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Advance UK News Diary

July 18-24: Tory leadership finalists, Johnson’s last PMQs, and record-breaking heatwave

Boris Johnson waves as he walks into Downing Street with his back to the camera
July 15, 2022
  • Slice 1

A look ahead at the key events leading the news agenda next week, from the team at Foresight News.

Leading the week 

The race to become the next leader of the Conservative Party and succeed Boris Johnson as prime minister will become a two-horse affair by Wednesday (July 20) as candidates are eliminated each day this week until the final pair are left standing. The dramatic opening days of the contest saw bold promises to slash taxes, allegations of dirty tricks from competing campaigns and last-minute withdrawals before the first round of voting. Early favourite Rishi Sunak topped the opening ballot, with Penny Mordaunt proving her credentials as the dark horse of the contest by finishing a strong second. 

The five remaining hopefuls have a hustings event for the parliamentary party on Monday (July 18) as well as the chance to make their pitch more publicly in a series of televised debates, beginning with Channel 4 this evening and rounding off with Sky News on Tuesday (July 19). While Conservative Party members will have the final say after the top two are chosen, MPs will be keeping an eye on the public response to the candidates as they pitch their visions for government to those outside of the Westminster bubble, hoping to get a feel for who might appeal most in the next general election. 

Amid all the action, the man still in charge in Downing Street will take to the despatch box on Wednesday (July 20) for his final Prime Minister’s Questions. It’s unlikely to be a quiet send-off for Boris Johnson, with supporters sure to seize the opportunity to talk up his achievements and perhaps fire off a few sly digs at the men and women trying to succeed him. Opposition leader Keir Starmer, meanwhile, will likely seek to continue Labour’s attacks on candidates’ spending and taxation promises as the party seeks to capitalise on its recent strong polling on economic issues. 

digital thermometer reads 38 degrees against a backdrop of homes and a blue sky in London
Temperatures on Monday could reach 40C.

As the race for the Tory leadership heats up, the country could also find itself sweltering in the hottest temperatures ever recorded during the early part of the week, as the current heatwave reaches its peak. The Met Office has issued its first-ever red extreme heat warning for Monday and Tuesday covering large parts of England, offering a 50 per cent chance that temperatures could top 40C in some areas and an 80 per cent chance of a new record. The UK’s current hottest day on record came in July 2019, when a temperature of 38.7C was reported in Cambridgeshire. Forecasters warned of ‘widespread impacts on people and infrastructure’ and urged people to consider changing routines to avoid risk of illness or loss of life.


Looking abroad 

The US House Committee on the January 6 attack is widely expected to hold its final scheduled hearing on Thursday (July 21). The prime time hearing will focus on how the events of that day unfolded from the perspective of those inside the White House, and Donald Trump’s ‘supreme dereliction of duty’ as he refused to act to stop the violence as it unfolded.

Pro-Trump protesters outside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021
Pro-Trump protesters gather outside the US Capitol on January 6, 2021.

Following Joe Biden’s travel to the Middle East this week, all eyes will be on Tehran next week for the summit taking place on Tuesday (July 19) between Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and his Russian and Turkish counterparts, Vladimir Putin and Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The three countries, all of whom have significant interests in Syria, are co-guarantors of what is known as the Astana peace process, and the situation in the country will be a key topic in their discussions. The gathering follows Russia’s ‘success’ last week at the United Nations in forcing through a resolution authorising aid to be delivered to Syria via Turkey for just six months, instead of a full year. Critics, including UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres, are concerned that alternative aid delivery routes would allow Moscow’s ally Bashar al-Assad to weaponise life-saving assistance. 

Also look out for planned one-to-one meetings on the margins between Raisi and Putin, and Putin and Erdogan. Talks between the Russian and Iranian presidents, who met recently in Turkmenistan, will likely touch upon energy issues amid reports that increased Russian oil exports to China have come at the expense of Iran. Their meeting also follows warnings from the United States about potential deliveries of Iranian drones to Russia. When Erdogan and Putin meet, they are likely to discuss ongoing efforts to create a Black Sea corridor for Ukrainian exports following four-way talks with the UN and Ukraine in Istanbul earlier this week. Turkey is also expected to reiterate its offer to host broader peace negotiations between Ukraine and Russia. 

Protesters wave a Sri Lankan flag outside of the presidential secretariat office in Colombo
Protesters outside of the Presidential Secretariat Office in Colombo.

In Sri Lanka, lawmakers are due to elect a new president on Wednesday (July 20) after Gotabaya Rajapaksa fled the country earlier this week, reportedly to Saudi Arabia. The election, assuming it goes ahead, comes as the country faces an unprecedented economic and political crisis that has seen protesters storm key government buildings, including Rajapaksa’s residence. Rajapaksa had been expected to formally tender his resignation on July 13, but he instead announced he was making new Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe acting president, prompting further demonstrations and the imposition of a curfew before his resignation was confirmed earlier today. Wickremesinghe is said to be the ruling party’s favoured candidate for president, but he has also been heavily criticised by protestors, who may not quietly accept giving him power for the six to eight months it’s expected to take to hold general elections.


 

Also look out for...

July 18

Prince Harry address to UNGA on Nelson Mandela International Day 

Steve Bannon’s contempt of Congress trial begins 

Petersberg Climate Dialogue 

July 19

Nadhim Zahawi speaks at Mansion House 

UK unemployment statistics 

Royal Mail strike ballot closes 

July 20

UK inflation figures 

Royal Mail strikes 

Mario Draghi faces vote of confidence 

July 21

Public sector finances 

Commons rises for summer recess 

WHO Emergency Committee meets on Monkeypox

ECB interest rate decision 

July 22

ICJ preliminary judgment in Myanmar genocide case 

Twitter results 

July 23

Greater Anglia train drivers’ strike 

July 24

Pope Francis visits Canada 

Final stage of the Tour de France 

Statistics, reports and results

July 18

Oxfam report on billionaires’ wealth and the hunger crisis 

ONS stats on household expenditure 

ONS stats on long COVID after Omicron infection 

Results from: Goldman Sachs, IBM 

July 19

Universal Credit statistics 

Register of Political Donations 

Coram Holiday Childcare Survey 

EU inflation statistics 

Results from: Netflix, Johnson and Johnson, Lockheed Martin 

July 20

UK House Price Index 

National Grid future energy scenarios 

IEA Electricity Market Report 

Results from: Tesla 

July 21

Quarterly crime statistics 

IUCN Red List update 

Results from: Ocado, SSE, United Airlines, American Airlines, Snap Inc.

July 22

UK Retail Sales 

COVID-19 infection survey 

Anniversaries and Awareness Days

July 20

National Hot Dog Day 

Peace and Freedom Day (Northern Cyprus) 

10 years ago: Aurora theatre mass shooting 

July 21

Belgium National Day 

10 years ago: Sir Bradley Wiggins won the Tour de France 

July 22

Prince George turns nine 

One month ago: major earthquake in Afghanistan 

July 24

National Marine Week begins 

One month ago: US Supreme Court overturned Roe v Wade 

Five months ago: Russia invaded Ukraine 


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