During the course of today there has been significant progress in the task of building a coalition in parliament in favor of air strikes in Syria and ensuring that when it comes to a vote that coalition is able to find its voice.

Philip Hammond

Categorized in : World

Cyber weapons provide the tantalising possibility of being able to cripple the enemy without inflicting lasting damage on them

The Conservative Party that I have served has always had room for a wide range of opinions and has been tolerant of measured dissent.

I shall be voting against him. This is not the time to be holding a general election, it is a time for cool heads and grown up government, the government should stop making threats, stop throwing tantrums and get on with the grown up business of doing its business.

There would certainly be the fight of a lifetime if they tried to... by Philip Hammond

There would certainly be the fight of a lifetime if they tried to (stop me).

The pivot from demanding changes to the( Irish) backstop to demanding its total removal is a pivot from a tough negotiating stance to a wrecking one, the unelected people who pull the strings of this government know that this is a demand the EU can not, and will not, accede to.

To remain a dominant player we in the UK must do what London's ma... by Philip Hammond

To remain a dominant player we in the UK must do what London's markets have always done: evolve.

The irony of course is that this is the government that has just led the world by committing to a zero-carbon economy.

I've been in parliament for 22 years and I have never once voted against the Conservative whip so it's not something I would do lightly or enthusiastically. But I am very clear that the national interest trumps the party interest, if I am presented with a difficult choice I will act in what I believe is the best interest of this country.

President Xi made a speech this morning in which he committed China to all of those things and set out his vision for the next stage of Belt and Road and we will be looking very carefully at how that is operationalized.

It's essential that we get the balance right, ensuring that our networks are built in a way that is secure against interference from whatever source, but also are competitive.

I remain optimistic that over the next couple of months we will g... by Philip Hammond

I remain optimistic that over the next couple of months we will get a deal done.

It's a proposition that could and, on all the evidence, is very likely to be put to parliament at some stage.

(A second referendum) in the end is an issue about parliament and parliamentary numbers, and where the Labour Party ends up on this, as the Labour Party itself is deeply divided on this issue and at some point will have to decide on where it stands.

There may be some candidates who might be deterred from an application because of the political debate around Brexit, which inevitably the governor of the Bank of England can't avoid being part of.

The conversations with the Labour party are continuing, i am optimistic that we will reach some form of agreement with Labour.

Most of the colleagues that I am talking to accept we will need longer to complete this process, i am optimistic about the Council on Wednesday.

It is a perfectly credible proposition that deserves to be tested... by Philip Hammond

It is a perfectly credible proposition that deserves to be tested in Parliament.

I'm not sure there's a majority in parliament in support of a second referendum, many people will be strongly opposed to it, but it's a coherent proposition and it deserves to be considered along with the other proposals.

If that is the case then parliament will have to decide not just what it's against but what it is for.

One way or another Parliament is going to have the opportunity this week to decide what it is in favor of, and I hope that it will take that opportunity -- if it can't get behind the Prime Minister's deal -- to say clearly and unambiguously what it can get behind.