Tory MPs Criticise Harry And Meghan, Jeremy Hunt's Major Financial Reform, Labour To "Fast-track" Asylum Claims
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sparked criticism over their new Netflix documentary (Alamy)
4 min read
Conservative MP Bob Seely has said he is planning to bring forward legislation in an attempt to strip Harry and Meghan of their titles in the wake of their controversial Netflix documentary in which they are highly critical of the royal family and the British media.
He told the PA news agency he could propose the short private member’s bill early next year in an attempt to amend the 1917 Titles Deprivation Act.
The Duke and Duchess of Sussex sparked criticism over their new Netflix documentary about their time inside the royal family and their acrimonious exit almost three years ago.
If the law, which is unlikely to be passed, were to get on the statute book then it would see MPs vote on a resolution that could give the privy council the power to downgrade Harry and Meghan’s royal status.
Explaining his plans, Seely said: “There is a political issue. As well as trashing his family and monetising his misery for public consumption, he is also attacking some important institutions in this country.”
Last night the employment minister Guy Opperman told people to boycott the streaming service showing the six-part documentary.
“I don’t think it has a fundamental impact on the royal family. I certainly won’t be watching it,” he told BBC’s Question Time.
"I would urge everyone to boycott Netflix and make sure that we actually focus on the things that matter.”
Labour shadow minister Sarah Owen criticised some Conservative MPs for focusing on controversies surrounding the Duke and Duchess in the midst of a cost of living crisis.
She tweeted on Friday: "Some Tory MPs this morning, angrier about a Netflix show than they are about people freezing in their homes or not having enough to eat."
Jeremy Hunt launches major reforms to the financial sector
The reforms have been welcomed by the City of London (Alamy)
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt launched a raft of major reforms to the financial sector this morning to replace EU regulation.
Hunt pledged that so-called "Edinburgh Reforms" would seek to take advantage of "Brexit freedoms" by overhauling banking rules. The reforms include a package of more than 30 regulatory measures which Hunt says will "turbocharge" growth in towns and cities across the UK.
The moves will loosen the banking rules introduced after the 2008 financial crisis, which saw some UK banks face potential collapse.
They also include a commitment to make "substantial legislative progress" on repealing and replacing the Solvency II rules on how much capital insurance companies must hold next year, which is expected to unlock more than £100bn of private investment, the Treasury said.
"We are committed to securing the UK's status as one of the most open, dynamic and competitive financial services hubs in the world,” Hunt said.
"The Edinburgh Reforms seize on our Brexit freedoms to deliver an agile and home-grown regulatory regime that works in the interest of British people and our businesses.
"And we will go further - delivering reform of burdensome EU laws that choke off growth in other industries such as digital technology and life sciences."
Labour to "fast-track" asylum claims from safe countries like Albania
A group of people thought to be migrants are brought in to Dover onboard a Border Force vessel (Alamy)
The Labour Party has announced it would "fast-track" asylum claims made by arrivals to Britain from safe countries like Albania.
Shadow home secretary Yvette Cooper, said a scheme similar operates in Germany, Sweden and Switzerland, and could help ease the backlog of tens of thousands of outstanding application.
Cooper told Good Morning Britain: "Where you have countries which are designated as safe - so Albania is one of those countries, there are other countries as well - for those countries actually you should be able to fast-track things and the UN Refugee Agency themselves have recommended doing this.”
The Home Secretary Suella Braverman is believed to be looking at a similar policy as the government tries to tackle the ongoing Channel migrant crisis.
But Cooper accused the Government of spouting "rhetoric" and not doing enough the fix the asylum issues, telling BBC Radio 4's Today programme the current system is in “chaos”.
“Decision-making in the Home Office has collapsed, and that's why we will get a grip on this," she added, saying that addressing the issue "properly" would actually "save substantial sums of money”.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
