Minister says government will not ‘sweep away’ NI Brexit protocol, but renews demands for major changesThe UK will not “sweep away” the Northern Ireland Brexit protocol, despite renewed calls for its abolition by the Democratic Unionist party, the Brex…
Hilary Mantel: I am ashamed to live in nation that elected this government
Double Booker prize winner tells La Repubblica she may take Irish citizenship to feel European againHilary Mantel has said she feels “ashamed” by the UK government’s treatment of migrants and asylum seekers and is intending to become an Irish citizen t…
One out of 125 embassy guards promised help to leave Afghanistan made it to UK
Exclusive: Foreign Office said guards would be given right to come to Britain, but evacuation attempt failedJust one of the team of 125 British embassy guards who were promised help to leave Afghanistan by the Foreign Office has made it to the UK.Faiz …
UK has no coherent plan for Afghan refugee crisis, says ex-Whitehall chief
Mark Sedwill also attacks west’s withdrawal as a ‘bad policy, badly implemented’Britain and its allies have no coherent plan to deal with the huge refugee crisis expected to follow the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, a former cabinet secretary has w…
UK defence secretary suggests US is no longer a superpower
Ben Wallace also contrasts his department’s handling of Afghanistan crisis with Foreign Office responseBen Wallace, Britain’s defence secretary, suggested the US could no longer be considered a superpower in an interview where he also contrasted his de…
Brexit: food and drink exports to EU suffer ‘disastrous’ decline
First-half sales fall £2bn, says industry body, as barriers are compounded by staff shortagesExports of food and drink to the EU have suffered a “disastrous” decline in the first half of the year because of Brexit trade barriers, with sales of beef and…
Shop prices rise amid driver shortages and Brexit red tape
Retail data shows 0.4% month-on-month increase in August, with 0.6% rise in non-foodUK shop prices rose last month, according to the latest data from the British Retail Consortium, in a sign that driver shortages and the costs of Brexit-induced red tap…
Afghanistan: MPs to quiz Dominic Raab over ‘worst crisis since Suez’
Foreign secretary faces grilling as Labour says he ‘had 18 months to prepare but was missing in action’Dominic Raab faces a grilling over what has been described as “the biggest failure of foreign policy in a generation” on Wednesday, as the government…
Ministers ‘asleep on watch’ over safety of Afghans, says ex-British army chief
Gen Lord Richard Dannatt says ‘unfathomable’ why issue of those who helped British forces was not addressed earlierAfghanistan – live updatesA former head of the British Army has said it is “unfathomable” that the UK government appeared to have been “a…
Stand up for the women and girls of Afghanistan | Letters
Margaret Owen on those most vulnerable to Taliban violence who are now living in terror, Joseph Nhan-O’Reilly on keeping education alive. Plus letters from Barbara English and Sarah MulhollandIt is tragic that many Afghans who worked for Nato armies an…