Babak Belurs

Jumat, 26 Juli 2019

UK heatwave: Second hottest day on record leads to travel chaos - BBC News

The UK has recorded its second hottest day ever, with temperatures reaching 38.1C (100.6F) in Cambridge.

It breaks the previous record for the hottest day in July of 36.7C, and falls just short of the all-time high of 38.5C, reached in 2003.

Commuters faced disruption after Network Rail reported a number of heat-related incidents on the railway.

Forecasters warned the heat could lead to heavy rain in some areas, causing more disruption to travellers.

The Met Office said the temperature reading from Cambridge was only the second time the UK had gone over 100F.

Elsewhere in Europe, new high temperature records were set in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

How is it affecting travellers?

Network Rail said heat-related incidents were causing disruption across the rail network and warned people to make checks before travelling to see how their journey was affected.

It said it was working "flat out" to fix the issues as quickly as possible.

Packed carriages and rail delays on hottest day

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, said the disruption was particularly bad in London and the South East and warned it could continue until the weekend.

Robert Nisbet, director of nations and regions at the group, said 20 out of 26 train companies had been affected by cancellations and speed restrictions.

"We believe there could be roll-on impacts tomorrow, because many of the trains will be in the wrong places, many of the rail staff will be in the wrong places and it will take time to re-set, to stabilise the timetable again," he said.

Commuters became stuck at St Pancras station in London after overhead wires were damaged, severely disrupting East Midlands and Thameslink services.

Boards displayed at the station announced most trains had been cancelled, with others delayed.

Damaged wires also led to travellers facing delays and cancellations to journeys between London Euston and Watford Junction.

East Midlands Trains advised passengers not to travel on some of its train services, while Great Western cancelled some trains between London, Cardiff and Swansea, with routes between London and Scotland also affected.

Delays and cancellations are also expected for journeys across the Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink networks until the end of Thursday.

Other rail companies, including Greater Anglia, East Midlands, LNER and Hull Trains are also advising people not to travel.

Southeastern Railway also warned customers to avoid all but "absolutely necessary" travel.

What's the forecast?

On Thursday, Scotland recorded its hottest day of the year at 31C, while in Wales it was forecast to exceed 30C. A weather front close to Northern Ireland will keep it cooler.

Later on Thursday, eastern Scotland and the north and east of England could see rain, with a Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms into early Friday morning.

There are warnings that the storms could trigger travel delays, flash flooding, and power cuts.

Heatwave hits Europe

On the continent, the heat rose above 40C in France, Germany and the Netherlands, breaking records.

Paris saw a record high temperature of 42.6C and French reports suggest five deaths might have been linked to the heatwave.

In parts of northern Germany, rivers and lakes have dried up, bringing warnings that fish could be "severely threatened".

How to stay safe

People are being urged to help out vulnerable friends, relatives and strangers in the heat.

Age UK has issued guidance for older people to stay safe while homeless charities are handing out water and sun cream.

Public Health England has maintained a level three heat health watch for eastern areas of England.

In Bristol, thousands of people were left without water for more than 10 hours after a water main burst, with Bristol Water saying the problem might have been caused by the heat.

Homeless charities have handed out water and sun cream to rough sleepers across the country and Public Health England issued a level-three heat health watch for eastern areas of England.

Police also warned of the risks of cooling off in open water, after three bodies - believed to be swimmers - were recovered in London and Gloucestershire.

Britain is not used to such extreme temperatures, which means some people could be vulnerable to heat exhaustion.

The NHS recommends keeping all babies under six months out of direct sunlight, and older infants should be kept out of the sun as much as possible.

They should be kept in the shade or under a sunshade if they're in a buggy or pushchair. Sun cream with a high sun protection factor should be applied regularly - particularly if children go into water.

All children should be given plenty of fluids and the NHS says babies who are being breastfed may want to feed more than usual, but will not need water as well as breast milk.

NHS advice also says people should cool off immediately if they show the following symptoms: headaches, feeling dizzy, loss of appetite, nausea, excessive sweating, cramps, fast breathing and intense thirst.

For more information on how to keep safe in the heat, read:

Is the heatwave caused by climate change?

While extreme weather events like heatwaves occur naturally, "research shows that with climate change they are likely to become more common, perhaps occurring as regularly as every other year", the Met Office says.

It conducted a study last year that found that the UK was now 30 times more likely to experience heatwaves compared with the year 1750, because of "the higher concentration of carbon dioxide (a greenhouse gas) in the atmosphere".

Records going back to the late 19th Century show that the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by about one degree since industrialisation.

A climatology institute in Potsdam, Germany, says Europe's five hottest summers since 1500 have all been in the 21st Century.

Scientists are concerned that rapid warming linked to use of fossil fuels has serious implications for the stability of the planet's climate.

What are the UK's current record temperatures?

The current record temperatures across the UK are:

England and UK: 38.5C (101.3F) in Faversham, Kent on 10 August 2003
Scotland: 32.9C (91.2F) in Greycrook, Borders on 9 August 2003
Wales: 35.2C (95.4F) in Harwarden Bridge, Flintshire on 2 August 1990
Northern Ireland: 30.8C (87.4F) in Knockarevan, County Fermanagh on 20 June 1976 and Shaw's Bridge, Belfast on 12 July 1983

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2019-07-26 06:22:38Z
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UK heatwave: Second hottest day on record leads to travel chaos - BBC News

The UK has recorded its second hottest day ever, with temperatures reaching 38.1C (100.6F) in Cambridge.

It breaks the previous record for the hottest day in July of 36.7C, and falls just short of the all-time high of 38.5C, reached in 2003.

Commuters faced disruption after Network Rail reported a number of heat-related incidents on the railway.

Forecasters warned the heat could lead to heavy rain in some areas, causing more disruption to travellers.

The Met Office said the temperature reading from Cambridge was only the second time the UK had gone over 100F.

Elsewhere in Europe, new high temperature records were set in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

How is it affecting travellers?

Network Rail said heat-related incidents were causing disruption across the rail network and warned people to make checks before travelling to see how their journey was affected.

It said it was working "flat out" to fix the issues as quickly as possible.

Packed carriages and rail delays on hottest day

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, said the disruption was particularly bad in London and the South East and warned it could continue until the weekend.

Robert Nisbet, director of nations and regions at the group, said 20 out of 26 train companies had been affected by cancellations and speed restrictions.

Commuters became stuck at St Pancras station in London after overhead wires were damaged, severely disrupting East Midlands and Thameslink services.

Boards displayed at the station announced most trains had been cancelled, with others delayed.

Damaged wires also led to travellers facing delays and cancellations to journeys between London Euston and Watford Junction.

Delays and cancellations are also expected for journeys across the Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink networks until the end of Thursday.

Other rail companies, including Greater Anglia, East Midlands, LNER and Hull Trains are also advising people not to travel.

Southeastern Railway also warned customers to avoid all but "absolutely necessary" travel.

What's the forecast?

On Thursday, Scotland recorded its hottest day of the year at 31C, while in Wales it was forecast to exceed 30C. A weather front close to Northern Ireland will keep it cooler.

Later on Thursday, eastern Scotland and the north and east of England could see rain, with a Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms into early Friday morning.

There are warnings that the storms could trigger travel delays, flash flooding, and power cuts.

Heatwave hits Europe

On the continent, the heat rose above 40C in France, Germany and the Netherlands, breaking records.

Paris saw a record high temperature of 42.6C and French reports suggest five deaths might have been linked to the heatwave.

In parts of northern Germany, rivers and lakes have dried up, bringing warnings that fish could be "severely threatened".

How to stay safe

People are being urged to help out vulnerable friends, relatives and strangers in the heat.

Age UK has issued guidance for older people to stay safe while homeless charities are handing out water and sun cream.

Public Health England has maintained a level three heat health watch for eastern areas of England.

In Bristol, thousands of people were left without water for more than 10 hours after a water main burst, with Bristol Water saying the problem might have been caused by the heat.

Homeless charities have handed out water and sun cream to rough sleepers across the country and Public Health England issued a level-three heat health watch for eastern areas of England.

Police also warned of the risks of cooling off in open water, after three bodies - believed to be swimmers - were recovered in London and Gloucestershire.

Britain is not used to such extreme temperatures, which means some people could be vulnerable to heat exhaustion.

The NHS recommends keeping all babies under six months out of direct sunlight, and older infants should be kept out of the sun as much as possible.

All children should be given plenty of fluids and the NHS says babies who are being breastfed may want to feed more than usual, but will not need water as well as breast milk.

For more information on how to keep safe in the heat, read:

Is the heatwave caused by climate change?

Records going back to the late 19th Century show that the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by about one degree since industrialisation.

A climatology institute in Potsdam, Germany, says Europe's five hottest summers since 1500 have all been in the 21st Century.

Scientists are concerned that rapid warming linked to use of fossil fuels has serious implications for the stability of the planet's climate.

What are the UK's current record temperatures?

The current record temperatures across the UK are:

England and UK: 38.5C (101.3F) in Faversham, Kent on 10 August 2003
Scotland: 32.9C (91.2F) in Greycrook, Borders on 9 August 2003
Wales: 35.2C (95.4F) in Harwarden Bridge, Flintshire on 2 August 1990
Northern Ireland: 30.8C (87.4F) in Knockarevan, County Fermanagh on 20 June 1976 and Shaw's Bridge, Belfast on 12 July 1983

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-49106092

2019-07-26 04:59:06Z
CBMiJGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy91ay00OTEwNjA5MtIBKGh0dHBzOi8vd3d3LmJiYy5jb20vbmV3cy9hbXAvdWstNDkxMDYwOTI

UK heatwave: Second hottest day on record leads to travel chaos - BBC News

The UK has recorded its second hottest day ever, with temperatures reaching 38.1C (100.6F) in Cambridge.

It breaks the previous record for the hottest day in July of 36.7C, and falls just short of the all-time high of 38.5C, reached in 2003.

Commuters faced disruption after Network Rail reported a number of heat-related incidents on the railway.

Forecasters warned the heat could lead to heavy rain in some areas, causing more disruption to travellers.

The Met Office said the temperature reading from Cambridge was only the second time the UK had gone over 100F.

Elsewhere in Europe, new high temperature records were set in France, Germany and the Netherlands.

How is it affecting travellers?

Network Rail said heat-related incidents were causing disruption across the rail network and warned people to make checks before travelling to see how their journey was affected.

It said it was working "flat out" to fix the issues as quickly as possible.

Packed carriages and rail delays on hottest day

The Rail Delivery Group, which represents train operators and Network Rail, said the disruption was particularly bad in London and the South East and warned it could continue until the weekend.

Robert Nisbet, director of nations and regions at the group, said 20 out of 26 train companies had been affected by cancellations and speed restrictions.

Commuters became stuck at St Pancras station in London after overhead wires were damaged, severely disrupting East Midlands and Thameslink services.

Boards displayed at the station announced most trains had been cancelled, with others delayed.

Damaged wires also led to travellers facing delays and cancellations to journeys between London Euston and Watford Junction.

Delays and cancellations are also expected for journeys across the Gatwick Express, Great Northern, Southern and Thameslink networks until the end of Thursday.

Other rail companies, including Greater Anglia, East Midlands, LNER and Hull Trains are also advising people not to travel.

Southeastern Railway also warned customers to avoid all but "absolutely necessary" travel.

What's the forecast?

On Thursday, Scotland recorded its hottest day of the year at 31C, while in Wales it was forecast to exceed 30C. A weather front close to Northern Ireland will keep it cooler.

Later on Thursday, eastern Scotland and the north and east of England could see rain, with a Met Office yellow warning for thunderstorms into early Friday morning.

There are warnings that the storms could trigger travel delays, flash flooding, and power cuts.

Heatwave hits Europe

On the continent, the heat rose above 40C in France, Germany and the Netherlands, breaking records.

Paris saw a record high temperature of 42.6C and French reports suggest five deaths might have been linked to the heatwave.

In parts of northern Germany, rivers and lakes have dried up, bringing warnings that fish could be "severely threatened".

How to stay safe

People are being urged to help out vulnerable friends, relatives and strangers in the heat.

Age UK has issued guidance for older people to stay safe while homeless charities are handing out water and sun cream.

Public Health England has maintained a level three heat health watch for eastern areas of England.

In Bristol, thousands of people were left without water for more than 10 hours after a water main burst, with Bristol Water saying the problem might have been caused by the heat.

Homeless charities have handed out water and sun cream to rough sleepers across the country and Public Health England issued a level-three heat health watch for eastern areas of England.

Police also warned of the risks of cooling off in open water, after three bodies - believed to be swimmers - were recovered in London and Gloucestershire.

Britain is not used to such extreme temperatures, which means some people could be vulnerable to heat exhaustion.

The NHS recommends keeping all babies under six months out of direct sunlight, and older infants should be kept out of the sun as much as possible.

All children should be given plenty of fluids and the NHS says babies who are being breastfed may want to feed more than usual, but will not need water as well as breast milk.

For more information on how to keep safe in the heat, read:

Is the heatwave caused by climate change?

Records going back to the late 19th Century show that the average temperature of the Earth's surface has increased by about one degree since industrialisation.

A climatology institute in Potsdam, Germany, says Europe's five hottest summers since 1500 have all been in the 21st Century.

Scientists are concerned that rapid warming linked to use of fossil fuels has serious implications for the stability of the planet's climate.

What are the UK's current record temperatures?

The current record temperatures across the UK are:

England and UK: 38.5C (101.3F) in Faversham, Kent on 10 August 2003
Scotland: 32.9C (91.2F) in Greycrook, Borders on 9 August 2003
Wales: 35.2C (95.4F) in Harwarden Bridge, Flintshire on 2 August 1990
Northern Ireland: 30.8C (87.4F) in Knockarevan, County Fermanagh on 20 June 1976 and Shaw's Bridge, Belfast on 12 July 1983

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2019-07-26 02:55:47Z
52780337870297

Kamis, 25 Juli 2019

European heatwave breaks record in Paris as Britain anticipates hottest temps ever - NBC News

LONDON — The United Kingdom recorded its hottest July day on Thursday in a heat wave that also shattered temperature records in France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

The U.K.'s Met Office said the mercury hit 98.4 degrees at London's Heathrow Airport before 2 p.m. local time, making it the country's hottest day ever for the month of July. Paris also reached a stunning 105 degrees at 1:36 p.m. local time, according to the French meteorological agency Météo-France.

The Royal Netherland Meteorological Institute sai d the country saw its hottest day ever, reaching 104 degrees at the Gilze-Rijen airbase in the southern part of the country. Belgium's head forecaster for its national meteorological agency David Dehenauw said the Kleine Brogel air base, roughly 55 miles east of Antwerp, broke national records reaching 105 degrees.

As Britons endured delayed trains, suffocating subways and baking homes, the Met Office said the country's record temperature of 101.3 degrees could still be surpassed as the afternoon wore on.

Although the sky-high temperatures were expected to be short-lived with rain forecast to bring reprieve to Britain on Friday, experts warn that extreme heat has become the new normal with climate change. The past four years were the hottest on record globally and the World Meteorological Organization has warned this year is expected to be the same.

A report released Thursday by the U.K.-based Chartered Institute of Water and Environmental Management found that while Britain has progressed on commitments to reduce emissions, plans to adapt to climate change are sorely lacking. It reiterated similar findings by the government's committee on climate change released earlier in the month.

Infrastructure, such as roads and housing, and emergency planning and response need to catch up with the current and future challenges posed by extreme weather, the report said.

Southeastern Railway, which covers areas most impacted by Thursday’s heat in England, warned there would be reduced service. Metal tracks risk buckling in temperatures above 122 degrees, the railway said, requiring speed restrictions to be enforced to maintain safety.

Last year, disruptions to network rail in Britain due to heat resulted in losses in the range of £40 million ($50 million) for operators, Alastair Chisholm, director of policy at the institute, told NBC News.

The bulk of housing in Britain wasn't designed to acclimate to such high temperatures and often lacks central air conditioning. Government programs incentivizing upgrades to home insulation, for example, have largely disappeared in recent years due to austerity measures, Chisholm said.

It was no surprise that U.K. retailer Argos saw a spike in sales for summer-related housewares. Sales of ice cream makers were up 62 percent compared with last year while sales for paddling pools were up 400 percent week over week, the company said.

Wednesday saw highest-ever sales of fans with 95,000 units purchased, the company added.

The rest of Europe faces similar concerns about homes and buildings being ill-prepared for the new reality of summer heat.

Architect Philippe Villeneuve said he’s worried this week's high temperatures could further damage the Notre Dame cathedral that was charred in a fire earlier this year.

Villneuve explained that the stone walls that were exposed to flames then saturated with water by firefighters could now dry out rapidly, causing the vaulted ceilings to become unstable and collapse.

These problems not only pose technical challenges and individual inconveniences but also have wider effects on the economy.

"We know when people are too hot they become less productive, so even if they make it in to work with the infrastructure not working as it should, they might be less productive," said Bob Ward, director of policy and communications for the Grantham Research Institute on Climate Change and the Environment.

Urban centers like London can also be "doubly lethal," Ward explained, because the cement buildings and roads absorb more heat, driving temperatures up. The bright sunshine reflecting off infrastructure also results in a chemical reaction that worsens air pollution, putting people with respiratory problems at greater risk, he said.

If the financial implications of the heat waves weren't incentive enough for cities and countries to adapt, Ward added, "I hope that risk to people's lives is the primary driver."

Extreme heat has proven to be deadly. In 2003, a heat wave resulted in more than 50,000 deaths across Europe.

Last year, Britain saw more than 800 people die in connection with four extreme heat events throughout the summer, Ward said.

"It might be worth for us to consider giving heat waves names as we started to give winter storms names," he suggested. "It's about recognizing heat waves as potential public health emergencies."

Linda Givetash

Linda Givetash is a reporter based in London. She previously worked for The Canadian Press in Vancouver and Nation Media in Uganda.

Nancy Ing contributed.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/european-heatwave-breaks-record-paris-britain-anticipates-hottest-temps-ever-n1034346

2019-07-25 14:18:00Z
CAIiED5WEzdHY8s0WZvDPht93XEqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowvIaCCzDnxf4CMM2F8gU

European heatwave breaks record in Paris as Britain anticipates hottest temps ever - NBC News

LONDON — The United Kingdom recorded its hottest July day on Thursday in a heat wave that also shattered temperature records in France, the Netherlands and Belgium.

As Britons endured delayed trains, suffocating subways and baking homes, the Met Office said the country's record temperature of 101.3 degrees could still be surpassed as the afternoon wore on.

Infrastructure, such as roads and housing, and emergency planning and response need to catch up with the current and future challenges posed by extreme weather, the report said.

Wednesday saw highest-ever sales of fans with 95,000 units purchased, the company added.

The rest of Europe faces similar concerns about homes and buildings being ill-prepared for the new reality of summer heat.

Architect Philippe Villeneuve said he’s worried this week's high temperatures could further damage the Notre Dame cathedral that was charred in a fire earlier this year.

Villneuve explained that the stone walls that were exposed to flames then saturated with water by firefighters could now dry out rapidly, causing the vaulted ceilings to become unstable and collapse.

These problems not only pose technical challenges and individual inconveniences but also have wider effects on the economy.

If the financial implications of the heat waves weren't incentive enough for cities and countries to adapt, Ward added, "I hope that risk to people's lives is the primary driver."

Extreme heat has proven to be deadly. In 2003, a heat wave resulted in more than 50,000 deaths across Europe.

Last year, Britain saw more than 800 people die in connection with four extreme heat events throughout the summer, Ward said.

"It might be worth for us to consider giving heat waves names as we started to give winter storms names," he suggested. "It's about recognizing heat waves as potential public health emergencies."

Linda Givetash

Linda Givetash is a reporter based in London. She previously worked for The Canadian Press in Vancouver and Nation Media in Uganda.

Nancy Ing contributed.

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https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/european-heatwave-breaks-record-paris-britain-anticipates-hottest-temps-ever-n1034346

2019-07-25 13:11:00Z
CAIiED5WEzdHY8s0WZvDPht93XEqGQgEKhAIACoHCAowvIaCCzDnxf4CMM2F8gU

Kamikaze Boris Johnson Risks Becoming Britain's Shortest-Serving PM - The Daily Beast

LONDON—Boris Johnson’s first act as British prime minister was to launch himself on a spectacular collision course with reality.

Instead of pivoting towards conciliation as he stood on the steps of Downing Street, the new Conservative leader lashed out at the “doomsters” and “gloomsters” who have failed to extricate Britain safely from the European Union over three agonizing years of negotiation at home and abroad.

Even before the Queen formally invited him to become Britain’s next prime minister, a raft of anti-Johnson Conservative lawmakers had quit the government in protest. The new PM chose to respond with a purge of his opponents in the most savage cabinet reshuffle in decades and the appointment of one of the most controversial bomb-throwers in Westminster as his senior adviser.

Johnson, who led the Leave campaign during the Brexit referendum, claims he can solve the Brexit conundrum in just three months. It’s either a pledge of great bravery or colossal hubris. Either way it is very likely that it will lead to Johnson putting the keys to No. 10 on the line in an early general election.

Twice on Wednesday he repeated the campaign pledge made to Conservative Party members, who selected him to replace Theresa May, that he would have Brexit wrapped up by Halloween. He says he wants Britain to leave the European Union with a new deal, which means either convincing Europe to abandon the red lines it's stuck to since 2016 or forcing the House of Commons to change its mind and approve a version of May’s deal that was brutally rejected by lawmakers on three occasions.

The only other option is to take Britain out of the E.U. without a deal, which parliament also has voted against repeatedly. He could try and force a No-Deal Brexit through against the will of Parliament, but that would break with centuries of political precedent.

Johnson finds himself in an almost impossible position. It’s going to take more than optimism to secure Britain’s exit from the E.U., but he made it clear that he would take personal responsibility for doing just that. “The buck stops here,” he said, as crowds of protesters booed and shouted over his first speech as prime minister.

If Parliament won’t let him deliver what he has promised to deliver, he’s going to need a new Parliament—and that means an election.

The big strategic question facing Johnson on the first night in the apartment above his new offices at No. 10 is whether to face up to reality before he crashes headfirst into the obstinacy of EU leaders and parliamentary opponents, or wait until after the damage has been done.

If he spends the three months trying to negotiate a new deal with Europe and convince a skeptical parliament to accept it, he runs the risk of being forced into an election soon after October 31 when he has failed to deliver his trademark pledge. Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party is waiting in the wings and ready to crush the Conservatives just as they did in this year’s European elections.

The alternative would be Johnson calling a snap election ahead of the deadline and asking the nation to back his vision by returning a more strongly pro-Brexit set of lawmakers to rubberstamp his approach.

Either of those scenarios could leave him at risk of usurping George Canning, who was Britain’s shortest-serving prime minister—in office from April 1827 for 119 days until his premature death at the age of 57.

Johnson’s best chance of avoiding that ignominy is to convince the current parliament to back whatever deal he can eke out of Brussels. Unfortunately for him, May has handed over a tiny working majority of just two lawmakers in the House of Commons, which means Johnson will be sweating over every vote.

The parliamentary arithmetic makes Johnson’s cabinet reshuffle all the more surprising. By losing at least half of the cabinet of lawmakers he inherited from May, Johnson has created a whole host of new enemies.

He fired Jeremy Hunt, his final opponent for the leadership, as well as Hunt’s backers Liam Fox and Penny Mordaunt, even though they were arch-Brexiteers. The Remain-leaning lawmakers have also been booted out of a cabinet that May had tried to balance between the rival factions.

Johnson has disregarded that notion and appears to be rebuilding the Vote Leave organization inside No. 10.

One outgoing minister told The Daily Beast: “It’s the Brexiteers’ wet dream of a Cabinet. The test is whether securing, as they have, every office of state they can now deliver Brexit. Backs to the wall, Dunkirk spirit, underdog rhetoric won’t be enough. The clock is ticking and all hinges upon success—the prime minister, the government, the party, the country.”

Perhaps the clearest sign that Johnson is planning a scorched earth policy rather than looking to build consensus is his choice of Dominic Cummings as senior adviser. Cummings was portrayed as the genius behind the Brexit referendum win—played by Benedict Cumberbatch in a recent HBO movie—but he is also known as one of the most abrasive characters in politics.

He became one of the few people in modern times to be found in contempt of parliament earlier this year for refusing to appear at a committee hearing, and former Prime Minister David Cameron once reportedly described him as a “career psychopath.”

Cummings has been scathing not just about his Brexit opponents but many of those on the same side. He attacked the group of hardline Brexiteers whom May struggled to control, saying they should be “treated like a metastasizing tumor and excised from the U.K. body politic.”

He described the pro-Brexit lawmaker tasked with negotiating the May deal as “thick as mince and lazy as a toad.”

Cummings is also renowned as an electoral strategist, raising the prospect that he has been appointed to help oversee an impending election, or perhaps even a second referendum, if that becomes the only option left on the table.

Johnson has sidelined the party’s big beasts and surrounded himself with a cadre of political outsiders like Cummings and his new Home Secretary (interior minister) Priti Patel, who was forced out of May’s cabinet when it emerged that she had been holding secret meetings with the Israeli government behind the prime minister’s back.

Johnson likes to ham up comparisons between himself and Winston Churchill, but after writing a biography of the leader who prevailed against Hitler in World War II he should know that Churchill’s over-ambitious and under-prepared early forays did not always end in success.

In World War I, Churchill drew up a bold plan to open a second front by attacking the Ottoman Empire, but he was not granted the number of troops he requested. In a fit of blind optimism over reality, Churchill ordered an amphibious attack on what is now Turkey to go ahead anyway. The result was the notorious bloodbath at the Battle of Gallipoli.

Additional reporting by Jamie Ross.

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https://www.thedailybeast.com/kamikaze-boris-johnson-risks-becoming-britains-shortest-serving-prime-minister

2019-07-25 11:51:00Z
52780336314805

Boris Johnson overhauls cabinet on first day as PM - BBC News

Boris Johnson has given key cabinet roles to leading Brexiteers after becoming the UK's new prime minister.

Dominic Raab and Priti Patel return to government as foreign secretary and home secretary respectively.

Sajid Javid has been named as the new chancellor as more than half of Theresa May's old cabinet, including leadership rival Jeremy Hunt, quit or were sacked.

Earlier, Mr Johnson said the Brexit "doomsters and gloomsters" were wrong and the UK would leave on 31 October.

Speaking outside No 10, he said the UK would meet that deadline "no ifs, no buts", adding: "The buck stops with me."

Who is in Boris Johnson's cabinet?

Mr Johnson then turned his attention to a radical overhaul of the government, with 17 of Mrs May's former senior ministers being axed or stepping down.

Announcing his departure, Foreign Secretary Mr Hunt said he had been offered an alternative role but had turned it down.

Defence Secretary Penny Mordaunt, a leading Brexiteer who is popular across the party, was the most surprising departure. She has been replaced by Ben Wallace, a former soldier and longstanding ally of Mr Johnson's.

Another prominent Brexiteer, International Trade Secretary Liam Fox, was also ousted, along with Business Secretary Greg Clark - a vocal opponent of a no-deal Brexit.

All three supported Mr Hunt in the Tory leadership contest.

Education Secretary Damian Hinds, Northern Ireland Secretary Karen Bradley, Immigration Minister Caroline Nokes, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright and Communities Secretary James Brokenshire have also gone, along with Chris Grayling, whose record as Transport Secretary was much criticised.

Scottish Secretary David Mundell, who has left his position after four years, joked whether there would be "room" on the backbenches after all the dismissals.

This comes on top of the earlier resignations of four leading ministers, including Chancellor Philip Hammond, Justice Secretary David Gauke and Cabinet Office minister David Lidington.

Conservative MP Nigel Evans described the changes as a "summer's day massacre".

The BBC's chief political correspondent Vicki Young said the sackings suggested Mr Johnson wasn't looking to build bridges across the party.

Instead, she said, he was focused above all else on assembling the team he thought would bring about the results he needed, even if that was controversial.

As the upheaval in government was happening, hundreds of people gathered outside the gates of Downing Street in protest against Mr Johnson's appointment.

Former Home Secretary Sajid Javid - a banker before entering politics - has been given the key role of chancellor, having thrown his weight behind Boris Johnson after being eliminated from the leadership race himself.

Priti Patel - who quit as international development secretary in 2017 after holding unauthorised meetings with Israeli officials - succeeds Mr Javid at the Home Office, where she said she would focus on keeping the UK country safe and fighting "the scourge of crime".

Dominic Raab is a former Brexit secretary, but quit over Mrs May's handling of the process.

He said he was "hugely humbled" by his appointment and said the UK needed to "bring finality" to Brexit so it could focus on the other big challenges.

Other figures involved in the Vote Leave referendum campaign have also been rewarded.

Michael Gove leaves behind his environment brief to become Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, a more senior ministerial role but one without a specific portfolio.

Meanwhile, Jacob Rees-Mogg becomes leader of the House of Commons - his first government role.

Liz Truss moves from second in command at the Treasury to head the Department for International trade while Steve Barclay has been re-appointed as Brexit Secretary.

Health Secretary Matt Hancock and Work and Pensions Secretary Amber Rudd are among the few ministers who backed Remain who have kept their jobs. Ms Rudd also takes on the women and equalities brief.

Meanwhile, there is a speedy return to office for Gavin Williamson as education secretary.

He was sacked as defence secretary less than three months ago after No 10 concluded he was responsible for the leaking of unauthorised information from a National Security Council meeting - which he denied.

Mr Johnson's team has promised a record number of women in the cabinet. Nicky Morgan, Theresa Villiers and Andrea Leadsom have all returned to top jobs, taking on the culture, environment and business briefs respectively.

There are also promotions for Robert Buckland (justice) and Alok Sharma (international development) while former party chairman Grant Shapps, a key member of Boris Johnson's leadership campaign team, makes a comeback at transport.

Former Chief Whip Julian Smith is the new Northern Ireland Secretary, while Dumfries and Galloway MP Alister Jack, who was only elected to Parliament last year, is expected to become Scottish Secretary. Alun Cairns remains as Welsh Secretary.

Social care pledge

Earlier, in a 13-minute speech outside Downing Street, Mr Johnson listed a wide range of domestic ambitions, chiefly a promise to sort out care for the elderly "once and for all".

Reforms to the social care sector have eluded previous governments because of their cost and complexity.

"We will fix it once and for all with a clear plan we have prepared to give every older person the dignity and security they deserve," he insisted.

Mr Johnson also pledged to improve infrastructure, recruit 20,000 new police officers and "level up" school spending. He promised reforms to ensure the £20bn in extra funding earmarked for the NHS "really gets to the front line".

And he pledged to boost the UK's biotech and space science sectors, change the tax rules to provide incentives for investment, and do more to promote the welfare of animals.

Setting out his priorities for office, the former London mayor hit out at the "pessimists" who did not believe Brexit could be delivered and called for an end to three years of indecision.

"The people who bet against Britain are going to lose their shirts because we are going to restore trust in our democracy," he said.

"The time has come to act, to take decisions and change this country for the better."

He said he had "every confidence" the UK would leave the EU in 99 days time with a deal, but preparations for the "remote possibility" of a no-deal Brexit would be accelerated.

'Personal responsibility'

Mr Johnson vowed to bring all four nations of the United Kingdom - or what he described as the "awesome foursome" - together in the task of strengthening a post-Brexit country.

"Though I am today building a great team of men and women, I will take personal responsibility for the change I want to see," he concluded.

"Never mind the backstop, the buck stops here."

Labour's Sir Keir Starmer said Mr Johnson's speech was "all rhetoric". New Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson said she would welcome a cross-party push to find a solution on social care, but attacked Mr Johnson's "bluster and bravado" over Brexit.

Mr Johnson took over after Theresa May handed in her resignation to the Queen.

Earlier, as she relinquished power after three years, Mrs May said being prime minister had been "the greatest honour" and wished her successor well.

During his journey to Buckingham Palace, Mr Johnson's car was briefly held up by protesters from Greenpeace, who formed a human chain across The Mall.

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https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49102466

2019-07-25 05:39:12Z
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