Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

London Mayor Sadiq calls for second Brexit referendum

London Mayor Sadiq Khan on Sunday (16) called for a second Brexit referendum as he criticised the Conservative party-led UK government's increasingly "chaotic approach" to the negotiations with the 28-member European Union (EU).

The Pakistani-origin Mayor said the fresh vote should offer voters the choice of staying in the EU against any deal the UK government manages to strike – or against a "no-deal" Brexit, if an agreement cannot be reached.


Writing in the Observer newspaper, Khan warned that with the UK due to leave the EU in six months, by March 2019, it now faced either a "bad deal" or "no deal".

"Both these scenarios are a million miles away from what was promised during the EU referendum campaign," Khan said, claiming that independent analysis had forecast 500,000 fewer jobs across Britain by 2030 if a Brexit deal is not reached.

"I've become increasingly alarmed as the chaotic approach to the negotiations has become mired in confusion and deadlock, leading us down a path that could be hugely damaging – not only to London, but the whole country," he said.

The former Labour Party MP from Tooting in south London warned that the whole Brexit debate had become more about former foreign secretary Boris Johnson's "political ambitions" than what was good for the UK.

"The need for another public vote on Brexit was never inevitable, or something I ever thought I'd have to call for," he said.

"But the reality is that the abject failure of the government – and the huge risk we now face of either a bad deal or a 'no deal' Brexit – means that giving people a fresh say on our future is now the right, and only, approach left for the good of our country," Khan added.

He said the government had failed to put the national interest ahead of party politics.

As calls for a People's Vote campaign for a second referendum has been building up, British prime minister Theresa May had said that "giving in" to such calls for a second referendum on the final terms of the UK's withdrawal from the EU would be "a gross betrayal of our democracy".

People's Vote, a cross-party group that includes several high-profile figures and MPs, has been trying to sway the Labour Party to back its campaign and Khan's open support will come as a welcome boost for the drive.

Meanwhile, in a letter to Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab, published by The Sunday Times, Labour's shadow Brexit Secretary Sir Keir Starmer warned the government that Labour MPs will vote down attempts to force the country into a "blind Brexit".

The Labour Party's official policy remains to respect the outcome of the EU referendum in 2016, and not to call for a new one but to "leave all options on the table" if a deal is not agreed by Parliament.

Party leader Jeremy Corbyn himself has repeatedly failed to rule out the prospect of a second vote, but has consistently said it is not party policy and Labour is not advocating the issue.

He will now be under pressure to make a more vocal stance in favour of a second referendum.

In a referendum in June 2016, 51.9 per cent voters had backed Britain's exit from the EU and 48.1 per cent had voted to Remain.

According to a series of recent opinion polls, the chances of the vote being overturned in favour of Remain has been gaining ground as the Brexit negotiations between the UK and EU fail to reach a decisive phase.

More For You

MIT-Anantha_Chandrakasan

Chandrakasan was selected from a group of internal candidates, MIT president Sally Kornbluth said in a statement announcing the appointment. (Photo credit: MIT)

MIT

Prof Chandrakasan becomes MIT's first Indian-American provost

PROF ANANTHA CHANDRAKASAN has been appointed as the new provost of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), becoming the first Indian-American to take on the role. Currently serving as MIT’s chief innovation and strategy officer and dean of engineering, Chandrakasan will assume his new position on July 1.

Chandrakasan was selected from a group of internal candidates, MIT president Sally Kornbluth said in a statement announcing the appointment. She said he brings an exceptional record of innovation and leadership to the position.

Keep ReadingShow less
Air India cancels London flight over aircraft unavailability

The flight was scheduled to depart on Tuesday afternoon. (Photo: Air India)

Air India cancels London flight over aircraft unavailability

AIR INDIA’s flight from Ahmedabad to London, operating under a new code following the June 12 crash, was cancelled on Tuesday (17) due to the unavailability of an aircraft. The airline cited airspace restrictions and precautionary checks as the cause.

The service, now listed as flight AI-159, replaced the earlier AI-171 flight which crashed shortly after take-off last Thursday (12), killing 270 people, including 29 on the ground. The Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner had 242 passengers and crew on board, with only one survivor.

Keep ReadingShow less
Conference highlights religious persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan

Conference at Westminster Highlights Religious Persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan

Conference highlights religious persecution in Bangladesh and Baluchistan

A high-profile conference on religious freedom in Bangladesh and Baluchistan was held at Portcullis House, Westminster, organised by the Dharmic Ideas & Policy Foundation (DIPF), hosted by Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East), and supported by APPG leaders on Freedom of Religion and Belief (FoRB), including Richard James Shannon MP and Julie Jones on 9 June 2025.

Chairing the conference, Mr Blackman condemned the ongoing persecution of minorities in both regions, describing the situation as dire and deteriorating.

Keep ReadingShow less
abortion protests

Protesters hold up placards during a march through central London on June 17, 2023, to call for decriminalisation of abortion. (Photo: Getty Images)

Parliament to vote on abortion law reform for Women

MPs are expected to vote on Tuesday on a proposed change to abortion laws in England and Wales that would prevent women from being prosecuted for ending their own pregnancies.

Under current law, women can face criminal charges for terminating a pregnancy beyond 24 weeks or without the approval of two doctors. The law still carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Keep ReadingShow less
UK heatwave

The spike in temperature is due to a period of high pressure currently centred over the UK

iStock

UK weather forecast says heatwave is coming and it could last for days

Britons are set to enjoy a burst of summer sunshine as forecasters predict a heatwave over the weekend, with temperatures expected to rise higher than those in parts of southern Europe. The Met Office anticipates that the UK could experience its hottest days of the year so far, with the south-east likely to be the warmest region.

Temperatures to reach 32°C in parts of the UK

According to the latest weather forecast heatwave predictions, temperatures could peak at 32°C on Saturday, 21 June, and Sunday, 22 June in areas including London and Kent. These highs would surpass conditions in traditional holiday destinations such as Portugal and southern France.

Keep ReadingShow less