Political Updates 27th March 2017

This week’s Political Updates, covers moves and changes at all levels of government. 

• UKIP MP for Clacton, Douglas Carswell, has quit the party after serving as the first elected MP for UKIP since 2014. He will now sit as an independent and has announced that he is against holding a by-election despite pressure from UKIP to do so.
• Tobias Ellwood MP and Ben Wallace MP have been appointed as members of Her Majesty’s Most Honorable Privy Council.
• Theresa May will formally begin the process for the UK’s withdrawal from the European Union by triggering Article 50 on 29th March.

Scottish Parliament

• The Scottish Parliament has nominated Bruce Adamson to be the new Commissioner for Children and Young People in Scotland. He will be formally appointed to the position in May.
• Theresa May will meet First Minister of Scotland Nicola Sturgeon today for the first time since Sturgeon demanded a second independence vote and for the last time before triggering Article 50. This is part of May’s tour of all four UK nations before Brexit is formally triggered.

Northern Ireland Assembly

• Former Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland and Sinn Féin Party Leader, Martin McGuinness, passed away on 21st March.
• Following the Northern Ireland Assembly election that took place on the 2nd March, the deadline for the formation of a new power-sharing executive is set at 4.00 pm today. If an agreement is not reached (which looks likely after yesterday’s talks at Stormont collapsed), today’s Assembly session to appoint a First and Deputy First Minister will be suspended.

• This week the Members of the European Parliament will be based in Brussels for Committee meetings.