Carl Gardner
@carlgardner
Followers
23,800
Following
3,677
Media
843
Statuses
139,379
Backroom legal obsessive. Former law lecturer and government lawyer.
London
Joined June 2008
Don't wanna be here?
Send us removal request.
Explore trending content on Musk Viewer
Al Smith
• 352900 Tweets
Monsalve
• 230838 Tweets
Catholic
• 167943 Tweets
Boric
• 103189 Tweets
#النصر_الشباب
• 83373 Tweets
سالم
• 82068 Tweets
Jesus is Lord
• 78468 Tweets
Andrew Garfield
• 76626 Tweets
Peterson
• 69393 Tweets
Ginés
• 65705 Tweets
#TUDUMNaLata
• 61447 Tweets
ebony
• 33464 Tweets
Furkan
• 29570 Tweets
Amelia
• 28991 Tweets
Leeds
• 15234 Tweets
تاليسكا
• 13867 Tweets
FURIA EN CRUDO TV
• 12841 Tweets
Colapinto
• 12118 Tweets
Dortmund
• 11441 Tweets
The key fact in British politics is Jeremy Corbyn. If we had a decent Labour leader capable of speaking to "middle Britain", Johnson couldn't get away with any of this.
1K
1K
6K
I don’t think it’s really right or fair to say he “took a £20,000 donation”. Lots of viewers or readers will think he received a payment.
Sir Keir Starmer says he took £20,000 donation after promise to protect family in Sky News interview. "I wasn't going to let me son fail because of journalists outside the front door"
2K
231
883
317
403
6K
I can't say how much I admire Grieve. He's one of our very best politicians, and his defeat's a sign of the dodgy times. I suppose he'll return to the Bar now, but I hope he has some political or public role again.
DG on election night: “I have absolutely no regrets on standing on this platform at all. I wouldn’t wish to be a member of a party that was led by Boris Johnson.”
82
568
3K
74
486
3K
You have to admire Rutnam for not just taking the money and going quietly. He'll have done a lot of things in his 30-odd years as a civil servant, but his biggest public service may come now.
20
457
3K
I'm furious with the Corbynites. But I'm also furious with people like this. Why didn't they do this in 2016? They went along instead, or just moaned, instead of doing anything. Cowards. In contrast: respect to the Bergers, Umunnas, Leslies, Gapeses et al, who did something.
Labour MP tells me: “Corbyn has got to go. Now.” Says that if he doesn’t go the PLP will unilaterally elect its own new leader to represent it next week.
216
370
2K
155
370
2K
Claire Fox's peerage is a massive two-fingered salute from Boris Johnson to the Parrys, victims of IRA violence, and the people of Warrington.
49
551
2K
Perhaps Corbyn should propose sending a sample of the mural to some neonazi group, just to check if it's really antisemitic.
33
603
2K
Blaming May for the Northern Ireland Protocol is one of richest lies in the whole Brexit saga. The Protocol is what Johnson himself chose as his replacement for May's "backstop". Astonishing that he can just keep on selling bent bananas like this.
21
356
2K
Something's spread invisibly in England that seriously threatens us. A free-floating up-yours querulous contrarianism on everything that puts two fingers up to "know-alls" and "ain't bovvered". Whatever "they" say, from climate to coronavirus, is just "Project Fear".
61
293
1K
A Brexit party MEP still doesn't understand that his party rejects "the Norway option".
The current EU ‘hard border’ between Sweden and Norway.
So why will the Eire - NI border be any different?
1K
1K
2K
60
313
1K
Funny how quick it can be when it's not about antisemitism.
Former Downing Street communications director Alastair Campbell says he has been expelled from the Labour Party
375
337
1K
21
243
1K
It's a disgrace that a health minister had nothing better to do than this at the moment. She should resign.
BBC News - Minister Nadine Dorries accused of spreading 'fake news' about Labour leader
57
325
1K
The Ministerial Code's useless, and Lord Geidt's report on the Downing Street refurbishment is hopeless. Strange that he thinks Lord Brownlow acted properly "in a confidential manner" by not telling the PM he'd paid an invoice, yet civil servants were at fault for doing the same.
42
324
1K
These councillors are right to leave Labour, and Starmer should be happy to see them go. Bonkers that they see a foreign policy stance rather than, say, social care in Burnley, as of overwhelming political importance to them.
BREAKING: The leader of Burnley Council and 10 other councillors have resigned from the Labour Party over Sir Keir Starmer's decision not to push for a ceasefire in Gaza, Sky News understands
2K
3K
12K
285
104
981
@RupertMyers
I haven't broken it, though I'm well and would like to visit my 88 year old mother, who's alone. Even if some of his critics have broken lockdown—they're not the PM's chief adviser. If he stays, Johnson's either a coward or an idiot or both.
22
77
939
Of course it's sincere. This is only a surprise if you've absorbed all the anti-European nonsense written in British papers for years.
With seemingly genuine sincerity,
@eucopresident
Donald Tusk ends his news conference with "we already miss you. Thank you and goodbye"
8
52
86
24
554
901
Lucy Powell on BBC News has accused the Labour government of 1997-2010 of "trickle down economics". Does a minimum wage, high employment, redistribution through tax credits, higher pensions, better rights at work and massive spending on the NHS amount to "trickle down economics"?
74
137
927
If there's ever been a "Project Fear" then this is it: populist scaremongers talking up the likelihood of violence if they don't get their beloved Brexit. Anyone making this argument should be ashamed of themselves.
67
359
881
What a joke Brexit is. I wonder if those border controls will ever come in. The Conservatives are obviously afraid of the consequences of the thing they destroyed themselves to achieve.
27
203
910
I think Brexit is far, far worse than Suez. It's a much bigger step down in Britain's political strength, and a big loss of relative wealth.
50
366
844
Maybe I’m a retired colonel or something, but I think it’s okay to insist he does this properly. If we ever democratically choose a republican constitutional order, it’s reasonable to expect MPs to be loyal to it. If that’s right, the same must go for the current order.
NEW: Labour MP Clive Lewis has been made to swear in again, having taken the House of Commons oath “under protest” last week
In his initial rendition, Lewis also *forgot* to swear allegiance to King Charles' “heirs and successors” — which I suppose was a no no
Attempts 1 & 2:
102
54
240
99
38
874
Jeremy Corbyn is the most important Brexiter. Only his tacit support is keeping the government and its crazy project going.
43
388
827
"It would have been a huge success if it hadn't been for the BBC, Remoaners, the New York Times, Hammond, the Supreme Court, Juncker, Barnier, WhatsApp, Buzzfeed, the government's own EU Exit Analysis—Cross Whitehall Briefing ..."
23
257
819
Article 13.8 doesn't say anything like this. Anyone who's following the issue must find it both wearying and depressing that claims made by famous Brexiters are so often just flat-out false.
1) Section 13.8 in the
#NIProtocol
makes it very clear that both sides are committed where necessary to 'replace either in whole, or in part' if it doesn't work or areas cause trade diversion and/or political instability which is damaging for the Good Friday Agreement.
341
345
1K
28
233
819
I think we should get rid of that lion on the front of the lectern, and instead have a unicorn and a flying pig.
26
169
786
I just heard Matthew Parris say in a podcast that this would be a sort of coup d'état, and he's right. Just saying this means Raab is dangerous, and it shows us the Conservative party is edging towards extremism.
NEW: Raab becomes the first leadership candidate to refuse to rule out proroguing Parliament to force through a no deal Brexit
He says ruling anything out is “weakening our hand with the EU... If I become PM we are leaving at the end of October”
44
138
267
41
327
760
Grr. You can't take your employer to court "for constructive dismissal" no matter how often journalists write it. What you can do is take action against them for *unfair* dismissal, if you say you were constructively and unfairly dismissed.
Rutnam plans to sue govt for constructive dismissal and says what has happened is part of wider pattern in govt
203
341
993
76
114
719
Brexit is far worse than Suez. It's just as humiliating in terms of projecting UK power, yes. But it also divides us in an enduring way and, crucially, it does long-term economic damage too.
This is Suez-level humiliation. We're a small, frightened country, being pushed around.
354
2K
8K
15
213
683
She and her government need to go. If May is allowed to continue, March 12th will simply be postponed to March 20th, and March 20th will simply be postponed to March 28th. She's making no progress, she's just trying to blackmail Parliament into a bad deal.
NEW. PM just landed in Sharm-el-Sheikh. Confirms on flight that there will be no meaningful vote this week. New date set for March 12
#brexit
564
857
787
15
261
672
I'm fed up of this dodgy unBritish podium routine. If she has an announcement, she should make it in a statement to the Commons.
Confirmed: Theresa May will address the nation from Downing Street at 8:15pm.
64
98
104
45
120
676
British governments don't sign treaties with foreigners, seek and get re-election on the basis of them, then just renege on them months later. This would not be British government as we've known it. It'd be something else. This government is something else.
38
224
685
We need more MPs who do plans and policies, and fewer of those addicted to "vision", "belief" and "faith".
During these uncertain times, our great country is crying out for reassurance, and a positive post -Brexit vision. Let us all not lose sight of the belief; our greatest years do lie before us. Brexiteers please do keep the faith.
#Brexit
will happen.
2K
830
2K
23
192
671
As a former government lawyer, I think it's hilarious for Dominic Cummings to complain about "the shocking influence of lawyers on policy". Lawyers advise; ministers decide. Only an incompetent, unfit politician (or political adviser) blames his lawyers for his own decisions.
20
174
671
Whatever the truth here, you can't have it both ways. If you complain that this kind of remark has led to you being abused, you can't also dismissively say that your bosses' remarks (e.g. about lawyers) have nothing to do with abuse or violence that follow.
22
188
651
That has to be one of the least meaningful and honest statements ever made.
Boris Johnson tells ITV News the Withdrawal Agreement Bill will provide “the highest standards and protections in this country” on workers’ rights and environmental standards. Clear sign he needs more Labour votes 1/2
81
64
175
43
239
655
@LDNYoungLabour
This is exactly the sort of thing that makes people who might otherwise vote Labour not vote Labour.
20
32
606
Gove promises to match EU farm funding for five years. Because the only way Brexit can be politically managed is to shelter people from it.
61
326
625
People should stop underestimating Starmer. I've stopped. Not liking things he says is one thing; thinking he doesn't know what he's doing is another. Turning worse than Kinnock '83 to not that far off Blair '96 in three years is astonishing, and not all down to luck.
167
106
646
I think it'd be more consistent with his own views if Lord Sumption, an ex-judge mostly famous for saying judges should interfere less in political matters, interfered less in political matters.
15
88
618
Sir Edward Leigh says "no surrender, no appeasement" on the Irish border and the EU. What stupid, ridiculous language from an MP.
44
210
558
@OwenJones84
You're as responsible for this as it's possible for a journalist to be. The absurd, repellent hard left you've championed has delivered the country to the worst government either of us has lived through. Well done.
15
45
554
I like Mary Creagh, and agree with her. But you do have to ask: why wasn't she saying this sort of thing publicly before? If most Labour MPs had spoken as frankly as this in 2016, 2017 and 2018 things might not be so bad.
"We have in Jeremy a man without honour and without shame - and a type of preening narcissism that means he thinks he's still got something left to offer the Labour movement."
Former Labour MP
@MaryCreaghMP
criticises Jeremy Corbyn after she lost her seat in the election.
2K
2K
4K
101
98
518
She now says she gave no legal view. In a sense, that's the problem. She's entitled to be political where that's consistent with her wider role. But law and legality must be first, last and always top of mind for the Attorney. It wasn't this time: politics was. She should resign.
Protecting one’s family is what any good parent does. The
@10DowningStreet
statement clarifies the situation and it is wholly inappropriate to politicise it.
16K
1K
5K
14
173
519
I think the fact that a majority voted for Grieve's amendment against the wishes of government, in itself justifies Bercow's decision to allow the vote.
The tragedy of John Bercow’s behaviour is that even when he goes, the chair will never fully recover its reputation for impartiality
614
536
2K
21
97
501
Every day, my pride increases in being a "Remoaner". We're the only ones speaking up for Britain.
Alun Cairns (Welsh secretary) just said "Remoaners" like it was nothing. That's the kind of language May's ministers use.
60
248
457
17
158
491
@CarolineFlintMP
You honestly, seriously think the danger is of the EU harmonising labour standards downwards after Brexit, and that Brexit Britain will be all about protecting workers from the EU? I wish we could have the pre-Brexit Caroline Flint back.
15
37
481
I certainly don't agree with this take. The jury found that they didn't break the law. Arguably one way to attack the rule of law in these circumstances might be to presume them guilty and call the verdict "perverse".
14
67
490
The line parroted by Geoffrey Clifton Brown on Newsnight, that the UKIM Bill doesn't breach the Withdrawal Agreement unless the powers it confers are used, is wrong. The UK has already breached article 5 of the Withdrawal Agreement.
11
180
479
@EmmaKennedy
@DPJHodges
You're right that he should have sacked Cummings of course. But I think this was always bound to happen because Johnson is simply unfit for ministerial office. Bound to happen quickly against the background of historic challenges like Covid and Brexit.
9
25
466
The next, maybe last desperate argument Brexists will resort to is "It's too late. Maybe you're right that it's bad job, but we just have to put up with it now." It's not true. The EU27 will agree to extend a50 if we want to think again.
23
209
463
I agree that that was ridiculous. Wrong of Farage to try upstaging the formation of the new government by holding a press conference, and wrong of the BBC to go along with it. He could and should have held his event on another day.
The BBC cuts from the construction of an actual Labour Cabinet to watch Nigel Farage shouting at hecklers. The BBC has, sadly, had a terrible election.
284
1K
11K
12
93
475
"Another referendum would be disastrous"; "Ignoring the 2016 referendum would be disastrous". These are fair points. But I can only take them seriously from people who recognise that *keeping on sailing for the rocks will be disastrous* too. We must find *some* way out.
45
165
441
Plain Tony or Sir Tony—it's trivial. I think his critics on the right can be ignored. What can't be, is that he led the best government you and I have known, or are likely to know in our foreseeable future. His critics on the left should think seriously about that.
27
45
446
If you think you're leading Britain to historic triumph, you don't resign over someone else's career. Davis is looking for a way out.
18
193
413
I think Johnson is making mistakes already. If he's daft enough to refuse to go to Brussels, Dublin, Berlin and Paris now, he'll find it harder to go later; and harder to say it was the EU's fault when he pivots to his No Deal policy.
25
96
407
Three Cabinet ministers ought to be resigning today—Hancock, Morgan and Rudd.
33
135
403
It's been a very stupid few days of politics from Boris Johnson. He fully deserves to be in this hole.
Johnson now in the worst possible place. Burned up good will and political capital to save Cummings. Govt seriously damaged by this. But he'll be humiliated if he lets him go now and it's far too late to get credit for doing so. Rock & a hard place
647
767
3K
7
76
400
@alexhallhall
I think you're missing that many, many vote switchers will have views like hers, and Labour does want them, and wants them to know it wants them. "Go away, we hate you, keep voting Tory" is the vibe Labour gave off when it was losing badly. And the two things were connected.
132
40
386
The worst government, the worst opposition and now I think the worst general election of my lifetime.
23
141
377
I think it's wrong for a Law Officer to be talking like this. He should be as respectful of the Speaker as he would be of a judge.
Meanwhile solicitor general, Robert Buckland says Parliament night have to prorogue - ie pack up and start again in another session - says speaker is ‘interventionist’ and ‘tensions of brexit’ are starting to bite
202
235
420
17
101
374
On Channel 4 News, Sammy Wilson MP just gave an interview based on either (a) ignorance or (b) dishonesty about the Protocol. He claimed it was meant to be temporary; but anyone following this knows the temporary proposal was May's "backstop"—that both he and Johnson rejected.
9
63
375
@toadmeister
Nah. You can only think this if you believe government—rather than Parliament—is top dog in our constitution. But that's not been true for a long time.
6
15
361
The whole idea the EU might "punish" us is a Brexist trope, designed to let them blame the inevitably bad Brexit deal on pure EU malice.
EU are at pains to stress they will not 'punish' us.
They see UK as unstable, harming itself - and getting ready to throw wild blame.
36
241
435
22
256
348
It's just staggering, how prepared they are to lie.
“Brandon Lewis was wrong when he said the Government was breaking the law in a limited way?”
@pritipatel
: “We are absolutely not doing that.”
#KayBurley
637
199
642
24
114
354
Utterly baffling that some people think accepting nuclear deterrence is "liking nuclear war". It's a truly strange opinion.
29
159
323
I watched Adult Human Female, prompted by the protests against it. It's simply a reasonable talking heads documentary in which people make points some will agree with, others not. There's no justification at all for trying to stop anyone showing it.
8
87
335
We don't have "open borders". Journalists should stop using Brexist propaganda phrases.
Friday's THE TIMES: "Borders will remain open for two years after Brexit"
#tomorrowspaperstoday
15
34
20
14
219
336
Lord Keen's the author of his own predicament, and thoroughly deserves it. He's continuing to make a fool of himself by "offering to resign". Just go.
8
59
333
I don't think there's any possible Brexit deal that doesn't risk bringing down the government. That's been the problem from the start.
Why would the government agree to a Brexit deal that would immediately bring down the government.
70
49
127
25
120
328
They'd propose a "special place deal" in which fires and torture were replaced by alternative arrangements (the tech's already available, not beyond the wit of devil, etc.) and want it to be time limited rather than lasting for all eternity. They'd hold all the cards.
10
95
322
I suspect Johnson is incapable of sacking Cummings. I bet he announces a Cabinet Office inquiry, which he plans to drag out endlessly and Cummings intends not to cooperate with.
28
73
340
This is important, and worrying. If crowdfunding is going to help unpopular or minority causes enforce their rights, then platforms can't impose strong ideological tests. I hope there's a good explanation—not just disapproval of her views or favouring the intended defendants.
crowdjustice appear to have closed my crowdfund against Stonewall and my chambers. It had reached a record breaking £48K in 6 hours. Could this all get anymore sinister? Don’t worry, I will raise the money. I’m not going anywhere. We will triumph. Keep heart xx
452
1K
4K
11
86
320
Britain isn't in a constitutional crisis, and it's not helpful to say so. There's no conflict with the courts, Queen or Lords, and MPs will get their way if they find one. But it is a very serious political crisis, caused by bad political choices and requiring better ones.
20
100
328
I agree with Owen Smith. When one day we finally see a Brexit plan, we may well prefer, after all, to Remain. We should have the choice.
106
258
318
Absolutely right. Everything that's happening to us results from British choices.
@TheEconomist
I hate this frame. UK has refused Single Market and Customs Union. We Europeans are not punishing anyone, just laying out consequences
41
191
468
15
210
322
@Dot_E_Fresh
@indiaknight
@theousherwood
They should be ashamed of themselves for having him on. And Farage.
18
15
285
Rees-Mogg claims a law firm could review all retained EU law in a month. Hard to convey, to those who've not done legislation, how simply mad this claim is. Well, they could do it in a month if they just said it should all be kept as is—but I doubt that's what he means.
16
72
318
We need to make up our minds whether we want to live in a Parliamentary democracy, where power lies with elected representatives, or else in a "party democracy" where everyone's bossed around by committees of unelected, unaccountable and fanatical local activists.
EXCLUSIVE: Extraordinary exchange of fire between MP and Association - 1)
@NickBoles
's Association Chairman calls his No Deal threat "not patriotic", 2) In reply, he sticks to his guns, citing his "duty to the country".
94
127
224
27
115
305
What Lord Kerr says here is impossible to disagree with, really. The fact that it may seem a bit daring or controversial is a measure of how intolerant and absolutist ministers have become recently.
8
82
312
This calls May's Chequers approach "soft Brexit". But it's not, and we mustn't accept an Orwellian language shift on this. May wants hard Brexit, many Tories want a harder one, and in 2016 I don't recall even the hardest Brexists advocating No Deal.
12
153
306
The power of a written constitution.
Picture of the day. Protestor showing riot police a copy of the Russian constitution.
39
868
3K
15
73
299
I propose a simple system letting people come to work in jobs we need filled, yet easily go home later. Free movement of workers, I call it.
Wetherspoons boss, Leave campaigner Tim Martin says Britain needs "some type of reasonably controlled immigration" to be successful country
9
7
4
20
176
289
This, if genuine, is even worse than the garbage the government put out last week. Full of lies and errors. They can't even spell the word "breach", and I mean that literally.
NEW: Part of the ERG’s internal briefing note on the Internal Market Bill being circulated among Tory MPs.
“This Bill does not break International or domestic law.”
453
508
1K
38
117
286
Britain's financial settlement will not be paid in a single lump sum. So if Brexist ministers are threatening not to pay now, they'll *always* be threatening not to pay. If we want reasonable relations with our neighbours in future, we need different ministers.
14
87
290
No, she wasn't arrested or charged "for standing still and thinking in public". Misleading to claim this without mentioning the Public Space Protection Order that was in force to protect users of the clinic targeted by anti-abortion protesters.
This woman was attested and charged in the UK for standing still and thinking in public.
No, this isn’t a joke, this actually happened. Charged on four counts of thinning in a public space. Unless you stand up to this, next year will be 1984, not 2023.
126
29
88
18
61
296
Difficult, now, for Johnson to say the EU simply refused to negotiate. And hard, I think, for him to maintain the fiction that not a day's more time in November would help. I think his premiership is about to hit the wall he's been hurtling towards.
19
72
288
Gosh. How on earth did "they" manage to turn Brexit into something negative and inward looking? What a surprising outcome.
5
69
287
Very hard to understand why it's only now occurring to some Conservative MPs that many of their colleagues actually want No Deal as their preferred outcome.
After today’s vote it’s looking as though the ERG actually *want* NoDeal - not just to help negotiate a deal, but as the actual outcome. I’ve supported it for 2.5yrs to help the negotiations, but if hardline Brexiteers try to make
#NoDeal
outcome I’ll vote to stop them
#newsnight
273
169
578
13
99
286
Stop whining. The people have spoken. Move on.
'
@EmmanuelMacron
offers 5 more years of failure, power to the EU and open borders. If
@MLP_officiel
sticks in there, she can win in 2022.
1K
1K
2K
10
103
280
Pathetic. Civil servants and government lawyers have to do a lot more than this all the time. How have we let ourselves be governed by such incapable people?
Widespread ministerial unhappiness that they have to read 120 odd pages of dense and complex stuff in just a few hours before making historic decisions on UK’s Brexit future. They are not sure if tardiness of distribution is Downing Street cock up or conspiracy
464
827
2K
38
90
276
Says the guy who thought it right to attack a decent American President for being "part-Kenyan". Johnson's as unprincipled as you can get.
We will protect the rights and freedoms of UK nationals home and abroad. Divisive and wrong to stigmatise because of nationality
888
2K
4K
13
223
266
Some of the submissions being made in this tribunal case seem extraordinary. Is this employer really arguing that the government has a positive legal duty to suppress "gender critical" feminism as being views that in themselves amount to degrading treatment of others?
Claimant's views fit the definition of transphobia: she is scared of them and dislikes them. Therefore in conflict with the fundamental human rights of trans women, esp. Art 3 freedom from inhuman & degrading treatment. Her views violate dignity.
8
11
87
10
82
260
This shows Cameron didn't understand the relationship of EU law to our own even after six years as PM. Why not? It's not that hard. Pathetic to blame lawyers, as if they could have made a circle square just because Johnson asked for a square circle.
12
104
272
It delights my legally pedantic heart to read this BBC report in which it's said, rightly, that Sir Philip Rutnam is making a claim of *unfair* dismissal:
9
35
268
Lots of us didn't agree to
#EURef
. We told you we were fine. You, the Brexists, insisted on the stupid referendum you'd made no plans (you had 40 years!) to implement, and *you* are to blame for this not only predictable but predicted fiasco.
4
72
259
What kind of minister abuses Parliamentary privilege to make a political attack on a doctor? Rees-Mogg is unfit for public office.
8
58
268
I can't understand comparisons to Suez. I think whatever view you have of Brexit it's obviously a much bigger deal in terms of Britain's international policy and future than Suez.
41
53
263