Peter Robinson repeats his call for unionists to prepare for a united Ireland. Writing in the Belfast Telegraph, the former First Minister criticised a sense of complacency within unionism: “While those who are still in denial and refusing to talk about the elephant in the room, it is positioning itself to squat upon their laps.” He emphasised that he was not advocating either a border poll or Irish unity, but said a “contingency plan” would be a “judicious safety-net.” His analysis was dismissed as “just plain wrong” by former DUP colleague, Sammy Wilson. “Churchill knew the Nazis were coming after Britain when they defeated France in 1940 but he didn’t prepare terms for the event of a successful invasion,” said the East Antrim MP. A spokesman for the DUP was more relaxed, claiming that “(Arlene) Foster and a number of others had advance sight of the final draft.” 

Thousands take part in the 25thBelfast Pride parade. A notable participant in this year’s event was David Sterling, head of the Northern Ireland Civil Service. “As an employer to 23,000 people, the NICS respects and values diversity and is committed to delivering an inclusive workplace for all our people,” he said in his first official tweet. Representatives from Alliance, Sinn Féin, the UUP, the SDLP and the Green Party joined an estimated 50,000 people on the streets of Belfast. Former UUP leader Mike Nesbitt called it a “colourful celebration and respectful demand for change.” Patrick Corrigan, director of Amnesty International NI called on the UK government to extend same-sex marriage legislation to Northern Ireland: “People on the streets of Belfast today are sick of a second-class citizenship based on who they are and where they live.”

Theresa May cuts short holiday to hold Brexit talks with Emmanuel Macron. She met with the French President at his Mediterranean summer retreat to make the case for her Chequers Plan, the contents of which had been criticised by the EU’s Chief Brexit Negotiator, Michel Barnier. Downing Street has so far withheld comment on the outcome of the meeting. It comes as UK ministers have been dispatched across EU capitals to try and persuade national governments to demand a softer stance from the European Commission in its negotiations with the UK. Liam Fox, International Trade Secretary, told The Sunday Times, “It’s up to the EU27 to determine whether they want the EU commission’s ideological purity to be maintained.”  However, there was little sign from the Elysée Palace that President Macron was prepared to depart from the script, pointedly declaring that there would be no press conference after his meeting with Theresa May: “There is absolutely no intention to speak in place of Michel Barnier.”

Labour Party embroiled in growing chaos over antisemitism. Jeremy Corbyn had come under pressure, particularly from leaders in the Jewish community, to adopt the full definition of antisemitism from the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance (IHRA) in the party’s code of conduct. It is argued that adopting the widely used definition would show that it is taking seriously the issue of antisemitism within elements of the Labour Party. Writing in The Guardian, Jeremy Corbyn acknowledged the “continuing problem” and admitted the party had been “too slow in processing disciplinary cases of antisemitic abuse, mostly online.” Tom Watson, Mr Corbyn’s deputy, went further, warning that the Labour Party would “disappear into a vortex of eternal shame and embarrassment” if it did not take immediate action.

Emmerson Mnangagwa declared winner in Zimbabwean presidential election. The Zanu-PF candidate, who took over as President from Robert Mugabe last year, reportedly won 50.8% of votes cast. Nelson Chamisa of the MDC Alliance won 44.3% of the popular vote, according to Zimbabwe’s electoral commission. However, Mr Chamisa disputes the final tallies, claiming that Zanu-PF is “trying to bastardise the result” in a “coup against [the people’s] will.” After six protesters were shot and killed by the military in Harare, the opposition leader appealed for calm. President Mnangagwa promised an independent investigation into the deaths and insisted that the MDC Alliance would play a major role in Zimbabwe’s future. “Though we were divided at the polls, we are united in our dreams,” he said. The coming months will be a test of the country’s democratic trajectory after 30 years under Robert Mugabe’s repressive regime.

Also published on Medium.