ahead.” Mr Sunak’s hopes for the next 12 months have been echoed by Boris Johnson. The former Prime Minister said yesterday: “I want to tell you why I am looking forward to 2023 and why I am confident that things will get better “Our post-Covid, post-pandemic UK will finally start to take advantage of all our new freedoms, lengthening our lead as the best place on Earth to invest, to start a business, raise a family or to just hang out in the pub which is what I propose to do this New Year’s Eve.” But senior Tory MPs have warned that the Government must deliver improvements in the next “crucial” six months to stand a chance of staying in power. Brendan Clarke-Smith, who in 2019 became the first Conservative in more than a century to win the “Red Wall” seat of Bassetlaw, Notts, warned the issue of people arriving illegally in small boats was now an “existential threat to many of us” and said the public wanted results. Polling for the influential Policy Exchange think tank lays bare the scale of pressure the Government is now under to tackle the cost of living crisis and bring down NHS waiting lists. The research exposes key weaknesses the Government will have to address ahead of the election. Seventy-three percent of people disagreed the Government has a “clear sense of purpose”. Only 22 percent said the Government is “willing to take tough decisions for the long term”.

Remoaner claims UK 'only beginning' of Brexit impacts and forecasts five-year 'tragedy' Brexit will result in an economic "tragedy" in five years time, according to former EU Chief for the UK Uwe Kitzinger. The economic effects ofBrexitwill be fully felt in five years time as "tragedy" unfolds, the first BritishEU CommissionVice President has claimed. Uwe Kitzinger said: “It will be in five years’ time that the full effects will be felt. We are only at the beginning of the effects on business, international relations — it’s a tragedy.” Mr Kitzinger lashed out against Boris Johnson and the former Prime Minister's Leave strategy as he claimed it was based on "nonsense". He also accused Mr Johnson of deciding his Brexit plans "over lunch". He told Politico: “There was no preparation. Most of the popular newspapers said get out; it was obvious that Mr [Boris] Johnson decided over lunch which way he was going to go. “We should have spoken up. We all took it for granted, did not think it would happen.” He said: “Johnson’s argument that we could do trade with the ex-colonies better than with Europe — it’s so much nonsense, particularly given WTO rules. As members of an economic union, we had far better trade agreements with Australia, with other jurisdictions, than we can ever have after leaving. Johnson argued the opposite.” The comments come as the UK is still locking horns with the EU over the Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol. The protocol was agreed by the UK and the EU as a way to avoid a hard border on the island of Ireland after Brexit. It shifted the requirement for checks and customs declarations to trade crossing the Irish Sea, but is deeply unpopular with unionists, and the DUP has collapsed the powersharing institutions at Stormont in protest. The UK Government, while continuing to negotiate with the EU over the protocol, has also introduced legislation in Parliament to override many parts of the treaty. The Bill includes provision for the green and red lane system at Northern Ireland ports - with the green lane for goods from Great Britain which are staying in the region and the red lane to check and control goods going on to the Republic of Ireland and the rest of the EU. In a letter to peers, minister for biosecurity Lord Benyon said the Government is "working intensively" to put in place revised arrangements for the post-Brexit Northern Ireland Protocol. He said the Government prefers a negotiated settlement with the EU over differences on the protocol, but said it was proceeding with arrangements in legislation which overrides parts of the treaty. In his letter to the House of Lords subcommittee on the Northern Ireland Protocol, Lord Benyon said: "The Government's preference remains a negotiated solution, but we are proceeding with the Northern Ireland Protocol Bill as the situation in Northern Ireland needs to be resolved in any event. "This involves preparing to be able to deliver the red and green lane arrangements set out in the Bill in a smooth and timely way. It is written into the Bill's text itself that we will not set aside the application of EU law in relation to checks and controls for EU-destined goods. "The Government's plans for implementation of the red lane were rightly questioned by many peers during the Bill's second reading and at committee stage. The Government's position has always been that the arrangements in place for the red lane will require the enhancement of existing SPS facilities at points of entry in Northern Ireland The necessary construction has not taken place to date owing to wider concerns about the protocol's implementation. "However, acting to deliver these facilities is pivotal to securing a viable and sustainable way forward on the protocol in relation to EU-destined goods."

Scotland to be stripped of its army if Sturgeon's independence dream succeeds Professor Azeem Ibrahim told Express.co.uk the Scottish armed forces would automatically be repatriated to the UK Government if Scotland became independent. Scotland would be stripped of its army if it became independent, a Scottish foreign policy expert has said, explaining that even Scottish divisions of the UK armed forces are owned by the Government in Westminster. Professor Azeem Ibrahim told Express.co.uk the armed forces would be automatically repatriated to the UK Government if Scotland became independent as, by law, they are "owned and controlled by Westminster". Professor Ibrahim, Research Professor at the Strategic Studies Institute, said Scotland would be forced to engage in negotiations over the armed forces, but would have no guarantees of ending up with Scottish divisions of the army. Speaking to Express.co.uk about the Scottish army, the foreign policy expert said: "There is a bit of a misunderstanding that the Scottish divisions would be part of Scotland [after independence]. The reality is that everything - the entire security establishment, the military intelligence, everything - by law is owned and controlled by Westminster. "Anything Scotland gets would be subject to negotiations. "In practice, everything is controlled by Westminster, which is controlled by the UK Government. What Scotland gets will be down to negotiations." But while Scottish independence would have a detrimental impact on Scottish security according to Professor Ibrahim, the UK Government last week warned that independence could have a negative impact on the UK's security as a whole. Last week, the Scottish Affairs Committee opened up an inquiry into Scotland's role in UK defence of the North Atlantic and the Arctic. Pete Wishart, chair of the committee, said Scotland is "the heart of the UK's military capabilities", raising questions for what would happen if the devolved nation were to break away from the UK. He said that the security of the North Atlantic and the surrounding countries "has never been so important in modern times". The "mini-inquiry" will identify what the UK Government can do to further bolster North Atlantic and Arctic defence capabilities in Scotland, while the Scottish Affairs Committee will examine Scotland’s role in the UK Government’s Arctic Strategy, which was published in March 2022. Mr Wishart said: "From the navy to the RAF, Scotland is the heart of the UK’s military capabilities. "As the world is exposed to increased geopolitical tensions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the security of the North Atlantic and the surrounding countries has never been so important in modern times. "The UK Government’s Arctic Strategy, published earlier this year, recognises this and outlines how the UK is operating in new ways to adapt to any threats. Our Committee will be examining the role that Scottish-based defence capabilities will play in this changing landscape, and how the Arctic Strategy is being delivered in Scotland." Professor Ibrahim said Scotland plays "an absolutely integral part of the security apparatus of the UK". But he questioned whether it would be able to "maintain the same level of defence as it currently enjoys" if it were to become independent. Last year, defence expert John Gower claimed that Trident may be forced overseas or halted if Scotland gains independence because key Trident assets - such as the Faslane submarine base, the warhead loading site at Coulport, and nearby testing ranges - are all located in Scotland or Scottish waters. Mr Gower, a rear admiral at the time of the 2014 independence referendum, concluded in a European Leadership Network paper: "A Scottish secession would therefore generate fundamental operational and fiscal issues for the UK’s nuclear deterrent." The SNP and the Ministry of Defence have been contacted for comment.

Tory leadership branded 'disaster' as Hoyle slams 'revolving door' of candidates for PM The Speaker of the House of Commons has shamed the Conservative Party for the fierce political fallout which saw the UK grapple with three different prime ministers over three successive months. Sir Lindsay Hoylehas spoken of his disappointment in theTory Partyafter months of governmental controversy and instability. The Commons Speaker agreed with the suggestion that the antics of the Conservative Party had made the UK an “international laughing stock” when asked the question on BBC Radio 4's PM show. Reflecting on the past year in politics, he described the Tory leadership as a “disaster” which had threatened to break people’s trust in politics. Highlighting the “revolving door” of senior politicians after swathes of party members resigned, Sir Lindsay suggested he was forced to become the only aspect of “continuity” of Parliament. Speaking to BBC Radio 4 PM, Sir Hoyle explained: “It was like a revolving door of ministers. “I’ve never seen anything like it - it was bizarre We never knew who was going to be at the dispatch box. “The only continuity of Parliament was myself - we were running out of ministers.” His comments come after Parliament experienced months of turbulence, initially sparked by the partygate revelations that some ministers had broken lockdown regulations. As pressure mounted on then prime minister Boris Johnson to resign, a flood of Tory ministers, including some members of the leading Cabinet team, stepped down from their posts. Following the resignation of Mr Johnson, government duties were effectively paralysed as Conservative Party members voted on a new leader over the summer, eventually selecting Liz Truss. The fervent instability of government continued under Ms Truss as her short premiership was plagued by resignations among senior officials and characterised by her Cabinet’s disastrous mini-budget. Sir Hoyle told BBC Radio 4: “Brexit divided the country, it divided families, and people’s respect for democracy has struggled. Of course, we didn’t help this year with what went on.” He added: “Three prime ministers within three months - nobody could have envisioned it.” Following the resignation of Ms Truss, Rishi Sunak, the runner-up in the summer leadership contest, became the new Prime Minister - marking him as the third prime minister in as many months. The Speaker suggested the respected image of the Government “fell apart” amid the Tory chaos, which massively overshadowed “the biggest majority we’ve seen for [the] Conservatives Sir Hoyle suggested the Conservative chaos had amplified existing political tensions which stemmed from the divisive nature of the Brexit decision. He noted: “We’re still struggling to recover from Breixt, that’s part of our problem. “It divided families. There was real division there and we’ve been trying to heal that.” Looking back on the tumultuous year in politics, Sir Hoyle asserted he had “never ever seen anything like it before”. Moving forward, he called for “better respect and better tolerance” among MPs to reaffirm the public’s faith in the political system.

Macron at risk of early election chaos in 2023 as French leader lacks clear mandate Emmanuel Macron still does not have a majority in the Chambers. Emmanuel Macron could face early parliamentary elections next year as he lacks a majority under his Prime Minister Elisabeth Borne.TheFrench Presidentwas forced to resort to a law to effectively impose the application of his government's budget in Parliament in late October. By committing the "government's responsibility" to the whole hemicycle, article 49.3 of the Constitution, adopted by the Government, allowed for the adoption of the budget law without a vote by theFrenchParliament. The Government nonetheless faced more than 10 no-confidence motions in nine weeks during the process, as provided by the use of article 49.3. The opposition lost all of them, guaranteeing Mr Macron's equipe to stay put in power. But as the French leader still does not have a majority in the Chambers, he is at risk of early parliamentary election when parliament is set to vote on his government's pension reforms. Without an absolute majority, and with an insufficient relative majority, Macron sees his room for manoeuvre as extremely limited Under these conditions, Macron's action in France could be paralysed. On the domestic front, it would mean the halt of reforms and most of the government's measures. On the European front, the President of the Republic has broad powers, but there would still be a destabilising effect on the whole of the EU. The French President would have one last weapon to break the stalemate: the dissolution of the National Assembly and early elections. The last precedent is that of 1997. Confronted with the street's resistance to his reforms, the then president Jacques Chirac dissolved the National Assembly. It was a risky bet. After the victory of the Socialist Party and its leftist allies, Chirac was forced into five years of cohabitation with Lionel Jospin in Matignon. Back in September, Mujtaba Rahman, head of Eurasia Group’s Europe practice, said President Macron might eventually be presented with the hard choice between calling a snap election or accepting to be a "lame duck" for the remainder of his second term. Writing for Politico, Mr Rahman also warned "street marches and strikes now seem likely and will soon escalate, with mounting clamour for higher wages across the board and increased state action against high food and fuel prices". He added: "Although, ideologically, the centre right is broadly in favour of what Macron proposes, tactically, many Les Républicains deputies fear that their party’s election prospects would implode if they assist Macron with such unpopular reforms. "Les Républicains has therefore made clear that the government shouldn’t count on continuing support this fall, a position that’s likely to be reinforced by the election of the party’s new national leader in early December. "Front-runner Eric Ciotti, a 61 year-old deputy from Nice, is the leader of the hard-right, Macron-detesting wing of the party. But even moderate center-right deputies, like Ciotti’s pro-European rival Aurélien Pradié, fear that maintaining support for the Macron-Borne government will destroy the once dominant but now much-weakened party’s chances of winning the Elysée in the 2027 presidential election. "The government will almost certainly have to resort to its emergency powers, under Article 49, clause 3 of the Constitution, to push through its 2023 budget without a vote in December.