The political week in 5 points
By: Jamie Pow
Tags: Dup, Brexit, By Election, Cnn, Donald Trump

Government attempts to play down ‘no deal’ threat. After the Chequers summit earlier in the summer, it was agreed that the government would publish advice for businesses, homeowners, farmers, transporters and travellers on how to prepare for the possibility of the UK leaving the EU in March 2019 without a deal. Initially this was to be part of a coordinated six-week communications effort, but it has now been decided to publish the information on a single day in August to try and avoid mass panic. Meanwhile, the EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, has ruled out the possibility of the UK collecting tariffs on the EU’s behalf — a central plank of Theresa May’s White Paper proposal.

Ian Paisley suspended from the House of Commons and the DUP over Sri Lanka lobbying. The Standards Committee found the North Antrim MP guilty of “serious misconduct” for accepting two holidays for his family to Sri Lanka, failing to declare these gifts, and subsequently lobbying the UK government to oppose a UN investigation into Sri Lankan human rights abuses. MPs voted to suspend Mr Paisley from Parliament for 30 sitting days. He now faces a recall petition; if it is signed by 10% of registered voters in the constituency of North Antrim a by-election will be called. The SDLP has called on other parties to field an ‘anti-Brexit’ unity candidate in the event that a by-election is triggered.

Donald Trump’s former lawyer recorded meeting discussing $150,000 payoff. Around 180 tapes were seized when investigators raided Michael Cohen’s offices in April; one recording obtained by CNN appears to capture the then candidate Donald Trump talking about buying the silence of Karen McDougal, a model who says she had an affair with Trump in 2006. Such a payment may have violated campaign finance laws. The leak comes amid growing animosity between the President and his former long-time fixer. Rudy Giuliani, one of Donald Trump’s attorneys, called Cohen a “pathological liar.”

Imran Khan to be sworn in as Pakistan’s new Prime Minister. The former international cricketer positioned himself as an outsider on an anti-corruption platform, and enjoys the support of the country’s powerful military. The 65-year-old, who has never previously held public office, promises to govern a “new Pakistan.” His ideological position is somewhat vague: he is liberal in some respects but remains committed to Islamic values. He leads a nuclear-armed country of 200 million citizens straddled between India and the Middle East at one of the most difficult crossroads in geopolitics.

Peter Robinson says unionists should “prepare for a united Ireland.” Speaking at the MacGill Summer School in County Donegal, the former First Minister emphasised that he did not want or expect to see a united Ireland, but thought it prudent to prepare: “I don’t expect my own house to burn down but I still insure it.” In light of the UK’s referendum on EU membership, Mr Robinson said that the process of Brexit showed the need to plan for all eventualities. “As soon as that decision is taken every democrat will have to accept that decision,” he added. His comments were criticised by former UUP leader Lord Empey and by his former DUP colleague Sammy Wilson. “I don’t prepare to go to the moon in Richard Branson’s space shuttle because I have no intention of ending up there,” said Mr Wilson.